After walking out of the church, my son turned to me and said, “Dad, give me your camera and I’ll take your picture.” He knew what the visit meant to me and wanted to memorialize the moment. I didn’t need a photo to remember, because the time with my son will forever be engraved in my brain.
While visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, my son and I talked often about my love for Shakespeare. I provided him with all the information that was stored in my brain, and I shared stories about my various performances in the Bard’s plays. Each place we visited provided more information to add to my love. But it was more than that. My love of Shakespeare turned into a father/son trip that was an incredible experience.
The rain picked up as we walked towards Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. As we entered the gates to the church courtyard, the rain halted. When we reached the door, the first thing I noticed was the door knocker.
The story of the doorknocker is worth the visit to Holy Trinity Church alone. The knocker dates back to the 1200s and was pivotal in the town’s history. The story is that if you were being chased by a lynch mob or other people meaning arrest or harm, if you reached the door knocker, you had found sanctuary. The porch dates back to the 15th century.
We entered through the door that William Shakespeare himself had entered many times. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as I envisioned Shakespeare and his family sitting in the pew while listening to a sermon. I looked upon the same windows, ceilings, and floors that his family also looked upon.
My son and I made a straight line to pay our respects to the man himself. William Shakespeare, his wife Anne Hathaway, and his daughter Susanna Hall are all buried near the altar. Nearby are also Susanna’s husband John Hall, and Shakespeare’s grandson, Thomas Nash. We stood looking at the graves probably longer than my son would have liked. I imagined what it looked like to stand there amongst William’s friends and family during his funeral. We paid our respects and then walked around the church.
Holy Trinity Church is a beautiful church in its own right. The church’s known earliest date is 1210, making it the oldest building in Stratford-upon-Avon. The Gothic architecture makes the site something to behold. Tall stained-glass windows rise to the ceiling throughout the holy site. The sturdy stone walls have weathered English history for over 800 years. Throughout time, the church has seen the Reformation and the English Civil War, yet still stands tall.
My son and I did a lot of great things on our trip, and the Shakespeare portion of the trip was mostly for me, and my son realized it. I’m sure at times he may have been bored as I rambled on about Shakespeare and what he meant to me. He never let on, though.
“Dad, hand me your camera.” He instructed me where to stand and framed the photo how he wanted. He counted down and took the photo. As I walked towards him, he pressed the “play” button and showed me. The picture could have been a blurry mess for all I cared, because the photo itself mattered little. What mattered was sharing a special moment with my son. I looked at the photo for the first time recently and smiled. I didn’t smile because I looked good in the photo; I smiled because I remembered my son aiming my camera at me and counting down, wanting me to have my own moment.
More Stories from our Shakespeare Trip:
Walking in Shakespeare’s Footsteps: A father/son story
3 Day Itinerary for Visiting Shakespeare’s England
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage: Where William Shakespeare and Anne’s Love Blossomed
Exploring Kenilworth Castle
Stepping Back in Time at Warwick Castle
More travel stories from England that you might enjoy:
Visiting the Harry Potter Studios London
Visiting Westminster Abbey
Getting Lost on a Ghost Tour in London with my Son
Attending a Chelsea FC Match with my son
Climbing the O2 Arena with my Son
Flying Down the Thames River on a Speedboat
How An Ice Cream Truck Saved the Day During a Hike Across England
Reliving the Dads4Kesem Hadrian’s Wall Hike
For more travel content, click here.
We enjoyed this tour of the times of Shakespeare. We especially liked the photos. The commentary was also good.
Holy Trinity Church is absolutely beautiful. I didn’t visit it when I went to Stratford upon Avon in the 1970s, but after seeing your photos and reading your post, I just had a look around it on Google Streetview (in a 360 view). Fabulous!
And don’t worry about your son possibly being bored, if it’s the same boy who wants to be an actor when he’s older, he won’t have been.
I see it rained a bit. Good old England!
Yes, he had a great time. It is beautiful and with a great story.