With its honey-hued stone cottages and leafy horse chestnut trees, this peaceful Cotswold village is a great country escape.
Broadway is a picture-perfect village that exudes a serene, old-world atmosphere. Visit its small 18th-century castle and luxurious antique-filled manor house, browse the exhibits at its captivating museums and go for invigorating walks in the surrounding bucolic countryside.
Despite its humble size, Broadway can boast of two first-rate museums. Be sure to visit the Ashmolean Museum Broadway, which displays a stunning collection of art and artefacts on loan from Oxford’s well-known museum of the same name. Located in an attractive 17th-century Tudor House, the Ashmolean also features exhibits focusing on the surrounding landscapes and the area’s cultural traditions.
Also worth seeing is the Gordon Russell Design Museum, which celebrates Sir Gordon Russell MC, a highly regarded 20th-century furniture designer. Examine furniture, glassware and metalwork design drawings from Russell. Admire the collection of furniture, which preserves the designer’s contribution to modernism and the arts and crafts design movements.
Don’t miss the spectacular Broadway Tower, a late 18th-century folly on Broadway Hill. This historic building is about 65 feet tall (20 metres). Discover exhibits, a café and a viewing platform inside and try to spot deer as you look over the Cotswold escarpment and countryside. When hunger hits, head back toward the cafés, restaurants and pubs of the village centre.
To the southwest of the village lies Buckland Manor Hotel, a beautiful 13th-century manor house set amid striking grounds. Stay in the hotel or just visit for some food or a drink, and wander through luxurious rooms, which are packed with precious antiques. Relax in the exquisite gardens and play a game of croquet or tennis. Stroll through the grounds for wonderful views of the Cotswold Hills.
Broadway is about 62 miles (100 kilometres) from BristolOpens in a new window and 37 miles (60 kilometres) from BirminghamOpens in a new window. If you don’t have a car, ride a train to Evesham or Moreton-in-Marsh and take a bus from there.
With museums, historic buildings and charming Worcestershire countryside, Broadway has lots to entertain.
