Stratford upon Avon is a market town in Warwickshire.
Its claim to fame is that William Shakespeare was born and lived here most of his life.
The town attracts thousand of visitors every year who travel to see Shakespeare’s houses. His birthplace on Henley Street is in the very ‘olde worlde’ style of the time.
Another place to visit is Hall’s Croft, this is the home of Shakespeare’s daughter Suzanna and her husband. He was a Doctor and one room remains fitted out as a dispensary with most of the original furniture.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is about a mile from Stratford at Shottery and was her home until her marriage to William Shakespeare. Although it was damaged by fire in 1969 it is still an impressive house with its 16th century furniture. Anne’s descendants lived in the cottage until the 20th century.
The Shakespeare Tree Garden has examples of all the trees mentioned in his plays.
Shakespeare’s granddaughter lived at Nash House that now has displays of the towns history. It has 17th century oak furnishing and tapestries.
Bancroft Gardens is another nice area to visit with its boat filled canal basin and lock. It is at the junction of the River Avon and the Stratford Canal.
Other sites to see include the Holy Trinity Church where William Shakespeare was baptized and buried. The town has beautiful timbered, Tudor style architecture including the town hall built in 1767 which has, on the outside, some 18th century graffiti reading ‘God save the King’.
The Stratford upon Avon Butterfly Farm is home to hundreds of species and other displays plus a spider section.
Falstaff’s Experience is like a stationary ghost train and tells tales of witches with a bit of history in between. It has a witch’s glade and a plague cottage just the sort of thing children and some adults love.
The first Paddington Bear from the TV series is as home in the Teddy Bear Museum, a lovely nostalgic place to browse around.
Guided Tours can be taken around the town or hop on an open top bus for a sight seeing trip.
Punts, canoes and rowing boats can be hired as can bicycles for the energetic. Those preferring an easier life can take a cruise along the Avon or even a hot air balloon flight that can be located a short distance from town.
There are three theatres in town including that of the world famous Royal Shakespeare Company opened in 1961.
Kenilworth and Warwick castles are easily reached from Stratford upon Avon and both are worth a visit.
The town’s economy comes mainly from tourism but aluminium ware, narrowboat building and insurance also add to the wealth of the town. Some of the main employers are NFU Mutual Insurance and Compance and Amer, and engineering company.
There are plans to build flats on the disused cattle market next to the railway station.
Property to rent is available with average costs for a studio apartments £480pcm, for a 2 bed flat £665pcm, for a 1 bed house £625pcm and for a 3 bed house £825pcm.
There are plenty of independent shops in Stratford, for fashion there are shops like, Hobbs, Jigsaw, Sandwich and Gemini-Woman, and for gifts try Presents in Mind or the Little Oxford Shop.
There’s a good variety of cafes and restaurants around the town such as Georgetown or Oppo serving global dishes.
There are several public houses such as the Windmill Inn being the liveliest, or the Black Swan, known locally at the Dirty Duck, where many actors gather after performances. There is also a restaurant attached to this pub.
When in Stratford upon Avon seeing a Shakespearian play is a must so be sure to book tickets.
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