HOLY TRINITY CHURCH

One of the prettiest sights in Stratford-on-Avon is to stand on the bridge and gaze down the winding, willow-lined River Avon towards Holy Trinity Church with its lovely setting, beautiful architecture and elegant spire. It is universally known as ‘Shakespeare’s Church’ as it is where he was baptised and buried.

The approach to the church is by a long flagstone path between an avenue of majestic lime trees leading to the north door. The trees on the left represent the tribes of Israel and those on the right the Apostles, with the holly bush for Judas and the set-back lime for Matthias.

The church has an extremely interesting history as the first mention of a ‘house of worship’ on the site dates back to 845 when the King of Mercia granted privileges to a small minster church in Stratford. It was probably built of wood but the earliest records of the present church date from 1332, with many changes and additions being made in subsequent years. In 1675 a wooden spire was added, this in turn being replaced in 1763 by the elegant stone spire we see today.

The navel, built of limestone from the Cotswold Hills, represents 200 years of architectural development. The stained glass is mainly Victorian as most of the medieval glass was destroyed during the Reformation. The Clopton Chapel (or Lady Chapel) was dedicated to the patron saints of the local guilds but after the Reformation it became associated with Sir Hugh Clopton, a great benefactor to Stratford and sometime Lord Mayor of London, and an altar tomb was prepared for him but he was buried in London in 1496.

The very fine chancel was built in 1480 from local Warwick stone and is dominated by the east window, the Victorian stained glass depicts the ‘Adoration of the Crucified’. There are so many things of interest to be seen here including the beautifully carved stalls and misericords which have been in continuous use for over 500 years. They merit closer inspection as the carvings represent all manner of figures from 15thC life, including a woman simultaneously pulling a man’s beard, hitting him with a pan and kicking him painfully! The chained Bible on display is an example of the first edition of the King James Authorised Version, printed in London in 1611 in the old Gothic Type. The broken font near Shakespeare’s tomb dates from the 15thC and is almost certainly the one in which the Bard was baptised. It is thought that it was probably removed in the 17thC when Cromwell’s Puritan zeal was at its height but was saved from total destruction by Thomas Paine who was the Parish Clerk at the time. It had been used as a cattle trough for many years but was found in a local garden and finally restored, albeit in broken form, to the chancel in 1823.

Of course for many visitors Shakespeare’s tomb is the great attraction. He died on 23rd April, the 52nd anniversary of his birth, and is buried in the chancel with his wife, daughter and son-in-law beside him. The very fine memorial above the grave was sculpted by Gerard Janssen within a few years of Shakespeare’s death and shows the Bard complete with quill and parchment. Although there were no contemporary painted portraits of him it is considered that this must be a fair likeness as it was completed in his widow’s lifetime.

Every year on the 23rd April world-wide homage is paid to William Shakespeare, generally considered to be the finest playwright ever, and a large procession of local dignitaries, ambassadors of many nations and famous theatrical figures carrying floral tributes winds through the town. Holy Trinity Church is the final destination and the wreaths and flowers are laid at Shakespeare’s tomb, creating a veritable floral carpet. A fitting tribute to a genius who made the world aware of the beauty of the English language.

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