Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare’s Birthplace stands on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon. The half-timbered house was built about 1530 and belonged to John Shakespeare, a glove maker and wool dealer. William Shakespeare was born there in 1564 and spent his early years in the building. The property remained in the family until the 17th century. Later it became an inn called the Maidenhead, and a small cottage at one end housed Shakespeare’s sister Joan Hart. The house is a modest example of 16th-century timber-framed construction. It uses local oak and stone, with wattle-and-daub panels and large fireplaces of brick and stone. The ground floor once held a parlour, hall, cross passage and workshop. Upstairs were three chambers, one traditionally called the birthroom. A later kitchen and a single-bay cottage were added to the rear and side. Visitors today see the restored rooms with period furnishings and tools. Behind the house lies a walled garden planted with flowers and herbs known in Shakespeare’s time. The Shakespeare Centre nearby houses the Birthplace Trust’s library and displays. On the building’s exterior, some windowpanes still carry visitors’ signatures from the 18th and 19th centuries. The whole site offers a quiet glimpse of domestic life when the poet was a boy.