Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is about 3hours from Gorleston, so once again we left early Saturday morning. Apart from the Shakespeare attraction, it is a very pretty town, full of historic buildings, half-timbered houses and thatched roofs. On arrival, we purchased a combination ticket to all five Shakespeare properties. The main attraction, Shakespeare’s birthplace has a modern exterior, but inside it is very much ‘olde’. Family rooms have been recreated in the style of Shakespeare’s time plus there is also an adjacent exhibition which give the low down on their most famous son. The Nash house was where Shakespeare’s granddaughter Elizabeth lived and this describes the town’s history, together with 17th century furniture and tapastries. Next door are the grounds of a (now demolished) house Shakespeare bought when he retired. Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna married the eminent doctor John Hall, and their fine Elizabethan town house, Hall’s Croft now contains a fascinating insight into medical practice in Shakespeare’s time. Before their marriage, Shakespeare’s wife lived in Shottery, a mile west of the centre, in a thatched farmhouse now known as Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. This is a beautiful, picturesque house and garden. Mary Arden was Shakespeare’s mother, and a house at Wilmcote was her childhood home. This has exhibits tracing local country life over the past four centuries and was really interesting, especially for Ian. There were women dressed appropriately for the time, cooking a mid day meal over an open fire. We left this for Sunday morning as we realized it would take longer to visit than the other properties.

Our friends had advised us to visit Warwick Castle which was just a few miles north of Stratford-upon-Avon. By now we are reaching the stage of ‘oh not another castle’ but if you have never seen very many this would be a must to visit. For a start it is incredibly well preserved. The castle is owned by Tussauds, and that influence is evident in the waxwork figures throughout the rooms. Their displays are so life-like that it makes it so much easier to visualize what life was like back then. We left there at 4pm and headed for home.