Funding to celebrate beauty spot

The funding will help conserve Dedham Vale and the Stour Valley

An area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) on the Suffolk and Essex border has been granted nearly £1m over three years from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project won the money to help preserve, and celebrate the area's importance.

The Managing a Masterpiece money will help 15 archaeology, biodiversity and conservation of historic features projects in the Stour Valley.

The money will also pay to reinstate the Constable Country bus service.

Simon Amstutz, the project's operations manager, said: "This is the first Landscape Partnership award in the East of England, and will be of enormous benefit to those who live and work in the Stour Valley.

The Dedham Vale inspired artists such as John Constable

"We are thrilled that our partners are putting in a further £100,000, which together with in-kind contributions from volunteers, brings the funding to £1.1m."

Managing a Masterpiece consists of three programmes to understand, conserve and celebrate the landscape which inspired writers and painters, including John Constable.

These will focus on clusters of heritage hotspots around Clare, Sudbury, Bures, Stoke by Nayland and Dedham.

Robyn Llewellyn, from the Heritage Lottery Fund in the East, said: "The English countryside is famed around the world and the Stour Valley represents one of our finest examples.

"Local communities and groups will be able to work together on a wide range of activities helping to sustain the unique distinctiveness of our natural heritage."

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