Popular Fleece Inn is named pub of the year

The pub in The Cross, near Evesham, has this week been given the prestigious title by Telegraph readers in the Sawday’s Great British Pub Guide.

More than 1,000 pubs were nominated by readers, with the National Trust’s The Fleece Inn taking the coveted title.

The 600-year-old county pub was chosen for the buzz, the welcome revellers receive, the history and the community spirit at the establishment.

A previous CAMRA Worcestershire Pub of the Year winner the pub was built as a longhouse in Chaucer's time, and was saved from destruction in 2004 when a fire broke out.

The watering hole is known as being a mediaeval real ale people's pub with a wealth of history, authentic character and a great atmosphere.

The Great British Pub Guide is a first edition, reboot of Sawday’s bestselling Pubs and Inns book which has sold more than 140,000 copies. Now on sale the book features more than 500 of the best British pubs hand-selected by the Sawday’s inspection team.

The book features the winners of the annual Sawday’s pub awards, which have been run in partnership with The Telegraph to find the nation’s best-loved pubs.

Nigel Smith, landlord of The Fleece Inn, said: “This is amazing news and we are over the moon.

"This is testament to the team at The Fleece who work so hard to make this a welcoming, lovely place to visit.”

Paul Davies, editor of the Telegraph's "Saturday" supplement, said: “For years, the Telegraph's 'Saturday' section has championed Britain's best pubs and we are delighted to be a part of Sawday's annual guide, which reveals that the British pub, despite reports of its demise, is very much alive and well.

"The Fleece has all the elements that make the ideal pub - good food, good beer, atmosphere, charm, history, community, roaring fires and, in Tafarn the Welsh Terrier, the most perfect pub dog."