Ye Olde White Harte Hotel, Burnham-On-Crouch

A seventeenth century redbrick and tiled hotel on the quayside , down a narrow lane from the High Street .Coming in from the Quay, one is met by a bar, which serves a number of cosy panelled rooms, together with a public bar area to the rear. On the right is a more formal restaurant, into which we didn’t venture. The bar has a slightly nostalgic air, not unpleasant, redolent of perhaps the 1950’s. On a blustery but sunny September Tuesday lunchtime, the bar filled up with a largely mature trade enjoying locally caught fish. Service was cheerful and businesslike. On the bartop were the usual fonts and two rather elderly ,groaning beer engines, serving Adnams and Crouch Vale Brewers Gold. These, despite the shaky equipment were well kept, and I was glad to finally encounter the latter, a beer that I had managed to miss for years. Good new world hops, balancing East Anglian malt. I’m rather fond of this place, and can imagine that would be grand to sit out front with one’s pint in fine weather to watch nautical goings on in the estuary.

Official site of the White Hart - www.whiteharteburnham.co.uk

Official site of the White Hart - www.whiteharteburnham.co.uk