The beautiful Tudor site, once home to Shakespeare’s mother, is getting ready to throw open its gates to welcome more families back than it has been able to since 2020 as it opens every weekend from July until early September.
Visitors to Warwickshire are in for a treat this summer as Mary Arden’s Farm is welcoming families back for more days to explore the grounds of this working farm, get reacquainted with the resident animals, take part in fun, games, and even have-a-go archery!
“We know that a visit to Mary Arden’s Farm is close to many people’s hearts and after the success of our new seasonal ‘Fun at the Farm’ events early in May we are excited to announce a whole summer of special events at the farm, giving families the chance to come back and explore the farm again.”
Said Director of Visitor Experience and Business Development at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Rachael North
Each weekend over the summer visitors will be able to purchase a day ticket that will allow them and their families to explore the farm. From meeting the resident animals to relaxing with a picnic in the summer sun or playing lawn games and even trying their hand at some Tudor-inspired archery, suitable for all the family.
This upcoming season of 10 weekends is the longest Mary Arden’s Farm will remain open to visitors since the start of the pandemic and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT), the custodians of Shakespeare’s family homes in and around Stratford-upon-Avon and operators of the property, had to take the difficult decision to change the way the site operated.
“Mary Arden’s Farm was always well loved by our visitors, and now, post-pandemic, we have to balance the needs of our learning audiences and families. As an educational charity first and foremost the decision was taken to prioritise learning visits to come back first, and then, as the Trust recovered from the impact of COVID, look to introduce a new family visit offer, which is something I’m pleased to say we are getting back to.”
Indeed, from 2021 onwards Mary Arden’s Farm has played host to over 6,000 school children from across the UK, with the site now acting as the Trust’s primary school learning venue.
Initially used due to the open spaces across the site being used to aid social distancing, the offer has proved popular and with the continued restriction of space within the Shakespeare Centre the Trust will continue to base the majority of their primary learning activity, during term time, at Mary Arden’s Farm.
The Home of Family Fun
However, the SBT are aware that audiences are keen to get back on to the farm with their families, and so, after trialling a series of short-run events in 2021 and 2022 they are launching this new programme of free-flow events over the 10 weekends of the summer, from early July to early September.
These events, if popular, are seen as a new way for visitors to experience Mary Arden’s Farm, post-pandemic, with a balance between learning during term time and more access during the school holidays.
“We know that Mary Arden’s Farm has been missed and with this new free-to-roam programme we can offer a new experience, with many elements that people will remember, in a sustainable way for the long term.”
Continued Ms North, whose team manages and operates Mary Arden’s Farm alongside the three Shakespeare family homes in Stratford and Shottery.
Weekends at Mary Arden’s Farm start from Saturday 1 July and take place every weekend until Sunday 3 September. Tickets are priced at £13 for adults and £6.50 for children, with under 3s going free. For more information and to book visit www.shakespeare.org.uk.