0:00:02 > 0:00:06Some say it's the cat among the pigeons, the needle in the haystack, the spanner in the works
0:00:06 > 0:00:09or occasionally a double-edged sword.
0:00:09 > 0:00:15It does elicit tears of joy, screams of excitement and sometimes downright disappointment.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18But it remains my favourite part of the show.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Join me on a very special Escape To The Country
0:00:21 > 0:00:26as we go through the archive and reveal all that's best about the mystery house.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44'In today's show, we look back at some of our favourite mystery properties
0:00:44 > 0:00:48'where we make royalty of our house-hunters...'
0:00:48 > 0:00:52- Extraordinary.- It's a slice of Camelot for you.- It is.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56- 'Create a marital divide.'- It's got to be absolutely right.- Hmm.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00And we're not having that argument on camera any more.
0:01:00 > 0:01:06- 'And finish up with the best mystery house around.'- Leave us here and we'll see you some time!
0:01:06 > 0:01:09- Is that it? - We don't need to see the rest.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'Plus I'm going to tackle a mystery of my own.'
0:01:12 > 0:01:18That is arguably the most complicated piece of rope work I've ever done.
0:01:20 > 0:01:26Coming up with a short list as to which are my favourite mystery houses has been a joy and a struggle
0:01:26 > 0:01:28with so many beautiful homes to choose from,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32but we're going to kick off with a story set in Gloucestershire.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Mark and Nicola had a whopping £850,000 to spend
0:01:36 > 0:01:40to find them and their kids their ideal country home.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44With a budget like that, we had already seen some fantastic properties,
0:01:44 > 0:01:50but when we got to the mystery house and a converted folly, they really did have something to think about.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57'The mystery house sat on the former Bishopswood Estate on the edge of the Forest of Dean.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02'The property was one of just six private houses sitting in the 1,000-acre former estate.
0:02:02 > 0:02:08'It was very different from anything else they had seen, so we were keen to find out what they thought.'
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Yes, the mystery house is a castle.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18- Lord and Lady something-or-other, yes!- What about it?
0:02:18 > 0:02:24- Extraordinary.- It's a slice of Camelot for you.- It is.- And it's coming out of the forest as well.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28- Into this massive open space. - Look at that.- It's incredible.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- What a setting!- It's lovely.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35This is the old folly to the estate built in about 1822,
0:02:35 > 0:02:40but offering the most amazing views of this part of England really.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- I mean, it's fantastic. - Incredible.- Incredible.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46LAUGHTER Shocked and stunned.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50We're all a bit crazy here cos it's a crazy house. It's brilliant.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Let's go inside and see how the madness continues.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57'I don't suppose they bargained for this.
0:02:57 > 0:03:03'It's a unique property in spectacular grounds, but I wonder what they'll make of it?'
0:03:05 > 0:03:09- Nice floor.- Yeah? - Look at that stonework as well.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15- That's the base of the tower. - Really?- You get a real sense of castle here. Look at that doorway.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20But come on through here. This is the main hallway of this building.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Everything runs off of there.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- And this is...- Wow, look at that!
0:03:27 > 0:03:32- A reception room.- Yeah.- A reception room. It's really quirky, isn't it?
0:03:32 > 0:03:36- It gives you a sense of the shape of this building.- This is great.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41But it also, I think, is quite a good mixture of something that is quirky,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46but it also has a very practical management to it. It does all work.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52Whether it works for you with your two bouncy children, we'll see, but come with me through here.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57'Back off the hall are steps to a basement room, probably big enough for the children,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00'but possibly not for Mark.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02'Also off the hall is the kitchen.'
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- Now, Nicola...- This is lovely.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11When I first came round this house, this is when it started to make sense to me as a family house
0:04:11 > 0:04:18- cos it's the first sort of normal sized, shaped room you get to.- Yeah.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24- This is lovely.- Yeah? - This is real country kitchen, isn't it? No, I like this.
0:04:24 > 0:04:30'The kitchen has a utility room-cum-larder, but now it's time to climb the tower.'
0:04:30 > 0:04:35- Whoa, look at this!- A real tower staircase, this.- Mind your head.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Come on in here. Now, this is...
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Well, the guest room really.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Guest room, yeah. - It's quite small, isn't it?
0:04:45 > 0:04:49But it's all right for a guest room.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54For guests, this might be OK. Mark, just lead through there. Let's look at the bathroom.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01- Very nice bathroom.- Oh, yeah, this is nice, isn't it?- Probably a bit of a surprise really.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06When you think how much is in it and how much space there is.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- And yeah...- Great view.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- A bathroom and a view.- Phenomenal.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14I mean, it is the principal bathroom here.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17It does mean that you don't have an en suite.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22- But your room is next door.- OK. - So it probably doesn't matter.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Would this do, do you think?
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- This is better. This is big.- Lovely.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- I didn't expect this at all.- Good.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36- Go and have a little look out there.- Have a look out here...
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Ah, the turrets! This is beautiful, isn't it? Look at this.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44There's a touch of the Harry Potters about this place.
0:05:44 > 0:05:50- The kids will probably think you're buying Hogwarts! Look at that view up there. It's lovely.- Oh, yes.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53This is amazing.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57This isn't the best bit. No, no, no. Come with me.
0:05:57 > 0:06:03'Higher up the tower are two identical-sized rooms which would suit both of the children,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'but I've saved the very best until last.'
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- Finally...- Finally...
0:06:08 > 0:06:10This is the top.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Oh, my goodness, look at this!
0:06:15 > 0:06:20- Wow, look at that view! That is phenomenal.- Check it out.- Yeah.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24'It certainly is breathtaking landscape and you get a clear view
0:06:24 > 0:06:29'of the one-and-a-half acre garden which surrounds this tower property.'
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Is it a listed building?
0:06:31 > 0:06:37You would have thought so, but the good thing is it's not, which is a real bonus.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40You'll see why when I take you down to the garden.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45'If Mark and Nicola want extra space, they could apply for planning permission
0:06:45 > 0:06:49'to build a further reception room where the old conservatory stands.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53'In the garden, an outbuilding could be made into an office for Mark
0:06:53 > 0:06:58'and there is plenty of space in the garden for the children to play.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So that's it, your own castle in Gloucestershire.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07- It's amazing, isn't it? - Very different to everything I've shown you before.- Very different.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09But worth showing it to you.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15- I suspect if your children were here, they would be insisting that you...- Buy this one.- No question.
0:07:15 > 0:07:22Regardless of how much it's worth. But that is the question - how much is it worth? Mark?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I'm a bit perplexed by this one.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30I don't know. I'd probably put it at 750 or something like that?
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- As usual, feeling his way in the dark.- Absolutely.- Nicola?
0:07:34 > 0:07:38I reckon less than that, actually. I reckon about 700.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Do you? Interesting.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45- Are you ready?- It's probably gonna be massively out. Go on, yeah.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49This is on the market for £850,000.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54- I can kind of see that because it's just unique, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59I think that's what it is. It's not because of its space, clearly.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01It's because of what it is, its age.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06And it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy something like that
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- if it's for you.- Yeah.
0:08:08 > 0:08:15Go and have a look around and I'll catch up with you a bit later on. Go and be kings of the castle.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21It was quite surprising when we came round the corner and saw the castle standing there.
0:08:21 > 0:08:27It looks very romantic and the whole idea of a castle was very appealing to start with.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31It's much lighter than I thought it would be because it's just out of the forest.
0:08:31 > 0:08:38I think someone's gonna fall in love with this property, but I don't really think it's for me.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43I think the practicalities of living in something that's as different as this
0:08:43 > 0:08:47might prove a bit difficult further on down the line.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Mystery houses can often provoke some fairly extreme reactions
0:08:54 > 0:08:59and none more so than when Pete and Melissa from Balham in South London
0:08:59 > 0:09:03were shown around a rather extraordinary bungalow conversion.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07They had £700,000 to spend which is all well and good,
0:09:07 > 0:09:12but heavily pregnant Melissa was just six weeks away from giving birth
0:09:12 > 0:09:17and having sold their current property, they had to move out in just ten weeks.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21So, as far as Alistair was concerned, no pressure then(!)
0:09:21 > 0:09:26This mystery house was in Chilmark, a quiet village in the Nadder Valley in Wiltshire.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30The village has a church, pub and a very good primary school.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33The nearest shops are two miles away in Tisbury.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38We were taking a risk as this was a new build, not something our buyers were keen on,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41but it offered much of what they were looking for.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46This is an extraordinary, unusual and wonderful property.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I'm very excited to show it to you.
0:09:48 > 0:09:55- What do you think of the property from the outside?- Speechless. - It's unusual. It's very, um...
0:09:55 > 0:09:59It's not the usual shape of house you would expect.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03It's a treasure trove of surprises. Let's have a look inside.
0:10:03 > 0:10:10'This house has been converted to the highest of standards and would offer a fantastic kitchen,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'lots of living space and three big bedrooms,
0:10:13 > 0:10:18'but I know Melissa likes character properties, so how will she feel about it?'
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Thank you... Great hallway.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- Oh, fantastic.- Wow!
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Wow!
0:10:29 > 0:10:34- Goodness me! - Yeah, this is a kitchen!
0:10:34 > 0:10:39- That's really special. - I told you it was special. - I'm very excited now.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44- Can I just point out two things? - Yeah.- The range.- I had noticed that.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- In blue.- And an island.- An island!
0:10:46 > 0:10:49You're really going for gold stars!
0:10:49 > 0:10:55There's so much to point out, I can't go through it all, but this is such a great space
0:10:55 > 0:11:01- because while it is a separate dining room, it's also part of the kitchen.- This is lovely.- Very nice.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05I like the long windows. That's a really clever touch.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And finished to an incredibly high spec.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14- And another wonderful thing - the whole house, throughout, under-floor heating.- Oh, wow!- Is it?
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Let's have a look in the garden.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- Wow!- Nice patio.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- Lovely.- It's not a vast garden.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27It's not acres and acres. The whole property is surrounded by it.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- But it's a beautiful garden. - Yeah, it's lovely.
0:11:30 > 0:11:37- It's so well stocked.- Yeah.- It's got just about everything, as well as a greenhouse. Very nice indeed.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42'At the side of the house, there's a large double garage with a loft above it
0:11:42 > 0:11:45'which could be Peter's office.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49'Let's continue with the rest of the house tour in the living room.'
0:11:49 > 0:11:55It has quite an Australian feel because the lady is Australian - big panes of glass and long windows.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57It's very tastefully done.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01They've got a great eye on the proportion of the building as well
0:12:01 > 0:12:07- and the layout of the room is very homely. It feels very homely and cosy.- Shall we move on through?
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Ah!
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Bedroom on ground floor.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Bedroom on ground floor. This is one of the quirks of the property.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- Yeah.- Much of it is single storey.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29So you've got two bedrooms down on the ground floor.
0:12:29 > 0:12:36I don't have a problem with that because the whole feel and quality of the house is quite something.
0:12:36 > 0:12:42I think when it feels right, it doesn't matter if the bedroom is in the basement or in the attic.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- It works here certainly. It's a lovely room, a great size.- I know.
0:12:46 > 0:12:52- But I have this weird thing about having bedrooms on ground floors. - You're not the only woman who has.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- I don't know why.- It's strange. - There's an easy answer to that.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01- Guests. And we don't live on the ground floor.- I know. - Problem solved really.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07- But I know it's there on the floor. - There is a compromise involved with everything.- I know there is.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13This house does have it over and above everything we've seen in the last seven months.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16'Pete is working hard on Melissa to like this house.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21'Next to the bedroom is the family bathroom and another bedroom,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26'but now I want to show them the master suite which even has its own staircase.'
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It's lovely. Oh, wow!
0:13:29 > 0:13:32That's really clever.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37- What a huge room!- Wow!- It's an extraordinary piece of architecture.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Again it's inspired by a room in... a gallery in Australia.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- Central pinioned...vaulted roof. - That is so unusual.
0:13:46 > 0:13:52It's a very unusual bedroom in the sense that you've got sort of 360, almost, views.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- Yeah.- Quadruple aspect.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57But this very unusual en suite.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02- Very different. - I really like that bathroom.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I've never seen anything like that.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10Wow, a proper bath! Great. I really like this.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16I really like this. I don't have a problem with the fact that there's the bed.
0:14:16 > 0:14:22You're not enclosed in a room with a door that shuts. That doesn't bother me. Does it you?
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Hmm. Maybe.
0:14:25 > 0:14:31- Might take some...- Yeah.- Might take some getting used to, but I don't, you know... It's only me.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- It's not as if there's anyone else. - I know, I know.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36It's lovely the way it's done.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42There's more to come. Once you've had your morning cup of coffee prepared for you by your husband,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45come out in your bath robe...
0:14:46 > 0:14:52- ..and you step out on your own private...- Lovely.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57- You can't complain about this. - No, that's lovely. - You can't complain at all.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59What a very clever use of the space!
0:14:59 > 0:15:05- Isn't it great? - You've always wanted decking. Now you've got it.- That's lovely.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10- Any thoughts about whether you can afford it?- It's a difficult call.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15But because of the quality of the finish of the property, I'm coming in at 695.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20- Melissa?- I'm very unsure, but it's only got three bedrooms,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23so I'm gonna go a bit lower at 650.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27So this is on the market, just between the two of you,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- it's on at 685.- OK.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35Very reasonable, considering the quality and the standard of the whole build
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and the uniqueness of it.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42It really appeals to me, just knowing that no-one else owns something like this.
0:15:42 > 0:15:48- Have a look around. There's lots of design details to explore. I'll meet you out the front.- Thank you.
0:15:48 > 0:15:54I was really pleased, really surprised to see this property. It's so unique.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57I love the kitchen, dining room area.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01That's absolutely spectacular, just what I was wanting.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06- This is beautiful. - This is a beautiful room. - And a beautiful kitchen.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- I just sense that your enthusiasm has dropped a bit.- Yeah.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12It has a bit.
0:16:12 > 0:16:19And also us being over there with a newborn baby in a completely separate part of the house.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25- It isn't entirely practical. - With the baby being down here, you mean, and us...
0:16:25 > 0:16:30It's only gonna be a newborn baby for how long? Not for 18 years.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34I wouldn't let that affect your judgment on the house.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39My slight reservation is having a couple of bedrooms on the ground floor.
0:16:39 > 0:16:46Pete's very into it and I'm going to be... I'm gonna have to be persuaded a little bit, I think.
0:16:46 > 0:16:53- There's always something that's not quite right.- But I don't want to talk myself into buying something.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- Hmm.- It's got to be absolutely right.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00And we're not having that argument on camera any more.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08For all of us who work on Escape To The Country, picking the mystery house is always great fun.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11We are always looking for something unusual.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Over the years, we've had all sorts of shapes and sizes, styles and ages,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20but we've never quite had anything like this.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25In the immortal words of Monty Python, now for something completely different.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33When it comes to unusual dwellings, you can't beat a traditional Mongolian yurt.
0:17:33 > 0:17:39These sturdy nomadic structures date back to the time of Genghis Khan in the 12th century.
0:17:39 > 0:17:45Since then, they've protected people from the Arctic winds of Siberia to the burning heat of the Gobi Desert.
0:17:45 > 0:17:52People are even living in yurts in the UK and if you're interested in trying before you buy,
0:17:52 > 0:17:59why not come down to Monmouthshire where Amanda and Peter run a campsite with a twist?
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- Well, hello, hello.- Hello.- Hello!
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- Hey, Peter, nice to see you.- Hi, Jules.- Hello, Amanda.- Hi, Jules.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10I'm interrupting some very industrious work in progress.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16Well, we're just getting the next yurt up ready for guests to come and stay in.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Just tell me about your setup here because it's very unusual.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25Where did you get the idea to bring in Mongolian yurts into Britain?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Well, it all started a few years ago.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32We had this farm. We had spare land which wasn't being used.
0:18:32 > 0:18:38It wasn't suitable for farming use and we were looking for something to do with it.
0:18:38 > 0:18:44It was a remark by somebody at a party who said, "On our smallholding we have a yurt campsite."
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- This was towards the end of the party?- It was after a glass or two!
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Like all the best ideas.- Absolutely.
0:18:51 > 0:18:57On my way up, I noticed the finished article down there which looks a bit warmer...
0:18:57 > 0:19:03- Yes.- ..than what we've got here. This will be lovely when the curtains are up, I'm sure,
0:19:03 > 0:19:10- but give me a little house tour of that yurt.- That one is a lot warmer inside.- Come on then.- OK.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Look at this!
0:19:15 > 0:19:19It just looks so...at home, bizarrely.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- I suppose it does, really. - Even though we're in Wales.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28It is a Mongolian home. This is how they live full-time in Mongolia.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I love it. Let's go inside and have a look.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It really is fantastic, isn't it?
0:19:41 > 0:19:45- Yeah, it's beautiful.- Come on, let's sit down, let's enjoy...
0:19:45 > 0:19:51- Enjoy the ambience.- Yeah, go for the whole experience. Have yourself a foot rest.- Look at that. I love it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:57- You've seen these things kind of in the wild, as it were, in Mongolia.- Yeah.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- A whole family in here? - A whole family would be in here.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04When the children grow up and go off and get married,
0:20:04 > 0:20:10they are given by their parents, traditionally, a slightly smaller version to go and...
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- Start their family.- ..start their family. Then they gradually...
0:20:14 > 0:20:19I assume there's an element of inheritance of the next size up.
0:20:19 > 0:20:25'But you don't get a cosy yurt by sitting on your backside, so it's time to get back to work.
0:20:25 > 0:20:31'I've been assured that these structures can be put together in around three and a half hours,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33'so let's put it to the test.'
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- That's it.- Ah!
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- No, no.- Oh. Ah!
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- Yeah, OK.- No.- No.- This one here.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48- Is it working? - It's perfect. Look at it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Lovely pattern runs all the way down.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54'You don't need to have a campsite to own one of these.
0:20:54 > 0:21:00'They've become popular as yoga huts, unique classrooms and they crop up at festivals,
0:21:00 > 0:21:06'so if you fancy an alternative lifestyle, why not pick up a family-sized yurt for under £5,000?
0:21:09 > 0:21:13'You know, I don't think that's a bad effort. All that's left is for the canvas to go on.'
0:21:13 > 0:21:18We've done the hard bit. Thank you very much for showing us around
0:21:18 > 0:21:22and for giving us a real taste of Mongolian life in South Wales.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- Thanks ever so much.- OK.- Thank you.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31For my final and favourite mystery house, we are taking a trip down to Dorset
0:21:31 > 0:21:35in the company of a lovely couple, John and Jill.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39They had £600,000 to spend to find their ideal retirement home,
0:21:39 > 0:21:45but also a house that would allow keen trombonist John to make as much noise as he wanted.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51All in all, it was the perfect mystery house, a fantastic location and a very unique property.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Our final mystery house was set in the village of Poundbury
0:21:55 > 0:21:59on the western outskirts of Dorchester.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05Poundbury is the brainchild of Prince Charles. It's an experimental village created 15 years ago
0:22:05 > 0:22:10and located in the Duchy of Cornwall that's owned by the Prince of Wales.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14As a strong believer in ecological planning, designing and building,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19Prince Charles commissioned architect Leon Krier to design his ideal village
0:22:19 > 0:22:24that mixes traditional architecture with modern town planning and thus Poundbury was born.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31So here we are. This is what all the fuss is about. That building there.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34I think it's absolutely fascinating.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I love it. I love the look of the house from the outside. I like it very much.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Would it make it more unusual
0:22:40 > 0:22:46if I told you that Prince Charles took special interest in the design of this particular building?
0:22:46 > 0:22:50- How about that? By royal approval. - By royal approval!
0:22:50 > 0:22:54- Where's the crest?- Let's go inside and see if we can find one.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57'The outside has certainly piqued their interest.
0:22:57 > 0:23:03'The front door leads into an entrance hall that takes you through to the dining room.'
0:23:03 > 0:23:08- This is what your guests will see when they walk in first of all. - I like it very much.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13There is the faintest chance I could be speechless here.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18You can't be speechless. I want to hear your thoughts. Come in here to the kitchen.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- The original round kitchen!- Come in.
0:23:24 > 0:23:31- What do you think?- You couldn't have done better than this. This is so unusual, really mind-blowing.
0:23:31 > 0:23:38Well, let's go and see some more because if you think this is crazy, wait till we go upstairs.
0:23:38 > 0:23:45'Also on the ground floor is one of three bedrooms, a study and a downstairs shower.'
0:23:45 > 0:23:51Now, of course, in a round house, no surprise, you're going to get a spiral staircase.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56This one is made of oak and it leads us very nicely into that.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- Oh!- In you go.- Oh, oh, oh!
0:23:59 > 0:24:05- Would this work for you? Round rooms aren't for everybody. - Certainly for me.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09If you want to be different, let's be different and this is different.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Leave us here and we'll see you some time.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16- Is that it? Is the deal done? - Yes. We don't need to see the rest.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I can't wait to show you the rest!
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Your master bedroom, you like somewhere big, I get the feeling?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24- Yeah?- Yes.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- Ah, here!- Oh.
0:24:29 > 0:24:35Well, I have to say, you wouldn't have expected anything less, would you now?
0:24:35 > 0:24:39- The whole thing is just... - John?- Yeah.- ..amazing.- Gasp.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- Yeah.- Gasp in admiration.- Very nice.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44As a master bedroom, it's fabulous.
0:24:44 > 0:24:51'There's a third bedroom on this floor which has an en-suite bathroom and would be ideal for guests.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- You'd have guests who'd never want to go home.- There you go.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00- Would you have them here for that long?- Yeah. We could charge them.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05Quite a lot, I suspect. You may have to charge them even more if you want to buy it!
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- That's pretty much it.- Is that it?
0:25:08 > 0:25:10No, it's not it!
0:25:10 > 0:25:15'Of course, I've left the best till last and it's up one more flight of stairs.'
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I knew there had to be something up here.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Now, this is mine! LAUGHTER
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Before we have any discussion!
0:25:26 > 0:25:29What would you use this space for, do you think?
0:25:29 > 0:25:35- This, to my mind, is a sort of day room where all the daytime activities take place.- Yeah.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40So we can eat lunch up here if we want to, we can certainly do our hobbies.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43We might even play the trombone up here sometimes.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- The famous trombone made an appearance at long last!- It had to.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50'I just knew they'd fall for this amazing space,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53'so will the garden seal the deal?'
0:25:53 > 0:25:58- It is very secluded and very nice, yeah.- This is just right for us.
0:25:58 > 0:26:04- This is just the right size for us. This aspect lives up to the rest of the house.- Yes, it does.
0:26:04 > 0:26:11- It's just very, very nice. - I suppose we ought to talk about the difficult bit.- Yeah.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17- How much is it gonna cost you? It is an extraordinary place.- It is an extraordinary place.- Go on then.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21I volunteered to go first. I think this is gonna be over our budget.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25I'm gonna go for something like...645.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29My feeling for this type of house, I would even go higher.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34You might have taken us a lot over our budget and I would say 675.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- 675?- Yeah.- Well, I'm afraid it's good news and bad news.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44- The bad news is it is over your budget.- Yeah.- The good news is it's not 675.- Right.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It's currently on the market for £650,000.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52I'm not surprised at that. It's a fabulous house.
0:26:52 > 0:26:58There's a lot of house for that money. I could see myself very happily living here.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- In poverty, of course! - LAUGHTER
0:27:02 > 0:27:08I get the feeling that to really know if this is gonna work for you, you need to get your trombone out.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- Do the trombone test.- OK.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17OK, Jill, it's time for the trombone test.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21That's fine. I'm just gonna go and have a look around downstairs.
0:27:21 > 0:27:27When you come into The Round House, you're immediately excited because it is a unique house.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31That room at the top is absolutely unique, beautiful views,
0:27:31 > 0:27:36but also a very nice room to share, do your daytime hobbies and enjoy.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Underneath all this excitement is a house that would work very well for both of us.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44PLAYS LOUD, DEEP NOTES
0:27:58 > 0:28:02When houses produce reactions like that, my day is complete.
0:28:02 > 0:28:08Houses, if they're right, do speak to you and that one had an awful lot to say to Jill and to John.
0:28:08 > 0:28:14But sadly, their tale brings us to the end of this very special edition of Escape To The Country.
0:28:14 > 0:28:21As I said at the outset, picking the best of the best was always going to be a bit of a challenge,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25but when it comes to property and, in particular, mystery houses,
0:28:25 > 0:28:30approach them with the eyes wide open because you never know what you're gonna get. See you next time.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2009