The White Hart – Stopham.
The White Hart Stopham stands next to Stopham Bridge. It’s a great location to have a pub, right by the River Arun in the rolling Sussex countryside. The bridge has been a crossing place for many, many years and, as is usual in England, wherever two or three people gather, there will always be someone there to sell them a beer! And it’s a great addition to ‘My favourite pubs of Sussex‘.
Table of Contents
Key Info
As usual on these reviews, we were not paid to do it, we paid for our own food and drink out of our own pockets and the staff had no idea we were reviewing! Therefore, I feel our review is exactly as you would experience when visiting the pub.
History
Stopham Bridge was probably built in 1422, about 70 years before Columbus discovered the Americas but about 400 years after the Vikings discovered it. Of course, record keeping was terrible in those days. Actually, it may have been 100 years earlier, we will probably never know! However, what is known is that one span was destroyed during the English Civil war (1642-1651). After the span being rebuilt, the bridge was in constant use until the end of the 20th Century. Now it is a Grade 1 listed structure ( for a full explanation of the British Listed building scheme, see here). Next to this historic bridge is the pub.
As can be seen above, the White Hart Stopham is a picturesque pub by the banks of the River Arun. However, there is a downside to that! In early 2014 there was a terrible storm that caused the river to burst its banks and closed the pub due to extensive flooding. As you would expect, the pub needed extensive work after the flooding and was reopened in November 2014. As can be seen above, it’s a great place for summer dining by the river.
The White Hart Stopham at Christmas Time
Cosy
The pub inside has a cosy warm atmosphere helped enormously by the lovely open fire. As well as the standard menu, specials are displayed on the board in the picture below. When visiting in the summer the White Hart Stopham has a lovely deck area overlooking the bridge and the river – perfect for long summer evenings!
Firstly, on this visit, I opted for the yeast battered fresh cod with the minted pea puree and homemade chips. This was off the lunch menu, the link at the bottom of the page takes you to the White Hart Stopham website as prices and menus change all the time.
The staff were friendly and courteous. Indeed, one staff member stopped to have a laugh and joke with me for getting in a photo I took. And the food was served in good time. In brief, that is what I look for! It’s not pretentious, it is just a nice pub with great scenery!
Why go there?
Firstly, I chose this pub to go in my Sussex favourites for its location. Set by the River Arun in the beautiful Sussex countryside it really is a treasure off the beaten track. In conclusion, I would say stop by, popular with tourists and walkers in the summer, the White Hart Stopham is definitely worth a visit!
White Hart Stopham Bridge – Outside
White Hart Stopham Contact Info
Where:
The White Hart
Stopham Bridge
Stopham Road
Pulborough
RH20 1DS
01798 874903
Click on the map for directions with Google Maps
When:
We are open every day from 11 am to 11 pm
Food Times
Monday to Friday Lunch from Midday to 2.30pm
Monday to Thursday Evenings from 6 pm to 9 pm
Friday Evenings from 6 pm to 9.30pm
Saturdays from Midday to 9.30pm
Sundays from Midday to 5 pm
Prices:
Lower midrange, mains from £11.95
Website: https://www.whitehartpulborough.com/
Useful Books about Sussex and its Pubs
To reiterate, I don’t do paid reviews and I only include pubs that have something notable about them. However, If you know a pub that you think would make a good addition to this list, for historical or quirky reasons, leave a comment below in the ‘Post a Comment‘ section right at the bottom of the page. If it looks interesting, I will do one of my stealth visits and the review will be posted here. Not every pub makes the cut – perhaps three quarters do for various reasons. And the various reasons for a pub not making the cut are; bad service, bad food, bad experience and just plain boring..!
For the rest of my Historic Pubs of Sussex list, see below
The Duke of Cumberland Arms – Henley
All prices correct at time of writing.
If you are looking for Historic Pubs in Surrey, click here.
Disclaimer: In short, some of the links on this site are affiliate links. These means that if you click on the link and buy the item, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The money helps go towards the upkeep of the site – so it’s a win-win for both of us! Any videos used on this site if not my own, are, of course, used within Youtube’s sharing guidelines…
They offer a tour of the vineyard and winery most Saturdays between April and October with wine tasting to finish. There is also the option to add a two-course lunch by the river to your tour from either The White Hart pub or The Labouring Man pub.