A wooden arch bridge across the river Stour in Suffolk on a footpath leading from the town of East Bergholt to the little hamlet of Flatford. Located on the southern end of the bridge, east side. The plaque reads:
"FEN BRlDGE
Opened 7th December l985
by: Mrs. Mary Wheeler, past Chairman of the
Dedham Vale Joint Advisory Committee
Suffolk County Council acknowledges the financial support of:
Countryside Commission
Babergh District Council | East Bergholt Parish Council | East Bergholt Society
Dedham Vale Society | River Stour Trust | Holton St. Mary Women's Institute
and the assistance of
7 Sqn. Royal Air Force, Oldham | Joint Air Transport Establishment"
Unfortunately the archives of minutes from the Dedham Vale Joint Advisory Committee do not go back far enough to find any information of the person opening the bridge.
The bridge was delivered in February 1985 by RAF Chinook helicopter. The helicopter was to lift the 80ft beam, weighing 12 tons, into place across the Stour, where John Constable used to walk from East Bergholt to Dedham Grammar School. Unfortunately the beam could not be placed due to the downdraft from the rotors and they gave up on the 4th attempt. A crane was eventually employed to place the beam.