The site of a palace built by Offa, 8th-century king of Anglo-Saxon Mercia. In the early 10th century it was reestablished as a burh town. Parts of the burh defenses and a gate have been found and a mill believed to be part of the 8th-century royal complex. Waterlogged conditions have preserved many of the structures. By Anglo-Saxon standards, the Tamworth mill was large and sophisticated, probably driven by a horizontal wheel.