Stratford-upon-Avon is the town where William Shakespeare was born and is buried.
Every year, millions of people celebrate his life and work by visiting the town. Situated in the heart of England, on the banks of the river Avon, Stratford attracts visitors from all over the world and there are many other attractions in the town which can enhance your theatre visit.
Shakespeare's Birthplace
William Shakespeare was born at the Shakespeare family home in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.
The half-timbered Tudor building with its traditional frontage served as the family home for Shakespeare and his brothers and sisters, and workshops for William's father, John Shakespeare, a glove maker, tanner and wool dealer. The house was originally bought by John Shakespeare, in two stages; the first in 1556 and the second in 1575. When he died, the property was left to William, his eldest son.
In 1847, Shakespeare's Birthplace was bought by a body of trustees and is now managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The property is now open to visitors all year round.
Nash's House and New Place
Thomas Nash, a property owner who married William Shakespeare's grand-daughter, Elizabeth Hall owned Nash's House. Nash's House is adjacent to New Place, Shakespeare's home in Stratford towards the end of his life. Although not much of the original New Place building is left today, the house's extensive grounds are now open to the public.
Nash's House itself now houses a collection of 17th century tapestries and furniture as well as an exhibition on the history of the town, including artefacts from actor David Garrick's first Shakespeare festival in 1769.
Hall's Croft
Set in Old Town, a street on the way to the Parish Church, Hall's Croft is named after the physician Dr John Hall who married William Shakespeare's eldest daughter, Susanna.
Restored and opened to the public by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1951 Hall's Croft has exhibitions with rooms authentically furnished and an extraordinary collection of paintings, furniture and medical artefacts from the 16th and17th centuries. The herb garden, contains many plants mentioned in Dr Hall's medical notebooks. Hall's Croft and gardens are open to the public all year around.
Mary Arden's House
Until recently, Mary Arden's house was the name given to a farmhouse in Wilmcote, on the outskirts of modern Stratford-upon-Avon. Believed to have been owned by Robert Arden, it could have been the family home of his daughter Mary, William Shakespeare's mother, until she married.
Of late, the real family home of the Ardens has been uncovered as the neighbouring Glebe Farm and the name Mary Arden's House transferred to it; and the farmhouse in Wilmcote renamed 'Palmer's Farm' after Adam Palmer, its owner circa 1570s.
Both Palmer's Farm and Mary Arden's House are owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and demonstrate life on a Tudor working farm to visitors. The farm is home to rare-breeds like Cotswold Sheep, Longhorn Cattle and Gloucester Old Spot pigs. Both properties are open all year around.
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Before her marriage to William Shakespeare, Anne Hathaway lived in Shottery, a village about a mile away from Stratford. Wooed at the family home by Shakespeare, Anne lived here until she married in 1582.
The beautiful thatched farmhouse was lived in by the Hathaway family and its descendants until the late 19th century and is now owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The cottage and gardens are now open to the public all year around.
Holy Trinity Church
Situated on the banks of the River Avon, a couple of minutes walk from the RSC is Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare was baptised and is buried. His wife, Ann Hathaway, daughter Susanna and son-in-law Dr John Hall, and Thomas Nash (first husband of Shakespeare's grand-daughter Elizabeth) are buried in the chancel alongside him.
The Church is open to visitors from 9am to 4pm and from 12.30pm onwards on Sundays (subject to parish demands).
See map of the local area
