Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford upon Avon, England

 This evening, I am focusing on the property most closely associated with England’s leading playwrite, William Shakespeare. It was here, at Stratford upon Avon,  that Shakespeare grew up and may have spent his early married life here post 1582. Shakespeare inherited the house on death of his father in 1601 and subsequently bequeathed it to on his own death to his eldest daughter. Shakespeare’s sister, Joan lived in part of the building until her death in 1646 following which it was owned or occupied by Joan’s descendants until 1806. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust acquired the property in 1847.

The subject property has been a place of homage for Shakespeare admirers for some 250 years. It now forms the key part of a Visitors Centre which includes an exhibition on Shakespeare’s life and background.

The principal rooms in te house are:

• The Parlour.
• Hall
• Glovers Workshop.
• Shakespeare’s Birthroom.
• Kitchen and Buttery

There is also an extensive garden.

Birthplace of William Shakespeare, England

A ‘must see’ when visiting Stratford upon Avon.

Cirencester Amphitheatre, Cotswolds, England

This evening, I am dipping into one of my favourite history topics, namely Roman Britain and Cirencester in particular.

In Roman times, Cirencester was known as Corinium, capital of Civitas Dobunnorum.

The Roman Army arrived here around AD 44 and constructed a fort or fortress on a 30 acre (12ha) site.The civilian settlement developed during the early 60s AD  and subsequently (by around AD 100)  evolved into an important town laid out in a grid pattern which in size ranked second only to Londinium (London) and featured a forum and basilica.

Contemporary with the growth of the new town an amphitheatre  was built on a site (probably a former quarry) about half a mile outside the town. This, now grass covered arena, is still clearly visible and provides an important tangible legacy of the Roman era. The sequence of events is believed to be as follows:

• First amphitheatre constructed with seating banks raised on mounds of turf and limestone rubble. Entrances were lined with timber and in part revetted with drystone walls.
• In early 2nd century AD the amphitheatre was reinforced with masonry walls. The elliptical shaped arena measured 160ft by 134ft with seating banks about 96ft wide.
• In late 2nd Century, a rebuilding of the entrance passage and arena wall occurred.

An impressive site with free entry.

Here are links to some of my other Roman Britain themed blog postings.

Hadrian’s Wall

Antonine Wall

Bearsden Roman Baths

Ardoch Roman Fort

Architecture, Stratford upon Avon, England

This morning, our tour group departed lodgings at Cambridge in eastern England and then drove north-west to Stratford upon Avon. Here we spent time walking around this historic town, visited Shakespeare’s birthplace  in Henley Street, had a pub lunch and then walked along the bank of the River Avon to Trinity Church and Shakespeare’s burial place.  Weather remained dry.

Tudor Architecture, Stratford upon Avon, England

Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford upon Avon, England

River Avon at Stratford, England

View of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford, England

Burial Place of Shakespeare at Stratford

After Stratford we drove south to Cirencester, the former Roman town of Corinium to view the impressive amphitheatre, second largest in Roman Britain after that at Londinium (London).

Amphitheatre at Cirencester, England

Next we moved on through pleasant countryside to our destination for the night of Bath, also a former Roman town.

Tomorrow we tour the main sites and sights of Bath