The White Horse, Lower Sunbury, Sunbury-On-Thames

Looks very much as though there has been a change of ownership. After a spell of trying to be a trendy eatery this corner pub has reverted to being a fairly basic boozer. The inside remains rather stripped back, with bare floors and a slightly annoying turquoise colour scheme, and the music channel TV is a bit intrusive. Seems to be a work in progress and it remains to be seen what they intend to do with it. Ales on were Black Sheep and London Pride, with TT Landlord badge reversed.

Official site of The White Horse - whitehorsesunbury.co.uk

Official site of The White Horse - whitehorsesunbury.co.uk

Malden Man paints a stoic picture of a once traditional pub, now transformed into something more modern, but not necessarily to everyones taste. I popped in again this mid-week, and I have up-rated this establishment to 6/10 (...and climbing...!) I like the pub. It wasn't terribly busy at 8pm, but that meant we had a choice of places to sit! (DON'T sit at the table on the right, as you go in the front, main door. It's the table beside the "door" that is not being used, in the winter. The seats there are quite drafty from the old door which is not draft-proofed! =STAFF TO NOTE= Ok in the nicer weather I guess.) Ales: Black Sheep, Doombar, and London Pride, always suffice! I've not tried the food here, so I can't comment. But by 10pm the pub was 'empty', I guess they all work hard in Lower Sunbury, and get up early. The WHITE HORSE is up-and-coming in my estimation, and I will certainly re-visit, probably sooner than you...! :o)

This is a solid looking corner pub, there are two roof gables which once would most likely carry the pub name or brewery but which are now just painted white. Inside however is a stripped out modern interior with two areas, a smaller room to the front which has a side room off it that looked more geared up for eating although no one was. The larger room with the bar is to the rear, boarded flooring, olive green lower walls, high tables in the window, more conventional seating elsewhere with flowers on the tables. Interest is provided by a few Guinness and Johnny Walker advertisements, high shelves contain miniature porcelain barrels marked "cognac", "gin" and "scotch" and a few whisky branded water jugs sit on a column shelf. The said column has a list of the pub's licensees in a frame together with the information that the pub was once a Hodgson's house before being acquired by Courage. Two clocks sit side by side, one conventional, the other running in reverse. Pride, Doom Bar, Black Sheep Bitter and Old Speckled Hen formed the cask choice, my Pride was fine. Not much of tradition left inside but the beer was ok and the place comfortable enough. There is an outdoor courtyard to the rear, mostly it seems for the smokers.

Ah, the 'White Horse'pub, has gone 'up' in my estimation, I shall increase my rating to 5/10. A pleasant enough little pub, split into a long bar area, and then a smaller, more private 'bar' at the front of the pub (Thames Street side), where the younger customers tend to gather and feel less 'obvious' :o). That's fine, our young folk need a good bar to frequent. The staff were polite & friendly enough, but the place does lack a certain "je ne sais quoi" (joie de vivre..) I'm trying to be polite here..! I popped in here during the week, the other night, and there were only 2 blokes in the pub (apart from the little group of young folk, out of sight around the corner at the front)! So it did kinda lack atmosphere. One of their biggest problems is they just happen to be opposite one of the best pubs in Sunbury (The Phoenix) so that is a major factor. But on a 'crawl' around Lower Sunbury it's worth including the ol' Horse, for a quick 'alf, or two..! :o) 5/10 TJ