Stradford-upon-Avon

martina3683

Sep 13

2 min read

Unusual for this site, I divert now from Tolkien to another literary "bard" of English literature — William Shakespeare himself.

After Oxonmoot, I visited his birthplace and the museums dedicated to him.

There I learnt a lot about him which is not a common knowledge. For example, that he comes from a family of a merchant father, who run a glove making business before turning to local politics, and whose business talent Will inherited. Thanks to his business and house renting, he earned more money than from his acting and writing.

Here are pictures from his birth home: the guest room, dining room, glove workshop, and bedroom when Will was born.

The extention added to the house during Will’s lifetime hides also several interesting items, such as a butcher shop downstairs, a chair made of the wood of a tree that Will planted in his later new house, a third floor study you had to climb to by a ladder, and an original window on which visitors used to sign their names to leave a lasting mark of their presence at the bard’s birth-house.

Unfortunately, Shakespeare’s new house that he bought as an adult has long since been demolished. Afterwards, when the Shakespeare Trust got hold of the grounds, they turned it into a memorial garden featuring interesting sculptures.

Just across the street from the New Place is a Guild chapel the Shakespeare’s were involved with and old school Will attended. The chapel features interesting medieval frescos.

The school building is still a part of a functioning modern school build in its backyard, and students have some classes in the same room and at the same desks as Shakespeare did. Likewise, they still perform their school theatre plays there. Visitors get a lecture about the medieval education system from an authentically dressed teacher, can try out writing with a quill, or see the headmaster’s table in which graduating students carved their names. They can see here also magical carvings that were supposed to protect the students from the negative influence of witches, and an old prayer room with original altar painting.

Here is The Swan theatre in which (better said its original version) Will started performing.

And here are several pictures from the river bank and town centre. Shakespeare’s presence is felt at every step, and the traditional architecture is just stunning. And the biggest curiosity is an all-year-round Christmas shop.