The Chiltern

The Chiltern is a J D Wetherspoon pub located at 12 Station Road, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, HP9 1QR. It operates as one of the many pubs in the Wetherspoon estate, offering the chain's familiar format of affordable food and drink, extended opening hours, and facilities such as Wi-Fi, TV screens, a licensed outside area, baby-changing facilities and step-free access. The pub is open from 8:00am daily, closing at midnight Sunday to Thursday and at 1:00am on Friday and Saturday. Children under 18 are permitted on the premises only between 8:00am and 9:00pm. Customers can order food and drinks to their table via the Wetherspoon app. The building has a distinct heritage. It was originally a cinema designed by the cinema architect W.F. Granger and opened in late 1927 as "The Picture House." It had around 500 seats, no balcony, and a 4:3 screen format. In 1961 the cinema was purchased by the local council, extensively modernised and renamed The Chiltern. It closed on 29 September 1989, and the site was sold five years later. The building later housed a branch of the pizza restaurant chain Prezzo before becoming a Wetherspoon pub. Wetherspoon's own pub history for The Chiltern recounts this cinema heritage, including the first film shown, the silent war film Mare Nostrum, and the transition to 'talkies'. As a Wetherspoon pub, The Chiltern participates in the chain's wider programmes, such as the twice-yearly real-ale festivals, which feature guest ales from international brewers, and seasonal menus including Christmas offerings and spritz cocktails. The pub's identity is therefore twofold: a local licensed premises under a major UK pub company, and a building whose name preserves the memory of Beaconsfield's former cinema.

The building at 12 Station Road, Beaconsfield, began as a cinema. Designed by the cinema architect W.F. Granger, it opened in late 1927 as "The Picture House." It seated around 500 people, had no balcony, and its screen was always in 4:3 format rather than widescreen, so some films required letterbox vision. The exterior was neo-classical, giving it an appearance unlike the average cinema. The first film shown was the silent war film Mare Nostrum, after which 'talkies' were introduced. In the mid-1950s the cinema's capacity was reduced to accommodate a new wide screen. In 1961 it was purchased by the local council, extensively modernised soon afterwards, and renamed The Chiltern. The cinema began to decline in the mid-1980s and closed on 29 September 1989, surrendering to the CIC Wycombe Six. The site was sold five years later. The building later housed a branch of the pizza restaurant chain Prezzo. It is now a J D Wetherspoon pub trading as The Chiltern, part of a national chain founded in 1979 and floated on the Stock Exchange in 1992 as J D Wetherspoon plc. Wetherspoon's pub history for The Chiltern recounts the cinema's story, including its 1927 opening, the first film, the 1961 council purchase and renaming, and the 1989 closure.

• 1994

  Site sold five years after closure.

• 1989

  The Chiltern cinema closes for the last time.

• 1961

  Cinema purchased by the local council, extensively modernised and renamed The Chiltern.

• 1927

  The Picture House cinema opens in Beaconsfield, designed by W.F. Granger.

• Building later houses a Prezzo restaurant branch.

• Building operates as The Chiltern, a J D Wetherspoon pub.

Value-focused community pub within the J D Wetherspoon chain, set in a heritage cinema building.

• Real ale

• Craft beer

• Pub food

• Breakfast

• Spritz cocktails

• Christmas menu

1. 1The Chiltern - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
2. 2History - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
3. 3The Chiltern - J D Wetherspoon (pub history)jdwetherspoon.com
4. 4About us - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
5. 5The Chiltern - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6The Chiltern Cinema, Beaconsfield - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org