Mary Arden's Farm facts for kids

Mary Arden's house, also known as Glebe Farm

Mary Arden's Farm is a special place connected to the famous playwright William Shakespeare. It was the family home of his mother, Mary Shakespeare (whose maiden name was Arden). For a long time, there was some confusion about which house was truly Mary Arden's. Today, the name "Mary Arden's Farm" can refer to two historic houses. Both are very old and important buildings, known as Grade I listed. You can find them in the village of Wilmcote, which is about three miles from Stratford-upon-Avon in England.

What is Mary Arden's Farm?

Mary Arden's Farm lets visitors step back in time to the 16th century. It shows what life was like on a farm during the Elizabethan era. This was the time when William Shakespeare grew up. The farm helps us understand the world his mother, Mary Arden, lived in.

The Mystery of Mary's House

For many years, people thought one particular house was Mary Arden's home. This house was bought by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1930. They filled it with furniture and items from the Tudor period. It was a beautiful timber-framed house that had been kept in great shape.

Palmer's Farm: A Neighbor's Home

In the year 2000, something interesting was discovered. Experts found out that the house everyone thought was Mary Arden's actually belonged to a neighbor named Adam Palmer. So, this house was renamed Palmer's Farm. It's still a wonderful example of a Tudor home.

Glebe Farm: The Real Arden Home

The real home of the Arden family is called Glebe Farm. It's located very close to Palmer's Farm. Glebe Farm is a bit smaller and simpler than Palmer's Farm. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust bought Glebe Farm in 1968. At the time, they didn't know it was the actual Arden family home. They just wanted to preserve it as part of a farmyard.

Some parts of Glebe Farm have changed over time. It has lost some of its original wooden beams. Some parts were even rebuilt with Victorian bricks. But scientists used a method called dendrochronology to date the wood. This method uses tree rings to find out how old wood is. They discovered that Glebe Farm was built around the year 1514.

A Living Tudor Farm Experience

Both houses and the surrounding land are now presented as a "working Tudor farm." This means you can see how farms operated hundreds of years ago. The farm is home to many rare breeds of animals. These are types of animals that are not very common anymore.

You can see animals like:

• Mangalitza and Tamworth pigs
• Cotswold sheep
• Longhorn cattle
• Bagot and Golden Guernsey goats
• Geese
• Birds of prey, including a Hooded Vulture

Visiting Mary Arden's Farm is a great way to learn about history. It helps you imagine what life was like for Shakespeare's family.