00:01England is full of breathtaking and mysterious structures whose purposes are definitely tied to the country's storied history.
00:11From the Tower of London to Stonehenge, there's no shortage of incredible sights that offer an incomparable peek into the
00:19past for residents and visitors alike.
00:22Even among such renowned company, the little known Thetford Warren Lodge is quite special.
00:28At first glance, it may not look like much, but there's more to it than what initially appears.
00:34While it's not nearly as ancient as you might expect, the purpose behind it couldn't be more adorable.
00:57These days, we tend not to think of rabbits as being particularly exotic.
01:02In 15th century England, however, rabbits were considered prized luxury items, particularly for their fur and meat.
01:11After they were reintroduced to the region by the Normans, rabbits became extremely valuable.
01:18In fact, vicious poachers of these precious bunnies were a legitimate threat to landowners at the time, who frequently kept
01:25rabbits on their property.
01:27It became necessary then for those English landowners to employ resident Warreners to care for the rabbits and defend them
01:35from outside threats.
01:36That's where these high impenetrable fortresses called Warren Lodges came in.
01:42The buildings were home to both the rabbits and the Warreners, and they were designed to keep the valuable bunnies
01:48safe.
01:49Eventually, though, rabbits started to escape from their lodges and rapidly multiply in the wilderness, thus lowering their value.
01:57Most Warren Lodges were therefore left completely abandoned by the 18th century.
02:03Thetford Warren Lodge, which dates back to about 1400, however, was a different story.
02:09Boasting arrow slits for defensive purposes, walls that are three feet thick and, at one point, barred windows, it was
02:17in use until as recently as the 20th century.
02:21Located in the Breckland region of England, Thetford Warren Lodge continued storing and drying rabbit skins long after other Warren
02:29Lodges were abandoned.
02:30In fact, it was only discontinued after it was destroyed by a fire in 1935.
02:36One primary reason the lodge survived for so long was due to the sandy consistency of Breckland soil, which made
02:44it poor for agricultural use.
02:46As a result, much of the local economy revolved around rabbits until well into the 19th century.
02:53Many old, large structures in England are rich with legends of folklore, and Thetford Warren Lodge is certainly no different.
03:01In fact, one of these legends may seem familiar to Monty Python fans, a ghostly rabbit with glowing red eyes.
03:10This creepy bunny is said to be a dark omen that signals the impending doom of whoever is unfortunate to
03:17lay eyes on him.
03:18Other legends say that a leper once lived in the lodge, while others suggest that it may be haunted by
03:24a ghost.
03:26Regardless of what you believe about the folklore regarding the Thetford Warren Lodge,
03:31there's still plenty to appreciate about the history surrounding this unique structure, so hop on over to England.
03:38It's definitely worth a visit.
03:40Luckily, rabbits seem to be fine these days, though it's a shame that a giant building like the Thetford Warren
03:47Lodge no longer houses them.
03:49Still, it's a fantastic piece of history.
03:52services for books like any authors and narrators.
03:52We'll see you now.
03:54Nobunod cannabis.
03:55The story of the Bible is based onples,
03:55and scratching the scrimm düny,
03:55By the way, of course,
