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.
