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William Shakespeare was born
in Stratford in 1564
His father, John, worked as a wool
dealer, money lender and glove maker
and became mayor in 1568. William,
attended the local grammar school
where he almost certainly studied
Latin as well as arithmetic,
geometry, music and astronomy. He
probably left school at 14, the
usual school leaving age in
Elizabethan times.
Marrying Anne Hathaway in 1582 he
developed his talents as a
playwright moving to London in about
1586/87. His earliest plays include
Henry VI, Titus Andronicus and the
Two Gentlemen of Verona, Comedy of
Errors and the Taming of the Shrew.
These were followed by some of his
most famous comedies including A
Midsummer Nights Dream, Much Ado
About Nothing and The Merry
Wives of Windsor. He also developed
a talent for writing poems or
sonnets. In 1594 he helped found a
new acting company ["The Lord
Chamberlain's Men"] for whom he
produced on average 2 plays each
year.
As the years passed his financial
success grew. In 1597 he purchased
New Place in Stratford and followed
this with further purchases in his
home town. The success of his plays
and of the acting company that
performed them was such that in 1599
the company was able to commission
and build the Globe Theatre. Hamlet
was written sometime between 1599
and 1601.
Shakespeare continued to prosper
under James I who succeeded
Elizabeth I in 1603. The Lord
Chamberlains Men were
granted royal patronage and became
The Kings Men. Between 1604/1605 the
Company performed Shakespeare plays
before the King on no less than 7
occasions including the Merchant of
Venice twice. Othello, King
Lear and Macbeth were also written
and produced during the early years
of the new reign.
From 1611 Shakespeare spent more
time back in Stratford. He died in
1616 aged 52 followed by his wife
Anne in 1623. He is buried in the
parish church and his grave can
still be seen today.
Shakespeare's birthplace |
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Stratford
Stratford, the home of
William Shakespeare [1564 to 1616], is an attractive market
town with a wealth of attractions many associated with the
famous playwright. SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE near the centre
of town is a typical early 16th Century home but was also
used by Shakespeare's father for his business as a glover an
wool dealer.
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ANNE HATHAWAY'S COTTAGE, a 12 roomed
thatched farmhouse and the former home of Shakespeare's wife,
dates mostly form the 16th and 17th Centuries and still contains
many original features. |
Other
historic buildings linked to Shakespeare are HALL'S CROFT,
the home of his daughter Susanna after her marriage, NEW
PLACE, his home after his return form London, and NASH'S
HOUSE, the home of Elizabeth, his granddaughter. The final
resting place of Shakespeare can be found at the HOLY
TRINITY CHURCH
Of particular interest to American visitors is
HARVARD HOUSE the former home of John Harvard who sailed for New
England in 1637 and who made the founding of Harvard University
possible by the bequests made on his death a year later. The house
is much as it was in John Harvard's time and is now owned by Harvard
University. Also worth a visit in Stratford is THE FALSTAFF EXPERIENCE
which together with the STRATFORD TALES AT COX'S YARD give visitors
a taste of life as it was in Stratford in years gone by.
Stratford is also the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company who
are probably the most famous classical acting company in the world.
The Company currently has 3 theatres in Stratford - the 1412 ROYAL
SHAKESPEARE THEATRE, the 432 seater SWAN THEATRE and the flexible
OTHER PLACE
Warwick Warwick, a short distance from Stratford
is the county town of Warwickshire. The construction of WARWICK
CASTLE, a major attraction and one of the finest medieval
castles in England, started in 914 and continued through the
following centuries culminating in the building of the gatehouse and
barbican in 1450. A parliamentary stronghold during the Civil War
the Castle was a used to house Royalist prisoners in 1642.
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The Castle has a number of attractions
including the Armoury which tells the stories of battles over the
centuries and The Kingmaker which recreates the mid
fifteenth century world of Richard Neville, Earl of
Warwick with the sights smells and sounds of life at
that time. |
Also in Warwick is the
LORD LEYCESTER HOSPITAL built in the 14th
Century and used from 1571 as a home for disabled soldiers and their
wives. The museum of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment is housed in ST
JOHN'S HOUSE.
CHARLCOTE PARK, built from 1558 onwards is located
close to Warwick and was the home of the Lucy family for over 700
years. The House appears Elizabethan although it was largely rebuilt
in Victorian times. It is rumored that William Shakespeare was once
caught poaching deer in the grounds of this magnificent property!.
BADDESLEY CLINTON a medieval moated manor house is little changed
from the 17th Century.
Antiques and
Collectables
Stratford is our base for
our visit to Newark International Antique and Collectors
Fair held 6 times per year at Newark in nearby
Nottinghamshire. Newark is one of the largest fairs in
Europe and has in the region of 4000 stalls in 7 permanent
buildings with 1000 individual shopping arcades, 50 marquees
and 1000's of outside pitches.
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This fair offers a huge variety of furniture, garden
ephemera, architectural features, ceramics,
silverware, metalware, jewellery, paintings, decorative
items, books, maps and prints. There is also the smaller Malvern
Antique and Collectors Fair held monthly. |
L.A.P.A.D.A
[ The Association of Art and Antique Dealers] has occasional
Antiques and Fine Art Fairs at the National Exhibition
Centre at Birmingham and there are various fairs at Tebury and Winchcombe.
The Barn Antique Centre located 5 miles
from Stratford is Shakespeare Country's largest antique centre with
over 13,000 feet devoted to the sale of antiques and collectables.
Warwick is well known for it's antiques and collectables and has a
number of antique shops and centres
There a number of fine auctioneers within
reach of Stratford and Warwick. Bonhams have auction rooms at Knowle
with occasional Fine Art sales and various local auctioneers
have regular antique sales which may be included in your itinerary.
To make a
Reservation Click Here
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