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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
Your enquiry details
2 Guests 27 Jul 24 - 27 Jul 24
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
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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
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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Everyone working there was so friendly, the room was spotless and loved the little chocolates in the room! Gorgeous stay.
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Absolutely loved our stay. Lovely food, attentive staff and beautiful decor. Will definitely be back.
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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.
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Great location. Modern, stylishly well decorated, and all the facilities you need. Friendly and helpful staff too. Will definitely return.
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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.
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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.
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As a family we booked 3 en-suite rooms for an overnight stay (April 2024). It is in a perfect location for exploring West Mersea on foot. The rooms were all stunning and the staff made us feel very welcome and as if nothing was too much trouble. We also had dinner in the restaurant and the quality of the food and ambience was excellent. We highly recommend you visit - we will certainly be back!
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A fab hotel. Staff were magnificent. So helpful and supportive. It’s obvious that a lot of thought has gone into the design of the hotel. The layout is excellent and the bedrooms want for nothing. I loved the artistic touches too. The only very slight disappointment was the menu. Not much appealed partly because I didn’t feel too great but I am pleased to say that my ‘waitress’ persuaded me to have the mussels which were excellent - washed down by a large glass of white wine! I shall certainly stay again when I am next in Mersea.
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Amazing place to relax, eat good food and lovely stylish, clean rooms. Thank you to Harri and her team who work tirelessly to make the White Hart Inn a special place in the heart of West Mersea. We can’t wait to come back.
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We had such a great time, everything and everyone was amazing. The best focaccia and vegan dessert we’ve ever had!
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Great food, lovely room, really friendly knowledgeable staff. We had a really fantastic time.
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We enjoyed our stay despite the weather. The service was very good. The oysters at lunch were beautiful. The cocktails were excellent The room was lovely.
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Very good value, excellent staff, a high standard of cleanliness.
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We had a fantastic stay and the team were friendly, helpful and efficient. Our meals were delicious: the brill to share was a highlight. But we wanted a spoon for the fantastic sauce! Delicious breakfast too. Room was great, loved the teas & chocolates. Very comfortable and quiet. Three minor things: The kettle a little rusty from not being used so recommend you check that. The shower didn’t drain very well but we sorted it… might need a plunger occasionally. The lights in the stairs shut off as you reach the ground floor with the risk that on dark nights someone might slip. We will definitely
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Great weekend. Lovely room, fabulous menu and delicious food. Wonderful staff too. Thanks to Harry (Harriet) for great advice and holding back the awesome brill for our Saturday night dinner!
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Great 2 night stay x perfect from start to finish. We will be back
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This was our second stay and we had an amazing time again! Stayed in the Strood, a very spacious room, beautifully decorated, huge bathroom. The team were great, very friendly and welcoming, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner, the fish and seafood ravioli were both outstanding dishes. We will be back.
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Harriet and her team run the most fabulous boutique hotel with The White Hart Inn. We've just stayed for 3 nights, eating in each night as weather was dodgy so didn't want to venture out and every single mouthful that came out of the kitchen here is divinely delicious. Bedrooms fab too - top notch comfort, style and fun for a very reasonable price. On top of that the staff were all super friendly. Can't recommend this more highly.
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The whole stay was lovely. We had a super room which was immaculate, the breakfast was very good and we also had a very good evening meal.
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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.
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.