A short distance from London is the beautiful area called the Cotswolds. With quaint old houses, amazing gardens and a ton of open green space, the Cotswolds is the perfect place to get some R&R after a trip to London.
The town of Broadway lies on the “The Cotswold Way”, a national walking trail that extends 106 miles across England. The trail is very clearly marked, but it does go throughout the properties of local residents, including their sheep farms. There are special gates to pass through between farms to ensure that you can continue on the trail, but the sheep stay put.
One part of the Cotswold Way, is the Broadway to Tower Walk. If you’re a fan of the Lord of the Rings you will love this walk about. Imagine yourself as a hobbit walking through emerald green pastures dotted with sheep and even the occasional red stag on a journey to a medieval observation tower. This is exactly what we experienced on the Broadway hike.
The walk about begins in the charming town of Broadway and meanders uphill through several fields used for sheep herding. The hike culminates at the top of the hill where you can explore the ancient Broadway Tower. The views are spectacular, even on an overcast day. You can certainly envision why this location was suitable for an observation tower. The only thing missing was the beacon to warn of orc invaders.
The tower itself can be accessed by car if you’re inclined to drive up, but the real adventure is walking to it. For a few Euros you can go into the tower and take in the view from the observation tower.
The trail we hiked was approximately 8 miles round trip, but shorter and longer options exist depending on which path you take. The hike is not strenuous other than the slight uphill and distance so you should pack some snacks and water.
There are dozens of other hikes in the Cotswolds, but we loved the feeling of adventure we had when we set out on the Broadway Hike!
Have you ever hiked through a sheep field?
