Bancroft Gardens
Between the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Clopton Bridge lie these well-tended expanses of lawns and flower beds, with lots of seating and occasional performers entertaining those taking a breather between seeing the sights. The swans gliding gracefully along the river are permanent residents, coexisting with the pleasure craft on the river and the nearby canal. The centerpiece of the gardens is the Gower Memorial statue, designed in 1888 by Lord Gower as a homage to Shakespeare and adorned with bronze figures of Hamlet, Lady Macbeth, Falstaff, and Prince Hal—symbols of philosophy, tragedy, comedy, and history, respectively.
