About
Mary Arden's Farm is the most expansive and experiential of the five Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties in and around Stratford-upon-Avon. Located in the village of Wilmcote, approximately three miles north-west of Stratford, the site encompasses a cluster of historic Tudor farm buildings that formed the home of Mary Arden, who was to become the mother of William Shakespeare. It is a living history farm of exceptional quality, where traditional farming techniques, rare breed animals, and costumed interpretation combine to create an immersive encounter with Tudor rural life.
Mary Arden was the daughter of Robert Arden, a prosperous farmer and landowner of Wilmcote, and she inherited the farmstead on his death in 1556. The following year, 1557, she married John Shakespeare of Snitterfield, and the couple moved to Stratford-upon-Avon where their son William was born in 1564. The farm at Wilmcote thus represents Mary's world before her marriage — the rural Warwickshire landscape and farming community in which Shakespeare's mother was raised and which shaped the agrarian imagery that pervades so much of his writing.
The main farmhouse, a superb timber-framed building of the early sixteenth century, is furnished and interpreted as it might have appeared in the 1550s when Mary Arden was living here. Period furniture, household objects, and agricultural implements fill the rooms, and costumed interpreters bring the household to life through demonstration and conversation. Adjacent farm buildings — barns, a dovecote, outhouses, and animal shelters — complete the farmstead picture, housing animals, craft demonstrations, and further interpretive displays.
The living history dimension of Mary Arden's Farm is particularly well developed. Rare breed animals including Gloucester Old Spot pigs, Longhorn cattle, Cotswold sheep, and a variety of poultry roam the farmyard and fields. Traditional farming demonstrations — ploughing with horses, dairying, spinning, and craft work — take place throughout the opening season, and costumed interpreters engage visitors in the daily rhythms of Tudor farming life. The site offers a genuinely hands-on experience, with visitors able to meet and sometimes interact with the animals and observe traditional crafts at first hand.
The site also incorporates Palmer's Farm, a neighbouring farmstead of comparable age and historical interest, giving visitors two complete historic farmsteads to explore within a single visit. Together, the two farms create one of the most authentic and complete pictures of Tudor rural life available anywhere in England.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
💡 Visitor Tips
- Take the train from Stratford-upon-Avon to Wilmcote — it takes 10 minutes, costs very little, and the walk from Wilmcote station to the farm is just 4 minutes.
- Allow at least 2.5 to 3 hours — the farm is much larger than it appears and the demonstrations and animals will take longer than you expect.
- Check the events calendar before visiting — spring lambing and summer demonstrations are spectacular and greatly enhance the experience.
- A combined ticket for all five Shakespeare Trust properties is excellent value, and the train between Stratford and Wilmcote makes the farm very easy to include.
- The rare breed animals are a highlight for all ages — ask staff about feeding times and any opportunities for closer interaction.
- Wear comfortable outdoor shoes — the farmyard areas can be muddy after rain, particularly around the animal pens.
- The cafe is good and the outdoor seating in the farmyard is particularly pleasant on fine days.
- Visit on a weekday if possible — the farm is much busier at weekends and during school holidays.
Highlights
Discover the unique exhibits and collections at this museum.
Collections
Mary Arden's Farm holds Tudor and later period furnishings and domestic objects within the historic farmhouses, a collection of rare breed animals representing breeds kept in Tudor Warwickshire, and agricultural and craft equipment used in living history demonstrations. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust also maintains an archive of research material relating to the Arden family and the farm's history.
Mary Arden's Farmhouse
The Tudor farmhouse of Mary Arden's family, furnished and interpreted as it appeared in the 1550s, with period domestic objects, agricultural tools, and costumed interpretation.
Palmer's Farm
The neighbouring historic farmstead with additional buildings, animals, and demonstrations of Tudor farming activities.
The Living Farm
Rare breed animals, working farmyard, demonstrations of traditional farming and crafts throughout the day and across the seasons.
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.