The Old Chequers

The Old Chequers is a house, formerly a public house and two dwellings, dating from the mid to late 16th century, with extensions added in the mid 17th century, a further extension in the 19th century, and alterations in the 20th century. The building is timber-framed with roughcast rendering, and includes an addition of clay lump construction. The roofs are covered in black glazed and red pantiles. Originally, the building comprised two rooms arranged in a cross entry plan with an external end stack. A parlour was later added, and a stable block was built to the rear, forming an L-shaped plan. The house has two storeys. The original cross-entry position features an entrance with a boarded door and shaped brackets to the hoodboard, with 20th-century 2-light casement windows. A 20th-century lean-to with a second entrance into the parlour is located on the far right. The eaves have been raised to the front. A large axial ridge stack, built in two phases and with a rebuilt cap, is situated to the right of the centre of the building, between the hall and parlour. An attic hatch is located at the right end, and the rear has a steep pitch with an exposed 17th-century purlin. A further external stack stands at the left end. A lean-to addition is located to the rear centre. To the rear left is a 19th-century two-storey clay lump stable/hay loft, with a small lean-to on the outer return, a ridge stack, inner entrances and a loft hatch. Inside, the hall retains some exposed close studding, along with a stop-chamfered cross axial binding beam. The parlour has an indented ogee stop-chamfered axial binding beam, through tension bracing in the end wall, and a fireplace bressumer featuring a reset panel with the date 1652 and a stopped triple ovolo moulding. On the first floor, reverse cranked and straight arched braces are visible in the walling. The early bays retain a queen post roof with arched braces to plates/purlins.