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Breaking New Ground c/o Visitor Centre, Brandon Country Park, Bury Road, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0SU 01842 815465 e: [email protected] t: @TheBrecksBNG f: TheBrecksBNG. w: www.breakingnewground.org.uk What the Brecks Means to Me... To me, the Brecks is a landscape full of discoveries waiting to be made. Until I started working for Breaking New Ground 7 months ago, my only experience of the Brecks was had been to visit Brandon on my narrowboat in the hope of spotting otters. So it has been a great adventure to go out and explore what the Brecks has to offer—the forest and heath are both so rich with wildlife and history. I love how incredibly varied my job can be—one day I could be out helping to release a previously extinct species of pool frog and then the next I could be visiting a museum or talking about the history of the forest with someone who grew up there. Another highlight was spending the day on Brandon Heath with a drone camera man helping him shoot footage of our Ground Disturbance project. Over the next few months there is a lot to be excited about but one thing I’m particularly looking forwards to is the opening of our new Brecks Trail next month—as a keen walker I can’t wait to follow this new trail from West Stow to Brandon Country Park. We’ll be holding an event to explore this new route as part of the Suffolk Walking Festival. Amy Tillson Business Support Officer, Breaking New Ground Get your project noticed!: If there is something that you would like included in the next newsletter, please send details to Amy and Martina by 22nd April: [email protected] Were you fooled by our story on April 1st? Don’t worry, your Frisbees are safe from “Keith”, there won’t really be any Elemoths roaming the heaths of the Brecks! If you are interested in learning about a time when Wooly Mammoths did roam the Brecks, then come to “Ice Age Brecks” a day school on April 23rd 9:30-17:00, Thetford Carnegie Room. The Day School will focus on the contribution that successive warm and cold periods have made to life and landscape in the area. We will introduce you to the evidence for environmental change, not forgetting to weave in the story of earliest human occupation. To book, follow this link: hp://www.breakingnewground.org.uk/events/ice-age-brecks/ Breaking News Newsletter for Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnership Scheme Landscape Revolutions project Workshops The landscape of the Brecks was transformed in the period c.1700-1930. Many parishes experienced dramatic change during this time as heathland commons were replaced by enclosed fields and plantations. Through the Landscape Revolutions project, our partners the University of East Anglia will seek to chart these changes and explore the stories behind them, drawing together existing research and presenting new findings through a new project website using interactive maps. There will be several introductory workshops for groups or individuals who might be interested in the project or getting involved. There will be a short talk on the project, and the landscape history of Breckland followed by an opportunity to look at historic maps and other sources from the period. Workshop Dates: More info and booking at http://bit.ly/1RWY8pt 16th April 10:30-1pm Santon Downham Village Hall 30th April 10:30-1pm Santon Downham Classroom 7th May 10:30-1pm Santon Downham Classroom 28th May 10:30-1pm United Reform Church Thetford Progress on the Engine House We’re excited to report that works have now started on the restoration of the Engine House at Brandon Country Park, so we will keep you up to date as things progress! Earlier in the month we had a visit from 89 year old Ronald Rule, whose father worked as a chauffeur for Brandon Park in the 1930s. Ronald grew up in a house in the grounds of Brandon Park, near the Engine House, where his father also worked. He showed us some fascinating photos of his childhood and then we went for a walk to look at how the Engine House has changed. A newsflash for project partners and participants with news items, project updates, special features and forthcoming events. April 2016
