BRANDON was once a major British centre for the fur and flint trades. The flint knapping trade was at its height during the Napoleonic Wars when a good worker in Brandon could produce around 15,000 gun flints a week.

Now, with the help of a Heritage Trail leaflet produced by Forest Heath District Council, you can pinpoint buildings and landscapes that played a key role in the town's history.

The trail starts at the Brandon Heritage Centre which offers the opportunity to go back in time to the Stone Age, visit a flint knapper's workshop and re-live the town's history from Neolithic times to the present day.

A booklet guiding you on your heritage trail points out features of interest including the Victoria National School, now a private house but originally the parish workhouse built in the 1720's. Watch out for the impressive Jacobean frontage of Brandon Hall and St Peter's Church which is recorded in the Domesday Book.

Riverside walks, homes with history and pubs with atmosphere are all included in the Heritage Trail and a leaflet is available at the Heritage Centre.