In December 2025, residents and guests gathered in the atmospheric surroundings of Pettifer’sYard, Pershore, for the unveiling of a new brass plaque celebrating the remarkable history of one of the town’s most important surviving medieval courtyards. Situated behind 19 High Street, the plaque now records the rich and layered story of a site that has played a significant role in the commercial,religious and social life of Pershore for centuries.

The courtyard at Pettifer’s Yard dates from the late medieval period and stands as a rare survival of old Pershore. During the Middle Ages the property served as a coaching inn welcoming pilgrims who travelled to visit the shrines within nearby Pershore Abbey, then one of the great religious centres of Worcestershire. Pilgrims also came to pray at the adjacent Shrine of the Blessed Virgin, situated beneath No. 21 High Street. The bustling inn provided accommodation around the courtyard on the upper floors, while stabling for horses and coaches occupied the rear of the site. Even today, traces of the medieval buildings survive, with fragments of pre-Reformation limestone masonry still visible beneath the newly installed plaque.

The plaque also commemorates the site’s importance during the prosperous Georgian era when Pershore developed as a centre for the wool stapling industry. In 1771 the substantial rear wool barn was completed. Remarkably, it is now believed to be one of the only surviving wool barns in Pershore associated with the once-thrivinglocal trade in curing sheepskins and processing wool. The barn stands as a tangible reminder of the town’s commercial prosperity during the eighteenthcentury.

Ownership of the property passed through several notable local figures. The Ganderton family held the site until around 1834, when it was sold to Miss Eliza Mitten ofWorcester. Later, in 1908, local builder Albert Pettifer purchased the premises for both his home and building business, giving the yard the name by which itis still known today. Significant rebuilding work took place during the 1920s, particularly along the north side of the courtyard, with further restoration and repair works undertaken in 1992 to help preserve the historic fabric of thebuildings.

The unveiling of the brass plaque represents more than the marking of a historic site. It reflects a growing appreciation within Pershore of the importance of conserving the town’s hidden heritage and celebrating the layers of history that continue to shape its distinctive character today.

‍