The White Hart Inn

West Mersea, Essex
Inn
+44 (0)1206 583212
Visit owner's website

From
£125 - £175
per night

Head down the Strood causeway and step back in time for a slice of Mersea Island's old-world charm: beaches, fresh oysters & a charming inn

Bedroom

6 rooms

Sleeps

Rooms sleep 2

Children welcome
Pets welcome
Babies welcome

£125 - £175 per night

The Experience

At the heart of the village, this inn packs a punch with its modern British menu. Produce is sourced from the island or nearby: fish from East Mersea and Wivenhoe; oysters arrive daily on boats at the bottom of the hill. Breakfast is a relaxed affair: a high-end fry up to set you up for the day or smoked salmon, porridge, fruit and homemade bread.

Upstairs, six smart, colourful bedrooms have huge cloud-comfy beds and drenching walk-in showers, views look over the church green or towards the sea. It’s just a few minutes stroll to the closest beach with its cheerful beach huts – hire one and make a day of it. If you forget to pack a picnic walk to one of two oyster shacks serving up bucketloads of the island’s much-celebrated mollusc.

The island is a haven for wildlife, spot red squirrels and all sorts of water birds. Visit Cudmore Grove Park for walking trails, a playground, a Roman fort and views over the estuary to Brightlingsea.

The White Hart Inn - Gallery

We think you'll love

  • Eating all the delicious food on offer at the inn, it's definitely worth booking in for dinner
  • Visiting the infamous oyster shacks to try the island's delicacy
  • Enjoying the quaint, 50s style island vibes
The White Hart Inn - Gallery

You should know

  • You need to check the tides before setting off down the Strood causeway, sometimes the water gets too high to drive safely
  • It's pretty quiet on the island, get the bus to Colchester if you want the theatre, cinema or other amusements

Essentials

  • EV charger
  • Swimming pool
  • Hot tub
  • Garden
  • Open fire / woodburner
  • Breakfast included
  • Breakfast available
  • Meals available
  • Vegetarian meals
  • Parking on premises
  • Free parking nearby
  • Accessible by public transport
  • WiFi
  • Spa
  • Central heating
  • Limited mobility
  • Wheelchair access
  • Mobile reception
  • Hob
  • Bar
  • Barbecue
  • Licensed premises
  • Paid parking nearby
  • Air conditioning
  • Relaxation areas
  • Tennis court
  • No smoking
  • Credit cards
  • Working farm
  • Owner has pets
  • Pets welcome

Family friendly

  • Baby monitor
  • Books and toys
  • Children welcome
  • Babies welcome
  • Stair gates
  • High chair
  • Fire guard
  • Cot available

Nearby

  • Pub/bar within 3 miles
  • Restaurant within 3 miles
  • Shop within 3 miles

Activities

  • Bikes available
  • Food courses
  • Kayaking
  • Other courses
  • Sailing
  • Surfing
  • Wild swimming

Accommodation

Pricing

Nightly price
from £125
6 Doubles
From £125

Information

Booking information

Check in
3pm
Check out
11pm
Other details
10% off for 2 nights, 15% off for 3 nights. Singles £125. Dinner & B&B, £195-£220 pp.
Closed
25 & 26 December, 2-10 January.
No smoking
Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
Dogs

Dogs welcome in the bar/restaurant.

Meals
Bar snacks, £4.50. Starters from £7.50. Mains from £10.50. Sides, £4. Puddings, £8.50. Kids menu from £5.50. Sunday roasts, from £18.50.

Reviews

Our dog and ourselves were made to feel very welcome. Lovely room, great good and so close to the beach for some lovely walks. Would definitely recommend.

Charlotte, Ipswich

Great location , great welcome , great room and great food . Well done Harri and the team at the White Hart

Beth, Folkstone

This was our third time staying and every time we leave knowing we’ll be back. We love the peace, relaxing atmosphere and great selection of food and drink. One of our favourite bolt holes.

Tom, Hornchurch

We had a last minute stay and it was excellent, I would recommend this pub / hotel to anyone staying or just eating in West Mersea and the staff go above and beyond we had a very relaxed stay.

Gerry, Scaldwell

Amazing stay - will be back again always wish we can stay for longer my dog loves the fuss he gets.

Sam, Braintree

Amazing rooms and service. Cocktails and the food were are highlight. You made us feel very welcome!

Edward, London

Great food, smart accommodation, very friendly and helpful staff. A very pleasant way to spend a mid-week break. Very happy!

Sue, London

Staff were very helpful and polite. Breakfast was delicious and the bedrooms very comfortable. Loved the sheets, artwork and books in room.

Chris, London

Had a great stay at the White Hart. Lovely comfortable room with large bed and shower. The food was superb with great choice. The staff are friendly and really look after you. This was our fourth visit and would highly recommend.

Diane, Woodford Green

The staff were courteous, restaurant food was very good and my room was very clean with comfortable bed. I plan on staying there again on my next trip to Mersea.

Rita, Radlett

Friendly staff, beautiful room and perfect location. No complaints.

Nicola, London

A warm welcome. Lovely rooms. Great menu and wine list. Charming and perfect service.

Andrew, London

As always it was a great place to stay for a break in Mersea to visit family. We also ate there and the food was good too. Thanks to everyone for giving us a lovely time.

Kate, Crick

Such a great addition to West Mersea. Everybody involved here really understand the difference between hospitality and serving. Great food, great cocktails and great beds.

Lucy, London

Everyone working there was so friendly, the room was spotless and loved the little chocolates in the room! Gorgeous stay.

Magan, London

Absolutely loved our stay. Lovely food, attentive staff and beautiful decor. Will definitely be back.

Tony, Brentwood

We used the hotel to celebrate my mother's 93rd birthday. The staff were highly attentive and ensured that she had a great time. The hotel's attention to detail is exceptional and the rooms are luxurious. The may be many less expensive hotels but I don't think that ultimately they would offer better value for money.

Phil, London

Great location. Modern, stylishly well decorated, and all the facilities you need. Friendly and helpful staff too. Will definitely return.

Maurice, Loughton

We had a fantastic stay as always at The White Hart. Delicious food, the room fabulous & great friendly & professional staff. Thank you, & we will return again.

Sarah-Jane, Harpenden

We had an excellent stay with you with our friends for 2 nights. The rooms & food were excellent. All the staff could not have been more friendly or helpful. They went out of their way to make our stay most enjoyable. We will come again. 5 stars in every department.

Anne, Southwold

Read more reviews

Location

The neighbourhood

With its small, friendly population, bucket and spade beaches, interesting flora and fauna, and its own vineyard, Mersea Island is a bit of a hidden gem. Only seven square miles in total, it has a bit of everything to keep everyone amused, whether you're going solo, in a couple or bringing the whole tribe. Oysters have been grown here since Roman times so don't go home without slurping a few.

Local points of interest from Piers Baker

  • Monkey Beach is 150 yards from the front door of the pub. You can stroll along the beach, among the boats and broadwalks and take in the sunrises and sunsets. You can walk completely around the island but it gets quite muddy in places and takes 4 hours.
  • The Company Shed run by the Haward family who have been farming oysters on Mersea since the 1700s.
  • Cudmore Grove Country Park - a nature reserve with of over 102 acres of unique coastal landscapes and habitat and heritage overlooking the Colne and Blackwater Estuaries. A sandy beach, impressive views, grassland, meadows for relaxing walks.
  • East Mersea to Brightlingsea Foot Ferry in Cudmore Grove Country Park to Brightlingsea Harbour across the River Colne. Runs from April to the end of October
  • Mersea Island Museum opposite the pub has a fascinating historical record of the island including lots of photos of the pub over the centuries.
  • Mersea Island Watersports is around a 15 minute walk from the pub and has kayaks and paddleboards available for hire to explore the inlets and creeks around the island

Introducing

Piers Baker

Piers has spent his entire career in catering, and after running some great pubs in London, he now owns three successful ones of his own. He discusses every dish with his head chefs, the bedrooms were decorated to his specification and he is very involved in the day to day management. In both The Sun Inn and The White Hart you're looked after by an attentive and courteous team.