Birthplace tavern puts Bard on tap

A GLASS will be raised to William Shakespeare at the Swan and Maidenhead Inn — the pub that was once housed in his family home in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.

The pub will be back open for business when it is recreated during the Easter school holidays as a precursor to Birthday Weekend Celebrations.

Visitors will meet innkeepers as they go about their daily lives running the tavern’s drinking parlour and lodging rooms, and discover Tudor tavern ale-brewing techniques.

Other special activities planned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust include decorating their Easter eggs as a character from Shakespeare’s plays at Mary Arden’s Farm in Wilmcote.

At Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery you can meet some of the Victorian descendents of Shakespeare’s wife and discover more about the characters who once lived in the cottage, home to 13 generations of Hathaways.

The Trust is also hosting activities this week as part of Shakespeare Week.

There will be free after-school drop-in sessions at the Shakespeare Centre in Henley Street, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, with a mixture of hands-on activities inspired by Shakespeare’s world that include creating your own pop-up puppet, test your skills with a quill, go Tudor shopping, learn how to insult Shakespeare-style and dress up as your favourite character.