The Chequers, Goldhanger, Essex

The first of my favourite pubs is The Chequers Inn that is in the small village of Goldhanger about a 5 or 10 minute drive from the Town of Maldon in Essex, this is a 15th century Inn situated on the Blackwater estuary. There are a number of bars including one with bar billiards and another bar with a large logburner in that I have spent many occasions sitting in front of a roaring fire with a pint of real ale a number of which are served at this pub. I was here over christmas and a bag of chestnuts was left in the bar for customers to roast in the logburner. The Chequers is well known for its food with a good choice on its menu. There is a beer festival here every year around February/March time. The photo at the top of the blog page was taken in the front  bar of the Chequers.

Well I have recently picked up a copy of a book titled The village pub by Roger Protz and Homer Sykes. Also seen I can buy it for a penny on Amazon, oh well. It was printed in 1992 and has some great looking pubs in there one or two that I have visited in my travels, I was wondering how many of them are still around or have closed up with the demise of the pub trade in the last 18 years since the book was published. One that I have visited being the "case is altered" Five ways in Hasley knob, Warwickshire. Relatively the same as the pictures but still a nice olde worlde pub it would have been around summer 2009

An interesting reference the book makes that in the middle ages efforts were made to control drinking places. They were clearly defined an ale house only sold drink, a tavern offered food as well and an Inn offered ale food and accommodation. In the thirteenth century a tax was introduced known as the "Scot tax" on ale consumed in licensed premises in towns. Drinkers would then go to village ale houses to drink "Scot free" hence the saying.

I have started this blog to list some of the finest ale houses that there are around the country, some local to me and others not quite so local that who knows one day I may be able to visit. To me the perfect pub is a place with character that has a roaring fire that you could sit in front of whilst drinking a fine pint of real ale and let life pass you by, perhaps somewhere that is out in the country away from the bussle of town life, maybe overlooking a river or a village green with the local cricket team playing.