Andrew_Kerr

UK - 15-Dec-24 -

Stratford Upon Avon is just a stones throw from where I live and a town that I visit regularly. Like many tourist towns in the UK, Stratford's heyday is in the past but it remains a very pleasant town to visit with a lot of Shakespeare sites to see. As an aside, the town was recently voted the happiest place to live in the Midlands and it's easy to see why.

In terms of Shakespeare's sites, you can visit the house he was born in which also incorporates the Shakespeare museum, Anne Hathaway's birthplace (Shakespeare's wife to be) which is a beautiful thatched cottage on the outskirts of town (pictured) and Shakespeare's tomb in the Holy Trinity Church.

In addition to the historic Shakespeare sites, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre has plays on all year round and the building itself is a combination of the original Victorian Gothic building, constructed in 1890 and the much larger art deco building that is connected to the original, constructed in 1932.

There's a modest fee at Holy Trinity Church to visit the tomb and there's always the chance of running into a famous actor paying homage to the Bard. I ran into Geraldine James while a friend of mine was there at the same time as Jeremy Irons.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre sits next to the River Avon where there is always an outdoor market selling interesting items and there are boat excursions to take along the river or the Stratford on Avon canal. Stratford still has a great array of traditional pubs unlike most towns in the UK now and the restaurant choices are plentiful. 

It's definitely a town that should be on the tourist trail and it's a shame that the Shakespeare relevance didn't sway UNESCO into awarding a listing.

Jakob Frenzel

Germany - 11-Apr-19 -

March 2018 - Our Roadtrip through England was coming to an end. Rather coincidentally we passed Stratford. Wait, isn't that Shakespeares Hometown? Let's make a stop!

But honestly, there are some timberframed houses, the rest of the city got obviously destroyed. It is not worth visiting, unless you are a drama geek.