Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon
Clockwise, from top: Centre of Stratford, from High Street; Shakespeare's Birthplace; Royal Shakespeare Theatre; Holy Trinity Church; and Shakespeare's funerary monument, at Holy Trinity Church
Stratford-upon-Avon Location within Warwickshire
Population	30,495 (2021 census)
Demonym	Stratfordian
OS grid reference	SP1955
Civil parish	Stratford-upon-Avon[1]
District	Stratford-on-Avon
Shire county	Warwickshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
Postcode district	CV37
Dialling code	01789
Police	Warwickshire
Fire	Warwickshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Stratford-on-Avon
List of places UK England Warwickshire 52°11′34″N 01°42′23″W / 52.19278°N 1.70639°W / 52.19278; -1.70639

Stratford-upon-Avon (/-ˈeɪvən/), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire,^[2] in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, 91 miles (146 km) north-west of London, 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Warwick.^[3] The town is the southernmost point of the Arden area on the edge of the Cotswolds.^[4] In the 2021 census Stratford had a population of 30,495.^[5]

Stratford was inhabited originally by Britons before Anglo-Saxons and remained a village before the lord of the manor, John of Coutances, set out plans to develop it into a town in 1196. In that same year, Stratford was granted a charter from King Richard I to hold a weekly market in the town, giving it its status as a market town. As a result, Stratford experienced an increase in trade and commerce as well as urban expansion.

Stratford is a popular tourist destination, owing to its status as the birthplace and burial place of playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It receives approximately 2.7 million visitors a year.^[6] The Royal Shakespeare Company resides in Stratford's Royal Shakespeare Theatre.