page_title: Stratford-upon-Avon
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Stratford-upon-Avon / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: The bridge over the River Avon at Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England, and the side of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
context_page_description: Stratford-upon-Avon, commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District, in the county of Warwickshire, England, on the River Avon, 91 miles north west of London, 22 miles south east of Birmingham, and 8 miles south west of Warwick. The estimated population in 2007 was 25,505, increasing to 27,445 at the 2011 Census.
  Stratford was originally inhabited by Anglo-Saxons and remained a village before the lord of the manor, John of Coutances, set out plans to develop it into a town in 1196. In that same year, Stratford was granted a charter from King Richard I to hold a weekly market in the town, giving it its status as a market town. As a result, Stratford experienced an increase in trade and commerce as well as urban expansion.
  The town is a popular tourist destination owing to its status as the birthplace and gravesite of playwright and poet William Shakespeare, and receives approximately 2.5 million visitors a year. The Royal Shakespeare Company resides in Stratford's Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
context_section_description: Stratford is 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham. It is close to the northern edge of the Cotswolds, with Chipping Campden 10 miles (16 km) to the south. Suburbs and areas of the town include Shottery, Bishopton, Bridge Town, Tiddington, and Old Town.
  Stratford's location next to the River Avon means it is susceptible to flooding, including flash floods.
caption: View of the River Avon from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
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