Expectations are high when visitors seek out The Royal Standard of England, tucked away in the hamlet of Forty Green near Beaconsfield.

It has good claim to be the old freehouse in the land (documented in the Domesday Book in 1086). Will it live up to the hype? Will it be an old pub made chic and trendy? Will the food be any good?

No worries. We step inside and are surrounded by history, much of it genuine (the ancient beams, bottle-ends in brickwork, old armour and tapestries, cosy nooks), some quirky additions (a stuffed boar’s head, new stained glass alongside the old).

What stories this place could tell… and it does so on the back of the menu (and on its webpage), from the Saxon alewife through Charles I on the run (he possibly hid up there in the hayloft), then Charles II (who probably did meet his mistresses upstairs), then Roundheads and Cavaliers, highwaymen and rakes and hauntings… it’s a great tale.

The long menu is a good mix of pub fare old and new, from whitebait or oysters to avocado, and for comfort mains, home made sausages and pies through to rib eye steak and grilled goats cheese salad, plus a couple of vegan options.

I felt certain my husband couldn’t resist the rare chance to have devilled lamb’s kidneys on fried bread for starter, and liver and bacon for main. But what do I know - he chose onion soup cheese melt gratinee - a wonderfully flavoursome turreen-full with a good crisp topping of cheese over croutons. Then the inn’s famous fish and chips, and he was taken aback by the size of the crispy battered cod that arrived, perfectly cooked and with good chips. One happy man.

My choice was Welsh lamb shoulder, cooked to a melting tenderness and served with sauteed potatoes and cabbage. Again a generous portion, and delicious.

No room for dessert, sadly, but choices include treacle tart, jam roly poly, apple crumble, plus Eton mess, creme brulée and home made ices.

This is a drinker’s pub as well as a diner’s delight, with an unusually wide offering of ales and ciders on tap from local or small breweries.

My strawberry and lime cider was a sunny treat, while more macho drinkers go for Owd Roger (the original recipe was brewed here in the inn). There is a good selection of wines, a champagne, gins and whisky tastings.

Since my last visit the scrum to order at the bar has been sorted, with friendly staff taking orders at the table. And the inn now has a baronial-style hall built on, ideal for party groups, with stained glass, carved oak, and a big fireplace where owner Matthew O’Keeffe plans to have food cooked over an open fire this winter.