river avon boat trips stratford

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 Tours

Boat tours in stratford-upon-avon.

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1. Canal and River Tours

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3. Avon Boating

4. Countess of Evesham Boat Tours

5. Excellence Afloat at Valley Cruises

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Canal and River Tours
Bancroft Cruisers
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Excellence Afloat at Valley Cruises

The River Avon flows south west from Northamptonshire through to Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire before linking up to the River Severn in Gloucestershire. It has junctions with the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal at the top of the navigation, and the River Severn at the bottom, to form part of a navigable ‘ring’ that includes the Worcester and Birmingham Canal.

The Avon Ring

The Avon Ring travels through the heart of England and passes through some of the prettiest countryside and most famous sights in southern England, including the Malvern Hills and the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon.

The ring follows the River Avon from Stratford-upon-Avon, through Evesham to Tewkesbury. At Tewkesbury, it joins the River Severn to Worcester and on to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal. The ring then meanders through Worcestershire and Warwickshire to the outskirts of Birmingham where it joins the Stratford-upon-Avon canal and back to Stratford-upon-Avon. This trip is some 109 miles, including 130 locks and 60 hours cruising, which takes around 10/11 days to complete. Is it possible t

Approximate distances

Stratford-upon-Avon Canal (from Bancroft Basin to King's Norton Junction) - 25.5 miles, 55 locks.
Worcester & Birmingham Canal (from King's Norton Junction to Diglis Junction) - 24.5 miles, 56 locks.
River Severn (at Diglis Junction to Evesham Lock junction with the Lower River Avon) - 16 miles, 1 lock.
Lower River Avon (at Evesham Lock to junction with the Upper River Avon) - 25 miles, 7 locks.
Upper River Avon (to Bancroft Basin junction of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal): 110 yards 1 lock.
Upper River Avon (to the junction with the Lower River Avon): 18 miles 10 locks.

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

Boat rides & cruises in stratford-upon-avon.

Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Gondola Cruises
Kayaking & Canoeing
5.0 of 5 bubbles
4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
Good for Couples
Good for Big Groups
Honeymoon spot
Good for Kids
Budget-friendly
Good for a Rainy Day
Hidden Gems
Adventurous
Good for Adrenaline Seekers
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
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SUP Stratford

Enhance your tour of the Cotswolds with a leisure cruise on one of the Cotswolds rivers including the Avon, Severn and Thames.

See below a list of local companies offering River Cruising and Trips.

Hotel Boat Cruising

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.

Once through the bridge, the scenery changes as you are carried upstream to discover quiet river-banks and meadows with glimpses of large secluded houses and beautiful river-side gardens.

For more information see - www.avon-boating.co.uk

NATIONAL WATERWAYS MUSEUM

Experience the fascination of Gloucester waterways at first hand on a 45-minute long trips along the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.

Boat trips depart from the National Waterways Museum (at Gloucester Docks) between April and October, accompanied by expert commentary on the history of the canal. Times and availabilty vary with up to three sailings a day during peak periods. Please check with the museum by telephoning 01452 318200 before planning your trip.

Combined boat trip and museum entry tickets are also available.

For further information see - www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/gloucester-docks

Enjoy the River Avon

River trips from Evesham are available from the end of March through to mid October and operate from the beautiful and award-winning Abbey Park in the centre of Evesham, with excellent facilities, shops, museums and car parking close by.

The 55 seater passenger boat – The Handsam Too – is simply the best way to enjoy the River Avon. Twenty five minute trip taking in Evesham Lock and Hampton Church.

11.00 to 16.30 on the hour and half hour.

For further information - www.handsamboatcompany.co.uk/rivertrips.html

Short Cruise on the River Thames

Trips are available from Lechlade (subject to weather and river conditions) aboard the Thames launch Inglesham throughout the summer season ( 9th April to the end of September for 2011 ). The departure point is on the south bank of the river from the popular Riverside Park (by kind permission of The Cotswold Water Park Society ).

You will be taken on a relaxing and informative cruise every weekend and Bank Holidays during the season and often operate on weekdays as well during the spring & summer school holidays. Normal operating times are from 11:00 until 17:00. Car Parking is available at the Riverside Park.

For further information - www.lechladetripboat.co.uk

Oxford River Cruises on the River Thames

Take in a fascinating stretch of the River Thames from Oxford and cruise down the university regatta course towards quaint Iffley village. You will pass the ancient Folly Bridge, Christchurch College and Meadows and the university rowing houses.

This is one of the busiest and most colourful stretches of the Thames (the stretch locally known as The Isis). Rowing eights, punts, university boats and large pleasure cruisers come together in a lively display of all that the river has to offer.

For further information see - www.oxfordrivercruises.com

For an experience to remember go aboard the “Silver Salmon” for your Bath river cruise on the river Avon.

Enjoy a luxury river cruise and see the beauty of the historical city of Bath and the relaxing scenery of the countryside and wildlife down river.

The river vessel is fully equipped for safety and comfort and the moorings are very conveniently situated close to Avon Street car park, the Riverside coach park and Bath Spa station.

Every booking is tailored for your personal requirements and Bath cruises can be arranged for any duration.

Typically, a Bath river cruise of up to 2 hours takes in the sights of the city where we sail right into the weir at Pulteney bridge and see a variety of wildlife on the outskirts of the city. 3 hours takes us downriver through the lock at Weston island, as far as Newbridge and back, and 4 hours allows us time to go further downriver towards Saltford.

For further information see - www.avonrivercruises.co.uk

River Boat Trips & Cruises

Please Note: We do not supply Cotswold Holiday brochures - contact the local Visitor Information Centre near to where you want to stay - Click Here for Brochure contact details

This website is designed and managed by www.cotswolds.info

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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

out of 5 stars

Based on 1 review

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

Location Pin Icon

Warwickshire - Stratford-upon-Avon

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Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
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Places to visit

Stratford upon Avon

Planning your visit.

Local events

History and heritage

Things to do and see

Getting here.

Download your free local map

Address: Waterside, Bancroft Basin, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 6BB View on Google map

Price: Once you're parked up, it won't cost you a thing

Toilets: There are public toilets in the town centre

Bancroft Basin, on the Stratford upon Avon Canal , lies in the heart of historic Stratford. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and the River Avon, it's easy to miss this hidden gem. The basin is busy with colourful boats and is a great place to start your visit to Stratford and the many attractions devoted to William Shakespeare.

There's always something on - look out for the floating and Christmas markets here.

Or stop by our welcome station on the ‘William James’ to meet our volunteers and to pick up a copy of our local visitor guide.

Meet Helen and David

Boating on the Stratford upon Avon Canal

Hello Steve and Izzie

Taking part in the Stratford River Festival

Sightseeing

Places to eat:

Countess of Evesham
Shakee's ice cream barge
The Baguette Barge
Royal Shakespeare Theatre roof top restaurant

Boat trips:

Avon Boating
Bancroft Cruisers Limited
Canal and River Tours

Picnic spot:

Picnic spots can be found along the riverside and in Bancroft Gardens

Wildlife spotting:

Be ready to feed loads of ducks, moorhens and swans - just make sure you feed them something healthy ! No bread as it's bad for their tummies.

By car - pay & display car parking is available along the riverside and in the town centre

By train - Stratford upon Avon train station is a 10 minute walk down the high street to the basin

Download our free regional guides

Nine regions to choose from - over 120 fantastic places to visit

South Stratford Canal

Admit it, you're discovering a whole new canal...

Local Events

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

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

Rowing Boats

Avon Boating have one of the largest fleets of self-hire rowing boats, in the country.

Our large fleet of boats are lovingly maintained by our in-house boat builders and we are proud to watch people enjoying them throughout the season. Pre-booking not available.

Rowing boats are not available for advance booking, they will be allocated on a first come first serve basis on the day via our queue line.

1 hour hire
Children Age 4-15
Family 2 Adults and up to 3 Children
Minimum Charge

Boat Capacities

There are two types of boats available:

Single Rowing Boats – up to 4 people
Double Rowing Boats – up to 6 people

The operator reserves the right to refuse the hire of any boat, at their absolute discretion.

For further information see our Terms and Conditions .

Dog Friendly

7 days a week from 10 AM - 4 PM

& Couples Activity

Where to find us

Swans Nest Boathouse,

Swans Nest, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 7LS.

(Booked Trips, Small Boat Hire, Head Office)

River Frontage next to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre,

Waterside, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 6NA.

(Public River Cruises)

Please Note – Children must be accompanied by someone who is at least 18 years old.

All children under the age of 16 and non-swimmers must wear a lifejacket, supplied free of charge.

Lifejackets and buoyancy aids are available to all who wish to use them.

Friendly & Helpful Staff – Our trained boating staff are always on hand to give you a quick tutorial and information on the river.

Row past the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity church and enjoy uninterrupted and unique views from the river or simply take a peaceful trip into the countryside.

Hire for longer and enjoy a picnic along the river and explore the upper reaches of the Avon.

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

Registered in England & Wales No. 05149985 ~ VAT 844 6269 04

Web Design by TyMedia

Bancroft Cruisers

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

Click below to

Request a booking

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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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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Mumbai: Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto: The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland: The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas: Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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Stratford-upon-Avon Boat Hire

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COMMENTS

Boat Trips on the River
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Home
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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 trips of the Cotswolds from Stratford-upon-Avon.
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