Shakespeare's Schoolroom and Guildhall was the final Shakespeare-related tourist attraction we visited, the others being: Shakespeare's Birthplace, Shakespeare's New Place and Anne Hathaway's Cottage. The cheapest way to do this is to buy a four-way ticket, which costs £40 for adults and £20 for children (family tickets and concessions are also available).
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is Stratford-upon-Avon's most famous resident, and is often labelled the greatest playwright and poet of all time. Incidentally, the week after we visited hotel prices were steeper, as that's when Shakespeare's "anniversary" day was. He is widely believed to have been born on 23rd April (St George's Day), and he died on 23rd April.
The Guildhall dates back to the early 15th century...
It was used for assemblies, as the meeting place for the local council and as a school building...
A golden bust of The Bard. Stratford-upon-Avon appeared to be choc-a-bloc full of Shakespeare-related statues and sculptures!
The lower hall is where assemblies would have taken place. William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, was a glovemaker who, in 1568, became the Mayor of Stratford.
Here is a representation of young William watching his father.
It was because of John Shakespeare's privileged status that William was able to attend the local grammar school...
Young William with a SuperDean in the background...
We popped into the priests' chapel...
The light was very low in here...
...But you can sit for a while and contemplate...
The Muniments and Treasure Chest of the Guild of the Holy Cross sits in the room next door. Despite being labelled as old and fragile, the tour guide told us it takes two people to even lift the lid of the chest!
You can watch a film about the Guildhall in here..
Fireplace...
Here you can see and read about how the walls were made...
The wattle and daub technique is explained, and between the timber sections were sand, clay and dung!
Another bust of The Bard sits at the bottom of the stairs, plus a selection of verse taken from his plays and sonnets...
A closer view, and behind the bust on the walls are details of former headmasters of the school...
In the Master's Chamber upstairs, and during renovations this pre-reformation wall painting was found. It's a depiction of the Last Supper, and is through to be from around 1441...
This room dates from the 1420s, and this huge, heavy desk dominates...
Renovations took place before 2016, when Shakespeare's Schoolroom was opened to the public for the first time. The date commemorates the 400th anniversary of his death.
Pupils' graffiti on the desk...
Another Shakespeare bust in the corridor, and this representation looks like the artist has taken inspiration from Jackson Pollock!
Inside Shakespeare's actual schoolroom, and this is the Stratford Grammar School Desk. This medieval Tudor oak/elm desk would have been used by a schoolmaster or senior pupils.
One of the guides acted as the schoolmaster, and informed us that lessons would have been taught in Latin...
Shakespeare attended the school in the 1570s, and would have sat on benches like these (these are not from his time). Each bench would have been called a "form." It's a name that still exists in schools today.
On the teacher's desk, and the birch was the way of ensuring order in the classroom.
Next door, and during Shakespeare's time these desks were not here- they date from the 17th century...
In Shakespeare's day plays would be would performed in this room and, from 1568 over 30 travelling theatre groups visited here. Shakespeare would have no doubt witnessed this, and here you have the marriage of the education, taking place next door, and the love of theatre, honed right here, beginning.
Lessons still take place up here before 11am, when the rooms are then open to visitors...
Another Bard bust, and you can dress up as a schoolmaster if you like!
Another birch...
The King Edward VI school, taken through the window. The school is known to have been in existence since 1295.
We then took a walk towards the river, taking in some of the historic buildings. Hotel Indigo over the road is a boutique hotel.
The sign "Old Town" is on on the left hand building. The name is self explanatory, and always denotes a town or city's original and historic core.
Hall's Croft was the home of Susanna Hall, Shakespeare's daughter. It was built in 1613, so was quite new when Shakespeare was alive.
It is currently closed to visitors as conservation work takes place, and here you can see the scaffolding supporting the left side of the building. Apparently a vehicle reversed into the building, causing substantial damage.
Beautiful wisteria adorns this house along Stratford-upon-Avon's Historic Spine...
Shakespeare is buried in Holy Trinity Church. I was able to pop my head in here but wasn't able to go searching for his grave in the chancel, as a concert was about to begin.
We then sought out this pub, which has two names: The Black Swan and the Dirty Duck. We just had to pop in for a nice cold pint of cider...
The pub dates from 1738, was named The Black Swan but American GIs re-christened it during WWII!
This pub features in the TV drama Shakespeare and Hathaway, which is about two private investigators and their cases. In the show it's called The Mucky Mallard, so this pub technically has three names!
Stratford-upon-Avon has been given lamp posts by councils and from around the world. This one came from Israel and is called The Fiddler, the Mandolin Donkey and the Owl!
Stratford-upon-Avon, I will return...
Until then,
TTFN
Miss Elaineous
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