Cotswold Little Explorers

Need to Know

• 6.4 km / 4 miles
• PARKING: There are Three car parks in Broadway Village. High Street Car Park (Church Close, WR12 7AH), Milestone Ground Car Park,(Childswickham Road, WR12 7HA), Shear House Car Park, (Leamington Road, WR12 7EG). Broadway gets very busy during weekends and school holidays so we advise to get there early to make sure you get a spot.
• FACILITIES: Public toilets in the High Street Car Park and also at Broadway Activity Park.
• TYPE OF WALK: A circular walk, over fields and rocky/uneven paths with some moderate inclines and declines.
• HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE: It takes an adult about 2.5 hours. It took us an extra hour with our kids with a few stops added.
• ACCESSIBILTY: Country gates, fields, rocky paths. No stiles. Unsuitable for pushchairs.
• BEST FOR: Suitable for Primary aged children or toddlers an babies in carriers.

HIGHLIGHTS: A moderate walk with some steep sections, highlights include the delightful high street and village of Broadway, picturesque cottages with thatched roofs and Eadburgha Church. Walk to the top of middle hill to see Broadway Tower, Resident deer and magnificent views of 16 counties and even wales on a clear day.

STEP BY STEP:

Starting on Broadway High Street follow the signpost for the Activity and park and picnic area down a alley way. The activity park opens up on your left, continue to the end of the path, walking through a gate and in to a field. Cross three further fields, through the gates, following signposts for the Cotswold way circular.

Alternatively, you can walk down the high Street, past the shops to the village green, and turn left on to Church Street, which turns into the Snowshill road a bit later on. I often do this in winter when the trail across the field is seriously muddy! When you get to St Eaburgha’s Church, rejoin the route as described.

Exit the last field on to the Snowshill road. Turn left and walk up the road until you reach Eadburgha Church. Opposite the church you will see a uphill path with a large iron gateway. follow the path uphill past the little house on the right. Keep heading upwards.

At the top of this hill the path bears left towards a gate, go through the gate in to the field and pass the house on your left. Once past the house, turn left through another gate.

Continue upwards on a paved road past a few houses and some animals pastures. At the top of this hill you will see the car park and café of the Broadway Tower Estate. Continue past the café uphill towards Broadway Tower. Walk through the large black gates to access the tower grounds.

Follow the path through the tower grounds enjoying magnificent views of 16 counties and the resident herd of deer. Make your way through the gate at the rear of the Tower and start downhill along a rocky dirt path (this is signposted the Cotswold Way).

Keep continuing down hill, through fields , down steps and through gates, following signs for the Cotswold Way ignoring all other paths that lead off to the left.

Keep following the path which will lead back to Broadway Village high street. Turn Left to head back towards the village centre.

VARIATIONS: If you don’t want to take the circular route past the activity park, you can go up and down the same route if you like starting from the end point on the high street and retracing your steps back down.

When the kids were too little to manage the whole circular walk, a variation we would often do is to park the car at the Broadway Tower Car Park (Broadway Tower Estate, middle Hill, off the A44) Walk down past the Tower following the Cotswold Way to the village high street. I would then take the kids to play in the park or to get an ice cream and Dad would march back up the hill, collect the car and drive down Fish hill to pick us up! This was a good way to enjoy the views and still get a decent walk in that didn’t push the kids too far.

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