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The White Hart Inn
West Mersea,
Essex
Inn
+44 (0)1206 583212
Visit owner's website
£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
6 rooms
Rooms sleep 2
Children welcome
Pets welcome
Babies welcome
Direct with the owner
Visit the owner’s chosen website for availability, online booking or contact details.
Enquire through Sawday's
Fill out the enquiry form and we'll pass your questions onto the owner.
What part does Sawday’s play?
£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.
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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

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
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Accommodation
6 Doubles
Sorry, this room is not available for your chosen dates
Sleeps 2
From £125 to £175 per night
Pricing
- Nightly price
- from £125
- 6 Doubles
- From £125
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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.
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Reviews
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We stayed in Little Ditch, which is a cosy room with lovely furnishings and a huge comfortable bed. The staff were very efficient and pleasant and nothing was too much trouble. The car parking arrangements were excellent and all in all the stay we had was excellent value.
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Great location, lots of parking and 2 EV charging bays. Friendly team, very clean and comfortable. Nice food with good service. A lovely place to stay.
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We highly recommend The White Hart Inn. We had a short 2 night break here, our room was superb with comfortable bed and a modern en suite bathroom. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. Delicious cooked breakfast and continental buffet.
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Really impressed with beautifully decorated room, nothing else we could have wanted, from the fully stocked tea tray to the lovely toiletries, very very comfy bed. Helpful, attentive staff, a credit to you, the breakfast/evening meal were tasty and plentiful.
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Delightful and relaxing experience. Accommodation, restaurant/bar and staff were friendly and attentive at all times. Highly recommend as the place to stay when visiting this charming little island.
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We really like staying here. The team are all welcoming and friendly; it's a great atmosphere, the food is fabulous and the room stylish and extremely comfortable. Looking forward to visiting again soon.
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Top quality rooms, excellent food and service … well positioned.
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Another perfect stay at the White Hart Inn. The team make your stay very enjoyable from the rooms to stay in to the drinks service and food that is 5 star. Cannot wait to book again.
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Harri and her team are wonderful people and really deserve special recognition for their work and dedication to their guests. We stayed for 2 nights and ate breakfast and dinner. The food is delicious and of a high quality. Breakfast amazing as was dinner. The room (Strood), overlooking the church was lovely and the best bed we have ever slept in. Chocolates and coffee in the room were also high quality. 10/10 on everything. Highly recommended.
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We stayed at the White Hart on a business trip to see suppliers on the island. The White Hart (Harri in particular) was extremely accommodating for our stay. The rooms were immaculate, and the breakfast was perfect. I will stay at the White Hart for any future visits to West Mersea, and recommend that our clients do the same.
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Really first class in all respects, staff, service, exceptional food and very comfortable room.
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Very enjoyable stay, great breakfast, best marmalade ever.
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The second time we have stayed. Lovely room - really stylish but comfortable and cosy too. We love the restaurant and bar area - again it's stylish but with a wonderful warm atmosphere too. The service was very friendly and helpful. We are from Colchester, so not far, but it's nice every now and again to escape and relax. All in all a great stay and we will definitely hope to be back.
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First time we stayed was on NYE & was so impressed we went back 3 weeks later. The staff were/are welcoming, friendly & always happy to chat. You get that laid back feeling about the place which we enjoyed. The accommodation is outstanding, very clean & spacious with everything you could ask for. We even had a cheeky look in the other rooms (before people were booked in) & all the rooms were of a 5* level. Will definitely be going back for another stay soon.
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The attention to detail is amazing. Staff are wonderful. The food is great. We were so happy and the friends came with us, for whom it was a first visit, loved it.
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Second time here & loved it - again. Beautifully appointed rooms, great food & staff who know what hospitality is. Definitely worth a look.
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Everything was pretty much perfect. Firstly the staff - friendly, professional and knew what they were doing. The room was also excellent - it is the little things that make the difference like having reading lights and charging points by the bed. Decor was great, bathrooms spotless and a powerful and hot shower. The food was superb - it is great having separate vegan and vegetarian options on the main menu - many places forget the vegan dessert, but you didn't! The starters and desserts were in fact pretty much perfect. The main courses were excellent, but they were just a little on the large
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The staff are amazing and the food choices are great, loved my Pollock it was lush. The best thing is the people that work there. We stayed for one night loved it always we're made to feel welcome. ***** ( 5 stars)
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Harri and the team were excellent; very hospitable and the quality of drink and food was exceptional. One of the best New Year’s Eves ever!
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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
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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.
Just back from a lovely weekend in Mersea Island. The White Hart was a big part of why it was so lovely! Pub with rooms - we had the sea view room at the top and it was great. Beautifully decorated, the most comfortable bed I've ever had, all the staff were so welcoming and friendly nothing was too much trouble. Had breakfast, all local ingredients and dinner - really tasty and fresh, cocktails are magnificent! Can't recommend more highly - simply wonderful!