The Cotswolds: Broadway

At the foot of a steep hill, the village of Broadway used to be a major stopping place for coaches travelling between Worcester and London. Later, it attracted writers, musicians and artists and played an important role in the development of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Nowadays, the high street is lined with art galleries, antique stores and other independent shops and is very popular with tourists visiting the Cotswolds. And it was just a short bus journey from where I was staying in Winchcombe.

A 17th century coaching inn houses an outpost of the Ashmolean Museum. I would have liked to visit the Gordon Russell Design Museum, but it’s closed in January.

There is a wonderful deli, a wine store, and various other specialty food stores. Be sure to try English wine and cider and the Cotswold Handmade Meringues are really, really good.

I had morning tea with a toasted tea cake at the Broadway Hotel, a pub lunch at the Swan Inn overlooking the village green, and afternoon tea and cake at the Leaf & Bean (lots of loose-leaf teas, including oolong!). I highly recommend them all.

If the weather is good, you can walk up to the Broadway Tower.

Or you can just walk the length of the high street enjoying all the old cottages.