Darling Buds of East Graddon....

Whilst on our stay at Hole Station the owner, Greg, suggested that instead of heading off to a farm shop that we get our sausages straight from the farm. [Discuss]

Greg orders his sausages and joints of meat from Stuart at East Graddon Farm and kindly arranged a visit for us to look around his farm and to buy some sausages for our campfire that night. I hadn't been to a farm since my days at school where I stupidly let piglets nibble my wellies, and nearly lost my toes. So armed with my camera we headed off to the farm which is literally a 5 minute drive down the road. As we pulled up two collies came charging to the gate and welcomed us with muddy paws and wet tongues.

The farm is set in beautiful countryside, with views extending to Exmoor and Dartmoor. It's small and it's obvious that there is work being done but the atmosphere here is so peaceful, and Stuart is more than happy to show us around.

Stuart moved to East Graddon Farm on September 14 2007 and hasn't looked back since . Having worked for around 20 years in the City working on mergers & acquisitions and travelling around the world, which he 'loved at the time' but now 'doesn't want to ever see the inside of an airport again or visit London' he has finally found somewhere where he can fulfil his dream. All of us have our day dreams but Stuart has turned his dream of spending more time outdoors with a purpose in to a reality. Not just hiking or bird watching, or some other outdoor hobby but living and working with nature and animals.

Stuart is an inspiration to anyone thinking of making a drastic change to their lifestyle, or thinking of moving to the countryside, and using their camping skills to get back to nature. He searched all over the UK, France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Australia and the US looking for the right place to start from scratch. After having decided to take the plunge, Stuart brought himself a book on farming and a tent and headed off to find somewhere suitable for "such a major lifestyle change 1) in a country that spoke English and 2) was somewhere reasonably close so friends and family could visit for a weekend" He finally decided on North West Devon as its 14 miles from North Coast of Devon, 10 miles from Dartmoor, close to South Coast of Devon, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor so any friends or family visiting would have lots to do outside of the farm.

Stuart lived in the tent, a two man, for three weeks during May 2007 the worst summer in living memory with two collie dogs, he says that "it was not fun and I had to spend all of my time lying down unless in the local pub or on Dartmoor walking the dogs. I once held a business conference call for 90 mins sat in the back of my short wheelbase landrover with two wet dogs using their feed box as a desk" After a short time he "upgraded to a caravan after speaking to an old lady who lived in a mobile home and travelled around different campsites in UK, France and Spain for 365 days a year. The caravan, a 5 birth, was my home throughout June, July and August....better than the tent but still very confining after a 4 storey 5 bedroom house in London !!!!!"

If you are thinking of moving from the City to the countryside it can be a daunting prospect. The thoughts of changing lifestyle so drastically and leaving behind your friends and family must be a tough decision to make. Stuart upped sticks from Greenwich moving to the peace and solitude of West Devon. But like Stuart if you are ready for the change and are used to camping, settling in to a new lifestyle should just happen naturally. Stuart says "I'm happy in my own company, like most people my home is where I want it to be" however he does say he misses "having 60 bars and restaurants within 5 minutes walk as well as all my friends in the local area including road sweepers, the lolly pop lady and about 50 dog walkers in the park"

Support from the local area was an added bonus for Stuart. I can imagine that in some areas the local community may be hard to break in to but for Stuart he found that he didn't have to push himself on to them, " I just moved in and did my thing, and if they wanted to stop and talk to me great. Don't have a huge number of friends here but the 8 or so I do have are fantastic, aged from 17 years old to 66 years old" If anything though the locals appreciate the supporting trade brought in from campers, and here at Perfect Pitch we'd always recommend that you buy local produce over supermarket imported goods where ever you can when you are camping. Not only are the flavours so much fresher but you are supporting the local and UK economy by encouraging local trade and tourism. In this time and age if we can all do a bit of good whilst enjoying local produce what is there to loose. However Stuart also believes that us campers not only encourage a better economy but that "holiday makers tend to bring an uplift in mood as everyone comes on holiday to be happy and it generates happiness in the local area"

If you are staying at Hole Station Campsite I would certainly recommend a trip to East Graddon Farm. It's a visit that not just the kids would enjoy. Two of the grown men in our group were moved by the opportunity to feed the new born lambs, an experience that in normal circumstances they would never have had, and couldn't stop smiling about all day.

Once Stuart has finished renovating the farm and its outbuildings he intends to open a B&B, hopefully this Autumn. This is a perfect setting for a place to spend a few nights. The farm buildings date back to 1475 before Henry VIII and before Columbus discovered America and have amazing views over rolling hills to the moors. If you are staying at Hole Station and you have family members or friends who are adverse to camping and won't even try the rent a tent scheme on offer then they could take a room at East Graddon when it opens. I know I'll be recommending it to my dad.

But the final thing I would say about visiting East Graddon Farm is ensure you buy some Pork & Apple sausages, these are absolutely delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed eating our sausages cooked over the campfire that evening with a vat of tomato sauce. A perfect day!