Famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford has much more to offer the visitor: a superb riverside setting, historic houses, a famous theatre, thriving street market, excellent shops and restaurants. Easily accessible by road – and water!
Stratford is an area located in the London Borough of Newham, in East London. It is known for its rich history, excellent transport links, and world-famous sporting venues. Whether you are a homeowner, tenant, or visitor, Stratford has something to offer for everyone.
Stratford-upon-Avon is most famous for being the birthplace and beloved home town of William Shakespeare, but there may be more things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon than you realise.
Stratford is located in east London, about 7 miles northeast of Central London. Stratford's decline happened due to deindustrialisation and the closure of the Royal Docks.
Stratford is a great place to live for a number of reasons. From the variety of shops and restaurants on offer, to some of the biggest cultural institutions in the UK such as the V&A and Sadler's Wells theatre opening the doors. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about living in Stratford London.
Masons Court is a stunning example of a medieval hall, located right in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, a lively and historic market town. Built in 1481 the house is recognised as the oldest house in Stratford-upon-Avon and many original features remain including two 16th century wall paintings.
The name is first recorded in 1067 as Strætforda and means 'ford on a Roman road'. It is formed from Old English 'stræt' (in modern English 'street') and 'ford'. The former river crossing lay at an uncertain location north of Stratford High Street.
The Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre is the largest urban shopping centre in the UK by land area and the 4th-largest shopping centre in the UK by retail space. You could spend an entire day just exploring its 280 shops and restaurants.
Shakespeare's basic home throughout his life was Stratford-upon-Avon. That's where he was born, that's where he bought a big house for his wife and family when he was relatively young (he was only 33 years old when he bought New Place), and he died there pretty certainly in 1616.
The district covers a large rural area, some 979km² (378 square miles) right in the middle of England. Over 135,000 people live in the district, the largest town being Stratford-upon-Avon with over 30,000 residents. More detailed statistics can be found on the council's Insight pages.
The community's colonial history is traced to the year 1639, when a courageous group of settlers arrived at Mac's Harbor on the banks of the Housatonic River. This was the Indian Village of Cupheag. According to town records, Cupheag was first called Stratford in April of 1643.
Pre-Olympics, Stratford was viewed as being too far east to be considered a viable home for most businesses who operated from Central London. Hit by de-industrialisation, the area received minimal investment but a creative spirit ran firmly through its communities.
Stratford was inhabited originally by Britons before Anglo-Saxons and remained a village before the lord of the manor, John of Coutances, set out plans to develop it into a town in 1196.
New Place was the largest house in the borough, and the only one with a courtyard – a significant purchase for the 33-year-old Shakespeare in 1597. There were ten hearths, which means it had between 20 and 30 rooms, plenty of space for the whole of Shakespeare's family.
The first recorded mention of Stratford came in 1067. At this point in time, the area was called Straetforda – this means the ford on a Roman road. Stratford, at the time, was essentially a small village close to a crossing over the River Lea forming part of the Roman road that links London to Colchester.
The original Shakespeare Memorial Theatre came about through the campaigning efforts and donations of Edward Fordham Flower and his son Charles Edward Flower, owners of a local brewery business in Stratford, and important figures in local political affairs, due to their efforts, the first theatre was opened on the ...
According to the data 3,945 houses have been completed in Stratford from 2017 to 2020. However, Stratford District Council aims to build many more houses to fulfil its ambition of completing 14,600 new homes during the period of 2011 to 2031.
Although originally occupied by Britons, the then-village was founded after the Anglo Saxons invaded Warwickshire in 7AD, who gave it the name 'Stratford Upon Avon' – a title meaning Stratum (Latin for 'Street'), Ford for 'shallow stream', and Avon – a Celtic word for 'river'.
