THE WHITE HART HOTEL

White Hart Lane, Soham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5JQ

White Hart Lane took it's name from the Inn standing at the Churchgate Street end. Although the painted sign 'Commercial Hotel - Licensed to let a Horse and Gig' can still be seen on the wall today, the public house, one of the oldest surviving pubs in Soham, has long been closed. Next to the 'White Hart' in Edwardian times was Clark's fancy goods shop. The rebuilt 'Fountain' public house can be seen in the distance after the disastrous fire in 1900.
The pub was in operation in Georgian times when Soham was a sea port and then known as "Some". Local people may remember landlords by the name of Brown and Balls.
The pub was owned, in recent years, by Mrs Phyllis Bidwell and the "Select" end of the old pub was an office and a cottage. Mrs Bidwell occupied the "Public" bar and this contains many original oak beams, including one which runs from ceiling to floor and is in the middle of what is now the living room.
The upper floor was once the clubroom where the slate club met. The clubroom was entered direct from the street, and what was once a door is now an arched window. Just visible are the words "Bass in bottles".
When a wall was straightened a few years ago a surprise discovery was made. Embedded in the wall were many shells surrounded by periwinkle blue clay and what appeared to be bones. Outside the wall, rings still exist where horses were once tethered and Mrs Bidwell's mother, the late Mrs Mary Bullman, was at one time a cook at the pub. One day, while clearing out an old cupboard, Mrs Bidwell came across a brown and tattered menu for the refreshment bar (sternly admonishing "For Cash Only").
Tea, coffee and cocoa were then 1d per cup, a small pot of tea with sugar and milk cost the same, with 2d for a large pot - and 1/2d surcharge for extra milk and sugar. All offered at 1d each were bread and butter, a round of toast, cake or pastry, bread and jam, a cup of Oxo or a glass of syrup. Bread and cheese was 1 and a half d; bread cheese and pickles 2d; while for the top price, 3d, one could enjoy salmon and bread. Jam or fig biscuits were eight a penny, while one could also order sweets, chocolates, etc, or fried egg and bacon "according to the price".
Another unusual feature of the Inn was the bar, which ran the length of a passage from the public bar to the "Select", thus serving both bars, and there is no doubt that it was a lively and interesting place. At this moment in time the old White Lion Hotel is currently being totally gutted and renovated to become four independent flats.