Stratford-upon-Avon Great Britain England (Birthplace of Shakespere)

Stratford-upon-Avon Great Britain England (6/8/2016)

Henley Street - 
Stratford Upon Avon Great Britain

Lovely is the appropriate word to describe Stratford-Upon-Avon!

Shakespeare is Stratford’s main claim to fame but there is more to this lovely town that just that. As you walk through the streets and the beautifully preserved buildings, it is like you have transformed back in time. The beautiful River Avon that runs through the town is lovely to enjoy.

Beautifully Preserved 
Tudor Buildings

Stratford upon Avon has Anglo-Saxon origins dating back over 800 years. It is now internationally known for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and the Shakespeare five beautifully preserved Tudor homes and gardens directly linked to the Shakespeare family.

Shakespeare's Birthplace - 
Stratford Upon Avon

For us, visiting Shakespeare’s Birthplace and other Shakespeare-related buildings in Stratford upon Avon was as Shakespeare put it “Much to do about nothing”. It is interesting in historic perspective but not overly interesting unless you are a big Shakespeare fan.

Swan Theatre & 
English School Children - 
Stratford Upon Avon

Clopton Bridge on Avon River - 
Stratford Upon Avon

Taking in a play by the world-famous Royal Shakespeare Company at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre or Swan Theatre in Stratford upon Avon is an experience you should consider. These two theatres are next to each other and do same-day ticket sales if you have not planned ahead (note: the owner of our guesthouse said most of his guests do obtain same-day tickets – we did). 

They offer innovative plays (Shakespeare’s and others) in an atmosphere much like the days of Shakespeare. Don’t worry about dressing up for the theatre in Stratford upon Avon because most people dress casually.

Boating on River Avon

We loved our 40-minute Avon Boating ride on the River Avon with an audio guide to learn about Stratford’s interesting history and personalities. They also offer rowing and motorboats. They are located just north of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Punting is no longer offered due to too many accidents – you can still do punting in Oxford.

Fancy a Pint?

Guided Town Walks offers a highly recommended 2-hour informative guided Stratford upon Avon walk departing from the river opposite of Sheep Street.

Travel Tip... Nice walking tour: This is a very nice walk in Stratford upon Avon where you will see beautiful places, buildings, interesting shops, restaurants, and pubs – stop along the way at a restaurant or pub if you are hungry or fancy a pint...

Loved Feeding the Swans 
on River Avon

If you haven’t pre-purchased tickets for a play, start at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and try to get a same-day ticket for the evening performance at one of the two theatres (your choice).

From there, head north through the park and take a boat ride along the River Avon. Buy some bird feed for the swans (fun!). Then walk south along the river (detouring to the street when blocked) to the Holy Trinity Church to see the church and Shakespeare’s grave.

Map of Great Britain

From there, head back to Stratford upon Avon's town center on Chestnut Walk visiting Hall’s Croft if you are a Shakespeare fan. Turn right on Church Street (turns into Chapel Street and then High Street). Finally, head up Hedley Street to Shakespeare’s Birthplace.

School Children at 
Shakespeare's Birthplace

For a good pub experience and meal head over to the Old Thatch Tavern on the corner of Greenhill and Windsor Streets.

Important driving tip: Because many of the roads in England are smaller country roads with many confusing roundabouts, getting lost is not hard. In fact, it can be fun if you can get back on track.

Here is a wonderful tip... Make sure you have GPS - if from the car rental company ask for a lesson. The postal code in Great Britain typically has enough information to direct you to your hotel or destination. So, look up postal codes for your hotels and destinations so you can enter them in as you go through your day of explorations. We used a centrally located church or hotel for the villages. Sometimes the GPS asks to confirm the street name and number, so also having an address helps. Also, often just putting in the town/village name will take you to the right direction and you can follow signs to the town center.

Please see our other 12 travel blog posts on Great Britain:

York, England

Beautiful COTWOLDS Bilbury Burton Stow Slaugher Woodstock Burford Minster Lovell Oxford England

Lake District (England's Most Visited National Park)

Highclere Castle (Downton Abby), England

Stonehenge, England

England's Southern Coast Canterbury Rye Sandwich Salisbury, England

Hadrian's Wall, England

Beamish Museum, England

Chester, England

Magnificent Castle Howard, England

Alnwick Castle (Harry Potter), England   

 

 

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