The White Horse ★★★★

On our first shooting weekend of the season, we’d lined up something special. Three days, three different shoots, one exquisite country inn. Excellently located near Chilgrove, King’s Walk and Uppark shoots, The White Horse is an idyllic refuge from the autumn chill after a day spent on the South Downs. With a gun safe, shoot butler, and dog beds to rival the human ones, the inn offers any shooting party every amenity required.

That’s not to say the inn is exclusively for dapper chaps with a penchant for country pursuits and their birds: with children’s beds available in some rooms, and indulgent private hot tubs in others, The White Horse is also suited to both families and couples. Happily, whether on a weekend away with the kids, a loved one, or with your shooting syndicate, any party will be impressed with the delicious offerings from the in-house dining establishment. Salt-of-the-earth pub grub is executed with precision and flair, and everything is locally sourced or produced in The White Horse kitchens.

Cosily ensconced in the deep banquet seats with a rich wool throw warming my legs, we enjoyed an exquisite meal of Chilgrove wood pigeon, perfectly pink duck breast, and gravity-defyingly light chocolate fondant. This we paired with recommendations from The Red Book, the Inn’s surprisingly extensive wine list, including Nyetimber, a crisp and delicious English sparkling wine which is not to be overlooked. There’s a private dining room, too, with a spectacular rustic chandelier and spotless silverware, a clear statement of the clientele the inn caters to.

From talking guns, fishing, and the state of the economy with a cordial mix of local farmers and escaping stock-brokers at the bar, it is just a few tipsy steps from the main inn to our self-contained cottage. A waist-high king-size bed with Egyptian cotton sheets is inviting to any weary country wanderer, and delectable bath oils and soaps from Branche d’Olive are supplied next to the deepest copper bath tub I’ve ever seen. With its exposed wooden beams and soft sheepskin rugs, the inn has not lost sight of its ancient cottage origins; though with broadband internet and flat-screen TVs, the facilities provided are more 21st century than 18th.

A delivery of a tiny bottle of milk on the stoop greeted us in the morning, a delicate reminder of the Inn’s principal values: excellent service and use of the freshest local produce available – no nasty UHT here. As it hires locally and remains as popular with the country community as with visiting guests, the emphasis on local integration is strongly stressed at The White Horse. Some inspiration has been taken from the nearby Goodwood Estate, whose quintessentially English values infuse the surrounding area with an infectious, enthusiastic love of the great British countryside.

There is a distinct difference between a pub in the country, and a genuine country pub. Despite its recent dramatic overhaul by landlord Niki Burr, The White Horse Pub & Inn firmly remains in the latter category. As member of the Epicurean Collection, the core principal of The White Horse is a celebration of the British countryside; and with its excellent suitability for shooting parties and glamorous decorative accents throughout, The White Horse excels in doing just that.