Sudbury, Suffolk – Market Town on the Stour Valley Path

Riverside Meadows, Valley Paths, and Historic Market Streets

Sudbury is a market town in south Suffolk on the Stour Valley Path, set directly beside the River Stour at the heart of the Stour Valley. The St Edmund Way also passes through the town, linking routes north toward Lavenham and Bury St Edmunds and south toward the Dedham Vale. Walking here follows riverside meadows, parkland, and quiet valley paths between settlements along the Suffolk–Essex border.

The town is arranged around a compact centre of market streets close to the river, with open green space along the water’s edge. Footpaths follow the Stour through meadows and floodplain before connecting with lanes and field paths beyond the town, allowing continuous walking without busy roads.

Sudbury offers useful services for walkers. There are shops, cafés, pubs, places to eat and drink, and accommodation across the town, making it a practical place to stop, resupply, or stay overnight on both long-distance routes. Rail and bus connections provide direct links to Marks Tey, Colchester, and Bury St Edmunds.

Beyond Sudbury, the Stour Valley Path continues south toward Flatford and the Dedham Vale National Landscape, or north toward Long Melford and Lavenham. The terrain remains level and grassy along the river, with firm paths, meadow crossings, and long views across the valley floor.