Before it became famous for its associations with William Shakespeare, this picturesque thatched cottage was known as Hewlands Farm, the home of a prosperous farmer, Richard Hathaway and his family. In 1582 Richard's daughter Anne married William Shakespeare. A pair of curved oak timbers inside the house show that the earliest parts were built during the 15th century, but it dates mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries. The twelve rooms including a kitchen, living- room, buttery, and six bedrooms have changed very little since Anne's day, and many items of period furniture on show belonged to the Hathaway family. The old- fashioned garden and orchard contain the Shakespeare Tree Garden and Jubilee Walk.
Wheelchair access is limited to parts of the garden only.
Refreshments are provided in the Tea Garden in the summer. This attractive, early 16th century farmhouse was until recently thought to be the girlhood home of Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden. It is now believed that she actually lived in the adjacent Glebe Farm. Mary Arden's House has been renamed Palmer's House after Adam Palmer who is now identified as the owner of the house in the 1570s and 1580s. Glebe Farm has taken the name Mary Arden's House.