Dedham Boat Hire
Hi everyone! How was your Easter bank holiday weekend? It was glorious to see some much needed sun here and we spent so much time outdoors that we achieved our first 200 hour target of our 1000 hours outside goal for the year. YESS! 🙌
I thought I’d share with you some of the places we went over the weekend as they make fantastic days out with babies, toddlers and kids, particularly on sunnier days. First up:
Dedham and Flatford Boat Hire
📍 Meadow Cottage, Mill Ln, Dedham, Colchester CO7 6DH
💰 Cost (Dedham side): £20 per boat for an hour
🕰 Open 9-4 pm, 7 days a week
🗓 Start March - End October
On Friday we went rowing at Dedham, a pastime that generations of families local to the area will probably be fond of - I know I am. If you’re wondering what it’s like to row with babies and toddlers aboard, well it’s absolutely fine. Leo did call the river a puddle at first and I wondered if he might dive in. We had a 5 month old, a 2 year old and Leo (19 months) across two boats. The advice is 3-4 adults and 2 children to a boat.
You can get the boats from the Dedham or Flatford side. It typically takes 1.5 hours to row from Dedham to Flatford or vice versa depending on the tide. We did about 25 mins out toward Dedham and then 35 mins back - against the tide - to Dedham for a one hour trip.
Eating in Dedham
Dedham is definitely not short of options when it comes to delicious food. After our row we stopped for brunch at The Boathouse Restaurant / Boatyard Eatery which is situated right beside the river. It was lovely and the food is to die for but I do recommend booking ahead as it gets pretty busy! Leo and his cousin had lots of fun throwing food for the ducks and watching people paddle board and row by in the river below.
Other great places to eat in Dedham - just a short walk away from the boatyard down the Main Street - include:
Dedham Art & Craft Centre (also lovely to browse here - some amazing things!)
Parking in Dedham
Free parking outside the Boathouse
Free parking on the street and Dedham centre although this does get full quickly
Mill Pond Carpark - 127 spaces - Up to 1 hour is free. Up to 2 hours: £1.20 | Up to 4 hours: 2.50 | Over 4 hours: £5
Mill Lane Carpark - Same prices as above I believe
Other things to do nearby:
Picnic by the riverbank - Dedham Vale is the perfect spot for a picnic by the riverbank
Take a walk - There are many beautiful walks around this area. The obvious routes lead to Flatford but you can also go to Manningtree or Stratford St. Mary.
If you walk to Flatford you can explore the RSPB nature reserve and Flatford Mill and pass by Willy Lott’s cottage. Those interested or familiar with the works of John Constable are likely to enjoy this as you’ll recognise many of the scenes he painted.
If you’re National Trust members I recommend parking at Flatford National Trust carpark and beginning your rowing or walk from there.
As some of you will know Flatford and Dedham Vale is a place close to my heart as I have so many family memories here growing up and my now husband proposed to me here too so I’m always recommending it!! The scenery is just magical at times - think Wind in the Willows - and the vale has a special vastness about it that I don’t often associate with Suffolk or England generally. On a sunny day the cloud formations are spectacular and the sunrises and sunsets can really pop if you’re lucky to catch them.