Growing up in one of the main tourist attractions in the UK does have its advantages and also its disadvantages however once our campsite in Alton Towers was discovered within the bowels of Nemesis we had to move out so we lived in Stratford Upon Avon.
I resided in Stratford for the first 18 years of my life and also a five year spell in my early thirties and it is a town I still visit as my parents and old school friends still live there. Like most residents the only time I ever visited any of the tourist attractions was when we had guests visiting but the great thing about Stratford is that it is surrounded by some of the finest countryside in the country in the form of the Cotswolds and is a great location to explore some other attractions near by.
xxA Brief Historyxx
Located pretty much slap bang in the middle of the country Stratford Upon Avon grew up originally as a crossing point for the River Avon (the clue is in the name) and traces of a Roman settlement have been found in the area however it rose to prominence as a tourist attraction as being the birth place of William Shakespeare in 1564, scourge of the teenage English student and famous writer of plays that have exerted an influence over popular culture for the last few centuries. The fact that Bill spent very few years in Stratford itself is neither here nor there, such is the revenue generated from the tourist trade and the number of people whose employments relies on it then any attempt to claim him otherwise is likely to get a visit from the local Women Institute and they are a scary bunch.
xxGetting Therexx
Road is probably the easiest way to get to the town as it is 20 miles from the M40 junction 14 however that in itself creates a problem as the town is not that big and the approach roads do get really clogged up especially in the summer months when day visitors head to the town to join the tourist coaches. Add to that local commuter traffic in a quite affluent town that likes its Chelsea tractors and tour bus operators and you have some pretty bad congestion problems. Personally I avoid the town on Bank Holidays and also at weekends in the summer and timing your visit is important to avoid the crowds; midweek in March is a pretty good time.
There is a lot of parking in the town and a couple of park and ride schemes but it does get very busy and car parks get full quickly in the summer.
There is a train station however from memory it takes over an hour to get to Birmingham and the train stops at every small station some of which have a Deliverance feel to them.
Nearest airport is Birmingham International which is about a 45 minute drive away.
xxShakespeare Attractionsxx
The town has a lot more to offer than merely Shakespeare however this is the major reason for coach loads of foreign visitors descending on Stratford.
Shakespeare birthplace is the central attraction and is located on the only pedestrianised street in the town despite the council intention a few years ago to make the whole of the centre pedestrianised. It is quite a small property that has had a few other attractions tacked on to the side to make the visit a little longer otherwise you could walk around the whole house in a few minutes as the rooms are very small and retained in the same fashion as was the custom of the times. In each of the rooms there is lots of literature documenting Bills association with the town and charting his life. It is one of those places that you feel obliged to see while you are visiting but it will not fill you with any great wonder just mild annoyance at the pushy Americans trying to take pictures of everything whilst exclaiming "Gee Wiz Martha that's so cute" and the only sense of wonderment I experienced was whether they would get their fat arses up the tight stairs.
There are also other properties to visit such as Anne Hathaway Cottage (home of the future Mrs Shakespeare) which actually is my favourite, in summer it has some wonderful gardens and also it is about a mile out of town in a lovely area of the town called Shottery which is where I was born and is the area I have my first memories of. This is the property that is used for the picture on a lot of the tourist tat that is for sale in numerous gift shops within the town.
You can also visit Mary Arden (Mother Shakespeare) house in near by Wilmcote which is 3 miles out of town however there is a tourist bus that will transport you all around the different properties and there are a couple of other small properties as well.
In addition there are a number of spin off attractions to visit relate to the life of Bill however some of these are a bit tacky in my opinion and best avoided. The one attraction that is worth a visit though is the theatre. In Stratford you have three to choose from, the main theatre puts on the classic plays however personally my favourite is the Swan Theatre which is built in the round in the style of the Globe in London and is much more intimate with performers appearing from within the crowd and is also the stage which my daughter appeared on so it is a bit special for me. The Other Place is also a small venue although one I have not yet attended for a play. All three are located close to the river and the main theatre has a wonderful view at night across the Avon.
xxOther Attractionsxx
One of the main attractions is to simply walk around. The town as some delightful old buildings and is very small and can be comfortably seen half a day if you do no stop at any of the attractions. The old town is particularly nice with some old buildings and interesting architecture.
The River is a nice attraction, lovely gardens and a connection to the canal so lots of barges to look at with the option to hire a boat or take a cruise, you can even try a bit of punting if you have the bottle. It is a short and nice stroll along the river from the theatre to Holy Trinity Church which is a beautiful building and Bills final resting place. Along the walk a couple of important landmarks, the Dirty Duck pub is a nice place to stop for a summers drink, there is a brass rubbing place to sort out your etchings and just as you approach the church just to your left under a tree by the river bank is the place where a young Freediveheaven with the assistance of a bottle of cider and a girl of loose morals became a man. Happy Times.
There are plenty of bus tours available stopping off at all the attractions and in summer you can opt for a horse and trap tour.
Near to Stratford you have Warwick Castle which is now owned by the Taussauds group (see my own award winning review of it) and you are only an hours drive from Oxford or the quite beautiful Cotswolds area.
There is plenty to do for children, many of the things I have already mentioned are ideal and the Shire Horse Centre is worth a visit which is about two miles out of town. There is also an excellent children play area on the south side of the river and in summer this whole area is filled with street performers, families enjoying picnics and quite a few other attractions.
It you also visit during the birthday celebrations you will find additional events laid on and the town lined with flags from around the world. Then again you can just take advantage of the shopping and large concentration of pubs.
xxAccomodationxx
There is a fantastic choice available however being a resident I have never stayed in any of them, there is a youth hostel for those on a budget located in a village called Alveston about 2.5 miles out of town and on a bus route.
Within the town there are loads of guest houses, small, medium and large hotels and quite a few caravan parks in the area as well including the five star quality Newlands Caravan Park. To be honest I only mention this because it is my mates place and I get a beer but it is good.
Couple of hotels that I can mention, if you want to be bang in the centre then The Falcon or The White Swan fit the bill, the Alveston Manor is just the other side of the bridge so does not have drunken yobs like me singing outside at all hours, it also used to have the best looking waiter in Stratford working there many year ago until the unfortunate food poisoning incident of 85, or if you want a bit of real luxury try the Welcombe Hotel which has its own 18 hole golf course.
xxEating Outxx
Literally hundreds of places to eat to suit all budgets although personally most of the places are a bit pricey to reflect a tourist trap style of place. There are all the usual chains as well as a few quaint tea shops and plenty of take aways and sandwich bars as well.
For a nice lunch in town the Windmill Pub is not bad. For great service try either of the Indian restaurants at the top of Greenhill Street. For a bit of class I like either Sorrento or Marlow which both do great food however for something a little different and quite romantic try the converted canal barge which is a nice restaurant that journeys up and down the Avon and is really nice especially when you can get out and stretch your legs half way through the meal.
xxDisabled Acessxx
Generally pretty good and the town has quite a few facilities for those with disabilities however some of the older attractions will have access problems due to their age.
xxSummaryxx
Overall Stratford is definitely worth a visit, it is a clean well maintained town which does get very busy and does also suffer from a town council with no clear plan in place given the haphazard approach to allocating car parks and also the rather puzzling decision to allow licenses for two lap dancing clubs which will hardly uphold the image of the town as a quaint place to visit.
I still visit on a regular basis mainly to enjoy the fine array of public houses and assorted night life attractions as it has a couple of clubs and some of the pubs occasionally have live music.
It has plenty to do within the town and is also a great place from which to visit the surrounding area.
Thanks for reading and rating my review.
More details
Family Friendly
Good
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
very helpful
very helpful
very helpful
