Thursday 30 March 2023

A Stroll And A Stronghold

After completing our circuit around the "Mysterious Meres" (the previous post), we made a short journey to the town of Thetford and parked near Nuns' Bridges.


Nuns' Bridges span the rivers Thet, Little Ouse and a minor tributary. Britain's oldest track, the Icknield Way crossed the rivers at this point and the local Nunnery paid for the construction of the three bridges, then collected tolls from those who crossed - it was a common way to fund religious houses in Medieval times.


Many ducks and geese haunt the river today in search of any scraps from picnickers. But there is a ghost too, though perhaps not a very scary one. Little George Dacre, the step-son of the Duke of Norfolk, was staying nearby when he fell from his rocking-horse and died in 1569. The ghost of a small boy on a headless rocking-horse is said to haunt this place.



A footpath follows the Little Ouse upstream, past several fallen trees.



A Muntjac deer followed our progress with some interest.



The bridge leads to the British Trust for Ornithology's headquarters in the grounds of the old Nunnery. The BTO concerns itself mainly with research into bird population and migration, but it does also care for a small reserve here on the outskirts of Thetford.



The reserve consists of several types of habitat: the river and its floodplains, lakes formed in old gravel pits, wet woodland and open meadows.



Even if you don't see anything rarer than these two Canada Geese, it's still a pleasant place to wander.



A viewing tower overlooks the river and shallow scrapes designed to attract water birds.



We completed our stroll by returning on a well-made path through an area of (very) wet woodland and arrived back at Nuns' Bridges.



We sat in the car and ate our packed lunch under the watchful and covetous eyes of a pair of Canada Geese, before heading a short way out of Thetford in search of a small, brown tourism sign that we'd passed by on many previous occasions. Just a few steps from the rough sandy car park we spied this:



It looks very like the fortified "pele towers" that exist in the borderlands between England and Scotland, which protected farming families from the border raiders who terrorised the population on both sides of the border for centuries. But surely nothing like that went on in sleepy old Norfolk?



It turns out that Thetford Priory once kept something here that was, in those days, hugely valuable and which gangs of armed men came to steal. The man charged with looking after this precious asset lived in this fortress-like stronghold to prevent harm coming to him and his family. And what could this priceless treasure be?.......Rabbits!



Rabbits were much less common back then and their meat and fur were highly prized (and highly priced!). Thetford Warren Lodge, built around the year 1400, was the home of the warrener, who oversaw a walled area that was the size of modern-day Thetford, wholly dedicated to the raising of rabbits. Upstairs were the living quarters - you can still see where the fireplace was - while on the ground floor he stored his traps and other tools of the trade.



There's also some evidence for the Lodge was at times used as a base for hunting parties. And now we're off to hunt for something which I promised I'd show you many moons ago.


Take care.


19 comments:

  1. How I love walking with you. Thank you.
    Rabbits a precious treasure? Given the damage they have done here (and the obscene ways we attempt to control them) how things have changed...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Another pleasant stroll, John. Your picture of the three Mallard Drakes reminds us all that these familiar birds are very handsome indeed. Funny that you mention rabbits being highly prized as food. I was reading a book a while ago where jugged hare was the centrepiece of a banquet. How tastes have changed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is a Thetford nearby across the river in Vermont. In fact Dan sings with the Thetford Chamber Singers. That rabbit warren lodge was quite something. Not at all what I expected it to be. The bridges were neat to see too. Thank you for your well wishes for my surgery tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous about life after surgery - the recovery phase and how to manage with no right hand.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Built in 1400? It's amazing that it is still standing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can't imagine rabbits being so valuable and scarce. I remember stories set in the great plains, just prior to the dust bowl. Men would drive the rabbits and kill them by the score. They were doing such damage to the land due to their sheer numbers. I couldn't imagine that extreme either.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So much interesting information in your post, John! And of course your terrific photos always a highlight too. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Poor little things have very little meat on them! But I do like their fur. Anyway, the hunting parties were probably after bigger game, I'd guess!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a beautiful area for a walk and such a rich history. Rabbit was a common meal for us years ago. I never hear of it any more.

    ReplyDelete
  9. How things have changed relative to rabbits.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bien mostrada la naturaleza, que has encontrado en tu camino.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a beautiful place to explore and enjoy nature. Great narrative and photos, John.

    ReplyDelete
  12. if rabbits had been valuable when we farmed we would have been multi millionaires. Am interested to see what you have been promising! I notice the willow is in leaf in one of your shots.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Such a perfect place for walking and exploring. The pictures are wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  14. The rabbit building is fascinating. Don't we have a rich history?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful landscapes with great fauna.

    ReplyDelete
  16. How amazing that rabbits would be priceless at any given time.
    Lovely spring sunshine for walking.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lovely area for walking. Fascinating history about the rabbits.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi John - what a gorgeous little area to spend some time, especially on a sunny day (we could do with more of those!). Interesting about the Nuns' Bridge and then they collected the tolls - sensible ladies. Fascinating about the rabbits ... I hadn't heard about rabbit nurseries ... but makes perfect sense. Cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).