In 1259, Roger Bigod, the 4th Earl of Norfolk, was granted the first Market Charter for Harleston. However, the title and rights repeatedly lapsed as the person with the title left no heir. It was not until late 16th C that evidence can be found of a market place. I strongly suspect that the original market place of more than 10,000 square yards was a broad based triangle with a base at Exchange Street and ending at Box Iron Corner, and more or less matches the footprint

Harleston’s very existence as a town in its own right is deeply rooted in trade. At the time of the Doomsday Census, Harleston was a small hamlet. Although there may have previously been an unregulated market, it was when Harleston was granted a market charter almost eight centuries ago that the foundations were laid for the bustling commercial centre it later became. Stied as it is in rich agricultural lands only 20 miles or so from Norwich, Harleston’s development and chara