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in the town they have a world of inmagination all we need is a bag of weed
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2011}}
{{About|the town in south Warwickshire||Stratford (disambiguation){{!}}Stratford}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country = England
|official_name= Stratford-upon-Avon
|static_image_name = Royal Shakespeare Theatre and River Avon2.jpg
|static_image_caption = <small>Royal Shakespeare Theatre</small>
|latitude= 52.19
|longitude= -1.71
|population = 25,505
|population_ref = (2007 ONS estimate)
|shire_district= [[Stratford-on-Avon (district)|Stratford-on-Avon]]
|shire_county= [[Warwickshire]]
|region= West Midlands
|constituency_westminster= [[Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament constituency)|Stratford-on-Avon]]
|post_town= STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
|postcode_district=CV37
|postcode_area= CV
|dial_code= 01789
|os_grid_reference= SP1955
}}

'''Stratford-upon-Avon''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|ˌ|s|t|r|æ|t|f|ə|d|_|ə|p|ɒ|n|_|ˈ|eɪ|v|ən}}) is a [[market town]] and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] in south [[Warwickshire]], England. It lies on the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|River Avon]], {{convert|22|mi|km}} south east of [[Birmingham]] and {{convert|8|mi|km}} south west of [[Warwick]]. It is the largest and most populous town of the [[Stratford-on-Avon (district)|District of Stratford-on-Avon]], which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers a much larger area than the town itself.<ref>[http://www.stratford.gov.uk/community/ Stratford-on-Avon District Council: Living in the District<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Four electoral wards make up the urban town of Stratford; ''Alveston'', ''Avenue and New Town'', ''Mount Pleasant and Guild'' and ''Hathaway''. The estimated total population for those wards in 2007 was 25,505.<ref>{{cite web | publisher=Office of National Statistics, neighbourhood statistics | url= http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadHome.do;jessionid=ac1f930c30d82a4ecfc3ea654b519d08eba02862efd6?m=0&s=1283982305757&enc=1&nsjs=true&nsck=true&nssvg=false&nswid=1212 | title= 2009 Ward Population Estimates for England and Wales, mid-2007 | date= 4 June 2009 | accessdate=8 September 2010}}</ref>

The town is a popular tourist destination owing to its status as birthplace of the playwright and poet [[William Shakespeare]], receiving about three million visitors a year from all over the world.<ref>[http://www.stratford.gov.uk/localplan/ELECTRONIC/Section7.pdf Stratford District Council Report]</ref> The [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] resides in Stratford's [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]], one of Britain's most important cultural venues.

==History==
Stratford has [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] origins, and grew up as a [[market town]] in [[medieval]] times. The original charters of the town were granted in 1196, making Stratford officially over 800 years old. The name is a fusion of the [[Old English]] ''strǣt'', meaning "street", and ''[[ford (river)|ford]]'', meaning that a Roman road forded the River Avon at the site of the town.

In 1769 the actor [[David Garrick]] staged a major [[Shakespeare Jubilee]] which saw the construction of a large [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] and the influx of many visitors for the three day event. This contributed to the growing [[phenomenon]] of [[Bardolatry]] which made Stratford a tourist destination.

==Governance==
The administrative body for the town is the Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council, which is based at the [[city and town halls|Civic Hall]] in Rother Street (not to be confused with the Stratford-on-Avon District Council, which is based at Elizabeth House, Church Street). The Town Council is responsible for crime prevention, cemeteries, public conveniences, litter, river moorings, parks, and grants via the Town Trust, plus the selection of the town's mayor. Locally, the town is known simply as '''Stratford''', and as such can be confused with the [[Stratford, London|Stratford]] in the [[London Borough of Newham]].

==Geography==
Stratford is close to the [[Cotswolds]], with [[Chipping Campden]] {{convert|10|mi|km}} to the south. As a major sheep-producing area, the Cotswolds, up until the latter part of the 19th century, regarded Stratford as one of its main centres for the slaughter, marketing, and distribution of sheep and [[wool]]. As a consequence Stratford also became a centre for [[tanning]] during the 15th–17th centuries. Both the river and the Roman road served as trade routes for the town.

Suburbs and areas of Stratford-upon-Avon include [[Shottery]], [[Bishopton, Warwickshire|Bishopton]], Bridgetown, [[Tiddington, Warwickshire|Tiddington]], and Old Town.

{{Geographic Location
|title = '''Destinations from Stratford-upon-Avon'''
|Northwest = [[Redditch]], '''[[Birmingham]]'''
|North = [[Sutton Coldfield]], '''[[Solihull]]'''
|Northeast = [[Warwick]], '''[[Coventry]]'''
|West = [[Alcester]], [[Worcester]], [[Droitwich]]
|Centre = Stratford-upon-Avon
|East = [[Southam]], '''[[Daventry]]'''
|Southwest = [[Evesham]], [[Tewkesbury]], [[Gloucester]]
|South = [[Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire|Chipping Norton]], [[Witney]], [[Cirencester]], '''[[Swindon]]'''
|Southeast = [[Oxford]], [[Banbury]], '''[[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]'''
}}

===Climate===

Stratford experiences a temperature maritime climate, as is usual for the British Isles, meaning extreme heat, or extreme cold are rare, sunshine is on the low side, and rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year.

The record high temperature is 35.7 °C (96.3 °F), set in August 1990, compared to the typical summer maximum of 22 °C (72 °F). The record low temperature is −21.0 °C (−5.8 °F), recorded in January 1982. With an average of 62<ref name="1971-00 averages">{{cite web
|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/stratford_upon_avon.html
|title=1971-00 averages
|accessdate=1 March 2011}}</ref> frosts a year, Stratford is a relatively frosty location. For comparison, nearby Wellesbourne averages 53 frosts a year, and further afield, Malvern, just 33.

[[Image:SummerCloud.JPG|thumb|right|Inland summer cloud development, July 2010, Stratford is denoted by the yellow dot.]]

Sunshine, at under 1,400 hours a year, is on the low side. Like much of inland Britain, Stratford is afflicted by cloud development on many days, while more coastal areas remain clear. An example of this is shown in the image to the right.

Rainfall, at around 620&nbsp;mm is typical for low lying areas of central and eastern England. Over 1&nbsp;mm of rain was recorded on 115.7 days per year,<ref name="1971-00 averages"/> according to the 1971–2000 observation period.

{{Weather box
|location = Stratford-upon-Avon, elevation 49m, 1971–2000
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan high C = 6.9
|Feb high C = 7.5
|Mar high C = 10.2
|Apr high C = 12.8
|May high C = 16.5
|Jun high C = 19.4
|Jul high C = 22.2
|Aug high C = 21.7
|Sep high C = 18.5
|Oct high C = 14.3
|Nov high C = 9.9
|Dec high C = 7.7
|year high C = 14.0
|Jan low C = 0.7
|Feb low C = 0.5
|Mar low C = 2.0
|Apr low C = 3.2
|May low C = 5.8
|Jun low C = 8.8
|Jul low C = 10.9
|Aug low C = 10.7
|Sep low C = 8.7
|Oct low C = 6.0
|Nov low C = 2.8
|Dec low C = 1.5
|year low C = 5.2
|Jan precipitation mm = 55.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 40.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 45.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 46.5
|May precipitation mm = 48.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 55.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 44.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 61.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 55.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 56.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 52.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 61.4
|year precipitation mm = 622.3
|Jan sun = 48.7
|Feb sun = 61.3
|Mar sun = 95.2
|Apr sun = 132.0
|May sun = 177.0
|Jun sun = 167.1
|Jul sun = 189.4
|Aug sun = 177.9
|Sep sun = 129.6
|Oct sun = 98.0
|Nov sun = 60.6
|Dec sun = 42.5
|year sun = 1379.2
|source 1 = Met Office<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/stratford_upon_avon.html
| title=Climate Normals 1971–2000
| publisher=MetOffice
| accessdate=1 Mar 2011}}</ref>
|date=Mar 2011
}}

==Economy==
[[File:Clock stratford 10.jpg|upright|thumb|Stratford-upon-Avon's Clock Tower]]
[[File:Stratford On Avon historic map 1902.jpg|thumb|Historic map from 1908]]
[[File:New Place Stratford.jpg|thumb|[[Nash's House]], and the gardens of [[New Place]]]]
[[File:William Shakespeare -birthplace -house2.jpg|thumb|[[Shakespeare's Birthplace]]]]
[[File:Halls Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon3.jpg|thumb|[[Hall's Croft]]]]
[[File:Hathaway Cottage.jpg|thumb|[[Anne Hathaway's Cottage]], once the home of [[Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare)|Shakespeare's wife's]] family.]]
[[File:Royal shakespeare theatre 25a07.JPG|thumb|Royal Shakespeare Theatre]]
[[File:River and royal shakespeare theatre 15a07.JPG|thumb|The [[River Avon (Warwickshire)|River Avon]] and the side of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (April 2007)]]
[[File:Mercure Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare Hotel - DSC09005.JPG|thumb|The Shakespeare Hotel]]
Apart from tourism, which is a major employer locally, especially in the hotel, [[hospitality industry]] and catering sectors, other industries in the town are [[boat building]] and maintenance, bicycles, mechanical and electrical engineering, food manufacture, Information Technology, and [[call centre]] and [[service sector]] activities (both of which are growing sectors), a large motor sales sector, industrial plant hire, building suppliers, [[market gardening]], farming, storage and transport logistics, finance and insurance, and a large retail sector.

Major employers in the town include the [[NFU Mutual|NFU Mutual Insurance Company]] (and Avon Insurance), [[AMEC]], [[Tesco]], [[Morrisons]], [[Marks & Spencer]], [[Debenhams]], [[B & Q]] and [[Pashley Cycles]]. There are, nominally, three theatres run by the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, which attract large audiences and income for the town.

===Tourism===
The regular large influx of tourists and sightseers is recognised by most of the town's business operators as being the major source of prosperity. The District Council in 2010 allocated a budget of £298,000 to tourist promotion<ref>''[http://www.stratford.gov.uk/news/news.cfm/archive/1/item/758 Stratford District Council still committed to tourism]'' Media release, 31 March 2010</ref> and supports an official open-top tour bus service. However, in March 2010, the District Council withdrew funding of the Tourist Information Centre, causing it and its parent company; South Warwickshire Tourism Ltd to cease trading. The operation had been jointly funded by the Warwick District Council.<ref>[http://www.birminghampost.net/news/2010/04/01/stratford-upon-avon-s-tourist-information-centre-closes-65233-26159449/ Stratford-upon-Avon's tourist information centre closes] Birmingham Post.net, 1 April 2010</ref> Negotiations for the appointment of a liquidator were expected to clear the way for a restructured service.<ref>[http://www.prlog.org/10618436-insolvency-experts-poppleton-appleby-advise-troubled-south-warwickshire-tourism.html Insolvency experts Poppleton & Appleby advise troubled South Warwickshire Tourism] Media release, 9 April 2010</ref> In November 2010 [[Stratford-on-Avon District Council]] launched a re-branded official tourism website for the Stratford area called Discover Stratford<ref>''[http://www.stratford.gov.uk/news/news.cfm/archive/11/item/878 Stratford District Council launches new initiatives to promote tourism]'' Media release, 8 November 2010</ref> after opening a new tourist information centre on Henley Street in May 2010,<ref>''[http://www.stratford.gov.uk/news/news.cfm/archive/22/item/772 Tourist Office Opens]'' Media release, 12 May 2010</ref> in close proximity to [[Shakespeare's Birthplace]].

==Main sights==
===Theatre===
The first real theatre in Stratford was a temporary wooden affair built in 1769 by the actor [[David Garrick]] for his [[Jubilee]] celebrations of that year to mark Shakespeare's birthday. The theatre, built not far from the site of the present Royal Shakespeare Theatre, was almost washed away in two days of torrential rain that resulted in terrible flooding.

A small theatre known as The Royal Shakespeare Rooms was built in the gardens of Shakespeare's [[New Place]] home in the early 19th century but became derelict by the 1860s.

To celebrate Shakespeare's 300th birthday in 1864 the brewer, [[Charles Edward Flower]], instigated the building of a temporary wooden theatre, known as the Tercentenary Theatre, which was built in a part of the brewer's large gardens on what is today the site of the new, and temporary, [[Courtyard Theatre]]. After three months the Tercentenary Theatre was dismantled, with the timber used for house-building purposes.

In the early 1870s, Charles Flower gave several acres of riverside land to the local council on the understanding that a permanent theatre be built in honour of Shakespeare's memory, and by 1879 the first [[Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]] had been completed. It proved to be a huge success, and by the early 20th century was effectively being run by the actor/manager [[Francis Robert Benson|Frank Benson]], later Sir Frank Benson.

The theatre burned down in 1926, with the then artistic director, [[William Bridges-Adams]], moving all productions to the local cinema.

An architectural competition was arranged to elicit designs for a new theatre, with the winner, English architect [[Elisabeth Scott]], creating what we see on the riverside today. The new theatre, adjoining what was left of the old theatre, was opened by the [[Prince of Wales]], later [[Edward VIII]], in 1932.

The new theatre had many illustrious artistic directors, including the actor [[Anthony Quayle]].

Sir [[Peter Hall (theatre director)|Peter Hall]] was appointed artistic director (designate) in 1959, and formed the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1961.

[[Swan Theatre (Stratford)|Swan Theatre]] was created in the 1980s out of the shell of the remains of the original Memorial Theatre, quickly becoming one of the finest acting spaces in the UK.

In 1986, Stratford-upon-Avon became home to the legendary but ill-fated [[Carrie (musical)|Carrie]].

The [[Waterside Theatre]] (which is not part of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre complex) re-opened in December 2004, then closed again in September 2008. During this span, the theatre housed the Shakespearience visitor attraction.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=BBC News | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/7597621.stm | title= Theatre shuts in Shakespeare town | date= 4 September 2008 | accessdate=10 September 2008}}</ref>

The town is located on the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|River Avon]] (''afon'' or ''avon'' being a [[Celts|Celtic]] synonym of "river"), on a bank of which stands the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) designed by the English architect [[Elisabeth Scott]] and completed in 1932, which is the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Until recently the RSC also ran two smaller theatres, the [[Swan Theatre (Stratford)|Swan]], which is modelled on an [[Elizabethan theatre]] (closed in August 2007 as part of plans for refurbishment) and [[The Other Place (theatre)|The Other Place]] theatre, a [[Black box theatre]] which closed in 2005 to make room for the temporary [[RSC Courtyard Theatre]], which opened in July 2006. This theatre is now the home of the RSC while the RST is being refurbished; its interior is similar to the planned interior of the refurbished RST. The site of The Other Place has now become the foyer, bars, cloakroom, dressing rooms, and rehearsal space of the Courtyard Theatre. The Other Place will be reinstated after the RST and Swan refurbishment is complete in 2010 and the Courtyard Theatre is dismantled, although many in the town would retain the Courtyard so that it can used by local theatre companies.

Other tourist attractions within the town include 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, [[Susanna Hall|Susanna]], and her husband [[John Hall (physician)|Dr. John Hall]]) and [[Nash's House]], which stands alongside the site of another property, [[New Place]], owned by Shakespeare himself, wherein he died. Near to the town are [[Anne Hathaway's Cottage]] at [[Shottery]], the home of [[Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare)|Shakespeare's wife]]'s family prior to her marriage, and Mary Arden's House ([[Mary Shakespeare#Mary Arden's House|Palmer's Farm]]), 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.

At the top end of Waterside is [[Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon|Holy Trinity Church]], where Shakespeare was baptised and is buried.

Non-Shakespearean attractions include the [[Stratford Butterfly Farm]], which is on the eastern side of the river and the Bancroft Gardens and [[Stratford Armouries]] located three miles from the centre of Stratford on Gospel Oak Lane.

Each year on 12 October (unless this is a Sunday, in which case 11 October) Stratford hosts one of the largest [[Mop Fair]]s in the country. Then, on the second Saturday following, the smaller Runaway Mop fair is held.

===Henley Street===
Henley Street, one of the town's oldest streets, has undergone substantial architectural change between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. [[John Shakespeare]]'s large [[timber framing|half-timbered]] dwelling, purchased by him in 1556, was in 1564 the birthplace of his son [[William Shakespeare|William]]. According to a descriptive placard provided for tourists there,<blockquote> "The property remained in the ownership of Shakespeare's direct descendants until 1670, when his granddaughter, Elizabeth Barnard, died. As she had no children, Elizabeth left the estate to her relative Thomas Hart, Shakespeare's great-nephew. The main house became a tenanted inn called the ''Maidenhead'' (later the ''Swan and Maidenhead'') following the death of John Shakespeare in 1601. Members of the Hart family continued living in the small adjoining cottage throughout the century."</blockquote> At the end of the 19th century, Edward Gibbs 'renovated' the building to more closely represent the original [[Tudor style]] farmhouse. Adjacent to [[Shakespeare's Birthplace]] stands the [[Shakespeare Centre]], completed in 1964 and not far from the [[Carnegie Library]], opened in 1905.

The large [[timber framing|half-timbered]] building which now comprises numbers 17, 18 and 19 was formerly the ''[[White Lion Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon|White Lion Inn]]''.<ref name="WarwickV3">''[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=57015 The borough of Stratford-upon-Avon: Introduction and architectural description]'' in British History Online, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 3: Barlichway hundred (1945), pp.&nbsp;221–234. (Date accessed: 23 August 2009.)</ref> It is first mentioned in 1603.<ref>Book of Orders (Misc. Corporation Rec. unbound, xli, no. 2)</ref> and was adjoined on the east by a smaller inn called the 'Swan'. In 1745 the latter was purchased by John Payton, who also acquired the 'Lion' five years later and rebuilt the whole premises on a greatly enlarged scale. (Cal. of Trust Title Deeds, no. 147.) The work was completed by James Collins of Birmingham, builder, in 1753. (Contract, Trust Title Deeds, no. 167. Payton 'brought the house into great vogue'<ref name="Graves">Graves R, ''The Spiritual Quixote'' bk. xii, ch. 10</ref> though Byng in 1792 complained that 'at the noted White Lion, I met with nothing but incivility' (cited from Torrington Diaries (ed. Andrews), iii, 152).<ref name="WarwickV3"/> Payton was succeeded as innkeeper by his son John, and its reputation as one of the best inns on the Holyhead road must have contributed not a little to the prosperity of the town. Garrick stayed at the 'White Lion' during the Jubilee of 1769 (Saunders MSS. 82, fol. 20)<ref name="WarwickV3"/> and George IV, as Prince Regent, visited it when he came to Stratford in 1806.<ref>Graves R, ''The Spiritual Quixote'' bk. xii, ch. 10, pages 586–7</ref> Its great days came to an end after John Payton the younger sold it to Thomas Arkell in 1823.<ref name="WarwickV3"/>

Henley Street is now a major tourist and shopping precinct with many ''al fresco'' cafes and street entertainers.

===Sheep Street===
Sheep Street runs from Ely Street eastwards to the Waterside. It was a residential quarter in the 16th century, some of the buildings were rebuilt following the fire of 1595, although many, such as Number 40, date from 1480. Formerly a two storey building that was extended in the early twentieth century has a lower story of substantial close-set studding: the upper is of more widely spaced thin vertical timbers.<ref name=bh>From: 'The borough of Stratford-upon-Avon: Introduction and architectural description', A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 3: Barlichway hundred (1945), pp.&nbsp;221–234. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=57015 Date accessed: 23 August 2009.
From: 'The borough of Stratford-upon-Avon: Introduction and architectural description', A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 3: Barlichway hundred (1945), pp.&nbsp;221–234. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=57015 Date accessed: 12 June 2009.</ref>

As the name suggests Sheep Street, which leads down from the Town Hall to Waterside and the RST, was from early times and until the late 19th century, the area where sheep, brought from the neighbouring [[Cotswold Hills]], were slaughtered and butchered. Today it is the restaurant centre of the town. Sheep Street also has some long established ladies '[[gown]]' shops.

The Shrieves House is one of the oldest still lived in houses in the town and Shakespeare is said to have based his character of Sir John Falstaff on one of the residents, his godson's uncle. [[Oliver Cromwell]] is thought to have stayed here in 1651. He wrote a letter from the town to [[Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton|Lord Wharton]] on 27 August 1651,<ref name='Cromwell's Letters'>{{cite book |last=Carlyle |first=Robert |title=Oliver Cromwell's letters and speeches: with elucidations, Volume 3, page 86 "The War with Scotland" |publisher=Bernhard Tauchnitz |year=1861 |isbn=1402177194}}</ref> before the [[Battle of Worcester]].

Behind The Shrieves House is a museum called "Tudor World" with recreations of 16th century life in theatrical settings.

===Waterside & Southern Lane===
This area of Stratford, which runs from the foot of Bridge Street to Holy Trinity Church (and leads directly off Sheep Street and Scholars Lane) runs alongside the River Avon and offers access to the [[Waterside Theatre]] and all areas of the RST. The RST is currently undergoing great renovation works, including work to the Bancroft Gardens at the front of the main RST building.

The Bancroft Gardens run from Waterside to the River Avon and include a canal basin. During the summer months there are often street performers performing to the public on the lawns.

==Transport==
Stratford is close to the UK's second largest city, [[Birmingham]], and is easily accessible from junction 15 of the [[M40 motorway]]. The {{convert|7|mi|km}} £12&nbsp;million Stratford Northern Bypass opened in June 1987 as the A422.

[[Stratford-upon-Avon railway station]] has good rail links from Birmingham ([[Birmingham Snow Hill station|Snow Hill station]], [[Birmingham Moor Street railway station|Moor Street station]]) and from London, with up to seven direct trains a day from [[Marylebone station|London Marylebone]].

There are plans for a new railway station north of the town, adjacent to the A46 bypass. It will be called [[Stratford Parkway railway station]].

The [[Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway]] Society aims to re-open the closed railway line from Stratford-upon-Avon to [[Honeybourne railway station|Honeybourne]], with a later extension to [[Broadway, Worcestershire]].

The [[Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway]] connected Stratford with the main line of the [[London and North Western Railway]] at Blisworth until its closure in 1952.<ref>{{cite web|title = Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway|url=http://www.smjr.info}}</ref>

The town has numerous [[cycle path]]s, and is the terminus of the [[Stratford-upon-Avon Canal]] where it meets the Avon. A [[park and ride]] scheme was launched in 2006. The [[Stratford greenway|Stratford Greenway]] is a {{convert|5|mi|km}} traffic free cycle path, which used to be part of the rail network until the early 1960s and is now part of the [[Sustrans]] [[National Cycle Network]] (routes NCN5 and NCN41). Starting from town it heads along the river and racecourse towards [[Welford-on-Avon]] and [[Long Marston, Warwickshire|Long Marston]] with a cycle hire and cafe available at the start of the Greenway at Seven Meadows Road.

[[Birmingham International Airport, West Midlands|Birmingham airport]] is {{convert|18|mi|km}} to the north-west, with scheduled flights to many national and international destinations.

==Education==
Stratford is also home to several institutions set up for the study of Shakespeare, including the [[Shakespeare Birthplace Trust]], which holds books and documents related to the playwright, and the [[Shakespeare Institute]].

A notable school in Stratford is [[King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon|King Edward VI school]], which is where William Shakespeare is believed to have studied. It is an all-boys school, and one of the few remaining [[grammar schools]] in England, selecting its pupils exclusively using the [[Eleven plus]] examination. There is also an all-girls grammar school, [[Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls]], colloquially known as 'Shottery School' after its location in the village of [[Shottery]], a short distance from the town centre. Finally, there is a non-selective secondary school, [[Stratford-upon-Avon High School]], formerly known as the Hugh Clopton Secondary Modern School, which was demolished to make way for the new high school. There are no independent secondary schools in the town, but there are many primary schools, both state and independent, as well as [[Stratford-upon-Avon College]].

==Churches==
* [[Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon|Stratford-upon-Avon Holy Trinity Church]]

==Notable people==
With the RSC in the town many famous actors have at some point lived or stayed in the town or surround villages. Some of these include,
* [[William Shakespeare]], English playwright and poet.
* [[Adrian Newey]], famous Formula 1 engineer.
* [[G. M. Trevelyan|George Macaulay Trevelyan]], historian
* [[Simon Pegg]], actor most known from ''[[Paul]]'', ''[[Hot Fuzz]]'' and ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'', studied English literature and performance studies at [[Stratford-upon-Avon College]] (was born in Gloucestershire, UK.)
* [[Jeffery Dench]], actor, lives just outside Stratford in [[Clifford Chambers]]
* [[David Bradley (actor)|David Bradley]] – actor most notably known for his role as [[Argus Filch]] in the very popular film series ''[[Harry Potter]]'' based on the books by [[J. K. Rowling]] and adapted into film by [[Warner Bros.]]
* Labour MP and actor [[Andrew Faulds]] lived in Old Town, Stratford, until his death in 2000, aged 77.

Other notable residents include
* [[J. B. Priestley]] died here.
* [[Arthur C. Clarke]], author of ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', served with the [[RAF]] at Stratford-upon-Avon during the 1940s. Clarke later wrote the short story "The Curse", which takes place in a [[post-apocalyptic]] Stratford-upon-Avon.
* Former Secretary of State for War [[John Profumo]] was the [[Member of Parliament|MP]] for Stratford-upon-Avon in the 1950s.
* From 1901 to 1924, the romantic novelist [[Marie Corelli]], real name Minnie Mackay, daughter of [[Charles Mackay]], made her home, with her companion Miss Vyver, at Mason's Croft, Church Street, Stratford.
* English footballer [[Dion Dublin]], who has played for [[Manchester United]], [[Aston Villa]] and, most notably, [[Coventry City]], as well as the [[England national football team|national team]], lives with his wife and family in Stratford.
* [[Simon Gilbert]] & [[Neil Codling]] of the band Suede lived and were educated in Stratford.
* Members of indie bands [[Klaxons]] and [[Pull Tiger Tail]] all grew up and went to schools in Stratford before they moved to [[New Cross]], London.
* [[W. W. Quatremain]], local landscape painter
* [[Gordon Ramsay]], noted celebrity chef, and star of several cooking related shows, moved to Stratford-Upon-Avon with his family in 1976 when he was ten years old.
* [[Brad Moran (footballer)|Brad Moran]], grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon then moved to Australia when he was 15, he is now an [[Australian Rules Football]]er with the [[Adelaide Crows]].
* [[Andrew Pozzi]], 110m hurdler born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

==Town twinning==
* {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Stratford, Ontario]]
* {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Stratford, Prince Edward Island]]
* {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Stratford, New Zealand]]
* {{flagicon|Qatar}} [[Doha, Qatar]]
* {{flagicon|United States}} [[Stratford, Connecticut]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Stratford-upon-Avon}}
* [http://www.stratfordstation.com Stratford upon Avon Railway Station]
* [http://www.stratforduponavontowncouncil.com Stratford upon Avon Town Council]
* [http://www.stratford.gov.uk Stratford-on-Avon District Council]
* [http://www.discover-stratford.com Discover Stratford] Official Stratford-on-Avon Tourism Site
* {{dmoz|/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Warwickshire/Stratford-upon-Avon/|Stratford-upon-Avon}}
* [http://www.stratford-herald.com/ Stratford upon Avon Herald] Stratford Newspaper
* [http://www.stratfordobserver.co.uk/ Stratford Observer] Local Stratford Newspaper
* [http://www.bishoptonprimary.ik.org/ Bishopton Primary School] Local Primary School
* [http://www.likesnail.org.uk/ Shakespeare's School – Stratford-upon-Avon] The history of King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon
{{Stratford-on-Avon district}}
{{Warwickshire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stratford-Upon-Avon}}
[[Category:Stratford-upon-Avon| ]]
[[Category:Places associated with William Shakespeare]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in Warwickshire]]

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Revision as of 17:39, 26 September 2011

in the town they have a world of inmagination all we need is a bag of weed

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