Broadway Tower
Perched atop the Cotswold escarpment at 1,024 feet above sea level, this Gothic folly is one of England's most dramatic viewpoints — on a clear day the panorama sweeps across sixteen counties, from the Welsh mountains to the Buckinghamshire hills. Built in 1798 for the 6th Earl of Coventry, it is as much a piece of romantic theatre as it is a landmark.
A Folly with a Legendary Origin
Conceived by landscape architect Capability Brown and designed by James Wyatt, Broadway Tower was built as a decorative folly to add romance to the landscape for the Earl of Coventry. Legend has it that Lady Coventry, living some 22 miles away at Croome Court, simply wanted to know whether a beacon lit on this distant hill could be seen from her estate — and her husband had the tower built to find out.
The tower's interior has been beautifully revamped into three Georgian-era recreations: an ornate dining room, a women's sitting room, and a gentleman's study at the very top — giving visitors a vivid sense of what the folly looked like when first completed.
The Rooftop, the Deer Park & the Bunker
Climb 60 spiral steps to the rooftop platform for a stunning 360-degree view over the rolling Cotswold hills — the main event and absolutely worth the entrance fee. The surrounding 50-acre parkland estate is home to a small herd of red deer, which can often be spotted grazing peacefully below the tower.
For something unexpected, seek out the Cold War nuclear bunker just a minute's walk from the tower — a cramped, ladder-accessed monitoring station used until 1991 to detect Soviet activity. Bunker tours run on selected dates from April to November.
Getting There & Making a Day of It
The most scenic approach is the 4-mile circular walk from Broadway village along the Cotswold Way, starting near St Eadburgha's Church — allow 2–3 hours and pack good footwear. Drivers will find on-site parking, and the quieter Tower Barn Espresso Bar, tucked further down the hill, serves excellent food with sensational views and far fewer crowds than the main café.
E-bikes are available to hire from Tower Barn (10am–4pm daily), making it easy to explore the surrounding villages and rolling hills at leisure after your visit.
Broadway Tower on video
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