Captain Mainwaring's Statue in Thetford, celebrating the town's association with TV Series Dad's Army
Thomas Paine Statue Thetford. Tom Paine was born in Thetford in 1737 
St Cuthbert's Medieval Church in Thetford
Thetford high street cafes & shops
Thetford Arts Centre & CafesCapital of Breckland Thetford is an ancient capital. The town's Castle Hill is England's tallest medieval earthwork and evidence of settlement in Thetford dates back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. Thetford has associations with the hit TV comedy series Dad's Army. The series was filmed mostly around Thetford, the fictional Walmington-on-Sea, and in Thetford Forest. Visitors can enjoy Dad's Army guided tours around Thetford, taking in buildings like the Anchor Hotel which featured in the series. Thetford is also famously the birthplace of radical thinker Thomas Paine.
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Attractions in Thetford feature local history museums and a great arts centre housed in the historic Guildhall. Town trails in Thetford highlight the many historic buildings here including medieval churches. Cafes, real ale pubs and fine restaurants in Thetford make the town a perfect gateway holiday base for Thetford Forest. Accommodation in Thetford and Thetford Forest is extensive, ranging from historic Thetford B&B inns and hotels to 4 star caravan and touring parks in Thetford Forest.
Despite being 50 miles from the coast, Thetford was chosen as the fictional Walmington-on-Sea in one of Britain's most popular comedy TV series Dad's Army. Eighty episodes of Dads Army were filmed between 1968 and 1977, with much of the filming done in Thetford and around the Thetford Forest area. Thetford attracts huge numbers of fans of the series from across the world. A Dad's Army trail features around Thetford centre, taking in buildings which appeared in the TV series like the famous Anchor Hotel.
Marking Thetford's associations with the hit TV series Dad's Army is the impressive Captain Mainwaring's Statue adjacent to the river and bridge and the popular Dad's Army Museum in Thetford housed in the old fire station in Cage Lane. Dad's Army guided tours are available, led by Thetford's own Captain Mainwaring in full Home Guard uniform. Find out more about Dads Army guided tours at both the Dads Army Museum in Thetford and Thetford Tourist Information Centre.
The Museum of Thetford Life sits in the town's Ancient House, a spectacular timber framed Grade I listed Tudor merchant's house. The museum within explores in-depth the history of Thetford town and the surrounding Brecks. Learn about the many famous people heralding from Thetford at the Museum of Thetford Life. Radical thinker Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was born in Thetford and educated at Thetford Grammer School. As well as exhibits on Thomas Paine in the museum, a statue also stands in Thetford centre. Other famous people in Thetford's past include the Sikh hero Maharajah Duleep Singh who was close to Queen Victoria and lived just outside Thetford. Precious Sikh artefacts are on display at the museum.
Fascinating facts about ancient capital Thetford are revealed in both the museum and town trails. At the time of the Norman invasion in 1066, Thetford was ranked the sixth largest English town. Thetford has long been a strategic crossing point centrally situated in East Anglia and has been a major settlement from the Bronze and Iron Ages through the Roman, Anglo Saxon and Viking, Norman and Medieval periods. With such a rich history, the Ancient House collections are wide ranging, featuring artefacts, photography and oral histories on the many industries in the town's past from brewing and malting to ancient Bronze Age flint mining tools and weapons.
Thetford's Castle Hill is one of East Anglia's most dramatic earthwork sites dating from the Iron Age. The Thetford area was also a settlement centre of the Iceni tribe, resident before the Roman occupation. Through the medival period Thetford was an important religious centre. Medieval churches like St Cuthbert's survive in the town alongside priory and monastic building remains including Thetford Cluniac Priory founded by Roger Bigod in 1103.
Find the Ancient House in Thetford on White Hart Street. A museum gift shop is onsite and the museum is open all year round.
Ancient capital Thetford, today's capital of Breckland and gateway into Thetford Forest contains numerous attractions both within and around the town making it a superb central East Anglia holiday base. Thetford is a popular holiday base for easy access into Thetford Forest, Britain's largest lowland pine forest which pushes northwards from Thetford. Outdoor attractions in Thetford Forest are numerous, from cycling and walking trails to activity centres, paintballing, ancient flint mines and historic castles. On the outskirts of Thetford town centre is Castle Hill, England's tallest medieval earthwork at 81 feet high. The site dates from just after the Norman Conquest, but prior evidence of Iron Age settlement and defence has been found here.
Situated off the Norwich Road just west of Thetford centre are the impressive remains of a Cluniac Priory founded by Roger Bigod in 1103. Priory ruins are extensive here featuring Prior's lodgings, 14th century gatehouse and the Lady Chapel. Thetford Arts Centre in the heart of the town centre sits within the historic Guildhall and hosts changing art exhibitions through the year. Delightful cafes with alfresco seating in summer cluster around the beautiful old Guildhall building. Thetford is also home to a great indoor waterworld park, the Breckland Leisure Centre & Waterworld.
The headquarters of the British Trust for Ornithology is housed in a 12th century Nunnery in Thetford, surrounded by a stunning nature reserve open to the public. Visit the Charles Burrell Museum in Thetford, home to historic steam engines and agricultural machinery produced by the world renowned Engineering Works of Charles Burrell and Sons here in Thetford. The museum is housed in the former paint shop of the Engineering Works.
Another historic site around Thetford is the Thetford Warren Lodge (English Heritage) just north of Thetford Centre. The Lodge dates from around 1400, built by the Prior of Thetford to protect his gamekeepers and hunting parties from potential attack by poachers. The Lodge was used after this period by local Thetford 'warreners' harvesting rabbits in the area. The practice and history of rabbit warreners in Thetford in the past is explored further in the Museum of Thetford Life.
Offering a fun-packed family day out, Banham Zoo east of Thetford is home to the largest 'Bird of Prey' displays in the UK and animals here range from penguins, cheetahs and tigars to meerkats, zebra, red kangaroo and endangered species like the snow leopard. Banham Zoo also has a Farm Barn and Farm Stables on-site where you'll find domestic farm animals and the shire horses, donkeys and the rare breed of the pure Suffolk horse also known as the Suffolk Punch.
A Safari Roadtrain with comentary weaves around the zoo. Restaurants, play areas, events and birthday parties all feature at Banham which also offers corporate and wedding facilities. Find Banham Zoo east of Thetford clearly signposted off both the A11 and A140 roads.
A wide range of Thetford town and Thetford Forest accommodation is available from character 15th century inn B&Bs in Thetford to Thetford historic hotels and charming Thetford holiday cottages. Find an outstanding choice of Thetford Forest caravan parks and camping sites listed here on iknow East Anglia. The Brecks is a top spot in East Anglia for quality 4 star caravan and touring parks and beautiful historic country cottages close to Thetford Forest walking and cycling trails. Browse listings for Thetford hotels and holiday cottages in Thetford Forest here on iknow East Anglia.
Thetford is a superb holiday base for touring by rail. Thetford Station is located on the fast Norwich to Cambridge (onward to London Liverpool Street) railway line (National Express East Anglia). Visitors based in Thetford can pick up trains to nearby Brandon in Thetford Forest as well as trains to tourist hotspots Norwich, Wymondham, Ely and Cambridge. Thetford is also very well served by local bus services into Thetford Forest. Visit Thetford Tourist Information Centre in Market Place for bus timetables and find details for the pre-bookable Brecks Bus service from Thetford on the official Brecks tourist guide website.
Extensive facilities in Thetford town centre from the town's many attractions to a great choice of Thetford restaurants, cafes and shops make Thetford an ideal holiday base. Fine traditional real ale pubs in Thetford are numerous with Suffolk real ale Green King, produced in nearby Bury St Edmunds, served in many. Thetford is also ideally situated just near the Suffolk border for visiting Suffolk attractions in Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket.
