Shakespeare's Birthplace

This half-timbered, early 18th. century building, has been furnished in Elizabethan style, just as if Shakespeare himself was still living there. It also contains some fascinating books, manuscripts, and objects help to give the impression of his life and times. His father John Shakespeare (Parish records show this as Shakspere) was a glover and wool dealer, who later became the town's bailiff, or mayor. His mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a yeoman farmer, from the nearby village of Wilmcote. When this house was put up for sale in 1847 for £3,000.00 a trust fund was established to buy it. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust now administers four other properties connected with the life of the town's greatest citizen. Location:- Henly Street. Photograph: www.freefoto.com

 

 

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

A short pleasant walk along the footpaths from the town centre, is everyone's idea of an idyllic thatched cottage, with an old fashioned garden. The 'Cottage' in reality, is a 12 room yeoman's farmhouse of Shakespeare's period, although parts of it date back to the 15th. century, and was called Hewlands. Most of the present structure is mid 16th. century and later. The cottage remained in the Hathaway family until 1892, and has barely been altered, since Shakespeare himself went there to court his wife. It contains some of the original furniture, including the Hathaway four-poster bed. Location:- Shottery.

Hall's Croft

One of Stratford's finest Tudor Houses, it was once the home of Shakespeare's elder daughter Susanna, and John Hall, her doctor husband. One of the rooms is equipped as an Elizabethan consulting room, complete with apothecaries' jars, pestles & mortars, surgical instruments, and the like. Hall's Croft is really two houses, the older part to the north, probably dating to the first half of the 16th. century. John Hall enlarged the house, better to befit his status. The house was altered several times over the next three hundred years. Location:- Old Town. Photograph: www.freefoto.com

Mary Arden's House

The home of Shakespeare's mother, before her marriage, is in the village of Wilmcote, about three miles from Stratford, and is one of the most outstanding farm-steads in the county. Built of close timbered oak beams, from the nearby Forest of Arden, and stone quarried in Wilmcote. Most of the house dates from the 16th. century, and has attractive stone outbuildings. There is a fine dovecote with over 600 nesting holes, a dairy and cider mill. It is now a museum of farming and rural life. Location:- Wilmcote Village.

New Place

In 1597, Shakespeare , at the height of his fame in London, bought New Place, his last and finest house in Stratford. He took up permanent residence there in 1611, and died there five years later, on his 52nd. birthday. He left the house to his elder daughter Susanna, but it eventually passed back to the Clopton family (it was originally built by Hugh Clopton) . It was then completely rebuilt in 1702 . New Place, was pulled down around 1760. All that remains, are the foundations of some of the walls, a part of the cellars, and two wells, preserved in a fine Elizabethan knot garden. The great garden lawn, framed by flower beds, has a venerable mulberry tree, grown it is said, from a cutting of a tree planted by Shakespeare. The entrance to New Place, is through Nash's House. Location:- Chapel Street. Photograph: www.shakespeare_country.co.uk

Nash's House

This impressive timber-framed building, takes it's name from Thomas Nash, husband of Elizabeth Hall, Shakespeare's grand-daughter. Today it is a museum of local history, with especially fine Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon collections. Access to New Place can be made from here. Location:- Chapel Street.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre

The first Shakespearean festival was organised in 1769, by the famous actor and impresario, David Garrick. An octagonal amphitheatre was erected in Bancroft Gardens, and Stratford was entertained for three days, with banquets, balls, and concerts, yet rarely a word of Shakespeare's own work was heard. The event was a financial disaster, but it focussed the attention of the whole country upon Stratford. In 1824, the Shakespeare Club was founded, to arrange periodic festivals in honour of the poet. The first theatre to be specially built for a Shakespeare festival, was planned by members of this club in 1827, called the Theatre Royal, it stood in Chapel Lane for nearly fifty years, and was eventually pulled down, to allow New Place Garden to be restored. The first Memorial Theatre, was built beside the river Avon in 1879, thanks mainly to to the efforts of Charles Edward Flower, a respected member of a local brewing family. Sadly, this was burned down in 1926. Parts of the splendid Gothic styled building still exists, forming the present Picture Gallery. The new Memorial Theatre, later renamed the Royal Shakespeare Theatre was opened in 1932. Location: Opposite Bancroft Gardens. Photograph: www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk

Mason's Court

A late medieval 'Wealden' house, probably dating to the late 15th. century. Records suggest that it was built on Gild land, by John Hodgkins, 'within six years of 1481'. The recessed portion at the centre, was the original hall, open to the roof. The jettied portion to the left, was probably the 'service range', and to the right, a wider 'solar range', containing the owner's private rooms. The building has been extended further to the right, and a rear wing added. Location:- Rother Street.

Mason's Croft

This is the former home of the eccentric Victorian novelist, Marie Corelli. She bought the house in 1901, and promptly had it restored . Whilst looking like a typical Georgian residence, it actually fronts a largely timber-framed house. It is now the Birmingham University Shakespeare Institute. Location:- Church Street.

The Grammar School/Almhouses/Guild Chapel

These three buildings are connected, both architecturally and historically:-

 

The Grammar School

Stratford Grammar School, is a two story, L-Shaped building, dating from 1417 when it was The Guildhall. Shakespeare was almost certainly educated, in the fine hall on the upper floor, used by the Grammar School, since the suppression of the Guild. Below this is the original Guildhall, used in later days by groups of travelling actors. It may well be there, that Shakespeare saw his first play. Location:- Church Street.

The Almhouses

Sandwiched between the Grammar School and the Guild Chapel, is one of the finest medieval sets of Almhouses in the country. These were built by the 'Gild of the Holy Cross', as a hospice for it's retired members and dependents. Originally it had a thatched roof, but following the fires that consumed large areas of Stratford in the 16th. century, an edict was made forbidding the use of thatch. These, like many other buildings were later tiled. Location:- Church Street

The Guild Chapel

This was the original meeting place of the Guild of the Holy Cross, and in the 15th. century, was substantially rebuilt, due to the generosity of Sir Hugh Clopton. The Chapel is still used by the boys of the EdwardVI Grammar School, and bears the remains of some interesting wall paintings. Location:- Corner of Church Street & Chapel Street.

Drinking Fountain and Clock Tower

The combined clock tower and fountain, standing in the centre of Rother market, was presented to the town in 1887, by George W Childs, a Philadelphia journalist, to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee. Designed by Jethro Cossins, in what I have seen described as, an example of the Walt Disney school of architecture. Location:- Rother Market Place - Rother Street. Photograph: www.freefoto.com

Quiney's House

Once the home of Shakespeare's younger daughter Judith, after her marriage to Thomas Quiney, son of William Shakespeare's great friend, Richard Quiney. The Quiney and Shakespeare families, of similar social status, had a friendship that lasted over three generations. Both Adrian Quiney and John Shakespeare had similar business and social positions, Quiney being Bailiff, and a dealer of fine fabrics, and Shakespeare, at that time, High Alderman, and a Glover. Both their business interests, and their social positions brought them into constant contact, from which developed a strong personal and family friendship, which was to be continued by their sons. Stratford's Tourist Information Centre, now occupy the building. Location:- High Street.

Clopton Bridge

The original medieval timber bridge, in constant need of repair, had , by the end of the 15th. century become so unsafe, that many people refused to use it. Sir Hugh Clopton, a local boy who later became Lord Mayor of London, paid for the building of a new bridge, which was completed in about 1490. It was described as 'the great and sumptuose bridge, with it's 14 great archis of stone, and a long causey made of stone, and now waullyed on eche syde'. In 1812 a act of parliament was passed to allow the corporation to charge tolls, to pay for it's widening and upkeep, and a polygonal toll house was built at the town end of the bridge. In 1827, a cast-iron cantilevered footpath was installed on the upstream side, for pedestrian traffic. Viewed from the downstream side, the bridge looks much the same as it did when it was built. It is a credit to the master mason involved, that it is still in use over 500 years later, coping with the thousands of motor vehicles using it each day. Location:- Bridge Foot.

Shakespeare's Monument

In the Holy Trinity Church, on the wall overlooking Shakespeare's tomb, hangs the Shakespeare Monument, the work of Garratt Janssen (Gerard Johnson), an Anglo-Flemish tomb-maker from Southwark. It is constructed from white marble, inlaid with black touchstone, and has alabaster support brackets. It is said to have been erected between 1616-1622, and carries the following inscription: IUDICO PYLIUM GENIO SOCRATEM, ARTE MARONEM, TERRA TEGIT, POPVLVS MAERET, OLYMPVS HABET STAY PASSENGER, WHY GOEST THOV BY SO FAST, READ IF THOV MONVMENT SHAKESPEARE: WITH WHOME, QVICK NATVRE DIDE: WHOSE NAME, DOTH DECK Ys TOMBE, FAR MORE, THEN COST: SIEH ALL, Yt HE HATH WRITT, LEAVES LIVING ART, BVT PAGE, TO SERVE HIS WITT. OBITT ANO DO 1616 AETATIS 53 DIE 23 AP Location:- Holy Trinity Church.

Harvard House

This half-timbered house (on the right hand side, with flagpole) dates to 1596, and was built by Alderman Thomas Rogers. His daughter Katherine, married Robert Harvard of Southwark in London. Their son John, emigrated to America, and although he died before he was 30, he left enough money to found Harvard University, in 1636. Marie Corelli , the Victorian novelist (see Mason Croft) , persuaded Edward Morris of Chicago to pay for it's restoration, under her direction, in 1907. The house was presented to Harvard University, in 1909. Location:- High Street.

The Garrick Inn

Built together with Harvard House in 1596, the Garrick Inn is a narrow and elaborately timbered house. The splendid jettied and gabled buildings, are the most richly panelled and decorated in the town. The Garrick has been an Inn since 1718, and had several names before acquiring it's present one, which commemorates the great Shakespearian actor David Garrick. Location:- High Street.

Gower Memorial

In Bancroft Gardens, stands this memorial to William Shakespeare. His statue is flanked by those of Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, HenryV, and Falstaff, representing: Tragedy, Philosophy, History, & Comedy. The memorial was created by Lord Ronald Sutherland -Gower, who presented it to the town in 1888. Location:- Bancroft Gardens. Photograph: www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk

The White Swan Hotel

The oldest Inn in Stratford-upon-Avon, the White Swan provides traditional English fare, at reasonable prices. I found a cosy atmosphere, with friendly attentive service, and really nice food, and ample servings. Location:- Rother Street.

Shakespeare's Grave

In the Holy Trinity Church, below the Shakespeare Monument, is the last resting place of William Shakespeare. A simple stone with the following inscription is the only indication, that such a great Englishman lies here. GOOD FRIENDS, FOR JESUS SAKE FORBEAR, TO DIG THE DUST ENCLOSED HERE, BLESSED BE THE MAN THAT SPARES THESE STONES, AND CURSED BE HE THAT MOVES MY BONES.   Location:- Holy Trinity Church.