Shakespeare Houses in and around Stratford-upon-Avon

Visit Houses in Stratford-upon-Avon associated with William Shakespeare

At the top of the tourist attaractions in Stratford upon Avon are the houses associated with William Shakespeare including his birth place and his final residence before the great Bard died.

Hall’s Croft

This was the home of William Shakespeare’s daughter Susannah following her marriage in 1607 to Doctor John Hall a prominent local physician .

On view here is a collection that relates to the doctor and the medical practices of the 17th century, besides this a collection of 16th/17th century paintings and furniture is to be seen.

Outside is an interesting walled garden, this contains a variety of plants, trees, herbs and shrubs some of which could have possibly been used by Doctor Hall in his treatment of patients.

After the death of her father, William Shakespeare, Susannah inherited ‘New Place’ and shortly afterwards taking up residence there with her husband.

New Place

At the time of purchase he was working in London and did not take up permanent residence until 1610, his time there however was to be short lived as he died 6 years later in 1616.

The last occupant of New Place was a Clergyman, he was the Rev. Francis Gastrell, a man of strange behaviour.

Following a dispute with Stratford inhabitants he burned New Place to the ground, following this the townspeople drove him out of the town with a threat that any person of that name would not be allowed to live in the town.

Now a replica Elizabethan Knott Garden occupies the site, with some of the foundations of New Place visible. This is very much visited by tourists an can be accessed via Nash’s house.

Also to be seen is the Shakespeare Memorial Garden. Tended and administered by the Birthplace Memorial Trust it occupies the site of the New Place kitchen garden and orchard, it is believed that Shakespeare spent many hours here during his latter years relaxing in the tranquil surroundings. The large Mulberry tree is said to be a cutting from the original tree of Shakespeare’s time.

Admission Adults £12.00 Concessions £11.00
Child £7.00 Family £31.00
Includes entry to Shakespeare’s Birthplace
Open Summer - 10am - 5pm Winter - 11am - 4pm
For further information tel. 01789 292 325

Nash’s House

Nash's House on Chapel Street was a property inherited by Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna Hall, on her death it passed on to her daughter Elizabeth. This house stood next door to New Place and is now the entrance to the knot garden on the original site of New Place.

Elizabeth married Thomas Nash, following her death the house returned to the Clopton family.

It is now in owned by the Shakespeare Trust and houses a museum, it is the point of entry to the Elizabethan Knot Garden created partially on the site of New Place (Shakespeare's House where he died).

William Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Situated in Henley Street is the half timbered building where William Shakespeare was born and was the house where William and his brothers and sisters were brought up.

The building was acquired by his father John in two transactions in 1556 and 1575, it is thought that he was a tenant in one part or possibly both.

The birth room was a chamber above the parlour.

Alterations created a separate single bay house when this was added to the original structure and was now known as ‘Joan Harts’ cottage. In later years the main house was leased out to Lewis Hiccox who converted it to an inn known as the ‘Maidenhead ’ and later to be known as ‘The Swan and Maidenhead’.

At the time of Shakespeare’s death it was occupied by his widowed sister Joan Hart and under the terms of Williams will the whole of the property would be passed on to his daughter Susanna upon the death of Joan which occurred in 1649 it passed on to her daughter Elizabeth, the wife of Sir John Barnard.

When she died in 1670 it was bequeathed to Thomas Hart a descendant of Joan Hart.
The property remained in the ownership of the Hart family until 1806 , it was sold then to Thomas Court a butcher. It was upon widows death in 1846 that the whole of the premises was put up for sale and purchased by a board of trustees for the nation.

Admission prices - Adults £12.00 Concessions £11.00
Child £7.00 Family £31.00
Price now includes entry to New Place/Nash’s House
Open Summer - 9am -5pm Winter 10am -4pm
For further information tel. 01789 201 805.

Anne Hathaways Cottage

Set in superb gardens is the childhood home of Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, it was her home until their marriage in 1582.

The beautiful half timbered cottage was in fact a 12 roomed farmhouse with several bedrooms that had its origins in the mid 15th century with alterations in evidence during the early 17th century.

In Shakespeare’s time it was known as Newland’s Farm, a farm of 90 acres. It was owned by the Hathaway family until 1746 when the male line became extinct on the death of John Hathaway.

Susanna his sister inherited the cottage after that it was passed on to his nephew John Hathaway Taylor, his son William Taylor lived there until his death in 1846 although he ceased to own it in 1840 living there for 6 years as a tenant as did his daughter Mary who was still recorded as being a tenant in 1892 when the trust purchased the property along with many items of furniture which included the family bed.

Mary Baker was appointed the first custodian and she died in 1899.

The garden is a tourist attraction in itself, with flowers and shrubs that offer colour for the year round.

Admission prices -Adults £6.50 Concessions £ 5.50
Child £3.50 Family £16.00

Open Summer 9am - 5pm
Winter 10am -4pm
For further information tel. 01789 292 100

Mary Arden’s House

Situated in the village of 3 Miles north of Stratford , it was the birthplace of Mary Arden the mother of William Shakespeare, she was born about 1540 and lived there until her marriage to John Shakespeare .

Now owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust it is a museum of countryside life and is open to the public.

There is a nature trail, rare breeds, enactments of Elizabethan lifestyles, free parking café and toilets.

Historical records show that the true location of Arden House was the neighbouring Glebe Farm and that Mary Ardens name was transferred to it and the former Mary Arden House has been renamed Palmers Farm after Adam Palmer who owned the property in 1570s and 1580s.

When the trust purchased it in 1968 there was a sitting tenant and occupancy was not gained until after the tenants death in 1978.
Admission prices - Adults £8.00 Concessions £ 7.00
Child £5.00 Family £21.00
Open - Summer 10am - 5pm
Winter 10am - 4pm
Further information can be obtained by telephoning 01789 293 455

Stratford upon Avon's William Shakespeare