Warwickshire
5th March 2015 All photos by Hetty
Stratford upon Avon was laid out as a new town in 1196, next to the village by the church.
The Gower Memorial, 1888, in Bancroft Gardens – Shakespeare is surrounded by:
Prince Hal, Falstaff,
Hamlet, and Lady Macbeth.
Lovely to see crocuses out
There used to be a tramway here
The Canal basin by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. 
Notice on the bridge
William Shakespeare was born in an upper room here in Henley St, in 1564. It was owned by the Shakespeare family until 1806
The Christmas shop opposite
This is now the public library
The white building, 1821, is on the site of the medieval market hall.
View down Bridge St, where market stalls used to be down the centre
‘Marlowe’s Restaurant, newly built 1595’. Originally there were 7 gables.
Some of the beams are carved
Harvard House, 1596, is on the right. John Harvard founded Harvard University in America.
In the centre is The Garrick Inn. It was covered in brick in the 18th century, and restored in 1913.
The house on the left has had its gables altered. It has a carved corner post.
Old Bank, 1883, with a terracotta frieze depicting scenes from Shakespeare’s plays 
The Town Hall, 1767, originally open on the ground floor for market days, has a statue of Shakespeare.
On the left is a mock Tudor front on a 16th century building, while the right hand part is original 16th century.
Falcon Hotel, c.1500, with top floor added mid-17th century
The brick house was also originally timber framed. The Guild Chapel was founded in 1269 as a hospital. The nave and tower were added in the 1490s
Inside the Guild Chapel – the pews face each other.
Some old houses have ‘new’ fronts
Left is the Guild Hall, c.1420, now still a school, which Shakespeare is said to have attended. Right are almshouses, c.1500,
1856 brick house.
At the end of the road, the house c.1690, is now a prep school. On the right is Trinity College apartments, a house in 1710. The top floor wad added in 1870 when it became a school.
Town house 1760
Hall’s Croft, early 17th century. Shakespeare’s daughter lived here.
16th century, former outbuildings
Holy Trinity Church, 12th/ 13th/ 15th century, has the grave of Shakespeare inside.
From near the church, towards the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
We then walked along the river away from Stratford. What are these? There was a great heap of them in a field
We crossed the river on Stannals Bridge, 
and returned on the other side to Stratford.
Fountain with swans on the top, 1996 
