September 19th 2011 - by Hannah Rollmakerw
Stratford Upon Avon United Kingdom
Stratford-upon-Avon, not to be confused with the district of Stratford-on-Avon of which it is
the main town, was the home of Shakespeare, poet and playwright extraordinaire. It is 22 miles away from
Birmingham, and 8 miles away from Warwick, and it lies on the River Avon (incidentally it might interest you to
know that 'Avon' is another word for 'river' in Celtic - so basically it becomes the 'River River'!).
The town relies mainly on the tourist industry for its economy (after all, over 3 million visitors come to
Stratford-upon-Avon every year), and you will find that there is a positive abundance of places for you to stay,
ranging from the ultra-luxurious, to the comfy and cozy in the form of bed and breakfasts.
Once you get here, you will find that the town is simply filled with many interesting sites and you might find
yourself hard-pressed to know where to start, or what to take in. You can start with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
if you want to get a taste of theater. From there you can make your way to New Place, Shakespeare's home and the
place where he passed away.
Or you might like to take a trip on over to Nash's House, right next to New Place. It is a museum nowadays and you
will be able to see the history of Stratford-upon-Avon here. You might even like to take a look around Hall's
Croft, the home of Susanna and Dr. John Hall. Susanna was Shakespeare's daughter.
Or you might enjoy visiting Anne Hathaway's Cottage (no connection to the present day actress!). Anne Hathaway was
Shakespeare's wife and the cottage in Shottery was her home before marriage. It stayed in the Hathaway family until
1864, soon after which it was bought by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (there were still Hathaways living there
as tenants when the trust bought the cottage).
The cottage (more like a large farmhouse with spacious rooms) is a delightful place for a visit and is now a museum
with charming gardens in which you can wander around. And of course there is always William Shakespeare's
birthplace. This half-timbered 16th Century house is now a museum and a must see for any Shakespearean lover.
You might also find yourself in Stratford-upon-Avon for the activities surrounding Shakespeare's birthday
celebrations. All things considered, Stratford-upon-Avon being a market town, you can also be assured of the fact
that there will be a market or two happening around town.
There are so many things to see and do while you are here, that there is a better than even chance that you won't
have time to go through them all and do justice to them, especially if you can only manage a weekend getaway. In
fact, you will most probably need to come back at least one more time, and really, what better way to get in a
relaxing couple of days away from the grind of daily life than by visiting Stratford-upon-Avon. So come along and
enjoy what the town has to offer - you know you won't be disappointed.
Source: http://articlesabroad.com
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