When is the White Horse at Holme going to be open again?

The White Horse at Holme, near Hunstanton, has been bought by Anglian Country Inns, which runs nine other venues across the region including the White Horse and Jolly Sailors at Brancaster Staithe and the King's Head at Letheringsett, near Holt.

AC Inns has applied for planning permission to repaint the 18th century pub, which is currently blue, to return it to its former shade of white before it reopens in May.

Anglian Country Inns has bought the White Horse at Holme and is refurbishing the pub ready for its reopening in May (Image: Chris Bishop)

It has also applied to enlarge the car park from 13 to 32 spaces, create a new access off Kirkgate, remove some trees from its garden and install new lighting.

Cliff Nye, chairman of AC Inns, said: "The object of the exercise is improvement and originality. We want to make sure it remains a community asset."

But villagers are uneasy about the changes. While the parish council supports the return to white, it has concerns about "the potential impact of additional external lighting on the tranquillity of the village".

The White Horse pictured in 2008 - before it was painted blue (Image: Ian Burt)

It adds: "Holme currently benefits from exceptionally dark skies which are one of the special qualities of the AONB environment."

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Three neighbours have also objected. Greg Beeton and Dr Belinda Clarke posted on the council's planning portal the "industrial proposal" would transform the pub's garden into "a utilitarian car park".

The weathered sign outside the White Horse, which has now closed for refurbishment (Image: Chris Bishop)

They added: "Holme is a traditional north Norfolk village in the most part maintaining traditional character that makes it such a special place.

"The White Horse is central to that, the pub has managed to hold on to this character whilst others along the coast have taken different routes."

And Robert Johnson posted: "We are concerned that from the road the public's view would be transformed from today's traditional walled and hedged pub garden, into essentially a 'sea' of shiny car roofs."

The White Horse is expected to reopen in May (Image: Chris Bishop)

But Mr Nye said the car park would be screened by reinstating a wall along Kirkgate, which was demolished some years ago.

Will Pryke, the new general manager at the pub, said it was planning to be compliant with dark skies and was liaising with the parish council over the changes.

Holme Parish Council has applied to have the pub listed as an asset of community value with West Norfolk Council. 

Inside the White Horse in 2003 (Image: Matthew Usher)

The borough's website says: "Where the owner of a listed asset, such as a pub, applies for ‘change of use’ then the fact the asset is listed as an asset of community value may be a material consideration in making a decision on whether to grant change of use."

Mr Nye said: "If XYZ comes along and offers us a million quid for it the village has the right to match it and buy it off us."

FROM SMUGGLERS TO SECOND HOMERS

The Grade II listed White Horse has stood on Kirkgate, one of Holme's loop of narrow lanes, since around 1700.

It was built of clunch - a hard form of local chalk - and whitewashed to keep out the weather.

The pub served the village for generations with smugglers, fishermen and farmworkers slaking their thirst in its oak-beamed bar.

By the 21st century, second homers and visitors to the village made up the bulk of its trade.

In 2016, the pub's then owners painted it blue. Its new ones have promised to restore it to white, just as it always was, before it reopens.