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Detail Pages
The Chequers, Milton Keynes
Bletchley
Postal town: Milton Keynes
MK2 2BY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Chequers
ORIGINAL REVIEW January 2014.
A small mid terrace boozer,the steep entrance steps give some clues as to its considerable age.The interior is quite cramped and the beams and large inglenook to the left are not made a feature of,the sofas around the former fireplace dont enhance the area.The bay window is a feature but with multiple sports screens the atmosphere can be dominated by the coverage.The fruit machine with a note accepter was eating one punters wages,while electric cables were taped to beams and walls,sockets had multiple plugs,it needs a good rewiring job.There were two handpumps both with Vale ales,although one was reversed leaving a decent Vale Red Kite (£3) as the only option.
The pub does B&B and several drinkers retired up stairs after supping but I would guess accomodation is priced at the value end of the scale.Karaoke every Friday and Saturday night,to my mind there doesnt seem enough room unless everyone is expected to join in.
With some investment this pub could be transformed into a cosy establishment and if Vale were prepared to increase the number of handpumps and stock more of their excellent range who knows how succesful it could be.At present a bit of a missed opportunity.
UPDATE
Vale Brewery have done just as suggested above,this is now an excellent drinking venue.The interior has been restored and the bar sited to the left,while there is much exposed brickwork throughout,original features uncovered and the back room now well decorated.The inglenook behind the bar contains up to 4 real ciders on stillage,there is a small selection of craft keg beers with brews from Wild Beer and Blackened Sun catching the eye and 4 handpumps with Vale Gravitas (tip top condition) and Brill Gold as regulars,a third Vale brew will guest,often a seasonal,while there will be one genuine guest although this was settling on my trip.There is a beer list of bottles.The regular Vale Gravitas will always make this pub the destination real ale house in Fenny Stratford and the food options will come from the grill and feature a lot of burgers besides other dishes.
Well done to the Vale Brewery,this is now a charming pub to visit and marks have increased as a result.
On 16th March 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Chequers
Called into this bar while visiting 2019 Good Beer Guide pubs around the Milton Keynes area. It is owned by Vale brewery, and re-opened in 2017 after extensive refurbishment. Up a few steps to the entrance and you are in a single room bar with a separate area with seating and sport TV screen. There are 6 ales from both Vale and guests, some of which are on gravity. Also available are around 6 keg lines and shelving beside the bar houses a good selection of bottled ales, mainly Belgian. Disabled access is available from the car park at the rear of the pub. We enjoyed Vale Brill gold and Vale Life and Songs of the Crow.
On 18th November 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Chequers
This is an interesting building with many original features.
It's a small pub with steps up to front door, a square bay window on the right beneath which is the cellar, a large inglenook fireplace to the left and original beams.
These are the original bits which have been added to with multiple spaghetti tangles of wires around the walls, overcrowding of dodgy furniture, 3 screens showing sky sports - footy on our visit, a fruit machine, a modern log effect fire with a very shiny copper canopy in the inglenook and an assortment of modern fire doors.
It was quiet on our chilly Thursday evening visit with most of the custom coming from those staying upstairs.
Only one beer on which was a very good pint of Vale Red Kite.
I enjoyed the beer and could love this pub but don't as it stands.
On 15th January 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Chequers
This is a small two room local's pub close to Fenny Stratford train station. The interior is very compact with entrance into a small carpeted main bar with lots of dark wood beams and a limited selection of standard tables and chairs towards the rear plus some smarter leather chairs under the front window. Unfortunately for me, my visit coincided with the pub being redecorated, so much of the rear seating area was out of bounds and almost all of the other customers were packed into the even smaller bar on the left hand side of the pub. There were more of the smart leather seats in this room, as well as a nice brick fireplace and lots more dark beams, many lined with horse brasses and the like. Everyone in this room was watching the early Premiership match between Liverpool and Man Utd on the large TV screen, which was amazingly, one of four screens in this tiny pub to be showing the match. Both rooms give access to a large concrete beer garden at the back which looked to have quite a lot of bench seating.
The pub is tied to the local Vale Brewery and I was encouraged to see many of their pump clips lined up along the side of the servery, but there was just the one beer available whilst I was there - a hoppy number called Gravitas (£3.10) which was very nice and served to me by a friendly barmaid. It seemed a bit strange that the brewery would only want to showcase one beer at a time, but perhaps there just isn't the demand to justify further hand pumps being put into use.
I thought this was a nice enough place for a pint considering that I didn't exactly see the place at its best. I'd prefer to see a wider beer choice if I was going to spend more time in here, but as it stands it's still worth a look for a quick pint.
On 29th October 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
courtney shankland left this review about Chequers
A lovey and cosy pub. Great prices! Friendsly atmospher. 5 rooms at £20 a night (PP) with 2 avalible with en suits. Each room has tea, coffee and television. All room in good clean condition! Down in pub there is dart board, biggest projector screen in fenny stratford. Very fun and nice bar staff and the owners John and Annie are LOVELY. VERY attractive pub with alot of character!!! There is a back yard for a smoking area. Regular activities. Comfy sofas and seating, great place to relax! The Chequres is in the best beer guide for 2011, and so deserve it! Very welcoming and friendly to everyone and HIGHLY RECOMENDED TO EVERYONE!!
On 10th March 2011
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Chequers
On the main road leading up to the football stadium, a 15 minute walk away, is The Chequers, a small compact pub in the middle of a row of terraced buildings.
It’s an L shaped bar in a pub that features black beams and low ceilings, but with a rather unattractively modernised and otherwise characterless interior. It certainly doesn’t feel like a pub that apparently dates back to 1662. On my recent post match visit, a large dominant screen was showing the final skirmishes of the Liverpool v West Ham game.
Although it’s not branded externally, the pub is owned by Vale Brewery of Brill in Buckinghamshire. Inside the pub, a leaflet tells us that Vale own 4 pubs in total and gives us tasting notes of the brewery’s 9 regular beers and 5 seasonals. However, only 1 real ale – Wychert Ale – was on. The other handpump was unbadged and, from observing the other customers in the pub, I didn’t detect much real ale trade or interest at all. The pub is however listed in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
I didn’t find this pub particularly welcoming or friendly and the overall experience wasn’t great. You might find the nearby Red Lion ( which I have just reviewed ) a much better all round bet.
On 2nd December 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
shaney ellingham left this review about Chequers
Friendly Pub, Great prices, incredibly nice staff, B&B, Five room available two en-suites in good condition with televisions in each. Dart board and big projector screen, biggest one in Fenny Stratford for all those games you would want to watch in HD. Parking around back and a back yard with smoking area. Regular activities and cosy sofa area where you can relax after a hard day or work or just out for a drink. Lovely, kind owner and all together a great atmosphere and pub to be in. Highly recommended for anyone!
On 8th June 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2 recommendations about 2 pubs]