The White Horse, Chelmsford

A traditional style corner pub located round the back of the train station on the edge of the city centre. The interior is long and narrow with a long bar down one side, bare floors and traces of coloured glass. A couple of basic TVs (and not particularly good picture quality) can be found in the front bar area where there is also a bar billiards table. At the rear is a more spacious section with a darts area and a flat screen TV (with a better picture). The bar counter is notable for some ornate carvings and its brass pillored canopy. In 2009 the pub won the CAMRA Most Improved Pub award although, despite being very welcoming and a pleasant enough place, it seems to have had a bit of an up and down existance ever since with a series of management changes not aiding any stability. I was the only customer on a Saturday lunchtime whereas all the other pubs I visited were well popuated and despite the presence of 8 handpumps and a website claim to being a “leading real ale pub in the county”, just Adnams Bitter and Ghost Ship were available albeit decent enough quality and reasonably (if bizarrely) priced. This is certainly a pub with potential and I gather that my visit coincided with one of the aforementioned new management teams who are probably still getting to grips with the place so I probably didn’t see it at its best. I would like to think a return visit will find things looking a bit more promising.

This was the second of 6 pubs visited on 23.12.10 and is truly a lovely local pub. Group playing darts and there is a bar billiard table. TV screens for sport too, and the atmosphere was great. I chose Nethergate Frank Incensed to drink and it was in top condition.