Granny’s Birthday

The children always love to make a fuss on Granny’s birthday, especially as she is one of those lucky people who has a summer birthday.  As the two youngest children had a day off school on her birthday this year and the weather forecast was in our favour, we decided to pack a picnic and go off and explore somewhere local.

We are so fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country, teetering on the edge of the Cotswolds and this summer we are planning to make the most of what is on our doorstep and find some new places to explore.  The picturesque village of Broadway is only a few miles away from our house and we spend many happy hours there either playing in the amazing park there or strolling around the village en route to the best sweet shop ever.

Picnic packed, sun cream slapped on, we set off on our journey and our first stop was a return journey to Snowshill Lavender which is just outside Broadway and is simple stunning at this time of year.  A and I discovered this gem last year and the wash of purple as you go in, never fails to impress. Even my son was impressed and enjoyed wandering around and taking in the sights and smells.

My daughter has a very good memory and was quick to remind me that there was a rather nice cafe at Snowshill Lavender and she was right.  With a lavender themed menu, we all enjoyed a nice snack and a drink before heading on to our next stop which was Broadway Tower.  I have seen the tower hundreds of times from a distance but I have never been there in all of the years that I have lived here.

On top of Broadway Hill, it is visible for miles and I have often wondered what exactly it is and why it is there.  It is free to go to the tower but if you want to go in and walk to the top or to go down into the nuclear bunker, you have to pay.  The views from the hill are stunning but when you walk up the never-ending winding staircase, the views make the effort worthwhile.  It is breathtaking.  You can walk around the top and plaques give you an indication of what you can see in the distance from each side.

The tower is known as a folly; a building that was built for decorative purposes and it has had an interesting and colourful history which is depicted in detail on each of the three floors of the tower.

Once we had enjoyed the views, it was back down to enjoy a picnic in the shade of the tower, still with beautiful views to enjoy as we ate.  There are walks from and around the tower and you can walk all the way down to the village of Broadway too which downhill will take about half an hour (it is quite a steep incline going back so may take longer.

We will certainly make a return visit over the summer holidays to explore the walks and to take in the amazing views.  An interesting spot to visit but also the perfect spot for a picnic.