Grime’s Graves
English Heritage site with more than 430 Neolithic flint mines, a visitor centre exhibition and a ladder descent into one excavated shaft.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The lunar-like landscape of Grime’s Graves, in the Breckland heath of Norfolk, consists of the earthworks of 433 mines and pits dug to extract flint in the late Neolithic period, around 2650 BC. The Anglo-Saxons gave the place its name, which means “pits of the pagan god Grim”. They did not know what the hollows were, and only when one of them was excavated in 1870 were they identified as prehistoric flint mines.
Flint was one of the most valuable materials of prehistory, and miners dug shafts through the chalk to reach the best seams of black flint, which could be worked into tools. Finds from the pits include a range of skilfully knapped tools, and some deposits suggest that rituals accompanied the everyday work of mining. A small chalk figurine found in 1939, often called the Chalk Goddess, has caused debate about whether it is genuine. Greenwell’s Pit, the oldest, deepest and best-preserved of the excavated pits, can be explored in a virtual tour.
Today the whole 96-acre site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest with rare plants and wildlife. English Heritage looks after it and describes it as the only Neolithic flint mine open to visitors in Britain. A small exhibition in the visitor centre explains Neolithic mining, with replica tools that visitors may handle, and visitors aged 7 and over can climb down a nine-metre ladder into one excavated shaft, where film projections tell the story of the miners.
Highlights
- Descent by ladder into an excavated Neolithic mine shaft (visitors aged 7 and over)
- Landscape of 433 mines and pits dug around 2650 BC
- Exhibition with touchable replica Neolithic tools and a virtual tour of Greenwell’s Pit
- Audio guide with archaeologist Phil Harding
- Self-guided walking trails for adults and families across a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Permanent exhibitions
- Introductory exhibition – A small exhibition in the visitor centre about Neolithic mining, with a virtual tour of Greenwell’s Pit and touchable reproduction tools.
- Descent into Pit 1 – A building above Pit Number 1 lets visitors climb nine metres down a ladder into the mine, where film projections show the lives of the people who worked there.
- Operated by
- English Heritage
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £7.65 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £6.88Concessions |
| Children & teens | £3.82Child ticket; the lowest off-peak advance price. |
| Families | £19.29Two adults and up to three children; the lowest off-peak advance price. |
| Family – one adult and up to three children (advance, off-peak) | £11.56 |
English Heritage uses date-based pricing. Advance online tickets bought up to midnight the day before cost, for an adult, £7.65 (off-peak weekdays), £8.50 (standard) or £9.26 (peak); child tickets cost £3.82, £4.25 or £4.59 and concessions £6.88, £7.65 or £8.50 respectively. Tickets bought on the day cost more: an adult £9.00 to £10.90 and a child £4.50 to £5.40. The prices shown are without Gift Aid; with Gift Aid they are about 10% higher. Tickets are valid all day, and English Heritage members enter free.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There is a ramp into the visitor centre and shop, but the mine shaft is not accessible for wheelchair users because it is reached by a 9-metre ladder. Paths are established grass tracks with no hard surface, and visitors are advised to wear sensible flat shoes. Two disabled parking spaces are in the main car park, which is 500 metres from the entrance. Assistance dogs are welcome and there is a water bowl outside the visitor centre. Touchable replica Neolithic tools can be handled, and the induction loop is in the public mine.
Kids & families
Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 7+
| Family ticket | £19.29 · Two adults and up to three children; the lowest off-peak advance price. |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities: not available
A family trail and self-guided walking trails are available, and replica Neolithic tools can be handled. Children under 7 may not enter the mine shaft. There is plenty of open space to run around, and ball games and kite flying are allowed. Pushchairs are allowed, but there are no baby-changing facilities.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking · 500 m to the entrance
Free parking for 50 cars, 500 metres from the site entrance. Additional charged parking is at the Lynford Stag picnic site, which is not run by English Heritage.
- Accessible parking
Grime’s Graves is 7 miles north-west of Thetford, on the A134. Sat-nav postcode IP26 5DE.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Coat check: not available
A vending machine sells tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and a small selection of snacks and ice cream is sold in summer. There is an English Heritage gift shop and a picnic area with benches in front of the visitor centre. Toilets are two portable units with no baby-changing facilities, and there is no bag storage.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | no |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photographers are welcome, with some restrictions at certain locations; drones may not be flown from or over English Heritage sites without permission. |
| Good to know | Children under 7 are not allowed into the mine shaft, and the descent is by a 9-metre ladder with low natural light in the shaft. Dogs on leads are allowed on the site. UK schools and eligible learning groups can visit for free. |
