Back on the A39, I drove through the medieval village of Stratton – my soon-to-be former home – once known for its pivotal role in the English Civil War, but today a sleepy parish of Bude. The road curved and dipped through arcs of green trees, so close to the road that their branches embraced overhead, and took me past the Little Pig Farm Shop, which serves breakfast, lunch and brunch using products sourced from within 30 miles.