For the literary fans out there perhaps the perfect trip in England would be 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 not, in this article we will be assuming that he did.
This is a charming market town with stunning old thatched-roofed buildings and graceful swans in its ponds and rivers. The town embodies the charm one equates with England and has Shakespeare tours and plays for the bard enthusiasts.
Stratford-Upon-Avon - The Home of Willam Shakespeare
Stratfor-Upon-Avon is a market town in the county of Warwickshire in England's West Midlands region of England. It is situated upon the River Avon (hence the name) and 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 a very popular tourist destination owing to its status as the birthplace and gravesite of playwright and poet William Shakespeare.
Stradford-Upon-Avon is the embodiment of most people's idyllic idea of a quaint English town or old village. Stratford-Upon-Avon is a stunning town that draws crowds to its old thatched roofed houses and to see the town that was the birthplace and place of death of William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare Walking Tour of Stratford
Tudor World offers their Shakespeare Walking Tour of Stratford for people who would like 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 through his beloved town of Stratford upon Avon. Tudor World describes the guides as "highly trained, licensed actors with an in-depth knowledge of the great man".
"Master Shakespeare" relates the tales of his family, some juicy parts of his plays and sonnets, his town, and also the period of time in England in which he lived.
The tour aims to be an entertaining way to learn about the life and times of William Shakespeare. The meeting point for the 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, one will see all the major buildings associated with Shakespeare’s life from birth to death and some of the Town’s history (from the outside 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 so there is no more than a mile walking on pretty flat terrain. It is 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): £7 adults ($10)
- Private Tours: Available By Arrangement
- Wheelchair: Considered Wheelchair Friendly Due To The Compactness and The Flat Terrain
Royal Shakespeare Company (Shakespeare Plays)
If one would also like to Shakespeare (sic) England by attending Shakespeare plays in the old country, then there are plenty of options for that too. The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major 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 produce around 20 productions a year.
- 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 the most English Frenchman ever).
Ticket prices start from £16 depending on where one chooses to sit and when one would like to see it. Their performances include:
- Macbeth
- The History of 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 based on the short-reigned long-lost English King who was killed in battle. Shakespeare wrote of him (perhaps unduly harshly) over a century later and called him a "poisonous bunch-backed toad."
After being killed in battle, Richard III was unceremoniously buried in a graveyard at a church and forgotten. He was only rediscovered recently under a parking lot and one can visit where he has been re-interned as well as the car park whose adjacent school has been transformed into a visitor center.