The Escape Arts & Heritage Centre
The Escape Arts & Heritage Centre is our Charity Home, located in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon, where we have been based since 2015. This is where we run our adult community arts programme every Monday to Thursday. Entrust Care Partnership open the venue as a community cafe on Fridays and we open to the public for heritage engagement activities on Saturdays from 1:30PM-4:30PM, starting on 26th April 2025.
Step Back In Time...
The Escape Arts & Heritage Centre is a Grade II Listed former slaughterhouse, once operating at the back of Henson’s Butchers, a popular and well-remembered business in the town. After moving into the building in 2015, our heritage volunteers began a journey of discovery to find out more about the history of the site.
Our volunteers were surprised to find out that our venue was once part of a much larger site that had a rich 500-year history that was home to a diverse variety of different trades. Whilst we know about its recent history as a butchers, it was also a bakers… no evidence of a candlestick makers, but there once stood a Tudor Pub here called The Crowne that occupied the site for almost 200 years. There was also a flaxdressers, a chemist and even a 15th century shoemaker!
Our Digital Timeline
To celebrate this rich history, we created the Old Slaughterhouse Digital Timeline, a multimedia journey taking you back in time over the last 500 years.
The Timeline brings the former tradesman at the Escape Arts & Heritage Centre site to life through virtual reality films, animation, creative work, and audio recording. Also captured is a brief history of Stratford-upon-Avon, which puts the milestones at the Escape Centre into context.
The Escape Arts & Heritage Centre is open to the public on select days and weekends during the year as part of our exhibition and events programme. Take a look at our What’s On page to see what we’ve got coming up!
Hire the Escape Arts & Heritage Centre
Did you know that you could hire the Escape Arts & Heritage Centre for just £18 an hour? It's a great venue for workshops, parties, meetings, band rehearsals and even exercise classes! Fitted out to the highest standard, this unique building comes fully fitted with a bespoke premium kitchen, media suite, sun garden with privacy blinds, outdoor furniture/electrics and patio heaters, projector and all office and event furnishings. We can also provide designated parking for 3-6 cars, with extra spaces available on evening, weekend, and event hire (at additional cost). For more information, contact info@escapearts.org.uk