9 Best Sights in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England, England

Tradition has it that, in Roman times a church of some sort stood on the site of what is now Chester Cathedral, but records date construction to around AD 900. The earliest work traceable today, mainly in the north transept, is that of the 11th-century Benedictine abbey. After Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 16th century, the abbey church became the cathedral church of the new diocese of Chester. The misericords in the choir stalls reveal carved figures of people and animals, both real and mythical, and above is a gilded and colorful vaulted ceiling. Cathedral at Height tours (£10) take you to parts of the building usually off-limits to visitors, including the roof—from which you can see two countries (England and Wales) and five separate counties.

Built of local red sandstone, Hereford Cathedral is a treasure trove of historical artifacts, including Mappa Mundi, the largest medieval map to survive in the world, and the largest chained library in Britain (a sort of medieval security system), which still has all its locks and chains intact. The cathedral itself retains a large central tower, and while much of the interior was restored in the 19th century, original 11th-century Norman features remain, including many intricate stone carvings. There are some exquisite contemporary stained-glass windows in the Audley Chapel and a 12th-century chair that is one of the oldest pieces of furniture in the country and was reputedly used by King Stephen (1092–1154). The Mappa Mundi is undoubtedly the biggest draw here. Drawn in about 1300, it’s a fascinating glimpse of how the medieval mind viewed the world: Jerusalem is shown dead center, the Garden of Eden at the edge, Europe and Africa are the wrong way round—and, of course, there are no Americas. In addition to land masses, the map details 500 individual drawings, including cities, Biblical stories, mythical creatures, and images of how people in different corners of the globe were thought to look—the last two frequently overlapping in a wildly imaginative fashion.

The map can be found just outside the Chained Library, which contains some 1,500 books, among them an 8th-century copy of the Four Gospels. Chained libraries, in which books were attached to cupboards to discourage theft, are extremely rare: they date from medieval times when books were as precious as gold. The cathedral also holds a copy of the 1217 revision of the Magna Carta. Tours of the cathedral (without the library and Mappa Mundi, which both require an extra fee, though volunteers are on hand to answer your questions) run daily throughout the year (except Sundays). Garden tours run in summer and tower tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

This 13th-century church on the banks of the River Avon is the final resting place of William Shakespeare. He was buried here not because he was a famed poet but because he was a lay rector of Stratford, owning a portion of the township tithes. On the north wall of the sanctuary, over the altar steps, is the famous marble bust created by Gerard Jansen in 1623 and thought to be a true likeness of Shakespeare. The bust offers a more human, even humorous, perspective when viewed from the side. Also in the chancel are the graves of Shakespeare's wife, Anne; his daughter, Susanna; his son-in-law, John Hall; and his granddaughter's first husband, Thomas Nash. Also here is the christening font in which Shakespeare was baptized.

On a hilltop west of the town center, this church designed by George Steuart, the architect of Attingham Park, is one of England’s most distinctive ecclesiastical buildings. Completed in 1792, the round Georgian church is surmounted by a tower that is in turn square, octagonal, and circular, as well as topped by a dome. When built, it provoked riots among townsfolk averse to its radical style. The interior has a fine Venetian east window and a brass Arts and Crafts pulpit.

There are few more quintessentially English sights than that of Worcester Cathedral, its towers overlooking the green expanse of the county cricket ground and its majestic image reflected in the swift-flowing waters of the River Severn. A cathedral has stood on this site since 680, and much of what remains dates from the 13th and 14th centuries. Notable exceptions are the Norman crypt (built in the 1080s), the largest in England, and the ambulatory, a cloister built around the east end. The most important tomb in the cathedral is that of King John (1167–1216), one of the country’s least-admired monarchs, who alienated his barons and subjects through bad administration and heavy taxation, and, in 1215, was forced to sign that great charter of liberty, Magna Carta; it's worth joining one of the expert talks by his tomb.

Don't miss the beautiful decoration in the vaulted chantry chapel of Prince Arthur, Henry VIII's elder brother, whose body was brought to Worcester after his death at Ludlow in 1502. The medieval library (accessible only by pre-booked tour) holds around 300 medieval manuscripts, dating from the 10th century onwards. Worcester is eight miles north of Great Malvern.

The early-18th-century Cathedral Church of St. Philip, a few blocks from Victoria Square, contains some lovely plasterwork in its elegant, gilded Georgian interior. The stained-glass windows behind the altar, designed by the Pre-Raphaelite Edward Burne-Jones (1833–98) and executed by the firm of William Morris & Company, glow with sensuous hues. There are regular free guided tours (most Monday at 12:30 pm and Wednesday at 11:30 am) where you can find out about how this church became a cathedral.

Crowded with gilded, carved, and painted tombs, the Beauchamp Chantry within this church is considered one of the finest medieval chapels in England. Despite the wealth of late-medieval and Tudor chivalry, the chapel was built in the 15th century in honor of the somewhat-less-than-chivalrous Richard de Beauchamp, who consigned Joan of Arc to burn at the stake. Alongside his impressive effigy in gilded bronze lie the fine tombs of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, adviser and favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, and Dudley’s brother, Ambrose. The church’s chancel, distinguished by its flying ribs, houses the alabaster table tomb of Thomas Beauchamp, one of the first Knights of the Order of the Garter, and his wife. In the Norman crypt, look for the rare ducking stool (a chair in which people were tied for public punishment).

This historic chapel is the noble centerpiece of Stratford's Guild buildings, including the Guildhall, the Grammar School, and the almshouses—all well known to Shakespeare. It also houses some of the finest surviving medieval wall paintings in Europe. The ancient structure was rebuilt in the late Perpendicular style in the 5th century. The paintings were covered with limewash during the Reformation on orders given to Shakespeare’s father, who was mayor at the time. Some of the most impressive paintings, rediscovered hundreds of years later, have now been restored and can be viewed, including an ornate painting known as The Doom above the chancel arch. Restoration on other paintings continues.

It’s worth a detour 15 miles northeast of Birmingham to explore the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The sandstone building, beautifully sited by a tree-fringed pool, dates mainly from the 12th and 13th centuries, and the Lady Chapel glows with some 16th-century stained glass from the Cistercian abbey of Herkenrode, near Liège, in Belgium. Half-timber houses surround the peaceful grounds, and the town itself has Georgian buildings as well as the birthplace (now a museum) of lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson. Highlights Tours run Monday through Saturday at 11 am and 2 pm. Visitors can also pay to tour the restored historic library (£18), accessed up 35 spiral steps, which includes many early books, including 15th-century manuscripts of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, or join the Hidden Heights tours to go into the cathedral's vaulted roof spaces and enjoy rooftop views of the city. Frequent trains from Birmingham New Street take 45 minutes.