Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare country

The story so far:  arrived London, visited Portsmouth, Stonehenge, several sites in Cornwall, Bath and Welsh castles near Cardiff.  On Sunday 6th July we left Cardiff, drove to Warwick, then on to Stratford-upon-Avon to see the town where William Shakespeare, the famous "Bard of Avon", was born, died and was buried (of course he did spend time in London writing dozens of the world's great plays, producing them and acting!).

Stratford (I'll drop the -upon-Avon bit) was a busy place.  On the outskirts traffic banked up around a huge gathering of scooter enthusiasts showing off their modified motor scooters - Vespas etc by the hundreds!  In town the traffic just crawled along because streets, parks and parking areas were all filled by the thousands of people in Stratford for the "River Festival". 

Eventually we secured the last park in the hotel's car park, checked in and joined the crowds.  There were many hundreds, perhaps thousands of people thronging the streets, but those near the river made for a wonderful and colourful atmosphere.   We completed the "historic walk" and greatly enjoyed seeing the many fine buildings and river views in this town.  The photos in this set were taken over throughout the afternoon, and the next morning, but all have a "river" theme.

Row boats and punts at the old bridge across the Avon.

Some of the 50+ "long" canal boats near
the lock at the entrance to "The Basin"

Opening the lock gates to allow the boat into The Basin

White swans on the Avon

The "swan" sculpture in the park near the Shakespeare Theatre

Early morning on the River Avon

Some of the many "long boats" assembled
 in Stratford for the River Festival

In the park between the church where Shakespeare is buried and the theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) we saw a very English event.  People in deck chairs sat watching a free outdoor performance given by members of the RSC.   

Sunday afternoon in the park with Shakespeare.

The theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company

Decorative lamp post with Shakespearean "characters"

Now for some "streetscapes".  This is pretty tough as Stratford has so many buildings of outstanding historical and cultural significance.  The streets are just breathtaking.  Some buildings are now museums or used for special purposes.  Some continue in the same role as they have had for centuries. Yet others have been put to new uses.  Here are examples of just a few of the many buildings which particularly appealed to us.

The birth house of William Shakespeare

It being a Sunday we attended the evening service at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford.  It's a beautiful old building and is famous for having Shakespeare buried beneath the floor near the altar.  Imagine our surprise (and delight) when we knelt at the communion rail and saw the plaque (pictured below) just a meter in front of us.  Note: pictures inside the church were taken AFTER the service, not during!

Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon

Warning - don't move the bones!

The plaque denoting Shakespeare's tomb

The suburbs of Stratford have now engulfed the site of Anne Hathaway's cottage where Shakespeare would walk to court his future wife.  It's a beautiful site.  The building is now a museum and display centre.

Anne Hathaway's cottage with thatched roof