Best known for its association with that most quintessential of wordsmiths, William Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon is a charming country town situated in the West Midlands. With its classic Tudor buildings, a centuries-old market, and a compact town centre filled with shops and restaurants, the town offers a romantic escape to the countryside. Fans of Shakespeare can visit the home in which this literary genius was born, or take in a performance of one of his classic plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Boat tours on the Stratford Canal Basin are a relaxing way to take in the town and its pretty riverside gardens, while the Stratford Butterfly Farm, home to a profusion of winged creatures in exotic gardens, provides the perfect family day out.