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Stratford-upon-Avon

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Exploring | Stratford Environs | Where to Eat

104 miles (167 km) north of London.

Stratford-upon-Avon has become adept at accommodating the hordes of people who stream in for a glimpse of William Shakespeare’s world. Filled with all the distinctive, Tudor half-timber buildings your heart could desire, this is certainly a handsome town, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a don’t-miss for those who want to see Shakespeare performed in England. But the town can feel, at times, like a literary amusement park, so if you’re not a fan of the Bard, you may want to explore elsewhere.

Tours and Tickets

City Sightseeing runs hop-on, hop-off guided tours of Stratford (£12.50), and you can combine the tour (about an hour with no stops) with entry to either three (£25.50) or four (£29) Shakespeare houses.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust runs the main places of Shakespearean interest: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Hall’s Croft, Mary Arden’s House, Nash’s House and New Place, and Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Shakespeare’s Grave. TIP Buy a money-saving combination ticket to all six properties for £22.50, or pay separate entry fees if you’re visiting one or two. Family tickets are an option, too. Advance booking online gives you a 10% saving. Tickets for Hall’s Croft and Nash’s House and New Place are available as a pricey (£14.95) joint ticket that includes the birthplace and grave.

Essentials

Exploring

Hall’s Croft.
One of the finest surviving Jacobean (early-17th-century) town houses, this impressive residence has a delightful walled garden. Hall’s Croft was the home of Shakespeare’s elder daughter, Susanna, and her husband, Dr. John Hall, a physician who, by prescribing an herbal cure for scurvy, was well ahead of his time. His consulting room and medical dispensary are on view along with the other rooms, all containing Jacobean furniture of heavy oak and some 17th-century portraits. The café serves light lunches and afternoon teas. | Old Town | CV37 6PG | 01789/292107 | www.shakespeare.org.uk | £14.95, includes admission to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, New Place, and Shakespeare’s Grave | Apr.–Oct., daily 10–5; Nov.–Mar., daily 11–4.

Holy Trinity Church.
The burial place of William Shakespeare, this 13th-century church sits on the banks of the Avon, with a graceful avenue of lime trees framing its entrance. Shakespeare’s final resting place is in the chancel, rebuilt in 1465–91 in the late Perpendicular style. He was buried here not because he was a famed poet but because he was a lay rector of Stratford, owning a portion of the township tithes. On the north wall of the sanctuary, over the altar steps, is the famous marble bust created by Gerard Jansen in 1623 and thought to be a true likeness of Shakespeare. The bust offers a more human, even humorous, perspective when viewed from the side. Also in the chancel are the graves of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne; his daughter Susanna; his son-in-law John Hall; and his granddaughter’s husband, Thomas Nash. Nearby, the Parish Register is displayed, containing Shakespeare’s baptismal entry (1564) and his burial notice (1616). | Trinity St. | CV37 6BG | 01789/266316 | www.stratford-upon-avon.org | £2 for chancel | Mar. and Oct., Mon.–Sat. 9–5, Sun. 12:30–5; Apr.–Sept., Mon.–Sat. 8:30–6, Sun. 12:30–5; Nov.–Feb., Mon.–Sat. 9–4, Sun. 12:30–5; last admission 20 mins before closing.

Nash’s House.
This heavily restored house was the residence of Thomas Nash, who married Shakespeare’s last direct descendant, his granddaughter Elizabeth Hall. It has been furnished in 17th-century style and contains a museum containing finds from the excavations of New Place, the house in which Shakespeare died in 1616. Built in 1483 “of brike and tymber” for a lord mayor of London, New Place was Stratford’s grandest piece of real estate when Shakespeare bought it in 1597 for £60. It was torn down in 1759 by the Reverend Francis Gastrell, who was angry at the hordes of Shakespeare-related sightseers. You can see an Elizabethan knot garden in the gardens. | Chapel St. | CV37 6EP | 01789/292325 | www.shakespeare.org.uk | £14.95, includes admission to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Hall’s Croft, and Shakespeare’s Grave | Apr.–Oct., daily 10–5; Nov.–Mar., daily 11–4.

Fodor’s Choice | Royal Shakespeare Company.
One of the finest repertory troupes in the world and long the backbone of the country’s theatrical life, the company performs plays year-round in Stratford and at venues around Britain. The stunning Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the RSC, has a thrust stage based on the original Globe Theater in London. The Swan Theatre, part of the theater complex and also built in the style of Shakespeare’s Globe, stages plays by Shakespeare and contemporaries such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson, as well as works by contemporary playwrights. Prices usually are £14 to £60. TIP Seats book up fast, but day-of-performance and returned tickets are often available. | Waterside | CV37 6BB | 0844/800–1110 ticket hotline | www.rsc.org.uk.

Fodor’s Choice | Shakespeare’s Birthplace.
A half-timber house typical of its time, the playwright’s birthplace is a much-visited shrine that has been altered and restored since he lived here. Entering through the modern visitor center, you are immersed in an entertaining but basic introduction to Shakespeare through a “Life, Love, and Legacy” visual and audio exhibition; this can be crowded. The house itself is across the garden from this large modern center. Colorful wall decorations and the furnishings in the actual house reflect comfortable, middle-class Elizabethan domestic life. Shakespeare’s father, John, a glove maker and wool dealer, purchased the house; a reconstructed workshop shows the tools of the glover’s trade. There’s also a café and bookshop on the grounds. | Henley St. | CV37 6QW | 01789/201822 | www.shakespeare.org.uk | £14.95, includes entry to Hall’s Croft, Nash’s House, and Shakespeare’s Grave | Apr.–June and Sept.–Oct., daily 9–5; July and Aug., daily 9–6; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–4.

Stratford Environs

Two additional stops on the Shakespeare trail are just outside Stratford; also nearby is spectacular Warwick Castle.

Fodor’s Choice | Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.
The most picturesque of the Shakespeare Trust properties, on the western outskirts of Stratford, was the family home of the woman Shakespeare married in 1582. The “cottage,” actually a substantial Tudor farmhouse, has latticed windows and a grand thatch roof. Inside is period furniture, including the settle where Shakespeare reputedly conducted his courtship, and a rare carved Elizabethan bed; outside is a garden planted in lush Victorian style with herbs and flowers. A stoll through the adjacent orchard takes you to willow cabins where you can listen to sonnets, view sculptures with Shakespearean themes, and try a yew and a heart-shaped lavender maze. TIP The best way to get here is on foot, especially in late spring when the apple trees are in blossom. The signed path runs from Evesham Place (an extension of Grove Road) opposite Chestnut Walk. Pick up a leaflet with a map from the tourist office; the walk takes a good half hour. | Cottage La. | Shottery | CV37 9HH | 01789/295517 | www.shakespeare.org.uk | £9 | Apr.–Oct., daily 9–5; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–4; last admission 30 mins before closing.

FAMILY | Mary Arden’s Farm.
A working farm, where food is grown using methods common in the 16th century, is the main attraction at Mary Arden’s House (the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother) and Palmer’s Farm. This bucolic stop is great for kids, who can try their hand at basket weaving and gardening, listen as the farmers explain their work in the fields, and watch the cooks prepare food in the Tudor farmhouse kitchen. It all brings the past to life. There are crafts exhibits, a café, and a garden. The site is 3 miles northwest of Stratford; you need to walk or drive here, or else go with a tour. | Off A3400 | Wilmcote | CV37 9UN | 01789/293455 | www.shakespeare.org.uk | £9.95 | Apr.–Oct., daily 10–5.

FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | Warwick Castle.
The vast bulk of this medieval castle rests on a cliff overlooking the Avon—“the fairest monument of ancient and chivalrous splendor which yet remains uninjured by time,” to use the words of Sir Walter Scott. Today the company that runs the Madame Tussauds wax museums owns the castle, and the exhibits and diversions can occupy a full day. Warwick is a great castle experience for kids, though it’s pricey (there are family rates). Warwick’s two soaring towers, bristling with battlements, can be seen for miles: the 147-foot-high Caesar’s Tower, built in 1356, and the 128-foot-high Guy’s Tower, built in 1380. The castle’s most powerful commander was Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, known during the 15th-century Wars of the Roses as the Kingmaker. Warwick Castle’s monumental walls enclose an impressive armory of medieval weapons, as well as state rooms with historic furnishings and paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck, and other old masters. Twelve rooms are devoted to an imaginative wax exhibition, “A Royal Weekend Party—1898.” Other exhibits display the sights and sounds of a great medieval household as it prepares for an important battle, and of a princess’s fairy-tale wedding; in the Dragon Tower, Merlin and a talking dragon breathe life into the Arthurian legend. TIP Arrive early to beat the crowds. If you book online, you save on ticket prices. Lavish medieval banquets (extra charge) and special events, including festivals, jousting tournaments, and a Christmas market, take place throughout the year, and plenty of food stalls serve lunches. | Castle La., off Mill St. | Warwick | CV34 4QU | 01926/495421, 0871/265–2000 24-hr information line | www.warwick-castle.com | Castle, Dragon Tower, and Dungeon £30.60, Castle and Dungeon £28.20, Castle £22.80; parking £6 | Late July and Aug., daily 10–6; mid-Sept.–mid-July, daily 10–5; last admission 30 mins before closing.

Where to Eat

Fodor’s Choice | The Black Swan/The Dirty Duck.
BRITISH | The only pub in Britain to be licensed under two names (the more informal one came courtesy of American GIs who were stationed here during World War II), this is one of Stratford’s most celebrated pubs—it’s attracted actors since the 18th-century thespian David Garrick’s days. A little veranda overlooks the theaters and the river here. Along with your pint of bitter, you can choose from the extensive menu of daily specials, wraps, ciabattas, steaks, burgers, and grills. Few people come here for the food, though you will need to book ahead for dinner: the real attraction is the ambience and your fellow customers. | Average main: £10 | Waterside | CV37 6BA | 01789/297312 | www.dirtyduck-pub-stratford-upon-avon.co.uk.

Opposition.
MODERN BRITISH | Hearty, warming meals are offered at this informal, family-style restaurant in a 16th-century building on the main dining street near the theaters. The English and international dishes—chicken roasted with banana and served with curry sauce and basmati rice, for instance—win praise from the locals. There’s a good range of lighter and vegetarian options and fixed-price menus as well. Make reservations a month ahead in summer. | Average main: $14 | 13 Sheep St. | CV37 6EF | 01789/269980 | www.theoppo.co.uk | Closed Sun.

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