Worcestershire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Carbon dated no less to 1325, this enormous barn behind me

represents one of the finest examples of medieval timber

construction anywhere in the UK.

But where have we come to to find this 14th century gem?

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

On today's show, our buyers are getting ahead of themselves.

My first impression is Christmas tree. I do love Christmas.

You're moving in already!

'And they get distracted by the local landscape.'

I don't believe it. Are you two still here?

-Yes.

-Did you actually go and have another look?

-No.

-No!

-HE LAUGHS

Well, today we are in Worcestershire and this is Lyde Court Barn,

one of the finest examples of cruck construction

anywhere in the country.

Well, how about this? What an amazing space.

It's 140ft long and this enormous roof is supported by no less

than nine of these fabulous cruck frames.

Each one of these outer timbers was fashioned from the trunk

of a single oak tree.

Buildings like this were designed to house the harvest,

but they also had another purpose as well.

When it was built originally,

the walls would have been in-filled with wattle panels,

much like those, and with these two carriageways incorporating

four sets of double doors, the idea was simple - the breeze

and the air flowing through would separate

the wheat from the chaff, a process known then and now as winnowing.

As somebody who does love a medieval building, take it from me,

this one is an absolute treat. It's arguably the best I have ever seen.

But, as you might imagine,

there's more to Worcestershire than just the architecture.

Landlocked Worcestershire is

bordered by Herefordshire to the west, the West Midlands to the

north, and Gloucestershire to the south and east.

On the western fringes of the county sit the Malvern Hills,

which are believed to be the inspiration for the Shire

region of JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth,

described in The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings.

The hills are ever popular with walkers and from the top, there

are impressive views across the Vale of Evesham towards the Cotswolds.

To the east of the county,

the Cotswold hills rise up from the Vale of Evesham

and feature the village of Broadway, which is

regarded as one of England's prettiest.

Over the years, the timeless beauty of the stone houses,

perfectly positioned within the surrounding countryside,

has been a real attraction.

In the hills above Broadway stands Broadway Tower,

a Romanesque style folly.

Built in the late 1790s, it stands on the western

edge of the Cotswolds and offers a magnificent vista across the county.

With Worcestershire offering such a rich variety of countryside

and architectural heritage,

it's not hard to see why this region is such a draw.

Now, if you fancy a slice of rural living,

but don't want to be too isolated,

then Worcestershire really does deserve some careful consideration

and the reason is simple - glorious countryside

and some really enticing prices to match.

The cost of your average detached property here is

currently around about £275,000.

That's just £5,000 above the national figure,

which isn't bad when you consider that just over the border

into Gloucestershire, you could pay 10% for exactly the same thing.

So, time now to meet today's buyers

and find out where in this gorgeous county they want to be.

In stark contrast to Worcestershire's rural

landscape is the commuter town of Hornchurch in Essex, which is

where retired couple Jean and Michael have lived in a

two bedroom first floor maisonette for the last 20 years.

Jean is a former police officer

and Michael was a civilian driver for the Metropolitan Police.

They've been married for 23 years.

I first met Michael when we were working together

and I quite fancied him.

-And so I pursued him relentlessly until he finally caught me!

-MICHAEL CHUCKLES

I was very flattered, I must say. Never been chased before!

Now retired, they're free to make the break from Hornchurch,

an area Jean has lived in for 30 years.

Hornchurch has changed a lot since I first moved here.

It was almost villagey.

Lots of little shops and unfortunately,

in recent years, there's more bars, clubs opening up.

We used to walk down to the town on a Saturday night

and go for a meal and then come out and walk back feeling quite safe.

I'm not saying that it isn't safe,

but as you get older, you don't feel so secure.

So we tend not to go out in the evenings any more.

It's not just the town that no longer serves their needs.

Their current home also has its drawbacks.

I love the flat, but the stairs are getting us down now.

The garden's far too big for us to look after.

It's not impossible now cos we're still reasonably fit, but we do

know that in a few years' time, that's not going to be so easy.

So, that's really why we want to move.

They've chosen Worcestershire

as Jean remembers it fondly from her childhood.

I can remember going camping there when I was a little girl,

with the Girl Guides.

And it's a beautiful county, it really is.

But after spending most of their lives in an urban setting,

they're under no illusions as to what's at stake.

The move is going to be quite challenging really.

I'm excited, but I'm also very, very nervous. I've been here 30 years.

I do think it's got to be better for us, I really do.

Jean and Michael are open-minded about where

they want their new house to be, so to make their budget go that

bit further, we'll widen our search into neighbouring Herefordshire.

But I'm meeting up with them in Worcestershire

to go over their property wish list.

Well, Jean, Michael, welcome to Worcestershire.

This is a big move for you.

-It is indeed.

-All the way from Essex. I'm an Essex boy.

-I didn't realise.

-So I can appreciate the distances

and the change that's going to be involved. Why now, Michael?

Well, we're not getting any younger

and where we're living in a first floor flat, it's the stairs.

So, we want somewhere that isn't reliant on stairs,

but obviously lots of properties have a second floor.

Would that in itself be OK?

No, as long as there was a downstairs cloakroom,

so we wasn't constantly down the stairs, then that would be fine.

Now, in terms of space,

what does your new home need to have in it, Jean?

We certainly don't want anything less than what we've already got.

At the moment, we've got two double bedrooms,

both with built-in wardrobes, so there's a good amount of storage.

We've got a lounge and a separate dining room, but we'd be prepared to give up the dining room,

if the kitchen was large enough to have a table and chairs in there.

And with regards to outside space, we'd love to be able to open

the kitchen door or dining room doors out onto a patio.

We are prepared...

We would like a smaller garden really, cos what we've got

at the moment is getting too much for us to handle.

I'm very touched as well by the fact that poor old Michael here,

who loves a bath, doesn't have a bath any more.

The bathroom is so small, it's about 6ft square, and we thought,

if we take the bath out and put a shower in...

But you don't realise how much you miss a bath

until you haven't got one.

-All those aches and pains to soak away.

-Yeah, that's right.

But what are we after in terms of style?

I don't think we've got a specific idea of what we do want - it's more what we don't want.

We don't want a project and we don't want the chocolate box thatch,

-we don't want the beams and small rooms.

-Michael?

Something a little newer, I think.

And how much are we planning to spend, Michael?

Well, we've got £350,000.

I'm pretty optimistic about your 350,000 for your two bed,

-maybe three, rural dream.

-Good.

It certainly is more than the average figure here, which is

-currently £275,000, so we have got a bit of wiggle room.

-Good.

We've got three to show you this week, including the mystery house, so let's get going.

-OK.

-Shall we? Follow me.

-Right.

Jean and Michael have £350,000 to spend on their new country home.

They would like a house with a kitchen/diner,

not too many stairs, a minimum of two double bedrooms

and a bathroom, so Michael can at last enjoy a bath.

They need a downstairs cloakroom, and as they enjoy the fresh air,

would like a small garden with a patio for entertaining friends.

We've lined up three interesting properties to show them.

They won't know the price tag of each until after each house tour.

But I'm hoping our last offering, our mystery house,

will really challenge their thinking.

Time to hit the road.

Would you say your retirement's busy, Michael?

I try not to be busy, but she keeps me on the go most of the time! JULES CHUCKLES

-I knew he'd say that!

-There's always something to do.

-Yeah.

-You're the chauffeur.

-Yeah.

-Well, I know what that feels like!

THEY LAUGH

We're starting our property search in the hamlet of Acton Green,

which is just over the border into Herefordshire.

Bishops Frome is one of the closest villages for amenities.

With a strong sense of community, the village is served by two well

regarded pubs, a local butchers and its own out-of-town shopping

centre, hosting a number of independent stores.

The hamlet of Acton Green is a ten minute drive away.

Surrounded by small coppices and farmland is our first offering.

So, this is it. Property number one.

-There you go. Michael?

-Yes, it's very nice.

-It's quite...pretty, really, isn't it?

-It's very pretty!

It's got this lovely mixture of stone

and classic oak timber framing, as you can see.

Very much what houses in this part of the world are known for.

-It dates from about 1600, this one.

-That IS old!

-So, it's had some history and it's had some lives lived in it.

-Yeah.

We just need to add another chapter to its story, really.

-Let's see.

-Maybe it's you two! Come and have a look then.

'Although it dates back 400 years,

'the inside of what was once an old schoolhouse has been

'renovated recently, so it should give our buyers that modern

'with character feel they're after.'

-Come in, Jean.

-Thank you.

-Mike, if you can grab the door.

-Now, what do you think, Michael?

-It's very small, at first thought.

-Jean?

-Yes, it is very small, compared to what we've got.

But it depends what else there is.

I mean, this is really you being cosy, the pair of you.

At the moment, the property's not really lived in.

It's part-furnished, so you have to imagine it with a bit more

dressing and a bit more homeliness, I suppose.

-Happy?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Yes. I can see there's a slight...

-We have reservations.

I've still got to see what else there is before you can say.

Come on, then. This is the kitchen/diner,

which hopefully will allay any worries you have.

-It's still quite compact, isn't it?

-It's a bit small.

I mean, it's got a lot of stuff in it, to be fair.

That dresser is soaking up space and light.

-If you had a more oblong table...

-That might work better.

..running that way, it would give you that sense of separation

and a bit more working space over there perhaps.

-Oh, dear. So, space...

-Yes.

-..is a thing.

Yes.

'The size of this charming cottage might be a concern,

'but it does benefit from a more modern extension beyond the kitchen,

'which features a generous utility area and a downstairs guest

'suite, adding more space to the original fabric of the building.'

-So, shower room in there.

-All right, OK.

-That's a nice little sink.

-And then, this is the extension.

-Ah.

-You'd get a double bed in, wouldn't you?

-I think so.

-I think for visiting guests...

-Yeah. It's a nice little room.

And if you did want it as a separate kind of study area,

if you weren't that fussed about having it as a bedroom, again

it sort of takes the pressure off what you use the other rooms for.

-Yeah.

-The kitchen and the living room. So, yeah, lots of options.

-And then upstairs, two bedrooms.

-OK.

-Shall we have a look at those?

-Yes.

'And those upstairs bedrooms are also both good sized spaces,

'with the added bonus of exposed beams.

'Plus, there's a three piece, half-tiled, family bathroom.'

And then, finally, this is yours.

-Oh, it's a little bigger, isn't it?

-Yeah, biggest of the lot.

-You've got this lovely vaulted ceiling.

-Mm.

-Dual aspect.

-No, it's...not what I'm looking for.

-It's too small.

-Yeah.

-Too small?

-Yeah. I think so.

Perhaps the next thing is to really talk about the price then

because that may have a bearing on it.

-It would certainly give you an idea of what's on offer here.

-OK.

And I think that's what could be exciting.

So, let's go down to the garden, get some fresh air,

-and talk about the numbers.

-OK.

-OK.

In the garden, there's a pretty patio and seated area to the front

of the property, which is enclosed by mature shrubs and hedging.

But directly opposite the house, over the driveway,

is more outside space, with a vegetable patch.

-Oh, look! Sunnier now!

-Yes.

-This is all good.

-Much nicer!

LAUGHTER

You see, I'm hoping that the sunshine is going to help

-the feeling about what we have about this place.

-Do you think?

You never know. The price might.

-£350,000 is your maximum spend, including everything.

-Yeah.

So, Michael? What's property one on the market for?

-I think it's about £280,000.

-280. Jean?

I think it's a little bit more. 300?

300, yeah.

Well, given that you don't want to spend everything,

the fact that this is on the market for £289,950...means I think

it's worth looking at, certainly.

Mm-hm. It is a beautiful property. It's absolutely stunning.

-But I'm not sure...

-You're not sure.

-..it's for us.

-Michael?

-Not the inside.

-I think it's too small.

-Too small.

We haven't spent all of your money yet.

We've still got a bit left, up to 350, for our final two properties,

but I think this is a really interesting start, gives you

an idea of what you can achieve if you want to go in at a lower sum.

-Yeah.

-Well, there is one bit you haven't seen and that is the garden across there.

-Go and have a look at that and I will catch up with you a little bit later.

-OK.

-Off you go.

-Thank you.

Under budget by £60,000, our first property is a characterful

country cottage, which has been

sensitively renovated and extended.

It gives Michael and Jean

one more bedroom than they asked for

and a downstairs bathroom.

And what's more,

the garden I slow maintenance

and offers a patio for entertaining.

-I think the location is very nice. Nice and quiet.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-So peaceful.

-It's lovely, in the country.

And this little bit, even though it's separated,

-it's ideal for the barbecue.

-And no stairs.

-No, no stairs.

-But I think the house itself is just too small for us.

-Yeah.

Although we live in a flat at the moment, a maisonette,

it's quite a lot bigger than the whole cottage.

But the bathroom was bigger and it had a bath, so that was good.

If we could pay a little more for slightly larger in size,

it would be a lot better, I think.

Looking at the property from the outside,

it really is beautiful, but even from the initial approach,

I was concerned about what the size might be inside.

I mean, it's beautifully done and I guess it's right for somebody,

but I don't think it's right for us.

-Hello, Jean.

-Hello.

-How are we doing, Michael?

-Yeah, we're fine.

You see, we tried to get you a bit of change with this one,

but I suspect we may need to change what we're looking for.

-I think so.

-Come on. Let's go.

-OK.

When our buyers finally move to the West Midlands countryside,

Jean is keen to reignite her passion for nature, first sparked

when she was a child in the Girl Guides.

Worcestershire is home to one of the country's oldest

and largest centres for birds of prey.

The Falconry Centre in Hagley is home to around 80 birds,

both native species and some from overseas. The centre has an active breeding programme

and helps rehabilitate British birds of prey injured in the wild.

We sent our couple to meet volunteer Abbie Watson to meet

-some of the current residents.

-This is Mr Jangles, our spectacle owl.

Hello, Mr Jangles!

-Isn't he nice?

-He's beautiful.

Apart from Mr Jangles, what other sorts of birds do you have here?

We have a large variety of birds here,

from the UK and across the world.

We have hawks, owls, vultures, falcons, kites, eagles.

We have a large variety of different birds.

I noticed that Mr Jangles is doing a lot of head bobbing.

-Yes, this is him trying to focus.

-Right.

-He's only young.

That's him focusing on all the different things that are going on.

-How old is he?

-He's about 12 weeks old now.

-Oh, really? That is young.

-Yeah.

Birds of prey, or raptors, rapidly declined in numbers during the

Victorian period due to excessive hunting

and then pesticide poisoning in the mid-20th century.

But laws introduced to protect birds of prey, along with a greater public

understanding of their plight, have helped halt the decline.

So, these are our public display birds.

So, we do have lots of conservation here, from breeding to rehabilitation.

So, Noodles, that Harris hawk there, he's one of the birds that we bred here last year.

So, you say that you do a lot of rehabilitation.

What sort of typical injuries do you find?

The injuries we tend to get the most are when they've been hit by cars.

And do you get the majority back out into the wild?

The majority, yeah, we do manage to get back.

I understand that you do a lot of public displays. How does that fit in with the centre?

We try and use conservation through education, so if we can educate the public about the problems that

some of the birds are facing, they'll learn a bit more.

-So, would you like to come and fly one of our birds now?

-I'd love to.

Nothing would make me happier.

The centre has two Bateleur Eagles that they fly

regularly for displays. The Bateleur is a medium-size colourful

eagle found all over Africa, south of the Sahara and even into Arabia.

In 2009, they were placed on the endangered list, due to the loss of habitat,

and so any conservation efforts to help them are really worthwhile.

The centre plan to breed with their two birds in the next few years.

The eagles spend eight to nine hours a day looking for food.

In the wild, they eat live and dead animals, such as mice, lizards

and birds, but here, the centre bring in dead chicks to feed them.

If the bird knows the handler has food, they'll always fly to them.

Nugget!

Good girl!

-SHE CHUCKLES

-She's beautiful!

-Well, that flight was absolutely amazing.

-Brilliant.

-I'm glad you've enjoyed it.

-We've had a really good day.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Good luck with the move.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

For our second property,

we're heading to the village of Ribbesford.

Bewdley is the closest town for shops and services, two miles away.

Nestling on the banks of the River Severn, it is

one of Worcestershire's most historic and scenic places.

Bewdley has long been an important river crossing and by the 18th

century, it had become a thriving inland port,

with goods arriving from all over the world.

Today, it offers a range of independent shops

and is famed for its fine Georgian architecture.

Our second house is a few minutes' drive away.

Surrounded by beautiful and unspoilt countryside,

it's part of a small development of former farm buildings.

-That is property number two.

-OK.

-What do you think?

-A lot better.

-A lot better! Why a lot better?

-I don't know.

-Michael?

-It looks bigger. It looks a lot nicer.

-It is a little bit bigger.

I wouldn't say it was twice the size at all. It is beautifully finished.

It's one of half a dozen properties in this renovated farm complex,

so you've got six properties here.

So, you've got neighbours, you've got a community, which is great.

-Yeah.

-And you've got some amazing views...

-I just sneaked a peek.

You can just glimpse through there and there's a real

treat in the garden, which makes best use of those.

But, yeah, this is interesting.

My very first impression is very nice.

-And I'll let you into another little secret, Michael...

-Yeah.

-It's got a bath.

-A real bath you can have all to yourself.

-Thanks very much.

-LAUGHTER

-Good. Come on. Let's have a look.

OK. People will think he hasn't had a bath for years!

'Well, that's a better reaction to our second property,

'our semidetached barn conversion. I'm confident Jean

'and Michael will be equally impressed with the interior.'

Come on, let's start in here. This is the living room.

-Oh, this is lovely!

-Isn't it?

-Very nice.

-Yeah.

Oak flooring, you've got the beams, but of course

they're nice and high.

The fireplace over there, with wood-burner,

so nice and cosy in the winter again.

Do you know? My first impression is Christmas tree.

-I do love Christmas.

-You're moving in already!

Right then, kitchen. Come on. Follow me.

'The living room also takes advantage of the impressive

'views, with French doors leading out to a garden patio.'

So, across the hallway, up these two steps, you've got the kitchen...

-Well, kitchen/diner really.

-That's a lot bigger as well, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's very nice.

-Got a nice little bit of storage space over there, with that

freestanding unit and again, double doors out to the terrace beyond.

-Very nice.

-Very nice indeed.

I mean, it's virtually a brand-new house, let's face it.

But with some lovely touches. The stone coming through there, these stone coins,

as they're called, round the door reveal, the oak doors,

the old beams and so forth...

It's a lovely mixture. And the slate floor is just brilliant.

-It's been really well done.

-It has, yeah.

It's not massive down here. This is it for the ground floor,

but would this space be enough to keep you occupied day-to-day?

-I think so.

-Yeah.

'That wraps up our tour of the ground floor,

'although let's not forget the all-important downstairs cloakroom.

'Upstairs, there are three bedrooms.

'Two have their own dressing or study areas, one room is being

'used as a nursery, and the other could make a good guest option.

'There's also a family bathroom, complete with roll top bath,

'something Michael should be happy soaking in.'

And this is your bit.

That's quite a nice size as well.

I mean, there's no built-in, as such, but I think plenty of room

-for a bit of freestanding, which is obviously what they've got there.

-Yeah.

And of course, with those other slightly quirkier bedrooms,

you might allow yourself a bit of a dressing room...

I think we probably would do, yeah.

So, property number two is scoring a little more highly than

-property number one.

-Yes. Definitely.

-Oh, yeah.

-Could you see yourselves living in this place?

-I could, yeah.

-Good.

I like it very much.

So the interior of the house gets the thumbs up,

but I think I've saved the best bit till last -

the landscaped garden that extends to the rear of the property.

From this elevated position, the views are simply breathtaking.

And the owners have built a superb decking area to make

the most of the surrounding countryside.

-Now, this is a remarkable structure.

-This is just fabulous, isn't it?

-Isn't it?

-Absolutely.

And ahead of you is Ribbesford Wood, it's a

nice swathe of ancient woodland.

I just can't believe the view. It's to die for.

-This thing really makes the best of it.

-It does.

But look back at the house. That's the thing that we're really buying.

-The view is a bonus.

-It certainly is!

-It's almost picture perfect.

-Perfect, says your wife, sir.

I think it's perfect as well.

So, then. What's the damage? What is property two on the market for?

I think it's going to be near the top of our budget. But I'm hoping...

I'm going to be optimistic and say £340,000.

340,000, yeah.

I think it's going to be 350. It's going to be on the budget.

-If it were 350, you could do it, if you chopped in everything.

-Yes.

But if we could save you a bit of money too,

-that would be all right, wouldn't it?

-It would be quite...

Particularly if property two was on the market for £329,000.

-Wow!

-Even better.

-That's fabulous.

Look, I am going to give you as much time as you like to explore this

and make sure it is everything you hope it will be.

-Mm-hm.

-Off you go.

-I'm going to stay here and watch the view.

-Are you now?

-All right, then!

-We'll catch up with you later.

-I'm sure you will!

-Come on then, enjoy those views!

-Thank you.

Well, there you are. That's told me.

Below budget by £21,000,

this beautifully finished barn

conversion has charmed our buyers.

It provides Jean with

the kitchen/diner she wanted,

Michael gets his bathtub

and it comes with three bedrooms,

one more than they have

at the moment.

The garden is manageable,

with magnificent views

of the Worcestershire countryside.

I thought it was stunning.

I like the idea of it, it is actually a little complex,

cos I think one of the things we do worry about is

if something happens to one of us, I don't want to be in bed for days

and no-one notices that I haven't got up!

I love it. I really love it.

I think it's a very good prospect for us, very good prospect indeed.

Especially with a little bit of cash in our pockets at the end of it.

It's a fabulous house.

The upstairs, the main bedroom is all the room we could want, really.

The bathroom's very nice. Got a shower and a bath.

And the little room, I think it's ideal for guests and the little

tiny room would make a reasonable study and craft room for Jean.

So, I think the whole house is ideal.

-It is amazing.

-I don't believe it! Are you two still here?

-Yes.

-Did you actually go and have another look?

-No.

-No!

-HE LAUGHS

Although we loved the house, I think

-it's the views that have sold it to us.

-Well, what a day, Michael!

-Yeah.

-Maybe we should go and celebrate.

-I think we should.

-Shall I cancel the mystery house?

-No.

-Oh, no!

-No.

-HE CHUCKLES

-Come on, then.

'It's the second day of our property search with Jean

'and Michael from Essex.

'They're keen to move from their maisonette in Hornchurch to

'a rural home in Worcestershire and they have a budget of £350,000.

'Still to come, our final house intrigues.'

Wow!

It's certainly a mystery!

'And I go foraging in the Cotswolds.'

This is the Pershore Yellow Egg...

-Beautiful!

-It's probably the only time of year when you can actually eat it.

Well, yesterday certainly finished on a high,

but today has started, as you can probably tell, in the rain, but that doesn't matter

because today it's all about the mystery house and what

we have in mind for Michael and Jean will, I think, knock them sideways.

Well, how are we feeling on this wet day?

-Very optimistic.

-I mean, yesterday was good.

-It was good, yes.

-We've got a lot to beat, Michael, with property two, I think.

-We have.

The only thing that was a downside is the garden, the sloping lawn.

It's OK at the moment, but how will it be when I'm 70 and pushing 80?

-Hire a gardener.

-Hire a man in.

-About 21.

-THEY LAUGH

I knew that was coming, Jean!

-That would be nice.

-A nice young man to help out in the garden, Jean.

-You can sit there and watch him all day long.

-Yes!

-Sorry, Michael.

-That's all right. THEY LAUGH

That's all right.

Our mystery house is in the village of Whitbourne,

on the county border about five miles from the town of Bromyard.

Bromyard is an attractive town with a number of half timbered buildings.

Founded in the 12th century,

for many years it was a market town and today, it's still

a centre for growing hops, cider apples, pears and soft fruit.

It also boasts a number of shops, many of them historic.

And just down the road is Whitbourne, where we

find our final property.

Come in to our mystery house.

Up you come, Jean.

-It's certainly a mystery!

-It's different.

-Yes.

This is very, very different.

It is a 16th century cider barn, evidence of which is inside.

That's all I'm saying for now.

But a remarkable property and the only way to understand this

-one is to approach it not expecting anything that's conventional.

-OK.

It's as quirky as you like. Come on.

'Our mystery house is a Grade-II listed 17th-century cider barn.

'As well as incorporating modern elements, it makes ingenious

'use of the building's historic agricultural heritage.'

-There.

-Oh.

-HE LAUGHS

-What do you reckon?

-King Arthur comes to mind.

-Doesn't it?

There is something of the Round Table and Camelot about it,

definitely. Actually, that's the cider press.

That is amazing isn't it? As tables go, it's...

-Do you know, I don't think I've got that many friends.

-THEY LAUGH

I think it's amazing, you've got a huge wood burner over there,

lovely stone floor, as you can see. Very, very quirky.

And they've really exposed the bones of the building. The oak beams have

been kind of revealed and opened up to create all these amazing spaces.

Yeah.

'Dominated by that amazing cider-press table,

'I don't think Jean and Michael really know what to make of it all.

'But the kitchen is a little more conventional.'

I mean, it is something of a sort of kitchenette

because you've got that huge space through there

but they've removed the fill of these panels.

These would have been wattle and daub panels originally so...

But they've opened it up, which is rather nice.

It's big enough really, yes.

-It's big enough to cook in, yeah.

-Big enough to cook in.

I bet you never expected to see this on your travels this week.

-Certainly not in my dining room!

-JULES LAUGHS

-But are you liking it?

-Yes, I think it's lovely.

It's very nice.

Can you imagine living here, more to the point?

-Possibly.

-It's sort of taken us aback.

-Yeah.

Well, you have got three bedrooms here.

Oh, right, that's good.

One of them's on the ground floor, it's through here.

You've got this kind of central hallway, as it were.

There's a loo there.

Quite an interesting sort of wet room in there.

Oh, that's mine.

Yeah? Ideal, isn't it? You're the shower, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-And he's the bath.

-But there is a bath here, don't worry.

-Is there?

-Yeah, upstairs.

-And next door, they've got it currently set up as a twin.

-OK.

But it could easily be a double.

And you've got two staircases.

-This spiral, which gets you up to the master.

-Mm-hm.

-And the other

staircase there, which gets you up to another lavish guest room.

I'm going to let you explore the other bedroom

when we finish the tour, but let's have a look at the master bedroom.

OK.

'The master suite is located at the top of the spiral staircase

'on a galleried level which overlooks the ground floor.

Now, as master bedrooms go, what do you reckon to this then, Jean?

Erm...

-Bit open for my liking.

-A bit open?

-Yeah.

-In what sense?

-That you're straight up the stairs and into the bedroom.

-Yeah.

There's no sort of privacy.

As a room, as a space, again very different.

Yes, very different.

And in there, Michael, your bath.

-Ah.

-Open the door. There you are.

-Oh, superb.

-Yeah? Really, the bedrooms are interchangeable.

We've given you this as the master because it's got a bath.

-Yeah, thank you.

-THEY LAUGH

The other one has a shower.

But what's it worth, our mystery house, do you think?

-Oh...

-Where do we begin with this one?

Come on, let's go down.

'I think the open-plan nature of the suggested master has cast

'doubt in Jean's mind, but they could certainly use the other

'upstairs bedroom as their space

'which is more private, but lacks a bath.

'Outside, as well as the paved courtyard at the front

'of the property, there's also a pretty medieval-style walled garden

'with box hedges and a variety of herbs.'

So, the price. Final price guess of the week, folks.

Who's going to go first? Go on, Jean.

I think 335.

£335,000, yeah. Michael?

345, I think.

£345,000. He's trumped you by 10, look, you see?

Well, here's the truth of it.

The exciting thing, I think, is that this is on the market

for £295,000.

-Wow.

-Good grief.

That does shed a different light on things, doesn't it?

I thought it might, yeah. Well, there is

a lot to consider with this one, so go and have a look around.

-In particular, have a look at that second bedroom upstairs.

-OK.

-And I will catch up with you later.

-OK.

Brilliant.

Well, there we go, we do love our mystery houses

on Escape To The Country, and with good reason.

When you find ones like this,

it is an absolute treat showing our buyers around.

And when it comes to value for money, character, charm

and quirkiness, frankly this one really does take some beating.

Under budget by a generous £55,000,

our mystery house is a former 17th-century cider mill

which has been transformed into a stunning three-bedroom property.

It comes with a wealth of original features,

but its focal point is that wonderful cider-press dining table

There's also a downstairs cloakroom,

and the garden is largely paved, so low-maintenance.

Oh.

This is better.

I think I'd rather have this as the master.

Yeah, I think I would.

It'd make a better master, I think, for us.

Blown away. I mean, the mill, the table, the press. I love it.

I really love it.

The rest of the downstairs, I'm not sure that it really works for us.

One of the reasons we want to move is that we're getting older

and stairs are becoming more and more difficult.

And those spiral staircases frighten the life out of me.

When we stepped inside, it sort of took my breath away, really.

The press done as a round table, it's just not me.

It's a fabulous property for someone,

but I don't think it's quite for us.

HE LAUGHS

Well, our quirky mystery house has certainly given you

-lots to consider.

-It certainly has.

-And, of course, our other two properties...

-Yeah.

-..as well, so...

-A lot of thinking to do.

-Right then, let's go.

-OK.

Oh, better shut the door.

Between the Malvern and the Cotswold Hills lies the Vale of Evesham.

A vast area of sheltered, fertile flatland known as

the fruit basket of England

because of the wide variety of fruit it grows.

Since Victorian times, the town of Pershore has produced

plums by the tonne and today it celebrates the plum harvest

with a festival throughout the month of August.

I've come to meet local horticultural expert

John Edgeley to find out more about the heritage of the humble plum.

Now, John - the Vale of Evesham is famous for many things,

I had no idea that the plum had its home here,

in particular in Pershore. How did that come about?

It all came about with the discovery of the Pershore Yellow Egg

in a local wood, Tiddesley Wood, in 1827.

It was very suited for jam making, bottling, canning,

which, of course, there was no refrigeration then.

But how did the plum establish itself here in Pershore?

What gave rise to its popularity?

Well, you've got a very good climate

cos you've got the Cotswolds, you've got the Malvern Hills,

and you've got this lovely climate in between.

Particularly south Worcestershire is quite warm

compared to other areas round about.

Now, you've managed to galvanise the history of the plum, and its

now increasing popularity, into the Pershore Plum Festival.

-When did that start?

-It started in 1996.

Four of us locally started it going on August bank holiday Monday,

and then in 2006 we expanded it to the whole of August.

And so, basically, August, the whole of Pershore goes purple.

Around the town are many orchards which still produce a large

variety of native plums.

With the harvest in full swing, I've timed my visit well

as the Pershore Yellow Egg plum

has a rather narrow window for ripening.

It's probably the only time of year when you can actually eat it.

Are you making that up?

I'm not making it up, as you'll find out.

You can try that and see what it's like.

Mm, gosh, that's very nice. And it really is just today?

Before today it would have been too hard and not very flavoursome,

tomorrow it's probably very mealy

and is only good for making into jam.

Well, it tastes absolutely fabulous today.

But I noticed throughout this beautiful orchard,

there are, of course, boughs full of Purple Pershore.

Are they also edible today?

Yes, we can try those. So we can go across and have a look.

Well, I would go for one of these here, perhaps.

-How's that one?

-That should be OK.

-A fine example.

Which are the most popular, then,

between the Yellow Egg and the Purple?

Probably, for eating, now, it's got to be the Purple Pershore.

It's got a fantastic flavour, and, certainly when we're

selling them in Pershore, this is the one that sells the most.

During the festival month, many of these historic plum

varieties are being used by local food producers in all

types of local delicacies to show how diverse the plum can be.

John wants me to sample some of their wares and is taking me

to a local cafe.

-Hello.

-This is Natalie.

-Hello, Natalie, very nice to see you.

-Hello, nice to meet you.

-What a fabulous spread.

-Thank you.

This is what everybody's tucking into in Pershore, these days?

They are. They certainly are.

We've used all the local produce and the Vale plums,

and incorporated something a bit different with our own

favourite classics, and created this lovely selection.

You have made a version of everything I really enjoy.

It's got to be done hasn't it?

I can't look at this any longer.

Mm. Mmm!

Wow, absolutely gorgeous.

And are you using the purple plums?

Mainly, yes, with the purple plums.

It gives it that nice colour to our products.

What's really surprised me is how the fruit adds a real richness

and a depth of flavour.

So what did you start with?

The plum sausage.

That was where it kind of all began for us.

-Is this it here?

-Yes, yes.

Let me try a bit of the sausage.

Mm. Oh, absolutely brilliant, Natalie.

I could be here for a very long time, I suspect.

But thank you very much indeed, both of you...

-Thank you.

-..for my introduction to plums from Pershore.

-What a way to finish.

-You're more than welcome.

-Enjoy.

Well, I don't know about you, but I do feel we have been able to

spoil Michael and Jean this week with our properties.

So I thought we'd continue the theme and have our final

chat in the surroundings of this glorious neoclassical mansion.

They have a big decision to make, let's see if they've made it.

Well, Jean and Michael,

-this has been quite an interesting week, I think.

-It has.

We have explored huge tracts of Worcestershire's countryside

and seen some fabulous properties to boot,

but have we managed to find you your new home?

-Maybe, yes, maybe.

-Maybe?

With a clear winner, which is, of course, property number two?

It certainly was.

So, let's hear it. Your thoughts on that one?

It was just amazing.

The views from the garden were stunning, to die for.

I just loved it. My heart went.

Everything was perfect.

You see, Michael, I was a bit worried about property two

because you were worried that property one was so small.

I wasn't convinced that our lovely barn conversion would be

that much bigger.

Well, it is slightly smaller,

because we've got a dining room at home and there isn't a dining

room there, but the house is so perfect, the garden's perfect,

the views are perfect, it's just ideal for what we're looking for.

So I think we're going to have to give way on

some part of our present life, really.

So what, if anything, is going to happen next?

You said it's perfect, you said it's ideal,

but is it good enough to want to move to?

We've arranged to stay on in the area for another three days,

so what we're going to do is maybe contact the agents

and ask for a second viewing so that we can have a real good look

and talk to the owner, get a feeling for the area.

We want to travel around the area and see where the doctors are

and the shops, you know, just get a feel for the area.

And if all that stacks up, then hopefully that's the one to go for?

-I think so.

-I think it will be, cos those views were just stunning.

And you could comfortably afford it at, what? 329?

-We could, yeah.

-Brilliant. Guys, well,

it's been an absolute pleasure,

I have very much enjoyed this week with the pair of you.

We've had a good laugh, I think, along the way.

-We certainly have!

-So let us know how you get on.

-We will do.

-We will do, yeah.

-But best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

Jean and Michael did go back to house number two for another

viewing, but decided it was just too remote.

They're now widening their search area.

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