View source for River Stour, Essex and Suffolk

[[File:Stour1.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Stour at Manningtree, Essex]]
The '''River Stour''' is a river which forms almost the whole length of the boundary between [[Suffolk]] to the north and [[Essex]] to the south, from a little east of [[Haverhill]] to the sea.

The Stour is 47&nbsp;miles long. It rises in eastern [[Cambridgeshire]], by [[Weston Green, Cambridgeshire|Weston Green]] and loops through the hills, soon entering Suffolk, and southwards to the east of [[Haverhill]].  South of [[Kedington]] it meets the Essex-Suffolk boundary and forms that boundary thereafter.  Flowing east, it passes through [[Cavendish]], [[Sudbury]] and the [[Dedham Vale]], and joins the [[North Sea]] at [[Harwich]].

It is one of several rivers in southern Britain known as the [[River Stour|Stour]].

The River Stour was one of the first improved rivers or canals in Britain. In 1705 Parliament passed '' 'An Act for making the River Stower navigable from the town of [[Manningtree]], in the county of Essex, to the town of [[Sudbury]], in the county of Suffolk' '' in 1705, mandating public navigation rights and providing the basis of a joint stock company of London and Suffolk investors who raised £4,800 to cut and manage the river. Although partly supplanted by railways, lighters were still working on the Stour above Manningtree almost until Second World War. As of 2011 they still operate as far as [[Mistley]].

[[File:Constable DeadhamVale.jpg|left|thumb|170px|Constable's ''Dedham Vale'' of 1802]]
The Stour valley has been portrayed as a working river by John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough and Paul Nash.  Constable's connection with the area was especially important, evident in such works as ''The Stour Valley and Dedham Church'' c. 1815. Today much of the Stour valley is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty.<ref name="envagency">Environment Agency</ref> It forms the spine of what is known as ''Constable country''.

The River Stour Trust, a waterway restoration group, was set up in 1968 to protect and enhance the right of the public to navigate the River Stour. The Trust seeks to restore through navigation from Sudbury to the sea, following on the successful restoration of the locks at Dedham, Flatford and Great Cornard, by reinstating the 10 remaining locks. Meanwhile, the Trust encourages use of the River Stour by small craft and organises annual events for all age groups and abilities on different parts of the river. River Stour Trust boat trips and private charters, skippered by friendly volunteer boat crew, are available in Flatford and Sudbury between Easter and October. The Environment Agency is the navigation authority for the river.
RSPB Stour Estuary is a nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
[[File:River Stour shore - geograph.org.uk - 361845.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Stour Estuary]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Outside links==
{{Commons category|River_Stour,_Suffolk}}
*[http://www.riverstourtrust.org/ The River Stour Trust]
*[http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/ships_register.php?action=ship&id=1434 Stour lighter John Constable] Register of National Historic Ships
*[http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/sdoc.php?wpage=PNRC0601#PNRCSTRS Priestley's Navigable Rivers and Canals, 1831] River Stour p.&nbsp;597
*[http://www.constablecountry.co.uk/attractions.htm Constable Country website]
*[http://www.bures-online.co.uk/ Bures Community Website] - gives the full Navigation history of the river from the time of the horse drawn "lighters" up to the present day
*[http://www.riverstourboating.org.uk/ River Stour Boating] - provides one or two day canoe trips from Sudbury to Cattawade a distance of nearly 25 miles.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stour, Suffolk}}

[[Category:Rivers of Cambridgeshire]] [[Category:Rivers of Essex]] [[Category:Rivers of Suffolk]]