Wales I Escaped to the Country

Making the move from the city to the countryside

is often a momentous step.

Never in a million years I would imagine

I would be seeing a house like this. Never, ever.

But for many years,

Escape To The Country has been supporting countless people

on the hunt for a new rural home.

What do we think of this?

Oh, my! Chocolate box.

We've travelled to the most picturesque pockets of Britain...

Take a look at that killer view. That's amazing.

..to showcase thousands of exquisite country properties...

Oh, but how pretty is that?

..that our buyers just couldn't resist.

Jules!

Seriously, get your cheque-book out now.

Join us as we catch up with those who made it happen...

Hello, Bernard. Now, young fella! Hiya, Carol.

..to find out how the move changed their lives

when they escaped to the country.

Well, today we're in my favourite part

of the British Isles -

Wales on the hills overlooking Llangollen

and the beautiful Dee Valley.

Now, it takes its name from the River Dee,

which starts its 70-mile journey up in the hills of Wales

before flowing over the border into England.

Now, on today's show, we'll be catching up

with two couples who've been on their own property journey in Wales

and finding out how they're now making the best

of their new lives in the Welsh countryside.

I'll be revisiting house-hunters who successfully made their escapes

to Carmarthenshire in the south and Denbighshire in the North.

Later on, I'll be catching up with Nikki and Jason,

who I first met back in 2008.

Since then, they've made a complete lifestyle gear change

and created an award-winning rural business.

But first I'll be reunited with some of my favourite house-buyers,

Bernard and Carol, who strongly maintain

that their move has made them happier and healthier

as well as helped them fulfil their dream of self-sufficiency.

The story of their great escape started back in the spring of 2009.

They were living in Leyland, Lancashire,

but were desperate to put down roots in North Wales.

As committed gardeners,

their allotment at the time just wasn't delivering the goods.

Now, this is our allotment,

which as you can see is a decent-sized plot

where we can grow lots of fruit and veg.

But when we move,

we want all of this but without the noise from the roadside.

As well as setting their sights on

a quieter and more secluded plot of land

with space for chickens and pigs,

Bernard and Carol also wanted a period property

with a big kitchen and a studio for arts and crafts.

To achieve this dream, they had a budget of ?450,000.

They were relatively flexible with their preferred location

and the first stop on our North Wales tour

was the village of Cerrigydrudion, in Conwy,

where we'd lined up a former farmstead

surrounded by open countryside.

What do you think? It's very nice. Amazed, yeah. I like that.

It looks perfect, actually, from the outside anyway.

Is it perfect on the inside? What's inside? Well, we'll see.

Come on. Let's have a look. OK.

Come and have a look in here. Yes, I like this as well.

The colour hits you as soon as you walk in, but that's cosmetic.

But I like the colour. OK, right, well, forget that.

HE LAUGHS I do, I do. Look at that.

Look at that, Carol. Through fireplace.

It'll be interesting to see what's back there.

Well, let's have a look. OK. Come on.

Now, Bernard, what about this, then?

Crumbs. Yeah?

I mean, from back there,

you just think it's going to be a small room here,

but it opens out fantastically. Yeah.

Upstairs, there were three bedrooms plus a master ensuite.

We hit a sticking point with the size of the kitchen.

What do you think? It is a bit small, actually.

I mean, I've got a lot of kitchen equipment

and a lot of crockery and there's definitely nowhere

to keep half of it, I would say, in here.

Although space was an issue,

inside there was a huge renovated outbuilding

with potential for Carol's arts and crafts

and another used as a workshop.

Next, we assessed the acre and a half of land.

Is this big enough for you?

This is probably on a par with our allotment at the moment,

so, yeah, it's perfectly sufficient.

All right, well, let's have a think about the money. Yeah.

What's it going to cost you?

I would like to think that it was on the market for around,

well, just over 400. OK. Carol?

I think 445.

OK, it's on the market for ?450,000.

OK. Right. I do like it, I must admit.

Good, well you should. It's a very nice property. It is, yeah.

And it does offer you everything that you're looking for. Yeah.

It was a solid start but there were still two more properties to see,

so the next day we travelled to Bryneglwys in Denbighshire

where I unveiled a refurbished property

with views that were second to none.

Right then, what do you think of that?

Good. I like it as well.

I mean the location looks superb.

The views and everything over there are wonderful.

Couldn't ask for better views than that, could you?

Good. That's the main thing. Positive start.

Let's go and see what you think of the inside. OK.

They were both immediately struck by the rural views,

although I sense some disappointment

about the more modern appearance of the house. Oh.

But that was about to change.

This is definitely more like it.

I'm visualising my furniture in here already.

I've got my unit on that wall and our settees will fit in perfectly.

Good. When can I move in? HE LAUGHS

Carol, you've got the kitchen here.

Yeah. Right then, let's get it over and done with.

In you come. Now, this is...

This is definitely what I had in mind.

Much more modern, though,

than I had really been led to expect, in some ways. I know.

I think that's the trouble.

I've come in this house...to see these houses and I think,

"No, I want old-fashioned and quirky,"

and now I'm suddenly thinking, "No, I don't."

Room by room, this newly renovated home

was changing their mind set.

Three double bedrooms upstairs

offered them plenty of options for hobbies plus a grand master suite.

Here we are. What a size. How about that?

I've had nothing to moan about, have I, yet?

It's great. I'm enjoying the silence.

And of course you can wake up to that view again.

Yes. Wonderful, wonderful.

You're satisfied. What about me?

Vegetables. I know.

He's been wandering around going, "Where's me vegetable plot?"

Oh, it wouldn't be the same without one, would it? No, wouldn't.

Let's go outside and see if we can find one, shall we? OK.

The house seemed to have notched up top marks.

Outside, planning permission and footings were already in place

for a garage, so all that was left

was that crucial plot of land for Bernard.

Now then, what about that little paddock there?

Looks spot on.

Now, all in all, it's only about an acre.

A few little more segments with some fences,

you could have paddocks for some pigs,

some chickens and a sizeable area for my veg, or our veg,

but it comes at a price. Yes.

There's no problem up to now,

but I can see a potential problem looming.

OK, let's have a think about it.

Your ?450,000, how far do you think it's going to go, I wonder?

I would say 470, which puts it well out of our price.

470. Bernard?

On principle, I can't go over 450, so I'll stretch it to the limit

of 449,99 recurring.

All right, so a penny shy of ?450,000.

OK, it's on the market for 435.

Yeah? Ooh!

How about that? Go and phone the removal men.

I can't believe it. Yeah.

That's fantastic. Very pleased. Thanks, mate.

Pretty good, eh? Yeah. Yep. ?435,000.

Bernard, I think you're a little bit choked. I am!

THEY LAUGH

Is this going to be your new dream home?

I think it is. Oh, mate! Oh, brilliant.

Our second property was clearly on the money,

but we weren't done yet as there was the Mystery House to see,

which lay in the small Flintshire village of Rhosesmor.

The offering here was a registered smallholding

where the residents were out to greet us.

This is a turn up for the books, isn't it?

The Mystery House, complete with alpacas.

It's a little menagerie.

Goats, chickens, ducks, you name it - they're all here.

Let's go and take a closer look beyond the farmyard

and see what you think.

Their first impressions of the mystery property facade

were favourable.

Nice. It is, isn't it?

"Quaint" I think is the word I would use. I'll take quaint.

And they warmed to the character features inside, too.

You can imagine here in the winter, be really cosy, yeah.

A feature fireplace was also a focal point

in the second reception room,

and the all-important kitchen

seemed to measure up to expectations.

It's not the biggest kitchen but it's not the smallest, either.

This is more like what I'd expect of a traditional farmhouse kitchen.

I think I could actually cope with it, yeah.

Downstairs, the first of the four bedrooms

also offered Carol a dedicated arts and crafts room.

Upstairs, the other three bedrooms,

included one with an impressive vaulted ceiling,

all served by a cottage-style family bathroom.

And the price tag of this mystery smallholding

was certainly very enticing.

This is on the market for 350,000.

This is 100,000 quid under your budget... Yeah.

..which is why we wanted you to see it. Food for thought.

So, which property did they end up purchasing from our line-up?

Would house number one's outbuilding with a 1.5 acre plot win through?

Or did Bernard's tears by the untended paddock

at property two translate into a sale?

Then, of course, the mystery proposition

dangled a carrot of an up-and-running smallholding

along with a ?100,000 saving on their budget.

Each had their merits, so what happened next?

Well, Bernard's tears at the gate said it all,

and in the end, he and Carol veered away from the idea

of a classic Welsh cottage and opted for something

that was far more practical, and frankly, who can blame them?

Even after all these years,

those views are still timeless and the setting is perfect.

And, look, here they are still making the best of it.

Hello, Bernard. Now, young fella!

Good to see you. Good to see you, too.

Hiya, Carol. Lovely to see you.

Look at this! Can't be better.

Just remind me how long ago was it that we were first here?

It was March or April, 2009.

Wow.

And we moved in seven years ago next Friday.

Seven years ago, almost to the day? Yeah. Yeah.

Does it feel like seven years? No. Feels like seven weeks.

It just flew over. Does it? Yeah.

Are you still in that curious sort of holiday mode

that a lot of people find when they move? Oh, yeah.

Well, we've never been on holiday since we moved here,

and of course we've got the vegetable plot,

which is a full-time job.

I wanted to ask you about the vegetable patch

because self-sufficiency was very much at the heart

of what you were trying to achieve, and to be fair,

this wasn't the biggest patch of land I think

we were able to show you that week,

but has it been enough for you to achieve that aim?

As far as food is concerned,

I would think we're probably 50, 60% self-sufficient. 60%? Excess.

We actually give away to the local neighbours and the local farmers,

and in return we get muck, pheasants, pigeons...

Cakes. ..cakes, honey and a source of logs.

So, everything you need. Yeah. Well, not everything.

We don't get beer. You don't get beer!

But it's not just about you eating and consuming everything

that you can yourselves produce,

but it gives you access to all the other things you need

because you can barter it away.

Yeah. Yeah. And it's so enjoyable doing it.

So, you've got absolutely no regrets, clearly. Oh, no.

Crikey, no way. Do you wish you'd done it earlier?

Yes...is the simple answer. Yeah.

And he wakes up every morning, he keeps saying,

"I can't believe we live here. How did we get here?

"It's lovely. Look at that view."

"I met a bloke called Jules and it all went horribly wrong!"

It took about three years to get the paddock into the right state

for maximum veg and fruit-growing efficiency.

Work they've undertaken in the house

includes removing double doors and fitting a huge picture window

in the living room to make the most of those views.

And where footings were in place for a garage,

Carol now has her very own spacious studio

for her arts and crafts projects.

But for Bernard, country life out in the sticks

does require some preparation,

particularly to get them through the harsh winter months.

Oh, Bernard, if you're a countryman,

isn't that the most satisfying sight -

a log pile just awash with fuel security.

That's right, and a lot of energy to go in chop it up.

Right, then. How much more have we got to do?

I use this just to get it started.

And then the serious stuff comes.

You got it. Well done, mate.

It's up to you now with your axe. Do you want me to split those down?

Please, yeah. Yeah.

Whoa, look at that! There we go. Look. How about that?

Experienced guy, that.

Think of giving it another go? Oh, no. Ah!

We'll nibble away at it. Yep.

What has been the biggest change for you in moving, Bernard?

Exercising, doing jobs every month of the year. Yep.

And each season is different, the jobs that you have to do.

I think that's enough, Jules.

I'm glad you said that. Thank you very much.

It's an absolute pleasure, mate. Great stuff.

I'll leave you to clear up,

and I might go and see how Carol is getting on. OK, yeah.

Well, I'll see you up there later on, perhaps.

I can't wait to see this veg patch. Righto.

Up at that famous gate

was where Carol and Bernard's escape aspirations

started to take shape.

What was once an undeveloped paddock has been completely transformed.

They now have chickens roaming around

and the field is stocked with an array of fruit trees, cabbages,

lettuces, radishes, leeks, swedes and runner beans.

This is absolutely transformed, isn't it?

Yeah. Fabulous.

So, have you come to help me pick these?

Absolutely, yeah. Everything seems to be flourishing

without any problem at all, despite this quite elevated, exposed plot.

A few people came and said,

"You'll never be able to grow vegetables up here."

Really? Yeah. And now you've proven wrong. True.

You never say never.

And what about the soil here?

I know you've spent a lot of time improving it

from the bare paddock that you started with,

but it's obviously pretty nutritious,

given what you've done to it.

It's the stones that get me

cos you think you've got them all out and then

you dig it again and... But in my experience, you know,

that is all part of the fun of gardening in Wales.

You never get rid of all the stones, but it does help it to drain,

which is really helpful. Yeah. Hello, mate.

Look at that. Wow!

Just picked them, fresh.

That's fabulous, isn't it?

So, is this lot for tea tonight, then? No.

You'll be pleased to hear I'm going to swap these with Glenda,

and she's going to give us some cakes to eat.

You're going to swap this lot for cake?! Yeah.

What a brilliant idea!

Along with rural seclusion,

neighbours are also an important foundation.

And what better way to keep one another on side

than by sharing freshly grown or home-baked produce?

Is she in? Did you tell her we were coming?

Yeah.

Been baking all morning. Hi, Glenda. Hello. Hello, Glenda.

Hi. How are you? Fine, thank you.

Nice to see you. You too.

So, I gather there is a deal afoot,

which involves swapping that lot for some cake.

Oh, I'll see what I can do.

Look at that. You haven't let us down.

Ooh! Wow! Beautiful. Is that chocolate cake?

It's chocolate cake. That's Carol's favourite.

That's mine. You're not getting any of that.

I suppose the key thing is, you all have a lot of fun

living up here on this mountain, don't you?

No doubt. Oh, definitely,

and everybody looks out for one another.

It's such a lovely little community up here.

Well, we all love country life.

That is the one thing we all do have in common.

And the second thing we all have in common is that we all love cake.

So, there's that for you... Oh, lovely. Thank you ever so much.

Thank you, Glenda. Very nice to see you. Thank you.

And we should get that somewhere where we can eat it.

Enjoy. Will do. Thanks, Glenda. Bye. Thank you very much indeed.

After you, Carol. I've got these, though.

Oh, yes. Well, what a perfect end to a perfect day.

Tea and cake.

Right across the British countryside,

I've seen house-buyers all with very different lifestyle ambitions

fall in love with the properties we've shown them.

It's always wonderful to hear when they make that all-important offer,

which goes on to be accepted.

Coming up, a couple of highlights

from our Welsh house-hunting success stories.

In the summer of 2014,

there was high emotion from the outset when Gill and Ian

from Kent were in Denbighshire with Sonali Shah.

Ian, she's got tears already.

Oh, it's beautiful. It is, isn't it?

Look at it. It's just gorgeous. Just look at the view from here.

It's only recently been converted into a lovely, lovely family home.

For their ?500,000 budget,

this former farm building was the Mystery House.

It came with four beautiful double bedrooms upstairs

and featured a ground floor that centred on a lofty living room

with no less than three other reception rooms.

Plus the heart of the home.

It's perfect. It's perfect.

And you've got the dining room area just here,

so lots of space for everyone to gather round.

You're already... You've already moved in in your head.

And placed the furniture. Have you? Yeah.

I think you were right with the description about the heart.

It feels like that, doesn't it?

You couldn't ask for better reactions to the interior,

and outside, as well as a pretty garden,

the mystery also came with two separate enclosures of land.

I just... I'm just blown away by this property.

What do you think it's worth? Oh...

What is this property on the market for?

It's going to be above our budget.

575.

I'm going to take a punt at 520,000.

OK. Ian's gut was right.

We have gone under. Oh, you're joking!

We have gone under your budget,

but we've gone more under your budget than you thought. Oh, wow.

OK. This is currently on the market for ?495,000.

Is it?

With such gushing approval, it should come as no surprise

that Gill and Ian had an offer accepted on the Mystery House

just a week after their viewing with Sonali.

A year later in the autumn of 2015,

I met Maxine from Milton Keynes

who had a ?350,000 budget and was looking

for a new Welsh home with the support of her son Ceiron.

Oh, wow!

One of the first things I was going to do

when I got my little cottage was to paint the door

and the window frames red.

Well, we've done it for you! Yeah. It's already done.

First impressions of this quaint

200-year-old former quarryman's cottage

in the county of Gwynedd were really encouraging.

There. How about this?

Lovely. I knew it would be.

I knew it would be. It's gorgeous. It's gorgeous.

And it's a really good shape to use. I love it.

I know it's going to sound funny,

but I was going to get a carpet like this to go with my red door,

you know, cos I know the colour fits in places like this.

Come and have a look at the kitchen.

You might need to duck here. Yeah, duck. Gosh.

Do watch your head, but it's well worth it,

cos this is what you get.

It just gets better and better.

Got to agree with that, actually. You like that? Yeah.

It's quite olde-worlde. I like this.

It feels modern but still rustic.

It's got more head height. Yeah.

It's just wonderful. I wouldn't change anything.

There were three bedrooms, including two doubles,

but the icing on the country cake

had to be the 1.8 acres of land and an incredible outlook

with views of the mountains and sea.

Look at that. Oh, wow!

So, how far do you think is your ?350,000 going to go

with this particular property, Maxine?

Not far. It's just too ideal.

It's got to be the top of my budget. 350 at least, if not more.

Cei? I'm going to say about 320.

I mean, 350 is affordable, technically. Yeah.

320 is even more affordable.

295,000, however, makes it really affordable. Wow.

Oh, that's really good.

What do you think about that, mate? Awestruck.

THEY LAUGH

Maxine loved the cottage, but sadly,

she couldn't secure a sale on her Milton Keynes home

in time before it was sold.

I'm glad to report, though,

that she has now moved into another cottage in Gwynedd.

Now, in describing Wales

there are many fabulous facts and figures to draw upon.

For example, it has more castles per square mile

than anywhere else in the world,

and also of course, some very proud traditions.

Amongst them, rugby, male voice choirs and mining.

And as for its population of some 3 million people,

well, they are outnumbered by sheep by a factor of some three to one.

It's also over the years offered great value for money

for many property shoppers wanting to move here,

but of course, there are always going to be

exceptions to the rule, as we soon discovered with Nikki and Jason,

who'd asked us to try and find them

not just a home but also a business over on Wales' west coast.

Back in 2008, professional singers and musicians Nikki and Jason

were living in Somerset's Weston-Super-Mare.

However, both of them had reached a point where they wanted

to combine their shared love of dogs,

cycling and food to carve out a new career in the hospitality industry.

We'd like to move to the country basically

just to get away from it all,

from sort of the hustle and bustle of town life.

Approaching 40 now and doing what we do for a living,

it would be nice to have a lifestyle change.

So, the destination was fixed on West Wales

and they had their hopes set on a detached period home

with a large kitchen/diner, scope for a music studio,

holiday lets, plus lots of land, and to find all this,

they had an absolute maximum budget of ?330,000.

The first attempt at tracking down the life they were dreaming of

was in the rural hamlet of Bontnewydd

in the county of Ceredigion,

where I revealed a house in a wooded area

that wasn't short of history.

How about that? That's so pretty.

It's an old mill. Lovely.

That's good. Water is a feature of this property.

Right, OK. It kind of surrounds it.

I'm thinking ducks. What, like a moat?

Well, yeah. It is like a moat, actually.

A castle. JULES LAUGHS

It's a classic West Walian cottage.

Can we see it? Yeah. Yeah, all right. Come on.

This is really sweet.

Now, come on in here, Nikki.

Now, Jason... Wow. Nice beams. It's quite small.

It is a bit small. It's not the biggest kitchen in the world,

but, you know, in the context of the house,

I think it's pretty well proportioned.

Great start. I think it is a great start, but it does get better.

Does it? Yeah. Come with me through here.

I think you're going to like this.

You're right. THEY LAUGH

Wow. What do you make of that? That's brilliant. Wow.

What a lovely homey, cosy...

TARDIS. When can we move in?

JULES LAUGHS Is this what you had in mind?

Is this you? This is exactly...

This is so Nikki, I can't even begin to tell you.

There were generous living areas on the ground-floor

and an equally good amount upstairs, with three large bedrooms.

One was a double with painted wooden panelling.

There was a second spacious double,

with the last one presented as a twin.

Although Jason and Nikki seemed quite taken

with some of the features in this house,

it didn't quite deliver everything.

So, in terms of holiday annexe,

we can't offer you one of those here.

I know the holiday let is part of your means

of affording this big move.

So, make me an offer, Jason.

I'm going to hazard a guess at sort of between 270 and 275.

OK.

Nikki?

I'm going to go higher than that. I think it's about 285.

285. Mm. OK.

Well, this place is on the market for a fiver short of ?300,000.

Wow. Is it really?

The character and traditional features

definitely seemed to be to Nikki and Jason's taste,

but there was no doubt they would have to make compromises

with this first one.

Well, guys, that was number one.

Is it on the list? Not quite.

Not quite? Let's see if we can find one that will go on the list.

Come on.

The next day, our property tour

took us to the small village of Ciliau Aeron,

where we saw a house hidden away in woodland

with a substantial 4.5 acres of land.

Look around you, cos we're right bang in the middle of it.

Really? You've got a mixture of open pasture, down there.

A mixture of this lovely deciduous woodland.

You've got bags of space.

Is there a house included? There is a house included.

That's it. Nestling up there on top of the hill.

Absolutely lovely.

The cottage, dating back to the 1800s with modern additions,

had a lovely country kitchen in the oldest part of it.

That's very pretty, isn't it?

Yeah? Yeah, that's really nice. That's nice.

It's actually... It's a really nice-sized room.

It is. Look at that view. Beams on the ceiling.

You see? That's your estate. That's fantastic. It's beautiful.

Right, moving on...

This is the extension, so it's less than 20-odd years old,

but it's got some lovely little features in it,

not least, of course, that.

Fireplace. That's lovely. That's perfect.

Of course, you've got those. Fantastic big windows, yeah.

Brilliant. Just absolutely perfect.

Well, that was it for the living space in this property,

and when it came to bedrooms,

there were two doubles to choose from.

Next up was the land, and that included a large timber garage,

stabling and plenty of green spaces.

That's immense.

My God. That is fantastic. It really is fantastic.

So, it begs the question, how much is it worth, guys?

I think it's well over budget.

I think it's probably about 350, 355.

And what do you say, Nikki?

Probably something like 385, actually.

385. Wow.

Offers in the region of...

..?312,000.

HE LAUGHS

No. You're joking. I'm not joking.

I think this is a real steal.

Now, in terms of the whole holiday let thing... Yeah, this is an issue.

..it is an issue and I think it's something

that you really need to think about.

If you can develop a bit of this as a holiday let, brilliant,

but if you can afford it as it is,

you'll have an awful lot of fun here. Mm.

So, the second option was another lovely cottage,

again under budget, with all the land they could wish for,

but, unfortunately, once again,

there weren't any ready-made holiday lets.

So, I presented Nikki and Jason with two good options,

both of them characterful cottages,

one of them with 4.5 acres of tranquil grounds,

but it seemed neither had quite enough space

or that all-important holiday let.

So, enter our Mystery House, and for this,

we went all-out for business potential.

And I mean potential.

To get to that final property on our hit list,

we weren't travelling far as it was again in Ciliau Aeron.

I asked Nikki and Jason not to peek

at what I had in store until the very last moment.

Keep walking. Jason, keep walking.

And stop. And...open your eyes.

Oh, cool. Well, that's nice.

Wow! That's lovely.

We can't afford this! LAUGHTER

Getting slightly teary. Are you?

Yeah. Why? Cos it's lovely.

It's beautiful. It's absolutely gorgeous.

We've got a range of outbuildings,

we've got a lot of land for you to play with, Jason.

It's the dream. Come in here.

This is, I guess, the sort of parlour/snug.

Very traditional for this kind of building.

It's a nice little room.

This, Nikki, I thought you would really love.

You were right. I love it. It's nice to have the stone walls.

So far, so good? So far, so good. Really nice room. Lovely.

Obviously, it's very old.

It does need a little bit of updating.

You'll see what I mean with the kitchen.

It is a good size.

It's all here, all the plumbing,

and all that sort of stuff, but clearly,

you would probably want to start again.

This needs to come out, yes. Yeah.

Upstairs gave them three bedrooms.

Granted, the first was small

but had just enough space to fit in a double bed.

The other two were larger doubles,

and both featured exposed stone walls.

However, there was a lot of work needed

to make the very best of the property.

Outside at the back,

there was access to a loft space above the kitchen

which I thought could have made an ideal spot for a music studio.

And then there was more.

I've been itching to show you this since we got here.

Effectively, it's a Welsh long house.

Kind of a long barn, if you like. But it's neatly subdivided into two.

So, I'm thinking maybe a couple of holiday lets in here.

Two. Two. Is it big enough for two?

Well, you tell me.

But I have to warn you, they do need a bit of work.

Right. You'll see what I mean. Right.

Come in, you two. How much vision have you got?

This needs a lot of work. A lot of work, yeah.

Lots to think about here, but let's have a look outside

because it's not all about buildings, you know.

The land on offer with the Mystery House

extended to a whopping 6.5 acres that included a summer house,

three fields and a paddock.

Now then, your 330 grand or so, set against this lot.

What do you think, Nikki? I think I'd put my guess at 350.

350? Mm.

OK. Go on, Jason.

I'm going to stab a guess at 320.

It's on the market for ?340,000.

So, with three properties now in the frame,

what happened next for Nikki and Jason?

Did they scale down their business plans

and go for our first property?

It was under budget, as was the second,

which offered 4.5 acres of woodland.

Or would that enormous potential of the Mystery House

put it in pole position?

In the end, our Mystery House did prove to be a step too far

and sadly none of the properties we showed them

were quite on the money,

but I am delighted to say that they did eventually

make their dream of escaping to the country come true,

complete with holiday lets.

So, the question is, how did they do it

and how are they getting on?

Well, that is what I'm here to find out.

After our initial journey together nearer the West Wales coast,

Nikki and Jason decided to extend their search,

eventually finding the ideal set-up further inland.

Just nine months after we met,

their new country address became a Welsh farmhouse

across the border in Carmarthenshire,

just outside the village of Pencader

and right on the edge of the Brechfa Forest.

And what a set-up they've created.

For a price tag of ?250,000, they've got a farmhouse,

laden with traditional character,

and met Nikki's aspirations for her dream property.

What's more, the grounds are now home to three holiday lets,

which are set up as dog-friendly retreats

and fully-catered guided mountain bike breaks

led by Jason himself.

Today is changeover day for their guests

and I've come to give them a hand.

Nikki! Hi, Jules. Look at you!

How are you? I'm very well. Good to see you again. Hello, mate.

Jules, how are you doing? Look at this!

This is what you've managed to achieve.

Well, we've achieved a lot more. We've got so much to show you.

Come on then. Let's have a look around. Wonderful, isn't it?

Well, time has passed,

but I must say, immersing themselves in country life

has clearly worked and they haven't aged a day.

Oh, yes. This is fantastic.

It's got all the character you were talking about and more.

I mean, have you had to do much to get it like this?

It just needed a little bit of a spruce up with some paint

and here we've now opened it up and built it into this conservatory.

Wow! And look at the views you've captured through here. Yeah.

Come and have a look at these.

What do you think of it?

What an addition you've brought to this building.

I can see instantly it's given you so much more space, hasn't it?

And we've laid on coffee as well, if you fancy having one.

Excellent, yes. It's been a long journey to come and see you.

Wow!

So, let's talk about eight years ago.

Your budget was obviously the big problem, wasn't it?

How did you resolve that?

We decided to come back and look in the area

but this time Carmarthenshire, which was more affordable.

And we found this property and absolutely loved it,

but we couldn't sell ours.

A few months later, when the programme was aired,

my father saw it and phoned and asked

if we were still wanting to go ahead with this crazy idea

we had of mountain biking holidays and dog-friendly holidays in Wales

and was this definitely the property,

and we said yes and yes, and he said,

"Well, phone the guy and say that you're going to buy it."

I said, "We can't because we can't sell our house."

And he said, "Well, you've just sold it to me."

With that helping hand,

they managed to bag themselves an acre plot,

on which sat a dated stone farmhouse and a separate stone barn

that had a leaky zinc roof.

But with help from friends and family

and limited to a very tight budget,

they managed to complete the necessary renovation work.

Just a year later,

they were ready to welcome their first paying guests.

Let's go back to the life you left behind in Weston-Super-Mare.

You were both singing on the circuit, as it were,

of many an evening.

Did you ever at any point in the struggle

to get these holiday lets going

wonder if you'd made the right decision?

I think we knew we'd made the right decision

but we didn't rest on our laurels for a second

and assume it was going to happen.

There was an awful lot of work to do,

and it has been an awful lot of work,

but it's been worth it.

I think a lot of people are quite envious of what I do for a job.

I say envious.

You'll get some of the guys who come from some city

who are quite well paid in their jobs,

and they come here and they see what I do and they think,

"I'd love to do that."

But they obviously wouldn't do it and give up their salaries.

Yeah. So, it's not the best paid job in the world,

but I think it's the best job.

But that goes to the heart of the lifestyle

that you've charted for yourselves, I suppose,

which is presumably richer and more fulfilling

than you could ever have planned. Yeah. Yeah, and busier.

Since they established their new life and business here,

Nikki and Jason have done nothing but work seven days a week,

and they can't emphasise enough just how much of a slog it's been.

But it wasn't in vain,

as they're now 96% full on bookings and their efforts

have been recognised with local awards

for business achievement and their contribution to the local economy.

They're expecting a party of six mountain bikers this afternoon

and there's loads of prep to get done,

starting in the kitchen.

So, what's on the menu tonight, Nikki?

Well, the mountain bikers have ordered field mushrooms

stuffed with cream cheese,

walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes for their starter.

And then they've ordered chicken Rogan Josh.

It's cordon bleu, isn't it? Well, not quite.

So, what can I help you do, then? Do you want these chopped up?

Yeah, if you could chop some peppers for me...

In sort of strips? In strips, perfect. Yeah. Brilliant, thanks.

I mean, I suppose at the beginning,

the incentive was to add catering to the list of options

because obviously it's another revenue stream, isn't it?

Yeah, and also it gave me a job as well as, you know,

in the same way that mountain biking is going to give J a job.

Yeah. We both needed a job.

But you have got to allow time

for yourselves to enjoy the lifestyle that you've created.

You don't want to be tied to the kitchen seven days a week, do you?

No, and it did get a bit like that,

so Jason's made me take two nights off a week now.

Well, good for you. Wednesdays and Sundays are my time.

I still have to cook for us, though.

Well, you know, fair enough. Yeah.

But you know the thing I think is really clever about it,

you've done this on what, three quarters of an acre?

It's an acre plot in total, yeah.

An acre plot, but of course you got access to hundreds of acres,

thousands of acres, in terms of the forest,

and you've got views that, let's face it, money can't buy.

Well, for me, that's a bonus because if we'd had land with this,

which we couldn't have afforded,

then we would have had to have managed it,

which would have been more money.

This way, we get to look at the views

and somebody else is managing it.

We'll never take this view for granted

because it is exceptional,

in the same way that I'll never take the order book for granted

and that's why I can't leave it alone, to be honest,

until every gap is filled.

As the business has grown, so has their family of beagles,

Woody and Cookie, who are now joined by three-year-old Oscar.

So, it's not only the guests who are benefiting

from everything the nearby forest house to offer.

And the person here who knows the lay of that woodland best

is busy in his bike shed.

Hey, Jason. Hi, Jules. How are you doing?

This is fabulous, isn't it?

Well, the initial idea was to have a music studio. Yeah.

Obviously, things have changed a lot since then.

How much maintenance do you have to do on these?

Because they obviously get a fair bit of punishment.

It's always wet, it's always dirty, and it's always really boggy,

so these bikes get completely covered in mud.

I've just finished the service on the forks

and I've got to rebuild them.

I'll give you a hand while I'm here. That'll be fabulous.

Basically, you just slide these into there.

Oh, OK. Fine.

Jason's guided tours mean he's in the saddle

for some six or seven hours a day through all weathers,

covering all terrain.

Right on their doorstep,

Brechfa's 18,000 acres of managed woodland and ancient forest

have an abundance of routes and wild trails to choose from.

But what's been the hardest thing for you in setting up your business?

Because there's obviously quite a financial outlay,

just looking around what's in here.

Yeah, we've had loads of support from the local government

with grants for tourism.

You need to be first-aid qualified,

you need to be a pretty good navigator. Yeah.

You need all the correct communication devices

and you need to know how to manage a group as well.

So, what's next?

A wheel would be good. A wheel. Oh, here we are.

The bikes are nearly ready for the next expedition,

whilst in the holiday cottages,

Nikki is working on the finishing touches

before their holiday guests arrive.

Hey, how are you? Hi. All done.

It's been a fascinating window on your world,

and a real inspiration.

Thank you. It all started with Escape To The Country,

so it's lovely that you've come back to see how we're getting on.

What advice would you both give to anybody who is as inspired

as I've been by what you've been able to achieve?

There's three types of people.

There's those who talk about it, those who think it,

and those who do it, so just go ahead and do it.

Just do it. So what time are your bikers coming?

Any minute. Right then. I'd better get out of the way!

Where others saw obstacles,

Nikki and Jason only saw opportunities.

And through determination, business flair and real hard graft,

their dreams of a country life and a successful rural enterprise

have become a reality.

Well, I never need any excuse to come back to Wales,

and this last couple of days for me really has been

a trip down memory lane.

Catching up with Bernard and Carol,

who've managed to transform their idea of self-sufficiency

into a way of buying into their local community

in more ways than one has been a real treat.

And as for Nikki and Jason, well,

seeing them not only find a home that really suits them,

but also creating a business which has surpassed

even their original expectations has been a real inspiration.

Two couples who've created two very different lifestyles

but which together, to me,

go to the heart of what escaping into the country is all about.

I'll see you next time.

If you also dream of escaping to the country in Wales, Scotland,

England or Northern Ireland and would like our help,

why not apply online at...?

MUSIC: The Elements by Tom Lehrer