During the late 1980s, several sizeable undeveloped areas south of the river were threatened. Together, they provided an opportunity to recover further information about the origins and growth of Thetford. This is the fourth volume in the series to cover excavations in Thetford (see EAA 22 and 62 above, EAA 4 out of print), and further reports are in press.
An area excavation to the east of Red Castle, not far from Davison’s large-scale excavations at Brandon Road, provided the chance to recover evidence of the Early and Middle Saxon settlements, and the Late Saxon expansion, and to look at a part of Thetford still occupied during the late 11th and 12th centuries, when the town was in rapid decline and the ringwork known as ‘Red Castle’ was built.