Ye Olde White Harte

Ye Olde White Harte is a historic public house in Silver Street, in the Old Town of Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The building is notable for its surviving seventeenth-century fabric, later Victorian remodelling, links to Hull's political history, and longstanding reputation as one of the city's most haunted pubs. Although a house occupied the site by 1550, the earliest part of the present building was constructed around 1660 in the Artisan Mannerist style. It is associated with local architect William Catlyn and is built principally of red brick, with a courtyard-facing six-bay façade, sash windows, a pedimented entrance, prominent cornice details, and a pantiled roof. The premises did not become a public house until the 1730s. Its historical identity is closely connected with political events in Hull. A popular nineteenth-century story claimed that Sir John Hotham used the building to plan his refusal to admit King Charles I to Hull during the English Civil War. That story helped give one upstairs room the name the Plotting Room, but the claim has since been discredited. A better-supported episode occurred in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. A room in the building was used by Hull's Protestant Deputy-Governor in a successful plan to remove Marmaduke Langdale, 2nd Baron Langdale, a Catholic governor appointed under James II. The episode became known locally as Town Taking Day. The building's current appearance reflects a substantial remodelling carried out in 1881 by local architects Smith & Broderick. The work altered both the façade and the interior, using a Romantic treatment intended to evoke the appearance of an earlier inn. The ground floor has two bars arranged on either side of a staircase, and both bars contain substantial brick fireplaces. The staircase combines older fabric with nineteenth-century additions. Upstairs, two rooms are used as a restaurant; these spaces contain wood panelling, including some seventeenth-century elements, as well as a surviving seventeenth-century panel door. A stained-glass landing window depicts Sir John Hotham, linking the interior to the building's historical mythology. Evidence of fire damage in internal timbers has been associated with 1883. The pub's history also includes two fatal accidents involving residents. In April 1806, the landlord's 26-year-old daughter suffered fatal burns when her clothing caught fire while she was lighting the fireplace in the main bar. In April 1912, the landlady lost consciousness at the top of the stairs, fell, and died from a broken neck. These events, together with the building's age and stories of apparitions, have contributed to its reputation for being haunted. A skull of uncertain provenance is displayed in the bar. Ye Olde White Harte received statutory protection as a Grade II* listed building on 13 October 1952. Its heritage status has continued to shape decisions about alterations. In 2017, an application for internal changes was refused following objections from Historic England. Some proposed work, including the removal of a servery, was subsequently carried out without consent. Following a complaint by the Campaign for Real Ale and an investigation by Hull City Council, the owners stated that the servery had been sent for restoration and would be returned. The pub remains primarily a heritage hospitality venue, combining drinks service, food, historic interiors, and visitor interest in Hull's architectural and political past.

A building stood on the site by 1550, but the earliest surviving portion of the present structure dates from approximately 1660. It was built in Hull's Artisan Mannerist style and is associated with local architect William Catlyn. The building initially served as a private or residential property and only became a public house during the 1730s. The inn is surrounded by historical traditions relating to Hull's political and military history. A nineteenth-century tradition claimed that Sir John Hotham planned his resistance to Charles I at the site before the Siege of Hull during the English Civil War. The story is now regarded as unsubstantiated, although it remains embedded in the building's interpretation through the name Plotting Room. A separate episode following the Glorious Revolution of 1688 has stronger historical support. Hull's Protestant Deputy-Governor used a room in the building to organize the removal of Marmaduke Langdale, 2nd Baron Langdale, the Catholic governor appointed by James II. Langdale was successfully displaced, and the event became known in Hull as Town Taking Day. The pub experienced two fatal accidents involving occupants. In April 1806, the landlord's young adult daughter died after her clothing caught fire while she was lighting a fireplace in the main bar. In April 1912, the landlady collapsed at the top of the staircase, fell, and died of a broken neck. The building was substantially remodelled in 1881 by Smith & Broderick. The architects altered the exterior and redesigned much of the interior in a Romantic style intended to suggest an old seventeenth-century inn. Fire damage visible in internal timbers has been dated to 1883. The building faces a courtyard between Silver Street and Bowlalley Lane, with an alley providing access between the two streets. A billiards room is built above the alley to the north of the courtyard, while late eighteenth- or early nineteenth-century brick buildings stand on the courtyard's east and west sides. The principal façade is six bays wide. Its ground floor includes two bars separated by a staircase, each with a large brick fireplace. The upper floor contains restaurant rooms with wood panelling, historic joinery, a seventeenth-century panel door, and a stained-glass image of Sir John Hotham. The pub was designated a Grade II* listed building on 13 October 1952, recognizing its special architectural and historic interest. Preservation requirements became prominent again in 2017, when an application for internal alterations was refused after objections from Historic England. Some changes were nevertheless made without consent, including removal of a servery. CAMRA complained to Hull City Council, and the resulting investigation led the owners to say that the feature had been removed temporarily for restoration and would be reinstated. The Old White Hart's reputation today combines its role as a working pub and restaurant with its architectural importance and folklore. It is often described as one of Hull's most haunted pubs. Reports and stories of supernatural activity are linked to the building's age, deaths, political legends, and unusual interior features, including a skull of uncertain origin displayed at the bar.

• 2017

  Dispute over internal alterations

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  A proposed alteration was refused after heritage objections, and subsequent work involving a servery led to a council investigation.

• 1952

  Grade II* listing

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  The building received statutory protection as a Grade II* listed building on 13 October.

• 1912

  Fatal staircase accident

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  The landlady died after collapsing and falling at the top of the staircase.

• 1881

  Victorian remodelling

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  Smith & Broderick remodelled the façade and much of the interior in a Romantic style designed to evoke an earlier inn.

• 1806

  Fatal fire accident

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  The landlord's daughter died after her clothing caught fire while she was lighting a fireplace.

• 1730

  Building becomes a public house

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  The premises began operating as a pub during the 1730s.

• 1688

  Plot against Hull's Catholic governor

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  A room in the building was used in a successful Protestant plot to remove Governor Marmaduke Langdale after the Glorious Revolution.

• 1660

  Present building's earliest fabric constructed

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  The earliest part of the current building was erected around this date in Hull's Artisan Mannerist style.

• 1550

  Earlier house recorded on the site

  [1]Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org

  A house is recorded as occupying the site before construction of the current earliest surviving structure.

A heritage-focused community pub and restaurant distinguished by its Grade II* listed architecture, historic interiors, political associations, and ghost-lore.

• Pub beverages

  Beer and ale

  The pub's core commercial offer is traditional pub beverage service, including beer and ale. The available reference material does not identify specific breweries, brands, cask selections, or current menus.

• Hospitality food service

  Pub food and restaurant meals

  Food is served across the pub's hospitality spaces, including two first-floor rooms historically used as a restaurant. The sources do not provide a current menu or named signature dishes.

• Heritage hospitality

  Historic pub and heritage experience

  The building itself is a central part of the customer experience, with historic fireplaces, wood panelling, old joinery, a stained-glass depiction of Sir John Hotham, and a courtyard setting. Its political associations and ghost stories add a visitor-oriented heritage dimension.

• 2017

  Internal alterations and servery restorationOther

  Background

  The Grade II* listed building required heritage oversight, and Historic England objected to proposed internal alterations.

  Action taken

  An application for alterations was refused. Some work, including removal of a servery, was later undertaken without consent; after a CAMRA complaint and council investigation, the owners said the feature had been sent for restoration and would be reinstalled.

  Aftermath

  The episode highlighted the constraints and preservation issues associated with operating a working pub in a protected historic building.

  Source

1. 1Ye Olde White Harteen.wikipedia.org