Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Over het museum

Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon, was built in 1463 as a farmhouse. Part of the original three-room layout, including the kitchen and the parlour, still survives. Anne Hathaway, who married William Shakespeare, was born here in 1556, and the Hathaway family lived in the house for thirteen generations. Bartholomew Hathaway extended the building before he died in 1624.

The family sold the cottage in 1838 but stayed on as tenants. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust bought it in 1892 and has looked after it ever since, opening it to visitors as one of the Shakespeare family homes.

Today visitors can see the farmhouse rooms with original furniture, including the Hathaway bed, and walk through acres of gardens and orchards. A sculpture trail inspired by Shakespeare's plays, a giant willow sculpture, a wilding area and object handling sessions add to the visit, and special tours explore love, loss and Tudor healing in connection with the story of Hamnet.

Hoogtepunten

• Farmhouse built in 1463 with surviving original rooms
• Original furniture including the Hathaway bed
• Gardens and orchards with a sculpture trail inspired by Shakespeare's plays
• Giant willow sculpture
• Object handling and the Garden Café

Vaste collectie

• Anne Hathaway's Cottage – The farmhouse with its surviving original rooms and furniture, including the Hathaway bed.
• Gardens, orchards and sculpture trail – Acres of gardens and orchards with a sculpture trail inspired by Shakespeare's plays and a giant willow sculpture.

Opgericht

1892

Beheerder

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

The prices shown are online adult and concession prices; on the door they are £17 for adults, £14.45 for concessions and £8.50 for children. Tickets are valid for 12 months. Residents with a CV37 postcode can enter free with a Residents Go Free ticket and do not need to pre-book. A voluntary Gift Aid donation can be added at checkout.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Visitor reception and the shop are step-free, with a lowered section of the ticket desk and a lower till. The cottage itself is not fully accessible: there are entrance steps and uneven floors, and wheelchairs and pushchairs cannot be used inside the house. The gardens have many wide, sloping paths with occasional seating, but the orchard, sculpture garden and wilding area have uneven ground. A folding wheelchair can be borrowed for use across the site. Blue Badge parking is next to visitor reception, reached by a ramp behind the coach park, with more bays about 100 metres away on the corner of Cottage Lane, where the badge must be recorded at the machine. The accessible toilet behind reception has baby changing, and the nearest Changing Places toilet is on Rother Street in the town centre. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Verschoonruimte

A free family trail runs across the Shakespeare family homes from 17 January to 31 December 2026 and needs no booking, and Nature Explorer Backpacks are available for families. Object handling is part of the visit and the grounds include a sculpture trail. Pushchairs cannot be used inside the cottage. Baby changing is in the accessible toilet. Children under 3 are free.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The cottage is about a 10-minute drive from Shakespeare's Birthplace and Shakespeare's New Place. Cycle racks are near the main entrance and cycles are left at the owner's risk.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Museumwinkel

The Garden Café opposite the cottage serves locally sourced food, drinks and snacks, including gluten-free and vegan options, and the Garden Shop is on site. Large bags and luggage over 40 x 40 x 50 cm or 5 kg are not allowed.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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