Broadway, Worcestershire

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Broadway
latitude= 52.04
longitude= -1.86
population =
shire_district= Wychavon
shire_county = Worcestershire
region= West Midlands
constituency_westminster= Mid Worcestershire
post_town= BROADWAY
postcode_area= WR
postcode_district= WR12
dial_code= 01386
os_grid_reference= SP095375

Broadway is a small Cotswold village in Worcestershire, England.Often referred to as the 'Jewel of the Cotswolds', Broadway village lies beneath Fish Hill on the western Cotswold escarpment. The 'broad way' is the wide grass-fringed main street, centred around The Green, which is lined with red chestnut trees and honey-coloured Cotswold limestone buildings, many dating from the 16th century.

History

Originally a busy stagecoach stop on the route from Worcester to London, Broadway became home to artists and writers including Elgar, John Singer Sargent, J.M. Barrie, Vaughan Williams, William Morris and Mary Anderson. Broadway is thought to have been the model for Riseholme, the home of Lucia in the novels of E F Benson, before she moved to Tilling (Rye) in Sussex.

However, in 2004, Worcestershire Young Archaeologist's Club, a regional branch of the Council for British Archaeology's Young Archaeologist's Club, found evidence of earlier occupation. Their fieldwalk uncovered a large amount of Roman and Medieval domestic waste and, most importantly, a large amount of worked Mesolithic flints. This work puts the history of the village back 5,000 years and may be evidence of one of the first partially settled sites in the United Kingdom. It is believed that this would have been a stopping point for hunter-gatherers.

Modern times

Today, Broadway is a centre for arts and antiques and serves as a natural base from which to explore the Cotswolds or see the horse-racing during the busy Cheltenham Gold Cup week. Tourism is important — the village is well-served with hotels, including The Broadway Hotel, Russells 'a restaurant with poon' and the Lygon Arms, a caravan site, bed and breakfast lodges, old pubs including the Swan Inn and Crown & Trumpet, shops, art galleries, antique shops, restaurants and tea rooms.

Local attractions include the 55 foot (16.8 m) high Broadway Tower on its hilltop site in the Broadway Country Park, Chipping Campden, Snowshill village, Snowshill Manor (owned by the National Trust), horse riding and, for the many ramblers, the Cotswold Way.

Transport

Past

Broadway was once served by a railway line, a relative latecomer in British railway history, opened in the early 1900s by the Great Western Railway and running from Stratford-upon-Avon to Cheltenham, part of a main line from Birmingham to the South West and South Wales. Broadway station along with almost all others on this section closed in 1960; through passenger services continued until 1968, and freight continued until 1976 when a derailment at Broadway damaged the line. It was decided not to bring the section back into use and by the early 1980s it had been dismantled.

Heritage Railways

The stretch between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse has since been reconstructed and reopened as a heritage railway called the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. The line is now being extended northwards so that Broadway will become its northern terminus, though at present nothing remains of the original Broadway station.

In addition, the Stratford on Avon and Broadway Railway Society aims to re-open the northern part of the line from Broadway to Stratford. This is a long-term project and, at present, the Society is concentrating on the short stretch from Honeybourne to Long Marston.

National Rail

Thus, although Broadway has a station site and a Station Road, it is no longer served by National Rail services. The nearest stations are Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh, on the main line train service running between Hereford and London Paddington station and on the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester.

External links

* [http://www.broadwayvillage.org.uk Broadway village web site]
* [http://www.oldstratforduponavon.com/broadway Broadway in Old Postcards]
* [http://www.broadwayfire.co.uk Broadway Fire Brigade History]
* [http://www.wyac.co.uk Worcestershire Young Archeaologist's Club website]
* [http://www.cotswoldcycling.co.uk NCCC - History of a Broadway Cycling Club]
*dmoz|/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Worcestershire/Broadway/|Broadway