Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
High St., Lavenham, Suffolk CO10 9QA. www.swanatlavenham.co.uk.
&
01787/247477.
Fax 01787/
248286. 45 units. £180-£280 double; £220-£300 suite. Rates include English breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free
parking on street.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; lounge; room service.
In room:
TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
THETFORD
80 miles N of London; 29 miles N of Cambridge; 11 miles N of Bury St. Edmunds
Thetford has been an area of human settlement since Neolithic times (about 2500 b.c.)
The prehistoric flint mine
Grimes Graves
is nearby and the prehistoric path
Icknield
Way,
which runs close to Thetford, is the oldest road in Britain.
The Thetford Trea-
sure
—silver spoons, gold rings, pendants, and necklaces hidden in Roman times—
were discovered in 1979 and are now at the British Museum, but you can find out all
about them at Thetford's
Ancient House Museum.
However, Thetford is most
famous for its forest, a great outdoor destination if you want to go walking through pines
and heathland, use the cycling paths, or just stop off for a picnic as you cross the border
from Suffolk into Norfolk. Most people go to
High Lodge,
Brandon (
&
01842/
815434
), a Forestry Commission-run center with good facilities such as an adventure
playground, sculpture trail, cafe, and even barbecue rentals. Parking is relatively expen-
sive at £1.90 an hour (maximum £10), so it's best to make a day of it.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
Trains (NXEA) from Cambridge to Thetford take about 40
minutes, and from Norwich to Thetford (NXEA) it's about 30 minutes. From London
King's Cross, and you can go via Ely as well as Cambridge, takes 1
3
⁄
4
hours. For
onward buses contact
Brecks Bus Service
(
&
01638/608080;
www.brecks.org),
a service that you have to book in advance and that takes up to five passengers. If
you're driving from London, take the M25 to the M11, then the A11 and B1107.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Thetford Tourist Information Centre
is at
20 King St., IP24 2AH (
&
01842/751975;
www.explorethetford.co.uk). It's open
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturdays until 4pm.
Exploring the Area
Ancient House Museum
MUSEUM This museum has displays that tell Thet-
ford's story and introduces you to famous residents such as Thomas Paine, who had
a hand in American independence and the French Revolution. The museum is in a
beautiful medieval merchant's house.
White Hart St., Thetford.
&
01842/752599.
Admission £3.50 adults, £1.90 children 4-16; free Oct-Mar.
Tues-Sat 10am-5pm (closes 4pm Oct-Mar).
Dad's Army Museum
MUSEUM The much-loved BBC comedy series was
filmed in Thetford and its forest, but it is only recently that a Dad's Army Museum
of memorabilia has opened. After you've visited, have your photo taken next to the
Captain Mainwaring statue. There's a self-guided Dad's Army Trail, which you can
download from www.explorethetford.co.uk.
Cage Lane, Thetford.
&
01842/751975.
www.dadsarmythetford.org.uk. Free admission. Sat 10am-
2pm, also Tues in Aug, and occasional other days.
Go Ape
SPORTING ACTIVITY This is a giant obstacle course of zip wires,
ladders, walkways, bridges, and tunnels in the trees. Safety equipment is provided
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