Timeless grandeur at Tylney Hall (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Timeless grandeur at Tylney Hall

1:11pm Wednesday 18th August 2010 in Taste and Tell By Mark Jones

Gazette editor MARK JONES and his wife taste the best of Hampshire at one of the county's top hotels.

CROQUET on the lawn, Pimms on the terrace, a walk around the lake – welcome to country house living in the heart of north Hampshire.

If you have a hankering for a taste of the high life – whether that is for a special occasion or just a weekend break away from it all – then Tylney Hall can deliver it on a silver platter.

Tylney Hall is a quintessentially classic English hotel, but this Grade Two listed hotel at Rotherwick definitely combines old world charm with every modern comfort.

From the moment we arrived, via an impressive verdant driveway to the front courtyard where a flag was flying above the majestic portico and the fountain sparkled in the sunlight, we knew this was a very special place.

We received a warm welcome from all of the staff we met on arrival and soon felt the stresses of a hectic week and weekend melting away.

After a brief stop for afternoon tea, we took a stroll around the some of the 66 acres of manicured gardens, woodlands and lakes.

When you lie down on the grass and look at the sky, the tranquility that is part of Tylney Hall's appeal really hits you. It's hard to believe that this beautiful setting is literally just minutes from the hustle and bustle of busy Basingstoke and the M3.

Our visit to Tylney Hall coincided with the hotel hosting a Gourmet Dinner as part of the Hampshire Food Festival.

The festival – promoted by Hampshire Fare and many sponsors and supporters – is now in its tenth year and has become a wonderful showcase for the may fine food and drink that is produced in the county.

After getting ready for dinner, we went down to enjoy the pre-dinner canapes in the wonderful setting of the Library Bar.

The Gourmet Dinner certainly provided a tantilising taste of the varied fine food that is produced in Hampshire.

For the starter, my wife and I chose the Potted South Coast Crab served with Melba toast. This delightful light dish was a perfect appetiser for what was to follow.

After enjoying the delicate freshness of the Tylney Home Grown Mint Sorbet, it was on to the main course. My wife enjoyed the delights of the succulent Slow Roasted Belly of Greenfield Free Range Pork, which was served with Creamed Leeks and Whitehead Cider Jus.

My main course came from one of the pride of Basingstoke's producers. The Breast of Manydown Farm Free Range Chicken was mouth-watering and delicious. It was a main course to be proud of.

This sumptious Gourmet Dinner was rounded off with a choice of dessert. My wife enjoyed the lovely combination of Warm Bakewell Tart using Tufton Small Holding Preserves and Clotted Cream, while I tucked into the refreshing combination of Vanilla Panacotta and Hampshire Strawberry Consomme.

Of course, fine food needs to be accompanied by fine wine, and this Gourmet Dinner saw the guests being well served by a selection of wines from Hampshire's Wickham Vineyard.

If you have ever thought that English wine is not up to the mark, then a taste of what's on offer from Wickham Vineyard will definitely make you think again.

I'm a real fan of Rose wine, but English Rose would never have been on my shopping list – until now. Wickham's sparkling Rose was an absolute delight. It's a wine that dances on the tastebuds and is perfect either on its own or, as in this case, as an accompaniment to the starter.

Further delightful surprises followed with the Wickham Vintage Selection Dry and medium White wines, but the real star was the Wickham Limited Release Red (Pinot Noir) – a truly gorgeous wine that was bursting with flavour.

The Gourmet Dinner was a credit to the producers, and to Tylney Hall’s Executive Chef Stephen Hine and his team. Having had the pleasure of sampling it, it's easy to see why more and more people are waxing lyrical about Hampshire produce.

After a restful night's sleep, there was just enough time in the morning to take a dip in the indoor pool before breakfast. Tylney Hall offers both indoor and outdoor swimming facilities, and for those with enough time on their hands, there is also the chance to enjoy golf on the adjoining 18-hole course, archery, clay pigeon shooting – and even hot-air ballooning!

For those who prefer a slightly less active stay, there are a vast range of beauty treatments of offer in the extensive and friendly health and Beauty Suites. It truly is a place where you can be pampered in the lap of luxury.

The fine feast of the night before meant we went a little easy on the breakfast, but for those with a bigger appetite, there was everything under the sun to start the day with a well-fed stomach.

There was just enough time for us to take another stroll around the elegant grounds, before it was time to check out and leave this oasis of calm.

It's easy to see why Elite Hotels are rightly proud of this wonderful hotel and its staff. Staying there is truly a special and memorable experience.

Where we stayed: Tylney Hall Hotel, Rotherwick, Hook Want to find out more: Go to www.tylneyhall.com