SUDBURY: UNLONDON in Gainsborough Country

Step off the train at Sudbury and be taken back in time to a world a million miles away from London, even though it’s just over 50 miles from the capital.

Where is Sudbury in England

Sudbury is in Suffolk in the East of England, close to the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and just 15 miles north-west of Colchester. London to Sudbury station by train is easy - you can travel from the capital via Marks Tey in around 1 hour and 19 minutes.

What makes Sudbury so special

On the river Stour that links it with Constable Country, Sudbury is famous for another English landscape painter, Thomas Gainsborough. His birthplace in the town centre is now home to Gainsborough’s House.

Visit Gainsborough House

As part of National Rail 200, take advantage of a 30% discount to visit Gainsborough’s House.

The museum has a large collection of Thomas Gainsborough's oil paintings, works on paper and artefacts on permanent display as well as visiting exhibitions in a wonderful new gallery space.

Sudbury’s Star-Spangled Banner

Afterwards learn about the town’s silk weaving past – bunting silk from Sudbury was used to make the original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that would become the national anthem of the USA, and is now among the most treasured artefacts in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Book a boat trip on the Stour

Thomas Gainsborough, throughout his youth and when he returned to Sudbury later in life, sketched and painted many of south Suffolk’s most beautiful sights, from pastoral scenes to pictures of the Stour which was then very much a working river.

Head out on the water now for a leisurely float with the River Stour Trust, or alternatively hire a canoe, kayak or paddleboard for your own adventure with Stour Kayak.

Walks around Sudbury

Today you can walk in the footsteps of Thomas Gainsborough on The Valley Trail, which takes in the riverside water meadows.

The water meadows have never felt the touch of a plough or been treated with chemical fertilizers, so are much like they were in the day of Thomas Gainsborough. This is a haven of biodiversity and home to many animals, insects and birds. Watch out for kingfishers skimming across the water, harmless grass snakes and water voles.

On the meadow walk you will also be able to see fascinating reminders of Sudbury’s industrial past, such as old railway bridges, and relics from its agricultural past, which was of such interest to Thomas Gainsborough. To truly follow in the footsteps of the great painter, why not visit Suffolk, take a sketchbook with you and create your own landscape masterpiece?

There are other grazing walks to take nearby as well.

Sudbury across all seasons

One of the great joys of Sudbury and the water meadows along the River Stour is coming throughout the seasons, seeing how the countryside and wildlife changes.

Where to stay in Sudbury

Try The Mill by the water, the nearby Mill House B&B and Hill Lodge close to the railway station.

Where to eat in Sudbury

Try Secret Garden, a restaurant that also hosts wine tastings and mid summer concerts and cookery classes. Cradle is lovely vegan restaurant that embraces local producers and seasonal ingredients.

Getting to Sudbury by train from London

You can get to Sudbury by train from London Liverpool Street station, the journey takes around 1 hour 19 minutes, and has 1 change at Marks Tey station. Our trains are accessible and feature free Wi-fi and plug points in-between seats.

Book train ticket to Sudbury

FAQs about Sudbury

Photography courtesy of Visit East of England