2 Best Sights in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England, England

A solidly built, early-Norman, Benedictine abbey restored in the mid-19th century, the priory dominates the steep streets downtown. The fine glass spans from the 15th century—including a magnificent east window and the vibrantly blue Magnificat window in the north transept—to the beautifully evocative Millennium Windows, installed in 1999. There’s also a splendid set of misericords (the elaborately carved undersides of choir seats).

Now unbecomingly surrounded by busy roads, the abbey was founded in 1083 and later became a powerful Benedictine monastery. The abbey church has survived many ups and downs and retains a 14th-century west window above a Norman doorway. A more recent addition is a memorial to World War I poet Wilfred Owen. To reach the abbey from the center, cross the river by the English Bridge.