THE Museum Inn at Farnham has accomplished the unusual trick of being better known in London than in Dorset.

It’s a secret kept, until now, among a debonair guest list that includes Hollywood’s A-list (Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jnr) and members of England’s own creative and culinary aristocracy (Brian Ferry, Jamie Oliver). The recent award of two AA rosettes in a single inspection is further evidence of a standard that attracts a clientele with the cachet, not to mention cash, to stay where it chooses.

But despite a high profile among the elite, there is nothing exclusive about The Museum Inn. It is at heart a country pub, albeit one that delivers an extremely high-quality experience. Visitors are as welcome to fish and chips from a lunch menu as to spend the night in a four-poster bed.

The attraction for those in search of a fast-disappearing slice of rural England is obvious as one drives along the narrow road that leads to the tiny and idyllic village of Farnham with its flint and brick cottages facing on to narrow lanes.

The Museum Inn lies at the centre of the village; an eighteenth century, red brick house, built at the junction of two lanes by Lt Gen Augustus Lane Fox Pitt Rivers, cited in the guest pack as “the father of archaeology”. Part thatched, and sensitively extended, the building retains its original charm while accommodating the comforts of the 21st century.

It has eight bedrooms, four in a converted stable block, filled with home comforts, but accomplished with an elegance to bracket it in a style known to the hospitality industry as “boutique”.

I stay in the General’s Room, a spacious chamber that easily accommodates a large, four-poster bed, considerately sans drapes and so cosy without being enclosing. The neutral décor enhances the space and the furnishings are a mix of venerable wooden dresser and wardrobe and discreetly modern facilities. The en suite bathroom is solid, modern and unfussy.

The bar area is a low-ceilinged, cosy affair with a snug at one end and an area dubbed The Cottage at the other. A wooden bar, flagstone floor and low, beamed ceiling are some of the authentic features that separate The Museum Inn from the synthetic creations of brewery chains conniving for a slice of the country pub market. Leading from the bar is The Hall, a high-roofed, well-lit room decorated with numerous trophy heads in keeping with The Museum Inn’s hunting traditions. The pub has close links to Guy Ritchie’s Ashcombe estate, which books all the guestrooms three times a week during the shooting season.

A comfortable lounge provides a relaxing area for pre- and post-meal drinks. Neutral décor, comfortable sofas in a deep, regal purple, and a large wooden table make the lounge another of the homely touches that make staying at The Museum Inn a real pleasure. Well-stocked bookshelves range from Joan Collins to Dostoyevsky, and a selection of board games provides a useful icebreaker for residents.

Meals are served throughout the bar area and in The Shed: a separate dining area used as an overflow from the restaurant or for private functions, and for breakfast. Its prosaic name belies the simple elegance of its interior. Starched white tablecloths give The Shed a more formal ambience than the bar, but the same exquisitely prepared meals are served in each.

In fact, it is the relaxed ambience of the bar that encapsulates The Museum Inn’s unique charm. Where else can one dine on exquisite haute cuisine artworks while eavesdropping on village gossip?

A starter of twice-baked Emmental cheese soufflé is served in a small brass pot presented on an elegant slate slab loaded with a neat pile of lettuce and miniature loaf of onion bread. The main course provides some of the most beautifully-prepared pork I have tasted, the soft flesh of the belly a wonderful contrast with the crackling. A braised red cabbage gives sweetness to the pork’s savour, while a mustard mash provides piquancy.

Dessert is another mouth-watering offering – a wonderful mix of contrasts, the sticky warmth of the apple and cinnamon tarte tatin juxtaposed with the cool, melting softness of a blackcurrant sorbet. A cylinder of raspberry foam, eaten with a tiny spoon, is the finishing touch of a master craftsman. The head chef and the creator of its menus is Robert Ford, formerly of Gary Rhodes’ Christchurch restaurant.

Urban dwellers seeking an escape from routine could do little better than opt for a stay at The Museum Inn. Another, arguably better, world exists just 30 miles from the bustling conurbations of Bournemouth and Poole, and shorn of the stresses that accompany foreign travel, the guest is free to enjoy time spent there from the moment he arrives.

Museum Inn tariff

Stable bedrooms – Sunday to Friday £110 per night; Saturday night £120

Cottage bedrooms – Sunday to Friday £140 per night; Saturday night £150

The General’s Bedroom – Sunday to Friday £170 per night; Saturday night £180

Telephone 01725 516261

museuminn.co.uk