A record number of tourists visited the five historic houses of William Shakespeare in 2016 to mark the 400th anniversary of his death.

More than 825,000 people attended the attractions in the playwright's birthplace of in Stratford-Upon-Avon over the year, topping the record set in 2014 of 820,000 – his 450th birthday.

The record figures have been driven by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT), which marked 400 years of Shakespeare’s creative legacy with a number of significant milestones including the return of his will to Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time since it was written.

The trust also reopened Shakespeare’s New Place – his family home from 1597 until he died in 1616 – which has welcomed almost 50,000 people to the site since it opened in August.

“2016 has shown that Shakespeare’s works are perhaps more relevant today than they have ever been in helping us to understand the world around us, release our creativity and create conversations between everyone regardless of our age, background or ability,” said SBT CEO, Dr. Diana Owen.

“We want to continue to share our expertise and the joy of his works with new audiences, and we’re working on innovative initiatives for 2017 and beyond with a range of partners worldwide.”