Home > Bedfordshire > Wilden > The Chequers The Chequers
Date of photo: 2025	Picture source: Trevor Stewart
The Chequers at the corner of High Street and Colmworth Road (Chequers Hill) in Wilden was first built around 1830 strangely almost opposite the existing Lion. Its first licence was granted in 1836 to brewer Peregrine Nash of Bedford. It was considerably enlarged in 1900 for Newland and Nash the successor company to Peregrine Nash. The building itself greatly resembled both the Nags Head, also in Wilden and the Horse and Jockey in Ravensden, suggesting that this was the fashion for the time. In 1861 the landlord was a John Smith and his wife Amelia and they were still there in 1871, however by 1881, Thomas Smith, his son has taken over with his mother acting as his housekeeper. 1891 saw Thomas still holding the licence but with his wife Emma living with him. He classifies himself as ‘’ a farmer.’’ Thomas was still there in 1901 with Emma but he is now again shown as ‘’a publican.’’ The popularity and success of this public house appears to have been mainly responsible for the demise of The Lion, {almost opposite}, when the licence renewal for it was refused in 1908. The Chequers is thought to have closed in 1978 and is now a private dwelling.
Source: Trevor Stewart
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