A Yorkshire pub rumoured to have hosted Oliver Cromwell's soldiers the night before a famous 17th-century battle is at the centre of a new fight over plans to turn it into a "trendy wine bar".

Conservationists claim plans for a major refurbishment of the 600-yearold Black Bull in the West Yorkshire market town of Otley are "corporate vandalism" and will destroy its historic character.

The Grade II-listed watering hole, with its low oak beams, flagstone floor and log fire, is one of the oldest in the country and featured in the Hairy Bikers' Pubs that Built Britain series. The Kay Mellor TV drama The Chase was filmed there in 2006.

It is also close to the site of the Battle of Marston Moor where, during the English Civil War in 1644, the Royalist army of Charles I was effectively destroyed as a fighting force by the Parliamentarians' New Model Army.

The evening battle only lasted around two hours but in that short time around 4,000 men were killed and 1,500 taken prisoner. The victory boosted the reputation of Cromwell, who commanded the cavalry under Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Renovation work at the Black Bull over the years has uncovered a wealth of finds, including what is thought to be a 17th century stone fireplace and a pump and well from the 18th century, according to the Otley Pub Club.