Stratford-upon-Avon break
I booked a short cottage break from Monday to Friday during the October school half term, and off we headed. The cottage was really easy to find and perfectly located in one of the surrounding villages – just a short 10 minute drive from all the attractions of Stratford-upon-Avon.
I bought a multi pass ticket in advance for the main Shakespeare attractions which represented great value on the standard ticket prices. We visited:
1. Anne Hathaway’s cottage 2. Hall’s croft 3. Mary Arden’s House 4. Nash’s house 5. Shakespeare’s birthplace 6. The Holy Trinity Church where the family are buried
Helped by fine weather, we spent a really lovely few days exploring and enjoying the lovely local scenery. In one of the houses, they had some street theatre and you could request a short performance from the play of your choice which was great fun.
We also enjoyed the living statue in the high street – my daughter wasn’t fooled and had a conversation with him – but a group of other tourists did get a shock when he started moving! We also enjoyed a lovely day out at Warwick Castle where there were various events suitable for children during the day there.
Our Friday departure coincided with horrendous gales in the south of England, so instead of heading straight back home, we decided to spend a good part of the day at Charlecote Park. This is a beautiful stately home with gardens designed by Capability Brown and a really lovely tea room!
Mid-afternoon, and as the gales in East Anglia subsided, we headed back home. A great short break with lots of activity packed in and a little bit of classroom history brought to life for my daughter.