Perfect Weekend Getaway: Stratford-upon-Avon
Last week I hit the somewhat depressing milestone of reaching 30. Farewell youth, hello wrinkles and all that. But I promise this post isn't going to be a melancholic one *wipes gin tears from the keyboard* and in all seriousness, I honestly haven't struggled with the birthday. Although I am, of course, sad to no longer be considered a twenty-something, I am pretty proud of some of the things I've done so far and looking forward to exciting new things. Plus, a lot of forms have boxes that say '25-35' these days, so you know, every cloud.
To mark the occasion my very lovely husband (he'll read this) treated me to a weekend away in glorious Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. I'd only been twice before, once as a very young child and again as part of a college trip on my 18th birthday. I won't go into too much detail but it did involve a Pizza Express and quite a bit of wine. Whilst the wine part hasn't changed (12 years isn't that long, after all) I did manage to do a bit more this time around.
From Oxford we took the train on Friday afternoon (straightforward, a change at Leamington Spa) and arrived at our accomodation, Hampton Lodge, just before 7pm. Hampton Lodge is a B&B without the breakfast (just a 'B', then) and it's a seven minute walk into the centre of Stratford. It was fairly basic but the bed was comfortable, it had an en-suite and the owner was very friendly and helpful. After a quick change we walked to our first stop, The Vintner , a wine bar/restaurant for a glass of champagne and some really delicious olives.
We then headed over to Number 9 Church Street where we were booked in for a very special treat – tasting menu with paired wines (pictured above). Being vegetarian, it’s often hard to eat out and have wines that are matched for your meal, as most red wines seem to only ever get matched with steak or red meat. But the service here was really excellent, the food all seasonal and delicious, and the atmosphere that of a small, boutique restaurant.
After an uneasy rest (I was battling with a really horrible cold, exacerbated by excessive wine consumption but hey, you’re only 30 once) we awoke to beautiful sunshine. We love doing walking tours in all the new places we go to as it really helps you to get your bearings, so we joined one leaving the centre of town at 11am run by Stratford Town Walks. Our guide, John, was hilarious and we spent a really nice two hours exploring the town, through the RSC gardens and the church in which Shakespeare’s grave resides to the house he was born in. We had time for a quick rest (glass of wine) before hiring bikes from the Traditional Cycle Shop. Although the shop itself was lacking any decent maps, we’d remembered to download one from their website beforehand and set off along the towpath towards Wilmcote for a circular route through the countryside. This was such a highlight; I got to ride a Pashley complete with wicker basket (tick that one off the list, then) and saw some of beautiful Warwickshire. I love exploring new countries and doing new things, but on days like this one, with the sun shining and a gentle breeze moving through the trees, I felt very lucky to be enjoying a summer’s day in England.
Our final treat of the weekend was the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new production of Othello . It’s hard to explain why, but Othello has always been my favourite Shakespeare play. The exploration of Iago’s motivations (which always seem to be lacking, no matter how many times I read it), and the effect that one small, seemingly insignificant act can have on the lives of many people really resonates with me. It’s a theme I think is explored a lot by some of my favourite authors like Ian McEwan and Iris Murdoch. I thoroughly recommend seeing Iqbal Khan’s version; as the trip was a surprise for me I hadn’t done any research, and it was really thrilling to see Lucian Msamati’s entrance in the first scene, as the first black actor to play Iago at the RSC.
We had planned to have breakfast on Sunday morning, but as my cold was careering uncontrollably towards flu and it was raining we decided to get an early train home. Here are my top tips for getting the most out of a visit to Stratford.
Top Tips for Stratford in a Weekend:
Make time for a cocktail on top of the RSC - gorgeous views and surprisingly reasonably priced
Head to the RSC gardens to catch a free performance every Saturday and Sunday between June and August
If you want to visit Shakespeare's grave, do it as part of a tour - reduced entry, and you'll get a lot more information than simply reading the leaflet
Hire bikes and explore the surrounding countryside
Have breakfast or afternoon tea at The Fourteas - a 1940s tearoom with lush poached eggs and free coffee refills