Park your car at Recreation Ground car park.
(S/E) Cross Tramway Bridge over River Avon to reach Bancroft Gardens in front of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Go straight to "Barnaby's Fish" restaurant, and ascend Sheep Street. At the corner with the Town Hall, bear right in High Street enjoying half-timbered buildings (the Garrick Inn for example). Follow this way until you reach the roundabout. Take Henley Street, the second street on the left going past Barclays building on your left.
(1) Walk this the pedestrian street until you reach William Shakespeare's statue. Before you bear left in Meer Street, have a look at William Shakespeare Birthplace a few meters in front of you! He was born in this half-timbered house in 1564 and spend his childhood here!
(2) At the end of Meer Street, cross over Wood Street heading to the Shakespeare Memorial Fountain (gift jubilee). Continue in Rother Street for 200 metres until you bear left in Ely Street.
(3) At crossroads, turn right in Chapel Street, go past Nash's House, a well preserved Tudor building built in 1600 and Shakespeare New Place where William Shakespeare died in 1616. Then, continue straight ignoring Chapel and Scholars Lanes before you turn left in Old Town when you are in front of Stratford Preparatory School.
(4) Go past Hall's Croft (probably have been the home of the physician John Hall who married Suzanna, William Shakespeare's daughter!) and enter Holy Trinity Cemetery when the road bends right.
(5) Go past Holy Trinity Church (notice the incredible conifer trunk and go through a gate. Continue Mill Lane straight ahead for 200 metres before you enter a path next to Lucy's Mill residential area. Pass under the bridge and walk the path along the River Avon for almost one mile and a half. This section can be very muddy in autumn during wet weather!
(6) You finally catch sight of a metallic bridge over River Avon next to the racecourse. Cross it, walk Monarch's Way for 150 metres and turn left to the path slightly down. Go through the gate with a yellow arrow (public footpath) and a blue arrow (Avon River Walk). This time, follow the other side of the bank, go through a few kissing gates before you enter the woods and ascend a few steps.
(7) The path finally descends steps before you reach Weir Brake Lock. Continue the path along the river which leads again to the first bridge. Follow the yellow arrow, pass under Seven Meadows Road but ignore Lucy's Mill bridge on the left staying on your bank. You finally see Colin P. Lock, gorgeous views of Holy Trinity Church and Stratford Theatres for the last kilometre of the walk.(S/E)
