Home
› East Bergholt in Constable Country on the Essex Suffolk border in England UK

Self-catering country cottages in East Bergholt - Constable Country in Suffolk

East Bergholt, in the Essex/Suffolk borders, apart from being an extremely pretty village, was the birthplace of John Constable (1776-1837) , one of England's most prominent landscape painters. This village is where he spent his early days growing up, and developed his passion for the countryside around him, which later resulted in the many paintings of the area.

Find Self-catering cottages in Constable Country

Click on Essex and Suffolk to find cottages in north Essex and south Suffolk which encompass Constable Country.

	The village of East Bergholt is fairly small with only about two thousand inhabitants. Associations with Constable can be found in various places around the village. A plaque commemorating his birthplace (although the house has long gone) can be seen on railings in the high street. A building, just along the road near the bakery and village shop bears another plaque reminding visitors that it was formerly Constable's studio, although Constable always preferred painting out of doors where he could study the effects of light and cloud formations.
De'aths tiny Bakery just along the road in the centre of East Bergholt, Suffolk, where Constable lived and painted.

Constable is buried in Hampstead, London, but the family graves, including those of his parents, can be found in the local church yard, near the Boiler House. William Lott of Willie Lott's cottage in Flatford, is also buried here. Constable knew him from working at the flour mill, because the cottage was on the other side of the mill pond. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is worth visiting simply because it is a handsome church, dating from around the 14th century, and displays many interesting features including East Anglian flintwork.

The bell cage in the churchyard is well known for housing the bells that are housed on a wooden headstock and rung by hand. The Churchyard with views of the bell cage beyond the headstones

One unusual feature of East Bergholt is the number of houses supporting wonderful old Wisterias with their beautiful pendulous flowers and twisted trunks, although you will need to visit in spring to see these bloom in their full glory.

Established wisteria along the front	Wisteria framed door in East Bergholt

Apart from the Constable connection, East Bergholt in Suffolk is a lovely village to visit; the sort of quiet backwater that many of us would like to retire to. The buildings are neat and cared for, many with delightful English cottage gardens. There are a good number of local pubs for meals, a few essential shops, some fantastic walks and scenery round about, and it's within easy travelling distance of larger towns for shopping and even London. The public toilets near the car park can be recommended for their cleanliness. Well done to the local Council!
Quaint Thatched Cottage in Constable Country - sleeps 2-4 Dreaming of a stay in a quaint thatched cottage in Constable Country for a romantic break or perhaps a special occasion? Being Grade II listed, this cottage is of historical significance and offers an excellent standard of self-catering accommodation throughout. Attractive features include exposed beams and an original inglenook fireplace. There are extensive gardens which total almost a third of an acre with lawns and flowerbeds. Another notable feature here are the views over farmlands, excellent for families with children. Well behaved dogs are welcome. Constable Country and the village of Dedham are just a 30 minute walk from Manningtree station. Short breaks are available (min. 3 nights). Welcome pack and complimentary bottle of wine. Click on cottage photograph for more information on self-catering accommodation in Constable Country.