John Constable was born in East Bergholt in 1776, a stone’s throw from Flatford which is situated by the River Stour. His father (and later his brother) owned Flatford Mill and witnessed all that went on in the Flatford landscape that provided the inspiration for John Constable’s most famous paintings.
The Flatford landscape has changed little in and if you visit today, you can stand where Constable must have stood to sketch out the Suffolk scenes including The Haywain, for which he was to become famous across the world.
This website presents the history of Flatford, including its industry, its navigation system, its buildings and its people. Some of the famous buildings are listed below but click on the drop down menus in the toolbar to find out more about this fascinating place.
- Flatford Mill – Grade 1 listed watermill
- Willy Lott’s House – Grade 1 listed building
- Valley Farm – Grade 1 listed building
- Bridge Cottage – Grade 2 listed building
- Haybarn Cottage
- Flatford Granary
- John Willett’s recollections of Flatford
Please note: there is no public access to the inside of any of the buildings listed above except for Bridge Cottage