Village History

Thurton is written 'Tortuna' in the Domesday Book. The suffix is the Anglo-Saxon 'tun', meaning an enclosed space. The prefix may refer to a thorn bush, or perhaps to the Anglo-Saxon god Thunor, whom the Normans called Thur. So Thurton may mean 'the place of the thorn bush' or 'Thor's enclosure'.

The Domesday Book records Roger Bigot as being granted the rights of the land. In the reign of Richard I, Robert de Grys was lord. In 1347 the Abbot of Langley retained interests in Thurton and at the Dissolution, manorial right was passed to Thomas Godsalve. This was subsequently passed down to the Beauchamp family of Langley.

In 1707 a tumuli barrow, north of The Street, was opened and several Roman coins of Gallienus (emperor from 253 to 268), Victorinus (268 - 270 or 271), Tetricus (271 - 273) and Quintillus (270) were discovered. It is thought the village was on the Roman route from Burgh Castle (Gariannonum) to Caistor St Edmund (Venta Icenorum). William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk (1883) records the tradition that a battle took place nearby at White Heath, speculating that it might have been between the Roman and Iceni. If there is a connection with Burgh Castle then the battle might equally have been between Romans and Anglo-Saxons.

Other finds in Thurton include a prehistoric polished flint axe, a Neolithic stone axehead and a prehistoric copper alloy axe. These are held in the Castle Museum in Norwich. In 1848 a proof groat of Edward I, mounted as a brooch, was found. A 17th Century stoneware jar was discovered in 1966. This is also retained at the Castle Museum.

When the commons were enclosed in 1801 the income from Fuel Allotment of approximately 6 acres of land was awarded for the relief of the poor in Thurton. Thomas Spooner also left 20 shillings a year for the poor in 1630. These two charities are still active and benefit the community and are administered by a panel of trustees. In 1801 the population of Thurton was shown as 164, by 1901 the population had grown to 209 inhabitants and by the 2001 census this had grown to 568.

Norfolk Records Office has around 200 historic documents relating to Thurton.