Stratford upon Avon has Anglo-Saxon origins, and grew up as a market town in medieval times. The name is a fusion of the Old English strat, meaning street and ford, a river crossing, which is due to its location on the river Avon.  Prominently located on its banks is the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST), home to the world renowned Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). One of the world's best-known theatre ensembles, the Royal Shakespeare Company focuses on works by Shakespeare, other renaissance dramatists and contemporary writers.

Best known as the birthplace and death place of William Shakespeare, the greatest ever playwright, Stratford is steeped in literary history with multiple references to the life and times of “The Bard”.

Located in the centre of Stratford is Shakespeare's Birthplace, one of five houses relating to Shakespeare's life, which are owned and cared for by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. These include Hall's Croft (the one-time home of Shakespeare's daughter, Susannah, and her husband Dr John Hall) and Nash's House, which stands alongside the site of another property, New Place, owned by Shakespeare himself, and the house in which he died. Near to the town are Anne Hathaway's Cottage at Shottery, the home of Shakespeare's wife's family prior to her marriage and Mary Arden's House, the family home of his mother. Elsewhere in the district are farms and buildings at Snitterfield, that belonged to the family of Shakespeare's father. Also within the town and only a couple of minutes walk along the river from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) is the Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptised and is buried.

Stratford is ideally situated to be a base from which to explore the Heart of England, with easy access to the Cotswolds, Warwick and its Castle, the regency town of Leamington Spa and many stately homes, historic towns and areas of interest. As an important tourist location it has a range of attractions to suit all ages and interests, plus numerous hotels and B&B's that provide excellent accommodation to suit all budgets.

Still a thriving market town made up of Elizabethan, Georgian and Victorian architecture, Stratford is a charming town in which to spend a day shopping, having lunch and visiting boutique galleries. There are loads of good restaurants providing dishes from around the world, many with special pre-theatre menus and with hotels located in the town centre, within easy walk of the theatres it makes sense to turn your visit into a special occasion.

Please note that each year on October 12th (unless this is a Sunday, in which case October 11th) Stratford hosts one of the largest Mop Fairs in the country. Then, on the second Saturday following, the smaller Runaway Mop fair is held.