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Taken over by Shepherd Neame in June 2016, the Chequer Inn is a historic 15th Century Coaching House believed to date from around 1440. The inn today retains many of its original features, including open fires and intriguing timber-framed architecture which reflect its fascinating 500+ year history. Home-cooked food is served in the dining room, or near to the open log fire in the Saloon Bar, along with local ales. A 100 year old snooker table is also available in the billiard/snooker room, and there are large screen plasma TVs in the Public Bar for popular sporting events. Historic Note: Apart from supplying accommodation and a change of horses for passenger or mail coaches The Chequer Inn has also acted as a Court House, Jail, Auction Room, Post Office, Cornoner's Inquest office, Trading Post and an important local meeting place. In the 19th Century accommodation was provided in eight chambers ranging from gentlemen's rooms with curtained four-post beds to the drovers' quarters containing straw beds or palliases. Servants also lived on the premises, usually numbering around six according to the inn's documents from this time. During this period the Chequer consisted of a Smoking Bar and a Gaming Room. Teas were also served in the more genteel Lower Saloon and cock fights were also held at the inn.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: II
A former coaching inn, this is a timber-framed building, probably of medieval date but refaced in the eighteeth century. It retains two bars either side of the front entrance though there has been some opening up in both. The saloon on the right has a short counter but with a section that has an old glazed screen and part-glazed partition wall that extends to the back of the opened-up room to a small drinking area on the left-hand side called the Farmers’ Corner. Opposite the Farmers’ Corner is a snug with a room next to it at the back with a parquet floor and large interwar brick fireplace. The main bar is on the left-hand side and was once divided into two rooms by a timber screen but only a short section remains: see the unused door at the front of the pub. The counter is L-shaped and is possibly postwar and the back fittings are modern. At the rear is the games room featuring a full-size billiard table. The dividing wall to the games room has been removed. There is a short corridor between the games room and the Farmers’ Corner.
Timber-framed building, probably of medieval date, refaced with brick, now painted, in 18th century. On the right is a characterful suite of rooms starting with a public bar with a bar counter and bar back shelving installed in the 1950s which replaced a passage (from a good article by historian Janet Pennington) and there is a 1920/30s Tudor stone arch fireplace but the bar back shelving was renewed in 2012 and an old curved lower middle section has been replaced by a fridge. It is opened-up to a small room behind with a small brick fireplace of no great date - note the part glazed old screen on the left around the servery and part glazed partition wall around this room/area. It leads to a bare wood floor area called the Farmers Corner with small 1950s counter and old dado panelling. To the rear right is a room with 1930s parquet floor, large 1930s brick fireplace and there is a small snug to the left with a stable door - what was this originally?
On the left is the current main bar with a bar counter that could be a 1950s one, but the bar back is modern work, old dado panelling and a 1950s brick fireplace. The left side of the pub is an amalgamation of three small rooms with part of an old partition to the left remains and at the rear is a billiard room with a full sized table, a Victorian (style) fireplace and some old dado panelling.
This Pub serves 3 changing beers and 2 regular beers.
Chequer Inn, Steyning
Changing beers typically include: Dark Star - American Pale Ale , Long Man - Best Bitter
Source: National