The Fleece Inn

The Fleece Inn is a farmhouse of probable mid-15th century origins, with extensions and remodelling in the 17th century, and licensed as a public house from 1848. It was restored following a fire in 2004. The building is timber-frame construction with rendered infill on a stone plinth, and has a tiled roof throughout.

The plan of the ground floor retains three public rooms: the Pewter Room, the Dug Out, and the Brewhouse. The exterior has five bays aligned north-east/south-west, featuring a main stack to the north of a narrow central bay, which likely formed a cross-passage, with a hall to the north. The north-western front has one storey with an attic lit by two framed dormers and five assorted casement windows. A four-light 17th century stone mullioned window (with a later casement inserted) is located to the left of centre on this front. The earliest section of the timber framing is the two bays at the north end, which have two rectangular panels with curved tension braces.

The interior retains a layout consisting of the Pewter Room, Brewhouse, and Dug Out, with flagstone flooring throughout. A small service area in front of the bar counter leads to the original front entrance. This area has matchboard dado panelling and three openings to the servery; the door and first hatch are historic, with a later hatch added by the National Trust. The bar back shelving in the servery is modern. The Pewter Room is named for the pewter collection that has been on display for over 300 years. Apotropaic markings are present in front of the original inglenook fireplace, restored by the National Trust, and a fixed settle around the fireplace, with low-set doors for storage, creates a passage into the room.

The Brewhouse is accessed from the main bar and features a large chamfered beam with run-out stops supporting the ceiling joists. A brick inglenook fireplace with an oak beam on stone piers is at the south end of the room, flanked by single-light windows with leaded glazing. A further leaded window with three leaded lights is at the west end. The Dug Out is accessed via a timber plank door and is at a lower level, entered down two stone steps. It contains a 20th century stone fireplace, and the ceiling joists are later, pegged into older framing within the west and east walls. The west partition wall contains a hatch.

Original toilets are now storerooms, and new gents’ and disabled toilets have been positioned where the former domestic kitchen was located. The pub kitchen and ladies’ toilet now occupy the space previously occupied by the original ground-floor ‘cellar’, which has been replaced by a new cellar in a building adjoining the barn.