You Are Here - Bancroft Gardens - Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire - 'You Are Here' Maps on Waymarking.com

A You Are Here map at the Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon.

"These gardens are famous for their setting on the banks of the River Avon and their proximity to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Generations have enjoyed them as a place of relaxation and entertainment, as a meeting point and for enjoying the river and its wonderful views.

In William Shakespeare's day, this area was used by the townspeople to graze domestic animals. It was also the site for the first Shakespeare Jubilee Festival in 1769, organised by David Garrick.

Over time, the Bancroft became a hub of transport and industrial activity centred around wharfs and warehouses with a canal and a tramway adding to its road and river connections.

The coming of the railways in the mid-nineteenth century led to the Bancroft's decline, until 1887 when the site was first developed as public gardens.

Over the years, many gifts have been made to enhance the area, from original artworks to benches, trees and plants.

One of the most famous donations is the Gower Memorial with its statue of Shakespeare, which is located in the flower gardens. The memorial also incorporates a set of figures representing Shakespearean characters who symbolize philosophy, tragedy, comedy and history.

Overlooking the canal basin is a bronze statue-of Hermaphroditus named Youth at a Stream which was inspired by a tale from Greek mythology. This sculpture was donated to the town in 1932 as a water feature.

A memorial commemorating fifty years of peace between the nations of Western Europe in 1995 can be found beside the approach to the lock bridge.

In the walkway opposite Sheep Street is the Country Artists Fountain, also known as the Swan Fountain, which commemorates the 800th anniversary of the granting of the charter for Stratford's market by King Richard I (The Lionheart) in 1196.

As part of the re-landscaping work in 2008-9, a new analemmatic sundial, which uses human action to indicate the time, was created on the edge of the River Avon as a tribute to the work and contribution to society by the Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service."

SOURCE - info board

Location Name: Bancroft Gardens

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