Alistair Hardaker | Image: Halls Croft side elevation panels removed
Hall’s Croft, Grade I listed home of Susanna Shakespeare and Dr John Hall, added to register as trust seeks up to £10m for conservation work.
Hall’s Croft, a Grade I listed building operated by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, has been placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.
The building was the home of Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her husband Dr John Hall. It is currently closed to general visitors due to ongoing conservation work.
Last year, during its renovation, substantial damage was caused to the building in Stratford-upon-Avon when a vehicle reversed into it.
Vehicle causes significant damage to Shakespeare’s Hall’s Croft building
The trust subsequently launched an ‘adopt a beam’ scheme in order to raise funds.
The trust is now undertaking an initial programme of conservation work to stabilise the building and remove temporary steel supports installed in 2012. Due for completion in October 2026, it is largely funded by a £1m donation from playwright and philanthropist Ken Ludwig, although a funding shortfall remains. The full programme is expected to cost between £8m and £10m.
Following the stabilisation phase, the trust said it would develop a comprehensive multi-year conservation programme including work to the building’s façades, replacement of the roof and intervention to the interior.
Rachael North, Chief Executive of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said: Hall’s Croft’s inclusion on the Heritage at Risk Register “is an important and necessary step. It allows us to be transparent about the challenges we face and to begin building the partnerships required to secure the building’s future.”
“We take seriously our responsibility to care for this inheritance, so that it can continue to inspire curiosity, connection and understanding for generations to come.”
Deborah Williams, Historic England Regional Director (Midlands), added: “I know that Shakespeare Birthplace Trust take their role as custodians of this shared history very seriously and they understand that being added to the At Risk Register is the first step on the journey to be removed from it.”
Hall’s Croft is one of five historic Shakespeare family homes cared for by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon.
