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This site is designated as being of national importance and is afforded additional protection. Consult West Berkshire Council's Archaeology team if more information or advice is needed.

Summary

Grade I listed, well preserved H-plan Elizabethan house built by Thomas Dolman in 1581, with alterations in 18th and 19th centuries, and used as a school from 1943 until 1985

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1220445: SHAW HOUSE SCHOOL - ERROR IN NAME (no longer current)
• Conservation Area: Shaw House and St Mary's Church, Shaw
• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1001446: Shaw House

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 03467.00.000
  
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 46 NE 187
  SU 47 69
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 46 NE 42
  SU 4758 6836
• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (I): ø Map No. 26 4/109 Shaw House
  Completed in 1581 for Thomas Dolman, junior. A great H shaped compositions of brick with stone dressings, and gabled fronts with old tile roof. Three storeys and basement. N. and S. fronts have triple gabled centres and projecting gabled wings. N. front has C.19 two storey extension across centre part conforming in character to older part. E. and W. fronts each triple gabled, the former with large stone angular bays on flanks. N. S. and E. fronts have contemporary stone doorways, early examples of classic detail. All windows, except on N. font, are original stone mullioned and transomed. Interior has contemporary and C.18 decoration and C.17 stair with turned balusters. Fully illustrated Country Life, September 1910. The house is surrounded by richly planted gardens, the E. garden being involved in the Battle of Newbury, October 1643. Shaw House at that time occupied by Charles 1 as headquarters. Visited by Charles II in 1663, William of Orange in 1688, and Queen Anne in 1703.

Monument Type(s):

• GREAT HOUSE (Elizabethan to Late 19th century - 1581 AD to 1900 AD) + Sci.Date
• REQUISITIONED BUILDING (Second World War - 1939 AD to 1943 AD)
• SECONDARY SCHOOL (Second World War to Late 20th century - Present - 1943 AD to 1985 AD)
• REGISTER OFFICE (Early 21st century - 2001 AD to 2050 AD)

Full Description

Shaw House is a well preserved Elizabethan mansion, built by Thomas Dolman, a wealthy Newbury clothier between 1570 and 1581; some remodelling took place around 1700 and further improvements took place during Lord Chandos' ownership from 1728-1753. It was privately owned by a succession of families until being requisitioned during the Second World War. From 1943 until 1985 the building was used as a school <61>, and part of its historic grounds are still in educational use by the renamed Trinity School. Shaw House is owned and managed by West Berkshire Council in the 21st century.

The Elizabethan H-plan house is in brick with a tiled roof; there are two floors over a basement with gabled attic floor and largely symmetrical elevations. Stonework details are in a restrained and classical form; the house is dated 1581 in Latin over south porch. The north front was remodelled in the mid 19th century, when the areas either side of the north porch were infilled to form a loggia/corridor. Many of the mullioned windows are 19th century restorations following conversion to sash windows by Lord Chandos in the early 18th century. Internally the house has an 18th century character after extensive re-organisation of room layouts with softwood and stucco panelling, around 1700 and again in the 1730s <25>.

The house was Charles I's headquarters during the 2nd Battle of Newbury in October 1644, and the earthwork that encloses the eastern side of the gardens was suggested as dating to this Civil War period <25>, although later investigation considers it an original Tudor feature.

In 2003 an archaeological investigation undertook a desk-based assessment, map regression exercise and detailed survey of house and gardens, and made recommendations for future work, in advance of a Heritage Lottery Funding application. <28-34>. Dendrochronological dating gave a felling date for the rafters of the summer of 1579/ spring of 1580 <35><55>. A detailed building survey was carried out by Oxford Archaeology in 2005-6 <36><37>. Further specialist pieces of work were carried out on other aspects of the fabric and decoration of the house <52><56><57><58>.

Following the completion of its restoration in 2008, Shaw House is in use as a conference and meetings venue, Registry Office and educational and training centre. It is also open to the public at certain times, with more information available on its dedicated website <43>.

Monitoring of the removal of the gravel area in front of the house in 2015/2016 identified two brick features, possibly garden walls dating from the 18th century <67>.

West Berkshire Museum has a photograph showing the main (south) front, sent as a postcard on 24th December 1906 <68>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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