Begin your exploration of Worcester at The Commandery Encounter the past brought to life in a beautiful Grade I listed building with an 800-year history. Set in the heart of historic Worcester, The Commandery is most famous for being the Royalist Headquarters during the deciding battle of the English Civil War – the Battle of Worcester 1651. Birth place of Sir Edward Elgar Visit the birth place of famous composer Sir Edward Elgar Witley Court and Gardens Once one of the great country houses of England but after a devastating fire in 1937 it became one of the country’s most spectacular ruins. Experience choral evening song at Worcester Cathedral Visit the oldest effigy of a King of England and discover the birth place of the American National Anthem at Worcester Cathedral. Worcester Cathedral is the burial place of King John (1199-1216), who is infamous as the king who, in 1215, was forced to agree to Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter, which was designed to reduce the level of power that the king held. The annual Three Choirs Festival has been held since 1715, and the organist for the 1790 festival was John Stafford Smith who wrote ‘The Anacreontic Song’, which became the American national anthem, ‘The Star-spangled Banner.’

Begin your visit at Shakespeare’s Birthplace Explore Shakespeare’s birthplace, a restored 16th-century half-timbered house situated in Henley Street where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years. When you visit look out for the witches’ marks carved into the beam at the top of the staircase leading to the cellar. They’re known as daisy wheels or hexafoils and were believed to both protect against evil and be a good luck charm. Royal Shakespeare Theatre Finish the day with a pre-theatre dinner at the RSC Rooftop Restaurant followed by a play at the world-famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is a 1,040 plus seater thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden Just fifteen miles north of Stratford is this medieval fortress that became an Elizabethan palace. Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall At Shakespeare’s Schoolroom see where William Shakespeare spent his schooldays, discovered theatre for the first time and was educated and inspired to become the world’s greatest playwright. At the Guildhall, step back in time and explore the Medieval guildhall, the heart of bustling civil life for over 400 years