54408NOR
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage inside visit
Shakespeare’s Birthplace inside visit
· If no theatre included in Stratford, group may possibly see a Shakespeare play in London.
· Entrances are paid by voucher for all visits
· Check in advance for special events, closed areas of sites etc.
Rest Stop: To get to Castle Donnington Services, you need to exit the M1 at junction 24 and follow the A453 for about 1 mile, parallel to the M1. You rejoin the M1 at junction 23A, after your rest stop.
YORK:
Drop off at Leeman Road coach drop off. Walk to Minster. Be aware that some people may require the restroom, so heading straight for Minster might be best idea.
Walking Tour with TM: try to include
(Vary depending on hotel location/time available/group request)
· Stonegate
· The Shambles
· Petersgate
· Clifford’s Tower
· St Helen’s Square (Mansion House and Betty’s Tea Shop)
· The Minster (almost always a booked visit.)
The Minster
Entrance is now via West Door. Groups’ entrance, which is signed, is through left hand door, even though they have been using the right door. Hand in voucher at the Party Reception Desk. Entrance includes the Chapter House. You are not allowed to guide inside the Minster. Free guided tours are available for individuals to join. Voucher does not include entrance to Foundations, Crypt or Tower. There is no longer a charge for photo permits. Toilets located on north side of the High Alter.
Lunch and free time.
Depending on how hungry group are, you may want to schedule lunch before the Minster visit. If this is the case, arrange time/place to meet after lunch; in front of Minster (West Door) or by the Constantine statue at the south entrance are good places.
After the visit the group has free time to explore the city. Arrange meeting time/place after free time to walk group to dinner. (See voucher for location).
FACTS AND FREE TIME SUGGESTIONS
Museums
JORVIK VIKING CENTRE – Coppergate. Book in for a group rate.
CASTLE MUSEUM – Tower Street. See Dick Turpin’s prison cell.
NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM – Leeman Road.
YORKSHIRE MUSEUM – In Museum Gardens off Museum Street
RICHARD III MUSEUM – Monk Bar. You get a chance to vote guilty or not guilty.
Other Places of Interest
BETTY’S TEA ROOMS – St Helen’s Square
CITY ART GALLERY – Bootham
CITY WALLS – 3 miles, you can walk nearly all the way round.
Evening Activities
GHOST WALK – Various Options Available.
YORK THEATRE ROYAL – St Leonard’s Place
RIVER CRUISES – York Boat, from near Lendel Bridge and King’s Snaith (check times and availability)
Facilities
TOILETS – Some available on Parliament Street, opposite Coppergate
Bootham Bar – opposite Art Gallery
Stratford
Ensure group is aware that having left the sites, they cannot re-enter.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (Shottery)
Set down in Cottage coach park. Arrange time for departure. Re-group at the coach. Walk group to entrance, located next to shop beside coach park & into gardens. Keep group together (they often disperse into toilets or to take photos of the beautiful gardens). As soon as cottage guides are ready, you have to be in place. Shop at the Birthplace stocks virtually the same merchandise as at Cottage.
Shakespeare Centre and Birthplace
Set down in the Birthplace coach park (Windsor St.). Walk group to Centre and Birthplace (Henley St.). Warn group to take care when crossing Windsor Street. Pay with voucher in the centre. You have a choice between brief audio visual or small exhibition, then into gardens, the house and shop. At height of season can become crowded. Ensure group is aware of
meeting points/times before they disperse for free time. A good place to meet after the visit is the Jester statue (top of Henley St.).
Holy Trinity Church
Itineraries now often include entry to Holy Trinity Church to see the burial place of William Shakespeare. There is a fee to enter the chancel of the church where the burials are located, and they have a card machine to process payment.
Facilities/places of interest in Stratford
HOLY TRINITY CHURCH Trinity Street. Sanctuary doorknocker, lovely stained glass, Shakespeare buried in chancel (entrance fee to chancel). Weeping willows in graveyard, picturesque location by river.
HALLS CROFT Old Town Street. Home of Susanna Shakespeare (eldest daughter) and her doctor husband, John Hall. Fine exhibition of Elizabethan Medicine. (entrance fee)
NEW PLACE Chapel Street. Admission charge. New Place was Shakespeare’s last residence.
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE & SWAN THEATRE Stratford home of the RSC. Waterside. Backstage tours info www.rsc.org.uk/theatretours
GRAMMAR SCHOOL EXHIBIT ON ELIZABETHAN SCHOOL LIFE (ADMISSION CHARGE)
GOWER MEMORIAL Bancroft Basin by Bridgefoot. Statue (1888) of Shakespeare surrounded by 4 figures from his plays.
SHOPPING Good mix of High Street and Shakespeare souvenirs.
BUREAU DE CHANGE – Post Office, Henley Street
Overnight in Stratford:
For groups staying in central Stratford, dinner will be at the hotel or a local restaurant. For groups staying out of town (Warwick), dinner will be at a restaurant in Stratford so the Hotel check-in will most likely be at the end of the evening.