Local attractions

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire - Places to Visit

Situated on the banks of the beautiful River Avon in the heart of rural Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon is a beautiful medieval market town steeped in history and culture – an ideal holiday destination at any time of year. Heritage Mews self catering holiday cottage is within ten minutes’ walk of the town centre with its rich variety of historic buildings and unique attractions.

Download the Official Historic Walking Guide with two walks – a riverside walk and a town centre walk.

Stratford-upon-Avon’s historic buildings:

  • Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Henley Street: walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born and grew up. Learn about his family life from costumed guides and see a ‘Shakespeare Aloud’ performance of an excerpt from one of his plays. Open (Sat-Wed).
  • Hall’s Croft, Old Town: the elegant Jacobean home of Shakespeare’s daughter , Susanna and her husband, the physician John Hall. The first house in Stratford to have glass windows.
  • Shakespeare’s New Place, Chapel Street: the site of Shakespeare’s home from 1597 until he died in 1616. A contemporary landscape reveals the footprint of the house that was demolished in 1759. Open (Sat-Wed)
  • Ann Hathaway’s Cottage, Shottery (1 mile away): the cottage where Shakespeare’s wife was born in 1556 and grew up is one mile from Heritage Mews. Built in 1463 of cruck construction, the original medieval kitchen and parlour remain.
  • Mary Arden’s Farm, Wilmcote (3 miles away): the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother is 3½ miles from Heritage Mews. Experience a working ‘Tudor’ farm with crafts, falconry displays, rare breeds, and learn about Tudor customs and domestic life.
  • Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, Church Street: See where Shakespeare spent his schooldays in the 1570s, in the 15th century Guildhall - described by historian Michael Wood as "one of the most atmospheric, magical and important buildings in the whole of Britain". Open 7 days a week.
  • The Guild Chapel, Chapel Lane (next door to the Guildhall): Built in the 13th century by the Guild of the Holy Cross, a prominent social and religious organisation. The Chapel’s walls display rare and internationally-significant 15th century wall paintings, including one of the few surviving pre-Reformation medieval schemes painted at the same time, and painted as one piece. Now open every day, 10am to 4pm.
  • The Almshouses, Chapel Street (next to the Guildhall): a row of 10 beautifully-preserved half timbered 15th century almshouses, still lived in today.
  • Holy Trinity Church, Old Town: a beautiful parish church situated on the banks of the River Avon where you can visit Shakespeare’s grave in the chancel. Open to visitors.

Places of interest / Things to do in Stratford:

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre: Waterside: a 10 minute stroll from Heritage Mews. Home to the Royal Shakespeare Company – built in 1932 and transformed in 2010, retaining many original art deco features. Theatre Tours, Theatre Tower with fantastic view of the river and town, free exhibitions, The Rooftop restaurant (open) and Riverside Café (open). Theatre news performance information here.

City Sightseeing ‘Hop-on Hop-off’ bus tour: an open-top bus tour of the town centre sights and nearby villages, visiting Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. 24 hour or 48 hour ticket for unlimited bus tours, hopping on and off whenever you wish. (Open May – October).

Stratford-upon-Avon Town Walk: An award-winning, lively and entertaining daily guided town walk – a great way to explore Stratford-upon-Avon, its history and relationship with Shakespeare. Town Walks resume 1 August 2021; pre-boooking required.

Avon Boating: 30-minute sight-seeing river cruises aboard an original Edwardian passenger launch. Rowing and motor boat hire also available.

Riverside walk into town starting from nearby Holy Trinity Church to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Bancroft Garden and canal basin. You can cross the River on an old pedestrian chain ferry (a 1937-built hand wound chain ferry, the last of its kind in Britain) or walk across the Tramway Bridge (now a foot bridge, it was built in 1832 to carry the horse tramway from Stratford Wharf to Moreton-in-Marsh). From here is a good view of the magnificent 15th century Clopton Bridge with its 14 pointed arches. The canal basin, with its barge moorings and working lock into the River Avon, is surrounded by gardens. The 19th century Gower Memorial in the Bancroft Gardens is a stone and bronze sculpture of William Shakespeare surrounded by statues of characters from his plays, representing Philosophy, Tragedy, History, and Comedy.

Stratford-upon-Avon Big Wheel: a big ferris wheel by the River Avon with great views of town and river.
Tudor World: a museum depicting Tudor life (not for purists!), set in a 16th century building on Stratford’s only surviving cobbled street. Now open.

Butterfly Farm: see hundreds of exotic butterflies from all over the world flying in a landscaped area with waterfalls, ponds and a wide variety of tropical plants. The UK’s largest tropical butterfly paradise. Open every day.

Stratford-upon-Avon markets: three weekly town centre markets, popular with locals and visitors alike. A traditional Charter Market every Friday with over 40 traders selling food, clothing and gifts. Every Saturday, an Urban Mix market with local makers, farmers produce, street food, artisan food, vintage finds, collectibles, handcrafted jewellery and quirky gifts. On Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, the Waterside Upmarket has a special atmosphere with street entertainment, street food, local artists and a variety of interesting crafts and gifts. Don’t miss Stratford’s wonderful Christmas Lights and festive Christmas Markets from the end of November. For details see Christmas Breaks.

Stratford Minigolf, on the banks of the river by the Recreation Ground: fun for all ages – not to be confused with crazy golf, this is a test of skill with tricky hazards, bumps and ramps! Tea and coffee available. Open (closed in winter).

The MAD Museum: Mechanical Art and Design. A quirky attraction displaying interactive mechanical art, in particular; kinetic art and automata, like the machines in Wallace and Gromit! Great interactive fun for all ages. Open every day.

Stratford-upon-Avon Greenway: Dedicated 5 mile traffic-free cycling/walking trail along Honeybourne disused railway line starting a few minutes’ walk from Heritage Mews, passing Milcote (cafe, picnic area) to Long Marston village. Cycle hire available.

Shakespeare Distillery: an artisan spirit producer making a range of premium, handcrafted gins and rums, including the award-winning Stratford Dry and newly launched Jester Rum. Enjoy a fun and informative distillery tour followed by tutored gin tasting.

Places of interest near Stratford-upon-Avon:

  • Warwick Castle: One of England's best-preserved medieval castles, with dungeons, elegant 17th century Great Hall and State Rooms, 'Victorian Weekend Party', 'Kingmaker', towers, ramparts, beautiful gardens, Birds of Prey Shows and Trebuchet. Open every day.
  • Visit Lord Leycester Hospital and Master’s Garden, 14th and 15th century timbered buildings clustered around the Norman gateway into Warwick; The Mill Garden in Mill Street, on the banks of the River Avon beneath the walls of Warwick Castle; St Mary’s Church with magnificent views from the 134 foot tower.
  • Kenilworth Castle (English Heritage): spectacular ruins of a vast medieval fortress and Elizabethan Palace. Climb 18 metres up into the tower. Stroll through the recreated Elizabethan Garden. Open, pre-booking recommended.
  • Compton Verney Art Gallery: an award-winning art gallery with world-class exhibitions and interesting seasonal events, set in 120 acres of stunning ‘Capability’ Brown parkland. Open Tuesday to Sunday and Bank holiday Mondays. Pre-booking recommended.
  • Sezincote: A unique 200-year-old Mogul Indian palace, set in a romantic landscape of temples, grottoes, waterfalls and canals. Check website for opening dates.
  • Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway: a heritage railway between Broadway and Cheltenham Racecourse – a 28 mile round trip through spectacular Cotswold countryside
  • British Motor Museum: The world's largest collection of historic British cars with over 300 cars on display, interactive exhibitions and dedicated zones on motorsport, design & concepts, royal cars and cars from film and television. Open daily, pre-booking required.
  • Hill Close Gardens, provide a rare opportunity to visit sixteen restored Victorian hedged pleasure gardens.

Gardens near Stratford -Upon-Avon

In addition to the many National Trust properties with gardens…

Bourton House Garden,Bourton-on-the-Hill: an award-winning three acre garden with wide herbaceous borders, imaginative topiary, a knot garden, water features and creatively planted pots. Open Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Booking not required.

Kiftsgate Court Gardens, Mickleton (near Hidcote): spectacular setting on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment. Beautiful herbaceous borders, roses, terraces and water garden. Open April to September.

Batsford Arboretum & Falconry Centre, near Moreton in the Marsh: the country’s largest private collection of trees and shrubs, with year round interest from the first snowdrops of spring, through to outstanding autumn colour. Garden centre. Falconry Centre with daily free-flying demonstrations. Open.

Cotswold Lavender, near Broadway: Open June-August.

Cotswold villages to explore

  • Chipping Campden: a gem of a Cotswold town with an outstanding architectural heritage. Famous for its elegant long, winding High Street lined with beautifully-preserved historic buildings. Good choice of eateries and boutiques/shops.
  • Nearby is Dover’s Hill (National Trust), a natural amphitheatre on a spur of the Cotswolds with magnificent views over the Vale of Evesham and the start of the Cotswold Way, a national trail running along the Cotswold escarpment, covering 102 miles from the market town of Chipping Campden to the historic city of Bath.
  • Stow-on-the-Wold: a beautiful town set high in the Cotswolds, with an impressive market square, medieval stocks, interesting St Edward’s Church and picturesque streets with independent shops, antique centres, inns and tearooms.
  • The Slaughters: Upper and Lower Slaughter are two unspoilt, pretty Cotswold villages on the River Eye. Interesting 19th century corn mill with working water wheel in Lower Slaughter. Footpath to Upper Slaughter.
  • Broadway: a quintessential Cotswold village known as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds”, renowned for its honey-coloured houses, picturesque streets and historic architecture. Great choice of independent shops, restaurants, pubs and antique shops. Footpath leads to the Cotswold Way.
  • Bourton-on-the-Water: Described as the “Venice of the Cotswolds”, a charming and unique village which straddles the River Windrush, with low bridges and riverside paths. Plenty of shops, cafes and attractions (Birdland, Model Village, perfumery, model railway exhibition).
  • Other villages worth visiting are Ebrington, with beautiful thatched cottages and great pub, the Ebrington Arms; Snowshill;
  • Stanton, a 17th century hamlet, and nearby Stanway, with Stanway House & Fountain. - the 300 foot high fountain is the highest gravity fountain in the world.
  • Bretforton with the Fleece Inn (National Trust) ; Winchcombe and nearby Sudeley Castle.