If it is the case, as Anthony Powell puts it in the title of the tenth novel in his Dance to the Music of Time sequence, that ‘Books Do Furnish a Room’, then the maxim can be seen to apply just as well to bars and restaurants.

The results of house clearances can be seen lining the walls of many an establishment I visit. Sometimes rather good volumes lurk undetected among the dross. In a Wetherspoon’s pub in Northampton last week, at the cost of a couple of coins in a charity box, I picked up an old copy of Lytton Strachey’s first book Landmarks in French Literature – so old, indeed, that this soon-to-be-eminent Victorian was still styling himself “G. L. Strachey, sometime scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge”. The next night at The Queen’s Arms Hotel, in the Downland village of East Garston, there was no similar temptation to purchase – at any rate for one of my tastes. The many volumes on display appeared to have been bought as a job lot from a sports academy of some sort. The two closest to our table both dealt with the finer points of swimming technique. Much else amid the comfortable clutter that fills this most appealing place is concerned with the Sport of Kings. This is only to be expected in this location, immediately adjoining the Valley of the Racehorse, as the parish of Lambourn styles itself. Here would be the perfect place for a tip, one supposes. Speaking of tips, perhaps I should offer one to prospective customers: they would do well to resist making any audible comment about David Cameron’s (politically risky) promise to bring back hunting as it used to be. Support for the Countryside Alliance is pledged on the website of the Miller Collection, the three-strong group to which the hotel belongs (others are The Anchor at Lower Froyle and The Peat Spade Inn at Longstock, both in Hampshire). The Queen’s Arms’ head chef and host Matt Green-Armytage, formerly of the Hotel du Vin in Henley, also promotes himself as an enthusiast for the sport in the hotel’s publicity material. Less controversially, he also advertises a deeply rooted passion for rustic, locally sourced and seasonal food. This is apparent from the menu, which at present offers sausages and gammon from the Hungerford butchers Bastable Brothers and Appleton sirloin steak, along with autumnal ingredients such as butternut squash and pumpkin seeds. Matt no doubt knows what is required by his clientele, but the menu struck me as rather modest in dimension, with an accent on ‘comfort’ dishes like fish and chips, cottage pie and Scotch egg (served with watercress and chips for £4.50). As it happens, on the chilly night of our visit last week, such familiar staples were precisely what was required – and very much enjoyed. Actually, I began with one of the more unusual starters in the shape of potted rabbit served with shredded beetroot. Presented in a mould, the large quantities of tender meat had a delicate citrus-fruit flavouring which possibly originated in the small pieces of prune that came with it. The layer of fat on the surface, which was presumably supposed to be set, was entirely liquid, which was no problem for me since I intended to remove it anyway. I continued with fish pie – or rather pies, since there were two, served with a topping of cheesy mashed potato on scallop shells. Scallops were not, I think, present in the filling, though there were both mussels and prawns among the fish. The side order of fresh vegetables included big wedges of especially flavoursome carrots. Rosemarie began with a huge bowl of roasted butternut squash soup. Nutmeg and sage were other ingredients mentioned on the menu, though neither was much in evidence. This didn’t bother her, since she doesn’t especially like either flavour. The fish and chips that followed were judged perfect. There were two pieces of white, shiny cod – one a fat chunk of loin – in super crispy batter. The tartare sauce had an authentic home-made taste. While I passed on pudding, Rosemarie finished with an excellent chocolate brownie, rich and gooey, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Service throughout the meal was exemplary, supplied by a young lady from the neighbourhood who was at once friendly, efficient and, when necessary, informative (not least about the best way to get home – along the M4 and A34, rather than through Wantage). Customers using the restaurant between now and November 11 might like to note that a £1-per-head charge is being added to bills in support of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. This will be removed when diners object.