Shakespeare buildings relisted to mark 400th year

TWO buildings and three monuments in Stratford-upon-Avon have been relisted to commemorate the 400 anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

Their entries on the National Heritage List for England have been revised and updated to ensure that their important connection with Shakespeare is celebrated, Historic England said today, Monday.

They are the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Holy Trinity Church, the Shakespeare Monument in the Great Gardens at New Place, the Shakespeare Memorial Fountain in Rother Street, and the Gower Monument in Bancroft Gardens.

Tracey Crouch, heritage minister, said: “As we celebrate Shakespeare’s great works and global influence on the 400th anniversary of his death, it’s important that we also protect and recognise the remains of the playhouses where his and many other fantastic British playwrights’ works first came to life on stage.

"I’m delighted that so many sites associated with our nation’s strong theatrical heritage will now be protected.”

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: “It’s fitting that we have commemorated the life of Shakespeare by relisting key buildings and monuments associated with him in Stratford-upon-Avon in the 400 year since his death.

"These are key places in the life and legacy of the world’s greatest playwright which deserve to be celebrated in this way.

“The archaeological remains of the first and last Elizabethan playhouses to be built in London give us fleeting glimpses of a fascinating period in the history of theatre.

"They are where some of the world’s greatest stories were first told and it is wonderful that they remain today, bearing witness to our fascinating past. Their cultural importance, particularly their connections with Shakespeare and Marlowe, means they deserve protection as part of England’s precious historic fabric.”

In London, two Elizabethan playhouses linked to William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson have been added to the National Heritage List for England.

The Theatre and The Hope join The Rose and The Globe on Bankside, London as scheduled monuments.

Purpose-built playhouses emerged during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign as English drama flourished and theatre attendance by the general public increased dramatically.

Very few theatres of this period are thought to survive as archaeological remains.