SHAKESPEARE’S STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, Warwickshire
The riverside town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire is indelibly linked to its most famous resident, the playwright William Shakespeare - and much of it still looks how it would have when the Bard strolled around the streets.
Shakespeare grew up here in the late 16th century when Stratford-upon-Avon was an important centre for the wool merchants and tanners – its position astride the River Avon made it a gateway to Britain’s canal network. He married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, and would come to divide his time between the family home and London, choosing to finally retire to his hometown. Fans of the Bard can visit five dwellings in Stratford-upon-Avon with links to him, as well as his final resting place.