Shakespeare resided in Stratford, a small town near the Avon River and Warwick, with his father on the north side of Henley Street.

Shakespeare, at the age of seven, entered the free grammar school in Stratford, and that is where he learned a little Latin and less Greek.

Stratford-Upon-Avon in Warwickshire, the birthplace and home of the world's most famous dramatist, preserves many of its connections with William Shakespeare.

Visitors can visit his house, his birthplace, his mother's house, his wife Anne Hathaway's cottage and his daughter's house.

The house was built on a wooden framework usually made of oak planks, while big palaces, colleges and some manor-houses were built entirely of brick and stone.

Shakespeare's house had very large rooms, beautifully panelled in oak, decorated fireplaces, but no bathrooms. The furniture was still very scanty for the big rooms of the house, but it was well made and also richly carved.

In 1585 Shakespeare left Stratford, pushed, perhaps by poverty, to seek a job elsewhere, and he went to London, leaving his wife, Anne Hathaway and three children at Stratford.

Stratford has a large number of historic buildings. Among these are the Holy Trinity Church, containing the tombs of Shakespeare and his family; Harvard House, the home of Katherine Rogers, the mother of John Harvard, founder of the famous American University, and the Guild Hall, part of Shakespeare's old school.

To get a good view of all the beautiful places in Stratford, it is suggested to take a trip on an open top double decker tour bus. The Tour stops and leaves from all Shakespearean houses, and the tour ticket is valid all day, so you can get on and off as you please.

Proceeding along High Street you see the Town Hall, built in 1768 by the corporation of merchants and this is also where you will find the statue of William, with this inscription: "The Corporation and inhabitants of Stratford, assisted by the magnificent contribution of the nobility and gentlemen of the neighbourhood, rebuilt this edifice in the year 1768. The statue of Shakespeare was given by David Garrick".

Inside you can see the portrait of William, by Wilson and also a portrait of the Duke of Dorset.

Next to the Town Hall there is the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, where Shakespeare lived part of his life; the exterior of the Chapel, as several houses in the Street, has not suffered many changes since Shakespeare's time.

The Chapel was built in 1269 by the Bishop of Worcester, Godfrey Giffard.

Next to the Chapel there is a building where Shakespeare was educated, the famous "Free Grammar School".

Very beautiful is also the Holy Trinity Church, a very ancient church, with architecture in the Norman-Saxon style. Inside, the church has many monuments dedicated to the memory of various personalities of Stratford, like George Carew, Sir Edward Walker, Sir John Clopton and the bust of Shakespeare, with these very beautiful inscriptions:

"Stranger, to whom this monument is shewn,
Invoke the poet's curse upon Malone,
Whose meddling zeal his barbarous taste betrays,
And daubs his tomb-stone as he mars his plays."

Stratford-upon-Avon is of course more than Shakespeare's home, but also a base to explore the nearby surrounding shire counties of Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

Go west for Worcester and the Malvern Hills, south for Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds, or north for Warwick Castle and Henley in Arden, all within an hour's journey of Stratford itself. 

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