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That is a good part of its character: a tall, galleried building set back in its own yard, invisible from the street it belongs to. In the fifteenth century the building was a private house occupied by a moneylender, and that is where the name comes from — the chequerboard was the money-changer’s sign, from the checked cloth used for counting. Much of the interior dates from the 1500s, when the tenement was rebuilt as a tavern. It has been an inn ever since, appearing in the 1772 survey of Oxford taken after the Mileways Act and advertised for auction in Jackson’s Oxford Journal in 1786. The stained glass, dark panelling and the yard are the reasons to come.\n\n![The Chequers, Oxford]()\n\nFood & drink **The Chequers** Oxford\n\n02 / The essentials\n\n### What makes it remarkable.\n\n1. 01\n\n A private house belonging to a moneylender in the fifteenth century.\n2. 02\n\n The name comes from the chequerboard, the old sign of the money-changer.\n3. 03\n\n Much of the present interior dates from the 1500s, when the building was rebuilt as a tavern.\n4. 04\n\n Listed in the 1772 survey of Oxford and advertised for sale in Jackson’s Oxford Journal in 1786.\n5. 05\n\n Set back in its own yard down a narrow passage off the High Street.\n\n03 / The place\n\n### The building in context.\n\nA story written in stone since **1500**.\n\nBuilt\n\nEarliest supported date: 1500\n\nStyle\n\nHistoric Oxford public house\n\n04 / Before you go\n\n### Plan it well.\nEnjoy it properly.\n\nPractical detail, separated from the story so you can scan what matters when you are ready to visit.\n\n01\n\n#### Tickets & entry\n\nFree to enter; you pay for what you drink and eat. No admission charge.\n\n02\n\n#### Opening hours\n\nOrdinary pub hours, which change with the season, the day and the licensee — check the pub’s own page before making a special journey. Most Oxford pubs serve food at lunchtime and in the evening rather than all day.\n\nContinue exploring / Oxford\n\n### What will you\n*do next?*\n\nCompare the practical essentials first, then open the experiences that earn a place in your plans.\n\n01 Culture & history\n\n [01 Culture & history **Bate Collection of Musical Instruments** Explore experience]() [02 Culture & history **Bodleian Library guided tour** Explore experience]() [03 Culture & history **Christ Church** Explore experience]() [04 Culture & history **Christ Church Cathedral** Explore experience]() [05 Culture & history **History of Science Museum** Explore experience]() [06 Culture & history **Oxford Castle** Explore experience]() [07 Culture & history **Oxford University Museum of Natural History** Explore experience]() [08 Culture & history **Pitt Rivers Museum** Explore experience]() [09 Culture & history **Sheldonian Theatre** Explore experience]() [10 Culture & history **Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities** Explore experience]() [11 Culture & history **The Ashmolean Museum** Explore experience]() [12 Culture & history **The Radcliffe Camera** Explore experience]() [13 Culture & history **The Weston Library** Explore experience]() [14 Culture & history **University Church of St Mary the Virgin** Explore experience]()\n\n02 Food & drink\n\n [15 Food & drink **Head of the River** Explore experience]() [16 Food & drink **Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons** Explore experience]() [17 Food & drink **Oxford Covered Market** Explore experience]() [18 Food & drink **The Bear Inn** Explore experience]() [19 Food & drink **The Eagle and Child** Explore experience]() [20 Food & drink **The King’s Arms** Explore experience]() [21 Food & drink **The Lamb & Flag** Explore experience]() [22 Food & drink **The Perch** Explore experience]() [23 Food & drink **The Trout Inn** Explore experience]() [24 Food & drink **The Turf Tavern** Explore experience]() [25 Food & drink **The White Horse** Explore experience]() [26 Food & drink **Westgate Oxford** Explore experience]()\n\n03 Walks & views\n\n [27 Walks & views **The Bridge of Sighs** Explore experience]()\n\n04 Parks & meadows\n\n [28 Parks & meadows **Christ Church Meadow** Explore experience]() [29 Parks & meadows **Oxford Botanic Garden** Explore experience]() [30 Parks & meadows **Port Meadow** Explore experience]() [31 Parks & meadows **University Parks** Explore experience]()\n\n05 On the water\n\n [32 On the water **Punt the Cherwell** Explore experience]() [33 On the water **Salter's Steamers** Explore experience]()\n\n06 Go deeper\n\n[43 Colleges All the colleges **Every Oxford college** Open the college guide]()[Food & drink / a story **The nine oldest pubs** Walk the timeline]()[Plan / Itinerary builder **Build your Oxford day** Start planning]()\n\n05 / Where it is\n\n### Find it\nand what’s nearby.\n\nExplore around The Chequers\n\n The map will load when you reach it.\n\n05 / Good to know\n\n### Questions,\nanswered.\n\n01 Where exactly is it?\n\nDown a narrow covered passage on the south side of the High Street. It is easy to miss — look for the alley rather than a frontage.\n\n02 Why is it called the Chequers?\n\nThe building belonged to a moneylender, and the chequerboard was the money-changer’s traditional sign.\n\n03 Is the interior original?\n\nMuch of it dates from the 1500s rebuilding, though like every working pub it has been altered since.\n\nBefore you visit\n\n### Check hours, tickets and access.\n\nCheck opening hours, admission prices and access with the venue before setting off.\n\nUpdated\n\nDate unavailable\n\nBy\n\n[Above Guide Editorial Team]()\n\nUseful links\n\n- [Official site nicholsonspubs.co.uk ↗]()\n- [Supporting source oxfordhistory.org.uk ↗]()\n- [Supporting source historicengland.org.uk ↗]()\n\n[Report a correction]()\n\nContinue exploring\n\n### Make Oxford\nyour own.\n\n[Visit the official site]()[← All things to do]()\n\nOpening hours, prices and access change. Confirm details on the official site before visiting.\n\nFiled under Pub / Historic / Food & drink / Since 1500" }