WITH stormy winter weather on the way, it’s only natural to hunt out a place by the hearth in the county’s snuggest fireside pubs- and some even have a few ghoulish Halloween secrets.
The harvest is done, the nights are drawing in and storm clouds are looming on the horizon (driven by a so-called ‘Super El Niño’). During the dark half of the year, our thoughts incline, with little need of prompting, towards hearth and home or, better still, the pub.
Fortunately, Worcestershire is blessed when it comes to cosy fireside pubs in which to seek sanctuary from all a tempestuous autumn and winter can throw at us.
There may even be the lure of some traditional music in some county pubs to banish the spectre of the proverbial black dog with a ‘warm ale and a black Labrador by your feet’ instead, if that’s still allowed.
At this time of year, I always think of those lines from the English folk song, Old Pendle – ‘When witches do fly on a cold winter’s night, We won’t tell a soul and we’ll bolt the door tight, We’ll sit near to the fire and keep ourselves warm.”
COSY: The fire in Nell’s Lounge in the Three King Inn in Hanley Castle where a judge’s wig was found bricked up in the fireplace (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
In Worcestershire, this comparison is apt enough. One of the cosiest pubs is The Fleece Inn in Bretforton, near Evesham, with its blazing log fires and strange, arcane witch circles.
Another contender for the crown is King Charles House in New Street in Worcester with its macabre carved fireplace which depicts a scene of pandemonium where sinister devils torment gamblers with pitchforks. Despite all that, it remains a welcoming fireside pub if you don’t let the dungeon and the dancing demons put you off.
Here are a selection of some of the best fireside pubs in Worcestershire to bring alive the spirit of the season and banish those seasonal blues.
TRADITIONAL: The fireplace in the Imperial Tavern in St Nicholas Street in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
Imperial Tavern, St Nicholas Street
The Imperial Tavern in Worcester has an open log fire that serves as a major focal point during the colder winter months. But the warmth of the fire is matched by that of the landlord, Fred Jones, who prides himself on knowing his customers by name and by offering his loyalist customers a sense of belonging that few pubs can match. Having a warm hearth is one thing but a warm heart and a broad smile is of greater value still.
Fred is quick to praise the support he receives from Black Country Ales which he says allows him to focus good old-fashioned ‘hospitality’. The pub, which features historic photos of Worcester is a popular destination during the Victorian Christmas Fayre in Worcester. For people from Worcester, it makes them feel connected to their city and their past.
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King Charles House in New Street
This pub, which dates from 1577, has possibly the most iconic fireplace in Worcester (dating from 1634) with its macabre carved devils chasing gamblers with pitchforks who cower under the table.
The crooked timbers and wonky floors add a cosy charm to the pub which is famous for its traditional pies. Of course, it is also reputed to be on the escape route of Charles II after the Royalist defeat at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651. There’s even a pint called ‘King’s Escape’ (Craddock’s Ales) but, once you get by that fire, you may want to stay put. For those looking for a Halloween adventure during a Worcester pub crawl, look out for the oubliette, a sort of dungeon in the floor, which has become a popular feature of the pub.
WELCOME: Darren Yong (left) and Sam Roberts behind the iconic bar of The Bush and Vine (formerly the Bush) in St John’s, Worcester, an intimate fireside pub in autumn and winter (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
The Bush and Vine in St John’s, Worcester
After its recent revamp over the summer, this pub in the Bull Ring is back to its best. Because of corner floorplan, it is one of the cosier and more intimate pubs in the city with two indoor real fires which enhance the old world Victorian atmosphere.
The pub’s reinvention comes thanks to a joint endeavour between two men who are already established names in the city’s pub trade – Darren Yong, landlord of The King Charles House in New Street and and Sam Roberts, landlord of The Worcester Arms in London Road.
A feature of the pub is a ‘high quality’ wine list from Juckes of Worcester. Because the pub has no brewery tie, they have been able to support local breweries like Copper Beech or cater for wider, European tastes depending on demand, including serving Tegernseer Hell, a Munich-style pale lager.
COSY: Nigel Smith, landlord of The Fleece Inn in Bretforton, next to one of the pub’s fires, this one featuring the celebrated witch circles or witch marks (Image: The Fleece Inn)
The Fleece Inn, Bretforton
Like the King Charles in Worcester, the Fleece, managed by the National Trust, has one of the most iconic and welcoming fireplaces in the county – although less so for evil spirits which are kept at bay by so-called ‘witch circles’ or ‘witch marks’. The marks are designed to offer protection form malign forces. Managed by the National Trust, the 600-year-old building offers roaring log fires provide and is considered one of he cosiest pub destinations in the county. It is noted as a filming location for hit hit BBC TV show Father Brown and as the favourite pub of singer and songwriter. A platform for folk musicians and a champion of asparagus, the pub exudes the spirit of a vanished England which lives and breathes here still.
The 15th century pub is also reputed to be haunted by the formidable Lola Taplin who gifted the pub to the National Trust in 1977. It has been reported that her ghost threw crockery about in a rage when the new custodians decided to serve food at a pub that had been wet trade only.
ATMOSPHERE: The Three Kings in Hanley Castle near Upton (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
Three Kings Inn, Hanley Castle
Sometimes a trip out to the country is a rewarding experience when it comes to fireside pubs.
One of the best firesides has to be in Nell’s Lounge in the Three Kings, an atmospheric pub which has roots going back to 1500. If you pop in on the right day in autumn or winter, not far from the crackling log fire, you may find musicians from folk performers to Americana which only adds to the atmosphere. With a brilliant beer festival in November, this is a pub that thumbs its nose at modernity and cleaves to the traditions of another age. It is all the better for that.
A pub is only as good as the people who run it (and the customers who drink in it), and in that respect, The Three Kings can have few rivals for its throne.
The cash-only pub, run by Sue Roberts, also has another fire in the snug and serves a number of real ales, regular and guest ales and a variety of sprits. The Three Kings is so old it looks like it should be haunted but Sue says she has seen no evidence of any supernatural occurrences.
