Visit Suffolk

Explore Brandon, Suffolk

The little market town of Brandon is known as the Gateway to the Brecks. As such, it has a distinctive character with many flint and brick buildings, a pretty river and all the outdoor fun of Thetford Forest and Brandon Country Park on its doorstep.

Brandon lies at the heart of the Brecks. The Brecks is a land of lowland heaths, mysterious earthworks and gnarled twisted pines. The area stretches from north-west Suffolk to south-west Norfolk and covers about 370 square miles. The landscape is truly unique in Britain and is home to many rare birds, flowers, insects and mammals.  Beneath the vast sandy soils are chalk and flint. Pre-historic settlers used the flints to clear the light forests and create large open heathlands. Sheep and rabbits kept the shrubland low and winds frequently swept the sands across the open landscape.

Set beside the Little Ouse River, this small town is surrounded by forest and heathland. It has many distinctive flint and brick buildings. Brandon was responsible for supplying over a million musket flints a month in the early 1900's - then later as the centre of the British rabbit fur trade.

Brandon is home to a host of fantastic attractions, making it the perfect location for a family break. For the adrenaline junkie, why not make like an Ape and swing from the trees of Thetford Forest at Go Ape! The high wire adventure park is centred around 30 miles of bike and walking trails from which to explore 50,000 acres of forest.

For a slightly more relaxed day out, take a trip to the High Lodge Forest Centre for walking, cycling, shops, restaurants and an adventure playground, all located in the beauty of the forest. 

To round off the perfect trip, make sure you stop by Brandon Country Park to catch a range of wildlife in its natural habitat. In spring, hundreds of toads breed in the lake. Dragonflies and damselflies dart and skim across the water in the summer sunlight.

Brandon Country ParkBrandon, Suffolk