Diss, United Kingdom

In 1152, Richard de Lucy received the right to hold a market in Diss and, before 1161, he gave a third of a hundred of Diss (Heywood or Hewode) together with the market in frank marriage with his daughter Dionisia to Sir Robert de Mountenay. After Richard de Lucy's death in 1179, the inheritance of the other two parts of Diss hundred passed to his daughter Maud, who married Walter FitzRobert.

The whole estate later fell to the Lordship of the FitzWalters, who were raised to Baron FitzWalter in 1295. In 1299, the then Lord FitzWalter obtained a charter of confirmation for a fair every year at his manor of Diss, to be held around the feast day of Saint Simon and Jude (28 October) and several days after. A grant made in 1298 to William Partekyn of Prilleston (now Billingford) presented for homage and half a mark of silver two homesteads in Diss, with liberty of washing his wool and cloths in Diss Meer. This came on the express condition that the gross dye be washed off first. It seems that Diss church was built by the same Lord, as his arms appear in the stone of the south porch of the church several times.

Soon after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, Edward Plantagenet, Duke of York and Earl of Rutland, came to hold Diss manor, hundred and market, together with Hemenhale, and the title of Lord FitzWalter became attached to the estate.

Hemenhale and Diss manors, with the hundred of Diss in Norfolk

The manors of Wodeham-Walter (now Woodham Walter), Henham, Leiden (now part of Leaden Roding), Vitring, Dunmow Parva (now Little Dunmow), Burnham, Winbush and Shering (now Sheering) in Essex.

Shortly afterwards, the estate was acquired by the Ratcliffe family, which inherited the title of Baron FitzWalter. The family owned the land until at least 1732, styling themselves Viscounts FitzWalter.

John Skelton, tutor and court poet to Henry VIII, was appointed rector at St. Mary's Church in Diss in about 1503. He retained the benefice until his death. Events there formed the subject of some of his poems, such as the humorous invective "Ware the Hauke", in which another priest goes falconing in St Mary's, barring the doors against him and causing chaos in the church.

Opposite the 14th-century parish Church of St Mary the Virgin stands a 16th-century building known as the Dolphin House. This was one of the town's major buildings, as its impressive dressed-oak beams denote. It may have been a wool merchant's house. Formerly a pub, the Dolphin, from the 1800s to the 1960s, the building now houses some small businesses.

Next to Dolphin House is the town's market place, the town's geographical and social centre. The market is held every Friday (except Good Friday and other holidays, when it is rescheduled to Thursday): a variety of local traders sell fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and cheeses. It was first granted a charter by Richard the Lionheart. The town's post office and main shopping street, Mere Street, are also near the marketplace, and Diss Town Hall is located nearby on Market Hill.

Early in 1871, alterations at a house in Mount Street about 100 yards (100 m) north of the parish church led workmen to remove the brick flooring of a ground-floor room and insert the joists of a boarded floor. They found in the centre, some 18 inches (50 cm) from the surface, a hoard of over 300 coins, all silver but for two gold nobles.

From 1927 until 1982, Cambridge businessman Jack Baldry and his son Derek operated a factory in the town that produced soda water, lemonade and cola for the pubs of East Anglia. Baldry also owned soft drinks factories in Cambridge and Sawston The old brewery in Diss that Jack converted into a soda factory is still known locally as Baldry's Yard.

The Diss Museum has been located in a building called the Shambles since 1993.

The 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum is located 4.5 mi (7.2 km) east of Diss at the former RAF Thorpe Abbotts airfield.

In March 2006, Diss became the third UK town to join Cittaslow, an international body promoting a concept of "Slow Towns". However, it has since withdrawn.