Gillingham
Gillingham is the most northerly, a friendly, fast growing town boasting the site of a former Norman royal palace and hunting forest. The Stour and its fertile environs provide a haven for numerous flourishing species of wildlife. Around Gillingham, the river's headwaters and tributaries have become a prime habitat for water voles. Encouragingly the shy otter is also returning. The Stour is joined here by the Rivers Lodden and Shreen, providing many rural, riverside walks. The artist John Constable visited in the early 1820's. His painting of the Old Town Bridge now hangs in the Tate Gallery.