A cluster of tall trees rises along the left bank of the River Stour, their dense foliage catching the sunlight and casting deep shadows onto the water below. At the far left, the sloping roof and stone wall of a mill stand beside a large waterwheel, half-submerged in the river’s edge. Several figures animate the scene: one child leans over the mill’s retaining wall, gazing into the water, while another figure sits nearby, legs dangling above the stream.

In the foreground, three boys gather at the riverbank, two intent on fishing with rods extended over the water, while the third crouches low, focused on the ground. A fourth figure, standing upright, looks out across the river, his posture relaxed yet attentive to the activity around him. The river stretches across the center of the painting, its surface reflecting the sky and the trees, broken only by the gentle ripples from a passing rowboat.

A man stands in the boat, steering with a pole, while another figure sits at the bow, both silhouetted against the bright opening in the trees beyond. On the right, the landscape opens into sunlit meadows, where cattle graze and small figures walk along the distant bank. The sky dominates the upper half of the canvas, filled with billowing clouds rendered in vigorous, swirling brushstrokes of white, blue, and grey.

Light pours through breaks in the clouds, illuminating patches of the landscape and creating dramatic contrasts between sunlit areas and deep shadow. The palette is rich with earthy greens, browns, and ochres, punctuated by the bright blue of the sky and the silvery reflections on the water. The brushwork is energetic and textured, especially in the foliage and sky, where thick, visible strokes convey the movement of leaves and clouds.

Foreground details, such as wildflowers and tangled branches, are painted with quick, expressive marks, adding to the sense of immediacy and natural abundance.