Bruges, Belgium 4th December 25

On Wednesday the 3rd December Mel and I caught the train to St Pancras London to stay at the Kings Cross Hotel as we had to be at St Pancras at 0548 hours to catch the Eurostar to Brussels the following morning.

On Thursday the 4th of December we caught the Eurostar to Brussels, then a quick exchange of trains to catch a train to Bruges.

We exited Bruges Train Station and ordered an Uber to take us to out B&B. The driver was very chatty and friendly and spoke very good English. A refreshing change from UK Uber drivers in London!

We arrived early to our B&B called B&B De Vifj Zuilen on the outskirts of the city. The owner Ginette met us and let us into our room early and told us once we were ready we were to meet here for a free drink in the man cave and she can tell us more about the city.

A very comfy and quirky room it was too!

We met Ginette in the man cave, Mel had a cold drink and I had a Jupiler beer, whilst we were given a map of the city and Ginette marked out all the sights and we were told how to get into the city by foot (about 30 min walk) or by bus.

We made our way to the city centre by foot, a little way into the walk, it started to rain lightly and it was a bitter cold rain too! But it didn't matter what a pretty city so far!

Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in Belgium. The predominant language is Dutch (West Flemish).

Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam and Saint Petersburg, it is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North. Bruges has significant economic importance, thanks to its port, and was once one of the world's chief commercial cities. Bruges is a major tourism destination within Belgium and is well-known as the seat of the College of Europe, a university institute for European studies.

The name probably derives from the Old Dutch for 'bridge': brugga.

We reach the city centre and we are trying to make our way to the Market Square(Grote Markt).

On the south side of the square is one of the city's most famous landmarks, the 13th-century Belfry.

The square has attracted many people since the 10th century and the first international annual fair was held around 1200.The first hall was built around 1220 as a place to sell merchants' goods. They were small wooden buildings on the south side of the square. Around 1240, a larger building with a wooden tower was built. In 1280, it was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in stone from 1291 to 1296. It was also decided to build a "Waterhall" over the Reie river nearby, on the east side of the square. The Waterhall was a covered unloading and storage place for boats from Damme. Before the Waterhall was built, the goods were loaded and unloaded in the open air at the Reiekaai on the square.

Historium Bruges

Historium Bruges is an experience attraction that transports you back to Bruges in the 15th century, a period when the city was flourishing as a centre of trade, art and culture. In Historium Story, you follow Jacob and Anna: Jacob is an apprentice serving the painter Jan van Eyck. One day in 1435 he is tasked with collecting Anna from the port district. She will sit as a model for Mary in Van Eyck's painting ‘Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele’. Film, sets, special effects and an audio guide bring their story to life in seven themed rooms.

Among the eye-catchers in Historium Story are the Water Halls, a construction that stood on the east side of the Market Square until the late 18th century. The Market Square, close to the port, has served as the city’s commercial and economic hub since the 12th century. In the imposing City Halls, at the foot of the Belfry (13th-15th century), goods were stored and traded. When the City Halls became too small, the New Halls were erected at the end of the 13th century. The gigantic building was conceived as a roof spanning the Kraanrei canal and for this reason soon became known as the Water Halls. The hall served as a maritime station where ships loaded and unloaded their goods, the attic served as storage space and all kinds of sales stalls could be found alongside the square.

After the decline of trade in Bruges and the silting up of the port, the Water Halls gradually fell into disuse and were eventually demolished. Where the Water Halls once stood, you will now find Historium Bruges, Provincial Palace and the former post office building (now the home of Bruges Beer Experience, among others). The Kraanrei river still flows under the Market Square! In Historium Bruges the lost Water Halls are brought back to life in different ways, including an innovative augmented reality model of the building.

There has been fish trading on the square since 1396. The fishmongers' craft house was on the north side of the square, close to St. Christopher's Church. In 1709, a kind of iron fish market was built, which moved in 1745 together with the fish market to the Braamberg, where the fish market still is today. The corn market was moved from the Braamberg to the square in the same period. Major events, jousts and tournaments were also held then in the square, as well as executions, which attracted large audiences.

In the period between 1807 and 1810 the square was called the "Place Napoléon", then the "Grote Markt". The renaming to "Markt" took place in 1936. The Markt was completely renovated in 1995–96. Parking spaces on the square were removed and the area became mostly traffic-free, thus being more celebration friendly. The renovated square was reopened in 1996 with a concert by Helmut Lotti.

The Markt contains several historical structures, including the 12th-century Belfry on the south side of the square and the Provincial Court at no. 3. The latter was originally constructed as the Waterhall. In 1787, it was demolished and replaced by a classicist building, which served as the provincial court from 1850. After a fire in 1878, it was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style nine years later.

No. 16 was historically the site of a mansion, where Archduke Maximilian, heir to the Habsburg Empire was imprisoned in 1488. It has since become a café.

In the centre of the square is a statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, fighters at the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302. It was originally unveiled in July 1887 in a local ceremony, followed by a formal opening that August by King Leopold II.

We walk into the Christmas Market here for a look about!

The Bruges Christmas Market, known as Wintergloed, centres around the historic Market Square (Grote Markt) and Simon Stevinplein, offering festive stalls with crafts, souvenirs, waffles, chocolates, and glühwein (hot wine) amidst beautiful medieval architecture and lights. Expect fairy lights, an ice rink, and a magical atmosphere, with main market dates usually running from late November into early January (e.g., Nov 22, 2025 - Jan 5, 2026), featuring extended hours on weekends.

Bruges had a strategic location at the crossroads of the northern Hanseatic League trade, who had a kontor in the city, and the southern trade routes. Bruges was already included in the circuit of the Flemish and French cloth fairs at the beginning of the 13th century, but when the old system of fairs broke down, the entrepreneurs of Bruges innovated. They developed, or borrowed from Italy, new forms of merchant capitalism, whereby several merchants would share the risks and profits and pool their knowledge of markets. They employed new forms of economic exchange, including bills of exchange (i.e. promissory notes) and letters of credit. The city eagerly welcomed foreign traders, most notably the Portuguese traders selling pepper and other spices.

We walk down Steenstraat to visit the Club Brugge shop to get George a pennant from there.

Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging known simply as Club Brugge (in English also: Club Bruges), is a Belgian professional football club based in Bruges, Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,042. They play in the Belgian Pro League, the top domestic league in Belgian football.

One of the most decorated clubs in Belgian football, Club Brugge has been crowned Belgian league champions 19 times, second only to major rivals Anderlecht, and shares the Jan Breydel Stadium with city rival Cercle Brugge, with whom they contest the Bruges derby.

Back in the Christmas market we have a Hot Chocolate in a keepsake Bruges Christmas market mug.

We walk on to explore more of Bruges.

We pass The Old Chocolate House on Mariastraat, it all looks so yummy!

This family company, today run by Françoise Thomaes and her children,, impresses through an extensive assortment of chocolate, a fine range of artisanal cookies and gingerbread and a collection of pralines that associates the two. Those with a sweet tooth will immediately also take home a stock of home-made marzipan or truffles and no one can spurn the world-renowned chocolate milk here. To be tasted in the tearoom and also available in hip take-away version. A sure fire hit with tourists and Bruges residents alike.

Further up the street we visit the Brewery shop and then into Sculptures-Paradise.

We walk on further and pass the Church of Our Lady.

The Church of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) is a Roman Catholic church in Bruges, Belgium, dating mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its 115.6-metre-high (379 ft) tower remains the tallest structure in the city and the third tallest brickwork church tower in the world (after St. Mary's Church in Lübeck and St. Martin's Church in Landshut, both in Germany).

Opposite is a shop/café  called Gruuthuse Hof that sells nougat and marzipan.

One of the oldest restaurants in Bruges starting in 1751.

We walk onto Katelijnestraat and cross the bridge over the canal.

Its a very picturesque spot and we stop for a few photos.

 

We walk on down looking in a few shops. 

Deciding we were hungry we walk back up the street to the Fritbar, where there is a bit of a queue.

Belgium is well known for its best fries, beers, waffles & chocolate in the world.

We didn't have to wait long and we have some Belgian fries with Flemish Stew, paired with a beer.

Oh and some meatballs that weren't to our liking much!

Having eaten we walk on visiting the year round Christmas shop.

We take a side street and walk down to Begijnhof, a place inhabited by Benedictine Nuns.

The Princely Beguinage Ten Wijngaerde is the only preserved beguinage in Bruges, Belgium. There are no more beguines living there, but since 1927, it has functioned as a convent for Benedictines, founded by canon Hoornaert. In the same year, the houses at the west side were also reshaped and enlarged into the Monasterium De Wijngaard, a priory of Benedictine nuns.

Already before 1240, a community of pious women settled at the domain 'de Wingarde' (old Dutch for vineyard), in the south of the city. This name probably refers to low-lying meadows. The beguinage was founded around 1244 by Margaret of Constantinople, after she requested permission to Walter van Marvis, bishop of Tournai, to move over the tomb chapel on the Burg of Bruges to the Wijngaard. In 1245, it was recognised as an independent parish. In 1299, it came under direct authority of King Philip the Fair and it was entitled as "Princely Beguinage".

The complex includes a Gothic beguinage church and about thirty white painted houses dating from the late 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Practically all of these are built around a central yard. The main entrance with gate can be reached via the three-arched stone bridge, the Wijngaard Bridge. In a bay, the image of the holy Elizabeth of Hungary, who was the patron of many beguinages, can be seen. De Wijngaard is also devoted to Saint Alexius. The entrance gate was built in 1776 by master mason Hendrik Bultynck. The first beguine house next to the entrance is furnished as a museum and the exhibition includes paintings, 17th- and 18th-century furniture and lacework, among others. A second gate gives access to the Sas House, via the Sas Bridge.

It was founded in the 13th century as a community for beguines, a group of normal women who lived like nuns but didn’t take the formal vows. Instead, they pledged to remain celibate and devote their lives to prayer, good works, and service to the community.

Begijnhofkerk – This is a 17th-century church is a beautiful example of Baroque architecture. Inside, you’ll find an altar dedicated to St. Elizabeth of Hungary and a painting of the Last Judgment by Jan Garemijn. It’s simple and unassuming both inside and outside, but worth a visit to appreciate a building that is so important to the people living in this small community.

A view below across the Lake of Love. A romantic hotspot par excellence! Once people believed that water nymphs lived here, and thus the lake acquired its name. Add to that a tragic love story, mysterious trees and an abundance of greenery and you get a place overflowing with romance.

The Begijnhof Museum is housed in a 17th-century house and offers a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of the beguines. You can see their living quarters, kitchens, and workshops, as well as religious artifacts and artwork.

We cross the SAS Bridge here next to the Sashaus. To control the water level in the city, locks were built in the 12th-13th centuries, which gave way to the current Lock keeper's house in the 16th century. Did you know that this building regulated the water management for the Bruges canals until the 1970s? These are closed today, but you can still see the reservoir holes where the water flowed through.

Since 2022, these historic premises have been the home base for ‘Handmade in Brugge’, an organisation that supports artisanal and creative Bruges producers. In addition to a craft store, you can still find the drive mechanism that operated the sluice gates.

We walk back through the city and cross the Boniface Bridge besides The Church of Our Lady.

The very photogenic Boniface Bridge may be one of the youngest bridges in Bruges, but it sums up the city perfectly. A mysterious atmosphere, abundantly romantic and fabulous views that fight for your attention. Should you gaze at the little canals and overhanging half-timbered houses, or should you tilt back your head to admire the stately Church of Our Lady, or the adjacent Gruuthuse Palace? A magical place at every hour of the day, and one that must be seen to be believed. Close at hand stands the Gruuthuse Bridge with the white-painted Arents’ House - the only bridge in Bruges with a building standing on it.

Gruuthuse Palace

It stands just 2 metres tall but yes boats can pass beneath taking the middle of the bridge.

We walk on along Dijver and alongside the pretty canal , now glowing beautifully in the night lights.

We reach the very pretty and if you've seen any pictures online if would be here at Rosary Quay.

The city’s most popular spot for photography, a centuries-old Instagrammable hotspot. Once upon a time, rosaries were sold here; today it provides one of the city’s loveliest views. The perfect place for a selfie with your loved one.'

We stop across the road for our first Belgian waffles in Waffle Bar Brugge. 

I had the Nutella and Banana and Mel the Belgian Chocolate and caramel. Very nice too!

We walk on crossing the canal into Blind Donkey Street via the Blinde Ezelbrug).

Lovely lit views to the Landhuis van het Brugse Vrije (Manor of the Liberty of Bruges).

From this mansion, the Liberty of Bruges (the countryside in a wide area around the city) was once governed. The building functioned as a court of justice between 1795 and 1984. Today, the City Archive (amongst other things) is housed here, which preserves the city’s written memory. The premises also boast an old assize court and a renaissance hall with a monumental timber, marble and alabaster fireplace from 1528. A tribute to Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), it was made by Lanceloot Blondeel.

We walk on along the Blind Donkey Street  and its amazing architecture. 

In this street, which runs from the Burg to the Vismarkt , between the town hall and the Civil Registry , the inn Den Blinden Ezele was mentioned in a document from 1490 , which was adjacent to the registry office.

According to Karel De Flou , "Blind donkey" referred to the brewers' custom of blindfolding the donkeys that had to walk on the malthouse's treadmill, thus preventing them from becoming dizzy. It wasn't the only inn to bear that name.

There was a street, inn, farmstead or plot of land that bore the name Blinde ezel in Ruiselede , Sint-Joris-ten-Distel , Oedelem , Diksmuide , Rumbeke , Staden .

We enter Burg Square with its huge Christmas tree.

The Market Square is the heart of Bruges, but the Burg Square is its soul. For centuries this has been the centre of power in the city, and Bruges’ city administration still occupies the 14th century Gothic Town Hall. This grand, majestic square is lined with monumental landmark buildings. These were built over the centuries, and reflect the building style of their age. A handy architectural guide assembled in a single square! From the Basilica of the Holy Blood through the Liberty of Bruges to the Deanery.

The monumental  (Stadhuis) City Hall (1376-1421) is one of the oldest in the Low Countries. It is from here that the city has been governed for more than 600 years. An absolute masterpiece is the gothic hall, with its impressive vault and 20th century murals depicting the history of Bruges. In the adjacent historic hall, you can discover the important role played by the sea in Bruges' prosperity in the presentation on 'Bruges and the sea', by means of an interactive exhibition on the lost Zwin ports and some original art and archaeological objects. On the ground floor, you are brought face to face with life-size portraits of the city’s rulers and can also learn more about the evolution of the Burg Square.

Here also in Burg Square is the Basilica of  The Holy Rood.

The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Dutch: Heilig-Bloedbasiliek) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bruges, Belgium. The church houses a relic of the Holy Blood collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders. Built between 1134 and 1157 as the chapel of the Count of Flanders, it was promoted to a minor basilica in 1923.

The basilica in Burg square consists of a lower and upper chapel. The lower chapel, dedicated to St. Basil the Great, is a dark Romanesque structure that remains virtually unchanged. The venerated Passion relic is in the upper chapel, which was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 16th century and renovated in the 19th century in Gothic Revival style.

The basilica is best known as the repository of a venerated phial said to contain a cloth with blood of Jesus Christ, brought to the city by Thierry of Alsace after the 12th century Second Crusade. Although the Bible never mentions Christ's blood being preserved, Acts of Pilate—one of the apocryphal gospels—relates that Joseph of Arimathea preserved the Precious Blood after he had washed the dead body of Christ; legends of Joseph were popular in the early thirteenth century, connected also with the emerging mythology of the Holy Grail. Popular legend claims that the phial was taken to Bruges during the Second Crusade of CE 1147–1149, by Thierry of Alsace, who returned from Jerusalem with the relic of the Holy Blood presented to him by his brother-in-law Baldwin III of Jerusalem, as the reward of his great services.

Recent research found no evidence of the presence of the relic in Bruges before the 1250s. In all likelihood, the relic originated from the 1204 sack of Constantinople by the army of the Count of Flanders Baldwin IX, during the Fourth Crusade. Ever since, the phial has played a big part in the religious life of the city. Pope Clement V issued a papal bull in 1310 granting indulgences to pilgrims who visited the chapel to view the relic; the blood was supposed to liquefy weekly at noon on Fridays; the miracle apparently ceased the same year, though a recurrence was alleged in 1388. There is no definitive evidence for or against the authenticity of the relic.

We catch the bus back to the B&B after a great first day in Belgium and Bruges!

B&B De Vifj Zuilen

Norfolk Weekend 26th to 28th September 2025

On Friday the 26th September 2025 Mel, George and I drove up to Summerfields Park in Scratby,Norfolk. Parkdean being Parkdean won't let you into your accommodation early as they want to squeeze every bit of money out of you and expect you to pay for early access.

So we parked up and walked on down to Scratby beach.

Scratby was first recorded in the Domesday Book as "in the hundred of East Flegg and the county of Norfolk."

The village grew in size in 1848, due to the discovery of 16th century gold coins in nearby California. As a result, the-then small village grew in popularity as a seaside resort alongside Scratby.

   

Down on the beach I could see a full size grey seal and a pup in the distance.

   

Sadly the mother was dead, the pup looked very sorry for itself. Some dog walkers had already called seal rescue so hopefully the pup will be okay.

   

We went back to the site and as expected, nope we cant get into the accommodation so we drive a short way to Tesco for some shopping.

On the way back close to our site we stop off at Scratby Garden Centre to see the animals.

There is also a Premier store here.

After we eventually got into our accommodation a Runton Bungalow, we unpack. The Bungalow is okay, slight smell of damp but will do for a couple of days. We decide to drive to Hemsby to look about and maybe grab dinner.

The village's name means 'Hemer's farm/settlement'.

Hemsby, along with much of the Norfolk coast, was targeted by the Vikings, who initially raided the area in search of precious materials and slaves. The village was founded at some point during this time. The settlement grew steadily and is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the name of Haimesbei with a description of "a hamlet covering 43 meadow acres with 50 households, 3 slaves, 2 salt pans and 160 sheep".

Everywhere here for food is closed or is cash only, so having no cash on us we leave the food and will get something on site or maybe in Scratby.

In late February 2023, the beaches experienced another bout of severe erosion. Access has become so limited that as of 27 February, the lifeboat cannot launch. The beaches were one of the major tourist draws in the village, with miles of sandy coastline. Large sand dunes form a natural barrier between the beach and the village behind it. One of the more unusual features of the beach is a scattering of anti-tank blocks across the beach, and a concrete bunker, left over from the World War II coastline defences. These were cast by the Royal Engineers as tank defences; the platoon sergeant was Owen (Tom) Hanbury who settled in Hemsby.

Erosion is a major problem in the surrounding villages of Winterton-on-Sea and Caister where sandy cliffs are being destroyed by the forces of the sea. Hemsby's dunes are also being eroded; previously the wide beach had made the effect less noticeable, but the rate of erosion has increased significantly in the past two years, threatening homes, the local lifeboat station and the village's tourist industry. In 2013 a campaign was started to save Hemsby Beach: 'DIY' sea defences are being built to try to stem the erosion.

We drive back to Scratby and try the fish n chip shop there but this was also cash only. So we have food in the Parkdean clubhouse. This was overpriced and very disappointing quality.

Mel and George play bingo before we retire to our accommodation for the night.

Saturday 27th September 2025

The next day we drive to Great Yarmouth, we try parking on the seafront but it is extortionate prices so we drive into town and park in a multistorey there at Market Gates Shopping centre. We walk about looking through some interesting shops and stop for a coffee at a cafe on Regent Road. This was run by two lovely women from Porto in Portugal. The coffee was amazing, I was chatting to them and talking about wanting to visit Portugal soon and will try the Pastel de Nata when I visit. She insisted I tried one of theirs for free and said they are baked freshly by themslevs daily. Very kind of them and it was delicious!

At the end of Regent Road we visited Britannia Pier.

The pier was first proposed in 1856 and work began in September 1857. A.W.Morant was the engineer. The 700 foot structure opened on 13th July 1858. The length of the pier was reduced by a ship collision in 1859 and storm damage in 1868. It was demolished in 1899.

A replacement was started on 13th December 1900 to the design of Joseph and Arthur Mayoh. The 810 foot pier deck and temporary pavilion opened in 1901. This pavilion was replaced with the grand first pavilion which opened on 21st June 1902. This was, however, destroyed by fire on 22nd December 1909.

The second pavilion designed by Douglass & Arnott was completed in 1910, but was itself burnt down on 17th April 1914, allegedly by the Suffragettes, who had been refused permission to hold a meeting there. Within three months a third pavilion had been built, opening on 27th July.

Great Yarmouth (Gernemwa, Yernemuth) lies near the site of the Roman fort camp of Gariannonum at the mouth of the River Yare. Its situation having attracted fishermen from the Cinque Ports, a permanent settlement was made, and the town numbered 70 burgesses before the Norman Conquest. Henry I placed it under the rule of a reeve.

   

The Floral Hall Ballroom was opened in May 1928 but was wrecked by fire on 3rd August 1932. A new Grand Ballroom opened in 1933, but this too was destroyed by fire on 20th April 1954, along with the third pavilion. The pier was closed and sectioned during the war. It re-opened in 1947 after repairs.

The present pavilion opened on 27th June 1958, but the Ballroom (called the Ocean Ballroom from 1947) was never replaced.

Previously owned by First Leisure plc, the pier was sold to the present owners, Family Amusements Ltd, in 1995.

We walk down the seafront and pass the lovely looking Empire.

   

The Empire Theatre was opened in 1911. It was built by the local firm, Harman’s. It was designed by the architect, Arthur Samuel Hewitt, who also designed the Windmill Theatre, further south on Marine Parade. The theatre’s auditorium contained stalls and one horseshoe-shaped circle, which curved round to almost reach the proscenium. The theatre was equipped with dressing-rooms and a band-room under the stage, which was 40 feet wide by 48 feet deep, and had a proscenium opening of 25 feet, and a fly-tower with grid and fly-rails, which are all still in existence, although the building is no longer used as a theatre.

The Empire operated as a cinema until the late 1960s, when it switched to bingo. However, it continued to screen late night shows after the evening bingo session had finished and it also showed morning cartoon shows between 10am and 1pm during the summer season from May to September. When the ABC Regent closed to become a bingo club, there was a short period during the late 1980s to the early 1990s when the Empire became a full-time cinema again. From 2006, the Empire was used as a nightclub, called ‘Zen’, until that closed down in 2009. Since then it has been left empty and the downstairs area (most recently used as a cocktail bar) has been repeatedly flooded.

The building has been owned by the Jay family since 1937. The Empire Picture Playhouse is a Grade II listed building. It is of historic interest as an early purpose-built cinema, which retains some features indicative of its original use. It is of special architectural interest for its elaborate façade and as an example of early cinema architecture in Britain.

The Empire, located on Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, will shut from 13 September.

"The reasons for this closure are complex and, sadly, reflect a wider trend affecting venues across our area and the nation," a statement explained.

Director, Jack Jay, said they hoped to reopen in a re-launch next year, but added that the venue was "unsustainable" in its present guise.

"The decision to close is something we've been deliberating and agonising over for months," he told the BBC.

"It's the perfect storm of rising costs, rising wages, margins getting shrunk, and unfortunately it feels like a bit of a change in direction in the whole night life scene."

Sad to see these great buildings close down.

  

We walk up as far as Joyland and then decide to walk back.

   

Mel stops to play some classic seaside prize bingo and wins twice. We stop for food, George and I had chips and Mel opted for hot doughnuts.

We drive back to Scratby, George is in the room playing his new Fifa 26 game on the PlayStation and Mel has a nap, whilst I go back for a walk along Scratby beach again.

I just love watching the waves crash in and the sound is so relaxing.

As I walk along a seal stick its head out of the waves before disappearing again.

That night it was more bingo at the clubhouse before going home tomorrow.

Sunday 28th September 2025

We decide to visit Thetford on our way home today. So after an hour and fifteen minutes we are parking up in a free carpark on Pike Lane. I've been meaning to visit for years.

We walk down Pike Lane and reach the Dad's Army Museum. Its normally closed Sundays is open today for a guided tour.

The Dad's Army Museum is a museum located in Cage Lane in Thetford in, dedicated to the BBC comedy series Dad's Army. Many of the outdoor locations were filmed in the local area. The museum is housed in the old fire station at the rear of Thetford Guildhall, which itself stood in for Walmington-on-Sea Town Hall in several of the episodes.

It is run by volunteers who, throughout the year, attend many 1940s events in East Anglia with Jones' Van.

Thetford Guildhall, where the museum is based, featured in the 1972 episode "Time On My Hands", in which a German Luftwaffe pilot dangled from the clock tower when his parachute became caught in the clock's hands. The Guildhall was also used in a 1974 episode, "The Captain's Car".

The Dad's Army Museum was opened by Dad's Army co-writer David Croft on Friday, 7 December 2007, and includes a reconstruction of Captain Mainwaring's church hall office, several display areas, a shop and the Marigold Tea Room. The museum displays many unique photographs (many from the collection of the Dad's Army Appreciation Society) along with other memorabilia and items connected with the series.

Uniforms on display include a replica of the red, be-medalled full dress uniform worn by Lance-Corporal Jones in the series, and others worn by the Home Guard.

We leave the museum and stroll through the town and walk down Riverside walk crossing a bridge over the Little Ouse River.

Here is the statue of Captain Mainwaring.

The statue is shown seated on an elegant wooden bench, with his back to the river. It is set in a small lawn framed by bricks with a brick arrow winding through it, and a Union Jack under the seat. The care taken in the details of the costume, his cap, glasses, belt, gloves, folds in the sleeves, gaiters and laces on the boots cannot overcome the difficulty of animating the statue. In spite of this David Croft, who wrote the 78 episodes of the famous BBC sitcom Dad’s Army with Jimmy Perry, said he thought the statue was “absolutely marvellous” and was a “frightening” likeness of the Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard captain, played by Arthur Lowe.

We cross back over the bridge and walk up King Street where we stop for a drink and George visits Greggs bakery.

The site of Old St. Giles Church - Thetford

Of the 21 churches that once existed in Thetford only three are still standing. St Giles' is one of the churches of which no traces remain. The church was situated at the back of the building that houses (by the junction of King Street and St Giles Lane). Listed in 1291 and 1368, by which time it was used by the Canons of the Augustinian priory. It is believed to have served as a parish church until the 1470s when it was let to a hermit who lived in it and performed services there for his own benefit. The building was converted into a barn in 1598 and later became a wheelwright's shop. It was still standing in the 18th century. Any remains presumably lie below the yard at the back of the shops in King Street.

At the top of Well Street is the Thetford War Memorial with the Dads Army Museum seen beyond.

Crossing over into Castle Street we walk up until we reach Rampart Way where we walk up Castle Hill.

Thetford Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle in the market town of Thetford in the Breckland area of Norfolk, England. The first castle in Thetford, a probable 11th-century Norman ringwork called Red Castle, was replaced in the 12th century by a much larger motte and bailey castle on the other side of the town. This new castle was largely destroyed in 1173 by Henry II, although the huge motte, the second-largest man-made mound in England, remained intact. The motte, recognised as a scheduled monument, now forms part of a local park, and the remains are known variously as Castle Hill, Castle Mound and Military Parade.

In the 11th century the largest towns in England were concentrated in the east and south-east of the country, especially in East Anglia. Thetford was an important settlement during the period and the second largest town in East Anglia. Thetford comes from "Thaetford", or "the ford", and was a key point on the ancient Icknield Way. Thetford was also an important international trading hub and a centre of pottery production. An earth and timber fort had been built on this site during the Iron Age period but had been left to decay and by the late Saxon era the town had been protected by a burgh, or ditched enclosure, that surrounded the town.

The first castle on the Thetford site was Red Castle and was probably built shortly after the Norman conquest of England by William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey The castle was a ringwork design and was positioned across the line of the defensive Saxon ditch, in the process enclosing and cutting off the local church from the inside of the town, and building over part of the local cemetery.

By 1100, the town of Thetford was controlled by Roger Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk. Roger Bigod decided to build a new motte and bailey castle, positioning it so as to guard both the town and the local crossing of the Icknield Way over the River Thet and the Little Ouse.

At the heart of the castle was a huge motte, or artificial mound, sunk into a deep surrounding ditch, and protected on the north site by two sets of complex ramparts, which were probably part of the original Iron Age fortifications of the site. At 19.6 m (64 ft) high — 22 m (72 ft) from the base of the ditch — and 100 m (330 ft) wide across the base, this is the second largest man-made mound in England. The castle would have probably included a large timber keep on top of the motte, and a rectangular bailey fortification, approximately 105 by 95 m (344 by 312 ft), stretched away from the motte, exploiting the former Iron Age fortifications on one side. The new castle would have loomed over, and dominated, the former Saxon town.

The castle earthworks were built up from local chalk; the ditches dug around the fortification would not have provided enough for the mound itself, and local tradition suggests that much of the earth was quarried instead from the nearby Gallows Pits in the town. The castle was constructed by hand, using workers digging with wooden shovels, and probably without pickaxes. It is estimated that the motte would have taken around 24,000 man days of effort to build.

The Bigod family continued to build their grip on the region, taking advantage of their powerful castles at Thetford, Framlingham, Bungay, and Walton. Roger's son, Hugh Bigod, played a prominent role during the civil war years of the Anarchy, rebelling against King Stephen from his strongholds in East Anglia. It appears likely that a stone wall had been built around the bailey around this time, and recent work has speculated that a stone keep was also erected on the site. At the end of the war, however, Henry II took the throne and attempted to restore royal power across the region. In 1157, Henry seized Bigod's castles; he ultimately returned Framlingham and Bungay, but retained Thetford Castle for his own use. Hugh Bigod then joined the revolt by Henry's sons, seizing the castle, but in 1173 Henry's forces captured the castle and destroyed (slighted) the fortifications. The mound, however, proved effectively indestructible. Thetford was one of at least twenty castles belonging to the rebels that were slighted in the aftermath of the conflict.

These stairs were huge and steep, my legs felt like lead by the top!

Thetford declined after the 12th century, and the castle rapidly became disused, although as late as 1558, the Castle Yard was in use and still said to have been surrounded with a stone wall. In 1772 the east bank of the outer bailey was destroyed. In 1823 a group of elm trees were planted near the top of the mound.

Interest continued in the origins of the castle, which for a period were forgotten. Local medieval tradition suggested that the mound had been made by the devil, after he completed the dykes at Narborough and Newmarket, but by the Victorian period academics had concluded that the mound was either of Celtic or Norman origin, with late Victorian scholars correctly concluding that the Norman period was the most likely. Other traditions claimed that the mound covered a palace filled with treasure, or six silver bells from Thetford Priory. Archaeological investigations into Red Castle by G. Knocker between 1957–58, and during the early 1960s by R. R. Clarke and Barbara Green revealed the design and date of this castle site.

We return to our car just across the road and drive home after a nice weekend away.