History
Broadway is often referred to as the ‘Jewel of the
Cotswolds’ due to its charm and picturesque beauty. Nestling at the
foot of the steep Western Cotswolds escarpment, the wide main street
(the ‘broad way’) is lined with red chestnut trees and historic
honey-coloured buildings many of which date back to the 16th
century. Broadway has a long and interesting history and there is
documentary evidence of a settlement in this region dating as far
back as Roman Times.
A charter by King Edgar in 972 granted the
Benedictine Abbot of Pershore possession of Broadway and it provided
a large chunk of income to the Abbey until Henry VIII’s Reformation
of 1538. The Crown sold the Manor of Broadway in 1558 and over the
next 200 years it was owned by a succession of interesting
characters.
The first of these owners was Sir William
Babington who was ultimately forced to sell to raise funds to assist
his son Antony, who was tried as a conspirator in a plot to
assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and free Mary Queen of Scots. Antony
was eventually found guilty and hung, drawn and quartered.
Another famous family of owners were the Sheldons,
who were some of the largest landowners in the Midlands and who kept
the Manor for over 200 years. ‘Mistress’ Ann Sheldon’s reputation
was as ‘the most bountiful woman of her degree in all England’. It
was Ann’s brother Ralf and their father who made the famous Sheldon
Tapestries, a selection of which are exhibited in the Victoria and
Albert Museum.
Around 1600 the stage coach gained popularity as a
mode of transport and Broadway became a major staging post,
providing shelter and refreshment for passengers in addition to
fresh horses for the steep haul up the escarpment and the services
of grooms, ostlers and blacksmiths. Hostelries and inns (the most
famous of which is the Lygon Arms) flourished and at one time there
were 33 public houses in Broadway.
In 1856 rail travel became widespread and
fashionable and the days of stage coach travel quickly came to an
end. As the through traffic lessened Broadway became a destination
for those seeking peace and tranquillity. Victorian artists and
writers were drawn here and subsequently the famous Arts and Crafts
movement made its home in this area. William Morris (one of the
movement’s founding fathers) found a much loved retreat in Broadway
Tower which watches over Broadway from the top of Fish Hill. This
spectacular folly was built by Lady Coventry in the 1790s and on a
clear day you can see 14 counties from the top of its 65 foot tower.
Many famous artists have been greatly inspired by their time in
Broadway and some very famous pictures have been painted here. Frank
Millet painted ‘Between Two Fires’ at Abbot’s Grange and John Singer
Sargent painted ‘Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose’ between Farnham House
and Russell House.
Despite its ongoing popularity with visitors,
Broadway remains unspoiled and resists commercialisation. These days
the intriguing, historic, mellow stone buildings house a fine range
of high quality specialist shops, galleries, tea rooms, hotels and
restaurants. Each new visitor is seduced by the magical charm and
historic beauty of Beautiful Broadway.
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