16th-century National Trust inn hit by fire

A world-famous pub used for the filming of the BBC production of Martin Chuzzlewit three years ago, has been destroyed by fire. Only the walls of the 16th-century Fleece Inn ­ one of the few pubs owned by the National Trust ­ now remain. Much of the antique furniture, paintings and historic fittings at the pub in Bretforton, Worcester-shire, were wrecked by smoke and water damage. Fire crews think the blaze started when sparks from the fireplace shot up the chimney and set fire to hay used to pack the gaps between the slates in the part-thatched, part-tiled roof. Station officer Jon Pryce said: "The fire shot through the voids, which were packed with hay, and there was so much air and fuel that by the time we got there the roof was lost. Licensee Nigel Smith, 41, said "I'm just devastated. The ground floor is in reasonable condition apart from one room, but the first floor is pretty much destroyed." Claire Sharratt, communications officer for the National Trust, said: "A group of villagers helped save a lot of the antiquity inside. It's going to take a lot of effort to restore it, but we're hopeful." The National Trust was given the deeds in 1997 by Lola Taplin. Miss Taplin's family had lived in the former farmhouse since the 16th Century.