Stratford's Shakespeare Trail
If you are interested in
Shakespeare,
you will have a very
busy time in Stratford
Upon Avon. The town has many ancient houses, including
those connected to
Shakespeare's life, and famous theatres:
1. Shakespeare's Birthplace. In Henley Street is the farm house where Shakespeare was born in 1564. The Shakespeare Centre library is next door, containing some of the earliest books printed in English and works covering Shakespeare's life and the history of the theatre.
2. New Place and Nash's House in Chapel Street. New Place is where Shakespeare spent his final years. Nash's House, next to New Place, is a museum devoted to the early history of Stratford-Upon-Avon to Tudor times.
3. Hall's Croft in Old Town was owned by William Shakespeare's daughter, Susannah, and her husband Dr John Hall.
4. Holy Trinity in Old Town is the church where Shakespeare was baptized. It is also the burial place of both Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway.
5.
The Royal
Shakespeare Company
is based at Stratford. It currently produces plays in The Courtyard Theatre
while the Royal
Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre in
Waterside are closed for
refurbishment.
Outside the town are two more houses linked to Shakespeare:
- Anne Hathaway's Cottage. In Shottery, one and a half miles from the centre of Stratford, this was the home of Anne Hathaway before she married Shakespeare in 1582.
- Mary Arden's House. Three and a half miles from Stratford, this was the home of Shakespeare's mother and is located in Wilmcote, Warwickshire.
For more about interesting places linked to Shakespeare, see also Stratford's Attractions. To read about depictions of Shakespeare, see Shakespeare's True Likeness Revealed.
For things to do throughout the year in Stratford on Avon, see What's On in Stratford on Avon.
For pictures of Stratford on Avon, see Stratford Gallery.