Thatch Escape to the Country

Here's an architectural riddle -

Which building material used since the Stone Age,

is environmentally friendly, a great insulator,

but for a long time was seen as the poor relation to the roofing tile,

before roaring back to symbolise everything that stands for countryside?

Well, thatch, of course.

In today's show, we take a look back at a selection of our favourite thatched properties

from previous shows, where a Grade-2 listed thatched barn in Hampshire beggars belief...

You're joking me!

-I could hug you!

-Aww, come on!

'A 16th-century thatched farmhouse in Devon causes consternation...'

-Is this what you were looking for?

-Yes.

-No.

-Yes.

-I'm not asking you!

'And an historic timber-and-thatch exterior in Chelsea

'belies what waits in store.'

Oh, my God!

-It's absolutely...

-This is awesome, as they say in America.

-Unbelievable.

'Plus, I discover what it takes to get from this...

'..to this.'

Today, we're extolling the virtues of thatch.

It crowns many a historic building, including a Regency summer house here,

and it's an iconic part of the British landscape.

Thatching is the craft of covering a roof with dry vegetation

such as straw, water reed or rushes,

and it's one of the oldest-surviving building crafts.

Although the most common roof covering in almost every part

of Britain in the medieval period, the use of thatch went out

of fashion, as slate and tiles became cheaper

in the late-19th century, thanks to mass-production.

How long the thatch lasts depends on what type of reed or straw is used.

The most common matter is water reed, grown in wetland areas in the east of England.

Water reed is straighter and more angular

than the chocolate-box look in the South,

which is made from straw and looks more moulded on to the houses.

This is a good example of how thatch is connected to agriculture.

In the south, they grow more cereal crops, hence more straw.

Thatchers sometimes also have their own trademark -

pheasants and other animals.

It's a classic feature of traditional British architecture, and for many,

a roof of beautifully weathered thatch really does represent ideal country living.

As you can imagine on a show like Escape to the Country,

we've seen a great deal of thatched properties,

and it has been difficult to know which ones to showcase,

cos we've seen some really chocolatey-boxety ones,

and also some lovely, very modern designer thatches.

First, we're going down to Hampshire, where Katrina and Gareth

were looking for three bedrooms, an office,

a big roaring log burner and good trunk roads for their commute.

Aside from all those ticked boxes, what they really wanted

was a lovely "olde worlde" place to cuddle up and keep warm.

And where better than a beautiful thatched barn, with loads of charm?

The property I took them to see was in the village of Cliddesden,

which is located just to the south of Basingstoke.

The village dates back to Norman times,

and is set within a conservation area,

in amongst beautiful countryside.

I was pretty sure that when Katrina and Gareth clapped eyes

on this Grade II listed newly-thatched barn,

it would go down well.

You're joking me!

-It's certainly different to the last couple.

-Oh, this is lovely!

Come a little closer.

Oh, yes, please.

I thought I'd show you something a bit country cottage.

-I could hug you!

-Aww, come on!

-There's got to be something wrong though.

-No, nothing wrong.

-What are your impressions of a thatched cottage?

-Erm... It's OK.

It is absolutely... It's amazing. I know it takes a lot of work but...oh, wow!

-It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?

-Wow.

-It's just been done in the last year...

-OK.

-It's quite expensive, a new thatch is about 30 grand...

-Yeah.

-But it lasts for 35 years.

-OK.

-Excellent.

-And nowadays, they're all dipped in fire repellent.

-Yes, sorry!

-A big smile on her face.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Definitely.

-Good.

This house has an impressive entrance hall, with galleried landing,

a sunken living room which maximises ceiling height,

and a large office extension which could work well for Gareth. I hope they like it.

Wow! This is lovely.

What a great entrance.

-It's a big entrance.

-It is.

What's lovely about this, it was converted in 1985, but they've kept

almost all of the original beams,

so you've got this huge sort of space when you come in.

The character's really nice, and all the wood. I like things like this.

Yeah.

Perfect. She said it was perfect.

-I heard that.

-You did hear that.

Let's take a look in the kitchen.

That's lovely, isn't it?

The present owners refurbished this. They put in the new wooden floor.

You've got a dishwasher there, all the space here but behind you,

you've got a very spacious and well-appointed utility room.

-It feels very warm and welcoming.

-Cosy.

-Let's move on.

Big space to eat.

-Then you have a proper dining room.

-Oh, right, Grown-up room.

Grown-up room again. But then, we come into here.

Oh, drop-down lounge.

Drop-down lounge, this is a great solution

for this cottage, where you have low ceilings, to lower the floor.

-It gives you so much more space.

-That's excellent.

Wonderful big fire, functioning, with a hood

to allow the flue to work properly.

I think we're both speechless actually!

Very good, I'll keep on talking!

It is a good space as well. Good sort of sitting room.

It goes on further, endless suite, and this is interesting.

Oh, wow! Another room!

This is an extension that was put on in the last ten years.

It really works well as an office.

-So this is the space downstairs but there's more.

-Ooh!

On the ground floor at the other end of the house,

there's a guest bedroom with its own cloakroom, useful for visitors.

-So, good?

-Yeah, it's good.

Let's take a look upstairs.

The master bedroom is on the front of the house, and should make a good impression on them.

-Good size.

-It is, isn't it? And it's tall.

-And tall.

-Tall.

Again, they've used up all the attic space to give you some head room.

This is the master bedroom.

You've got one window looking over the front garden,

and a very generous en suite.

The en suite not only has a shower,

but his and hers basins for those busy mornings.

'Next door to the master bedroom is a dressing room.'

So this small room was originally a bedroom, but they've turned it

-into a walk-in closet cos I know you like your closet space.

-Yes, yes.

You could take out all of these closets and maybe get

a single bed in, but I think, with just a small family,

it's an eminently good solution to the problem of storage,

which is always a problem in these smaller cottages.

The family bathroom is a good size, with a Victorian-style roll-top bath,

and the third bedroom could make a perfect nursery.

So the house seems to be hitting the mark but will they like the outside as much as the inside?

-It is a lovely property.

-Yes.

-Yeah. Very nice property.

-It is, it is.

And Cliddesden is in a conservation area,

so you're quite protected, in terms of what goes up around you.

It's a very desirable area, it's a lovely house.

Will it be within your budget? That's the big question.

-That is the question.

-How much do you think it's worth?

I'd say it's just under our budget - about 585?

I think it's over. 620,000.

-I don't want it to be over!

-Ah! Wishful thinking, isn't it?

-Yes!

-585 is very wishful thinking. It's on the market for 635.

-Oh!

-635. Hmm.

So, of course, it's up to you...

-Mm-hm.

-..in terms of offers and things,

but it is a very desirable property.

You need to think about the bedrooms, whether it will be suitable for your life.

-Why don't you go inside and have a look?

-Oh, yes.

This house, out of all the properties we've seen over today,

this is the best by far.

-Downstairs is absolutely gorgeous.

-Yeah, it's a very pretty house.

This house is situated in a lovely little village,

and first impressions when we drove round the corner,

down the driveway, when we saw the house, was that it looked amazing.

It's a really pretty thatched cottage.

It's quite an imposing entrance. Impressive.

Who could resist a classic thatched property like that one?

Certainly not Katrina and Gareth, who totally fell under its spell.

If you've got the thatch itch

and want to go out and buy one in the countryside,

then take a look at these. The market's full of them.

How about this charming Grade II listed cottage,

near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk,

on the market for just under half a million pounds?

Believed to date back in parts to the 16th century, it retains

many original features, such as oak beams

and grand fireplaces in the dining and sitting rooms.

The bedrooms are also surprisingly large

and this house even comes with the luxury of a swimming pool.

For those with a larger budget in mind, this lodge house

in East Cholderton, Hampshire, is on the market for £645,000.

Recently re-thatched with long straw, of particular note

is the large dining-sitting room,

which leads through to a delightful drawing room with French windows

that open out onto the well-kept gardens.

If you can really push the boat out, to the tune of 1.75 million,

how about this imposing residence in Aldeburgh?

Thought to be the largest thatched dwelling in East Suffolk,

it has spacious principal rooms,

including a 36ft drawing room,

all set within eight acres, including a swimming pool.

Being a thatcher is a good job, because the really good ones have three-year waiting lists

before they'll come and do your roof,

so I thought in these times of economic uncertainty,

this would be a good skill to get under my belt, so I'm off to learn this most ancient of crafts.

For my lesson, I've come to Duxford, in Cambridgeshire,

where Keith Quantrill, who has 25 years of experience in this craft,

is overseeing the work on this pub.

-So this is the one you're doing?

-It is, yes.

-It's quite big.

-It is, it is a big roof.

Most domestic buildings are a little bit smaller than this

but this is a good size roof. Plenty of work to be done.

-And this is the raw material?

-It is, yes, we've got a selection of material.

Some combed wheat reed here.

-Combed wheat reed?

-Combed wheat reed.

It's very stable, isn't it?

It is, nice and stiff, and quite tall.

This here, Phragmites australis, water reed.

That grows in wetland areas.

This is the one that I see most often on thatches.

It's one that's being used quite extensively because it's being

imported a lot, although it's not a traditional material, as such.

-We're not using reed?

-We're not using reed and we're not using combed wheat reed.

We are using long straw, which is this bundle.

-That sounds like... Can I pick it up?

-Certainly.

This is an older thing, is it?

Both the combed wheat reed and the long straw are a similar period,

only this is probably more common than combed wheat reed.

-This is literally how it grows. This is the wheat in the field?

-It certainly is.

So ultimately, that, presumably, goes down flat,

-and this is the end we see?

-Certainly.

A slightly untidy finish,

but once it's laid properly, raked down and cleaned,

-it's very pleasing to the eye, because it has a very poured-on finish.

-Poured-on?

-A poured-on finish, yes.

-Can we take this up and pour it on?

We certainly can. Put your fingers underneath the string, right hand

just under the edge of the bundle, over your head and on to your shoulder.

-And away we go.

-I feel like a thatcher. Do I look like a thatcher?

Let's hope so because it's time to give it a go.

A building this big, Keith tells me, will take two thatchers

two to three months to complete, at a cost of around £50,000,

but it should last about 30 years.

1660.

1660, yes, quite an old building.

Keith takes me round to an exposed section of the roof

that hasn't been thatched yet.

-So this is the bit we're working on?

-It certainly is. You can see, we've got the old thatch here,

-and we're going to put some new thatch on top.

-Gosh. You just stick it on the old one?

We do, yes, something called spar coating...

-Spar coating?

-Spar coating, the spars are the wooden pegs we're going to use,

which are these, here.

Some of the base is actually original, is it?

-It is, yes, so it could date back to the medieval period.

-Wow.

It's preserved because it's in a dry zone,

dry area, because of the new thatch on top of it.

So let's get going.

First thing to do is to open this bundle up.

So I need to start by taking one section out and making an eave wad out of this...

-An e-wad?

-An eave wad.

-Eave wad.

-Not an evil wad, but an eave wad.

-Eave wad...

'The bundles are tied tightly at the top with baling string,

'before they're laid side-by-side and held in place by hazel pegs.'

So that needs to be joined to the bundle we put on.

With the bottom bundles in place,

the rest of the roof is fixed solely with the hazel pegs,

which are driven through the new thatch into the old.

Very good, very good.

-First time lucky.

-Is that enough?

-Just side by side, that's it.

So there are a lot of these things.

There are, an average roof would probably have 10,000, 10,000 spars.

-Wow!

-And they're obviously all made by hand.

-Spars?

-Spars, yes.

This is system that hasn't changed for hundreds of years.

And neither have the tools.

That's called a side rake. You'll notice there are very few tools needed for thatching.

For long-straw thatching, we've used the mallet, the side rake and the dagging shears.

-Dagging shears!

-Good name, isn't it?

-What do we do with this?

-We use it to rake any of the rubbish out.

I'll just show you, then you can have a go.

At a slight angle,

it's just drawn through the roof and you'll see the leaf coming out.

It's like doing my hair in the morning.

Slightly uncomfortable though.

Once you've been over with the side rake,

the dagging shears are used to take off any loose ends.

Any of the odd pieces can be clipped off.

They're quite sharp, the dagging shears.

-I have to say, this is pretty primitive stuff.

-It certainly is.

Can you not have a nice...

Various people have tried hedge trimmers

but nothing works as well as traditional tools.

Are you just saying that because you're a traditional thatcher?

-I am a traditionalist, yes.

-Can we take a look at the front and see how it's finished?

We certainly can. We'll have a look at the eave.

This is much nicer, isn't it?

It is, yes. Still needs a little bit more clipping, but it's nearly finished.

I know you're a purist, but this still looks a bit shaggy to me.

Is it finished at the top there?

We're very close. It's like an oil painting.

When you're very close, you'll see all the tiny details.

A little pheasant? A little token...?

I'm a bit anti-pheasant. I'm not very keen on them at all.

Is it a bit naff in the thatching world?

A bit too twee for my liking.

Oh, right. Let's move on from the taboo animals.

This is the tricky bit presumably,

-because if you mess this up, you're a bit wonky.

-You certainly are.

We need to use our eye. Thatchers tend to cut everything by eye.

-Oh, you missed a bit.

-Thank you.

Gradually cut all the way along.

Take small slices at a time.

I guess the real worry for people is fires.

-Fires.

-My house is gonna catch fire the first dry day.

Statistically, there are fewer thatch fires, proportionally,

than there are fires in any other type of building.

It is beautiful.

But also quite simple when I see you do it.

You are essentially just sticking the straw onto the old thatch,

but with such skill. How long did you train?

It's a seven-year apprenticeship, if you do a formal apprenticeship.

You're quite right, the basic principles

of thatching are very simple,

but they do require a deal of time to learn to do them properly.

I think I might have my dagging and my yelming

under control but this looks quite fancy.

You were quite good at spar twisting.

Spar twisting I was good at too. I've only got another six years, 364 days and I'll be like you.

Come back and see me then.

I think you've gone a bit wonky there, Keith. I don't want to say anything.

I'm just gonna finish this roof while you enjoy the next offering.

This was Judy and Malcolm down in Devon and Dorset.

They had £1 million to spend, so we thought it was gonna be quite easy to get what they wanted.

They just wanted a big house, nice garden, kitchen diner.

Of course, it wasn't.

Horse-mad Judy - she really wanted a period property, where Malcolm

just thought a period property would be big bills and bad plumbing.

Up until this point,

we'd shown quite a few modern properties to keep Malcolm happy.

Then we thought, "No, now's the time to please Judy.

"We're gonna win Malcolm over by showing him

"an absolutely beautiful thatched farmhouse."

This property was to be found on the outskirts of the village

of Hawkchurch, close to the Devon-Dorset border.

The centrepiece of the village is the Church of St John the Baptist,

which has a Tudor tower and Romanesque carvings,

said to be some of the finest in Devon.

It's no wonder that this pretty little village with its country pub and its floral-covered

thatched cottages has earned itself the title Village of the Roses.

We are very rural here.

I know you're not keen on that, Malcolm,

-but this one's for Judy.

-Good.

-What do you think of the spot?

-Lovely. Quiet.

Very quiet. We're actually not too far...

We're about six miles from Lyme Regis, which is not so far.

-No, it isn't.

-We're right on the border of Dorset and Devon.

Quite literally. This is Dorset.

That side of the river is Devon.

-Oh, really?

-OK.

-Oh, right.

-You can cross the border to your property.

-Excellent.

-This is the property I want to show you, which, I think you'll admit, is substantial.

-It is.

Substantial and very old.

Very old, yes. 500 plus.

We're not quite sure how old it is but 500 plus.

-Grade II listed?

-Grade II listed.

-Right.

-Another project?

Strangely enough, as we see inside,

it's a product that somebody else has done.

-OK. That sounds good.

-Let's take a look.

-Sounds good.

This property is in the process of being renovated,

but the owners have had their eye on another property

and so have put it on the market early.

All work will however be finished before the completion of any sale.

Oh, my God.

-What is this?

-As you can see, the house is not

-quite finished but take a look at what they've done so far.

-OK.

This is fantastic.

Do you hear that? "Fantastic."

-Not my scene at the moment, thank you.

-Lovely.

But it's a beautiful old property.

You've got a real inglenook fireplace.

There's not a straight line inside this house,

but there's lots of period details which are actually listed.

This panelling, which we think arrived during the Civil War,

it's not an original part of the house, is listed as is that doorway.

There are little features in the house that are listed.

My table would absolutely fit fantastically in here.

It's made for here.

Oh, dear, Malcolm. She's sounding very enthusiastic.

I'm in trouble. I'll have to do something about that.

-It's me smiling today.

-I know, happy face here.

-Is this what you were looking for, Judy?

-Yes.

-No.

-Yes.

-I'm not asking you! Let's take a look at the lounge.

-OK.

-This is a nice room.

-Very nice.

-This is a nice room. Cosy.

-Nice wood-burning stove.

-Good log burner.

-This is a nice room.

-I like this room.

-Ooh, good.

You'll just have to stay here. The big question is, are you gonna like the kitchen?

I've pleased you so far but I'm nervous about the kitchen.

-Are you?

-Well, who knows? You're quite exacting.

-Let's take a look.

-All right.

Well, this is...

-A surprise.

-A surprise.

-What do you think?

-It's a lovely, lovely kitchen.

-It is.

-Very nice.

-Yeah.

-It's a change of gear.

-It is.

It's very high-end but look at these beautiful beams.

This is, again, a listed feature,

this enormous beam across the top. It is beautiful.

I just have to show you these.

These are fantastic. These cupboards are so bespoke.

Look at that. Oh, lovely.

Isn't that beautiful? Such clever use of space.

I just think it's lovely...

The kitchen is such an important space.

But it's very contemporary.

Yeah, it is very contemporary.

But it's still very lovely.

-So, thumbs up?

-Yes.

-Phew!

Either side of the kitchen are two small reception rooms.

One is currently being used as a study.

The other is still in the process of being refurbished.

Downstairs has fared pretty well, but will the period quirks

of upstairs be a step too far for Malcolm?

This is interesting.

We should stop in this room for a moment,

cos you can see here the architectural history of the house.

-Yeah.

-It's a nice bedroom.

-It's a lovely room.

-Good size.

The unusual feature, particularly at this end of the house,

is that the rooms are enfilade, they're next to one another.

That's fine because if we go through into the master bedroom,

-you've got your own staircase.

-Oh, super.

-Right, interesting.

Again, lovely, light and airy with all the original beams.

Fantastic.

-What do you think?

-Lovely.

-Will this work as a master bedroom for you?

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah, it would be fine.

It's very unusual to have these period properties with such spacious bedrooms.

-Often you go upstairs and it really disappoints.

-They're poky.

-Poky and small.

-It's very nice.

Can't argue with that.

-It's growing on you, Malcolm.

-It is. Certain aspects are very nice.

It pains you to say that, doesn't it?

It does indeed. Yes, it does indeed.

-I'll be honest.

-There's lots of great features upstairs,

but I want us to go out and tackle that building project outside.

Down the back stairs.

Also on this floor is a beautiful high-spec family bathroom

and three further bedrooms, one of which has an en suite.

So far, so good, but let's see what Malcolm thinks

about the little project that's waiting for him outside.

This is the highest end of conservatories you can get.

No uPVC here. This is green oak, used to make barns.

It's a very old, traditional way of making buildings. Thatched roof.

They're bringing more life out into the back garden.

It'll just be an incredible space.

-Really good.

-Yeah, that's good.

-I can envisage what it will end up looking like. It will be lovely.

-Yeah. Yeah.

The sun room didn't seem to faze Malcolm as much as I thought

but last on our tour is the raised garden.

It's quite a small plot.

It's only three-quarters of an acre but it is all around the property.

You've got the front garden, this at the back and the out houses

-at the side. What about the price?

-Oh, gosh.

-That's interesting.

-Finished price with all the work finished?

-Yes.

I would suspect maybe £1 million or just under.

-What do you think?

-I would say just slightly over.

In this instance, you're wrong.

It's just under.

-Oh, good!

-It's on at 975, so it's actually considerably under.

It sounds like a reasonable price, but...

-But you can't complain that it's over-budget.

-Not over-budget.

No, it's not over budget.

-It might be when it's all finished.

-Thank goodness!

-Now it's your turn to put the thumbscrews on him.

-Absolutely.

-I'll meet you out the front.

-OK. Thank you very much.

When we arrived at the property, my first impression was,

"It's a big, old Devon farmhouse with a thatched roof."

What I didn't really want was a big, old Devon farmhouse

with a thatched roof.

The fireplace, all the period features, the beams,

everything, fabulous.

You can use it as a dressing room.

-But then you lose a bedroom.

-It doesn't matter. We don't need it.

-We do.

I like some of the rooms in the house. Some of the house, I did like.

I liked the living room.

I liked the kitchen.

I feel it's really homely and comfortable,

and I want to live here.

I thought we almost had Malcolm there.

He was won over by the high-end kitchen, loved the cosy lounge,

even saw the potential in the thatched conservatory.

If only July had put the thumbscrews on a little more firmly.

After teaching me, a thatching novice,

the very basic skills of thatching, Keith has agreed to take me

on a little tour of the villages of Bedfordshire

to show me some of those rooftop masterpieces in situ.

The first stop on our trip is Old Warden, known as a Swiss village in the heart of Bedfordshire.

This estate workers' village was recreated in a Swiss-style

in the early 19th century by its owner, Lord Ongley,

who was inspired by his travels abroad.

Why have you brought us here? There's lots of thatched cottages.

Yeah. The village is called Old Warden,

but most of the buildings in the village are Victorian, so it's not that old.

-Lots of interesting buildings.

-So this thatch is 120, 130 years old?

-Mid-1800s, yeah.

-How many times would they have been replaced?

Probably three to four times,

obviously depending on how well they were thatched in the first place.

What's so special about this cottage?

This one's quite interesting. It's the eyebrow windows.

Is that typical of this village?

It's a regional style. When you travel around Bedfordshire,

you'll notice a lot of the older buildings have those very curved windows.

I notice they've got a pheasant.

They have, yes, my favourite item on a roof(!).

-It's empty though. Did you take him off?

-I wish I had done!

Fortunately, all the straw rotted away,

so you just finish with this wire cage.

The unusual thatched houses of this village make it a great place

for spotting different features, styles and techniques of thatching,

including examples of more uniquely shaped roofs.

This is the edge of the village now.

It is. This is the first building you see when you enter or leave the village.

It's quite different, isn't it? It's a four square or a cross?

It is, with valleys on each side and covered in water reed.

This is in very good nick. How long will this last?

One would hope it would last 50 to 60 years, with the ridge being replaced every 15 years.

-Very durable.

-It certainly is.

Just down the road from Old Warden is the village of Ickwell

and, just on the edge of this village, Keith wants to point out a few more features.

The main reason to bring you here

was to show you the various types of roofs.

On the right, we've got, originally, a long-straw roof,

but it's been re-thatched in combed wheat reed in a West Country style.

Very rounded at the eaves. Pudding shape, you might call it.

The combed wheat reed looks very similar to the water reed to me.

The main difference is the curved appearance, rather than this very square appearance.

This one seems like it's got two things going on.

That's a very good example on this side, because you've got the long straw on the right-hand side,

then to the left you have the water reed, which gives you that very square finish on the eaves.

So it's a mix here. Why have they done that?

I would imagine, looking at the building, one side

appears to be the original part, which is obviously a lot older.

You've got a modern extension on this end,

which has the water reed on it.

Looking back at this one, what about the moss? Is that a problem?

It seems to be a growing problem, developed over the last 20 years.

It seems to be more pronounced.

-It's a recent thing?

-Relatively recent.

It's partly, I think, due to the warmer winters we have.

Keith tells me that some mosses can be more harmful to thatch

than others and in dealing with it, it is always best

to seek advice from a qualified thatcher.

In the heart of Ickwell,

around the village green, are some rather newer examples.

Wow, look at that!

An example of a 1960s, possibly '70s house here,

with a thatched roof on it.

Typically, a thatched roof is very sharp,

presumably to let water run off.

It is, yes. The other buildings we've looked at

are a lot more steeply-pitched than this.

Is there a future for thatching in of contemporary building?

Most definitely. There's a tremendous amount of newbuild thatch

going on throughout the UK.

Oh, right. Is that cos it's green and...?

It's green, it's a good insulator and aesthetically very pleasing.

-That's good news for you.

-It certainly is.

'As well a being a good insulator, Keith tells me that thatch

'is ecologically sound because it's made of renewable materials.'

So it's green as well as beautiful.

And this is your parting flourish, Keith. Why this one?

I thought you might like to see this.

It's a traditional long-straw roof, quite a nice little building

showing some nice features.

Now, this is the finished product of what I started this morning

when we were up on the roof.

-It is a long straw roof.

-Is that a dying art?

Cos I've noticed that there is an awful lot of water reed.

Long straw isn't dying out, by no means.

-Very good. Thank you so much for your expertise. I've learnt a lot about thatch.

-You're welcome.

In just a moment, my all-time favourite Escape to the Country thatch, but before that,

here's a little round-up of those straw-topped beauties that we've featured on the show.

Yes, over the years, Escape to the Country

has had some stunning examples of thatched properties.

But, as Jules Hudson found out,

you never know how it's going to go down.

This is what we're gonna start with today.

I had some reservations about thatch,

but this is a new thatch.

It's a new thatch. Nothing needs to happen to that...

-Right.

-..For the next thirty or forty years.

Right, OK. It's beautiful.

Melissa Porter had some persuading to do with Alan and Elaine.

-Thatched, and I know you don't want thatched.

-No!

-Very pretty, though.

-This is the master bedroom.

-This is a nice room.

-It's very nice.

-Very airy.

-Fantastic views.

A winter wonderland outside meant '60s pop idol Jess Conrad

and his wife Renee couldn't see much of the thatch.

Now, this place is steeped in history.

-Like my career, then, steeped in history!

-Fantastic!

-Log fire.

-This is pure Dickens, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it?

This little shoe is an original Elizabethan child's shoe

that was found in the thatch of this cottage.

That's amazing.

Jess thought the historic dimensions of the thatched roof

were more suited to another star.

Yes! A study for Ronnie Corbett!

But for Rose and Fred, a thatched medieval manor was a perfect fit.

You've saved the best to the last.

A 15th-century manor house, Fred. Handsome enough for you?

He can't wait now!

Oh, my goodness!

But this is extraordinary.

It's thought these go back to the origins of the building.

-Yes, it's amazing.

-You're literally sleeping under the stars.

It caught my eye as soon as I came in.

-The stars are shining down on you here.

-Not bad!

My favourite, and the final thatched property I'm gonna show you,

was up in Cheshire.

It was Kate and Eric, who had £950,000 to spend,

and they wanted four to five bedrooms and a little bit

of land because Kate wanted to breed alpacas. As you do.

She had lots of reservations about having a reedy roof,

but the property I showed her swept them away, because it was pure thatcherama.

And this property was to be found in the south of Cheshire,

in the village of Burton.

In terms of amenities, there's only a phone box to speak of in Burton,

but a short walk away is the village of Audlem,

which has shops, a post office and the pretty parish church of St James.

With Manchester airport an hour's drive away,

it was at the very edge of Kate's commute time for work,

but I was hoping that once they saw the property,

they'd think it was worth the drive.

What do you think of this country residence?

-It's got a thatched roof!

-Yeah!

-You needn't be scared of thatch.

-No.

It's not something to be scared of.

-Once you've got your head round it, it's fine.

-OK...

-The ridge has been done last year.

-Yes, it looks new.

The thatcher says there's probably another 20-30 years

in the thatch before you have to do anything.

Oh, really? Oh, that's all right, then.

I don't have a problem with thatch.

-OK.

-OK.

-Right. Well, let's go inside.

-It's just unusual.

-You'll forget it all once you see inside.

Step inside.

It just has a lovely country feel about it.

-It's lovely.

-Yes, really.

So far, so good.

Well, there's lots of features to talk about in this house.

These are solid oak doors. These are from Peckforton Castle.

-Really?!

-Recovered from there.

So, that's just a little foretaste of what is to come.

Oh, that's so lovely!

-You've got a proper inset fireplace there, a big log burner.

-Gorgeous.

And space to store your logs.

This is just their breakfast room.

Oh, we like breakfast in here!

This is good. I'd like to see what else is in store,

but so far, so good, yeah. Excellent.

Let's take a look in the kitchen.

OK.

-Wowee!

-Wow, that is fabulous.

Strangely, in the house that looks the oldest from the outside,

it's the most modern kitchen.

It really, really is. It's fabulous.

-Very high-end fittings.

-Yeah.

Wow. That really is beautiful.

But again, all lovely kind of washing machines,

everything plugged in.

-Mmm.

-Is it too modern for you? Is it a bit too contemporary?

-Absolutely not, no.

-No.

-We could live with this.

I know your children tease you for having confusing tastes,

-but do you think you could trump them with this one?

-Oh, definitely.

-This is a star player, definitely.

-Absolutely.

And back through the breakfast room you can find a slice of local history.

That is fabulous. That fireplace!

-Look at that fireplace.

-That is really unusual.

This is the historical sort of jewel of the property.

It was actually brought here from another property and installed but repainted in the '80s.

It's got crests of the earls of Chester and the Leighs,

which is another big family round here, so it was obviously

-from one of their stately homes but moved here.

-Gosh!

-Can you imagine having your friends round for dinner?

-Definitely.

-Absolutely. And our table and chairs would go perfectly in here.

-Yes, they certainly would.

'Off that dining room is a very contemporary study.'

But next up, the living room.

-Oh, my gosh! This is...

-Oh, this is lovely.

-..incredible!

-Absolutely lovely.

-This is your sitting room.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-Isn't it lovely?

-I love the fireplace!

-Isn't it fabulous?

It's such a splendid fireplace.

That was bespoke, made by the previous owners for this room,

and it was so heavy that the lorry

-bringing it here got a ticket for being overweight.

-Oh, no!

This is a nice little feature.

Small windows, which I know you're not madly keen on, but look.

Wooden shutters.

Oh, that's fabulous.

That's such a lovely feature.

'They seem to like the quirky touches.

'Time to see what they make of the layout upstairs.'

This is the guest wing, as it were. You've got a lovely en suite there.

-That's pretty.

-This great carving here from the original carpenters.

And then "1988".

I think this is a beautiful... Well, this is the guest bedroom.

This is so pretty! It's lovely!

This is the modern part of the house,

but I just love the way they've used this seasoned oak throughout.

-It really feels very authentic, very warm and welcoming.

-Doesn't it? Yes. Really.

And even though it's a cottage feel to it, the ceiling's high

-and you don't get that feeling of always having to duck.

-It's a decent size.

Off the hall is a second, good-sized bedroom with its own

immaculately-finished en suite and a third delightful double bedroom.

-Do you like the shag pile?

-I do!

I like it. It's very soft and bouncy.

It's a bit '70s but I quite like it!

Can you imagine using this as your master bedroom?

-Definitely.

-Definitely.

-Definitely.

-Well, you won't have to.

This half of the house really works as a separate half,

because there's the back staircase that you can come up.

There is a main staircase, which services the main upstairs,

which is through here.

You are kidding!

Ta-dum!

This is exquisite. Oh, it's lovely!

-Ooh!

-What a fabulous room!

-It's gorgeous!

-See, what they've done here is they've completely painted everything, all the beams,

all the ceilings, in this nice sort of putty and white, and I think this really makes the space so tranquil.

It's gorgeous. It's a real sleeping area, isn't it?

It was quite a brave decision to paint it,

but it's worked really, really well, yeah.

-What's through there?

-What's through there?

-Shall we find out?

-Yes!

-Come on, then.

Oh, my God!

It's absolutely...unbelievable!

This is awesome, as they say in America.

This is amazing. I have to say, when I saw this I was like... my jaw went all slack.

It's perhaps the best en suite I've ever seen in my life.

It's just so perfect.

And then a full wet room here.

Oh my Gosh, that's fab!

Beautiful fittings.

Gorgeous, really are fantastic.

The wet room is brilliant. Love it!

'Well, I couldn't have asked for a better reaction.

'Time to head outside.'

There's not masses of land but this is your orchard.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-Always nice to have an orchard.

-It is.

-Pear tree, apple tree and a plum tree.

-Really nice.

-And a fruit cage for all your raspberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants.

Yes, gooseberry bush, blackcurrants.

-Very nice.

-And this is the end of your property, this hedge, but you do have a horsey neighbour.

Apart from hungry visitors this property comes with a double garage,

a large vegetable patch and a stunning ornamental gazebo,

all set in just over an acre of land.

Even though this is the end of your property,

this fence and what we call a ha-ha, which is like a hidden ditch,

stops the cattle coming into your garden.

-It gives the illusion that you own all of this.

-The whole thing! Yes!

You don't have to mow the lawn.

It's actually quite pleasant.

The problem with this house is that there's not enough land for alpacas.

I was going to ask you about that.

But I did hear a rumour from the present owners that the farmer

is thinking of selling these fields, that arable land,

so you might be able to negotiate something to have...

Really? That would be perfect!

He'd certainly rent it to you. That's always do-able.

-Excellent.

-The property itself is the jewel of this.

-Isn't it just?

How much do you think it is?

I think it's top of our budget, I really do. I reckon about 950.

Well, I'm going to say 920.

Right.

You're much closer. It's actually on at 950.

-950, I'm spot-on, aren't I?

-Top end of your budget.

Why don't you take a look around cos the inside of the property's really gorgeous.

-If anything's going to sway you, it's that.

-Absolutely.

-I shall meet you in the gazebo.

-Very nice.

-By moonlight!

The interiors of this house are absolutely outstanding.

I can't describe how impeccably it's been restored.

-I like the wet room, or the shower.

-That is a wet room, isn't it?

That is just perfect.

The gardens are beautiful. It really is a perfect family home.

It was so picture-book perfect.

It's lovely. I love it.

That thatch really was the icing on the cake,

or rather the reeding on the roof for that property.

Because, despite their initial reservations,

I think it won Kate and Eric over.

Well, that and the amazing kitchen and extraordinary en suite.

That is, I'm afraid to say, if you'll excuse the pun,

the final straw in our adventures in thatching today.

I hope it's inspired you to go out and buy one of these iconic British properties.

But if you're not a fan of thatch, don't worry.

The next edition of Escape To The Country will inspire you

in a different but equally rural direction.

If you'd like to move to the country and maybe need help

with finding your own dream escape,

why not apply to be on the show, at...

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