Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Property lived in by Shakespeare's wife before marriage.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage Stratford Upon Avon
Anne Hathaway's Cottage Stratford Upon Avon

Anne Hathaway's Cottage Official Web Site


Arguably the most picturesque of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties. The cottage nests in an idyllic setting of Shottery, a mile west of Stratford.

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Anne Hathway's
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Anne Hathaway's Cottage History

The cottage belonged to the prosperous Hathaway family and was the premarital home of William Shakespeare's wife, Anne. Although referred to as a cottage, it is actually a substantial, twelve-roomed, Elizabethan farmhouse. The house has now been divided up and would originally have been one.


The cottage belonged to the Hathaway family until 1892, when it was bought, along with furnishings, by The Birthplace Trust.

The cottage was known as Newlands Farm in Shakespeare's day and had over ninety acres of land attached to it. There are some enchanting footpaths winding across the fields from Stratford to Shottery, tracing the paths that Shakespeare must have walked on his way to see Anne.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage What You Will See

You will explore the cottage and the extensive gardens. Part of the building which you explore dates from the mid-fifteenth century, and some of the furniture belonged to the Hathaways and their descendants.

The garden is outstanding. Tours of the garden are provided in the summer months.

There is the normal gift shop and a tea shop (seasonal) opposite.

Anne Hathaway's Times, Prices & Location

Anne Hathaway's Cottage is on the edge of Stratford, too far for most people to walk. If you are not visiting by car or on a tour, the best option is probably to use the Stratford Hop On Hop Off sightseeing bus that shuttles around all the Shakespeare properties quite frequently during opening hours.


Anne Hathaway's Cottage is open daily except Christmas and Boxing Day. You can purchase tickets individually or if you are viewing more than one Shakespeare property there are money saving tickets covering multiple properties.

Opening times are seasonal, so for current opening hours and prices click through on the link at the top of the page to the official web site. If you are Visiting Stratford independently, you can buy a combination ticket that combines the Stratford Hop On Hop Off sightseeing bus that shuttles around all the Shakespeare properties with admission tickets to the properties themselves from the bus.

Shakespeare's Stratford Upon Avon Properties & Attractions

There are five houses in or near Stratford-upon-Avon connected with William Shakespeare and his family. There is also Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) that perform plays.


The Shakespearean properties offer a unique experience of the Stratford world in which the famous dramatist and poet was born, lived and died.

Open all year round, these sixteenth-century houses feature rare period furnishings and domestic items. Aspects of Tudor life, are on display, all set in attractive gardens and grounds.


You can buy a single ticket giving access to all properties.

The Stratford Upon Avon hop on hop off bus connects them all and offers combo tickets combining the bus service with admission to either 3 or 5 of the Shakespeare properties.


The five properties are:

Shakespeare's Birthplace - Where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and grew up. Exhibition centre.

New Place / Nash's House - Shakespeare's home from 1597 until his death in 1616.

Hall's Croft - Where Shakespeare's eldest daughter (Susanna) lived.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage - Before marrying William Shakespeare in 1582, Anne Hathaway lived here.

Mary Arden's House - The house that Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, grew up in.

Stratford Upon Avon Hop on Hop Off Bus

Stratford Upon Avon Hop on Hop Off Bus

Like so many towns and cities with a lot of visitors, a hop on, hop off open top sightseeing bus operates in Stratford.


At Stratford its particularly useful as a couple of Shakespeare attractions, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's House are well outside walking distance from the town centre.


The bus has ticketing options which includes admissions to the Shakespeare properties. The main starting point of the buses is by the bridge next to the main Tourist Information Centre. For independent visitors there is also a stop very close to the train station.


Frequencies are broadly every 30 minutes with increased frequencies, every 15/20 minutes at the peak times in summer and weekends. During the summer months live guides are available, at other times audio guides are provided (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and Kid's Commentary)


There are 12 stops including all 5 Shakespeare properties, Holy Trinity Church and the RSC theatres.

You can also purchase a ticket that combines the Ho Ho service with a river cruise on the River Avon.