If you like theatre and Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon should be high up your UK travel bucket list. The whole town is themed around the great playwright and if you visit, you’ll be spoilt for choice as there are so many Shakespeare attractions to see. From his birthplace to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, there really is something for all ages. We went to Warwickshire for the weekend in May and we spent 4 hours in Stratford-upon-Avon, taking in the Shakespeare sights. For today’s post I thought I’d talk about some of the many attractions on offer in Shakespeare’s hometown which make the town such a great place to visit.
Boat trip on the River Avon
For as little as 50p, you can take a trip out onto the River Avon. You can find boat tours by the canal running through the Bancroft Gardens, which is also a fantastic lunch spot if you fancy having a picnic outside. We found it really relaxing watching the boats pass by.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a Shakespearian landmark in Stratford-upon-Avon, where you can see some of the original plays and contemporary theatre in action. It’s a tremendous building which overlooks the Bancroft Gardens and it’s definitely somewhere that you should visit if you’re hunting down the Shakespeare sights in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust
For £15.75 per adult, you can go inside Shakespeare’s childhood home. We thought that the entry fees to his birthplace were quite expensive so we didn’t go inside the Trust, but something we learnt is that you can still see the outside of the house from Henley Street: a popular shopping street in Stratford-upon-Avon. We stopped for photos on Henley Street and went in the birthplace shop which was full of Shakespeare-themed souvenirs.
Hathaway Tea Rooms
Sharing it’s name with Shakespeare’s wife, Hathaway Tea Rooms is a tea room with old English character. The building itself is very old and the interior of the café has been kept very simple, to highlight how historic the building is. Cups of tea are relatively affordable at the tearoom and I’d definitely recommend stopping here for your drink instead of going to chain cafés such as Costa or Starbucks whilst you’re in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare’s Memorial in Bancroft Gardens
In Bancroft Gardens you will find Shakespeare’s Memorial, which features statues of some of Shakespeare’s iconic characters. The Memorial stands out across the park and lots of tourists stop to take pictures. Given that Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, it’s rather fitting to see such a spectacular memorial in the city.
There are lots of Shakespeare things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon, which draw in tourists from all over the UK and further afield. The attractions listed above are a few suggestions, but there is certainly plenty more to see in Stratford-upon-Avon, if you’re prepared to pay to go inside the houses of his family members. Stratford-upon-Avon is a lovely town, with such interesting history just waiting to be explored.
Are you a fan of Shakespeare? Have you ever visited Stratford-upon-Avon?
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love
Kat
xxxx
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