Cotswolds Strolls - Snowshill Manor to Broadway Tower
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This is a nicely varied walk (just over 5 miles) with lots to see and do. Start with a mooch around Snowshill Manor, then stroll through beautiful Snowshill village, wandering along the country lanes past Cotswold Lavender. Inspect Broadway Tower and refresh yourself with a cream tea at the Broadway Tower cafe before retracing your steps back to your car. A full and enjoyable day out!
If you are a National Trust member, you can park for free in the car park at the Manor. Otherwise, there's a small, free public car park (Piper's Grove) just a little further up the road towards the village. You can walk back down to the Manor from here.
Snowshill Manor and Garden - a National Trust property
The earliest surviving part of the Manor was built around 1550, with additions in the 17th and 18th centuries. It has had many and diverse owners over the years until it was bought in 1919 by Charles Paget Wade.
Wade was an architect, artist, and poet but primarily a collector of beautifully crafted objects. As heir to his family's fortune he was able to indulge his interest in craftsmanship and by the time he handed the Manor over to the National Trust in 1951, he had amassed 22,000 different objects. The collections were housed in the Manor house itself whilst Wade converted one of the smaller houses for his own use.
Snowshill Village
Snowshill is an old settlement, already in existence by the time of the Domesday Book. As you head down from the Manor, it looks like something from a picture book. Each side of the road is lined with beautiful, honey coloured stone cottages which look just as good on a cold and frosty morning as they do covered with blooms in summer.
On we go - Leaving Snowshill village
The road runs either side of the Grade 2 listed church of St Barnabas, whilst on the right is the Snowshill Arms (http://snowshillarms.co.uk/), a traditional 15th century inn.
Turn left after the church and take a short, steep hike out of the village onto the country lane. Walk straight ahead between green fields on either side until you reach a crossroads with a wealth of choices.
We turn left here, in the direction of Cotswold Lavender (which has also been known as Snowshill Lavender in the past) and Chipping Campden.
Towards Snowshill Lavender and Chipping Campden
It's a nice gentle walk without too many cars although you will need to be much more careful from mid-June till early August as the lavender fields are extremely popular and traffic can be heavy.
The lavender fields are a popular place to picnic and be photographed among the iconic blooms, and to visit the distillery and gift shop.
Broadway Tower - brainchild of Capability Brown
After about half a mile, keep left at the junction and continue straight on. Further up the road, turn left at the sign for Broadway and Broadway Tower and continue up this lane for just over a mile, following directions to the Tower itself.
The brainchild of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, the Tower was built in the late 1790s. Set on Beacon Hill, the second highest point in the Cotswolds, on a good day sixteen counties can be seen from the viewing platform. For a while it served as a base for some of the more influential members of the Arts and Crafts movement. Today, it's a museum and part of Broadway Tower Country Park, 50 acres of parkland which, as well as the Tower, has a nuclear bunker, a red deer herd, a cafe, an espresso bar (where e-bikes can be hired) and several public footpaths. The cafe car park is 'pay and display' and there is a small admission charge for entry to the Tower and the bunker.
After all the walking and exploring, the Morris & Brown Broadway Cafe is a welcome sight. As well as food and drink, there is a gift shop selling something for every occasion. The espresso bar is down the lane, at the lower end of the site. As well as the hire of e-bikes, refreshments are also available here, as is another gift shop.
On the return leg to the car, you'll have the chance to reflect on some of the scenes you may have seen in TV dramas and popular films that have been filmed in this particularly pretty part of the Cotswolds. Have you seen the Father Brown episode, for instance, filmed almost exclusively in and around Broadway Tower? - 'The Tower of Lost Souls' (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10959694/) - and then, passing through Snowshill again, see if you can spot the house that belonged to Bridget Jones' parents in 'Bridget Jones' Diary'. When Bridget visits her parents for Christmas, she travels to Snowshill - made Christmassy in the middle of July by the film-makers who dressed the village and imported tons of artificial snow. Good hunting!
Sue McGreal
(All photos ©2021 Sue McGreal)
Last updated: 12 December 2024 - Please note: This blog was first written over a year old and things may have changed since the blog was written.
