There are a lot more pictures of Stratford, and extra information for visitors, on the additional page: Tourist Guide to Stratford-Upon-Avon. There is also a separate page of pictures of Shakespeare's Warwickshire including: views around Balsall (the ancestral home of the Shakespeares), Knowle (the medieval Guild Chapel), Snitterfield (Shakespeare's grandfather's home), Wilmcote (his grandmother's home), Aston Cantlow (where his father and mother married), and Temple Grafton (where Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway). The page also includes a section of pictures taken at Mary Arden's House. See: Shakespeare's Warwickshire.

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
AND
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Stratford-Upon-Avon is located in Warwickshire, in the heart of England. The town of Stratford lies on the Avon river, about 8 miles downstream from the county town of Warwick. Stratford was originally a market town, and this picture shows the market place at the town centre. Farmers' markets are still held here. (Town Plan) (Aerial Photo)

The name Stratford means street-ford. In Roman times this was a crossing point, a ford, over the Avon. There are many Stratfords and Stretfords in England (Stratford Gloucestershire, Fenny Stratford, Stoney Stratford, Water Stratford, Stratford Langbourne, Stratford le Bow, Old Stratford, Stratford St Andrew, Stratford St Mary, Stratford sub Castle, Stratford Toney, Stratford-upon-Avon, and 2 Stetfords). They are all located at points where old Roman roads cross rivers. The Roman road that crossed the Avon at Stratford-upon-Avon was the Salt Road to Alcester (the modern A422). In medieval times a wooden bridge was built, alongside the ford, and at the end of the fifteenth century the stone bridge shown here was constructed.

The bridge is called the Clopton Bridge, and was financed by Hugh Clopton, a rich merchant from Stratford, who became Lord Mayor of London. Over the bridge is the road to London.

This is the view looking downstream. In the distance can be seen the spire of Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare lies. The main part of the town lies on the right bank. On the right bank can be seen the red-brick building of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. There's another picture of this building, taken from the left bank, further down this page. This is also the place where the Stratford-Upon-Avon Canal joins the Avon. This is the small inlet of water in the right foreground of the picture.

Near the town side of the Clopton Bridge (at the back of the photographer in the photo above) is the Gower Memorial, to Stratford's most famous and celebrated son, William Shakespeare. The memorial is cast in bronze and was erected in 1888.

Shakespeare's Early Years The house in which Shakespeare was born is in Henley Street, in the centre of the town. The house has been owned by Shakespeares from the time of Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare. Today the Birthplace is owned by The Shakepeare Birthplace Trust. The house holds 400 treasures in 8 rooms, including documents, portraits, pictures and old coins.

This is the old Grammar School, where Shakespeare went to school. The school was built in 1428 as the home of a religious guild. The Guild Chapel is the church-like building at the left. The lower floor of the building is a meeting room, and the schoolroom itself is on the upper floor.

	This picture shows the inside of the schoolroom in which Shakespeare studied. The curriculum was mainly based on Latin, studying such authors as Virgil and Ovid. The curriculum would also have included some Greek, probably Homer. Today this building is part of the King Edward VI Grammar School.
	This plaque on the schoolroom wall states that Shakespeare studied in this room.
Here is the desk where Shakespeare's teacher sat. This teacher passed on his own love of Ovid, Virgil and Homer to young William, and thereby laid the foundation for Shakespeare's great work.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage One mile from Stratford, across what were originally fields, lies the hamlet (small village) of Shottery, and the home of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's sweet-heart and wife. Most people travel to Anne Hathaway's cottage either on the City Sightseeing tour bus, or by coach, or by car. But the ardent Shakepeare follower will wish to retrace Shakespeare's own path leading to his beloved, and to walk the little lane from Stratford to Shottery. Near to the town the path is backed on either side by a modern housing estate. The path then passes through some open recreational space, and finally reaches the village of Shottery, which is still unspoilt.
Approaching the cottage itself, the path runs besides a brook, where mallards still play, near a bank where the wild thyme grows.
From the path we get our first romantic glimpse of the cottage, located in what seems like a grove of trees. In this picture you can see - the shale path, in the right foreground; the bubbling brook, appearing frothy white and running beside the path; a bridge over the brook, at the right; and the thatched roof of the cottage, glimpsed between the gap in the trees.
We cross the little bridge over the brook.
The lady in blue, waiting at the door, is one of the staff of the Birthplace Trust, who admits the visitors into the cottage. The Hathaways have lived in this house since 1470. The house contains his bed that has been there for 400 years. There are the tables, chairs and kitchen utensils, as Shakespeare would have known them. This is the most intimate part of Shakespeare's world that remains until this day, as he knew it.
It is not known what the garden looked like in Shakespeare's time, but today the garden is packed with cottage garden flowers. The garden is enfenced by arbours of roses, and behind the house is a rolling lawn with an orchard. There is a another photo of Anne Hathaway's cottage on the Country Cottages page.
This image reproduced by kind permission of The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust	This old photograph, taken in 1892, is near the spot where two of the photos above were taken. Copies of this picture, and other old photographs, are for sale in the cottage gift shop.
A short distance from the cottage, the Shottery Brook forms a large pond, in a very beautiful setting. It is surrounded by reeds and overhung by willows. Native lilies, a Renaissance symbol of death and rebirth, float in the centre. It is claimed that the floating lilies here were the origin of the image of Ophelia in Hamlet.

Shakespeare's Return to Stratford Later in his life, when he had become famous and wealthy, Shakespeare bought a substantial property in the town called New Place. Tragically this house has been demolished, through the malice of a subsequent owner; perhaps he was resentful of Shakespeare's wisdom. This picture shows the site of New Place. The building at the left is the Guild Chapel, where Shakespeare had gone to school. The Elizabethan building over the road is the Falcon Inn.

This is another view of the site of New Place. The house at the left was for a time the home of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna. Her daughter, Elizabeth, married Thomas Nash, who subsequently became its owner. The house is now known as Nash's House. The house is now owned by the Shakespeare Trust.
Nash's House is now furnished inside to give a good idea of what Shakespeare's own home would have been like.	This image reproduced by kind permission of The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Shakespeare lived in New place for the last six years of his life, and his daughter Susanna lived there after him. This picture shows part of the large garden behind the house. The garden is now tended by the Birthplace Trust.

This view, looking along Stratford High Street, shows several important buildings. The fine Elizabethan building at the left is the Shakespeare Hotel. Beyond that you can see the white gables of Nash's House, then there is the open space of New Place. In this picture a City Sightseeing tour bus is stopped outside New Place. Beyond that is the Guild Chapel, and at the far right the schoolroom is just visible.

Shakespeare was both baptised, and now rests, in Holy Trinity Church, which is alongside the Avon.
This is a view of the church from the Avon. The church is mainly built of Warwick stone. The inside of the church is also very beautiful. There are stained glass windows all around the walls, and shields and heraldic devices.

The parish register within the church holds the records referring to Shakespeare's baptism and his death. They are exhibited in a glass case in the chancel (the part of the church near the altar). The case holds two documents, shown in this picture. The document at the left is the page of the parish register which includes the entry for Shakespeare's baptism, and the one at the right is the page containing the entry for his death. The stained glass windows are reflected in the glass of the document case.

	Shakespeare is buried in the chancel of this beautiful church. Anne Hathaway, his wife, and his daughter, Susanna, lie in graves either side of him.
	The S in this picture shows the precise location where he is. Anne Hathaway lies on the left side, and Susanna on the right. The G indicates a statue of St George, watching over Shakespeare.
	This is the spot where he lies. "O, such another sleep, that I might see But such another man,.. As this I dream'd of". More about Holy Trinity: Holy Trinity Stratford-upon-Avon More Warwickshire Churches

A few hundred yards upstream from the Church is The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. This is a modern red-brick building, housing a theatre, picture gallery, museum, and library.

	Swans gathering near the Memorial Theatre. This is a favourite spot for tourists to throw bread to the swans. There are several more pictures of swans at Stratford on the separate Swans Page.
	This is also the place where the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal joins the River Avon. This picture shows the Stratford Canal Basin. In the right background of the picture is the Gower Memorial, and the statue of William Shakespeare. There are several more pictures of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal on the Canals Page.

Tourist Guide to Stratford-Upon-Avon There are a lot more pictures of Stratford, and extra information for visitors, on our new additional page Tourist Guide to Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Shakespeare's Birthday Celebrations in Stratford-Upon-Avon (St George's Day)

April 23rd (St George's Day) is the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, and is a time of celebrations in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Among many events is a procession through the town, of bands, civic dignitaries, actors, morris dancers, and the staff and pupils of some local schools. There are a lot more pictures of this event on the separate page Shakespeare's Birthday Celebrations. This page includes new pictures from the 2003 event.

Welcombe Obelisk (Views Over Stratford) Two miles outside Stratford, just off the road from Warwick is the Welcombe Hills country park. On top of the hill is the Welcombe Obelisk, erected in 1876 in memory of the Philips family, wealthy cotton manufacturers, who built a mansion at foot of the hill, now the Welcombe Hotel. You can form an idea of the height of the monument from the people standing near the base.

There are good views from the obelisk, though the view over Stratford itself is disappointing, as much of the town is hidden by trees from this direction. You can just see the roof of the theatre and the spire of Holy Trinity Church.

The best view overlooking Stratford is from Loxley Hill, 4 miles East of Stratford. There are pictures of the view over Stratford from Loxley Hill at Loxley Village and Robin of Loxley. Loxley was the birthplace and home of the original Robin Hood. His gravestone is in the village churchyard (also pictured on that page).

Shakespeare's Warwickshire This map, reproduced from Michael Wood's new book In Search of Shakespeare, shows a number of places in Warwickshire that play a significant role in Shakespeare's background. There are more pictures of these locations, and details about them on the separate page Shakespeare's Warwickshire. Pictures on that page show views around Balsall (the ancestral origin of the Shakespeares), Knowle (the medieval Guild Chapel with its records of the Shakespeares), Snitterfield (Shakespeare's grandfather's home), Wilmcote (his grandmother's home), Aston Cantlow (where his father and mother married), and Temple Grafton (where Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway). The page also includes a section of pictures taken at Mary Arden's House. See: Shakespeare's Warwickshire.

Shakespeare's Life and Works

Some Key Dates
23 April 1564	Shakespeare's traditional birthdate
27 Nov 1582	Marries Anne Hathaway
c1590	Departs to work in London
1594	Forms The Chamberlains Men acting company
1596	Shakespeare is London's leading playwright
1599	Globe Theatre built in London
1600-1608	Period of his great tragic plays
1603	His company becomes The Kings Men performing frequently for James I
1612	Retires to Stratford
23 April 1616	Death of Shakespeare

Very little documentary evidence exists about Shakespeare's early life, other than the records of his baptism, and his marriage to Anne Hathaway. This portrait of Shakespeare was painted by Gerard Soest.

This image reproduced by kind permission of The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Another depiction of Shakespeare is found on the cover of the First Folio of his works. The First Folio is a collection of the texts of 36 of his 38 plays. It was assembled and published in 1623, seven years after his death. There is more about Shakespeare's life on my page Shakespeare's Life in Pictures. And my separate page A Guide To Shakespeare has short summaries of all Shakespeare's plays, and a guide to some of the ideas in them. In a national poll conducted by the BBC, Shakespeare was voted Man of the Millennium. The runners up were: 2nd Winston Churchill; 3rd Charles Darwin; 4th William Caxton; 5th Issac Newton; 6th Oliver Cromwell.

This painting by Sir William Allan gives an impression of the visit of Sir Walter Scott, the author of the historical novel Kenilworth, to Shakespeare's tomb in Holy Trinity Church. Scott wrote: We visited the tomb of the mighty wizard. What a magic does the locality possess. There are stately monuments of forgotten families, but when you have seen Shakespeare's what care have we for the rest.

This image reproduced by kind permission of The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Bookshops in Stratford There are a couple of national chain stores, selling much the same books as in any other town in England. The main bookshop specialising in Shakespeare is The Shakespeare Bookshop, which is directly opposite Shakespeare's birthplace in Henley Street. They have most editions of the plays, books of criticism, videos, and books about Tudor history. But they don't have any rare or second hand books. They will supply books by mail order. You can E-mail them at The Shakespeare Bookshop.

The Shakespeare Bookshop also has a collection of souvenir postcards of well known Shakespearian actors who have played at Stratford. The postcard at the right shows Patrick Stewart, now usually known for his role in Star Trek, but who was formerly a principal actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, shown here as Shylock. There are also 3 antiquarian and second-hand booksellers in Stratford. The Chaucer Head Bookshop in Chapel Street, immediately next door to Nash's House, is a general second-hand bookshop, and has a substantial Shakespearean section. Immediately next door, on the other side to Nash's House, is Robert Vaughan Antiquarian Booksellers, specialising in Shakespeareana, as well as theatre and other performing arts. And there is also the Stratford Bookshop, another general second-hand bookshop, in Rother Street.

This image reproduced by kind permission of The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Also on This Site Be sure to visit our Main Page. This includes details and photos of many other attractions near Stratford and the Cotswolds, including: Warwick Castle, Kenilworth Castle, living history re-enactments, jousting tournaments, National Trust properties and gardens. It also includes pages about the life and works of two other well known writers who grew up near here: J R R Tolkien, and J K Rowling. Visit our Main Page. All the locations covered are also listed on our Index of Locations page.

Stratford-Upon-Avon Tourist Guide
Hotels and Guest Houses in Stratford
City Sightseeing Tour of the Stratford Area
Shakespeare's Life in Pictures
Guide to Shakespeare's Works
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
Mr William Shakespeare and The Internet
Shakespeare Resource Centre