John Constable is arguably England's best known painter. He came from the borders of Suffolk and Essex, an area near Flatford Mill, just 15 minutes from Colchester - the "oldest recorded town in England" - an area known as Constable Country. Our tour is based at the Rose and Crown - the oldest hotel in the town. It was originally a 14th century posting house, now lovingly restored as a modern hotel with all the mod cons you would expect in the 21st century, a successful mixture of traditional oak beams and contemporary air conditioning.