A Cotswold Christmas: Broadway Tower December 22nd
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Jewel of the Cotswolds
On a 10 mile circular route we climb Fish Hill along the Cotswold Way to visit Broadway Tower at 1024ft above sea level, the 2nd highest point in the Cotswolds.
The top of the tower is one of England's most spectacular viewpoints with 14 English counties said to be visible on a clear day. The park affords a nice cafe'/restaurant.
£5 will go towards running the event and the remainder of your sign up fee will go to support Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Beautiful Broadway:
Meeting at the foot of Fish Hill in this stunning Cotswolds village, Broadway is often referred to as the 'Jewel of the Cotswolds' and the 'Show Village of England' because of it's sheer picturesque beauty.
Half way round this stunning Cotswolds route, we stop at the pub in Snowshill around lunchtime. This is another beautiful old Cotswold stone village, which beholds breath-taking views back down the valley.
Our return journey takes us along the border of the famous Cotswold Lavender, through the grounds of stunning Middle Hill House. Until our last little climb allows us to finally enjoy the incredible views from Broadway Tower, which is said to overlook 14 counties.
Our final leg of the journey is a swift descent straight back to behold the impressive Christmas lights on display in Broadway village.
The Details:
- 9:45am meet, prompt 10:00am start.
- Leamington Rd Car Park, WR12 7ET.
- Approximately 10miles.
- Duration 5+hours.
- Walk rating: Moderate (explained here)
- Leader: Chris meet our leaders
Important information:
- A WHATSAPP group will be created to share info and photos on the day. In signing up to the event you are agreeing to be added to this group, which will contain other participants. This is necessary so that details can be shared in the run up to the event, including last minute changes, reminders or cancellations.
- Charity involvement: many of our walks are being run in partnership with charities. As such, sign up information is shared with the charity involved for the purpose of running the event and communicating its purpose, which is to help raise awareness and funds for the charity. By signing up, you are agreeing to receive information from Get Outdoors and the charity.
- Remember waterproofs, walking boots/shoes and a packed lunch & water.
- Please note you may need to pay for parking.
- Dogs are welcome, but are entirely the owner's responsibility and must have a lead and be under close control at all times.
- If encountering livestock do not walk too close or get between a cow and calf. If threatened, let go of your dog so it can escape and reduce the risk to yourself.
- Please keep to public rights of way and respect landowner’s property.
- There are often stiles to negotiate on this type of walk.
- Countryside walking can often include hills and uneven terrain. Our group ethos is to support everyone in group to achieve their maximum potential in terms of completing the route. As such, we endeavour to walk at a pace all participants are comfortable with. We apologise if this causes any frustration to fitter walkers.
- Please consult your doctor if you are worried about your fitness to take part.
- Please inform the walk leaders, Get Outdoors, of any underlying health conditions that may affect your walking ability before signing up.
Required Form:
We need a few more details from everyone, so we know how best to look after you. Once you have booked your walk above, please follow this link and complete some simple questions ASAP: Applicant Information Form
The Majestic Tower:
Broadway Tower is a grade II listed, 18th-century folly near the village of Broadway. It is built of limestone ashlar and is three storeys high, with three round corner turrets and battlements. It stands at the second-highest point of the Cotswolds, at 312 m). The tower is 20 m tall. Although a folly, it is a functional building with interior rooms.
The 'Saxon' tower was the brainchild of Capability Brown and designed by James Wyatt in 1794 in the form of a castle. It was built for Barbara, Countess of Coventry in 1798–1799. Broadway Hill was a beacon hill, where beacons were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wanted to know whether this could be seen from her house in Worcester 22 miles away. Once she had sponsored its construction, the tower was clearly visible.
From 1822 to 1862, the tower housed the private printing press of Sir Thomas Phillipps. By the mid-1870s, it was being rented by C. J. Stone and Cormell Price. Price was headmaster of the United Services College at Westward Ho! and a friend of artists William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. In 1876 Morris wrote in a letter to Aglaia Coronio that he was "up at Crom Price's Tower among the winds and the clouds".
Near the tower is a memorial to the crew of an A.W.38 Whitley bomber that crashed there during a training mission in June 1943.
In the late 1950s an underground Royal Observer Corps bunker was built 50 yards away to collect evidence of nuclear explosions. It was decommissioned in 1991, but has been restored and is now one of the few such Cold War monitoring facilities in England still extant and accessible to visitors.
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