These defences provide evidence of Great Thurlow having continuous occupation since Roman times. The Domesday Book includes the first record of Great Thurlow, where the village is shown to be in the possession of a "freewoman called Edred". The first reference to the manor of Temple End, in the west of Great Thurlow, is also included. This site has long been associated with the Knights Templar, to which the owner was later awarded. This record of the name predates their foundation by over 30 years however, which leads some to believe a temple of a previous age once stood there. Further support is given to this theory as remnants of building have been uncovered at Temple End, although no further excavations have taken place. The wealthy Soame family became a major influence in the late 16th century. Great and Little Thurlow became one under the Soame family, and would remain so during their ownership which lasted three centuries. Great Thurlow prospered for much of this era, with the Soame family having keen interests in agriculture, while also contributing to new properties and building renovations. The Parish Book holds a record of meetings held for the care of villagers and, under Sir Stephen Soame, almshouses were built and a school for the male children of Thurlow was founded. Many of Great Thurlows now historical buildings were built or repaired during this time, such as the introduction of Collis Mill to Great Thurlow and an extension to the Cock Inn. The nineteenth century saw much less prosperity for the Soame family, and subsequently for the Thurlow villages, with the later generations of the Soame family being less successful in maintaining family wealth. In 1809, the mansion house of the Soames in Little Thurlow burned down, and when the last of the Soame family in the village died, the family's connection to the villages ceased. Great Thurlow received considerably more attention towards the end of the Soame's dynasty, and this trend of investment continued through the nineteenth century. William Henry Smith, the founder of W.H.Smith, became lord of Great Thurlow in 1885. This saw the separation of Great and Little Thurlow once again, and continued the significant building developments in Great Thurlow. Great Thurlow Hall is thought to have been restored in this period, while many Georgian style houses were built. Among the new buildings were notable areas of the village today, such as the Rectory, Hill House, Red House, the Estate Office and the Meeting House.