Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, one of England's most beautiful parish churches.

 To be, or not to be: that is the question". - (Act III, Scene I). Hamlet
William Shakespeare

Holy Trinity is the church where William Shakespeare was baptised, where he worshipped and where he is buried. We are delighted to welcome the thousands of visitors who come each year to view his final resting place. We are also an active parish church serving the needs of local people. In fact, Christians have been worshipping God on this site for over 1,000 years.

 A Church on the banks of the Avon in Stratford is first mentioned in the charter of 845, signed by Beorhtwulf (Bertulf), King of Mercia. This would have been a wooden construction. It is very likely that the Normans replaced this with a stone building but no trace of either remains. The present limestone building was begun in 1210 and was built in the shape of a cross.

William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, was born in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 on St. George's day (23rd April) and died on the same day in 1616.

Or at least, so it is alleged. No records of births and deaths were made in those days. We do, however have records of his baptism on (April 26th 1564: Gulielimus, filius Johannes Shakspeare) and of his burial on (25th April 1616: Will Shakspeare, Gent). Both these events took place in Holy Trinity Church. It can be fairly safely assumed that he worshipped here as a boy and young man, and again after he retired to his home town.

On the closure of the College by Henry VIII the tithe (tax) income privileges were sold off. The duty of employing a Priest and looking after the Chancel went with the privileges. A share in them was purchased in 1605 for £440 by the son of a local glove-maker, one William Shakespeare. This, and not his ability as a poet and playwright, gave him the right of burial in the chancel. Until the 1790`s there stood a charnel house to the south of the chancel. Here the bones of those dug up to make room for new graves were laid to rest. Shakespeare obviously didn't like this idea and had a curse put on his grave slab - not at all uncommon at the time.

This charnel-house, like the College building, has now gone. The right of burial was inherited by Shakespeare's family. His wife, Ann Hathaway, daughter Suzanna and son-in-law Dr John Hall and Thomas Nash (first husband of Shakespeare's Grand-daughter Elizabeth) are buried in the chancel alongside him.

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