The Red Lion is a Heartwood Inn on the canal-side, just moments from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Located in a Grade II listed building, it offers a blend of historic charm and thoughtful design. There’s a spacious bar, an elegantly styled dining room – the burgers are especially tasty – and a large garden with tranquil views of the canal that will be perfect for a relaxing afternoon drink or atmospheric al fresco dining when the sun is out.
You don’t have to be a horse racing aficionado to enjoy a day at Stratford-upon-Avon races – we bet the friendly atmosphere will get you hooked!
It’s a chance to see beautiful horses, many top jockeys and – weather permitting – enjoy a drink and picnic with friends in the centre of the course.
Turn a Stratford race day into a short break by staying at Avonlea.
Stratford Racecourse is just a mile from Stratford-upon-Avon – meaning racegoers who stay with us can leave their car at Avonlea and walk to the course to enjoy the hospitality at one of the country’s leading small jumps racecourses.
Monday 9th March
Saturday 28th March
Sunday 19th April
Sunday 17th May
Friday 29th May
Saturday 30th May
Tuesday 16th June
Monday 29th June
Tuesday 30th June
Sunday 12th July
Sunday 19th July
Thursday 20th August
Tuesday 25th August
Saturday 5th September
Monday 5th October
Saturday 17th October
Thursday 29th October
Even with somewhere like Stratford-upon-Avon, with its host of historic attractions and ever-changing list of forthcoming plays, you can sometimes suffer ‘cultural fatigue’.
At the risk of upsetting, well, almost everyone, as proud adopted Stratfordians, even we sometimes feel the need to get away from the tights, iambic pentameters and arrases (or is the plural of arras arrasi?).
In which case, we nip off to The Royal Spa Centre in Leamington Spa for a relatively low-brow mix of tribute acts, comedians and spoken-word events (everyone from antique experts and mountaineers to zoologists), and even the occasional play!
Leamington Spa is an easy 30-minute drive from Avonlea.
A leisurely half-hour drive in the opposite direction will take you to Stow on the Wold, Bourton on the Water and Upper and Lower Slaughter – so if you want to combine a peaceful visit to the heart of the Cotswolds with a raucous Tina Turner Tribute Act, Avonlea is perfectly positioned!
Stratford-upon-Avon is famous for its Markets and Fairs. Of course, there’s the famous ones. This year’s renowned Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas market – one of the largest in the West Midlands – will once again be taking place over two consecutive weekends – the 29th and 30th November and 6th and 7th December, while the Mop Fair takes place on the 11th and 12th October.
But if you are a fan of Markets and Fairs, here are four more great reasons to visit us:
July 22nd, 23rd, 24th Waterside European Market, a vibrant event celebrating the UEFA European Women’s Championship.
August 5th, 6th, 7th Superheroes on Waterside features your favourite heroes from the DC and Marvel Universes promising a memorable experience for enthusiasts and families alike.
August 25th Summer Bank Holiday Monday Market Street features a food court with delicious lunch options and over 90 fabulous stalls showcasing top-quality clothing, jewellery, gifts, retro, vintage, crafts and more!
September 20th, 21st Stratford-upon-Avon’s much-loved Food Festival transforms the town centre into a vibrant celebration of food, drink, and live entertainment.
Here are a few more details:
The event will feature an impressive line-up of FREE entertainment, including football activities. Sports enthusiasts of all ages will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and participate in penalty shootouts, cone drills and mini matches, putting their football prowess to the test and engage in friendly competition. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Local dance groups will entertain the crowds with football-inspired dance and gymnastic routines. Combining athleticism and creativity, the talented dancers will showcase their impressive moves and leave the audience in awe.
Adding to the atmosphere, a football-themed Stilt Walker will tower above the crowd, captivating everyone with their impressive skills and vibrant costume. There will also be football-themed inflatables for children to enjoy.
In addition to the lively entertainment and exciting activities, attendees will be able to enjoy a fantastic selection of the finest international street food. There will be a diverse array of flavours and cuisines from around Europe and the World, tantalising taste buds and satisfying food cravings. There will be something to please every palate.
If that isn’t enough, the event will feature an artisan market, where visitors can explore a curated selection of unique crafts, artwork and handcrafted products. From beautifully designed jewellery to original artwork and stylish accessories, the artisan market offers a perfect opportunity to discover one-of-a-kind treasures and support local artisans.
Features your favourite heroes from the DC and Marvel Universes promising a memorable experience for enthusiasts and families alike.
Find your favourite heroes from the DC and Marvel Universes. The Waterside will come alive with various characters, promising a memorable experience for enthusiasts and families alike.
The event will feature an impressive line-up of FREE entertainment for all ages with something for everyone to enjoy.
A Live DJ Compere will keep the energy high and the crowd engaged throughout the festivities. With a curated selection of foot-tapping beats and popular tunes, the DJ will set the perfect ambiance for this thrilling celebration.
Features a food court with delicious lunch options and over 90 fabulous stalls showcasing top-quality clothing, jewellery, gifts, retro, vintage, crafts and more!
Make a weekend of it!
This festival transforms the town centre into a vibrant celebration of food, drink, and live entertainment.
The Stratford Food Festival is a highlight in the town’s calendar, attracting thousands of visitors each year. Showcasing local producers, street food vendors and international cuisine, the event is designed to celebrate the joy of food and bring the community together.
With over 100 food and drink traders, the festival will take over Henley Street and Bridge Street, offering everything from sizzling street food to artisan cheeses, handcrafted sweet treats and locally brewed beverages. Expect mouth-watering flavours from around the world, alongside the very best of British produce. Whether you’re a foodie, a family looking for a great day out, or just someone who enjoys good food and a great atmosphere, this is an event not to be missed!
Book your stay with us to enjoy the delights of Stratford-upon-Avon’s many festivals and events.
The RSC’s latest programme announcement really does give us something to look forward to, bringing together stories from across the centuries and from across the globe.
Joining previously announced productions of The Winter’s Tale, Measure for Measure and The BFG in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre a new production of Henry V has been added to the schedule.
In the Swan Theatre, there’s a quick-witted new version of Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac and a return of Josh Roche‘s critically acclaimed two-part production of The Forsyte Saga.
Looking ahead to 2026, there’s the stage premiere of a new musical of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, based on the award-winning memoir of the same name by William Kamkwamba.
In The Other Place you can see Macbeth, and Whitney White’s fresh take on Shakespeare’s iconic characters in All Is But Fantasy; four stories against a live soundtrack of rock, pop, indie and gospel.
Here are a few more details:
by Edmond Rostand in a new version by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Saturday 27 September – Saturday 15 November
Tickets from £10-72.50
Poet, soldier and philosopher. Cyrano de Bergerac burns with brilliance. He’s fiercely funny and urgently romantic – but behind the veil of wit is one large problem: his nose.
Haunted by doubts and too proud to beg, he watches from the shadows as Roxane – bold, beautiful and seemingly unreachable – falls for another man, Christian. But this handsome, tongue-tied young suitor knows his only hope of charming Roxane is to seduce her with words.
And only one person can help…
By William Shakespeare
The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon
Thursday 9 October – Saturday 6 December
Tickets from £25-47.00
Daniel Raggett, whose acclaimed Edward II played in the Swan Theatre earlier this year, directs Shakespeare’s story of love, power and ambition in the intimate setting of The Other Place. Sam Heughan (Outlander, Love Again) makes his RSC debut as Macbeth. Award-winning Lia Williams (The Crown, Skylight) is Lady Macbeth.
By John Galsworthy: Adapted by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Part 1: Irene: Friday 28 November – Saturday 10 January
Part 2: Fleur: Monday 1 December – Saturday 10 January
Tickets from £10-£72.50
1886. The Empire is at its peak. Business is good for the Forsytes. Over sixty years they have invested, acquired and saved theiway towards wealth. But the Forsyte lust for ownership is relentless.
Soames’ possessive love for his wife Irene shatters their marriage. Her break for freedom triggers events which reverberate down the generations.
John Galsworthy’s Nobel-winning saga about love, ownership and the end of empire is retold by Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan across two plays, spanning over 40 years from 1886 to 1927.
Written, composed and directed by Whitney White
The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon
Lady Macbeth, Emilia: Wednesday 21 January – Saturday 21 February
Juliet, Richard III: Wednesday 28 January – Saturday 21 February
Tickets from £25-£45
Lady Macbeth, Juliet, Emilia and Richard III. Each has a finger on the self-destruct button, sometimes by accident, sometimes by design. But why should loving too hard, aspiring too high or living too fast cut the story short?
Award-winning artist Whitney White explodes into The Other Place with a groundbreaking theatrical event, featuring four of Shakespeare’s most famous characters.
Their stories are revisited across two high-energy gig-theatre performances, catalysed by a red-hot soundtrack of musical genres from rock and soul to pop and gospel.
With the three Witches as backing singers, one question comes up time and again:
Can you have ambition and love and still be alive in Act V?
A NEW MUSICAL
Book and Lyrics by Richy Hughes
Music and Lyrics by Tim Sutton
Adapted from/based on the book by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tuesday 10 February – Saturday 28 March
Tickets from £10-£60
William wants to build a windmill. Nobody believes he can – not his father nor his friends. Hope feels out of reach where the land is thirsty, but the rains don’t come. As drought closes in on his family’s farm and the village he loves, everyone prays for a miracle.
All William has to hand are some library books and scraps of old machinery. The rest must come from within. Will he defy expectations? Will the wind turn the sails of his invention, produce the gift of power, and give hope for tomorrow?
By William Shakespeare
Saturday 14 March – Saturday 25 April
Tickets from £16-£72.50
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
From a rebellious, carefree young man to the King of England. Overnight. And now this new king has an eye on the throne of France.
A reckless insult from the French Dauphin offers the perfect excuse for Henry V to declare war. But there’s a human price to pay for his pursuit of power and thousands could die at Agincourt.
Henry must unite his country, defeat the French, and prove himself worthy of the crown of England. Does he have what it takes?
Book your stay with us and enjoy all the delights that the RSC have to offer in their upcoming season.
A few of our guests have discovered that Avonlea is the perfect base to enjoy a day’s horseracing at the headline-grabbing festivals at Cheltenham, but Stratford-upon-Avon races have a charm all of their own.
Stratford Racecourse is just a mile from Stratford-upon-Avon – meaning racegoers who stay with us can leave their car at Avonlea and walk to the course to enjoy the hospitality at one of the country’s leading small jump racecourses.
Racing takes place regularly between March and October, with many top trainers and jockeys attending. The Summer Race Days attract families and groups who can picnic in the centre of the course.
Call 01789 205 940 or email enquiries@avonlea-stratford.co.uk to book your stay now!
The Attic Theatre is a brilliant fringe theatre right on our doorstep.
Located in Cox’s Yard in the heart of Stratford upon Avon, this unique and intimate theatre has just 92 seats and is housed in a Grade II listed timber yard with the original features of the building clearly visible in the auditorium.
The resident company, “Tread the Boards Theatre Company”, work with professional actors, designers and directors from across the country and put on an impressive and varied programme throughout the year.
Some of 2025’s highlights include The Tempest, Henry V, Little Women, The Wizard of Oz, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Sherlock Holmes and The Sign of Four.
… and with most tickets priced at just £17.50 – it’s a great experience and great value for money.
The Tempest April 3 – April 26
Henry V April 11 – April 27
The Memory of Water May 22 – June 8
The Complete Jane Austen Collection (Sort Of) July 1 – July 19
The Wizard of Oz August 7 to August 30
Little Women September 11 – September 28
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde October 14 – November 2
Sherlock Holmes and The Sign of Four November 13 – November 29
Cinderella December 12 – January 4
Cinderella – The Adult Pantomime December 31 – January 4
Call 01789 205 940 or email enquiries@avonlea-stratford.co.uk to book your stay now!
The RSC Summer Season is an absolute cracker, including Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet Hail to the Thief, The Winters Tale, Measure for Measure and Titus Andronicus – not to mention Tom Wells’ magical new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG.
So, click here to find out more about what’s on at the RSC and the Swan – and book your stay at our very own BFG – Stratford-upon-Avon’s Best Friendly Guesthouse!
Here’s some highlights from the RSC 2025 Season.
Call 01789 205 940 or email enquiries@avonlea-stratford.co.uk to book your stay now!
For the last few years we have run a very successful Christmas Raffle to raise funds for Shakespeare’s Puppies – a local appeal supporting Guide Dogs for the Blind: While Vern (our gorgeous Yellow Labrador guide dog stud) is continuing with his sterling work to support the cause, we have decided that this Christmas we would also like to support local hospices.
Unfortunately, this year we have had reason to witness at first-hand what a fantastic job hospices do – and we are also aware of how they are currently facing a cash crisis, so – based on the fact that we believe that everyone should support their local hospice… and the fact that we know our guests are a decent and honest bunch, this year we are running what we believe to be Britain’s First (we think) honesty raffle!
Simply donate at least £10 to your local hospice, send us an email to tell us which hospice you support… and we’ll enter you into a raffle to win a two-night break at Avonlea.*
Because we know our guests would only ever mix with similarly decent coves, if you have friends who want to donate to their local hospice, tell them to email us with their details and we’ll enter them in the draw, too!
You can use the following link to forward this email to a friend and they can sign-up here to our newsletter.
*Normal terms and conditions apply – the prize is subject to availability and there is no cash alternative.
Stratford-Upon-Avon has a plethora of restaurants that are open for both Sunday lunch and Sunday evening meals.
In this day and age that is pretty unusual.
Add to that the fact that virtually every visitor attraction in the town is also open on Sundays and Stratford-Upon-Avon is perfect for a long weekend break.
*At Avonlea we are committed to make Sunday even more special by offering 50% off your Sunday B & B rate when it is part of a stay of three or more nights.
