Flora Thompson is the well-known author of an autobiographical trilogy Lark Rise to Candleford (1945). Her books are much valued by local historians as an accurate depiction of rural life at the end of the 19th century.
Publication of the 1901 census has revealed that Flora Thompson, was then working in Yateley. In 1901 Chaddisbrooke House contained the telegraph office where Flora Thompson, then Flora Timms, worked as Yateley’s telegraph operator before she married.
Situated right next to St Peter's, a church with Saxon origins, the site on which Chaddisbrooke stands could well have been important historically from Saxon times. In the early 1990s local archaeologist Geoff Hoare set out to discover the origins of the present house and uncover what else the site might reveal of its ancient history.
In the 1930s Chaddisbrooke became the home of Mr Leonard Collison who later formed the Yateley Branch of the WEA. Meetings of the WEA were often held in his house.
If you purchase any old postcards of Yateley the chances are you will buy one of the church, showing Chaddisbrooke and its general store.
Today Chaddisbrooke is still playing an important role in the community as the parish office, next door to Discoveries, the charity shop.