Castles and Stately Homes

Highclere Castle

Privately owned by the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, Highclere Castle is a Grade I listed building set in 7,000 acres of parkland and built at the pinnacle of extravagance during the Victorian era. Generations of devoted owners together with the successive skills of architects, craftsmen and landscape gardeners have ensured that the castle stands as a lasting tribute to our national heritage.

Highclere Castle is the main filming location for the British television period drama Downton Abbey. The castle and gardens are open to the public during July and August and at times during the rest of the year.

Donnington Castle

Donnington Castle is sited at the top of a hill overlooking the River Lambourne, a mile north of Newbury. A licence to crenellate his property was granted to Sir Richard Abberbury in 1386. The castle was a rectangular enclosure with a round tower at each corner and two square towers midway along the longest sides. The most impressive part of the castle, and indeed the only part now standing, was the gatehouse. This is a three-storey rectangular building with two round towers that flank the entrance and rise another storey above the rest of the building.

During the Civil War the castle was seized by Royalist forces after the first Battle of Newbury. Colonel John Boys was put in charge of its defence and he constructed a series of earthworks in the shape of a star around the castle. They successfully withstood a Parliamentary siege in July 1644. In October, King Charles marched to the relief of the castle, and the second Battle of Newbury was fought around it. This time the King's men were forced to withdraw, but Colonel John Boys refused to surrender the castle. After an eighteen-month siege, the garrison finally accepted terms for an honourable surrender and were allowed to march out of the castle and join Royalist forces in Wallingford. The Civil War earthworks still remain around the castle.

Shaw House

Experience learning, enjoyment and inspiration at West Berkshire’s newest attraction, Shaw House near Newbury.

Built in 1581 by Newbury clothier Thomas Dolman this fine Elizabethan building was home to successive Dolman families, the flamboyant Duke of Chandos and the Andrews and Farquhar families. Shaw House then began a new life as a school for generations of local children. However in 1985 Shaw House was evacuated due to concerns about the structure of the building.

The most recent chapter in the Grade I listed building’s history began in 2005 when building contractors began the £6 million restoration following grants made by the Heritage Lottery Fund, local company Vodafone and English Heritage.

The stories and characters from Shaw House’s varied past are bought to life in the new exhibition. In 2009 a special exhibition “Peeling Back the Years” focuses on historic wallpaper used at the house and explains the recreation of two stunning schemes from the late 1720s and the 1750s.

During your visit you will wander through the most significant historic rooms of the house. They are unfurnished as nothing remained after Shaw ceased to be a family home but as one of the most significant historic properties in the county there is still much to appreciate. Shaw House is ideal for families; the Wheelie Do activities are located throughout the open rooms, with activities from designing the gardens to playing the Civil War board game.

To complete your visit don’t miss the Café and the Gift Shop which stocks something for all visitors from nostalgic ex-pupils to younger visitors and those with a sweet tooth!

The main areas at Shaw House are accessible to wheelchair users and appropriate parking and toilet facilities are available.