- Screen Colours:
- Normal
- Black & Yellow
Stratford St Mary has a good range of facilities for a small village, including three pubs (one closed at present), a farm shop and café, a primary school, a pre-school and a small garage with a post office cum village shop.
Public Transport
Buses
The village is served by bus services travelling between Ipswich and Colchester (see 'Useful Info page here). Also go to www.suffolkonboard.com for more information, including an-up-to-date timetable.
Trains
Main line railway services between London and Norwich can be accessed at both Ipswich and Colchester with the nearest station being Manningtree, 5.5 miles away.
Garage Services
Vale Garage in Upper Street offering a full range of servicing options and petrol and diesel fuel. .
They can be contacted on 01206 323103.
Post Office and Shop
The village post office and shop are located at Vale Garage, as above.
Other post offices are also located at East Bergholt (1.4m) Langham (2.3m), Ardleigh (3m) and Capel St Mary (3.8m)
Farm Shop and Café
Hall Farm shop and café/restaurant is situated next to the Parish Church in Church Road (known locally as Millennium Avenue with its beautiful display of spring flowering cherry trees). It is open 7 days a week and offers a broad range of locally-sourced fresh produce, a butcher, a delicatessen and gourmet food. Please go to Hall Farm website for further information.
Pubs
We currently have two open pubs in the village, The Anchor in Upper Street and The Swan in Lower St, having recently had extensive renovations.
The Black Horse in Lower Street closed at present, following the sad death of the landlord.
The Anchor 01206 322143. https://www.stratfordanchor.org
The Swan 01206 321244 https://www.facebook.com/stratfordswan/
Gardens and Recreation Ground
The village has two lovely publicly accessible garden areas: The Millennium Garden and the River Garden.
The Millennium Garden, located at the junction of Lower Street and Upper Street, was created by residents to celebrate the start of the new millennium in 2000. It is currently maintained by a volunteer group called Village Life, with funding from the Parish Council. The garden features benches where both residents and visitors can take a break, relax, and enjoy the surroundings.
The River Garden is situated opposite the Swan public house on Lower Street. This area of riverbank was recently taken under the responsibility of the Parish Council. It has been developed into a community amenity that offers access to the river for activities like boating or simply to sit and enjoy the serene atmosphere of the river.
Additionally, there is a recreation ground in the village that includes a children's playground.
The recreation ground was donated to the village in 1928 along with a building known as the Institute Hall. The Institute Field is an area that provides a spacious and safe playground for children. The facilities include football goal posts, a basketball practice basket with a post and hoop, and a Zip-Wire for older children to enjoy.
It's important to note that this area is unsupervised, so parents are reminded to supervise their children when using these facilities.
Benches are also available in this area for parents to relax while keeping an eye on their youngsters at play.
Playground
Within the Institute Field, there is an enclosed playground for smaller children with a variety of swings, climbing and sliding equipment on a safe bark surface. The playground had an overhaul in 2023. The playground is inspected annually by an independent playgrounds inspection company and also risk assessed periodically.
Waste Management
Stratford St Mary recognises the importance of conserving the environment by means of recycling, reuse and disposal.
Glass: There are two bottle banks accepting mixed glass and are sited in the car park of The Anchor public house (Upper Street) and at the Farm Shop at Hall Farm.
Paper & Clothes: A paper and magazine bank with a clothes recycling bin are situated just inside the gates of the primary school in Strickmere.
Compost: Residents are encouraged to compost their vegetable matter in their own back gardens. Babergh District Council has teamed up with getcomposting.com to provide an exclusive offer of reduced priced home compost bins, water butts and accessories. To find out more and to view the full range of products go to: www.getcomposting.com or call 0844 571 4444.
Garden Waste: A brown bin service is available from Babergh District Council, for a fee (currently £59 per annum with £10 for new users). Bins are emptied every two weeks during the growing season.
https://www.babergh.gov.uk/garden-waste-collections
Other recycling: Paper, plastics, cardboard, aluminum and steel tins may be placed in the Blue Bin. These are collected every other week, alternating with the residual rubbish (check collection day).
Dog waste bins: are available:
- Junction of School Lane with Upper Street;
- Institute Car Park;
- Millennium Garden
- The Weir, Lower Street.
You can deposit bagged dog waste in any litter bin. It is illegal to leave dog waste in the street.
Dog fouling can be reported to Babergh District Council via this link https://www.babergh.gov.uk/dogs-pests-and-animals
Medical & Vets
The Constable Country Medical Practice is located both in East Bergholt and Capel St Mary at The Medical Centre, Heath Road, East Bergholt, CO7 6RT.. Tel: 01206 298272
36 The Street, Capel St Mary, IP9 2EE. Tel: 01473 310203.
Website:https://www.constablecountrymedicalpractice.co.uk
There is also a medical practice at Ardleigh with a branch in DedhamTel 01206 230224
https://www.ardleighsurgery.nhs.uk
Chemists
The nearest dispensing chemists are:
Dedham Pharmacy, High Street, Dedham, CO7 6DE. Tel: 01206 322109. Website: www.dedhampharmacy.co.uk.
Day Lewis Pharmacy, Gaston Street, East Bergholt, CO7 6SE. Tel: 01206 298267. Website: www.daylewis.co.uk
Dental Surgeries
There are 2 dental surgeries local to the village:
Dedham Dental Surgery, Princel Lane, Dedham, CO7 6HD. Tel: 01206 322498 and
Capel Dental Practice, 63 Thorney Road, Capel St Mary, IP9 2LL. Tel: 01473 311130. www.capeldental.co.uk.
Veterinary Services
Penrose & Partners 70 Brinkley Lane, Highwoods, Colchester Tel: 01206 842608. www.penrosevets.co.uk
Highcliff Vets in Maningtree 01206 230224 www.highcliffvets.com
The Barn Vets, Copdock Nr Ipswich 01473 730213 https://www.barnvets.com
Churches
There are 2 churches in the village, the Parish Church of St Mary and the Evangelical Chapel in Upper Street.
Contact details for Stratford St Mary Church:
Contact Rev’d Manette Crossman on 07947 737789 or email revmcrossman@gmail.com to discuss baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals
or Churchwarden Mrs Sandy Ranson on 0770 6602749 or email sandyranson29@gmail.com
Contact details for the Evangelical Chapel:
Phil Wyncoll on 01473 310728. Email: philipwyncoll@btinternet.com. Website: www.stratfordstmarychapel.com
Halls available to hire
We have 2 halls which may be hired for a wide range of social functions and are used by various groups from the village. They are the Institute Hall, situated in Higham Road and The Parish Rooms, situated in Upper Street. Contact details are as follows:
Institute Hall - Link to page
Chairman: Emily Barrell
Booking Secretary: Steve Kite, email: ssminstitute.bookings@gmail.com
The Parish Rooms
Letting fees are as follows:
1 session £17.00; 2 consecutive sessions £30.00; All day £38.00.
A session is 5 hours, i.e. morning/afternoon/evening. Heating and lighting are included.
Special rates can be arranged for regular bookings.
Contact:Paul Ranson 01206322156 or 07870 38818 ssmparishroom.bookings@gmail.com
Mobile Library
Stratford St Mary is on Route 11. The bus stops every 4 weeks on Wednesdays.
Black Horse - 11.05am to 11.20am
Tally Ho Corner - 11.25am to 11.45am
Strickmere (School Lane end) - 11.50am to 12.10pm.
The customer service line 01473 283838 is staffed 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday and can handle any library customer queries renewals and reservations to any general library queries. An answerphone is available outside of operating hours and people can also email help@suffolklibraries.co.uk.
There is also a library at Capel St Mary.