Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's Birthplace

Possibly the most famous and most visited literary landmark in Britain, this building, on Henley street, was William Shakespeare's Birthplace, and where he spent his formative years.

The half-timbered Tudor building with its traditional frontage served as the family home for Shakespeare and his brothers and sisters, and workshops for William's father, John Shakespeare, a glove maker, tanner and wool dealer by trade. The house was originally bought by John Shakespeare, in two stages; the first in 1556 and the second in 1575. When he died, the property was left to William, his eldest son.

Within a block or so of Shakespeare's house, in a marketplace we purchased a brass Hourglass, 10 inches high, and about 5 inches in diameter. Well now, the holder is brass, but of course the glass and sand are not.