Peak District Escape to the Country

I'm in Britain's first and most visited national park,

standing atop its oldest manmade tourist attraction.

Now, with these fantastic views, I'm still not able to see all 555 square miles of farmland,

moorland and rounded hills that this area has to offer.

But, with a view like that you really can't argue.

On today's show we're helping a couple find their very first home together.

You'd feel like the lord of the manor living here, wouldn't you?

We'll be tempting them with some gorgeous character properties.

I think it's like a Mrs Tiggy-Winkle cottage now.

You didn't say there was a secret garden.

But can we find them their dream country pile for the right price?

My God! Whoo!

That's fantastic!

In today's show, we're property shopping in and around the Peak District National Park.

And this is Prospect Tower in the Heights of Abraham.

Now, every year approximately 22 million people are lucky enough to visit the park,

with many of them wishing to stay here and make it their permanent home.

In the North-East and lying mainly in Derbyshire,

the Peak District also dips in and out of Cheshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.

Agriculture is still a significant business in the Peaks

with about 1,800 farms dotting the landscape,

and evidence still abounds of the mining and quarrying industry which goes back for generations.

The main employer for the park's 38,000 residents is tourism.

The Peak District was designated Britain's first national park in 1951.

Today it's the fourth-largest in the UK,

but with an estimated 22 million day-trippers annually, it's also one of the most popular.

At the heart of the park is the Victorian spa town of Buxton,

a hit with visitors since the Romans built the baths in 78AD,

taking advantage of the geothermal spring which rises there.

Outside the town, the countryside rolls majestically on,

lightly dotted with delightful villages of limestone cottages,

as well grit- and sandstone farmhouses.

Little has changed since the scenery inspired Jane Austen to use it as one of her settings

for Pride And Prejudice over two centuries ago.

If you're planning on buying in the Peak District, a word of warning.

Not all properties can be purchased by just anyone.

Restrictions can apply to certain homes,

limiting them to people who've either lived or worked in the area for over three years.

Now, the idea behind it is to stop the ebb of properties being sold as second and holiday homes,

strengthening rural communities and plugging the gap in the first-time buyers' market,

but, lucky for outsiders like us, there are still plenty of properties on the market to choose from.

If you're after character and country views,

look no further than this Grade II listed five-bedroom farmhouse

in the village of Carsington. A bespoke kitchen adds a dash of contemporary styling

to a property otherwise packed with period charm.

It will set you back £995,000,

but included in the price is a self-contained three-bedroomed guest cottage.

For £650,000, you could snap up this five-bedroomed two-storey barn conversion in Wolsely.

It's a spacious home with a large made-to-measure kitchen,

two reception rooms and it's all set in nearly an acre of land.

If golf's your game, how about living right next door to 18 holes in Burton-on-Trent?

£525,000 will purchases this contemporary barn conversion in a gated community.

It comes with four bedrooms, a modern kitchen and a galleried reception room.

Some fabulous family homes there.

Let's meet today's buyers who are raring to set up their very first home together in the country.

Today we're helping business development manager and textile designer Niall

and his research scientist partner Barry find their very first house together.

Niall lives in this elegant four-bedroomed Victorian semi

in the fashionable Manchester suburb of Didsbury,

while Barry 23 miles south in a modern house in the Cheshire village of Holmes Chapel.

They're tying the knot next year, but the key thing missing from their gift list is a home.

We've been looking to move to the country for about a year and a half now.

But we started looking really seriously since the spring of this year,

cos we decided at that point that we want to have a civil partnership next year in September,

so we'd like to move and have everything in place before the big day arrives.

Barry and Niall currently have to commute to work from their separate homes,

so buying a house together will make things much easier.

It's just very chaotic all the travelling about that we have to do

to try and sort our week...

With being in separate houses as well and both having quite busy jobs,

quite often we'll only see each other at the weekends, maybe one evening in the week.

And, you know... we need to move on from that.

And when they cross the threshold, what type of house do they envisage?

Ideally our next house will be detached, have off-road parking,

two reception rooms, good-sized kitchen...

and at least three bedrooms.

But designer Niall is more interested in the aesthetics.

Yeah, personally, I'd be looking for something with some character to it,

so maybe Victorian or even Georgian type of features,

just basically because I like that type of architecture and I like that type of interior.

They love entertaining so are looking for a separate dining room,

but keen cook Niall has ambitions for the outside space too.

Well, I'd like to actually try and grow some vegetables, because I do cook quite a lot,

and that, to me, would just be an extension of the sort of entertaining that I do at the minute,

so invite some friend round and be able to say, "Oh, look, I actually grew these from scratch,

"and I've cooked them for you as well!"

And Barry has some equally outdoorsy reasons to lust after country life.

Well, I love the outdoors, and I've been doing hiking and mountain climbing for years,

and I'm really looking forward to actually having it all on the doorstep,

if I move to the Peak District, rather than having to drive somewhere.

The beautiful country views will give Barry inspiration for his other hobby,

landscape photography, but Niall has other ideas about what to hang on the walls.

The hobby I've got is collecting front covers of, of all people, Madonna!

I've been doing that for about 15 years now and I've got around 100 up on the wall.

It would be great in our new property to be able to have space to put all the other ones up,

and show somebody's career change over the last 25 years.

From mountains of magazines to mountaineering,

they've both got plenty of ideas about how they'll spend their free time.

But how much do they have to spend on their new property?

Niall and I both have a property to sell and our combined budget's going to be round about £500,000.

So with a good budget, Barry and Niall are looking for a detached period property,

the period in this case being Georgian or Victorian.

Now, they want a separate kitchen-diner

and enough space for an extensive Madonna collection, hopefully, to go on the walls.

Outside they want quite a large garden to grow their own vegetables

and all this in a convenient location for both their jobs.

With Barry working in Alderley Edge in Cheshire

and Niall working in Brighouse in West Yorkshire,

they want to concentrate their search

around the northern edge of the Peak District.

We'll be viewing some of the best period properties available on the market,

but, as always, I won't be revealing their price tags straightaway.

And finally there's the mystery house

which could have Niall and Barry planning more than their big day.

-Barry and Niall, welcome to the Peak District.

-Thank you.

-Are you looking forward to the next few days?

-I'm sure it'll be great.

Good. Well, we've got some great houses lined up, but, first things first...

a little bird has told me you've reassessed your finances, so what's your current budget?

Well, our top budget's about £650,000,

but I think in the current climate we'll probably look up to about 700,000.

And with the slight change in budget, as we've upped it,

are you still looking for the same type of property?

Yeah, I think in principle the same type of property,

-but, obviously, maybe something nicer.

-Good.

We've got some amazing properties lined up and, of course, we've got the mystery property,

-which is always a bit of fun, so are you ready to get going?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, great.

Come on, then, let's start the search.

Upping their budget to £700,000 is a good move on Barry and Niall's part,

as it'll give us a lot more scope to find them their sizeable dream house.

They want...

They love entertaining so...

For their landscape photos and Madonna magazine collection...

..and finally, as Niall can't wait to get green-fingered growing veg...

So this is the first time you two as a couple have looked at properties together?

Yeah, I mean, we have looked in estate agent windows, but we've not actually made any appointments,

so in that respect it's the first time you're taking us to see anything.

Well, I hope I'm not going to cause any arguments.

I think the main thing that we might have to discuss is the commuting,

because it's quite a bit of a drive for both of us,

and, you know, unless we get somewhere exactly halfway,

one of is going to have to slightly compromise.

Well, our first location slightly favours Barry

in the commuting stakes.

It's situated in Whaley Bridge in the High Peak District,

which is a 30-minute drive to Alderley Edge,

as opposed to an hour's drive to Niall's work in Brighouse.

Sat on the south-western outer limits of the Peak District National Park,

Whaley Bridge looks out over stunning park scenery.

The village has plenty of amenities, including some good shops and restaurants

for our self-confessed foodies.

The house we're viewing is on the outskirts of the village

in a sought-after elevated position above Todbrook Reservoir.

And here it is. This is your first property.

As you can see, it's Edwardian, built in 1904.

What do you think as you're standing here?

Well, it's got little turrets, that's giving it a bit more character as well.

And it's obviously in a really nice setting with all the greenery here, so the gardens must be great.

Yeah, looks fab!

-Let's go and have a look inside. Let's explore.

-That's the exciting bit, yeah.

This period property has plenty of space and bags of potential,

which I'm hoping will appeal to textile designer Niall,

so he and Barry can create their very first home together just as they want it.

Come on through.

And here's your entrance hall.

That's really grand, isn't it?

-A surprise as you come through the door?

-Yeah, sure. I didn't realise the hall was as big as this.

-It's great having a big hall.

-It's a great entrance.

-So you've got two reception rooms from here. Let's go straight through into the lounge.

-OK.

I can see you're both taking it all in.

It's not bad, really. I suppose it's just putting your own stamp on it, isn't it?

-Yeah, which is perfect for you!

-Yeah. Great. I'd love to have a go at it.

-Barry, we're going to follow straight across the hall to the other room, please.

-OK.

-So you guys love entertaining.

-Yeah.

-And ideally you wanted a separate dining room.

That's right, yeah. I think it's nice to have more of an area contained

so that you don't feel as if you've spilled through a kitchen area.

-It's got another lovely fireplace inside it.

-Yeah.

-And we've got a brilliant view there.

-I'm liking this.

-You're looking at all the positives around you in the second room.

-Yes!

Considering this is our first viewing,

not to mention it's the very first house they have ever viewed together,

I'd say we're doing pretty well.

Off the hallway you've got a storeroom and a bathroom at the end of the corridor,

-which I'll let you explore in a moment.

-OK.

Cos I wanted to bring you straight into this room which I'd call a snug.

-Maybe it's supposed to be a morning room...

-Could be a morning room.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic parquet floor, isn't it?

-Mmm.

-You've got a wood burner.

I've always wanted a wood burner.

-So quite a small room...

-Yeah.

-But I think there are options with this part of the house.

-Mmm?

-Because...let's take a look at the kitchen and bear this room in mind.

-Yeah, sure.

Through here is the kitchen.

-Gosh, a bit small.

-But if you took your morning room with this kitchen, it could be a fabulous space.

It could be brilliant. You could do a lot with it.

You've got a utility room which is separate just outside so you've got access to your garden.

-At the side of the property you've got your utilities, all your white goods in there.

-Yeah.

-So you wouldn't have to worry about them in this space.

-OK.

But, personally, I would really consider, if you could, knocking through

-and making it one huge area.

-Yeah. Well, certainly this is a little bit on the small side

to have as your kitchen, I would think,

so it would be worth really investigating that further.

And the kitchen itself does need updating, I think.

Yeah. Now, there's four-and-a-half bedrooms upstairs, so plenty of space...

-I'm intrigued by the half a bedroom.

-Half a bedroom. Some might say five, I'm going to say four and a half!

So we're going to go back through there...

It sounds like they are buying into the potential of this property.

Let's hope the positivity continues upstairs.

-Now, how's this for a landing?

-It'd be great for all our photographs, all my landscape photographs.

I've got lots I could hang up on the walls here.

-Landscape photographs...

-Madonna pictures.

-I knew it was going to come pretty soon.

I mean, look at the space. As landings go...

-It's really brilliant, yeah.

-Massive.

-I love a big landing, yeah.

-And just off this part of the landing is the family bathroom.

-OK.

Mmm...

-it's a little bit dated.

-It needs...

-And it doesn't have a shower either.

-No.

-It's a bit like the kitchen again. You just put your own stamp on to it now.

This is a wonderful blank canvas to work with, although back across the hallway,

I think there's one aspect of the master bedroom Niall and Barry will find picture perfect already.

-So this is the master bedroom.

-It's a good size.

-Look at the view!

-Fantastic, waking up to that!

-There is your reservoir.

-Yes!

It's just a perfect room to be able to do something with, put your own stamp on it

-and make it the way you'd like it to be.

-Let's go and have a look at that intriguing half bedroom.

-That might be an en-suite.

-Yeah, sure.

-Here it is.

-Quite dinky.

-Big enough to get a cot, but I would say a dressing room or a bathroom.

Yeah, I think really you'd need a bathroom up here, wouldn't you, because of all these other rooms.

-Be a nice en-suite space, wouldn't it?

-Yeah, you could lie in the bath and look out at the water

-and the trees and things.

-Mmm.

-Plenty more to see.

There'll be no shortage of room for visiting guests, with three further double bedrooms,

one of which is used as a study.

But outside space is equally important to them, and I'm feeling confident the garden here

won't disappoint.

So...I think the gardens are a project in themselves.

-Yeah, they sure are.

-Yeah, lots of maintenance, but they've been nicely kept, haven't they?

-Beautiful mature gardens.

-Lots of apple trees.

Well, they might want to use this as the orchard, as there's plenty more garden space.

At the front of the house there's another sizeable lawn,

and at the side of the property there's practically a football pitch.

-God!

-Wow! You didn't say there was a secret garden.

-This is the third part of your garden.

-Is this all for the house here?

-All for the house.

-Right.

-Wow!

So we're going to have to cut straight to money.

How much do you think this house is currently on the market for?

615.

I think it's probably on for a bit more than that.

I imagine it's probably about 645.

-It's been on the market for two years...

-Gosh, that long?

They did have a buyer, but that's dropped through, so the current asking price

-is £675,000.

-Gosh, that's a lot more than I was expecting.

-Yeah.

So not at the very top of your budget,

but bearing in mind you would want to do work on the property, something to think about.

-So do you fancy having another little look around the house?

-Yeah. That'd be great.

-Yeah.

-Go on, have a wander, and I'll catch up with you in a little while.

-All right.

-See you later.

On the market for...

this large Edwardian home is 25,000 under Barry and Niall's top budget.

It also has commanding views.

It's been on the market for two years,

so there should be room for negotiation,

freeing up cash for any cosmetic changes they'll want to make.

-I think this room could really be great, but...

-I love both the reception rooms.

I think they're two of the best features of the house.

It's certainly the sort of period property I'd be looking for

if I was going myself out to the estate agent's.

It obviously needs a lot of updating, and, you know, I think there's lots of potential there.

I think if that wall maybe was taken down, it would give you a much bigger area,

then maybe if you had, like, a conservatory on the back there,

it would give you a fantastic big dining-kitchen-entertaining area as well.

Given that we'd want to do a certain amount of work to it...

you know, we'd need to have a talk about it,

but, you know, I think I would be wanting to be making a lower offer.

-Have you seen enough?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Yeah, I think so.

-A good start?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Good. We've got plenty more to see, so let's hit the road.

-OK.

Keen to visit the national park proper,

during the week, Barry and Niall headed to the very heart of the Peak District,

to one of the region's prettiest and most interesting villages, Castleton,

where local historian Peter Harrison was on hand to show them around.

-Well, hello, guys.

-Hi, good to meet you.

-Welcome to Castleton.

-Hello.

Settled by the Celts, Romans and Normans, it's a little place with a long history.

The village that stands here today prospered thanks to the local lead-mining industry

that thrived here from the 17th to the 19th century.

And many of the limestone cottages are well over 200 years old.

Originally the village grew up in the shadow of the Norman castle which gives the village its name.

Built by William Peveril, reputedly an illegitimate son of William the Conqueror,

the castle was first constructed in timber in 1080

and later rebuilt in stone.

It was built in the time of Henry II at a cost of £175,

that's 6-8 million these days.

One thing you can't put a price on is the view,

but Castleton's attractions aren't just above terra firma.

Below the village is a huge network of prehistoric caves of which Peak Cavern is the largest.

Up until 1915, it was home to Britain's last known troglodytes.

For 400 years, these cave-dwellers made their living making rope for the local mining industry,

and the drier conditions of the cave provided the perfect environment for the job.

This cave's massive, Peter. How far back does it go?

Well, visitors go down for about three-quarters of a mile,

but then the cave system itself goes on for a maze of underground passageways,

and in 1993 they discovered the biggest cave in England,

called Titan. It's huge. About as big as this.

Gosh!

Potholing however isn't on the week's agenda,

but finding the dream house is, so it's on with the search.

We're not straying far from the national park for property 2,

as we're heading to the outskirts of the village of Charlesworth on the park's western boundary.

There's a thriving community here, served by two pubs,

a post office, a grocer's and a local shop.

However one of the major selling points of our next property is its proximity to the national park,

which is literally a stone's throw away,

so perfect for Barry to don his hiking boots and ramble for hours.

-So here is your barn.

-Oh, right? It's very different to what I was expecting.

-Have you ever considered living in a barn?

-Well, I've not ever thought about it,

but then again you should always look a bit further than just what you think first of all.

-Oh, I like that!

-Yeah?

-I like that answer, yeah.

The documentation says around 1850 that it was definitely here.

Recently converted in the early 1990s. It took three years to convert,

and it has been done most beautifully inside.

But before I take you inside, what do you think of this as a location?

Well, it's probably a lot more remote than I was expecting,

but there again I've not seen the property,

and just to consider whether or not you like the property enough to be somewhere

where you might be just a little bit further than you wanted to be, but I'm quite open-minded.

-It's a bit blustery. Shall we have a look inside?

-Yeah.

-Great.

We are taking a bit of a gamble with this property.

Although most definitely Victorian, this won't necessarily be what Niall and Barry had in mind

when they said they wanted a period home.

What the converted barn offers up however is unadulterated rustic charm.

Come through, boys.

-Gosh!

-Not what you wanted or not what you expected?

A bit of both!

Not what I expected.

-But it has a real impact, doesn't it?

-It certainly does, yes.

I think it's so unusual, so different, you know, I'm just fascinated.

-I'd love to see a bit more of the property.

-Let's go through into the living area.

So we'll start off in the drawing room.

Oh!

Beams.

-Beamed.

-Well, a beam.

-A beam, probably quite an important beam,

so you wouldn't want to take it out.

-But it's not too low this ceiling.

-No.

-Is that acceptable?

-Yeah, I think we'd get away with that one.

-But there's still more to see.

-You want kitchens? I'm not going to show you a really beautiful kitchen!

-Great, thank you.

Gosh, this is big, isn't it?

-Oh, wow, that is big!

-Oh, we've got another beam in here.

-Yes.

-You've got to see past the beam.

-I'm only joking.

So this is your kitchen and dining area, so although you've got the space,

-and again extremely well finished, you don't have a separate dining room here.

-Right, OK.

But it's got a big area there, so you could use that with your own table and set it up differently.

Through the oak door, you've got a utility room, which is quite big, I have to say,

-and a downstairs cloakroom as well.

-That's good.

-So happy with the kitchen?

-Mmm.

-Yeah...

-Go on, tell me what you're thinking, Barry.

I wasn't sure when I first saw the property, but now I've walked in I'm sort of warming to it.

It's very different because it's not something I would have normally looked at, I think.

Could this property be a divider of opinion?

Whilst Barry seems quite taken with it, I'm not sure Niall is convinced.

Let's see if upstairs can convert him.

So here we are in the bones of the barn.

So down the hallway you've got two large double bedrooms and a family bathroom.

And then through here...

-Gosh! A bit imposing, the bed, isn't it?

-It's a great bed.

It's surprising as well cos you've got a lot of height in here now.

-I was expecting it to be all very low again.

-Yeah.

-It's really good.

-It is deceiving, actually, this property. Barry, you're smiling.

-I like it.

I think it's nice.

It's kind of baronial, isn't it?

LAUGHTER

And through there you've got your shower room.

Your bathroom's a little en-suite.

Well, if Barry thinks this is baronial, wait till he sees the garden,

because this property comes with a rather impressive three acres,

more than enough space for Niall's veggie needs.

-Beautiful cobbled area here,

-Yeah.

And here's your lawns.

A substantial lawn.

How much lawn do we get here?

-All of this, you can just see the boundaries. The other side is the national park...

-OK.

-..With the sheep grazing.

-Right.

But I haven't shown you everything.

-Right...

-Just to this gate...

..if you follow the wall all the way along past those trees, the other side of the aviary and beyond...

-Right.

-That is all your land if you were to buy this property.

A total of three acres.

I thought you were having a laugh!

And what they've done is they've let that go very natural, a natural woodland there...

there's a huge pond. How much do you think this property is on the market for?

Well, I've really no idea about this sort of property's price, so I'll say a wild...

-550,000.

-Well, I'd probably say it was more than that. I'd say 650.

Niall, you're bang on the money!

-Very good.

-It's been on the market for a few months, but it is £650,000.

-Right.

-Well, with that in mind, do you want to take another look around?

-All right, thanks.

-Thanks.

At £650,000, this attached barn is 50,000 under the top budget.

For many it would be the rural dream with...

Right on the edge of the national park,

the barn commands an enviable location,

but I'm not convinced it's the perfect nest for Niall and Barry.

I'm a bit concerned that I think this is the only living space apart from the kitchen area.

It's a little bit sort of restrictive, isn't it?

It's not enough of a room if you needed to sort of have an area even to work in.

I think really it doesn't have enough rooms for the sorts of purposes that we would like.

It's only got one main living room.

And even though you've got a great big kitchen-dining area,

if you just needed that extra space it's not really there.

I am excited about it because I do think it is a really impressive property,

and it is very impressive...er...

but I just think, on reflection, I couldn't see myself living here.

-It's very wild here, isn't it?

-Yes!

-That must be the boundary. Can you see the wall going...?

-Yeah, all the way up to the top.

There's a lot of scope.

-Have you seen enough, guys?

-Yeah, I'll have to get a tractor!

I'm going to turn you into farmers, I think, at this rate.

I think one of us would have to give up our jobs and work full-time on that.

-At least you'd keep fit.

-Oh, we would.

Let's keep going.

One of the big reasons behind Barry's move to the Peak District

is so he can take full advantage of the national park's prime hiking territory.

And not to waste any time, he's persuaded Niall and I to don our walking boots

and head off for the hills... and the wind!

-We all wrapped up?

-Yes.

-To face the elements?

-Yeah.

-Or brave the elements, I think. Let's get going.

But with over 550 square miles to explore,

we're taking our lead from someone who knows the land very well,

Margaret Anderson, the park's longest-serving volunteer ranger.

Right, let's get going, then. Come on.

We're heading for Mam Tor.

At 1,695 feet, it has one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the Peak District.

And from the base of the car park it's a steady 45-minute climb to the top,

which even in this rain and wind, Niall and I should manage.

Am I supposed to look happy as I walk past now?

Hopefully, the inspiring scenery will make it worth our while.

Margaret, that is a spectacular view. Where's that?

That's the west end of the Edale Valley.

And over Rushup Edge at the far end there is what we call the Salt Trail.

They brought the salt from the salt mines in Northwich, Middlewich, etc, in Cheshire

over the hills, through the valley, out the other side

and over to Penistone where it was sheep, and that was the way they traded,

-and the sheep would go back the other way.

-All done by foot?

-All done by foot, yes.

-Pack horses, pack mules...

-It's bad enough just walking, isn't it? It's hard enough!

There are over 300 volunteer rangers like Margaret,

and 20 full-time wardens looking after the park.

And conservation is very much the name of the game.

The National Park Authority has spent time and money

ensuring the 22 million people who visit each year do as little damage as possible,

and today there are 1,600 miles of stone paths and trails in place.

How do they get them up here?

Helicopter. They bring them in in cradles underneath the helicopter.

-And does this stop the erosion from all the ramblers?

-Yes.

Although there are some great heights to scale in the Peak District,

the name is a bit of a misnomer, because there isn't actually a single peak to be found here.

The region is thought to have been named after the 7th-century Anglo-Saxon tribe,

the Pecsaetan.

My goodness!

Well, we've been buffeted, but it hasn't put us off!

So what do you reckon, Niall? Do you think this is going to be your area for your future home?

Well, maybe not on the top of here!

But hopefully we can come and view it once we move in.

With the clouds drawing in over the dramatic landscape,

Barry and Niall get a much-deserved rest

and a chance to discuss their first experience of house-hunting together.

Will they be in agreement on the properties they've viewed so far?

So two very contrasting properties today. What did you think of the first house, by the reservoir?

Yeah, I thought it was really good, it had lots of character,

good proportion to it as well. I mean, the garden was really great.

You could do lots with that. I just thought it obviously needed lots of updating

in some of the main areas that you're going to be using.

-Yeah, I think the kitchen is the most pressing thing that would need attention.

-Yeah.

I mean, the bathrooms weren't ideal but you could do them whenever.

-What was your opinion on the barn conversion that we saw?

-Very windy!

-I thought it was beautifully done.

-Mmm. And obviously there's that beautiful staircase

that they'd put in to give it a really grand entrance-hallway.

I loved the bedrooms too. They were very nice and light and very restful,

but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

With a civil partnership planned next year, Niall and Barry

are looking to buy their very first home together, and have decided on the Peak District.

They've liked one of the houses we've shown them,

but we are on a mission to find them a truly wonderful home.

I feel a bit lost for words, to be honest, because it is absolutely fantastic.

And will today's mystery house measure up to size?

Yeah, is it a hobbit's house?

I thought yesterday went pretty well,

considering that this is the first time

that Barry and Niall have actually viewed a potential property together.

Now, Barry certainly takes a very practical and logical approach to the search,

with Niall being guided by his creative side and his heart.

So let's hope what we show them today will get both heads and hearts racing.

And let's not forget the mystery house which will certainly get them thinking.

For our first property offering of the day,

we're heading to the village of Combs,

just a few minutes' drive from Whaley Bridge

with its full run of amenities.

Which may come in handy as Combs itself will be a real rural escape for Barry and Niall.

The village is slap-bang in the middle of some great walking territory,

but there's just one pub providing refreshments

for pre- or post-hiking needs.

The reason we've brought you here today is this...

rather grandiose house. Quite deceiving from the outside.

-Built in the 1840s, this section... As you can see it's a terrace.

-Yeah.

-That's believed to be built in the early 1800s.

-OK.

And this was an extension. And in the '70s, three architects took it over,

because it was a huge manor house, and they converted it into three separate pieces of accommodation.

-What do you think, Barry?

-I love these great big chimneys on the top.

It's a very grand-looking house.

I know they love Georgian and Victorian architecture,

so I've got very high hopes for this Grade II listed former manor house.

Fully refurbished in the last five years, it's beautifully finished,

and, although not detached, this property could well and truly give the TARDIS a run for its money!

-Thank you.

-So here's your entrance.

It's really lovely. Yeah, really nice.

It's got all the period features that hopefully you were after.

Yeah, it is beautiful, actually.

Now, Niall, I know this is a very important room for you.

Yeah, it's beautiful.

-I wasn't expecting it to look like this, the kitchen, but it's fantastic.

-And it's so big as well.

-You both love entertaining, but it's important that we get the reception rooms right, isn't it?

-Mmm.

-So let's see what you think of the next room.

-OK.

Gosh, this is fantastic!

-Gosh, it's so big. I wasn't expecting this at all.

-It's huge!

-You'd feel like the lord of the manor living here, wouldn't you?

-Look at the fireplace, gosh!

So there's a working fire.

Well, you've found something fantastic here, I really love this.

-It's brilliant.

-I'm glad you love this room, but I've got another one now to show you.

-My gosh!

-It's just as big.

-And you wanted a separate dining room.

-Oh, fantastic!

I feel a bit lost for words, to be honest, because it is absolutely fantastic.

And so much wall space for my lovely landscape photographs as well.

It's crying out for your photographs, Barry.

It looks like we've already hit the nail on the head with this house,

but there's still a lot more property to see.

Gosh, there's another floor.

Oh, gosh!

Lots of goshes as we were coming up.

So what I haven't told you is the house has four bedrooms.

So on this landing you've got a massive bedroom there which is currently used for storage,

-another double there, and let's go through to the master.

-OK.

But, before I show you the master...

just stick your head in there.

That has to be the biggest airing cupboard I've seen in my life!

But this is pretty huge too.

Oh, that's lovely.

I don't think we've got a bed big enough for there.

We have, I've got a super king size.

I still don't think it would look big enough.

I mean, I can't believe the size of the rooms, they're so massive.

-Another fantastic view, like a picture, through the window.

-Yeah.

-Really high ceilings,

-even up here, so lots of space, but you probably have noticed it doesn't have an en-suite.

-Right.

So you've got the downstairs cloakroom, but on this floor you've got a family bathroom,

-plus a separate WC as well.

-OK.

-So let me show you that.

-All right.

-Gosh, what a grand bathroom!

-Oh, this is a beautiful bathroom.

There's a shower, bath,

-toilet, sink, everything you'd want.

-This is really beautiful.

-Nothing you'd have to do to that.

And another beautiful view out through the window.

The fourth bedroom is upstairs in the attic which has only been half-converted.

If Niall and Barry wanted to create even more space, with planning permission,

they could knock through to the rest of the eaves to create a really big office or art space.

However these two are also hankering after a good garden plot,

and this property comes with an impressive parcel of land, including a private terrace.

This is the way to see the Peak District, with the sun shining.

Gosh! I mean, the view is just spectacular, isn't it?

The tiered lawn is shared, but there's a private strip of land at the bottom of the garden,

ideal for Niall's veggie plot.

So we've seen the house, we've seen the gardens...

you can't fail to be impressed by that spectacular view, but... You're looking worried, Niall.

It's time, isn't it? It's that money question.

How much do you think this house is currently on the market for?

Well, that's the bit I was worried about, because I think it's probably quite a lot over our budget,

so I'm going to have to say probably...750.

-OK. And your budget at the top was 700.

-Yeah.

-Barry?

-Yes, I think it's probably 700,000 to 750,000.

-OK.

The price for this property

is £5 short of...

£500,000.

My God! Whoo!

That's fantastic!

Yeah. 499,995.

-Easy for some to say.

-I can't believe that.

-That's amazing.

-I mean, I'm just dumbstruck, really.

-Good.

Why don't you go and have another wander around? Take as long as you like

-and I'll catch up with you in a little while.

-All right, then. Thank you. Thanks.

Well, two very smiling faces.

They're so pleasantly surprised, but how can you not be?

I think this is the most confident I've ever felt with a property. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed.

At just short of £500,000,

they would get an enormous amount of property to the pound with this...

And they'd have £200,000 left in their pockets.

..over the Goyt Valley.

Yeah, I think it'd be really interesting to be able to use this space for something.

I know at the minute we could think of an office,

but if you imagine making some more bedrooms up here,

you could actually increase the price of the property in the end.

I think the fact we'd have the extra money would be a big bonus, because if there were certain projects,

we thought, "Right, well, we'll tackle that now,"

or maybe we'll do something that we've not really thought about initially,

it would give us the opportunity.

You know, I think this has got to be my favourite room. It's fantastic.

I'd just love sitting in here.

-Look at the views out through even the mirror there.

-Am I reflected?

-Brilliant. Isn't it beautiful?

I was a little worried when I first came to the front door,

because it looked quite small, like a terrace in the middle,

but it was deceptively spacious inside. I couldn't believe it when Nicki told us the price.

Er...so, yeah... I do think it's a fab house.

Come on, guys! I know I said you could take as long as you liked!

-But we really now do need to press on.

-OK.

-Seen enough?

-Yep.

Let's keep going.

Well, we may have already found Barry and Niall's dream Peak District pad,

but if Niall's serious about growing his own veg, he may need a helping hand.

So we've sent him and Barry along to Baslow Hall to meet up with kitchen-gardener extraordinaire

and owner Derbyshire's only Michelin-starred restaurant Max Fischer.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-How are you? Lovely to see you.

Kitchen gardens came into prominence in the Georgian and Victorian era,

when the owners of large country piles relied on growing their own produce to supply their estates.

But you don't need to have a mansion or an allotment to grow your own greens.

In fact, one of the most effective methods for producing veg, herbs and even fruit trees,

on a small scale is to use raised beds.

Max is giving Niall a master class,

and, apparently, once you have a timber frame, it's all down to creating the right compost.

So what you're starting off with is brash,

a good layer of that and that will just decompose nicely...

The next layer is woodchip which you can buy from any good garden centre.

A healthy dose of grass clippings goes on top of that.

Take from your own lawn if you have one.

And you put loads on, absolutely massive. Then we've got this...

this wonderful farmland manure which is just absolutely fantastic,

and this is the top of it... mushroom compost,

-but just smell that... that is just...

-Mmm!

It smells mushroomy...and a good layer of that goes on top.

And then you just finish off with the... Get the soil on top of that.

And you will see the raised bed will be about...

200mm above when you've finished. And then when you start planting in early spring,

-it'll have come down to this level here.

-It'll have rotted down.

-Cos you rot down, you know.

Patience is, obviously, key, as all this will take a good few years to decompose

and create the ultimate fertile soil.

But the good news is it can be planted straightaway and more added in cycles through the year.

And if you want to know how to keep the pests at bay, Max has a top tip.

So this is where we plant marigolds. These are the French marigolds.

It protects the crop from the insects.

The little lovely butterflies come along and lay eggs... They won't, they'll do it on there,

but they won't do it...cabbage in here and broccoli in here.

And you can see there isn't one caterpillar on here and this looks very healthy and beautiful.

Max grows everything from apple trees to leeks and potatoes,

but novices can start with easy-care crops like lettuce, herbs and courgettes.

-Thanks very much, Max, it's been great.

-Thanks for coming.

It's time now for our final property, the mystery house.

Now, we know these two love large reception rooms, fantastic landscapes and plenty of space.

This house is something completely different and very unique.

Not only is it in an ideal setting, but it also has brilliant development potential.

For the mystery house,

we're heading into the national park itself,

to the village of Calver.

It's a typically pretty limestone Peak District village,

made even more appealing by its location on the banks of the River Derwent.

The community is served by a handful of pubs, a church and a village hall,

and with Froggat Edge and Curbar Edge close by

it's a Mecca for climbing enthusiasts.

However we're sticking to ground level with our final property

which is a truly unique proposition.

Built in the 1700s and situated on an outlet of the River Derwent,

it was formerly the shuttle house for the nearby textile mill.

It's a little house, but if they're willing to take on a project, it could be huge,

and what's more it isn't subject to any of the stringent buying restrictions that apply

to some of the properties in the national park.

And here, guys, is your mystery house.

LAUGHTER Oh, looks very different!

-Very different.

-Yeah.

-It looks very small.

It isn't big. I'm going to agree straightaway with you, because this property has a total of four rooms.

-A total?

-A total. Two of which are the bedrooms.

-Right, OK.

-But it is our mystery house.

-Yeah, is it a hobbit's house?

LAUGHTER Look, there's some water there as well.

There is some water. There's actually quite a lot of water.

-Yeah, I know, it's a river, isn't it?

-It is. Let's go down to the edge.

-OK.

As the shuttle house was purpose-built to control the flow of water from the weir to the mill,

flooding isn't an issue here,

and settings don't come much more scenic than this.

So how is this for a location?

-Well, it's a bit of a surprise yet again. Loads of surprises today.

-Yeah.

-Gosh!

-Let's take you inside cos this tour isn't going to take very long.

-Right, OK.

-It's a small house, but perfectly formed.

-Yeah.

And there's a real investment opportunity here too.

But I'll reveal more on that later.

First, I want to see what Barry and Niall make of the existing house.

-So this is it, this is the total area for downstairs.

-Mmm.

-What you see is what you get.

-Right, OK, so it's open-plan, then?

-Completely open-plan.

-Right, OK.

Yeah, I think I've changed my mind. I think it's like a Mrs Tiggy-Winkle cottage now,

instead of a hobbit one. It's got nice views and it's not underground or anything,

-so I think it does have a nice atmosphere in here.

-And behind you, Barry, that's the kitchen.

Which again could be updated. Functional but not huge.

-No...

-But the beauty of this property is it is so unique.

You're not going to find another cottage like this anywhere around.

I think they are a bit bemused by this cottage.

On the face of it, it doesn't come close to meeting any of their criteria,

but there is a method to our madness and all will be revealed soon.

But, before that, there's upstairs to check out.

-That's where the original front door used to be.

-Gosh!

-Oh, yeah.

Go on through. The first of the three rooms upstairs.

-Look at the stained glass there.

-Lovely touch, that!

It is a really lovely touch, that, cos it's made this room a lot more contemporary,

-instead of very traditional, from what you would expect.

-And we have two more rooms to look at.

Great.

So if you have any guests or family, this would be their room.

It's nice and sort of cottagey and small and intimate, isn't it?

-And again dual aspect.

-You've actually got two bedrooms upstairs. So this would be for your guests.

-Let me show you where you would sleep.

-OK.

Through here, guys.

-Take a peek around the door.

-Oh, wow, that's a surprise!

Cos I saw the other little door, I thought there was another room.

-Originally, it was three bedrooms.

-Mmm.

-But the owner's actually made it into two,

-so you've got a nice spacious master bedroom.

-It's not a bad size of master, really, is it?

-Yeah.

-It certainly doesn't seem as hobbity now.

-Less hobbity and more Mrs Tiggy-Winkle?

Yeah, I'm sure she would be pleased!

-Let's see what Mrs Tiggy-Winkle would think about the outside, shall we?

-All right.

I think Barry and Niall could be warming up to this quirky cottage,

but I'm not convinced it's their dream property just yet.

The garden could sway them. There's one third of an acre

including a Polytunnel and veggie patch for a slice of the good life.

However, there's something else that comes with this property which could be the persuading factor.

This property comes with planning permission.

Now, normally when people ask to develop and extend a house, they're allowed to do it up to 30%.

-This house has permission to extend it up to 100%, so it's going to be double its size.

-Gosh.

Let me show you some of the plans.

So where we're sitting... This is obviously the cottage.

This would all be additional living accommodation, because this would be extended.

You've got room for the car at the top, and then, at the back of the house,

they're actually going to build two double bedrooms, plus more space downstairs,

more living accommodation.

Now, if you wanted to do a project like this, it would cost you over £100,000.

So how much do you think it's currently on the market for?

350,000.

-OK. Niall?

-Well, I mean, it is a very unusual property,

and I would have thought the fact it is quite small at this point in time,

-I think if you got 400... would probably be tops for it.

-OK.

It's actually on the market for £649,000.

-Well, again, I'm not really sure what to say to that!

-I'm definitely sure what not to say!

You were just under 300 out!

I imagine it being the sort of property that some people who really want to live by a river

would just really fall in love with.

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

I think you'll have somebody will look at this house

and it will be their dream property. But why don't you go and take another wander?

-Catch up with you in a minute.

-OK.

-See you soon.

So I think the guys were really surprised, but it is a beautiful, unique house,

so it does have a unique price tag.

..plus the £100,000 estimated building costs,

this will push Barry and Niall 50,000 over their top budget.

That's the premium you pay for a national park setting,

not to mention a house with such extensive planning permission.

The new floor plan would include...

..without encroaching too much

on the ample plot of land.

It would be a unique house, combining contemporary and historic architecture.

And it's the non-impacting high quality of the design

that has secured the successful planning permission to extend,

but I get the feeling it's going to be a project too far for them.

I don't think I could see myself living here because I feel it might be a little bit too restrictive.

I mean, OK, there could be an extension to the property,

but it's just somewhere I don't really feel I would be at home.

I quite like to look at a river, but I'm not sure I like being so close to it,

so just looking out of the window here,

the level of the river seems to be not much lower than the level of the floors,

and, I don't know... I find it a bit spooky,

and I think every time it rained I'd be feel a little bit nervous.

-Have you seen enough, guys?

-Yeah. I think we've seen enough now.

Let's take you somewhere quiet so you can have a good discussion, gather your thoughts,

because it's nearly time to make a final decision. Shall we hit the road?

This is a huge move for Barry and Niall who are buying their first home together,

and, with a couple of properties in the running, they have a lot to discuss.

They've set the date, they've found the venue, they've even decided on the cake,

but have we found them the perfect home?

Well, there's only one way to find out. Let's go and ask them.

Well, Barry and Niall, it's been a great few days here in the Peak District,

and also being able to help you find your very first home together.

Now, we started off with that first property just outside Whaley Bridge, near the reservoir.

-Tell me what you thought about that.

-I thought the house looked really great from the outside.

It was quite an imposing property.

Again the rooms inside were really good proportions,

and it had the sort of amount of room we were actually looking for.

I guess we were just a bit disappointed when we heard the price.

Because really there was quite a lot of work would need to be done to bring it up to date.

We saw a converted barn. Now, it was a rather windy day, but it didn't put us off.

I think it was just a little bit too restricted downstairs.

There was obviously a main living room and then just the very large dining kitchen,

which, you know, considering the size of the property,

I would have thought we might have had a third room downstairs.

Now, you love Victorian properties and we took you to see a Georgian-style Victorian property.

Tell me what you thought about that house.

Well, I just thought it was a spectacular place.

I mean, from the outside, it was a bit deceiving,

but, the minute you walked in, the rooms were just breathtaking.

The kitchen was beautifully done, the two reception rooms, both to die for, lovely.

And knowing Niall's taste, particularly in furniture and decor,

-I can see us just really feeling at home there.

-Yeah.

And finally our last property was the mystery house.

And the reason we wanted to show it to you was not only was it in the most marvellous location,

but what is difficult to get...

if you have a property within the national park here in the Peak District,

is planning permission.

But what did you think about it?

Well, I think, although it had the planning permission,

I don't really fancy the hassle of going through all the building work,

and obviously paying for it as well on top of the already really quite substantial price of the property.

Can I be presumptuous and ask, will you put an offer on that Georgian-style home?

Well, if it was up to me, I certainly would like to,

because I think it was just the perfect place for us,

it had all the accommodation and it had the most fantastic views.

-I couldn't have asked for anything more. It was just perfect.

-What about you, Barry?

Yeah, I agree with Niall. I particularly loved that property,

and, yes, I'd be very tempted to put in an offer on that one.

All the very best with the ceremony next year.

I want to see photographs and, even more importantly, I want to see you happy in your first home.

We couldn't have asked for anything better,

-so we'd hope you'd come to the housewarming.

-I'd love to. Thanks, guys.

Well, it's been a great week helping Barry and Niall find their first home together.

And by the sound of it, we might have achieved it,

so we wish them all the very best with their move to the country. See you next time.

I hope the housewarming invite is in the post,

as I'm delighted to report Barry and Niall have had their offer accepted

on the Georgian terrace near Combs. If you want to escape to the country

in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England,

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