Travel Tips

The Guild chapel is next door to New Place, Shakespeares 'retirement home'.

There are parts of the original building still to be seen (dating from the late 13th century) but the main nave and the tower are 15th century additions.

The 'guild' in the name is the 'Guild of the Holy Cross' an influential and wealthy group of religious in the town, probably established in the early 13th century. It had powerful business and property-owning aspects and was disbanded when Henry Vlll brought about the Reformation.

The chapel is also the chapel for the King Edward Vl Grammar School next door. Shakespeare is supposed to have been educated there, but even if he wasn't he'd have known the guild chapel well.

It's worth going into the Guild Chapel for the wall-paintings which were uncovered during 19th century restoration work. The chancel arch has one of the the largest surviving 'Doom' paintings in England: it represents the Day of Judgement and dates from around 1500.. Doom paintings helped to focus the thoughts of those attending services!

There are other remains of paintings to be seen, the last discoverd in the 1950s. One is preserved behind wooden panelling, but you can still see others.

A small-ish place, but worth a proper visit.