Attractions in Stratford upon Avon

With summer just round the corner Stratford upon Avon is gearing itself up for an influx of tourists from all over the world. Just last year for instance some 3 million people visited the Famous town from all over the world pretty impressive figures you might say.

So what do visitors come to see, apart from the obvious Birthplace of William Shakespeare  there are also a number of other attractions that you can visit at various times of the day ranging from the other Historic Houses to Fabulous gardens to Walking and Boat Trips to spectacular Air tours over the town. Stratford upon Avon has a lot too offer  as you would expect in a town that is steeped in History.

 

Let’s take a look at the some of Shakespeare’s Houses as they are known, these Houses are a focal visiting point for tourists and the tours are full of information on the history of each house..

Mary Arden’s House

This House was home to Shakespeare’s grandparents and was also the residence of Shakespeare’s mother Mary Arden. Mary Arden was the daughter of a farmer and she originally lived in Wilmcote a village about 3 miles from Stratford upon Avon. Then she met and married John Shakespeare in 1557 and respectively moved to Stratford upon Avon.

Visitors can expect to see when entering via the front garden that the original exterior Tudor built walls has been replaced by bricks, this would have been done sometime during the 18th century. But the original timber structure of the building still exists dating back to approximately 1514.The living room makes up part of the house with a range of artefacts dating back about 100 yrs,but a new wing was also added which contains butter and dairy making equipment.

You can also experience when visiting the house what it would have been like to live as a Tudor farmer back in the 15th century as a living experience via the surrounding farm, with a collection of animals and historic farming tools are on display as well as demonstrations of 15th century farming skills such as cider making, wood chopping and cheese pressing.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

This cottage was residence to Shakespeare’s wife to be Anne Hathaway, she lived here as a child been the daughter of Richard Hathaway a yeoman farmer. Richard Hathaway died in September   of 1581, with William Shakespeare then marrying Anne in November of the following year, the cottage itself is located in Shottery which is just over a mile away from the centre of Stratford upon Avon. You can hardly call this a cottage though as in its day it was of a substantial size and seems to have been built in two parts.

The lower part of the cottage dates back to about the 1460s consisting of a hall and a kitchen area this is the area where visitors normally enter the cottage. Then on the first floor you have the bedrooms or bedchambers as they were known in medieval time’s one main feature are the curved timbers both matching and rising from the ground to the apex of the roof a typical construction method of that age. The house was then owned by Bartholomew Hathaway in the early 17th century who added another section which has since been divided into another 3 rooms on the ground floor with 2 bedrooms above.

When visiting the Cottage you can take a computer based virtual tour or take a guided tour which includes the beautiful gardens, orchards, and the grounds that surround the cottage, as well as a Woodland Walk if you wish where you may spot some local wildlife.

Halls Croft

This was home to Shakespeare’s eldest daughter known as Susanna and her husband known as Dr John Hall. Halls Croft was built in 1613 and is a very stunning building for its time. You can see very impressive touches throughout the building from the architecture to the displays inside the house ranging from 17th century furniture  to portraits from the same era all reflecting the wealth and the status of the Halls.

The House is also set in spectacular grounds and gardens with a path lined each side with roses which lead to a sundial and arbour there is also a mulberry tree in the centre of the lawn

In the House itself there is an exhibition on the upper floor, here you can expect to see some of the medical equipment that Dr John Hall used during his time as a doctor.

The walled garden also contains plants of various sorts and trees and herbs that he may have used in his treatments.

Nash House and New Place

Nash house was owned by Shakespeare’s granddaughter known as Elizabeth; the house itself was named after Thomas Nash who was Elizabeth’s husband and a wealthy property owner at the time. New place was the adjoining house and it was in this house that Shakespeare saw his last days out until his death in 1616.

Following Shakespeare’s death the house was later destroyed by a rather eccentric owner but the location was preserved and transformed into a beautiful and picturesque garden which also contains a Mulberry tree which it is said was grown from a cutting planted by Shakespeare himself.

Other Attractions

Bancroft Gardens

You cannot come to Stratford upon Avon and not visit the beautiful Bancroft Gardens. The Gardens are located on the River Avon right opposite the Famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Visitors can enjoy sunny days here with the expansive green lawns set against the River or take a Boat cruise or just relax and enjoy the swan fountain or visit the Gower Memorial which features characters from Shakespeare’s plays together with a mix of statues  and flowered areas   

Avon Air centre

If want to see Stratford upon Avon from a totally new respective then a visit to the Avon Air Centre is what you are looking for. Taking off in a Cessna Aircraft you will fly over such famous sites as such as the Holy Trinity Church, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre the River Avon and much more respectively. Or if you wish you could fly over the spectacular Cotswolds Hills and the surrounding countryside. The Avon air centre is located at Wellsbourne Airfield which is only 4 miles from Stratford upon Avon

Stratford Armoury

This is a museum of truly unique quality as it houses a collection of world class arms and armour from all around the world. Stratford Armouries is a museum and also a visitor centre set in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside visitors to the museum can expect to see galleries full of world class exhibits ranging from the Worlds oldest Cannon to a Life sized Armoured Elephant and even Leonardo Da Vinci’s Giant Crossbow   .

But also it’s not just armour as a lot of the armour produced or made in those days was also a work of art and some of the exhibits display intricate and ornate items and not just items of war.

 

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Your visit to Stratford upon Avon would not be complete without a visit to the world famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Built in 1926 following a fire in 1879 the theatre has recently undergone a £100 million transformation and has now opened with an impressive tiered auditorium with a 1000 seating capacity the largest in the world.

It is the place to see Shakespeare’s plays respectively from Hamlet to Macbeth etc but the theatre is also host to classical productions and international dramatists.

As a visitor you can also book a backstage tour these are run on a regular basis and are a fascinating insight into how plays and productions by the RSC are set up and run from stage sets to costumes.

 

As you can see there is a lot to see and do in Stratford upon Avon apart from these attractions there are also a host of other organisations that operate in the town from the Stratford Town Walk who do tours around Stratford or a visit to the world famous Stratford Butterfly Farm might take your fancy as well as museums to fine art and antique shops to the all important shopping experience of traditional shops to the modern there is something for everyone in Stratford upon Avon.