I had to spend some time in Stratford Upon Avon the other day and had an hour free. I was recommended to go and visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage and whilst I have been to Stratford Upon Avon a couple of times, I have never really done the tourist thing. So I thought 'why not'.
We were going to have lunch on arrival in Stratford and decided to go for something quick and easy. A popular burger seller beckoned but was so rammed with families and children we drove around the car park and straight back out again. It was the last Monday of the summer holidays so we decided that must be the reason that everyone seemed to be there. We also decided to try again later.
On arrival at the cottage I was told it was far quieter than usual with very few visitors. I suspected they were all eating burgers. Thankful for the peace I went in. I was told they have a sculpture walk. Well, I am always up for a sculpture walk.
So I had a lovely wander looking at all I could find.
The sculptures made a great feature to wander around. I admit to not really looking at what/who they were meant to be.
They were all Shakespeare themed.
Some were quite disturbing,
This is Titania and Bottom and I make no further comment.
It was a lovely wander. It took me a little while to find the path to the house, this was because I was too absorbed by the sculptures.
The house has seen many changes since it was built in 1463. Generations of Hathaways lived in this cottage until 1911. It was originally farmhouse, it was two cottages at one point, then knocked through to make one, and at one point went back to being two. It was extended upwards and a bakehouse was added at the end. I listened to the guides' talks and they were very interesting. It made me muse as to what happened to Shakespeare's descendents - but the family did die out from his line.
The garden is in the style of what it might have been back in Shakespeare's time.
I had never heard of skirret and looked it up when I got home. It is a root vegetable and apparently tastes very good. It is a perennial so that makes it quite attractive as a food crop; however the harvestable roots are not large so you have to collect/clean quite a lot of them for a meal. Still, I think I may give it a go. I like to grow interesting things.
The garden is not large, but it was interesting and I enjoyed exploring it.
Like most gardens this year, it looked like the heat and the drought had taken its toll.
Then I went into the house. Which is not huge but is interesting.
The guides said that there was virtually nothing left in the house that would have been there when Shakespeare was, apart from one chair. I wondered if this was the chair.....
I enjoyed my visit, it made a happy part of my visit. Then it was time to successfully find something to eat. Phew.
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