Photos: Michael Garlick , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: Michael Garlick , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Mary Arden's Farm from the hedgerow
Highlights
- The lane into Wilmcote village
- The farmhouse from the field edge
- An old barn roofline
- Original apple varieties in the orchard
- Farmland behind the family's history
About this tour
This session traces the countryside around Mary Arden's Farm in Wilmcote, viewed from the surrounding lanes and hedgerows rather than the working yard itself. It covers the approach into the village, the farmhouse where Shakespeare's mother grew up and the orchard beside it. It is the most rural of the town's sessions, built around the working farmland rather than the town centre.
We start on the road into the village with some background on the area's farming history, then move along the boundary for a longer look at the farmhouse and orchard. Questions about the family's life before Stratford tend to come up here, and I answer with what the surviving records actually show. I finish with a short note on the apple varieties still grown in the orchard.
It suits anyone who wants a countryside session that goes beyond the town centre. It also pairs well with the Shottery cottage session for a fuller picture of the family's rural roots.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Stratford-upon-Avon before heading out.
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Wilmcote approach 21 min
The camera follows the road into Wilmcote village, and I explain how this cluster of farms supplied Stratford's market for centuries before the railway arrived.
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Farmhouse from the boundary 21 min
From the field edge you see the farmhouse where Shakespeare's mother was raised, and I point out the surviving barn roofline behind it.
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Orchard hedgerow 21 min
Along the hedgerow bordering the orchard, I explain which of the old apple varieties are still grown here and how the rows follow the farm's original layout.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Stratford-upon-Avon: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Sunday roast and Bridge Street, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 7 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Stratford-upon-Avon, showing you Wilmcote approach and Farmhouse from the boundary live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on a video call from the lane bordering the farm, walking its edges rather than the working yard.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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