Thetford was a comparatively well preserved major Late Saxon town which has in recent years seen considerable large-scale redevelopment. The archaeological response over the last thirty years has salvaged a considerable amount of information, but there have been missed opportunities and a large part of the material collected still awaits publication.
The purpose of this study has been to bring together the archaeological and early documentary evidence to provide an interim survey of the Late Saxon town and to emphasise those areas where further work is needed. At a later date when the 1948-52 and 1964-70 excavations have been published some of the ideas put forward in this survey may have to be reviewed. The historial and archaeological evidence for the development of Thetford within the context of urban origins in East Anglia has been assessed.
The report also identifies for the County and District Planning Authorities those sites where there ought to be the closest possible cooperation between the Archaeological Unit, the Planning Authorities and owners of sites when redevelopment is considered in the future.