Disused Quarry

Walking into the disused quarry near Broadway feels like stumbling onto a film set nobody's finished clearing. The sheer rock faces - ochre and rust-coloured where water's been at them - climb twenty metres or more, with trees clinging to the edges like they're not entirely sure they should be there. It's genuinely dramatic in a way you don't expect from Gloucestershire.

What you actually do here is walk. There's a forest trail that winds through the quarry floor, past the old workings and alongside pools of dark water that reflect the rock face back at you. In spring, bluebells turn the forest floor purple. The walk takes a leisurely hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're stopping to take photos or let the kids scramble on safe bits of stone.

Historically minded visitors will get a kick out of spotting the old quarry marks and thinking about the graft that went into hacking stone out of here by hand. Families with younger children might find it bit short on activities - there's no visitor centre or café, and the appeal drops off once you've done the loop. Dog walkers love it.

It's free to visit and open whenever. No facilities that I could see. The nearest town, Broadway, is five miles or so away - proper lovely Cotswold village with pubs and tearooms. Campden Yurts and Cotswold Campervan Stays aren't far off if you're staying in the area, and it makes a solid half-day addition to a broader Cotswolds walking holiday. Worth the detour? Yes, but don't expect to spend half a day here.