Historic Pubs: The White Hart Inn, Stockbridge, Hampshire

Amy, my painting partner, knows all about my quest to visit old pubs. We were working on a mural in Salisbury and it was a 2-hour drive home. On the final day, we packed up at about 5pm and decided, as we had worked super hard, that we would stop off at the beautiful town of Stockbridge in Hampshire for some dinner before the long drive home. 

We had a little chat about where we could go, and while she drove, I Googled some of the likely contenders. One of them, The White Hart, caught my eye straight away.


The White Hart, its website states, is a sixteenth century coaching inn. A guide of 1799 confirms that in the late eighteenth century a coach pulled up at its entrance ready to take passengers to London each morning at 5am, except on Sundays. The lady at the bar, on finding out she had a hungry history nerd to feed, gave us a quick tour of the inside. The oldest part of the building is said to have stood since the twelfth century, with other parts of the inn built in subsequent centuries as it was enlarged and improved. The dining area where we sat was built in the 2000s, but the small room, the snug, is the oldest part of the building. It even has a small wooden hatch where beers were once delivered to waiting customers from the bar area.

It really is a beautiful building with low beamed doorways, timber framing and large areas leading to smaller, more intimate rooms. The staff were amazing - polite, welcoming and eager to help. Next door is a twelfth century church or chapel, which we were told was built at the same time as the inn. There's a small car park too, some outside seating at the front and a garden at the back. They also have a number of rooms available to book for the night, perfect if you're exploring Stockbridge or the surrounding areas and want to stay in a historic building. The photos on the website look lovely.

The 12th century St Peter's Church next door, Stockbridge

For our dinner, Amy had the burger and I had the fish and chips, and we both agreed it was all gorgeous. What a lovely way to round off a couple of days' painting. I'd definitely recommend it for a visit. I've been looking for more information on the inn's history but have come up with a blank so far, except that on the wall that butts to the inn from the old church are marks said to have been made by Stockbridge men sharpening their swords back in the day. If you know anything else about The White Hart let me know in the comments and I'll check it out! 



Check out The White Hart's website for more of its history and details on the rooms and their food menu. 

Interested in Tudor history? You might also like my second book, Power Couples of the Tudor Era, published by Pen and Sword Books, which explores the contributions couples made to their own times as well as how they influenced our own. Order your copy here. 



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