Shakespeare's Ways

by: Shakespeare's Way Association
This guidebook describes the 146-mile Shakespeare's Way, a footpath running through the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, Blenheim Park, Oxford, the valley of the Thames and the beech woods of the Chilterns. Beyond here it takes a surprisingly quiet route into London. The route is planned to follow, as closely as possible, a route that Shakespeare may have taken on some of his journeys back and forth between his hometown and the city in which he spent most of his productive years. Shakespeare's Way provides a fine walk between the poet's birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon and Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London.

The guide has excellent detailed route directions divided into five chapters covering all 146 miles. There are 33 double page spreads with inter-relating text, map, and coloured photographs. The coloured maps are detailed and the text clear and comprehensive including information on places of interest along the way. GPS waypoints are also included.

Some of the towns and villages visited along the route are as follows: Preston-on-Stour; Shipston-on-Stour; Long Compton; Little Rollright; Chipping Norton; Ditchley Park; Blenheim Park; Woodstock; Oxford; Sandford-on-Thames; Chalgrove; Cookley Green; Stonor; Marlow; Bourne End; Cookham; Burnham Beeches; Iver; Kew Bridge. The route then follows the Thames into London and the Globe.

ISBN 9780952685180 Pages 80 (2024) 148mm x 210mm

authors: Jenny and Rod Davidson
This guidebook describes the 88-mile Shakespeare's Avon Way, a footpath as close as possible to the River Avon from its source at Naseby to its confluence with the River Severn at Tewkesbury. It of course passes through Stratford-on-Avon, the town of Shakespeare's birth, but it also runs close to the sites of three of England's most significant battles, at Naseby, Evesham and Tewkesbury. It also passes the great abbeys of Pershore and Tewkesbury.

The guidebook begins with an introductory section giving some of the background to its creation and use. This is followed by a detailed description of the path itself, divided into six chapters. Each of the 24 double-page spreads is entirely self-contained, with map, text and illustration all inter-relating, great for inserting into a transparent map case while on the route. The maps are at 1:50,000 scale based upon the OS Landranger series. Each paragraph of text starts with a reference letter, and this cross-refers with the same letter on the accompanying map. There is a table listing all towns and villages visited with cumulative mileages from the start. There are also lots of notes about places of interest along the way.

The chapter sections are as follows:
Naseby to Rugby - 14 miles
Rugby to Warwick - 22 miles
Warwick to Stratford-upon-Avon - 16 miles
Stratford-upon-Avon to Evesham - 16 miles
Evesham to Pershore - 8 miles
Pershore to Tewkesbury - 12 miles
(A Bredon Hill detour is also included) - 4 miles

ISBN 9780993361258 Pages 56 (2024) 148mm x 210mm