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| HER Number | MWB15683 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|
| Name | Shaw House - site of brick waterhouse |
|---|
Summary
Former location of a brick waterhouse of possibly late 17th century date on high ground once postulated to be a Civil War earthwork
Other Statuses and Cross-References
- Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 03467.03.000
Monument Type(s):
- FIELDWORK? (17th century - 1644 AD? to 1644 AD?)
- WATER TOWER (17th century to Mid 20th century - 1670 AD? to 1960 AD?)
Full Description
A brick waterhouse or tower that fed water from either the river or a well to Shaw House was located on the top of rising ground to the east of the gardens. It was first recorded on a map of c.1730 <1> and survived until 1960s, when the site was developed for housing. Leamon notes that the waterhouse was considered to have been 'square, flat topped and about 40 feet high' <3>. Research carried out on Shaw House and its gardens suggested that the waterhouse could have been a late 17th century structure, with one of its main functions being to provide a good head of water for garden fountains <5>. An aerial photograph taken in 1946 provides one of the few modern images of the waterhouse <6>. In 1948 the field in which it stood was being developed for housing <7>.
Walter Money <4> thought that the ground around the water tower looked as if it had been artificially raised for defence, linked to the Second Battle of Newbury.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Commissioned by the Duke of Chandos. 1729/30. Map of Speen Manor. [Map / SWB12939] |
| <02> | Rhodes, J, et al. 1998-2000. Shaw House, Newbury - Conservation Plan. 2021 WBC Network. p24. [Unpublished document / SWB12702] |
| <03> | Leamon, R. 1992. Historic Landscape of Shaw - A West Berkshire Manor. 2021 WBC Network. p41. [Unpublished document / SWB12703] |
| <04> | Money, W. 1884. The First and Second Battles of Newbury (2nd ed). p152-3, 171. [Monograph / SWB12745]
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL14008014M/The_first_and_second_battles_of_Newbury_and_the_siege_of_Donnington_Castle_during_the_Civil_War_1643 (Accessed 23/09/2013) |
| <05> | Latham, S. 2003. Shaw House, Newbury, Berkshire - The Gardens: Historical Analysis and Survey Report. p15, 22. [Unpublished document / SWB14268] |
| <06> | Latham, S. 2003. Shaw House, Newbury, Berkshire - The Gardens: Historical Analysis and Survey Report. Illustrations. Illust 17. [Unpublished document / SWB14269] |
| <07> | Aerofilms. 29/04/1948. Britain from Above - EAW015079. Aerial Photo. [Photograph / SWB149478]
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW015079 (Accessed 03/10/2018) |
Related Monuments
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
| EWB740 | An Archaeological Investigation of Shaw House & Gardens, Shaw-cum-Donnington, Berkshire 2003 |
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