Stratford-Upon-Avon; Shakespeare Country

From our home base in Ettington we day tripped northwest, to the town of Stratford on the River Avon; Shakespeare Country.

Shakespeare was born here in 1564, and here he died in 1616. He and his wife, Anne Hathaway, are buried in the Church of the Holy Trinity.

The thatch-roofed cottage in which Anne Hathaway was born at Shottery has been turned into a museum.

At Wilmcote, nearby, is the cottage where Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, is thought to have lived. Until recently thought to have been her home, new evidence has revealed that it is infact Adam Palmer's Farmhouse - a good friend and neighbour of the Ardens - and that the true Arden home is the adjacent property known as Glebe Farm.

Although Mary Arden's house may look modest from the outside, the interior dates from c1514, which amazingly makes it slightly older than Palmer's Farm!

Stratford is pleasant and peaceful, with wide streets and quaint half-timbered houses. The city stands where a Roman road crossed the River Avon.

A 19th-century bridge spans the river; a 15th-century arched stone bridge stands beside it. After a full day of roaming around Stratford we had dinner at Russons Restaurant on Church Street, Yummy!

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