Thetford Forest Breckland Warrens Listed
On the advice of Historic England, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has listed 5 Breckland warren and lodge sites in Thetford Forest, giving them greater recognition and protection.
An ancient agricultural trade
Warrens (areas of land set aside for the breeding and managing of rabbits) were introduced into England by the Normans in around 1100. They were established in the Norfolk and Suffolk Brecklands from the 1270s onwards, where the dry climate and sandy soil replicated the rabbits’ native Mediterranean habitat.
In the medieval period, only those of manorial rank could keep and eat rabbits and wear their fur. Rabbits were high-class luxury items with the same exclusive protection as the pigeons in the lord’s dovecote.
The Breckland warrens were managed as commercial enterprises. Monasteries owned many, and once the monks had taken their own supply, the coneys were sold on the open market.
At larger warrens, a lodge provided living accommodation for the warrener, whose job it was to nurture, protect, and trap the rabbits. The lodges also stored trapping equipment and carcasses and provided a lookout and defence against poachers.
In the 19th century, the annual cull on many of the Breckland warrens reached over 20,000 animals, with the meat being sent to London, the Cambridge colleges, and local markets.
Factories in Brandon and Thetford processed the rabbit fur into felt for use in the hat industry, with exports as far afield as South America.
Warrens remained in use until they declined with the agricultural changes of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Forestry Commission's planting of Thetford Forest in the 1920s conserved the warren banks and lodge sites beneath the trees. Forestry England cares for, manages, and protects these important historic landmarks.
Research undertaken by the Breckland Society and Friends of Thetford Forest, led by Anne Mason, Chair of the Friends of Thetford Forest, identified 26 warrens in an area north from Baron Mills to Brandon and east to Thetford. Thanks to this research, much more is known about the area's ancient land use and agricultural past.
The Breckland warrens and lodges are a ghostly reminder of a high-status industry that once dominated the local landscape. Protecting these rare structures helps to ensure that the agricultural history of East Anglia can be discovered and understood. We’re grateful to the volunteers at the Friends of Thetford Forest for their painstaking research which helps us to appreciate these remarkable places.
Newly protected Breckland Warrens sites
- Thetford Warren and the remains of Reed Fen Lodge (scheduled monument)
- Langford Warren Lodge (also known as Ickburgh Warren Lodge) (scheduled monument)
- Santon Downham Warren (scheduled monument)
- Mildenhall Warren Boundary Banks (scheduled monument)
- Downham High Warren (scheduled monument)
New information has also been added to
- Thetford Warren Lodge (Grade II* listed, scheduled monument)
- Mildenhall Warren Lodge, also known as the Old Keeper’s Lodge (scheduled monument)
