Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town in Warwickshire, England, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, on the River Avon.
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Where to stay, by what matters to you
- Places to stay in Stratford-upon-Avon that work without a car
- Quiet places to stay in Stratford-upon-Avon: few bars nearby
- Within 30 minutes by car of Warwick Castle
- Within 30 minutes by car of Kenilworth Castle
- Within 30 minutes by car of Charlecote Park
- Within 20 minutes of Shakespeare's Birthplace
- Within 20 minutes of Holy Trinity Church
- Within 20 minutes of Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre
- Within 20 minutes of Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Best things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon
The one thing not to miss
The Cotswolds, a region of golden limestone villages and rolling hills, is the most-read place near Stratford on Wikipedia. In town itself, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Holy Trinity Church lead.
The Cotswolds1. The Cotswolds
A region of rolling hills built on Jurassic limestone, with stone villages, towns and stately homes. It lies mainly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, with parts in Warwickshire.
A large area; plan which villages you want and check transport first.
47,929 readers a month
2. Blenheim Palace
A country house at Woodstock in Oxfordshire, built between 1705 and 1722, the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Check opening times and any ticket needs on the official site before you go.
35,057 readers a month
3. Warwick Castle
A medieval castle that began as a wooden fort built by William the Conqueror in 1068. It was rebuilt in stone and later became a country house, owned by the Tussauds Group since 1978.
Check opening times and any ticket needs on the official site before you go.
10,971 readers a month
4. Coventry Cathedral
The cathedral of St Michael, seat of the Bishop of Coventry, in Coventry in the West Midlands.
Check opening times and any ticket needs on the official site before you go.
6,309 readers a month
5. Kenilworth Castle
A castle in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, run by English Heritage and now largely in ruins. It was founded after the Norman Conquest and developed into the Tudor period.
Check opening times and any ticket needs on the official site before you go.
4,962 readers a month
6. Anne Hathaway's Cottage
A twelve-roomed former farmhouse in Shottery, about a mile from the town centre, where Shakespeare's wife grew up. It has been owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust since 1892.
Check opening times and any ticket needs on the official site before you go.
4,866 readers a month
7. Holy Trinity Church
The parish church where William Shakespeare was baptised and buried, also called Shakespeare's Church. It is Grade I listed and draws more than 200,000 visitors a year.
Services can limit visiting times; check before you go.
3,980 readers a month
8. Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Company's main theatre, a Grade II* listed building with over 1,040 seats, beside the River Avon. The smaller Swan Theatre is built onto its side.
Performances and tours are booked through the Royal Shakespeare Company.
3,965 readers a month
9. Shakespeare's Birthplace
A restored 16th-century half-timbered house on Henley Street where Shakespeare is believed to have been born in 1564. Now a museum run by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Check opening times and any ticket needs on the official site before you go.
3,266 readers a month
10. Charlecote Park
A grand 16th-century country house with its own deer park on the River Avon, about 4 miles east of Stratford. The National Trust has run it since 1946.
Check ticket and opening details with the National Trust before you go.
913 readers a month
Sources
Just missed the list: Lord Leycester Hospital (11th by readers; a medieval courtyard in Warwick); Stratford-upon-Avon Canal (12th by readers; a canal built 1793 to 1816)
How we ranked these
By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. The Cotswolds leads with about 47,929 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.
Research required. Area notes for this destination are not written yet. The top 10 above is sourced; the rest of this page is an outline.
Affiliate disclosure: Booking links on this site are partner links. Once our partnership is active we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend. How this works.