Tearoom, Chippies, and Picnics
Stratford is Shakespeare’s hometown. To see or not to see? Stratford is a must for every big bus tour in England, and one of the most popular side-trips from London. English majors and actors are in seventh heaven here. Sure, it’s touristy, and non-literary types might find it’s much ado about nothing. But nobody back home would understand if you skipped Shakespeare’s house.
Shakespeare connection aside, the town’s riverside and half-timbered charm, coupled with its hardworking tourist industry, makes Stratford a fun stop. But the play’s the thing to bring the Bard to life—and you’ve arrived just in time to see the Royal Shakespeare Company (the world’s best Shakespeare ensemble) making the most of their recently redone theater complex. If you’ll ever enjoy a Shakespeare performance, it’ll be here...even if you flunked English Lit.
If you’re just passing through Stratford, it’s worth a half-day—stroll the charming core, visit your choice of Shakespeare sights (Shakespeare’s Birthplace is best and easiest), and watch the swans along the river. But if you can squeeze it in, it’s worth it to stick around to see a play; in this case, you’ll need to spend the night here or drive in from the nearby Cotswolds (doable—just 30 minutes away; see previous chapter).
By Train or Bus: It’s easy to stop in Stratford for a wander or an overnight. Stratford is well-connected by train to London and Oxford, and linked by bus and train to nearby towns (Warwick and Coventry to the north, and Moreton in the Cotswolds to the south).
By Car: Stratford, conveniently located at the northern edge of the Cotswolds, is made-to-order for drivers connecting the Cotswolds with points north (such as Ironbridge Gorge or North Wales). If you’re driving north after you visit Stratford, you’re within easy reach of two more worthwhile stop-offs: the impressive Warwick Castle and the evocative ruined cathedral at Coventry (both covered in the next chapter). Speedy travelers squeeze in all three of these towns (Stratford, Warwick, and Coventry) on a one-day drive-through: Leave the Cotswolds early, spend the morning exploring Stratford, have lunch and tour the castle in Warwick, visit Coventry’s cathedral at the end of the day (it closes Mon-Sat at 16:30; Sun evensong at 16:00), and drive in the evening to your next stop (you’ll find driving tips at the end of this chapter). If you’re more relaxed, see a play and stay in Stratford, then stop at Warwick and/or Coventry the following morning en route to your next destination.
Stratford’s old town is compact, with the TI and theater along the riverbank, and Shakespeare’s Birthplace a few blocks inland; you can easily walk to everything except Mary Arden’s place. The core of town is lined with half-timbered houses. The River Avon has an idyllic yet playful feel, with a park along both banks, paddleboats, hungry swans, and a fun old crank-powered ferry.
The TI is in a small brick building on Bridgefoot, where the main street hits the river (daily 9:00-17:30, tel. 01789/264-293, www.discover-stratford.com). It has a café and a couple of Internet terminals (£1/12 minutes, £5/hour).
Combo-Tickets: The TI sells the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Five House combo-ticket, as well as a special any-three combo-ticket, which gives you entry into your pick of three of the five trust sights (see “Shakespearean Sights,” later, for details).
By Train: It’s simple: Exit straight ahead from the train station, bear right up the hill (alongside the parking lot), and follow the main drag straight to the river. (For the Grove Road B&Bs, turn right at the first big intersection.) If you need to buy a picnic for your return train trip, stop at the Morrison’s grocery store nearby (you can see it across the tracks).
By Car: If you’re sleeping in Stratford, ask your B&B for arrival and parking details (many have a few free parking spaces, but it’s best to reserve ahead). If you’re just here for the day, and coming from the south (i.e., the Cotswolds), cross the big bridge and veer right for the best parking (following Through Traffic, P, and Wark (Warwick Road) signs, go around the block—turning right and right and right—and enter the multistory Bridgefoot garage; first hour free, £6/6 hours, £20/12-24 hours, you’ll find no place easier or cheaper). The City Sightseeing bus stop and the TI are a block away.
Name That Stratford: If you’re coming by train or bus, be sure to request a ticket for “Stratford-upon-Avon,” not just “Stratford” (to avoid a mix-up with Stratford Langthorne, near London, which hosted the 2012 Olympics and now boasts a huge park where the games were held).
Festival: Every year on the weekend nearest to Shakespeare’s birthday (traditionally considered to be April 23—also the day he died), Stratford celebrates. The town hosts free events, including activities for children.
Internet Access: Get online at the TI (described earlier) or the library (£2.50/30 minutes; Mon-Wed and Fri 9:30-17:00, Thu 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, closed Sun; if all computers are in use, reserve a time at the desk; tel. 01789/292-209).
Baggage Storage: Located directly behind the TI, The Old Barn shop stores bags—but be back to pick them up before the store closes, or you’re out of luck for the night (£2/bag, Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, tel. 01789/269-567).
Laundry: Sparklean is a 10-minute walk from the city center, or about five minutes from the Grove Road B&Bs (self-serve wash and dry-£10, daily 8:00-21:00, last wash at 20:00, 74 Bull Street, tel. 01789/269-075); on weekdays from 8:00 to 17:00, Sparklean’s kindly Jane will do the wash for you for about £12 in a few hours if you drop it off by 12:00 (if you’re in a pinch, she may even be able to pick up or drop off at your B&B). Greenhill Launderette is more central, but not as accommodating (self-service wash-£3.60, dryer-£1/10 minutes, daily 8:00-22:00, last wash at 20:45, Greenhill Street).
Taxis: Try 007 Taxis (tel. 01789/414-007) or the taxi stand on Woodbridge, near the intersection with High Street. To arrange for a private car and driver, contact Platinum Cars (£30/hour, tel. 01789/264-626, www.platinum-cars.co.uk).
Stratford Town Walks—These entertaining, award-winning two-hour walks introduce you to the town and its famous playwright. Tours run daily year-round, rain or shine. Just show up at the Swan fountain (on the waterfront, opposite Sheep Street) in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and pay the guide (£5, kids-£2, ticket stub offers good discounts to some sights, Mon-Wed at 11:00, Thu-Sun at 14:00, also on Sat March-Oct at 11:00, tel. 01789/292-478 or 07855/760-377, www.stratfordtownwalk.co.uk). They also run an evening ghost walk led by a professional magician (£6, kids-£4; Mon and Thu-Sat at 19:30; must book in advance).
City Sightseeing Bus Tours—Open-top buses constantly make the rounds, allowing visitors to hop on and hop off at all the Shakespeare sights. Given the far-flung nature of two of the Shakespeare sights, and the value of the fun commentary provided, this tour makes the town more manageable. The full 11-stop circuit takes about an hour and comes with a steady and informative commentary (£12, discount with town walk ticket stub, buy tickets on bus or as you board, ticket good for 24 hours, buses leave from the TI every 20 minutes in high season from about 9:30-17:00, every 30 minutes off-season; buses alternate between tape-recorded commentary and live guides—for the best tour, wait for a live guide; tel. 01789/412-680, www.citysightseeing-stratford.com).
▲▲▲Plays Performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company
Stratford’s five biggest Shakespeare sights are run by the same organization, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (www.shakespeare.org.uk). While these sights are promoted as if they were tacky tourist attractions—and are designed to be crowd-pleasers rather than to tickle academics—they’re well-run and genuinely interesting. Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Nash’s House, and Hall’s Croft are in town; Mary Arden’s Farm and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage are just outside Stratford. Each has a tranquil garden and helpful, eager docents who love to tell a story; and yet, each is quite different, so visiting all five gives you a well-rounded look at the Bard.
If you’re here for Shakespeare sightseeing—and have time to venture to the countryside sights—you might as well buy the “Five House” combo-ticket and drop into them all. If your time is more limited, visit only Shakespeare’s Birthplace, which is the most convenient to reach (right in the town center) and offers the best historical introduction to the playwright.
Combo-Tickets: Admission to the three Shakespeare Birthplace Trust sights in town—Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Hall’s Croft, and Nash’s House—requires a combo-ticket; no individual tickets are sold. To visit only these three sights, get the £13.50 Shakespeare Birthplace combo-ticket, which is sold at the participating sights. To add Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Mary Arden’s Farm, you can buy the £21 Shakespeare Five House combo-ticket (sold at TI and participating sights, good for one year). You can also buy individual tickets for Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Mary Arden’s Farm (see “Just Outside Stratford,” later).
Another option is the £15.50 any-three combo-ticket, sold only at the TI. This ticket lets you choose which trio of sights you want to see—for instance, the birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, and Mary Arden’s Farm (buy at TI; you’ll get a receipt, then show it at the first sight you visit to receive your three-sight card).
Discounts: If you’ve taken a Stratford town walk (described under “Tours in Stratford,” earlier), show your ticket stub to receive a 50 percent discount off any combo-ticket you buy at the sights. Also, ask your B&B owner if they have any discount vouchers—they often do.
Closing Times: What the Shakespeare sights list as their “closing time” is actually their last-entry time. If you show up at the closing time I’ve noted below, you’ll still be able to get in, but with limited time to enjoy the sight (since they start closing things down soon after).
Touring this sight, you’ll experience a modern multimedia exhibit before seeing Shakespeare’s actual place of birth. While the birthplace itself is a bit underwhelming, the exhibit, helpful docents, and sense that Shakespeare’s ghost still haunts these halls make it a good introduction to the Bard.
Cost and Hours: Covered by combo-tickets, daily April-Oct 9:00-17:00, July-Aug until 18:00, Nov-March 10:00-16:00, café, in town center on Henley Street, tel. 01789/204-016.
Visiting Shakespeare’s Birthplace: The “Shakespeare: Life, Love, and Legacy” exhibit provides an entertaining and easily digestible introduction (or, for some, review) about what made the Bard so great. You’ll walk through three rooms, and in each watch a short video about Shakespeare’s life and career: movie clips of his works, his upbringing in Stratford and his family life, and his career in London. You’ll also see fancy displays (such as a mannequin Shakespeare hunched over his desk), as well as actual historic artifacts that are illuminated when they’re described in the video presentation, including an original 1623 First Folio of Shakespeare’s work.
If you’re short on time, you can skip the full multimedia extravaganza and choose the Cliffs Notes version, which features one quick video before sending you into his birthplace (take the path to the right, behind the ticket counter).
After leaving either multimedia exhibit, walk through the garden and to the birthplace, a half-timbered Elizabethan building where young William grew up. I find the old house a bit disappointing, as if millions of visitors have rubbed it clean of anything authentic. It was restored in the 1800s, and, while the furnishings seem tacky and modern, they’re supposed to be true to 1575, when William was 11. To liven up the otherwise dead-feeling house, chat up the well-versed, often-costumed attendants posted here and there, eager to answer your questions. You’ll be greeted by a guide who offers an introductory talk, then set free to explore on your own.
Shakespeare’s father, John—who came from humble beginnings, but bettered himself by pursuing a career in glove-making (you’ll see the window where he sold them to customers on the street)—provided his family with a comfortable, upper-middle-class existence. The guest bed in the parlor was a major status symbol: They must have been rich to afford such a nice bed that wasn’t even used every day. This is also the house where Shakespeare and his bride, Anne Hathaway, began their married life together. Upstairs are the rooms where young Will, his siblings, and his parents slept (along with their servants). After Shakespeare’s father died and William inherited the building, the thrifty playwright converted it into a pub to make a little money.
Exit into the fine garden. The ugly modern building in the middle of the complex houses a café and sometimes hosts temporary exhibits upstairs. If you hear a commotion, it’s likely Shakespearean actors, who perform brief scenes in the garden (they may even take requests). Pull up a bench and listen, imagining the playwright as a young boy stretching his imagination in this very place.
Nash’s House and New Place—Nash was the first husband of Shakespeare’s granddaughter...not exactly a close connection. However, this house is next to the garden that was once the site of New Place, the house where Shakespeare retired. The sight features the dull parlor of Nash’s House, along with the pretty Knott Garden and behind it, what was once Shakespeare’s orchard. Archaeologists recently wrapped up an excavation of New Place; you may encounter exhibits displaying finds from the dig.
Cost and Hours: Covered by combo-ticket; daily April-Oct 10:00-17:00, Nov-March 11:00-16:00; Chapel Street, tel. 01789/292-325.
Hall’s Croft—This former home of Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, Susanna, is in the Stratford town center. A fine old Jacobean house, it’s the fanciest of the group. Since she married a doctor, the exhibits here are focused on 17th-century medicine. If you have time to spare and one of the combo-tickets, it’s worth a quick pop-in. To make the exhibits interesting, ask the docent for the 15- to 20-minute introduction, which helps bring the plague—and some of the bizarre remedies of the time—to life.
Cost and Hours: Covered by combo-ticket, same hours as Nash’s House, on-site tearoom, between Church Street and the river on Old Town Street, tel. 01789/292-107.
Shakespeare’s Grave—To see his final resting place, head to the riverside Holy Trinity Church. Shakespeare was a rector for this church when he died. While the church is surrounded by an evocative graveyard, the Bard is entombed in a place of honor, right in front of the altar inside. The church marks the ninth-century birthplace of the town, which was once a religious settlement.
Cost and Hours: £2 donation, not covered by combo-ticket, April-Sept Mon-Sat 8:30-18:00, Sun 12:30-17:00; Oct-March until 17:00 or 16:00, last entry 20 minutes before closing, 10-minute walk past the theater—see its graceful spire as you gaze down the river, tel. 01789/266-316, www.stratford-upon-avon.org.
To reach either of these sights, it’s best to drive or take the hop-on, hop-off bus tour (see “Tours in Stratford,” earlier)—unless you’re staying at one of the Grove Road B&Bs, which are an easy 20-minute walk from Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Both sights are well-signposted (with brown signs) from the major streets and ring roads around Stratford. If driving between the sights, ask for directions at the sight you’re leaving.
▲▲Mary Arden’s Farm—Along with Shakespeare’s Birthplace, this is my favorite of the Shakespearean sights. Famous as the girlhood home of William’s mom, this homestead is in Wilmcote (about three miles from Stratford). Built around two historic farmhouses, it’s an open-air folk museum depicting 16th-century farm life...which happens to have ties to Shakespeare. The Bard is basically an afterthought here.
The museum hosts many special events, including the falconry show described below. The day’s events are listed on a chalkboard by the entry, or you can call ahead to find out what’s on. There are always plenty of activities to engage kids: It’s an active, hands-on place.
Follow the Tudor roses from building to building, through farmhouses with good displays about farm life. Throughout the complex, you’ll see period interpreters in Tudor costumes. They’ll likely be going through the day’s chores as people back then would have done—activities such as milking the sheep and cutting wood for repairs on the house. They’re there to answer questions and provide fun, gossipy insight into what life was like at the time.
The first building, Palmer’s farm (mistaken for Mary Arden’s home for hundreds of years, and correctly identified in 2000), is furnished as it would have been in Shakespeare’s day.
Mary Arden actually lived in the neighboring farmhouse, covered in brick facade and seemingly less impressive. The house is filled with kid-oriented activities, including period dress-up clothes, board games from Shakespeare’s day, and a Tudor alphabet so kids can write their names in fancy lettering.
Of the many events here, the most enjoyable is the falconry demonstration, with lots of mean-footed birds (daily, usually at 11:30, 13:30, and 15:30). Chat with the falconers about their methods for earning the birds’ trust. The birds’ hunger sets them to flight (a round-trip earns the bird a bit of food; the birds fly when hungry—but don’t have the energy if they’re too hungry). Like Katherine, the wife described as “my falcon” in The Taming of the Shrew, these birds are tamed and trained with food as a reward. If things are slow, ask if you can feed one.
Cost and Hours: £9.50, also covered by certain combo-tickets—see here, daily April-Oct 10:00-17:00, visitors must leave by 17:30, closed Nov-March, tel. 01789/293-455.
Getting There: The most convenient way to get here is by car (free parking) or the hop-on, hop-off bus tour, but it’s also easy to reach by train. The Wilmcote train station is up the street, about a five-minute walk from Mary Arden’s Farm (£2.20 round-trip fare, one stop from Stratford-upon-Avon on Birmingham-bound train, 1-2/hour, 5-minute trip, call London Midland to confirm departure time—tel. 0844-811-0133, www.londonmidland.com).
▲Anne Hathaway’s Cottage—Located 1.5 miles out of Stratford (in Shottery), this home is a 12-room farmhouse where the Bard’s wife grew up. William courted Anne here—she was 26, he was only 18—and his tactics proved successful. (Maybe a little too much, as she was several months pregnant at their wedding.) Their 34-year marriage produced two more children, and lasted until his death in 1616 at age 52. The Hathaway family lived here for 400 years, until 1911, and much of the family’s 92-acre farm remains part of the sight.
After buying your ticket, turn left and head down through the garden to the thatch-roofed cottage, which looks cute enough to eat. The house offers an intimate peek at life in Shakespeare’s day. In some ways, it feels even more authentic than his birthplace, and it’s fun to imagine the writer of some of the world’s greatest romances wooing his favorite girl right here during his formative years. Docents are posted in the first and last rooms to provide meaning and answer questions; while most tourists just stampede through, you’ll have a more informative visit if you pause to listen to their commentary. (If the place shakes, a tourist has thunked his or her head on one of the low beams.)
Maybe even more interesting than the cottage are the gardens, which have several parts (including a prizewinning “traditional cottage garden”). If you head uphill (to the right from the entry), you’ll find a “Woodland Walk,” along with a fun sculpture garden littered with modern interpretations of Shakespearean characters (such as Falstaff’s mead gut, and a great photo-op statue of the British Isles sliced out of steel). From April through June, the gardens are at their best, with bulbs in bloom and a large sweet-pea display. You might also find rotating exhibits, generally on a gardening theme.
Cost and Hours: £8.50, also covered by certain combo-tickets—see here, daily April-Oct 9:00-17:00, Nov-March 10:00-16:00, tel. 01789/292-100.
Getting There: It’s a 30-minute walk from central Stratford (20 minutes from the Grove Road B&Bs), a stop on the hop-on, hop-off tour bus, or a quick taxi ride from Stratford; well-signposted for drivers entering Stratford from any direction, easy £1 parking.
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), undoubtedly the best Shakespeare company on earth, performs year-round in Stratford and in London. Seeing a play here in the Bard’s birthplace is a must for Shakespeare fans, and a memorable experience for anybody. Between its excellent acting and remarkable staging, the RSC makes Shakespeare as accessible and enjoyable as it gets.
The RSC is enjoying new popularity after the 2011 opening of its cutting-edge Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The smaller, attached Swan Theatre hosts plays on a more intimate scale, with only about 400 seats. (The future of the Courtyard Theatre—built to house the company during the main theater’s renovation—is uncertain.)
The Royal Shakespeare Company makes it easy to take in some theater, thanks to their very user-friendly website (www.rsc.org.uk), painless ticket-booking system, and chock-a-block schedule that fills the summer with mostly big-name Shakespeare plays (with a few more obscure titles to please the die-hard aficionados, as well). Outside January and February, there’s almost always something playing.
Performances: Performances take place most days (Mon-Sat generally at 19:15 for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre or 19:30 at the Swan, matinees around 13:15 at the RST or 13:30 at the Swan, sporadic Sun shows). Shows generally last three hours or more, with one intermission; for an evening show, don’t count on getting back to your room much before 23:00. There’s no strict dress code—and people dress casually (nice jeans and short-sleeve shirts are fine)—but shorts are discouraged. You can buy a program for £4. If you’re feeling bold, buy a £5 standing ticket and then slip into an open seat as the lights dim—if nothing is available during the play’s first half, something might open up after intermission.
Getting Tickets: Tickets range from £5 (standing) to £55, with most around £40. Saturday evening shows—the most popular—are most expensive. You can book tickets as you like it: online (www.rsc.org.uk), by phone (tel. 0844-800-1110), or in person at the box office (Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-17:00). Pay by credit card, get a confirmation number, then pick up your tickets at the theater 30 minutes before “curtain up.” Because it’s so easy to get tickets online or by phone, it makes absolutely no sense to pay extra to book tickets through any other source.
Tickets go on sale months in advance. Saturdays and very famous plays (such as Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet) sell out the fastest; the earlier in the week the performance is, the longer it takes to sell out (Thursdays sell out faster than Mondays, for example). Before your trip, check the schedule on their website, and consider buying tickets if something strikes your fancy. But demand is difficult to predict, and some tickets do go unsold. On my last visit, on a sunny Friday in June, the riverbank was crawling with tourists. I stepped into the RSC on a lark to see if they had any tickets. An hour later, I was watching King Lear lose his marbles.
Even if there aren’t any seats available, you may be able to buy a returned ticket on the same day of an otherwise sold-out show. While you can check at the box office anytime during the day, it’s best to go either when it opens at 10:00 (daily) or between 17:30 and 18:00 (Mon-Sat). Be prepared to wait.
Touring the Theaters: Theatrical and well-informed RSC volunteers lead entertaining, one-hour building tours. Some cover the main theater while others take you into behind-the-scenes spaces, such as the space-age control room (£5-7.50 depending on tour, usually 4/day at :15 past the hour—call, check online, or go to box office to confirm which tours are running and at what times, best to book ahead, tel. 0844-800-1110, www.rsc.org.uk). For a God’s-eye view of all of Shakespeare’s houses, take a tour of the RSC’s tower (£2.50, tours depart every 20 minutes, daily around 10:00-18:00, elevator).
The Food’s the Thing: The main theater has a casual café with a terrace overlooking the river (£3 sandwiches, daily 10:00-21:00), as well as a fancier restaurant on the top floor that can count the Queen as a patron (£11.50 lunch menu, Mon-Sat 11:30 until late, Sun 12:00-18:00, dinner reservations smart, tel. 01789/403-449).
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre—The recently remodeled flagship theater of the RSC has an interesting past. The original theater was built in 1879 to honor the Bard, but burned down in 1926. The big building you see today (facing the riverside park) was erected in 1932 and outfitted with a stodgy Edwardian “picture frame”-style stage, even though the more dynamic “thrust”-style stage—better for engaging the audience—was the actors’ choice. (It’s also closer in design to Shakespeare’s Globe stage, which juts into the crowd.)
The latest renovation addressed this ill-conceived design—post-remodel, the theater has an updated, thrust-style stage. They’ve left the shell of the 1930s theater, but outfitted it in an unconventional deconstructed-industrial style, with the seats stacked at an extremely vertical pitch. Though smaller, the redesigned theater can seat the same size audience as before, but now there’s not a bad seat in the house—no matter what, you’re no more than 15 yards from the stage (the cheapest “gallery” seats look down right onto Othello’s bald spot). The redesign took great care to respect the ghosts of the former theater; for example, floorboards from the 1932 stage were re-laid in the theater’s entry foyer, so as you wait for your play, you’re walking on theater history.
The Swan Theatre—Adjacent to the RSC Theatre is the smaller, Elizabethan-style Swan Theatre, a galleried playhouse that opened in 1986. This theater is used for alternative works and smaller productions. Occasionally the lowest level of seats is removed to accommodate “groundling” (standing-only) tickets, much like at the Globe Theatre in London.
The Courtyard Theatre—A two-minute walk down Southern Lane from the original Royal Shakespeare Theatre, this 1,000-seat theater (affectionately called the “rusty shed” by the locals) was built as a replacement venue while the Royal Shakespeare Theatre was being renovated. It was used as a prototype for the main theater—a testing ground for the lights, seats, and structure of its big brother. The theater’s future is up in the air—it could continue to host more performances, be dismantled, or be put to some other use.
Tudor World at the Falstaff Experience—This attraction is tacky, gimmicky, and more about entertainment than education. (And, while it’s named for a Shakespeare character, the exhibit isn’t about the Bard.) Filling Shrieve’s House Barn with fun exhibits (mannequins and descriptions, but few real artifacts), it sweeps through Tudor history from the plague to Henry VIII’s privy chamber to a replica 16th-century tavern. If you’re into ghost-spotting, their nightly ghost tours may be your best shot.
Cost and Hours: Museum-£5, daily 10:30-17:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing; ghost tours-£7.50, daily at 18:00, additional tours may be available Fri-Sat; Sheep Street, tel. 01789/298-070, www.falstaffexperience.co.uk.
Avon Riverfront—The River Avon is a playground of swans and canal boats. The swans have been the mascots of Stratford since 1623, when, seven years after the Bard’s death, a poem in his First Folio nicknamed him “the sweet swan of Avon.” Join in the bird-scene fun and buy swan food (£0.50) to feed the swans and ducks; ask at the ice-cream stand for details. Don’t feed the Canada geese, which locals disdain (they say the geese are vicious and have been messing up the eco-balance since they were imported by a king in 1665).
The canal boats saw their workhorse days during the short window of time between the start of the Industrial Revolution and the establishment of the railways. Today, they’re mostly pleasure boats. The boats are long and narrow, so two can pass in the slim canals. There are 2,000 miles of canals in England’s Midlands, built to connect centers of industry with seaports and provide vital transportation routes during the early days of the Industrial Revolution. Stratford was as far inland as you could sail on natural rivers from Bristol; it was the terminus of the man-made Birmingham Canal, built in 1816. Even today, you can motor your canal boat all the way to London from here.
For a little bit of mellow river action, rent a rowboat (£5/hour per person) or, for more of a challenge, pole yourself around on a Cambridge-style punt (canal is poleable—only 4 or 5 feet deep; same price as the rowboat and more memorable/embarrassing if you do the punting—don’t pay £10/30 minutes per person for a waterman to do the punting for you). Take a short stop on your lazy tour of the English countryside, and moor your canal boat at Stratford’s Canal Basin. You can try a sleepy 40-minute river cruise (£5.50, no commentary, Avon Boating, board boat in Bancroft Gardens near the RSC theater or at Swan’s Nest Boathouse across the Tramway Footbridge, tel. 01789/267-073, www.avon-boating.co.uk), or jump on the oldest surviving chain ferry (c. 1937) in Britain (£0.50), which shuttles people across the river just beyond the theater.
Cox’s Yard, a riverside timber yard until the 1990s, is a rare physical remnant of the days when Stratford was an industrial port. Today, Cox’s is a touristy entertainment center with pubs that have live music most nights (£5-15, get more info at tel. 01789/404-600 or www.coxsyard.co.uk).
If you want to spend the night after you catch a show, options abound. Ye olde timbered hotels are scattered through the city center. Most B&Bs are a short walk away on the fringes of town, right on the busy ring roads that route traffic away from the center. (The recommended places below generally have double-paned windows for rooms in the front, but still get some traffic noise.)
In general, the weekend on or near Shakespeare’s birthday (April 23) is particularly tight, but Fridays and Saturdays are busy throughout the season. This town is so reliant upon the theater for its business that some B&Bs have secondary insurance covering their loss if the Royal Shakespeare Company ever stops performing in Stratford.
These accommodations are at the edge of town on busy Grove Road, across from a grassy park. From here, it’s about a 10-minute walk either to the town center or to the train station (opposite directions).
$$ Ambleside Guest House is run with quiet efficiency and attentiveness by owners Peter and Ruth. Each of the seven rooms has been completely renovated, including the small but tidy bathrooms. The place has a homey, airy feel, with no B&B clutter (S-£35-40, Db-£60-80, Tb-£85-115, Qb-£100-140, ground-floor rooms, free Wi-Fi, free parking, 41 Grove Road, tel. 01789/297-239, www.amblesideguesthouse.com, peter@amblesideguesthouse.com—include your phone number in your request, since they like to call you back to confirm with a personal touch).
$$ Woodstock Guest House is a friendly, frilly, family-run, and flowery place with five comfortable rooms (Sb-£35-48, Db-£60-85, Tb-£90-120, can accommodate 4 people—ask, get Rick Steves discount if you stay 2 or more nights—mention this book when you reserve, 5 percent surcharge on credit cards, ground-floor room, free Wi-Fi, free parking, 30 Grove Road, tel. 01789/299-881, www.woodstock-house.co.uk, jackie@woodstock-house.co.uk, owners Denis and bubbly Jackie).
$$ Adelphi Guest House has six rooms, two with four-poster beds. Martin and Ellen have filled the house with antiques and run the place with Scottish charm. For breakfast, they offer a wide variety beyond the standard “English fry” (S-£38-42, Db-£75-100, Tb-£120, 2.5 percent surcharge on credit cards, 10 percent discount off these prices if you stay at least 2 nights in 2013—mention this book when you reserve, free Wi-Fi, free parking if booked in advance, 39 Grove Road, tel. 01789/204-469, www.adelphi-guesthouse.com, info@adelphi-guesthouse.com).
$ Salamander Guest House, run by gregarious Frenchman Pascal and his wife, Anna, rents seven clean, simple, good-value rooms (S-£38, Db-£50-63, Tb-£70-80, Qb-£80-90, free Wi-Fi, free on-site parking, 40 Grove Road, tel. & fax 01789/205-728, www.salamanderguesthouse.co.uk, p.delin@btinternet.com).
$$$ Mercure Shakespeare Hotel, centrally located in a black-and-white building just up the street from Nash’s House, has 78 business-class rooms, each one named for a Shakespearean play or character. Some of the rooms are old-style Elizabethan higgledy-piggledy (with modern finishes), while others are contemporary style—note your preference when you reserve (Sb-£80-100, standard Db-£110-140, deluxe Db-£140-170, prices soft depending on demand, breakfast-£15.50/person, pay Wi-Fi in rooms and lobby, free Wi-Fi in Othello’s Bar, parking-£10/day, Chapel Street, tel. 01789/294-997, fax 01789/415-411, www.mercure.com, h6630-re@accor.com).
$$ The Emsley Guest House holds five bright, modern rooms named after different counties in England. It’s conscientiously run by Melanie and Ray Coulson, who give it a homey and inviting atmosphere (Sb-£40-65, Db-£70-80, Tb-£90-120, Qb-£120-160, 5-person family room with extra bathroom, no kids under 5, free Wi-Fi, free off-street parking, 5 minutes from station at 4 Arden Street, tel. 01789/299-557, www.theemsley.co.uk, mel@theemsley.co.uk).
$ Hostel: Hemmingford House, with 130 beds in 2- to 8-bed rooms, is a 10-minute bus ride from town (from £12.40/bed, breakfast-£5; take bus #15, #18, or #18A two miles to Alveston; tel. 01789/297-093 or 0845-371-9661, stratford@yha.org.uk).
(See “Stratford-upon-Avon” map, here)
Stratford’s numerous restaurants vie for your pre-theater business, with special hours and meal deals. (Most offer light two- and three-course menus before 19:00.) You’ll find many hardworking places on Sheep Street and Waterside. Unfortunately, post-theater dinners are more challenging, as most places close early.
Le Bistro Pierre, across the river near the boating station, is a French eatery that’s been impressing Stratford residents. They have indoor or outdoor seating and slow service (£10 two-course lunches; £14 two-courses meals before 18:45, otherwise £10-13 main courses; Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00 & 17:00-22:30, Sat 12:00-16:00 & 17:00-23:00, Sun 12:30-16:30 & 18:00-22:00, Swan’s Nest, Bridgefoot, tel. 01789/264-804). They also have a pub with a different menu.
Sheep Street Eateries: The next three places, part of the same chain, line up along Sheep Street, offering trendy ambience and “modern English” cuisine, with relatively high prices and small portions (you’ll pay separately for side dishes): Lambs is intimate, and serves meat, fish, and veggie dishes with panache. The upstairs feels dressy, under low half-timbered beams (£12.50 two-course meals and £16 three-course meals, £12-18 main courses, Mon-Tue 17:00-21:00, Wed-Fri 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, Sat 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:30, Sun 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-21:00, 12 Sheep Street, tel. 01789/292-554). The Opposition, next door, has a less formal “bistro” ambience (£12.50 two-course meals and £16 three-course meals before 19:00; otherwise £8-10 light meals, £12-15 main courses; Mon-Thu 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-22:30, closed Sun, tel. 01789/269-980; book in advance if you want to have a post-theater dinner here on Fri or Sat). The Vintner, just up the street, has the best reputation and feels even trendier than its siblings, but still with old style. They’re known for their £11 burgers (£12.50 two-course meals and £16 three-course meals before 19:00, otherwise £7-10 light meals, £11-15 main courses, Mon-Thu 9:30-21:30, Fri-Sat until 22:00, Sun until 21:00, 4-5 Sheep Street, tel. 01789/297-259).
Indian: Avon Spice has a good reputation and good prices (£7-11 main courses, daily 17:00-23:30, Fri-Sat until 1:30 in the morning, 7 Greenhill Street, tel. 01789/267-067).
(See “Stratford-upon-Avon” map, here)
The Windmill Inn serves decent, modestly priced fare in a 17th-century inn. It combines old and new styles, and—since it’s a few steps beyond the heart of the tourist zone—actually attracts some locals as well. Order drinks and food at the bar, settle into a comfy chair, and wait for your meal (£7-10 pub grub, food served daily 11:00-21:45, Church Street, tel. 01789/297-687).
The Garrick Inn bills itself as the oldest pub in town, and comes with a cozy, dimly lit restaurant vibe. Choose between the pub or table-service section; either way, you’ll dine on bland, pricey pub grub (£8-12 dishes, food served daily 12:00-22:00, Sun until 21:00, 25 High Street, tel. 01789/292-186).
The Old Thatch Tavern is, according to natives, the best place in town for beer, serving up London-based Fuller’s brews. The food is a cut above what you’ll get in the other pubs; enjoy it either in the bar, in the tight, candlelit restaurant, or out on the quiet patio (£8-15 main courses, food served daily 12:00-21:00, on Greenhill Street overlooking the market square, tel. 01789/295-216).
(See “Stratford-upon-Avon” map, here)
Tearoom: Henley Street Tea Rooms, across the street from Shakespeare’s Birthplace, has indoor seating plus outdoor tables right on the main pedestrian mall, and friendly service (£4 cream tea, £11 afternoon tea, teas available all day, daily 9:00-17:30, Sept-March until 17:00, 40 Henley Street, tel. 01789/415-572). The same people run Bensons House of Tea & Gift Shop, just down the street (at #33).
Fish-and-Chips: Barnaby’s is a greasy fast-food fish-and-chips joint near the waterfront—but it’s convenient if you want to get takeout for the riverside park just across the street (£4-6 fish-and-chips, daily 11:00-20:00, at Sheep Street and Waterside). For better food, queue up with the locals at Kingfisher, then ask for the freshly battered haddock (£6-7 fish-and-chips, Mon 11:30-13:45 & 17:00-21:30, Tue-Sat 11:30-13:45 & 17:00-22:00, closed Sun, a long block up at 13 Ely Street, tel. 01789/292-513).
Picnics: For groceries, find Marks & Spencer on Bridge Street (Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 10:30-16:30, small coffee-and-sandwiches café upstairs, tel. 01789/292-430). Across the street, the Sainsbury’s Local stays open later than other supermarkets in town (daily 7:00-22:00). To picnic, head to the canal and riverfront park between the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the TI. Choose a bench with views of the river or of vacation houseboats, and munch your fish-and-chips while tossing a few fries into the river to attract swans. It’s a fine way to spend a midsummer night’s eve.
Remember: When buying tickets or checking schedules, ask for “Stratford-upon-Avon,” not just “Stratford.” Notice that a single train (running about every 2 hours) connects most of these destinations: Warwick, Leamington Spa (change for Coventry or Oxford), then London.
From Stratford-upon-Avon by Train to: London (6/day direct, more with transfers, 2.25 hours, to Marylebone Station), Warwick (10/day, 30 minutes), Coventry (at least hourly, 1.75 hours, change in Leamington Spa or Birmingham), Oxford (every 2 hours, 1.5 hours, change in Leamington Spa, Birmingham, or Banbury), Moreton-in-Marsh (almost hourly, 2.5-3 hours, 2-3 transfers, slow and expensive, better by bus). Train info: tel. 0845-748-4950, www.nationalrail.co.uk.
By Bus to: Cotswolds towns (bus #21 or #22, Mon-Sat 9/day, none on Sun, 35 minutes to Chipping Campden, 1-1.25 hours to Moreton-in-Marsh; also stops at Broadway, Blockley, and Bourton-on-the-Hill; bus #23 goes to Moreton-in-Marsh via Shipston-on-Stour, Mon-Sat 2/day, none on Sun, 1 hour; tel. 01564/797-070, Johnsons Coaches, www.johnsonscoaches.co.uk), Warwick (hourly, 20 minutes, tel. 01788/535-555, www.stagecoachbus.com), Coventry (hourly, 1.25 hours, tel. 01788/535-555, www.stagecoachbus.com). A direct bus runs to Oxford once a day; otherwise, change in Chipping Norton (train is better). Most intercity buses stop on Stratford’s Bridge Street (a block up from the TI). For bus info that covers all the region’s companies, call Traveline at tel. 0871-200-2233 (www.travelinemidlands.co.uk).
By Car: Driving is easy and distances are brief: Stow-on-the-Wold (22 miles), Warwick (8 miles), Coventry (19 miles).
These tips assume you’re heading north from Stratford and considering visits to Warwick and/or Coventry (both described in the next chapter).
Stratford to Points North via Warwick and Coventry: Leaving the Bridgefoot garage in downtown Stratford (see map on here), circle to the right around the same block, but stay on “the Wark” (Warwick Road, A-439). Warwick is eight miles away. The castle is just south of town on the right. (For parking advice, see here.) When you’re trying to decide whether to stop in Coventry or not, factor in Birmingham’s rush hour—try to avoid driving through that city between 14:00-20:00, if you can (worst on Fri-Sun; on Mon-Thu it generally gets better earlier, around 18:30).
If You’re Including Coventry: After touring Warwick Castle, carry on through the center of Warwick town and follow signs to Coventry (still the A-439, then the A-46). If you’re stopping in Coventry, follow signs painted on the road to the City Centre, and then to Cathedral Parking. Grab a place in the high-rise parking lot. Leaving Coventry, follow signs to Nuneaton and M6 North through lots of sprawl, and you’re on your way. (See below.)
If You’re Skirting Coventry: Take the M-69 (direction: Leicester) and follow the M-6 as it threads through giant Birmingham.
Once You’re on the M-6: The highway divides into the free M-6 and an “M-6 Toll” road (designed to help drivers cut through the Birmingham traffic chaos). Take the toll road—£5 is a small price to pay to avoid all the nasty traffic (www.m6toll.co.uk).
When battling through sprawling Birmingham, keep your sights on the M-6. If you’re heading for any points north—Ironbridge Gorge (Telford), North Wales, Liverpool, Blackpool, or the Lakes (Kendal for the South Lake District, Keswick for the North Lake District)—just stay relentlessly on the M-6 (direction: North West). Each destination is clearly signed directly from the M-6. For specifics on getting to Ironbridge Gorge, see here.