Volunteers led several short guided river history walks by the rivers in towns and villages of the Brecks during 2023 and 2024, telling the story of how people connected with those rivers, the important historic buildings and places and how people enjoyed having fun by and in the rivers, or were involved with them for work.
We used memories, stories, images and research from the Tales from the River and Industrious Rivers projects, both part of The Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership Scheme (BFER), to bring these places to life.
Some walks were done for BFER, others with BFER support for the Suffolk Walking Festival and for Pathmakers Walk Norfolk festival. We worked with local individuals and organisations to gather information and choose our routes, including Brandon Remembrance Playing Fields, Lakenheath Heritage Group, Ancient House Museum, and Bush Adventures.
At several of the locations we have now installed interpretation panels.
On every walk we gave out a handout and afterwards sent this as a digital document to the participants so that they could follow the links for more info. The Google maps of the walks show recreation spots and important historic buildings in that area, and you can click the icons to get more info and see the route. Links to these below.
You can download handouts for each of the walks (2 page PDFs):
Thetford to Nuns Bridges handout
Thetford downriver from the Coffee Mill handout
See the Google maps using these links:
- Honington & Sapiston
- Thetford to Nuns Bridges
- Thetford downriver from the Coffee Mill
- Brandon
- Lakenheath
- Mildenhall
Credits for photos: Thetford mill, river swimming baths, spa building, maltings – © Norfolk Museums Service (Ancient House); Lakenheath photos – Lakenheath Heritage Group; Brandon images – stanch supplied by Ivan Cane, bridge – Brandon and District Local History Society; Mildenhall barge looking downstream – supplied by Ivan Cane, Mill and Ship – Mildenhall and District Museum.