Bringsty Common

bringsty commonBringsty Common consists of 300 acres of common land which provides a diverse environment  for  a range of wild-life including the muntjac, the redwing and the merlin. The extensive bracken is home to the caterpillar of the rare high brown fritillary butterfly.  As a common, it is designated as access land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and you can walk anywhere except in private gardens.

Bringsty Common is today managed by the grand-sounding body called Bringsty Common Manorial Court.

The Live & Let Live is one of the oldest buildings on the common and dates from c1700.  It was originally a cider house. Between the wars, Bringsty Common and Bromyard Downs were favourite destinations for cyclists from Birmingham, and groups of up to 40 or 50 used to cycle down on a Sunday to picnic and visit the Live & Let Live.  The pub was empty from 2002 but has been wonderfully restored and is now a great place for walkers, families and indeed anyone who enjoys real ale and real fish-and-chips in a beautiful setting.

The best account of the history of the Common is in Phyllis Williams book, “Whitbourne a Bishop’s Manor”.