Red Route Thetford River Trails | Thetford Town Council

Red Route - East

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Red Route – East

Start at the Coffee Mill in School Lane car park.

1 Coffee Mill

The river in front of you is the River Thet. Thetford derives its name from the Saxon “Theodford”, meaning the “people’s ford”. The river is thus, unusually named, after the place. The Pitt mill is one of five mills mentioned in the Domesday Book and marks the head of the Thetford Navigation. In 1715, a 7ft 8in sturgeon was caught in the mill pond. The mill was last used to pack coffee for Twinings and is now a masonic lodge.

Turn right over the mill bridge.

2 Iron Bridges

The iron bridges straddle the Little Ouse and the mill stream of St Audrey’s mill. A concrete bridge was put in during WWII to allow vehicular access to the ‘island’ site. To the south of Bridges’ Walk is Mill Lane. It was here that the closing scenes to the most famous Dad’s Army episode, The Deadly Attachment was filmed. This episode featured the immortal line, “Don’t Tell Him Pike!”.

Turn left after crossing the first bridge.

3 St Audrey’s Mill

The sluice gate controlled the water flow to St Audrey’s mill (previously the Bishop’s mill) which became the site of the Thetford Patent Pulpware Company and its unique pulpware was manufactured until the middle of the 20th century. The remaining mill building, now a private house, still contains a rare horizontal water turbine.

Continue over the sluice gates along the riverside path.

4 Spring Walk

In 1819 there was an attempt to turn Thetford into a fashionable spa town centred around a mineral rich spring. A new promenade, Spring Walk was built to serve as access to the spring along with a pump room. The pump room has now been converted to a private residence, Spring House.

Continue along the riverside path.

5 Lady Gentle Meadow

The meadow adjoining Spring House was given to the people of Thetford by Sir William Gentle in memory of his late wife in 1941. Gentle was a former Chief Constable he became well known for his work combatting racecourse gangs. He was four-time Mayor of Thetford as well as High Sheriff of Norfolk and the first chairman of the Greyhound Racing Association.

Continue along the riverside path to the green lectern sign.

6 Nuns Bridges

The Nuns Bridges mark the crossing point of the Icknield Way and marks the end of the Viking ditch and bank that once stretched in an arc westward to the Redcastle on Brandon Road. The pre-conquest monastery across the river was dedicated to St George and later became a nunnery, it is now the headquarters of the British Trust for Ornithology. It was here that Queen Elizabeth I stayed on her progress in 1578.

Carefully cross the road and walk along the riverside path.

7 Gentle Bridge

The metal footbridge is known as The Gentle Bridge and was unveiled by the then Prince Charles in 1999. The remains of the town’s swimming pool are visible the other side of the river. Cut into the bank of the river it remained in use until 1973. The path along the north bank of the river continues to the Nunnery Lakes Reserve.

Turn left into Ford Meadow.

8 Ford Place

The trail leaves the banks of the Little Ouse and crosses Ford Meadow to the River Thet. Across the river the large building, Ford Place is now visible. This was once the home to members of the Fison fertiliser family. An Augustinian Friary founded by John of Gaunt in 1387 once stood in the vicinity.

Turn right along the riverside path.

9 Arlington Way

The entrance to Arlington Way allows visitors to avoid the steps at the end of the riverside path ahead. Arlington Way is named after the Earl of Arlington who purchased nearby Euston Hall in the 17^th century and whose daughter married Charles II’s son Henry Fitzroy, who became the Duke of Grafton. Euston Hall remains the seat of the Dukes of Grafton today. Arlington’s London residence, Arlington House became the site of Buckingham Palace. In America, Arlington national cemetery was built upon the site of Arlington House named after Arlington’s plantation in Virginia.

Continue along the riverside path.

(For those wishing to avoid the steps ahead – join Arlington Way roadside path and turn left)

At the end of the path, climb the steps and turn left. Carefully cross the road and make your way to the stone bridge ahead.

10 Melford Bridge

The bridge was rebuilt by Sir John Wodehouse 1697 and a plaque to this effect can be seen from the eastern side riverbank. The name derives from the Mill Ford indicating the site of one of Thetford’s historic mills. The former nearby Bridge Station played an important part in the military manoeuvres in the build-up to the Great War during which time General Haigh had his headquarters in the town. The first tanks were secretly trialled on the Elveden estate in 1916 when they were delivered by rail passing through the station. Melford Bridge continued in use until WWII when the current new bridge was constructed.

Cross the bridge and walk along the path, crossing Green Lane and Melford Bridge Road.

11 Junction Melford Bridge Road and Castle Street

Green Lane is an ancient trackway probably a continuation of the Icknield Way and later a Roman route to the Peddars Way at East Wretham. The junction is the site of the Gallow’s Pit used to cater for justice dispensed at the Assize courts in centuries past.

Continue ahead up Castle Street

12 Albion Public House

This pub began life as a beerhouse and sits amongst similar terraced properties which were built during the early part of the 19^th century. Many of the houses along Castle Street have revealed evidence of chalk mines in the area.

Carefully cross the road towards Castle Park entrance.

13 Toilets

The entrance to Castle Park is located by the public toilets. The park was opened in 1908, although originally leased, the Borough of Thetford purchased the freehold in 1921, except part of the hill on the south side that belonged to the Bidwell brewing family who subsequently presented it to the town in 1924.

Continue along path towards the green lectern ahead.

14 Castle Hill

The impressive Norman mound or ‘motte’ was constructed within the Iron Age hillfort built about 500BC by the Iceni tribe to control the nearby ancient river crossing. Evidence of an Iceni ceremonial centre at Gallow’s Hill, which was destroyed about the time of Boudica’s revolt against the Romans in 61AD, indicates how important the Thetford area was to the tribe.

Continue along path towards the hill ahead.

15 Castle Mound Steps

The Norman mound and castle was built soon after the conquest to control the town of Thetford which at the time was the sixth largest in the country. The castle was destroyed in the 12^th century upon the orders of Henry II. Climb the steps to get an aerial view of this ancient settlement. This was also the probable site of the Viking army encampment during the winter of 869AD before they defeated King Edmund nearby.

At the exit to the park turn right and continue walking straight along Old Market Street crossing the exit to Ford Street.

16 The Gaol

The nearby flint gaolhouse has been expanded many times over the centuries and would have housed prisoners attending the Assize courts in the Guildhall. The building is situated at the eastern end of the old market place which was located in the bailey of the medieval castle. The market moved to its current site in 1786.

Turn left into Nether Row.

17 Nether Row

The modern flats behind the wall are built upon the site of New Place, the home of the notable 18^th century lawyer James Mingay K.C. who presided over the Thetford Assizes and was thrice Mayor of Thetford. The flint cottages in Nether Row featured in four different episodes of Dad’s Army.

Walk along Nether Row and take the first turning on your left.

18 School Lane car park

School Lane is so named for the British and Foreign School that once occupied the building to the southeast corner of the car park. This flint building incorporates carved stones from former ecclesiastical sites around the town.

School Lane car park is in front of you and marks the end of the trail.

Links

Thetford Water Mill

https://norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/thetford.html

Bishop’s Mill

Norfolk Mills – Thetford Bishops Mill

Thetford Chalybeate Spa

Thetford Spa, History of | reffley-spring-book (reffleyspring.co.uk)

British Trust for Ornithology – Nunnery Lakes Reserve

Nunnery Lakes Reserve | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Euston Hall

Euston Hall & Estate | Open Days, Events, Stay on the Estate | Suffolk, UK