Shropshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

These fantastic ruins were once part of what was the fourth largest Roman city in Britain

and this year marks the 150th anniversary since work began here to excavate them

and understand exactly what this place was all about.

But where am I? Well, stick around and I'll show you.

In today's show, I'll be helping a couple wave goodbye to suburbia and say hello to the country.

There'll be highs.

-You couldn't ask for anything better, could you?

-You couldn't.

There'll be lows.

It's maybe not quite as big as I would have expected.

But, boy, do we get there in the end!

-That's a wow!

-Amazing!

-Isn't that a wow?

-Yes, that's a wow.

Wow.

Today I'm in Shropshire, and this was the once-thriving Roman city

of Viroconium, or in modern language, Wroxeter.

Now, when the Romans conquered Britain they brought many advances with them

but perhaps one of the most significant was the idea

of urban living, or towns.

Now many of their towns have survived to the present day,

thriving centres like York, Chester and Colchester,

but Viroconium disappeared from view.

It was lost to the countryside and has only recently been rediscovered,

but it's the perfect place to start any Escape To The Country.

Shropshire is Britain's largest landlocked county,

located in the West Midlands

with Birmingham to the east and Wales to the west.

At nearly 1,500 square miles

it's one of the country's least populated.

The stunning Shropshire hills cover a quarter of it

and are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

PG Wodehouse was moved to describe Shropshire

as the nearest earthly place to Paradise.

To the west, the Welsh-English border has borne witness to a long history of conflict.

Under the Normans Shropshire became one of the most heavily fortified areas of England,

as the number of castles still standing today testifies.

The Severn, Britain's longest river, winds through the landscape

and into Shrewsbury, the county's gorgeous capital.

Home to well over 600 listed buildings,

it can comfortably claim to be

one of the finest preserved towns in Britain.

Now, when it comes to property prices

Shropshire saw them rise hugely around the turn of the millennium,

by a whopping 27%,

but of course the recent downturn over the last couple of years

has reversed that trend.

They dropped by around 13%.

In fairness, I don't think it means you're going to find a bargain,

but what you are going to find are properties which are at long last very reasonably priced

and if you want houses that will both interest and tempt you,

Shropshire has them in abundance.

If you have the dough this former flour mill

stood in an idyllic riverside setting could be to your taste.

It comes with a generous seven bedrooms, exposed timbers

in the sitting room and kitchen, and a modern conservatory.

It's on the market for £875,000.

Middle of the range, but not middle of the road is this arts and crafts style house also overlooking water.

It comes with four bedrooms, an oak floored sitting room,

and a distinctly unaverage oak staircase

with some really unique features.

It's being sold for £545,000.

And for £385,000 this charming detached cottage could be yours.

Overlooking neighbouring countryside it comes with four bedrooms,

a kitchen breakfast room and a conservatory off the sitting room.

Well, as you can see, with properties like that on offer

it's no surprise that Shropshire is increasingly becoming one of my favourite places

to come house hunting, which is just as well, because that's exactly why

today's buyers want to move here.

And they are retired couple, Brenda and Jeff,

who first met in the school playground 50 years ago.

They live in this 1950s three-bed detached house

in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.

But after 30 years in suburbia they've decided it's time to seek

a more rustic and laid-back lifestyle

in the South Shropshire countryside.

We're at the stage where if we don't do it now it'll be too late.

I think I've caught the bug from you.

You want the rural life, I want an adventure.

-I think we might combine the two.

-Yeah.

What exactly is it about Shropshire that appeals to them?

It's one of the few places left in England that is quintessentially English.

There is so much less traffic and the air is cleaner.

And we're fed up with all the food miles.

-Yes.

-We'd like to do our little bit to improve that.

-That's right.

So shopping locally and giving up the supermarkets as much as we can.

So, other than living more sustainably,

what else are they looking for from their new neighbourhood?

A village location would be nice with a sense of community.

I'd be happy to go in a woodman's cottage in the middle of nowhere,

but it wouldn't be right to impose that on Brenda

so I suppose we could compromise on that.

But will leaving their current life behind be difficult?

We've lived here 30 years, but it wouldn't bother me at all to move

because, at the end of the day, I'm achieving my dream.

I know in my heart of hearts that I need a new adventure to kick-start me

into a new phase of life, and this is the time.

Oh, wonderful to hear it.

So what are they looking for in their new home?

Minimum three bedrooms, four would be nice.

A nice sized kitchen, a nice sized bedroom

and light and airy.

And for Brenda the whole thing has to feel right.

All buildings have an energy and some are very good, but some can

be very bad and it can actually affect people's health.

I would like some land, up to say half an acre of land,

and a sizeable shed to put a lot of my tools and equipment in.

We're not taking all your rubbish with us!

And it's not just tools that Jeff is looking to house.

Well, I've always had this ambition to keep one or two pigs.

Please don't find us a ramshackle house with a palatial pigsty!

Before they can buy their dream home

they'll need to sell their house of 30 years,

so we've asked a local agent to give them a valuation.

This is a lovely three bedroom, one bathroom detached family home situated on a magnificent plot

within catchment for good schools

and the mainline railway station to London King's Cross.

I would value the property at £495,000.

It's a considerable amount,

but how much of it will go towards their new home?

The budget ideally would be £400,000, but if we did see

the ideal property

then I think we could stretch it to 425,000.

Brenda and Jeff have lived in their current home for over 30 years.

Moving from that is going to be quite an upheaval.

They certainly want a sense of community when they do move and the house they're after, well,

at least three bedrooms, a nice big kitchen and plenty of space

both inside and out, particularly somewhere for a pig,

anything between an acre and half-an-acre,

and all of that for £400,000, in Shropshire.

Is it possible? Well, let's find out.

We'll be house hunting around southern Shropshire,

ideal for Jeff and Brenda as it's the most rural part of the county.

In today's show we'll be viewing three wonderful houses, the best their £400,000 can buy

and, as usual, I won't reveal their prices until after they've looked around.

The last of the three is the mystery house, a property that I think could blow their socks off.

-Brenda, very nice to see you.

-Hello, Jules, nice to meet you.

-Hello, Jeff.

-Hi, Jules.

-Welcome to Shropshire.

-Thank you very much.

-This is something you've been thinking about

for a long time, how do you feel to be finally getting underway?

-It feels great, really peaceful and I feel I'm in the right place.

-Yes.

This business of how you feel, Brenda, is very interesting.

Feeling, and your spirituality

-is very much at the core of your life, isn't it?

-Yes.

So tell me how that works. Do good feelings apply to property as well?

Yes, I think it's just a question of feeling whether you are at peace

in that particular room or that particular place,

and then I know it's right.

Well, we often say that houses do grab you.

I feel like I've got my own barometer with me,

a kind of spiritual barometer, as to whether these properties

are going to work!

The other thing I love about you two is you've been together 50 years.

-We have indeed.

-Forever.

-Since the playground, actually.

Isn't that lovely? It's a lovely romantic story.

-So, presumably, that means that you agree on everything!

-No.

How does it work, Jeff?

Well, basically, we have a disagreement

and we talk about it and realise that Brenda was right, you know?

You're in a very lucky position, Brenda!

I think that was tongue in cheek!

Well, the good news is that you've got £400,000 to spend.

We've got some really nice properties for you to look at.

Fingers crossed, so shall we see what we can find you?

-Oh, let's, please.

-Thank you.

So Brenda and Jeff have a top budget of £400,000.

For that they would like three to four spacious bedrooms,

a decent sized kitchen and a big lounge.

Brenda is keen to find a property with a good feel to it,

while outside Jeff is looking for around half an acre of land

in which to keep a pig or two.

Now, you've lived where you currently live for 30 years, which is an awfully long time.

-How do you feel about the move?

-It's time for us to do what we want to do.

Jeff's a bank manager who should have been a gamekeeper.

-Ah!

-So if we don't get out into the country now it'll be too late.

So now you've come out hunting in your retirement, Jeff.

Well, something like that, yes.

Brenda, I love this idea that for you it's a great adventure.

Actually, I think there's something inside me

trying to escape and this is...

-This is its moment of fruition.

-How exciting.

Our first house is in the tiny rural hamlet of Haytons Bent,

five miles from the ancient town of Ludlow.

Ludlow itself is one of South Shropshire's biggest towns

and grew around its 11th century castle, built to keep the Welsh out.

It towers above the 15th century church of St Lawrence

and all the Tudor style half-timbered houses

which line its medieval streets.

John Betjeman referred to Ludlow as the loveliest town in England

and with around 500 listed buildings it's easy to see why.

There is also a regular street market in Ludlow

that's been going strong for over 900 years,

ideal if Jeff and Brenda want to get hold of local produce.

The house I'm taking them to is a unique hillside cottage

with stunning views over the Shropshire countryside.

But look at this!

Absolutely. This is different.

As you can tell we're on the side of a hill,

but the hill in many ways dictates how this property is laid out,

but it's an old drover's cottage.

-It was a place for gathering cattle and so on.

-Right.

-How old would this part be?

-About 200 years, we think.

-Right.

-OK.

-The rest has been added on more recently.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-It has I would say at least doubled the size of the original...

-Yes, it has, hasn't it?

-..property.

It's been done in a tasteful way, hasn't it?

It's very quirky, as I said.

I'm playing to your love of things different,

but it's very peaceful here.

How are we doing on our initial feeling?

No, it feels... It's got a good feel about it.

-Yes, as you say, it's peaceful and...

-Good.

It's lovely to shut your eyes and just listen.

The signs are very good.

Let's hope it continues inside.

OK, let's start in here.

-Oh, right.

-Oh!

-This is the kitchen, yes.

-Yeah.

-Oh, this is part of the new bit.

-Exactly.

-Yes.

-Yeah, this is a later extension.

-That's quite nice, isn't it?

Well, let's explore it a little bit more. Come through here.

-Oh, yes, thank you.

-There we are. What do you think?

It's maybe not quite as big as I would have expected,

but it's been very nicely done.

This is kind of wasted space actually over there.

You could reconfigure the kitchen to make

the best use of all of that space.

-You'd have a huge farmhouse kitchen.

-Yes.

-Yes.

Which would give a sense of space

-that I would be looking for.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Out of the kitchen and down a few steps to the living room,

still in the modern part of the house.

-Very different level.

-Yes.

The lowest level, it has to be said, here. As you can see,

it's got great views looking out over the garden

and it's also your principal reception area, I suppose.

Yes, OK. Yeah.

The windows in the roof that gives it an extra sense of light, doesn't it?

-It does.

-That's nice, yes.

-So this is the newest bit.

-Yeah.

-Let's go through to the oldest bit.

-Right.

-Oh, right.

See what you think of this. This is quite quirky.

I want to take Jeff and Brenda back through the kitchen

to the original part of the cottage, built around 200 years ago.

Now, what about this for quirky?

This is quirky, this is quirky.

-The old part.

-Yeah. This is the old drover's cottage.

-Maybe some duck or grouse there for me!

-Yes!

It's the lowest part of the building. You're fine.

-I'm fine, yes.

-Jeff?

-Yes.

-No, I don't think so, it's...

-A little bit low, isn't it?

-It is a little bit low.

-But it has some nice features. This is lovely, working fireplace.

-I didn't notice that.

-Victorian fireplace.

-It is, isn't it, like an old Victorian fireplace? Yes, that is very nice.

'Also on the ground floor is the bathroom with some distinctive characteristics of its own.'

-Come on in, Jeff.

-Oh, right.

-Squeeze in.

On a cold night you can have a fire.

Yes, it's a great feature, isn't it?

Everything about this place is probably not what you expect.

No, not at all. Very quirky.

'Well, hopefully Brenda's good feeling about the house will continue upstairs.'

-Right, then.

-What have we here?

This is the landing that, you know, if you were here, I imagine would be a lot less cluttered.

I do like all these quirky little rooms.

If we ever fall out, we could sort of have a room each, couldn't we?

-Do we... Do we ever fall out?

-It's been known.

-It's...

-In 50 years, I can't believe it! No, never!

'Off the landing are three bedrooms including a double with great views

'over the surrounding countryside and another double with wooden floors.'

-So this is your master.

-This is the master.

Oh, right. Fantastic.

You've also got shower room in there, your own en-suite.

I hadn't noticed that.

-Yeah.

-Oh, yes, so there is. Oh, that's a good idea.

-That's a bonus.

-It means you don't have to worry about using the bathroom that's a level down.

-But this is gorgeous, have a look at this.

-Yes.

-If it's not raining.

-There we are.

-Oh, wow!

-Beautiful. Look here, Jeff.

-Amazing, isn't it?

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Beautiful.

The view does make this property in so many ways.

-It really does.

-Oh, you couldn't ask for anything better, could you?

-You couldn't.

And you get that garden.

-Oh, wow!

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Shall we explore?

-Yes.

-Come on, let's have a look.

'To the rear of the property is a beautiful terraced garden set within half an acre.

'It's been lovingly divided into many distinct areas,

'which include a vegetable patch, a veranda and a workshop.

'There's even a hot tub to soak up those fabulous views.'

-Look at that view again.

-Oh, wow!

-It is beautiful.

-It is, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-It also gives you a nice view of the property because when you're inside

it's got this kind of weird topography, you know, but

-actually there it all is really sitting in the hillside.

-It is.

It does. It really blends in, doesn't it?

-But let's have a think about the price, shall we?

-OK.

-Yeah.

-Now, you're the bank manager, you can give me a clue.

You took the words right out of my mouth, Brenda, yeah.

-Come on, Jeff.

-Three...

-395.

-395.

I'd say 375.

375.

-Well, it's good job you were a bank manager, Jeff, because you're absolutely spot on.

-Oh, right.

-OK. 395.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

There's a lot of house for the money, isn't there?

-Yeah. It's one that you're going to remember.

-Yes. Oh, it certainly is.

-Without a doubt, yes.

-Absolutely.

-Well, go and have an explore of this gorgeous garden.

-Oh, thank you. Yes.

-Try not to get wet, it's about to rain.

-It is.

-I'll catch up with you later. Off you go.

-Thanks, Jules.

-Thanks very much.

I think quite an interesting start to our property search.

This is a very, very quirky house, as I said from the outset.

It does require a little bit of updating, but the core is all there

and it does come with something that I think is absolutely priceless, that view.

At £395,000

Jeff and Brenda will have change left over from their budget.

Upstairs are three bedrooms, ideal for Brenda, the master includes an

en-suite bathroom and a balcony to take in those magnificent views.

And for Jeff there's a large garden with space for all of his tools.

But how will they feel about the property's idiosyncrasies?

What about that view, then?

-Well, you couldn't get better than the view, could you?

-You really couldn't. Wonderful.

I felt it was a bit quirky and I thought maybe I wouldn't like it very much,

but now I've seen round, maybe I'm warming to it.

The number of rooms was quite amazing, really.

It just sort of went on and on and on.

I mean, it's certainly a very interesting property.

Whether as I get older I would sort of like all these stairs or not I...

You know, I'm perhaps a bit more doubtful, but overall I really like it, yes.

OK, right. Did you get lost in there?

-Yes.

-Almost?

-Almost.

-There's certainly a lot to take in.

Well, isn't there just? Really interesting property.

-Great garden, great views.

-Yes.

-It is.

-It is but one, though.

-Yes.

-It is but one.

-Plenty more to come.

-Oh, right, OK.

-Thank you.

As a trained archaeologist, I'm passionate about exploring historic

sites and, travelling around the country as I do, I'm fortunate enough to visit some of our finest,

so I needed no excuses to come here to Wroxeter, Roman Britain's fourth-largest city.

Wroxeter, or Viroconium as the Romans would have called it, was established

around 58 AD as a legionary fortress during their invasion of what is now Wales.

It went on to become a thriving civilian city populated by retired soldiers and traders.

I met up with Professor Roger White from Birmingham University's

Institute Of Archaeology And Antiquity.

It's in every archaeological textbook, but I've never made it!

How many people would have lived here in Wroxeter's heyday?

In terms of area, it could easily take 10,000 people.

-Well, look, come on, let's go and explore.

-OK.

-After you.

-Cheers.

'One of Wroxeter's most remarkable features are its second century municipal baths.

'The baths were seen as a great leveller, as everyone who entered was

'naked, yet it was still possible to tell the rich from the poor.'

In a bath house, you knew important people because they had lots of slaves around them.

Ah, interesting.

If you were some poor oik from the country, you'd be carrying your own towel, of course.

Ah, but hopefully, you and I would be followed around by a retinue carrying all the stuff!

'Most of the archaeological marvel is still underground,

'but looming large is Roman Britain's biggest freestanding wall.

'Amazingly, just like in Roman times, concrete is still used today.'

You could not have an entrance that big in a conventional wall.

Because it's concrete, you don't need a lintel.

If I ask you the million dollar question, "What did the Romans do for us," what would you say?

They've supplied us with a way of building walls that we still use today!

-So nothing's new.

-Nothing's new.

Brilliant.

'As the sun sets over Shropshire, our first day's house hunt is over.

'Jeff and Brenda met on the school playground 50 years ago.

'Today, still hand in hand, they're heading to a new life

'in the Shropshire countryside, although it hasn't all been a walk in the park.'

Do we ever fall out?

It's been known.

'But all's well that ends well.'

Phenomenal. It's fantastic. Amazing.

You've blown my mind, really.

Well, it's the start of our final day's house hunting with Jeff and with Brenda.

Now, if I'm honest, I don't think we have found them their dream home just yet.

Jeff is pretty flexible about what he's looking at, but Brenda,

well, for her, I think it's a much more emotional experience.

For her, the property has to be love at first sight.

As yet, Shropshire hasn't quite delivered, so how about a bit of border hopping?

Two more to come, including, of course, the mystery house. Let's see how we do.

Our next property is in Crossway Green, just over the county line

in Worcestershire and close to the village of Ombersley.

Ombersley is a charming little place, first recorded back in 706 AD.

The pretty iron and stone bridge spans the River Severn

and the village is full of beautiful half-timbered properties, some dating back to the 16th century.

It's said that in 1645 the alehouses here were drunk dry by the Scottish army who were passing through during

their support for Cromwell in the English Civil War.

The house I'm taking them to is a soberingly beautiful character-filled cottage.

Right, well, let's start today...

-with this one.

-Right.

-Oh, right.

-Ah, that looks light and airy.

We do try and listen!

Thanks, Jules.

It's quite an extensive property.

As you can see, it sort of runs around this driveway here.

-Big double garage for you, Jeff.

-Yeah.

It looks pretty modern from here.

-You can see it's got this modern kind of atrium, if you like...

-Yes.

-..on the front.

-That looks interesting.

-But at its heart it's about 200 years old...

-Really?

-OK.

-Inside. So I'm hoping it's going to be a nice mixture between the character that Jeff's looking for

and the light, modern feel that you're looking for.

-Oh, this is interesting.

-It is.

Well, let's see what you think of the inside. Come and have a look.

Now, light and airy, Brenda.

-I think you'll find it is.

-Light and airy, Jules.

-Yeah?

-Yes, light and airy.

-Glad to see you smiling.

Come and have a look through here.

OK.

Ah, I like it, Jules.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, I like it.

-Good.

-This is your principal living room.

-The stove, is it a wood burner?

It looks like a wood burner, but it actually runs on oil, which means you can turn it

right down and leave it running at a very efficient cost and it will

just generate enough heat to air the place throughout the year.

-OK. Oh, yeah, I like it, I like it.

-Let's continue, OK?

OK.

-Now perhaps this is one of the more unusual aspects of this property, in that of its three bedrooms...

-Yes?

This is the master, which is currently located down here.

Yes. Oh, that's a surprise. I wouldn't... I wasn't expecting to find a bedroom down here.

But it could be another reception room if you want it to be.

-It leads on to this conservatory. Go and have a look through there.

-Oh, right.

-Off you go, Jeff.

Thank you.

Now, you did want a conservatory.

Yes, I do.

-Yeah, great.

-Yeah. It's nice.

-It's a nice big size.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Pleasant place to have a morning coffee.

-Yeah?

If we ever sit down long enough to have a morning coffee, of course.

It's nice that you're painting these pictures. That's the key thing.

-If you can see yourself doing that it's a pretty good sign.

-Yeah.

-I can, yes. Definitely.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Well, let's go and find you a kitchen.

The kitchen, yes.

'Brenda seems to like the extension, but how will she feel about the original part?'

-Now this is the heart of the old bit of this property.

-OK.

About 200 years old. You can tell.

-The kitchen itself is not the biggest.

-Cosy.

-Cosy.

But of course, all of that could go.

That would work, wouldn't it? I mean, I think it's probably a bit too small as it stands.

'Opening up the kitchen so it links with the dining room would certainly

'make the old part of the house feel more spacious.

'Upstairs there's a bathroom and two further

'double bedrooms, one of which would make a more conventional master.'

-Now, this is obviously part of the original house, isn't it?

-It is.

You get that sense by the roof line and so on. And some quite nice views actually, too.

Yeah. Well, nice... It's a pleasant room, actually.

I much prefer this as the master bedroom to the one downstairs.

I know what you mean, I'm kind of old-fashioned, I like to go upstairs to bed.

-Yes.

-I think most of us do, really.

Well, look, let's give you something to play with in your retirement.

-Right.

-A garden. There's plenty of it.

-Oh, good.

-Let's go and see.

-Let's go and see what we've got you.

-Thank you.

'Outside there's a delightfully landscaped mowed woodland garden, and at over half an acre in size,

'there would be plenty of room for the desired pig to run around in.'

-Lots of fruit trees, as you can see.

-Yeah.

-And there's the back of the property.

-Oh, so you can see the old...

-You can see the original bit, can't you?

-OK.

-OK, yeah.

-So how interesting is it?

-How much is it going to cost you, I wonder?

-Ah.

-Let's have a think, shall we?

-Have a think.

-I'm looking at 399,500.

399,500?

I would say less than that. 350?

350! You wish! It's not 350, Brenda, I'm sorry to say.

-OK.

-But your husband isn't far off, actually.

-Is he right?

-Of your £400,000 you would get precisely £1 change.

-Oh, I see.

All right, OK, yeah.

I did the rounding down too far.

Exactly! It's a three and lots of nines.

-Well, go and have a look around.

-Yeah, OK.

-Explore the garden more fully.

-Right.

-You know, get a real sense of what you get this 0.7 of an acre, and I'll catch up with you later.

-OK.

-OK.

-Off you go.

Shall we look at the garden?

-Yeah, thank you.

-I'm feeling quietly confident about this house.

At just under £400,000, it's on budget and it

combines Brenda's modern tastes with Jeff's love of the traditional.

It has three bedrooms, one of which could become a living room,

a sunny conservatory and a large garden.

Would you need a ride-on lawnmower?

No, you don't need a ride-on lawnmower for this. It is...

I'm not old enough for that.

Is that right?

I do like the feel, the light and, you know, the space.

I was a bit initially put off by the kitchen because it seemed a bit small, but then I realised

-you could open that up and that would solve that problem.

-I like the house.

There's a nice sort of eclectic mix of the old,

which I suppose panders to my tastes, and the new.

Yeah, I mean, it is nicely put together.

-How are you, Brenda?

-OK.

-Had a good explore.

-How's it feeling?

Yes, no, it feels very good.

Light and airy and I like the feel of it, yeah.

-Good. OK. Right, well, let's continue, shall we?

-OK, yes. Definitely.

Shropshire is a county very proud of its local produce and traditional dishes.

Gingerbread, the sweet pea and the Shrewsbury biscuits all originated here.

Jeff and Brenda are avid foodies keen to cut down on their food miles,

so we've sent them to meet Sandy Boyd

to find out more about another traditional Shropshire dish, the pork-filled fidget pie.

Created here around 400 years ago, it's still being enjoyed today.

OK, before we go into the butchery I need to get you kitted out with

white coats and things, and then off we go.

There are several interesting explanations as to how the fidget pie got its name.

One suggestion is that the origin of the word fidget lies in the 17th century term for weasel.

A slightly sweeter reason is that fidget was slang for apples.

Another idea for the pie's quirky name comes from the belief that the

ingredients move around, or fidget, during cooking.

Jeff will be glad to know that there'll be no weasels in his pie,

just pork, especially as pigs are an animal he's keen to rear.

And which particular part is used in making fidget pie?

Well, traditionally you would have used the off cuts from the gammon, and the gammon is the leg.

-The gammon becomes the ham once it's cooked.

-Right.

The gammon is salted and then left in brine to cure for about three weeks.

It's then diced up and mixed with other ingredients, such as onions and apples.

The pastry is then kneaded and shaped into cases, the meat and veg

spooned in and it's all topped off with cheese and mash.

Any good?

Yes. That one I'll buy.

-I'll employ you.

-Thank you very much.

But, Jeff, I'm awfully sorry,

-you're fired.

-Ah, right.

After about 45 minutes of cooking it's time to tuck in.

Dig in and enjoy.

-How's your fidget pie, Jeff?

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

-It's really very tasty.

-They're delicious.

It's sort of... The fact I'm enjoying it so much, I think I must actually try cooking them myself.

OK. I'm going to leave this one to you because this is delicious.

Wonderful.

Well, our final property is upon us, the mystery house.

Any ideas as to what we've cooked up for you, Brenda?

Hopefully it's something nice and light,

spacious and somewhere that is really peaceful.

-Sounds like the mystery house to me!

-OK.

Our mystery house is in Bewdley and, like the last property, it's

just over the county line in Worcestershire.

Bewdley's name derives from beau lieu, or French for beautiful place.

The main part of the town is situated on the bank of the

River Severn, straddled by a gorgeous 18th century bridge.

Bestriding Bewdley's history is their famous son Stanley Baldwin.

Born here in 1867, he went on to become the UK's Prime Minister

serving three terms between 1923 and 1937.

The property I'm showing them is a traditional Grade II listed barn

with a stunningly contemporary interior.

-The mystery house.

-The mystery!

-Which one are we looking at?

-Which one are we looking at?

What we've got for you here is quite an interesting and quite comprehensive development...

-Yeah.

-..at the edge of an old landed estate.

You get the sense this was clearly once a very busy working

estate yard, effectively, with about 14 properties or so.

The property on offer is that one, this great big chunk.

A lot of property.

Well, we're going to approach it from the back of it, this great big

range, so follow me up this little lane and we'll get you inside.

OK, after you.

-Oh, wow!

-Is that a wow?

-Oh, dear!

-Good.

Yeah, that's a wow.

-Amazing.

-Isn't that a wow?

Yes, that's a wow. This is lovely.

-It's beautiful.

-This is lovely. It's great.

-Good. OK.

-I like it. I do like it, yeah.

Well, if you like this you're going to love what's through here.

Really?

Oh, dear!

-Come in.

-Oh, wow!

-Hey, it's another one!

-That's lovely.

-Yeah, again, yes.

-Phenomenal.

-Phenomenal, yes.

-Yeah. How about it?

-Wow factor there, certainly.

-I could cope with this.

-Yeah.

-This is fine. Yeah.

Let's have a look, come and explore.

Big piece of wood over the fire, that's not from a DIY store!

No, it is absolutely not!

It's reclaimed oak, again, surrounding that gorgeous working fireplace.

So, we can imagine ourselves relaxing in here.

Energy feeling good?

Energy's great, yeah.

-Energy's great, it is.

-Yeah, wonderful.

-Well, shall we continue?

-Come through this way.

-There's more!

-Oh, yeah!

It is quite unusually arranged, this place.

-Oh, right.

-So off of...

-Oh, it is.

-..the living room is the master bedroom.

Not far to fall into bed!

It doesn't have to be a master bedroom, there are other bedrooms,

but that's what it's currently set up as.

-You could have it as another snug or a study.

-Yes.

Or a reading room, whatever you want it to be, really.

It's very difficult sometimes to show any en-suite

in a way that's exciting because they're quite small and a bit pokey.

-This one isn't.

-It's bound to be different.

-It's down there.

Go and tell me what you find down at the bottom of the steps.

Oh, my goodness!

Oh, heavens!

My word! I like it.

-Yes?

-It's small! Yes, it's very small(!)

-Yes, it's a bit pokey, isn't it(?)

No, it's fantastic.

Yeah, I like that. Amazing. Amazing.

Well, let's continue.

Now, right next door to that extraordinary bathroom you've

-got this, which is currently used as a dressing area.

-Yes.

-This would make a great bedroom, too.

-Yes, it would.

Yeah, you could do that and have your bedroom downstairs next to the amazing bathroom.

Exactly. Which would mean the current master would become another reception area.

-It would.

-As we said, reading room or whatever.

-A reading room, yes.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, yeah.

-I'm glad you like this place, Brenda.

-It gets better and better.

'This is all sounding great. Brenda and Jeff seem absolutely delighted.

'Further down the corridor are two opulent bedrooms, one with a walk-in en-suite shower.'

-This is quite interesting. Again, we're downstairs...

-Yes.

This is currently a studio...

-Yes.

-..but again could be anything you want it to be.

-Yeah, all this space.

-All this space.

-Just for the two of us.

-Well, precisely.

-Yeah.

-We're spoiling you, aren't we?

-Absolutely, yeah.

-Right, then.

-Yeah.

-Shall we ascend?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Yes, OK.

-Up you go, sir.

-All right.

-After you, Jeff.

-I do love a nice spiral staircase.

-Yes.

'Can it get any better?

'I do have one area of concern, though, and that's the garden, and we're heading there now.'

Right, then, let's have a look at this courtyard, shall we?

-All very designer, you can tell.

-Oh, I hadn't noticed that.

-Yeah.

-How great.

And I have to kind of 'fess up to the fact that you haven't really got a huge vegetable patch...

-No.

-No.

But I'm beginning to question whether that matters, really, in some respects.

I mean, above us up here you've got about a half to three quarters of an acre of hill.

-Right.

-I'm not going to sell that to you as a vegetable patch.

-No.

-So, this is it, really.

-This is it.

You've blown my mind, really. Yeah.

Well, have we blown the budget I wonder?

-Ah.

-Let's have a think about it.

-I was thinking of that.

-Oh, good Lord.

Go on, Brenda, your last guess.

Well, I'll take it right up to the top of the budget.

400,000. Jeff?

Oh, I think it's got to be more than that. 440? 450?

Yeah. Well, it's on the market for £450,000.

-450. OK.

-Offers in the region.

-In the region of. Oh, right.

-OK.

-OK.

-Sensible offers get sensible answers.

-Yeah.

And I think the point about this is that if you can stretch to it it's all here.

So, go and have a look around.

-You may have noticed on the way in...

-Yeah?

A little doorway cut into the rock with an iron gate on it.

You also get your very own icehouse.

-It used to be part of the old estate to which this was attached.

-Right.

-OK.

-So you get your own cave...

-Right.

-..to store your tools in.

Go and explore that and the rest of the property.

-I'll catch up with you later.

-Oh, yes, please.

-Don't get cold in the icehouse!

-No.

-No.

It is an extraordinary place and I think it does have a wonderful,

wonderful feel and the important thing is that I think Brenda thinks so too.

This property might be over budget at 450,000, but its mix

of traditional and contemporary interiors has won them both over.

It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and even an icehouse.

-What's this, Jeff?

-Well, it's an icehouse where the aristocracy

sort of harvested the snow in winter and put it down there and used it to cool the beer in summer. Yeah.

-And if I had fallen out with you I could come in behind you and shut the door...

-Right.

-Lock you in there.

-Oh, well there's a...

-But you'd be all right with that.

-I'm sure I would.

-So don't worry.

-Yeah, no problem.

The mystery house is not at all what I expected.

It... Not only the unique situation of it, but also the way

that it has been decorated, just the whole ambience of it is absolutely wonderful. It's a total one-off.

It's just amazing.

I especially like the kitchen, the lounge is totally amazing, the light that comes in there,

and just the space and the feel of it, really, more than anything.

I love it.

Well, I wasn't sure if I'd get you both out of there!

-Yes.

-You had difficulty.

-Certainly worth seeing.

-It was amazing.

-Good. Well, it certainly is amazing.

-What you are going to do next is the million dollar question. You've seen a lot.

-We've seen a lot.

-We've driven you round I don't know how many miles.

-So you have.

-So, let's go and take a break, have a bit of a breather, let you think about it all.

-Yeah.

-And then we'll have a chat about it.

-OK, all right.

-Thank you.

Jeff and Brenda's journey is nearing its end.

They've now seen all of our properties and there's plenty to think about.

-Well, now then.

-Now then.

-You two, how are you feeling at the end of our search?

-Well, it's been an experience.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Has it been a good one, though?

-It has.

-An excellent experience.

-I've had some fun.

-Good. It all started with the drover's cottage.

-Much extended, with those amazing views.

-Yes.

Absolutely, that was the most fantastic part of that property.

-Yeah.

-The views. To die for, really.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. It really was beautifully done.

It had a really good feel to it.

OK, well, it was but the first one.

We then took you to something that certainly, on the outside, was very light and airy.

-That much extended 200 year-old cottage.

-It was just light and airy.

I went into the kitchen and my heart sank a little bit because it was a little bit cosy, but

then I realised you could push the wall out and extend the dining room

and that would have made a really nice room.

OK. Well, finally it was time to reveal the mystery house.

-Very differently to everything else that we had shown you.

-Oh, absolutely different.

But the property inside, what happened with the kitchen?

Well, I said to myself I was never going to do a wow factor, but actually it was a wow factor!

So you were holding out on me all this time!

It couldn't fail to do it, could it? It was exceptional.

It was a pretty extraordinary place.

-Yes.

-It was a very extraordinary place.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Fantastic. Amazing.

I suppose it is a little bit more than we wanted to go for, but, I mean, that...

-Yeah, 450.

-..could probably be overcome.

-I don't worry about things like that.

-No, no, no.

-Minor details!

-Yes, you and the rest of the wifely population of Britain.

-That's right, yeah.

Well, I am delighted that in some small way we have managed to help you.

It's been a great pleasure, thank you very much indeed.

If you do manage to move to the country, let us know.

On reflection, Jeff and Brenda decided that the

mystery house was not for them, but that South Shropshire certainly was.

They've since returned to the area where they've fallen in love with a property.

Let's hope they'll be moving in soon.

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