For anyone looking for a peaceful retreat in which to spend a few idyllic days in glorious countryside, could do no better that visit the picturesque village of Snowshill, high on the Cotswold escarpment above Broadway and the old town of Evesham. It lies in a sheltered position, surrounded by fields of fragrant, vibrant lavender, and rich meadows full of lazy cattle and frisky lambs
Snowshill is the home of the famous manor house, now in possession of the National trust, which was formerly the home of Charles Paget Wade, an eccentric craftsman of the 20th century. The manor dates from between the 15th and 16th century. In historic terms the manor was once owned by Winchcombe Abbey, following the Dissolution it passed to the Crown and was later given by Henry VIII to Katherine Parr. Over the following centuries the ownership of the manor fluctuated between many owners and tenants, until in 1919 when it was bought by Charles Paget Wade. By this time it was little more than a shell like building, but Wade, enchanted with the setting of the house, saw immediately its huge possibilities, thus he set about lovingly restoring it back to its former glory.