In the Stour valley (named after the river) is the ancient market town of Sudbury home to the artist Thomas Gainsborough (1727 - 1788), a town full of three storey 19th century silk weavers cottages and the timber houses of cloth merchants.

Thomas Gainsborough was born in his parent's house in Gainsborough Street (formerly Sepulchre street) in 1727, he died in 1788 and is buried at Kew. The house is now run by a private charitable trust and exhibits more of his work than any other gallery in the world. The house is usually open to the public every day.

Sudbury has a good range of independent shops as well as a local market, a Farmers Market is held in the town on the last Friday of each month. 

Boat trips are available on the River Stour; including the River Stour Trusts electric launch called Rosette which takes visitors down the river to a riverside pub.

There are some lovely riverside walks in addition to both angling and coarse fishing. For golf there is the Newton Green Golf Club or Stoke By Nayland. Also down by the river is 'The Quay' an old warehouse which has been converted into an intimate theatre in a building that dates from 1792. The theatre has an upstairs bar with fine views over the river open during lunchtimes and evenings, as well as putting on interesting productions throughout the year.

The town of Sudbury prospered from its medieval woollen cloth industry and in the 19th century its silk industry, which explains the three storey weavers cottages which were where the weavers worked at their looms, lit by the large first floor windows. 
 
The large church of St. Peters at the eastern end of the market place is used as a venue for concerts, craft fairs and other events.

Outside on the north side of the church is the famous drinking trough where, in the book "101 Dalmatians", Pongo and Perdita took a drink at midnight.

The Kingfisher Leisure Centre is an indoor water based leisure centre with a wave machine, sauna, spa bath and fitness gym. There is also a ten pin bowling at Sudbury Bowl.

The Valley Walk for walkers and cyclist offers good views of the town and river. The First Great Eastern pay train service operates along the Gainsborough Line to connect Sudbury with the main line into Liverpool Street at Marks Tey.  Sudbury won the coveted Anglia in Bloom Award in 2001 and 2002.