Originally a 17th-century hunting lodge, this venue became a hotel in the 1930s & continues to thrive under its current owners. The ambitious carte could open with breast of squab pigeon with goats’ cheese risotto & pickled walnut jelly before moving on to loin of hare with a leg & shoulder pastilla, raisin & port sauce or roast turbot with braised ox cheek & horseradish sauce. After that, farmhouse cheeses vie with the likes of iced coconut parfait or hot chocolate tart with coffee custard & marzipan ice cream. There’s also a full vegetarian menu. The cost of dinner – plus dipping into the serious wine list – can make for a premium night out, although the fixed-price lunch menu is more wallet-friendly. And yes, there really was a first-century Roman camp nearby.