Watton is a small town, steeped in character. The town sign commemorates its place in folk law as the scene of the original ‘Babes in the Wood’. Many of the shops in the town are still family businesses run by 2nd and 3rd generations.
The Market has strong links to the past, dating back to between 1200 and 1204. At this time the Lord of Watton Hall, John de Vaux, obtained a charter for a market to be held on Fridays. Very quickly the people of nearby Saham Toney complained to the King that the market was harming their own held on the same day. Their complaints were upheld and the charter was withdrawn. However, John de Vaux conveyed the manor to his brother, Olivers, who was on better terms with the King. He immediately obtained a new charter for a Wednesday market and so it has remained ever since.
There are some interesting buildings in Watton including the Clock Tower. Built in 1679, the tower was erected to commemorate a fire which destroyed large parts of the town in 1674; a fire bell was incorporated in the building to warn the towns people of danger. The Town Clock has a mechanism, which was presented to the town in 1827 by a leading citizen, Edward Stevens. It is still hand wound today.
Watton Sports Centre has a range of facilities including carpet bowls, badminton, squash, tennis and a fully-fitted fitness centre
Claremont Landscape Garden, just outside Esher, Surrey, England, is one of the earliest surviving gardens of its kind of landscape design, the English Landscape Garden — still featuring its original 18th-century layout. The garden is Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Originally created for Claremont House, it represents the work of some of the best known landscape gardeners, such as Charles Bridgeman, Capability Brown, William Kent and Sir John Vanbrugh. Work on the gardens began around 1715 and by 1727 they were described as “the noblest of any in Europe”. Within the grounds, overlooking the lake, is an unusual turfed amphitheatre, which used to form the centrepiece of an annual event called the Claremont Fête champêtre. Hundreds of visitors descended on Claremont, most in costume (each year has a different theme) to enjoy four days of music, theatre and fireworks.
Stewardship
Also within the grounds is the Belvedere Tower, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh for the Duke of Newcastle. The tower is unusual in that what appear to be windows, are actually bricks painted black and white. It is now owned by Claremont Fan Court School, which is situated alongside the gardens. In 1949 the landscape garden was donated to the National Trust for stewardship and protection. Initially it was managed by Esher Urban District Council who could do little more than basic maintenance and grass-cutting. in 1974 the National Trust took back control of the site and a pioneering restoration programme was launched in 1975 following a significant donation by the Slater Foundation.
The small market town of Mildenhall dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, though evidence suggests the area was occupied as far back as the Stone Age. Today the River Lark flows peacefully through the town. You can follow the riverside walk to Barton Mills or stroll to West Row, and enjoy a picnic or a riverside drink at one of the pubs along the way.
Mildenhall became famous in 1942 when an impressive hoard of 34 pieces of fourth century Roman silver tableware, were found as part of the Mildenhall Treasure. The town is also known for its link to modern technology via the Mildenhall and nearby Lakenheath USAF bases. Visitors can catch a glimpse of the occasional low flying aircraft, or for real enthusiasts, watch them from designated plane spotting areas.
A curious feature in the town’s market place is the Town Pump, left as a reminder that piped water was not available until the 1940’s. A market, established by Royal Charter in 1412, is held here every Friday offering a variety of goods from fruit and vegetables to clothing and tools.
The Brecks is an extremely important area for wildlife and covers over 350 square miles. Many species, which are not seen elsewhere in England can be found here.
Many of the plants and insects are found here due to the many centuries of sheep grazing and rabbit farming which created an area, now one of the most important heathland regions in the country. Sadly, with increased farming and forestry, less than 8,000 hectares of this grass and heathland remains today, but it is heartening to know that hundreds of acres are protected at a national or international level.
Birds seen in The Brecks include stone curlew, nightjar, woodlark, goshawk, common crossbill, green woodpecker, golden oriole, grey partridge, hobby, willow warbler, little owl, barn owl, jay and many more. Some of our birds visit from the Mediterranean and Russia.
The RSPB are working on a conservation project in the area, devoted to the stone curlew and their work is having a great effect on the bird’s population here, doubling it between 1991 and 2006.
Wetlands in Breckland are also very important for wildlife conservation. There are several large areas of water, or Meres as they are known here. We also have some very unusual glacial ponds, which are called “Pingos”. Some good examples of these Pingos are to be found on Thompson Common, just outside Watton.
Twenty-five species of invertebrates found in The Brecks are in danger of extinction in the UK. But, thanks to the many SSSIs and other protected sites, we will keep these and other categories of flora and fauna thriving for centuries to come.
The Brecks is an ideal place to explore, whether it’s walking, cycling, horse riding, fishing, bird watching, golfing or sight-seeing. The Brecks has something for all tastes.
Immerse yourself in the tranquillity of the pine forests or the lonely beauty of the Heaths. Tread in the steps of our ancestors on one of the ancient trackways such as the Peddars Way National Trail, Angles, Iceni or Icknield Ways.
Swaffham is an attractive, family friendly market town which sits at the very northern point of the Brecks. Fine Georgian buildings stand as a reminder of the town’s long history of commerce, with lively markets that continue to this day. Reputed to have been a one-time favourite of Lord Nelson, Swaffham was also home to Howard Carter, the Egyptologist who discovered the treasures of Tutankhamun.
The marketplace is transformed on Saturdays with a range of local food produce to tempt your taste buds. Every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month there is a bustling Farmer’s market and in September, Swaffham hosts the annual Brecks Food & Drink Festival.
Swaffham is also home to the Echo-tech Centre where visitors can climb an E66 Wind Turbine to enjoy superb countryside views. Those just wishing to stay closer to the ground can enjoy the organic garden, shop and café.
Brandon is a truly historic area, with activity stretching back to the Stone Age. The town grew up around the site of an ancient ford across the Little Ouse River. Once a busy inland port for barges on route to King’s Lynn, it was also an important communications link – here east, west and southern England met. Brandon has a lively shopping area, and the market, which received its Charter in the 16th Century, continues to bustle every Thursday and Saturday.
Brandon became known as the capital of the flint industry. The town sign is a flint knapper, symbolising a link with this mineral which goes back into remote prehistory, spanning the centuries from ‘flint axe to gunflint. Local craftsmen known as “flint-knappers,” turned out 1 million musket flints a month in the early 1900s. Today flint is in demand for decorative building work. Trade in fur and forestry work were also important to the local economy.
Collections in the Brandon Heritage Centre offer a unique view of the town’s colourful history.
The Brecks spans an area of 393 sq. miles/1019 sq. kilometres across Norfolk and Suffolk, in the heart of The East of England. As one of the driest parts of Britain the large skies are often blue. Thetford Forest and Kings Forest, collectively the largest lowland forest in the UK, have miles of tranquil trackways and paths to explore.
Ancient heathland once covered huge areas of the Brecks, created by the axes of prehistoric farmers and the nibbling teeth of sheep and rabbits. ‘Brecks’ were temporary fields cultivated for a few years and then allowed to revert to heath one the soil became exhausted. Sand storms were once a regular occurrence, such as the one which engulfed the village of Santon Downham in 1668. Through many centuries the heaths, and the mysterious fluctuating Breckland lakes known as meres, became home to a distinctive range of plants and animals.
Over the last hundred years the ancient character of the Brecks has been changed forever. The large-scale pine plantations of Thetford forest and the use of modern farming technology have transforms much of it into more productive land. The remaining stretches, and the more open parts of the forest, are now vital areas for wildlife conservation. The Brecks is an ideal area for quiet recreation, and the forests now welcome over 1.5 million visitors each year.
Normans, Vikings, monks, female warriors and Dad’s Army – they’ve all visited and left their mark on Thetford. This ancient market town is brimming with history and heritage, as well as plenty of gardens, parks and riverside spots for you to relax in.
Situated on an important crossing of the Little Ouse River, Thetford was the capital of East Anglia during the Saxon period. It went onto become an important religious centre with 5 churches mentioned in the Doomsday book. Its fortunes dwindled after the dissolution of the monasteries, but prosperity returned in the 18th Century with production of Charles Burrell’s steam traction engines. The wood paint shop is now a museum.
Thetford is the birthplace of Thomas Paine, the influential and sometimes controversial writer. His statue stands on King Street, holding a quill and his book Rights of Man, upside down. The last Maharajah of the Indian Punjab surrendered his sovereign rights and came to live in Thetford.
A range of free town trails are available, highlighting points of interest with quirky stories. Choose from ‘Dad’s Army’, ‘Thomas Paine’ ‘Heritage’ ‘Maharajah Duleep Singh’ or a special ‘Haunted Trail’.
A small market on Tuesdays and Saturdays complements the individual shops and High Street names. The town has excellent transport connections with a mainline station linking to the national train network and regular coach services with National Express
The Brecks is one of the most important wildlife areas in Britain. Species are found here from the Mediterranean and Russian steppes that often don’t appear anywhere else in the UK. The area has the UK’s only inland sand dunes and relic glacial ponds known as ‘pingos’ . There are also meres or lakes that are fed from underground water and five rivers which cross the Brecks.
The unique wildlife has been shaped by the soils, climate and human land-use. The Brecks has both sandy and chalky soils and lies in the driest part of England with ground-frosts occurring in all months of the year. Farming on these marginal soils led to fields only farmed once in 3 to 5 years and then left to rest. These areas formed the original ‘brakes’ more recently know as Breckland and The Brecks.
Rabbit farming or ‘warrening’ in the medieval period led to vast open heathland warrens with few or no trees and shrubs. Recent forest planting of the largest lowland forest in the UK has attracted some of its own special wildlife with over 25% of UK woodlark and over 10% of UK breeding nightjars. Over 65% of UK’s Stone Curlews are found here as well; an enigmatic bird that breeds here after over wintering in Spain and North Africa.
Many plant species grow here which are rare or absent from other parts of Britain including tower mustard, fingered speedwell, Breckland thyme and military orchid. At West Stow Country Park you can see some of these plants specially grown near the visitor centre.
25 species of invertebrates found in the Brecks are currently listed as being in danger of extinction in Britain.
10 bat species breed in the Brecks, making special use of the river valley habitats as feeding grounds.
The effects of the last ‘ice age’ can be seen nowhere else in Britain and Ireland as extensively as in The Brecks. 12,000 years ago, Ice bubbles created Pingos and perma frost created distinctive patterns and features.
The word ‘pingo’ comes from an Eskimo word meaning ‘hill’. Pingos are found today in the arctic tundra. They are ice mounds fed from below by groundwater which grow every winter and then melt in summer, forming a crater-like pond. As the mounds grow the overlying soil is shifted off them to form a surrounding rim or rampart.
Pingo ponds formed when ice mounds in the topsoil finally melted and collapsed to form irregular pools at the end of the last Ice Age. Most pingo ponds in the UK have been ploughed up and lost but three pingo systems remain in the Brecks – the best place to see them today is Thompson Common.
These ancient ponds are home to a unique range of wildlife species, including some very unusual water beetles. More typical of pools much further north, these beetles may well represent “mini-mammoths” – species left over from the last Ice Age!
The Brecks is an outstanding area for wildlife, but has experienced extraordinary change and loss of wildlife species and habitats in the last 50 years. Despite these changes, the varied habitats of the area continue to provide a refuge for many threatened species. 43% of the Brecks is protected at a national or international level for its wildlife or geological interest.
