The White Horse

Welcome to the White Horse Inn.  an Inn was mentioned on this site in the Doomesday Book and the name derives from the coat of arms of the local knight. This means that people have been enjoying a beer in this vicinity for almost a thousand years!

The current site used to straddle the road which ran through our backyard, our lounge then being an archway. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, we were one of the main stopping points on the road fromLondon to Norwich & Walsingham Shrine and until 1950's the old weigh bridge for the coaches was still in the car park.

It was believed that the Welford family first moved here in 1923 with Alfred and Jessie but records show our licence to run the pub began 1935. 

Alfred died in 1940 leaving Jessie to running it. During the Second World War she kept it open 24 hours a day as the pub had become the Officers Mess for Group 3 Bomber Command. The Newmarket Rowley Mile Horse Race track had been converted into a runway for Lancaster Bombers and with the pub just two miles away it was an obvious choice.

Jessie passed away in 1955 and her son John Snr took over and was at the helm for 32 years until 1987. During these many years he built up the pubs reputation as a traditional country pub, with darts teams, crib & dominoes teams and become the headquarters for both the village cricket and football teams, with his wife Kay providing the teams and spectators with food.

Moving with the times they introduced pub food in the 1970's and soon became well known for home cooked and homemade food, especially Sunday Lunch.

John Snr retired in 1987 and continuing the family connection John Jnr and wife Karen took over until 1990 when they moved to USA. John and Karen moved back to England in early 2000 and briefly ran the Weeping Willow in Barrow but they knew where they had to be, so in 2004 The Welford family was once again running the White Horse. 

Since then and up to now John and Karen have strived to rebuild its reputation and keep its traditional country pub status while at the same time evolving with modern day pubs. 

John Snr soon will hand over this pub to his son Jack. Making it fourth generation that the Welford's have tried their hardest to provide you with a warm, welcoming place to have wonderful, hearty, homemade food. A decent pint. A laugh. Meet friends. Make friends. To feel at home. 

We hope to meet you soon!