A historic building, which was the scene of a famous attempt to assassinate Charles I in 1644, has opened its doors to the public for the first time thanks to the help of leading architects and historic building consultants, Purcell Miller Tritton. The Grade I listed Shaw House, a 16th-century manor in Newbury, acted as the King’s Headquarters during the Second Battle of Newbury and was the scene of a sniper attack by Parliamentarians. The bullet hole is still visible in the wall panelling.
The extensive £6 million restoration was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and Vodafone. The dilapidated condition of the house necessitated large-scale structural repairs to the historic fabric. A considerable portion of the roof structure was rebuilt and the historic masonry was consolidated using structural reinforcement ties. New services were installed throughout the manor, and the oak and softwood panelling, which had been removed in 1985, was painstakingly reinstated. The lime plaster ceilings were also replaced. Paint scrape analysis enabled the team to select a sympathetic colour scheme. Access was greatly improved throughout the building by the incorporation of two passenger lifts and two platform lifts to overcome level changes. The passenger lifts were inserted into existing 18th century privy shafts. This discreet solution entailed two contemporary extensions at roof level, which were sensitively modelled into the historic roofscape. All alterations were designed by Purcell Miller Tritton to be reversible and in keeping with the style of the property so that the building can be adapted easily in the future.
Having been closed to the public in recent years, Shaw House, which was previously home to Shaw House School, has begun a new life as a visitor attraction and will also serve as a venue for conferences and meetings. In addition, it will continue to play host to the West Berkshire Registration Service for Births, Deaths and Ceremonies.
Commenting on the project, Brian Anderson, Project Architect from Purcell Miller Tritton, said, “It is deeply satisfying to see a building that was unusable for the client come back into use while still retaining its historic importance. This project was a real challenge, but we are pleased with the result and welcome the fact that the public will now be able to enjoy one of the most historically significant properties in the South of England.”