Places to Visit and Days Out in Warwickshire
Anne Hathaway's Cottage | Arbury Hall | Baddesley Clinton | Charlecote Park | Edgehill | Kenilworth Castle | Packwood House | Ragley Hall | Royal Shakespeare Theatre | Stoneleigh Abbey | Warwick Castle
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Anne Hathaway, a farmer's daughter, married Shakespeare in 1582. The thatched cottage that was her home is located in Shottery, 2 miles from the centre of Stratford. To reach it you can leave the town by footpaths that the young suitor may have walked when he went courting there. The cottage remained in the Hathaway family until 1892, and much of the original furniture still remains. The cottage is surrounded by a traditional English country garden and orchard, and includes the magical Willow Cabin where romance first blossomed between Shakespeare and his wife.
Location: Cottage Lane,
Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 9HH - Tel: 01789
338532
Website: shakespeare.org.uk
Book Tickets Online: Attractiontix
Other properties in Warwickshire associated with Shakespeare include:
New Place - Shakespeare Memorial Garden
New Place: where Shakespeare died in 1616. The original property was lost in the 1700s. A memorial garden now identifies the spot where it once stood.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace: located in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon. An exhibition explains how Shakespeare’s family earned their living and provides the details of his early life.
Mary Arden's Farm: A timber-framed farmhouse that once belonged to Robert Arden, the father of Mary Arden, who married Shakespeare's father John. Now a restored working farm museum, providing an interesting insight into the old Elizabethan way of life.
Hall's croft
Location: Wilmcote,
Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9UN
Tel: 01789 293 455
Hall’s Croft: The home of William’s daughter Susanna and her husband Dr John Hall.
Harvard House: One of the finest Elizabethan properties in Stratford-Upon-Avon, with fine stained glass, painted panels and exterior oak carvings.
Arbury Hall
The Hall has an Elizabethan exterior, with an interior in 'Gothic Revival' style.
The writer, George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) was born on 22 November 1819 at South Farm on the
Arbury Hall Estate, where her father worked for the Newdigate family. She attended
schools at Attleborough, Nuneaton, and Coventry.
Location: Griff Lane, Arbury Estate, Nuneaton CV10 7PT
Tel: 024 7638 2804
Website: arburyestate.co.uk
Baddesley Clinton
One
of the finest examples of a medieval moated dwelling
in England. Mainly 15th-c,
its broad moat completely surrounds it, so that the
only entrance is via a narrow
bridge leading to an impressive stone
gatehouse. Within there is a lovely garden courtyard
with lawns and yew trees.
In the Great Hall a massive carved stone
fireplace bears a coat of arms of the Ferrers family,
who lived here between the 16th to the early 20th century.
Not to be missed is an unusual 'priesthole' built under
the floor of the kitchen.
Location: Rising Ln, Knowle, Solihull B93 0DQ
Tel: 01564 783294 - Run by the
National Trust.
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk
Charlecote Park
A
red brick Elizabethan mansion, much altered over the
years. Originated by Sir Thomas Lucy in 1551, it stands on a bluff above River
Avon. The interior was reconstructed in Elizabethan
style in the 19th-c, with large carved fireplaces, elaborate plasterwork and many
fine furnishings and paintings collected by the family.
Location: Charlecote, Warwick CV35 9ER
Tel: 01789 470277 - Run by the
National Trust.
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk
Coventry Cathedral
The original cathedral was bombed during the Second World War. Its ruins still stand next to the present Cathedral, designed by Sir Basil Spence, completed in 1962.
For more information visit our Coventry page.
Image Credit: Ian Kelsall (CC0)Edgehill Battle Site
The
Battle of Edgehill was the first major conflict of
the English Civil War, which took place on October
23, 1642. Legend tells that for several nights after
the famous battle, two phantom armies could be seen
and heard fighting all over again. Each
night, after the King's soldiers had been defeated
and fled the scene of battle, the Parliamentary soldiers
would remain for a time in triumph and then they too
would vanish.
Location: Edgehill, Warwickshire
Kenilworth Castle
Built around 1122 by Geoffrey de Clinton, the castle, now mostly ruins, was turned
into a palace by John of Gaunt in the 11th century. It later became the home of Robert
Dudley, a favourite of Elizabeth I.
Location: Castle Green,
Kenilworth CV8 1NG
Tel: 0370 333 1181
Packwood House
A
fine example
of timber-framed Tudor construction (circa 1560),
with 17th-c additions. Its rooms contain a collection
of period tapestries and good English furniture.
Packwood's real delight is its remarkable 50 acre garden, laid out by John Fetherston in the 17th-c. Its collection of shaped yew trees are said to represent the Sermon on the Mount.
Location: Packwood Ln, Lapworth, Solihull B94 6AT
Tel: 01564 782024 - Run by the National
Trust.
Website: nationaltrust.org.uk
Ragley Hall
A magnificent Palladian-style country mansion, circa 1680. Decorated by Gibbs and Wyatt. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland.
Opening times: open
on event days only, see website for details.
Location: Ragley Hall, Alcester B49
5NJ
Tel: 01789 762090
Website: ragley.co.uk
Image Credit: Tiger (CC2)
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Built in 1932 to replace the theatre destroyed by 'fire in 1926.
William Shakespeare, the most celebrated playwright in the English language, was born
on 23 April 1564 in Henley Street in Stratford on Avon. The son of a glover.
He divided his time between London and Stratford, settling finally at New Place in
Stratford in 1610. He died on 23 April 1616.
Location: Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6YF
Tel: 01789 403493
Website: rsc.org.uk
Stoneleigh Abbey
An Italianate Georgian mansion, built in the early 18th-c, around the remains of a Cistercians abbey. The 14th-century gatehouse is the only part of the monastery that still survives (shown here). A complete restoration of the main house following a fire in 1960 has led to some splendid new décor, especially in the state rooms.
Stoneleigh is also a well known venue for many popular farming shows and countryside events.
Opening times: Sun
to Thur, 11am to 5pm - Admission
Charge
Location: Stoneleigh, Kenilworth CV8
2LF
Tel: 01926 858585
Website: stoneleighabbey.org
Image Credit: Stoneleigh
Abbey Gatehouse © AJD (CC2)
Warwick Castle
One of the most well preserved medieval castles in England. This romantic fortress was once the home of the Earls of Warwick. It stands on an older Saxon site on an escarpment overlooking the River Avon. Its exceptional Norman and later structure hides an interior completely rebuilt during the 17th century. The castle is open to the public all year round and visitors have access to the state rooms, torture chamber, silver vault, ghost tower, and Avon-side grounds that were landscaped by Capability Brown.
Opening times: all year (exc. Xmas), daily 10am - 6pm (5pm Nov-Mar) - Admission Charge
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire CV34 4QU
Tel: 0871 265 2000
Website: warwick-castle.com
Book Tickets Online: Attractiontix
Other places of interest in Warwickshire.
Compton Wynyates
One of the finest Tudor houses in Britain, begun in 1480 by Sir Edmund Compton. Sir William Compton completed the magnificent red-brick mansion 30 years later, which is now a Grade I listed building. The interior has remained largely unaltered since Tudor times. The estate surrounding the house has been in the same family since the early 13th century. The once wild hillside parkland, close to the house, has been cultivated as a modern topiary garden. The Compton family still live there today and although the property has been opened to visitors in the past, the house and grounds are currently NOT open to the public at this time.
Select Another Region To Visit
Towns and Villages in Warwickshire
Warwickshire: Atherstone,
Bedworth,
Coleshill,
Leamington,
Nuneaton,
Rugby,
Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwick
West Midlands: Birmingham, Coventry
Attractions in Birmingham
Museum and Art Gallery | Jewellery Quarter | Botanical Gardens | Ikon Gallery | National Sea Life Centre | Aston Hall | Sarehole Mill | Blakesley Hall
Attractions in Coventry
Coombe Abbey | Coventry Cathedral | Coventry Canal | Herbert Art Gallery | Lunt Roman Fort | Midland Air Museum | St Mary's Guildhall | Transport Museum | Priory Visitor Centre
Please note that the above information was accurate at the time this page was last updated. This information is subject to change at any time (opening times in particular), therefore if you plan on visiting any of the above attractions, please check the owner's website first or phone them for the latest details.