Walking the Shakespeare Way

William Shakespeare's Likely Journey from Warwickshire to London

Nov 15, 2009

Discover the beauty of the heart of England while walking the 146 mile Shakespeare Way, the probable route of the Bard when he left Stratford upon Avon for London

Whether William Shakespeare left Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire in 1585 needing to escape punishment for poaching, or whether he left a little later after taking up teaching position nearby, isn't clear from historical records. However what is known is that he left his children and his wife Anne Hathaway and doesn't reappear in contemporary accounts until 1592 in London.

This blank period of his life is known as the Missing Years, and in an attempt to piece together his initial journey from Warwickshire to London, a waymarked walk has been set out which offers the most probable route as well as giving walkers the opportunity to travel through some of England's most beautiful English countryside.

Countryside Walking Trips from Warwickshire to Southwark and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

The walk covers 146 miles in total and takes the walker through Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and then into the green belt surrounding London, to arrive finally at the Globe Theatre at Southwark on the Thames in the heart of the City of London.

Intrepid walkers can cover 20-25 miles per day, or the route can be taken a little more leisurely with a few miles walking per day as well as using the public transport system. There is a huge range of traditional or pub bed and breakfast accommodation as well as UK hotels, which can provide welcome stopovers in beautiful little towns and villages along the way.

Additionally it's perfectly possible to undertake the walk at any time of the year, and walkers will see the beauty of the English countryside in whatever season and in whatever weather. There's nothing quite like ending a cold winter's walk in front of a roaring fire in a country pub, and a good cooked English breakfast will set anyone up for a gentle amble in early spring.

Walking Through Warwickshire and the Cotswolds

Stratford upon Avon in the south of Warwickshire is of course the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Shakespeare's birthday on April 23 is always celebrated throughout the town.

Choosing one of the hotels in Stratford upon Avon will give walkers a good rest between arriving from one of the airports serving the Midlands or by train and starting the Shakespeare Way, and will provide opportunities to discover the important Shakespeare monuments in the area.

Stratford upon Avon is in the north of the Cotswold hills and it's through the Cotswolds via Chipping Norton and Oxford that the walker will follow the route.

Walking Through Oxfordshire

Arriving in Oxford the walker is now at the southern side of the Cotswolds, about to cross into the Chiltern hills. Oxford is famous not only for its ancient University but for 3 Cornmarket, where Shakespeare stayed during his frequent trips between London and Warwickshire in the early 1600s.

The Chilterns are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and these chalk hills are a rich source of evidence of human habitation and burial sites from ancient times right through to the present day.

Walking Through Buckinghamshire and the Thames Valley

Arriving at Marlow, another beautiful Thames Valley town with a history going right back to at least the early fourteenth century, the walker crosses the Thames, reaches High Wycombe and follows the route into London via Kew and then the Grand Union Canal which leads into the very heart of London.The faithful reconstruction of the breathtaking Globe Theatre stands at Southwark on the bank of the River Thames.

This walk through the beautiful countryside of England down into the bustling heart of the biggest city in the United Kingdom provides a wealth of visual treasure as well as historic monuments and archaeological sites which would have been present in Shakespeare's day as he made his way down to the capital city to find work. Even over four hundred years, and despite some wear of the hills and of the stones and rocks of monuments and stone circles, this is the England that inspired Shakespeare and provided him with material for the vast body of work that he left.

Of course, there are those who question the authorship of this incredible collection of poetry and plays, but whether or not William Shakespeare was the author, what is left to us is a collection of work that is infused with the histories, language and culture of old England and they are part of our treasure and our heritage.

The copyright of the article Walking the Shakespeare Way in England Travel is owned by Suzanne Bosworth. Permission to republish Walking the Shakespeare Way in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.