Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower is a folly located on Broadway Hill, A44 between Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh, one mile (1.6 km) south-east of the village of Broadway, Worcestershire, England, [http://www.broadway-cotswolds.co.uk/tower.html Broadway Tower Country Park] ] at the second highest point of the Cotswolds after Cleeve Hill. [Noted from http://www.broadwaytower.co.uk/] Broadway Tower's base is 1,024 feet (312 metres) above sea level. The tower itself stands 55 feet (17 metres) high. On a day of clear weather, thirteen counties of England can be seen from the top of the tower, including across the Severn Valley to the Welsh mountains. Today, it is a tourist attraction with various exhibitions open to the public for a small fee.

The "Saxon" tower was designed by James Wyatt in 1794 [Dated drawings in the estate office at Croome Court, noted by Howard Colvin, "A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840", 3rd ed. (Yale University Press) 1995.] to resemble a mock castle, and built for Lady Coventry in 1799. The tower was built on a "beacon" hill, where beacons were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wondered if a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester - approximately convert|22|mi|km away - and sponsored the construction of the folly to find out. The beacon could be seen clearly.

Over the years, the tower was home to the printing press of Sir Thomas Phillipps, and served as a country retreat for artists including William Morris.

The tower is on the Cotswold Way; it is easily reached by following the Cotswold Way from the A44 road at Fish Hill, or by a steep climb out of Broadway village.

Close by the tower is a memorial to the World War II bomber that crashed here during a training mission.

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External links

* [http://www.oldstratforduponavon.com/broadway.html Views of Broadway and the Tower in old Postcards]