The claim
An ivy-clad country inn with a courtyard in the small village of Ledsham, east of Leeds. Regional press credit it with a founding date of 1540, which has not been independently confirmed. Today it is known for seasonal, homemade and locally sourced food served alongside local ales, and it takes table bookings online.
What the records show
The 1540 date comes from The Yorkshireman's 2025 round-up, and the pub's own site states no founding date. The national heritage list has now been searched across the village: it holds ten entries at Ledsham, among them the church, the old vicarage, Sir John Lewis's Cottages and the telephone kiosk that stands beside the inn, and none at all for the Chequers. So there is no listing description to date the walls, and the 1540 rests on one round-up. That is an absence we have established rather than assumed, and the next thing to look for is a licensing or manorial record rather than a designation.
What to look for inside
- Ivy-covered frontage and courtyard
Visiting
The Chequers Inn is in Ledsham, England, at Claypit Lane, Ledsham LS25 5LP. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- the-yorkshireman.com/yorkshires-oldest-pubs/
- www.thechequersinn.com/
- historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1247769
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/320843
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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