New Place: The Only Representation of Shakespeare’s House From an Unpublished Manuscript

Summary

New Place holds a peculiarly important position among the landmarks of Shakespeare’s life. At the beginning of his thirty-third year, at a time when his fame as a playwright was just becoming established, and several years before the period of his greatest triumphs, he seems to have put whatever money he had saved into the purchase of this, the second largest house in his native Stratford, described in 1496 by its original builder, Sir Hugh Clopton, as “my grete house in Stratford upon Avon”. Later Shakespeare retired to New Place, and there he died.

The fortunes of New Place before its purchase by Shakespeare in 1597 and its vicissitudes after his death are well documented. Unfortunately, however, the existing structure was pulled down about 1702, and a new house built in its stead, a house which in its turn was destroyed in 1759.

Apart from one or two brief and rather vague descriptions of the original "praty howse of brike and tymbar", nothing has hitherto been known of its appearance. Hence the pen-and-ink sketch reproduced here has more than common interest (Plate I). The sketch itself shows the frontage on Church Street, but since this was only the gate-house and servants' quarters, behind which lay an inner garden-court leading to the 'Great House', we gain from the drawing the impression of a much nobler and more impressive mansion than we do from the extant descriptions. This was no ordinary Stratford dwelling but something much nearer to a manor house.