Stratford-upon-Avon
For many tourists, Stratford is next on the itinerary after London and this because of one man, William Shakespeare. Born in Stratford in 1564, he left to find fame in the capital, eventually to return and die here in 1616. Despite Stratford's attraction as the mecca for visitors wishing to trace the poet's life from cradle to grave, the market town has much to offer in its own right, remaining a well-preserved showcase of Tudor architecture, with half-timbered houses lining its broad streets. Stratford is best explored on foot, and in each house associated with the poet, staff are available to guide visitors through the buildings, and help relive the Elizabethan past. Shakespeare's birthplace is located in the centre of town, in Henley Street, a timber-framed structure housing an exhibition of the Bard, set within a 16th century context. It includes the desk young William is believed to have used when a schoolboy. The garden is planted with those flowers, herbs and shrubs mentioned in his plays, and there is a mulberry tree said to have been grown from a cutting planted by the poet himself.
His father John Shakespeare (or Shakspere, according to the parish records) was a glover and wool dealer who later became the town's bailiff. Documents would indicate that John had lived at Henley Street for at least 5 years before marrying Mary Arden in 1557. The poet's mother came from the nearby village of Wilmcote - see Henley-in-Arden for details. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582 at the age of 18years. She was a farmer's daughter and lived in the nearby village of Shottery - see Henley-in-Arden for details. Little is known about Shakespeare's early life, although he is said to have been in trouble for poaching deer. This may have been a reason for leaving Stratford and becoming an actor at the London Globe Theatre.
Very close to Henley Street is Nash's House, the half-timbered house of Shakespeare's granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall. The rooms are furnished with a splendid collection of Elizabethan furniture and tapestries, helping to recreate the background to domestic life of the period. Next door is the site of New Place, purchased by the poet in 1597, for the sum of £60.00; here he lived until his death five years later at the age of 52. All that remains is the garden and foundations where the house once stood, destroyed in 1759 by a later inhabitant, to the rage of the townsfolk. The Knot Garden, behind New Place, is a spectacular reconstruction of a formal Elizabethan walled garden. Opposite, is the 13th century Guild Chapel, and beyond this, the Grammar School, almost certainly attended by Shakespeare. Hall's Croft, the town house of the poet's eldest daughter Susanna, after she married Dr John Hall in 1607, is one of the finest examples of a half-timbered gabled house in Stratford. The interior contains a collection of rare Tudor and Jacobean furniture; a period room has been reconstructed as a doctor's dispensary, detailing Elizabethan medicinal practices.
The 13th century Holy Trinity Church, is where Shakespeare was baptised in 1564, and finally buried in 1616. In front of the altar is the poet's simple gravestone - a bust of Shakespeare was erected by his family in 1623. The poet's wife Anne Hathaway, their daughter Susanna, and her husband John Hall are buried alongside him.
There are many other attractions and fascinating old buildings in Stratford. The Gothic clock-tower cum drinking fountain, located in the centre of Rother-market, was presented by one G W Childs of Philadelphia, USA, in 1897. The presentation, made to mark Queen Victoria's jubilee year, was unveiled by the famous actor Henry Irving. The Town Hall, built of Cotswold stone in 1767, has a statue of Shakespeare on the wall, presented to the town, in 1769, by another renowned Shakespearean actor, David Garrick. A local merchant, Hugh Clapton, constructed Clapton Bridge, with its 14 pointed arches, in the late 15th century - he also built New Place and became Lord Mayor of London in 1492. Harvard House is a restored, half-timbered townhouse, of Shakespeare's time; it is the birthplace of John Harvard, who, in 1636, founded the famous American university named after himself. Stratford theatres include The Other Place, The Swan, and the world famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre - all present Shakespeare's plays, with the first two also encouraging new and experimental productions. Adjoining the latter is the Theatre Picture Gallery and Museum, which house costumes worn by leading actors and actresses; relics of Henry Irving, David Garrick, Dame Ellen Terry, Sarah Siddons and other celebrated theatrical figures are on display.
The Teddy Bear Museum includes some of the oldest, most valuable and unusual toy bears from around the world. There are hundreds of bears on display, bears 'famous' in their own right and bears belonging to famous people. The Stratford Butterfly Farm contains walkways, which permit the visitor to pass by pools and waterfalls, inside a hothouse, where hundreds of butterflies and moths fly among exotic flora and fauna. The Bancroft Gardens contains the impressive Gower Memorial, a life-size bronze statue of Shakespeare. Built in Paris by Lord Gower, it took 12 years in construction, and was finally presented to Stratford in 1888.