Thetford Castle
| Thetford Castle | |
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| Norfolk, England | |
Thetford Castle
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 Thetford Castle
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| Coordinates | 52°24′40″N 0°45′17″E / 52.4112°N 0.7547°ECoordinates: 52°24′40″N 0°45′17″E / 52.4112°N 0.7547°E |
| Grid reference | grid reference TL87468281 |
| Type | Motte and bailey |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Local authority |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Earthworks remain |
| Site history | |
| Events | Revolt of 1173–1174 |
Thetford Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle in the market town of Thetford in the Breckland area of Norfolk, England. The first castle in Thetford, a probable 11th century Norman ringwork called Red Castle, was replaced in the 12th century by a much larger motte and bailey castle on the other side of the town. This new castle was largely destroyed in 1173 by Henry II, although the huge motte, the second largest man-made mound in England, remained intact. The motte, recognised as a scheduled monument, now forms part of a local park, and the remains are known variously as Castle Hill, Castle Mound and Military Parade.
In the 11th century the largest towns in England were concentrated in the east and south-east of the country, especially in East Anglia. Thetford was an important settlement during the period and the second largest town in East Anglia. Thetford comes from "Thaetford", or "the ford", and was a key point on the ancient Icknield Way. Thetford was also an important international trading hub and a centre of pottery production. An earth and timber fort had been built on this site during the Iron Age period but had been left to decay and by the late Saxon era the town had been protected by a burgh, or ditched enclosure, that surrounded the town.
The first castle on the Thetford site was Red Castle and was probably built shortly after the Norman conquest of England by William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey. The castle was a ringwork design and was positioned across the line of the defensive Saxon ditch, in the process enclosing and cutting off the local church from the inside of the town, and building over part of the local cemetery.
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