355:
483:
441:
29:
414:
400:
373:
325:
468:
453:
340:
385:
429:
134:. The word 'Breck' is medieval and was defined as being an area of heathland broken up for cultivation before being allowed to retreat back into wilderness. Up until 200 years ago, much of it consisted of open heathland. The Brecks today are a tourist attraction as well as an area of scientific and geographical interest.
208:
Although the Brecks has experienced extraordinary change and loss of wildlife species and habitats in the last 50 years, the varied habitats of the area continue to provide a refuge for many threatened species. 43% of the Brecks is protected at a national or international level for its wildlife or
227:
The
Brecklands are home to over 120 nationally rare and threatened plant species, many of which grow nowhere else in Britain. With all this diversity, Breckland has received international recognition as an Important Plant Area (IPA). Many of the flora and fauna that are unique to the area have a
294:
arrived in 1954. Combined with the loss of bracken and heather collection for animal bedding, large areas of heath have now become densely vegetated, crowding out the plants that preferred the open, disturbed and well-grazed land. In addition, much of the open sand dune habitat has also become
862:
587:
507:
251:, brush-thighed seed-eater beetle, forester moth, moonshiner beetle, and five-banded tailed digger wasp. Rare or endangered plants include the Spanish Catchfly, Spring Speedwell,
354:
440:
372:
413:
224:
population. Sadly, 25 species previously recorded in breckland are now considered to be nationally extinct; ranging from flowers and mosses to beetles and moths.
659:
467:
482:
324:
685:
399:
561:
971:
428:
384:
339:
452:
28:
103:
The area of
Breckland has been substantially reduced in the twentieth century by the impact of modern farming and the creation in 1914 of
966:
212:
Over 12,845 species live in the
Brecklands. This is one of the most important areas for wildlife in the UK, including birds such as the
976:
152:
The Great
Eastern Pingo Trail is 8 miles of tracks and paths exploring the eastern edge of the Breckland area. The trail takes in the
895:
782:
229:
907:
176:, an artificial lake, and the woodland at Thompson Carr also form part of the walk. The name of the trail comes from the former
663:
529:
863:"Unique wilderness that faces a fight to survive: Farmers in East Anglia are being paid to help recreate a sandy heathland"
961:
956:
62:
882:
946:
635:
88:. An area of considerable interest for its unusual flora and fauna, it lies to the east of another unusual habitat,
290:
have been ploughed for arable crops. Grazing by sheep and cattle has declined and rabbit populations crashed when
761:
142:
565:
146:
51:
842:
951:
177:
197:
138:
112:
609:
743:
800:
260:
20:
830:
891:
405:
185:
157:
282:
86% of
Breckland heathland was lost between 1934 and 1980. Huge areas have been planted with
345:
244:
364:
330:
310:
264:
104:
77:
58:
309:
Breckland is one of the few areas in
England where the rare and shy (but non-indigenous)
725:
303:
276:
256:
192:, formed when the ice-sheets retreated. The trail may be accessed as a detour from the
173:
55:
940:
707:
252:
240:
169:
123:
564:. Special Areas of Conservation. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Archived from
221:
108:
107:. However substantial areas have been preserved, not least by the presence of the
536:
291:
193:
360:
268:
161:
97:
93:
922:
909:
299:
248:
213:
272:
236:
217:
165:
127:
89:
33:
474:
391:
283:
153:
131:
85:
81:
66:
47:
43:
287:
884:
A marginal economy?: East
Anglian Breckland in the later Middle Ages
302:(Pelophylax lessonae) reintroduction project was started in 2005 by
530:"Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive. Breckland"
458:
419:
189:
145:
that contains most of
Norfolk's portion of the Breckland. Part of
119:
70:
27:
890:(Illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 350.
235:
Fauna that are being monitored in
Breckland habitats include the
74:
835:
188:
are formed from collapsed mound of earth-covered ice, called
65:. As a landscape region it is an unusual natural habitat of
295:
overgrown, with sand no longer moving around in the wind .
228:
special protection status, or are part of conservation and
19:
This article is about the landscape. For the district, see
825:
662:. Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Archived from
118:
61:. The SPA partly overlaps the 7,544 hectare Breckland
535:. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Archived from
137:
The Breckland landscape region has given its name to
100:. Breckland is one of the driest areas in England.
783:"Conservation Projects - Breckland, East Anglia"
590:. Special Area of Conservation. Natural England
80:that lies mostly in the south of the county of
8:
59:Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds
510:. Special Protection Area. Natural England
843:"Let's move to... The Breckland, Norfolk"
255:, Rare Spring-sedge, Red-tipped Cudweed,
16:Natural region in Norfolk and Suffolk, UK
688:. Local Nature Reserves. Natural England
499:
320:
96:. The typical tree of this area is the
636:"Take a walk on the Wildlife side..."
122:, evidence for which can be found at
7:
831:www.countrysideaccess.norfolk.gov.uk
762:"Securing Biodiversity in Breckland"
744:"Biodiversity decline in the brecks"
730:SHIFTING SANDS - Back From The Brink
149:district cover the Suffolk portion.
861:Schoon, Nicholas (13 March 1993).
801:"Frog with Norfolk accent returns"
726:"Securing a future for The Brecks"
686:"Map of Great Eastern Pingo Trail"
588:"Designated Sites View: Breckland"
508:"Designated Sites View: Breckland"
184:found in the area. Pingo ponds or
14:
841:Dyckhoff, Tom (8 February 2003).
634:Kelly, Tony (28 September 1997).
378:Open breckland meets dense forest
972:Local Nature Reserves in Norfolk
481:
466:
451:
439:
427:
412:
398:
383:
371:
353:
338:
323:
247:, lunar yellow under-wing moth,
196:long-distance footpath. It is a
259:, Prostrate Perennial Knawel,
32:Breckland heath north-west of
1:
63:Special Area of Conservation
660:"Great Eastern Pingo Trail"
434:Typical breckland landscape
92:, and to the south west of
993:
967:Natural regions of England
220:, and the 65% of the UK's
18:
977:Borough of St Edmundsbury
473:Gateway to the Brecks at
446:Breckland soil excavation
313:may be seen in the wild.
143:local government district
84:but also in the north of
708:"Wildlife in the Brecks"
180:and the large number of
52:Special Protection Area
614:Norfolk Wildlife Trust
36:
881:Bailey, Mark (1989).
836:The Breckland Society
639:Independent on Sunday
286:plantations and many
209:geological interest.
178:Great Eastern Railway
31:
962:Geography of Suffolk
957:Geography of Norfolk
769:Norfolk Biodiversity
267:, Proliferous Pink,
198:Local Nature Reserve
113:Stanford Battle Area
50:is a 39,433 hectare
919: /
164:, and heathland at
156:at the villages of
69:. It comprises the
947:Breckland District
610:"Ponds and pingos"
333:(thymus serpyllum)
261:Fingered Speedwell
139:Breckland District
37:
21:Breckland District
422:in open grassland
406:Knettishall Heath
984:
934:
933:
931:
930:
929:
924:
923:52.500°N 0.767°E
920:
917:
916:
915:
912:
901:
889:
877:
875:
873:
857:
855:
853:
813:
812:
810:
808:
803:. 11 August 2005
797:
791:
790:
779:
773:
772:
766:
758:
752:
751:
740:
734:
733:
722:
716:
715:
704:
698:
697:
695:
693:
682:
676:
675:
673:
671:
666:on 4 August 2013
656:
650:
649:
647:
645:
631:
625:
624:
622:
620:
606:
600:
599:
597:
595:
584:
578:
577:
575:
573:
558:
552:
551:
549:
547:
542:on 15 March 2016
541:
534:
526:
520:
519:
517:
515:
504:
488:Grey Carpet moth
485:
470:
455:
443:
431:
416:
402:
387:
375:
357:
342:
327:
245:grey carpet moth
54:(SPA) under the
992:
991:
987:
986:
985:
983:
982:
981:
937:
936:
927:
925:
921:
918:
913:
910:
908:
906:
905:
898:
887:
880:
871:
869:
867:The Independent
860:
851:
849:
840:
822:
817:
816:
806:
804:
799:
798:
794:
781:
780:
776:
764:
760:
759:
755:
742:
741:
737:
724:
723:
719:
706:
705:
701:
691:
689:
684:
683:
679:
669:
667:
658:
657:
653:
643:
641:
633:
632:
628:
618:
616:
608:
607:
603:
593:
591:
586:
585:
581:
571:
569:
568:on 3 March 2016
560:
559:
555:
545:
543:
539:
532:
528:
527:
523:
513:
511:
506:
505:
501:
496:
489:
486:
477:
471:
462:
456:
447:
444:
435:
432:
423:
417:
408:
403:
394:
390:Breck heath at
388:
379:
376:
367:
365:Thetford Forest
358:
349:
343:
334:
331:Breckland thyme
328:
319:
311:golden pheasant
265:Military Orchid
206:
105:Thetford Forest
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
990:
988:
980:
979:
974:
969:
964:
959:
954:
949:
939:
938:
903:
902:
896:
878:
858:
838:
833:
828:
821:
820:External links
818:
815:
814:
792:
774:
753:
748:Shifting Sands
735:
717:
699:
677:
651:
626:
601:
579:
553:
521:
498:
497:
495:
492:
491:
490:
487:
480:
478:
472:
465:
463:
457:
450:
448:
445:
438:
436:
433:
426:
424:
418:
411:
409:
404:
397:
395:
389:
382:
380:
377:
370:
368:
359:
352:
350:
344:
337:
335:
329:
322:
318:
315:
304:English Nature
277:Grape Hyacinth
257:Field Wormwood
205:
202:
174:Thompson Water
56:European Union
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
989:
978:
975:
973:
970:
968:
965:
963:
960:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
944:
942:
935:
932:
928:52.500; 0.767
899:
897:0-521-36501-5
893:
886:
885:
879:
868:
864:
859:
848:
844:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
823:
819:
802:
796:
793:
788:
784:
778:
775:
770:
763:
757:
754:
749:
745:
739:
736:
731:
727:
721:
718:
713:
709:
703:
700:
687:
681:
678:
665:
661:
655:
652:
640:
637:
630:
627:
615:
611:
605:
602:
589:
583:
580:
567:
563:
557:
554:
538:
531:
525:
522:
509:
503:
500:
493:
484:
479:
476:
469:
464:
460:
454:
449:
442:
437:
430:
425:
421:
415:
410:
407:
401:
396:
393:
386:
381:
374:
369:
366:
362:
356:
351:
347:
341:
336:
332:
326:
321:
316:
314:
312:
307:
305:
301:
296:
293:
289:
285:
280:
278:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
253:Tower Mustard
250:
246:
242:
241:stone curlews
238:
233:
231:
225:
223:
219:
215:
210:
203:
201:
199:
195:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
170:Great Hockham
167:
163:
159:
155:
150:
148:
144:
140:
135:
133:
129:
126:just outside
125:
124:Grimes Graves
121:
116:
114:
110:
106:
101:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
35:
30:
26:
22:
952:Forest Heath
904:
883:
870:. Retrieved
866:
850:. Retrieved
847:The Guardian
846:
805:. Retrieved
795:
786:
777:
768:
756:
747:
738:
729:
720:
711:
702:
690:. Retrieved
680:
668:. Retrieved
664:the original
654:
642:. Retrieved
638:
629:
617:. Retrieved
613:
604:
592:. Retrieved
582:
570:. Retrieved
566:the original
556:
544:. Retrieved
537:the original
524:
512:. Retrieved
502:
308:
297:
281:
271:Fine-leaved
234:
226:
222:stone curlew
211:
207:
186:kettle lakes
181:
151:
147:West Suffolk
136:
117:
109:British Army
102:
39:
38:
25:
926: /
562:"Breckland"
361:Scots pines
292:myxomatosis
194:Peddars Way
182:pingo ponds
941:Categories
826:The Brecks
712:The Brecks
494:References
348:Park Heath
269:Bee Orchid
232:projects.
162:Stow Bedon
98:Scots pine
94:the Broads
787:Plantlife
300:Pool Frog
249:nightjars
230:rewilding
218:woodlarks
214:nightjars
73:-covered
40:Breckland
692:4 August
670:4 August
273:Sandwort
237:woodlark
204:Wildlife
166:Breckles
158:Thompson
128:Thetford
90:the Fens
34:Thetford
911:52°30′N
872:27 June
852:27 June
807:8 April
644:27 June
619:7 April
475:Elveden
392:Weeting
346:Brandon
317:Gallery
284:conifer
154:commons
132:Norfolk
111:on the
86:Suffolk
82:Norfolk
67:England
48:Suffolk
44:Norfolk
914:0°46′E
894:
594:10 May
514:10 May
288:heaths
275:, and
190:pingos
888:(PDF)
765:(PDF)
572:4 May
546:4 May
540:(PDF)
533:(PDF)
459:Gorse
420:Pingo
120:flint
78:heath
75:sandy
71:gorse
892:ISBN
874:2009
854:2009
809:2020
694:2013
672:2013
646:2009
621:2021
596:2017
574:2017
548:2017
516:2017
461:bush
172:.
168:and
160:and
141:, a
46:and
363:in
279:.
130:in
42:in
943::
865:.
845:.
785:.
767:.
746:.
728:.
710:.
612:.
306:.
298:A
263:,
243:,
239:,
216:,
200:.
115:.
900:.
876:.
856:.
811:.
789:.
771:.
750:.
732:.
714:.
696:.
674:.
648:.
623:.
598:.
576:.
550:.
518:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
