Trip report – Shakespeare Way

The Shakespeare Way

by Rosemary Phillips

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the South Bank

In the late 1580s, William Shakespeare journeyed between London and Stratford upon Avon on a number of occasions. By himself or in the company of strolling players; we do not know. Possibly on horseback, but given the cost of stabling and feeding, history tells us it is more likely that he made the journey on foot. He probably stopped at the Crown Inn in Oxford which was owned by his friend John Davenant. Shakespeare’s route would have gone through part of the Cotswolds, referred to in his play Richard II as ‘these high wild hills and rough uneven ways’.

The group outside The Globe at the beginning of Day 1

The St Albans Adventure Group is following in the footsteps of the great Bard and walking, in 10 to 12 mile stages, the 146 mile long Shakespeare’s Way. We started outside the Globe, followed the Thames to Kew, its tributary the River Brent and then the Grand Union Canal as we headed westwards out of London. All a really scenic and watery way to work our way through such a large city.

Back in Shakespeare’s time, the Grand Union Canal did not exist, and neither did so large a city. London itself numbered just 200,000 inhabitants, meaning considerably more open countryside to choose one’s route than we have today. The era of canal travel came and went; we can only now imagine the horse drawn barges as we pass a coal duty post marking the point after which coal being brought into the capital became liable for tax.

Boats at Brentford Dock

As our walk progresses, we will be turning away from the canal and going through country parks and commons, historic towns and villages. We will re-meet the Thames around Marlow, pass by Oxford and head north-west through the Cotswolds to Stratford upon Avon. Our day walks will become weekends away as we will be too far from base to do otherwise. Quite a contrast from Shakespeare’s journey.

Egyptian Geese by the Grand Union Canal, Hanwell

We can’t miss the opportunity to take in a play or too also. We will be starting with Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Globe, where a number of us will be found standing in the yard and exposed to the elements – as done by the commoners (or ‘groundlings’) back in Shakespeare’s time; they however were charged just a single penny!