TUCKED neatly between Christchurch and Ringwood on the edge of the New Forest lies a charming country house hotel.

The Tyrrells Ford dates back to the 18th century and stands in ten acres of beautiful grounds. You can tell from the long drive down to the hotel that you are approaching a special place steeped in history.

The hotel inherits its name from the two fords that cross the river Avon nearby. The ford at Avon was known as Tyrrells Ford after the year 1100, the story being that Sir Walter Tyrrell, after shooting King William (Rufus) on August 2nd 1100, passed this way and had his horse shoes reversed at the local smithy, then crossed the ford and made his way back to France.

Lord Manners, who owns the land around this area, used the name Tyrrells Ford for his 18th century house.

But enough of the trickery, we were here to sample the culinary delights of the AA Rosette awarded chefs.

We took our drinks and menus outside to sit and admire the beautifully-kept --gardens in the warmth of the evening sun, while trying to decide what to eat. Not an easy decision - this certainly wasn't a menu for those watching their figures.

Our orders taken, we were shown through to the wood-panelled and -candle-lit Tattersalls Restaurant, which was spacious yet still romantic.

Our entrees soon arrived. I had opted for the country house liver pate served with a cranberry relish - extremely rich but delicious with a hint of brandy and cream. My partner went for the pot of hot mushrooms and baby prawns in a mild mustard and cheese sauce. No complaints here. The portions were -generous - especially for starters.

The bottle of house wine was a little too easy to drink, a soft red with a hint of plum. The wine list had a vast -selection, featuring everything from the traditional French to more exotic -varieties from the southern -hemisphere.

A chat to the manager and we learnt that the Tyrrells Ford has been family-run for nearly 20 years, and that it holds a civil marriage licence. It has been known for the bride and groom to depart for their honeymoon via helicopter from the grounds of the hotel!

Our main courses were placed before us, and delight showed on our faces. I was over the moon with my medallions of pork fillet, served with a wholegrain mustard and cream sauce, and my partner chose the seared fillet of salmon with a prawn and dill butter sauce. Both our meals were served with an individual selection of market vegetables.

With us both pleasantly filled, we would have retired to the Minstrels Gallery for coffee, but we had chosen the table d'hote menu, which is three courses plus coffee, so we still had to gorge some more!

I liked the sound of the house speciality, hazelnut meringue with strawberry sauce, while Nick went for traditional cheese and biscuits. The meringue was a melt-in-your-mouth dream, piled high with whipped cream and a gener-ous serving of strawberry sauce. The cheese and biscuits, well, they were just as you would find any-where, really.

Over coffee, Nick and I agreed that Tyrrells Ford was an idyllic setting for a wedding, as well as a romantic place just for dinner or a special occasion.

The table d'hote dinner menu is £21 each and dishes change daily. There is also an la carte menu. At lunchtime the restaurant is open with a choice of menus along with a specials board in the bar. Sunday lunch is £14.95.

Reservations: 01425 672646.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.