Historical buildings across Breckland to open doors for Heritage Open Days event

Meet Medieval armourers and soldiers at Castle Motte, Thetford, during the Heritage Open Days event .Byline: Sonya Duncan (Image: ARCHANT EASTERN DAILY PRESS (01603) 772434)

Some of the district’s hidden gems and much-loved treasures will throw open their doors to the public for the national event.

There will be a combination of drop-in and pre-book events.

One highlight will be a tour of the former Cold War atomic weapons bunker in Barnham, near Thetford.

Keith and Margot Eldred will be giving tours of the bunker, on the Gorse Industrial Estate, where the atom bombs Blue Danube and Red Beard were maintained during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Owner of the Blue Danube Atomic Store site in Barnham, near Thetford, Keith Eldred stands on one of the site's look out towers. Guided tours will be given during Heritage Open Days. Picture: Simon Parker (Image: Archant)

The tours have to be pre-booked and will take place on Saturday and Sunday at 10.30am and 2.30pm.

Another pre-booked event will be a tour of Lynford Hall. Visitors will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Victorian building, now a hotel, and meet historical characters along the way.

Tours will take place on Sunday at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm.

Meet a Medieval armourer and find out about the weapons used by soldiers defending Thetford’s Castle at the town’s Castle Motte.

A vintage afternoon with tea, cakes and 1940s and 1950s music will be held in King's House gardens during Heritage Open Days. Picture: Angela Sharpe (Image: Archant © 2008)

On Saturday from 12pm until 3pm children can enjoy having their face painted by a Norman soldier and learn the history of the site on a guided tour of the motte and ramparts.

On Sunday enjoy a vintage afternoon in King’s House Gardens, Thetford. Step back to the 1940s and 1950s and enjoy the Apple Blossoms - a trio of singers. Tea and cake will be served by Marigold’s Tea Rooms, from the Dad’s Army Museum.

The event will take place between 12pm and 4pm.

Meet the animals on Barnham Cross Common on Friday, from 1pm until 3pm. The common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is home to sheep and cattle which graze the site.

As part of the Heritage Open Days event, a meet the animals afternoon will take place on Barnham Cross Common. Picture: Sonya Duncan (Image: Archant Norfolk Photographic © 2015)

The festival is free and information on the wide-range of events taking place can be found by picking up a brochure, available at libraries and council offices.

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Across Norfolk more than 270 historical places will be waiting to be explored in what is the county’s biggest ever Heritage Open Days event.