Thetford, Norfolk
Copy Free feature February 2012
Page 2 of 4
Walk 1 - Leave the Bell Inn turn left & walk over the River Ouse road bridge ...
24. Above looking back across the bridge towards the Bell Inn & St Peters Church beyond
25. The Old Anchor Inn
Across the river from The Bell Inn was also use by Dad's Army, notably the first scene in the first episode 'The Man of the Hour' was filmed in the restaurant
The area has been subject to archeological digging, it's believed a ancient market town was on the site
The site is due for redeveloped with the loss of the Old Anchor & adjacent bus terminus, many oppose the scheme saying it will damage essential tourism
26. Thetford Heritage Trail pavement plaque
N.B this is the only one we could find on the bridge at Bridge Street
27. Linger to have your picture taken with Captain Mainwaring
The sculpture by Sean Hedges-Quinn depicts George Mainwaring in uniform as played by Arthur Lowe who died in 1982 aged 66, the statue was unveiled on 19th June 2010
Turn left onto Old Bury Road ...
28. The first house on the left
29. Infamous doorway
In 1975 the door was used in the episode 'The Face on the Poster' when Corporal Jack Jones face is used on a recruitment drive poster. The images gets mixed up with Jones depicted as an escaped prisoner. A Polish officer appears from behind this door & arrests Jones
Turn right onto Star Lane ...
30. St Mary's the Less Church
Two scenes were shot here: 'Shooting Pains' with Private Joe Walker clambering over the wall to see his girlfriend ...
31. St Mary's the Less Church Yard
... and 'The Showing Up of Lance Corporal Jones' with the platoon digging for victory
| 32 . St Mary's the Less Church | 33. C hurch plaque & frontage |
The chuch is derelict & for sale
Turn right towards the traffic lights, then left onto The Chase ...
34. Post box at the junction of the Chase & Newtown
... then left into Newtown ...
35. #60 Newtown
The 1968 monochrome episode ' Museum Piece' has the milkman with horse & cart accompanied by the Platoon en' route to the Peabody Museum for weapons, making normal door to door deliveries
In 1969 'The Lion Has Phones' finds the Platoon hiding in roadside dustbins as part of a camouflage exercise
36. #59 Newtown
The digging for victory scene from 'The Showing Up of Lance Corporal Jones' was filmed in the garden of #59 & two scenes from 'Shooting Pains' with St Mary's prominent
Retrace your route passing St Mary's Church, cross the road & turn left into Mill Lane ...
37 & 38. #2 Mill Lane
Mill Lane was used in what was one of the funniest scenes in British comedy 1973's 'Deadly Attachment' with the line 'Don't tell him Pike'
A German U-Boat Captain lead Jones on a string attached to grenade down his trousers. The string breaks, luckily Sergeant Wilson had primed the grenade with a dummy detonator
39. #25 Mill Lane
Mill Lane was also used for incidental background shots
Walk back along Mill Lane taking the right hand path over the footbridge ...
40. The path leads to the footbridge
41. The River Ouse
42. Parkland paths
43. Favourite flower, snowdrops signal first signs of spring
Continue forward passing Coffee Mill ...
44. Coffee Milll race
The Mill ground Coffee until the late 1950's
45. Coffee Mill plaque & current use as a Masonic Hall
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