Summertime can be an excellent opportunity to visit some of the best Worcestershire has to offer, and it does not come much better than Broadway.
The village, nestled at the county’s border with Gloucestershire, has been described as the prettiest place in the county, the most picturesque, and the best place to live in recent years, but why?
Here is why you should visit the Jewel of the Cotswolds this summer:
Picturesque scenery and unique architecture
Like many towns and villages in the Cotswolds, much of Broadway is constructed from honey-hue Cotswold stone. This beautiful building material makes anywhere the village instantly recognisable because of its near-excusive use within the region.
In 2024, Broadway was named among the most picturesque villages anywhere in the UK, likely due to its tree-lined high street and pretty cottages.
Broadway is well-known for its beautiful buildings (Image: Getty)
The independent-first high street
The village’s high street is one of the longest in England and is where the name, broad way, comes from.
Many of the businesses on the high street are independently owned and run, offering services and products not found outside the village.
READ MORE: Five intriguing villages in the Cotswolds to explore
The Lygon Arms
The Lygon Arms (Image: Newsquest)
Recently named among the top hotels in the West Midlands by The Telegraph, few places can claim to be as inherently Broadway as the Lygon Arms.
A coaching for much of its lifetime, the Lygon Arms is most famous for hosting both Charles I and Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, with the latter visiting before his decisive victory at the Battle of Worcester.
More recent royal visitors included Edward VII in 1905 and Edward VIII, then the Prince of Wales, in 1913.
In the 21st century, the Lygon Arms is a hotel, spa, restaurant, wedding venue, and events centre.
READ MORE: Why you should visit Worcestershire’s poshest village.
Broadway Tower
Broadway Tower (Image: Newsquest)
If you are feeling like doing a bit of exercise, around one mile southeast of the high street is Broadway Tower.
Constructed in 1798 by the sixth earl of Coventry, the tower was a romantic gesture to his wife, Barbara St John Bletsoe, and could be seen from his residences, Spring Hill, which is two miles away, and Croome Court, which is 15 miles away.
On a clear day, visitors can climb to the top of the tower and get a view of up to 16 counties across England and Wales.
Heritage Steam Railway
Opened in 2018, over five decades after the village’s original station was closed and demolished, Broadway station is now the northern terminus of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, linking several villages with Cheltenham Racecourse.
Using vintage steam and diesel locomotives, dating back to as early as 1905, visitors can ride the 14-mile line and experience it how it would have been before its closure.
