On Thursday 22nd May 2003, the 'official opening' took place of the restoration of Mildenhall Warren Lodge and the creation of a circular walk, with interpretation, across the former warren. There had been a rabbit warren here since the 1300s, one of over twenty in medieval Breckland where rabbits were farmed in designated areas for their meat and their fur. This warren lodge is one of only two surviving medieval warren lodge buildings in Breckland, the other being Thetford Warren Lodge.

Fund-raising by the Friends of Thetford Forest Park for this project began in the autumn of 1999 and resulted in £5,000 from Forest Heath District Council; £21,700 from English Heritage and £22,500 from The Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Forestry Commission, the landowner, made significant 'in-kind' contributions, including the creation of a car park, way-marking the new walk and giving expert advice at all stages of the project.

Members of the Friends of Thetford Forest Park undertook conservation work around the lodge itself and along the walk and helped with deciding the route the walk should take. As the project progressed, special walks were held to show the public the developments. Mildenhall Museum created a display of artefacts from the site together with copies of original documents relating to the warren.

During the conservation work, the clunch wall of the nineteenth-century lean-to was discovered, revealing the brick floor and traces of its use as a wash-house, complete with soakaway.

The interpretation boards are based on the idea of 'The Warrener's World' and use the names of warrener's known from documentary research. They are mounted on specially constructed mounds to complement the warren banks still remaining in the landscape.

The first public 'Open Day' on 26th May 2003, resulted in over seventy visitors, including two people who knew the lodge when it was still occupied as a home.

The 2009 Open Day is on Sunday 13th September, in conjunction with Forest Heath District Council's Heritage Open Day. The lodge will be open from 10am to 4pm and signed from the A11 and the B1065, just north of Barton Mills roundabout. It is on the minor road linking the A11 and the B1065, signed 'Mildenhall' from the A11 and 'Eleveden /Household Waste Site' from the B1065.

This is the only day in the year that you can go inside the building so please come along.

Click here to load a Google Maps map showing the location of Mildenhall Warren

Anne Mason

Chairperson, Friends of Thetford Forest Park.