Rooms

The six bedrooms, named for local landmarks or historical characters, are housed across two storeys at the rear of the Inn. Colours and schemes are sophisticated and calming, pleasingly no seaside schtick is allowed. At the top is the largest, Mehalah, where we stayed, in dusty pink with bold blue patterned curtains and views out to the estuary. The bed was absolutely heavenly, we slept like babies.

The other five rooms are along a corridor on the floor below. Handsome blue-toned Strood faces the church and is the next largest. Little Ditch also overlooks the church and has sea glimpses, while Cocum Hills faces west over the car park; both are vivid in greens and botanical fabrics. Cobmarsh (jazzy curtains and red accents) and Barrow (in blues and splashes of yellow) face each other and are often taken as a pair by friends or a family.

We were dead impressed by the super bathrooms. All are beautifully tiled, spacious, with power showers and spoiling Bramley toiletries.

All art throughout is for sale, you can look up the artist's details to see more of their work.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

The convivial restaurant and terrace are the beating heart of the White Hart. This open-plan space twinkles at night with wicker lights and candles illuminating tables, banquettes and booths.

Ingredients are mostly East Anglian (meat is slow-grown and of rare breeds where possible, much produce comes from the island), and the menu changes seasonally every 6-8 weeks. We loved the signature trio of oysters and also the smoked haddock rillette on sourdough. For mains we were tempted by the Dingley Dell pork chop, and thought the almond and nori-stuffed skate with cods roe sauce inspired. Sadly our stomachs were too full for calvados brûlée or coconut mousse or ice creams.

The wine, cocktail and drinks menus are particularly impressive; we rated our cucumber and mint gimlet and raspberry bellini cocktails highly.

The casual menu has burgers, sandwiches, seafood platter, soup, pasta and sides. A great Sunday roast (with vegetarian options) is served every week.

For breakfast help yourself to yoghurt, croissant, cold cuts, cheese, compote and cereals. We went for the smoked Mersea sea bass with scrambled egg as our cooked option. The Fry Up looked amazing. Coffee and tea are prepared any way you wish.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Explore the island by foot. You can walk all the way around (allow around 4 hours and bring suitable footwear!) or enjoy shorter strolls along the beaches and through dunes
  
• Try your hand at watersports including SUP and kayaking; there are a couple of sailing clubs along the road
  
• A boat trip is a good way of discovering this meandering salt marsh coastline
  
• Photographers and artists are drawn here by the big horizons and clarity of light, particularly in the autumn
  
• Wildlife lovers flock here too; the 5500-ha Blackwater Estuary National Nature Reserve is an internationally important habitat especially for overwintering birds, while Cudmore Grove on the island itself protects 41-ha of this unique coastal landscape
  
• For classic English seaside days out, the golden sands of Southend and Walton-on-the-Naze are just along the coast
  
• England's oldest city, Colchester, is only 25 minutes' drive away: it has extensive Roman walls, a Norman castle (built on a Roman temple) and museum, an archaeological park, an arts centre and a zoo

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Kayaking
• Sailing
• SUP
• Wildlife
• Windsurfing

Kids

Children of all ages are very welcome at The White Hart Inn, and the wonderful coastal location will appeal to outdoorsy families. Note that while there are extra beds, high chairs and a kids menu, there are no baby cots or twin rooms, and families will have to bring their own travel cots. The Snug has books, mags and games for guests.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

For families of four, Mehalah and Strood can host two kids on extra beds, while Cocum Hills and Barrow can have 1 extra bed added. If you are bringing a travel cot this can be added to Mehalah, Strood, Cocum Hills and Barrow. Families of four can also book Cobmarsh and Barrow together as they are opposite each other at the end of the corridor.

Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 1 hour
• Shops: 2 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The White Hart Inn is in the centre of the small town of West Mersea, the larger of the two settlements on the tidal island Mersea Island, found due south of Colchester on the Essex coast.

By Air:
Fly to London Stansted (61km away) served by lots of airlines, including many low-cost carriers. The small airport at Southend is also an option.

From the Airport
Most will hire a car – see our car rental recommendations. It's about an hour's drive across Essex to Mersea. The White Hart Inn can arrange a transfer, see Rates.

By Public Transport:
Colchester is the nearest station (17km away) which is served by regular, fast services to London Liverpool Street and Norwich. (From Stansted, you can take a train into Liverpool Street and then on to Colchester.) From the station you can get a taxi (@ GBP30). You can also get a bus from Colchester but check the times as these can be infrequent.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.