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Stratford-upon-Avon — The Ultimate Shakespeare DestinationBy Marilyn LoeserIn Stratford-upon-Avon — a short train trip northwest of London — you’ll find a charming community filled with flowering gardens, centuries-old buildings and all that is Shakespeare. Fortunately, for fans of the 16th century literary genius, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust purchased, restored and oversees five homes and gardens connected with William Shakespeare and his family in and around Stratford-upon-Avon. When my daughter Olivia and I visited recently, we toured three of these beautifully preserved period shrines to the legend of prose and poetry, each offering insight into the life and times of Shakespeare, his wife Anne Hathaway and their decedents. Shakespeare's Birthplace and Visitor’s CenterShakespeare was born here in 1564. It also is thought Shakespeare and his wife Anne lived in the house when they were first married. For centuries Shakespeare fans have made the pilgrimage to seek out the beginning of one of history’s most prolific writers. The property was acquired by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1847. The tour begins in a museum combining modern displays with bits of memorabilia from Shakespeare’s life and times following his birth, schooling, rise to fame in London, his plays, and retirement and death in Stratford-upon-Avon. As much as the museum is interesting, it’s the house that’s the real prize. You can certainly imagine young William growing up here. The house has been painstakingly restored, and through research includes both original and replica items similar to those which would have been used here when Shakespeare was a boy. Beautiful painted cloths adorn the walls and brightly colored fabrics fill the rooms, all hand dyed in the traditional Tudor way. William’s father John was a well-known glove maker and his glove making workshop also is on the tour. To the rear of the house is a beautiful country garden
containing many traditional plants as well as herbs and flowers mentioned in
Shakespeare’s plays. The original garden would have been cultivated mainly for
useful household produce. Nash’s House and New Place also are located near the center of town. Informative guides here are excellent and offer a glimpse into Shakespeare’s retirement years and the lives of his decedents. Nash’s House was owned by Shakespeare’s granddaughter’s first husband Sir Thomas Nash, a wealthy Stratford property owner. Nash’s House is furnished with original 16th and 17th century pieces of furniture, local tapestries and paintings. Adjacent to Nash’s house is the site of New Place, the house that Shakespeare purchased in 1597 and where he later died. Sadly, all that is left of New House is some of the original building foundation and the view of Guild Chapel unchanged since Shakespeare looked in that direction from his garden.
To the rear is the Great Garden, a public space containing an ancient Mulberry Tree said to have been a cutting from the tree Shakespeare planted. Box and Yew hedges line the garden with beautiful flowerbeds and borders. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
The childhood home of Shakespeare’s wife has been a tourist destination for centuries. Young Shakespeare would have courted Anne here and the site has often been described as the most romantic view in England. The thatched farmhouse was occupied by descendents of the Hathaway family until it’s purchase by the Trust in 1892 and still contains many rare family items of furniture that date back to Anne’s time, including the finely carved, oak “Hathaway bed.” The gardens here also are a treasure. The cottage garden overflows with beautiful blooms all year round. One of the most fascinating growing oddities here is the Willow Cabin inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Act 1, Scene 5). Visitors can sit on the specially designed bench, gaze at the cottage and press a button to listen to one of four Shakespearean sonnets read by famous actors. There are two additional Trust properties: Mary Arden's House and the Shakespeare Countryside Museum, the home of Shakespeare’s mother, and Hall's Croft, the house where Shakespeare's eldest daughter Susanna lived with her husband.
If you go: When making reservations remember to calculate the current exchange rate between dollars and pounds. An excellent, up-to-the-day web site to calculate the exchange rate is exchangerate.com Many hotels include breakfast and dinner in daily rates. Two web sites I used to find hotel, restaurant and attraction information were shakespeare.org.uk and stratford-upon-avon.co.uk. For more information on The Swan’s Nest hotel, where I stayed and can highly recommend, check on the Internet at swansnesthotel.co.uk. More information on BritRail passes entitling passengers to unlimited train travel throughout the United Kingdom for several days, depending on the pass purchased, can be found at britrail.com or by calling 1-866-BRITRAIL. by: Marilyn Loeser |
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The gardens also are part of Shakespeare’s original estate.
Today, the striking Elizabethan Knot garden — created in 1919-1920 — is based on
illustrations from garden books of Shakespeare’s time.
The last house we visited during our stay was the world
famous Anne Hathaway Cottage in nearby Shottery, one mile from
Stratford-upon-Avon.
Guests
will want to visit Holy Trinity church as well. William Shakespeare and Anne
Hathaway are buried here.
