Chequers of Saugatuck

Location & Contact:

220 Culver Street
Saugatuck, MI 49453
269-857-1868
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Description:

Located in beautiful downtown Saugatuck, Michigan, Chequers is a British Pub offering favorite English menu items such as our famous Fish & Chips and Shepherd's Pie. We also feature a vast and varied selection of imported beers. The chef creates wonderful specials daily! Chequers is the official country residence of the Prime Ministers of Great Britain, a distinction it has enjoyed since 1917 when Lord Lee of Fareham, a former Member of Parliament bequeathed the estate to the nation. Chequers is a typical Tudor mansion surrounded by 1250 acres of woods and parkland. It lies among the Chillern Hills in the County of Buckinghamshire, some forty miles west of London. The Chequers estate has a history stretching back nine hundred years to the time of the "Doomsday Book". The estate passed in the hands of the family of Oliver Cromwell, and his descendants remained owners of the property until 1909 when it was purchased by Lord Lee and his wife. During their residence at Chequers, Lord and Lady Lee devoted much time and energy in restoring the house. The Long Gallery on the first floor is the finest example of this work of restoration. Among the treasures in the house are letters written by Oliver Cromwell, Napoleon, the poet Robert Browning, and the ring worn by Queen Elizabeth I. The portrait of Lady Mary Grey by the Dutch artist Hans Esworth, dated 1751, is the oldest painting in the house. Lady Mary, who was this sister of the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey, was herself imprisoned in the house for two years as a punishment for marrying without Queen Elizabeth's permission. The first prime minister to enjoy Chequers was David-Lloyd George, and since then, most Prime Ministers - Ramsey Mac Donald, the first Labour Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain among them - have stayed there. Sir Winston Churchill stayed there frequently during the war years as the house was safer than No. 10 Downing Street.

Hours:

Monday: 11:30am-9:00pm
Tuesday: 11:30am-9:00pm
Wednesday: 11:30am-9:00pm
Thursday: 11:30am-9:00pm
Friday: 11:30am-10:00pm
Saturday: 11:30am-10:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm-9:00pm