Can you swim at Friars Meadow, River Stour right now?

Friars Meadow, River Stour is currently marked "Good to go". No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself. This reflects the latest data published by the Environment Agency (England). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.

What is the water quality like at Friars Meadow, River Stour?

the Environment Agency (England) classified Friars Meadow, River Stour as Good in 2025. Classifications are a rolling assessment of bacterial samples taken over four bathing seasons, measured against E. coli and intestinal enterococci limits set by the EU Bathing Water Directive.

Is there a swimming ban or warning at Friars Meadow, River Stour?

There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environment Agency (England) for Friars Meadow, River Stour. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.

What facilities are there at Friars Meadow, River Stour?

Friars Meadow, River Stour has parking. Facility information comes from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Friars Meadow, River Stour

Good to go

No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.

Checked 12 days ago against the Environment Agency (England) · data last changed 2 months ago.

This spot’s record

Friars Meadow, River Stour is in Babergh, about 12 km from Halstead. Friars Meadow, River Stour has been rated Good in each of the 2 bathing seasons classified by the Environment Agency (England), 2024 through 2025. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environment Agency (England), E. coli counts ranged from 45 to 2,300 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 16 August 2026. A classification is calculated from percentiles across four seasons, so no single reading decides how this water is rated.

Recent sample results

The last 12 bacterial samples published by the Environment Agency (England), most recent on the right. Counts are per 100 ml of water.

Dashed line: 1000 E. coli per 100 ml, the Bathing Water Directive guide value for inland waters.

Recent bacterial sample results for this bathing water
Date	E. coli	Enterococci	Assessment
15 Sept	130	18	—
8 Sept	110	27	—
3 Sept	200	91	—
25 Aug	55	18	—
16 Aug	2300	10	—
11 Aug	45	10	—

A bathing water's official classification is calculated from percentiles across four bathing seasons, not from any single sample — so one high reading doesn't mean a spot is unsafe, and one low reading doesn't mean it's clean today.

Quality over the last 2 years

Good2024
Good2025

This water has been rated Good in each of the last 2 years.

Facilities & access

Parking: YesSudbury Station about 200 m away (OpenStreetMap)

Storm overflows nearby

None of the storm overflows within 5 km with an up-to-date reading are discharging. Heavy rain makes combined sewers overflow into rivers and the sea by design, so this changes with the weather.

Not dischargingabout 0.2 km awayDischarges into RIVER STOURLast discharge ended 9 October 2026Reported by Anglian Water Services
Not dischargingabout 0.3 km awayDischarges into TRIBUTARY OF RIVER STOURLast discharge ended 23 September 2026Reported by Anglian Water Services
Not dischargingabout 0.4 km awayDischarges into R STOURLast discharge ended 9 October 2026Reported by Anglian Water Services
Not dischargingabout 1.1 km awayDischarges into RIVER STOURLast discharge ended 9 October 2026Reported by Anglian Water Services
Not dischargingabout 1.4 km awayDischarges into Tributary River Stour NTLast discharge ended 29 August 2026Reported by Anglian Water Services
Not dischargingabout 2.2 km awayDischarges into CORNARD BLACK BROOKLast discharge ended 3 December 2024Reported by Anglian Water Services
Not dischargingabout 4.0 km awayDischarges into DITCH TRIBUTARY OF RIVER BOXLast discharge ended 29 August 2026Reported by Anglian Water Services

These are the water company’s own reports of when an overflow is operating, not a measurement of the water at this spot. A discharge into a river some distance away may never reach here; a quiet list does not mean the water is clean. The swim status above comes from the bathing-water monitoring body and does not use this data.

Official water quality

Classified Good in 2025.

Official bathing-water profile

What Excellent, Good, Sufficient and Poor actually mean

Common questions

Can you swim at Friars Meadow, River Stour right now?: Friars Meadow, River Stour is currently marked "Good to go". No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself. This reflects the latest data published by the Environment Agency (England). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
What is the water quality like at Friars Meadow, River Stour?: the Environment Agency (England) classified Friars Meadow, River Stour as Good in 2025. Classifications are a rolling assessment of bacterial samples taken over four bathing seasons, measured against E. coli and intestinal enterococci limits set by the EU Bathing Water Directive.
Is there a swimming ban or warning at Friars Meadow, River Stour?: There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environment Agency (England) for Friars Meadow, River Stour. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
What facilities are there at Friars Meadow, River Stour?: Friars Meadow, River Stour has parking. Facility information comes from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Get told when this changes

We’ll email you when the swim status at Friars Meadow, River Stour moves — a pollution alert opening, or one lifting. Not a newsletter: only this spot, only when it changes, at most once every 12 hours.

Your address is used for these alerts and nothing else, is never shared, and is deleted the moment you unsubscribe — a link is in every email.

Nearby swimming spots

See all swimming spots near Halstead — about 12 km away.