Broadway Manor Cottages

Broadway Manor Cottages receives a Silver Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme 

Broadway, Worcestershire, 14^th December 2009

Broadway Manor Cottages is the first self catering holiday cottage business in Worcestershire to be awarded a prestigious SILVER grading by the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) reflecting their dedication to sustainability and green tourism.

The GTBS is the UK’s leading green tourism certification scheme which recognises and rates businesses demonstrating high levels of commitment to protecting the environment and promoting sustainability with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. The GTBS is now recognised by UK Government as a crucial part of its drive towards sustainability. Businesses are graded by a qualified assessor against over 150 separate measures of best practice, covering energy and water efficiency, waste management, bio diversity and more.

Broadway Manor Cottages, which has only been in business since October 2006, has managed to bring all of its five holiday properties up to the GTBS Silver standard which is awarded to businesses showing very good environmental practice. By agreeing to the GTBS Code of Conduct Broadway Manor Cottages has made a commitment towards reducing the impact of their business on the environment.

“We are very proud of our achievement which follows on from our successful completion of the VisitBritain Green Start scheme last year. We are dedicated to making our cottages and apartment some of the most environmentally friendly places to stay in Worcestershire and the Cotswolds.” said Debbie Williamson, owner of Broadway Manor Cottages.

The 4 star Cotswold holiday cottages and apartment are located in the grounds of a Cotswold Manor House dating back to the 16^th century a short walk from the centre of the Broadway. The surrounding grounds attract a wide variety of wildlife and guests are encouraged to shop locally and to leave the car behind and ‘Enjoy a Car Free Day’ as a number of footpaths, including The Cotswold Way National Trail cross the grounds.

“We closely monitor our water and energy usage and have recently installed solar power panels to heat some of the water used on site and have increased our loft insulation across all of our properties. We encourage our guests to recycle and compost and provide our guests with jute shopping bags to take shopping rather than use plastic bags. We will continue to look at other ways to reduce the environmental impact or our business such as the introduction of LED lighting and we hope to join a local Visitor Payback Scheme.” explained Debbie Williamson.

It’s been a warm sunny September in the Cotswolds this year, ideal weather for a walk in the surrounding beautiful English countryside, so last Saturday afternoon I decided to try out one of the new Cotswold Way Circular Walks from Winchcombe to Belas Knap and back. The route, just over 5 miles long, starts in the centre of Winchcombe, about 7 miles from Broadway.

Starting at the stone bridge on Vineyard Street (about 200 yards before the entrance to Sudeley Castle, home of Lord and Lady Ashcombe and the Dent Brocklehurst family), the walk follows the Cotswold Way, passing by St Peter’s Church across fields to Corndean Lane.  A short walk along Corndean Lane to Winchcombe Cricket Club (which, given its fabulous location and immaculate cricket square, must be one of the most picturesque cricket clubs in the area), the walk then follows the Cotswold Way up the hill towards Humblebee Wood.  Some sections of the walk here are fairly steep providing a good excuse to stop and rest whilst taking in the wonderful views back down the hill over Winchcombe towards Toddington and Broadway in the far distance. Despite the haze of the late afternoon sunshine, Damien Hirst’s Toddington Manor was clearly visible, shrouded in the plastic sheeting covering the extensive scaffolding surrounding the 19th century building.

At the top of the hill beyond the kissing gate, the Circular Walk bears right, away from the Cotswold Way up the lane to Hill Barn Farm at the top of the hill. The trees lining the lane provided cool dappled shade and the brambles a plentiful supply of blackberries to snack on.

At the top of the hill beyond the farm, the walk rejoins the Cotswold Way heading eastwards towards Belas Knap at the far end of the field. To the left of the footpath the hedgerow of hawthorn was covered in a blaze of bright red berries and the blackthorn in wonderful dark blue sloes. It’s going to be a good year for sloe gin!

Belas Knap is a Neolothic long barrow or burial chamber, 986 feet (300m) above sea level. ‘Belas’ is possibly derived from the Latin word bellus, meaning beautiful and ‘Knap’ is probably an old English term for the top, crest, or summit of a hill. Belas Knap measures about 178 feet (54m) long, 60 feet (18m) wide and nearly 14 feet (4.3m) in height. There are four burial chambers which were first excavated in 1863 and since then hundreds of human bones have been uncovered along with horse and pig bones, some over 6,000 years old. All was quiet on the grassy mound this sunny autumn afternoon!

Leaving Belas Knap through a lovely old iron kissing gate, the walk down the hill following the Cotswold Way provides fantastic views over Sudeley Castle before descending down through Humblebee Wood back to Corndean Lane. The walk then leaves the Cotswold Way and continues along Corndean Lane where looking up the hill across the field on the right there was a large scarecrow just like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. 

At Humblebee Cottages the walk picks up the old route of the Cotswold Way back down towards Winchcombe, passing through Wadfield Farm with its attractive symmetrical 18th century farmhouse.  Again the walk affords fantastic views of the surrounding Cotswold countryside whilst meandering across fields and stiles back to Winchcombe.

Further details of this and other Circular Walks can be found on the Cotswold Way National Trail website.

Broadway Manor Cottages: award winning self catering Cotswold holiday cottages
 at The Manor House, Broadway, The Cotswolds