Timeline Adapted from "A Popular History of Thatcham" by Peter Allen, local historian c.8400-7500 BC Mesolithic (Stone Age) settlement (Thatcham Moors) c.1500 BC Bronze Age settlement (Dunston Park) c.500 BC Iron Age settlement (Dunston Park) c.250-375 AD Romano British settlement (Thatcham Newtown) c.500 AD Saxon Chief Tace establishes his village c.675 AD Saxon Church is built at Thatcham c.971 Thatcham becomes a Royal Manor 1086 Thatcham Hundred comprises seventeen Manors 1123 Thatcham becomes a Monastic Manor c.1141 Norman Church is built at Thatcham c.1160 Thatcham Market is attacked by Newbury men 1218 Market day is changed from Sunday to Thursday 1222 Thatcham is granted a two day annual fair c.1300 Thatcham becomes a borough 1304 The chapel of the borough is built 1306 Thatcham is first taxed as a borough 1316 The Vicarage of Thatcham is instituted 1348-49 The Black Death decimated local population c.1430 Thomas Loundyes' Charity is established c.1520 The Danvers Chapel is added to the Parish Church c.1540 John Winchcombe becomes Lord of the Manor c.1590 John Hunt's charity is established 1603 Plague recurs in Thatcham 1707 Lady Frances Winchcombe's School is established 1718 Thatcham Manor becomes forfeit to the Crown c.1720 Turnpike Road (Theale - Speen) is opened
1722 Brigadier-General Waring becomes Lord of the Manor 1722 Dunstan House is built 1723 Kennet Navigation (Reading-Newbury) is opened 1784 Royal Mail coach operates through Thatcham 1794 Chapel in Chapel Street re-opens as the Bluecoat School 1795 Speenhamland system of poor relief is instituted 1798 Dunstan House is demolished 1800 Food riots occur in and around Thatcham 1802 William Mount becomes Lord of the Manor 1804 Independent Chapel in Church Lane is opened 1810 Kennet and Avon Canal (Newbury - Bath) is opened 1811 Thatcham's first Enclosure Act is passed c.1815 Stephen Pinnock's turnery works is opened 1828 First National School (Broadway) is opened 1830 Machine riots occur in and around Thatcham 1834 Weslyan Methodist Chapel is opened 1837 Workhouse in Broadway closes 1839 Thatcham Agricultural Society is founded 1840 Primitive Methodist Chapel is opened 1844 Francis Baily is buried in Parish Church 1846 National School (Park Lane) opens in Park Lane 1847 British School (Church Lane) is opened 1847 Berks and Hants Railway (Reading - Hungerford) is opened 1849 Thatcham's second Enclosure Act is passed 1861 John Henry takes over Colthrop Mills 1866 Thatcham gas works is established 1879 Thatcham Cottage Garden Society is founded 1880 Thatcham sewage works is constructed
1887 Churchyard is closed for burials - Cemetery is opened 1895 Inaugural meeting of Thatcham Parish Council 1900 Thatcham Nursing Society founded 1902 William House is awarded the VC 1905 Thatcham Police Station is opened 1906 GWR main line to West Country is opened 1907 Parish Hall is built 1911 AH and CG Brown's motor works is founded 1911 Tomlin Memorial Fountain and Shelter is erected 1912 First public telephone is installed in Thatcham 1913 Council School (Francis Baily) is opened 1915 Alexander Buller-Turner is awarded the VC 1918 Cropper & Company take over Colthrop Mills 1920 Thatcham Electric Light Works is established 1920 Thatcham War Memorial is dedicated 1921 Thatcham's Road Transport Services is founded 1928 Local roads are officially named and numbered 1931 Mains water is supplied (from Cold Ash reservoir) 1940 Army Depot in Station Road is opened 1942 Victor Buller-Turner is awarded the VC 1947 Memorial Playing Field comes into use 1957 Kennet Secondary School is opened 1958 Brown's (Broadway) Turnery Works closes down 1962 High Street relief road is completed 1964 St. Mary's (Park Lane) Primary School is opened 1964 St. Mary's (Broadway) Infant School is closed 1969 Thatcham Police Station is closed 1972 Whitelands Park and Parsons Down Schools open
1974 Thatcham Parish Council becomes a Town Council 1978 Thatcham Health Centre is opened 1978 Thatcham Catholic Church is opened 1980 The (original) Children's Centre is opened 1981 New Public Library opened at Walnut Close 1983 Thatcham Police Station re-opened in Chapel Street 1983 New Town Council Offices opened in Brownsfield Road 1986 Kingsland Shopping Centre opened in The Broadway 1987 New Thatcham Station opened 1987 Thatcham Baptist Church is opened 1988 Thatcham's last wood turnery closes down 1988 Kennet Sports Centre opened to the public 1989 Spurcroft Primary School is officially opened 1990 Brown's Garage ceases trading 1990 Kennet & Avon Canal re-opened throughout its length 1992 Thatcham Football Club moved to Waterside Park 1995 Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre opened 1996 Henwick Worthy Sportsground comes into use 1999 Northern Distributor Road is closed 1999 Thatcham Depot Closes 2000 Millennium Monument unveiled 2001 First Thatcham Festival of Arts 2002 Thatcham's revived street market began trading 2003 Nurse's House in Church Gate sold by Thatcham Nursing Society 2004 West Berkshire Community Hospital opened at Henwick 2005 Thatcham Park Primary School opened 2006 Thatcham Crematorium opened at Colthrop 2007 Sony closes