"We're very much the heart and soul of the village," Horace told me, "local people get married here, celebrate christenings and birthdays, or just come here for a drink."

This sort of local repute is something that many coaching inns can only dream of, but it hasn’t come quickly for the Spread Eagle.

An inn has stood on this site since the early 17th century, when Midhurst was a popular resting stop for stage coach passengers.

The hotel has a fascinating history that includes tales of smuggler's hideaways, royal visits and the “ghost of the Golden Lady”. Evidence of the hotel's past adorns the walls in framed letters, oil paintings and drawings, as well as the architecture. And there’s even a history book about the hotel that you can buy at reception.

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Exposed beams, wood pannelling, wonky floors and doors and curious features abound. At one point upstairs, the hall splits into three corridors with a balcony looking over the hallway occupied by a huge suit of armour.

In a couple of places you can still see the wattle and daub of the original walls, while in many of the rooms, uneven leaded windows overlook the pretty streets of Midhurst.

The oldest part of the hotel is the bar, which dates to 1430 and has all the hallmarks of a hostelry that has been honing its charms for centuries.

The low ceiling and exposed beams make for a cosy ambience and drinkers sink into soft leather sofas and armchairs in clusters around the pub. The fires are lit at winter and there's a good selection of wines, including some sparkling Suffolk varieties. The draft beer selection extended only to four, which was a shame, I was expecting a host of eccentrically-named local ales.

The bar leads onto the restaurant, which is candlelit at night and has some eccentric decoration - copper pans hanging above a broad open fireplace at one end and wrapped Christmas puddings in ceramic basins dangling in muslin from the ceiling. The old tale goes that each pudding bears the name of a guest who ordered one to reserve their table for the following Christmas.

The menu is changed quarterly and has a succinct but appealing offering including fish, vegetarian and meat options. I had the home-smoked salmon with warm potato bread and sour cream, which was delicious, although the bread serving was a little on the stingy side.

To follow I had the grilled fillets of John Dory with basil mashed potato, baby spinach and red wine sauce. It was a generous portion and the fish was as fresh as I've tasted and perfectly cooked. Although the sauce was delicious it was a little overpowering for the fish and might have suited a chicken or beef dish better.

The pudding of poached peaches with vanilla ice cream and raspberries was delicious - warm softened peaches that hadn't gone too soggy, with delicious ice cream spotted with vanilla pods.

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