How to get to the Region by Car Click on the place of departure for details on how to get to the area. Colchester Ipswich London and the South East Norwich and the North / Midlands Travelling from Colchester For Dedham, take the Ipswich Road out of Colchester onto the Ipswich bound A12. Take the 1st turning off the A12, just past the Shell Petrol Station, which is approx 2 miles from the Colchester Exit. Take the first right, and follow signs to Dedham. For Stratford St. Mary, take the 2nd exit off the A12 after joining from the Colchester Exit. This is approx. 3 miles. Follow the road for another 2-3 miles, and you will drive through the village. For East Bergholt and Flatford, take the B1070 turning off the A12 which is approx 9 miles from Colchester. Turn left towards East Bergholt, and follow signs for the village centre and Flatford (Brown Signs). For Manningtree and Mistley, take the A137 out of Colchester towards Ipswich. At Lawford Service Station, (Esso Garage), turn left for Manningtree, and go straight on for Mistley. Travelling from Ipswich For Dedham, take the London Road out of Ipswich towards Colchester. The turning for the B1029 is approx. 12 miles from Ipswich. Dedham Village Centre is 2 miles from the A12 turn-off. For Stratford St. Mary, follow the directions for Dedham, and again take the B1029 turning for Dedham and Stratford St. Mary. Take the FIRST RIGHT (50 yards from A12 turnoff) for Stratford St. Mary, go past Stratford St. Mary church and go under the A12. Continue straight on; the road goes right through Stratford St. Mary. For East Bergholt and Flatford, take the London Road out of Ipswich onto the A12. The turning for the B1070 is approx. 10 miles from Ipswich. Come off onto the sliproad, and turn LEFT to East Bergholt. East Bergholt is 1.5 miles from the A12. Follow signs for Village Centre and Flatford. For Manningtree and Mistley, take the A137 (Wherstead Road) out of Ipswich. Follow signs for Brantham and Manningtree. Manningtree is 10 miles from Ipswich. At the roundabout, 9 miles from Ipswich, at the Railway Junction, turn FIRST LEFT. Manningtree is one mile from this point and Mistley is 2 miles through Manningtree Village Centre. Travelling from London and the South-East The Lower Stour Valley is the area between Stratford St. Mary and Harwich, where the River Stour joins the North Sea. The River Stour is situated 65 miles away from London and donates the county border between Essex and Suffolk. From London and the South East, take the A12 eastbound towards Chelmsford and Colchester. The A12 is junction 28 on the M25, close to the Dartford Crossing, on the east side of London. For Dedham and Stratford St. Mary, drive for approx. 60 miles; past Colchester and the turning for Harwich (A120). Continue past the Shell Service Service station. Your turning is approx 1.5 miles from the Shell Service Station and is signed Stratford St. Mary and Dedham. Take the 2nd right for Dedham and continue straight on round the corner for Stratford St.Mary (you drive through it). For East Bergholt and Flatford, continue past Dedham and Stratford St.Mary. You turning is 67 miles from London. The turning is the B1070 for Hadleigh and East Bergholt. At the 'T' Junction, turn left for East Bergholt. East Bergholt is 1.5 miles from the A12; follow the Brown Tourist signs to Flatford. Please note that the access for Flatford is on a one-way system. For Manningtree and Mistley, follow the directions for East Bergholt, and again take the B1070 towards East Bergholt. Drive through East Bergholt, and follow the signs for Brantham and Manningtree. At the junction of the A137, turn right, and follow signs into Manningtree (approx 2 miles). Travelling from Norwich, the North and West The easiest method of travelling to the Lower Stour Valley is to travel on the A140 from Norwich and Norfolk, or on the A1/A14 from the West. People from Norfolk should travel down the A140 until it reaches the junction of the A14. Take the Ipswich/Felixstowe bound A14 (EAST) carrigeway until the junction of the A12(South) (Tesco's). Follow the A12 towards London / Colchester. Travellers from the A14 should continue Ipswich bound (East) until they reach the junction of the A12 (South) (Tesco's). Follow the A12 towards London / Colchester. PLEASE NOTE THAT TRAVELLERS FOR MANNINGTREE AND MISTLEY SHOULD CONTINUE ON THE A14 UNTIL THE JUNCTION OF THE A137. For Manningtree and MistleyTake the A14 junction (Ipswich Central) onto the A137 for Brantham and Manningtree. Manningtree is approx. 9 miles from this point. At the railway under/over roundabout junction, turn left into Manningtree; Mistley is approx 2 miles through Manningtree. For East Bergholt and Flatford, take the A12 Tesco's Junction and continue Colchester bound. Approx. 6 miles from Tesco's is the junction of the A1070 for Hadleigh and East Bergholt. Take this junction, and at the next T junction, turn left. East Bergholt is 1 mile from A12, and Flatford is 2 miles from this point. For Dedham and Stratford St. Mary continue past the East Bergholt turning, and approx. 2 miles from this point is the junction of the B1029 for Dedham and Stratford St. Mary. FOR STRATFORD, take the RIGHT turn at the church IMMEDIATELY after coming off the A12. For Dedham continue straight on for 2 miles.