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Welcome to the Stratford Society

Your Local Civic Society charity registration No. 251182

The Stratford Society aims to protect the heritage of our historic market town and its residents. Founded in 1966, it offers non-political, professional expertise on the town's buildings and their surroundings. It works with councils and other organisations locally and nationally and promotes high quality design in keeping with the character of this world famous and much visited town.

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From the Society AGM on Monday 13 th May 2013

the following will form the General Committee for 2013/2014

Kevin Bond	Chairman/Trustee
Joyce Bridges
Peter Burgess
Jean Clymer	Programme Secretary
Jon Craig	Hon Tresurer/Trustee
John Deegan
Beryl Downing
Ian Fradgley	Membership Secretary/Trustee
Paul Mackey	Hon Secretary/Trustee
Dick Prior	Photographer
Ian Prosser
Robin Sankey
John Scampion	Vice Chairman/Trustee
Brian Wright

Click Here for the Minutes

Click for the latest details

Stratford Upon Avon High Street Traffic - The Facts

Parking and Transport Group

Society Schools Project

The Toll House Project

The Shop Front Grants Scheme

For Your Diary
- Next season of members meetings

Monday evening, 16 September 2013

Monday evening, 21 October 2013

Monday afternoon, 4 November 2013

Monday evening, 18 November 2013

Monday afternoon, 3 February 2014

Monday evening, 17 February 2014

Monday evening, 17 March 2014

Monday evening, 21 April 2014

Monday evening, 12 May 2014 - AGM

Extracts from the presentation by Mark Haselden, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group

After the business of the AGM, 13th May 2013, Mark Haselden gave a presentation on the progress of the Neighbourhood Plan, which has been drawn up by local people to define the character and heritage of the town and the ways in which provision can be made in a sustainable way for future housing needs and a strong local economy.

The current options were a new settlement around Gaydon, a major expansion of Stratford with new infrastructure, or a combination of the two. The NP favoured looking at brownfield development first and had identified a regeneration area to include the canal, Mason’s Road, the old football stadium, DCS site and possibly Western Road. Phased regeneration could be done in conjunction with a business park on the A46 as suggested in SDC’s draft Core Strategy. Consultation had shown a strong desire to protect the countryside.

Compared with other historic towns and larger tourist destinations such as Bath and York, there was a perception that Stratford had been in gradual decline for the past 15 years. Two specialists in regeneration have been recruited to the working groups one of whom is John Scampion of the Stratford Society, who is a former chief executive of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and has extensive knowledge of town centre shopping and commercial development.

Problems facing the town were identified as:

Further out-of-town development
The possibility of a large anchor store withdrawing
Internet shopping
Polarisation of retail to larger towns with a greater choice of shops
Downturn in consumer spending
Poor transport interchanges
High car parking charges
Too much vehicle traffic in the town centre
Lack of concern among District planners about preserving the character of the town centre
A lack of cohesive management
The derelict appearance of Town Square

Among other priorities, Working Groups are considering ways of:

Ensuring the town centre is a flourishing shopping and commercial centre
Protecting town centre heritage
Managing tourism
Improving access and traffic flow
Assessing the benefits of pedestrian priority or shared space in the town centre.
Adapting parking policies to favour retail
Facilitating residential development in the town centre in place of some empty shops.

Final Stages of the Plan:

A final draft will be submitted to interested groups, including the Stratford Society.
The Steering Group will liaise with the SDC Core Strategy team and there will be additional workshops if appropriate.
The final plan will be submitted for inspection and referendum.

Public Consultation :

There will be Open Days at the Town Hall on Sunday 30th June from 11am to 5pm and on Monday 1st July from 1pm to 8pm at the Town Hall. There will be a DVD presentation and members of the NP groups will be present to answer questions. Further comments and ideas will be invited.

As you Like It at Burnt Norton

The Countess of Harrowby has kindly invited Stratford Society members on a tour of her gardens at Burnt Norton on 11th June. This tour is now Sold Out.

However, she has asked that we let members know about performances of As You Like It which are being staged by the Burnt Out Theatre group in the Burnt Norton gardens between 20th and 23rd June in aid of MS Trust and Pepo La Tumaini Jangwani .

Click Here for further details and a booking form - 6.4MB.

Members Visit to Broughton Castle near Banbury Thursday, 16th May 2013 at 11am

24 Stratford Society members were made very welcome at Broughton Castle on Thursday morning, 16 th May.

Broughton Castle which is situated between Wroxton and Banbury is the home of Lord and Lady Saye & Sele, whose family seat this has been since 1377. A medieval manor house, which was later transformed into a Tudor mansion is surrounded by a wide moat and parkland. Broughton was a parliamentary rallying place in the 17 th century, besieged by the royalists in the Civil War. Arms and armour of the period are on display around the castle.

On a beautiful sunny day, members also had the opportunity to view the stunning gardens and surrounding parkland from the roof.

Broughton has been used by many film companies when making films such as Shakespeare in Love, Madness of King George, Scarlet Pimpernel and Three Men and a Little Lady. Members were shown where very clever dummy stonework had been used to cover up the radiator pipes in the Great Hall so that films could be kept ‘in period’. It was also used as the setting for one of the Morecambe & Wise Christmas shows.

The Chairman's Annual Report to the Society

Leadership is vital and traditionally such leadership is given by the planning authorities. During 2012 it has become increasingly clear that Stratford District Council was not going to fulfill its statutory requirement to agree a new Core Strategy within the timetable they had publicly stated. It was also becoming clear that the criteria that SDC had declared for housing was not in accordance with its policies for business development. The result is a failure to establish a policy framework for the coming years in terms of town planning and the lack of firm leadership leaves the town vulnerable to indiscriminate development with no overall cohesion. This has critical implications for our town and will impact on every aspect of its development, not only in housing, but in transport, infrastructure and business, affecting the whole of our economy and success as a vibrant and attractive centre.

This points to a failure in political leadership. We are aware of many developers looking for quick returns through significant new developments. There is little ‘joining together’ going on. The relationship between vehicle movements and pedestrians is being missed. Provision for cycle use with safety between motor vehicles and cycles is lacking. These existing problems run the risk of becoming acute in the next few years.

I am afraid that if action is not taken quickly to fill the planning vacuum, future generations will remember the current crop of political leaders as a group who lacked vision and imagination and who cared little about the legacy they were leaving.
Work by the Neighbourhood Plan Strategy Group, under the supervision of Stratford Town Council, is trying to fill the gaps which SDC’s failure is leaving. The people of Stratford will have an opportunity to vote on local strategies in mid 2013; it is to be hoped that our politicians can deliver what the people decide – this will be a real test of local democracy which will require politicians to follow community will and not party lines. Can they do this?

The Stratford Society has been involved in many of the Neighbourhood Plan’s developments and will continue to work for a future of our town which tries to balance our heritage with vital development. We will all need to be active in highlighting the importance of these issues in the coming months and to exert our influence on developments with and through our co-operation and membership of local groups. In my view, the next twelve months will have a tangible impact on the next twenty years – and beyond – of the town.

Kevin Bond
Chairman

Members Visits and Social Events 2013

Burnt Norton
near Chipping Campden

SOLD OUT

Tuesday, 11th June 2013 at 2.30pm

Stratford Society members are invited to enjoy a private visit to Burnt Norton as guests of the Countess of Harrowby, who will give members a private tour of the gardens, inspiration for TS Eliot’s ‘The Four Quartets’.

A donation of £5 per person is requested for MS Society

No refreshments available

Chairman’s Summer Garden Party

Honington Hall near Shipston on Stour

Friday 5th July 2013 Evening

This year’s summer party is an opportunity for Stratford Society members and their guests to enjoy an exclusive view of Honington Hall and its gardens – not generally open to the public.

This beautiful Caroline manor house is the home of Benjamin Wiggin and his family, who have generously invited members to enjoy the elegant setting which has featured in BBC adaptation of Love in a Cold Climate, Our Mutual Friend and Martin Chuzzlewit.

The house was built in the early 1680s in mellow red brick. The interior was lavishly remodelled in the 1740s and has some notable plasterwork. If the weather is good we will have access to the gardens, the main hall and the beautiful octagonal room. If wet, we will also have access to the family’s private Oak room.

Pimms, wines and soft drinks with canapés will be served and there will be ample seating.

Tickets £18 per person.

Guided tour of the Abbey and Alleys of Tewkesbury

Wednesday, 25th September 2013
11am

Historic Beauty

with lunch at Theoc House Restaurant

where we will be joined by members of theTewkesbury Society

Cost £4 per person to cover Abbey tour

Private visit and guided tour of Wroxton Abbey, nr Banbury

Tuesday, 22nd October 2013 at 10am

Members are invited to a private tour of Wroxton Abbey, nr Banbury

A guided tour of this fine Jacobean mansion will be followed by

tea/ coffee in the Carriage room

Cost £7.50 per person to include guided tour and coffee

(minimum of 15 people)

Private visit to All Saints Church, Billesley

Date to be confirmed

View of All Saints' Church, Billesley. Photo copyright Sarah McCarthy. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Guided tour given by the Aston Cantlow and District History Society to All Saints Church, Billesley. This will be followed by tea/ coffee and biscuits at Billesley Manor Hotel

£7 per person, which includes a donation of £3 per person to the Churches Conservation Trust.

(minimum 15 people)

Thenford Arboretum, Nr Banbury

We are also hoping to arrange a visit in the Autumn to Thenford Arboretum, Nr Banbury.

Thenford is the home of Lord and Lady Heseltine.

Details to follow.

For further enquiries or to reserve or book a place for any of the above visits, please telephone or email Jean Clymer, Programme Secretary as soon as possible

01789 269183

jeanclymer@hotmail.co.uk

Cheques should be made payable to the Stratford Society and sent to

Jean Clymer 194 Banbury Road, Stratford upon Avon CV37 7HX

If you require transport please let Jean know

Members Visit to Ettington Park Hotel Wednesday, 24th April 2013

On Wednesday, 24 th April, in glorious Spring sunshine, over 20 members from Stratford Society were made very welcome at Ettington Park Hotel.

Ettington Park is a spectacular neo Gothic mansion which is still in the ownership of the Shirley family, whose roots date back to Norman times.

Damon Cornock, the Concierge, gave members a very entertaining presentation of the history of the Shirley family, the house and its evolvement over hundreds of years. Members were also shown the 57 coats of arms displayed in the Oak Room restaurant and reputed to be of Robert Shirley’s children (27 legitimate and 30 illegitimate) . Members were then given a tour of the church which commemorates Shirley ancestors, and more recent members of the family. He also spoke of Shakespeare’s links with the Shirley family. This was followed by a walk in part of the extensive grounds.

The tour concluded with morning coffee and cakes which were served in the Great Drawing Room.

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