The Bell in Thetford began its eventful life as a seminary
but under Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries it was sold as an inn
in 1540 and renamed the Bell.
The sense of history is enhanced at The Bell by the
fact that the hotel retains much of its original character. In 1938 when
layers of wallpaper were stripped away Tudor wall paintings were discovered
from an old open gallery. These paintings can now been seen preserved behind
glass in one of the bedrooms.
The Bell Hotel is also famous as the home of the cast & crew
of the television series “Dad’s Army”. Thetford features throughout the
“Dad’s Army” series providing backdrops to many of the programmed scenes.
Due to the nature of the layout and age of the
building, The Bell Hotel is unable to offer any ground floor rooms or lifts.
