In the late 1300s King Richard II, whose badge was a White Hart, passed an Act to make it compulsory for public houses to display a sign. His badge as a sign became very popular and in later centuries it almost became a generic name for a pub. Hence this was how this Hamble pub gained its name.

There have been several variations in its name. In the early 1870s it was listed in the census as the ‘White Heart’ but by the middle of the decade it was called the ‘White Hart’. This name continued to just before the Second World War when it changed to the ‘Ye Olde White Hart’. By the 1950s it had gained its present name ‘Ye Olde Whyte Harte’.

During the Second World War hundreds of service men and sea tanker crews used the pub. Bill had a marvellous collection of clocks and souvenirs bought to him from all parts of the world. After the war a seat in the bar corner was known as “Parson’s Corner” because it was the favourite seat of Hamble’s Vicar, Reverend Arthur Pavey.

The fire had a wide chimney in which ironwork for smoking bacon and other meat could be seen and it was said to be an escape for smugglers leading up to the room above. The Ye Olde White Hart was still a freehouse which it had been for most of its existence.

Derek Hooper was employed as the pub’s manager but in 1967, Don Taylor sold the freehouse pub to Gales Brewery of Horndean. The purchase price freehold was £13,500, the goodwill £300 and fixtures and fittings £500. Derek was the licensee until 1972.

The pub’s layout and the location of the bar were significantly different from at present and subsequent alterations by various plannino applications has made the interior of the pub as we know today. Plans from the mid 1970s show the present day layout. From 1972 to 1999 Colin Partridge, Doug Kerans and Rod Bowstead were the licensees.

During the 1970s Ye Olde Whyte Harte regularly won the Watneys Challenge Bowl for the Best Decorated Business Premises in Hamble Regatta & Carnival.
In 1978 the Carnival nearly did not take place but a group of regulars from
Ye Olde Whvte Harte stepped in to save the day. In 1980 a group of pub regulars rowed across the English Channel, from Cherbourg to Hamble, in a four-oared gig to raise £5,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
In 2005 Fullers bought Gales Brewery and became the owner of the pub.

Stewart Barnard, took over Ye Olde Whyte Harte in December 1999 and one of his first memorable events was a Millennium All Night Fancy Dress Party. Other notable occasions were the hosting of the home coming party of Hamble’s cycling Olympic Gold Medallist, Dani King and undertaking the salute at Hamble’s Diamond Jubilee parade.

Former Prime Minister Ted Heath, local MP Mike Thornton and television presenter Chris Evans are some of famous people who have used the pub.
Stewart sees Ye Olde Whyte Harte as a Traditional English Pub for locals and visitors to enjoy, but it is particularly attractive to foreign visitors to Hamble.