Valley Farm - Flatford Mill - a photo on Flickriver

A visit to the National Trust owned Flatford Mill in Suffolk.

Flatford Mill is a Grade I listed watermill on the River Stour at Flatford in East Bergholt, Suffolk, England. According to the date-stone the mill was built in 1733, but some of the structure may be earlier. Attached to the mill is a 17th-century miller's cottage which is also Grade I listed. The property is in Dedham Vale, a typically English rural landscape.

The mill was owned by the artist John Constable's father and is noted, along with its immediate surroundings as the location for many of Constable's works. It is referred to in the title of one of his most iconic paintings, Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River), and mentioned in the title or is the subject of several others including: Flatford Mill from a lock on the river Stour; Flatford Mill from the lock (A water mill); The Lock. The Hay Wain, which features Willy Lott's Cottage, was painted from the front of the mill.

The mill is located downstream from Bridge Cottage which, along with neighbouring Valley Farm and Willy Lott's Cottage, are leased to the Field Studies Council, a group that uses them as locations for arts, ecology and natural history based courses.

Seen on a guided tour at the National Trust owned Flatford Mill.

Here the river scene where John Constable painted his famous Hay Wain painting near Willy Lotts Cottage. Although he didn't call it that himself.

Valley Farm seen during the guided tour of Flatford Mill.

Grade I Listed Building

Valley Farmhouse

Listing Text

TM 03 SE EAST BERGHOLT FLATFORD

3/8 Valley Farmhouse
(Formerly listed as
22.2.55 Manor Farmhouse)

GV I

House. Late C15 open hall with cross wing incorporating C14 features. Rear range
probably C17. Small later addition to left. Renovated and restored to original
form C20. Timber-framed. Plain tile roof. Red brick stacks. Open hall with 2-
storey, 2-bay jettied cross wing to left and through passage and 2-storey service
wing to right. Close studding with middle rail. Plank door under chamfered Tudor
arch. 6-light diamond mullion hall window. Small 2-light mullion window to left
of entrance. 4-light mullion window to service range. 3-light cross casements
with leaded lights to cross wing with jettiedgable end and tension braces to first
floor. Pent roof to upper window. Roof hipped at right. Ridge stack to left of
entrance and further stack to left return of cross wing. Further diamond mullion
windows and plank door under chamfered Tudor arch to rear. Rear range heightened
and altered, underbuilt in brick. Interior: framing exposed. Open hall has pair
of chamfered posts with arch braces to chamfered cambered tie-beam supporting
octagonal crown post with moulded base and capital, braced to purlin and collar.
Down braces to end walls. Shutter groove to hall window. Through passage to right
with paired doorways to service range with plank doors under Tudor arches. Original
stairs to service range along rear wall. Inglenook fireplace with cambered moulded
bressumer containing moulded brick arched recess at left, massive stepped stack.
To first floor of service range to hall side a blocked elliptical-arched moulded
brick fireplace. Jettied range: exposed framing including wall plate showing edge-
halved scarf joint. Blocked diamond mullion window. To centre, pair of posts with
arch braces to cambered tie beam which supports a short octagonal crown post with
capital of 3 convex mouldings of probable mid C14 date. (Attic floor inserted).
C14 roof structure in combination with later features in walling suggests a probable
C15 reconstruction of this wing. Grade I status reflects the historic interest
of the building and its extra significance as part of the Flatford Mill group.
Leased by the National Trust to The Field Studies Council and used as the Warden's
House.

Listing NGR: TM0775233269

This text is from the original listing, and may not necessarily reflect the current setting of the building.
Description

TM 03 SE EAST BERGHOLT FLATFORD

3/8 Valley Farmhouse
(Formerly listed as
22.2.55 Manor Farmhouse)

GV I

House. Late C15 open hall with cross wing incorporating C14 features. Rear range
probably C17. Small later addition to left. Renovated and restored to original
form C20. Timber-framed. Plain tile roof. Red brick stacks. Open hall with 2-
storey, 2-bay jettied cross wing to left and through passage and 2-storey service
wing to right. Close studding with middle rail. Plank door under chamfered Tudor
arch. 6-light diamond mullion hall window. Small 2-light mullion window to left
of entrance. 4-light mullion window to service range. 3-light cross casements
with leaded lights to cross wing with jettiedgable end and tension braces to first
floor. Pent roof to upper window. Roof hipped at right. Ridge stack to left of
entrance and further stack to left return of cross wing. Further diamond mullion
windows and plank door under chamfered Tudor arch to rear. Rear range heightened
and altered, underbuilt in brick. Interior: framing exposed. Open hall has pair
of chamfered posts with arch braces to chamfered cambered tie-beam supporting
octagonal crown post with moulded base and capital, braced to purlin and collar.
Down braces to end walls. Shutter groove to hall window. Through passage to right
with paired doorways to service range with plank doors under Tudor arches. Original
stairs to service range along rear wall. Inglenook fireplace with cambered moulded
bressumer containing moulded brick arched recess at left, massive stepped stack.
To first floor of service range to hall side a blocked elliptical-arched moulded
brick fireplace. Jettied range: exposed framing including wall plate showing edge-
halved scarf joint. Blocked diamond mullion window. To centre, pair of posts with
arch braces to cambered tie beam which supports a short octagonal crown post with
capital of 3 convex mouldings of probable mid C14 date. (Attic floor inserted).
C14 roof structure in combination with later features in walling suggests a probable
C15 reconstruction of this wing. Grade I status reflects the historic interest
of the building and its extra significance as part of the Flatford Mill group.
Leased by the National Trust to The Field Studies Council and used as the Warden's
House.

Listing NGR: TM0775233269

Some rights reserved

Taken in: UK / England / Babergh District / Flatford (show map)

Taken on: June 16, 2019

Tags:

Flatford

Flatford Mill

East Bergholt

Colchester

Suffolk

East Anglia

England

United Kingdom

Great Britain

John Constable

Constable Country

Dedham Vale

tree

trees

Valley Farm

Grade I Listed Building

Grade I Listed

Valley Farmhouse

House

gate

open hall with cross wing

Timber-framed

Plain tile roof

Red brick stacks

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Sets appears in: • Flatford Mill

Groups appears in: • half-timbered • Doors, Windows Portals, Gates & Entryways more » • Medieval architecture and art • Cottages, English • Doors Portals and Gates • " AMAZING TREES " • Suffolk Scenes • The sign says: PRIVATE • Medieval buildings UK • The 1500s (The 16th Century) « less

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Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FZ72
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Exposure Program:	Program AE
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Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
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