“If I should die, think only this of me, that there’s some corner of a foreign field that is for ever England.” The words of war poet Rupert Brooke and which have a sobering resonance when so many of Britain’s young are dying in the foreign fields of Afghanistan and Iraq.

I’m reading them, written in Brooke’s own hand (or at least a facsimile of them), looking out of a vast window over a very English cornfield in the Hampshire village of Lower Froyle, about seven miles south west of the town of Farnham – an area known for great walking and for being the home of the UK’s Chinook helicopter, which you’ll see buzzing overhead from time to time.

The Anchor Inn, which has parts dating from the 14th century, reopened in April 2008 after an eventful refurbishment by Lucy Townsend and chef Andrew Clark, who also run the successful Peat Spade Inn at Stockbridge in the Test Valley. The opening was delayed by several months after a fire ripped through part of the building but you would never guess.

I am staying in the Rupert Brooke room, one of five that are named after First World War poets. Not that Brooke or any of the others has any connection with this area. No matter, it is fashionable now to have themes for such things.

Tylney Hall, Hook, Hampshire

Ginny McGrath finds a grand hotel offering the perfect English country weekend away

BACKGROUND

• Keppel’s Head Hotel, Portsmouth, Hampshire

• The Montagu Arms, Beaulieu, New Forest

• Anchor Inn at Lower Froyle, Hampshire

• Aviator, Farnborough, Hampshire

• TerraVina, Southampton

BACKGROUND

• Four Seasons, Hook, Hampshire

• Botley Park Hotel & Country Club, Hampshire

• Chewton Glen, New Forest, Hampshire

• Master Builder's House, New Forest, Hampshire

BACKGROUND

• Rhinefield House, Brockenhurst, Hampshire

• The Wykeham Arms, Winchester

• Lainston House Hotel, Winchester

The war poet themed rooms are just part of an overall military theme to the inn. The walls are crammed with images of generals and admirals from the days of the British Empire, leather binocular and rifle cases and bugles. The collection looks old but it has all been assembled in recent months from auction rooms.

Between the war memorabilia is a rather more eclectic choice of décor. There are hundreds of group photos of various sporting teams, houses and masters from Charterhouse school, for example. I now know, for instance, that Scout founder Robert Baden Powell was in Charterhouse’s 1874 shooting team. There are also stuffed ostriches and owls, enamel bread bins, horse framed 1970s album covers and, in the gent’s loos, a series of Edwardian watercolours of the Kama Sutra.

The Rupert Brooke room, with its cornfield views, is the best of the rooms, but all have something to recommend them. The Richard Hillary room has an exposed beam that runs right across the middle of the room about five feet from the floor and a small loft door that just defies you to stand on a chair and peek inside. The Wilfred Owen room features a rather fetching red crocodile leather suitcase. You can bet that an enterprising guest will try to be away with it before too long.

The general décor has an imperial feel to it - heavy wooden furniture that would not have looked out of place in the days of the Raj, seagrass floor coverings, watercolours crammed on walls of calming blue and tartan bed throws.

All the rooms have sturdy built in wardrobes and tucked away inside are a cafetiere with Illy ground coffee and a casket of teas. The minibar contains a jug of fresh milk. Top marks for attention to detail there.

Hampshire’s Long Barn provides the lavender-scented toiletries for the bathrooms, all of which have drench head showers.

The Anchor Inn really hits above its weight when it comes to food. The menu is devised by owner Andrew Clark. The menu changes nearly every day, depending on what local suppliers have that’s good. Most is sourced locally, although there are usually several fish dishes on the menu.

At lunch, you have a choice of bar classics – such as steak sandwich or sausages and mash – to more substantial dishes which also appear on the evening menu.

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