Stratford-upon-Avon has been a tourist honeypot since 1769, the year in which it first staged a festival in honour of William Shakespeare.

It continues to make the most of the connection and the Shakespearean properties are certainly worth visiting.

However, there is much else to see in Stratford. It has been a market town since 1169 and the streets are lined with buildings of great charm, many of which were already old when Shakespeare was born in 1564.

The most colourful part of town is the Waterside area, where extensive gardens surround a canal basin at the junction of the River Avon and the Stratford Canal.

The basin is usually crammed with narrowboats and the gardens attract lively, cosmopolitan crowds, as well as artists, jugglers and mime artists.

In short, Stratford makes the most of its waterfront in a way that Worcester can only dream of.

You could easily while away a couple of hours here, but Waterside is also an excellent starting point for walks.

This one follows the River Avon out of town, heading downstream to Weston-on-Avon and Welford-on-Avon.

There's not much at Weston, apart from a 15th Century church, but Welford is a large, attractive village, if a bit over-manicured.

It is famous for Boat Lane, which is probably the most photographed village street in the country.

Its pretty but over-restored black-and-white cottages have appeared on thousands of calendars, chocolate boxes and jigsaw puzzles.

Welford also has a maypole, striped red, white and blue, which stands on a green at the junction of High Street and Chapel Street.

It is believed to have been erected in the 16th Century and is still in use today.

The walk also includes the Shire Horse Centre at Clifford Chambers. Shire horses are the gentlest of gentle giants, weighing about a tonne and standing taller than most men at the shoulder.

Their ancestors hauled ploughs and wagons, and carried medieval knights into battle, undeterred by the 180kg weight of a man in full armour.

Though shire horses are obviously the main attraction at the centre, there are also rare breeds of other domestic animals and various activities for children.

A public footpath runs through the site, providing reasonable views of many of the animals.

DIRECTIONS

Walk along Waterside, past the canal basin, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre.

After this you can walk through the RSC Gardens by the River Avon if you wish, but you'll have to rejoin Waterside before you reach Holy Trinity Church.

Continue along the street, passing Avonside, Avonfield, Soli House and Lucy's Mill before you are able to rejoin the river.

Follow the towpath to a picnic area by Stannals Bridge.

Go up the bank and cross the bridge.

Continue along a former railway line (the Greenway) until you can descend left.

Pass under the Greenway and turn left to walk by the base of the former rail embankment.

Before long, the path crosses the River Stour but then continues below the Greenway.

A little further on, it turns right to rejoin the River Avon.

Walk downstream through fields grazed by Canada geese.

As you approach Luddington Weir the path swings left then crosses a footbridge before turning left again, following a field edge to meet a bridleway. If you're doing the short walk you should turn left on the bridleway but for the longer walk you should turn right to Weston-on-Avon.

Pass the church and then keep right at all junctions to arrive in Welford.

If you're going to explore the village don't miss Church Street, Church Lane, Boat Lane and Mill Lane before returning to Weston.

There are several footpaths back to Weston so choose your preferred route but if you want to see the maypole walk down High Street then go along Chapel Street.

You can follow this back to the bridleway or choose from two footpaths which branch off it.

Retrace your steps through Weston to the point at which the long and short walks diverged.

Proceed along the bridleway which eventually turns right by Apple Tree Cottage and then crosses the Greenway before turning sharp left.

Follow the bridleway to Milcote Road, turn right to the main road (B4632 Clifford Lane) and cross over to Clifford Chambers.

Walk the length of the village to the Manor House then go left to cross a millrace and the River Stour.

Turn left on a path which takes you through the Shire Horse Centre then past the restaurant and car park and on across fields towards a farm by Shipston Road.

After passing some barns, turn right, then left along a field edge for about 25m until you can go diagonally to Clifford Lane.

Take a path opposite which passes Cross-o'th'Hill Farm and continues to Seven Meadows Road (A4390).

Turn left below the road to the River Avon then turn right on a riverside path into Stratford.

FACTFILE

Start: Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon, grid reference SP204549.

Length: 7 miles/12km or 10 miles/17km.

Maps: OS Explorer 205, OS Landranger 151.

Terrain: field paths, riverside towpath, good tracks; no hills.

Stiles: 12.

Parking: any public car park in Stratford.

Public transport: the fastest journey is on Sundays/bank holidays when you can go direct from Worcester on bus 166; on weekdays you can go all the way by train, changing either at Stourbridge Junction or Birmingham (Stratford trains depart from Moor Street and Snow Hill, not New Street), but it's often better to take a train to Evesham instead, changing there to Stagecoach bus 28; or you can go all the way by bus - again, the best way is via Evesham; call Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 or Traveline 0870 608 2608.

Refreshments: Stratford, Welford and Clifford Chambers.