Stratford Upon Avon area guide
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, on the River Avon, 101 miles (163 km) north west of London, 22 miles (35 km) south east of Birmingham, and 8 miles (13 km) south west of Warwick.[2] The estimated population in 2007 was 25,505,[3] increasing to 27,445 at the 2011 Census.
Stratford was originally inhabited by Anglo-Saxons and remained a village before the lord of the manor, John of Coutances, set out plans to develop it into a town in 1196. In that same year, Stratford was granted a charter from King Richard I to hold a weekly market in the town, giving it its status as a market town. As a result, Stratford experienced an increase in trade and commerce as well as urban expansion.
The town is a popular tourist destination owing to its status as birthplace of English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, and receives approximately 2.5 million visitors a year.[4] The Royal Shakespeare Company resides in Stratford's Royal Shakespeare Theatre.