Looking for activities and things to do in Broadway as a family? If so, read on…..
Broadway is a remarkably picturesque and vibrant Cotswold village, well known for its thatched roof cottages, the honey coloured Cotswold stone buildings and scenic surroundings that are so chocolate box perfect they could be straight out of a movie scene.
Simply put, a visit to Broadway should be at the top of anyone’s list when vising the Cotswolds. Broadway is the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely walk past the mellow stone buildings and quaint cottage gardens before popping in to a cosy café for afternoon tea.
If you are looking for things to do in the Cotswolds with kids then Broadway makes an excellent choice, either as a stop after a family walk or combined with a visit to the nearby but smaller village of Snowshill.
Top tip: Broadway is one of the most popular and busiest places to visit in the Cotswolds, come before 11am if you can as the villages’ three car parks quickly become full at weekends and school holidays.
Broadway Tower
Broadway tower is a must visit on a trip to Broadway with Kids! The iconic Cotswold land mark is situated on the top of the Cotswold escarpment and was the brainchild of renowned 18th century landscape designer ‘Capability Brown’.
The tower is the Cotswold highest castle and has magnificent views over 16 counties, and will delight adults and children alike.
The tower and 200 acre grounds are privately family owned destination which operate a pay and display car park and café with shop open to the public, as well as tickets to climb to the top of the tower.
However, there is free public right of way via the Cotswold way footpath which passes directly through the grounds.
Simply park up and enjoy the views or wander around the estate, there is also a lovely cafe with shop here.
Or perhaps enjoy a short walk, 1.2km/20 min circular walk around the tower, (Click here for the full guide). This walk is toddler approved!
For a longer walk, we really enjoy parking in the village and walking up to the tower. (Click here for the full guide). This is probably more suited to kids that have good stamina and are established walkers, although we have done this walk many times with the little ones in baby and toddler carriers.
Broadway Activity Park
Photos don’t seem to do this park justice! Broadway activity park is located behind the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery on the High street.
Walk 1 minute up the lane just before the museum and out opens a lovely playground for children of all ages, with the beautiful view of the Cotswold escarpment surrounding you.
There are lots of great pieces of play equipment including a zip wire, mini climbing wall, and several climbing frames, swings and slides.
There is a section for toddlers, as well as a basketball court and football pitch at the further end of the park. We have been coming here for years and the children still love it, as do us parents!
Browse the Independent Shops
There are some lovely independent shops to browse, from clothing, cookware, food and drinks specialities and a really nice deli. There are also some excellent art galleries.
If this doesn’t seem appealing to your children, how about the lovely bookshop which always has a display of children’s books and activities that captivates my boys when we walk past.
There is also the wonderful Rikki Tikki toy shop that we always have to visit full of beautiful toys, books and games. The Man Cave is also a cool unique shop to explore, and being massive Star Wards fans, my boys just love going in here as they have lots of Star Wars memorabilia on display!
Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway
The Gloucester shire and Warwickshire Steam Railway is a heritage railway line with Six stations running from Broadway, Worcestershire to Cheltenham Racecourse.
Broadway – Toddington – Halyes Abbey Halt – Winchcombe – Gotherington -Cheltenham Race Course.
This railway journey offers a perfect blend of nostalgia and adventure for kids and adults alike. The rhythmic chug of the locomotion and the billowing steam is an exciting experience for the kids, and the railway often has themed events tailored for families including the Santa Express, Afternoon teas and the Cheltenham Fryer fish and chip special! Yum!
Wander around the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery
The Broadway Museum and Art Gallery, located on Broadway Village High Street, is open daily 11am – 4:30pm. The museum has a dedicated family zone where you can add your handprint to the community tree, stay for story time, use the play and craft zones or the sensory and SEN areas. The museum also has different exhibitions that change regularly. Please check the website for further details of what is on when you plan to visit.
Enjoy a drink at one of Broadway’s pubs
There are 9 Pubs in Broadway, each with its own charm and atmosphere.
The Swan Inn (Click here for website)
Located in the heart of Broadway on the high street, this pub and restaurant has a great selection of ales and wines from all over the world. Dog friendly.
The Horse and Hound This pub is on the high street opposite the Broadway museum and pathway to the activity park. It serves kids meal, pub grub and cask ales. Cosy and charming traditional pub. Dog friendly.
Crown and Trumpet Inn. Click here for website. Located a minute walk from Broadway high street on Church street, is an award winning pub serving food and drinks. There is often live music in the evenings at weekends. Dog friendly.
The Lygon Arms Hotel. Click here for website. Located on the High street this famous upmarket and elegant hotel is a favourite with celebrities. It is a beautiful historic building with large ornate windows and huge roaring fireplaces. It is on the pricier side, however the food and drinks menu is exquisite and a lovely place to stop for a real treat. The new grill restaurant recently opened by celebrity chef James Martin serves seasonal dishes made from local produce.
Snowshill Arms. Click here for website. A Traditional country pub in the centre of the beautiful Snowshill Village, right next to the church and the National Trust owned and operated Snowshill Manor House. It has a lovely play area in the pub garden for children. It also has a private skittle alley that can be booked for private functions or parties! Off road parking in the large car park to the rear.
Afternoon Tea at The Lygon Arms Hotel.
The beautiful and historic Lygon arms is the perfect spot to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea. Served from 13:40 until 16:00, this delicious classic afternoon tea is available from £35 pp.
Cotswold Lavender
On the outskirts of the village of Snowshill and just 2 miles from Broadway is where to find the beautiful lavender farm Cotswold Lavender.
In summer you can enjoy the expansive countryside views while walking amongst the lavender in all its glory enjoying the beautiful purple colour and that distinctive heady lavender scent.
As well as the Lavender fields there are also acres of wildflower meadows for visitors to enjoy and take wonderful family photos. We like to come here to get nice pictures of the kids (or try to at least; getting them to both look at the camera at the same time can be a challenge! ).
It also a great place for a very pretty picnic! A new woodland trail is also on offer with kids provided with a worksheet when they enter the fields with lots of woodland creatures to find and check off the list. The cabin at the fields sells all the farm products, lavender treats and refreshments.
Walk the Cotswold Way.
The Cotswold Way National Trail starts in the neighbouring Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire finishing all the way in the city of Bath, Somerset in the south. The trail is a long distance walk of 102 miles/ 164 km long and runs along the entire Cotswold Escarpment. The entire walk normally takes between 7 to Ten days, however if that’s a little too long how about completing one section such as Chipping Camden to Broadway (6 miles /9.6km) Or Broadway to Wood Stanway (6.5 miles /10.5km)
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Things to do near Broadway
Interesting places not far from Broadway include:
- Batsford Arboretum Enjoy the beautiful and rare tree and shrub collection spread over 60 acres, the garden terrace café and play area, as well as the shop and garden centre.
- All Things Wild . This animal and wildlife centre showcases different exotic animals, has indoor and outdoor attractions including a discovery zone for the kids and a lovely big soft play. There are often lots of different events and exhibits taking place so check the website to see what is on when you plan to visit.
- Evesham Light Railway Always a hit with the younger children, this light railway runs from Evesham Country Shopping park to a play fort picnic area with views over looking the vale of Evesham. We like to combine it with a trip to the garden centre and the shopping park for me! It great at Christmas when they run a very good value for money Santa Special.
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Cotswold Little Explorers 
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