SLHS: Dower House

Old Town

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

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● One of the oldest houses in Stratford

At this location there was once a farm and due to it’s position it may have avoided the catastrophic fires that destroyed many properties in Stratford. The main section of it dates from 1450’s making it one of the oldest houses in Stratford. Thus behind its current stucco covering are some extremely old timbers. It was once known as Nine Gables for obvious reasons.

Will’s, Will Will..

We know that it was extended in 1590 and ten years later became the home of Thomas Reynolds. In 1616, when William Shakespeare died, his son William Reynolds, was remembered in Shakespeare’s Will.

Up, Down, Up

Let’s have a think about staircases. It’s pretty obvious that steps, rather than a slope, are the most efficient method. Ascending to, and more riskily descending from, an upper floor is made far more dangerous, especially when carrying something, if the treads and the risers are not exactly equally spaced. The word case, as well meaning a covering, also conveys the idea of a frame eg case clock. Thus the English compound word ‘staircase’ is a good description of how a group of steps is made and kept perfectly equi-spaced. The whole construction then, as now, was normally made all in one securely fixed together unit. Even in mediaeval times these were an expensive part of the house to buy (and not all carpenters were good at making them).

Recycling

The stairs in the Dower House very ‘medieval’ in nature ie likely to be weak and flimsy. Round the corner John Clopton was renovating one of his homes: the enormous New Place. In 1700 he bought Dower House and, rather than throw away the old staircase from New Place, it is thought that he moved it to Dower House where it still exists today. This is yet another example of re-use of Stratford’s re-use of building parts (see shortcut above).

As it is today   September 2023

Split And Unsplit

In the nineteenth century the building was split into two halves. The northern section acquiring the name Avon Croft but in 2009 the two were reunited again.

Corelli & Vyver

When Marie Corelli and Bertha Vyver first came to Stratford they rented rooms in Dower House. Then moved to Hall’s Croft for a time.

Dower House   1912