Outdoors,  Things To Do

Dedham Boats Guide | Dedham Boat Hire at the Boathouse, Essex

The Boathouse in Dedham, Essex has been a boatyard for row boats along the River Stour for over 70 years! Between 1st March to 31st October, visitors can hire a wooden row boat and take a leisurely journey down the River Stour. Boat hire in Dedham is £20 per boat per hour and can fit up to 4 adults (or 5 people if some are children). Personally I think 4 adults may be a little bit of a squish, I like plenty of elbow room when I’m rowing!

Dedham Boat Hire

🗺The Boathouse, Mill Ln, Dedham, Colchester CO7 6DH

💰£20 per hour per boat

🕚Open 7 days a week from 9am

📅1st March – 31st Oct

Dedham Boats
Dedham Boats

Dedham Vale AONB (Area of Natural Beauty) is located in North Essex, along the Essex and Suffolk border. The nearby area is known as ‘Constable Country’. The artist John Constable was born in East Bergholt and took inspiration from the surrounding countryside for many of his paintings.

The Boathouse, Dedham

There is no advance booking for hiring a row boat, simply turn up and pay at the kiosk. The Kiosk opens at 9am and also sells ice creams and drinks. They accept cash or card. As you can imagine, on nice days, hiring a boat in Dedham is a very popular activity. It’s best to arrive close to opening time. Not only is it easier to park, but there’s less chance that you will have to wait for a boat.

Dedham Row Boat
Dedham Boat Hire

For me, a 1 hour rental was plenty of time. I asked the staff at the Kiosk, roughly how long does it take to row from Dedham to Flatford Mill? Obviously it depends on how fast of a rower you are, but they said approximately 25 minutes. So a 1 hour rental would give you enough time to row to Flatford Mill, turn around and come back.

At the 25 minute mark, I looked on my Google Maps app and I was still only about half way to Flatford Mill. I’m a slow rower and was happy to take my time. Many other boats overtook me! My main goal was to try to avoid crashing into trees and other boats. Plus I had a couple of photo stops.

The river can get a little narrow in places and there are lots of bends. We had the river mainly to ourselves when we set off. When we reached the half way point of our boat hire, we had to attempt to turn around and then start rowing back. It was a little busier on the return journey, with other row boats, stand up paddle boarders and people with kayaks. Obviously you are rowing backwards so make sure you have someone you trust to be your eyes. They’ll need to navigate you around trees, corners and other boats!

The Kitchen @ Dedham

As mentioned above, the Kiosk do sell ice creams and drinks, but if you wanted table service, The Kitchen @ Dedham is right next door. They have a lovely outside seating area right alongside the river. I had a cream tea and an iced latte, but my dad had the all day breakfast sandwich and it looked AMAZING. They also sell proper meals as well as cakes and lighter bites.

The Kitchen also offer a ‘row and dine’ option on select evenings (Thursday, Friday and Saturday from end of May). For £21.95 per person, it includes a 2 course meal (limited menu) and 1 hour rowing boat hire. This must be pre-booked in advance.

Between The Boathouse Kiosk and The Kitchen are 2 customer toilets.

The Kitchen also have a 2nd location in Thorpeness with a 3rd location opening in Felixstowe. (No boat hire at these locations).

The Kitchen at Dedham Essex
The Kitchen @ Dedham

Other Things To Do In Dedham Essex

Opposite The Boathouse (actually in Suffolk, as the river is the county border!), is a large grass field. It is a popular place for families to relax and let children paddle in the river. There is a sign saying not to swim in the main part of the river, because of all the row boats, but unfortunately many kids were ignoring it. During my visit, there was an ice cream van parked in the lay-by alongside the field, plus someone offering stand up paddle board hire. The Stour Valley Path starts in this area. It’s a 1.5 mile walk from Dedham to Flatford Mill. You can either double back along the same path or continue on a circular route (4 miles total).

Dedham Village High Street is a 5 minute walk from The Boathouse. Here you’ll find:

  • Old Bakery Cafe
  • Essex Rose Tea Room (one of the Tiptree Tea Rooms) and old fashioned sweet shop
  • The Marlborough pub and hotel
  • Dedham Art & Craft Centre which also has a tea room
Dedham Vale River Stour
River Stour Dedham

Parking In Dedham

Free parking is available at The Boathouse. If the car park is full, there are a couple of other options. The ‘Dedham Riverside Carpark’ is opposite The Boathouse. However, this one fills up quickly with paddle boarders and kayakers, due to the river access. Or a 2 minute walk away is a larger car park. A stay of up to 4 hours costs £2 and can be paid with coins at the machine or via the MI Permit app.

Dedham is a 20 minute drive from Colchester.

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Dedham boat hire in Essex UK

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