Why Thetford Forest is one of the UK's most magical spots

The largest pine forest in England, Thetford Forest is recognised as one of the country's most picturesque places to explore.

The fairytale woodland has even been recognised by the global lifestyle magazine TimeOut.

The forest is filled with walking and cycling trails (Image: Sonya Duncan) Wowed by its "unusual" history, the writer likened the setting to that of a Hans Christian Andersen tale filled with rare birds, hares and deer.

Home to a diverse range of feathered friends, the forest has up to 40 species serenading visitors with their songs including the lesser spotted woodpecker, a willow tit and turtle doves.

With more than 18,000 hectares to explore, the forest is home to lots of different attractions to keep everyone entertained. 

The forest spans more than 18,000 hectares (Image: Denise Bradley)Some of the treetop adventure courses at Go Ape (Image: Go Ape) READ MORE: Norfolk's most ancient attraction named among England's best

Go Ape allows adventurers to climb from treetop to treetop and fly through woodland with its high ropes and ziplines.

For those wanting to stay on ground level, on the county border in High Lodge, play areas, walking trails and mountain biking routes all zip and weave through the forest.

Younger ones wanting to be part of a fairytale themselves can explore the twists and turns of The Gruffalo Trail through the trees to help find the missing party items to give back to the Gruffalo.

Getting to the forest

Travelling within Norfolk, you're looking at a 40-minute drive from Norwich, although you can reach the nearest edge in half an hour.

From King's Lynn your journey time will be more like 45 to 50 minutes and from Great Yarmouth just north of an hour.

Getting there by rail, Thetford or Brandon stations are the closest and just a short taxi ride from the forest's central site, High Lodge.

Thetford Forest is hard to reach via mainstream bus services, although some companies do organise coach trips.