The Freke Arms, Swanborough, near Highworth

SUNNY evenings are designed for pubs, and with the added allure of a haunted hostelry, two friends and I decided to check out the Freke Arms at Hannington one Saturday night.

Boasting 200 years of service, the Freke is one of the oldest pubs in Wiltshire, and rumour has it that it has its own resident ghost – a lady in blue ankle boots.

Set in the olde worlde beauty of the surrounding farmland and just a stone’s throw from Highworth, the spooky stories combined with the traditional pub setting whet our appetites for what we hoped would be an extraordinary eating experience.

Mouthwatering with variety yet not overwhelming, the menu spoilt us for choice with pub classics such as ham and eggs (£8.95) and beef, Guinness and mushroom pie (£10.95) while tantalising us with chargrilled chicken breast and chorizo mushroom risotto (£12.95) and the extensive offerings from the grill, including surf and turf (£14.95) and chargrilled Cajun and sweet chilli chicken (£11.95).

To start, we opted to share pulled pork nachos (£4.95) and duck and duck and hoi sin filo rolls (£4.95).

Smothered in oozing cheese and with barbecue sauce on the side, the nachos arrived steaming hot, and we glared at them ferociously until they had cooled sufficiently to dip into.

Meanwhile, the duck in the filo rolls was beautifully moist, balanced perfectly by the crisp pastry casing.

For mains, Amy opted for the pulled pork burger, marinaded in barbecue sauce and slow cooked, before being poised beneath melted Cheddar cheese in a soft brioche bun, and served with a generous helping of wedges and onion rings (£11.95). Hearty comfort food, the wedges were left discarded on the side of the plate while everything else was licked clean.

Meanwhile, Harriet chose the pan-fried sliced calves liver and smoked bacon on a bed of mash in mustard sauce, served with a red wine gravy and peas (£11.95).

Certainly not to everyone’s palate, the liver was rich and strong in flavour, but melted away and was balanced delightfully by the accompanying gravy.

I, meanwhile, chose the black and blue rib-eye steak from the specials board (£15.95).

Smothered in a creamy blue cheese and mushroom sauce, and served with crispy onion rings and wedges, I polished off every morsel.

When a restaurant hosts a long list of items from the grill I’m always a little cynical, and the best test is usually how well they do their steak.

Usually I enjoy my steaks cooked rare, but when I asked for it to be cooked to my tasting the landlady paused before explaining that as a fatty cut, rib-eye is best cooked medium.

I was not disappointed. Still pink and tender in the middle and slightly charred on the outside, the steak was juicy and full of flavour, complemented by the sauce and sides.

It was so delicious we had no room for desert.

We almost enquired about whether we could take a pitch in the nearby Swanborough Caravan Park, to save us having to make the journey home.

Wholesome, pub grub done well and a specialism of the grill is a happy thought we all took home with us. It was also reasonably priced, with mains in the region of £10 to £20.

And we certainly know where we will be spending Halloween this autumn.