Thetford Priory : the unpublished documents of the office of works

The priory of St Mary, Thetford was one of the foremost Cluniac houses in England, made famous from its foundation up to the Suppression by its association with the earls and dukes of Norfolk. During the course of a current research project on the tombs of the Howard dukes of Norfolk, led by Phillip Lindley, all the relevant Ministry of Works documentation, either in the care of English Heritage Archives or accessioned by the English Heritage curatorial team, was examined. This paper reveals four different types of discovery relating to the buildings and archaeology, and concludes by considering the value of the exercise.