Dunston, Staffordshire

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Dunston village sign, May 2008

Dunston is a small village in England lying on the west side of the A449 trunk road about 3 miles south of Stafford. Being formerly part of the ancient parish of Penkridge, it lies at roughly 300 feet (98 metres) above sea level. Part of Penkridge was added to the civil parish of Dunston under the Staffordshire Review Order of 1934, increasing the land area from 1,448 acres to 1,752 acres. In 1680, there were 20 houses in Dunston, and in 1817 44 houses, with a population of 214. The population in 1951 was 295.^[1]

1 St Leonard's Church
2 School
3 Notable local houses
4 Notable people
5 External links
6 References

[edit] St Leonard's Church

The village church of St. Leonard's is medium sized, of Neo-Gothic style and was designed by architect Andrew Capper. ^[2] Between 1876 and 1878 the old chapel was demolished and a new church erected on the same site.

Dunston St Leonard's church, May 2008

It is a stone building in 14th century style and consists of nave, chancel, transepts, vestry, and a spired west tower. In 1887, a new churchyard, given by the family of a former parishioner, was consecrated, previous burials having been carried out at Penkridge. In 1907, the vestry was added and a new organ installed. The church contains memorial tablets to Thomas Perry (d. 1861), in whose memory the church was built, to his widow Mary (d. 1881), and to later members of the Perry family who lived at nearby Dunston Hall. There are memorial windows and a tablet to members of the Hand family including Charles Frederic Hand (d. 1900), also tablets to John Taylor Duce (d. 1886), Albert Pickstock (d. 1926), and three members of the Thorneycroft family (d. 1913, 1924, and 1943). The two bells of the ancient chapel in 1553, were replaced by one bell in the new church by 1889. This arrangement was then replaced in 1890 by a carillon of eight tubular bells, rung from a keyboard, donated by Mrs. Perry of Dunston Hall. ^[3]

[edit] School

A primary school was built at Dunston in 1866 on a site given by the Earl of Lichfield, building costs being met by subscription.

St. Leonard's First School, Dunston, May 2008

Attendance figures for the school in various years:

Year	Attendance
1871	15
1910	63
1930	60
1937	34
1955	32

It is now called Dunston Church of England Voluntary Primary Controlled School, Junior Mixed and Infants. The building is of red brick, the original block, dating from 1866, has lancet windows with diagonal glazing bars. ^[4]

[edit] Notable local houses

Dunston Hall, rebuilt on the site of an older house by Frederick C. Perry c.1870, is a large stuccoed mansion bearing his monogram. It has Gothic detail to the principal doorway and a central tower-like feature. Depressions in the north-east corner of the garden may indicate the presence of a former moat. The brick stable-range dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. The much extended Dunston Hall of today is divided into units for various businesses.

Dunston House, lying on the east side of the A449 trunk road opposite the church, is a square late 18th century building of red brick.

Dunston Farm is of earlier 18th century date.

The Toft, about a mile north-west of the village proper, known in the early 19th century as Old Toft, was built c.1700 and in its original form was a T-shaped brick house with a symmetrical front and a moulded stone cornice. The back wing has an early 19th century extension and at the front a Georgian porch and a bay-windowed addition dating from the 20th century.^[5] This property also has a stone figure of a woman's head and shoulders mounted on the upper corner of the building looking out over the cross-roads.

[edit] Notable people

Dunston was home to some members of the Thorneycroft family, who lived at Dunston Hall. George Benjamin Thorneycroft, son of the first Mayor of Wolverhampton (with the same name),^[6] was living at the Hall by 1901. His grandson was George Edward Peter Thorneycroft, (1909-1994) who originated from the area and was the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Stafford 1938-1945, MP for Monmouth 1945-1966, and was created Baron Thorneycroft of Dunston (Staffs) in 1967. He held various political offices, for example, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was Chairman of the Conservative Party 1975-1981.^[7] Peter Thorneycroft sold the Hall in 1951 which was then converted into flats and in 1956 was sold to the English Electric Company. ^[8]