City Orientation Walk

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - City Orientation Walk The place of Stratford-upon-Avon in the world's history is set in stone as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Owing to this fact, thousands of tourists lovers of the English literature flock to this cute 16th-century West Midlands town each year out of respect and desire to get closer to the famous bard. In part, this is also due to a multitude of well-preserved Medieval and other historic places still around. This orientation walk is set to show way to the most popular landmarks of Stratford-upon-Avon, both related to Shakespeare and telling the town s story. Guide Location: England» Stratford-upon-Avon # of Attractions: 16 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 3.4 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "Stratford-upon-Avon Map and Walks" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Stratford-upon-Avon Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Stratford-upon-Avon. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) American Fountain B) Old Thatch Tavern C) Congregational Church D) Town Hall E) Harvard House F) Guild Chapel G) New Place H) Collegiate Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity I) Royal Shakespeare Theatre J) Tudor World K) Bancroft Gardens L) Shakespeare Memorial M) Clopton Bridge N) Bancroft Basin O) Shakespeare's Birthplace House P) Henley Street Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - A) American Fountain (must see) The American Fountain is truly the most beautiful Stratford-Upon-Avon landmark. The Gothic clock tower with a roundabout fountain, was established in 1887 in honor of Queen Victoria's jubilee. It was a gift from George Childs, a Philalphian newspaper magnate, and that's why it's called the American Fountain. The opening ceremony featured Henry Irving, famous Shakespearean actor. The fountain has a lot of inscriptions and quotations from famous Shakespearian plays. Address: Rother Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6LU, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and RachelH_ B) Old Thatch Tavern Old Thatch Tavern is obviously a visible landmark. The tavern claims to have been a pub since 1623, and to have a timeless thatched roof. Located at the Market Place, at the intersection of Rother and Greenhill Streets, the Thatch Tavern is a traditional Tudor-style building, which attracts town visitors for its well-maintained period décor and very English cuisine. Address: 23 Greenhill Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6LE, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and Mark R. Wheeler C) Congregational Church This used to be the Congregational Church, but is now a United Reformed Church that dates back to The Gothic-style church is small and considered to be a family chapel. Located on Rother Street, at the junction with Ely Street, the church is a local landmark, and like most churches do, it keeps records of all the events that have taken place there over the centuries. Address: Rother Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6LU, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and Post Box Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - D) Town Hall The Town Hall is one of very few Georgian buildings in Stratford-Upon-Avon. It was originally built in the middle of the 16th century, but sustained serious damage after a gunpowder explosion during the Civil War in the 1640s. The current building was rebuilt in 1767, and has since remained pretty much the same. The Town Hall has an inscription God Save The King, in honor of King George III, during whose reign the site was rebuilt. The place is open to the public and allows visitors to take a tour through a few of the town hall's working and official rooms. Address: Sheep Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6EF, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and ell brown E) Harvard House Harvard House is owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT). It was built in 1596 by Thomas Rogers, grandfather of the benefactor of Harvard University, John Harvard, and was the home of Harvard's mother. Harvard House became the Museum of British Pewter after the donation to the SBT of the Neish Pewter Collection in 1995, and includes items ranging from Roman times to the 1930s, but has a strong core of 16th- and 17th-century pewter. Address: High Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickhire, CV37 6AU, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and M_Eriksson. Sight description based on wikipedia F) Guild Chapel The Guild Chapel, located at the corner of Chapel Lane and Church Street, towers over the old and crouching houses of Stratford. The beautiful Gothic chapel was founded in the middle of the 13th century by brethren of the Guild of the Holy Cross. After the 16th century's Church Reformation, the brethren had lost its influence and authority. Certain parts of the chapel's walls still stand, from when it was first built. The nave and the tower were added in the 15th century. While playing an important part in Stratford's social life, the chapel also served as a permanent place of worship for the Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - residents of the grammar school next door. Address: Chapel Lane, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6EP, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and Edi Weissmann G) New Place (must see) New Place is the name of William Shakespeare's final place of residence. He died there in Though the house no longer exists, the land is owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The house rested on the corner of Chapel Street and Chapel Lane and was apparently the second-biggest dwelling in the town. It was built in 1483 by Hugh Clopton, a wealthy merchant and future Lord Mayor of the City of London. Built of timber and brick (then an innovation in Stratford) it had ten fireplaces, five handsome gables and grounds large enough to incorporate two barns and an orchard. Shakespeare bought the house in 1597, nine months after the death of his son Hamnet, for sixty British pounds. Shakespeare was associated with London for much of his life, and tradition states that he retired to Stratford in his later years, though he still visited London as late as He bought the house in 1597 but didn't move into it until The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust acquired New Place and Nash's House in Today the foundations of New Place are accessible through a museum that resides in Nash's House, the house next door. Address: 22 Chapel Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6EP, UK Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Steve F. Sight description based on wikipedia H) Collegiate Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity (must see) The Collegiate Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is a Grade I listed parish church of the Church of England. It is often known simply as Holy Trinity Church or as Shakespeare's Church, due to its fame as the place of baptism and burial of William Shakespeare. More than 200,000 tourists visit the church each year. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - The church has a large three manual pipe organ which dates from 1841 by the organ builder William Hill. It has undergone several restorations by Hill Norman and Beard, and Nicholson. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. The church is open to visitors for much of the year. A small contribution is requested to access the chancel and sanctuary in which Shakespeare is buried. Holy Trinity is a member of the Greater Churches Group. The Royal Shakespeare Company performed Henry VIII in the church in 2006 as part of the Complete Works Festival. It is an active parish church serving a parish of some 17,000 people. William Shakespeare, poet and playwright, was baptised in Holy Trinity on 26 April 1564 and was buried there on 25 April Address: Old Town Road, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6BG, UK Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Oosoom. Sight description based on wikipedia I) Royal Shakespeare Theatre (must see) The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) is a 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the British playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is located in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon - Shakespeare's birthplace. The Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres re-opened in November 2010 after undergoing a major renovation. The theatre has a new Rooftop Restaurant and Bar with views over the River Avon, a Riverside Cafe and Terrace, a Colonnade linking the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres together for the first time, the PACCAR Room exhibition space, and a 36m high Tower which provides circulation and views across Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding area from its 32m high viewing platform. There is also a riverside walk which stretches from the Bancroft Gardens, past the theatre, towards Holy Trinity Church. The whole building is now accessible for the first time for visitors, performers and staff with disabilities. There are three times as many dedicated wheelchair spaces in the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

8 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - auditorium in comparison to the previous auditorium, new lifts (there were no public lifts in the previous building), accessible toilets on all levels and no steps on the riverside walk, which previously had many stepped levels. Address: Waterside, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6BA, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and psd. Sight description based on wikipedia J) Tudor World Tudor World is an independent award winning museum set within a Tudor property in the heart of Stratford upon Avon. Address: 40 Sheep St, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6EE, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and Elliott Brown K) Bancroft Gardens (must see) Bancroft Gardens overlooks the river Avon and is a public garden that draws visitors every sunny and even cloudy day. Located just in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theater, it's also a summer gathering venue for street artists. The far end of Bancroft Gardens has the Shakespeare statue, also known as Gower Memorial, and in the center of it, the public can enjoy the newly-built Commemorative Fountain in honor of the 800th jubilee of Stratford-Upon-Avon being granted the status of market town by King Richard I. Address: Waterside, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and ell brown Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -

9 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 - L) Shakespeare Memorial (must see) In 1877 a committee was created in Stratford-upon-Avon to erect a memorial to Shakespeare. This originally comprised a theatre building, to be sited on land donated by the bank of the Avon within sight of the church where Shakespeare was buried. A statue was also created in 1888, the work of Lord Ronald Gower. This is situated in Stratford's Bancroft Gardens. The monument shows Shakespeare seated on a pedestal, surrounded, at ground level, by statues of Hamlet, Lady Macbeth, Prince Hal, and Falstaff. These characters were intended to be emblematic of Shakespeare's creative versatility: representing Philosophy, Tragedy, History, and Comedy. Another statue is present in a niche on the exterior of the town hall building. Address: Bridgefoot, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37, UK Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Tom Reedy. Sight description based on wikipedia M) Clopton Bridge Clopton Bridge is a masonry arch bridge with 14 pointed spans over the River Avon, crossing at the place where the river was forded in Saxon times, and which gave the town its name. The bridge carries the A3400 road over the river. The bridge was built in 1480, financed by Hugh Clopton of Clopton House, who later became Lord Mayor of London. It replaced a timber bridge which may have dated back to In 1696, money was raised to heighten the parapets, which were as low as four inches in places. The bridge is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Richard Roberts VI is the incumbent bridge master and resides in the toll house attached to the bridge. Address: Clopton Bridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37, UK Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 -

10 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 10 - Image Courtesy of Flickr and Tamsin Slater. Sight description based on wikipedia N) Bancroft Basin Bacroft Basin is part of Stratford Canal and the most picturesque and most photographed site in the heart of Statford-Upon-Avon. The lock offers breathtaking views of the Avon river, the towering Trinity Church, Shakespeare Royal Theater and both Tramway and Clopton Bridges. It is also a marina for Avon boats and river trams. Address: Waterside, Statford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and Nigel's Europe O) Shakespeare's Birthplace House (must see) Shakespeare's Birthplace is a restored 16th-century half-timbered house, where it is believed that William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years. It is now a small museum open to the public and a popular visitor attraction, owned and managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. It has been referred to as "a Mecca for all lovers of literature". Adjoining the Birthplace is the Shakespeare Centre, a contrasting modern glass and concrete visitors centre which forms the headquarters of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The driving force behind its construction, and opening in 1964, was Dr Levi Fox, OBE, Director of the Trust from 1945 to 1989, with a view to properly housing its library, documents and collections. As well as showing Shakespeare-related displays, the Shakespeare Centre also provides public access to the Birthplace. The Birthplace recreates a picture of family life at the time of Shakespeare complete with period domestic furnishings, a glass window inscribed with the signatures of visitors to the house over the centuries, and John Shakespeare's glove making workshop. The walled garden at the back of the house has been specially planted with flowers and herbs that would have been known at Shakespeare's time. Opening hours: Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 10 -

11 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 11 - Spring/Summer/Autumn 20 Mar - 29 Oct: 9am - 5pm Address: Henley Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6QW, UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and ell brown. Sight description based on wikipedia P) Henley Street Henley Street, one of the town's oldest streets, underwent substantial architectural change between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Henley Street is now a major tourist and shopping precinct with many al fresco cafés and street entertainers. Address: Henley St Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6QW UK Image Courtesy of Flickr and Elliott Brown. Sight description based on wikipedia Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 11 -