Biddy at Shaw House

Have you been to Shaw House? It’s a masterpiece of Elizabethan architecture right on Newbury’s doorstep and makes for a fascinating visit … and entry is free!

Generations of local people know Shaw House in a former guise as a school. My goodness, what an amazing place that must have been to be educated back in the day (from 1943–85 to be precise). But you need to wind the clock back several centuries to appreciate its origins.

It was built in 1581 for wealthy cloth merchant Thomas Dolman, and stayed in his family for six generations – welcoming several members of royalty over the years – until 1728. It remained a private house for another two centuries until requisitioned by the military during the Second World War, during which time Newbury Senior School was bombed-out and saw Shaw House adapted to accommodate the displaced scholars. Structural issues in 1985 meant this piece of local history closed for 20 years, until a huge renovation project began. Completed in 2008, the magnificent Shaw House is now open for all to enjoy.

And enjoy it I did when I visited recently. It is open on weekends and during school holidays, February to September, so pick your moment to go. (Not only is it a visitor attraction but also a popular conference and wedding venue, and the Register Office is here too.)

Parking is nice and easy, and the first view of this beautiful red-brick manor house is quite breathtaking. There’s a warm welcome in reception and an explanation of all that you can do here. You may be fortunate, as I was, to meet Judith who kindly gave me and another handful of early visitors a potted history in The Hall before letting us loose on a self-guided tour. 

There are plenty or rooms to explore, where you can uncover a detailed history of the house. I’m not going to give too much away about what you can see and do, but I particularly enjoyed the exhibition which gives an insight into the lives and experiences of the people that have spent time here – rich owners and their families, their visitors, their servants, military personnel and school children.

With lots of opportunities for children to enjoy hands-on activities, a visit to Shaw House is an excellent way to keep them entertained for a few hours, and in particular on Wednesday Family Activity Days during the school holidays.

The grounds are currently undergoing a major project to bring them back to some of their former glory – image the days when the view from Shaw House swept down to what is now the Robin Hood roundabout! – so this latest restoration will add another dimension for future visits.

Over the coming months Shaw House is making the most of its enviable setting with, for example, open air cinema and theatre, and a summer fair. Have a look at their website or pick up a brochure to find out more about these and other events (http://info.westberks.gov.uk and follow the Leisure, Parks and Countryside link).

Can’t possibly sign off without mentioning the Shaw House café, situated in the old kitchen, which sits above an Elizabethan bakehouse, discovered during the most recent renovations. The café has the most enormous fireplace, giving a real sense of days gone by – as do the inscriptions on the tables, such as an inventory from 1622. It’s a great setting to enjoy good coffee and delicious home-made cake, which are most definitely of 21st-century calibre.

Biddy x