This photograph clearly shows the wide flood-plain of the River Stour. Sudbury is built to the north east of the river and avoids the low lying marshland except where the river crosses the A134 at Ballingdon. The water meadows either side of the river are used for grazing animals as the water table in this area is too high for planting crops. The river occasionally floods this area depositing silt or alluvium on the land increasing it's fertility.

The natural channel of the river has been diverted to Sudbury mill. (white building left of centre), where the water was used to drive the mill stones to grind locally grown grain.

The disused railway shown by the line of trees sweeps in a gentle arc around the south west part of the town. This once linked Sudbury with Clare, Cavendish and Haverhill.