Widely thought to be the oldest existing building in the ancient village of Ensham (now Eynsham), the White Hart was originally constructed as a Court House.

Commissioned by the Abbot of the nearby Benedictine Abbey of Eynsham to serve the outlying community of Newland (hence Newland Street), the original building was completed in 1366. As a Court House, the building was of a "barn-like" structure with an open roof to allow smoke from the fires to escape the building. Some of the early "A" frame oak beams still exist in the roof structure.

During the English Civil War, Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces engaged in a siege of the Royalist stronghold at Blenheim, were stationed in the area. Although not an Inn at the time, it is more than likely that some of the middle ranking Officers would have been billeted at the White Hart.

The first record of an Inn on the site was in 1750, the license being issued in the name of the Rose and Crown. This was changed to the Haunch of Venison in 1780, and finally to the White Hart in 1835. During these times, the Inn was famous for its Piggery to the rear of the property (now the garden area) and was a centre for Cock Fighting.

In the early 1800's, because of the location of Eynsham midway between London and Birmingham, and close to the Ox Ford on the nearby Thames, the Inn became a Coaching House. 1828 saw the construction of a stable block housing more than thirty horses, part of which has recently been converted to form the accommodation block.

More recently, the Inn has been owned by the local Brewery of Clinch & Co, Courage, Moorlands and latterly, Greene King.

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