Holy Trinity Church stands at the south end of Stratford, its spire reflected in the Avon from the riverside meadow that stretches below it. It is one of the finest parish churches in the Midlands — a substantial building with a cruciform plan, mainly thirteenth and fourteenth century, with choir stalls and misericords that repay close inspection. The church has been a place of worship for seven centuries, and Shakespeare would have been baptised and confirmed here as well as married in the churchyard.
Shakespeare's grave is in the chancel, beneath a plain stone floor slab bearing the notorious curse inscription. Above it, a painted bust on the wall is one of only two contemporary likenesses considered to have been made during or shortly after his lifetime. The bust was originally painted in natural colours — flesh tone, brown hair, a crimson doublet — but was whitewashed in the eighteenth century in accordance with a fashion for marble-effect church monuments and later repainted. Whether it accurately represents Shakespeare's appearance is unknown.
A small charge is levied to enter the chancel to see the grave; the rest of the church is free. The churchyard and the riverside meadow directly outside are free to all and are among the more pleasant outdoor spaces in the town.