The White Hart

Exeter. Dates back to 1378 when it was known as The Old White Hart. Located on South Street just inside the line of the ancient Roman City walls, it has stood as a witness to centuries of Devon history - surviving everything from medieval plagues to the devastating German Baedecker raids of 1942. Between 1418 and 1442 it was the private residence of William Wynard, the Recorder of Exeter. During this time it was a commercial inn known as The Blue Boar - the heraldic badge of Richard, Duke of York. Over time the name reverted to the White Hart, the personal badge of Richard II.

The structure of the hotel/pub is a fascinating architectural jigsaw puzzle, with the exterior being Georgian and the bones of the building medieval and Tudor. When you pass through the heavy front doors, a sloping original cobbled floor leads to the inner courtyard, designed to allow horse drawn carriages and pack animals to enter safely. THe White Hart thrived for centuries as a coaching inn, offering stables, fresh horses, and a resting place for travelers, merchants, and monks moving through the West Country.

The White Hart is frequently cited as one of the most haunted pubs in Devon. In the 16th and 17th centuries the pub was a popular hub for itinerant judges riding the Western circuit. During the 1586 "Black Assize", overcrowding in the city's goals caused a massive outbreak of typhus that swept through the courts, killing magistrates, jurors, and locals. Local lore claims that the ghosts of ill-fated jurors haunt the build, and that of the infamous Judge Jeffries, known as the "Hanging Judge". In 1649 a foul odor began rising from the well in the courtyard and two young men died from the toxic gases. Their ghosts are said to haunt the courtyard.

Old dark wood beams greet you when you enter, and there are numerous rooms/seating areas surrounding the small central bar, with tons of old memorabilia and artifacts to check out everywhere you turn - allow some time, there is a lot to see. There is also a nice little beer garden out back. A lovely place to sit and enjoy a Hawkestone IPA.