Stratford exists because of the Avon, and Bancroft Gardens is where the town still meets its river. This is the wide green apron between the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Clopton Bridge, where the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal drops through its final lock into the river, narrowboats moor up for the night, and the swans that give the town half its postcards patrol the bank.
It costs nothing and it is where locals actually go. Sightseeing cruisers and rowing boats leave from the moorings, a hand-hauled chain ferry crosses to the far bank for a few coins, and the Gower Memorial — Shakespeare flanked by Hamlet, Lady Macbeth, Falstaff and Prince Hal — presides over the lawns. In the evening the theatre lights come on across the water and the whole thing looks staged.
Top things to do at River Avon & Bancroft Gardens
Take a river cruise
Half-hour sightseeing cruises run all day from the Bancroft moorings, passing the theatre, Holy Trinity and Clopton Bridge. It is the cheapest good thing to do in Stratford.
Hire a rowing boat or punt
Rowing boats, punts and small motorboats are for hire by the hour beside the theatre — the classic Stratford afternoon in fine weather.
Cross on the chain ferry
A hand-operated chain ferry has crossed the Avon here since 1937. It takes ninety seconds, costs almost nothing and is quietly delightful.
Walk the canal basin
The basin where the canal meets the river is lined with narrowboats and is the best place in town for an unhurried hour with an ice cream.
How to get to River Avon & Bancroft Gardens
- The gardens run along Waterside between the theatre and Clopton Bridge, in the centre of town.
- Eight minutes' walk from the railway station down Bridge Street.
- Bridgefoot car park is immediately adjacent, and the hop-on hop-off bus stops at the gardens.
Insider tips
- Sunset from the Tramway Bridge, looking back at the theatre and the church, is the best free photograph in Stratford.
- Boat hire is first-come, first-served and queues form on warm weekend afternoons — go before noon.
- The gardens are floodlit in the evening and perfectly safe to walk after a performance.
- Buy food from the town centre and picnic on the lawns; the riverside kiosks are convenient but pricey.
