For the literary fans out there probably the perfect trip in England is always to Shakespeare England so to speak. The hometown of William Shakespeare was Avon-Upon-Stratford in the green Midlands of England. Note that there is some scholarly debate as to whether Willam Shakespeare actually wrote the famous plays or otherwise, in the following paragraphs we are assuming that he did.
This is really a charming market town with stunning old thatched-roofed buildings and graceful swans in the ponds and rivers. The city embodies the charm one equates with England and it has Shakespeare tours and plays for that bard enthusiasts.
Stratford-Upon-Avon – The house of Willam Shakespeare
Stratfor-Upon-Avon is really a market town within the county of Warwickshire in England's West Midlands region of England. It's situated upon the River Avon (hence the name) and it is around 91 miles or 146 kilometers northwest of London.
- Population: Around 31,000
- Tourists: Around 2.5 Million Annually
It is located on the edge of England's famed Cotswolds and is the most popular tourist destination because of its status because the birthplace and gravesite of playwright and poet William Shakespeare.
Stradford-Upon-Avon is the embodiment of most people's idyllic concept of a quaint English town or old village. Stratford-Upon-Avon is really a stunning town that pulls crowds to the old thatched roofed houses and also to see the town that was the birthplace and put of death of William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare Walking Tour of Stratford
Tudor World offers their Shakespeare Walking Tour of Stratford for people who want to see and discover the historic playwright's town in depths. These tours are guided by “Master Shakespeare” a costumed actor/guide who escorts the visitors back through time and thru his beloved town of Stratford upon Avon. Tudor World describes the guides as “highly trained, licensed actors with an in-depth understanding of the great man“.
“Master Shakespeare” relates the tales of his family, some juicy areas of his plays and sonnets, his town, as well as the time period in England by which he lived.
The tour aims to become an entertaining way to find out about the life and times of William Shakespeare. The meeting point for that tour is at the Tudor World Museum from where it proceeds to his Birthplace; then goes to his children's houses; New Place; his school and ends at his final resting place at the Holy Trinity Church.
On the tour, you will see all the major buildings related to Shakespeare's life from birth to death plus some from the Town's history (externally only). As this is England, tours continue even in the rain.
Tours begin at 2.00 pm Saturdays and last for around 1.5 hours. Tours are public tours, but private tours and school group tours can be accommodated by arrangement.
This is a walking tour, but fortunately, Stratford Upon Avon is a compact town and thus there isn't any greater than a mile walking on pretty flat terrain. It's considered wheelchair friendly.
- When: 2.00 pm On Saturdays
- Duration: 1.5 Hours
- See: The Tudor World Museum, His Birthplace, His Children's Homes, New Place, His School, and The Holy Trinity Church
- Price (Public Tour): lb7 adults ($10)
- Private Tours: Available By Arrangement
- Wheelchair: Considered Wheelchair Friendly Because of the Compactness and The Flat Terrain
Royal Shakespeare Company (Shakespeare Plays)
If you might also like to Shakespeare (sic) England by attending Shakespeare plays within the old country, then there are lots of choices for this too. The Royal Shakespeare Company is a significant British theatre company based in Stratford-upon-Avon that performs his plays in Stratford-Upon-Avon and in London. They employ over 1,000 staff and convey around 20 productions annually.
- Locations: Stratford-upon-Avon, London, And Tours Across Britain and Beyond
Among their past performers has even been Sir Patrick Stewart who starred in Star Trek, Next Generation, and X-Men (he was Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek, Next Generation aka probably the most English Frenchman ever).
Ticket prices start from lb16 based on where one chooses to sit so when one would want to see it. Their performances include:
- Macbeth
- The Good reputation for Cardenio: A Re-Imagined Lost Play
- The Merchant of Venice: Once Starred Sir Patrick Stewart
- Henry VI: Rebellion
- Richard III
- Wars of The Roses
- All's Well That Ends Well
The play, Richard III, is dependant on the short-reigned long-lost English King who was killed in battle. Shakespeare wrote of him (perhaps unduly harshly) on the century later and called him a “poisonous bunch-backed toad.”
After being killed in battle, Richard III was unceremoniously buried inside a graveyard in a church and forgotten. He was just rediscovered recently under a parking lot and something can visit when they have been re-interned as well as the carpark whose adjacent school has been transformed into visitors center.
