Shakespeares_Birth

Shakespeare's birthplace is undoubtedly one of the most visited tourist attractions in Stratford and is one of the jewels in the crown of the Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust. The trust are a registered charity who own and care for five houses all connected with William Shakespeare and his family and who keep these properties open to the public.

William Shakespeare's father John Shakespeare bought the house in 1556 and was still living in the house on Henley Street eight years later when Mary Arden gave birth to their son who was to become the worlds most famous Bard. Descendants of Shakespeare's sister Joan retained ownership of parts of the house until as late as 1806 and it was 1847 when the Trust purchased the property and secured its availability for the millions of visitors who have visited since.

Prices are below but remember if you are planning to visit all the Shakespeare houses on your visit a ticket for all 5 can be purchased for a reduced fee. (Ticket for all 5 houses was £14 when we visited on the 17th March 2007 and the ticket is open so you don't have to visit all the houses on the same day). We purchased ours at Hall's Croft but any of the houses should offer the same tickets.

Adult: £7.00
Child (5-16 Years): £2.75
Concession: £6.00
Family (2 Adults and up to 3 Children): £17.00

The house has become almost a pilgrimage for the thousands of visitors who visit Stratford-Upon-Avon each year the house gives a real insight into how life must have been in Shakespeare's time and it is now accessed via the Shakespeare exhibition which gives real insight into the history of Stratford and its most famous family.

The exhibition is comprehensive and gives a glimpse of some of the historical documents which have survived which include the parish records and a fragment copy of the First Folio of completed works, dated 1623. One small feature of the exhibition which I found intriguing was a ring found in the grounds of the Holy Trinity Church which holds the letters WS and dates from Shakespeare's time. Whilst it is impossible to verify with certainty whether this was owned by the Bard or not it does make you think what else lies around Stratford waiting to be discovered.

Linking the exhibition to the actual house is a lovely country garden which is meticulously kept and which contains traditional plants along with some of the herbs and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. The original garden would have been used for growing produce for the household and the herbs, fruit trees and fruit bushes stay true to that original purpose.

	Open	Last Entry	Open	Last Entry	Open	Last Entry
Mon - Sat	9.00 am	5.00 pm	10.00 am	5.00 pm	10.00 am	4.00 pm
Sunday	9.30 am	5.00 pm	10.00 am	5.00 pm	10.30 am	4.00 pm