Stratford-Upon-Avon the 3rd Time

After getting back to Gloucester the afternoon of 29th June on the train from Stafford the rest of that day and the next was spent catching up and relaxing around the house, it was time for a rest day and the start of the Wimbledon tennis !!!  All games played were live on BBC Two, one of the main TV channels.  That is the reason there is minimal coverage in NZ.

Wednesday, 1st July it was back in the car and heading for Stratford-Upon-Avon again for the third time.  This trip was to see places I hadn't visited before and go the performance of "Othello" at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre that night and complete the Shakespeare experience.

First on the list was Anne Hathaways Cottage and Gardens, the home of Shakespeare's wife's family and where it is said he did his courting.

Anne Hathaways Cottage and the path with the cottage garden

It dates back to the 15th century, is surprisingly large and has old-fashioned cottage gardens and orchard.  It is built on stone foundations, the oldest part has a timber framework using a cruck truss, the walls being of puddled mud and wattles finished with horsehair plaster.  This was the traditional form of construction in medieval times.

The Vegetable Garden at Anne Hathaways Cottage

A path with sweet peas flowering on either side.

It obtains the famous Hathaway bedstead with its rich carvings and the kitchen and pantry downstairs and the 6 upstairs rooms give a wonderful insight as to how life was lived in a country farmhouse 4 centuries ago.

The bed and main bedroom of the cottage

The pantry and the store room in the cottage.

Next it was Mary Arden's House and Tudor Farm, thought to be the home of Shakespeare's mother.  It now turns out to be that she was brought up in the adjacent property, Glebe Farm or now known as the Palmer House and farm.

Mary Arden's House to the right

The Mary Arden's House dates from 1514 and this house was not furnished and you got a feeling what it may have been like.  The adjoining Palmers House was.

The Palmers House and farmyard in the courtyard.

There were examples of Tudor farming on display including the courtyard farmyard with the pig and hens etc.

Farm Buildings at Mary Arden's Tudor Farm.

The surprise was next, Baddesley Clinton, also just out of Stratford-Upon-Avon, a 1200 century old house that was moated in the 13th century.  It is of Medieval origin, in possession of the Ferrer's from 1438, a family of that time, impoverished through adherence to the Catholic faith and also known as a haven for the persecuted Catholics who were hidden from priest hunters in its secret hidings places (we saw them all, some in the sewer) during the 1590's. It was passed from father to son for 500 years, 12 generations before being sold in 1940 to the national Trust.

Entrance and front gate to Baddesley House over the moat.

Baddesley House and Moat, the back view.

 

Baddesley House and Moat with view of the Courtyard.  Originally there used to be a wall and building on this side of the moat.

 The house was full of paintings by Rebecca Ferrer, an artist, painted from the late 1800's till she died in 1930.The grounds were fascinating, especially the moat, lake and walled garden.  This included a lot of roses, peonies and delphiniums in full colour.

The garden in the courtyard of the house.

Notice about the Walled Garden

Roses in side the Walled Garden

Peonies in full colour in the Walled Garden.

We walked around this small lake and the grounds outside the Walled Garden.

It was a fascinating place, now with the National Trust and not the usual Castle or Cathedral. 

Sue and myself on the edge of the moat with the bridge and house in the background.

The climax of the day was attending the modern performance of "Othello" at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.  The theatre has been revitalised in recent years, we were on the upper level and looked down onto the stage, about 30 metres up.  The effects were outstanding, especially a moat of water on the stage which they cleverly had a metal floor that went up and down over it as required.  I had studied "Othello" while at school, but had to refresh the story before I went !!  It was an excellent production with superb acting. 

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

We were back in Gloucester by midnight after an exciting and busy day.