Somerset Escape to the Country

Now, it has to be said that pretty little churches like this

are familiar fare on Escape To The Country,

but this one is unique

because it's the final resting place of a man

whose exploits at the end of the 19th century

became the subject of one of the most iconic war films ever made.

But who was he, and where are we?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show we've got a wonderful selection of homes

to entice our house-hunting couple,

but they must meet that key three-letter word.

-There isn't a wow yet.

-Yet. No.

It is all impressive, but it doesn't wow.

-Whoa!

-Very nice.

That was a whoa, is that like a wow?

That's a wow!

Well, today we're in Somerset

at the parish church of St John the Baptist in Hatch Beauchamp

and this is the grave of one Colonel John Chard,

holder of the Victoria Cross.

Now, back in 1879 at the height of the British Empire,

Chard found himself serving in South Africa

during the turmoil of the Zulu Wars.

He was given command of what was then a little-known outpost

called Rorke's Drift. With only 150 men,

he fought off repeated assaults by thousands of Zulu warriors.

Since then his story has become the stuff of military legend.

It was immortalised in the 1964 film Zulu, starring Stanley Baker

and a very young Michael Caine.

Now, Chard himself was born in Devon,

but not surprisingly he is a man that the people of Somerset

have always been extremely proud of.

Lying in south-western England,

Somerset is bounded by the Bristol Channel to the north

and shares its borders with Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire.

It's a county of great geographical contrasts,

from the wild and tranquil landscape of the Quantock Hills,

to the low-lying wetlands of the Levels and Moors.

Wearing its colourful geology on its sleeve,

Somerset has its fair share of attractive market towns,

such as Ilminster, whose streets are warmly lined with

golden hamstone buildings, seemingly unchanged for centuries.

This divine and diverse landscape has long made the county a favourite for homebuyers,

with the added draw of the northern coast,

whose spectacular headlands look out over the Bristol Channel.

Now, when it comes to house prices Somerset is a little bit cheaper

than neighbouring Devon and Dorset

but at £263,000, your average property here

is pretty much on a par with the national figure,

but broadly speaking this is a county of two halves.

The further north you go, the cheaper it gets,

but head further south towards those pretty little hamstone villages

such as East Coker or Montacute, and you will have to pay a premium,

perhaps as much as 10% or 15%.

But as property hunting goes, this place is a real gem.

There are some beautiful houses on offer.

Of course the question is, will any of them meet today's buyers' expectations.

Well, let's meet them and find out what they're after.

For the past 14 years, Derek and Alison have lived in

this five bedroom semi-detached house in Tonbridge, Kent.

But, with retirement on the cards and now their kids are grown up,

they, too, have decided to flee the nest.

I was born in Fulham in London.

I have lived in the south-east all my life and we are at last free

to fulfil our almost lifelong dream of moving out into the country.

We are looking forward to open spaces, scenery, views,

the Mendips, you know, the hills, the Somerset Levels.

We're looking forward to all of that and we can't wait.

Derek has worked locally as a Baptist minister for four decades

and wants to free up his weekends at last

to spend more quality time with his wife,

when she's not in the thick of things, that is.

I work for a charity that has built an orphanage in Kisumu in Kenya

and I'm the promotions officer

so a lot of the time I spend organising fundraising

and last year I decided that I would do something specifically

myself that would raise money and so I booked up to do a skydive.

It was a brilliant experience

and we managed to raise about £4,500 for the children.

I've done craft activities all my life

and so at the moment I'm specialising in making

bead jewellery, which I can sell and, again, help raise money.

Both husband and wife crave the time and the space

to indulge in their very hands-on interests.

I like to swim, I like to play golf.

I love wood, I love the smell of wood, I love working with wood.

I have got a lathe down the garden in the shed,

but I don't have room to use it down there

so I'm hoping that I'll have considerably more room when we move.

Creatives at heart, they're also looking forward to developing the grounds.

We've got a big garden here.

We've got a central section, which is what the grandchildren call

the woods, as there are a number of trees there,

and beyond that is my vegetable patch.

We would like to have a garden when we move.

All that's left is to find out how much money they've got to spend.

The budget for this move is £500,000.

Derek and Alison are particularly attracted by the beautiful villages

in the southern portion of Somerset

so we'll be stretching our property search between Taunton in the west

and Yeovil towards the east.

Time for me to meet up with our couple

to finalise the details of their West Country relocation.

So, officially I can say now, Alison and Derek, welcome to Somerset.

-Thank you.

-Derek, why Somerset, and in particular South Somerset?

We were looking for a change and we love the Somerset countryside

and you get more for your money down here.

Well, you certainly do.

And not just in terms of property, I think lifestyle as well, which

obviously is what you are hoping to kind of buy into at every level.

What, actually, are you looking for?

-Characterful.

-Yep.

I think we want this property to be a bit of fun, a bit more interesting.

We love hamstone, we love the local yellow stone.

Three to four bedrooms

and we're hoping to have family and grandchildren coming to stay.

I personally do like a kitchen/diner,

-rather than two separate rooms.

-Yes.

We also have a lot of activities

so we could do with a study each or an area of working each.

I'd like a house that plays with light and space

in such a way as to make possible all the things that we've not

been able to do and have been looking forward to doing.

How do you feel about listed buildings?

We don't really know what limitations that imposes upon you

but we're certainly not closed to the possibility of a listed property.

Let's just remind ourselves of the budget. How much have we got to spend?

Maximum 500,000.

So with half a million quid we've got three properties

-to go and have a look at. Let's see if we can go spend it.

-Brilliant.

-Follow me.

-Fantastic.

-Come on.

For a maximum budget of £500,000, Derek and Alison are looking for

a light and spacious characterful home, ideally made of local stone.

This has to include three to four bedrooms,

a large kitchen/diner, the potential for a study each,

as well as a workshop and lastly, they want a decent-sized garden.

We've selected three superb vintage properties to view,

each offering a variety of opportunities.

As usual I'll be asking our buyers to get the price before I reveal it.

Then the final option is the mystery house,

which was once fit for a queen.

Well, for so many years, Derek,

the church has been a huge part of your daily life but,

in many ways, I guess that's going to change now that you've retired.

It certainly is.

I've been a leader in the church for 42 years.

I've been up front and Alison has been sitting on her own in the pew

and from now on in I expect we shall be sitting together

and I won't have a leadership role, which will be a change and a rest.

I was going to say, you'll probably quite enjoy it, won't you,

putting your feet up and being on the backbenches, as it were?

Absolutely.

We're seeing just one property today,

which is in the hamlet of Curload, about ten miles east of Taunton.

The nearest amenities can be found nearby in North Curry,

a fairly large village which has a post office and convenience store,

a traditional pub that was first licensed in the 1760s,

and a shop run by local volunteers, whose proceeds go to charity.

But just a five-minute drive away in the quiet countryside of Curload,

we come to our first offering.

There we are. Property number one for you. A converted barn.

-Brilliant.

-Hard to see it all from here, to be fair.

This is a property that I think really works from the inside.

The nice thing about it is that it's all been done.

It was converted about 2000,

it's had a fair bit of work done since then as well.

I love the stonework

and the contrast with the brick as well, that's lovely.

-Right then, let's have a look inside.

-Let's go.

Built of local blue Lias stone, this split-level converted barn

had a history that dates back over two centuries,

but a very contemporary feel inside.

So, let's find out if this combination will work for Derek and Alison.

Right, Derek, if you can grab the door. Come on in, Alison.

-Oh, my word.

-What do you reckon?

-Goodness me.

-It is an amazing space, isn't it?

Very impressive.

It's kind of zoned, in a way.

Obviously you've got the kind of kitchen area here,

but I really like the way it all kind of flows through.

-It's nice with the double doors there so...

-There's plenty of light.

-Yes.

-Which is good.

Yes, now then, let's get into our arty, light and space, thoughts.

-You know, I think this touches a few buttons, doesn't it?

-Yes, it does.

-It is a unique sort of property, isn't it?

-It is one you remember.

-Yes.

-Certainly.

And I think, you know, with family around and new friends

-and all the rest of it, it's a great social space.

-Yes, yes.

I am keen to see the rest of it.

Yes, well let's have a look at it over here.

Again the zone theme is what it's all about. So, living zone here.

There's a lovely wood burner in there too

-so you've got a sort of cosy end as well.

-Yes.

-There isn't a wow yet, though, is there?

-There isn't a wow yet.

-Yet.

-We haven't seen it all yet.

-Well, let's keep our fingers crossed then!

Come up here. This is where all the bedrooms are.

But one of them has been given over to a study,

-which is, I think, pretty generous actually in a house this big.

-Yes.

-Is this one that you could share, dare I say?

-No.

-Probably not.

THEY LAUGH

-You see, Derek's a "probably" and you're a "no".

-Yes, well...

-So, this would be yours?

-Yes, I think so.

-Alison would need all of this for all of her charitable stuff.

-Yes.

Right then, well, I'm glad we've got that cleared up!

THEY LAUGH

Including this study, there are four bedrooms in total,

as well as a family bathroom,

that lie at the back of the property on the upper level.

The fully-tiled bathroom serves two of the bedrooms.

One small double is presented with a single bed

and features a vaulted ceiling.

And another double again has exposed timbers

and its own ensuite shower room. That just leaves the master suite.

And here it is.

-Again, vaulted ceiling, which is rather nice.

-Yes.

There is a family bathroom across the corridor,

which is very nicely appointed

but you also get your own ensuite, which is through there.

-What are your thoughts so far?

-I think it's interesting.

Interesting design, if not that many interesting features.

It's all impressive but it doesn't wow.

Ooh! That's interesting.

Let's see if wows from the outside in the garden, because you're absolutely right,

-it belies its real integrity, this place.

-Yeah.

-And I think from the garden, you really get a sense of what it looks like.

-Yeah, yeah.

Here is for a wow. Right, come this way.

'As we weave our way back through the house, I'm hoping it gives

'Derek and Alison another chance to take in the impressive open plan kitchen,

'that comes complete with a good-sized utility room.

'Outside across the back of the property there's a large, paved patio

'that overlooks the garden, which is mainly laid to lawn and has a timber workshop in one corner.'

-So, that's it. That's property number one.

-OK.

-You know what comes next, you've watched the show.

-I know, I know.

It's our favourite bit, it's guessing the price time.

-So, who's going to go first, Derek?

-It sounds like I am.

I would say...475.

475? Yeah. OK.

-Erm, 480.

-480. Not bad.

But you could have done a bit better. It's 435,000...

Oh, my word!

You see! Ha-ha-ha!

-Yes, that might put a different twist on it...

-Yeah.

..maybe?

Value for money and space wise, I think this is a really, really interesting building.

Yeah, it is, it is.

-Beautifully done.

-Yeah.

There's nothing for you to do.

It's all sorted, which would give you BAGS of cash left over to do something

more with the workshop. If you don't need garage space, all of that could be workshop

and office for you, sir, cos at the moment, you haven't got one because your wife's got it.

THEY LAUGH

Good. Right then, now you know how much it's on the market for,

go and have another look around and I'll catch up with you later. Off you go.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

-Take your time.

There you go, sometimes money talks.

'Considerably under budget with a guide price of £435,000,

'our first property is an impressive conversion that combines

'a traditional stone barn with modern living.

'It has open plan kitchen, dining and living areas and four bedrooms, two of which are ensuite.

'Then outside in the walled garden, there's a timber outbuilding for Derek's workshop.'

That could be a study for me, couldn't it?

Well, workshop, certainly.

The way the place plays with light and space, I find very impressive indeed.

But it doesn't quite do it for me, it doesn't have that wow factor that would blow me away.

It was a lovely property.

But I think if I was going to be picky,

I would prefer a few more period features.

-Right, all done?

-All done.

-Yes, all done, thank you.

-Good, that's property number one.

-Two more to come, including the mystery house.

-Right.

Oh, yes. Come on.

Somerset's many attractive market towns and villages are a key feature of its rural landscape

and showcase the county's kaleidoscope of natural building materials.

Martock, to the south-west of the county, is one such place

whose buildings date back as early as the 16th century.

Given Derek and Alison's desire for a Somerset stone property,

and their shared passion for traditional craft skills, we arrange for them

to meet resident and stonemason, Tom Clarke, to explore the benefits of living and working

with locally quarried stone.

Tom restored this 16th century hamstone property, which features

a gallery of his sculptures that range from large figures

to small plaques in a variety of West Country stone.

There's an impressive variety of different sculptures here, some of them ecclesiastical.

You obviously work in churches as well?

I have done, yeah, lots of work in church, that's where I started out, churches.

Do you have one sort of inspiration for your work, or does it come from a variety of places?

Erm, all over, really, from...sort of travels, India and Egypt.

Oh, right. >

Simple little carvings on temples to church work, really.

'The stonemason's craft has been around for thousands of years,

'so to ensure the tradition continues, Tom runs workshops with local schools

'as well as training courses for any aspiring stone carvers.

'And with our buyers' love of the creative arts,

'a hands-on tutorial from the expert is a chance not to be missed.'

If you can just use the point of the chisel there, to dig in.

Just tap it quite likely, you don't want to be going too hard.

'So after a demo from Tom, it's time for Derek and Alison to unleash

'their creativity with goggles firmly in place and steady hands.'

What's your favourite stone to work with?

Favourite one would probably be something like Portland.

Where you haven't got this juddering effect, you can cut through quite smoothly.

'Today it's a piece of hamstone under the chisel.

'It's a 170 million-year-old limestone of crushed shells

'and fossils that dates to the Jurassic period.

'It's the iron compounds within the rock that create this distinctive golden colour.

'To keep up with demand during the mediaeval period, there were up to 24 quarries on Ham Hill,

'but now just two quarried areas remain.'

That's fantastic, Tom.

You've done a brilliant job of it, both of you, that's fantastic there, look.

By the time that's mortared onto your wall at home in your new house, it's going to look fantastic.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you ever so much.

Thank you, Derek, than you, Alison, thank you very much.

'With a hand-crafted memento from their time in the county,

'the next challenge is to find our buyers a home to carve its way into their hearts.

'But with the day drawing to a close, for now it's time for Derek and Alison

'to take time out and reflect on the property search so far.

'It's day two of our property hunt here in Somerset,

'and our mission is to help Kent-based husband and wife, Derek and Alison,

'find a more rural retirement on a budget of £500,000.

'Still to come, we have two properties to unveil,

'including some divine inspiration in the mystery house.'

Would you be happy pottering around out here on a Saturday afternoon?

I think I'd be in heaven.

And I keep my ear to the ground for a highlight of Somerset's wetlands.

They really are...quite elusive, aren't they?

Well, as we start our final day of property hunting here in Somerset,

unusually we have not one more house to see, but two.

So how do we make sense of the show so far?

If I'm honest, property number one certainly drew fairly muted reactions

from Derek and Alison, so can we find that all-important

and somewhat elusive wow factor with our final two offerings?

Well, fingers crossed we can.

We're beginning the day further north in the mid-Somerset village of Butleigh.

This small and peaceful place is full of old stone

and thatched buildings, but there's an active community here

with a listed 14th century church, a shop and post office, as well as a pub.

And, in the heart of the village down a private road, we come to our second house.

So, come round the willow. There we are, property number two.

-What a lovely-looking property.

-Beautiful.

-Isn't it?

-Really pretty.

-It's very handsome.

-It is, it is.

Yesterday, it was a lovely building, it was also comprised of this blue Lias stone.

-But you did say you thought it lacked a little bit of character.

-Yes.

A few features and so on. This one has got tons of them.

-It's about 1690.

-Wow!

-Is it?!

-Yeah, late 17th century.

-Listed?

It's not listed. It is, however, in a conservation area.

But it's a really interesting building. It's got a couple of inglenooks, stone staircase...

-And a walled garden.

-And a walled garden.

I've always dream of a walled garden.

Let's see what you think of the inside. Come on then.

Well, a very positive kickoff to proceedings, as first impressions

of this detached, 17th-century cottage are really drawing our buyers in.

-Come on in. Right, look at this. Picture builds?

-Yeah.

Pretty little study area, come hallway. But let's start in here.

-In the living room.

-Whoa!

-Very nice.

-That was a "whoa", is that like a wow?

-That's a wow.

-Good!

A Kentish wow.

-That's lovely. Beautiful fireplace.

-Fire's lit, it sets the scene.

Yeah, very nice. It's a nice size.

Yeah, it really well proportioned. And height wise...

You're all right.

-..I think where OK, aren't we?

-Yes, we are.

I did promise you a spiral, stone staircase, it's over here.

We won't use it just yet, but just to give you a taster...there it is.

-Isn't that lovely?

-Goodness. That's really nice.

Right, let's have a look at the dining room across the hallway.

There, as you can see, a kind of mirror image almost, of the living room.

-Yeah. Another lovely fireplace.

-Yes.

And I love exposed stone as well, within the house.

Got a nice oak table that would just go there nicely.

-Ah! You see, you're rubbing your hands and painting the picture.

-Moving in.

I can see our furniture in this place already.

-Can you do that, Derek?

-Oh yes.

-Oh yes! OK. All right, good.

-So we finally...got a bit warmer on our house hunt?

-Absolutely.

Good, right. Come through here, this is the kitchen.

See what you think of this, Alison.

-Oh!

-Yes!

-A red range.

-How about that?

-That's awesome, isn't it?

It's not a huge kitchen, diner, Derek that you had alluded to

when we first met, but because it leads on to the dining room there...

-Yes.

-Right, let's have a look upstairs, come with me.

There are two ways to access the first floor.

And next to a downstairs shower room is a more straightforward wooden staircase.

Upstairs, a large family bathroom serves all the bedrooms,

and there are four up here to choose from.

Two are similar sized doubles, and then there's a cosy single,

but none are specifically dedicated as the master.

-This is the one with the stone spiral staircase coming up...

-Oh yes.

..from the living room.

So, I don't know really, which one would you pick?

-Probably the end one.

-Yes?

The other one, because it's got the built in wardrobe.

The other thing to point out is that downstairs there's an additional sort of granny annexe, as it were.

I'm going to call it a granny ensuite, because effectively it's a big double bedroom

-with an ensuite attached to it. Which again, for those aged relatives, might be useful too.

-Yes.

-Good.

-So it's five, really?

-Yes.

The bonus fifth bedroom is back down on the ground floor

and comes with an ensuite shower room.

This annexe is attached to one side of the main house,

but has its own separate entrance.

Outside, the majority of the lawned garden lies to the front of the property

with mature trees and an established vegetable plot.

But, on a large, gravel driveway the former double garage has been converted

into somewhere ideal for Derek and Alison's creative aspirations,

and, dare I say it, it could be big enough for them to go halves.

Ta-da! You wanted some space?

-My word.

-It's excellent.

-I think we could share this.

-I think you could.

Yeah, we might need a little screen between us...no, there's a lot of room here.

-It's really good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And behind that curtain is a little wooden ladder, which gets you

up to the loft space above here, so you've got bags of storage.

Oh, which is excellent, yeah.

-So?

-Excellent.

-How much is it worth?

-Oh.

-I sprung it upon you, you thought we were going out to the garden.

-I did.

No, let's do it while the iron is hot. Go on, Alison.

-I'm going to go with 520.

-520. Derek?

-I hope it's a little nearer half a million.

-You may well hope so.

It is closer to Alison, I'm afraid. It is 525.

525. Right.

We have, you know, teased you a bit, with something that's

technically over budget, but you know, it's on the market to be sold.

-Mm-hmm.

-Oh, look at the grin!

-It's very exciting, isn't it?

Yes, really exciting.

Come on, let's get you to have another look around. Through there.

Above budget at £525,000, property number two is a 17th century

detached village cottage built of beautiful blue Lias stone.

It has...

It also comes with a huge workshop, big enough for two.

That's a nice size, isn't it?

That would be a lovely guest bedroom, wouldn't it? Or it could be a study.

-A bonus, really.

-Double aspect.

-Yeah.

-It's good.

-Yeah. It's lovely.

Walking up to the house, I just thought, oh, this is so pretty,

and what a lovely setting.

I love the look of the house.

It's got the character, it's got the ambience that we're looking for.

I was really very excited as I came into the property.

It hasn't disappointed.

This house is packed with character. I love the stone staircase.

The grandchildren will have great fun going through that "secret door".

I think the house has the wow factor.

I'm certainly very, very impressed and can see us living here.

Personally, I would definitely say this as a contender.

I can imagine myself living here.

Yeah, watch this space.

Out you come. How did I know you'd be in there?

-What do you reckon, Derek? Useful space?

-Yes, very much so.

-Good. We've got a lot to pack in today.

-One more property to come, it's mystery house time.

-Mystery house.

-I wonder what that's going to be!

-I wonder. Let's see what you think.

We've got one last property to see today,

and that of course is our mystery house,

which should really test our buyers' commitment to historic features.

It's in the village of Shepton Beauchamp,

our most southerly destination.

Highlights of the village are its Grade I listed church,

which has origins in the 13th century,

and a choice range of traditional and independent shops.

Much of the historic architecture is constructed of Alison's

favourite honey-coloured hamstone, making Shepton Beauchamp

a particularly pretty and desirable location in which to set up home.

So we're taking a stroll through the village to soak up more of the setting.

Now, as a little place, it's quite interesting, actually.

A lot of villages suffer with things closing down, but not here.

They've got a deli, they've got a post office, which is up there.

-A really good pub just behind us. It even has a watchmaker.

-Oh!

There's even a baker, which is great.

It's had some quite notable people living here.

Perhaps the most famous, I suppose, is Jane Seymour, back in the day.

-Third wife of Henry VIII.

-Yeah.

So if this was a village that was of interest to you, you'd be joining some fairly noble company.

And past records of occupation that date way back to 1636 reveal

that our mystery property was once owned by the Seymour family.

And it lies right in the centre of the village.

There it is, our final property now bathed in some rare sunshine.

-That's it.

-Wow.

-That is a wow.

-That is stunning.

-Definite wow.

It's listed. It has lots of features in it, as you'd expect.

-And a key to match.

-THEY LAUGH

-How about that?

-Look at that, my word!

-Isn't it a beauty?

Come on, let's see if it works.

Whilst this 17th-century thatched cottage is

the smallest of our three houses and the traditional layout doesn't offer

the light and spacious living areas that Alison and Derek were after,

it has hit the mark at face value and reveals many historic gems inside.

Come through then...

to our mystery house living room.

-Yes, you see the wood burner.

-I like.

-Wonderful.

-It's lit again.

-It's charming, isn't it?

-This would be your main living room, as such.

-Right, yeah.

-Right.

-Is it you?

-Yes.

-Oh, I think so, yes.

-Yes, a big booming yes there!

-Yes.

I tell you what is a nice little point, actually. In some renovation work, they found two coins,

-one of which is a William III 1696 halfpenny.

-Ah!

-Does that come with the property?

-It does. They will stay with it.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-Wow.

-Yeah, it's a nice touch, isn't it?

-Nice bit of history, yeah.

-I'm excited to see more.

-Right, let's do that.

So this is your dining and kitchen.

That's nice, isn't it? I like the granite worktop.

-Great worktops.

-Wasn't expecting that.

-Another lovely fireplace.

-The depth of the wood is just amazing, isn't it?

-Yeah.

This is fascinating.

How is this comparing with property two?

-Thus far, it excites me more than property two.

-Does it?

-Yes.

That's interesting. Yeah. What about the boss?

Erm...

Yes, I think so. I think I'd agree.

The ground floor also features a good-size study overlooking

the front of the property.

There's also a downstairs shower room as well as a small room

currently being used as a workshop.

So that ties up the ground floor accommodation.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms in total

and a five-piece family bathroom.

One double room lies at the front of the property

and another double at the back with views over the rear garden.

And finally, your bit. There's a little en suite in there.

And this is the master bedroom.

ALISON LAUGHS

-That is huge, isn't it?!

-Whoa!

This is the biggest and best we've been able to show you this week.

Surprisingly big. Yeah.

-It has certainly got some pedigree, hasn't it?

-Absolutely, yeah.

Right, the sun is shining, let's get out there into the garden.

-You'll like this bit, Alison.

-SHE CHUCKLES

'The internal tour of this mystery property has been a success,

'and I have no doubt that the garden will continue to

'enlighten our buyers.'

Extending to a third of an acre and set over two levels,

the lower area has a paved patio, and the large lawn to the top

features a well-tended vegetable plot.

I love these layers. Everything is very tidy and manageable.

Would you be happy pottering around out here on a Saturday afternoon?

-I think I would be in heaven.

-Really?

-I would enjoy it too. Very much.

So, it brings us to our final moment.

Arguably the most difficult bit of this particular house tour...

its value.

I fear it's way over budget.

I would guess...550.

550, yeah. Alison?

-I'll be a little more hopeful and say 540.

-540.

Well, you're both wrong.

This could be yours for 499.

Goodness me! Goodness!

-Has that made your day?

-You could say that. That's astonishing!

-Excellent, good!

-Got the chequebook?

-Yeah, I have.

-Go on, explore till your heart's content.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I'll catch up with you a little bit later.

A fraction under budget at £499,000, the mystery house is

a 17th-century listed cottage that's packed with history.

It has our buyers' requested kitchen/diner,

a large characterful drawing room,

and three bedrooms, including a grand master en suite.

The garden sits in a third of an acre,

and the property is located in the heart of an atmospheric village.

Are you going to mow all this grass?

Well, I'll have to...have a sit-on.

I don't think you need a sit-on!

When I first saw it, I thought, whoa!

What a privilege it would be to live in a house like that.

Absolutely packed full of character inside.

Everywhere you looked, there were things that drew your eye

to them or things that had a bit of history about them.

The price, I couldn't believe.

I was convinced it was going to be way over budget.

It was a wonderful surprise to discover

that we could afford to buy this property.

I'm left with really positive thoughts,

but quite a lot to think about.

I'm really very, very impressed with the property.

I think it's wonderful.

Right, that's it. Out you come.

Well, that was all very interesting, wasn't it, eh?

Mm, you've got lots to think about, you two.

Is this going to be your new home?

Is this the key to it? Who knows, eh?

-Right, let's go and think. Off you go.

-OK.

-Lead on.

Well, that may mark the end of our property search for Derek

and Alison, but if you've got your heart set on moving to Somerset,

there are many other homes to choose from.

On the market for £675,000,

this commanding three-bedroom renovated farmhouse in Langport

is set in two thirds of an acre with

extensive views of the surrounding countryside.

The high-spec interior makes the most of the setting,

with designer folding doors onto a sun terrace

as well as a quality contemporary kitchen/diner.

At the other end of the price scale, this two-bedroom hamstone cottage

in the heritage village of Hinton St George has a price tag of £225,000.

It comes with a cosy sitting room and the attic has been converted

into a double bedroom featuring characterful exposed woodwork.

Hidden in the wetlands of the Somerset levels is

an endangered species of heron called the bittern.

It's so rare that in 2012,

just over 100 males were recorded in the whole of the UK.

A third of those nest in the specially created reed beds at Ham Wall Reserve, which is

where I have joined the dawn chorus to meet warden, Ray Summers.

Well, Ray, this has to be the earliest start I've ever had on Escape To The Country.

It's about 5.30 in the morning, and we're looking for the bittern.

What is it about the Somerset levels that brings them here?

What we've got, in what we call the Avalon Marshes here, near Glastonbury,

is an extensive area of wetlands which includes a lot of reed bed.

As I understand it, they have quite a distinctive call.

What are we actually listening for?

The sound of someone blowing across a huge milk bottle top, really.

-You don't want me to imitate that, do you?

-I do!

-Oh!

-Go on, go on, go on!

OK, so it's like a...

HE IMITATES BITTERN CALL ..whoo, whoo, whoo.

Agricultural practices in the 19th century,

as well as climate change, have seen the loss of many natural

habitats, driving species like the bittern to the brink of extinction.

But over the last 20 years, volunteers have planted over 600,000

reed seedlings and developed this 450 acre reserve into a mixed

wetland paradise for many vulnerable birds and a variety of wildlife.

-This is amazing, isn't it?

-Yeah.

The light really is beginning to take over, thank goodness.

-We can see a bit more of the reserve.

-Absolutely.

Just out there, actually, there's a bird called a great white egret.

Actually, for the first time in the UK, it bred last year,

which was quite exciting.

Actually, the Avalon Marshes are a real hotbed of conservation success.

Definitely, definitely.

Can we hear any bitterns?

At the moment, they are just pausing for breath, I think.

Maybe they are still in bed. You couldn't blame them.

-BITTERN CALLS

-Ah, there!

The reed beds provide sanctuary for the bittern while it hunts

for fish, but this cover can make the secretive bird difficult to see.

So with ears pinned firmly back, we continue with our twitch hunt.

-So are we going to be in luck?

-Well...

I'm hoping so.

-BITTERN CALLS FAINTLY

-(There.)

CALLING REPEATS

(There.)

So there you had two territories.

Got one there, he called, and then a few seconds later, this one called.

They are just kind of rubbing up against each other, just saying,

"All right, mate, this is my area.

"This is my area. You stay over there. "You stay over there."

I suppose the thing to take away from this, Ray,

-is that the bittern recovery is a good news story.

-Absolutely.

I mean, all reed bed species, marsh harriers as well, and then

you've got all your dragonflies and butterflies, and all the other

bird species that are associated with this kind of environment.

-Nice place to work?

-Fantastic place to work.

'I fear this morning we may have bitten off more than we can chew,

'but it seems this is one elusive bird that can be heard but not seen.'

Now, somewhere in here, Derek and Alison are sitting down having

a conversation about what their next move is.

So let's go and break up the party and see

if they've made their minds up yet.

Ah, look at you two,

enjoying the English tradition of a cup of tea on the terrace.

-Very civilised.

-Very civilised. How are we doing?

-Fine.

-Good.

-Thinking hard?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

We've made a list of the pros and cons of each property and given them ticks,

and we're still talking through which one of the three we prefer.

Right, let's see if we can narrow it down for you then.

Property number one.

Lovely Lias stone, big open-plan space as we went through that door

and down into the kitchen area.

What are your thoughts on that one?

It was an interesting design, interesting layout.

For us, there probably wasn't enough character

-and it was a little too small.

-Mm-hmm.

I suppose the main thing I took away from property number one was your desire for character.

Then we went to property number two, and that had it in spades.

It was beautiful.

The house was lovely, it provided all the space we wanted, really.

It certainly seemed a struggle upstairs, Derek?

We would need to make some alterations upstairs,

and that would obviously cost money, so it would come down to

whether or not the owners would accept an offer.

Well, finally of course, it was time to reveal our mystery house to you.

And you really did seem to fall for that one.

Fell for it hook line and sinker.

My heart says that is the property for us.

Since we've come away, we've realised we'd need study space that

that property doesn't have to offer, while the second one does.

-So head and heart are in conflict at the moment.

-OK.

If I had to force you to make a decision...

..right now, a snap decision between property two and our mystery house,

using your emotional instincts, where would you go, Alison?

-Butleigh, the second one.

-The second one. Derek?

-When you say emotional instincts, do you mean heart over head?

-Yes.

-The third one.

-THEY LAUGH

You see, this is what I was aiming towards.

This is what I suspected might happen.

-So we have a bit of a division in the camp, don't we?

-Absolutely.

Now, traditionally speaking - you've been married for a long time -

who tends to win these debates?

I will let you answer that!

I think... No, on a big decision like this,

there's no way that either of us would, you know,

make the other one live somewhere that they weren't really happy with.

It's a big decision and we would discuss it further.

-I think we need a little bit more time, possibly a return visit.

-Yeah.

-To both of them?

-To both of them.

-Yes.

-Well, I can see this debate has got some...

-Mileage.

-Mileage.

..mileage in it yet.

I do look forward to hearing about its successful conclusion.

And in particular to hearing, and learning,

that you have perhaps put an offer in on one of our properties.

If it's not number two, maybe it's number three.

-Yeah.

-Our mystery. But it's been a real pleasure.

It's been so helpful.

I hope we have managed to help you distil down what it is

you're looking for and to tempt you and reveal in all

its glory some of the properties that Somerset has to offer.

-Best of luck to both of you.

-Thank you very much, thank you.

It's been said, of course, many times before that every house hunt

is different, but of course, there's one thing they all have in common.

And that is the element of choice.

Here in Britain, as house hunters, we are spoiled for it.

Somerset, of course, being a prime example.

And I think trying to make sense of that choice is part of the problem.

Maybe we have too much of it.

That certainly seems to be where Derek and Alison are right now.

Their debate is going to go on for some time to come.

But if I were a betting man, what would I do in their position?

If I'm really honest, I hope Derek wins.

And it turns out that I lost the bet as,

after a second viewing on property number two, I am delighted

to report that Derek and Alison put in an offer that was accepted.

So we wish them all the best for a sunny future in Somerset.

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