Broadway Between History and the Cotswold Landscape

Broadway lies at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment, which is within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Seen from the west, the Cotswold escarpment and Broadway Tower standing on it form a dramatic backdrop to Broadway. The landscape and historical themes offer different ways to shape a stay in Broadway.

Village Character and Architectural History

The High Street is a focal point of Broadway’s medieval planned town layout. St Eadburgha’s Church is a historic building dating from the 12th century. The Broadway Museum & Art Gallery is dedicated to preserving and celebrating Broadway’s history and cultural significance. The historical perspective therefore extends from the planned layout and an individual building to a museum exploring broader local themes.

Broadway Tower is a Grade II listed folly, built in 1798 by James Wyatt for Lord Coventry. Broadway Tower & Park is set within a 200-acre parkland estate. The year it was built, its architect and its patron give the structure a specific historical context; from the west, it is also part of the backdrop formed by the escarpment and tower for Broadway.

Museums and Cultural Themes

The Gordon Russell Design Museum celebrates design pioneer Gordon Russell and the company that bore his name. It is housed in one of the former workshops of Gordon Russell Limited at Russell Square. The building’s former use is therefore part of its story. A different perspective is offered by the “Fossils and Finds” exhibition at the Broadway Museum, which presents fossils found locally and artefacts from the Iron Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. Design history and archaeological finds illuminate the area through different themes and periods.

The Broadway Arts Festival celebrates Broadway’s artistic heritage and its enduring connection to a world-renowned community of American artists and writers who visited and worked here in the late 19th century. The festival takes place every two years. If you would like to plan your stay around it, check the dates for the relevant year.

Walking and Getting There

Broadway lies on the national long-distance trail The Cotswold Way. One specific circular walk goes from Broadway to Broadway Tower and back: it is 4 miles long and takes 2½ to 3 hours without breaks. This makes the circular walk a clearly defined individual hike with its own distance and duration, while Broadway’s location on the Cotswold Way places it on a national long-distance trail. Breaks and a longer stay at the tower add to the stated time.

Broadway Activity Park is free to visit all year round. Bus services run to and from Evesham, Stratford-upon-Avon and Cheltenham. If you plan to travel by bus, check the timetables for your travel date.

Discover more destinations: Wolverley, Tibberton, Rochford, Bewdley, Tenbury Wells, Kidderminster, Barnt Green, Little Malvern

For the wider travel overview: Worcestershire.