What would Stratford-upon-Avon be without Shakespeare?

The modern town of Stratford may have the Bard to thank for its prosperity, but what has the working market town lost in its conversion into a literary shrine? Archaeologist Julian Richards discovers a Medieval street plan behind the fake Elizabethan façades, and weighs up the benefits and the costs of 'Bard-olatry'.

Mapping the Town: The programme that uncovers the history of a town through the geographical clues found in its streets. With the help of local experts, archaeologist Julian Richards picks over the bones of each town in order to discover its origins and the course of its development over the years. This is an original way of exploring the history of a town which offers new and often surprising insight and brings to life the unique character of each place.