Stepping onto the main street in Broadway, England feels like you're venturing into another time. Gravel walkways are flanked by centuries-old buildings that appear as they did when first constructed. The town is quaint and impeccably maintained. Londoners infamously flood the town on the weekends as the two-hour journey feels a lifetime away from the hustle of city streets.
What draws the crowds to this remote village? Aside from the beautifully warm Headington stone buildings, the town has one of the most booming art scenes in the whole of England. While it wouldn't take much more than a few minutes to walk the length of the village, luxury galleries and showrooms are around every corner.
From one end of town to the other there are a handful of galleries that specialize in anything from prints to sculptures and watercolors to oil paintings. The most notable spaces include the John Noott Galleries, which offers a wide variety of glass sculptures, paintings, and ceramics, and the Priory Gallery that offers a handful of exhibitions every year highlighting the works of contemporary artists. Haynes Fine Art, housed in a centuries-old manor, doesn't just showcase paintings and sculptures, but also offers a host of fine furnishings. On the other side of the street in a 17th-century former inn, there's the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery. Here, you'll find not only paintings, porcelain, and fine antique furnishings but an ever-changing gallery of special exhibitions. On the gallery's top floor, visitors can view local artists' works and take art classes, including lettering, painting, and illustrating.
The idyllic town is flanked by the historic Lygon Arms Hotel which dates back to the 13th century. The hotel has a colorful—and infamous—past, having hosted kings and Hollywood royalty alike. King Charles I was a regular during the early 1600s—there's even a room named after him—and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton stayed at the hotel in the 1960s during their scandalous affair.
So whether you're shopping for that statement piece to take home with you or are more interested in the town's history, this town in the northern Cotswolds is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway.
