Norfolk County Council Historic Environment Service

28/05/2026

The sun is shining. The sails will be turning. What better way to spend your weekend than at one of our mill open days? This weekend the mills at Billingford (Saturday) and Gunton (Sunday) are open to the public. Come along and learn about the fascinating history of these iconic landmarks.

Billingford Windmill (IP21 4HL): Saturday 30 May from 1-4pm
Gunton Park Sawmill (NR11 7HL, use White Post Road): Sunday 31st May from 2-5pm

Entry is £3 for adults, free for children (please note that most sites are cash only)

We'd love to see you there.

Image: Billingford Windmill
Norfolk Windmills Trust

27/05/2026

From paper to plastic: manufacturing in Thetford
In the 17th century a former cloth mill in Thetford was converted to produce paper. Paper production continued throughout the 18th and 19th century, when the site was known as Bishop's Mill or St Audrey's Mill (see NHER 5931).

In 1869 the mill began to carry out hat-felting. From 1873 to 1879 hats, paper and pulp products were produced there by the Charles Vickers and Co. (later Vickers and Knowles).

This business failed in 1879 and the Thetford Patent Pulp Manufacturing Co. was subsequently established, making Pulp Ware by steam engine as well as water. The last true Pulp Ware was produced in the 1950's, but by this time the company had already begun to switch to plastics and fibreglass for making injection-moulded products.

By 1961, the company had changed its name to Thetford Moulded Products and it had completely converted to the production of plastics. The company moved its premises to Howlett Way in 1990 and is now known as Centurion Safety Products. The former buildings have been demolished and residences have been constructed on the site.

The record for the mill is available on the Norfolk heritage Explorer (NHER 51706) https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF57179-Site-of-the-Thetford-Paper-Mill-and-the-Thetford-Patent-Pulp-Manufacturing-Co-(later-Thetford-Moulded-Products)&Index=49756&RecordCount=57339&SessionID=7690a18b-0a48-4a6d-b29f-bb3d020d1ece

Image 1: a drawing showing the size of the Patent Pulp Manufacturing factory
Image 2: O. S. Map from 1882 showing Thetford corn mill to the north and the pulp mill to the south
Photo credits: Norfolk Mills www.norfolkmills.co.uk

06/05/2026

Come along to our Finds Day this Saturday at Bungay Museum

The Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils Finds Recording Teams will be holding a finds identification and recording day at Bungay Museum on Saturday 9th May 11am - 3pm

Drop in to see them if you have found an archaeological object you'd like identified.

17/04/2026

It's Mills open day season!! From April to October some of Norfolk's wonderful mills are open to visitors. Each month we'll post what days mills are open so you can plan your trips.

The mills with open days this year are:
Billingford Windmill (IP21 4HL)
Old Buckenham Windmill (NR17 1SG)
Gunton Park Sawmill (NR11 7HL, use White Post Road)
Wicklewood Windmill (NR18 9QA)

£3 per adult (most sites cash only), accompanied children free.

We hope to see you there

Norfolk Windmills Trust

03/04/2026

With Easter weekend upon us, today’s takes a timely look at a wonderful Roman brooch decorated with a running hare: a creature often associated today with springtime, new beginnings, and Easter traditions.

This 2nd‑century AD Roman plate brooch shows a hare at full stretch, ears flattened back as if mid‑chase. The recessed background would originally have been brightly enamelled, giving vibrancy to the design.

Hares were a popular motif Romano-British art and depicted on media like brooches and mosaics. While we might think of them as symbols of spring or rebirth, the Roman iconography was probably a nod to hunting culture, especially hare coursing, a favoured pastime. 🐇

Whether seen as a symbol of sport, speed, or simply seasonal cheer, this lively Roman hare feels like the perfect object to mark Good Friday and the start of the Easter weekend.

🔗 See the full PAS record here:
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1223278

30/03/2026

"It's a really big list with a good map". A simple but excellent explanation of what a Historic Environment Record is.

Historic England are shining a spotlight on the vital work HERs do to help build a clearer picture of how places have developed and changed over time. We're thrilled that these vital teams are getting recognition.

Here in Norfolk our "big list" is one of the largest and one of the oldest in the country, holding over 66,000 records of sites, buildings, and landscapes alongside details of more than 291,000 archaeological objects and 84,500 information-gathering activities.

The Norfolk HER also holds one of the largest local collections of aerial photography in the country, which can be viewed by appointment at the Archive Centre in Norwich.

Explore the home of Norfolk's HER https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/ and uncover the mysteries of the land.

https://vimeo.com/1174722048?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Historic Environment Records (HERs) are used to inform planning decisions, shaping the way places change and grow; they contribute to infrastructure and climate-adaptation plans, and support community wellbeing. Find out why HERs are irreplaceable, evolving resources created through decades of resea...

27/03/2026

❗LAST CHANCE TO APPLY - our Historic Environment Assistant Officer role closes on Tues 31 March

This role is ideal for anyone interested in beginning a career in archaeology and seeking to build on an existing foundation of archaeological knowledge and digital skills

£26,403 to £28,142 per annum
Fixed Term Contract until 1 June 2028
Full time

25/03/2026

Most of us walk across layers of history every day without realising it.

Imagine a place where you can peel back those layers and access information on the archaeological sites and objects, historic buildings and structures, and historic landscapes that lay beneath the ordinary places you pass every day? Now stop imagining because these very much exist.

There are over 80 Historic Environment Records (HER) across the country and Historic England are highlighting the fantastic work they do with two new videos (keep an eye out for the second one).

Explore Norfolk's HER home https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/ and see what came before.

https://vimeo.com/1174819186?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Find out why Historic Environment Records (HERs) matter now more than ever. Historic England champions  the network of local HERs that capture millions of unique records about our shared past.

18/03/2026

Looking for weekend plans? There's a free public exhibition at Gressenhall showcasing the archaeological investigation RWE undertook for the offshore wind farms cable route. It includes:

- Why the investigations happened
- Archaeological artifacts found in the digs and what the finds reveal about life in Norfolk through the ages
- A virtual reconstruction of the Roman villa that was discovered

📆 Fri 20th & Sat 21st March
🕰️ 10am-4pm
🧭 Greesenhall Farm & Workhouse, NR20 4DR

Any questions? Email: [email protected]

16/03/2026

The oldest known working theatrical stage is in Norfolk! St George’s Guildhall in Kings Lynn claims to be the only working theatre in the world to have records showing that plays were put on in every century since the 1400s (with the earliest documented theatrical play happening in 1445) and it is still running in the present day.

During the Elizabethan period, the guildhall was an important stop for touring companies. Records show that Queen Elizabeth I’s players performed there across 10 seasons.

Shakespeare’s company was paid to perform in St George’s Guildhall in 1592 to 1593, when London theatres were closed due to the plague.

Historic venues such as the guildhall demonstrate that England’s theatrical heritage has always extended beyond London, flourishing in market towns and ports across the country.

Learn more about the history of St George's Guildhall and find out why defining the oldest theatre can be a controversial task with Historic England blog

Which is England’s oldest theatre? We present a star-studded cast of venerable performing spaces of different kinds.