{"id":13359,"date":"2012-12-09T07:59:17","date_gmt":"2012-12-09T12:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=13359"},"modified":"2012-12-09T08:16:30","modified_gmt":"2012-12-09T13:16:30","slug":"being-enthralled-by-the-shakeapearience-at-stratford-upon-avon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=13359","title":{"rendered":"Being Enthralled by the “Shakeapearience” at Stratford-upon-Avon"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti<\/strong><\/p>\n

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From young days, the name Stratford-upon-Avon always held a certain fascination, and in adulthood, it continues to evoke a sense of wonder within me\u2014primarily because this tiny Warwickshire village was home to the Great Bard.<\/p>\n

It was not just his birthplace, but was where he lived, loved, wrote his marvellous tales and finally, where he was laid to rest. Stratford\u2013upon-Avon, even today, is known for her greatest product, William Shakespeare.
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\nWe were a group of six, friends of different ages and nationalities, but sharing one strong interest \u2013 our perennial love of the laureate\u2019s work. One of the eager six, unable to contain her excitement, murmured as we travelled, \u201cKnowing Stratford-upon-Avon is to know William Shakespeare.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t too sure whether it was that simple but certainly, the village should provide us with some insight. Only when we reached the picturesque village did we realize what a true experience of Olde England it was, and how much a part of Shakespeare it was.<\/p>\n

To me, visiting the famous Shakespeare Village, as it is often referred to, was almost a pilgrimage, etched with a near religious fervour. It was a journey of discovery, an attempt to discover the very spirit of Shakespeare. This was his home!<\/p>\n

Our eager group of Bard fanatics was chattering all the way, quoting Shakespeare to their hearts\u2019 content, their fascination for the Bard undiminished. The drive from London was full of anticipation, as if we were to meet the Bard himself.<\/p>\n

Reaching Stratford is also part of the experience. Some travellers preferred coach rides while others preferred taxi tours. The railway station is just minutes away. For those with an eye for the extra ordinary, there are the open-topped tourist fleet with commentators and of course, horse-driven carriage tours.<\/p>\n

At Stratford, our friendly tourist guide Mathew had a simple question. \u201cDo you wish to meet the Bard? Have the true Shakespearience?\u201d We simply beamed in agreement.<\/p>\n

Shakespearience<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visiting the village where the literary genius was born, where his very spirit may still dwell was an overwhelming thought. To a Shakespeare-besotted person like me, Stratford-upon-Avon can be a poetic mystery.<\/p>\n

Located in the Midlands in the county of Warwickshire, the village is unforgettable for two reasons; the Bard and its unique picturesque quality.<\/p>\n

The village derives its name from the River Avon that meets the Stratford Canal in the middle of the Bancroft Gardens, right opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The canal is now beautifully restored and meanders its way through the beautiful wooded countryside of Warwickshire.<\/p>\n

Poetic mystery<\/strong><\/p>\n

We felt the village had a sense of wonder, for although small in size, it enjoys a rich history. The significance of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) to the town could be discovered in the many scattered houses, associated with his family \u2013 hence the name \u2018Shakespeare Village\u2019.<\/p>\n

Mathew tells us ever so proudly that there are five houses associated with the Bard and his family in the same locality even today. These 16th Century houses are kept open with visitors in their hundreds pouring in to appreciate the Tudor life.<\/p>\n

The Shakespeare fanatics that we were, we simply gaped about and once inside the very birth place of the greatest of English playwrights, we stared unashamedly, taking notes, photographs and struggling to visualize entire scenes from his many plays.<\/p>\n

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William Shakespeare Parade – pic courtesy of: stratford-upon-avon.co.uk<\/p><\/div>\n

Church Street, our guide Mathew said, was significant to the Bard of Avon. There stood the Guild Chapel of Holy Cross, a medieval religious foundation abolished during the Reformation. A 13th Century awe-inspiring building with remarkable murals and beautiful stained glass windows, it was a sight to behold.<\/p>\n

Right next was the Grammar School founded by the Guild of the Holy Cross, where young William Shakespeare had his formative education. Next was Henley Street, a charming little street, etched with houses and shops. That\u2019s where we found the playwright\u2019s birthplace, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust as well as the Shakespeare Library.<\/p>\n

Bard\u2019s Tudor home<\/strong><\/p>\n

Preserved intact, there stood Shakespeare\u2019s home, where the Bard was born in 1564, and we gazed at it with amazement. This was the house owned by John Shakespeare, a wool dealer with considerable wealth. Shakespeare senior once held the office of Bailiff of the Borough in 1568.<\/p>\n

This magnificent semi-timber mansion is among the most cherished and historic places in Stratford, besides being the most frequently visited. Mathew adds that Shakespeare\u2019s descendants occupied the mansion until the 19th Century when it was declared a building of universal historical value.<\/p>\n

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Inside Shakespeare’s house in Avon<\/p><\/div>\n

The original home of Shakespeare contained an exhibition of the poet’s life, \u2018William Shakespeare: His Life and Background\u201d. We next walked through the house furnished in Tudor Period-style with many historic manuscripts and books. Outside, we found what is referred to as the \u201cCelebration Garden\u201d, a picture postcard come alive.<\/p>\n

Mathew deftly guided us to Nash\u2019s House, the house next to Shakespeare\u2019s home since 1597, known as New Place. It is of monumental value given the literary work that took shape within the walls of his new home. The Bard lived there until his death in 1616.<\/p>\n

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The old mansion was brought down and rebuilt, complete with a beautiful Tudor garden later. The rooms are replete with an exhibition dealing with the history of Stratford-upon-Avon before, and after Shakespeare. <\/p>\n

Close to the Holy Trinity Church, we stopped by Hall\u2019s Croft, another impressive mansion. That was the matrimonial home of Susanna, Shakespeare\u2019s eldest daughter. Incidentally, it is near that church that the Bard was buried, hence a place of reverence for Bard fanatics.<\/p>\n

The house is named after the family name of Susanna Shakespeare\u2019s husband. The mansion today contains period furniture from both 16th and 17th Centuries along with paintings. A unique feature is an exhibition about Dr. Hall and the medicine of his time.<\/p>\n

Visitors to Hall\u2019s Croft feel enamoured with its beautifully laid out garden. I fell in love with the tea-room where people could quietly enjoy a cuppa and savour their own Shakespearience.<\/p>\n

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Among the most picturesque and fabled of Shakespeare homes is Anna Hathaway\u2019s cottage, the second most-visited famous building in England. This is the house occupied by Hathaway before she wed William Shakespeare in1582.<\/p>\n

Like the period represented, the cottage dating back to the 15th Century was complete with period furniture and a regular feature of that time \u2013 an outstanding garden that added to its unique beauty.<\/p>\n

We drove about five miles outside Stratford, to reach Wilmcote where another important Shakespeare home was located. This house preserved its British country-setting to the word. In Wilmcote, we found the beautiful timbered Tudor farmhouse where Mary Arden, Shakespeare\u2019s mother, grew up and lived until she moved to Henley Street as the wife of young John Shakespeare.<\/p>\n

Famous child<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arden\u2019s farmhouse today is a dedication to her famous child and undoubtedly England\u2019s greatest playwright. There is the Shakespeare countryside museum, which throngs with people at all times, and two historic farms.<\/p>\n

At the end of the tour, we sat, dreamy-eyed, each of us buried in thought, enamoured and unable to shake off the feelings this village evoked.<\/p>\n

Stratford-upon-Avon is the kind of place that goes to your blood. Mild liking is not possible. It\u2019s the superlative kind of place, and no wonder. There dwells the great Bard\u2019s spirit even to date \u2013 a village that still lives and breathes Shakespeare. courtesy: Ceylon Today<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Dilrukshi Handunnetti From young days, the name Stratford-upon-Avon always held a certain fascination, and in adulthood, it continues to evoke a sense of wonder within me\u2014primarily because this tiny Warwickshire village was home to the Great Bard. It was not just his birthplace, but was where he lived, loved, wrote his marvellous tales and …<\/p>\n

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