Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of 29.55 km2 (11.41 sq mi), has a population of 24,340.Thetford is noted as the birthplace of Thomas Paine; a statue of him stands on King Street.