The Historic Spine of Shakespeare's Stratford: An Audio Walking Tour

Stratford-upon-Avon is one of England's most famous towns. On this walking tour, you'll get into the town's history, from a Roman river crossing, the founding of the medieval market town, the events in Shakespeare's life, to the continuing traditions which preserve the enduring identity of Shakespeare's hometown, and how his family and admirers shaped nearly every corner of the streets you'll walk.

This circular tour starts at the Visitor Information Centre then sets off through the centre of the medieval market town, before entering the 'Centre Aisle in the Cathedral of Literature' where you will reach Shakespeare's Birthplace. After passing two of the pubs which claim to be the oldest in Stratford, you’ll return to the main historic spine.

You'll continue past Harvard House and the Garrick Inn, named after the men who founded Harvard University and organised the original Shakespeare revival festival. You'll come to New Place, the site of the mansion Shakespeare bought in 1597, and hear the ridiculous reason why it was ripped down in 1759. Next to that is the Guildhall, where a five-year-old William Shakespeare would have seen the first ever plays performed in Stratford, before attending school in the upstairs of that building.

You arrive at Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptised and is buried, before following the bank of the Avon to the theatre which is named in his honour. You'll find out more about the history of Stratford as a continued centre of trade as the tour stays by the river and canal, before ending at the fantastic Gower Monument, just across from where you began.

On this 90-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Hear how PT Barnum nearly shipped Shakespeare's Birthplace to his New York museum
• Visit Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare paid for five burial plots to remain beside Anne forever
• Hear about John Shakespeare's varied career and what he was fined for doing
• Find out about the 17th-century medical practitioner whose cures included frog spawn and dog poo
• Discover the story of Marie Corelli, the bestselling novelist who fought to save and restore Stratford's timber-framed streetscape
• Take in the view from the Tramway Bridge, built for a steam railway that was never permitted to run

By the end, you'll see Stratford not just as Shakespeare's town, but as a place shaped by merchants, eccentrics, civic ambition and a proud sense of place.