Not only is this pub a grade II listed building, it is also a One Star pub on CAMRA's National Inventory with an interior of Special National Historic Interest, and the description is as follows: "Dating from 1845, the pub retains some of its 19th century original interior features including a stone surround to an unusually-placed working fireplace underneath a window, and an island glazed servery.

The servery also has an over-bar with the very rare feature of sliding sashes above the counters, although these are now unused and permanently raised, and the counter front has fielded panelling. There's also a mantelshelf on the wall on the right where there would once probably have been a fireplace. The original division of the space is discernible in the ceiling beams and doorway on the left of the servery, which indicate the smaller rooms the ground floor once comprised, which would probably have offered public saloons, private rooms for customers and space for off-sales of alcohol.

The early 19th century staircase with simple moulded newel posts and stick balusters leads up to the dining room which has what looks like an original glazed door and a plain skylight, but no other old features."

The listing description is as follows "Public house, early-mid C19, with extension of late-C19 to the north-west.

EXTERIOR: The early section of the brick building, dating from the 1820s or 1830s, has two main river frontages to the south-east and to the south-west, each of three storeys and three bays. The former has canted single storey bay windows on either side of central porch; the latter has one single storey bay window to right of the doorway with a stucco surround. The raised ground floor is stuccoed and there is a broad moulded string course, painted white, in between the second and third storeys. To the north-west is a stuccoed late C19 extension of two storeys and two bays, with an iron canopied balcony to the upper storey, and to the north-east is a lean-to single storey extension of the same date. There are two entrances to the building in the middle bay of each elevation and these signify the building as having origins as a public house, rather than a domestic building: that to the south-west is a grand Doric portico reached by a flight of stone steps which retain their C19 railings; that to the south-east is flanked by a pair of pilasters and also reached by steps running alongside the building. The hipped roof is partially concealed by the raised parapet which is painted white on the south-east elevation and bears C20 lettering.

INTERIOR: The pub retains a coherent C19 interior with many original features including a stone surround to an unusually-placed fireplace underneath a window, a mantelshelf, the central bar including over-bar with sliding sashes (a rare feature) and back bar, cornices, a deep-moulded picture rail, architraves and an early C19 staircase with simple moulded newel posts and stick balusters. The original division of the space is readable in the ceiling beams which indicate the smaller rooms the ground floor once comprised, which would have offered public saloons, private rooms for customers and space for off-sales of alcohol. The rooms on the first floor retain some early C19 panelling, doors, architraves, cornices and a single fireplace with original grate and wooden surround in a fluted design with classical paterae.

HISTORY: The White Cross Hotel, like the terrace alongside it, dates from the 1820s or 1830s. The two entrances, its corner position and its location on a travelling route near the bridge, suggest it was built as a public house; it is marked 'PH' on the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map for Middlesex in 1881. Between 1881 and 1896 the building was extended to the north-west although its footprint, and much of the interior, has changed little since.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: This public house dating from the 1820s or 1830s survives well: the principal elevations are largely unchanged, although some of the windows have been replaced, and include some good features including a Doric portico reached by stone steps. The pub is an important component of this historic stretch of riverside and has group value with the listed terrace alongside it (Grade II) and Richmond Bridge of 1777 (Grade I). The interior is also strong and there is a good degree of survival relating to the building's use as a public house from the early-mid C19, including relatively rare sliding sashes; the interior survival overall is of note as many pubs were rebuilt or converted in the great boom of pub building in the later C19 or have been refurbished in the century thereafter.

The WhatPub link is here: WhatPub/White Cross

The Pub Heritage Group link is here: PHG/White Cross

The White Cross featured on the Daytime Crawl of Hampton Court, Teddington, Twickenham and Richmond in June 2003.