Royal Leamington Spa

Royal Leamington Spa is a spa town built mainly during the 19th century. The town was visited by Queen Victoria in 1838, and was given the "Royal" status.

Leamington's main architectural characterisitic is it's wide main streets, with elegant Georgian, Regency and Victorian buildings, many lined with trees. This picture shows Regency style houses in Beauchamp Avenue.

Regency style houses in Clarendon Square, built around an area of grass and trees. 

6 Clarendon Square, sometime home of Napoleon Boneparte who spent part of his exile here. 

The curving arc of Landsdowne Crescent.

Just off Landsdowne Crescent, is Landsdown Circus, built around a circular area of grass and trees.

This house is 10 Landsdowne Circus, sometime home of writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

 A spring was known here since Elizabethan times, but the spa became important during the late 19th century. The Pump Rooms were built in 1813.

The pump rooms have recently been modernised and now also house a museum and library, and the town's Tourist Information Centre.

Today most people visit Leamington for its shopping.
This is a view looking up Leamington's main shopping street, The Parade.

Bordering the River Leam is a municipal park, the Jephson Gardens, named after Henry Jephson, a local doctor who popularised the spa waters. 

The River Leam, as it runs through the Jephson Gardens. 

The recently constructed Palm House, in the Jephson Gardens. 

Inside the Palm House. 

Shakespeare's Warwickshire Roots

This map, reproduced from Michael Wood's book In Search of Shakespeare, shows a number of places which played a role in Shakespeare's background.
The Shakespeare family originated in Balsall, and from there spread to the adjacent villages of Wroxall, Knowle, Packwood and Rowington, and in the next generation to Snitterfield. Packwood, Baddesley Clinton and Lapworth, near to these villages, were homes of important Catholic families close to the Shakespeares and the Ardens. An accompanying TV series has been shown on BBC/PBS.


Michael Wood writes:

"The search for Shakespeare starts not in Stratford but a short way to the North in a tiny cluster of villages in the Forest of Arden. In the 16th century it was still a vast tract of forest, part of what the Normans called "beautiful wild country", and a completely different world from the crowded streets of London. Unlike the works of most of his university-educated contemporaries, Shakepeare's plays are full of images of flowers, trees and animals. This was a place to fire the imagination...".

For several generations Shakespeare's ancestors, on both his father's and mother's sides, had been Warwickshire farmers. The river Avon (shown on the map above) divided Warwickshire into 2 halves. The North-West half was the old Forest of Arden. Shakespeare's ancestors all farmed holdings, of around 100 acres each, all in the Forest of Arden.

 The Shakepeare family name originated in Balsall in the 14th Century.
This picture shows present day farmland at Balsall.

This picture is taken looking towards Green Lane which runs left-to-right behind the trees along the top of the hill.

The picture is taken from the Heart of England Way, a recreational footpath.

Michael Wood writes:

"The Shakespeares' ancestors came from around the village of Balsall with its old chapel and hall of the Knights Templars. Down Green Lane, shrouded by thickets of ash and silver birch, across a ford that runs deep in Winter there is still a red-brick farm house where Adam of Oldeditch lived in the 14th Century. His son gave himself the surname Shakespeare. There were still Shakespeares at Oldeditch 100 years later, and almost certainly the clan descended from them". 

This is a view along Green Lane, showing the ford referred to by Michael Wood. 

About 200 yards from the ford is the present Oldeditch Farm House. 

This is the view from a field at the rear of Oldeditch farm house.

The group of buildings in the centre of the picture is the hall and chapel of the Knights Templar at Balsall, referred to by Michael Wood. These buildings are shown in close-up in the picture below.

The white lines running across the picture are power cables.

The Shakespeares of Balsall spread into 4 surrounding villages - Rowington, Wroxall, Packwood and Knowle. There are pictures taken in these 4 villages immediately below...

Rowington

This picture shows the Shakespeare family's home, Shakespeare Hall, at Rowington.

Wroxall

This picture shows the remains of a Benedictine Priory at Wroxall.

Richard Shakespeare (grandfather of Willimam Shakespeare) was born in Wroxall, c1500 (not at the Abbey). He moved from Wroxall to farm in Snitterfield (see further below).






Packwood

This is the moated manor house Packwood Hall, at Packwood.

The Shakespeares of Packwood were business partners of Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare. The historian Raphael Holinshed lived at nearby Packwood House. He was the author of the Chronicles of England, that were the primary source for Shakespeare's history plays. Michael Wood wonders whether William, as a youth, might have known Holinshed in person.

Knowle

2 miles from Balsall was the village of Knowle, today a small town.

The first records of Knowle date from 1200, and refer to bequests of William de Arden, an ancestor of Mary Arden, Shakespeare's mother.

This picture shows the Guild House, which dates from 1412. Thomas Shakespeare of Balsall, became a member of the Guild here in 1486.

Another view of Knowle Guild House, and the adjacent Church of St John Baptist, St Lawrence and St Anne.

Michael Wood also lists the members of the Guild here in 1526, which effectively names the principal figures in Arden Society (more about the Knowle Guild members further down this page).



Snitterfield

Richard Shakespeare (born in Wroxall, c1500) left Wroxall to farm leased land in Bell Lane, Snitterfield (2 miles North-East of Stratford). Richard Shakespeare farmed here for 35 years.

This picture, taken from the bottom of Bell Lane, shows farmland around Snitterfield Church.

 This picture shows the farmhouse originally occupied by Richard Shakespeare. One of Richard's sons, John Shakespeare, became the father of William Shakespeare. It is likely that young William Shakespeare would have been a frequent visitor to this place.
The house has been substantially changed, but does retain some tudor features.





Just down the road is an authentic half-timbered farm building, used by the Shakespeares.  

Snitterfield is within easy walking distance of Stratford.
There are good views from Snitterfield. This picture shows the view looking from Snitterfield towards Stratford. You can't actually see Stratford, because it is hidden behind the Welcombe Hills (the groups of trees around the obelisk at the right). The Welcombe Obelisk looks down over Stratford.

The is the church of St James The Great at Snitterfield.

  

On display in Snitterfield Church are copies of parish records referring to members of the Shakespeare family.

The names in those shown here (dated 1581) are spelt Saxper and Shaksper.





Wilmcote

The land in Snitterfield which Richard Shakespeare farmed was owned by the Arden Family from Wilmcote, another old Warwickshire family of yeoman farmers.
This picture shows the Arden's farmhouse at Wilmcote, now known as Mary Arden's House.

One of Richard's sons, John Shakespeare, who grew up at the Snitterfield farm, met one of the daughters of the Arden family, Mary Arden.


Aston Cantlow





John Shakespeare married Mary Arden in Aston Cantlow church, which was the parish church for Wilmcote, the bride's home.

This picture shows old tombstones, old yew trees, and old pines in the churchyard of St John the Baptist at Aston Cantlow.

The interior of Aston Cantlow church is shown in the picture just below.
 

Stratford

John and Mary Shakespeare went to live in a house in Henley Street, in Stratford (the Shakespeare birthplace), which is where their son, William Shakespeare, was born.






Shottery

A mile from the centre of Stratford, and on the edge of the Forest of Arden, was the village of Shottery, and the home of Anne Hathaway, who became Shakespeare's wife. 









Temple Grafton

William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway were married at Temple Grafton, another village connected with with the Knights Templar.
It is believed that Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway were married here, and not in Stratford, because the priest here, John Frith, was sympathetic towards a Catholic form of service, which was not available in Stratford.

 Shakespeare's childhood was a time of intense religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. The Shakespeare and Arden families both had stong Catholic sympathies.
The whole Forest of Arden was an area of Catholic support. Also shown on Michael Wood's map are Lapworth and Baddesley Clinton.

These places were the homes of important Catholic families, close to the Ardens, and the Shakespeares. These families were at the centre of plots to attempt to overthrow the Protestant Crown, and were themselves the focus of Protestant persecution.



Michael Wood lists some names from the guild book of the Chapel at Knowle in 1526, which are effectively the principal figures of local society. They include:

Robert Catesby (of Lapworth, see just below),
George Throgmorton (of Coughton, also see below),
Edward Ferrers (of Baddesley)
Richard Shakespeare,
William Shakespeare (not the WS of Stratford, although a relative),
John Shakespeare. 


Lapworth

This picture, taken in Lapworth Churchyard, shows the table-top tomb of Robert Catesby, principal conspirator behind the Catholic inspired Gunpowder Plot, to blow up Parliament and the Crown.
There are more pictures of Lapworth Church and the countryside around Lapworth on the Lapworth Page.





Coughton

Another important family of Warwickshire Catholics involved in the Gunpowder Plot were the Throgmorton's of Coughton (not on Micheal Wood's map), but also a few miles North-West of Stratford.






Charlecote

In the South-East corner of Michael Wood's map, and on the other side of the Avon, is Charlecote. Definitely on the wrong side of the river.
Shakespeare ridiculed Sir Thomas Lucy of Charlecote as his Justice Shallow in Merry Wives of Windsor, and Henry IV part 2. The traditional explanation has been that Thomas Lucy caught Shakespeare poaching deer. In fact, there were no deer at Charlecote then. Micheal Wood explains that Shakespeare's animosity towards Thomas Lucy was far more likely due to Thomas Lucy's role in the persecution of Warwickshire Catholics, and particularly his role in the arrest of Edward Arden, head of Shakespeare's mother's family, who was taken to London, tortured and executed.

Pictorial Biography of William Shakespeare

Many of the pictures on this page are taken from the book William Shakespeare by Andrew Gurr. The book includes a large number of reconstructions of scenes from Shakespeare's life. The pictures were directed by Julian Napier and photographed by Dominic Clemence. The photos on this page of present day Stratford are my own.

This first picture shows young William Shakespeare with his father, John Shakespeare, and his mother, Mary Arden.

John Shakespeare was a glove-maker, and this picture shows Willam and his brother Gilbert helping their father in their father's workshop.

Young William would have attended the King Edward's Grammer School in Stratford.
After leaving school at around 14 it is likely that Shakespeare went to learn his father's trade in his father's shop.
 
When he was 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathway, who was a few years older than himself. Anne's original home was a farmhouse, now known as Anne Hathaway's Cottage. Anne had been the eldest of 3 sisters, and their father had died a year before Anne and Willam were married.

One of William's earliest poetic works is a sonnet (number 145) written to Anne.

Anne and William had their first child, Susanna, in 1583.
Susanna was followed by twins, Judith amd Hamnet, 2 years later.

There was general economic hardship in Warwickshire at that time, which seriously affected Shakespeare's father's business and the Shakespeare family. William needed to find other employment. His early sonnet to Anne shows his interest in writing, but there was no such work locally.
Fate brought William into contact with a travelling theatre company, and he joined them, as an actor.








Travelling companies of actors would perform at market fairs, or at great country houses. Each company was under the patronage of some wealthy nobleman. The Earl of Leicester (who lived at nearby Kenilworth Castle) was the patron of one local company.


The picture below shows the Guild Hall at nearby Coventry which was also used for such performances.

 

The travelling company of actors took Shakespeare to London. Little is known of Shakespeare's early years in London. He must have pursued his writing after his day's work, in the taverns where he was lodging.

By 1592, when he was aged 27, Shakespeare had established himself as both an actor and writer.

This picture shows the Earl of Southampton, a very rich young gentleman, to whom Shakespeare dedicated two of his earliest works, and who was an early patron of Shakespeare.  

This picture shoes the Burbage family. James Burbage (left) had been an actor in the company of Lord Leicester's Men (Kenilworth Castle). He established his own company in London under the patronage of the Lord Chamberlain, which became known as the Chamberlain's Men. This company included Shakespeare as one of its managers and players. James Burbage's son, Richard Burbage (standing), was the foremost actor of the day, and played all of the great roles created by Shakespeare for the company (Hamlet, Othello, etc)  

Beside his great philosophical explorations, Shakespeare's time in London was one of intense personal emotions, reflected in the content of his Sonnets. Some of these are attributed to an unidentified figure known as the Dark Lady.  

Until 1596 The Chamberlain's Men had used a theatre in Shoreditch, which needed replacement. In 1598 the conpany decided to finance the construction of a new theatre, The Globe. The money was raised by contributions from members of the company. Shakespeare who made substantial profits from his share in the scheme.
The Globe theatre has recently been rebuilt, very near to the site of the original, and closely resembling the original.
 

This picture shows a performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor before Queen Elizabeth.

In 1603 Queen Elizabeth died, without an heir. She had appointed James VI of Scotland to be ruler of England on her death. The Chamberlain's Men soon secured the favour of the new King, and became known as The King's Men. Shakespeare's play Macbeth was composed soon afterwards in gratitude to the new King.
 

Throughout his time in London Shakespeare lived in lodgings, and sent money back to maintain his property and investments in Stratford. He always maintained the intention of returning to Stratford someday. This picture shows Shakespeare travelling back to Stratford, by horse, and staying overnight in Oxford. He may have returned to Stratford each year during the period of Lent when the playhouses in London would have been closed. 

In 1610 Shakespeare returned to Stratford permanently to manage his investments and properties.

Shakespeare's final play, The Tempest, was probably written in comfort in Stratford.

In 1613, the Globe was burnt down in the Great Fire of London. The company rebuilt the theatre, but Shakespeare was no longer part of the company.

Shakespeare's daughter Susanna married a Stratford doctor John Hall. This picture shows Shakespeare with Susanna's daughter Elizabeth, at New Place in Stratford.  

This family portrait shows (back row) Shakespeare, Dr John Hall, Judith (Shakepeare's other daughter), (centre row) Anne Hathaway, Susanna, Thomas Quiney (a friend of Judiths), (front) Elizabeth (Susanna's daughter).  

Shakespeare died in Stratford on 23 April 1616, and now lies in Holy Trinity Church Stratford.