Stratford-upon-Avon Tour

Stratford earned its market charter in 1196, and the half-timbered frontages along Henley Street, Sheep Street and Chapel Street survive from the Tudor and Jacobean centuries that followed. Shakespeare’s father John worked here as a glover and wool dealer before serving as bailiff, the town’s senior office.

The playwright returned wealthy. He bought New Place in 1597, the second largest house in Stratford, and died there in 1616 at the age of 52. Only the footprint and gardens remain, since a later owner demolished the building in 1759. Each Trust property tells a different part of that arc, and the ticket you buy decides how much of it you see.

Three Trust properties open to general visitors, and the pricing rewards buying them together:

•             Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Henley Street. £25 adult and £12.50 child online, £27 and £13.50 at the door. Timed entry applies. The price includes New Place gardens, and live actors perform speeches on request in the garden.

•             Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shottery. £15 adult and £7.50 child on its own, dropping to £5 and £2.50 as an add-on. The thatched farmhouse holds Hathaway furniture, and the grounds run to orchards, a willow cabin and woodland sculpture.

•             Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, Church Street. £10 adult and £5 child alongside the Birthplace ticket. The upstairs room is where Shakespeare studied Latin, and costumed teachers run Tudor lessons through the day.

Concessions run at £21.25 for the Birthplace and £12.75 for the cottage online. Under 3s enter free everywhere, and every Trust ticket stays valid for 12 months of return visits. Note that Mary Arden’s Farm and Hall’s Croft, which older guidebooks list, remain closed to general visits and now host school groups only. The fourth essential stop charges separately.