- 1
The Swan Water Fountain
The meeting point is the Swan Fountain, located in Bancroft Gardens on Waterside.
Please look for your guide, identifiable by a yellow flash and a lamppost with a yellow company sign.
The exact route may vary, so please inquire with your guide about the tour's ending location.
· 10 min
- 2
Shakespeare's Birthplace
Explore this 16th-century half-timbered building on Henley Street, the birthplace of William Shakespeare in 1564.
Discover the home of his parents, John and Mary Shakespeare, and learn about John's glove-making business.
Hear stories of Shakespeare's childhood and family life during Tudor times.
A discount is available for Stratford Town Walk customers wishing to visit Shakespeare's Birthplace before or after the tour.
· 10 min· Admission not included
- 3
Shakespeare's New Place
Learn about William Shakespeare's purchase of New Place at age 33, where he lived until his death at 52.
Imagine the largest house in town as you stand outside its gates and discover the reasons for its demolition in 1759.
· 10 min· Admission not included
- 4
Hall's Croft
Visit Hall's Croft, the residence of John Hall, the physician who married Shakespeare's eldest daughter, Susanna.
Admire the impressive Jacobean architecture and hear tales of medieval medical practices.
· 10 min· Admission not included
- 5
Holy Trinity Church
Walk along the River Avon to Holy Trinity Church, a significant parish church dating back to 1210.
This is where William Shakespeare was baptized, worshipped, and is buried.
Enjoy the magnificent building as you approach via an avenue of lime trees.
· 10 min· Admission not included
- 6
The Guild Chapel
Discover one of Stratford's most important historic buildings, The Guild Chapel, established in 1269.
It was once the home of the Guild of the Holy Cross, a notable social and religious organization.
The chapel houses a rare collection of medieval wall paintings.
· 10 min· Admission not included
- 7
Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall
Explore Shakespeare's Schoolroom, a half-timbered building from the 1400s, where the playwright received his education.
Find out where Shakespeare was inspired to become a world-renowned playwright.
The building, formerly The King's New School, is now King Edward VI Grammar School.
Below the schoolroom lies the Guildhall, which served as the headquarters for Stratford Borough Council and the heart of civic life for over 400 years.
· 5 min· Admission not included
- 8
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
See the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, designed by architect Elisabeth Scott and completed in 1932.
This theatre replaced the original Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, which was destroyed by fire in 1926.
It is home to the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company, performing plays for a global audience.
· 5 min· Admission not included
- 9
Swan Theatre
The Swan Theatre is located on the site of the 1879 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.
Opened in 1986, it was built within the original gothic facade after most of the memorial theatre was lost to fire.
The library and art gallery were the only parts saved from the original building.
· 5 min· Admission not included
- 10
The Other Place
Learn about The Other Place, which began as a rehearsal room and studio space for new and experimental theatre in the 1970s.
Re-developed over time, it reopened as The Courtyard Theatre in 2006, a 1000-seat venue used during renovations of the RST and Swan Theatres.
Today, The Other Place is a versatile 200-seat theatre with rehearsal rooms and costume storage.
· 5 min· Admission not included
- 11
Town Hall Stratford upon Avon
View the Town Hall, a Grade II listed building dating back to the mid-1700s.
It stands on the site of the former Market House, which was used as a munitions store during the English Civil War and was damaged by a gunpowder explosion.
The current building, completed in 1767, was opened in 1769 by actor David Garrick.
A statue of William Shakespeare, presented by David Garrick, adorns the building's facade.
· 5 min· Admission not included
- 12
High Street
Discover the area where a High Cross once stood in the 1400s, marking the market junction of High Street and Bridge Street.
See 'The Cage', a small building at the corner, which housed the town's jail.
This area was also home to Judith, Shakespeare's youngest daughter, and her husband Thomas Quiney.
· 5 min· Admission not included
- 13
The Almshouses
See The Almshouses, also known as The Guild Cottages, built in the 1500s by the Guild of the Holy Cross for their aged and infirm members.
These properties are now managed by the Municipal Charities of Stratford upon Avon.
· 2 min· Admission not included
- 14
Harvard House
Admire Harvard House, built in 1596 by Thomas Rogers, featuring the town's most ornate carved facade, reflecting Rogers's wealth.
Learn how Katherine Rogers's marriage into the Harvard family led to her son, John Harvard, establishing the library that founded Harvard University.
· 2 min· Admission not included
- 15
Mason Croft
See Mason Croft, once the residence of the celebrated Victorian novelist, Marie Corelli, a Stratford resident and conservationist.
· Non-stop passage
- 16
The Gower Memorial
View The Gower Memorial, created in 1888 by Lord Ronald Gower, located near Clopton Bridge with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in the background.
The memorial features a statue of William Shakespeare surrounded by characters such as Hamlet, Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth, and Falstaff.
· Non-stop passage
- 17
Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
Learn about the Birmingham to Stratford Canal, opened in 1816 for transporting goods like coal and wood.
The canal basin features a lock connecting to the River Avon.
Today, the canal is primarily used by holidaymakers.
· Non-stop passage
- 18
Rother Street Market
See Rother Street Market, the location for the weekly market held on Fridays and Saturdays.
· Non-stop passage
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