Thetford Warren Lodge, Thetford, Norfolk
This lodge was probably built around 1400 by the prior of Our Lady’s Priory, Thetford. The prior had the right of free warren – a licence from the king to hunt small game – and the area would have been an obvious target for armed poachers. The many defensive features incorporated into his lodge show that the prior took this threat seriously. The quality of the building work inside and out also indicates that the lodge was intended to accommodate hunting parties as well as the prior’s gamekeeper. After the final dissolution of Thetford Priory in 1540 the monastic lands were granted to the Duke of Norfolk. It is known that the warreners who managed and culled the stock of rabbits from the 18th century onwards made alterations to the building. They used the rooms on the ground floor for drying rabbit skins and storing their traps, nets and lanterns. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2011). Read more.
