Newbury to unveil blue plaque for Thomas Hardy

Newbury Town Council is going to unveil a blue heritage plaque for Thomas Hardy on Saturday.

This is the town’s 18th blue plaque.

The plaque will be unveiled with the Thomas Hardy Society and the Chequers Hotel at 11.30am.

Thomas Hardy’s final novel Jude the Obscure – written in 1895 – takes place mostly in and around Newbury and Oxford, lightly disguised under the fictional names Kennetbridge and Christminster.

The topography of Newbury at that time is accurately described, where Northbrook Street is the “long straight street of the borough”.

The Chequers Hotel is expressly mentioned in the novel as a favourable place to stay.

The plaque will form a part of the Thomas Hardy Trail of sites which commemorates his work.

It will be unveiled by Newbury mayor Nigel Foot, supported by chairman and academic director of the Thomas Hardy Society Mark Chutter.

Leader of Newbury Town Council Gary Norman said: “Hardy’s Wessex is the setting for most of his novels, and Newbury is part of that setting.

“This blue plaque enhances Newbury’s role as a destination for visitors.

“We are very grateful to the Thomas Hardy Society and to the Newbury Society for their generous contributions to the cost of the plaque, and to the Chequers Hotel for providing the location.

“We are confident that Hardy enthusiasts will welcome this addition to recognised Hardy sites”.