Bretforton

It was built in about 1400 as a longhouse by a prosperous yeoman farmer called Byrd.

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.

It remains much as it was in the 17th century, even down to a notable collection of pewter which has been on public display for over 300 years.

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.

Appealing as the Fleece is, it is one of many lovely buildings in Bretforton. There are houses from several periods, in a variety of styles and materials, but perhaps the loveliest of all is Bretforton Hall, built in 1830 in neo-Gothic style, with gorgeous ogee-headed windows.

Set back from the street behind a hedge, it’s easily missed, but you’ll find it opposite the impressive, gabled, 17th-century Bretforton Manor. St Leonard’s Church is interesting too. Built of Cotswold stone, it dates in part from 1140 and has some notable windows. The most striking are Victorian but fragments of mediaeval glass also survive.

One window was designed by Frederick Preedy, one of the most renowned of Victorian church architects. He was born in 1820 at Offenham, near Evesham, and worked in Worcester before moving to London.

DIRECTIONS

1 With your back to the Fleece Inn, turn left along the main street, so that you pass The Ark (antique shop), the church, the school, Bretforton Manor and Bretforton Hall. Continue along the street to the main road. Turn left, then left again at Drinkwater Lane. After you’ve crossed Broadway Brook, join a footpath on the left and walk through a field, to the right of the brook, until a stile on the right gives access to Back Lane. Turn left. Take the first path on the right, after a pair of cottages. Walk across a field, then along the left-hand edge of the next one until a hedge gap gives access to another field. Continue along the left-hand edge of this and then the next, heading directly towards Broadway Hill.

2 Turn right when you meet a track. Continue straight on past Allen’s Barn, along a field-edge track, now heading towards Bredon Hill. Stay with the field edge, soon turning left at a corner, and then right at the next, without going through any of the gaps into the adjacent fields – in other words, keep on towards Bredon Hill. The path eventually becomes a well-defined track, passing another barn and some neglected smallholdings, orchards and glasshouses to arrive at a road junction at Pear Tree Corner. Turn left, walking towards Broadway Hill again now.

3 Soon after passing Condicup, take a bridleway on the left. This soon bends right, at a cattle grid, but go straight on instead, along an unsigned field-edge footpath. Pass through a gap in the corner, turn right along the edge of the next field, then left in the corner. At the next corner there is a pond bordered by willow trees: cross into the adjacent field just before you reach the pond, taking great care as you cross a nettle-filled ditch. Turn left, passing to the right of the pond on an excellent path which runs across fields to rejoin the track encountered in point two. Turn right and keep straight on at a junction with a lane.

4 Turn left on a track running beside Broadway Brook – look for some yellow sticky tape on a fence to confirm you’re in the right place.

After about 400m you’ll cross a stile and then go through a gate into pasture. According to the OS map, the path runs roughly straight on, directly towards St Leonard’s Church. However, it has apparently been re-routed along the field edge, by the brook. Once you’ve passed through the second of two gates you can go diagonally left, on a more direct route to the far left field corner. Join Back Lane then immediately turn right on another path and follow it to the main road.

Turn left, then soon left again on Main Street. Turn right at the next junction to return to The Cross.

Please note this walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be accurate at the time of publication.

No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss, accident orinjury, however caused.

FACT FILE

Start: Bretforton, grid ref SP093438 (on B4035 east of Evesham).

Length: Five miles/8km.

Maps: OS Explorer 205, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Flat farmland, arable and pasture.

Footpaths: Mostly excellent, but there are nettles in places and waymarking is absent for much of the way.

Stiles: Four.

Parking: The Cross, Bretforton.

Public transport: Bus or train to Evesham then Henshaw’s 554 to Bretforton, Monday-Saturday; on Sundays you could get the 247 from Evesham to Badsey then walk along Bretforton Road to Back Lane – it takes 10-15 minutes; for details .worcestershire.gov.uk/ bustimetables or Worcestershire Hub 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Bretforton.

NB: Cattle at Bretforton have recently suffered an epidemic of abortions and tests have shown this is caused by a parasite, Neospora canium, spread by infected dogs. Even healthy-seeming dogs can carry this so please keep all dogs to the paths and clean up after them.

Ordnance Survey

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 205.