I live in a pretty village that inspired one of UK’s most famous painters – area is being ruined by hordes of tourists
LOCALS living in a village that inspired one of the UK’s most famous painters say the area is being ruined by hordes of tourists.
Dedham Vale residents say their picturesque landscape – which was captured in 200-year-old art that hangs in the National Gallery – is now littered with rubbish.
Photos show mounds of trash piled up around bins and against fences, with bottles, plastic bags and boxes spilling onto footpaths.
And villagers living on the Essex–Suffolk border say they’re used to visitors swarming their town, but they’re getting sick of the mess they’re leaving behind.
The crowds pack into the village in the hopes of capturing what John Constable, who died aged 60 in 1837, portrayed in his work.
Residents say the tourists with mobile phones in hand flood the town, which is also known as Constable Country, in the hopes of snapping the perfect photo for social media.
Local Charles Clover said the area had also now turned into “Bournemouth Beach”, with the masses also showing up with kayaks and paddleboards.
The environmental journalist and author told BBC: “We welcome tourists, but there are places where they are not behaving terribly well.
“In the social media age, just putting Dedham into the search engine has just focused people’s attention on one field and it’s become a problem.
“It’s not a beach at all, it’s a farmer’s field with a footpath on it.
“It’s wonderful, but huge family groupings, with all the impedimenta and the paddleboards, all arrived on what’s known as Dedham beach on social media.”
Kevin Pincher, who runs the Dedham centre tea rooms, mirrored Charles’ concerns.
He said: “We have a lot of visitors come – they turn up down at the river and bring all their picnic stuff – and don’t actually come up the high street into the village centre.
“They blow up their lilos, and have kayaks and paddleboards and stay down there.
“I would like them to take their litter with them, come up to the village and see the churches and the other businesses on offer in Dedham.
“It would be nice to have the footfall but it has to be managed properly.”
About 2,000 live in the village, but it’s thought more than six million tourists flock there in summer.
The locals are now calling for action to be taken to protect their tiny town.
Tom West, who runs the village’s Marlborough pub, said the visitors affect all elements of village life – including parking.
He described the summer influx as “unsustainable”.
It’s not unusual for villagers to think tourists are ruining their town.
One seaside town has been ravaged by second-home buyers and visitors’ holiday home lets.
Residents at another resort said holiday homes are leaving locals homeless and their streets like a ghost town.
And in another picturesque coastal spot being used to film a Star Wards spin-off, locals have revealed why they want the visitors out.