Stratford-upon-Avon Guide
Stratford-upon-Avon in the English Midlands is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Britain's most famous dramatist.
The small market town with a population of around 30,000 now draws visitors from around the world. They come to see performances of Shakespeare's plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, visit the Birthplace Museum and also the poet's grave in the Holy Trinity Church.
Stratford-upon-Avon History
The town lies a short distance south of both Birmingham and Coventry. It has had a weekly market since the 12th century and developed as a market town for the agricultural land around it.
Shakespeare's father's trade as a glove maker and wool dealer tells us something of the commercial nature of the place, which on the whole avoided the industrialization of its larger neighbours to the north.
Stratford-upon-Avon Attractions
Many visitors head first to the Birthplace Museum on Henley Street. William Shakespeare was born here in 1564, and he spent his childhood years in the house. It is now a museum open to the public.
Shakespeare's Birthplace is a relatively simple house, but it would have been considered quite a large dwelling in the late 16th century.
William Shakespeare's father, John, was a glove maker and wool dealer. The house was originally divided into two parts, one for his business and one for his residence. He bought the house in 1556. Shakespeare lived here with his wife Anne Hathaway for the first five years of their marriage before he left for London.
Architecturally speaking, the building was a typical house of the times and was constructed in wattle and daub around a wooden frame.
The visitor centre affords information on Shakespeare's life and times, making the most of the few facts we actually know about the man himself.
There's a copy of the First Folio in pride of place and multi-media exhibits to explain the Bard's childhood in the house. Costumed actors are active in the garden to reciting famous passages from the plays and sonnets.
Nash's House on Chapel Street is another historic house and belonged to Thomas Nash, the first husband of Shakespeare's granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall.
Inside is a museum dedicated to the history of the town and the gardens hold the foundations of New Place, the now demolished residence where Shakespeare spent the last years of his life until his death in 1616. Sculptures of characters from his plays adorn the garden, too.
Hall's Croft on Old Town Street is the former timbered residence of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna and her husband, John Hall, a local doctor. It dates from 1613.
Inside is a collection of period furniture and displays of Elizabethan medicine. There is also a delightful, walled garden planted with medicinal herbs used by Hall in his treatments and a cafe on site.
Holy Trinity Church on the corner of Trinity Street and Old Town Street contains Shakespeare's grave. Shakespeare and his wife Anne are both interred here. The church originally dates from 1210 but has changed much over time including the spire which is 18th century. Shakespeare himself was a lay rector at the church.
Shakespeare's friends and widow erected his bust on a wall in the church in 1623, which includes some lovely stained glass windows.
The register entries of Shakespeare's baptism and burial are also to be found here.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is the largest of the three theatres in Stratford. The others are the intimate Swan, a replica Elizabethan-style stage with just 426 seats and The Other Place which replaced The Courtyard in 2011. The Other Place is the smallest of the three stages with just 200 seats.
King Edward VI Grammar School is believed to be where Shakespeare was educated from the age of seven until he was fourteen. Nearby is the the fifteenth-century timber-framed Guildhall (where Shakespeare probably studied) and Guild Chapel.
Another fun experience if the weather is good is to take a cruise on the River Avon or hire a rowing boat, punt or even a canoe at the Boathouse.
Just outside Stratford are two further attractions for Shakespeare fans, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's House.
Anne Hathaway's Cottage is in the village of Shottery about a mile from the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon.
The large farmhouse and gardens were the family home of Anne Hathaway's father, Richard. The house remained within the Hathaway family and its descendants until 1892 when it was purchased by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
The house today contains many household items and furnishings from Anne's day. The extensive gardens include a sculpture trail and tree garden, with sculptures inspired by Shakespeare's plays and trees mentioned in his work, a traditional orchard, a cottage garden, and a peaceful woodland walk. In a specially-made willow cabin, visitors can listen to selected sonnets by the great poet.
The gift shop is popular with souvenir-hunting foreign tourists and includes books, tea, ceramics and Shakespeare-themed goods.
Little is known about Anne Hathaway herself. She married William Shakespeare in 1582, when she was 26 and William 18 and while she was pregnant with their first child. The couple had three children in all during their marriage. Shakespeare spent much of his adult life away from Anne in London, but returned to Stratford in later life to live with his wife again, leaving her his "second-best bed" in his will - a detail much debated by scholars and other writers searching for clues into the state of their relationship.
The house is off Cottage Lane in the village of Shottery. Shottery is east of Worcester on the A422 and A46. It is due south of Birmingham on the A435 and then east on the A46. From the M40 motorway take junction 15.
Mary Arden's Farm (aka Mary Arden's House) is in Wilmcote, 3 miles northwest of the town centre. Mary was Shakespeare's mother and a woman of means for the time as is reflected in this grand Elizabethan farmhouse. The grounds produce organic produce served in the cafe. The house is a short walk from Wilmcote Station and offers various visitor activities such as archery and geese herding! Various exotic breeds of farm animals are kept on this "working Tudor farm."
Warwick Castle in Warwick is also not so far away. It is a historic site as well as an amusement park (Knight's Village) so bring the kids for a fun and educational day out.
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle that was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 AD. The castle was meant to overawe the defeated Saxons with a display of Norman force and might.
The grounds have frequent historical reenactments by enthusiastic performers dressed in period costume and include very realistic combat with swords as well as Medieval music.
These should especially appeal to the young and the young-at-heart.
Warwick Castle is located just off the M40. Exit at junction 15. Warwick Station is approximately one mile from the castle.
Nearby is Thomas Oken's House, a fine example of a timber-framed building.
13 km directly west of Stratford is Ragley Hall, the ancestral seat of the Marquesses of Hertford. The family's former London mansion Hertford House in Manchester Square is now the home of the Wallace Collection.
Stratford-upon-Avon Shopping
Stratford has a wide array of shops as befits a prosperous market town.
Some of the main shopping streets are Henley Street, Bridge Street and High Street. Besides its shops and restaurants, Henley Street is home to the MAD Museum (Mechanical Art & Design Museum).
Stratford's Farmer's Market is on Rother Street and sells local produce from the surrounding area.
Meer Street has a variety of designer stores and restaurants while Sheep Street hosts Tudor World, an interactive museum that strives to recreate Tudor life in a Grade II listed building. Sheep Street also has several recommended restaurants and cafes.
The Dirty Duck on Waterside is an iconic pre- and post-theatre pub with good food, too. The walls sport black and white photos of many of the actors who have performed on stage in Stratford.
Stratford-upon-Avon Hotels
Stratford-upon-Avon offers plenty of choice as far as accommodation is concerned.
Some recommended places to stay are Hotel Indigo, Mercure Stratford upon Avon Shakespeare Hotel and the White Swan Hotel.
See a listing of all available hotels in Stratford-upon Avon.
Stratford-upon-Avon Access - Getting To Stratford-upon-Avon
By Rail: Stratford-upon-Avon has trains to Birmingham Snow Hill including the Shakespeare Express steam train operated by Vintage Trains on Sundays in the summer. There are also trains to London Marylebone Station via Leamington Spa.
By Car: Driving from London to Stratford-upon-Avon takes about 2 hours on the M40 motorway.
By Coach: National Express offers coach service to and from Stratford-upon-Avon at the Riverside Bus Station. Local buses come and go from Bridge Street. There are local buses to Banbury, Birmingham, Chipping Norton, Coventry, Moreton in Marsh in the Cotswolds, and Redditch.
There are also Open Air Bus Tours of the town. For full details inquire at the Tourist Information Centre.
Stratford-upon-Avon Map
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