Chantry Inn, Sheffield: East

The Chantry, which became a pub in 1804, has three rooms with lots of vintage fittings and low ceilings supported by oak beams. In Spring 2019, the pub was acquired by Rotherham-based, Chantry Brewery as their first Sheffield pub. Sympathetic renovation occurred, the pub reopening with a name change from the Cross Keys to the Chantry Inn later in the year.

The back parts are the main interest, with the snug a particular delight. Front door leads to a passage – to the right the public bar – to the left the lounge – it still retains the old off sales (1930s) with its two door hatch. The building was originally a mid-C13th. house for chaplains and then a schoolroom.

The snug is a little room, refitted probably in the 1920s and largely untouched since, has all its inter-war fixed seating, fielded panelling and good Art Deco wooden fire surround with an old stone interior and it is served by a hatch / doorway for staff to the servery. There is more old seating in the other rooms and a (disused) corridor hatch near the entrance. The servery and bar-fittings are all modern.

In the left lounge the fixed seating looks old and there are bell pushes but there are new bar fittings with part of a glazed partition placed on the left bar counter. The right hand public bar has new bar fittings and fixed seating. There is a wide gap to a small alcove on the far right with a good but modern tiled and wood surround fireplace.

The Chantry Inn is one of only four pubs in the UK that are claimants as built on consecrated land. It is an old vernacular building that stands virtually within the churchyard. There is a cemetery on the grounds of the pub.

The other three UK pubs are: The Mug House, Claines, Worcestershire , the Ring O' Bells, Kendal, Cumbria (both real heritage pubs) and The Savile Arms, 12 Church Lane, Thornhill, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 0JZ.