Visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the beautiful 500 year old cottage where Shakespeare courted his bride-to-be.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the beautiful 500 year old cottage where Shakespeare courted his bride-to-be.

See original furniture including the Hathaway bed and uncover five centuries of stories in this picturesque cottage and 13 generations of the family who lived there.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage was originally a farmhouse. It was built in 1463 of cruck construction, when the building would have comprised of just three rooms. The kitchen and parlour still remain from the original medieval construction. The first Hathaway to live in the cottage was Anne’s grandfather John Hathaway, who was a tenant sheep farmer. Anne, later Shakespeare’s wife, was born in the cottage in 1556.

When the site was a farm it was known as ‘Hewlands’ and the Hathaway family were very successful sheep farmers. The garden would have been a farmyard with some livestock and likely a herb garden.

After the death of Anne’s father in 1581, Anne’s brother Bartholomew inherited the tenancy of the 90-acre farm and later bought it freehold. He went on to make various improvements to the cottage including an extension. The first floor was inserted and the chimneys added at the same time. This work was completed before the death of Bartholomew in 1624.

Adult (16+) £14.50
Child (3 – 15) £7.25
Open daily, 10am – 5pm (last entrance 4.30pm) from Saturday 10th February to Sunday 3rd November 2024.

Please note: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is closed from 4th November until Spring 2025.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Normally £14.50

Booking Information

You will need to pre-book your visit to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage tickets can be booked using the booking app that comes with the Explorer Pass. Click on the link provided in your sales email and follow the instructions to book your tickets.

You’ll then need to present the tickets generated when you arrive at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.