‘Noise and smell – that’s what people expect of a pig farm,” says Tim. “But look!” There are hundreds of scampering piglets in the field, plus 15-20 huge saddleback sows, yet all we can hear – apart from the odd clang as bigger piglets get enthusiastic at the trough – is birdsong, and the air is fresh and sweet.

But this isn’t any pig farm. It’s the home of the Helen Browning’s Organic brand, and Helen’s partner Tim Finney is showing us how these porkers spend their lives: outdoors, in family groups, with plenty of space to be their natural, contented – clean – selves.

When Helen Browning took over the 1,500 acres of Eastbrook and Lower farms from her father over 30 years ago (the farm has been leased from the Church of England since the 1850s), she was regarded as a nutter for her determination to go organic. Today her lamb, beef and pork, plus sausages and bacon, are big sellers in Sainsbury’s, Ocado and others, and Helen is chief executive of the Soil Association, with an OBE for services to organic farming.

Which is all very wonderful. What’s even better for us is that she and (especially) Tim love being hospitable. They took over the tenancy of Arkell’s pub the Royal Oak – in the village of Bishopstone, right in the middle of their land – 20 years ago and enjoyed selling their organic food to consumers rather than supermarkets. Earlier this year, they extended into the village’s other pub – also an Arkell’s house, by then closed but backing on to the Royal Oak. With investment from the brewery they have made 12 stylishly idiosyncratic bedrooms around a courtyard and “The Wallow”, a sitting room with tea, coffee, books, games and turntable for playing Tim’s old vinyl collection.

Bishopstone is at the point where Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire meet: the Downs roll up to the ancient Ridgeway and all feels pleasingly rural. Yet just eight miles away is Swindon, not so pleasing, but with fast trains to London, Bristol and beyond, and from whose station Tim picks husband and me up in the farm’s characterfully battered red Land Rover.

In our room we, too, have plenty of space – there’s a lovely wide bed and some eccentric furniture made from industrial piping. We’ll also be contented and clean thanks to a big bathroom with red tiles enclosing an impressive shower. The wifi is robust and – hurray – there are plenty of hooks. The rooms are all named after parts of the farm, and each room has a photo mural of the relevant field or wood: ours is Marral Woodland, and one wall is covered in a shot of its hazel and fruit trees in autumn red and gold.

The Land Rover is in action again before dinner to take six of us guests on a “pig safari” – where we see some of this year’s calves and a majestic black bull, as well as the main porcine attraction. So how should I feel when, later, I find on the menu no fewer than three pork main courses? Guilty? Or happy about lives well-lived, reminding myself that the cute piglets grow into porkers more than twice my weight before they’re slaughtered.

Taking the latter approach I go for slow-roast belly with sweet potato gratin and it’s delectable (though I mourn an inexplicable lack of crackling). In my starter of pork rillettes with sourdough, happy piggy lives are evident in each tender shred. Better than both, though, is the irresistible streaky bacon in next morning’s full English. I’d be telling porkies if I said I regretted a morsel.

• Accommodation was provided by Helen Browning’s Royal Oak (01793 790481, helenbrowningsorganic.co.uk, doubles from £85 B&B). Rail travel was provided by Great Western Railway (gwr.com, London-Swindon from £22 return)

Ask a local

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Ridgeway long distance trail near Bishopstone. Photograph: Alamy

Andy Greenhalgh, local organiser of Friends of the Ridgeway

• Walk

For a half-day hike there’s a lovely eight-mile route from the Royal Oak down through NT-owned The Coombes to the Ridgeway, along the edge of the escarpment and back up via Lammy Down, with great views. Next May Day bank holiday will see the first Bishopstone Walking Festival.

• Eat and drink

For a relaxed pint on a quintessential village green, head to Aldbourne and the cute Blue Boar pub. Or for good food, try the Rose and Crown in Ashbury.

• See

Seventeenth-century Ashdown House was built for Charles I’s sister, Elizabeth of Bohemia, though she died before she saw it. The woods and gardens are beautiful. Pete Townshend lives on the top two floors.

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