Thursford Christmas Spectacular 2026

We depart Sussex and make our way to the Dartford Crossing. Having made a suitable comfort stop we continue our journey arriving in the charming Suffolk of Thetford where we enjoy and extended lunch stop. Nestled in the unique Brecks area, Thetford is a historic gem and the former ancient capital of East Anglia. It traces its origins to the neolithic period when flint was dug from nearby Grimes Graves and a river crossing point for the Icknield Way developed. Two important Roman hoards and many Iron Age and Iceni artefacts have been found in Thetford, some of which are on display in the Ancient House Museum. The charming black and white building known as the Ancient House is among the principal attractions of the town of Thetford in Norfolk. Indeed, it probably ranks as one of the best examples of an early Tudor town house in East Anglia and is due to be open at the time of our visit.
In more recent times, Thetford has become affectionately known as the “Home of Dad’s Army”, with the beloved TV series filmed in and around town and surrounding areas.

You may like to enjoy a leisurely start to the day after which you could make use of the swimming pool or spa facilities. For those that would like to see Kings Lynn the coach will make a run into the town for a short visit before returning in time for an included lunch at the hotel. After lunch we depart for a drive ending up in charming town of Holt before the shops and cafes shut. Visit Bakers and Larners, oft referred to as The Harrods of Norfolk and a favourite with the Royals when staying at Sandringham. You can grab a snack if you wish before we make the drive to Thursford where refreshments are also available. Time to explore the shops and browse the superb collection of steam engines before tonight amazing performance commences at 19.00. After the show we return to our hotel.

After a leisurely breakfast we depart our hotel and make our way to Saffron Walden a picturesque, medieval town, in north-west Essex. It has a rich heritage of old buildings reflecting its wealth as a rural market town. There are many interesting historic buildings in the town. At the heart lies St Mary’s Church, the largest parish church in Essex. Fine examples of elaborate moulded plasterwork (pargetting), can be seen on the Old Sun Inn and the houses in Castle Street & Bridge Street. Also of note are the Eight Bells, the timber-framed Cross Keys, and the medieval building located at 1 Myddylton Place. Time for a wander around the town trail and to get a sandwich.  Early afternoon we head back to Sussex, having made a suitable comfort stop we aim to arrive back in the Maresfield area by approximately 17.30