Stratford Town Walking Tour 365 Days a Year

The Swan Fountain in the Bancroft Gardens on Waterside is the meeting place for the Stratford Town Walk. Look out for the guide (wearing a flash of yellow), standing by a lamppost with a yellow sign our company name.
The route of the Town Walk may vary. Please ask the guide if you need to know the ending place of the tour.

A beautiful 16th century half-timbered building in Henley Street. It was the family home of John and Mary Shakespeare and where their son William Shakespeare was born in 1564. It was in this building where John Shakespeare established his glove-making business, where William grew up and after his marriage, lived with his wife Anne Hathaway. Hear stories of his childhood years and family life in Tudor times.
(note - if you would like to visit Shakespeare's Birthplace before or after the tour, a discount is offered to Stratford Town Walk customers)

William Shakespeare purchased New Place when he was 33 years old and where he lived with his family until he died, ages 52. As you stand outside the magnificent gates, imagine the largest house in the town and find out why it was demolished in 1759.

Hall's Croft was the home of John Hall, physician who married William Shakespeare's eldest daughter Susanna. As you admire the impressive Jacobean residence, hear fascinating stories of medieval medical cures.

Holy Trinity Church, on the banks of the River Avon is one of England’s most visited Parish Churches. It is where William Shakespeare was baptised, worshipped and subsequently buried within the Chancel. As you approach along an avenue of Lime trees enjoy the magnificent building dating back to 1210.

The Guild Chapel is one of Stratford’s most iconic and important historic buildings. Dating back to 1269, it was the home of the Guild of the Holy Cross, a prominent social and religious organisation. The building contains one of the rarest series of medieval wall paintings in Europe.

William Shakespeare’s Schoolroom is a fine example of a half-timbered building dating back to the 1400’s Discover where William Shakespeare was educated and inspired to become the world’s greatest playwright. It was known as The King’s New School but is now King Edward VI Grammar School (K.E.S). Below the schoolroom is the Guildhall and in 1553 the headquarters of Stratford Borough Council. It remained the heart of civic life for over 400 years.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre dates back to 1932. It was designed by British Architect, Elisabeth Scott who won a competition with her design. The theatre was a replacement for the 1879 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, destroyed by fire in 1926. It is the home of the world-class Royal Shakespeare Company who perform Shakespeare’s plays to visitors from all over the world.

The Swan Theatre stands on the site of the 1879 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, most of which was destroyed by fire in 1926. Only the library and art gallery were saved. In 1986, thanks to fundraising and generous benefactors the Swan Theatre opened within the original red-brick gothic facade.

In the 1970’s, The Other Place was a corrugated tin shed rehearsal room and studio space dedicated to new work and experimental theatre. Re-developed over the years it re-opened in 2006 as The Courtyard Theatre. It seated 1000 people and was used as a temporary theatre during the transformation of the RST and Swan Theatres. The Other Place is now a flexible and adaptable 200 seat theatre space with rehearsal rooms and costume storage.

The Town Hall, a Grade II listed building, dates back to the mid 1700’s. It stands on the site of the Market House which during the English Civil War was used as a munitions store. Unfortunately, the building was badly damaged following a gunpowder explosion. The current building was completed in 1767 and officially opened in 1769 by actor, David Garrick. Standing proudly in a niche on the front of the building is a statue of William Shakespeare, presented by David Garrick at the official opening and during the Shakespeare Jubilee.

It was in this area, in the 1400’s a High Cross was sited at the junction of High Street and Bridge Street to signify the location of a market. In the corner if High Street and Bridge Street is a small building, sometimes referred to as ‘The Cage’. The town’s jail was located beneath the building. It was also the home of William Shakespeare’s youngest daughter Judith and her husband Thomas Quiney, a vintner.

The Almshouses, known as The Guild Cottages were built by the Guild of the Holy Cross in the 1500’s for the aged and infirm of their members. The Municipal Charities of Stratford upon Avon manage the properties.

Harvard House, built in 1596 by Thomas Rogers has an elaborately carved facade, the richest in town and is testimony to Rogers’s wealth and standing. His daughter Katherine, married into the Harvard family and it was her son, John Harvard who emigrated to America and established the library around which Harvard University was built.

Once the home of Marie Corelli, famous Victorian novelist, 'Shakespeare's Champion', Stratford resident and Conservationist.

Created in 1888 by Lord Ronald Gower, the Gower Memorial sits alongside the main road into town, close to the Clopton Bridge with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre visible behind. It can be seen from the Bancroft Gardens. It comprises a statue of William Shakespeare and features the characters of Hamlet, Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth and Falstaff.

The Birmingham to Stratford Canal opened in 1816. The canal was used for transporting goods, eg coal and wood. The canal terminates in the basin where a lock can be operated to access the River Avon. These days the canal is mostly used by holiday makers.

Rother Market is the site for the weekly market held on Fridays and Saturdays.