The Bahá'ís of Stratford-upon-Avon

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The town of Stratford-upon-Avon, an important gateway to the Cotswolds, is located north of the Cotswold limestone belt and beside the River Avon, about 90 miles northwest of London.   The population is around 23,000. 

Stratford means 'street across the ford' and was a river-crossing in Roman times. Two Anglo-Saxon settlements, first mentioned in 699, later joined to to be come a market town in 1196, under the auspices of the Bishop of Worcester.   It has been a market town ever since, and now also hosts a modern Farmers Market, the first to open in Warwickshire.

Each year some 3.8 million visitors come to Stratford, many of them to pay homage to William Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, and to get a glimpse of life in 16th century England through the five Shakespeare properties that are preserved in and around the town by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust .

Once famous for brewing and canning, Stratford now derives most of its income from tourism, with the most popular attractions being Shakespeare's birthplace, his burial place in Holy Trinity Church,  the houses once occupied by his mother, Mary Arden, his daughter and his wife, Anne Hathaway.  Here also, among many other places of note, is Harvard House, named after the founder of the American University.  

Although tourism is one of the largest industries in the local economy, the traditional agricultural aspect of the district still plays an important role and it has the highest level of employment in agriculture compared to the rest of Warwickshire.  Whilst the agricultural sector has of course suffered recently, the diversification of the rural economy is now providing new opportunities.  Indeed, the dynamism of many local businesses is reflected by the fact that Stratford District had an increase in the number of job opportunities some 18% higher than the County level.  Key employment sectors include catering/tourism, distribution, banking, finance & insurance.     Manufacturing is also extremely important, accounting for approximately 20% of the workforce. The sustainable development of Stratford District has allowed the growth of primarily small to medium-sized companies within a high quality rural environment.   With excellent motorway and road networks serving the area, an increasing number of industrial sites are being developed, with organisations such as AMEC, Codemasters, NFU, Ragdoll and, of course, the Royal Shakespeare Company all siting their headquarters here.

Other notable landmarks are the 15th-century Clopton Bridge, still in constant use by modern traffic, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (rebuilt 1932) - home to the internationally renowned RSC -  and several museums, including one dedicated to the history of the teddy bear.  There are lovely parks and recreational areas along the banks of the Avon, and within the town.  The Annual 'Birthday Celebrations' have taken place since 1879, and are held on the Saturday closest to the Bard's birthday, 23rd April.   Another annual event is the 'Mop Fair' on October 12th, which used to be the annual servants hiring fair, now a funfair that takes over the town.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

 

Link to Stratford-upon-Avon official website

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