30 July 2015 - Stratford upon Avon

The morning was a normal sort of morning with a walk to the Post Office and nice customer service ; "Awright, Love?" and a brief visit to the Thursday market in Banbury Town Square which has been held on Thursday for a few hundred years.  I was slightly tempted to buy a lard cake but it all sounded a bit fatty.  There were old fashioned cakes such as bread and butter pudding.  We did buy some striped capsicums and beautiful pears at the market.

A striped capsicum!?  Was delicious roasted for dinner!

A sweet yellow and red pear - from the Banbury market

A couple of gold postboxes to mark James Roe's success at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Towns of origins of Olympic medallists are painted gold rather than red!

 Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, is not far from Banbury.  Stratford upon Avon is well known as William Shakespeare's birth place.  He also died there at the age of 52.

Sand sculpture of dog - at first I thought it was a homeless bloke with his dog!

Historic Henley Street

Tiny little windows and uneven frames

Outside Shakespeare's birthplace

We parked at the Park and Ride car park on the outskirts of Stratford and took the bus into town.  We called into the Tourist Information.  A very helpful chap there showed us a walking tour of the town to take in all the historic buildings.

Walking tour...on a postcard!

It was quite a large house and now incorporated into a museum - which you pay for!

 I had visited Stratford years ago and so had Karl.  We both remember it as more quaint but now the housing estates stretch out on the outskirts of the town.  The centre of town is full of the famous black and white houses.  As it was  a sunny afternoon, it was lovely to walk by places such as Shakespeare's birth place and indeed the church where he was buried.

"Foolery, Sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere". (Twelfth night)

Playing the fool!

We decided not to go into Shakespeare's House as we have seen so many historic houses and in fact have had a bit of an overdose of Tudor history.  And because we have seen so many historic places, Stratford seemed quite big and not at all quaint compared to some of the cute little Cotswolds places we've seen.  We are glad we went but an afternoon's visit was enough.

This struck a note.....

Contrast of years: Computer world versus Tudor times

Our walk took us down Chapel Street

The Garrick - the building dates back to 1594 and has been an inn since 1718.

Tiny window panes, many original

This window was only about 15x15 cm - love the blob in the middle

Written on this building, very feint, is:"God save the king"

The College

Nash's House

The Chapel

The Falcon

The Guild Chapel

 The right of burial was inherited by Shakespeare's family and his wife, Ann Hathaway, daughter Suzanna and son-in-law Dr John Hall and Thomas Nash (first husband of Shakespeare's Grand-daughter Elizabeth) are buried in the chancel beside him.  Shakespeare had a curse put on his gravestone so no one would move it!  We walked along the historic streets, thinking of those who have trod the paths before us.  It's all just a bit amazing!!  History overload!  Holy Trinity Church was grand as it was lovely, by the Avon.  How very tranquil.  No wonder the Bard came back home - he died on his 52 nd birthday - too much celebrating perhaps?

The Windmill inn

Holy Trinity Church

William Shakespeare's grave

Bishop Luke - Holy Trinity  Church

A Bard?  Holy Trinity Church

Inside Holy Trinity Church

Watch your head...low doorway!

Dress ups are always fun and Luke loves dressing up.  From there we walked along the Avon back to the main lock and watched a large vessel go up it!

Back to the Park and Ride bus which worked well and efficiently.  We did end up trying the "Mr Brains Pork faggots with gravy" which were quite tasty!