Thatcham unveils blue plaque marking 18th-century Dunston House

Thatcham has unveiled a blue plaque marking an 18th-century manor house.

The plaque was placed to mark the entrance to the avenue that led up to Dunstan House.

The manor, which has now been demolished, was home to the Brig-Gen Richard Waring, his descendants and – through marriage – the Croft family.

The crests of the two families are shown on the plaque.

This is the town’s Heritage Working Party’s sixth blue plaque.

The unveiling was followed by a short talk on the history of the house from Dr Nick Young, who discussed the original purchase of the manor in 1722 to construction and demolition.

He said: “Dunston House doesn’t exist any more, having been demolished around 1800, however materials were recycled in several properties around Thatcham and further afield.

“If you want to get a taste of those materials you only have to look at the United Reformed Church in Church Lane as most of it is built from those materials.”

Mayor of Thatcham Mark Lillycrop said: “We are so lucky that we have people like Dr Nick Young and the rest of the historical society who really focus on the local history research the background to local events and make sure that these things are remembered.

“Driving through Thatcham you wouldn’t necessarily think this is a town steeped in history but there is an awful lot of history here and it is important to remember these events.

“I think it is really important to do that to give young people the opportunity to find out more about the place and what went on here.”