The History of Thetford

The name of the town is believed to be derived from the Anglo Saxon word meaning people's ford, underlining the area's importance for travellers wishing to cross the river here.

The early history of Thetford is dominated by the Celtic queen Boudica, who is believed to have lived here during her reign of the Iceni tribe. A fantastic treasure trove of archaeological finds here, many of which are now on display at the British Museum, point to it having been a major centre both in the Iron Age and during the Roman invasion.

During the writing of the Domesday Book, shortly after the Norman invasion of 1066, Thetford was classified as the sixth biggest town in England and a castle and cathedral were built here by the Normans.

Thomas Paine wrote the book Rights of Man and was one of the 18th century's leading authors as well as being a political visionary. A statue of this famous one time resident of Thetford sits proudly on King Street in the town where he was born and grew up.

In the mid 19th century Prince Duleep Singh, the last Punjab Maharajah, gave up his title and his fabulous treasures and came to live in Elveden Hall. A statue of him stands on Butten Island in Thetford and his house is now the town's Ancient House museum.

In 1904 the town boasted the first black mayor in Britain, with the Caribbean born Dr Allan Glaisyer Minns holding the honour.

Popular television comedy Dad's Army was filmed in the area during the period 1967 to 1977 and many fans of the series come here to track down some of the locations used in the filming, following the Dad's Army trail which has been established in the town.

Nowadays Thetford is a famously cosmopolitan town, thanks in part to the extremely large Portuguese population that lives here and the expansion which brought a huge amount of city folk here following the Second World War.