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Detail Pages
The White Horse, Chelmsford
Chelmsford
CM1 1QJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The White Horse
This is a nice old-fashioned corner pub at the end of a quaint row of cottages, a short walk from the station. You enter to a simple bare boarded room with the servery down the left hand wall and a small seating area to the the front under the leaded front windows with their colourful banding. The servery has a lovely dark wood counter with an oak leaf design running round the front, copper foot rails and pillars holding the decorative canopy topped with white horse statuettes. The bar back also has nice detailing and is fitted with a lot of plain mirrors. There is a drinking ledge with high stools along the wall opposite the bar, split by some nice mini-partitioning screens with circular etched glass inserts. More leaded windows with banding and portrait inserts can be seen along this side of the pub before the room opens out beyond the bar into a spacious rear area. This raised space has homely wallpaper, old dressers and some tatty looking pouffes and armchairs, with short partitioning screens along the right hand wall topped with panes showing the pub's name offering a little privacy. This area was dominated by the large pull down screen showing live football which complimented the two TV screens around the bar area. A dartboard resides in the rear corner and I also noticed the day's papers laid out for customers to browse through.
There were three ales on at the bar - Taylor Landlord, Thwaites Wainwright and Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde Mild - plus one real cider and a few unclipped pumps. The Mild was in pretty good shape which was handy as I was here to watch the football and easily sank a few pints throughout the course of the match. The TV screens were showing a music channel when I entered, but upon enquiring, the friendly barmaid put the match on for me and soon a few other punters had drifted in to watch the game as well.
I found this a very hospitable back street pub with a warm welcome, pleasant locals and a decent drop of ale. It was originally my plan to watch the first half of the match here and the second in the nearby Ship, but I enjoyed this place so much, I ended up staying from kick-off to final whistle. A proper pub and a good option to have in mind when looking for a boozer at this end of town.
On 24th September 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The White Horse
A long and narrow one roomed pub with an elaborately carved dark wood bar along a side wall. Boarded flooring, there is a nice old fireplace in the front area, lots of pictures of horses plus a horses head affixed to the chimney breast, old clocks to the rear and antlers over the entrance door. The windows are amber banded and with Toby figures as well as a chap in a top hat so I assume a previously Charrington house although the banding does not have the usual green corners. Barrels for vertical drinking are provided opposite the servery, mostly sofas elsewhere but probably due to space limitations than anything.
Eight handpumps, Mighty Oak Captain Bob plus also Oscar Wilde, Cottage Old Duchess, Slack Alice cider, one reversed and three not clipped. No signs of food on Saturday afternoon.
TVs were showing a mix of cricket and football while low level music played. Service was friendly and efficient, the sprinkling of customers were mostly solitary blokes engaging occasionally with one another and the barmaid. A nice pub.
On 2nd May 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The White Horse
This is a small long narrow pub that looks like it may have once been a Bass Charrington house. My visit came when there was a football match blasting out across the narrow room along with lots of people propping up and blocking the bar while taking little notice of the football. I couldn't see too many beers that were on but spotted Oscar Wilde Mild (£3.00) and took it to the end of the pub away from the footbore only to find some other rubbish sport blaring from another TV that nobody at all was watching. The only item of interest here was a table arcade game with a big selection of games from the 1980s. The mild was nice enough but I didn't like the pub at all and will definitely not return.
On 26th May 2015
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The White Horse
The pub was taken over by a new manager in Nov 2011 and he has turned this pub into an outstanding gem of a place. There's a couple of small tables out in the front as it only has a small frontage, but the pub certainly goes back. You get a good welcome when visiting and they are passionate about their ales. There's fabulous viewing for watching sport and comfortable seating throughout. Seven ales on handpump Mighty Oak Captain Bob, Mighty Oak Dove T'ale, Nethergate Bitter Growler, Hewitts Opus no4, Exmoor 1952-2012, Crouch Vale Brewers Gold and Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde Mild. I tried six out of the seven and all were equally as good as the other. Will defo return.
On 17th June 2012
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The White Horse
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.
On 16th September 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The White Horse
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.
On 2nd January 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
train man left this review about The White Horse
I didn't see a large selection of real ales yesterday and both the Broadside and the Mild were badly drawn and flat as a pancake. Unlike Camra's 'full-pint' club I prefer the aesthetics of a head on my beer and some life in the flavour. It won't be on my list next time.
On 4th July 2007
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 412 recommendations about 411 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The White Horse
Long and narrow pub selling a large selection of real ales.Bar billiards and other games.Large screen TV.Just behind the railway station.
On 1st February 2007
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]