Stratford has Anglo-Saxon origins, and developed as a market town during the
medieval period. The original charters of the town were granted in 1196, making
Stratford over 800 years old. The name is a combination of the Old English
strǣt, meaning "street",
and
ford, indicating a site at
which a road forded a river. The "street" was a smaller Roman road
connecting the larger roads Fosse Way and Icknield Street.
In 1769 the actor David Garrick staged a
major Shakespeare Jubilee over
