Thetford: Ancient Norfolk Town at the Edge of the Brecks Where Dad's Army Was Filmed
Thetford is a town in the Breckland district of Norfolk, close to the Suffolk border, about 30 miles southwest of Norwich. The population is around 25,000. The town has an exceptionally long history; it was the seat of the bishops of East Anglia from 1075 to 1094 and served as the capital of the medieval kingdom of East Anglia. Castle Hill, a large motte at the centre of town, is one of the tallest in England and dates to the Norman period. Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense and Rights of Man, was born in Thetford in 1737, and a gilded bronze statue of him stands on King Street. The town is closely associated with the television series Dad's Army, which was filmed in and around Thetford between 1968 and 1977. A trail of character statues runs through the town centre. The Priory ruins of the Cluniac monastery on the London Road are among the largest in East Anglia.
Thetford station is on the Norwich to Cambridge line, with services to Norwich in about 30 minutes and Cambridge in about 45 minutes. The A11 dual carriageway passes the town, connecting Norwich to the M11 and London. Thetford Forest, planted largely by the Forestry Commission from the 1920s on former heathland, is the largest lowland pine forest in England and begins at the edge of town. The forest includes the Go Ape treetop course and cycling trails. Bury St Edmunds is about 13 miles to the south across the Suffolk border. Brandon and Mildenhall, with its nearby RAF base, are close neighbours. For those considering adult companionship in the Breckland area, Thetford's rail links to Norwich and Cambridge and the A11 corridor provide connections across Norfolk and Suffolk.
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Thetford is a town in the Breckland district of Norfolk, close to the Suffolk border, about 30 miles southwest of Norwich. The population is around 25,000. The town has an exceptionally long history; it was the seat of the bishops of East Anglia from 1075 to 1094 and served as the capital of the medieval kingdom of East Anglia. Castle Hill, a large motte at the centre of town, is one of the tallest in England and dates to the Norman period. Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense and Rights of Man, was born in Thetford in 1737, and a gilded bronze statue of him stands on King Street. The town is closely associated with the television series Dad's Army, which was filmed in and around Thetford between 1968 and 1977. A trail of character statues runs through the town centre. The Priory ruins of the Cluniac monastery on the London Road are among the largest in East Anglia.
Thetford station is on the Norwich to Cambridge line, with services to Norwich in about 30 minutes and Cambridge in about 45 minutes. The A11 dual carriageway passes the town, connecting Norwich to the M11 and London. Thetford Forest, planted largely by the Forestry Commission from the 1920s on former heathland, is the largest lowland pine forest in England and begins at the edge of town. The forest includes the Go Ape treetop course and cycling trails. Bury St Edmunds is about 13 miles to the south across the Suffolk border. Brandon and Mildenhall, with its nearby RAF base, are close neighbours. For those considering adult companionship in the Breckland area, Thetford's rail links to Norwich and Cambridge and the A11 corridor provide connections across Norfolk and Suffolk.
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