From the archives

Thanks to Forest Enterprise, we have been able to see what work was like here 40 or 50 or so years ago 

View of Santon Downham creosote plant from the train , and work under way there in the 1960s

Thinning in Theford Forest, in about 1949 , Thinnings from the forests were dragged out into the fire-roads to be trimmed before being taken to the depot for cutting into pit-props.

"England's forests have a new look": attached to the back of the photograph above was a report written the same year about the Forestry Commission's work at the time.

Stocktaking in the stores

General view of Brandon depot from the top of a mobile crane 

©2000 Lisa Russell 

For more information about the development of the forest, read Kate Skipper and Tom Wilkinson's book "Thetford Forest: Making a landscape, 1922-1977". Published in 1977 by the Centre of East Anglian Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich. ISBN 0-906219-45-0.