The old coaching inn, built on the crossroads at 70 Worcester Road, dates back to 1640 and has links to King Charles II. It is thought to have once been a place of public execution with prisoners being held in the cellar before being put in a noose at the back. The hanging spot, according to one source, is where the current beer garden and lounge are and those killed are said to have been buried in unconsecrated grounds by the crossroads. With regard to its royal links, it is believed King Charles II came to the town in 1651 when he fled the Battle of Worcester. Following the conflict, which brought the curtain down on the English CivilWar, the monarch was hunted as a fugitive and his escape took him through Bromsgrove. He was disguised as a servant of Jane Lane, the sister of Royal Col John Lane. Upon arriving in Bromsgrove with his party, one of the horses needed re-shoeing and Charles took it to the local blacksmith – that occurrence was even recorded by Samuel Pepys. The site of this blacksmith’s shop is thought to be where the garage of Ye Olde Black Cross is now.