The Shakespeare Houses and Gardens, Warwickshire Overview

The Shakespeare Houses and Gardens comprise five properties in and around Statford-upon-Avon that map the author’s journey from birth to death: Mary Arden’s Farm, the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother; Shakespeare’s Birthplace; Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the home of the playwright’s wife; Hall’s Croft, where Shakespeare’s daughter lived; and Nash’s House and New Place, where Shakespeare died in 1616. Together, these houses offer insights into the life and times of the elusive author, combining elements of Elizabethan history and artefacts with the restored interiors associated with Shakespeare himself.

Permanent collections

Each of the houses has its own distinctive character, from the family-friendly environment of Mary Arden’s Farm, where costumed actors demonstrate the workings of an Elizabethan farm, to the more rarified atmosphere of Hall’s Croft, which reflects the lifestyle of a wealthy young Elizabethan couple, with fine furniture and paintings.

Nash’s House belonged to Shakespeare’s granddaughter, and is now a museum tracing the history of Stratford; Shakespeare’s Birthplace is dedicated to the writer himself; and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage boasts award-winning gardens.

Art Funded works

William Shakespeare Between Tragedy and Comedy by Richard Westall is on display in Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Painted in 1825 in the Neoclassical style, it portrays the playwright at the centre of a dynamic struggle between the black-clad severity of Tragedy and the softer appeal of Comedy.

A late-16th-century medical box, also at Shakespeare’s Birthplace, reflects the craftsmanship of the period. The lid and sides are patterned in parquetry, and the silk braid hinges are still intact.

Visitor information

The Shakespeare Collection and Library hold research and archive materials of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, offering a comprehensive resource for anyone wishing to learn more about the Bard.

After seeing the often-crowded quarters of the Shakespeare Houses, it’s a pleasure to step out into the gardens that were such an important part of Elizabethan life. The walled garden at Shakespeare’s Birthplace has been planted with herbs and flowers of the period, offering an insight into common tastes and domestic remedies. The house of Shakespeare’s death, New Place, no longer stands, but over its foundations a beautiful knot-garden has been cultivated, which can be accessed via Hall’s Croft.

Of the Shakespeare properties, only Mary Arden’s Farm has its own café. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust recommends the Cottage Restaurant and Tea Room, just opposite Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.