Sprawling across two counties from Swaffham to Culford, Thetford Forest is the biggest lowland pine forest in the UK. The Thetford Forest attracts over 1.5 million visitors each year, many of whom come specifically to ride the forest's cycling trails.

What Thetford lacks in gradient it makes up for in the quality of the trails. Thanks to the motorcycle enduros held in past years, the forest contains miles and miles of superb singletrack snaking its way through the trees, crossing the wider fire roads. Thetford Forest has some of the finest swoopy singletrack in England with fast, narrow trails running between close-set stands of trees and stretches of doubletrack. Races utilise such affectionately-named local trails as "Plumbuster" and "The Beast", plus a variety of large and small bomb holes which courses are often routed through.

Around 200 tree species grow throughout the forest and in autumn it's a blaze of reds, golds and browns. Deer, red squirrels, bats, adders, great crested newts and rare birds like the nightjar and woodlark make their home in the forest, and conservation efforts are a primary focus of the local Forestry Commission.

For kids, Thetford Forest Park offers a variety of activities, including a giant play sculpture trail and Go Ape high ropes course. High Lodge's visitor centre, with its traditional oak-frame building, has a great restaurant and cafeteria. If you'd rather do it yourself there are plenty of picnic sites dotted across the site and you can also hire barbecues.

Location: Thetford Forest is located on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk in the heart of Breckland in East Anglia. Major roads leading to the forest are the M11 from London, the A11 from Norwich or Newmarket and the A14 from Cambridge or Ipswich.

Premier Travel Inn
& The Warrener Pub Restaurant
Lynn Wood
Maine Street
Thetford
IP24 3PG

Phone: 08708 506 320
Website: www.premierinn.com

• Pricing: M-Th from £62 per room per night, F-Sat from £58 per room per night
• Breakfast: Full breakfast £7.50, continental buffet £5.25
• Features: Free parking, disabled facilities, WiFi internet access for a small fee
• Local review! Good accommodations and great food

The Bell Hotel
King Street
Thetford
IP24 2AZ

Phone: 01842 754 455
Email: 6410@greeneking.co.uk
Website: www.bellhotel-thetford.com

• Rooms: 46 en suite bedrooms
• Prices: From £100 per room per night
• Packages: Dinner plus bed & breakfast, bed & breakfast, room only
• Rating: RAC/AA 3 star, ETB 4 crown

Thomas Paine Hotel & Restaurant
33 White Hart Street
Thetford
IP24 1AA

Phone: 01842 755 631
Email: bookings@thomaspainehotel.co.uk
Website: www.thomaspainehotel.co.uk

• Rooms: 13 bedrooms with private bathroom, colour television, hairdryer, direct dial phone and tea/coffee facilities
• Prices (full English B&B): Single £55, double or twin £66
• Weekend Break Special: £86 per person (2 nights) with dinner, bed and breakfast
• Features: Centrally located, family run, children welcome, pets with prior notice
• Food: Restaurant specialising in freshly-prepared food using local produce, varied menus include vegetarian choices, excellent wine list and a la carte menus, bar meals and snacks available, well-stocked bar serving locally brewed real ale, patio for good weather
• Rating: AA 2 star, ETB 3 crown

Wereham House Hotel
24 White Hart Street
Thetford
IP24 1AD

Phone: 01842 761 956
Email: mail@werehamhouse.co.uk
Website: www.werehamhouse.co.uk

• Rooms: 8 en-suite bedrooms with shower, including one family room, all with TV and CD/DVD player, direct-dial telephones (permit Internet access), hairdryers, coffee/tea making facilities
• Prices (full English B&B): Single £55, double or twin £64-£74, family room from £88.00
• Food: Relaxed restaurant with weekly changing Table d'hote Menu, daily specials of freshly prepared home cooked food plus a vegetarian selection and good, affordable wines
• Rating: ETB 2 crown

Brandon's Riverside Lodge
& Bridge House Hotel
79 High Street
Brandon
IP27 0AX

Phone: Riverside Lodge 01842 811 236
or Bridge House Hotel 01842 813 137  
Email: Chris@brandonsriversidelodge.co.uk
Website: www.brandonsriversidelodge.co.uk   

• Riverside Lodge Prices: Single from £40, double or twin from £50
• Bridge House Hotel Prices: £20-£30 per person per night
• Riverside Lodge Features: 500+ year old house on the river, family run home and business, beautiful gardens, Italian restaurant, rowing boat hire in summer
• Bridge House Hotel Features: Extension specials of Riverside Lodge, comfortable en suite rooms with colour TV and tea and coffee making facilities, licensed conservatory restaurant with varied menu including vegetarian choices and house

The Pink Cottage B&B
43 Magdalen Street
Thetford
IP24 2BP

Phone: 01842 764 564
Email: maggie.findlay1@btopenworld.com
Info: www.nationaltrail.co.uk

Rooms: 3
Prices: Single £20, twin £40
Features: Cycle storage, drying facilities

The White House B&B
4 Raymond Street
Thetford
IP24 2EA
Phone: 01842 754 546
Rooms: 6

Paradise Lodge B&B
Paradise Lake
Highbridge Gravel Road
Lakenheath, Suffolk (15 minutes from Thetford)
IP27 9HD
Phone: 01842 862 963

FREE CAMPING AT THE RACE SITE! (from Friday evening)

The Dower House Touring Park
West Harling
Thetford
NR16 2SE
Phone: 01953 717 314
Website: www.dowerhouse.co.uk
Facilities: 160 pitches for tourers/tents, campsite and bar

Puddledock Farm Campsite
Great Hockham
Thetford
IP24 1PA
Phone: 01953 498 455
Website: www.thetfordforestcampsite.com
Facilities: Touring site with 30 pitches, toilets/shower, no electric

Thorpe Woodlands Campsite
Shadwell
Thetford
IP24 2RX
Phone: 01842 751 042
Facilities: 134 pitches, basic camping
Getting there: MAP

Warrener Pub Restaurant (part of Premier Inn)
Lynn Wood
Maine Street
Thetford
IP243PG
Phone: 01842 826 120
Local review! Good food at the right price, book on Fri/Sat

The Mulberry Restaurant
11 Raymond St.
Thetford
IP24 2EA
Phone: 01842 820 099
Local review! Great food with gourmet presentation, book ahead
Getting there: MAP

Red Pepper (Thai)
2A Magdalen Street
Thetford
IP24 2BN
Phone: 01842 764 000
Local review! Great Thai food at reasonable prices, book on Fri/Sat

Steel River Blues
Riverside Walk
Thetford
IP24 2BB
Phone: 01842 822 522
Local review! Eat on a boat (it's fun!)
Getting there: MAP

Taste of China
17 Bridge St.
Thetford
IP24 3AE
Phone: 01842 753569

The Saffron (Indian)
17 St. Giles Lane
Thetford
IP24 2AE
Phone: 01842 762 000
Local review! Looks like a dive but the food has won awards
Getting there: MAP

Mr. G Pizza Station (and 10 pin bowling)
14 Market Hill
Brandon
IP27 0AA
Phone: 01842 814 410

Collins Restaurant (Fish & Chips)
52 High Street
Brandon
IP27 0AQ
Phone: 01842 811 766
Local review! Great fish and chips and you can sit in the restaurant