Anne Hathaway's cottage

Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, grew up in this charming cottage in Shottery near Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

The thatched-roof cottage retains its beautiful gardens filled with flowers and herbs.

Guides stand at the main entrance of Hathaway's Cottage.

An arbour made from willow branches offers shelter from the elements.

The birthplace of William Shakespeare's wife Anne, Hathaway's Cottage is in the hamlet of Shottery, a mile west of Stratford-upon-Avon, England. While widely referred to as a cottage, the structure is actually an Elizabethan farmhouse containing 12 rooms. In Shakespeare's day the cottage was known as Newlands Farm, with over 90 acres of land on the edge of the Arden Forest. With its thatched roof, timbered and bricked walls and lattice windows, the house has changed very little since Anne Hathaway's time. Parts of the building date back to 1463. Many 16th-century fireplaces remain, along with an Elizabethan carved oak bedstead, with a mattress of rush cords threaded onto a wooden frame. It is believed to be the bed on which Anne Hathaway was born.

The cottage belonged to the Hathaway family until 1892, when The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust bought it, along with its furnishings. The Trust restored the cottage to its original character. A wooden settle next to the original open hearth fireplace is believed to be the bench on which William Shakespeare courted Anne Hathaway. They married in 1582.

Footpaths from Stratford to Shottery echo the route that Shakespeare must have walked on his way to visit Anne. The cottage has retained its old-fashioned English cottage garden with perfumed flowers and herbs, as well as an adjacent orchard.

Comments

[boliyou]

Stratford-upon-Avon is one of my must-see places when my journeys take me to England. Thanks for the reminder and inspiration to go!

[Lotus]

I've so much about Stratford-upon-Avon but never really itched to visit it, until now! Those are simply gorgeous pictures - thank you for the commentary as well.

[Mike]

I love the photos and enjoyed reading about the history. Hopefully, one of these days I will get to check it out in person. Excellent blog!!

[GoGo]

I enjoyed this post. I'm loving the cottage and so want to see it for myself.

[Amy]

Gorgeous! I have always dreamed about living in a cottage like that! As for the tudor style house at the top, our house is very similar to that! :-)

[Rosa]

How utterly enchanting. Now, here, I could live. Yes, I think I would be quite happy here.

[tongue in cheek]

Ah, to take tea under a thatch roof and listen to you unwind one of your many tales of adventure, would be blissful.

[tinker]

What a charming cottage! (Impractical though they would be here in wildfire country, I am besotted by thatched roofs).
It seems rather thrilling to me, to think of treading the same ground where Shakespeare once trod - just think if those walls could speak!
Thank you so much for sharing the lovely photos and all the background information. Just two of the MANY reasons your blog is a top favorite of mine!
xox

[Jessie]

Heaven. I think it would inspire me to write great works of literature as well!

[Winters]

Hello Paris Parfait. I'm visiting from Sophie's site. It's nice to find a fellow Parisian blogger.

Nice photographs. I know the place well.

[Donna]

The roof makes it look like it belonged to a Hobbit. Simply stunning.

[swampgrrl]

i've just checked out that last coupla posts, and it is delightful to take in the sights from your trip.

Thanks for sharing,
swampgrrl

[DebR]

That house (and gardens) is so beautiful. I'd love to see it someday.

[The Bold Soul]

Is that not just the sweetest, most purely English little cottage EVER? Anne had excellent taste.

[Colette]

Gorgeous photos, Tara. I love English cottages, the smaller ones, they are somehow very comforting.
xox

[susanlavonne]

These photos are terrific!
The garden it incredible...wouldn't it be great to spend a day there without all those darned tourists?!
I have this "thing" for Will as we share a birthday :-)

[AnnieElfa]

I've seen pictures of Hathaway Cottage before and am reminded that this lovely place would make my top ten list for places to visit. Thank you for sharing this Tara. I can almost smell the fragrances of the garden floating up through my monitor screen.

[josephine]

Wow, that is so foreign looking to me, and so PRETTY!

I've no doubt the landscape lent itself to Shakespeares pen...

[bella]

Oh, beautiful pictures! I will visit one day, I know it!

[Paris Parfait]

Yes, Kamsin the orchard is adjacent to the garden.

[Kamsin]

I'm sure I remember an orchard somewhere in the garden, but then it's more than 10 years since I last went to Stratford. You're reminding me what I beautiful country I come from! Thanks!

[ally bean]

"They married in 1582."

Flip city!!

What an amazingly beautiful, old place to visit. Love the thatch roof. Don't see them too often in the states.

[Di]

Thank you... I studied Shakespeare a little and found this fascinating.

[rel]

Tara,
Spectacular photos.
My sister loves olde England almost as much as je t'adore France. She takes photos along the same vein as yours here.

And, I must admit they stimulate my imagination. Thanks for sharing.
rel

[AscenderRisesAbove]

The place is beautiful - how did you ever leave???

[naturegirl]

I now know where William Shakespeare got his inspiration when he wrote:
"I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee;
and fetch thee jewels from the
deep,
and sing, while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep."

[miss*R]

oh you lucky, lucky duck!!!! this looks gorgeous. England is one place that I would love to spend a few mths, just driving around looking at all the gorgeous places that I have read about. thanks for showing us! xo

[Laura]

You've taken me back to the summer before senior year in college, the last time I saw Anne Hathaway's cottage. It looked then as it does now. What are a few decades to a building like that? I, of course, look different ;D.
I'm glad you had such a happy holiday in England.