Stroll with Sophie through the charming streets of Broadway. Appropriately named for its fine, wide high street, this village was originally founded as a supply settlement for Pershore Abbey in the early mediaeval period, but really boomed in Tudor times at the height of the English wool trade. It also has strong associations with the 20th-century Arts and Crafts movement: the owner of our hotel, the Lygon Arms, had a son called Gordon Russell, who started building furniture in a studio over the hotel's coach house, now displayed in the eponymous museum. St Michael & All Angels church rises out of the landscape, its tower visible for miles.
You will have free time to explore Broadway on your own. In addition to picking up any last souvenirs, here are two suggestions:
Gordon Russell Museum - Arts and Crafts style (usually known in America as 'Craftsman') grew out of William Morris's passionate loathing for the industrialisation of manufacture and love of the simple, strong designs of the traditional craftsman. Russell's furniture is the bridge between Morris's late-Victorian world and the Modernist style of the 20th Century.
Broadway Museum & Art Gallery - Broadway's museum occupies a former 17th-century coaching inn and its collection is sufficiently impressive for a partnership with the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. It covers the history of the area, from Cotswolds wool, geology, geography and archaeology to the colony of American artists that convened here in the late 19th century, the most famous of which is probably the portraitist John Singer Sargent.
We end our Soirée with a bash at legendary Kiftsgate Court Gardens in Gloucestershire, chosen for its stunning setting and views over the Malvern Hills. Nurtured by three indomitable female gardeners: the first, Heather Muir, was inspired by her friend Lawrence Johnston at nearby Hidcote gardens, and was followed by Diana Binny and Anne Chambers. Anne was brought up here, runs today's garden with her family, and will be hosting our private after-hours garden tour. Arguably the best garden on the trip, Kiftsgate is full of seasonal delights including the collection of old-world roses it is best known for, and in June they should be in bloom!
Raise a glass at our festive farewell dinner party in this remarkable setting. Enjoy a glittering evening dining on the veranda overlooking the abundant blooms accompanied by music, laughter, and friends new and old sharing many good memories.
LYGON ARMS HOTEL (B, D)