After finishing the Stratford Town Walk and visiting Shakespeare’s Birthplace, I walked back to my hostel, YHA Stratford-Upon-Avon. I won’t lie, it was a bit of a walk, but after the amount of food and alcohol I had ingested at my friend’s wedding I needed the exercise. It was about a 2 mile walk that took me 40 minutes. On my way out of the center of Stratford I came upon the Gower Memorial. There really should be a drinking game. Every time you see a Shakespeare you take a gulp. This memorial was more of interest to me than the others however. Partly because it was very well done, but also because it focused on some of the most memorable Shakespearian characters (Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth, Falstaff and Hamlet).
“In 1769, Garrick’s Stratford Jubilee Festival in honour of William Shakespeare started a growing public appreciation of the Bard in Stratford-upon-Avon, an appreciation which is reflected in the grandeur of this memorial statue. Given to the town in 1888, it is the work of Lord Ronald Gower who spent ten years sculpting it and funded much of the work from his personal fortune.
Hamlet represents Philosophy with ivy and cypress; Lady Macbeth is Tragedy with poppies and peonies; Comedy is represented by Falstaff with hops and roses; and History is represented by Prince Hall with English roses and French lilies.”
The nerd in me saw Prince Hal and immediately thought of Tom Hiddleston in The Hollow Crown….#sorrynotsorry
Moving along from this lovely memorial, I came upon what I can only describe as a Downton Abbey moment. I was dumb struck by this enchanting place, the photos really don’t do it justice. Much like the Crawley family abode, the YHA Stratford-upon-Avon hostel has it’s home in a lovely Georgian mansion. For those who want the Downton Abbey experience on a budget, I would strongly recommend this hostel. The elegant building has its own name, Hemmingford House. Hemmingford House was originally built in 1784 and became the home of YHA in 1947. It was a private residence until WWII when it was commandeered by the British Iron and Steel Corporation. YHA bought the property and turned it into the lovely hostel is it today. An extension was added in 1975 to add a new dining room and extra bedrooms. It is on a 3.5 acre site which includes stables and coach houses.
Look at this photo, this place is gorgeous! I felt as if I was walking through time as I made my way to my room. It was immaculate! I chose to hang out in my room for the night as I was exhausted and had a huge travel day the following morning. That bed was the best thing in the world to me that night. So comfy and just what the doctor ordered after my long day of walking. I throughly enjoyed the hot shower I had. The entire room was very clean. My room overlooked the St. James’ Church as well as part of the estate. I couldn’t have asked for a better room!
As per the YHA usual, everything was in perfect working order. Only comment I have is that when I tried to use the pay phone early the next morning to get a taxi, for some reason I could hear who I was calling but they couldn’t hear me. Wound up using my cell phone, but other than that I have no negative comments. I would highly recommend stay at the YHA Stratford-upon-Avon hostel. I just wish I could have stayed longer than one night!
http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/stratford-upon-avon#
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