The Old Bluecoat School has a rich, 700 year history. This includes its original use as a chapel, various periods of neglect, a time as a school room and even a short period as an antiques shop. The history can be broken down into distinct periods:
St Thomas’ Chapel
The building was originally built in the early 14th century as a chapel for the borough of Thatcham. It was known as St Thomas’ Chapel.
The Bluecoat School
In the early 18th century the building was repaired and opened as a school for the ‘poor boys of Thatcham and surrounding parishes’.
Recent Years
The Bluecoat School closed in 1914. A new council school was opened and the building was used as a classroom for cookery and woodwork.
A New History
A review of the building’s history compiled by Mark Thomas in 2020.
A National Treasure
In the early 18th century the building was repaired and opened as a school for the ‘poor boys of Thatcham and surrounding parishes’.