THETFORD

'Thetford' is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland area of Norfolk, England.
It is located on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish (area of 29.55 km²) has a population of 21,588 Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). ''Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes''. Retrieved December 2, 2005.

Contents

History

Events and sports

Transportation

Sister Towns

References

External links

History

In the Anglo-Saxon period, Thetford was the home of the monarchs of East Anglia and was seat of a bishopric. Castle Hill is the highest Norman motte in England though no trace remains of the castle which once surmounted it. The mound (motte) is open to the public, and provides an excellent views of the town from its summit and extensive earthworks. It is situated in a public park, near the Three Nuns Bridges and close to the town centre overlooking the rivers.
Thetford contains the ruins of a 12th century Cluniac priory. The Priory, open to the public, was closed during the Reformation. Both the Priory and the Bell Inn, also in Thetford, were featured for their alleged hauntings on the television series Ghosthunters.
Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and other early Tudor Dynasty officials were once buried in Thetford before removal to Framlingham. Thetford was also the birthplace of American Revolutionary Thomas Paine. A statue of Paine stands on King Street, holding a quill and his book ''Rights of Man'', upside down.
Thetford draws its name from the crossing of the River Thet
Today, the surrounding Breckland has been largely replaced by the Thetford Forest though Thetford Chase remains. Thetford, whose flint stone buildings doubled for Walmington-on-Sea in the BBC-1 TV series ''Dad's Army'', also has become known for its Portuguese and East European shops and cafes.

Events and sports

Thetford hosts an annual Autumn Equinox Festival for astronomy. The festival has featured Patrick Moore of The Sky at Night. Thetford is also the site for the UK's Star Party, as it is centrally located in a rural area with dark night skies. An annual concert, STORM, also calls Thetford home.
The Thetford & District Sunday Football League, now known as the Breckland & District Sunday Football League, encompasses teams from within a 20 mile radius of Thetford.

Transportation

Thetford is on the A11 road between Norwich (28 miles) and London (86 miles). It is served by Thetford railway station, the 'one' running services between Norwich and Cambridge, and by Central Trains from Norwich to Liverpool (via Sheffield and Manchester or via Birmingham and Manchester. From Cambridge, regular services run to London King's Cross. National Cycle Route 13 links Thetford to Gately, near Fakenham.

Sister Towns

★ Hürth -- near Köln, Cologne, Germany

★ Skawina -- near Cracow, Poland

★ Spijkenisse -- near Rotterdam, The Netherlands

References

External links

★ for Thetford.

★ Information from Genuki Norfolk on Thetford.

★ Thetford Tourism website