Stratford-on-Avon (pop. 111,474) is a local government area in Warwickshire, England, that includes the towns of Alcester, Shipston on Stour, Southam, and Stratford-upon-Avon itself. The town of Stratford, birthplace of the great English playwright William Shakespeare, is the administrative center of the area. Alcester and Shipston are market towns. Farming is the main agricultural activity. Southam is an industrial center, producing steel ladders, bricks, and garden machinery. Industries in Stratford include brewing.