MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 46

 

Originally, this was thought to be Mary Arden's House, but recently it was discovered that she lived in the house next door

I was absent from the bower for a few days recently, when I visited the lovely town of Stratford-upon-Avon, staying at the local Travelodge, which had been newly decorated and was very smart. I went with my Husband, and we discovered that it was far cheaper to buy a ticket to see all 5 of the Shakespeare attractions, rather than pay individually. It cost us just over £20 each, little more than the price of two individual visits, and with the added bonus that the tickets are valid for a year, so we can go back and do it all again for free!

 

 

The first place that we visited was Mary Arden’s Farm. Mary Arden was the mother of William Shakespeare, and married John Shakespeare around 1577. Today this working farm is run using Tudor methods and implements, and with rare breed creatures such as curly haired pigs. For a long while it was believed that the attached house was that of Mary Arden, but then it was discovered that she actually lived in the property next door. The farmhouse, now known as Palmer’s (the owner was Adam Palmer, a close friend of John and Mary). It is quite large, with four bedchambers, two parlours, a hall and a kitchen.

 

We watched a falconry display there, and saw the cook preparing a Tudor meal, cooking over the fire. She cooked such dishes as pottage. When a large bell was rung in the farmyard, the workers came for their lunch and they sat round a large wooden table, presided over by the Steward. We visitors clustered around to watch them eat the authentically-cooked Tudor meal!  As they ate, the steward and the cook explained the customs of the day and how, contrary to belief, the Tudors were refined in their behaviour, and also followed basic hygiene such as hand washing before meals.

 

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Later, we went along to Anne Hathaway’s cottage. This beautiful, thatched, timbered cottage surrounded with flowers couldn’t be more British if it tried. This is where Shakespeare’s wife-to-be lived, and it’s more than likely that he knew the cottage well. A guide explained what to look out for, then we climbed the narrow stairs to see the upper floor, complete with a four poster bed and a charming carved cradle. Downstairs there was the old kitchen and the parlour, and, thanks to the guide, it was easy to imagine everyday life in this place where Anne and William probably did their courting. Outside, the gardens were stunning. When we went there were masses of sweet peas, just coming onto the end of the flowering season. There was also a magnificent willow sculpture in the shape of an ‘o’, through which you could take a superb photo of the cottage, and there was a graceful willow bower, almost, though not quite, as lovely as my own bower!

William Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare’s birthplace stands in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon, on what is now a paved pedestrian walkway. This is the house that tourists tend to throng around, although I was lucky enough to take some photos when the coach trips had left. It seemed odd, incidentally, to see tourists taking photos of each other pretending to speak on the phones in the red kiosks nearby, or posing by the red pillar boxes! However, I am sure that they think that we do odd things in their countries.

 

 

After a short introductory video presentation, you pass through to the main house. Here you can see the parlour, hall and bed chambers all furnished as they might have been in Shakespeare’s day; it’s very atmospheric. Shakespeare’s father was a glover, and so one room, his workshop, displays leather gloves the necessary tools. A guide explained how the leather was prepared and cut. The gloves were sold from the window to passers-by in Shakespeare’s day, as there was no shop. Particularly interesting are the glass windows on display upstairs that were removed some time ago, all etched and signed by visitors from past centuries. I was very taken with the small troupe of actors in the gardens, who would act out an extract of any play or sonnet that visitors requested. I enjoyed the house very much, though I didn’t think it had quite the warmth or the charm of Anne Hathaway’s cottage.

 

Old School, Startford-upon-Avon

 

We walked past the old school, which might possibly have been the school that William Shakespeare attended. It was a magnificent Tudor building, bowed and bent as the centuries have taken their toll, which added very much to their charm. Then we came to Nash’s House and New Place, in which Shakespeare’s granddaughter lived, so the connection is not particularly close. Sadly, New Place, which was the house Shakespeare’s later purchased, doesn’t now exist. It was pulled down in 1759 so you can only see the patch of ground. Nash’s House felt bare, it didn’t have such a friendly atmosphere as the other Shakespeare properties did and much of it was like a small museum with various oddments in showcases. However, the beautiful knot garden was well worth seeing, it was a mass of colour.

 

Hall Place

 Finally we visited the fifth house with a Shakespeare connection, which was Hall’s Croft. This was a friendly house, and was once the home of Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna, who married a physician, John Hall.  Furnished in Tudor style, there are some beautiful pieces of furniture here including an intricately carved child’s highchair. There is an interesting display of medical bits and pieces, including the text book that John Hall wrote in 1657. It seems that there is quite a lot of restoration needed to keep this lovely house safe, so let’s hope the money can be raised. The gardens are pretty, too, though it was raining when we visited so we didn’t really get to look round them.

 

Considering the thousands upon thousands of visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon each year, it's amazing that these old houses are still standing and that, although there were plenty of people around, we never felt hustled.

The bower in Anne Hathaway's garden