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historyThe earliest documented record of the village is a charter from 709 which records the name Bretforton as it is still today. However, a Saxon deed from 714 gives the name of "Brotfortun" which meant "the ford with planks".
The village belonged to the Abbey of Evesham as outlying farmland, but with the loss of the Abbey during the 16th century Dissolution of the Monasteries, the manor was sold to its tenants. Some of the new class of land-owning yeomen built houses still standing in Bretforton today, from stone with mullioned windows or timber-framed. |
PresentBretforton recorded a population of just over a thousand people in the 2001 census.
Two schools, a Pre-school and a First School, can be found in the village. The latter was opened in 1877 as Bretforton Board School and was extended in 1984. It takes pupils from age 4 to 10. The village church - St. Leonard's - holds services and has a thriving band of bell-ringers who can be heard practising on Thursday evenings. The stained-glass windows date from many different times - medieval, Victorian, 20th century - and depict local events and features as well as more traditional religious representations. Bretforton is very proud of the iconic Fleece Inn which is owned by the National Trust and is a wonderful place steeped in tradition all year round - from the Morris dancing of Boxing Day, through the blossoming orchards of the summer, to the November Bonfire. The sporting traditions of the village are strong with both a cricket and a hockey team. In recent years a Community Shop has been built and is run by volunteers from the village. Stocking all everyday necessities it is also a great place to meet villagers and stop for a coffee and a slice! |