Riverside Pub in Richmond: The White Cross Floods at 4.5m

The White Cross, on the Riverside off Water Lane, Richmond TW9 1TH, is open every day from 11 am to 11 pm, and it is famous for being the pub that floods. When the Thames tide reaches 4.5 metres, the water rolls in around the building, the pub stays open and complimentary wellies are provided for guests. Its history section dates the pub's place on this riverside to 1740, and the pub says it was rebuilt in 1780.

The pub's own flooding page says a tide of 4.5 metres is the point at which the Thames sweeps in and floods the pub, and that is when you should make a beeline there. It calls the experience the quintessential Richmond experience. The pub stays open during flooding, so you do not need to stay away on a high tide day, and you can sit with a drink while the river rises outside.

When the water is in, staff hand deliver your next round if you order through the pub's On Tap app, so nobody has to wade to the bar. The pub provides complimentary wellies for guests, and its FAQ confirms they are available during high tide. Wear shoes you can leave by the door.

The pub links to a live tide tracker and a high tide prediction page from its website, but it does not publish times itself, so you need to look up the tide for your day. Any tide from 4.5 metres is the signal. Check the tide chart a day or two ahead, choose a day when high water falls in the afternoon, and plan to arrive an hour early.

Because the flood depends on the river, a visit on a day with no flood is still a good riverside pub trip, with the Thames at its normal level and the terrace open. The pub's open hours do not change with the tide, so the plan is simple: go any day you like, and aim for a high-tide day if you want the famous experience.

The pub states that the outdoor riverside tables are walk-in only, first come, first served. That makes arrival time the main tactic. On a sunny weekend, aim to arrive when the doors open at 11 am to claim a table by the water, and bring a jumper, because the river breeze cools the courtyard even on a warm day.

Indoor bookings are possible, and the pub recommends booking indoors on match days, when it shows rugby and football. For the Autumn Nations rugby and World Cup outdoor viewing, the pub says tables are walk-in only and first come, first served. The pub is also doggy friendly, welcoming muddy paws after a riverside walk, so a dog is no obstacle to a seat outside.

Head Chef Sofiane's menu champions produce sourced from the British Isles, with a seasonal emphasis, family butchers' cuts, day boat fish and farm vegetables and dairy. The sandwiches are served Monday to Friday from 12 pm to 5 pm. The West Country steak focaccia is £14, the fish finger sandwich with tartar sauce and lettuce is £11, and the applewood smoked vegan cheddar sandwich is £10. Fries add £2.5 to any sandwich.

On Friday evening through Sunday, the pub's High Tide Hen Shack serves crispy-coated, spice-loaded chicken by the river, which suits an outdoor table with a pint. The food page also lists a Sunday menu, and its Bloody Mary is made with The Pickle House Spiced Tomato Mix and Absolut Tabasco. If you want the tide and a roast together, a Sunday high tide is the day to aim for.

On a dry day the White Cross is a different pub. The pub says its courtyard doors are flung open to let the sun pour in, and its Summer of Spritz promotion is built around a spritz in hand beside the Thames. The cocktail list includes a Bloody Mary with a kick for Sunday afternoons, and in colder months the pub shifts to winter cocktails and a festive menu with Christmas lunch and dinner bookings.

That range of seasons matters if you are choosing when to go. Summer gives you the courtyard and the spritzes, winter gives you the fire and the festive feasting by the river, and any month with a 4.5 metre tide gives you the flood. If you can only make one trip, pick a high tide in the afternoon, because the same visit then covers the river drama, the lunch menu and the walk afterwards.

The pub's history section says it has been part of Richmond's riverside story since 1740, and its introduction says the pub was rebuilt in 1780 and has served Young's ales since 1869. The pub gives both sets of dates without reconciling them, so treat the building as old and the beer relationship as long. The Thames has been rising to the door for as long as the pub has stood here.

The pub is owned by Young's, the Wandsworth brewery, and the website notes the registered office at Copper House in Garratt Lane, Wandsworth. That brewery link explains the Young's ales on the bar.

After a drink, walk along the Riverside beside the water, where the pub's address puts you, just off Water Lane.

The White Cross rewards a slow afternoon, so stay put and watch the river do its thing.

The White Cross is on the Riverside, off Water Lane, Richmond TW9 1TH. The pub is open Monday to Sunday 11 am to 11 pm. Food is served Monday to Saturday 12 pm to 10 pm and Sunday 12 pm to 9:30 pm. Email enquiries go to whitecross@youngs.co.uk, and the website is thewhitecrossrichmond.com.

Outdoor tables are walk-in only. Wellies are free during a flood, and drinks are delivered through the On Tap app. Dogs are welcome. If you want the flood, check the tide predictions and choose a day with a 4.5 metre tide, then arrive early.