After another night on the pints though not a large amount - it was time to head north to the small town known as Stratford-upon-Avon. This town's claim to fame was that it was the birthplace and resting place of the mysterious playwright William Shakespeare. Stratford holds much to do with his life, his burned down home, the home of his wife Anne Hathaway, his grave and several memorials.

Anne Hathaway's Cottege, Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

The home of Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway. This house with its thatched roof lies on the outskirts of the town and lies one mile from William's home, to which the land where it lay lies below.

The River Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

The River Avon runs through the town and adds to its name. It is now the home of hundred's of birds which line the banks.

Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

The birthplace of William Shakespeare is open to the public as are the grounds to which within lies a semi-museum of everything Shakespeare...

Shakespeare Memorial and Close-Up of Hamlet, Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

Erected in the 19th Century, this statue shows the four faces of Shakespeare's works and commorates his life.

The Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

The Holy Trinity Church is the location of Shakespeare's grave (within) and around it's confines are located many graves ranging right back to the Renaissance.

The Pinnacle of the Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

The Pinnacle of the Holy Trinity can be seen almost anywhere in town, this is taken from the grounds of the Church on the banks of the river Avon.

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre attracts many all year round - but Summer is the high point when countless plays are performed all over the city. Some very well known people also go to this theatre including Kenneth Bregnah known for his Shakespeare movies...

The Holy Trinity Church Ground's (with a squirrel in bottom right inset), Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

Ok - there is a squirrel here - trust me.

Another Squirrel (Close up Inset Right), Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00

This was taken whilst on the banks of the Avon, and subsequently after trying to stop this cat from chasing this squirrel I fell in the mud :| - my story was while I was taking a photo of a squirrel I fell in - now I think about it my bullshit story was just as bad...

Stratford-upon-Avon, 14.01.00 AD

The inner area of Stratford-upon Avon.

Shakespeare's Home, 14.01.00 AD

This is the land where on which there used to sit a house where Shakespeare used to live, one mile from Anne Hathaway's Cottage. The house unfortunately burned down...

William Shakespeare (cc.1564-1616) is a rather mysterious historical figure. Many say that he did not exist, that he was a woman and that he was several people all using the pseudnom of William Shakespeare - it is also said that some of his works namely Romeo and Juliet were not actually written by him. There are also no accurate descriptions of the man so there has to be a lot of speculation.

Despite this, here is a brief account of Shakespeare.

Shakespeare was born in the small town of Stratford-upon-Avon located south of Birmingham to a middle class family. He is presumed to have a grammer school education though was forced to drop out at the age of 13. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway 26, to which they had a child and twins. He is said to have deserted his family as their marriage was not a happy one and reappears in London in 1594. His playwright career started up and during his life wrote many plays. In 1613 it is said he retired to Stratford and died three years later as a result of fever (and perhaps heavy drinking).