Shakespeare’s Britain
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From the Stratford-upon-Avon timber houses where Shakespeare grew up to the London playhouses where his work was performed, England offers clients the chance to fully immerse themselves in the playwright’s world. They can walk rooms where he wrote his plays, watch performances from galleries just as Elizabethan audiences experienced them, and explore Hamnet filming locations that have brought his era back to life on cinema screens.
Stratford-upon-Avon: where the story began
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the restored half-timbered Tudor house on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare was born in 1564. Wander through rooms filled with historic artifacts and exhibits tracing the early life of the Bard. The ‘Becoming Shakespeare’ exhibition traces Shakespeare’s journey from glover’s son to celebrated playwright through immersive storytelling and interactive displays. In the garden, actors bring history to life with regular short performances. Ticket bundles for multiple Shakespeare sites offer best value for clients wanting to visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace, alongside Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s New Place and Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall. Pre-booking is recommended.
Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall
Step inside the classroom where young Shakespeare learned to read and write at Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall. The 15th-century timber-framed building where he studied from around age seven houses preserved Tudor interiors – including original desks and quill pens – as if frozen in time. Clients can dress up in authentic Tudor clothes, learn to write with quill and ink, and explore the Guildhall’s medieval Great Hall upstairs, where travelling theatre companies performed. This is where Shakespeare watched actors bring drama to life for the first time.
Shakespeare’s New Place
Shakespeare’s New Place occupies the site of the house Shakespeare purchased in 1597 and is where he spent his final years until his death in 1616. The original building no longer stands, but the foundations have been excavated and reimagined as an immersive sculpture garden where the outline of his home is traced in the landscape. Clients can walk the outlines of rooms where Shakespeare wrote his final plays, encounter the mulberry tree he planted, discover site-specific artworks, and explore the recently restored Knot Garden, based on garden designs conceived during the playwright’s lifetime.
Tudor World
Clients can immerse themselves in 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon at Tudor World, a living history museum set within a historic Grade II listed building in the centre of town. Discover historic crafts and learn about daily life in Shakespeare’s time. Costumed guides, hands-on exhibits, and interactive displays bring Shakespeare’s era to life – from quill writing in the schoolroom and a mock witch trial, to perching on a throne or lying on a four-poster bed.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
A 30-minute-walk from Stratford-upon-Avon’s centre, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery is where Shakespeare courted his wife before they married in 1582 – a thatched, timber-framed farmhouse that the Hathaway family occupied for centuries. Its interiors, including original period furniture such as a carved bed, have been preserved, revealing a unique glimpse into Tudor domestic life, while the cottage garden outside is bursting with flowers, herbs and trees.
Shakespeare Gin Distillery/Gin Cruise
Combine history with a deep-dive into the craft of gin-making at the Shakespeare Distillery. Book a 60-minute River Avon Gin Cruise to give clients a floating tasting experience, sampling botanicals while gliding past riverside sights including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare’s burial place. Your clients can learn about distilling techniques and pick up a bottle or two from the shop to continue the experience at home.
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church, standing beside the River Avon, is Shakespeare’s final resting place. The playwright was baptised here in April 1564 and buried in April 1616. The 13th-century church shelters his tomb, with one for his wife Anne beside it, alongside his original burial inscription cursing those who try to move his bones (“(…) To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.”). The half-bust monument on the north wall, commissioned prior to his death by Shakespeare, and likely carved by someone who knew his face, offers the closest thing to a true likeness we have today.
Swan Theatre
Housed in a converted Victorian building on the banks of the River Avon, The Swan Theatre is designed to evoke the playhouses of Shakespeare’s era. Stripping theatre back to its essentials, the intimate 469-seat auditorium featuring steep wooden galleries allows the audience to experience performances at arm’s length. Managed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Swan stages works by Shakespeare’s contemporaries, giving audiences opportunities to encounter the wider world of Jacobean drama, alongside contemporary writing.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Experience world-class theatre at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). From Shakespearean classics to contemporary productions, the riverside venue offers cutting-edge performances with scenic views of the River Avon. Tours reveal behind-the-scenes areas, offering a glimpse into the magic that brings the performances to life.
Kenilworth Castle
A twenty-minute-drive from Stratford-upon-Avon, Kenilworth Castle offers a rewarding detour into the Elizabethan world. This medieval fortress was the playground of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester – one of Queen Elizabeth I’s favourites – who spent a fortune on lavish new buildings and a landscaped garden to impress the monarch during her 1575 visit. Scholars believe the young Shakespeare witnessed theatrical entertainment here which may have inspired A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Today, clients can walk the castle ruins, wander the recreated Elizabethan garden with its marble fountain and Renaissance aviary, and get a glimpse of Elizabethan court culture.
More information
Getting there: From London airports, travel into central London, then take a direct train from London Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon (around two to three hours). From Birmingham Airport, Stratford-upon-Avon is about 45 minutes by car or around one hour by train via Birmingham New Street.
More information for the Travel Trade:
https://visitstratforduponavon.co.uk/
https://www.shakespeares-england.co.uk/travel-trade-and-groups/
London: where the curtains rose
Shakespeare’s Globe
Shakespeare’s Globe, a faithful reconstruction of the original 1599 playhouse with its circular wooden frame and thatched roof, continues to stage his works under the open sky, just as audiences experienced centuries ago. Scenes from Hamnet were filmed here, capturing the energy of Elizabethan performance. Today, the Globe’s vibrant programme spans everything from comedies, tragedies and family productions to thematic talks, short courses and guided tours.
The George Inn
The George Inn in Southwark – the only surviving galleried coaching inn in London – offers a lively connection to Shakespeare’s world. Its timber-framed courtyard was an “inn-yard theatre” where travelling players performed to Elizabethan Londoners, preceding the purpose-built playhouses we know today. It is likely that Shakespeare, who lived in Southwark during the height of his fame, frequented the original pub and watched plays here (the pub burnt down in 1676 and was rebuilt). Now owned by the National Trust and managed by Greene King, it still operates as a working pub, with its low-ceiling bars delivering a vibrant and jolly insight into Elizabethan tavern culture.
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Tucked within the Shakespeare’s Globe complex on the South Bank, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is London’s only candlelit indoor Jacobean theatre, purpose-built to recreate the indoor playhouses where Shakespeare’s works premiered in the 1610s. Clients can fully immerse themselves in the theatrical experience from the tiered wooden galleries that surround the stage, illuminated by the glow of chandeliers.
Museum of Shakespeare
Due to open in 2026, The Museum of Shakespeare in Shoreditch will occupy the site of the original Curtain Playhouse, offering a high-tech, immersive journey through the playwright’s world. Visitors can expect interactive exhibits and digital storytelling that brings 16th-century London back to life.
more information
Getting here: From London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, or London Stansted Airport, take a train or tube into central London, then use the Underground to reach the South Bank. The nearest tube stations including Waterloo, Embankment, London Bridge and Southwark.
More information for the Travel Trade:https://www.londonandpartners.com/what-we-do/travel-trade
Herefordshire: Shakespeare on screen
Through Tudor Landscapes Walking Tour
Clients can download Herefordshire’s free Through Tudor Landscapes trail and follow in Hamnet’s footsteps across the countryside that stood in for Shakespeare’s England. The self-guided route threads through the village of Weobley, which doubled as 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon in Hamnet, before continuing through the surrounding landscape – including Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and Leominster – taking in both cinematic sites and 16th-century landmarks. The trail leads to The Green Dragon Hotel in Hereford, reputedly one of Britain’s oldest inns. Further along, Oldfield Forge in Garway opens its workshop for clients wanting hands-on medieval craft experiences, including bookable knife, sword, or wand-making sessions.
Cwmmau Farmhouse
Just outside Brilley in west Herefordshire, a black-and-white timber framed 17th-century manor house known as Cwmmau Farmhouse served as Agnes’ childhood home in Hamnet. Now managed by the National Trust, clients can stay in spaces where some of the film scenes unfolded. This five-bedroom house operates as self-catering accommodation, inviting clients to sleep in the same spaces that appeared on cinema screens, an immersive experience few filming locations offer.
Weobley
Step into the Herefordshire village that became Shakespeare’s hometown on cinema screens. Weobley, fourteen miles from Hereford, doubled as 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon in Hamnet, with its black-and-white timber houses lining narrow lanes exactly as they did in Tudor times. Clients can walk the timber-framed streets, browse independent shops and enjoy afternoon tea at the Green Bean Cafe.
more information
Getting here: From Birmingham, Herefordshire is around two hours by car, or about one hour and 45 minutes by train to Hereford, with taxis onward to villages such as Weobley or Brilley (around 30 minutes). From London, it’s three to four hours by car, or around three hours by train from Paddington to Hereford, followed by local transport.
More information for the Travel Trade: https://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/
Experiencing Elizabethan England
Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire
Built to dazzle, Bess of Hardwick’s Hardwick Hall remains as architecturally stunning today as it did in Elizabethan times. Known for its large and numerous windows, which were a luxury at the time it was built, the hall has been described as ‘more glass than wall’. Now managed by the National Trust, this Elizabethan mansion inspired Malfoy Manor in the Harry Potter films and appeared in Mary Queen of Scots. Inside, clients can marvel at one of Europe’s finest collections of 16th-century textiles, vast tapestries, and portraits. Outside, formal gardens and Grade I listed parkland surround the property.
Getting there: From Manchester Airport, trains to Chesterfield take around two hours, with Hardwick Hall accessible via taxi in around 20 minutes.
Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Burghley House is one of the largest surviving houses from the 16th-century, built to honour Queen Elizabeth I. The 35-acre estate, with its grand halls and ornate ceilings, has starred in Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein and The Da Vinci Code. Inside, an exceptional collection of Italian Old Master paintings – featuring works by Veronese, Luca Giordano and Artemisia Gentileschi – adorns the walls of the state rooms, while the house’s ceramics collection showcases Japanese porcelain and European treasures.Outside, clients can stroll along avenues of ancient trees and explore sculpture trails in two distinctive garden spaces.
Getting there: The nearest international airport is London Luton Airport or London Stansted Airport, with onward train services to Stamford (via Peterborough). From Stamford Station, it’s a ten-minute taxi ride to Burghley House.
Wollaton Hall, Nottingham
Built in the 1580s by architect Robert Smythson for industrialist Sir Francis Willoughby, Wollaton Hall’s striking symmetrical facade and corner towers sit within 500 acres of Nottinghamshire parkland. Film fans will recognise it as Wayne Manor from The Dark Knight Rises, and it has since appeared in The Crown and The Princess Switch 2. Inside, Nottingham’s Natural History Museum fills the halls with 750,000 objects spanning fossils, minerals, invertebrates, vertebrates and taxidermy.
Getting there: The closest international airport is Birmingham Airport. Take a direct train from Birmingham New Street to Nottingham Station (around one hour), with Wollaton Park just a 15-minute taxi ride from there.
Penshurst Place, Kent
Set in the Kent countryside, Penshurst Place has been the ancestral home of the Sidney family since 1552. At its heart is a vast medieval great hall, one of the best preserved in England, which still dominates the house. The estate is closely associated with Sir Philip Sidney, the Elizabethan poet, scholar and courtier, who grew up here and became a celebrated literary figure during his age. Ten acres of walled Elizabethan gardens accompany the house, inviting your clients to follow the same paths once walked by 16th-century courtiers.
Getting there: The nearest airports are London Gatwick Airport or London Heathrow Airport. From London, take a train to Tunbridge Wells (from Charing Cross) or Tonbridge (from London Bridge), which takes around 45 minutes. From there, a taxi to the house takes around ten minutes.
Longleat House, Wiltshire
Longleat House in Wiltshire is a fine example of Elizabethan architecture in Britain which opens a fascinating window into the world Shakespeare inhabited. The mansion once belonged to Sir Thomas Thynne, whose secret marriage to Maria Touchet, who was part of a rival family, is rumoured to have inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. But this 16th-century mansion is not only famous for its aristocratic scandal and stunning architecture, but also for pioneering Britain’s first drive-through safari park. Clients can explore the grand rooms of Longleat House on a guided or self-guided tour, wander through the Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown designed formal gardens, or spot red pandas, koalas, and tigers from their car window on a drive-through safari.
Getting there: The nearest airport is London Heathrow Airport. From Heathrow, Longleat is around two to three hours by train via London Paddington to Westbury or Frome. Take a taxi from the station to the site (around 30 minutes).
