Heartwood reopens The White Horse inn following £4m refurb

Heartwood Collection has reopened the doors of The White Horse, one of England’s oldest coaching inns, following an extensive £4m refurbishment.

The historic Grade II-listed building, located on Dorking’s high street, has been transformed into a pub with rooms.

The venue, which was frequented by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, is now home to 56 rooms and a 100-cover food-led pub, where head chef Ganesh Devadiga has created menus that change with the seasons and offer an “elevated take” on classic British pub grub.

The White Horse now boasts a sheltered courtyard for outdoor dining and drinking, in addition to bike racks for cyclists and a dedicated dog shower.

The 13th Century inn has several dog-friendly rooms and a ‘stick library’ – allowing pups to select their favourite stick to chew on from a collection picked up from the nearby countryside. The group is also offering a book swap in the pub for its guests.

Guests will be able to choose from a range of rooms, from a ‘Snug’ room to a ‘Really Fancy’ room. Each room has been individually designed and features rainfall showers, coffee machines, all-natural Bramley bathroom products and home-baked treats on arrival.

The family-friendly rooms are also equipped with trundle beds and activity packs to keep kids busy.

With 22 pubs across England, Heartwood Collection has been awarded a three-star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association in recognition of its commitment to sustainable cooking using seasonal ingredients and “trusted”, “caring” suppliers.

The White Horse is the group’s first pub with rooms under its “ambitious” plans to grow to over 60 sites by 2027 with a turnover of £133m. Heartwood has already confirmed four other pubs with room sites are to open in 2024. These are:

The Rope and Anchor, Emsworth – summer 2024
The Coat and Bear, Newbury – summer 2024
The White Hart, Lewes – autumn 2024
The Royal Forest, Epping Forest – autumn 2024

Richard Ferrier, CEO at Heartwood Collection, said: “We’ve taken incredible care when restoring this important building; it dates back to the 13th Century and is believed to be where Dickens wrote his first ever novel, the Pickwick Papers.

“We know it’s a cherished local pub on the high street, so it was hugely important to us to do it justice. We hope people in Dorking and beyond will fall in love with it all over again once they come and get settled in for a Sunday roast, a pint or a stay.”