Pembrokeshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country

and it was here, over 200 years ago, that a historic event,

as dramatic as this stunning stretch of coastline, took place.

Curious? Well hold fire as we escape to the country.

'In today's show, I'll be helping a couple escape the rat race

'and find a relaxing retreat in the country.

'We come across the ultimate bathroom.'

-Oh, wow!

-You could be in there for hours.

We find kitchen gadget heaven.

That looks to me like a work of art.

And there's the mystery house to pick from this colourful assortment.

Today, I'm in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire,

near the coastal town of Fishguard,

and it was here in 1797, that the last invasion of Britain took place.

Over 1,000 Frenchman landed on these shores, but the delights of Wales proved to be their downfall.

After three days of looting and sampling Welsh tipple, they were overthrown.

These days, Pembrokeshire plays host to a much more friendlier invasion

of people in search of this truly stunning coastline.

And with 186 miles of it and more blue flag beaches than any other county in the UK,

it's no surprise that Pembrokeshire has the booming tourist industry

with well above £500 million spent each year

by more than four million visitors.

It's also home to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

with a wealth of protected environmental sites and historic remains.

Norman castles rub shoulders with medieval churches

and industrial buildings, and all set within 240 square miles.

Inland, there are plenty of places to explore, such as the county town

of Haverfordwest, one of the many charming towns that feature throughout this glorious landscape.

Property prices in Pembrokeshire vary dramatically

depending on the particular area that you're looking at.

A beachfront house in a popular tourist destination,

like Saundersfoot or Tenby in the south of the county,

could set you back a whopping £1 million.

But a four bedroom house in or around Haverfordwest

would average at £270,000.

So whatever your budget, you're going to be spoilt for choice.

Take a look.

For rural splendour, there's this eight bedroom, Grade II listed

country house in Mathrey for £1.25 million.

Besides its grand reception areas and games room, the west wing is currently used as a holiday let.

Outside is a gardener's dream,

with a superb Victorian greenhouse and over 13 acres of land.

For £530,000 this five bedroom detached house in Haverfordwest

has a large kitchen with breakfast bar

leading to a pleasant dining room, light, spacious bedrooms,

and a high-spec bathroom with walk-in shower.

And there's this four bedroom cottage in Castle Morris,

on the market for just under £390,000,

with an original inglenook fireplace, a well-fitted kitchen and a cottage garden.

What a great range of houses, so let's hope

we can find this week's buyers exactly what they're looking for.

Today's house hunters are Selina and Jamie,

who currently live in a large, six bedroom Victorian house

in Hertfordshire within the London commuter belt.

They have three children - two who are now grown-up and flying the nest, and four-year-old Ben.

Jamie has recently left his job as a fund manager in the city, but it's very much a blessing in disguise

as they've been yearning for a lifestyle change for some time.

The reason for this move is to sort of, I suppose, seek fulfilment and happiness.

Jamie felt he was existing, going to work and come home,

and he didn't really feel he had a life.

And they're keen to build up a new business venture.

We're looking for somewhere with a view acres and ideally something that comes with

some outbuildings that are either already used for holiday lets,

or have the scope to be converted to holiday lets.

They've drawn up a clear wish list for their new home in the country.

The most important room in the house for me is the kitchen,

and when we move, we would like something similar in size that

we can eat in the kitchen, as well as it being practical to cook in.

My study's important to me

because I do spend a fair bit of my day in here.

What I'm looking to do is invest some of the money that

we might release from the property to generate

an income to fund the lifestyle that we're looking to lead in the country.

There are some other considerations too.

Must haves in the next house are enough bedrooms to accommodate ourselves

and perhaps visitors, so at least four bedrooms.

Open fire or wood-burning stove in the living room.

I'd have an en-suite for ourselves and may be a guest bathroom as well.

What are Jamie and Selina expecting from their new life in Pembrokeshire?

Just enjoying some of the outdoor pursuits you can get involved with,

mountain biking, more walking, that sort of thing.

Simple things like taking Ben to school, being able to enjoy that.

Spend more time with him and see him growing up.

Growing our own vegetables, having chickens. Generally, sort of chilling out.

Jamie and Selina need to know how much they have to spend,

so we've arranged for local estate agent to value their home.

This is a beautifully presented, six-bedroomed detached home

close to local shops, therefore, I feel the value

is in the order of 850,000 to £875,000.

So, what's their budget for their move to Pembrokeshire?

Our budget for the move is £600,000.

It sounds lovely, but finding the perfect package for home and business can be a real challenge.

Selina and Jamie's choice of Pembrokeshire is a good one.

We will focus our search around the tourist hotspots

of Tenby and Saundersfoot, which offers a great rural location

and a healthy demand for holiday lets.

We will be showing them some of the best houses on offer in the area,

and asking them to guess the price of each after they have seen them.

And there's the mystery house, to really get Jamie and Selina

thinking outside their comfort zone.

Selina and Jamie, welcome to Pembrokeshire!

-Thank you.

-Are you looking forward to the next few days?

-We are.

-Yeah?

-Certainly are, yeah.

Got some amazing things to show you, but first of all, how well do you know Pembrokeshire?

We don't know it very well. We've been to Wales before, but we haven't actually made it to Pembrokeshire.

-So, your first time to this county?

-Yes, that's right.

Now, your budget.

Are we still looking round the £600,000 mark?

-That's right, yes.

-Is there any flexibility to that amount?

There is a little bit of flexibility.

If we found a dream house that tipped all the boxes and really wanted to

go for it and could push the boat out, as they say, I think we could go to maybe 650 or 700.

We'd like to try and get a place that has potential to convert

some existing outbuildings to holiday lets, or maybe a property that's already got holiday lets,

so that we can get an extra income from the property that we end up buying.

We've got some amazing properties lined up for you in this beautiful county

and, of course, we've got the mystery property, which is always very exciting. So, shall we start?

-Yes.

-Come on then.

-Great.

Selina and Jamie have a budget of £600,000.

But they can stretch to £700,000 to convert holiday lets if there is good earning potential.

They are looking for a four-bedroomed house with master en suite,

a large country kitchen for Selina, a study for Jamie,

a big enough garden to accommodate a vegetable plot,

and some outbuildings which, subject to planning,

could be used as holiday lets.

Have either of you stayed in holiday lets yourselves?

We did last summer and we really enjoyed it. The whole family went along.

Had a lovely time and had lovely views from the bedroom window.

That was what set you off, wasn't it?

Looking out of the window and saying, "It would be lovely to wake up to this every day."

Our first property takes us 13 miles inland from Saundersfoot

to the quiet village of Whiston.

Besides its beautifully remote location,

Whiston boasts 12th-century castle remains and has a very well regarded primary school for Ben.

There are traditional stone farmhouses dotted around,

but our property is this barn conversion on the outskirts of the village.

We're just outside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park,

so we've got all the beauty around, but we're just on the border.

And this is your property.

Quite looking forward to getting inside.

It's got the roses round the door, like the country cottage image that you'd expect.

Lovely stone building, very natural.

I'm guessing it's going to be quite modern inside, because it looks like a barn that has been renovated.

Very perceptive, very perceptive.

Do you like the idea of a barn?

-Had you considered it?

-Got an open mind, yeah.

Great, we like open minds. So, are you ready to have a look?

-Yeah.

-Let's get going.

Well, Jamie and Selina seem to like the idea of a barn conversion,

and this is an historic one, thought to date back to the 14th century.

Come through into the hallway.

-Now, this is quite a big hallway, isn't it?

-Very spacious.

-Like the tiles. Good.

-Lovely slate, and under-floor heating throughout the downstairs of this property.

Very spacious, nice entrance hall. Good first impression, yep.

The first thing I want to show you is the kitchen.

The heart of the house.

Let's take a look.

So, a large kitchen diner, because I know that's important for you.

One of the main things we wanted to look for was a kitchen that we could eat in,

and use as a family room as well as a kitchen.

Nice. Is this what you had in mind?

Yes, sort of country-style.

This is sort of what we were hoping for.

-Good. Shall we keep going?

-Yeah.

I think so.

On the other side of the hallway, there is a useful cloakroom and a light-filled home office for Jamie.

And there are some impressive living areas to explore.

Mind the steps. So, here's your dining room.

I like the beams - that's an interesting feature.

Got the skylight, so you get lots of light in here.

-It's nice. A nice and airy feel to it.

-Bright. Yes.

Because this part of the property's sort of divided into two rooms,

you could use this as a family room instead of a dining area.

Let me take you through here and show you the next bit.

So here's your drawing room with your wood-burning stove.

Yes, we wanted one of those. It was on our wish list.

-The question is, who will be cutting the logs in the winter?

-Jamie.

Gee, thanks. A bit of exercise for me.

You wouldn't have too far to go round here, would you? Just look at the views from this room.

Absolutely beautiful.

Is this what you had in mind?

Yes, location-wise, definitely, and the house is looking good so far.

Have you ever considered having your bedroom on the ground floor?

-Well, we've not had one before.

-Let me show you how it works here.

Follow me.

'This converted barn has large, versatile spaces which fit the bill for family living.

'We'll go back across the hall to check out where

'Jamie and Selina would sleep, in one of the four bedrooms.'

So, here's the master. It is on the ground floor.

Would that worry you at all?

No, not got a problem with that.

-Different.

-Certainly different. I suppose no staggering upstairs to bed.

Perfect, you see? I like the optimism.

-It is a huge space for a master bedroom, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's nice.

Loads of natural light. Got the exposed stone wall there again, but that, that's what excited me.

It's the minstrels gallery.

So much storage space.

So, who's got all the clothes, who's got all the shoes?

It's basically Jamie with the clothes, me with the shoes.

But I won't need so much space now because I won't be wearing so many suits, will I?

There you are. Country casuals.

You've got your own walk in wardrobe there.

I've spied a door over there. I'm hoping that's an en suite.

It is. Let's take a look through here.

Go through. The all-important en suite.

You like roll-top baths, don't you?

-Yes, very much so.

-I see there's a nice shower here as well.

-I like my showers. That's good.

-Great power shower.

-If this is your taste, this is great decorative order, you wouldn't need to do anything to it.

-Yep.

It definitely looks... You wouldn't need to change a thing, really.

It'd be fair to say, in most properties, this would be the size of a family bathroom.

-That's true.

-And it's just for you.

Because there's more to see upstairs. So, go through.

So, with our tour of downstairs over, we'll head upstairs.

Off the landing, there's a large double with a vaulted ceiling,

a single, and a smart bathroom with overhanging shower.

But we'll take a peek at where their son, Ben, could sleep.

So, potential for Ben's room?

Yeah, very nice and bright and airy. Got the beams there, so that's good.

Big enough for him? Because I know he likes space.

-He's at that age.

-Yes, yes.

You can see him climbing up to that window there, and looking out.

He's got an amazing view, if this was his room.

Shall we go downstairs and look at the garden?

That'd be great.

'Although there isn't an existing holiday let, Jamie has said he is happy to build from scratch,

'and there's certainly plenty of space to do just that.'

So, this, as far as you can see, is your land. The full five acres.

Did you have that much in mind when you said you wanted land with your property?

Yes, we said about that much, or maybe more, just depends on the property.

You do have the potential because, if you wanted to build,

there's plenty of space here and it wouldn't spoil your view or the look of the house.

I suppose you've got access here as well, yes.

The important question is guess the price.

How much is it currently on the market for?

Because we are not in the National Park, there's a bit of road noise over there,

we haven't got the outbuildings, so I'd go low on this one and say, 500.

£500,000. Selina?

About 450.

450,000.

It's currently on the market - you're the closest - for £499,950.

Not bad. £50 out.

Why don't you go and have a good look around? Have an explore, and I'll catch up with you in a minute.

-OK, great, thanks.

-So, under budget for just shy of £500,000, with £100,000

freed up to build holiday lets, this barn conversion offerings a large country-style kitchen for Selina,

two flexible family reception areas, four bedrooms with a master en suite, and over 4.5 acres

of land which, with planning consent, could easily accommodate

the two holiday lets Jamie would like.

This is a good sized room. Make a good guest room.

When we first saw the property, I was quite intrigued, wanted to come in.

I like the stonework on the house, it's got a lovely sort of country feel to it.

The quirkiness as well, the old stable doors are really very nice.

This property obviously gives the potential to build some new holiday lets from scratch.

Obviously, the fact that it's under budget means there's money available to do that.

A lot to think about but it certainly has that potential.

-Are you happy? Have you seen enough?

-I have.

-OK, let's keep going, because we've got plenty more to show you.

-Great!

With a move to Pembrokeshire, Jamie and Selina would be able to enjoy some of the most

spectacular coastline in Wales and St David's will no doubt be a convenient stop-off point for them.

With just 2,000 residents, St David's is dubbed the UK's smallest city,

courtesy of its magnificent cathedral.

With a religious history stretching back some 1,500 years,

St David's today is alive with boutique shops, cafes and a thriving local arts scene.

Jamie and Selina are meeting Rob Scourfield, the National Park's building conservation officer,

-to find out more about this fascinating little city.

-Welcome to St David's.

We are standing here in front of the city cross, the 14th century market cross of St David's.

We'll go and have a look at some other treats that St David's has in store.

If we head off in this direction.

Built in the 12th century, St David's Cathedral became

one of the most important pilgrim sites in medieval Christendom.

It's said that the Pope decreed that two pilgrimages here were equivalent to one pilgrimage to Rome.

Here we are in St David's Cathedral itself.

A very fine specimen of architecture.

Rebuilt in the late 12th century, right on the cusp of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

You can see here, we've got the round arches of the Norman style with the typical detail.

Within the arcade, we have got pointed arches.

Why did they choose to build it here?

The Normans built the cathedral on the site of the monastery

that was established here by St David in the 6th century.

So, it was really continuity that they sought to build the cathedral on that very same site.

It was sited on very marshy ground, so when the cathedral was built here,

they had difficulty finding foundations.

Hence the fact that the arcades are leaning outwards.

The cathedral really has been on the move since it was built.

And now we're on the move to see another gem in St David's.

Just across the stream from the cathedral lie the ruins of the 14th century bishop's palace,

which still shows off its decorative splendour today.

-When does it actually date back from?

-The building was here in the 12th century but was largely rebuilt

in the early 14th century by Bishop Henry de Gower.

Why has it been allowed to fall into rack and ruin like this?

After the Reformation, it was abandoned.

The new bishop, William Barlow, wanted to move the whole seat of the diocese near Carmarthen.

He succeeded in moving the Bishop's Palace but not the cathedral,

so there was simply no use for the building after that.

It is a conserved ruin. Hopefully, when you come down to Pembrokeshire

to live, you can go to one of the open air concerts in the Palace.

That would be terrific. Thank you very much.

St David's is a wonder that Jamie and Selina could enjoy regularly if they make Pembrokeshire their home.

Our next house is again on the edge of Whiston.

But if Jamie and Selina need to pick up provisions,

Haverfordwest, five miles away, has a vast array of independent shops.

It has a pleasant feel and plenty of history,

with imposing castle remains dating back to the 13th century overlooking the town.

Our next property is a new build with a business proposition that should whet Jamie's appetite.

This is the property. It's about half an acre all round.

And if you look just behind you to that outbuilding, that is actually included with this property.

I'm going to show you that in more detail later.

-It's a bit blustery. So, shall we take a step inside?

-Yes.

-Come on.

'This new-build property has never been lived in, so it's a complete blank canvas.

'Let's see what they make of it.'

So here we are, straight into the hallway.

-Very spacious.

-Nice stairs, yeah.

Beautiful oak stairs, aren't they? A real feature as you walk in.

-Good start.

-Jamie?

-Impressive start. Interested to see more.

So with your creative hat on, let's do the tour.

'We'll start by peeling off the hallway to look at the first of two main reception rooms.'

So here's your drawing/sitting room.

Is it odd looking at it without any furniture in?

It feels quite cold because of that,

-and definitely needs a fire of some kind in here.

-Yeah. Warm it up.

We've got an open flue there, so you could have a wood burner there,

or you could make it larger and have a big fireplace if you wanted to.

It's a nice, bright room. Although it's a modern house, it's not like other modern houses on a big estate.

You've got countryside around and no busy road or anything so quite good in that sense.

We've done this room. Let's see what we can do with the next one.

'Across the hallway is a light and spacious dining room

'that's conveniently joined to the kitchen, which we'll look at next.'

It's a huge size.

It's nice.

I wouldn't have chosen it myself, but I could live with this sort of kitchen.

-And the style?

-Yeah.

-And you want another area possibly to eat.

-I mean, you could easily get a dining table in there.

-Yeah.

And you have the option actually of the sun room/conservatory,

you could convert that either into a family room or a dining room.

Sure. No study down here?

No study down here. However, with the three reception rooms,

-you could convert one of those, or you could use one of the bedrooms as a study, so let's take a look.

-OK.

'Leading off the kitchen is a small bathroom with shower,

'and useful storage space in the large well-designed utility room.

'It's hard to read whether Jamie and Selina could really see themselves living here, so let's move upstairs

'and see whether the bedrooms will excite them.'

The upstairs reminds me of a manor house, the way it's set out.

'There are four bedrooms, including two double rooms, one of which would be great for Ben.

'The third bedroom has its own en-suite with shower, perfect for the older children when they stay.

'Next door to that, there's a family bathroom with bath and shower.

'But we'll cross the landing and look at a master bedroom.'

Do you think this would be big enough as one of the masters? You've got two this size either side.

You'd certainly get a double bed in here, but storage might be an issue,

although you've got the wardrobes on the landing there.

That's slightly strange, maybe.

Not quite enough space for us.

All my country casuals.

It's all change, isn't it? You could put walk-in wardrobes...

Well, not walk-in wardrobes, but you could have fitted wardrobes here.

Yeah, sure. And you've got the view from here as well.

Now, that's what you want from a bedroom, isn't it, a view like that?

And the en-suite, which is through here.

The all-important en-suite.

It's quite large, but it doesn't have the bath. I know you like your bath, Selina.

I do like my baths, so that's a little bit of a downside.

I'd have to use the family bathroom.

So time to look outside and, more importantly, at those outbuildings, for your future potential business.

Jamie, we're going to follow you down the stairs.

'I'm not sure they're able to imagine how they could turn

'this spacious blank canvas into a character family home to suit them.

'Perhaps they'll find the prospects on offer outside more enticing.'

Well, it might be a bit windy and bit blustery,

but it's not going to take it away from that stunning view.

-How do you fancy waking up every morning and looking out of your window at that?

-Yeah, it's gorgeous.

So, the outbuildings. Did you guess what they were?

I guessed they were stables, but I guess they could be converted to holiday lets.

You'd need planning permission, but because we're outside the National Park, it's much easier to get,

so it could be the answer to your holiday lets. So with that in mind,

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

Quite tricky. It's a new property but it doesn't have much land, although it does have those outbuildings,

so I'm going to say 550.

-OK. Selina.

-It needs a bit of work doing on it, so I think about 525.

The current asking price is £650,000.

So quite a bit more than you thought, although the current owners

-are keen to sell, and they will consider offers.

-That's encouraging.

So, have a think about it. Take a look around the stable block and then a final look around the house.

OK, thanks.

At £650,000, Jamie and Selina would have £50,000 left from their budget

to convert the stables into holiday lets,

but this brand-new property also offers two spacious reception rooms,

a large kitchen/breakfast room,

four bedrooms, two with en-suites,

and although there's only half an acre of land,

there are the pluses of spectacular views and the stable building,

which could be converted, with planning permission, into holiday lets.

But are they up for the challenge?

We've got two units here that could be converted.

-Plenty of space.

-You could...

bit of glass there, make two living rooms and take this wall down so they've got the view over the fields.

I believe I could put my own mark on this property.

It wouldn't take as long as the house we're in now.

Being modern, it should be a lot easier to get the decorating done.

It's interesting to find a new-build property in such a rural and idyllic location, so that was interesting.

The property sits in about half an acre, which is probably less than we were thinking of.

You envisage yourself buying a place with quite a few acres.

It had quite a lot of features we were looking for in terms of four bedrooms,

holiday let potential as well, so that was interesting, also.

Well, you've had a final look around the house.

-Jamie, marks out of ten?

-Eight.

Eight, that's very good. Selina?

Eight, maybe nine.

-Even better. On that positive note, we're going to keep going.

-Let's go.

Pembrokeshire's a clever choice of location by Jamie and Selina,

especially if they're serious about running a holiday let business.

The National Park is a real pull for the tourist industry

and would be a great day out for their holiday guests.

At its heart are the Teifi Marshes,

an enchanting 246-acre conservation site, close to the town of Cardigan,

which attracts around 20,000 visitors a year.

I've come to meet Nathan Walton, Pembrokeshire's Wildlife Trust officer,

to find out more about the conservation work they do here.

-Hi, Nathan.

-Hi, Nicky.

-Great to meet you. What an amazing spot!

-It is, isn't it?

-So what type of conservation work do you do here?

It's quite varied. We do a lot of survey work, so we do butterfly transects and floral surveys,

and then scrub management, that's one of the main things -

preventing scrub from encroaching on to other valuable habitats.

A lot of the reserve work involves maintaining the reserve infrastructure -

boardwalks and benches and interpretation panels.

So it's very varied and you gain a lot of skills from that.

I've heard you've got some unusual helpers here.

-Yeah, and I'll show you them now.

-OK.

The River Teifi and surrounding woodland areas are home to a rich variety of wildlife,

including badgers, otters, water shrews and red deer, as well as migrating ospreys.

But I'm dying to find out who Nathan's special helpers are, and what they do around here.

So here we are. Let me introduce you to our groundsmen and women.

-Are they water buffalo?

-They are.

We've got five females and one male here.

So what exactly are they doing here in Pembrokeshire?

Well, they're hoping to keep the marshland in the correct condition,

in the pristine state that we need to help conservation on site.

And how do they do that for you?

A variety of ways, mainly by keeping areas of open water open. They like to wallow a lot in the muddy areas.

They help also to graze the grassland and push through all the scrub and anything that's encroaching.

But why would you use water buffalo? Why couldn't you use horse or sheep?

We have tried horses and ponies and cattle, but with the horses and ponies,

they don't tend to go into the wetter areas too much. And with the cattle, they were getting in there,

but they're more prone to water-borne diseases which the water buffalo don't seem to be affected by.

They're a much more hardier animal and create the right conditions

for a variety of species, including dragonflies and damselflies and amphibians.

They're the best animal for the job.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales is one of three wildlife trusts in Wales which use them

and more conservation organisations and groups are realising their importance in managing habitat.

I must admit, when I came to Pembrokeshire, I really didn't think I was going to see water buffalo.

No, it is an unusual sight, and again, it attracts many people to the area, which is great.

-Nathan, thanks very much.

-You're very welcome.

And, as the first day of our house search draws to a close,

our couple have a chance to reflect on the properties they've seen.

-The stone barn. What did you think of it?

-It had lots of character.

The space was good, the layout was nice.

The land, I suppose, it was a bit unfinished, wasn't it?

But I guess the plot size was nice enough for the house itself.

Didn't have any outbuildings for the holiday let.

It has extra land which you could build on but that means extra cost, planning permission.

What did you think of the new build?

The new build was interesting because I wasn't expecting to see a new-build property in a location like that.

It obviously had some attractive features,

insofar as it was a blank canvas you could just move into, and relatively low maintenance, I suppose.

And also it had the stables which have potential for the holiday letting business,

so it had a lot of positives to it.

Selina and Jamie are looking to quit life in London's commuter land and head for the peace of Pembrokeshire.

With up to £700,000, they are after a four-bedroom home in the country,

with the scope to make holiday lets into a money spinner.

They've seen two properties, but, coming up, Selina has a plan to escape the kitchen.

-We might have to eat out more.

-Yes!

And they meet one of Pembrokeshire's most passionate gardeners.

Woah, down, boy!

Finally there's the mystery house, which will give them a completely different perspective.

Yesterday was a very interesting day.

One thing I did find out, is that I wouldn't want to play

Selina or Jamie at poker, because they gave very little away.

I was pleasantly surprised when they rated what they had seen so highly.

But today, it's a new day.

And we've got some aces up our sleeve, including the mystery house.

The remote village of Cresselly is only five miles from the coast

and within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

This remote landscape is not only great walking territory, but home to many historic landmarks.

Such as the remains of the nearby Carew Castle, a restored tidal mill and a medieval bridge.

Now, I wasn't convinced yesterday that the prospect of a holiday let project filled them with excitement,

so our next house is a family home with no work to be done and enough money left to invest elsewhere.

And this is it.

At the heart of it is a 200-year-old cottage which you can see in front of you

and then, extended at the side, this is like a barn at the back and that was completed just two years ago.

Shall we go and explore before we get too wet? Come on.

'So, we'll go round the old cottage to the side entrance and I'm sure they'll like what they see.'

Come on in.

This part is the oldest part of the property, this is the 200-year-old part. And this is the extension.

It's a lot brighter than I expected. From the outside, it looked dark, but it's very, very bright.

You've got the utility room which is a good size and the downstairs cloakroom.

You've got the most amazing larder there. It's a cook's dream.

This side of the property, you have got the stairs up to the bedrooms,

but I want to show you the living quarters through here.

When you look at this property from the outside,

-looking at the old part of the cottage, you would never think it's like this inside?

-Absolutely not.

-They've done it very well.

-It's obviously very well equipped.

Just look at the appliances, the double butler sink.

Look at that as an extractor fan. That looks to me like a work of art.

I think it's fantastic.

It's pretty special.

Wouldn't change a thing. It's perfect.

You've got the dining area there. And over here,

this is where you'd relax in the evenings.

-Have you lived in an open-plan space before?

-No, we haven't, actually.

Our current house has traditional kind of rooms, so this would be completely different for us.

It would work a bit better for us, actually. It flows together well.

And the sort of social aspect, it would lend itself now to our family as it has got a bit smaller

so we will be together a bit more.

I love the window, I love the light that sort of floods in.

You've got your wood burner there, which you could open up

-to make into a fireplace if you wanted to.

-Yes, it's very nice.

One thing you do need, Jamie, is a study.

So, you lead the way back through and we will follow you.

'Selina loves the convivial open-plan kitchen sitting room,

'and it could be a step forward for how they live as a family.

'We are going back through to the old part of the cottage to see if Jamie likes his study.'

So, would this work as an office study?

It could do. It's tucked away from the main part of the house, so if I need to do some quiet work,

I could get in here and get some serious work done.

-I can see my desk fitting in there.

-Good, good.

Lovely fireplace. Adds to the character.

There's plenty more to explore with this house. So let's keep going.

'Brilliant - the downstairs of this amazing house gets the thumbs-up from both of them.

'And I'm sure the three bedrooms upstairs will please them, too.'

Here we are upstairs. You've got the oak throughout the whole house, including all the doors.

You've got cloakroom here, a shower room there, it's like a wet room.

This could be Ben's room.

Big enough for him?

Yes, very much so. He's only small as well, so...

the ceiling's not going to be a problem.

He would like the windows as well, especially the one at the end.

I can see him climbing up there.

'Off the landing is also a single bedroom

'and a tip top guest room for their older children when they stay,

'with its own oak-panelled bath in the bedroom, and en suite.

'But the real icing on the cake is waiting downstairs

'in the fourth bedroom where Jamie and Selina could sleep.

'It has some breathtaking extras.'

So, here is your master bedroom, but it is downstairs.

It's a good size. This would work for you?

-Yes?

-Got no problems with it.

-Reasonably light and bright as well.

-So, this works.

But something else really works here as well.

I'm guessing an en-suite?

It is an en-suite, but it is an en-suite like I have never seen.

Of all the times on Escape to the Country, this has to be my favourite bathroom ever.

Let's take a look.

And this, this is it.

I've never seen a bath quite like that before.

That has to be the ultimate in indulgence. It's a copper bath.

They use copper to keep the heat in.

You could be in there for hours.

What about you, Jamie? Is that shower going to be quite big enough?

That's big enough for me, I should think, yes.

This is fantastic. Wouldn't change any of it.

I just hope they are not going to take the bath with them.

Well, it's time I showed you the rest of the property.

So let's go outside and explore the grounds.

Jamie, we're going to follow you.

Oh! The sun's come out to show us this garden in all its glory.

You've got an acre. If you look through the shrubs and trees, you can roughly see the border.

It's quite a wild garden. It's been left quite natural.

You've got a raised vegetable patch.

The building at the end is a piggery which has been restored.

So if you fancy getting a few animals - pop them in there.

Now I've shown you all there is to see, so it's crunch time.

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

They've spent a lot of money on doing it up. I suspect they're probably asking over budget on this.

I'm going to say 700 on this, that they have put it on for.

-OK, Selina?

-I would think more like 595.

You're both way out.

The current asking price is £499,950.

Selina, you were closer but still 100 grand out.

Not only is it a fantastic property, it would also leave you

quite a lot of money to play with out of your budget,

so if you wanted to consider moving home and business separately, you could actually look

for a holiday let accommodation not too far away, to run your business away from your home.

Have a wander around the grounds and I'll catch up with you in a minute.

So, under budget at just shy of £500,000, that's £200,000 under

Jamie's guess, our couple could land themselves that perfect family home.

This amazing country cottage conversion offers

a huge, high-spec kitchen-lounge,

four bedrooms with an incredible master en-suite,

a stunning location within the National Park,

and with £200,000 of their budget left to invest in a holiday let close by.

What do you think of the garden? Pretty wild?

Yes, it would need quite a bit of work doing on it.

It's the sort of house I could be quite happy in.

Ticks some of the boxes we were looking for in terms of bedrooms

and a garden for Selina to do growing vegetables and things.

Maybe doesn't have the outbuildings, that's why it's not the perfect 10 as such, but I suppose the positives

against that would be the fact that it's fantastically appointed and has been done to high-spec.

Sometimes when you walk into a place, you get the feeling that you could possibly live there.

And this does have that feeling. So...

So it's time to say goodbye to this beautiful house, and let's make tracks.

Selina and Jamie are keen to grow their own vegetables,

so to find out how to get started with arranged for

them to meet Christina Shand, local resident who leads the good life and has transformed

six acres of forgotten bogland into the stunning Dufferin Vernant Gardens.

-Have you grown vegetables before?

-No, we haven't.

I can tell you a little bit about how I set out here.

This was a wilderness when I came. My first priority was access.

I wanted to be able to hop out of the kitchen in bare feet,

in the rain if necessary, pick fresh herbs, fresh vegetables,

and not have to put my wellies on and trudge down to the bottom of the garden.

Aspect, site, is very important, if you are looking at properties

and you want to grow vegetables, you must have light.

It's really important to get the aspect right. Maximum sun.

Second to that is shelter. As you can see it's pretty windy here.

It comes straight off the Atlantic. That's why I've got a shelter belt there, a willow hurdle.

the more shelter you have got, the more wonderful things you can grow.

What's the climate like, here in Pembrokeshire?

It's very soft, and you've got a lovely, long growing season.

You can start things off early and carry them on late.

And very, very mild winters.

We've also got lovely soil.

Obviously in a kitchen garden, you have worked your own soil.

This has got lovely structure.

You do that to soil, that's a good test, and it should hold together but not crumble apart completely.

That means it will hold nutrients and it will hold

moisture and that the same time, be free draining - no plant likes to be waterlogged.

And now I'd like to show you another part of the garden.

If you follow me. Thank you.

In addition to her vegetable garden, Christina has also developed

a lovely floral garden full of exotic plants.

Where the likes of lilies, agapanthus, and the rich variety of dahlias and alliums flourish.

But Christina is taking Selina and Jamie down

the garden to see the crowning glory of her horticultural efforts.

There are a lot of things that like it seriously wet, and I made this

garden because I really wanted it to flow into the landscape.

I wanted the whole garden to be incorporated, so you got a

transition between the ancient rush pasture and the more formal garden.

Is it hard, keeping the garden looking so lush?

No, it's really containing it and going, "down boy!"

It's very verdant here.

And what's the obelisk here for?

The obelisk was designed by my partner David and it's a kind of an energy point.

Into the middle of what is really quite a primeval area, very verdant,

and shows the lush kind of growth that you get into this county.

And now I've got a surprise for you, so follow me.

Not only is Christina's garden a complete inspiration

but she's going to show our couple how they can reap the rewards

from a business venture close to their hearts.

And this is my holiday let.

-Excellent.

-I made this a few years ago from an old cowshed.

How do you find running it?

It's a complete joy. I meet all sorts of interesting, creative people

and the income supports the garden, basically.

Well, hopefully Selina and Jamie Field his visit has brought them

one step nearer to moving to the country.

So, it's mystery property time.

Is there anything you are hoping to see, or anything you hoping we are not going to take you to see?

I know there's lots of castles, so I hope we're not going

to go and see a broken-down castle that we need to renovate completely.

Oh, Jamie, we wouldn't make you rebuild a castle!

But they will have to get their head round the complete lifestyle change with our mystery house.

We've lined up a property slap-bang in the middle of a seaside town.

What's more, there's no land, except for the stunning beach.

So we are heading to the coastal town of Saundersfoot,

a perfect location for our couple to have a holiday let bolthole.

Over 70,000 tourists per year flock here

to enjoy his Blue Flag beach and strolls around the harbour.

The mystery house is one of the oldest buildings in Saundersfoot and has wonderful views over the Bay.

Just take a look in front of you, because, your mystery house is one of those

and if you just look up the hill,

you'll see a pink house with a veranda.

That is your mystery house.

-Oh, right.

-Surprised?

-Yes.

-A bit of mystery?

-Yes.

We've done our work. Come on, let's take a look.

So now we've pinpointed our mystery house,

let's take a closer look at this 200 year-old property,

formerly two captains' cottages

now knocked into one and with some very quirky features.

So come on in to your unique mystery property.

I can see you taking it all in.

You've got the skylight, which gives you that lovely light.

Got the open, exposed stone there.

It's not on one level, it's not on two, it's not on three, it's actually on four.

So are you ready to explore?

-Yes, I am.

-Let's start.

We begin our tour by going upstairs to the second floor

to look at the main reception room.

So, here's the main living area.

-Really good space, actually.

-Yes.

And they use this side as the dining part.

A nice balcony with views over the sea, yes?

A fantastic view over the sea, which I'm going to show you in a minute,

-but what do you think of this as a living space?

-It's workable.

-Spacious.

-Yes? This would work?

Definitely, yes. It's big enough.

Got a kitchen through there, but I'm going to let you admire that view.

How's that for a million-dollar view?

Surely you're never going to tire of that?

No, definitely not, it's fantastic.

It's going to change, different seasons,

people coming and going, always something going on. Fantastic.

Are you keen on eating outside?

Yeah, as long as the weather's good.

Hopefully we'll get lots of good weather here.

And lovely for breakfast in the morning.

Definitely. Talking of breakfasts, shall we take a look at the kitchen?

'It seems like Selina is already picturing herself eating on the balcony.

'I wonder whether she'll picture herself cooking in the kitchen too?'

Hopefully, we can all squeeze in.

It's not that big.

-I can't dress it up in any other way.

-It's certainly small.

We might have to eat out a lot more, I think.

Oh, yes. A girl after my own heart.

Anything to get out of cooking.

I was expecting to come into a little bit of a larger kitchen

than this. Let's see what else there is.

OK, well, we've got three more levels. Jamie, you lead the way out.

We're going to go upstairs.

'Don't worry, Selina, I've got another kitchen up my sleeve for later in our house tour.

'We'll head up to the top floor, which is completely

'given over to the master and is one of the four bedrooms in this house.'

I'm glad you're used to stairs in your current property,

because there's quite a few here.

-This is the master.

-The beams, that's nice.

Lots of character.

-The views, of course.

-Great views from this bedroom.

You've got a walk-in wardrobe there. The actual current owners have divided it up

and they keep their computer and office stuff in the other side.

Would this room be right for you two?

It would work as a bedroom, yes.

-Is this an en suite?

-There's a large en suite in there, which I'll let you investigate in a while.

I want you now to go downstairs to the lower part of the house.

Jamie, we're going to follow you.

'With the top two levels covered, we'll go back downstairs past the living areas on the second floor

'and past the first floor with the other three bedrooms, a large light twin,

'another good size single currently with bunk beds and a comfortable double room.

'There's also a sweet little bathroom with shower and bath.

'Now time to check out the ground floor, where there's a pleasant surprise in store.'

Here's the other living space.

-And another kitchen.

-Bigger than the other one.

That's better, isn't it?

Yes, it's more like it, it's more workable.

You've got a downstairs utility room and there's a shower and toilet in there as well.

The way the house is set up,

when the current owners have their family to stay,

they use the top part of the house and then the family use

the bedrooms and then this part as their living area.

So they've sort of separated it.

That could work for us as well I suppose,

if our elder children came to stay as well.

Not only does it have loads of space, but it's also quite unique,

because many of the properties on this part of the front,

they don't have gardens, but this one certainly does.

'With the tour of the inside complete, Selina and Jamie aren't giving away too much.

'What will they make of this low-maintenance garden?'

This is a great outdoor space.

Not the biggest of areas, but I'm sure we could have some fun here.

Standing here,

I would normally ask you to guess the price.

But on this occasion, I'm going to hold back slightly,

because you've seen the house, what I haven't shown you yet

is the holiday let potential that comes with this property.

-Are you surprised?

-Yes.

-Intrigued?

-Yes, let's have a look.

Excellent.

'Not only do they get two living rooms and two kitchens,

'but also two properties in our mystery house package.

'Less than a minute's walk from the cottage is our mystery ingredient.

'Besides the garage, they'd get this ready-to-let holiday apartment.'

The entrance hall leads through to an open-plan area,

which creates a real impression of space with the A frame ceiling.

So this place sleeps four.

You've got the double bunks, the shower room,

and the pull out bed there.

How much do you think roughly you could make renting this out?

What do you think?

Somewhere between, I don't know, 5000 to 8000 a year, maybe.

The current owners don't let it go out at Christmas or new year, because they

hold it back for friends and family, but they do during the summer months

and they get a minimum of £12,000 a year, net.

'So, knowing this holiday let could earn them quite an income, it's time

'to go outside and take a punt on the price. There you have it.'

You've now seen the mystery property with the additional holiday let.

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

Selina's turn to go first, I think.

I think with the holiday let, £650,000?

I'd come up £560,000 myself.

Selina, you're actually closer because the asking price for both properties together is £670,000.

The top end of your budget was £700,000, if you found the right holiday let, accommodation.

Lots to think about.

Why don't see take one final look and I'll meet you at the front?

'Our mystery proposition stretches Selina and Jamie's

'budget to their maximum, but offers up two properties, one, a unique seaside family home

'and the holiday apartment as a guaranteed source of income.

'For £670,000, they would get -

'Two self-contained living kitchen areas,

'useful when the older children come to stay,

'four bedrooms with a master en suite,

'a spectacular coastal location and views

'and an annual income of around £12,000 from the holiday let.'

It's a relief there's this other kitchen here, because I

don't think you'd be happy about paying out for meals every day.

The mystery house was a little bit of a surprise.

Especially from the outside, it looked like a tiny a little cottage.

The mystery house was interesting, because it had character and quite

a lot of quirks, being on four levels is quite unusual.

I was hoping there might be something in the holiday let, so we had that here.

I love the views.

But the house, not quite sure if it's me.

-Have you seen enough?

-Yes, think so.

That's it, guys, that's the final property.

Let's take you somewhere quiet

-where you can have a think about what you've seen.

-OK.

Time now for Selina and Jamie to enjoy the fresh sea air

and think about the options here in Pembrokeshire.

We've shown Jamie and Selina all that South Pembrokeshire has to offer.

Now, this is the first time the couple have actually

ever been to this county and, if I'm being honest,

I found them very difficult to read.

So I'm intrigued to find out if they've actually made a final decision.

The only way to find out,

is to ask them.

Jamie and Selina, how have you found the last few days?

More importantly, what do you think of Pembrokeshire?

Pembrokeshire, I think it's fantastic. It sort of draws you in.

Let's talk property.

That stone barn with the five acres, what were your thoughts on that?

It's a very nice property.

It's been done up very well.

The formal gardens perhaps needed a bit more work,

but having the extra four acres gave the potential to maybe build some other properties if we wanted to.

Maybe it wasn't for us at the end of the day.

We showed you a new build property, what did you think of that house?

I thought the view was fantastic, that really appealed.

It did have the advantage of the stable block,

which had been built with conversion in mind.

Did that appeal to you at all?

It was quite interesting because it was nicely set aside from the house

and you had the potential to turn it into two separate units which could have been quite lucrative.

It was only half an acre with the new build.

I think the price didn't seem to reflect that, I thought.

That was the end of day one.

We started off our second day with that 200 year-old cottage, which was beautiful.

It was really, really fantastic.

And then inside was quite a surprise because it was done out in such a way that it was quite modern.

-It was very, very nice.

-So you liked it?

-Yes, I liked it very much.

-What about you, Jamie?

I liked it as well. But I slightly struggle with the appearance

on the outside being very old and cottagey

and the ultra-modern interior and then the land, it was an acre,

but it was quite wild, I suppose and perhaps

needed a fair bit of work doing to it,

but it did have potential for the vegetable patch for Selina.

Finally, it's time to talk about the mystery house.

The house itself was really, really lovely.

The views were spectacular, couldn't fault that at all.

But the only issue was living on so many levels with Ben.

and I think we were looking for something a little less built up.

What did you think about the holiday let accommodation?

It was separate from the main house.

I thought that was excellent. It had been done well

and I was pleasantly surprised by, obviously,

the amount of revenue they managed to generate from it.

So finally, it's decision time.

Did any of those properties whet your appetite?

I'd have said the 200 year-old cottage was the nearest.

If we could get our head around the land site and perhaps if we could

do something with the acre, perhaps level it up a little bit,

that would be, the most spot on.

There was a very wise surveyor who said to me once,

if you're looking for the perfect house, then you'll never buy a house.

We're going to have to make some compromises along the way.

You never know, we might do on that one.

Guys, thank you so much and if anything changes,

please keep in touch and tell us how you get on, won't you?

-Will do, yes.

-Thanks very much.

It's been quite a journey for Jamie and Selina, but we've shown them

the beauty of the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire

and some stunning properties to match.

But it's a huge decision for anybody wanting to move.

So, will Jamie and Selina ever make it here?

Who knows?

Until the next time.

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