Stratford-upon-Avon
- thegreenwichrambler
- Apr 15, 2019
- 2 min read
Stratford-upon-Avon, with your chocolate box cottages and weeping willows swaying in the breeze along the River Avon, you are a beauty, and the perfect place for a weekend getaway!
Travel time is less than two hours on the train from London Marleybone (including a change at Leamington Spa or Dorridge station).
The March sunshine was out in full force and by visiting during the off season, we weren't fighting the crowds.
All of Stratford-upon-Avon's main tourist attractions can be reached on foot. The furthest out is Anne Hathaway's cottage (pictured above). A thirty minute walk from Stratford's centre, it's well worth a visit, and the cafe across the street is a great place to stop for a cup of tea.
Visiting Shakespeare's grave, situated inside the Holy Trinity Church, was amazing. Entry is only £3 and the church is gorgeous - vaulted ceiling and stained glass throwing a kaleidoscope of colour across the walls. The church is sometimes closed for events (weddings, choir performances etc), so it's worth making it along on your first day so you can return if it isn't open to the public. Holy Trinity's schedule is listed here to help plan your visit to the church.
Due to our limited time in Stratford (we arrived Saturday afternoon and returned to London Sunday evening), we weren't able to visit all of the sites we would have liked to (such as Shakespeare's school room or Shakespeare's New Place - their family home from 1597 until his death).
If you have more time in town, purchase The Full Story Ticket. For £22.50 per adult, it allows you entry to all five properties (Shakespeare's birthplace, Mary Arden's Farm, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's New Place and Hall's Croft). The ticket provides unlimited visits to the properties over twelve months, so an even better deal if you're planning a trip back.
We were lucky enough to get tickets to 'As You Like It' at the Royal Shakespeare Company when we were there as we hadn't pre-booked tickets in advance. It was brilliant seeing a play at the RSC! Following the show we headed for a drink at The Dirty Duck/The Black Swan, frequented by some of Britain's greatest actors while performing at the RSC (Judi Dench, Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole).
We packed a lot in during our 27 hours in Stratford, but left plenty to explore for a future trip.
Have you visited Stratford-upon-Avon? What are some of your favourite spots and recommendations? Tweet me @StephanieRuth24
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