Stratford-upon-Avon

Birthplace of William Shakespeare

Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, steeped in culture and history. Set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon, it is one of the most important tourist destinations in the UK.

Shakespeare House in Henley Street

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 at Stratford-upon-Avon in a house in Henley Street. This house is preserved intact. The half-timbered house where William Shakespeare was born is Stratford's most cherished historic place. Shakespeare's house is the most frequently visited of all the tourist places. Descendants of the dramatist lived in Shakespeare's house until the nineteenth century, and it has been a place of pilgrimage for over 250 years.
Open daily, tours start in The Birthplace which contains an acclaimed exhibition of the poet's life, William Shakespeare: His Life and Background They then carry on through the house, which is furnished in period style with many historic manuscripts and books. Finally the tour ends outside in the celebration garden.

Shakespeare's home

New Place, Shakespeare's home from 1597 until his death in 1616, was pulled down in the eighteenth century but its foundations and grounds can be seen, including a beautiful Elizabethan-style knott garden. The site is approached through Nash's House adjoining, which contains exceptional furnishings of Shakespeare's period. The rooms on the lower level of the house include some early seventeenth century oak furniture.