Holy Trinity Church, Parish church in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Holy Trinity Church is a parish church in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, showing Gothic design with pointed arches and ribbed vaulting. The building rises beside the River Avon and features stained glass windows that filter light through the nave.
Construction began in 1210 on the site of a Saxon monastery near the Avon. Later centuries brought extensions and alterations that shaped the Gothic appearance.
The church is known as Shakespeare's Church because he was baptised here on 26 April 1564 and buried here on 25 April 1616. The original Elizabethan parish register recording both events is kept by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for safekeeping, so what visitors see are copies. Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway and eldest daughter Susanna are buried beside him.
The church is open to visitors for much of the year, and a small contribution is requested to enter the chancel and sanctuary where Shakespeare is buried. The rest of the building can be visited separately from that area. It remains an active parish church serving about 17,000 people, so services may limit access at times.
An inscription on the gravestone carries a curse against those who might attempt to move the bones. This warning has helped keep the grave undisturbed over centuries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,330 contributors worldwide.
