Anyone who has paid the entry fee to visit Shakespeare's Birthplace on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon—and there are some 700,000 a year who do so might be forgiven for taking the authenticity of the building for granted.

The house, as the official guidebooks state, was purchased by Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, in two stages in 1556 and 1575, and William was born and brought up there.

The street itself might have changed through the centuries—it is now largely populated by gift and tea shops—but it is easy to imagine little Will playing in the garden of this ancient structure, sitting in the inglenook in the kitchen, or reaching up to turn the Gothic handles on the weathered doors.

Product Information:
• ISBN: 9780812223378
• Author: Julia Thomas
• Publisher: Penn Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 218
• Dimensions: 22.5 x 14.5 x 2cm