The Chequers Inn, Diss

This 16th Century thatched coaching inn on main road just outside Diss on the way to Thetford is one of those places that just beckons you to stop and pop in for pint. Originally it catered for the workers restoring the nearby church however its recent history is a little more, er, chequered. A family dwelling from the late 50's to the early 80's it has been converted back to a pub albeit greatly expanded to cater for the modern demands. For what is essentially a dining pub, there is a good amount of space for drinkers and even the presence of a pool section does not limit the space. The main drinky bit has bare floor, old beams, pillars, tudor style walls, large inglenook fire with stove, a large settle, quiz machine and jukebox (low volume). Beyond the pool area is a large room used for functions and coach parties so don't panic when that Shearings coach load of shopping grannies and grandads on the way back from Dads Army trips to Thetford pull into the car park. Your intimacy is secure. The bar area has stone floor and rugs with a modern inglenook recreation with barrels, kettles and brasses. A portable carvery counter looks a little out of place and intrusive. Ales included Woodford Wherry, Adnams, Green King IPA, Adnams Explorer and Whitbread mild. For my first round the prices seemed reasonable but when I bought a pint of Explorer on its own it weighed in at a hefty £3. The Cask Marque on display was long past its expiry but the beer quality was very good although the measures left a bit to be desired. The main dining area is to the right of the bar and extends through 2 rooms. Don't be fooled by all the old beams and pillars, much of it is fake but it is still a tastefully recreation of an olde worlde pubbe using reclaimed wood. There are several pictures on display by local artists which are up for sale. I'm not generally one to dine out but we did so here and I have to say the food was top notch (The pheasant at £7.50 with all the trimmings, was excellent value for money). Overall, a really enjoyable evening and we stayed for a lot longer than we anticipated.

Marked pub as closed

Tetleys, TT's and a guest ale. Real fires Large heated out door area.

This pub burnt to the ground recently, hence the previous 'clever' comment [admin note: marked pub as closed 07/12/09]

Flaming good pub this one