The first Shakespeare-themed tourist attraction we visited was Anne Hathaway's Cottage, so it's ironic that this is the last of my six Stratford-upon-Avon blogs! I've mentioned this before, but the best and most cost-effective way to visit four of the Shakespeare attractions (Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's Birthplace, Shakespeare's Schoolroom and Guildhall, and Shakespeare's New Place) is by buying a four-way ticket, which costs £40 per adult (child, concession and family rates available).
When travelling anywhere, I've always said that the journey can be as important as the destination. This is especially true in a historical town such as Stratford-upon-Avon. We passed this statue- called simply Jester- and I thought this photo looked so quintessentially English, what with the red double decker bus running past behind it (yes, I know it's a tourist bus!)
Here's the statue by itself, and to give you some perspective, Shakespeare's Birthplace is just behind me, to the right.
The jester features in several of Shakespeare's plays, and quotes from Hamlet, As You Like It and Twelfth Night are etched onto the plinth.
The Old Thatch Tavern dates back to 1470 and claims to be the oldest pub in Stratford (the town's name is often abbreviated to Stratford- but don't confuse it with the place of the same name in London!) I have to say, several pubs in this town claim to be the oldest!
Nearby is the Shakespeare Memorial Fountain, which is also referred to as the American Fountain. It incorporates horse troughs and a drinking fountain and dates from 1886-7.
This wonky building is called Masons Court. It dates from 1482 and claims to be the oldest building in Stratford (it certainly looks it!) It is used as luxury holiday accommodation.
Firs Gardens contain the Peony Pavilion, which is a cultural exchange pagoda gifted to the town by China. It references their playwright Xianzu Tang, and the link between him and Shakespeare.
Anne Hathaway's Cottage sits in the pretty hamlet of Shottery (hamlet being a very appropriate Shakespearean name in this instance!) This delightful wisteria cottage on the way is named "Bard's Wood."
You can just see the cottage peeping over the trees...
It's sculpture called The Moon Seat and you can pose for a selfie but, Vain-Old-Tart that I am, I am a mass of contradictions, because I still prefer to be on the other side of the camera!
Many of the plants here today were mentioned in Shakespeare's plays- he references 175 varieties.
Anne Hathaway (1556-1623) was born at the cottage, and married William Shakespeare in 1582. She was 26 (and pregnant!) and he was 18. It was normal in those days for a woman to marry around that age, but Shakespeare was considered young.
Vegetables are planted in this part of the garden...
This section is labelled Tudor medicinal garden...
The cottage was originally a farmhouse...
This room has been set up to resemble a traditional kitchen, and to call the house a "cottage" is a misnomer...
...It is actually a very substantial farmhouse...
Taking a look at how the walls are made up. This part has seen better days, and it looks like a temporary repair has taken place!
Wash-house, and the Hathaways were successful sheep farmers...
The family was known to the Shakespeare's, with Anne's father having sold fleeces to John Shakespeare; William's father.
Upstairs, and the higher level was added in the 17th century...
When the site was a farm, the house was known as "Hewlands."
This is The Hathaway Bed. It was taken by the Shakespeare's to New Place (their later home) and returned to the Hathaway family by William and Elizabeth's granddaughter, Elizabeth.
A mock-up of a writing desk, in the Bedchamber. The house was acquired by Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust in 1892 and some original items of furniture (such as the bed) came with the property.
This chair was first recorded as being in the house in 1792, and is known as "Shakespeare's Courting Chair," having passed down through Shakespeare's sister's side of the family (William Shakespeare's direct line died out with the death of his grandchildren.) It was purchased at auction by the Birthplace Trust in 2002.
The chair dates from the early 17th century, so was not in existence when Shakespeare was alive. On the back are elements from Shakespeare's coat of arms, plus the initials W.A.S. They may have been carved by William Henry Ireland, who was a know forger of Shakespeare documents.
After Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust acquired the building, descendants of the Hathaway family were allowed to stay on as custodians; which they did until 1911.
Looking down onto the garden, and this was my favourite Shakespeare-related Stratford-upon-Avon tourist attraction.😊
The area between the timbers is constructed using the wattle and daub technique (woven hazel covered in a mixture of mud, chopped straw and dung).
The gardens and orchards complement the building, and were designed by renowned horticulturalist Ellen Willmott in 1920. In Anne Hathaway's day, this area would have been more like a farmyard, with livestock.
Warley Place Nature Reserve, in Essex, once belonged to Ellen Willmott, and I've blogged about it here:-
...And vlogged about it here:-
Inside we go, and the earliest parts of the house date from 1463. This is the Parlour, and is one of only two rooms (the original cottage was comprised of three rooms) that exist today.
...It is actually a very substantial farmhouse...
Could this have been the Shakespeare's marriage bed? In the house, this would have been known as "the second-best bed." The best bed in any house in those days was reserved for guests.
In 1969 the cottage was badly damaged in a fire, and later restored.
You can just about make out the infill, despite the glare (this section is preserved beneath glass).
Down into the Kitchen, which is the other surviving room in the house. This is the large dresser in one corner...
You can see a bread oven set into the wall...
The floor in the kitchen is original, and you can see my trusty hoof contaminating the bottom of the shot...
Some information as you leave the house, and we know that Anne Hathaway was pregnant on her wedding day. But some say that Anne and William "plighted their troth" in a hand-fasting ceremony (it sounds like the modern equivalent of getting engaged), making it acceptable for the couple to bed at this stage.
I have read that before- back in those days an engagement was considered as binding as the actual marriage. Shakespeare's play Measure to Measure is partly about a hand-fasting.
Visiting the cottage shouldn't take up more than an hour of your time, and is certainly worth it...
This chest was used for storing grain. It is marked with apotropaic symbols, designed to protect contents from witches and evil spirits!
I did take this close-up, but couldn't use a flash, so you can't really make much out...
A nook in which to sit awhile...
...And take in this fantastic view of the cottage...😊
Into the orchards, and this view reminded me of a van Gogh painting...
The White Orchard, 1888, by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).
Apple tree, and in Anne Hathaway's day the mile walk from Stratford would have taken you through cornfields...
Next to the orchard is the Tree Garden, with its sculpture trail. Shakespeare-related sculptures/ statues/ busts are something you see a lot of in Stratford-upon-Avon!
Hamlet: What Wilt Thou Do For Her?
Falstaff
King Lear
Jan Kochanowski (1530-1584).
His masterpieces are regarded as Poland's equivalent to Shakespeare's sonnets.
History Play
You have a circular garden, and apparently plays are not held here (although other cultural activities take place). That's a shame, and a bit of a missed opportunity.
Pretty pink cherry blossom, and I didn't see any of Shakespeare's plays whilst I was in Stratford-upon-Avon, although I did pop my head into the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) building...
Looking down the Tree Garden, and I have been to Shakespeare's Globe in London several times. I've seen Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet, Othello and A Midsummer Night's Dream there. I've also seen a couple of modern interpretations of Romeo and Juliet at other venues.
Standing where we entered the property, and there was one final field to explore. Mary Arden's Farm is walking distance from Anne Hathaway's Cottage. She was Shakespeare's mother, and we didn't visit that tourist attraction during this break.
This area looks more rustic, and buzzards, foxes and several types of deer have been spotted at the property...
Through the gate the area's a veritable wilderness, and rare Silver Cloud moths have been seen living in the orchard...
Retreating back through Shottery, and he was in someone's garden- I'm not sure what he is, but he appears to be some kind of goblin' gargoyle/ troll. Either way, I thought he was cute!
Anne Hathaway's Cottage, I will return (and perhaps I'll also visit Mary Arden's Farm next time).
Until then,
TTFN (ta ta for now)
The Miss Elaineous
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