North Yorkshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Now, we're starting out right in the heart of one of the finest

medieval castles anywhere in the country, one that in more recent

years was used to imprison soldiers who were morally opposed to war.

So, where have we come for this step back in time?

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

'On today's house hunt, a mother and daughter duo are looking for

'a property to entertain in.'

What a family space.

It's beautiful. It's a very sociable area, isn't it?

Yeah.

'And one of our offerings seems to hit the mark.'

Whoa-ho-ho-ho!

Ha-hah! I think we've hit the nail on the head!

I'm feeling a bit tearful!

Well, today we are in North Yorkshire

and this is the imposing keep of Richmond Castle.

Now, the Normans started building the fortress here just

after their victory at the Battle of Hastings,

and it was an important point in William's consolidation

of his hold over the northern part of his territories.

And, over the centuries that followed,

the market town of Richmond itself grew up around it,

and in many ways it's now regarded

as a model of medieval town planning.

But fast forward to the early 20th century

and the castle took on a completely different role.

It was used to house a number of conscientious objectors,

men who refused to fight in the First World War on political,

moral and religious grounds.

Now, later on in the show, I'll be back here exploring

the castle fully and taking a closer look at the story behind those

men who were imprisoned here.

But, take it from me, the view from the top of that keep

of the surrounding landscape really is one of Yorkshire's finest.

Yorkshire is a historic county in the north of England,

the largest in the UK.

Today, the county of North Yorkshire covers over 3,000 square miles

and is one of the most rural and attractive parts of the country.

This region is home to two National Parks - the Yorkshire Dales to the

west and the rugged and windswept North York Moors to the east.

The Dales has been a National Park since 1954, and is characterised

by a collection of river valleys and gentle rolling hills

dotted with pretty stone villages which retain a timeless feel.

The valley of Wensleydale displays spectacular scenery

in villages such as Aysgarth,

with its famous flight of waterfalls.

The region's long history of livestock farming has given

rise to distinct sheep breeds and its tradition of cheese making.

The market town of Hawes is home

to the famous crumbly Wensleydale variety.

The fields around have remained all but untouched by modern

intensive farming techniques and many of them still retain their

original dry stone walls, which characterise this part of the world.

Geographically, the county has much to offer,

so it's perhaps not surprising that the region has become

a popular option for those seeking a slower, more rural existence.

Now, look at any map and you'll realise that Yorkshire is

an enormous county when taken as a whole, and when you

think that it accounts for some 10% of England's landmass

you can appreciate that house prices across it can vary hugely.

If you go to the south of the county, there your average detached

will set you back around about £180,000,

but if you head further north, well, there you could expect to pay

another 90,000 on top of that, and the reason is simple -

up north is where you find the Moors and the Dales,

beautiful properties set in stunning landscapes.

A wonderful draw for locals and visitors alike.

So, let's now meet today's buyers

and find out which bit of the county they think is for them.

Today's house hunters are mother and daughter Mel and Holly,

who live in Worcester Park, Surrey.

Mel, originally from North Yorkshire, is recently divorced

and works as a speech therapy assistant.

She has two daughters -

Lily, who is about to go off to university,

and Holly, who has just finished at sixth form college.

They've decided that now is the time to make their move to the country.

I lived here nearly eight years,

and the area is quite busy and congested

and we'd like to escape that.

Mel's been itching to get back to her roots in North Yorkshire.

I've been thinking about moving to the countryside

and especially to move back to the northeast for about 13 years,

but it's been put on the back burner.

So, now I've got an opportunity, through getting divorced

and selling this house, and now I can fulfil my dream.

And Holly is a keen amateur photographer.

I've just finished sixth form and I'm in a temporary job

at the minute, so I have no real ties here,

so, yeah, it will be nice for a change,

-maybe pursue my photography passion.

-Yeah.

-I've got quite a few connections up north anyway so...

-Mm-hm.

-..that'll be nice.

-Yeah.

But Mel has really missed the northeast

during her time down south.

I love everything about North Yorkshire.

-I love the dales, I love the moors, the villages...

-Yeah.

-Ah, villages.

-Quaint houses and things. Chocolate box.

Yeah, chocolate box.

And mainly because of the people.

Mel and Holly have had their fill of suburban life.

We'd like to be in a village.

And maybe on the outskirts rather than being right in the centre.

-Yeah. Somewhere where there's quite a community.

-Yeah.

And they do seem to be clear about what they want in their new house.

We are looking for something with character.

-Yeah, beams.

-An Aga.

An Aga, wood burning stove.

-Yeah. Lots of...

-Fireplaces.

-Yeah.

Kitchen-diner.

-Three bedrooms would be great.

-Yeah.

We would quite like to have something like holiday lets to have

something where there's potential of some business and income.

Life in North Yorkshire will be very different

to living in the southeast.

A bit nervous. Obviously it's a big change and I'll be moving away

from half my family, some friends and things, but it'll be...

-But I'm very excited about it.

-Yes. No, I'm very excited.

-Because I'll be with my family...

-Yeah.

..for the first time in 26 years.

Yeah, and there'll be a lot of opportunities

-and things for us up there.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Mel and Holly are keen to move to a village property

within easy reach of family in Darlington.

But, before our search begins, I'm meeting them to learn more

about their proposed rural move.

Well, Holly, Mel, welcome to Yorkshire.

-Welcome back to Yorkshire for you, Mel.

-Mmm hmm.

-This is home, isn't it?

-Yes, it is. Yeah.

-Now, it's obviously your idea to come back up here.

-Mm-hm.

Did you take much persuading?

Erm, no, not really.

I'm in-between jobs at the minute so I'm easy, I'm happy to move.

Be a new chapter for me and open some new opportunities for me, so...

What are you going to do with your spare time, because

there's so much on offer up here?

Yeah. We want to do a lot of walking, don't we?

-Yeah, we do.

-Maybe get some dogs.

-And photography.

Yeah, and then I'd like to shadow

a professional photographer here and...

So, give us an idea of the sort of property that you've pictured,

Mel, for your return to this part of the world.

It's got to have character, definitely,

-cos we live in quite a new house, don't we?

-Yeah.

So, it's got to have character.

And are there any real no-nos in your wish list?

-No new builds.

-Yeah.

-No bungalows.

-No bungalows.

-I'm too young.

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

So, something nice and pretty - that, I think, is a given.

But what does it need to have?

How many bedrooms do you need, for example?

Well, it needs to have three, three bedrooms and possibly four.

-But we're quite relaxed on that, so...

-Yeah.

And what about outside space, Holly?

We'd possibly like a potential to maybe have holiday lets or

extra space maybe to put up yurts or something in a garden

-if we've got a big bit of land.

-Ooh, a bit of glamping maybe!

-A bit of glamping.

-Yeah! Let's talk about the budget then.

How much do you want to spend on this whole move?

375,000.

If you take £375,000 all the way up from Surrey

-the horizon does get much broader.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it does.

-And much prettier.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

And that's the really exciting thing.

We've got three really interesting properties to show you,

-one of which is our Mystery House.

-Mm-hm!

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-So, it'll be interesting to see what you make of it.

Right then, let's go. Come on.

Mel and Holly have £375,000 to spend on their new home.

They'd like to be in a village setting within easy reach

of family in Darlington.

They're after a three-bedroomed house,

with a large kitchen/diner and a garden.

Although the house is their main consideration, if it did offer

a business opportunity in the form of land or outbuildings that would

be a plus, although that might be tricky to achieve within the budget.

We've lined up three varied properties to show them over

the next couple of days, but I won't be revealing the price tags

until the end of each house tour.

Finally, our mystery house will challenge what they think

they want and test how much vision they have.

-I want to wake up to that view every morning.

-Yeah. Me too.

Well, everywhere you look you are just spoilt for views.

But what about your long-term future, Holly?

Are you thinking that you might be buying a home of your own up here

in a few years' time?

Depends on when I leave the...the family home.

Well! Yeah, what do you think, Mum?

She did say she was going to live with me till she's 36.

-Wow!

-Wow.

-So you've got another 16 years!

THEY LAUGH

I don't think I can manage that!

Our first property is in the village of Melsonby, six miles from

Darlington, so convenient for visiting Mel's family.

It's an attractive village with a green at its centre and a brook.

There's a selection of old cottages and the property we're showing

them is right in the heart of things.

It's an old stone barn, once a cow shed, that was converted

into a home 28 years ago.

It's been completely refurbished and restyled by its current owners.

OK, ladies, come on in to property number one! What do you reckon?

-Lovely. Absolutely lovely.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, it's really nice actually.

Very pretty.

I suppose the obvious thing to say is that it is, technically...

Single storey.

..a bungalow.

THEY LAUGH

If you think of it in terms of being a single-storey barn conversion

-it takes on a completely different meaning.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-All right?

-Yeah.

-Yes! We'll all positive, right.

-Yeah. Yes!

-Yes.

-Yes!

Come on, let's have a look inside.

'Sadly, it doesn't offer business potential either.'

Come in, Holly. There we are!

What do you reckon then?

-Yeah, really nice.

-Yeah.

-It's lovely.

-Yeah.

-Quite modern, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's very modern, but it does have this nice country feel,

the way the units are finished, this nice duck egg blue.

Through there is a utility room, boiler and so on

and access to the courtyard, so all the white goods are tucked away.

-Yes, very nice.

-Yeah.

Now how's the bungalow thing going with you?

Erm... Yeah, it's all right.

It's not bothering me too much at the minute.

Yeah, I think we need to see the rest of it

-and see what we think.

-Yeah, and make a decision.

Yeah. Come and have a look at this.

Now, I can quite see you two...

cosied up in here.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. I love...

-I love the ceiling, love the beams.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

And I think it's rather nice,

-cos you come from the kitchen into this space.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-And it opens up, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

It's not huge but it feels spacious.

And for family gatherings, just imagine Christmas!

-Yeah, you can actually.

-Yeah!

-Yeah.

-Ooh, you see?

-I really like it.

Well, let's go upstairs.

Oh, no, let's not go upstairs! Let's go and look at the bedrooms!

Ha-ha, you see?

Ah, nearly got you going!

Yes, there's no upstairs.

Back through the kitchen to the other end of the house,

there are three bedrooms -

a cosy double,

another double currently being used as a child's room,

and also a neutrally decorated bathroom.

But I'm taking them to the master bedroom.

Now, I'm wondering if this is your room, Holly.

-What, the master bedroom?

-Cos it's got the en-suite, yeah.

No, I think I'll have to give that to Mum, yeah.

I could see that coming, yeah.

-It's not a bad size.

-It's the biggest of the three.

-Yeah.

The others are all doubles, so I guess you'd get first pick.

-Yeah, and then Lily can have..

-Lily'll get what's left.

Is our bungalow moving you at all?

LAUGHTER

-I think it's really beautiful.

-Yeah.

I think the decorating, the taste is really nice, it's really good.

-Yeah. It's quite similar to what we...we have.

-Yeah.

Well, let's go outside and think about the price

-and show you that courtyard.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Maybe that will be the icing on the cake. Go on, after you.

Outside, there's double-gated access to the walled front garden

which is grassed with a raised patio area.

At the back is a long, narrow paved garden with a well-planted border,

and it's all pretty low-maintenance.

-This is a perfect size...

-Yeah.

-..maintenance-wise.

OK, so, how much is property number one on the market for?

I think it's on for 345.

345? Yeah. Holly?

I was going to actually go a bit lower, say about 330.

You have clearly done it before cos it is on the market...

-Is it?

-..for £345,000, yeah!

-Ah-ha!

-How about that!

-1-0 to you.

-Yeah, 1-0.

Yeah. But, you know, it's your first go, Holly,

so I think that's fair enough.

-And I like your optimism...

-Yeah.

-..coming in a little bit under that.

-345, oh!

-Yeah. OK, go and have an explore,

and I will catch up with you a little bit later.

-OK. Mmm.

-Off you go.

-Thanks.

For £30,000 under their maximum budget,

this single storey stone barn conversion

provides an enormous open plan kitchen-dining room,

an impressive sitting room with vaulted ceiling,

and three bedrooms, with the master being en suite,

and outside there are low-maintenance gardens.

This is a lovely room.

Yeah, nice high, vaulted ceilings.

-Yeah, I could really imagine having Christmas in here.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-With a Christmas tree.

-Yeah.

I think my favourite room in house one is the kitchen.

I like the open plan space.

And secondly I think probably the lounge

because of the high ceilings and the beams.

I think the problem with house number one is that it's one storey.

Obviously at home I'm used to having two storeys

so it's something that I'd have to get used to if we were to move here.

My overall thought on property one is it's a beautiful house,

it's in a beautiful location,

I think I just would struggle with the one level.

Well, that's it. One down, two to go.

Yeah.

Is it a contender?

-We need to see the others, don't we, first?

-Yeah.

That's what everybody says. Come on.

Mel is a keen gardener and loves attracting wildlife,

which keen photographer Holly likes to capture on film,

so we've arranged for them to visit Harlow Carr Gardens in Harrogate.

They're meeting nursery manager Andrew Wilcox.

-Hi, I'm Holly.

-Hello Holly.

-Hi.

-Hi, I'm Mel.

Hello, Mel. Welcome to Harlow Carr!

What part of the gardens are we in now?

We are on what has been known for years here as the Broadwalk,

which is the herbaceous borders, and we've put in a wide

and varied range of plants which provides a longer period

of time for the insects, particularly bees and butterflies,

to gather more pollen and nectar from as early as April

right through until October.

We'd like to really encourage wildlife in our new garden

and our new home, so what sort of plants

would encourage bees and butterflies?

Generally, you're looking for plants that are bright and vibrant,

in particular the Salvia sylvestris, which is excellent for honeybees.

Lavenders are excellent as well, particularly for bumblebees.

There's another part of the garden, the wild flower garden,

which is built up of native flowers,

things like ox-eye daisies and ragged robin,

which are excellent pollinators for our bees and butterflies.

And also in that meadow there's a lot of grass,

which looks like an untidy mess,

but it provides an excellent food source

for the butterfly caterpillars so that they can actually produce

the full life cycle in their own sort of nature reserve, if you like.

Armed with top gardening tips, Holly and Mel are now meeting

wildlife photographer Simon Roy.

What do you find is the easiest to take pictures of in wildlife?

Well, probably garden birds because you can get them

in the garden using feeders, especially in winter and spring.

So, what's the best weather conditions?

Probably the best weather conditions is like today,

sunshine through white cloud.

If it's too sunny, it can ruin your photography,

especially white flowers cos the exposure's too difficult.

So, what are you photographing now?

I'm just trying to shoot through the yellow flowers

-and the white flowers and, see that red flower there?

-Yeah.

I'm trying to use the rules of composition

and I'm just trying to blur the foreground

and background foliage to try and isolate the subject.

-Can I have a go?

-Yeah, of course, yeah.

That's lovely. You see and what you should do, really,

you should imagine that the scene is split into a grid.

-Right.

-And then put your subject on about the third way in like this so.

-Oh, really?

-And everything else sort of blurred out

and you've got that one nicely isolated.

-Rather than in the centre?

-Yeah. Well, you can do it in the centre,

but it's more dynamic if you do it to one side. That's a lovely shot.

I'm really interested in being a wildlife photographer.

What sort of tips would you have?

I think the biggest thing is patience, cos wildlife's

really unpredictable and you just have to be patient and

sometimes wait for a long time, you know, for your subject to come in.

-Yeah.

-And subject knowledge.

Understanding your subject will give you a better chance

-of capturing wildlife.

-Thank you so much for all the tips.

-Thank you very much. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

Good luck with your house hunting and wildlife photography.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

-Bye

It's the second day of our property search

and, on a budget of £375,000, we're in North Yorkshire

seeking a rural retreat for Mel and Holly

from Worcester Park, Surrey.

Coming up, our mystery house gives them food for thought.

I am...keeping an open mind.

'And I'm back at Richmond Castle...'

What a fascinating place!

'..to uncover its wartime secrets.'

I mean, these walls really do talk, don't they?

They speak volumes.

Look at that, the Dales bathed in glorious sunshine.

What a way to start our final day of house hunting,

which is all set to be a particularly busy one

because we have not one but two properties to see

including, of course, our Mystery House.

Now. yesterday I thought went reasonably well

but, despite the obvious charm and beauty of our barn conversion,

it does seem to lack that second floor

that both Mel and Holly are determined to have.

So, two properties to come, each, I'm pleased to say,

with two storeys I suspect in more ways than one.

Our second property is in the village of Scruton,

half an hour's drive from Darlington.

Scruton is a lively, social village with a church,

a pub, and a village hall.

The property we're showing Mel and Holly is an impressive stone

cottage in the heart of the village.

Well, here we are then.

What do you reckon to this little gem?

-It's gorgeous! It's really quaint.

-It's beautiful.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's really sweet.

-Looks like a chocolate box.

-Yeah.

-It's nice.

It is and it's all just been done and renovated to a really,

-really high standard. It's Grade II listed...

-OK.

..but that doesn't need to worry you because it's all

been sorted out. There's nothing you'd need to do here.

I don't even think you need to paint it, to be perfectly frank.

I mean, the finish is lovely.

-Happy?

-Yeah, very.

-Yeah. Excited.

-Right then, let's have a look!

'While there's no obvious business opportunity here,

'I think this house will really wow them.'

Right, look at this.

Ah-ha! Lots to tempt you with.

Let's start in here.

Oh, wow. I love this.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. Love it.

This is the living room.

It's not the only reception space you've got,

it's mirrored by the dining room, which is across the hallway.

Similar sort of size, similar spec, they've both got fireplaces.

All the fireplaces here work, which is really nice,

and I think this is a great indication of the sort of finish

we can expect around the rest of the property.

Yeah. It is lovely.

Yeah, I love the beam.

Holly?

Yeah, I'm a bit speechless. I love the beam, yeah.

It feels nice. It feels...

Yeah, it's got a lovely feeling to it. It's very homely.

-Now, the kitchen is through here.

-OK.

It has something in you are going to really love.

Come and have a look at this.

There you go, Mel. Didn't you want one of those?

Oh, my goodness. Yes, I wanted a range.

-That's lovely.

-Yeah?

-Mmm.

A gorgeous fitted kitchen. And this is lovely -

how about that for a larder?

Oh, very nice. That is very nice.

That's nice and big.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's not the huge kitchen-diner, but I don't think it matters.

No. I don't think it would do the house justice

if it was a big kitchen-diner.

No. Yeah, it's very fitting.

I don't think I would change it actually. No, lovely.

Great. Come through here. Have a look at this.

Now this, to me,

is one of the really clever bits in this renovation.

You've got the old house behind us, you've got the old outhouse

and garage, and they've linked the whole thing with this...

well, amazing garden room.

What a family space.

Oh, it's beautiful.

And then, through there, a really well-equipped utility room.

Fridge-freezer is out there and then a door through to a garage,

so you've also got off-street parking if you need it.

-That's good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's beautiful. What a lovely addition.

-It's a very sociable area, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Happy, Holly?

-Yeah. I really like it, yeah.

Come on, let's get upstairs

because there is an upstairs, you'll be pleased to know.

Through the garden room, there's a study

and next to it a cloakroom with shower.

We need to go up here.

-OK.

-Oh.

The cottage has a steep staircase leading to three bedrooms -

a large double with a hand basin,

a smaller double being used as a dressing room

and it has a beautifully fitted bathroom with another shower.

And then finally, Mel, this is yours.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Wow.

Oh, this is lovely!

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

And your room is not a lot smaller than this next door, really.

-No, it's not. It's not.

-No. This is beautiful. It's lovely.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Whoa-ho-ho!

I think we've hit the nail on the head!

I'm feeling a bit tearful!

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-You can see yourselves in here, then?

I really, really do like this, yeah.

Let's go down to the garden and get some fresh air,

talk about the price. Go on, Holly,

open that door.

'So, this place has hit the mark, but what will they make

'of the outdoor space?'

The cottage has a formal front garden enclosed by hedging

and at the back is a private garden with patio area.

Come on, then, let's have a sit down

and relax a while.

Back garden, obviously.

Nice and secluded, as you can see,

but I think it just kind of complements a really nice package.

-It does.

-Yeah.

So, Holly, I'm going to get you to guess the price first.

Where is property two on the scale of things?

Erm...

I think it's at our top end of our budget. 375, I'm going to guess.

-Yeah, top end.

-Yeah, I was going to say that.

-You can, you can agree.

-I think I'll be a bit different.

I think it is...

365.

I hate you. You get it right all the time!

No! Did I?

-You did! You did, yeah.

-I'm too good.

£365,000.

-And it really is 365?

-It really is. It really is.

-I'm really good at this.

-I'm impressed.

So it's just under budget, but nothing to do.

-No.

-Nothing to do. You could literally move in.

Nothing, just put your furniture in.

-Why don't you?

-Yeah.

Go and have an explore and see where it might all go.

-Thank you.

-And I'll catch up with you later.

I think I might just stay here and cool down because,

believe you me, our house tours really are hotting up.

This Grade II listed stone cottage

is priced £10,000 under their maximum budget

and is in mint condition.

It has a beautiful country kitchen with range,

a bespoke conservatory, and three bedrooms.

There are private gardens front and rear, as well as a garage.

-I love this room.

-Yeah, it's a lovely room.

I don't think I'd have it as a dining room, I think

I would probably have it like another snug

and have a sofa bed, like, if people wanted to come and stay.

-Yeah.

-And I'd have a big TV on the back wall.

Yeah.

I love house two.

It doesn't need anything doing to it, you can move straight in.

Love the kitchen, the conservatory is fantastic...

I love all of it, really.

I could really see house number two as a contender.

I think me, Mum and Lils would be really happy here.

So, that's it, then, property two is done and dusted.

An absolute gem.

Clearly top of the list at the moment.

-Yeah, beautiful.

-Yeah, definitely.

So our Mystery House has got some competition.

-It has.

-Let's go and see it.

Well, property two went well!

Didn't it just?

-Yes!

-Got a bit emotional.

Are you going to get the chequebook out?

-Ah...

-That would make me emotional.

-Yeah.

-And me.

Well, our last property is just down the road

and we're going to head more into the heart of the Dales for this one.

Oh, OK!

It is the Mystery House, after all, so something a little bit different.

Our final property, the Mystery House, is in the village

of Carperby, which is situated 30 miles from Darlington,

so quite a bit further than the other two houses

for access to family.

Carperby is a small village in the Dales with a well-known hotel,

The Wheatsheaf, where author James Herriot and his bride

spent their honeymoon.

In the heart of the village, a high-stepped cross dated 1674

tells of the time when there was a regular market here.

Our house is stone built and sits in the centre of the village.

It's very different from the other two houses as it offers

a separate annexe which could offer real business potential,

but this house does require some imagination.

Right then, here we are, Mystery House.

Hmm.

Now, it used to be a bungalow...

..but it's not any more.

20 years ago, they put a second floor on.

But, importantly, this one comes with a completely detached annexe.

Now, I know it wasn't something you had to have,

-but we are thinking ahead about what business may come your way.

-Yeah.

So we're thinking, if you do want a holiday let business,

then it's got to be in a holiday area, and this is it.

Now, structurally it's all there,

but it is going to need a bit of TLC in terms of its decor.

-OK.

-Because property two is the challenger at the moment

that this, our Mystery, has to compete with.

Come on, let's see what you think.

They do seem a bit quiet, but I'm hoping they will see

the potential with this place.

There.

-Slightly different from house two.

-Yeah.

Very different from house two

-and I'm very conscious of the fact that we are...

-Compact.

..trying to compare one with another.

What this one lacks in terms of decor and finish it makes up for

in extra space because of the annexe next-door, and the views, obviously.

-Yeah.

-I think we've spoilt you in number two!

I am keeping an open mind.

-Yeah, the fireplace is nice.

-Yeah.

The stone wall's nice. OK, we need to see a bit more.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Let's continue.

Have a look in here. This is the kitchen.

There we go.

Again, I mean, this does need some updating.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

It's all very functional, it's all very clean, it's all working.

So, come on then, Holly, don't bottle it up, what are you thinking?

There's no cosy, warm feeling

and obviously things aren't quite to our taste.

You're struggling with this because you've never really had

to consider what to do with a property before, have you?

No. No, I haven't, so it's quite difficult

to see past the current decor, I think.

Well, there's lots to see here.

Let's go upstairs and then we'll go out to the annexe.

So, they're not taken with it so far, but I'm really keen that they

remain open-minded as there is so much more to see.

Downstairs, the house also has a dining room

as well as a fourth bedroom.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms -

a double being used as a single,

a good-sized double, and a large family bathroom with corner bath.

And then this is the master, Mel.

-Yeah. Yeah, this is nice. A good size.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

It has an en-suite shower room and, of course, those views.

-The views are beautiful.

-Yeah.

The main property itself is, frankly,

almost as big as the annexe.

-Right.

-So, actually, you could pick and choose

as to which one becomes the main house.

-I don't know, it's maybe a thought to have.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

So let's go and have a look at that and then we'll enjoy those views

and talk about the money, yeah?

'I'm hoping that they'll like the annexe.

'It's currently used as a workshop, but it could easily

'be subdivided and let out to provide income.'

There.

-Wow!

-It's huge inside.

So it's arranged over two levels.

We're going to start with this one, though.

What do you think of this?

Wow.

You see what I mean? The footprint of this annexe is huge.

Yeah, it is huge. This is a massive space.

That door through there is a separate storeroom.

That could become, for example, a bathroom,

-if it needed to be.

-Yes, it could.

And upstairs you've got, already,

a kitchenette, a living room

and a double bedroom.

So this is just waiting for somebody to kind of take it on.

-You could make this a fantastic kitchen-diner.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's a blank canvas, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's a bit more inspiring here.

Yeah, definitely could use this space.

Right then, money.

-Let's go and talk about it in the garden.

-OK.

-Come on.

'Outside, the property has a rear south-facing garden

'with amazing views over the Dales.'

There we go.

Now the view that we keep talking about is of Penhill, there it is,

and Wensleydale. It is gorgeous.

And there, our Mystery Property -

maybe two properties, for the price of one. Who knows?

So let's think about the price, then, of our Mystery House.

I think...

-285.

-285.

-Mm-hmm.

Holly?

I was going to go a little bit higher...

320.

It's not 320, I'm afraid.

It's on at 370.

Oh...

And that is the draw of that,

and this part of the world.

I was really out.

-You were well out! I was surprised, actually.

-Yeah!

-But hey, you were there, you were closest.

-I was the closest.

Let's not rush off just yet.

Go and have another look around and I'll come and find you a bit later.

-OK.

-Off you go.

This property is priced £5,000 less than their top budget

and would offer them a detached stone house

with superb views over the Dales.

There are four bedrooms

with an en-suite master.

Next to the house is the annexe

with a generous downstairs room

with upstairs living accommodation.

And outside there are south-facing gardens

and also a garage.

Oh, this is a great area, Holly.

Yeah, it's a nice space.

This would be brilliant for you, actually.

-Yeah. Friends and stuff in here.

-Mmm.

I really like the view at the Mystery House.

It's not something that was offered to us in the first two houses

and I like that there's potential for a holiday let business here.

The price for the Mystery House was really high.

I got a bit of a shock, but then it does have the holiday let potential,

so it's actually two houses.

But there's so much work to be done.

Look at that - a lovely Dales scene.

All our house tours are over.

We need to sit you down and get you to think about

all the options we've given you.

-Happy so far?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Very happy.

-Ready for a drink?

-Yes, please.

-Yeah.

Come on, then.

Richmond Castle is one of the finest and best-preserved

Norman castles in Britain.

After the Norman Conquest in 1066,

William The Conqueror built castles across the North of England

in an effort to control what he considered

the unruly population of the North.

I've come to meet curator Kevin Booth from English Heritage

for a history lesson.

-Kevin.

-Jules, nice to meet you.

Very nice to see you, Sir! This is gorgeous, isn't it?

What a beautiful and slightly romantic place.

There's something about these medieval castle ruins

that have a bit of romance about them,

but this was never intended to be a romantic place.

Why was the castle sited here in Richmond?

Richmond Castle is a point of force

and it's sitting on a promontory on the River Swale.

It's got views both ways down the river

and this is a point of control over the north of England.

But it's one of the very first fortresses like this that's

built up here after William wins the Battle of Hastings.

Yeah, I mean, it's only four, five years

after William comes through the south of England.

So, what was the idea?

It's control.

It's a Northern population that haven't yet bowed

to the rule of the Normans.

Now, the earlier Anglo-Saxon kings and lords

weren't really known for their castle-building exploits.

I mean, for the local population to see this rise

out of the ground, it must have been, well, astonishing, really.

This is Norman architecture being imported with the conquerors -

bewildering, presumably to the local Saxons.

In terms of what we can see around us, Kevin,

which were the first bits to be built?

I think we need to look up at that, that fantastic tower there, really.

A classic piece of Norman design.

It's quite small, it's quite compact,

but it's a wonderfully complete surviving example.

Now, Kevin, I am assured that the view from the top of the keep

-is absolutely fantastic.

-139 steps to the top.

Yeah, we'll start counting, shall we?

The keep is 100 foot high

and was built from sandstone in the 12th century.

From the top on a clear day you can see for over 40 miles,

so advancing opponents could easily be spotted.

There's your view, Jules.

Wow, look at that! Fabulous!

You can absolutely see how the town has grown up around this place.

The castle is pulling in people, it's pulling in skills,

it's a centre for money, for law and order, for justice,

and it needs that town to support it and the town requires the castle.

The military importance of the castle in this area

lasted around 300 years.

But by the 15th century, there was a lack of investment

and it started to fall into decline.

But the castle's history doesn't end just because it becomes a ruin.

No, and certainly in the 19th century there was a great

resurgence of its fortunes with the military adopting it -

the local regiment's based here.

But, as you get to the 20th century, there's a story with a very

different slant, which perhaps we can go and see now.

Absolutely. Yeah, I'm going to follow you.

'During the First World War, although millions of men went

'to the front line, there were those who refused to fight

'on moral grounds and they were called conscientious objectors.

'These men were given non-combative duties, but some had even

'stronger objections and ended up incarcerated here.'

Oh!

Now, this is an atmospheric place.

The centre of every castle should have its dungeon.

Well, this one has a range of eight prison cells.

But absolutely covered in graffiti!

Pre-First World War up to the 1950s, but focusing,

especially for my interest,

on the work of the 16 absolutist conscientious objectors.

These men were known as absolutists because,

unlike conscientious objectors,

they refused any duties connected to the war effort.

In 1916, they were held here and became known as the Richmond 16.

So, eight cells on two levels,

and if we go upstairs we'll see the best examples of the Richmond 16.

Yeah. What a fascinating place.

So, here we are, Jules, in one of these tiny little cells

and this one probably has some

of the most poignant material inscribed.

They're so austere.

So it's just lime wash and pencil annotation over the top

and a whole series of messages from the religious, the personal,

to quite bold and blatant political statements as well.

That's interesting,

"The only war which is worth fighting is the class war.

"If the workers of all countries united and refused to fight,

"there would be no war."

Isn't that incredible?

It's a record not just of those 16 but actually of a whole

series of people across 40 years who've ended up in these cells

for some way disobeying their army orders.

The government and the military were terrified of what the actions

of a group of people like this could do for the morale

and the capacity of the country to fight the war.

How do we square their story with the role

this part of the world has played in a military narrative?

I see the absolutists as having made their own choice for free speech,

their own statement about the ability,

the rights of man, to make those choices.

Clearly, conserving these buildings is a challenge.

We don't open it to the public but we are doing all we can to monitor,

to understand the conditions that affect it and then to rectify it.

Well, Kevin, thank you very much for this rather privileged

and brief look into this story.

It is a fascinating footnote to the story of the First World War.

You're very welcome, Jules.

Let's leave it to its damp past.

Well, we've now reached that part of the show when we like

to sit our buyers down and find out what is going to happen next.

Now, sometimes it can be quite a complicated

and quite a long conversation, but today...

Well, I think it's going to be rather short

and hopefully rather sweet.

Ah, look at you enjoying the evening sunshine.

-Well, girls, how are we doing?

-Good.

-Really well.

-Have you enjoyed the last few days?

-Yes.

-Yeah, thank you.

We gave you three properties to consider.

Let me have a stab at where we're at.

Property number one, our gorgeous barn conversion,

was certainly affordable

but, at the end of the day, you still thought it was a bungalow.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Single storey.

JULES LAUGHS

Our Mystery House had in the past been a bungalow

and then had been much extended

but, despite all of that, it still wasn't gorgeous enough.

No.

Which leaves property number two,

which I think you rather fell in love with.

-Yeah. We loved it.

-Yeah, we really did.

Beautiful.

So what happens next, then?

Well, we've had a think

and I think the next step is that we need to get Lily involved.

We'd really like Lily to see it, wouldn't we?

Yeah. I think she'll feel quite similar to how we feel.

I think she'll really like it.

-She's got quite a level head, hasn't she?

-Yes.

It is a beautiful house,

but I have to tell you that we have heard

that the owners are today considering an offer that has

just come in, so you are going to have to be pretty quick about it.

I don't know how fast you can get Lily up here,

but I suggest you make a phone call and get her on a train right now,

because it probably is a matter of a day or two

before they accept that offer.

But you're well within striking distance of bettering it...

-Yeah, OK.

-..I would think.

-I think it's a cracking house.

-It is.

-Yeah. Yeah.

I think it really does represent a completely different way of life

from what you've known in Surrey.

I mean, that's been all of your life, hasn't it, Holly, down south?

And for you, a chance to come home again, Mel.

It is, and a new life.

Well, it has been a huge amount of fun having you on the show

up here in Yorkshire, so all that remains is for me

to wish you all the very best of luck, offer you a toast...

Thank you!

..and perhaps remind you, if you do want property two,

get your skates on.

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

You know, over the last few days, many a friendly local has tried

to reassure me that the sun always shines on Yorkshire

and, as you can see, it's certainly shone on us today

and what a day to fall in love with your dream home.

That, of course, is exactly what Holly and Mel have managed to do.

So, hopefully, if they are able to get it any time soon,

their dream of a new life here in the Dales should come true.

I'll see you next time.

If you'd like to escape to the country

in England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland

and need our help, you can apply online at...