The Fleece Inn, Evesham

Very attractive village inn, with the façade along the grassed lane along one side being of particular note. With it being owned by the National Trust, the bar area and three main rooms are all full of items of historic interest as you would expect. Outside, there is a barn without another small bar used for special events plus an attractive beer garden which must be amongst the largest in the country. Well known for its annual asparagus festival, morris dancing, folk music. Beer-wise, six of seven handpumps were in use when we visited, offering an excellent range of styles: Wood's Emerald Chestnut mild, Wye Valley Bitter, Uley Pig's Ear strong pale ale, Three Tuns Stout and two ciders. Well worth a significant detour to call in at one of England's 'must visit' pubs.

I have been lucky enough to visit the Bretforton Fleece before and after the fire. My last visit was a couple of weeks ago. Everything Roger Button has said about The Fleece is true, I'm happy to say. I visited the Fleece on a Friday evening, it was unsurprisingly quite busy. My two companions and I sat on a bench near the pewter collection, I really liked the flagstone floor. It felt so good to be in a real pub. I'll give The Fleece a 9 - because I don't want to be a sheep - if you'll pardon the pun!

Not just a pub but a national treasure. Set just off a pretty village green, the Fleece is then sort of pub that graced any number of chocolate boxes and Christmas Cards. Originally built around 1400, the interior has been virtually untouched since it was first used as a pub in 1848. The building was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1977 by the last private owner, Lola Taplin (who was a direct descendant of the person that built it) on the proviso that it is kept as a pub and, rather bizarrely, that no crisps are sold. The pub is divided into 3 rooms with a central bar, each room being crammed with antique furnishings and dripping with history. Each has its own characteristics and are worthy of taking some time in to enjoy. The Pewter Room in particular is worth spending time in with its wonderful fireplace, flag-stoned floor, grandfather clock, plates, bed warmers, candlesticks and a magnificent display of 300 year old pewter that would not disgrace any museum. The huge curved settle is the ideal place to enjoy the glow of the fire or you can just nod off in the rocking chair in the corner. Prints of the Death of Nelson and an 1859 Parliament meeting add to the Englishness however one modern import that has infiltrated the pub is the budgie who chirps away in his cage near the doorway to the bar. As you would expect, the ceilings are held up by black gnarled beams and the walls are as wonky as they get without falling down. To the rear of the building is a larger room with a cheese press, more beams and flag-stones and another large settle in front of the fire by an antique grandfather clock. Some steps lead down to what would pass as the public bar. A dart board near the window shows that the pub is not just a museum piece but a living community establishment although throwing a dart under such a low ceiling does present a few aerodynamic difficulties. Old plate racks adorn the wall, tables are stacked with books and don’t be surprised to find yourself seated at an old sewing machine table. The collection of medals belonged to the last owner’s brother, one of many family links throughout the pub. There is also a small serving hatch to the adjacent bar. The collection of medals belonged to the last owner’s brother, one of many family links throughout the pub. As for the beers, on my last visit they had 5 Real ales including Old Hooky, a couple of Uley ales (one of which was Pigs Ear., not sure of the other now) and 2 ciders (Old Rosie and Thatchers). A selection of certificates for the various CAMRA Awards is on display in the Pewter Room if you need any evidence of the quality. There is a very reasonably priced menu (main meals £6-10) but service can apparently be slow as the kitchens were never built for catering on a large scale and they are wary of enlarging the kitchen without compromising the original structure of the building. There are several interesting stories including one that Lola Taplin herself has been reincarnated as an owl and watches over the pub from the thatched barn (available for hire free) in the beer garden. Note also the 3 circles painted in front of the fireplaces. This is an old custom to stop witches entering the building via the chimney although what stops them going through the front door during opening hours is beyond me. My wife managed it. The pub is a magnet for traditional English customs and events – Morris dancing, classic car rallies, brass band competitions and even an annual asparagus auction. There are weekly folk evenings in the Pewter Room and there has even been a song composed to commemorate the major fire that nearly destroyed the pub in 2004. Thankfully, a major refurbishment programme has restored the building to its former glory and everything is now as it was. This is one of my favourite pubs in the country and is well worth making the effort to visit.