Ipswich (/ˈɪpswɪtʃ/ ⓘ) is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds,[4][5] and the second-largest population centre in East of England, Norwich being the largest. It is 80 miles (130 km) northeast of London and in 2011 had a population of 144,957. The Ipswich built-up area is the fourth-largest in the East of England and the 42nd-largest in England and Wales.[6] It includes the towns and villages of Kesgrave, Woodbridge, Bramford and Martlesham Heath.[7] Ipswich was first recorded during the medieval period as Gippeswic, the town has also been recorded as Gyppewicus and Yppswyche.[8] It has been continuously inhabited since the Saxon period,[8] and is believed to be one of the oldest towns in the United Kingdom.[9] The settlement was of great economic importance to the Kingdom of England throughout its history, particularly in trade,[10] with the town's historical dock, Ipswich Waterfront, known as the largest and most important dock in the Kingdom.[10][11]