Stratford on Avon is Shakespeare's hometown and you cannot miss this fact when you visit. Lots of pretty Tudor buildings. The town will not take a long time to look through then you can have a wander by the river where the theatre is sited. The river is much what one might expect and smells of hot lazy summer days even when its not hot with swans and boats doing their stuff.

Shakespeare's Birthplace is not far from the river and is what one would expect - Elizabethan half timbered which was resorted some time ago. You really can't visit Stratford without visiting the birthplace with its relics of Will. Shakespeare's Birthplace, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon,CV37 6QW. 

Tel: +44 (0) 01789 204 016

Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a mile out of town in Shottery. It's a pretty thatched 12 room farmhouse where Anne grew up. Will married Anne when he was 18.

Mary Arden's house where Shakespeare's mother grew up is in Wilmcote about three miles from town. Hall's Croft, the home of Shakespeare's daughter is in the town. There is also Nash's House where Shakespeare lived in retirement. If you would like to visit his grave then it is in the riverside Holy Trinity Church.

Other Shakespeare houses web

Royal Shakespeare Company -  is the very best and performs in Stratford year round. Be sure and see a play. See what's on and book tickets with the RSC
 

RSC's London Season
New London Theatre: 0870 890 0141.
Soho Theatre: 0870 429 6883.
Roundhouse Theatre 0870 389 1846.
Tricycle Theatre 0207 328 1000

Bancroft Cruisers provide private, charter and sightseeing river cruises on the beautiful River Avon. Based at Stratford upon Avon we are well equipped to provide you and your family with a perfect walk-on sightseeing, or pre-booked, river cruise of 45 minutes or longer

Close by is Warwick which lies on the  river Avon.  A pretty town with Tudor buildings.

Warwick Castle A fine medieval cast first began construction in 1068

Collegiate Church of St Mary Warwick.  St Mary’s is a busy working church, set in the centre of the ancient town of Warwick. People have worshipped on this site for over 1,000 years, and have left evidence of their faith in the architecture and decoration of the building — one of the largest and most interesting Churches in England

Birmingham. Midlands. Not exactly a tourist destination but a host of people visit every year. Places like the NEC, National Indoor Arena and Symphony Hall bring folk in in their droves. Visit The Water's Edge at Brindleyplace, an award-winning waterfront with pedestrian-friendly squares and streets. I suppose we can't not mention Cadbury World, no prizes for guessing what's there.

Coventry Cathedral Like a phoenix from the ashes bringing words of reconciliation which are needed as much today as they were fifty years ago. "To walk from the ruins of the old Cathedral into the splendour of the new is to walk from Good Friday to Easter, from the ravages of human self-destruction to the glorious hope of resurrection.  Your heart is lifted, your spirit is renewed and you feel that there is hope for the world.  Thanks to God's mercy, reconciliation is possible" - John Irvine The Dean of Coventry Cathedral

Compton Verney is an award winning art gallery in Warwickshire. Compton Verney is set in more than 120 acres of classical parkland landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown Compton Verney opened to the public in March 2004, with gallery spaces on three floors, a shop and café, and a purpose-built learning centre.

The hidden hedged gardens of Warwick's Hill Close Gardens ...
are rare survivals of Victorian gardens once used by townsfolk living above their business to escape from the crowded town. Discover how owners came here after work or on Sundays to tend their plots or to relax

See the flight of 21 locks at Hatton on the Grand Union Canal near Warwick. Hatton Locks and Café are located 3 miles west of Warwick on the A4177, Jct 15 off the M40

Hidcote Manor Garden nr Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6LR. One of England's greatest gardens, an Arts & Crafts masterpiece. Series of outdoor rooms each with its own unique character. Old roses, unusual plants and trees from around the world. Nestled in the Cotswolds with stunning panoramas across the Vale of Evesham.  Telephone: 01386 438333

Kenilworth Castle Take your family to one of England’s most spectacular castle ruins in Warwickshire, and discover links to some major historical figures – including ‘Bad’ King John, Henry V, and Henry VIII. However, Kenilworth is most famously associated with Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth kept Dudley’s last letter to her in a casket by her bed until she died. View a copy of this letter, and explore Leicester’s gatehouse where Dudley courted his Queen – both part of a multi-million pound investment. This includes two exhibitions, a brand new audio tour that brings Kenilworth’s eventful past to life and the recreation of the original Elizabethan garden.

Stoneleigh Abbey, founded in 1154 by a group of Cistercian monks, reflects a rich mix of more than 800 years of history. The estate was the home of the Leigh family from 1561 until the late twentieth century.
Many famous people have connections with the Abbey: Charles I was entertained here when the gates of Coventry were closed against him, Jane Austen stayed at the Abbey and uses descriptions of its grand interiors and gardens in two of her novels, and in 1858 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed at Stoneleigh.
 

Kinwarton Dovecote Kinwarton, nr Alcester, Warwickshire
Circular 14th-century dovecote . Still home to doves.
Tel: 01789 400777

Chesterton Windmill is just off the Fosse Way (an old Roman Road also known as the B4455), about five miles to the south of Leamington Spa, near the village of Harbury in Warwickshire. Stands on six stone pillars. Built in 1632, and worked until 1910  Hardly your ordinary windmill. OS Grid reference SP348594

Public Transport in Stratford on Avon and Warwick

Stratford train station is a few minutes' walk west of the town centre.

National Express coach destinations from Stratford's Riverside Bus Station include daily services to Birmingham (1hr), Oxford (1hr) and London Victoria (3.5hr)

007 Taxis, Birmingham Road, Stratford upon Avon. Tel: 01789 414007

English Heritage

National Trust