England
Warwickshire

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Summary
Near Stratford, and reachable on foot if you don't mind a bit of a walk, is the village of Shottery. Here you will find the small thatched house known as Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the home of Shakespeare's wife before their marriage. Say the words 'English cottage' and most people would conjure up an image of a thatched roof, timber-framed dwelling with a bit of garden in front, a picure of timeless England if ever there was one. A cottage like this one.

Though Anne Hathaway's cottage is quite a bit more than the cramped, old fashioned house you might imagine; it stretches to 12 rooms, leaving us to deduce that Anne's family were extremely well-off by the standards of the Elizabethan period. A lovely garden stands before the cottage door, featuring plants known to have been used in Shakespeare's time.

Heritage Highlights

Childhood home of Shakespeare's wife Elizabethan furnishings Tudor garden

Stratford attractions

Shakespeare's Birthplace New Place Holy Trinity church Anne Hathaway's Cottage Hall's Croft King Edward School Garrick Inn Mary Arden's House Royal Shakespeare Theatre

PHOTO GALLERIES

Straford upon Avon Photo Gallery

Accommodation

Hotels Self Catering

The house is built on sloping ground, with the result that the interior has floors at several levels, making progress through the building a bit of a chore. The house probably began at least as early as the 14th century, though much of what we can see today dates from the 16th.

The house has been furnished in the style of the Elizabethan period, using original furniture and household implements wherever possible. In an upstairs bedroom is a wooden bedstead said to be the very bed upon which Anne Hathaway was born. Another piece of furniture believed to be original is the settle beside the main fireplace, upon which William Shakespeare is believed to have courted Anne.

The cottage stayed in the hands of the Hathaway family until 1892 when it was purchased by the Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust so that it could be preserved.

Details
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Cottage Lane
Shottery
Warwickshire
England
CV37 9HH
Location: 1 mile from Stratford centre. Accessible by car or via footpaths from Stratford.
Website: Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Phone: 01789 292 100
map
OS SP184 548

photo of Anne Hathaway's Cottage is used by kind permission of South Warwickshire Tourism