The White Hart Inn
West Mersea, Essex, United Kingdom
Reviewed by
Nadine Mellor
There's an otherworldly quality to the dynamic Essex coastline, with its shimmering mud flats, golden sandy beaches, and those huge horizons. Encapsulating this watery landscape is low-lying (and oft-overlooked) Mersea Island, a draw for smugglers and holiday-makers since Roman times, connected to the mainland by a Saxon-built causeway that floods at high tide. In the centre of West Mersea you'll find The White Hart Inn. A hostelry has stood on this site for 600 years yet this latest incarnation is thoroughly bang up to date.
The six colourful guest rooms have everything you need for a restful stay, including sockets in all the right places, brilliant big beds and excellent bathrooms. Hospitality remains the heart and soul of the White Hart: there's a vibrant dining room with an al fresco terrace which attracts locals and visitors year-round. Dine here on famed Blackwater oysters (shipped worldwide) and beautifully presented East Anglian produce. The drinks menu delights with inventive cocktails, wines, spirits and mocktails; have a pre- or post-dinner glass in the cosy Snug to the rear. Walls and fabrics are snazzy and bright, the featured arts and crafts (much by Mersea artists) are for sale. Head outdoors to stroll along Monkey Beach and explore wildlife-rich salt marshes, or try the sailing clubs for watersports, fishing expeditions and boat trips. Those Romans were definitely on to a good thing.
The six colourful guest rooms have everything you need for a restful stay, including sockets in all the right places, brilliant big beds and excellent bathrooms. Hospitality remains the heart and soul of the White Hart: there's a vibrant dining room with an al fresco terrace which attracts locals and visitors year-round. Dine here on famed Blackwater oysters (shipped worldwide) and beautifully presented East Anglian produce. The drinks menu delights with inventive cocktails, wines, spirits and mocktails; have a pre- or post-dinner glass in the cosy Snug to the rear. Walls and fabrics are snazzy and bright, the featured arts and crafts (much by Mersea artists) are for sale. Head outdoors to stroll along Monkey Beach and explore wildlife-rich salt marshes, or try the sailing clubs for watersports, fishing expeditions and boat trips. Those Romans were definitely on to a good thing.
Highs
- Marvellous seasonal and local fare in the restaurant alongside elevated pub grub plus an excellent wine and drinks menu
- Supremely comfortable rooms and lovely big spoiling bathrooms with Bramley products
- Mersea itself: a tidal island offering an authentic slice of coastal life, with untamed salt marsh and long beaches, big skies, nature reserves, watersports and lots of wildlife; the beach is 150m away
- Friendly yet expert service as you'd expect from the team who run sister property The Sun Inn, set inland in Constable country
- A strong sense of history and place yet no creaking floors and draughty windows – the Inn has had a complete makeover
Lows
- No twin beds
- Not all rooms have sea views, and those that do have their views curtailed by leaves in the summer; Cocum Hills overlooks the car park
- Closed from 6pm Sundays until 9am Wednesdays during the winter months
- The causeway can close for an hour or two at high tide
- The island's elemental beauty may not suit all, especially out of season
Best time to go
It's a joy to be by the sea any time of year. The summer sees most visitors and things to do, particularly around sailing and watersports. Mersea Week is a week-long August festival of boat racing. Late spring/early summer is good for sunsets. Autumn has that wonderful clarity of light beloved by photographers drawn by the bleak beauty of the landscape. There's a particular enjoyment in getting all windswept on bracing winter walks then returning to good food and warm cosy rooms at the Inn.
Our top tips
The Blackwater Estuary mudflats are a very important area for native oysters, so make sure to sample some while you are here. There's an oyster shack down the road if you want to bring some home.