Sights and Insights: My Visit to Stratford-upon-Avon (Part--II)

My Visit to Stratford-upon-Avon (Part-II)

Edward VI Grammar School

Classroom in the school

Later we passed along the church street viewing the Edward VI Grammar School where the great poet had his education for six years ( from 1571 to 1578) mainly learning Latin. As his father, John Shakespeare, was the Chief Alderman of the town, William had been given free access to education. This school was funded by the local town guild. Just a few yards away in the Trinity Street there is the house of Shakespeare’s elder daughter’s house “Hall’s Croft” with a spacious garden. The spacious rooms, high ceiling and large glass windows with 16^th and 17^th century paintings and furniture give an impression of a wealthy man’s dwelling. On the ground floor the entrance hall, the parlor, the kitchen and the consulting room are seen. Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna (1583-1649) married John Hall (1575-1635), a famous physician in 1607. Medical books, clinical instruments and herbs are seen in upstairs rooms, besides bed rooms with Elizabethan type of cots, tables and chairs. Various articles made of porcelain are found indicating the high status of the owner. John Hall, an eminent physician had good practice and showed keen interest in growing medicinal plants. His medical notes were published in 1657, twenty two years after his death. In the garden various types of flowers and herbs are seen.

A room in Hall's Croft

A room with fireplace

Consulting Room

Main Living Room

The kitchen

Porcelain Jars

Front view of Hall's Croft

View of the garden at Hall's Croft

Rear view of Hall's croft

Later we visited Nash’s house, the house of Shakespeare’s grand daughter, Elizabeth (1608-1670), who married Thomas Nash(1593-1647), a property dealer. Shakespeare purchased “New Place”, the second biggest mansion of the town just located beside Nash’s house in 1597, and spent the last years of his life there. “The New Place”, Shakespeare’s residence was thought to be a pretty work of brick and wood having many rooms with servant’s quarters and other facilities with five gabled rooms. Unfortunately the mansion was later completely demolished by a vicar, called Francis Gastrell in 1759. He was infuriated by the frequent visits of the poet’s admirers. To avoid paying enhanced property tax, he hastily took this extreme step of razing down one of the most important heritage structures. A knot garden was laid out in the vacant space consisting of many kinds of plants, fruit trees and herbs in beautiful patterns. Many flowers mentioned by Shakespeare in his poems and plays are planted here such as roses, violets, daisies, daffodils, cherry blossoms and pansies. The knot garden looked like a crest jewel with multi-faceted floral colors. It seemed as the beautiful rain-bow was molded into various floral designs. The custodian there told us that the mulberry tree seen there was grown from the branch of the original mulberry tree planted by Shakespeare when he settled down in Stratford to lead the life of a country gentleman after leaving London in 1610. He further added that the scientific D.N.A. tests were carried out to verify and prove this fact. Francis Gastrell, who purchased “New Place” cut down the mulberry tree planted by Shakespeare , when Gastrell was annoyed with the visitors to this mansion. In the garden cultivated at the “New Place”, excavation work was going on to find out valuable artifacts and other things associated with the immortal bard. The entry to this knot garden is through Nash’s house. This house looked quite spacious with entrance hall, parlor, kitchen on ground floor. One can find rich tapestries, furniture, porcelain utensils, paintings and artifacts in upstairs rooms. This building is now converted into a museum to preserve valuable tokens and documents associated with the history of Stratford town before and Shakespeare’s life .Thomas Nash married Elizabeth in 1626. After his death in Elizabeth re-married John Barnard of Abington in 1649, all her children predeceased her. Elizabeth, the last member of Shakespeare’s family died in 1670 and was buried in Abington church. Her second husband died in 1674. In the garden cultivated at the “New Place”, excavation work was going on to find out valuable artifacts and other things associated with the immortal bard.