Broadway Village one year ago

The Cotswolds is a picturesque area located in south-central England, known for its quintessential English countryside, charming villages, historic landmarks, and rolling hills. It covers an area of about 800 square miles and spans across several counties, including Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire. The Cotswolds is renowned for its distinctive honey-coloured limestone buildings, quaint cottages, and thatched roofs.

The honey-coloured (yellowish brown) stones really distinguish towns around here from other stone-building towns and villages in England. In York, for instance, you have the local stone that's more greyish-brown. I am not surprised you seldom find painted buildings in these parts. The stone looks so good and it brings an air of coherence and uniformity that makes the towns look so handsome, even on a gloomy day like when I took this walk through the quiet town.

The reason why there was hardly anyone on the streets of Broadway Village, despite being quite a touristy part of the country, was because the pandemic was just coming to an end and travel was just starting to kick off again. These smaller towns, inhabited mainly by older people than the big cities, really took the lockdowns seriously because of the large populations of elderly folks. A month and a half after taking this walk, the UK government ended all covid related directives.

The region offers a wealth of outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and horseback riding, as well as a rich cultural heritage with ancient churches, historic market towns, and stately homes. I didn't do any of it because most of that stuff was closed. Even the churches were mostly closed so I couldn't go inside to take a look. I did stay in the countryside though, not in the town. I stayed in a cabin on a farm, and drove a short distance to the larger towns to walk around and check them out.

Broadway Village is also known for its local food and drink, including traditional pubs, farm shops, and artisanal products. I did indulge in some chocolate and ice-cream because I found a shop in a very vintage building and just had to go in. Everything in there was hand made by a very nice elderly lady. She was one of the only places opened.

There is a nearby village, Bourton-on-the-Water, with a model village that is extremely popular with tourists, especially families. Because of attraction is outdoors, it was one of the places that stayed open when others were closed. The town itself is often referred to as "Little Venice" or "Venice of the Costwolds", which I also visited. The model village was possible the best I've ever seen anywhere in the world in terms of how realistic and how well it matches the actual village itself.

I'm going to have to return, maybe even this summer, to experience the place without any of the restrictions to get a proper feel of the place. Maybe next time I'll get to see the tower as recommended by Hive account@rimicane. In a way, though, I feel privileged to have had the experience of seeing this place without all the tourists walking around :)

Peace & Love,

Adé