Eating out
The Henny Swan pub in Henny Street is our local and serves great food in a lovely setting right on the River Stour. You can walk to the pub from the cottage (mostly down footpaths, there is a map in the cottage), which takes approximately 30-45 minutes or you can drive there in 5 minutes. Other great local pubs are The Bildeston Crown, The Anchor in Nayland, The Crown in Stoke by Nayland, The Three Horseshoes in Fordham, The Sun Inn in Dedham and The Half Moon Inn in Belchamp St Paul. North Hill Noodle Bar in Colchester serves delicious food. For fine dining, try Talbooth Restaurant in Dedham, Maison Bleue in Bury St Edmunds, The Angel Inn in Stoke by Nayland or Kintsu in Colchester. 

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On the river

Kayaking, paddle boarding and boat trips on The Stour are great fun, in the summer you can do these activities from The Henny Swan.

• Stour Kayak 

• The Paddle Company 

• River Stour Trust

 

Local attractions

• Arger Fen

• Beth Chatto's gardens

• Colchester Castle

• Colchester Zoo 

• East Anglian Railway Museum

• Flatford Mill

• Gainsborough’s House (currently closed for redevelopment, opening in late autumn 2022)

• Hedingham Castle

• Ickworth House and gardens 

• Kentwell Hall

• Markshall Estate

• Melford Hall 

• Tuffon Hall Vineyard

 

Nearby villages and towns

In addition to the Hennys - Little Henny, Great Henny and Henny Street - there are many other local villages and towns that are worth a visit. Long Melford, Clare and Lavenham are lovely and all are a short drive away. Sudbury, the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough, is just down the road and has a bustling market on Thursdays and Saturdays. Bures, Boxford, Nayland, Stoke by Nayland, Hadleigh and Dedham are very pretty. Bury St Edmunds is about 30 minutes away and has beautiful gardens as well as lots of shops and restaurants. Saffron Walden is a bit further afield but worth a visit if you have time.

 

Local food shops
The market town of Sudbury is a short drive away and here you will find a selection of supermarkets including Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys and Aldi as well as other shops and cafes. There are also a number of farm shops nearby selling delicious local produce: 

• Blackwells Farm Shop

• Hall Farm Shop

• Hollow Trees Farm Shop

• Willow Tree Farm Shop

 

The seaside
There are some great beaches on the Essex Coast. Mersea Island is wonderful and is about 50 minutes away by car. Make sure you check the tide times before heading off because if the tide is high, The Strood floods and you can’t get on to the island! You can eat fantastic seafood at The Company Shed in West Mersea. Mersea is great for dogs, which are allowed on the beaches all year round. Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze both have sandy beaches and are about an hour away. Dogs are not allowed on these beaches at certain times of the year. Brightlingsea beach is about 50 minutes away. Dogs are not allowed on the beach at certain times of the year.

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Further information 

• Visit Essex

• Visit Suffolk