The British Trip
Aug 24, 2022: Broadway, England. Today we did a real English Ramble along the beautiful Cotswold Way, with sweeping views, steeples, pubs, and of course, sheep.
“Think of England as a very large book. The Cotswolds would be an unfussy chapter in the middle somewhere where there is lots of limestone and even more sheep.“
― Susan Meissner
Yes, it is November, and I’m just posting about an August hike. It’s been a busy fall! I thought I’d post a few final 2022 Travel Bytes. The Cotswold Area of Natural Beauty makes the top 3 for The British Trip. We made the village of Broadway our home for a week.
The Cotswold Way
Our favorite ramble was a 12-miler along the Cotswold Way, from Broadway to Chipping Campden via Saintbury, with a return by Broadway Tower. Our hike initially took us to the charming 13th-century Church of St. Nicholas. A young couple was busy planting flowers and sprucing up for their wedding three days hence.
From that point on, sheep and cows shared vistas over the rolling hills until we reached Chipping Campden.
As with most Cotswold villages, local golden sandstone dominates the Chipping Campden architecture. Colorful flowers draped every corner.
Pheasants
Circling back to Broadway, we stalked a couple of pheasants through wheat stubble. Suddenly a bouquet (flock) exploded from behind the stone and hedge wall. We followed their flight to discover the adjacent field covered with hundreds of birds.
Pheasants aren’t native to Britain (or the USA). In England they are farm-raised and turned into the wild before hunting season.
Broadway Tower
Our final stop was Broadway Tower, high on a hill above the town. A romantic built this keep centuries after the need for battlements. Unfortunately, it was too expensive to maintain, so they donated it to the National Trust, which maintains it as a museum. The Trust keeps a herd of red deer there also; magnificent creatures.
We wandered downhill (thankfully) back to Broadway, legs weary but hearts happy.
