Holy Trinity, Stratford
welcomes our visitors!
Click here for a location map
Click here for a photo tour
of the church
Holy Trinity is a living, working Parish Church.
The opening hours below are always subject to
the demands of a busy parish. Scheduled closures for weddings,
concerts, rehearsals, school assemblies, etc. are listed on the coming Soon page. However, we quite
often need to close at fairly short notice (e.g. for funerals). On
the day concerned, these times are always listed on the Church
notice board in the Churchyard.
Please note that we do not open for visitors on
Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
Visitors are always welcome to join the worship,
and may be able to see over the church briefly afterwards,
but we can't guarantee it, especially if another service
follows.
If you are going to attend a service at Holy
Trinity, please make yourself known to the Welcome Team. We will
look out for you and endeavour to make your visit to Holy Trinity as
enjoyable as possible.
Spring/Autumn opening hours
(March and October)
Monday-Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Sunday: 12.30pm -
5pm
Last admission 20 mins before
closing
Summer opening hours
(April-September)
Monday-Saturday: 8.30am - 6pm
Sunday: 12.30 pm -
5 pm
Last admission 20 mins before
closing
Winter opening hours
(November-February)
Monday-Saturday: 9 am -
4pm
Sunday: 12.30 pm - 5 pm
Last admission 20 mins before
closing
Admission to the church is usually free, except for
advertised concerts and exhibitions, when details will be published
in the local press and on a notice board outside the
Church.
In order to keep the Church open 7 days a week for
visitors, pilgrims, tourists and worshippers, we ask that those
wishing to visit Shakespeare's grave make a donation of £2
(Concessions £1).
The cost of keeping Holy Trinity open, plus
heating, staffing and maintaining the ancient building costs the
regular congregation about £4,000 a week.
Holy Trinity Gift Shop
A well-stocked gift shop is situated at the back of
Holy Trinity Church. The profits go towards the upkeep and
maintenance of the building. The gift shop is usually open when the
building is open(see above).
Wheelchair access - one small step. Church Staff
willingly help to place a ramp. There are no steps within the
building. Daytime disabled toilets (Closed at 6pm) in the Theatre
Gardens 100m. Please ask for the RADAR key at the book shop or in
the Parish Centre Office. A Braille guide is available for you to
take away. An induction loop is in operation during services.
Clear-print service books and hymn-books are available.
If we don't notice your need, but you would like
assistance at a service, please ask a Sidesman or member of the
Welcome Team.
Our Church staff will give as much help as they
can to make your visit enjoyable.
GUILD CHAPEL
Visitors to Stratford will notice another mediæval church building
near the town centre. This is the Chapel of the Guild of the Holy
Cross, founded in 1269 and rebuilt by Sir Hugh Clopton at the turn
of the sixteenth century. The Guild was suppressed in 1547 and the
entire estates, chapel included, were vested in the town. The tower
contains two bells. The larger (27-3-2) was cast by Hugh Watts as a
curfew bell on July 10th 1633. This we know because two councillors
were dispatched to Leicester see it done! There are a large number
of initials inscribed upon it, said to be those of members of the
Corporation of that year. The smaller (3-0-0) was cast by Robert
Wells in 1782 a fire bell (part of the present school was once used
as a fire station). Both were re-hung by Taylors in 1992. The
smaller is electrically chimed as a service bell. The larger is
struck by the clock and still sounds the curfew each night at eight
o’clock by electric swing chiming.