Five Alls, Chepstow

[July 2025] We have received a report that the pub is serving "fresh ale" using a handpump. Fresh ale is beer that is conditioned at the brewery, not in the pub cellar, and Camra considers that using a handpump for dispensing fresh ale is misleading to the consumer. who may mistakenly think it is cask conditioned.

The following description pre-dates the 2025 management change. We gather that the juke box and pool table may have gone.

Built in 1849 on a cobblestoned street this pub has a superb sign above the entrance depicting the 'Five Alls'*. A set of stocks, sadly dispensed with a few years ago, once stood outside where there is now a limited seating area. A pub of character with characters, the interior retains most of the original layout with some touches of modernity. One corner on the right of the bar by the fireplace has a signed No. 5 shirt dedicated to the local tug-o-war team. An interesting set of enlarged bottle tops with well known brand names adorns another wall. The emphasis here is very much on rock music with a digital juke box and live music with occasional open mic sessions when guitar players are welcome - no Kylie or Daniel O'Donnell here! Strangely enough in its quieter moments it can be quite relaxing listening to some classic rock tracks. Butcombe ales make regular appearances with a guest from elsewhere appearing at weekends.

* The Five Alls usually includes a monarch saying "I rule (for) all" or "I govern all", a bishop or minister saying "I pray for all", a soldier saying "I fight for all", and a farmer saying "I pay for all". The fifth figure was often a lawyer saying "I plead for all".