Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Is The Birth Place Of William Shakespeare

Stratford – upon-Avon in the district of Stratford-on-Avon lies on the banks of the River Avon in the south-central section of England. This town is most famous for being the place where William Shakespeare was born. A little fusion confusion stems from the name of the town. It is often confused with the name of the district which is differentiated by the word of on rather than the word upon. The basic difference is that the home sits upon the banks of the River Avon, while the district which has a larger area is along the sides of the river. While locals refer to the town has simply Stratford this can be further confused with a town near London of the same name.

This cities industry is predominately funded through tourism as a result of the theater and its native son. Approximately 3,000,000 visitors a year come to the city in search of a bit of William Shakespeare’s history. Along with tourism the other major industries are in or around manufacturing. Another major effect on the economy in recent times is the technological age and affiliated businesses.

Stratford. ’s heritage developed around the fact that it is a market town and has been since medieval times. In fact the name comes from the Words Street and Ford, which means a Roman road which bordered the River Avon at the location of the town. Besides being a market town it obviously owes a large portion of its fame to William Shakespeare. The theater has played a major role in the history of Stratford for centuries.

A gentleman by the name of David Garrick built the first theater in the town in 1769. This was a simple wooden structure and was a temporary theater that Garrick had erected to display theatrical productions. Garrick had a major effect on the theater and was an actor, playwright, manager and producer. Perhaps his most memorable accomplishment was his role of Richard III in William Shakespeare’s play. Derek also had a major effect on the country and when he died his service was conducted at Westminster’s Abbey and his burial was in poet’s corner.

Garrick had a major role in the history of the city and its original theater stood close to the current location of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The city celebrated the 300 anniversary of Shakespeare’s birthday in’64 by building and dedicating the theater to the memory of William Shakespeare. This first theater was a simple wooden structure that was temporary however in’70 the plans for a permanent theater dedicated Shakespeare were implemented. This Memorial Theater opened in’79 and was immediately a huge success.

In’26 the original theater was burned down after having operated for over 50 years and was replaced six years later in’32. The shell of the original Memorial Theater is now contained within the walls of the Swan Theater that was built in the’80s. The Swan Theater is considered one of the finest in all of England.

Also within the city limits are 5 homes that Shakespeare lived in at one point in his life. The most popular of these is the Anne Hathaway Cottage. The Nash house and Hall’s Croft are both also popular with tourists. The holy Trinity Church was also significant part of his life. It was here that he was baptized and buried. Of all the non-Shakespearean tourist attractions one of the most popular is the Stratford butterfly farm.

Look for hotels in Stratford-upon-Avon.

categories: travel,travel and leisure