When to visit Stratford-upon-Avon<\/h5>\n
Every year, Shakespeare\u2019s birthday is celebrated on the weekend nearest to 23 April \u2013 the playwright is said to have been born (and have passed away) on St George\u2019s Day. This is a buzzy time to spend a weekend break in Stratford-upon-Avon. The town marks the occasion with concerts, folk dancing, street processions and special theatrical performances. It\u2019s a lovely festive occasion and a perfect time to catch Bard-fever at its most heightened. Shortly afterwards, the summer season begins. Next to the Swan Theatre, Bancroft Gardens hosts a line-up of alternative performance \u2013 be that stand-up comedy, interactive children\u2019s entertainment or more contemporary concerts. It runs from May to October and is well worth planning your visit around a performance you fancy seeing.<\/p>\n
Festivals aside, there isn\u2019t really a bad time to visit Stratford-upon-Avon. While the scenery is extremely pretty here, many of the big draws are indoors \u2013 even a rainy day cannot spoil the magic of visiting Shakespeare\u2019s birthplace or seeing one of his performances on stage. That means Stratford-upon-Avon is a great weekend break destination at any time of the year.<\/p>\n
How to get to Stratford-upon-Avon<\/h5>\n
Stratford railway station is a 10-minute walk from the town centre and if you\u2019re coming from London, you are well served. Chiltern Railways runs direct trains leaving about every three hours from Marylebone Station. The trip will take around two hours each way. It is easy to get here by road, but if you\u2019re up for a challenge then why not take Shakespeare\u2019s Way? This is a 146 mile walking trail linking Stratford-upon-Avon with Shakespeare\u2019s Globe Theatre in London. The walk takes at least eight days, but there are many appealing sights and taverns along the way \u2013 the route passes through London, Oxford and the Cotswolds. See shakespearesway.org<\/span><\/a> to plan your route.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s the life and works of Shakespeare that you\u2019re here to explore, then you are well served with attractions. From his birthplace on Henley Street, where rooms have been restored to their original usage (there is even a glove workshop for his glove-making father John Shakespeare), to his final resting place at the Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare\u2019s homes and haunts have been preserved for posterity. In early 2016, the schoolroom where William Shakespeare was educated opened to the public for the first time. A \u00a31.8million restoration project has seen the Grade I-listed 15th-century building returned to its original state \u2013 a humble beamed classroom where the Bard spent his formative years.<\/p>\n Follow a young Shakespeare\u2019s footsteps a mile out of town to a village called Shottery \u2013 the farmhouse cottage of Anne Hathaway and her family is preserved here in something close to its original form. It\u2019s a lovely walk through charming countryside, and it\u2019s easy to imagine the playwright coming to woo his future wife here.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve had your fill of Shakespeare and company, then there are many more places to visit in Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford Butterfly Farm is a delight for all of the family \u2013 a large greenhouse holds a huge community of breeding butterflies, as well as less dazzling species such as beetles and stick insects. For the braver visitor, the Mini-Beast Metropolis offers encounters with tarantulas and scorpions. Friendlier faces can be found at the Teddy Bear Museum across the river \u2013 a quaint collection of famous teds, from Sooty to Paddington. It\u2019s a nice pit stop for kids, who will definitely find a future friend in the gift shop.<\/p>\n The Garrick Inn is the oldest pub in Stratford-upon-Avon \u2013 and is known to have been a haunt of the Bard. Like most of the drinking establishments here, the pub makes the most of the connection \u2013 they brew their own \u2018Shakesbeer\u2019 in homage. The Shakespeare Hotel does a generous afternoon tea, with biscuits shaped like the Bard. The Opposition (or the \u201cOppo\u201d as the visiting luvvies have it) is a cosy bistro on Sheep Street, a stone\u2019s throw from the Royal Shakespeare Company, with brick and timber walls and a roaring fire. Its pre-theatre menu is fast and fabulous, coming in at \u00a315 a head \u2013 cheaper than many of the institutions taking advantage of the tourist trade with cheeky pricing. If you\u2019re going to see a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre \u2013 or even if you\u2019re not \u2013 it\u2019s worth booking into the restaurant there. Its windows offer a panoramic view of the River Avon, and you can watch punters paddle past as you dine.<\/p>\n So if you fancy seeing a production in Shakespeare’s home town or a trip along the river Avon, then why not take a look at our hotels in Stratford Upon Avon![\"Stratford](\"https:\/\/travelodgeblog.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/StratfordBreaks-ARTICLE.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat are the best attractions and places to visit in Stratford-upon-Avon?<\/h5>\n
Where are the best places to eat and drink?<\/h5>\n