The Curious, Quirky and Intriguing Surprises in Shakespeare’s County of Warwickshire – a Review of ‘Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire’

Today I’m sharing a wonderful and detailed review of my book ‘Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire,’ which was shared on Goodreads.

The author of this review, Mari, wrote and published a trilogy of novels about family life, set in Oxford, England, which explores the relationship between science and religion in 21st century Britain; The Mullins Family Saga.

Landscape image, with the words ‘Time for Review’ and a pile of books

Mari Howard very sadly died in 2023, and continues to be much missed not only by those who loved her, her family and friends, but also by many of her fellow authors who benefited from her stimulating comments on authors’ Facebook groups, and from their conversations with her at writers’ conferences. This detailed and thoughtful review is characteristic of Mari, and the way she approached her life and her creativity.

MARI’S REVIEW OF ‘ILLUSTRATED TALES OF WARWICKSHIRE’

S.C. Skillman has done meticulous and painstaking research to bring all the rich detail of this county to life in her latest book, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire, illustrated on every page with photos taken by herself or members of her family.

Warwickshire has long been a centre of pilgrimage for tourists with an interest in its most famous historical figure, the writer William Shakespeare, and I remember visiting as a child to explore Shakespeare’s birthplace, and the various houses and other buildings and locations he would have known. I remembered being thrilled by the numbers of timbered Medieval-style buildings which remain, thrilling to me as a child who had recently discovered and was reading many children’s historical novels in addition to enjoying Shakespeare’s mysterious plays. 

To set Warwickshire in context, before I began reading I first looked at a counties map of England, and discovered this county is surrounded by nine others (counting Derbyshire which the border just touches!). It is indeed in the centre of England, indeed for well-known writer from a sea-faring nation, Shakespeare was born and raised in possibly the furthest county from the coast, and in a town surrounded by lush countryside and a nearby Forest which he incorporated in to his writing. 

A quick look through the pages of Illustrated Tales tells the reader (possibly a tourist from overseas) that this country is absolutely illustrative of that picture of England which associates us with history, and with a quiet traditional life, surrounded by peaceful views of countryside, set with old churches, and harks back to the reign of the first Queen Elizabeth. And although that is of course only part of the tale — modern life has of course come to Warwickshire in the form of industries (now consigned to the small county of ‘West Midlands’, home to Coventry and the large conurbation Birmingham), the southern part remains mostly rural. Along with counties such as Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire suggests the perceived ‘Englishness’ of England.

The chapters include, under each title, a quotation from one of Shakespeare’s Plays — excepting one. Chapter 13 has no quotation, and tells of an old and grisly local practice, somewhat unpleasant. Otherwise, Skillman has done her homework on what quaint, or creepy, or peculiar is associated with many of the buildings in Stratford, (Shakespeare’s birthplace and childhood home) and surrounded towns and villages, including an interesting ritual associated with paying dues to the Lord of the Manor, (the ‘Wroth Silver ceremony’) which remains to this day – including a candlelit ceremony at dawn, in the open air, and a hearty breakfast at the local Inn (now the Queen’s Head at Broughton, but traditionally at the Dun Cow at Stretton-on-Dunsmore) to conclude proceedings. It is said this ceremony has roots in Anglo-Saxon times.

Also among the famous associated with Warwickshire are other literary figures: J.R.R. Tolkien (whose creation, The Shire, does seem to echo a feel of the place), Malory who wrote the original ‘Morte d’Arthur’, and the actress Sarah Siddens, who began her working life not on the stage but as a Lady’s Maid at Guy’s Cliffe, a large house in Warwick itself. And we find that the Forest of Arden has a chapter to itself, (chapter 11 p.73) and is not an invention but a real Forest, though by now existing only in some ancient traditional hedgerows and a few small woodlands, far from the Forest in As You Like It which held dangers such as bears and wolves. Instead however, two very old churches exist in what was Arden, one of which, built before the Norman conquest, remains without modern convenience of any kind and is lit by candles in winter. The author has attended a service there! Shakespeare had relatives living in several villages located in the ancient forest, and his mother was from the family of the Ardens. I really appreciated that Skillman has gone as far as to find out those relatives, giving extra interest to what could just have been a convenient invented woodland, part of the plot of a play.

 All manner of interesting details emerge along the way to enhance the locations the tourist might during holiday spent in this county, perhaps using Stratford as a centre and culminating with a visit to see a Shakespeare play, without even delving into the witchcraft and haunting associated with many houses and areas. And to conclude they visit, if there is a fair or similar happening nearby, with of course another English institution, a performance by the Morris Men (and women). I would highly recommend this informative and well produced book to anyone who is thinking about a stay-at-home British holiday, or has friends or relatives visiting from overseas, much more than a ‘guide book’ it is an interesting read, well illustrated and meticulously researched but also very accessible.