The small white signs with red lettering are dotted through the landscape: “Military training area – keep out”. It only adds to an eerie atmosphere of quiet roads and Scots pines which are gathered in the summer’s long dusk.
When we reach our accommodation, a former farm that borders a forbidden area in which the British Army conducts secretive manoeuvres is eerily peaceful. A cuckoo sings and a red kite flies in the wind over the parkland. Down by the Wissey stream, which is a clear, chalky waterway, reedwarblers chatter from the midst of the rushes.
Breckland deserves its own county. This unique region of south Norfolk, north Suffolk is dominated by heathland. The climate is unusually dry, more like that of central Europe. It’s also notable for the rare plants and bird species. Thetford forest was once dominated by inland dunes, rabbit warrens and commercial rabbits. Since the 20th century, it has been replanted with pines and conifers. These woods offer a wealth of walks but there is also the vast Stanta army training area, 30,000 acres in size, where people cannot go – and other species thrive.
Breckland has a number of charismatic and endangered birds, including the goggle-eyed Stone-curlew. Other species include the dashing, forest-dwelling Goshawks, as well as the mysterious, nocturnal Nightjar. There are a variety of plants and animals with unusual names, including the goggle-eyed stone-curlew. prostrate perennial knawel Then, you can get in touch with us. wormwood moonshiner beetle. It has been given every possible conservation designation and would have undoubtedly been a national parks if it wasn’t for the military taking over so much of its land.
Most visitors who rush through on their way to the Norfolk coast and Norwich overlook this area. This land is not helped by the lack of beautiful towns and fancy restaurants. Pea Porridge). I live 30 miles from here and have never brought my family to visit until now.
Children immediately begin to take part in the activities. Bodney Hall Farm, where our stay is in a beautiful renovated cottage. This is the smaller option of two luxury self-catering accommodations. The 40-acre grounds are open to guests, and they can explore the formal gardens, wildlife, and interesting trees.
We walk the banks of this private section of the Wissey. Henry and Anna Sands moved to London from the UK in 2016. Since then, they have worked on restoring the river. This includes encouraging natural wiggles of the water and bringing it back to its natural clarity as the water races over the shingle.
The river is a great place to swim, but there’s an easy jetty where you can access a large Wissey pond surrounded by rushes. We savour a long evening swim to the soundtrack of cuckoos and reed warblers and – to my amazement – even a booming bittern. The water was so fresh and sweet, I felt like we were in Scandinavia. Especially when we sat in our wood-fired hot tub and watched the stars appear. I was hoping to hear a red flare or a strange drone from the military training area but there is no noise.
I rise early for a 5.45am swim and just miss an otter – Henry Sands, who is up even earlier, spots it – and there’s just enough time for a morning hot tub before we head to nearby Grime’s GravesThis is the largest and best known flint mining site in the nation. In this mine, 4500 years ago, people from the late Neolithic era dug 1,000 mines, some up to thirteen metres underground, and used antler pickings to remove flints that were embedded in chalk. The flint produced was of a high-quality and exported to other parts of the country for use in specialist tools and weaponry. The site consists of a large clearing with strange lumps, pits, and pits. These are old, filled-in mineshafts. The sky is filled with the singing of dozens and dozens of Skylarks.
The English Heritage visitor centre is pleasingly low-key – and quiet, naturally – with “please touch” signs so we can feel the weight of flints and the sharp edges of knapped stone. The kids love to brandish replica axes, but the real treat is descending into an archeologically excavated nine-metre mineshaft. They found the remains of antler picks, pottery, animal bones and neolithic bats – and Daubenton’s bats Still roosts in the shafts excavated where it is 8C.
Ted says, “It smells good down here,” as we descend a steel staircase. The smell is of cool, damp stones. We can crawl a little way on the chalk to get into the horizontal excavations at the bottom. This is an unforgettable experience.
We are now heading to Oxburgh HallThe stately home has a priest’s tunnel, which I recall from my childhood as an exciting portal into Tudor terror. We stop at Foulden CommonOne of many tranquil and rare nature reserves, including Weeting Heath You can also find out more about the following: Lakenheath Fen. Thetford Forest has several excellent country parks. There are also many cycle rides (the Little Ouse River is a beautiful small river), swims, and walks including the long distance walk. Peddars Way The old Roman road that runs from Thetford up to the coast of North-West Norfolk.
Oxburgh Tudor Palace is a beautiful red-brick Tudor building surrounded by a moat. It’s one of National Trust’s most picturesque properties. The hall, built in 1476 by Sir Edmund Bedingfeld, still houses the 10th baronet. The rest is open to public. There are large oil paintings, ornate furniture and ancient books in the rooms. Victorian aristocrats even bought leather wallpaper second-hand from Spain.
The priest’s nook was constructed up a small staircase below an iron hatch with a brick top, to allow the Bedingfield’s Catholic priest to be hidden safely during the persecutions of Catholics, which saw the Bedingfield’s family fall out of favour after they refused renounce their religion. This tiny stone cell, which was claustrophobic and confined to a small space, may have saved a priest’s life or lives.
After a visitor was trapped in the hole, it’s no longer possible to go inside. Instead, you can watch the video of the stressed-out (actor priest) inside.
After a late meal at the Bedingfeld ArmsI go on an evening trip to another nature reserve, while swifts shriek around the 1783 Pub. Thompson Common. This is another strange place with odd indentations on the map: nearly 500 pingos are small ponds that were formed by subterranean ice mounds thawing and soil slumping down at the end the last ice-age. The place is unusual and home to dragonflies that are very rare. pool frogThis species was nearly extinct during the 1990s. However, it has now been successfully reintroduced to Sweden. In late spring the males are heard singing, thanks to a pair white airbag-like inflatable sacs on either side of their heads.
You can also find a circular eight-mile route pingo walking trail For a full-day out, I went for a longer potter but also took the time to explore more of the reserve. Norfolk Wildlife Trust has been doing restoration work which has led to the excavation of the frogs. revival of a dozen “ghost” pingoesMany ponds have been filled in over a century of “improvement” to agriculture and intensification.
I would like to say that we had a wonderful evening listening to the frogs, but the groaning sound of a laryngitis-ridden duck is not melodic. On my visit, I don’t hear them; instead, I hear the bugling of a crane somewhere in the undergrowth. Another memorable experience in a land that is alluring for its strangeness.
Accommodation is provided by Bodney Hall FarmThis cottage is located in the countryside (Sleeps 4From £300 The night and lodgeSleeps 12). Grimes Graves (English Heritage) is Open up your eyes and see the world around you. daily 10am-5pm (family up to five from £20.70). Oxburgh Hall (National Trust) open 10.30am–3pm; gardens 9.30am–5pm Families of up to five from £32.50). Foulden Common, Thompson Common (Norfolk Wildlife TrustEntrance to the park is free
