Stratford-upon-Avon

[HuntyGirl]

We are going to Stratford-upon-Avon in May and we are staying at The Arden Hotel. We're having afternoon tea there and going for a river sightseeing cruise. We also plan to see something at the theatre.

Does anyone have any suggestions of anything else to do whilst there?

Thanks in advance!

When we went there was a butterfly house. It was really nice. We were not so impressed by Shakespeare’s house. The house itself was interesting. The museum not so much.
There is a lovely, large Lakeland shop.

I've eaten at the Arden hotel, great food, service and a really nice place. Try and visit the bar/restaurant whilst at the theatre as there's a balcony that gives great views out across Stratford and the river Avon

Stratford is a small town, your plans sound pretty good. Personally I'd take the opportunity to visit Warwick Castle, it's very close and Warwick town centre is lovely

Thanks @Serenschintte @burnthur5t those suggestions sound fab. Glad to hear the Arden is good for food! Will also try to eat whilst at the theatre as the view sounds amazing

Just wandering around Stratford for an afternoon is lovely - it's like stepping back in time with all the old buildings and nice tea shops and little pubs.

If you have a car, Warwick Castle isn't far and very pleasant.

Go to Warwick. Nice, historic town, not far away.

I've had afternoon tea at that hotel, was delicious! Agree it's a pretty town to wander about and river v pretty on a nice day, haven't been for years though.

Cross posted with @burnthur5t sorry

Perfect, thanks for the tips everyone!

We really enjoyed the backstage tour at the theatre.

You can go up the tower at the theatre for excellent views.

Giggling Squid is probably my favourite restaurant. And veenos is nice for a glass of wine.

Mary arden's farm in Wilmcote is nice. Wither drive the 10mins, or get a train from Stratford. It's the next stop on the local line towards bham. You can walk up the canal from Stratford if you are a walkery family. It's about 5 miles, so we walked one way and got the train back.

Shottery is my favourite bit of Stratford, Anne hathaways cottage is there. And a cafe opposite with a nice mini Riverside walk and an OK pub.

The museum of mechincal art and design (MAD) is good. Very quirky and interesting.

Sabai Sabai Thai restaurant.

The Mucky Duck - a nice pub by the river.

Take the tiny ferry across the river and feel like a hobbit.

There's a nice walk uphill to a monument - can't remember what it's called, but we enjoyed it!

Fish and chips by the river.

Hotel du Vin is nice for cocktails.

Love Stratford.

I'd recommend the Butterfly House and the MAD Museum.

You can get a ticket to visit all 5 Shakespeare properties for a whole year - think it's £25ish. Not bad at all.

Would also recommend the hop on hop off bus as the tour is really good, and it also lets you on and off at all the properties.

Beware, currently not all of the properties are open due to COVID. Mary Arden's Farm is being used for schools only, and Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Hall Place have been closed since 2020. However this hopefully won't be the case by May...but just be aware as they didn't reopen even during the times where restrictions were lifted previously.

Ps. Also loads of nice pubs!

Hey everyone - just updating this thread.

Thanks so much for your recommendations, we managed to go to Shakespeare's house, the Lakeland shop and just have a lovely potter around. We loved it!

We were only there for one night and no shows were on so we plan to go back in December