Great Britain is rich in world-famous places. Certainly among them
there are famous university cities Oxford and Cambridge, Shakespeare's
birthplace — Stratford-upon-Avon, towns of Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow.
Stratford-upon-Avon is a small town with the population about 20
thousand. It is 94 miles northwest of London. Its chief points of
interest are associated with the name and life of Shakespeare. In Henley
Street stands a one-storeyed wooden house, where the greatest English
poet and playwright was born. Now, this house belongs to the British
government.
When Shakespeare won the recognition of his contemporaries and became
wealthy he bought New Place, one of the largest houses in Stratford. It
was in 1597 but he continued to live and work in London until 1610.
Shakespeare died at the age of fifty-two in 1616 at New Place. But in
1759 the house where he died was torn down. Shakespeare was buried in
the church at Stratford on the banks of the Avon.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre was opened in Stratford in 1932. Only
Shakespeare's plays are performed here. The plays staged in this theatre
attract people from all over the world.