river cruises stratford upon avon

Boat Trips on the River

Experience Stratford from the River Avon, a cruise is a lovely trip to enhance your tour of Stratford.

Choose from 4 local providers:

Canal and River Tours

We all associate Stratford upon Avon with Shakespeare but not everyone is aware of the town's central role in the busy waterways of the Industrial revolution. Canal and River Tours ensures that your experience leaves you with a deeper understanding of this rich heritage.

Enjoy the drama of travelling through the town’s historic working lock to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and see the sights from a new perspective. Gain an insight into Shakespeare’s work, the river wildlife, the canal, and its heritage from the light-hearted and lively audio commentary.

The cruise starts from the most beautiful part of town in the canal basin, next to the main shopping areas, Royal Shakespeare Theatre and refreshment boats. Jennifer May is a modern Dutch Barge, heated and fully covered with unique viewing angles through the glass roof panels, and the capacity to seat up to 60 people in comfort.

The vessel is also fully equipped to effortlessly board and carry wheelchairs, prams and has a fully accessible WC with baby changing facilities.

For more information: www.canalandrivertours.com

Avon Boating

Covid 19 (Coronavirus) - Limited Offering

From July 4th we will be able to offer a limited number of boats and experiences.

Motor Boats will be available on a first come first served basis with a queue system in place and there is no pre-booking at this time. Due to cleaning and distancing processes, there are currently fewer boats available for hire.

Electric Launches “Elver” and “Flying Duck” will be available to pre-book online up to 24 hours before and gaps in bookings can be taken on the day on a first come first served basis.

We have your safety and our staff’s safety in mind at all times, so please expect to be asked to wait in a designated place.

Throughout the hire process please be patient and listen to all instructions given by staff.

All of our hire boats and life jackets will be sanitised between uses which may mean that you have to wait a little longer than usual before being invited to a boat and we thank you for your patience.

Experience Stratford from the River Avon, a half hour cruise is a lovely trip to enhance your tour of Stratford. There are regular departures from the Bancroft Gardens next to the theatre. There is a fleet of different boats available, from rowing boats to punts available to hire by the hour. It is also possible to charter extended cruises on a 1898 coal fired steam including buffets, high teas and river picnics make a perfect venue for corporate events. Bar services are provided on board.

More information at www.avon-boating.co.uk

Bancroft Cruisers

Bancroft Cruisers run 45 minute sightseeing river cruises and private or corporate charters on the beautiful River Avon in the heart of the Shakespeare Country. Based at Stratford upon Avon we are well equipped to provide you and your friends & family with a perfect walk-on sightseeing, or pre-booked bespoke exclusive river cruise for birthdays, anniversaries, pre-wedding parties or anything that floats your boat!

Bancroft Cruisers also run Ghost Cruises in association with Stratford Town Walks and regular Sundowners Champagne & Canapés evening cruises. Open all year round river conditions permitting on the licensed and fully accessible Rita Ellen or on the Princess Marina, our traditional sightseeing boat.

School parties and coach trips also welcomed. Reduced rates for pre-booking

Trips depart from the Holiday Inn landing stage.

Adults: £6.00
Concessions (over 65s): £5.00
Children (under 16s): £4.00
Family £18.00 (2 Adults and Upto 3 Children)

More information at www.bancroftcruisers.co.uk

Countess of Evesham The Countess of Evesham, nicknamed Stratford's 'Orient Express', is a purpose built 70ft restaurant cruiser. Enjoy a romantic supper along the floodlit banks of the Avon. The Countess enjoys a growing reputation for fine cuisine with a well stocked wine list. Centrally heated the Countess is open throughout the year and offers all the amenities of a top quality restaurant. Cruising times may be flexible for group bookings

More information at www.countessofevesham.co.uk

Return to list

Address River Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon

Cruise Times & Menus

Cruising down the enchanting river avon, monday through to friday evenings menu changes seasonally.

This cruise is £44.50 . To find out more about the cruise, including the boarding, cruise times and menu please click view cruise.

Saturday Evenings Menu changes seasonally

This cruise is £47.50 . To find out more about the cruise, including the boarding, cruise times and menu please click view cruise.

Sunday Evenings Menu changes seasonally

Monday through to friday lunches (***only available from 1st may - 30th september 2024***).

This cruise is £31.50 . To find out more about the cruise, including the boarding, cruise times and menu please click view cruise.

Saturday & Sunday Lunches Menu changes seasonally

This cruise is £39.50 . To find out more about the cruise, including the boarding, cruise times and menu please click view cruise.

Corporate Events

Cream tea cruises, bookings & enquiries.

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Stratford-upon-Avon: All Aboard on the River Avon

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By Alison Plummer

Wide and graceful, England’s River Avon is a focal point in Stratford-upon-Avon flowing through its heart past Bancroft Gardens , the RSC Theatres , and Holy Trinity Church , where Shakespeare is buried. Pleasure boats and swans share the water and you can join them in a number of ways to admire the architecture, stunning gardens, and pretty countryside. Hop aboard an Edwardian passenger launch or an iconic canal barge; go your own way with self-drive, zero-emission electric boats, or canoes or kayaks if you prefer to paddle. Walk beside the Avon or along the South Stratford Canal towpath out into the countryside.

Pen & Parchment, Bridge Foot, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6YY, UK

Pen & parchment, carluccio's, waterside, stratford-upon-avon cv37 6ba, uk, carluccio's.

Italian restaurant

Cox's Yard, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Bridge Foot, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

Cox's yard.

Restaurant and cafe

Avon Boating Ltd, Swans Nest, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

Avon boating, encore stratford upon avon, bridge street, stratford-upon-avon, uk, the encore waterside dining.

Waterside pub

Best Places for Breakfast in Stratford-upon-Avon

from Stratford-upon-Avon: All Aboard on the River Avon on Slow Down, See More

Carluccio's

Italian restaurant on Waterside serving food all day. Delicious Frutta e Ciocolato pancakes are topped with fresh berries and yoghurt, served with warm chocolate and hazelnut sauce; smoked pancetta and ciabatta add Italian twists to classics. All-day menu goes full Italian. Delizioso !

Pen and Parchment

This pub opens early to serve English or Big English breakfast – bacon, egg, mushrooms, black pudding, baked beans, toast. Also vegetarian/vegan breakfasts, steak and eggs, Scottish smoked salmon and scrambled egg, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes. Outdoor dining in front of the pub in fine weather.

Best Things To Do in the Morning in Stratford-upon-Avon

Avon Boating’ s traditional Edwardian passenger launches operate half-hour tours departing from Bancroft Gardens, Waterside, travelling downstream past the RSC theatres and Holy Trinity Church. You’ll also travel upstream passing under the medieval Clopton Bridge. Or make your way to Avon Boating’s lovely boathouse across the pedestrian Tramway Bridge to hire self-drive, zero-emission motorboats, self-drive wooden punts or big canoes.

Canal & River Tours

Canal boat river cruises with Canal & River Tours depart from the canal basin at Waterside, where the colourful barges moor on their way around the Avon canal network. A river cruise on board will take you through the lock and lasts around 40 minutes, taking you past some of the town’s most famous landmarks, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatres and Holy Trinity Church.

Best Places for Lunch in Stratford-upon-Avon

The Barge & Quarterdeck

Pick a wood-fired pizza cooked in a Bushman oven in the stern of a barge on Stratford-upon-Avon’s Waterside. Enjoy the beer too as the boat is the brainchild of Warwickshire’s Windmill Hill Brewing Company. Beer and pizza – what’s not to love?

Rustic riverside restaurant and cafe. The restaurant serves sharing plates, burgers, “What the Flock” Cajun chicken breast with Frank’s buffalo sauce. Also Fish and Chips, BBQ brisket with Boston beans. Cheesecake, brownies and ice-cream, too. The Pantry cafe serves sandwiches, coffee, cakes, pastries.

Best Things To Do in the Afternoon in Stratford-upon-Avon

Hike the towpath along the South Stratford Canal

Peaceful and picturesque, this waterway carries canal boats north to join the North Stratford Canal and the Grand Union Canal. The towpath is a popular walking and cycling route and offers lovely views of the narrowboats, locks and the surrounding countryside. Well-known to locals, it’s a ‘hidden secret’ for visitors to discover.

The canal follows a relatively straight path from Stratford-upon-Avon to Wilmcote starting from Bancroft Basin or the steps near the Red Lion pub opposite. Follow the towpath through the countryside and through the village of Luddington , a halfway point on the way to Wilmcote – stop for refreshments at the Four Alls pub. In Wilmcote you can see the lovely cottage exterior of part of Mary Arden’s Farm , where Shakespeare’s mother grew up. Nearby is the Mary Arden Inn. The walk is just over six and a half miles (10.4 km) for the round trip, starting from the canal basin. Alternatively, catch a train back from Wilmcote to Stratford.

Best Places for Dinner in Stratford-upon-Avon

Stylish, contemporary pub, bar, and restaurant with a buzzy atmosphere, serving up delicious seasonal dishes on its pub food menus. Think pan-fried scallops with fennel, sticky beef dumpling with soy, fresh Italian burrata. Or save the scallops for a main of maple-glazed, slow-cooked pork belly with scallops. Also pizzas, burgers, real ales, cocktails.

No.44 Brasserie, Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon

No.44 Brasserie on the Waterside

Fresh, contemporary food and flavours are the signatures of this classy brasserie in the Arden Hotel, opposite the RSC theatres. Menus feature plates to share – five to six between two are recommended. The hotel also has a welcoming bar, complimentary parking and electric car chargers.

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THE 5 BEST Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Rides & Cruises

Boat rides & cruises in stratford-upon-avon.

Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Gondola Cruises
Kayaking & Canoeing
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Hidden Gems
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Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.

1. Canal and River Tours

2. Bancroft Cruisers

3. Avon Boating

4. Countess of Evesham Boat Tours

5. SUP Stratford

6. Excellence Afloat at Valley Cruises

7. 369 VIP tours

What travellers are saying.

369 VIP tours
Canal and River Tours
Bancroft Cruisers
Avon Boating
Countess of Evesham Boat Tours
SUP Stratford

Office Open 10AM - 4:30PM | Mon - Thurs

BOATING OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 10AM - 4:30PM

River Cruises

This is one of the most naturally beautiful and un-spoilt stretches of navigable river anywhere in the UK so come and enjoy it aboard some of the country’s finest Edwardian passenger vessels.

Dog Friendly

7 days a week from 10 AM - 4 PM

& Couples Activity

River Cruises & Private Charter

Our famous fleet of traditional vessels take you on a sightseeing tour on which you will enjoy stunning and unique views of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church as well as experiencing the tranquility of the countryside, which the river Avon passes through as it winds its way towards Alveston.

Public River Cruises

£7 - £10 per person

Enjoy a 30 minute cruise aboard one of our traditional Edwardian passenger launches. Cruise downstream past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church.

Small Group Private Charter

£120.00 - £180.00 per group
2-12 people

Private 45 Minute cruise for a group to a maximum of 12 aboard our historic Edwardian vessel ‘SWAN OF AVON’. The cruise will follow the same route as our popular public sightseeing tour.

Large Group Private Charter

Bespoke Cruises For Your Group

Enjoy a 45 or 90 minute cruise aboard one of our traditional Edwardian passenger launches. Cruise downstream past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church and upstream passing under the 15th Century Clopton Bridge.

Gin Tasting Cruises

£30.00 per person

We are partnering with the local company Shakespeare Distillery to offer Gin Tasting Cruises to the public.

These cruises will take place every two weeks, starting in April through to October.

Operational Times and Locations

Public Cruises operate from Mid March to the end of October.

Cruises can be boarded from the Bancroft Gardens everyday throughout this period with two or three boats available to board every 15-30 minutes, weather and river conditions permitting.

During peak periods, we also operate from our Boathouse on Swan’s Nest Lane.

If you have booked a private charter either location can be used for boarding, depending on what is most convenient to you.

Electric Powered Boats

Our fleet used extensively for public trips are electric powered, meaning they are quiet and vibration free and a more enjoyable experience for all onboard.

Our boats are zero emission and are therefore kinder to the river and its wonderful ecosystem.

For further information please see our Terms and Conditions .

River Safety – Children must be accompanied by someone who is at least 18 years old. All children under the age of 16, non-swimmers and those with reduced mobility must wear a lifejacket, which will be supplied free of charge. Lifejackets and buoyancy aids are freely available to all who wish to have them.

Opening Times

(Opening hours may be extended on busier days)

Office Hours

9am to 4pm, Monday to Thursday.

Get In Touch

Swan’s Nest Boathouse,
Swan's Nest Lane,
Stratford-upon-Avon,

Useful Links

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River cruises and boating in Stratford-upon-Avon

There are several companies offering scenic river cruises and boating trips on the River Avon.

Sightseeing cruises

Several different companies offer boating and sightseeing cruises on the River Avon. These cruises are a good value and allow you to see Stratford from a different perspective. These cruises go under the Clopton and Tramway Bridges, past the Royal Shakespeare Theatres and the Recreation Ground and into the Warwickshire countryside just outside town.

Avon Boating operate 40-minute cruises departing from their base on the eastern bank of the River Avon near the Swan’s Nest Hotel. They use traditional open-top Edwardian vessels that are a lovely way to travel on the river when the weather is good. These cruises operate mid-March to late-October and cost £7.

Avon Boating also operate a gin cruise in conjunction with the Shakespeare Distillery . This one-hour cruise includes a guided tasting of three different gins from the Shakespeare Distillery plus a gin and tonic in a souvenir glass to take home. The gin cruise costs £22.50.

Bancroft Cruisers depart from their mooring near the Crowne Plaza Hotel. They use an enclosed canal barge that features a fully-licensed bar and you can have an afternoon tea or cream tea as part of your cruise. The 45-minute cruise costs £7.

As the name would suggest, Canal & River Tours operate not just on the river but also along the canal. This company operates with a newer purpose-built boat that is fully-enclosed making it a better option if the weather is not so great. The 40-minute cruise departs from the canal basin at the northern end of Bancroft Gardens. Cruises with Canal & River Tours cost £7.

The Countess of Evesham is a 21m- (70ft)-long restaurant cruiser that operates a 1½-hour River Avon cruise from Stratford-upon-Avon to Luddington and back. This cruise is more expensive than the others (£23.50–39.50 depending on the meal and the day of the cruise and it is cheaper at lunchtime on weekdays and more expensive on Saturday evenings) but it is a longer cruise than the others and the price includes a proper meal.

What is the best River Avon sightseeing cruise for you?

The best of the sightseeing cruises depends on what you want from your cruise.

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced cruise then you should consider the Avon Boating cruise if the weather is nice but opt for the Canal & River Tours cruise if it looks like it may rain.

If you want a cruise with a meal, then Bancroft Cruisers is a great option for afternoon tea or cream tea and the Countess of Evesham is a great choice if you want a full meal. If you’re not after a meal but would like a drink, then Bancroft Cruisers is a good option as there is a bar on board and Avon Boating’s gin cruise is a great option if you love gin.

Boat rental

If you prefer to do it yourself, you can rent rowing boats, punts and small motorboats from Avon Boating.

Rowing boats are a delightful way to explore the River Avon and Avon Boating also rents Cambridge-style punts that hold up to six people. Rowing boat and punt rental both cost £7 per person per hour.

If you prefer to take it a little easier, you can rent an outboard motorboat or an electric launch. Outboard motorboat rental costs £25 per half-hour but this can include up to five people and electric launches cost £50 per 40-minute period, which includes up to six people.

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Bancroft Cruisers

Guided sightseeing cruises and private charters in stratford-upon-avon.

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Bespoke Event Charters on The River Avon

We offer Bespoke Private Event Charters

On your private charter we will ensure you enjoy the charm and beauty of historic Shakespeare’s hometown with Bancroft Cruisers, Stratford upon Avon’s only river trip with a live tour guide. Sit back and relax as you enjoy the glorious Warwickshire countryside from the comfort of our heated cruiser. On our one hour to five hour cruises, we provide a fantastic river experience – complete with expert guides and delicious food. [start first column]

Private Funeral Ceremonies – bookings now being taken

All our cruises depart from our mooring at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Stratford-upon-Avon.

Close to the Tourist Information Centre. Bridgefoot, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 6YR

WHEELCHAIR LIFT FROM MOORING TO CABIN

Dogs welcome onboard

Here are a few things that may interest you –

Private charters
Corporate charters
Party Cruises
Hen Parties
Ashes Scattering Ceremonies

WHAT DO OUR CUSTOMERS THINK OF US?? CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR TESTIMONIALS

[end first column] [start second column]

The kettle is always on and pre-booked Traditional Cream or Afternoon Teas, buffets & canapes offered on all cruises. We also offer BBQ cruises.

We’re always pretty busy so please get in touch to discuss your cruise and our availability. Private Charters of up to 5 hours can be booked throughout the day or evening. Get in touch for more information or a quote. [end second column]

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Days Out and Tours
River Boat Cruises & Trips
River Dinner Cruises

Stratford-upon-Avon River Boat Cruise For Two

Flexible Booking
Instant Delivery
Free Exchanges

Hop aboard a traditional vessel for some relaxed River Avon sightseeing in historic Stratford-upon-Avon.

Cruise downstream past the famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church (the site of Shakespeare’s tomb), before turning around and passing under the 15th century Clopton Bridge. Audio tours are available for you to learn more about the sights and sounds of Avon as you go.

What's Included

Take a relaxed 30 minute cruise of the River Avon with Avon Boating Ltd
Pass by the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church
Head back upstream under the historic Clopton Bridge
Audio guides available to discover more
Experience gift pack including personalised voucher and message card

What happens on the day?

Your river cruise departs from moorings at Bancroft Gardens, with trips commencing at 10.30 and running every 20 to 30 minutes subsequently.

The river cruise departs from the moorings at Bancroft Gardens. Trips commence 11.00 and run every 20 to 30 minutes subsequently. Simply present your voucher to the crew from Avon Boating Ltd for entry to the cruise. The trip lasts for 30 minutes and includes a cruise downstream past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church, before turning around and heading upstream under the 15th century Clopton Bridge into the countryside. The cruise then returns to the moorings on Bancroft Gardens where you’ll disembark.

Participant guidelines

Under 16s must be accompanied by a full paying adult
Due to the historic nature of the boats there is no wheelchair access for anyone who is wheelchair bound. There are a couple of steps onto the boat and they can store wheelchairs separately for anyone who can walk very short distances and are able to negotiate the steps. Crew members are always available at the boarding point to assist with boarding and alighting the boat. They are happy for customers to contact them for more details about access for those with limited mobility
The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary

Availability

Your voucher is valid for 12 months from the issue date.

The season runs seven days a week from 1 April to 31 October, with trips commencing at 10.30 and running every 20 to 30 minutes.

Please allow approximately 30 minutes to enjoy the River Cruise.

What about insurance?

The centres contracted with us hold public liability insurance. We also hold contingency liability cover. You will not be liable for accidental damage to equipment, except where damage has been caused as a result of recklessness or wilful negligence.

Please ensure you are familiar with the terms and conditions of the experience.

How it works

All you have to do is pay for the experience you wish to purchase and we’ll send a voucher and booking information to you or directly to the recipient, then you just need to check the info and book your experience.

Customer Reviews

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Find out what others have to say about this experience

lovely short cruise down the river

lovely 20 minute cruise down the river weather was very good so we were able to relax and look at the sites down the river bank whilst enjoying an ice cream

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460 Years Ago, Shakespeare Was Born Here. Or Somewhere.

Every year, millions flock to Stratford-upon-Avon, England, to visit the house known as Shakespeare’s Birthplace. But was he really born there? A whole industry depends on it.

A black-and-white photo of a dilapidated three-story Tudor-style house with a steep shingled roof, a building believed to be Shakespeare’s birthplace, before it was renovated in the late 1800s.

By Elizabeth Winkler

Sometime in the late 18th century, a sign appeared outside a shambly butcher’s hut in the English town of Stratford-upon-Avon: “The Immortal Shakspeare was born in this house,” it announced, using a then common spelling of his name. Devotees began making pilgrimages — dropping to their knees, weeping, singing odes: “Untouched and sacred be thy shrine, Avonian Willy, bard Divine!”

A tradesman grew rich selling carvings from a local mulberry tree, like pieces of the true cross. Some skeptics suspected that the sign was part of a scheme to bring visitors to Stratford; others wondered if it had been hung by the property’s occupant. A local antiquarian criticized the whole scene as “a design to extort pecuniary gratuities from the credulous and unwary.”

Pilgrims flocked to the house, and it became a site so hallowed that one visitor warned that the veneration of Shakespeare threatened to eclipse that of God:

Yet steals a sigh, as reason weighs/ The fame to Shakespeare given,/ That thousands, worshippers of him,/ Forget to worship Heaven!

About 250 years after its break from the Catholic Church, England had its own Bethlehem and manger.

The problem: No one really knows where Shakespeare was born.

Mock Tudors and magic wands

Stratford-upon-Avon lies two hours northwest of London in the Midlands, more or less the heart of England. Today, it is one of Britain’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing up to three million visitors a year. The Birthplace is its main attraction, followed by the cottage reputed to be the place where Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, grew up.

Stratford exudes Elizabethan kitsch, with souvenir shops and half-timbered buildings. In the 19th century, the Victorians tried to make Stratford look more “authentic,” which has left it teeming with mock Tudors.

It’s a town whose economy and identity revolve around Shakespearean fervor, which peaks every year on April 23, the date celebrated as Shakespeare’s birthday. It is also, conveniently, St. George’s Day , honoring the patron saint of England.

On my first visit in June 2021, I passed the Hathaway Tea Rooms and a cafe called the Food of Love, a cutesy name taken from “Twelfth Night” (“If music be the food of love, play on”). Confusingly, there were also several Harry Potter-themed shops. Stratford and Hogwarts, quills and wands, poems and spells . Then again, maybe the conflation was apt: Wasn’t Shakespeare a sort of boy wizard, magically endowed with inexplicable powers?

On Henley Street, I arrived at the Birthplace, a half-timbered house yellowed with age. Today, it looks like a single detached building, but it was originally a row of tenements. John Shakespeare bought one tenement on the street in 1556, though he also bought property on nearby Greenhill Street, which could just as easily have been the site of his son’s birth. He bought the property thought to be the Birthplace in 1575, 11 years after his son was born.

Those who believe in the Birthplace point to a record from 1552 showing that a John Shakespeare was fined for keeping a dung heap somewhere on Henley Street. It doesn’t specify the location, but that dung heap has fueled a theory that he must have been living there at the time of his son’s birth, perhaps as a renter.

Similarly, the claim for the authenticity of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage rests on a record that a John Hathaway leased the 90-acre farm on which the building stood 13 years before Anne was born in about 1556. The cottage may well be linked to the Hathaways, but there is no proof that Anne actually grew up in it, just as there is none that Shakespeare was born in the house on Henley Street.

Together, these traditions have sustained Stratford’s tourist industry, worth about $315 million in 2019, before the pandemic. But they have not convinced many skeptics over the years.

“Stratford permits — indeed encourages — one of the biggest frauds in England to rage unchecked,” the journalist Bernard Levin railed in The Daily Mail in 1965. “I mean those two monumental frauds, ‘Shakespeare’’s Birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.”

It didn’t help that hucksters have found ways to make the story profitable. In the early 19th century, a tenant of the Birthplace named Mrs. Hornby ran a lucrative hustle showing and selling Shakespeare’s “relics” to gullible visitors. The relics were eventually exposed in an 1848 article in Bentley’s Miscellany , which observed that four different chairs, each purporting to be “Shakespeare’s chair,” had been sold over the years, each made by a well-known local craftsman.

I entered through the Shakespeare Centre, a strange museum that acts as an antechamber to the Birthplace. There were no books owned by Shakespeare or letters in Shakespeare’s hand, because none are known to exist. Instead, a glass case displayed eight Shakespeare busts dating from 1844 to 2000. Another case featured a Shakespeare beer mug (1933), Shakespeare playing cards (1974) and a Shakespeare action figure made in China (2003).

Inside the Birthplace, I went from room to room with the other visitors. Guides regaled us with tales of Shakespeare’s childhood — how he played and ate and dreamed in these rooms. Of course, his childhood is actually a yawning blank: From his baptism in 1564 to his marriage in 1582, there are no records of him. In one room, a table displayed books, quills and ink, indicating a family of learning — but his parents signed documents with a mark, like many illiterate people in Tudor England.

The other visitors murmured to one another in reverent museum whispers and nodded at the guides. I thought of how, in the late 19th century, a Birthplace custodian named Joseph Skipsey resigned his post after a few months, explaining that “not a single one of the many so-called relics on exhibition could be proved to be Shakspere’s” and that “the Birthplace itself is a matter of grave doubt.”

The power of popular faith

Efforts to preserve the property as the official Birthplace began in 1847, when it was put up for sale. In response to fears that P.T. Barnum was going to buy it and make it part of a show, a committee was formed to “save” the house for the nation, and the group began to solicit donations.

Not everyone was convinced. “The extraordinary sensation caused by the purchase of this shabby sausage-shop deserves a prominent place amongst popular delusions,” declared the 1848 Bentley’s Miscellany article . A writer for another British periodical mocked the gullibility of a nation pouring forth funds to buy a “rubbishing mass of lath and plaster in which the Poet was no more born than was the Man in the Moon himself.”

But the belief had already become an article of faith, strengthened by its own repetition. The Birthplace was a better shrine for the very absence of evidence — for the faith it required of its visitors — the publisher Charles Knight wrote at the time. That same year, the committee secured the Birthplace at auction for 3,000 pounds, worth about $323,000 today .

The “shabby sausage-shop” made an uninspiring temple. So the adjoining premises were demolished, walls moved, floorboards replaced, new doorways and staircases created. Its new stewards transformed it into the large, comfortable home of a prosperous Elizabethan family, leaving the cellar as “the only portion which remains as it was,” as the scholar Sidney Lee wrote in 1901. What emerged was less a Tudor dwelling than a Victorian imagination of one.

The committee became the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust , the group that still runs the site, and maintains its authenticity. “We know that, to the best of our current understanding, the building includes the surviving fabric of a property that is traditionally and intimately associated with Shakespeare and his family,” said a spokesman for the trust.

The trust went on to acquire more properties, including Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a thatched farmhouse where visitors are invited to “relive Shakespeare’s love story.”

A temple to baby Shakespeare

“This is the room where we believe William Shakespeare was born in April 1564,” read a sign in the Birthroom. Next to the bed stood a cradle laid out with blankets and a tiny pillow, encouraging visitors to imagine the baby genius mewling by his parents’ side. For the Victorians, the Birthroom offered the mystical possibility of contact with the poet. Visitors recorded melodramatic accounts of what they felt on entering the room: They burst into tears. They fell down. They kissed the floor. Those desiring a more extended communion spent the night.

Others were unimpressed. “If I were to allude to Stratford, it would not be in connection with the fact that Shakespeare came into the world there,” wrote the novelist Henry James after visiting. “It would be rather to speak of a delightful old house near the Avon which struck me as the ideal home for a Shakespearean scholar.”

But the fantasy is resilient. In a 2023 PBS documentary, “ Making Shakespeare: The First Folio ,” the scholar Michael Dobson, director of the Shakespeare Institute, stood in the Birthplace, gushing over “the very room in which Shakespeare was born.”

I shuffled around the cradle with the other visitors, unsure of what to do. Were we supposed to genuflect? Kiss it? After an appropriate amount of staring, we moved on.

To exit, I had to pass through the gift shop, where any lingering sense of piety dissipated in a tidal wave of consumerism. Visitors were loading up on Shakespeare T-shirts, breakfast teas and tea towels. Shakespeare rubber ducks and windup toys. Shakespeare Christmas ornaments, baby onesies, tote bags and luxury chocolates. Belief is good business.

When I returned to Stratford last February, little had changed since my first visit. The Shakespeare Centre was now showing modern artists’ interpretations of the poet, including a Surrealist painting of a masked figure that suggested the mystery surrounding him. The trinket stands were still hawking their modern versions of those 18th-century mulberry tree carvings. Faith in the traditions is bound up with desire — the need to believe.

Where was “the Immortal Shakspeare” really born? Stories are usually more seductive than the truth.

Sheelagh McNeill contributed research.

Elizabeth Winkler is a journalist, a critic and the author of “ Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies: How Doubting the Bard Became the Biggest Taboo in Literature .”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

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Norilsk: The city built by gulag prisoners where Russia guards its Arctic secrets

Environmental activists are frustrated by how authorities handled a diesel spill which poured into two Arctic rivers in late May.

International correspondent @DiMagnaySky

Friday 3 July 2020 23:41, UK

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Arctic suffers worst ever industrial spill

The drive from Norilsk airport to the city takes you past mile after mile of crumbling, Soviet-era factories.

It looks like an endless, rusting scrapyard - a jumble of pipes, industrial junk and frost-bitten brickwork. If you were looking for an industrial apocalypse film setting, this would be your place - but you're unlikely to get the permissions.

Norilsk was built in Stalin's times by gulag prisoners. This gritty industrial city is a testament to their endurance both of the cruelty of Stalin's regime and of the harsh polar climate. There were no thoughts then on how to build to protect the environment, just to survive it.

Norilsk in Russia. Pic: Anastasya Leonova

Vasily Ryabinin doesn't think much has changed, at least in ecological terms. He used to work for the local branch of the federal environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, but quit in June after exposing what he says was a failure to investigate properly the environmental impact of the gigantic diesel spill which poured into two Arctic rivers in late May.

At 21,000 tonnes, it was the largest industrial spill in the polar Arctic .

Despite the Kremlin declaring a federal emergency and sending a host of different agencies to participate in the clean-up, just last week Mr Ryabinin and activists from Greenpeace Russia found another area where technical water used in industrial processes was being pumped directly into the tundra from a nearby tailing pond. Russia's investigative committee has promised to investigate.

"The ecological situation here is so bad," Mr Ryabinin says.

"The latest constructions such as the tailing pond at the Talnack ore-processing plant were built exclusively by Nornickel chief executive Vladimir Potanin's team and supposedly in accordance with ecological standards, but on satellite images you can see that all the lakes in the vicinity have unnatural colours and obviously something has got into them."

Nornickel Plant and container (on the left) which had the leak. Pic: Anastasya Leonova

Mining company Nornickel would disagree. It has admitted flagrant violations at the tailing pond and suspended staff it deems responsible at both the Talnack plant and at Norilsk Heat and Power plant no 3 where the diesel spill originated from.

On Thursday it appointed Andrey Bougrov, from its senior management board, to the newly-created role of senior vice president for environmental protection. It has a clear environmental strategy, provides regular updates on the status of the spill, and its Twitter feed is filled with climate-related alerts.

But what investors read is very different to the picture on the ground.

21,000 tonnes of diesel oil has spilled into two rivers in Norilsk

Norilsk used to be a closed city - one of dozens across the Soviet Union shut off to protect industrial secrets. Foreigners need special permissions approved by the Federal Security Service (FSB) to enter the region. It would take an invitation from Nornickel to make that happen and, for the past month since the spill, that has not been forthcoming.

Unlike in Soviet times, Russian citizens are now free to come and go. That's why our Sky News Moscow team were able to fly in and travel around the city, even if getting to the spill site was blocked. What they were able to film provides a snapshot of the immense challenge Russia faces in upgrading its Soviet-era industrial infrastructure, particularly at a time when climate change is melting the permafrost on which much of it was built.

The Russian city of Norilsk. Pic: Anastasya Leonova

Just downwind from one of the rusting factories on the city outskirts is a huge expanse of dead land. The skeletal remains of trees stand forlorn against the howling Arctic winds. Sulphur dioxide poisoning has snuffed the life out of all that lived here. Norilsk is the world's worst emitter of sulphur dioxide by a substantial margin.

"For 80km south of here everything is dead," Mr Ryabinin says, "and for at least 10km in that direction too. Everything here depends on the wind."

Sample took by Vasily Ryabinin near the Nornickel plant in Norilsk, Russia, on the day of an accident. Pic: Vasily Ryabinin

Immediately after the spill, Mr Ryabinin filmed and took samples from the Daldykan river just a few kilometres from the fuel tank which had leaked. By that point the river was a churning mix of diesel and red sludge dredged up from the riverbed by the force of the leak. Norilsk's rivers have turned red before and the chemical residues have sunk to the bottom, killing all life there. Nothing has lived in those rivers for decades.

In his capacity as deputy head of the local environmental watchdog, Mr Ryabinin says he insisted that he be allowed to fly further north to check the levels of contamination in Lake Pyasino and beyond.

Nornickel at the time claimed the lake was untouched by the spill. Mr Ryabinin says his boss encouraged him to let things be.

"I can't be sure I would have found anything, but this sort of confrontation - making sure I didn't go there with a camera, let alone with bottles for taking samples, it was all very clear to me. It was the final straw."

Rosprirodnadzor refused to comment to Sky News on Mr Ryabinin's allegations or suggestions that the agency was working hand in hand with Nornickel.

The Nornickel plant and the place where diesel meets red water (polluted by other chemicals). Pic: Vasily Ryabinin

Georgy Kavanosyan is an environmental blogger with a healthy 37,000 following on YouTube. Shortly after the spill, he set out for Lake Pyasino and to the Pyasina River beyond to see how far the diesel had spread.

"We set out at night so that the Norilsk Nickel security wouldn't detect us. I say at night, but they've got polar nights there now, north of the Arctic Circle. So it's still light but it's quieter and we managed to go past all the cordons."

He is one of the few to have provided evidence that the diesel has in fact travelled far beyond where the company admits. Not just the 1,200km (745m) length of Lake Pyasino but into the river beyond.

He says his measurements indicated a volume of hydrocarbons dissolved in the water of between two and three times normal levels. He thinks after he published his findings on YouTube, the authorities' vigilance increased.

Greenpeace Russia have spent the last two weeks trying to obtain samples from Lake Pyasino and the surrounding area. They have faced difficulties getting around and flying their samples out for independent analysis.

They are now waiting for results from a laboratory in St Petersburg but say the samples remain valid technically for just four days after collection and that they weren't able to make that deadline due to the authorities' actively obstructing their work.

Vasily Ryabinin and Elena Sakirko from Greenpeace. Pic: Anastasya Leonova

Elena Sakirko from Greenpeace Russia specialises in oil spills and says this has happened to her before. This time, a police helicopter flew to the hunter's hut where they were staying and confiscated the fuel for the boat they were using. Then a deputy for the Moscow city parliament tasked with bringing the samples back from Norilsk was forced to go back empty-handed.

"We were told at the airport we needed permission from the security department of Nornickel," Ms Sakirko says. "We asked them to show us some law or statement to prove that this was legal or what the basis for this was, but they haven't showed us anything and we still don't understand it."

Nornickel announced this week that the critical stage of the diesel spill is over. The company is now finalising dates for a press tour for foreign media and for other international environmentalists.

Mr Ryabinin thinks this should have happened weeks ago.

"If we don't let scientists come to the Arctic region to evaluate the impact of the accident, then in the future if anything similar happens, we won't know what to do."

A spokesperson for Nornickel said the company "is actively cooperating with the scientific community and will meticulously assess both the causes and effects of the accident."

Nornickel considers permafrost thawing to be the primary cause of the accident, but is waiting for the end of investigation before making a final statement, the spokesperson said.

They added that the company "accepts full responsibility for the incidents on its sites these past two months and holds itself accountable for any infrastructural deficits or poor decisions by personnel.

"The imperative is to do everything to clean up our sites, instil a stronger culture of transparency and safety in our workforce, and ensure that such situations do not occur in the future."

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Boat Trips on the River
Boat Trips on the River. Experience Stratford from the River Avon, a cruise is a lovely trip to enhance your tour of Stratford. Choose from 4 local providers: Canal and River Tours. We all associate Stratford upon Avon with Shakespeare but not everyone is aware of the town's central role in the busy waterways of the Industrial revolution.
Stratford's ONLY canal and river trip
in Stratford-upon-Avon on Trip advisor Stratford's Only Canal and River Boat Trip Hourly Departures From 11am Open weekends to 10th February, then open every day. Experience an actual working lock. Departs every weekend during the winter from the historic canal basin in the most beautiful part of town.
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Our Boat & River Avon Cruise A unique experience awaits you in the historic town of Stratford upon Avon. Countess of Evesham is a popular, well established family run 70ft restaurant cruiser. Enjoy the peace, tranquility and enchanting views whilst aboard the Restaurant Boat cruising some of the most delightful stretches of the gently flowing River Avon.
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River Cruises - Bancroft Gardens. River Frontage next to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Waterside, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 6NA. (Public River Cruises) Get Directions. Avon Boating provide river boat cruises, boat hire and boat trips on the River Avon in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire.
Public River Cruises
Swans Nest, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 7LS. (Booked Trips, Small Boat Hire, Head Office) Get Directions. River Cruises - Bancroft Gardens. River Frontage next to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Waterside, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 6NA. (Public River Cruises) Get Directions. Opening Times. Boat Hire. BOATING OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 10AM - 4:30PM
Cruise Times & Menus
Cruising down the enchanting River Avon Welcome to our cruise on board the Countess of Evesham. During the cruise we will be passing through three locks*. Our first lock, the Stratford Basin opened on 24 June 1816, restoration being undertaken from 1961 to 1964, which led to the reopening of the Stratford/Birmingham Canal by Her Majesty the Queen Mother on 11 June 1964.
Stratford-upon-Avon: All Aboard on the River Avon
Discover the beauty of Stratford-upon-Avon from a new angle with a scenic River Avon cruise or zero-emission, self-drive boat hire. See historic landmarks, walk a canal towpath. ... where the colourful barges moor on their way around the Avon canal network. A river cruise on board will take you through the lock and lasts around 40 minutes ...
THE 5 BEST Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Rides & Cruises
Avon Boating. ... is a beautiful craft and the trip was quiet and leisurely, with fabulous views of the river and surrounding scenery. 4. Countess of Evesham Boat Tours. 5. SUP Stratford. Fantastic SUP Paddle Boarding Experience on the hottest day of the year on the River Avon. 6.
One Hour Sightseeing Cruises with Live Commentary
Sightseeing Cruises last 45 minutes or one-hour and depart from the landing stage at the Crowne Plaza hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon. On your river cruise you pass through Stratford's two historic bridges, Clopton and Tramway, wend your way past the Royal Shakespeare Theatres down to Holy Trinity church where William Shakespeare is buried and ...
River Cruises
Small Group Private Charter. £120.00 - £180.00 per group. 2-12 people. Private 45 Minute cruise for a group to a maximum of 12 aboard our historic Edwardian vessel 'SWAN OF AVON'. The cruise will follow the same route as our popular public sightseeing tour. LEARN MORE.
Book online or pay on board.
Book your tickets in seconds online for the only River Avon tour that goes through stratford's canal historic lock. Find us in Bancroft Gardens. Home Our trips Contacts/Location FAQs Refreshments Book Tickets You can book online here or turn up and pay onboard by card or cash. There will be more availability on the day for passengers that ...
River Boat Trips & Cruises
River Boat Trips: Stratford-upon-Avon. AVON BOATING LTD. Enjoy a cruise aboard one of the traditional Edwardian passenger launches from Stratford-upon-Avon. Cruise downstream past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church (the site of Shakespeare's tomb) before turning around and passing under the 15th Century Clopton Bridge.
River Avon CruisesBancroft Cruisers
We have fantastic caterers and ensure your cruise is a success. Cruises starts and finish at the quay at Crowne Plaza Stratford-upon-Avon, just a 5-minute walk from Stratford's main coach and car park. People we like and think you'd like too: Go Cotswolds Unique! Go Cotswolds is the only tour operator offering scheduled, guided minibus day ...
River cruises and boating in Stratford-upon-Avon
The 40-minute cruise departs from the canal basin at the northern end of Bancroft Gardens. Cruises with Canal & River Tours cost £7. The Countess of Evesham is a 21m- (70ft)-long restaurant cruiser that operates a 1½-hour River Avon cruise from Stratford-upon-Avon to Luddington and back. This cruise is more expensive than the others (£23.50 ...
Bespoke Event Charters on The River Avon
On your private charter we will ensure you enjoy the charm and beauty of historic Shakespeare's hometown with Bancroft Cruisers, Stratford upon Avon's only river trip with a live tour guide. Sit back and relax as you enjoy the glorious Warwickshire countryside from the comfort of our heated cruiser. On our one hour to five hour cruises, we ...
Stratford-upon-Avon River Boat Cruise For Two
Hop aboard a traditional vessel for some relaxed River Avon sightseeing in historic Stratford-upon-Avon. Cruise downstream past the famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church (the site of Shakespeare's tomb), before turning around and passing under the 15th century Clopton Bridge.
Was Shakespeare Really Born in This Stratford-upon-Avon House?
Henley Street, one place in Stratford-upon-Avon where Shakespeare's father owned property. The Birthplace, which now looks like a single detached home, was a row of tenements in the mid-1500s ...
Stratford's ONLY canal and river trip
Hour Sunset Cruise on the River Avon. Exclusive evening trip with bar and music. Departs at 17:30 on Fridays * and 18.00 on Saturdays *. Enjoy an early evening trip through one of the most beautiful stretches of river in the UK, for a perfect start to your evening in Stratford upon Avon. Featuring: Spacious, modern, 60 seat wide-beam river boat.
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A culinary tour of Stratford upon Avon. Flag. The Coach House. Dating back over 477 years, The Coach House won "Best Pub" in the 2022 Foodie Awards and took a finalist spot in the 2023 ...
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Stratford's ONLY canal and river trip
Stratford-upon-Avon Trip advisor Stratford's Only Canal and River Boat Trip Hourly Departures Every Day From 11am. Experience an actual working lock. Departs every day from the historic canal basin in the most beautiful part of town. Boarding starts at 5mins to the hour, with standard tours lasting approximately 40 minutes. ...
96L6E Radar, S-400
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Norilsk: The city built by gulag prisoners where Russia guards its
Norilsk was built in Stalin's times by gulag prisoners. This gritty industrial city is a testament to their endurance both of the cruelty of Stalin's regime and of the harsh polar climate.