West Sussex Escape to the Country

This 19th-century windmill is known locally as Jill

and just behind the trees there is her partner, Jack.

Together they stand proud over the local landscape.

But where am I? Find out in just a moment.

Today, a couple who crave quiet in the countryside,

away from the noise of next door.

We may have a tough job on our hands.

-So what do you think?

-I think it's great.

-What do YOU think, Kim?

-Yeah.

I'd like to see a bit more, but yes.

-Always a but.

-Always a but.

But at another house, we get it right.

Oh, this is lovely.

I think this has got almost everything we want.

Today we're in West Sussex and I'm in the village of Clayton,

in the heart of the South Downs National Park.

The village's two windmills are thought to have been named

Jack and Jill by day-trippers to Brighton in the 1920s.

Today, only Jill here is a working mill,

lovingly cared for by a group of dedicated volunteers

who have been meeting here every Saturday since 1978.

Thanks to their hard work, Jill has been fully restored,

and occasionally, when the wind blows,

is used to grind locally-grown wheat to make wholemeal flour,

providing us with just a taste of what this county has to offer.

West Sussex lies in the heart of the Southeast, tucked in

between the English Channel and the counties of Hampshire,

Surrey and East Sussex.

Despite being just a short hop from the capital,

parts of the county feel like a step back in time,

with historic architectural delights and quiet country lanes aplenty.

In the east, the rolling hills of The Weald, once an ancient forest,

are interrupted by the Ouse Valley Viaduct,

one of the country's finest,

an imposing example of Victorian engineering.

Stretching across the county from east to west

is the South Downs National Park,

which became a protected area in 2011.

These chalk hills are considered

one of the most important rural landscapes in southern England.

Nearby, the charming market town of Arundel

boasts a beautifully-preserved castle

which dates back to the 11th century.

Today it makes an impressive sight,

towering above the banks of the River Arun.

With its easy access to both the coast and capital,

West Sussex is a much sought-after county

for those after a not-too-remote slice of rural England.

But property buyers beware -

with its proximity to the capital and unspoiled countryside,

houses in West Sussex don't come cheap.

In fact, the average price of a detached property here

is about 45% more than the national average,

and would cost you around £400,000.

Commuter territory always comes at a premium,

but prices are more reasonable the further south you go

away from the capital - apart from the coast, of course.

So what are today's buyers hoping to find in this beautiful county?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Ben and Kim have been married for almost 40 years

and live in the Surrey town of Horley.

For the last two decades, the family home

has been this four-bedroom detached house,

but with two grown-up children having flown the nest,

they're not only looking to downsize but to find a quieter setting

away from the town Ben has lived in most of his life.

I've lived here for probably about 50 years now.

When I moved here, it was fantastic.

It was like countryside.

Now there's a lot more housing, but they haven't sort of increased

or improved the town to cope with it, really,

and the roads have got very busy now.

We like peace and quiet.

Ben has worked in IT for 40 years and Kim is a school secretary.

They're not giving up their jobs or their friends,

so they've set their sights south,

on the neighbouring county of West Sussex.

We'd really like to move to West Sussex.

We've got friends in that area.

We'd really like to be kind of within 25 miles' radius of Horsham,

because then we could carry on visiting our friends.

We do see them quite a lot, you know, they come over for dinner,

and if we're too far away that would take that away from us, you know,

and we really do enjoy that type of thing.

As well as entertaining, Ben and Kim hope to add to the family.

What draws us really to the country life is the peace and quiet

and the fact that, you know, when Kim gets her dog,

finally gets her dog, which I promised her when we move,

she'll just be able to walk out the house,

down the country lane,

there won't be traffic zooming past us all the time,

we'll be able to let it off the lead and off it'll go.

When they're not walking their new dog,

Ben wants to hit the West Sussex roads in his classic car.

The MG Midget that I've got in the garage,

Kim and I bought that in 1979,

and when we get into the countryside,

I'm going to get it back on the road,

drive it out to a little country pub with the hood down.

I might even take Kim with me as well, if she's lucky.

But it sounds like Kim will be more than occupied with her new garden.

We'd like to have a smaller garden,

not too small cos I do enjoy gardening,

and I get very carried away at the garden centre,

buying plants and shrubs and trees.

But something that would be a bit easier to manage,

hopefully with room for a small greenhouse.

And after a busy day outside,

what better way to relax than in front of the fire?

I don't know why, I've always loved wood burners

and everything that goes with them.

It'd be really, really cold,

and we'll light up the wood burner and get in front of it,

nice glass of red wine, or white wine, Kim prefers.

But although our buyers clearly yearn for rural rapture,

the sociable couple have some fears about being too cut-off

from the rest of the world.

I think our main concern if we moved too far

was we'd be moving away from our friends.

We know we've got to do it, we've got to get away,

but, you know, when you're so familiar with something,

it is just going to be...

It is going to be a big shock but we desperately want to do it.

Ben and Kim want us to concentrate our property search

within a 25-mile radius of Horsham so Kim can continue working

and so they're not too far from their friends in Surrey.

I'm meeting up with our buyers in West Sussex

to find out more about their plan to move.

Ben and Kim, lovely to meet you both.

Thank you.

Now, this is why you want to move to West Sussex, isn't it?

The peace and quiet.

It is indeed. It's just amazing here, isn't it?

Tell us about the house that you're looking for.

Well, ideally three bedrooms - we're downsizing a bit.

-Kim would like an en suite, wouldn't you?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Don't mind about the style or the age particularly,

-probably not too old.

-No, we don't want a project.

-No.

-So something fairly ready to move into.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Modern would be great, wouldn't it?

-Yes.

You know, cos I do a lot of work round the house,

a lot of central heating stuff, electrics, but, you know,

I'd like to put that behind me and have it all done for me, really.

Anything else that's really important for you both?

Ben would like a wood burner or be able to put one in.

I've got to have a wood burner, yes.

So if it doesn't have one in, you'll be doing that job, won't you?

I would be doing that job, that's fine. Yeah, that would be good.

What are the big no-nos for you?

Neighbours is a really, really big no-no.

We want to be somewhere where, whatever the neighbour's doing,

they're not going to affect us,

and whatever we do, we won't affect them.

Remind us of your budget.

The budget is 625,000.

OK. Now, most parts of the country that would be a fantastic budget,

but you know how popular West Sussex is, don't you?

Yes, we do know, yes.

So it might be difficult to get absolutely everything

-on your wish list.

-Yes.

But we've got some great properties lined up.

-Fantastic.

-Hopefully you'll find something in them

that you're looking for. Looking forward to it, let's go.

-Really looking forward to it.

-Thank you.

Ben and Kim have an ambitious wish list for their £625,000,

but we hope to find them a detached property

with a minimum of three bedrooms and at least one en suite bathroom.

They're not too concerned about a particular age or style

but would like a wood burner or the potential to install one

and a manageable garden.

But of greatest importance is the position.

They don't want to be disturbed by neighbouring properties.

We've lined up a worthy selection of West Sussex wonders

for Ben and Kim to ponder, but I won't be revealing

the price tag of their potential purchase until the end of the tour.

Our Mystery House challenges our buyers to embrace shared living.

Our first property offering is in the village of West Chiltington,

12 miles from Horsham.

Situated on the South Downs, the tranquil village is characterised

by windy lanes with rows of idyllic cottages, some with hung tiles,

and a village shop which doubles up as a post office.

The church, dating back to the 12th century,

features an oak-shingled spire and is tiled in Horsham stone,

a traditional roofing material found throughout the region.

Positioned on a quiet road on the edge of the village,

the first property sits in a peaceful secluded garden,

offering a high degree of natural privacy.

What do you think of the chalet?

-I like it.

-Yeah, I like it as well.

It was built in the 1950s,

so in that sense very similar age to your current property,

-which you say you love.

-We do.

-It's really about moving away from the area.

-Yes.

It looks very promising, yes.

And on a very quiet road.

Yeah, which is good. Cos we wanted quiet, yes.

I see you've still got neighbours, but hey.

-Not too near.

-Shall we go inside?

-Yes, please.

-Let's get out of this rain.

'Built in the 1950s, it's a classic chalet-style home.

'I just hope Ben can leave his fears about proximity

'to neighbouring houses at the front door as we embark on our tour.'

We'll go into the living room first.

-Oh, this is lovely.

-It is, isn't it?

-Big windows.

-Yes.

-Triple aspect.

-Yeah.

That's why it is so light. And big -

there's a enough size for a sizeable dining table just over there.

-Yes.

-Yeah, it's good.

And there's a fireplace.

There is a fireplace, but that's not a real fire.

But you can take that out...

-Really?

-..and put in a real fireplace.

-There's a chimney up there, is it?

-There is, exactly.

-Oh, that's fantastic.

-So we can put wood burner in.

So you will have to do a little bit of work if you move in.

I don't mind. So we can just move straight in.

In fact, we might not go home.

THEY CHUCKLE

-Perfect.

-Yes.

-Everyone's happy, then.

-So far.

-So far.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-One room down...

-Yes.

..a few more to go.

'Because in this property,

'the master bedroom is on the ground floor.'

-It's lovely.

-It is nice, yeah.

-It really is. It's a good-sized room.

-It is.

Lots of wardrobe space.

-Yes.

-And an en suite.

-And an en suite.

Kim really wanted an en suite, yes.

I think this has got almost everything we want.

So would it bother you to have the master on the ground floor?

-No.

-No, not at all.

-I really like this.

-Yeah, I like it. I just feel comfortable in here.

It just feels like home from home.

It does feel like home from home, actually.

'As well as the master, the ground floor features another bedroom

'the current owners use as a study, as well as a family bathroom.'

What's lovely about the kitchen is really that view of the garden.

-Yeah.

-That's lovely.

-That is great.

I can see myself standing at that sink, washing up,

looking out into the garden.

Yep. Kim would be sitting out there with the wine, I expect.

-Watching you wash up.

-Watching me wash up.

-The view the other way.

-Yeah.

-How's the size for you?

Yeah, no, cos we are downsizing, you know, so this will be...

-It's a nice-sized kitchen.

-It is a nice-sized kitchen, isn't it?

-I like the units.

-Yeah.

It's that breakfast room that gives it that feeling of space.

-Yeah.

-Lovely and light.

-Cos is a big kitchen if you count that.

-Yes, it is.

'Great reactions to the practical set-up of the ground floor.

'Upstairs, there are two further bedrooms, both doubles,

'as well as a smaller box room and a cloakroom with washbasin.

'Outside, the lawned garden wraps itself around the house

'and amounts to about a third of an acre.'

I think this garden is a wonderful space for entertaining.

Yes, it is, isn't it? Yeah.

Barbecues, summer parties.

-Yes.

-Possible wedding for one of your children.

No!

-Grandkids running around.

-Yeah.

-It's the forever home, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room.

The neighbours. Are they still bothering you as much?

Yes, they are bothering me just as much.

Really? Even after seeing what's effectively your dream home -

you haven't really had a negative about the house,

unless you're holding back.

The only holding back I've been doing is about the neighbours.

-Nice high hedge.

-Yeah.

-Dense hedge. They're not too close.

-No.

You can't even really see that one.

This is part of her persuasion campaign.

It is part of it, definitely, yeah.

Shall we guess the price...

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-..and then maybe that might add to your campaign?

I'm going to go 5,000 above my range.

-630.

-630, you think?

-Yeah, 630.

-Kim?

And I would say 650.

It's actually on the market for £600,000.

-Wow.

-Oh, that is good.

-Well within your budget.

That is excellent. How can it be?

How do you feel about those neighbours now?

HE SIGHS

I'll have to have a little ponder about that, yeah.

-Do you think you can persuade him, Kim?

-I might, yes.

Yeah, I think we're on the right track.

I think tonight we'll get a bottle of champagne out, you know,

get it chilled down and have a good think about that.

I think you should have another look around.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, definitely.

-I want to. Yeah.

-Go ahead.

-Thank you very much.

-I'll see you soon.

-Thank you.

Come on!

It's the dream house, within budget.

Kim needs to put the hard work in now and persuade Ben.

Under budget by £25,000,

this 1950s detached chalet home has hit the nail on the head

in terms of style and layout.

It gives Ben and Kim one more bedroom than they asked for,

a working fireplace to house a wood burner,

and a manageable garden offering the seclusion and privacy they wanted.

I absolutely love this house.

I can't believe that we've actually found something

that I like as much as I do. It's just...

It's like home from home, it's really nice.

I love the location, garden's perfect...

Everything about it is just wonderful.

Love the kitchen, the lounge is just like ours at home,

and the log burner, of course, will go down very well with Ben.

Yeah, when we came up the drive I got out the car and I listened

and it was just so peaceful.

I looked at the house and I thought, "Yeah, this is a really nice house."

My only slight reservation is the neighbours,

as there is neighbours all around, and, you know,

although it's peaceful in the garden at the moment,

if you had a noisy family out there, that could be a disturbance.

But apart from that, you know, it is great.

I know Ben's concerned about the neighbours,

but from what I can see the neighbours here aren't that close.

It's very quiet. We've been out in the garden

and it's very, very quiet here.

They've got a greenhouse,

so hopefully they're maybe retired like us,

and it will be nice and quiet and peaceful.

Smiles all round. It's made for you, isn't it?

It is, it's really perfect.

-Love it.

-Perfect.

It is very, very, very nearly perfect.

Which means you can't let it go, Ben.

I think you're probably right, yeah.

THAT is music to my ears.

It's been a long day, lots of action, exciting action.

Let's go and get a glass of wine and chill.

That sounds perfect.

With its rich rural landscape, it's easy to forget that West Sussex

is only a 30-mile drive from the suburbs of Greater London.

Just south of Horsham is the Knepp Castle Estate,

which dates back to the Middle Ages

and was one of King John's hunting parks.

For the last 200 years, it's been owned by the Burrell family,

who until recently managed it as agricultural land.

But, 15 years ago, they embarked on a visionary project

to return the land to its natural state

by introducing a variety of grazing animals,

a process known as re-wilding.

Since both Kim and Ben are keen to embrace the countryside

and all it has to offer,

we sent them to find out more from the current landowner,

Sir Charlie Burrell.

Hi there.

It's an amazing place, it really is.

What is the history behind it?

Well, this castle is a modern one, it was built in 1806,

but it's sort of on a ground which is a bit more interesting than that.

We've enclosed large areas of the estate,

about 1,000 hectares, in large enclosures,

and we then released a whole load of free-roaming animals

into those areas.

So we've got Exmoor ponies, longhorn cattle and three species of deer

roaming freely in these large enclosures.

And that can kind of control the land, can it?

Well, these are considered drivers for biodiversity.

The way they eat and the way they behave and the way they damage

and rootle and all the things they do naturally,

that is considered to be a driver of a system,

so we're creating the right habitat

for lots of different species of animals.

And what we've had is huge success with lots of difference species.

We've got 2% of the nightingale population in the UK here,

we have one of the biggest populations of purple emperors,

which is a butterfly which is quite rare,

we've got interesting bat species.

We've got a whole load of things going on,

which have been because of what we've done and how we've done it,

have come back to this land.

The best way to explore Knepp's range of grazing animals

and the role they play in re-wilding the land is to take a safari trip.

-Hi there. Lovely to meet you. Would you like to get on?

-Thank you.

Today's guide is ecologist Amy Nightingale,

and it's not long before they come across

some of the estate's resident roamers.

So these are our longhorn cattle.

They've been brought onto the estate to browse and graze

and manage the habitat themselves naturally.

-They're amazing.

-What's a browser?

So browsing means instead of just eating grass, which is a grazer,

they're actually going up into the bushes

and eating through the hedgerows.

They're eating all the sort of thorny scrub

that we've got on the estate here.

So will they keep the grass down or do you have to manage it as well?

There's no management on the estate at all.

No land management whatsoever.

The animals manage to do it themselves.

Other animals with the right to roam include fallow deer,

who make fantastic grazers and enjoy foraging in open grassland.

The herd here are considered to be among the top six in Europe.

The estate is also home to the rarer red deer,

although they're proving elusive on this morning's safari.

So we've been driving around for 20 minutes or so now

and we haven't seen any of the red deer,

but what've got over here at the moment is the deer rutting season.

And as you can see, there's two males fighting up ahead.

Oh, God, yeah.

So during this time of year, sort of end of October,

the males will all sort of, um...

They'll start fighting for territories now.

And as you can see, these two are having a really good battle.

As well as creating new habitats for important species,

the grazing animals at Knepp generate an income

as some are sold for their meat, which also helps to control

the population in the absence of predators.

The project has been so successful there are plans to extend it

across the rest of the estate,

returning this beautiful part of the West Sussex landscape

to the way nature intended it.

It's the second day of our property search in West Sussex

and, armed with a budget of £625,000,

we're helping Ben and Kim from Horley in Surrey

find a quiet countryside property out of sight and out of sound

from neighbouring homes.

Coming up, two more properties,

including a Mystery House of seemingly stately proportions.

You weren't expecting this for the Mystery House, were you?

-We weren't, no.

-Not at all.

-Let's take the grand tour.

And it's full steam ahead

at one of the oldest heritage lines in the country.

WHISTLE TOOTS

It's become very clear that having neighbours is a big problem for Ben,

so I'm hoping the property I'm showing them this morning

is rural enough for him.

Then comes the Mystery House, though,

which is a very grand proposition.

But will Ben be willing to share it?

For our next offering, we're heading south towards the coast

to the village of Angmering, around 20 miles from Horsham.

The village is home to a number of historic properties,

some dating to the 1600s, and retains a quaint rural charm.

At its centre is a well-preserved village square,

hosting a range of useful shops and services.

Our next property is on the edge of the village,

on a quiet country lane surrounded by farmland

and out of sight of the nearest neighbour.

-Can't see any neighbours.

-No, can't see any neighbours here.

You might have come up trumps this time.

It's big. It's huge.

It's a big property.

It's not a semi, is it?

-Absolutely not a semi.

-Oh, that's good. That looks lovely.

I love the style of it, the wood.

This is very modern.

So there's been a house here for a long time,

but basically this is a complete rebuild...

-Oh, that's good.

-..just two years ago.

-Yeah.

First impressions - great.

-So far so good, definitely.

-Let's get in.

-Thank you.

'So it's a thumbs up from Ben on location,

'and I'm sure he'll appreciate the modern touches inside.

'But, for Kim, it will need to better yesterday's Chalet house.'

You've got to see the kitchen first.

That's one kind of fun kitchen, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That really is a kitchen.

Real open-plan living, with those bifold doors

that look out onto their wonderful views.

That is a wonderful view.

The other thing this kitchen has is a utility room that runs all the way

alongside the side of the house, with a door that goes outside,

-so great for a dog.

-That's good.

-They've really thought about the way you live as well, I think.

-Yeah.

'I think Ben is sold on the modern feel and practical layout

'of the ranch house.

'That contemporary ambience continues in the living room.'

So the kitchen really connects with the living room.

It does, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah.

-Wood burner.

-And a wood burner.

-Oh.

That also heats the hot water and the underfloor heating.

That is an excellent idea.

Kim, you haven't said as much as Ben about this house.

I like the... I just really like the other house.

It was more like our house we've got at the moment.

Um, that's...

-But Ben didn't like the neighbours.

-I know.

I know. I really like that kitchen, you know.

It'll be a fight whether we keep that or not, actually,

because I do like that, and I like this room too.

We can make this house like the other house if we wanted to,

but we can never make the other house like this house

cos we can't move away the neighbours.

Yeah, you two have got some chatting to do, haven't you?

-Yeah, we have.

-Let's go and see the bedrooms.

-OK.

-Thank you.

'So differing opinions on our new-build ranch house.

'It seems we're yet to win over Kim.

'Also on the ground floor, a long, spacious study,

'a large family bath and shower room,

'and two of the five bedrooms in the property,

'including a single and a larger double

'which is currently used as the master.

'Upstairs, accessed from a large landing

'are three further bedrooms,

'including two that can be made into one large one

'by opening a partition, and another sizeable double.

'There's also another spacious family bathroom up there.

'But we're continuing our tour with the ground floor master.'

So the master bedroom is actually on the ground floor.

Uh-huh.

But of course you don't have to use this as the master,

but I think the couple that live here just like the views.

It's no problem for me, being on the ground floor, at all.

It's lovely, being out open onto the garden.

It is. Yeah, just walk straight out there.

There are two family bathrooms -

we just passed one on the ground floor,

there's one upstairs.

So there's no en suite,

-but there is a walk-in wardrobe.

-Oh!

Don't know if that's your thing, Ben or Kim.

-For all my clothes.

-That is good, isn't it?

-So what do you think?

-I think it's great.

What do you think, Kim?

Yeah, I'd like to see a bit more, but yes.

But promising.

-Always a but.

-Always a but.

I really want to show you the land around property.

-Yeah, OK.

-So let's do that.

-Let's go back into the kitchen.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

'Outside, the gardens are to the front and rear.

'At the front, there's space for parking and a garage.

'At the back, the garden is mainly lawn,

'but there are options to lease further garden space

'from the neighbouring stable owners.'

So the garden that comes with this property just goes to this fence.

-OK.

-So the bit beyond that, with the vegetable patches,

is rented from the stable owners next door for next to nothing.

I think we'd definitely want to rent that bit as well,

-and take down the fence.

-Grow some vegetables.

Exactly, you can have your own vegetable garden.

Dog needs a bit more space.

Depends on the price of the house, really.

Which is something we absolutely should talk about.

-Yes.

-Who'd like to guess the price of the house first?

I will.

I think it's going to be the top end of our budget,

so I would say 650.

OK.

I'm going to be wildly different to that, Kim,

because there's not a lot of land.

I know we've got the advantage of a lot of land,

but there's not much land.

And looking around,

I'm going to go for 595.

You're almost spot on.

It is on for 599,950.

-So just shy of £600,000.

-Yeah.

-That's good.

-Does that make you like the house a little bit more,

-that price?

-Yeah, definitely.

I love it. I do, I love it, Kim.

-You loved it before you knew the price.

-I did.

-Why don't you both have a chat as you look around...

-Mm-hm.

..because Kim's not so keen on this house as much as you, yes.

-Yeah.

-So I think you two need to go off and have a natter.

-OK.

-OK.

-And I'll meet you out front.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Well, I think this is a case of

who is going to be the one to compromise,

because Kim really likes the chalet house

and Ben really likes this house. So...

..it's about who will win over who,

but I have a feeling Ben is going to win the battle.

£25,000 below budget,

this modern ranch-style property

impresses Ben thanks to the lack of

immediate neighbouring houses,

but its contemporary feel

isn't Kim's cup of tea.

It gives them a large kitchen/diner,

two more bedrooms than they asked for

and a stylish and practical wood burner.

I love this house, I really do.

The location is perfect.

As perfect as you can get, it really is.

We want to be rural and it's almost like exciting again.

You know, it's such a young, vibrant house, really.

I don't think Kim is going to be quite so enthusiastic as me

but I think I can bring her round, probably.

I hope we're on the same page

but sometimes I think we're not even in the same book.

The other house, as soon as we walked in, I felt at home.

Really liked it.

This one, I'm just not so sure, really.

Something about it isn't quite me.

The kitchen area I would definitely want to change,

and that might persuade me.

I guess if Ben really likes it, then we'll probably go for it.

I know you've both got mixed feelings about this house,

and I'm going to confuse the issue further with the Mystery House.

-Let's go.

-Thank you.

Our final house choice is located close to the village of Duncton

in the heart of the South Downs and around 20 miles from Horsham.

Nearby Petworth, a ten-minute drive away,

offers the best range of local services.

The pretty market town has a strong reputation

as a leading antiques centre and an abundance of cafes and eateries

line its attractive cobbled streets,

with the parish church of St Mary dominating the skyline.

Our Mystery House is truly one-of-a-kind,

set in parkland not far from the village of Duncton.

The stately driveway should give Ben and Kim a clue

to the property's pedigree.

Ben said he didn't want close neighbours -

he gets them here, but not in the way he probably imagined.

That's amazing. It really is.

Now, you both actually could live in a house like this.

I'd love to live in house like this.

I'd love to own a house like this.

Well, you can own a part of a house like this.

-That'd probably do.

-Have a wing each.

Yeah, a wing each. Yeah, OK.

This is a Grade I listed Georgian mansion,

and inside there are apartments.

And one of them is up for sale.

With our name on it. How many apartments are there here?

There are nine apartments, but most of them are people's second homes,

people that are only here for weekends or every month.

This is not a noisy building.

You're not going to have screaming kids with footballs

annoying you night and day, which I know is your big bugbear.

It is, yes.

Kim, how do you feel about this style of accommodation?

I'd certainly give it a thought.

I think it's just amazing - the grounds are just wonderful.

Let's have a look, see what happens.

You weren't expecting this for the Mystery House, were you?

-We weren't, no.

-Not at all, no.

-Let's take the grand tour.

-OK.

-Thank you.

This magnificent Georgian Grade I listed manor house

was built in the 1830s as a private residence

and later became a girls school

before being converted into luxury apartments.

For an annual service charge of £5,000, cleaners will take care

of communal areas such as the grand hallway

and gardeners will tend to the landscaped gardens,

as well as the 140 acres of parkland.

Kim and Ben's apartment is a garden flat arranged over two floors

and accessed by its own private entrance

through a two-tiered patio space.

We're starting our tour on the lower ground level.

So you come straight into the kitchen, really, in this apartment.

This is a great apartment, yeah. It is.

-I like the kitchen.

-I love this ultramodern.

-Good size as well.

-Stunning.

-It is.

-It's not a small, pokey kitchen, is it?

-It isn't.

-It's not.

I thought it could have been smaller than this but it is amazing.

-Let's go to the living room.

-OK.

'As far as mod cons go,

'nothing has been spared in this stylishly modern apartment,

'from underfloor heating

'to top-of-the-range kitchen appliances.'

So the owners decided to go with a Moroccan theme for this room,

but all of that is very cosmetic, so easily changed.

It's just the soft furnishings, really.

This apartment is over two floors

and all of this is the lower ground bit.

And this is what they use as their main living room.

But that wall is actually a stud wall and next door is a room

that they haven't really decided what to do with.

It has all the plumbing to be a bathroom,

it's bigger than this space, but what you could do

is just knock it all through and have one lovely big living room.

You still need more? You need to see more?

-Yes.

-Yeah, I need to see more.

-You're not saying much, are you?

-No, it's very small.

-Do you feel?

-Yes, and no window.

-Good point, yeah.

-This part of the house doesn't.

-Let's go to the bedroom, where there are windows.

-OK.

'The subterranean living space darkens the mood a little,

'but I'm hopeful the sunlit master will lift the spirits.'

You can see why the couple uses this as the master bedroom.

This is lovely. Really like that.

-Very light and airy.

-It is, lovely.

Doors straight out onto their terrace/patio area.

-Little courtyard garden.

-Mm.

-This is just what you like, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Really clean.

-Nice, clean lines, yeah.

-Yeah.

This is lovely. This is more my sort of house.

Yeah, it is, yes, definitely.

After seeing the bedroom.

Now, there's no en suite, but there's a lovely shower room

just on the other side of the kitchen.

So that's what the couple use.

How many bedrooms has it got?

So it's a two-bedroom apartment.

The other bedroom is being used as a study,

and that's on the ground floor, so the level above this.

-So you've seen a lot of the apartment now.

-Yes.

-Mm-hmm.

Is now the time to ask you whether it would ever be a realistic option?

I think it's lovely.

I'm not sure about whether I could live here.

For me, it is a fantastic place.

As a second house, it would be amazing.

But I honestly think I'd be bored here.

The countryside around looks amazing.

The thought of getting up in the morning to that view,

taking the dog for a walk, yes, I could definitely be tempted by that.

Well, I am going to try and tempt you with that.

I haven't given up. Let's go out into the garden.

-OK.

-OK.

'As well as Ben and Kim's private patio area,

'they also have access to the communal grounds,

'which include a stunning formal landscaped garden.'

So this Georgian manor house

comes with 140 acres of gardens.

-Lots of room for my dog.

-You don't even seem surprised any more.

It's just so... You can't grasp it, can you?

No. It's a little bit unreal, isn't it?

It is, yeah, it's just so amazing.

-Your own medieval church, tennis courts...

-Yeah.

How much would it cost you?

Who'd like to go first?

600,000.

She's gone straight in there.

She has, hasn't she? Yeah.

It's just such a hard house to gauge, this one.

I think 619,000.

OK, that's a very precise 19 there.

You're trying to win this game, aren't you?

I want to win, yes.

This time, the winner is Kim.

-She's closer.

-Oh!

-That's good.

-It's on for £595,000.

-That is surprising, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

You don't want to miss out on these stunning gardens.

Have a look around, go back and see the apartment,

and then we'll get a cup of tea and have a chat.

-That sounds fantastic.

-See you soon.

Under budget by £30,000,

our stately Mystery House offers

Ben and Kim a share of

a splendid Georgian manor.

Stylishly kitted out

with modern facilities,

it features a top-of-the-range kitchen,

a cavernous living space

and two bedrooms.

But the real selling point

is the grounds -

140 acres of communal parkland,

including formal landscaped gardens.

When we came down the long drive

and saw the front of the building with the sun on it, I just thought,

you know, it's got to be almost a joke.

It's like a film set. It's like a film star's house.

But I don't think it's for me

because I don't know what I'd do all day.

I've got a garage, I've got an old car I'm restoring,

I've got all my computers.

I wouldn't be able to have any of that here.

I think the house would make a lovely second home.

If we won the lottery and could afford it, that would be perfect,

but as a main home, it's just too small for us.

You've both got a lot to think about, haven't you?

We have, but not about this one.

No, that's your second home. I mean about your primary residence.

-Ah, yes.

-Let's go get a cup of tea.

With its cottages and village greens,

there's something of an old England feel about Sussex,

and carving its way through the landscape here

is another reminder of a bygone era.

The Bluebell Line is the UK's first preserved standard gauge

heritage steam railway, which reopened part of the old

Lewes to East Grinstead track in 1960.

Since then, it's developed

into one of the largest tourist attractions in Sussex,

mainly run by a dedicated team of volunteers.

And I'm hopping on to meet one of the longest serving, Mick Blackburn.

-Hi, Mick.

-Hi, Sonali.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

So, Mick, tell us how the Bluebell Railway came about.

It was opened in 1882

by The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway,

but it closed in 1958.

And a group of students, four students, thought

"We don't want this to close," so in 1959 they formed

the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society

and the line reopened again in August 1960.

So really it's here because of a group of train enthusiasts.

It was four students, train enthusiasts,

who really didn't want to see it closed.

And when did you start volunteering?

I came here in 1960, when I was a schoolboy.

I couldn't afford the five shillings to join.

I was here on opening day,

I helped on the station, I helped in the car park.

In March 1961, I managed to find five shillings

and I joined the railway.

It's quite a sweet name, the Bluebell.

-Yeah.

-Why is it called the Bluebell Railway?

The press really dubbed it the Bluebell Railway before it closed

because there used to be lots of bluebells,

and still is along the line side,

and they used to say that trains ran so slow that you could get out

and pick them and get back in again, which of course wasn't true,

and that's how the Bluebell Railway got its name.

'Mick has worked his way up the food chain

'to driving trains on the Bluebell Line.

'The society has seven working steam engines

'and runs a daily service from March through to October.

'But old engines need some TLC to keep them going,

'and that's where the maintenance team

'based at Sheffield Park step in.

'I'm meeting engineer Andy Sabin,

'who's currently warming up a restored 323 engine

'which was built in 1910.'

-So what are we going to do here?

-What we're going to do,

-we're going to give a warming-up fire.

-OK.

-This is because the engine's out tomorrow...

-OK.

..we need to be kind to the boiler.

So, the first thing, most important thing we need to do

-is just make sure that we've got water in the boiler.

-OK.

So what we're going to do now is, if I give you this stick...

-OK.

-Right?

We need a rag, and that's covered in paraffin.

You can probably smell that, can you?

Yeah, definitely.

-Lighter.

-Essential tool.

-Essential.

-OK.

What we're going to do is light the rag,

and you throw it in on the wood in there.

-Can you see the wood?

-Yeah.

-Right.

There you go.

-That's it.

-Yeah.

-Do you see the fire in there burning?

We will add coal to it now.

-OK.

-When we add coal to it, the coal will burn through

and it will take a few hours,

and then, overnight, it will just sit there by itself,

it won't create any steam,

and that will be it ready for them in the morning.

'But engines are only half the story.

'Old rolling stock also needs to be maintained,

'but more importantly, protected from the elements.

'The Society is hoping to raise money to put

'the most at risk carriages under shelter

'at their depot in Horsted Keynes.'

Where did you get all your carriages from, Mick?

Various places. British Railways, people's seaside bungalows,

all that sort of thing. People used to buy them,

-put a roof over them and live in them, yes.

-Oh, wow.

You've got so many here, though. How many have you got?

So many. I haven't counted for a long time.

Probably 50 or 60, something like that,

-all awaiting restoration.

-That's a lot of restoration.

That's a lot of restoration, a lot of work.

The problem we've got, we spend lots of time, money, energy

doing them all up and stand them back out in the open again.

-Yes.

-They start to deteriorate straight away.

-The best of luck with the campaign.

-Thank you very much.

I hope you get the money you need.

Thank you for showing me around today.

That's quite all right. Jolly good. Thank you.

'The Bluebell Railway and Preservation Society

'has been operating this heritage line for over 50 years,

'and with the passion and dedication of volunteers like Mick,

'thankfully it seems there's little sign of it running out of steam.'

Ben and Kim were in total agreement about the Mystery House,

but that hasn't necessarily been the case with all the properties.

On their budget, it is unrealistic

to get everything on their wish list,

so which one of them is willing to make the compromise?

So, Kim and Ben, what are you both going to do next?

I'd like to go and have a second look at the chalet house,

have a look round the neighbourhood, see what it's like,

how close the neighbours really are, get a feel for it there,

cos I really loved that house.

-What about you, Ben?

-I would like to go and have a second look

at the wooden house/ranch cos I really like that.

What are we going to do, really?

Because you both like different houses.

-Kim, if you want to go back and look at the chalet...

-Mm-hmm.

..Ben, would you be willing to compromise on the neighbour issue?

I know that's the reason you came into this process,

but it is Kim's dream home.

I can see that Kim just loved that house and, you know,

don't get me wrong, I loved the house as well and, yeah,

maybe the neighbours are not going to be a problem,

but we started back in April, house-hunting,

and the number one priority

was we would not have any neighbours.

So I could make that compromise,

and I wouldn't mind making that compromise,

but I just feel as though it's not what we really both want.

I mean, it sounded like a no, the answer to my question -

would you be wanting to make a compromise?

It did sound like a no.

Yes, I was like a politician, wasn't I?

The answer is a no.

Is it really a no?

-It is really a no.

-So therefore there's no point, Kim,

going back for a second viewing, is there?

I suppose not, really, no.

How do feel about that, Kim?

Disappointed.

Really?

Yes. And I can't really see me living in the ranch house.

I actually do think that, you know, if we keep looking,

we will find something that we both really like.

I think that's the crux of the matter,

we've both got to really love it.

So are you both OK about not going to see

your favourite houses, really, again?

Yeah, you know.

I think Kim has made a bigger sacrifice than I have, actually,

cos I think she loved that house more than I loved the wooden house.

So at least you know exactly what you're looking for.

I feel I know exactly what you're looking for -

it's the chalet house on the land of the ranch house, isn't it?

-Yes.

-You've got it. Yes, exactly.

-So you just need to go out and find that now.

-Yes, yes.

Well, thank you for taking me along on your search.

-It's been fun.

-Thank you for guiding us.

-It has been wonderful, it really has.

-Really enjoyed it.

-Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

-Thank you.

-You must call me.

-We will, definitely. Thank you.

Well, it turns out neither Ben nor Kim were willing to compromise

in order to secure one of the two houses so right for each of them,

so their search continues.

They believe the perfect property for the both of them is out there

and within budget. Let's hope they're right,

because it would be lovely to see them both starting their new life

in the country sooner rather than later.

See you next time.

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