Witch circles at medieval Fleece Inn keep out evil spirits

The Fleece Inn in Bretforton has nestled snugly in the Vale of Evesham since before the Wars of the Roses so it is not surprising it hides within its old, creaking timbers more than its fair share of strange secrets and eerie mysteries. 

MEDIEVAL: The witch circles in the Brewhouse Room in The Fleece Inn, owned by the National Trust (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

One of the most fascinating features, unique in an English pub, is the peculiar witch circles or witch marks by the fireplaces in two rooms - the Pewter Room (the oldest room in the medieval half-timbered building) and the Brewhouse Room. The Pewter Room features three such circles by the fireplace while the Brewhouse has two circles and a square.

The circles at the pub, owned by the National Trust, are a form of ancient insurance policy - a sort of magical defence or ritual protection - against ghoulish goings-on and maleficent forces intent on besieging the place.

FOLKLORE: Nigel Smith at the fireplace of The Fleece Inn in a video explaining about the strange lore behind the mysterious witch circles (Image: The Fleece Inn)

The idea is that the witch circles or marks mesmerise the witch, holding her prisoner, so she cannot trespass on the pub's hospitality and wreak any havoc upon its staff or customers.

For those lucky enough to visit The Fleece, the atmosphere fits this strange folklore like a glove (or should that be gauntlet?) - it feels not unlike The Prancing Pony where the frightened Hobbits seek refuge from the terrifying hooded Ring Wraiths in The Lord of the Rings. 

The Pewter Room even has markings on the floor in an 'almost Neolithic animal shape' to stop any undesirable spirits from coming up through cracks in the floor. No effort has been spared to seal them out. 

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Nigel Smith, the landlord of the Fleece, also runs the Cardinal's Hat in Friar Street which has its own ancient ghost stories and unexplained happenings. 

He said: "I frequently get people asking me 'what are those circles for?' We do get an occasional white witch. They're intrigued. We have even had a druid ceremony to bless the circles so they do their work."

He was interviewed 10 years ago for BBC Radio 4 and remembers well experts who spoke of the exceptional rareness of these marks in that context.

"They weren't aware of any other circles like this anywhere else," he said.

ODD: A ritual mark on the floor of The Fleece, almost Neolithic in style, stops evil spirits from coming up between the cracks in the slabs (Image: The Fleece Inn)

In a video, shared by the Fleece on their Facebook page, Mr Smith says: "Not known in any other pub throughout the whole of England to my knowledge, they're quite unique. What they are is white circles that are painted at the bottom of the fireplaces.

"The idea is that evil spirits who are looking for a new home would try and come down the chimney but get mesmerised by the circles and get stuck in them and cannot come into the building. 

"I don't know how true it is but I do know we don't get much activity from ghosts or anything like that."

MYTHS: The last descendant of the original owners, Miss Lola Taplin, marks out the witch circles in The Fleece which passed to the National Trust upon her death in 1977 (Image: The Fleece Inn)

This is despite Breforton's reputation as being 'renowned to be the most haunted village in Worcestershire'. 

The circles are believed to be ancient and could be almost as old as the building itself which was built in the early 15th century by a farmer named Byrd. 

The pub remained in the ownership of the same family until 1977. The last of the descendants was Miss Lola Taplin, 'a formidable character remembered by many of the locals'. 

She bequeathed the pub to the National Trust when she died in 1977 and Mr Smith said Miss Taplin herself vowed to haunt the pub as an owl after her death and, to this day, a straw owl keeps watch in her memory.

Miss Taplin also helped keep these legends going and Mr Smith says she very much believed in the circles and would 'give them a bit of a shine with an old-fashioned donkey stone'.

Also in the pub's possession is a witch's ball which looks a bit like a Christmas decoration placed in the window. Upon seeing her own distorted reflection, it frightens the witch away.

CURIOUS: The Witch Ball in this window of The Fleece is reputed to offer further ritual protection against witches and other supernatural, malevolent forces (Image: The Fleece Inn)

The Cardinal's Hat in Friar Street, Worcester, also hides a few secrets and a ghost called Emily is said to haunt the city's oldest pub. During a refurbishment eight years ago, a smock was found stuffed up the chimney. 

It is said the young girl can be seen drifting along the second floor in her flowing white nightgown.

"She is apparently prone to mischief-making and delights in moving objects or even making them disappear," said a spokesperson for the pub.

The Cardinal’s Hat was one of numerous ecclesiastical inns originally established to accommodate the many travellers and pilgrims who visited Worcester during the Middle Ages.

According to Historic England: "Witches’ marks - ritual protection symbols or apotropaic marks - have been found in many historic places, from medieval churches and houses, to barns, and caves.

"The word 'apotropaic' comes from the Greek word for averting evil. The marks were usually scribed onto stone or woodwork near a building’s entrance points, particularly doorways, windows and fireplaces, to protect inhabitants and visitors from witches and evil spirits.

"They date back to times when belief in witchcraft and the supernatural was widespread. Magical symbols and ritual objects were a common part of life from around the 16th to the early 19th century."