120-668: Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk , England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London , just east of Thetford Forest . The civil parish, covering an area of 29.55 km (11.41 sq mi), in 2011 had a population of 24,340. There has been a settlement at Thetford since the Iron Age , and parts of the town predate the Norman Conquest ; Thetford Castle
240-535: A Tyke from Yorkshire and a Yellowbelly from Lincolnshire . A traditional nickname for people from Suffolk is "Suffolk Fair-Maids", referring to the supposed beauty of its female inhabitants in the Middle Ages. Another is "Silly Suffolk", often assumed to be derived from the Old English word sælig in the meaning "blessed", referring to the long history of Christianity in the county. However, use of
360-473: A comprehensive education system with fourteen independent schools. Unusually for the UK, some of Suffolk had a 3-tier school system in place with primary schools (ages 5–9), middle schools (ages 9–13) and upper schools (ages 13–16). However, a 2006 Suffolk County Council study concluded that Suffolk should move to the two-tier school system used in the majority of the UK. For the purpose of conversion to two-tier,
480-535: A market cross ( mercat cross in Scotland). They were and are typically open one or two days a week. In the modern era, the rise of permanent retail establishments reduced the need for periodic markets. The primary purpose of a market town is the provision of goods and services to the surrounding locality. Although market towns were known in antiquity, their number increased rapidly from the 12th century. Market towns across Europe flourished with an improved economy,
600-603: A sword of state , helmet , gold and silver bowls, jewellery and a lyre . The Hoxne Hoard , to date the largest assembly of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain, was found near the village of Hoxne in 1992. While carrying out surveys before installing a pipeline in 2014, archaeologists for Anglian Water discovered nine skeletons and four cremation pits, at Bardwell , Barnham , Pakenham and Rougham , all near Bury St Edmunds. Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and medieval items were also unearthed, along with
720-577: A Commission to assess Thetford in 1527. The Commission concluded that the town had fallen into "great ruin and decay" and that the burgesses of the town had squandered rents and dues which belonged to the King. Thetford was struck hard by the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s and 1540s. A formal complaint was raised by the mayors and burgesses to Thomas Cromwell in 1539, arguing that many of
840-516: A base in Sudbury. The UK horse racing industry is based in Newmarket. There are two United States Air Force bases in the west of the county close to the A11 . Sizewell B nuclear power station is at Sizewell on the coast near Leiston . Bernard Matthews Farms have some processing units in the county, specifically Holton . Southwold is the home of Adnams Brewery . The Port of Felixstowe
960-494: A charter, but were accorded market town status through custom and practice if they had been in existence prior to 1199. From an early stage, kings and administrators understood that a successful market town attracted people, generated revenue and would pay for the town's defences. In around the 12th century, European kings began granting charters to villages allowing them to hold markets on specific days. Framlingham in Suffolk
1080-440: A community space on the upper floor. The oldest surviving structures date from the mid-17th century. In Scotland, borough markets were held weekly from an early stage. A King's market was held at Roxburgh on a specific day from about the year 1171; a Thursday market was held at Glasgow , a Saturday market at Arbroath , and a Sunday market at Brechin . In Scotland, market towns were often distinguished by their mercat cross :
1200-527: A countywide constitutional convention". Following the May 2010 general election , all further moves towards any of the suggested unitary solutions ceased on the instructions of the incoming Cameron–Clegg coalition . In 2018 it was determined that Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury would be merged to form a new West Suffolk district, while Waveney and Suffolk Coastal would similarly form a new East Suffolk district. West Suffolk , like nearby East Cambridgeshire ,
1320-514: A crossing-place on the River Thames up-river from Runnymede , where it formed an oxbow lake in the stream. Early patronage included Thomas Furnyvale, lord of Hallamshire , who established a Fair and Market in 1232. Travelers were able to meet and trade wares in relative safety for a week of "fayres" at a location inside the town walls. The reign of Henry III witnessed a spike in established market fairs. The defeat of de Montfort increased
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#17327648414191440-734: A fifth of the schools inspected were judged inadequate. This is unacceptable and now means that Suffolk has a higher proportion of pupils educated in inadequate schools than both the regional and national averages." The Royal Hospital School near Ipswich is the largest independent boarding school in Suffolk. Other boarding schools within Suffolk include Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School, Culford School , Finborough School , Framlingham College , Ipswich High School , Ipswich School , Orwell Park School , Saint Felix School and Woodbridge School . The Castle Partnership Academy Trust in Haverhill
1560-491: A full list, see this table at Danish Misplaced Pages ). The last town to gain market rights ( Danish : købstadsprivilegier ) was Skjern in 1958. At the municipal reform of 1970 , market towns were merged with neighboring parishes, and the market towns lost their special status and privileges, though many still advertise themselves using the moniker of købstad and hold public markets on their historic market squares . The medieval right to hold markets ( German : Marktrecht )
1680-559: A good deal is known about the economic value of markets in local economies, the cultural role of market-towns has received scant scholarly attention. In Denmark, the concept of the market town ( Danish : købstad ) emerged during the Iron Age. It is not known which was the first Danish market town, but Hedeby (part of modern-day Schleswig-Holstein ) and Ribe were among the first. As of 1801, there were 74 market towns in Denmark (for
1800-591: A group of villages or an earlier urban settlement in decline, or be created as a new urban centre. Frequently, they had limited privileges compared to free royal cities . Their long-lasting feudal subordination to landowners or the church is also a crucial difference. The successors of these settlements usually have a distinguishable townscape. The absence of fortification walls, sparsely populated agglomerations, and their tight bonds with agricultural life allowed these towns to remain more vertical compared to civitates. The street-level urban structure varies depending on
1920-420: A hinterland of villages are still commonly called market towns, as sometimes reflected in their names (e.g. Downham Market , Market Rasen , or Market Drayton ). Modern markets are often in special halls , but this is a relatively recent development. Historically the markets were open-air, held in what is usually called (regardless of its actual shape) the market square or market place , sometimes centred on
2040-399: A house near St Peter's churchyard from Sir William Barwick, still known as the King's House. The house was rebuilt and extended for the king with a "treble roof" of three gables. Charles I granted the house to his Master Falconer, Andrew Pitcairns. In 1819 there was a local desire to develop Thetford into a spa town modelled on Bath , Cheltenham and Harrogate . A pump room was built over
2160-411: A large number had been decapitated , which archaeologists claimed gave new insight into Roman traditions. The burial ground includes the remains of men, women and children who likely lived in a nearby settlement. The fact that up to 40% of the bodies were decapitated represents "quite a rare find". A survey in 2020 named Suffolk the third best place in the UK for aspiring archaeologists, and showed that
2280-455: A local shopfront such as a bakery or alehouse, while others were casual traders who set up a stall or carried their wares around in baskets on market days. Market trade supplied for the needs of local consumers whether they were visitors or local residents. Braudel and Reynold have made a systematic study of European market towns between the 13th and 15th century. Their investigation shows that in regional districts markets were held once or twice
2400-468: A market town at Bergen in the 11th century, and it soon became the residence of many wealthy families. Import and export was to be conducted only through market towns, to allow oversight of commerce and to simplify the imposition of excise taxes and customs duties . This practice served to encourage growth in areas which had strategic significance, providing a local economic base for the construction of fortifications and sufficient population to defend
2520-706: A more urbanised society and the widespread introduction of a cash-based economy. Domesday Book of 1086 lists 50 markets in England. Some 2,000 new markets were established between 1200 and 1349. The burgeoning of market towns occurred across Europe around the same time. Initially, market towns most often grew up close to fortified places, such as castles or monasteries, not only to enjoy their protection, but also because large manorial households and monasteries generated demand for goods and services. Historians term these early market towns "prescriptive market towns" in that they may not have enjoyed any official sanction such as
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#17327648414192640-473: A number of market towns in Saxony throughout the 11th century and did much to develop peaceful markets by granting a special 'peace' to merchants and a special and permanent 'peace' to market-places. With the rise of the territories, the ability to designate market towns was passed to the princes and dukes, as the basis of German town law . The local ordinance status of a market town ( Marktgemeinde or Markt )
2760-556: A place where the right to hold a regular market or fair was granted by a ruling authority (either royal, noble, or ecclesiastical). As in the rest of the UK, the area in which the cross was situated was almost always central: either in a square; or in a broad, main street. Towns which still have regular markets include: Inverurie , St Andrews , Selkirk , Wigtown , Kelso , and Cupar . Not all still possess their mercat cross (market cross). Dutch painters of Antwerp took great interest in market places and market towns as subject matter from
2880-412: A relationship with customers and may have offered added value services, such as credit terms to reliable customers. The economy was characterised by local trading in which goods were traded across relatively short distances. Braudel reports that, in 1600, grain moved just 5–10 miles (8.0–16.1 km); cattle 40–70 miles (64–113 km); wool and woollen cloth 20–40 miles (32–64 km). However, following
3000-688: A result of which its population increased substantially. Thetford railway station is located on the Breckland line and is one of the best surviving pieces of 19th-century railway architecture in East Anglia. The origin of the name Thetford is unclear. The site was an important crossing of the River Little Ouse , so one possibility is that the settlement drew its name from the Anglo-Saxon Theod ford or people's ford . It
3120-586: A seat to Scotland. Dr Allan Glaisyer Minns , born in Inagua , the Bahamas , became the first black man to become a mayor in Britain when he was elected as Mayor of Thetford in 1904. In 1912, more than 30,000 troops participated in military manoeuvres on the heath land outside the town. Over 700 men from the town fought in World War I ; a memorial was erected in 1921 with the names of over 100 men who died during
3240-560: A second in 1987. A high speed dual carriageway link from Thetford towards London opened in December 2014, which removed the remaining 9 miles (14 km) of single carriageway via Elveden . The other main roads through the town are the A134 from Colchester to King's Lynn , and the A1066 towards Diss . The National Cycle Route 13 links Thetford to Gateley , near Fakenham . Thetford
3360-488: A shade of pink that was not traditional Suffolk Pink. He was required by local authorities to repaint. In another example of Suffolk taking its colours seriously, a homeowner in Lavenham was obligated to paint their Grade I listed cottage Suffolk Pink, to make it match a neighbouring property. The local council said it wanted all of the cottages on that particular part of the road to be the same colour, because they were
3480-459: A single building historically (300 years earlier). The historic Suffolk Pink colour has also inspired the name of a British apple. Suffolk is also home to nature reserves, such as the RSPB site at Minsmere , and Trimley Marshes , a wetland under the protection of Suffolk Wildlife Trust . The clay plateau inland, deeply intercut by rivers , is often referred to as 'High Suffolk'. The west of
3600-428: A small seaport or a market town prior to export. This encouraged local merchants to ensure trading went through them, which was so effective in limiting unsupervised sales ( smuggling ) that customs revenues increased from less than 30% of the total tax revenues in 1600 to more than 50% of the total taxes by 1700. Norwegian "market towns" died out and were replaced by free markets during the 19th century. After 1952, both
3720-652: A traditional limewash mix. Additives used in this process include pig or ox blood with buttermilk , elderberries and sloe juice. Locals and historians often state that a true Suffolk Pink should be a "deep dusky terracotta shade", rather than the more popular pastel hue of modern times. This has caused controversy in the past when home and business-owners alike have been reprimanded for using colours deemed incorrect, with some being forced to repaint to an acceptable shade. In 2013, famous chef Marco Pierre White had his 15th-century hotel, The Angel, in Lavenham, decorated
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3840-740: A variety of vegetables. The continuing importance of agriculture in the county is reflected in the Suffolk Show , which is held annually in May at Ipswich. Although latterly somewhat changed in nature, this remains primarily an agricultural show . Companies based in Suffolk include Greene King and Branston Pickle in Bury St Edmunds. Birds Eye has its largest UK factory in Lowestoft, where all its meat products and frozen vegetables are processed. Huntley & Palmers biscuit company has
3960-419: A week while daily markets were common in larger cities. Over time, permanent shops began opening daily and gradually supplanted the periodic markets, while peddlers or itinerant sellers continued to fill in any gaps in distribution. The physical market was characterised by transactional exchange and bartering systems were commonplace. Shops had higher overhead costs, but were able to offer regular trading hours and
4080-418: Is Thetford Forest , which is heavily forested with pine trees. Brettenham Heath National Nature Reserve is to the northeast, near the hamlet of Roudham . To the southeast of Thetford is Nunnery Lakes Nature Reserve, covering about 200 acres, with breckland heath, woodland, fen and open water habitats and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of paths. The Thetford Borough Police Force was established in 1836, and in 1857
4200-756: Is a banner of arms of the coat of arms which were attributed to Edmund the Martyr , a medieval king of East Anglia . It consists of two gold arrows passing through a gold crown or with heraldic description as Azure two Arrows in saltire, points downwards, enfiled with an ancient Crown Or . Novels set in Suffolk include parts of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens , The Fourth Protocol , by Frederick Forsyth , Unnatural Causes by P.D. James , Dodie Smith 's The Hundred and One Dalmatians , The Rings of Saturn by W. G. Sebald , and among Arthur Ransome 's children's books, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea , Coot Club and Secret Water take place in part in
4320-510: Is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia . It is bordered by Norfolk to the north , the North Sea to the east , Essex to the south , and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county town . The county has an area of 3,798 km (1,466 sq mi) and a population of 758,556. After Ipswich (144,957) in the south ,
4440-576: Is a notable example of a market situated near a fortified building. Additionally, markets were located where transport was easiest, such as at a crossroads or close to a river ford , for example, Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. When local railway lines were first built, market towns were given priority to ease the transport of goods. For instance, in Calderdale , West Yorkshire , several market towns close together were designated to take advantage of
4560-499: Is also unclear if the nearby River Thet is named after the crossing or the later settlement. Breckland was used as an excavation site for flint tools around 2000 BC. During the Iron Age , a fort was established on Icknield Way at the site of Thetford Castle. Thetford was an important tribal centre for the Iceni during the late Iron Age and early Roman period, with Castle Hill and Gallows Hill being sites of particular note. During
4680-526: Is held at Glemham Hall in August and attracts international acoustic, folk and roots musicians whilst also championing local businesses, heritage and crafts. In 2015 it was also home to the first instrumental festival of musical instruments and makers. More recently, LeeStock Music Festival has been held in Sudbury . A celebration of the county, "Suffolk Day", was instigated in 2017. The Suffolk dialect
4800-503: Is housed in part of Thetford Guildhall . Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East and ITV Anglia . Television signals are received from the Tacolneston and local relay transmitters. The town's local radio stations are BBC Radio Norfolk on 104.4 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Norfolk & North Suffolk on 96.7 FM, Heart East on 102.4 FM, and Thetford Radio, a community radio station. The local newspapers are
4920-701: Is no single register of modern entitlements to hold markets and fairs, although historical charters up to 1516 are listed in the Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales . William Stow's 1722 Remarks on London includes "A List of all the Market Towns in England and Wales; with the Days of the Week whereon kept". Market houses were a common feature across the island of Ireland . These often arcaded buildings performed marketplace functions, frequently with
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5040-512: Is perpetuated through the law of Austria , the German state of Bavaria , and the Italian province of South Tyrol . Nevertheless, the title has no further legal significance, as it does not grant any privileges. In Hungarian, the word for market town "mezőváros" means literally "pasture town" and implies that it was unfortified town: they were architecturally distinguishable from other towns by
5160-620: Is reflected in the prefix Markt of the names of many towns in Austria and Germany , for example, Markt Berolzheim or Marktbergel . Other terms used for market towns were Flecken in northern Germany, or Freiheit and Wigbold in Westphalia . Market rights were designated as long ago as during the Carolingian Empire . Around 800, Charlemagne granted the title of a market town to Esslingen am Neckar . Conrad created
5280-635: Is renowned for archaeological finds from the Stone Age , the Bronze Age , and the Iron Age . Bronze Age artefacts have been found in the area between Mildenhall and West Row, in Eriswell and in Lakenheath . In the east of the county is Sutton Hoo , the site of one of England's most significant Anglo-Saxon archaeological finds, a ship burial containing a collection of treasures including
5400-874: Is the oxlip . According to estimates by the Office for National Statistics , the population of Suffolk in 2014 was 738,512, split almost evenly between males and females. Roughly 22% of the population was aged 65 or older, and 90.84% were White British . Historically, the county's population has mostly been employed as agricultural workers. An 1835 survey showed Suffolk to have 4,526 occupiers of land employing labourers, 1,121 occupiers not employing labourers, 33,040 labourers employed in agriculture, 676 employed in manufacture, 18,167 employed in retail trade or handicraft, 2,228 'capitalists, bankers etc.', 5,336 labourers (non-agricultural), 4,940 other males aged over 20, 2,032 male servants and 11,483 female servants. Most English counties have nicknames for people from that county, such as
5520-858: Is the county's only All-through Academy Chain. Comprising Castle Manor Academy and Place Farm Primary Academy, the Academy Trust supports all-through education and provides opportunities for young people aged 3 to 18. Sixth form colleges in the county include Lowestoft Sixth Form College and One in Ipswich. Suffolk is home to four further education colleges: Lowestoft College , Easton & Otley College , Suffolk New College and Northgate Sixth Form (Ipswich) and West Suffolk College (Bury St Edmunds). The county has one university, with branches spread across different towns. The present University of Suffolk was, prior to August 2016, known as University Campus Suffolk . Up until it became independent it
5640-471: Is the largest container port in the United Kingdom. Other ports are at Lowestoft and Ipswich, run by Associated British Ports . BT Group plc has its main research and development facility at Martlesham Heath . Below is a chart of regional gross value added of Suffolk at basic prices published by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling. Suffolk has
5760-659: Is twinned with the towns of: The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Town of Thetford. Citations Sources Market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages , a market right , which allowed it to host a regular market ; this distinguished it from a village or city . In Britain, small rural towns with
5880-512: Is very distinctive. Epenthesis and yod-dropping is common, along with non-conjugation of verbs. The county's sole professional football club is Ipswich Town . Formed in 1878, the club were Football League champions in 1961–62 , FA Cup winners in 1977–78 and UEFA Cup winners in 1980–81 ; as of the 2024–25 season , Ipswich Town play in the Premier League , the top tier of English football. The club has as part of its crest
6000-697: The National Stud , and Newmarket Racecourse . Tattersalls bloodstock auctioneers and the National Horseracing Museum are also in the town. Point to point racing takes place at Higham and Ampton . Speedway racing has been staged in Suffolk since at least the 1950s, following the construction of the Foxhall Stadium , just outside Ipswich, home of the Ipswich Witches . The Witches are currently members of
6120-709: The Premier League , the UK's first division. National League team Mildenhall Fen Tigers are also from Suffolk. Suffolk County Cricket Club compete in the Eastern Division of the Minor Counties Championship . The club has won the championship three times outright and has shared the title one other time as well as winning the MCCA Knockout Trophy once. Home games are played in Bury St Edmunds, Copdock , Exning , Framlingham , Ipswich and Mildenhall. The Suffolk flag
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#17327648414196240-546: The Suffolk Punch , a now endangered breed of draught horse native to the county. The next highest ranked team in Suffolk is Needham Market , who participate in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football. The town of Newmarket is the headquarters of British horseracing – home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations including
6360-773: The Thetford & Brandon Times and the Eastern Daily Press . The local football club, Thetford Town , plays in the Eastern Counties Football League . Thetford Rugby Union Football Club is based on Mundford Road just outside Thetford, with its first team playing in the Eastern Counties London 3. Thetford Town Cricket Club have two adult teams competing in the Norfolk Cricket Alliance and one in
6480-605: The Thetford Hoard and has numerous displays about flinting, rabbit warrens and wildlife. The Thetford Academy, Norfolk was established through the merger of Charles Burrell Humanities School and Rosemary Musker High School in September 2010. The external scenes for the BBC TV series Dad's Army were filmed in and around the town, with Thetford's flint buildings doubling for Walmington-on-Sea . The Dad's Army Museum
6600-510: The Yiddish term shtetl . Miasteczkos had a special administrative status other than that of town or city. From the time of the Norman conquest, the right to award a charter was generally seen to be a royal prerogative. However, the granting of charters was not systematically recorded until 1199. Once a charter was granted, it gave local lords the right to take tolls and also afforded
6720-429: The koopman, which described a new, emergent class of trader who dealt in goods or credit on a large scale. Paintings of every day market scenes may have been an affectionate attempt to record familiar scenes and document a world that was in danger of being lost. Paintings and drawings of market towns and market scenes Bibliography Suffolk Suffolk ( / ˈ s ʌ f ə k / SUF -ək )
6840-519: The rivers Blyth , Deben , Orwell , Stour , and Alde/Ore ; the latter is 25.5 km (15.8 mi) long and separated from the North Sea by Orford Ness , a large spit . Large parts of the coast are backed by heath and wetland habitats , such as Sandlings . The north-east of the county contains part of the Broads , a network of rivers and lakes . Inland, the landscape is flat and gently undulating, and contains part of Thetford Forest on
6960-659: The "small seaport" and the "market town" were relegated to simple town status. Miasteczko ( lit. ' small town ' ) was a historical type of urban settlement similar to a market town in the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . After the partitions of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 18th-century, these settlements became widespread in the Austrian , German and Russian Empires. The vast majority of miasteczkos had significant or even predominant Jewish populations ; these are known in English under
7080-426: The 16th century. Pieter Aertsen was known as the "great painter of the market" Painters' interest in markets was due, at least in part, to the changing nature of the market system at that time. With the rise of the merchant guilds, the public began to distinguish between two types of merchant, the meerseniers which referred to local merchants including bakers, grocers, sellers of dairy products and stall-holders, and
7200-431: The 20th century, the special rights granted to market towns mostly involved a greater autonomy in fiscal matters and control over town planning, schooling and social care. Unlike rural municipalities, the market towns were not considered part of the counties . The last town to be granted market rights was Ólafsvík in 1983 and from that point there were 24 market towns until a municipal reform in 1986 essentially abolished
7320-484: The 7th century in Oulton, near Lowestoft . The graves contained the remains of men, women and children, as well as artefacts including small iron knives and silver pennies, wrist clasps, strings of amber and glass beads. According to Andrew Peachey, who carried out the excavations, the skeletons had mostly vanished because of the highly acidic soil. They, fortunately, were preserved as brittle shapes and "sand silhouettes" in
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#17327648414197440-516: The European age of discovery, goods were imported from afar – calico cloth from India, porcelain, silk and tea from China, spices from India and South-East Asia and tobacco, sugar, rum and coffee from the New World. The importance of local markets began to decline in the mid-16th century. Permanent shops which provided more stable trading hours began to supplant the periodic market. In addition,
7560-738: The Norfolk Friendly Alliance. The club also boasts a thriving junior section. A swimming team called the Thetford Dolphins is based at Breckland Leisure Centre's Waterworld swimming pools. World champion triathlete Chrissie Wellington is a former member of this swimming club. Thetford Golf Club, to the northwest of the town in Thetford Forest Park, was established in 1912 with a course originally designed by Charles H. Mayo, and later alterations by James Braid and Philip Mackenzie Ross. The construction of
7680-575: The Norfolk border and Dedham Vale on the Essex border. It is also known for its extensive farming and has largely arable land . Newmarket is known for horse racing , and Felixstowe is one of the largest container ports in Europe . The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Suffolk, and East Anglia generally, occurred on a large scale, possibly following a period of depopulation by the previous inhabitants,
7800-427: The Prior of Thetford to protect gamekeepers and hunters against poachers, and was later used to harvest rabbits. The Charles Burrell Museum opened in 1991 in the former Paint Shop of Charles Burrell & Sons on Minstergate in Thetford. The museum is dedicated to steam power and steam transport. The Ancient House Museum is situated in an oak-framed Tudor merchant's house on White Hart Street. It contains replicas of
7920-421: The Romanised descendants of the Iceni . By the fifth century, they had established control of the region. The Anglo-Saxon inhabitants later became the "north folk" and the "south folk", from which developed the names "Norfolk" and "Suffolk". Suffolk was divided into four separate Quarter Sessions divisions, which met at Beccles , Bury St Edmunds , Ipswich and Woodbridge . In 1860, the number of divisions
8040-449: The Saxon period it was the principal centre of the eastern Heptarchy and a regular battle site between locals and the Viking invaders. A mint was built in Thetford in the 9th century. There is evidence of coins minted in Thetford from the time of King Canute to the reign of King John . A monastery was established around 1020 and a grammar school was operating since before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The town greatly prospered during
8160-445: The act was passed into law. In 2007 the Department for Communities and Local Government referred Ipswich Borough Council 's bid to become a new unitary authority to the Boundary Committee . Beginning in February 2008, the Boundary Committee again reviewed local government in the county, with two possible options emerging. One was that of splitting Suffolk into two unitary authorities – Ipswich and Felixstowe and Rural Suffolk; and
8280-411: The annual Aldeburgh Festival is one of the UK's major classical music festivals. Originating in Aldeburgh , it has been held at the nearby Snape Maltings since 1967. Since 2006, Henham Park , has been home to the annual Latitude Festival . This mainly open-air festival, which has grown considerably in size and scope, includes popular music, comedy, poetry and literary events. The FolkEast festival
8400-455: The area was especially rich in finds from the Roman period, with over 1500 objects found in the preceding year. In July 2020, metal detectorist Luke Mahoney found 1,061 silver hammered coins, estimated to be worth £100,000, in Ipswich. The coins dated back to the 15th–17th century, according to experts. In September 2020, archaeologists announced the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery with seventeen cremations and 191 burials dating back to
8520-549: The area. It also served to restrict Hanseatic League merchants from trading in areas other than those designated. Norway included a subordinate category to the market town, the "small seaport" ( Norwegian lossested or ladested ), which was a port or harbor with a monopoly to import and export goods and materials in both the port and a surrounding outlying district. Typically, these were locations for exporting timber, and importing grain and goods. Local farm goods and timber sales were all required to pass through merchants at either
8640-519: The concept. Many of the existing market towns would continue to be named kaupstaður even after the term lost any administrative meaning. In Norway , the medieval market town ( Norwegian : kjøpstad and kaupstad from the Old Norse kaupstaðr ) was a town which had been granted commerce privileges by the king or other authorities. The citizens in the town had a monopoly over the purchase and sale of wares, and operation of other businesses, both in
8760-540: The county lies on more resistant Cretaceous chalk . This chalk is responsible for a sweeping tract of largely downland landscapes that stretches from Dorset in the south west to Dover in the south east and north through East Anglia to the Yorkshire Wolds . The chalk is less easily eroded so forms the only significant hills in the county. The highest point in the county is Great Wood Hill , with an elevation of 128 metres (420 ft). The county flower
8880-670: The county. Roald Dahl's short story "The Mildenhall Treasure" is set in Mildenhall. A TV series about a British antiques dealer, Lovejoy , was filmed in various locations in Suffolk. The reality TV series Space Cadets was filmed in Rendlesham Forest , although the producers fooled participants into believing that they were in Russia. Several towns and villages in the county have been used for location filming of other television programmes and cinema films. These include
9000-488: The day when the community congregated in town to attend church. Some of the more ancient markets appear to have been held in churchyards. At the time of the Norman conquest, the majority of the population made their living through agriculture and livestock farming. Most lived on their farms, situated outside towns, and the town itself supported a relatively small population of permanent residents. Farmers and their families brought their surplus produce to informal markets held on
9120-546: The early market towns have continued operations into recent times. For instance, Northampton market received its first charter in 1189 and markets are still held in the square to this day. The National Market Traders Federation , situated in Barnsley , South Yorkshire , has around 32,000 members and close links with market traders' federations throughout Europe. According to the UK National Archives , there
9240-398: The era from which various parts of the city originate. Market towns were characterized as a transition between a village and a city, without a unified, definite city core. A high level of urban planning only marks an era starting from the 17th-18th centuries. This dating is partially related to the modernization and resettlement waves after the liberation of Ottoman Hungary . While Iceland
9360-417: The grounds of their church after worship. By the 13th century, however, a movement against Sunday markets gathered momentum, and the market gradually moved to a site in town's centre and was held on a weekday. By the 15th century, towns were legally prohibited from holding markets in church-yards. Archaeological evidence suggests that Colchester is England's oldest recorded market town, dating to at least
9480-413: The lack of town walls. Most market towns were chartered in the 14th and 15th centuries and typically developed around 13th-century villages that had preceded them. A boom in the raising of livestock may have been a trigger for the upsurge in the number of market towns during that period. Archaeological studies suggest that the ground plans of such market towns had multiple streets and could also emerge from
9600-439: The largest towns are Lowestoft (73,800) in the north-east and Bury St Edmunds (40,664) in the west. Suffolk contains five local government districts , which are part of a two-tier non-metropolitan county also called Suffolk . The Suffolk coastline is a complex habitat , formed by London clay and crag underlain by chalk and therefore susceptible to erosion . It contains several deep estuaries , including those of
9720-404: The legal basis for defining a "town". For instance, Newport, Shropshire , is in the borough of Telford and Wrekin but is separate from Telford . In England, towns with such rights are usually distinguished with the additional status of borough . It is generally accepted that, in these cases, when a town was granted a market, it gained the additional autonomy conferred to separate towns. Many of
9840-519: The local town council . Failing that, the Crown can grant a licence. As the number of charters granted increased, competition between market towns also increased. In response to competitive pressures, towns invested in a reputation for quality produce, efficient market regulation and good amenities for visitors such as covered accommodation. By the thirteenth century, counties with important textile industries were investing in purpose built market halls for
9960-464: The market. If the travel time exceeded this standard, a new market town could be established in that locale. As a result of the limit, official market towns often petitioned the monarch to close down illegal markets in other towns. These distances are still law in England today. Other markets can be held, provided they are licensed by the holder of the Royal Charter, which tends currently to be
10080-405: The more common primary to high school (11–16). Many of the county's upper schools have a sixth form and most further education colleges in the county offer A-level courses. In terms of school population, Suffolk's individual schools are large with the Ipswich district with the largest school population and Forest Heath the smallest, with just two schools. In 2013, a letter said that "...nearly
10200-575: The new trains. The designation of Halifax , Sowerby Bridge , Hebden Bridge , and Todmorden is an example of this. A number of studies have pointed to the prevalence of the periodic market in medieval towns and rural areas due to the localised nature of the economy. The marketplace was the commonly accepted location for trade, social interaction, transfer of information and gossip. A broad range of retailers congregated in market towns – peddlers, retailers, hucksters, stallholders, merchants and other types of trader. Some were professional traders who occupied
10320-490: The nine skeletons believed to be of the late or Post-Roman Britain . Experts said the five-month project had recovered enough artefacts to fill half a shipping container, and that the discoveries had shed new light on their understanding of the development of small rural communities. In 2019 an excavation of a 4th-century Roman burial in Great Whelnetham uncovered unusual burial practices. Of 52 skeletons found,
10440-402: The nineteenth century, and has been Grade II listed since 1971. The Thetford to Bury St Edmunds line opened on 1 March 1876, and included a second station in the town, Thetford Bridge . The line closed to passengers in 1953 and goods in 1960. The town sits on the historic turnpike road between London and Norwich, which later became the A11 . The first bypass opened in 1968, followed by
10560-405: The other, that of creating a single county-wide controlling authority – the "One Suffolk" option. In February 2010, the then-Minister Rosie Winterton announced that no changes would be imposed on the structure of local government in the county as a result of the review, but that the government would be: "asking Suffolk councils and MPs to reach a consensus on what unitary solution they want through
10680-405: The population of Thetford had reached around 21,000 people. This meant that Thetford grew faster than any other town in Norfolk. Thetford is situated in the south of Norfolk, close to the county boundary with Suffolk. By road it is 33.8 miles (54.4 km) northeast of Cambridge and 30.7 miles (49.4 km) southwest of Norwich. It lies on the River Little Ouse . On the western side of Thetford
10800-513: The purchasing habits of the monks and other individuals in medieval England, suggests that consumers of the period were relatively discerning. Purchase decisions were based on purchase criteria such as consumers' perceptions of the range, quality, and price of goods. This informed decisions about where to make their purchases. As traditional market towns developed, they featured a wide main street or central market square . These provided room for people to set up stalls and booths on market days. Often
10920-690: The reign of Edward the Confessor (1042–1066), and at one point there were 944 free Burgesses living in Thetford. The Domesday Book of 1086 estimated the population of Thetford to have grown to between 4000 and 4500 people, which would have been the sixth largest town in Britain at the time. The Book lists William of Bello Fargo as the Bishop of Thetford at the time. The bishopric had moved here from North Elmham in 1071 and stayed in Thetford until moving to Norwich in 1096. In 1067–1069, Thetford Castle
11040-487: The rise of a merchant class led to the import and exports of a broad range of goods, contributing to a reduced reliance on local produce. At the centre of this new global mercantile trade was Antwerp , which by the mid-16th century, was the largest market town in Europe. A good number of local histories of individual market towns can be found. However, more general histories of the rise of market-towns across Europe are much more difficult to locate. Clark points out that while
11160-548: The ruins of Thetford Castle and Thetford Priory , which was closed during the Reformation . The Grade II listed timber-framed Bell Inn in the town was first mentioned in 1493 and was used as a coaching inn on the Norwich-London road until 1845 when it became connected by railway. The Black Horse public house dates from the mid 18th century, and is grade II listed. Thetford Warren Lodge was built in around 1400 by
11280-433: The sale of cloth. Specific market towns cultivated a reputation for high quality local goods. For example, London's Blackwell Hall became a centre for cloth, Bristol became associated with a particular type of cloth known as Bristol red , Stroud was known for producing fine woollen cloth, the town of Worsted became synonymous with a type of yarn; Banbury and Essex were strongly associated with cheeses. A study on
11400-574: The sample testing of markets by Edward I the "lawgiver" , who summoned the Model Parliament in 1295 to perambulate the boundaries of forest and town. Market towns grew up at centres of local activity and were an important feature of rural life and also became important centres of social life, as some place names suggest: Market Drayton , Market Harborough , Market Rasen , Market Deeping , Market Weighton , Chipping Norton , Chipping Ongar , and Chipping Sodbury – chipping
11520-418: The sand. Villages and towns in Suffolk are renowned for historic, pink-washed halls and cottages, which has become known far and wide as "Suffolk Pink". Decorative paint colours found in the county can range from a pale shell shade, to a deep blush brick colour. According to research, Suffolk Pink dates back to the 14th century, when these shades were developed by local dyers by adding natural substances to
11640-513: The second Thetford bypass resulted in five of the course holes being lost and having to be re-fashioned by Cameron Sinclair and Donald Steel. Thetford railway station is located on the Breckland line between Ely and Norwich and opened in 1845. The station building was designed in a Neo-Jacobean style and constructed using local Breckland flint, and extended in 1889. It has one of the best preserved set of railway buildings in East Anglia, retaining nine separate buildings that have survived from
11760-420: The small force joined Norfolk County Constabulary . Thetford Fire Brigade was established in 1880. The Thetford Gas Company, founded in 1838, proved very short-lived until Thetford Gasworks opened on Bury Road in 1845. In 1848, gas street lighting was installed in Thetford. From 1877 the town was provided with a clean water supply thanks to a new reservoir and steam engine on Gallows Hill to pump fresh water into
11880-574: The spring at Nuns Bridges and the Thetford Mineral Spring Company was established. The mayor financed a new gravel path along the bank of the Little Ouse, which was named Spring Walk. The plan did not succeed; by 1838 the pump room was closed. In 1835 the old Corporation of Thetford was abolished, and a new one set up a mayor, four aldermen and twelve councillors. The town was represented by two MPs until 1868 when it lost
12000-559: The term "Silly Suffolk" can actually be dated to no earlier than 1819, and its alleged medieval origins have been shown to be mythical. The majority of agriculture in Suffolk is either agronomy or mixed farming . Farm sizes vary from anything around 80 acres (32 hectares) to over 8,000. Soil types vary from heavy clays to light sands. Crops grown include winter wheat , barley , sugar beet , oilseed rape , winter and spring beans and linseed , although smaller areas of rye and oats can be found growing in areas with lighter soils along with
12120-466: The three-tier system was divided into four geographical area groupings and corresponding phases. The first phase was the conversion of schools in Lowestoft and Haverhill in 2011, followed by schools in north and west Suffolk in 2012. The remainder of the changeovers to two-tier took place from 2013, for those schools that stayed within local government control, and did not become Academies and/or free schools . The majority of schools thus now (2019) operate
12240-466: The time of the Roman occupation of Britain's southern regions. Another ancient market town is Cirencester , which held a market in late Roman Britain. The term derived from markets and fairs first established in 13th century after the passage of Magna Carta , and the first laws towards a parlement . The Provisions of Oxford of 1258 were only possible because of the foundation of a town and university at
12360-428: The town and in the surrounding district. Norway developed market towns at a much later period than other parts of Europe. The reasons for this late development are complex but include the sparse population, lack of urbanisation, no real manufacturing industries and no cash economy. The first market town was created in 11th century Norway, to encourage businesses to concentrate around specific towns. King Olaf established
12480-747: The town erected a market cross in the centre of the town, to obtain God's blessing on the trade. Notable examples of market crosses in England are the Chichester Cross , Malmesbury Market Cross and Devizes, Wiltshire. Market towns often featured a market hall , as well, with administrative or civic quarters on the upper floor, above a covered trading area. Market towns with smaller status include Minchinhampton , Nailsworth , and Painswick near Stroud, Gloucestershire . A "market town" may or may not have rights concerning self-government that are usually
12600-431: The town main streets, houses and shops. Elizabeth arrived in Thetford on 27 August 1578 to survey developments, holding a Privy Council meeting at Sir Edward Clere's Place House, now Nunnery Place. A lot of material from the decaying priory and religious buildings in the town were used to save building costs in the building of King's House and other buildings in Thetford. James VI and I visited Thetford, and in 1609 bought
12720-408: The town some protection from rival markets. When a chartered market was granted for specific market days, a nearby rival market could not open on the same days. Across the boroughs of England, a network of chartered markets sprang up between the 12th and 16th centuries, giving consumers reasonable choice in the markets they preferred to patronise. Until about 1200, markets were often held on Sundays,
12840-474: The town's inhabitants would fall into extreme poverty because their livelihoods depended on pilgrims visiting Thetford. Thetford Priory was closed down in 1540 and fell into the possession of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk . In 1574, Elizabeth I granted a Charter of Incorporation to the town, setting up a governing body of a mayor, ten burgesses and twenty commoners to meet in the Guildhall and redevelop
12960-493: The town. In 1929 the Anglian Electricity Supply Company began supplying electricity to the town, which was completed in 1933. Thetford was the headquarters of Tulip International, large-scale manufacturers of bacon , beef and pork . In March 2007 the factory laid off three quarters of their workforce in Thetford with the loss of 350 jobs, and the factory later closed in 2010. In January 2018 it
13080-593: The unified county of Suffolk. The county was divided into several local government districts : Babergh , Forest Heath , Ipswich , Mid Suffolk , St Edmundsbury , Suffolk Coastal , and Waveney . This act also transferred some land near Great Yarmouth to Norfolk. As introduced in Parliament, the Local Government Act would have transferred Newmarket and Haverhill to Cambridgeshire and Colchester from Essex; such changes were not included when
13200-475: The war. Locally in the wooded and sand like areas, the trial tests of the first tank took place in total secrecy in early 1915. At the end of World War II , Thetford still only had a population of around 5000 people. In the 1950s, the borough council drew up a plan with the London County Council to relocate Londoners and several businesses to Thetford and double the population. By the late 1980s
13320-652: Was a collaboration between the University of Essex and the University of East Anglia which sponsored its formation and validated its degrees. UOS accepted its first students in September 2007. Until then Suffolk was one of only four counties in England which did not have a university campus. The University of Suffolk was granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in November 2015, and in May 2016 it
13440-596: Was announced that a new retail park and restaurant had been approved on the factory site with over 7,367 square metres (79,300 sq ft) of retail floor space. The development was initiated by Stapleford Thetford Ltd. as part of the Thetford-Cambridge-Norwich Technology Corridor. The market is held outside Thetford Guildhall in the town centre on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The British Trust for Ornithology has its headquarters at The Nunnery in Thetford. Thetford contains
13560-593: Was awarded University status by the Privy Council and renamed The University of Suffolk on 1 August 2016. The university operates at five sites, with its central hub in Ipswich. Others include Lowestoft, Bury St. Edmunds, and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. The university is organised in four academic schools and in 2022/23 had 13,700 students. 88% of the student body are aged over 21 and 46% of university students are male. Founded in 1948 by Benjamin Britten ,
13680-480: Was built on the ruins of an Iron Age fort at Castle Hill. It is believed to have been constructed either by Ralph Guader , Earl of East Anglia, or Roger Bigod , his successor as Earl, who is known to have ordered Bungay and Framlingham castles to have been built in Suffolk. In 1104, Bigod founded the Cluniac Priory of St Mary . The priory grew rapidly, with an influx of monks from Lewes , and in 1107 it
13800-482: Was derived from a Saxon verb meaning "to buy". A major study carried out by the University of London found evidence for least 2,400 markets in English towns by 1516. The English system of charters established that a new market town could not be created within a certain travelling distance of an existing one. This limit was usually a day's worth of travelling (approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)) to and from
13920-441: Was established shortly thereafter. Roger Bigod founded the Cluniac Priory of St Mary in 1104, which became the largest and most important religious institution in Thetford. The town was badly hit by the Dissolution of the Monasteries , including the castle's destruction, but was rebuilt in 1574 when Elizabeth I established a town charter. After World War II , Thetford became an " overspill town", taking people from London, as
14040-419: Was moved to a larger site on the other side of the river where the ruins remain today. It became the largest and most important religious institution in Thetford. The Norfolk Lent Assizes were held at Thetford from 1264 because there was only one Assize for both Norfolk and Suffolk . Thetford, being close to the border between the two, was convenient for both. However, after much pressure, an Act of Parliament
14160-515: Was passed in 1832 to transfer them to Norwich. In 1373, John of Gaunt , the Duke of Lancaster, was responsible for altering the administrative makeup of the town, promoting the mayor to its most important official, subjecting the bailiff and the coroner to report to him. Thetford had its own coroner, courts and legal officials, without depending on those for the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Henry VIII sent Anne Boleyn 's father, Thomas , as part of
14280-655: Was reduced to two, when the Beccles, Ipswich and Woodbridge divisions merged into an East Suffolk division, administered from Ipswich, and the old Bury St Edmunds division became the West Suffolk division. Under the Local Government Act 1888 , the two divisions were made the separate administrative counties of East Suffolk and West Suffolk ; On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 , East Suffolk, West Suffolk, and Ipswich were merged to form
14400-405: Was under Danish rule, Danish merchants held a monopoly on trade with Iceland until 1786. With the abolishment of the trading monopoly, six market town ( Icelandic kaupstaður ) were founded around the country. All of them, except for Reykjavík , would lose their market rights in 1836. New market towns would be designated by acts from Alþingi in the 19th and 20th century. In the latter half of
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