Stratford upon Avon
Recalling my visit to the birth place of William Shakespeare
Legends are national heroes who are put in high esteem through the generations. Legendary poet and playwright William Shakespeare widely regarded as the greatest writer and dramatist in English language is one such person whom the English put on a very high pedestal with the status of their national poet. Stratford upon Avon, the birth place of William Shakespeare in South Warwickshire, is synonymous with the great English dramatist and is visited by around three million tourists every year. The British have the knack for projecting their heroes and attract tourists on that count. The well preserved and extremely publicized Wordsworth’s cottage in Lake District is another example of the same where the tourists make a concerted effort in traveling some good distance by ferry to reach the spot where the naturalist poet composed his famous poems. Pathetic is the state of affairs of Mirza Ghalib’s house in Delhi, India, which is heavily encroached and in a sorrowfully dilapidated condition.
I was in Birmingham to see a friend and it was from there that we planned a day trip to this small county town 38 km south of the city. The county town of Warwickshire lies about 14 km North East of Stratford upon Avon. This market town with a population of around 23000 people is a popular tourist destination owing to its status as the birth place and death bed of the famous playwright and poet. Locally known as Stratford, this small town of historical significance is situated on the banks of River Avon. Once a quiet little place, where people made their living through rearing of sheep and marketing their wool, it transformed into a little industrial town with aluminum and canning industry. After the closure of this industry engineering and IT sectors developed here but it is the historical link with William Shakespeare that made it a popular tourist destination. Tourism apparently is the largest source of its economic growth. All the tourist facilities are available here besides road and rail links with major British cities. The character of a quiet town is well preserved in spite of hoards of tourists it gets in summers. Its narrow streets are always overflowing with visitors from far and wide and the souvenir shops are doing roaring business. I got some lovely book marks in genuine leather with the sketch and other details of Shakespeare inscribed on them.
“The British have the knack for projecting their heroes and attract tourists on that count.”
The main tourist attractions in this small town include Shakespearean theatres, boat strewn River Avon with innumerable river moorings and five houses where the great poet and his family lived in the past. Henley street half timbered farm house, now in the centre of the town, where Shakespeare was born in 1564 and New Place house, where Shakespeare lived and died, are the two landmark houses of the family. The houses where his daughters lived have also been preserved as national heritage. Holy Trinity church where Shakespeare was baptized, stands tall in the town where he lies buried in its chancel. Royal Shakespearean company is running three theatres where the English speaking fans satiate their desire for theatre. These details do not interest us but the tourist guides are duty bound to instill this information into the minds of the visitors during the guided walks and they do it religiously. They also gave us a detailed account of the fires and floods this town had experienced in the times of yore and the black plague that killed nearly 15 percent of its population in the 16th century.
Traveling south by road from Birmingham, the second largest city of the UK, we took exit from junction 15 of M 40 to reach the historical town of Stratford. Strat stands for street in old English and Ford is a river crossing. Avon means river. That is how the place derives it name. The best part about the place is the maintenance of its pristine character. The westerners excel in this art. The greenery is awesome. A five mile traffic free cycle path winding through the verdant fields known as Stratford Greenway is the jewel of the area. It has many leisure walks for the nature lovers where one can witness the ‘vernal’ waves in English summers.
The shining waters of the river give the place a heavenly look. A large number of British chain stores have their outlets on the main street where the items of daily use are easily available. This makes Henley Street a major tourist shopping area. The pavement cafes and street entertainers are other attractions in the city centre. The place is a suitable for a day trip.
It was an interesting trip to the place that gives a deep insight into the life and works of the great poet-playwright though there are rumours that Shakespeare did not write these plays himself. Some historians claim that they were written by some one else and only the tag of Shakespeare’s name was attributed to them. These views, however, are not supported by the majority. Whatever the truth behind these rumours the fact remains this place is worth a visit by avid readers and students of literature.
Written by Dr. Shahid Qayyum
Published by Alisha Khuram
