Thetford Forest

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Thetford Forest is located in a region straddling the north of Suffolk and the south of Norfolk in England. It also hosts annual concerts from such luminaries as Pulp and more frequently Jools Holland. There is a Center Parcs holiday resort in the forest which brings many visitors.

It was created in the period 1914 onwards to provide a ready supply of timber, and is a large and extensive pine forest managed by the Forestry Commission. The creation of the forest destroyed much of the Breckland environment and ended the frequent sand blows (where the wind picked up sand and blew it across road reducing visibility).

The forest has a high level of biodiversity. It is home to a large population of hares, rabbits and gamebirds. Several species of deer also reside there, Muntjac, Roe Deer and a small population of Red Deer, the last hunted by the Thetford Forest Staghounds. It is largely surrounded by farmland, as well as the villages of West Stow, Ingham, Elveden, and the towns of Thetford in Norfolk, and Brandon in Suffolk.

It's a popular destination for mountain biking, and has several marked trails ranging from those suitable for families, to the Black Trail for experienced riders. A good place to start exploring on a bike is Fire Road 10, on the B road running south from Brandon.

It is also achieved notoriety in 2002 in the when Ian Huntley buried the bodies of the murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman outside Lakenheath, to the western side of the forest.