 |
In the very heart of England, in the picturesque, as if descended from the paintings of artists and from the pages of the novels of Jane Austen Cotswolds, with its amazing villages, lavender fields and emerald hills and valleys, lies the village of Broadway. The settlement received such a magnificent name because of its location on the main road leading from Worcestershire to the British capital - hence the name "broad way", a wide path. Often referred to as the "pearl of the Cotswolds," Broadway Tower is located at Fish Hill in the west of the Cotswolds, in Worcestershire, near the Gloucestershire border.
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
The village of Broadway still boasts unique and well-preserved buildings, which were erected many centuries ago from local gold-colored stone. However, the most famous architectural landmark of the village of Broadway is the Broadway Tower, located on a hill of its own name, which exactly corresponds to the idea of an old English castle.
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
The building was funded by Lord Coventry. Starting the construction of the Broadway Tower, the lord believed that this building would act as a kind of beacon for the entire neighborhood in case of unforeseen situations. The tower is an architectural whim, a quirk designed by architect James Wyeth. Wyatt was a fairly well-known master of his time, because he came from a dynasty of architects. Among his works are such famous buildings as Beaver Castle and Fonthill Abbey. He worked in two main directions: gothic and classical.
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
Broadway Tower became a Gothic building. Work on it was completed at the very end of the 18th century, in 1797. Structurally, it consists of three round towers, three beveled sides, decorated with numerous gargoyles and balconies. This is one of the finest buildings designed by Wyeth.
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
Very often, quite famous surnames appear with the name of the Broadway Tower. In 1827, Sir Thomas Phillips purchased the tower and used it as his personal printing house, housing a collection of over 60,000 manuscripts and printed books there. Although Sir Thomas amassed the largest collection of handwritten materials in the 19th century, he never realized his dream of owning "one copy of every book, in the world."
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
The tower was a retreat for members of the Arts & Crafts movement, and in the late 19th century, Sir Edward Burne-Jones rented the tower with his friend, artist William Morris. The Broadway Tower and other historic buildings influenced William Morris so much that it prompted him to found the Society for the Protection of Ancient Landmarks in 1877. And Arthur Evans, known for his work in archeology, not only spent his free time here, but also worked hard.
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
In the twentieth century, Broadway Tower was the ideal location for the Royal Observer Corps to record the appearance of enemy aircraft in the skies of England. In 1943, a bomber crashed into Beacon Hills, 200 meters from Broadway Tower and a tenant farmer who was also a member of the Royal Observer Corps. The farmer hurried to the plane crash site and tried to save lives. His act was noted by Sir W. Churchill.
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
During the Cold War, in the late 1950s, the tower was used to monitor radioactive fallout in England, and an underground bunker was built 50 yards from the tower. Operating continuously since 1961, it was the last of the bunkers built, which, although “retired” in 1991, is still one of the few fully equipped nuclear defense facilities in England.
 |
| Broadway Tower England |
Although the tower itself is not so great (its height is only 17 meters), its base is located at an altitude of 312 meters above sea level. They say that if you climb to the very top of this building in clear, cloudless weather, you can contemplate all 13 counties at a glance. However, since English weather is changeable, it is very important to find the right moment to know for sure.