Checking In to Shakespeare Country for a Family Stay

Travel

Posted on September 22, 2026

A two-night family stay in the heart of Shakespeare Country gave us time to discover an historic hotel, spend a full day exploring Stratford-upon-Avon and finish the trip with one of Warwickshire’s loveliest National Trust properties located literally across the road.

Shakespeare Country feels like one of those destinations we all know, even if we haven’t been. Stratford-upon-Avon, with timber-framed buildings aplenty, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and memories of learning Romeo and Juliet at school. But there is considerably more to this corner of Warwickshire than a quick pilgrimage to Shakespeare’s birthplace.

I spent two nights at The Charlecote Pheasant with my husband James and our boys, Isaac, aged 11, and Elijah, aged 9, using it as our base for a lovely three-day family break.

The location is obviously a key part of its appeal. The hotel sits in the pretty village of Charlecote, around five miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, with National Trust property Charlecote Park directly opposite. This means you are firmly in the heart of Shakespeare Country, while staying somewhere that feels much quieter and more idyllic than the bustling centre of Stratford itself.

Checking in to a little bit of history

The Charlecote Pheasant is a 70-bedroom hotel with a storied history. Originally Benham’s Farm and dating back to the 16th century, parts of the original building retain the exposed brickwork, beams and has plenty of period character. Today there is a combination of historic and newer accommodation, which gives the hotel an interesting mix of old and new.

We stayed in one of the hotel’s Family Rooms in the newer part of the property. It was exactly the set-up we needed for a family break; one large bedroom and sitting area with a double bed for James and me and bunk beds for the boys. There was plenty of room for four of us and our luggage, plus an ensuite bathroom with a bath and overhead shower, complimentary toiletries, tea and coffee making facilities, Wi-Fi and a television. All their Family Rooms have the double bed and bunk bed set up, with the bunks intended for children.

We also got the chance to look around some of the older parts of the hotel, where the bedrooms have a much more traditional feel. Alongside Family Rooms, accommodation ranges from Classic and Executive doubles and twins to Farmhouse rooms and suites, with the latter featuring four-poster beds, double baths and walk-in showers.

What ties the different areas together are the nods to where you are; Shakespeare Country runs through the hotel in small touches rather than being overly themed, which I really liked. It gives you that sense of place before you have even driven into the centre of Stratford.

We had even brought along some children’s versions of Shakespeare’s stories for Isaac and Elijah to read during the trip, which felt like a fun way to immerse ourselves a little more in where we were. Reading them back at the hotel before heading out to see Shakespeare’s birthplace and grave the following day made the whole weekend feel more connected.

Dinner, drinks and a games night

Once we had checked in, we spent the rest of our first day enjoying the hotel itself.

The hotel’s Pheasant Bar is a large, relaxed space, and there were board games and Uno available for guests to enjoy for free, which made for a fun, family evening. There is also plenty of outdoor seating in the hotel grounds, so on a warm evening you could easily settle in outside for a drink before dinner.

Dinner is served in the adjoining Pheasant Restaurant, a spacious dining room where the staff were wonderfully attentive throughout our meal. The hotel serves a mix of familiar pub-style favourites and seasonal dishes, so it works well if everyone in the family wants something different.

We went for pizza for James, Isaac and I, plus a burger from the children’s menu for Elijah. The current all-day menu includes a Margherita at £13.95, while the Meat Feast, Farmhouse and Spinach, Feta & Sun-Blushed Tomato pizzas are £15.50. Beyond pizza, there are the aforementioned burgers, steaks, charcoal-grilled kebabs, fish and chips, scampi and other classic mains, with plenty of vegetarian options too. The children’s menu has plenty of choice, and the hotel currently offers one free child’s meal with every adult main ordered from the All Day or Clarion Café menus for children aged 12 and under.

It all suited our first evening perfectly: food everyone would eat, no need to go anywhere else and enough space for us to relax together.

There was another unexpected source of entertainment too, as every so often, an older-looking aircraft would pass overhead thanks to the nearby Wellesbourne Mountford Airfield, which is still active, something the boys absolutely loved.

A day in Stratford-upon-Avon

The next morning breakfast was served buffet-style, with a good mix of hot and continental options, so there was plenty to choose from before heading out for a full day exploring Stratford.

We used the Park and Ride at Bishopton Lane, which I would absolutely use again. There are more than 700 spaces and the bus journey into the town centre takes around 10 to 12 minutes. A group return ticket for up to five people is currently £4, with daytime parking £1 if you arrive from 9am. Once you arrive, Stratford is extremely walkable, and we managed to pack plenty into one day. One of our favourite finds was also completely free.

‘The Play’s The Thing’ is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s family-friendly exhibition on the first floor of the Swan Wing. It explores the history of theatre-making in Stratford through costumes, objects, audio, video and interactive displays. There is even an original 1623 First Folio among the collection. For families, this is a brilliant way to introduce the RSC without everybody needing to already know and love Shakespeare. The boys could interact with the exhibits and it gave us all a great glimpse of the backstage world as well as the plays themselves.

From there we headed to Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street. The Tudor house was Shakespeare’s childhood home, and walking through it gives you a much better sense of the person behind the name we all know from school. Online tickets are currently £25 for adults and £12.50 for children aged three to 17, with under-threes free. Tickets include Shakespeare’s New Place Gardens and remain valid for 12 months. Entry to the Birthplace itself is timed, so pre-booking is recommended.

Later, we followed Shakespeare’s story to its other end at Holy Trinity Church, where he was baptized, and is buried. Entry to the church itself is free, while access to the chancel, where Shakespeare’s grave and memorial can be seen, costs £5 per adult and £1 for under-18s. As it remains a working parish church, it is worth checking opening times before visiting.

Stratford from the water

We also wanted to see the town from a completely different perspective, so we took a 40-minute trip with Canal and River Tours.

The boat leaves from Waterside and travels through one of the oldest working river locks in the country before heading along the River Avon. The lock was the bit that really made it for both us and the boys; it was so interesting to watch the water level change around the boat and along the way there are fantastic views of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and Holy Trinity Church from the water. It is £13.91 for adults, £8.56 for children aged three to 15, or £37.45 for a family of two adults and two children.

We then hopped on Stratford’s chain ferry, a tiny hand-operated ferry that crosses the River Avon using a submerged chain. Perhaps one of the simplest attractions of the weekend but so fun! On our visit it cost just £1 for adults and 50p for children. The crossing lasts only a few minutes, but it is very charming.

Saving the neighbour until last

After breakfast on our final morning, we checked out and crossed the road to Charlecote Park. The location is arguably one of The Charlecote Pheasant’s biggest selling points because this impressive National Trust estate is virtually on its doorstep.

Charlecote Park is a Victorian home surrounded by landscaped parkland, gardens and a resident deer herd. There are historic rooms, outbuildings, gardens and acres of open space. A family ticket for two adults and up to three children currently costs £45 without Gift Aid for the house, parkland and gardens, while National Trust members enter free. Individual family visits do not need to be pre-booked. It was the ideal way to finish the trip; rather than checking out and immediately facing the journey home, we had our final few hours of walking, exploring and stretching our legs before leaving Warwickshire.

The Charlecote Pheasant was the perfect base for family stay.

The Charlecote Pheasant gave us a comfortable, characterful base in the heart of Shakespeare Country, with Stratford-upon-Avon close enough for a full day of exploring and Charlecote Park just across the road.

We had Shakespeare, theatre history, boats, locks, a hand-wound ferry, aircrafts overhead and acres of National Trust parkland, and still had two relaxed nights to come back to in between.

For a family break, that balance of location, comfort and plenty to do nearby made The Charlecote Pheasant a fantastic base for the whole weekend.