Hamnet drives surge in tourism at Shakespeare’s historic sites

The success of the Bafta and Oscar-nominated film Hamnet is driving a significant surge in tourism to William Shakespeare's historic sites in Stratford-upon-Avon, drawing visitors to the bard's childhood home and Anne Hathaway's cottage.

These iconic locations, including Shakespeare's Birthplace, where the young playwright lived and his father worked as a glove maker, and Hathaway's cottage, where he courted his future wife, typically attract around 250,000 visitors annually.

However, the film, based on Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel, which fictionalises the relationship between Shakespeare and Hathaway (also known as Agnes) and the tragic death of their son Hamnet in 1596, has dramatically boosted numbers.

Richard Patterson, chief operating officer for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which manages these heritage sites, confirmed the impact. "Visitor numbers have increased by about 15 to 20 per cent across all sites since the film was released back in January.

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I think that will only continue as we go throughout the year," he stated. Visitors are particularly keen to explore Anne Hathaway's cottage, seeking insights into the family's life and the landscape that likely inspired Shakespeare.

Hamnet has garnered 11 nominations at the British BAFTA awards, including Best Film, and eight Oscar nominations, with Jessie Buckley, who portrays Agnes, a strong contender for Best Actress.

The film, set in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, though not filmed in the former, depicts Paul Mescal's young Shakespeare falling for Agnes. It primarily focuses on their life and grief over Hamnet's death, a tragedy that ultimately inspires Shakespeare's Hamlet.

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Charlotte Scott, a professor of Shakespeare studies and interim director at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, highlighted the film's unique contribution. "Shakespeare... is notoriously enigmatic. He writes about humanity, about feeling, about emotion, about conflict, but where do we understand who he is in that story?" she questioned.

Scott added, "And that's driven people creative and otherwise for hundreds and hundreds of years. Where is Shakespeare's heart? And this is what the film I think has so beautifully opened up."

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While historical details of their courtship are scarce – Shakespeare was 18 and Hathaway 26 when they married in 1582, later having Susanna, Judith, and Hamnet – the film explores their bond and the interchangeability of the names Hamnet and Hamlet.

Scott believes the film offers a fresh perspective: "So people will come to this film, I hope, and find a new way of accessing Shakespeare that is about creativity, that is about understanding storytelling as a constant process of regeneration, but also crucially, looking at it from that kind of emotive angle."