Darlene Foster's Blog

It has been my wish to visit this market town, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, for a long time. A few weeks ago, I made it happen. I shared some doors last Thursday. Here are some other pictures from around the charming town and inside the Bard’s house.

The town’s most famous citizen is at the head of the main street. Some well-known quotes, like the one above, surround the statue.

A statue of Young Will by Lawrence Holofcener. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, stands behind it.

The Swan Theatre, the first Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.

Both theatres face the River Avon

A swan graciously posed for me.

A stone bridge crosses the river Avon

The back of Shakespeare’s birthplace has lovely gardens that feature many of the 175 plants mentioned in his plays.

Inside the home, a cosy parlour, furnished as it would have been 450 years ago.

The hall where the family ate their meals

The pantry or larder.

The children’s bedchambers and most likely the birthing room.

A replica of the wallpaper. A piece of the original is in the British Museum.

An evening stroll took us to the Avon Canal, which often has canal boats travelling down it and through a set of locks.

From the stone bridge, we spied a cosy-looking pub called The Pen & Parchment

So we decided to check it out.

I enjoyed a delicious mushroom-and-Gorgonzola pie with fried mashed potatoes and pesto sauce. It was excellent and in the perfect setting. A fitting end to a day in Stratford-upon-Avon.