King Charles I's headquarters during English Civil War open up four new themed rooms to public

Lewis Henderson
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:26:01 +0000

King Charles I's headquarters during the English Civil War has opened up four new themed rooms to the public.

Shaw House, which is owned by West Berkshire Council, confirmed that its Tudor Oak Room, Queen Anne Drawing Room, Georgian Parlour and Edwardian Bedroom will be available for visitors to see.

The Grade I Elizabethan mansion is now used for weddings, conferences, events and performance rehearsals.

It once served as King Charles I's location for drafting plans as he fought against the parliamentarians during the war, which lasted nine years.

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The council's executive member for leisure, sport and countryside, Nigel Foot, describes the mansion as one of the borough's "most treasured heritage sites".

He said: "We're incredibly proud to showcase four centuries of stories, craftsmanship and character, and to enhance the gardens and facilities for everyone to enjoy.

"Whether you're a regular visitor or discovering Shaw House for the first time, there has never been a better time to explore this wonderful place."

The house's original contents were sold in 1905 to convert the building into a school.

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In 1945, it was cleared again to convert it into a conference and events venue.

It was first listed in 1952, and the final work in its Tudor Garden was wrapped up last year.

The announcement follows an organisation established by King Charles III in 1990, which has said it is starting a three-year partnership with The King's Foundation.

Cartier shared that its collaboration is dedicated to passing on the rare, intricate crafts of watchmaking rather than simply to produce more watches or increase market share.

The King's Foundation and Cartier Decorative Métiers d'Art in Watchmaking programme will consist of five months of formal training and two months of project work.

The focus will be on trainees deepening their knowledge of decorative arts applied to watchmaking.

Training will take place between The King's Foundation's headquarters, Dumfries House in Scotland, where the students will reside, and La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland, where Cartier established its Maison des Métiers d'Art in 2014.

An eighteenth-century building north of the border, Dumfries House was saved in 2007 by the then-Prince Charles, preserving the iconic building as part of the nation's heritage.

Applications for the programme are set to open on April 27 on The King's Foundation's website.

Executive Director of Education at The King's Foundation, Jacqueline Farrell, described the programme as a "rare opportunity to learn the highly specialised skills involved in the decorative arts for watchmaking".

Meanwhile, Louis Ferla, Chief Executive of Cartier, said: "This commitment reaffirms the maison’s long-standing dedication to the shared human adventure of preserving, developing and, of course, celebrating these rare and traditional crafts."

Cartier and the Royal Family have been intrinsically tied for over a century.