Stour Valley Local Nature Reserve

The River Stour (, pronounced rhyming with either "tour" or "sour") is a major river in East Anglia, England. It is 47 miles (76 km) long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury, Bures, Nayland, Stratford St Mary and Dedham. It becomes tidal just before Manningtree in Essex and joins the North Sea at Harwich. The origins of its name are unclear, but several possibilities have been proposed by scholars. In 885, the river near Harwich was the site of the Battles of the River Stour. The entire non-tidal river above Manningtree is designated as the Dedham Vale National Landscape, formerly known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has been painted by a number of prominent artists, including John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. The river was improved for navigation following the passing of an act of Parliament, the River Stower Naviga

Location

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole