Wednesday 1 March 2000
Highlights: Everything Shakespeare!

Today we visited the William Shakespeare Properties.  The most interesting was Shakespeare’s Birthplace.  The cottage that he grow up in has been returned to how it looked in his day. 

A museum detailing his life and events in is era bring visitors up to date.  At one stage the house was converted into a bar which seems appropriate given the reputation for playwrights and actors in Shakespeare’s time.  Visitors as far back as 1752 visited his birth room and signed there name on the room and windows.

Next upset visited New Place & Nash’s House.  New place was were Shakespeare lived in his retirement.  However it was demolished in 1759 by a bishop because he hated all e visitors looking in his window.

‘Hall’s Croct’ was the last property we visited.  Shakespeare’s daughter Susanne married Doctor John Hall.  The house highlights ,education practises of the time.  Let’s just say you would not want together sick!

We finished the sightseeing with a visit to Holy Trinity Church which has the grave of William Shakespeare and his family buried near the altar. Shakespeare’s daughters had no holders so his lineage ended with their deaths.

We finished by catching the train to Oxford and stayed at a local backpackers hostel there, so that we can begin early tomorrow.