A short visitor's guide to Broadway, Worcestershire: things to do, places to eat and drink, and what's on through the year.
Broadway is a large Cotswold village in the far southeast of Worcestershire, sitting midway between Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh near the Gloucestershire border. Long celebrated as the "Jewel of the Cotswolds", it is known for its broad, tree-lined High Street flanked by honey-coloured limestone cottages and grand coaching inns, a setting that has attracted artists, writers and visitors since the Victorian era.
Visitors come for the High Street itself, the independent galleries and museums spread along it, and easy access to the wider Cotswold landscape. The revived Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway now runs from the reconstructed Broadway Station south towards Cheltenham, making the village the northern terminus of a heritage line reopened in 2018. For those travelling with dogs, there are over two dozen dog-friendly holiday cottages in Broadway within easy reach of the village.
Broadway's compact centre rewards a few hours of unhurried exploration, with most of its headline draws within a short walk of the High Street.
Broadway Museum & Art Gallery, housed in a beautiful 17th-century building at 65 High Street, traces the village's Roman roots, stagecoach history and four hundred years of design through its Cabinet of Curiosities and rotating exhibitions. A few doors up, the Gordon Russell Design Museum at Russell Square tells the story of the celebrated furniture designer Gordon Russell, covering Arts and Crafts cabinet-making, wartime Utility Furniture, the Festival of Britain and beyond; the museum shop carries a strong range of British-made homewares. Broadway Park at the top end of the High Street provides a family-friendly open space with playground equipment. Outside the village centre, St. Eadburgha's Church on Snowshill Road is a fine medieval church well worth the short detour along the lane.
The single most popular outdoor activity in Broadway is a visit to Broadway Station, the northern terminus of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR). The station reopened in March 2018 after decades of closure, with rebuilt platforms, signal box and footbridge; heritage steam and diesel trains now run south through the Vale of Evesham towards Cheltenham Racecourse, a journey of around fifteen miles. It is one of the most visited heritage railways in the Midlands and a particular hit with families.
For a quieter hour, The Green at the western end of the village is a good starting point for short walks into the surrounding countryside, and the nearby Millennium Park provides a small green space alongside the museum.
Broadway has an unusually strong gallery scene for a village of its size, with most spaces concentrated on the High Street and The Green.
The Stratford Gallery at 62 High Street is an independent space specialising in contemporary paintings, ceramics and sculpture, with a particular focus on Japanese ceramics; it runs a curated programme of monthly exhibitions from British and international artists. Priory Gallery Broadway at 34 High Street is a long-established family business selling contemporary paintings and bronze sculptures from established artists, with international shipping available. John Noott Galleries at The Viewing Room is another well-regarded destination for original works. For a broader browse, Broadway Contemporary Art at 69 High Street carries contemporary and impressionist collections, and Broadway Modern on The Green handles a further range of modern works.
Broadway's pub scene is small but well-suited to the village's character, with the best options clustered around The Green and the High Street.
The standout is Swan Inn Broadway on The Green: a mellow stone inn with pale oak beams, real ales and hearty food, and among the highest-rated pubs in the Cotswolds with close to three thousand reviews. For a more traditional experience, The Horse & Hound at 54 High Street is a Cotswold stone-built inn with open fires, home-cooked pub grub and a beer garden. Also on the High Street, Tavern by James Martin offers a relaxed atmosphere with local ciders and ales in a cosy setting.
Broadway's restaurant offering spans casual fish and chips through to fine Cotswold dining, with a strong showing of independents along the High Street and Kennel Lane.
For the most interesting cooking in the village, The Broadbean on Kennel Lane serves authentically prepared small dishes from around the world, paired with carefully selected wines; it is consistently one of Broadway's top-rated tables. Russell's of Broadway on the High Street is the village's main fine-dining address, serving modern British food in a converted Cotswold workshop. Hook at Farncombe House takes a seafood-led approach in a more luxurious country-house setting. For a relaxed evening, The Broadway Indian Restaurant at The Coach House and the Lygon Wine Bar on the High Street between them cover curry and light Italian-leaning bites. Russell's Fish & Chips at 20a High Street is the reliable local chippy.
Broadway is well supplied with tea rooms and coffee shops, many of them independents that lean into the village's Cotswold character.
Tisanes Tea Rooms at Cotswold House on The Green is the classic Broadway tearoom: charming interiors, a wide range of loose-leaf teas, homemade cakes and a varied menu stretching from breakfast through to afternoon tea. Hunters Tea Room at 47 High Street is another long-standing favourite. For specialty coffee, Leaf & Bean on The Green and Guilt Trip Broadway near the Church Close are the best options, both with a strong following among regulars. Otis & Belle at 69a High Street is the village's artisan bakery. For something a little different, the 10/6 Tea Room at Parsons Gardens is a friendly neighbourhood spot open Monday to Friday, serving breakfasts, homemade cakes and a Friday fish-and-chips service, with a dog-friendly policy and a Marshfield Farm ice cream bar alongside.
Broadway is most conveniently reached by car, as the village no longer has a direct National Rail connection.
By car, Broadway sits on the B4632 road between Evesham and Moreton-in-Marsh, with good links to the A44 westwards towards Worcester and the A429 and A40 eastwards. Cheltenham, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford are all within an hour's drive.
By train, the nearest National Rail stations are Evesham, Honeybourne and Moreton-in-Marsh, all on the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester and the mainline service between Hereford and London Paddington. From any of these, Broadway is a short taxi or bus ride. The village does have its own Broadway Station, but this is the northern terminus of the heritage Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway rather than a National Rail service; the line runs south through the Vale of Evesham to Cheltenham Racecourse and is well worth a journey in its own right. Broadway's original station closed in 1960; the reconstructed heritage station opened in March 2018 after a decade of volunteer work.