Soaking in Stratford

Several months ago we made a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of England's world-famous bard, William Shakespeare. We thought we might make another trip to this beautiful town so I put off blogging about it. However, it now looks like we won't make it back so I've decided to post a few thoughts now. The day we went was cool and wet, so the pictures are rather drab. Brighter pictures can be found at some of the websites linked here.

Stratford sits upon the River Avon (hence the name), and, although it existed centuries before April 23, 1564, one could be forgiven for thinking that William Shakespeare's birthday marked the beginning of the town itself. The timber-framed house in which Shakespeare was born and grew up still sits in Henley Street (pic 1), and tourists have apparently been flocking to it since at least the 19th century. In addition to Shakespeare's house (pic 2), the property also includes a beautiful garden and an interpretive museum. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust website includes some good photos.

There are several historical places in Stratford associated with Shakespeare. If one turns from Henley to High Street and through to Chapel Street, one can see Nash's House and the adjacent garden at New Place, where Shakespeare died. Across the street is the old Guild Chapel, which remains as Shakespeare would have seen it each day on his way to the King Edward VI Grammar School, where young William probably received his earliest education (pic 3). Following Church Street to Old Town, one can see Hall's Croft, where Shakespeare's son-in-law John Hall had his home and medical practice. At the end of the lane by the Avon River is Holy Trinity Church (pic 4), where Shakespeare was christened, attended church as a youngster, and eventually was buried (pic 5). His tomb has the following inscription, possibly written by Shakespeare himself before his death:

Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
But cursed be he that moves my bones.

For the Shakespeare fan Stratford has everything, including catching a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre along the river. However, there is more to Stratford than Shakespeare. The town is filled with historic buildings (pic 6), fun shopping, and a beautiful river front area. We would love to get back some sunny day to see all that Stratford has to offer!