Shakespeare's Birthplace in Henley Street
William Shakespeare was born in this house in 1564.
His parents were John and Mary Shakespeare. They had seven other children besides William. In 1582 he married a girl named Anne Hathaway who was eight years older than him. Their first child, Susanna, was born the following year. The twins Hamnet and Judith were born in 1585. One or two years later Shakespeare went off  to London leaving wife and children behind in Stratford.

The Birthplace and the Visitors' Centre

The Birthplace and the garden in spring

The Birthplace and the garden in summer

John Shakespeare, William's father, was a glover (glove-maker) and a merchant. His workshop was at one end of the house. (The present workshop is a reconstruction.)

The parlour (sitting-room) (Reconstruction)

The kitchen and the buttery (pantry) (Reconstruction)

Shakespeare's birthroom (Reconstruction)

The site and garden of New Place where Shakespeare  lived with his wife during the last few years of his life (1610-16). The house was pulled down in the 18th century.

The Guild Chapel
It was built in the 13th century and originally belonged to the Guild of the Holy Cross (a religious society). The house in front of  the Chapel on the left hand of the street  is Nash's House where Shakespeare's granddaughter Elisabeth later lived with her husband, John Nash. The site of New Place is between Nash's House and the Chapel.

Church Street with the Guildhall from the early 15th century
The Guildhall is adjacent to the Chapel and was originally a meeting-hall for the members of the Guild of the Holy Cross. In Shakespeare's time the town council of Stratford held their meetings at the ground floor of the building. At the first floor was (and still is) the oldest school of the town (King Edward VI Grammar School). Shakespeare most probably went to that school when he was between 7 and 13 years of age.

Chapel Street
The site of New Place is on the right hand side of the street. The signpost points to the  River Avon  and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The Falcon Hotel in Chapel Street
It is an old inn. In Shakespeare's time it had only two storeys.

Harvard House in High Street
John Harvard's mother grew up in this house. John Harvard was born in 1607, emigrated to America in 1637, and left money to found Harvard University in Cambridge near Boston.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage in the village of  Shottery 1.5 km from Stratford
Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare's wife. She was born in this house and lived there until she married Shakespeare at the age of 26.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Mary Arden's House in the village of Wilmcote 5.5 km from Stratford
Mary Arden was Shakespeare's mother. She grew up in this house.

Hall's Croft in Stratford
Shakespeares daughter Susanna lived here. She was married to John Hall, a medical doctor.

Holy Trinity Church, built in the 14th century

The interior of Trinity Church.
Shakespeare, his wife Anne and eldest daughter Susanna are buried under stones in the floor. On the wall there is a monument which was put up in 1623 in honour of Shakespeare.  Nearby is the old font where Shakespeare was baptized.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, opened in 1932

The interior of the Swan Theatre, opened in 1986

The Avon and Holy Trinity Church

The First Folio, 1623

                            The exterior of the Globe

                                        The stage

                               The galleries