Stratford-upon-Avon

[moonshadow]

I'm visiting Stratford for several days from this Thursday apart from the usual tourist sites any suggestions on places to visit, gardens etc and good eateries please.

[vehelpfulguy]

You mention gardens, but I am not sure if you mean IN Stratford or nearby.

Near to Stratford is Hidcote Manor Gardens, one of the most famous gardens in the UK.

It is National Trust and you can get in free as a National Trust member.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-vi sits/w-findaplace/w-hidcotemanorgarden/

[vehelpfulguy]

At this time of year note Hidcote is only open Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat and Sun.

It is CLOSED Thursday and Friday.

[vehelpfulguy]

There is a sightseeing bus that goes round Stratford.

http://www.stagecoachbus.com/warwickshire/loca loffers_2962.html

To be honest Stratford is pretty small and you could walk to many of the places the bus goes, but it does go out to both
Mary Arden's House (Shakespeare's mother) and Anne Hathaway's Cottage (his wife's house).

These buildings (and others) are managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/

[vehelpfulguy]

Near the centre of Stratford is a Butterfly Farm

http://www.butterflyfarm.co.uk/attraction/inde x.php

[vehelpfulguy]

I live near Stratford and visit their fairly regularly, but have not "eaten out" there as such so cannot suggest anywhere.

But here are some web sites that may help:

http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/soaed.htm

http://www.e-travelguide.info/stratford/eating out.htm

http://knowhere.co.uk/3141_eatdrink.html

http://www3.oag.com/Cities/Guide?city=209&cat= 4&guideID=4

http://www.visitstratforduponavon.co.uk/visiti ng_wheretoeat.php

[joto]

There is an excellent restaurant called Malbec, 6 Union Street, (Lloyds TSB on one corner, Costa coffee on the opposite corner). We have been there loads of times (Saturday lunchtime) and never been disappointed. There is a Farmers Market on the 1st & 3rd Saturday.

[vehelpfulguy]

Another thing on eating out in Stratford.

Being a tourist town you are never far from somewhere to eat, be it a "take away", cafe, snack bar, tea rooms, pub, restaurant, etc

But being a tourist town it can also be expensive to eat out there, so to avoid paying a lot of money look around the town for some of the more out of the way places.

[joto]

The Howard Arms at Ilmington is very good and not far from Stratford. It was the Warwickshire dining pub of the Year in either 2005 or 2006

[Reverandfunk]

Warwick castle

[moonshadow]

Well what can I say vehelpfulguy you certainly live up to your name. Hidcote is just the place we were looking for so are hoping for good weather on Saturday so we can pay a visit. joto we will certainly go and have a look at The Malbec and The Howard Arms sounds interesting. We have been to Warwick Castle Rev. but that was a few years ago so perhaps time permitting we will have a second visit. Thanks very much to you all for the suggestions.

[joto]

Did you have a good time in Stratford moonshadow?

[moonshadow]

We had a wonderful time joto we were very lucky the weather was lovely. We didn't get to eat at the Howard Arms but have decided to stay there in the spring for a few days as we have family in Leamington and Cheltenham and want to visit a few more villages in the Cotswolds so it's in just the right spot.Thank you so much for recommending it, what a little gem!