(both land and building costs) to Thurston in 1913 by Julia Florence Cavendish, the American-born wife of Tyrell William Cavendish, who died on the Titanic. The couple had joined the ship's maiden voyage to New York to see Julia Cavendish's father Henry Siegel shortly after purchasing Thurston House, which they were renovating. After Tyrell's death, Julia asked the Parish Council if the Hall could be built as his memorial, but sold Thurston Hall without living in it. Village amenities In addition to Cavendish Hall, Thurston has a second hall, known as the New Green Centre, which opened in 1991. It is set in parkland and operates as a venue for village sports activities, clubs, meetings and events. Other activities in the village include an Air Training Corps squadron. The village has two pubs, The Victoria on Norton Road and The Fox and Hounds on Barton Road, near the railway line. There is also a bar at the Grange Hotel (formerly known as Thurston Grange), a mock Tudor hotel with banqueting and conference facilities. There is a small business park, known as Thurston Granary, located in the village and other businesses include Harvey's Garden Plants, a family-run garden centre/tea room that has won gold medals at Chelsea. The local public upper school is Thurston Community College, with about 1,500 pupils from the village and surrounding communities. The school also has a sixth form, with 400–500 students, and a primary school with around 200 students. The village has two churches; the parish church, St Peter's, which is part of the a joint benefice with Great Barton parish church, and a branch of Forge, a non-conformist multi-site free church based in Suffolk. References External sources Thurston Parish Site Thurston Railway History External links Villages in Suffolk Mid Suffolk District Civil parishes in Suffolk Thedwastre Hundred