LAY OF THE LAND:

The magazine Country Life recently declared Midhurst to be the "second best town in England", and the attraction is obvious as soon as you arrive. Surrounded by glorious countryside on the edge of the South Downs, it is the very model of a modern thriving village with a history dating back to the Middle Ages but now packed with interesting and individual shops.

CHECK-IN:

The Spread Eagle is a striking building, dating back to the 15th century. Built on a hill it looks somewhere between a cottage and a castle out of a fairytale.

Once inside, I quickly appreciated its mixture of modern luxury and oldworld charm.

Check-in was accomplished with the minimum of fuss - name, address, signature, here's the key, and your room's up the stairs, second room on the right. Shall I reserve you a table for dinner? Oh, we're fully booked - but I will squeeze you in. Would you prefer 7. 30pm or 8. 30pm?

Each of the 39 rooms is individually designed. I was in the Oak Room, which was dominated by a magnificent fourposter bed. My thoughts were brought back to the present day when I spotted the socket on the phone for internet access. A four-poster bed with internet access, what a perfect anachronism.

TABLE FARE:

The dining rooms are decorated with ancient Christmas puddings hanging from the ceiling. Apparently guests used to arrive for Christmas dinner, then leave a pudding behind to wait for them to return the following year.

They also have very comforting log fires, which would be reason enough to want to return even before you get to the excellent food. I began with a game terrine with quince chutney and a delicious currant bread. I asked the waiter for the recipe for the bread and he went into the kitchen and emerged with a print-out for me.

My main course was a whole roast partridge in a rich red wine sauce on a bed of mashed potato and spinach, and to round it off, a white chocolate mousse surrounded with blueberries - a very effective combination.

The quince chutney, the sauce, the blueberries - every course in Gary Morton-Jones's well-planned menu includes a little touch of thoughtful imagination that lifts it well above the ordinary.

I nearly forgot to mention the wine, a deliciously smooth Argentine Merlot, that must have been included among the house wines for the polo players who visit in the summer for events at nearby Cowdray Park.

LEISURE PURSUITS:

Quite apart from the polo, the hotel is convenient for horse racing, motor racing or the aerodrome at Goodwood.

The Spread Eagle has its own health club, the Aquila Health Spa, with swimming pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub, gym and a beauty centre where various treatments are available. I had a filthy cold when I arrived, but the swim, steam and sauna seemed to help considerably, even though I had caught the sauna at an uncharacteristically not-very-hot time.

WALKABOUT:

The main choices are a bracing walk on the South Downs, if you are feeling energetic, or a calming wander through the town. The hotel is very convenient for the shops, but also only a few minutes' walk from glorious countryside.

UNMISSABLE:

Talk to the staff about the long history of the hotel - they are justifiably proud of it. Former guests include Guy Fawkes, HG Wells, and Herman Goering, who spent a merry weekend there (though nobody knows quite why) with von Ribbentrop just before the war.

Writer/humourist Hilaire Belloc called the Spread Eagle "that oldest and most revered of all the prime inns of this world". Surely one of the best places in Britain to hang your Christmas pudding.

INFORMATION:

Spread Eagle Hotel (01730 816911/ www. hshotels. co. uk) offers doubles from £99 per room per night (two sharing), including breakfast and use of the Aquila Health Spa.