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 can be traced back to Anglo-Saxon times and the town is steeped in history centred around the fur trade and flintknapping industry.

Flint has been mined from early Neolithic times when it was used for arrowheads and other implements. Brandon was the last home of the gun flint industry in Britain which brought substantial wealth to the town until the invention of the percussion cap in the 19th century. During the Napoleonic Wars, a good knapper could produce 15,000 gun flints a week!

The fur trade was the other main industry of the town as the area was known for its warrens and rabbit farms.

The charter for a weekly market was granted in the 16th century and now the town has two markets held on a Thursday and Saturday.

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.

In the 19th century, farmers planted lines of Scots pine trees knitted together as wind breaks to protect their fields. Then in the early 20th century, the Forestry Commission planted Thetford Forest - Britain's largest lowland pine forest - and the landscape was dramatically altered again.

For information on things to do at the forest, see our Places to Visit page. To find out more about the history and conservation of the forest, visit the 22 Villages website and look under Santon Downham.

The picturesque Little Ouse River is a great place to relax. Hire a boat or take a leisurely riverside stroll, then stop somewhere for tea or an ice cream.

Collections offer a unique view of the town's colourful history from Neolithic times to the present day. Hands-on exhibits help to tell the story of the flint, fur and forestry industries which have been the life blood of the area. Visitors can go back in time to the Stone Age and visit a flintknapper's workshop to relive the town's history from Neolithic times to the present day.

Easter to October

Saturdays 10.30am - 5pm,

Sundays 2pm - 5pm.

Admission charges: Adults 50p, Concessions 40p, Children 12-16 40p, Under 11s free.

Telephone (01842) 813707 during opening hours.

At other times telephone Brandon Tourist Information Centre on (01842) 814955.