Thetford

Thetford is a town (population 21588) in the Breckland area of Norfolk, England. A small market town it has many picturesque buildings built in the local flint stone. In recent years (since 1992) it has become home to a substantial Portuguese immigrant population.

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In the Anglo-Saxon period, it 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 view of the town from its summit or the extensive earthworks. It is situated in a public park, near the Three Nuns Bridges and close to the town centre overlooking the rivers.

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Thetford contains a ruined Cluniac Priory which dates from the 12th century and whose remains are open to the public. The Priory was closed in the Reformation. It is reputedly haunted and was the subject of an episode of the television series Ghosthunters, another episode of which featured the alleged haunting of the Bell Inn also in Thetford.

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In the eighteenth century the town was the birthplace of famous radical Thomas Paine.

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Today, the surrounding Breckland has been largely replaced by the Thetford Forest though Thetford Chase remains.

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Thetford is on the A11 road between Norwich and London and has a train station, served by the oddly named One (railway) running services between Norwich and Cambridge, and by Central Trains, running services from Norwich to Liverpool via either Sheffield and Manchester or Birmingham and Manchester. From Cambridge, regular services run to London King's Cross.

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Town: In American English, a town is usually a municipal corporation that is smaller than a city but larger than a village. In some cases, "town" is an alternate name for "city" or "village" (especially a larger village). Sometimes, the word "town" is short for "township."...

Breckland: The Breckland is a gorse covered sandy heath and unusual natural habitat that exists in North Suffolk and South Norfolk. The area has been substantially reduced in the twentieth century by the impact of modern farming and the creation in 1914 of Thetford Forest. An area of considerable interest fo...

Norfolk: :For alternative meanings see: Norfolk (disambiguation)...