Broadway Tower in the Cotswolds: A Complete Visitor Guide

Broadway Tower is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the Cotswolds. You can see it from miles away, sitting on top of Fish Hill, a 65-foot Gothic folly that has absolutely no business looking this dramatic against the Worcestershire countryside. This guide covers everything you need to decide whether to visit, what to expect when you get there, and how to make the most of the trip.

What is Broadway Tower?

Broadway Tower is an 18th-century folly built in 1798 for the 6th Earl of Coventry, as a romantic addition to his estate, visible from his residences at Spring Hill and Croome Court, some miles away. Follies were intentional: purpose-built structures designed to make a landscape look more interesting and picturesque. They weren't meant to be lived in, and Broadway Tower certainly wasn't. The Earl's wife, Lady Barbara, apparently never visited.

It sits at 1,024 feet (312 metres) above sea level on the Cotswold escarpment, making it the second highest point in the Cotswolds after Cleeve Hill. The tower itself adds another 17 metres. From the rooftop viewing platform on a clear day, you can see as many as 16 counties, stretching to Wales and Birmingham.

The design is credited to Capability Brown, with involvement from architect James Wyatt. Brown is better known for his landscape gardens, which is what makes Broadway Tower slightly unusual in his portfolio.

Who has used it over the years?

The history is what gives it real depth. William Morris, one of the founders of the Arts and Crafts movement, leased the tower as a holiday retreat in the 1870s along with Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. For a brief time, it also housed a printing press operated by the eccentric collector Sir Thomas Phillipps. At some point in the 20th century, a nuclear monitoring bunker was installed on the grounds, staffed by the Royal Observer Corps during the Cold War and kept secret until 1991.

That's not a typical attraction CV.

Is Broadway Tower worth visiting?

Depends what you're after.

If you want views, the answer is yes. The rooftop is exceptional. On a clear day, it delivers. The panorama across the Vale of Evesham and towards the Welsh hills is the kind of view that stops people mid-sentence. That part is worth the entrance.

© embracehistoria, CC BY 2.0

The three museum floors inside the tower are interesting rather than essential. They cover the history of the building well, and the multimedia audio guide is included with admission. The William Morris connection is well presented, though visitors expecting a Morris & Co interior will find it lighter on that than Standen or Kelmscott Manor. The nuclear bunker is unusual and well-presented, with original equipment as it looked during service.

If you're mainly there for a walk and a view, it's a good day out regardless of whether you pay to go inside. The grounds ticket (access to the deer park and parkland, but not the tower) is a cheaper option. The Cotswold Way also passes directly through the site, so walkers on the long-distance trail get to walk through without paying anything.

Put simply: it's a solid half-day attraction, not a full day. Combine it with a walk down into Broadway village and you have something more complete.

Tickets and admission prices

Parking is separate unless you book tickets online in advance, in which case parking is included. If you turn up and pay at the machines, add around £3 to £6 depending on how long you're staying. Nuclear Bunker tours are only available on selected weekends and bank holidays from April to October and require separate booking. Check the website before planning around this one.

Getting there and parking

By car

Broadway Tower is off the A44, signposted from the road. The address for satnav is: Broadway Tower, Middle Hill, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7LB. The on-site car park is pay and display (cash only at the machines, so bring change). Parking is included when you pre-book tickets online.

Free parking

Fish Hill Picnic Area on the A44 has free parking and is a short walk (around 10 minutes) from the tower. You'll need to cross the road to pick up the footpath. Worth confirming this is still available before planning around it.

By public transport

Getting to Broadway without a car is doable but not entirely straightforward. The nearest train stations are Moreton-in-Marsh (Stagecoach 1/2 bus to Broadway, about 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday) and Evesham (NN Cresswell Rural 4 bus to Broadway, about 20 minutes, Monday to Friday). Neither runs very frequently. The Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Steam Railway also connects Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway, though the timetable isn't daily, so check before planning around it. From Broadway village, you can walk up to the tower.

Walking from Broadway village to the tower

This is one of the best ways to visit, particularly if you're already spending time in Broadway village. It's about a mile from the village to the tower, mostly uphill. The climb is steep enough that you'll notice it, but not so hard that it's a problem for reasonably fit walkers. Allow around 40 to 45 minutes at a steady pace.

Look for the Cotswold Way signs at the top of Broadway High Street pointing towards the tower. The path takes you through fields and up the escarpment.

© Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0

The return leg is easier. Mostly downhill. The 4-mile circular route that takes in both the village and the tower is the better option if you have the time: it follows a more scenic path and you don't have to retrace your steps.

The walk is not pram-friendly due to stiles, kissing gates, and the gradient.

What else is there to do at Broadway Tower?

• Red deer park: the grounds include a herd of red deer, visible from the circular walk around the estate. For a lot of visitors, particularly those with children, this ends up being one of the highlights. The deer are close enough to photograph without a telephoto lens.
• Morris & Brown café: named for William Morris and Capability Brown, it serves coffee, sandwiches and cakes. There are also shepherd's hut food vans (called Morris & Brownie) outside the visitor centre if the café is busy. Dog-friendly seating is available outside.
• Tower Barn: a second café and gift shop on the site, with a focus on Arts and Crafts souvenirs, pottery, and Cotswolds-themed gifts. The William Morris merchandise is worth a look if you're a fan.
• E-bike hire: available from the site, which opens up the surrounding countryside without requiring a full day on foot.
• Circular walk: a short loop of just under a mile around the grounds, takes around 20 minutes without stops. You pass the deer enclosure and get good views of the tower from different angles.
• WWII memorial: on the circular walk, there's a small memorial to an aircraft crew who died on 2 June 1943 when a military bomber crashed on the hill while returning to base. Worth pausing at.

When to visit

Best months

April to October, when the tower museum is open until 5pm and the weather makes the walk and the views worthwhile. Summer is busy, particularly at weekends.

Crowds

Broadway Tower doesn't get as overwhelmed as somewhere like Bibury or Bourton-on-the-Water, but it does draw consistent visitor numbers through summer. Morning arrivals (before 11am) are generally quieter. Weekday visits in shoulder season (April, May, September) are the easiest.

Winter

The tower is open year-round except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day. Opening hours reduce between November and March (11am to 4.30pm on weekdays, 10am at weekends). The views can be spectacular on a clear winter day, and the site is much quieter. The circular walk does get muddy.

How long to allow

Around 90 minutes for the tower, café, and a walk around the grounds. Two hours if you're going at a relaxed pace and want time in the shop. Half a day if you're combining with the walk down into Broadway village and back, or a full afternoon if you walk the 4-mile circular route and have a proper lunch in the village afterwards.

Nearby: what to combine with a visit

Broadway Tower pairs naturally with Broadway village. The walk between the two is the obvious combination. Broadway has good independent cafés and restaurants, a couple of decent museums, and the kind of high street that's worth an hour of your time. For something quieter, Snowshill is a short drive south and feels entirely different in character. It works well as a second stop on the same day.

Frequently asked questions