Shaw House

About the museum

Shaw House was completed in 1581 for Thomas Dolman II, a member of a Newbury cloth-trading family. His father had bought the Shaw manor from the Crown in 1554. The Dolmans owned the house until 1728, and in October 1644 Charles I used it as his headquarters during the Second Battle of Newbury, when the house itself was caught up in the fighting.

Later owners included the Duke of Chandos, who added sash windows, a water garden and a dining room, then the Andrews, Eyre and Farquhar families, who adapted and extended the house in the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods. The army requisitioned Shaw House in 1939, and from 1943 it served as a school. Berkshire County Council bought it in 1949, and the school stayed until 1985, when structural defects forced the building to be emptied.

A long restoration began in 2003, and the house opened to the public in 2006. Today visitors can see four period rooms, the Tudor Oak Room, the Queen Anne Drawing Room, the Georgian Parlour and the Edwardian Bedroom, together with a display of English Civil War arms and armour on loan from the Royal Armouries and a costume display. A cafe, shop and grounds complete the visit.

Highlights

• Four period rooms from Tudor to Edwardian times
• Civil War arms and armour display on loan from the Royal Armouries
• Costume display with period dress
• Charles I used the house as headquarters in 1644
• Grade II listed lawns with giant garden games in warmer months

Permanent exhibition

• The period rooms – Four furnished rooms show how the house looked from Tudor to Edwardian times: the Tudor Oak Room, the Queen Anne Drawing Room, the Georgian Parlour and the Edwardian Bedroom.

Founded

2006

Operated by

West Berkshire Council

Admission & discounts

Day entry prices. Historic Houses members enter free with a valid card (not for fairs and other ticketed events). Family Activity Days cost £2.50 per child for the craft, which includes entry to the Hall only.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A lift serves all floors, and the house is suitable for visitors with limited mobility and wheelchair users. Three marked Blue Badge bays are on the right in front of the house after the main gates. A hearing loop is available at Reception, and sensory maps of the ground and first floors can be downloaded. Only assistance dogs may enter the house; other dogs on leads may use the grounds.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family Activity Days with crafts are held during the year, and giant garden games are set out in warmer months. Hip seats for babies and small children are available from Reception. Pushchairs must be left on the ground floor.

Getting there & parking

The house is five minutes from the M4 and A34 junction.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available

The cafe in the former kitchen serves sandwiches, cakes, snacks and hot drinks, and picnics are welcome in the grounds. The gift shop is next to Reception. No luggage or rucksack storage is available.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

The house has a Register Office for ceremonies, and room hire is handled by West Berkshire Heritage.

Plan your visit