Unlocking the Cotswold Secret of Broadwell
If you are planning on taking a Cotswolds Tour, then perhaps before you book you will enjoy reading our Cotswolds Mystery posts. We are looking forward to sharing with you the secrets of the region, the local legends, folklore stories & quirky facts. Cotswolds Guided Tours, run 6 hour north Cotswolds tours, we have two tours to choose from, which show you the best Cotswold locations, choose between the Famous Cotswolds Tour or the Cotswold Highlights Tour. There is no overlap or duplication between the two tours, so you will get to see a huge amount at a leisurely pace.
Today we are unlocking the secret village if Broadwell, located on the outskirts of Stow on the Wold.
This is a pleasant village, surrounding a broad village green. The green is overlooked by the welcoming Fox Inn, part of the Donnington Ales group. There is a handsome Georgian manor house, 17th century farmhouses and a friendly local community. Just outside the village, heading up the hill to Stow on the Wold, you will find a footpath on your left. This is part of the Monarch’s Way, the local legend is attached to this wooded path, which eventually brings you to ‘The Wells’ and on to Stow on the Wold’s market square. It is said that Monarch’s Way was the escape route of King Charles 1 during the English Civil War, which took place in & around the Cotswolds between 1642 & 1651.
Shortly before the outbreak of World War 2 the ghost of an elderly lady, dressed in old-fashioned clothing was seen along the path. Walkers, and locals would spot the elderly lady, thinking of the way she was dressed as being unusual, but not believing her to be an apparition. Just an old lady out for a stroll. Despite the weather, the elderly figure would be holding an open umbrella. Now many walkers would see her ahead of them, she would only ever been seen from behind. Many walkers would become frustrated with the old woman, the umbrella catching on hedges & briars preventing them from passing her by on the narrow path. Whenever the old lady was spoken too, she would disappear instantly. No one was ever able to over take her, no one ever saw her face and her identity remains unknown. A second ghostly spectre has been seen in the vicinity of the path, this one much older than the first and is believed to date from the time of the English Civil War. This would make sense due to the name of the footpath ‘Monarch’s Way’. The ghostly figure was seen by a woman driving her car from the village of Broadwell up the hill towards Stow on the Wold. It was late evening and the driver of the vehicle, having her headlights on saw a man, step as a Cavalier (typical of the period during the 1600s) step out into the road. His sudden appearance meant a collision was unavoidable. The was not the slightest impact, the woman got out to check the road, there was no one there, the apparition was so lifelike, but the woman realised she had seen a ghost.
We hope you have enjoyed this little Cotswolds mystery tour of Broadwell, we love sharing these quirky local stories of the Cotswolds villages with you. During our Cotswolds tours we focus on imparting the local history of the region, we rarely have time for ghost stories, but if you love to learn the folklore of this wonderful region then be sure to tune in for our Cotswolds mystery posts, where we will take you on a tour of legends from around the Cotswolds.
We are a local husband and wife team, if you want to book the best Cotswolds tour, then book a ticket & be our special guests for a wonderful day out. We run tours everyday throughout the year, take a maximum of 7 guests & charge £45 per person, for a 6 hour north Cotswolds Tour.