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Shakespeare's Birthplace

Top choice in Stratford-upon-Avon


Start your Shakespeare quest at the house where the renowned playwright was born in 1564 and spent his childhood days. John Shakespeare owned the house for a period of 50 years. William, as the eldest surviving son, inherited it upon his father's death in 1601 and spent his first five years of marriage here. Behind a modern facade, the house has restored Tudor rooms, live presentations from famous Shakespearean characters and an engaging exhibition on Stratford's favourite son.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Stratford-upon-Avon attractions

1. MAD Museum

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2. American Fountain

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Gifted by American publisher George W Childs in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and designed by Birmingham architect Jethro Cossins, this…

3. Shakespeare's New Place

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When Shakespeare retired, he swapped the bright lights of London for a comfortable town house at New Place, where he died of unknown causes in April 1616…

4. Guild Chapel

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The Guild Chapel was founded in 1269 and is painted with motivational frescoes showing the fate of the damned in the 15th and early 16th centuries…

5. Shakespeare's School Room

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Shakespeare's alma mater, King Edward VI School (still a prestigious grammar school today), incorporates a vast black-and-white timbered building, dating…

6. Gower Memorial

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Aristocratic sculptor Lord Ronald Gower is the master behind this multisculpture homage to Shakespeare, which features the characters of Hamlet …

7. Hall's Croft

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The handsome Jacobean town house belonging to Shakespeare's daughter Susanna and her husband, respected doctor John Hall, stands south of Stratford's…

8. Holy Trinity Church

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The final resting place of the Bard, where he was also baptised and where he worshipped, is said to be the most visited parish church in England. Inside…