MARY Arden’s Farm has been taken off Stratford’s tourist trail.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has announced that the Wilmcote site, once home to the Bard’s mother, is closing its gates to visitors due to financial constraints and low visitor numbers.
It is the second Shakespeare property to close its doors for the foreseeable future as Hall’s Croft failed to reopen after the pandemic due to structural concerns with the building.
In a rapidly diminishing portfolio, visitors to Stratford now have just three SBT properties to look around – Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and New Place.
Mary Arden’s Farm has also not been fully open to the public since the pandemic. Visitors have been able to attend public events held during the school holidays including apple days and halloween activities but since 2020 access to the property has been mainly restricted to learning workshops for primary school children.
SBT said that the farm will now be given fully over to a learning centre for youngsters on school trips.
A spokesperson explained: “We have delivered general visitor focused activity at the property each year from 2021 to 2023, including a summer programme where Mary Arden’s Farm was open every Saturday and Sunday during the school holidays. This and other events have only generated modest audience engagement, much less than we expected, and when linked with the pressures of adapting the venue to meet the needs of the audience as well as the quality and consistency of the offer, these activities are not currently financially viable.
“As a self-sustaining and independent charity, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is not in a position to continue operating the property in this way and has made the difficult decision to reduce the number of public events at Mary Arden’s Farm in 2024, focusing the property fully as a learning centre for primary school children.”
Mary Arden’s Farm now welcomes over 3,300 children each year from across the country. And according to SBT, workshops are already oversubscribed, due to repeat bookings and teachers looking for a unique educational experience for their pupils.
The SBT spokesperson added they were exploring future opportunities to organise community days so that residents could visit the property.
It will also continue to operate as a working farm so that visiting school children have the opportunity to engage with the animals as part of their visit.
Family-focused activities and events will take place at the other three Shakespeare family homes.
