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Great Blakenham Chequers
Great Blakenham Chequers
Real Ale is sold here.
19 Stowmarket Road, IP6 0LP
grid reference TM 117 507
Current landlord (David Lang) has been here for 23 years. Pub has been significantly refurbished and expanded in 2017 with new function rooms added for weddings and parties etc. Mobile bar available for events, etc.
Beers usually selected from Woodforde Wherry, Greene King IPA and Adnams Ghost Ship.
Facilities
Beer garden or other outside drinking area
Bus stop nearby (see transport links for details)
Cash machine
Dogs welcome
Evening meals
Family friendly: Childrens Play Area
Function room available to hire: Upstairs Dining Area
Live music
Lunchtime meals (not just snacks)
Real fire
Restaurant or separate dining area
Traditional pub games available: Pool Table, Dart Room
WiFi available
Railway station about 3.2 miles away (see transport links for details)
Gallery
Nearest railway station
Other nearby Suffolk pubs
Historical interest
The pub is shown on this old OS map from about 1902 (interactive map)
A Main of Cocks at the Chequer, Blakenham.Ipswich Journal, January 24th 1747***
Cocking at Paul Perkin's, the Blakenham Chequer.Ipswich Journal, June 16th 1750***
Cocking at Paul Perkins', the Blakenham Chequer.Ipswich Journal, July 4th 1752***
A reference appears in the Ipswich Journal*** on April 1st 1769 to Mr. Samuel Turner, late of Great Blakenham, Innholder (name not given), deceased.
John Levitt was charged with being drunk and refusing to quit the Chequers. William Rogers, the landlord, suspected that Levitt could not pay for the beer he had ordered and refused to serve him, whereupon he became abusive…
Landlords
Footnote
The Chequers sign is an ancient sign probably brought to England by the Romans. Later the sign became associated with a money table e.g. an exchequer or type of chessboard. Some pubs displayed the sign to indicate that they would change money or acted as bankers in some way.
(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)
(census information from Dudley Diaper)
(** historic newspaper information from Stuart Ansell)
(*** historic newspaper information from Bob Mitchell)
(**** Last Orders is a free local newsletter - published by Suffolk CAMRA memers since 1978)
