Charlie in Stratford-Upon-Avon

Charlie in Stratford-Upon-Avon

Meeting with William Shakespeare

Who else’s trails would you follow when you got to spend a day in Stratford-Upon-Avon? Of course it is the town’s most famous son: William Shakespeare was born, raised and died here. But Charlie almost followed another figure that the modern days have brought to Britain: James Bond. That seems odd, but strangely enough, 007 was the first that was mentioned when Charlie arrived at the Hostel. As the lady at the reception explained her how to get to the town centre, she mentioned a long road that Charlie would have to follow. As if that made the walk any shorter, the receptionist added on: “It’s a famous road. Daniel Craig, the one from 007, owns a house there.” It reminded Charlie a bit of her stay in Los Angeles, where you could go star spotting in the Hollywood Hills.

Before Charlie went to explore the city, she went to a networking event and every participant was asked to reveal an interesting fact about themselves. Someone around the table told the story how he found out that his father who was famous for being the face of a Martini advert in the 1960 had turned down to audition for the role of James Bond in 1969. Charlie couldn’t find out the name, but it was yet another mention of 007 – before Shakespeare had entered the stage.

How to get to Stratford-Upon-Avon

Let’s get one step back and let Charlie arrive. She had been at Blenheim Palace the evening before and the original plan was to take the bus to Stratford-Upon-Avon but the event at the palace would finish so late that no busses would go there anymore. Therefore, she had to return to Oxford and catch a train from there to Banbury and change once again. It took 1,5 hours from Oxford. It all would have been so much easier if she had come by car, but Charlie likes to use public transport when she travels – after all, it’s more environmentally friendly.

She arrived at 11 p.m. in Stratford-Upon-Avon and a quick look at Google maps revealed that it would have been a 50-minute walk to the hostel, so she decided to get a cab from outside the station. There was one already waiting there, so Charlie didn’t even bother to check her phone to see if there was an Uber available. The driver estimated £12, but in the end, Charlie only paid £9.

It turned out to be a good decision to not waste any time as the reception at the hostel would close soon. Check-in usually ends at 11 p.m. but the receptionist was kind enough to wait for Charlie and had even tried to call and email her. Charlie made it just on time. Lucky her! The lady at the hostel even took the time to explain Charlie how to get around and to the town centre. That’s when she mentioned 007.

Walking into town

Charlie had to be at the networking event that she had booked bright and early the next day and as the bus time was a bit inconvenient and she wanted to see something of the surroundings, she decided to walk. It was 2 miles, but it was worth it as it was a lovely morning and she passed by beautiful landscapes and houses. She didn’t see anything that would tell her that Daniel Craig lived there, but the houses would tell that there was money around. Just as Charlie thought that it all seemed like one of these neighbourhoods where one would find a golf course, the sign towards the golf course came into view.

It was a nice morning walk and there was a good footpath alongside the road (as opposed to her stay in Palm Springs a year ago where there was neither public transport nor footpaths). Only the one close to the town centre where Charlie was supposed to cross a bridge was closed. She was lucky to see another footbridge a bit further down the road and was once again reminded to not rely too much on the road that Google Maps was showing. Charlie was taken by surprise as a gentleman who walked along the path in the opposite direction greeted her with a friendly “Good morning!”. It shouldn’t be a surprise that people are kind and respectful to each other but if you live in London for a while these things become rare.

Walking around town

After the networking event, Charlie had planned to join the Stratford Walking Tour which would start at 11 a.m. at the Swan Fountain. Charlie arrived there a bit earlier and decided to go for a coffee. A bit further up on Sheep Street, she saw a lovely little coffee shop called The Garden Café.

She noticed once again how much friendlier people were around here than in busy London as she started chatting to the barista. He recommended for her to go up to the tower at the Swan Theatre as that provides the best view over the whole town of Stratford-Upon-Avon.

When she asked him for the name of the street, he immediately went on to ask other people in the café why it was called Sheep Street. Apparently, the cattle market (called Rother Market which is an old English word for cattle) used to be around the corner in the Middle Ages and the slaughterhouse for sheep was once located on the same road. It’s interesting how you can quickly engage a whole coffee shop in a conversation and get useful information to write about a town. It’s in general something Charlie always does and recommends: Ask the locals!

Stratford Walking Tour

The Walking Tour started at 11 a.m. in front of the Swan Theatre and the price was £6. With the ticket come 6 vouchers that can be used for different places in town, amongst them are the Shakespeare Houses and several places to enjoy lunch or afternoon tea. What a great deal!

The start of the tour

The guide that day was Joan and she started the tour with a bit of background information about the Swan Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) that was right in front of them. She explained how Stratford-Upon-Avon became a market town in the 12th century under Richard Lionheart and how the bridge was built in 1490. Thez pass along the widest street in town, alongside the building that used to be the jail house and the place that was the whipping post and is now a roundabout that you will definitely pass by as you get into town.

Right next to the roundabout are two houses that seem to be of Tudor times, but only one of them is original, the other dates back to 1924. Joan asked the tour guests for their guesses and they all got it wrong, including Charlie. It should not be revealed here which one the real is, but if you go on the tour and get asked the question, watch out for the little details and how well bricks and wood are shaped. Would they have been able to create symmetrical shapes in Tudor times? There you got your answer as to which of the two houses is real, and which one is the imposter.

The Shakespeare family

In a town like Stratford-Upon-Avon with its most famous son William Shakespeare, the playwright is present throughout the whole tour. Several places remind of his life. During the tour you will hear about:

• Shakespeare’s oldest daughter Susanna and the rogue man she was married to at first,
• his love to Anne Hathaway who was 8 years older than him and whom he married whilst still a minor,
• the hard times of his acting group during the times of the plague,
• Shakespeares first poems that made him famous and, as we would say nowadays, went viral,
• the house he bought later in his life, called the New Place, and how it was later taken down because the owner refused to pay taxes,
• the school Shakespeare went to,
• how John Shakespeare (Williams father) saved religious paintings during the reformation by deciding to not take them down but simply painting them over,
• his daughter Susanna’s second marriage to a physician and why we use nowadays the expression “having a frog in the throat”.

The Holy Trinity Church

Almost the last stop during the tour is the Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare was baptised and buried. His grave can be found in the chancel next to his wife and children. The church can be visited for free but to enter the chancel, you are asked for a small donation.

Charlie took a picture of the gravestone despite the fact that she usually doesn’t shoot in churches out of respect for people that come to a church to find a calm place for their prayers. The grave itself is not very impressive, but there is an interesting story behind the poem written on it that Shakespeare supposedly has written himself. It is a curse for everybody who tries to remove his bones. Back in the day, bones were taken out of graves after some time to make space for new arrivals and burned in a bone fire (the origin of the word for today’s bonfire).

Charlie is not sure what she thinks of the church becoming a tourist attraction to see a poet’s grave though. But what can you do? She’s guilty of it herself.

Next to the grave is a copy of the original register of Shakespeare’s baptism and death. Joan points out that at the time of his baptism official documents were still written in Latin and so is his name on the paper. At the time of his death, it was plain English and even shortened his first name. It reads: “Will Shakespeare gent”. The gent instead of poet or playwright stand for the status he had in town as a gentleman which was certainly related to financial means. He was at the time when he bought the New Place the richest man in town.

Other stops during the tour

Of course, the tour includes many other interesting places in Stratford-Upon-Avon, but there should be something left for you to experience yourself when you visit the town where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died on the same day in 1616.

Charlie highly recommends the Stratford Walking Tour as it will show you all the important places in town and give you the background information you need to understand what it all is about. There won’t be a need for you to brush up on your facts about English history and literature before you start your trip.

The tour ended next to the RSC where it had begun, and Charlie decided to go up the tower as was recommended to her earlier. Once you’re up there, you get a map so you know exactly what you’re looking at from up there. The views are stunning, even on a rainy day. And once again, the guide was friendly and got Charlie in a nice conversation as they were in the lift up and down the tower.

Visit to Shakespeare’s Family Homes

One stop that should be on the list when you’re in Stratford-Upon-Avon is Shakespeare’s Birthplace. It is a stand-alone house in the middle on Henley street. It is surrounded by shops, but you can’t miss it as it really sticks out in architecture.

In the morning before the walking tour, Charlie saw a group of children sitting on the floor in front of the house trying to paint it on paper. That’s how they teach the kids in Stratford about local history and art combined. Charlie wonders how many times during the year you’ll find a school class sitting in the middle of the pedestrian zone painting a house.

After the tour, Charlie went straight to the house to visit. The entry for adults is £17.50, or £22.50 if you want to see all Shakespeare Family Homes and is valid for one year. It’s a pretty good deal if you want to see at least two of them:

• Shakespeare’s Birthplace where he was born and lived until he was 21
• Mary Arden’s Tudor Farm where his mother lived and worked (located in Wilmcote, 15-minute drive from town centre, open from March to November)
• Anne Hathaway’s Cottage where his wife grew up (25-minute walk from town centre)
• Shakespeare’s New Place where he and his family lived until his passing (5-minute walk from the birthplace)
• Hall’s Croft where Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna lived with her husband John Hall (10-minute walk from the birthplace)

The prices are as follows at the time of writing:

Attraction	Price per adult	Price per child	Family ticket	Concession
Full Story Ticket	£ 22.50	£ 14.50	£ 59.50	£ 21.00
Shakespeare’s Birthplace	£ 17.50	£ 11.50	£ 46.50	£ 16.50
Mary Arden’s Tudor Farm	£ 15.00	£ 10.00	£ 40.00	£ 14.00
Anna Hathaway’s Cottage	£ 12.50	£ 8.00	£ 33.00	£ 11.50
Shakespeare’s New Place	£ 12.50	£ 8.00	£ 33.00	£ 11.50
Hall’s Croft	£ 8.50	£ 5.50	£ 22.50	£ 8.00

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

At the beginning of the tour, you will see a short video that shows how Shakespeare’s plays and poems have inspired whole generations until this day. It ranges from the classical plays in theatres to the ballet of “Romeo and Juliet” and its modern interpretation in the film with Leonardo Di Caprio. Even Homer Simpson in Tudor clothes makes it onto the screen.

The visitor is then taken into the garden where he passes by the Shakespeare Centre. When Charlie was there, two actors were in the centre next to a massive statue of the master. They would upon request recite passages of Shakespeare’s play. They performed a scene of “Romeo and Juliet” for Charlie who was impressed. They must have so many verses stored in their memories if they are able to recite any scene of any play upon request.

Passing through the garden, you can now enter Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Furniture has been re-installed and the visitor is taken through different times of the house. It shows the room where Shakespeare was born, where he slept as a boy and how the house became a tavern and Inn after his death. There are guides in every room who can answer questions. One of them even spoke French with some other visitors. Thanks to her language skills, Charlie was able to eavesdrop a bit. That’s how she found out that the windows in the house today are from Victorian times, the original Tudor ones would have been a lot smaller to keep the house warm in winter.

As Shakespeare’s family line ended with his granddaughter, the house was up for public auction in the 19th century and a US-American wanted to dismantle it and ship it in pieces to the USA to re-build and show it there. Another famous English writer got involved though. Charles Dickens supported the campaign to save Shakespeare’s Birthplace for the nation. Thanks to him, it is still where it belongs and can be visited.

Cream Tea at Hobson’s

It was then time for a break and what else would you do in a Tudor town with a rich history then having a traditional afternoon tea. Charlie had asked Joan earlier which place she would recommend out of the several tea rooms in Stratford-Upon-Avon and was recommended Hobson’s on Henley Street. It was just 2 minutes down the road from Shakespeares’s Birthplace and looked very traditional. Charlie enjoyed her cream tea with two big scones. She didn’t even go for the giant scone, but it was still the biggest scones she had had so far since she moved to England. It was delicious and Hobson’s was righteously recommended.

The Guild Hall Museum and School: Where Shakespeare studied

It was now almost 4 p.m. and Charlie had to decide if she rather wanted to see the Tudor World or the Guild Hall Museum and School. The Tudor World had been recommended by somebody at the networking event in the morning, the Guild Hall Museum was introduced during the walking tour.

Charlie decided to go to the Museum.

Before the reformation the guild was governing the city and the building that houses today the museum used to be the guild hall, the equivalent of the modern town hall. Charlie had been visiting the chapel next door during the walking tour earlier.

Inside the museum, there is an interactive tour that starts with a video and a presentation about some wall paintings. They had mostly been destroyed but parts of it were still visible. The guide points out some interesting details and what those would have meant in the Middle Ages.

The visitor is then taken upstairs to the rooms that used to be the school where William Shakespeare studied Latin. It was a grammar school and what was taught was mostly depending on the master’s education. Since the master’s were priests, it was mostly Latin.

As Charlie and the other visitors entered the classroom, master Thomas Jenkins was already waiting for them. They were told to choose their seats wisely and at the same time, their names were written down in the book as they had arrived late to school. They were now on the list for the whipping that took place every Friday. It must have been fun to be in school at Tudor times. The school day lasted 11 hours per day, 6 days a week. At the end of their grammar school education, the pupils who were exclusively boys, had had almost 14.000 hours of Latin. At the same time, they had a few pints of beer every day as beer was healthier than water in those days. The master had 8 beers a day which is where the idiom “one over the eight” has its origins.

Charlie, who for the duration of the class had turned into a boy, and the other students were then tested on their Latin. As it turned out, they had not chosen their seats wisely as they were sitting were the older pupils would sit. They had already studied Latin for a few years and were usually teaching the younger ones. Luckily, one other visitor remembered the conjugation of “amare” that they all would now learn. That way, they made it off the whipping list. They had gotten off with a slap on the wrist for that day.

The visitors could now ask the guide all the questions they had about Shakespeare and school at that time. Charlie was impressed by how much knowledge that guide had to share.

The tour ended in the next room, the Georgian classroom. The visitors could try how it was to write with a feather-pen and proper ink. It wasn’t as easy as you’d think as you can’t control the flow of the ink. Charlie though was happy with her result and could leave the school that day with a good grade.

If you only visit one place in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Charlie highly recommends the Guild Hall Museum as it was entertaining and informative at the same time. The time was quickly passing by and it was already dark outside when Charlie left.

What else to do in Stratford-Upon-Avon

Charlie only had one day in Stratford-Upon-Avon which she thought would have been enough, but it turned out that it wasn’t. She got the ticket for all 5 places of the Shakespeare Family Homes and she now has a year time to return and visit those.

Other places Charlie hasn’t seen in Stratford yet, but was recommended:

• Tudor World
• Warwick Castle
• The other four places of the Shakespeare Tour: Mary Arden’s Tudor Farm, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s New Place and Hall’s Croft

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