The Fleece Inn

Owned by the National Trust, The Fleece Inn was originally built in the early 15th century as a longhouse by a prosperous yeoman farmer called Byrd.[17][5] A longhouse is an early type of farmhouse which incorporated accommodation for livestock on the ground floor, alongside the family's living quarters. This particular longhouse later became a pub and was rebuilt in the 17th century, but remained in the Byrd family until 1977 when Lola Taplin bequeathed it to the National Trust. Lola was a direct descendant of Mr Byrd and lived her entire life at the Fleece. She died at 83, having run the pub on her own for the last 30 years of her life. The Inn suffered serious fire damage in February 2005 and has now been completely restored.[18][19]
A curious mediaeval tradition also survives at the Fleece, preserved in accordance with Lola's wishes. This is the practice of chalking "witch circles" on the floor in front of each hearth to prevent witches from getting in through the chimneys. There are "witch marks" on the inside of the door as well to ward off evil spirits,[5][19]
The BBC has also used The Fleece Inn and the surrounding village green for its 1993 £5 million production of Charles Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit where the pub was renamed the "Green Dragon" for the duration of shooting.[20][21]

Oliver Cromwell’s pewter dinner service was reputedly exchanged on the way to the Battle of Worcester and this is on display at the pub. Even if this account is not true, it is an example of 17th century Jacobean English Pewter ware.[5]


Bretforton

 Bretforton shown within Worcestershire
Population
1,023 [1]
OS grid reference
SP092440
   – London
 86 miles (138 km) 
District
Wychavon
Shire county
Worcestershire
Region
West Midlands
Country
England
Sovereign state
United Kingdom
Post town
EVESHAM
Postcode district
WR11
Dialling code
01386
Police
West Mercia
Fire
Hereford and Worcester
Ambulance
West Midlands
EU Parliament
West Midlands
List of places UK England Worcestershire
Coordinates: 52.094963°N 1.866768°W
Bretforton is a rural village in Worcestershire, England. Bretforton is 4.4 miles (7.1 km) east of Evesham, in the Vale of Evesham. It is the largest farming village around Evesham. At the 2001 census, Bretforton had a population of 1,023 in 428 households. The area of the parish is 7.33 square kilometres.[2]

There is a village hall, a garage, a sports and social club, a village pub (The Fleece Inn) and a Royal British Legion club.[3] Bretforton is also home to the Bretforton Silver Band that can trace its roots back to 1895 when it was known as Bretforton Temperance Band.[4] Unusually for a village of its size, Bretforton has three substantial large gentry dwellings with large Jacobean manor house, a Gothic hall and a grange.