The Jolly Sportsman has stood on Eskdale Avenue in the heart of Chesham since 1843, and under landlord Paul and his team it has settled firmly into its role as a proper town-centre local. Just a short walk from Chesham tube station and only minutes from the edge of the Chilterns AONB, it manages the rare trick of being the kind of pub where you walk in as a stranger and leave feeling like a regular. The beers are consistently well kept, the welcome is genuine rather than performed, and the atmosphere carries that easy warmth that only comes from a pub run by people who actually enjoy what they do.
The outdoor seating area, complete with a children’s play space, makes this a natural summer destination for families, while darts, pool, quiz nights and karaoke give it year-round social energy. Reviewers who moved to the area have described feeling like a local from the moment they first walked through the door; others call it the pub they’d go to alone without a second thought. The Sunday roast has its devoted following, and the vegan options are handled with care that many pubs don’t bother with. A true Chesham institution.
