William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564. The world's greatest playwright started his humble beginnings here and was probably inspired by the surroundings to which he was accustomed. William's early life in Stratford was not without its problems. William used to poach rabbits and steal from the orchards of wealthy landowners.

William Shakespeare was by no means poor. His father, John Shakespeare was a leading government official in the town. He was also a merchant for local farmers. It was due to his fathers fortunate position that William Shakespeare attended Grammar School, studying for a period of six years, learning latin and preparing the way for his poetry and career as a playwright.

William was only 18 years of age when he married Anne Hathaway. Only six months later in 1585 Anne produced twins. That very same year William left Stratford and his family. William's departure is said to have been caused by a charge of deer poaching brought against him by a wealthy landowner.

Reaching London, William Shakespeare worked at one of the most prestigious theatres in the capital. Working his way up the ranks it was not long before his talent was spotted by the Earl of Leicester's company of actors, known for their performances at the leading theatres in the London.

The rest of the William Shakespeare story is written firmly in the annals of history. He became a wealthy man, returning to Stratford in 1614 to retire due to his declining health. He died in 1616.

Alcester

Alcester is an ancient Roman town in Warwickshire. Close to Stratford on Avon it has many archaeological sites around the town. With peaceful Tudor cottages and other equally historic buildings, Alcester used to be a walled Roman town. Around the middle of the 12th century it was known for its Benedictine Monastery. This is a very picturesque market town where the rivers Alne and Arrow meet. 

Some of the finest buildings in the town are around Butter Street and Malt Hill Lane near the church with its fine Old Rectory Georgian building. The town holds an annual Mop Fair in October which lasts for two days and where the town comes to life with amusements, stalls and a variety of fair entertainment. Every May the town plays host to The Alcester Forest of Arden Food Festival.

With Stratford on Avon so close by and with a wealth of beautiful countryside surrounding Alcester there is a lot to see and do. Ragley Hall is a well known local attraction set in 400 acres of parkland and a great place for families with its adventure playground, maze and woodland walks and picnic areas. Coughton Court, owned by the National Trust is just 2 miles north of Alcester with its beautiful house and grounds and Longbarn village is home to a number of of small businesses nestling in the countryside. 

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Rugby

Situated on the River Avon there has been a settlement here since the early Iron Age. Known as Tripontium in Roman times it is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Rocheberie but what really puts Rugby on the world map is that it is known as the birthplace of Rugby football.

Essentially a small market town until recent times the centre still has a mix of old and new buildings and you can see how rapid expansion in recent years has changed the town considerably. Most of the older buildings in the town are Victorian. With a population of 70,000 this is the second largest town in the county of Warwickshire.

The Rugby Cement works on the outskirts of the town is now part of the Cemex Company and is one of the largest cement works of its type in Europe. Residents near the large complex are used to waking up in the morning to find their cars covered in a fine layer of cement dust. Some would argue that this blights the landscape on what would otherwise have been a pleasant location to live.

Once in the town though you have wide pedestrian walkways and an abundance of places to eat from small cafes to all manner of world cuisine. There are also a fair number of good pubs in the vicinity. Tourism plays an ever important role in the economy of the town and a good deal of time and effort has been spent making the centre of town more appealing to visitors.

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Atherstone

Atherstone in Warwickshire dates back to Roman times. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as being held by Countess Godiva. This pretty little market town is famous for its felt hats. Today the town is home to several large companies who use its excellent road links for distribution purposes.

Nuneaton

Nuneaton is the largest town in Warwickshire and famous for its association with the 19th century author George Eliot whose statue stands proudly in the main street. The town is situated just 9 miles from Coventry and only 20 miles from Birmingham.

The River Anker runs through the town which gets its name from a 12th century Benedictine Nunnery of which parts of the building still survive. With close proximity to Coventry and Birmingham the town was bombed heavily during the Second World War due to having munitions factories nearby.

Nuneaton used be famous for its textile and manufacturing industries. Today the town services its larger neighbours but efforts have been made to introduce trade through the multi million pound Ropewalk Shopping Centre and improvements to the town centre which has a busy street market every Wednesday and Saturday.

For more photos of Nuneaton please click here or view on You Tube