Suffolk Escape to the Country

Today, I'm following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I and 2,000 of her courtiers

whose lavish stately visit to one of this county's finest Elizabethan homes nearly bankrupted its owner.

So where am I? Join me in a moment on Escape To The Country to find out.

'In today's show, I'll be helping a couple head out of town and put down some roots in the country.

'We'll be throwing some light on their house-hunt quandary.'

-Very nice. I like that.

-Very different.

'And our mystery house is somewhere they would have never expected.'

Today, I'm in Suffolk and this is Melford Hall.

With its dramatic skyline of tall chimney stacks and octagonal turrets,

it's one of the finest and greatest examples of Elizabethan architecture in the east of England.

Its original owner, Sir William Cordell, was a new man of his age

and one of the most hospitable country gentlemen in the county.

Although he was a Catholic, he found grace and favour with Elizabeth I

when he threw a lavish reception for her and 2,000 courtiers on her first visit to this delightful county.

There's still plenty to entice new visitors to this county today.

Suffolk is one of six counties that make up East Anglia

and covers 1,500 square miles, but with a sparse population of under 700,000.

The gloriously remote Suffolk Coast and Heaths

avoids the hordes of tourists, but as a protected site provides

a rich wetland habitat for wildlife to thrive.

Farming has and still continues to shape the Suffolk landscape, giving way to those vast expansive skies

which inspired our great 18th and 19th century painters -

Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable, who were both born here.

Suffolk's unspoilt countryside is dotted with medieval market towns

which prospered from its wool trade and have given way to some enticing historic properties,

including the Suffolk pink houses characteristic of the county.

With a truly timeless feel, Suffolk is a perfect place in which to seek out a peaceful lifestyle.

Constable, Gainsborough, Bob Hoskins, Ralph Fiennes

and the Formula One magnate Bernie Ecclestone are just some of the famous names

who have come from or lived in Suffolk over the years.

Recently, the Suffolk Tourist Board had a nice surprise

when the multi-millionaire entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne, who used to live near Ipswich,

decided to dedicate himself to boosting the local economy.

With friends like that, Suffolk is on to a very good thing.

There is plenty to offer potential buyers

even without a millionaire's spending power.

For £365,000, this three-bedroomed cottage

near Boxford has been stylishly renovated

to offer a cool, simple interior, using natural slate throughout.

And the garden has uninterrupted views over the Box Valley.

£585,000 will get you this three-bedroomed, contemporary barn in Crowfield.

There's a touch of luxury in the large bespoke kitchen and living room

and there's top-class accommodation for the horses with a stable block and 3.5 acres of land.

For top dollar country splendour, there's this five-bedroomed former rectory in Fornham St Martin

at £795,000.

The reception rooms retain their grand Georgian proportions

and the stylish kitchen-breakfast room leads out through French doors to the mature 0.75-acre garden.

Well, let's hope today's buyers find the inspiration they need

to make their escape to the country. Let's meet them.

Robin, an insurance underwriter, and Frances have lived in their three-bedroomed, detached home

in Southend, Essex, for 25 years,

but now their two grown-up children have left home, they're ready for a fresh start in rural Suffolk.

The lifestyle that we're dreaming of is going back in time

where your neighbours knew you and you knew them.

It's just that community spirit that I feel that we've lost,

so we're looking for a village location that is quiet and neighbourly.

A nice rural environment, really.

Having overcome a serious illness, Robin is embracing this chance of a lifestyle change.

In 1996, I was first diagnosed with leukaemia.

Following five years of intensive treatment and chemo and then a transplant,

I've now had eight years of being in remission.

Having re-evaluated our lives and the challenges it's brought us, the time is right to move on

and seek a better life with retirement looming.

-And live life to the full.

-The one thing we've learnt - you have to live every day.

What features do they need in their dream home?

Ideally, a detached type property, minimum three-bed, something which is open and spacious.

I would say one of the absolute must-haves is a kitchen-diner.

It's a room that we use all the time.

-Ideally, south-west backing?

-Yes, that's really important.

-And a garden. She loves her garden.

-A good-sized garden.

There are some important extras on their wish list.

I'd love to move to the countryside, so that I could paint.

I'd love to have a room of my own. A studio would be brilliant, but I don't know if we could afford that.

But that's one of my loves.

One of our favourite rooms has always been the conservatory with the added daylight,

so it's something we would like if possible.

They're looking forward to walks in Constable country and are planning to get a dog,

but they still need links into London.

I work in the insurance market in London, so I commute every day for an hour each way.

So I'd like to be within reasonable distance of London

from the point of view of commuting and we both have children now in London.

And two years of house searching has brought them no closer to finding their perfect home.

We haven't found our dream house yet because our expectations are quite high

and we want it to be for our retirement and somewhere very special.

I think that's pretty much it, in terms of retirement.

It's pretty much our last move, so it's all about getting it right.

They need to know how much they can spend on their move, so a local estate agent will value their home.

This is a beautifully presented, three-bedroomed, detached house

in a much sought after location.

Based on local market comparable evidence,

I would suggest an initial marketing price of £330,000.

-We're both of the opinion it seemed a sensible price.

-Reasonable, yes.

The budget for the property we're looking for, assuming it ticks all the boxes, is up to £450,000.

After 25 years living in the same place, Frances and Robin are ready for a real lifestyle change

and they want this to be their last move, so we have to get it right.

Key to their requirements is a light and airy house, a minimum of three bedrooms,

a good-sized kitchen and lounge and a southwest-facing garden.

And they want all of that for £450,000.

I think that is doable, but we'd better get going.

Our house search will be based around Suffolk's county town of Ipswich

which gives Robin 75 minutes' train commute to London.

We'll be romping around some fabulous rural retreats in Suffolk,

but before revealing the price of each, they'll have a guess first.

Finally, there's our mystery house in a very surprising location.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

-Hi, Robin. Hi, Frances.

-Hello.

-Nice to meet you.

Thank you for bringing me to a very windy and blustery Suffolk.

It's not the best day, but it's not raining.

It's a big move for you - 25 years in the same house!

-You get to the stage you've just outgrown the house.

-We have.

-Much as we've loved it there.

-You're now ready for a big lifestyle change?

-Yes.

What is it about your area that you want to get away from? What are you escaping from?

The rat race that's developed in the area we're in. It's got overgrown.

It's too busy and we want a little more quietness and peace and tranquillity.

-You feel as if you're living in a town?

-A little bit.

-Yes.

-That's what you want to escape from?

-Absolutely.

-You have been looking for a little while.

-Too long.

-Probably 12 to 18 months.

Not always in the one area. We've been looking around various parts of the country -

south, south-east and the south East Anglia coast.

But we haven't actually come to a conclusion where best to settle, really.

Suffolk is a great county and there's a lot here. How much money have we got to play with?

-450.

-That was the figure.

-Bit of room for manoeuvre?

-Yeah.

-Bit of room.

-There'll always be a compromise.

-We'll just have to work longer.

Work longer to enjoy the dream property. Sounds like a fair deal.

-We have got fantastic houses to show you and the mystery house, so we should get a move on.

-Let's do that.

'So for £450,000 they want their dream home in Suffolk to include:

'We'd better take to the road.'

Overall, how are you feeling about this journey?

-It's a big move.

-Yeah.

-Are you excited, are you daunted?

-We are excited.

-Very much so.

-A little bit daunted by it, but very excited and...

-Very optimistic.

-And your expectations?

-Maybe a bit high, I don't know.

But we're trying to moderate them.

-You've got to be realistic though.

-I like a healthy dose of realism,

-but we also want to find you a dream home, so let's see what we can do.

-Lovely.

-Lovely prospect.

'Our first property takes us to the village of East Bergholt,

'just over nine miles from Ipswich, so good access to the train station for Robin's commute to London.

'East Bergholt is your archetypal Suffolk village,

'complete with its own local post office and shop.

'Best known as the birthplace of John Constable, the village is surrounded by countryside

'which would be great dog-walking territory.

'The house we're viewing is in the heart of the village.'

-This is the first property we want to show you. First impressions?

-Very nice.

I think it looks promising.

-It's got character.

-Yes.

-That strikes you straight away.

It used to be originally just this part, two up, two down. You see the extension.

-When we go in, you'll see that it goes further back. Let's have a look.

-Lovely.

'We're going into the original part of the cottage which dates back to the 1800s

'and inside there's a surprising amount of space on offer.'

In we come, out of the howling wind again, and into the hallway which is a great space.

It's big enough to be a room in its own right.

It gives you a flavour of the original cottage

because we're on one side of what was the two up, two down

and you can tell from the chimney and the fireplace behind you.

But let's have a look at what they've done over this way.

So into the extension, as you can see, there's enough room in this property

for them to have built a study which is not a small one.

That's not bad at all. I could see myself working in here.

-You work at home a lot?

-Yeah, I like a bit of space to work from home

because Frances is quite keen to have a room for herself for art and design.

-Could you imagine yourself working away in here?

-Absolutely.

-Would you see it as more of an office space or art space?

-Both.

-I do have another idea of where you could set yourself up for some art work, but this is an option.

-Lovely.

-There are lots of options here. Let's wander over to the other side.

-Smashing.

'So we'll check out the other living arrangements.'

-So over to the other side of the original cottage...

-Yeah.

What do you think?

-It's a bit small for me.

-What if I tell you this is just the snug?

-I wondered, yeah.

It's not your living room. I could see your faces going, "OK then, how do we relax in here?"

This is part of the original cottage. You'd have had this side and the other side.

We're the other side of the fireplace now. Both rooms we've seen so far are facing the road.

It is quite quiet. The main living areas are through this way, far away from the road, so let's have a look.

'On one side of the hallway, there's a utility room with a cloakroom next door,

'but I think they're going to love what I show them next.'

-Through here is your actual lounge.

-That's much nicer, yes.

-Is that more like it?

-Yes.

-I see the smile coming out on Frances's face now.

-This is a good size.

-It is.

-Undeniably big.

-They've done really well, considering it's an extension.

-They've built this wonderful feature fireplace.

-That's nice.

-It's in working order,

-so imagine how cosy it will be as we approach winter.

-You can see that as a cosy room.

-Enough room for furniture and I love that bay window.

-That's nice.

-That sells this room.

-You've got the daylight streaming through.

-And have a listen.

-Peace.

-And quiet.

-Mm-hm.

Right, another important room, the kitchen.

-That's one we've got to tick the box for you.

-Yes.

-Let's have a look.

'This is a real Tardis of a property with rooms that just keep on going.'

-I know you wanted a big kitchen.

-That's very nice.

-Oh, yeah.

-This is a nice sized kitchen.

-I think that ticks the box.

-It certainly delivers.

-In a big way.

I love all the windows as well.

-This is where I was thinking you could do some of your art work.

-That's true.

-You have got all of that light and it's the heart of the home.

-It is.

-It's just nice to have everything at hand. I think that would make such a difference.

-I like it.

-Big tick for this room?

-Yeah.

-We will come back to the garden,

-but now I want to take you upstairs to check out the bedrooms and the family bathroom.

-OK.

'Frances and Robin seem impressed by the space and number of rooms on offer in this house,

'so onwards and upwards to look at the upstairs.'

Up here, another example of how this property keeps throwing extra spaces at you.

We're in the old cottage. There's the fireplace coming up here.

-We can even see the external window.

-It's nice.

-It's got unique features.

-It has. A little bonus room.

-Yes.

-But it is just a bit of bonus space and it leads on to one of four bedrooms with this property.

-OK.

-This is one of the four.

-Uh-huh.

-It's nice and light.

-And the light's pouring in.

-It's huge.

-I like that.

It is nice and light. That's a definite plus.

-Nearly got as many shoes as you!

-LAUGHTER

There's certainly room for storage and it's got the Juliet balcony looking out on to the garden.

'Leading off the L-shaped landing are the other bedrooms,

'including a large double and one also big enough to be a double room.

'The family bathroom has an overhead shower and WC,

'but I'm going to show Frances and Robin where they would sleep.'

-So here is your master bedroom.

-A-ha! Yeah.

-What do you think of it size-wise?

-This is a nice size, yes. And the two windows, I like that.

-It's got daylight streaming through.

-Every room in the house is very light.

-And an en-suite.

-Yes, go and have a look.

-This is something you're used to, having an en-suite.

-Yeah.

-We are. This is nice.

This one comes with a big stand-up shower and a lot of extra space.

-I like the flooring too.

-It's a good size.

-Good.

-Very nice.

Through here, there's enough room to put an extra big wardrobe and you've got a built-in cupboard there.

-Let's look at the garden and talk about how much it would cost you to buy a property like this.

-Right.

'They seem surprised by just how spacious this house is and the outside is deceptive too

'with room for mature fruit trees, a vegetable patch and even a hot tub, but now it's crunch time.

'Let's talk money.'

Here we are. You can see how big this property is from back here. You can see the extension now.

Now you know how much you get with this property, it begs the question, how much do you think it's worth?

I think probably the lower end of our budget, 415?

I would say a little more than that, probably nearer 425, 430?

The good news is you're the winner, you're absolutely right.

You've been doing your research. It's on the market at £415,000.

-It was a guess.

-That's a surprise.

Armed with the knowledge of the price, go back inside and have another look round.

-I'll see you later on.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

So for £415,000, that's £35,000 under their budget,

this extended cottage is a great opening gambit.

It puts our couple at the heart of the community in a popular village.

It didn't give me that feeling that I want from my home.

I'm looking for a larger garden. It didn't quite tick all the boxes, but it's a very nice house.

I like this area. It's nice and light.

It's the best room in the house. It's got what you want - lots of light.

It's different. I like a lot of the features. Overall, it's not as big as maybe I would have hoped.

There you are. It's lovely and snug in there. I'm out here getting windswept!

-But we've got a lot more to do, so let's keep moving.

-OK.

With their escape to the country, Frances and Robin will be able to explore the rich heritage

Suffolk's quiet towns have to offer.

Woodbridge, just eight miles from Ipswich, comes with a distinct architectural legacy

that still survives today. To find out more, they'll meet Marion Wells who knows all about the town's past.

We're right here in the very historic centre of the town now

and a lot of it was created by this man called Thomas Seckford.

He lived in Elizabethan times and was born locally and was very much an East Suffolk man.

He trained as a barrister and he was very interested in the legal system

and that things should be done fairly,

so he decided that there should be a proper courthouse in Woodbridge.

He commissioned this Shire Hall here and the sessions were held in the upstairs of the building

and the downstairs was used as a corn market. This whole square here was also a market.

It was really the centre of activity right here.

Thomas Seckford was granted Woodbridge Tide Mill by Queen Elizabeth I in 1564.

The exported grain milled here underpinned the town's fortunes for centuries,

as did the shipbuilding trade with everyone from the Saxons to the Tudors making use

of local forests, as well as the town's strategic position by the River Deben.

The Saxon burial ship at Sutton Hoo is just up the road.

As the last working tide mill in the UK, it finally closed in 1957.

Let's hope Robin and Frances can reap the rewards of a successful house search as we press on.

'Our next property takes us to the village of Battisford, just over 11 miles from Ipswich,

'so still within commuting distance to London,

'but with the peace he's looking for as the village is surrounded by farmland.

'Needham Market four miles away is a lovely town with a range of shops

'and a nature reserve for those walks they're after.

'I think they'll feel at home with the style of our next house.'

-It's a new build.

-Strangely enough, we do like new builds.

-Yes.

-For whatever reason, we do like it.

It's quite substantial, it's in a lovely location, surrounded by other detached properties.

You can get to know your neighbours.

-It gives you an immediate community around you.

-It does.

-Let's have a look inside and see what you get with this property.

-Lovely.

-Thank you.

'The new build proposition has piqued their interest, so here's hoping the inside will hook them.'

-Step on in.

-Uh-huh.

You immediately come into this wonderful hallway from which all doors lead.

-Very nice.

-Nice and open.

-Look up.

-I like that.

-It's got all the light you want.

-It has, yes. Very nice.

We have a study through here and we have a downstairs cloakroom,

-but the first room I want to take you to is the kitchen.

-Brilliant.

In you come.

-Take a look at this.

-Oh, dear.

-That's nice.

-Nice and light.

-That's a nice, spacious kitchen.

Plenty of light. Lovely views.

Great views out into your garden.

-I like that feature.

-That's nice to look out on to.

-If you do get that doggie, he can come straight in and out there.

-Yeah, true.

-No work for you here, Robin.

-No.

-I'm sure I'll find him some.

I always come back to it. The "new" does limit the need for DIY.

It also gives you the opportunity to put your mark on a property.

-It's fresh and new which you'll see even more when we go into the other rooms.

-Lovely.

-Let's have a look.

'Across the entrance hall, there's a great option for family meals.'

In this property you get a separate dining room.

-Very nice.

-Not short on size, is it?

-No.

-Again spacious, isn't it?

Something we haven't got at the moment.

-Right.

-Not a separate...

-We've got a lounge-diner.

But it's nice to have that type of detached... Again a real big tick.

It's a big tick. Nothing for you to do here. Let's have a look at the living room while we're on a roll.

This is a very large living room, I think.

-Oh!

-It is, it's nice.

-Yes, very pleasant.

-That's a working wood-burning stove.

-I like that.

-Nice and cosy.

I like the fact it's at the back of the house.

-Yes, you have your privacy.

-Total privacy and peace.

-I like that idea, the garden behind.

-Yes, it's nice.

-This could work for you?

-Yes.

-Very much. I like this. It's hard to fault.

-So it's a hit downstairs.

-Definitely.

-Let's head upstairs and have a look at the bedrooms.

'The space and features of the downstairs of this new build seem to have won them over.'

So now we can take a look at this galleried landing up here.

You can really appreciate it.

-Yeah, it's a lovely feature.

-Very nice, yes.

You can see it's pretty much a mirror of what you have downstairs

because all doors lead off the landing.

'On this side are two of the four bedrooms - a nice, bright single and a double room.

'Between them is a modern family bathroom with bath and shower.

'And the third bedroom has some great extras in store.'

This is not the master bedroom. It belongs to a young lady at the moment.

-Yeah.

-But this space is full of surprises. I can already see you looking through there.

-It goes on. There's an en-suite through there and a changing area.

-It's quite versatile.

-Maybe it could be where you did your art work.

-Exactly.

-You've got a bathroom through there, lots of space.

-It'd be nice.

-Lots of opportunity.

-Yeah.

It's not being used as the master bedroom, so let me show you that.

This way, you have your master with built-in "his and hers" wardrobes.

There's space for a lovely, big double bed and an en-suite behind you - stand-up shower,

-plenty of room in there.

-You can't fault it.

-Very spacious again. Lovely perspective.

-Nice light. I could sit here and paint.

-You'll be painting in every room!

-Given the choice.

-This will be literally a blank canvas for you.

-Yes.

-I like this.

Brilliant. I'm feeling very warm about your feelings towards this property.

I want to turn up the heat a bit more. Let's see how you feel about the outside space,

-then we've got to work out how much it will cost you to buy it.

-OK.

-Let's go.

'This house certainly has oodles of space to satisfy our couple.

'It's time to head back downstairs now and outside to the back of the house.'

So back here we have the garden space.

As with the interior of the house, it's pretty much a blank canvas.

-It is.

-Very clean lines, just laid to lawn.

-You could do what you want with it.

-Exactly.

-Pretty much. It goes a long way across, doesn't it?

-It does.

-It wraps around the other side of the property as well.

-I like that idea.

-It's a good size.

-It is.

'Just beyond the back fence is a quiet footpath -

'a great access point for walking the dog Frances hopes to get.

'This property seems to hit the mark on so many fronts, but at what cost?'

It's a lot of property, but how much would you have to pay for it?

-I'll start with you, Robin.

-Me this time?

-Yes, you.

Difficult. There's a lot of house there. I'd have said around the 450 mark.

Frances, how much do you think it's worth?

I think probably the first figure that came to mind was 465,

but, um...maybe 455?

This property has just come on the market two weeks ago at £440,000.

-Very good.

-That is an attractive price.

-That's pleasing.

-"That's pleasing." You're so reserved. Are you jumping for joy inside?

-Leaping!

-I'm surprised.

That's a good price for that size of property.

-Go and have a ramble around and I will catch up with you a little bit later on.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

That's a good result. That house gives them all the room that they could want and more

and it comes in under budget. As a blank canvas, it's everything Frances needs to put her mark on it.

At £440,000, this extensive new build offers them:

-What would you do with this area?

-Chickens?

This house I like very much. It's modern, it's clean, it's spacious.

And it's most of...nearly all of the requirements that we wanted.

This property definitely suits me.

I love this area. Look at it.

-It's just so interesting. It's a room within itself.

-You could do a lot with this.

This house lends itself to what we're looking for.

If anything, it's got even more size and space than I'd have been asking for.

I don't think we'll ever get them out. They really liked it.

-Can we help you?

-You'd like me to come in, but I am dragging you out.

-We are not finished yet.

-Right.

-Let's get a move on.

'As I'm showing our couple some prime Suffolk properties,

'it's also a chance to get under the skin of one of the county's great historic homes.

'From the outside, Melford Hall is a stately Tudor mansion,

'yet its interior tells the full tale of this property through the ages.

'To hear more about its story, I'm meeting one of the guides, Luke Potter.'

-Tell me the story of where we are.

-Here we're in the Great Hall,

always the centre of the property right back to when the abbots from Bury St Edmunds lived here.

But it has changed hugely.

The panelling here was actually put in in the 1850s in an attempt to make it feel

more Elizabethan. Elsewhere, lots of changes have taken place, a lot of work in the early 19th century.

The wing behind me was all burned down in WWII and was completely rebuilt in the late 1940s, 1950s,

with a very bright, white feel, which gives it a very distinctive charm.

It's always been a family home with the input of people living here.

And a big party place in its day. Sir William Cordell was almost bankrupted by Elizabeth I's visit?

-What was that like?

-He had to spend a lot of money.

Elizabeth came here in 1578 and was met on the county border by about 2,000 people to escort her,

but she wasn't impressed and sent a courtier back to London for more gold and silver

-to impress the French ambassador.

-I understand we've got a memento from when she was here.

-It's upstairs?

-Yes, head upstairs and we'll take a look at it.

'Since the late 18th century, this has been the home of the Hyde Parker family,

'whose commemoration to their royal visitor is appropriate.'

-Aha! So this is it?

-This is the stained glass window we have of Queen Elizabeth.

It probably only dates from 1800, put in by the Hyde Parker family.

They had lots of naval connections and so the image used is of the dress worn

when she celebrated the defeat of the Armada back in 1588, tying into that naval heritage.

-It shows off her jewels very well.

-No need to run to London!

'More recently, Beatrix Potter made frequent family visits here,

'being the cousin to the grandmother of Sir Richard, the present Baronet.

'Her paintings give a personal glimpse into life here, but she didn't come alone.'

The interesting thing is the little turret there. She always travelled with a little menagerie of animals.

There would be caged with a porcupine or a rabbit and she'd sketch them. When she came, that was their room.

You can imagine as a youngster with this woman coming to stay who's bringing cages of animals.

You'd wait to see what came next!

-Not many people know her connections to Suffolk. You think of her in the Lake District.

-It's where she lived

and she was very involved with the conservation of the Lake District,

-but with the family connection here it's a bit of an unknown story.

-And a wonderful story.

Well, this is a real architectural gem of a building, woven into key events of Suffolk's own history.

With a busy day behind them, it's time for our couple to take stock.

-Interesting first day.

-Very much. I enjoyed it, actually.

-The cottage in the village. What did you think?

-First impressions were deceptive, I think.

When you got into it, you didn't realise how far back it went. It was surprisingly large.

-The lounge was a nice size.

-The kitchen was particularly nice.

-It was very nice.

-You could live in that all day.

-Good size. What did you think to the location?

-It probably wasn't quite what we were looking for.

-No.

Moving on to now, the new build.

-What were your thoughts on that one?

-I have to say I really did like it. It was spacious, had a lot of light.

It had all the modern attributes of a new property.

And it was lovely and warm and cosy.

All the rooms. They were all of a size, really.

I particularly liked the bedroom upstairs that led into a lovely area. It was really nice.

-Can you see yourself living there?

-Yeah.

It was certainly, for me, a very nice property.

-It makes it promising what we'll find tomorrow.

-Looking forward to it.

-Me, too.

-Can they better what we've seen?

-It's a challenge, isn't it?

Robin and Frances want to leave Southend in Essex where they've lived for 25 years and settle down

to a quiet life in Suffolk.

'Armed with a £450,000 budget, they'd like a three-bedroom home with a large kitchen diner,

'a study and painting studio, within commuting distance to London.

'So far, they've seen two properties. Coming up, out with the new, in with the old.'

-This is something completely different, that I need in my life.

-'And there's our mystery house.

'But can they see the wood for the trees?'

The sun's come out today and I'm hoping for brighter prospects.

Over the years, Robin and Frances have gone for more modern properties as they like that sense of space.

But now they're making a radical move in their lifestyle and moving to the countryside,

so I want to show them a more traditional property and let's see if that takes their fancy.

We're heading to Capel St Mary next, only eight miles from Ipswich for Robin's train commute to London.

As well as plenty of Suffolk pink properties, the village gives our couple a handful of local shops.

Our next house would also set them at the heart of village life and comes with its own splash of pink.

-This is the property. A bit more of a traditional English country cottage.

-It's nice.

-Impressive.

-Suffolk pink!

-Yes, unusual, isn't it?

-The first impression is very nice.

The property used to be one cottage. That's the original part, the pink.

It's been extended over the years. You have more space.

-It's definitely got character.

-Sounds like it.

-In a great village. Let's have a look inside.

'Well, they seem revved up to see the inside of this property, so let's dive in and take a look.'

Right, in we come through the timber frame door. A small hallway, but you see the character of it.

-The exposed brickwork here, lovely archway door.

-Yeah.

-Very nice.

-Very different.

-Different?

Very different to what I expected.

Let me give you the lay of the land. To your left, a small downstairs cloakroom.

This way, in the old part, is the kitchen, which we'll come back to.

-We'll start through the archway. After me.

-We'll follow you.

Through here again, although this is the extension, you've still got exposed timbers, brickwork.

A lovely dining area, doors leading to the outside.

Come up here.

And from back here you can see the lovely quirks of this property.

The great brickwork fireplace, they've put in double French doors leading out onto the garden.

-Then this L-shape for the dining area.

-I like the L-shape.

-You've always liked that.

'They are used to new builds, but seem quite taken with a character property.

'Let's hope the kitchen fires up Frances.' More features in here.

We've got this lovely brickwork, the exposed beams

and we are in the original cottage so you have more of those features.

The current owner has done some work and created the space.

-It's a nice kitchen.

-Very nice.

-Personally I'd like something bigger.

-It does go down this way.

-Sofa, dining table.

-Lovely area.

-And at the back is a little office.

-Nice idea, actually.

-Yes.

It just takes a little bit of time to adapt.

-Very nice.

-I'm glad you're liking it. I think you'll like what's through here even more.

-It actually is a very big space.

-Very spacious.

-I like this room.

-Ah, a conservatory!

-Yes.

-One of my favourite rooms.

I've got a lot of bougainvilleas and need somewhere to put them.

-Shall we have a look? Come on.

-Please.

-Have a look at what could be your space.

-Yes.

-This would be wonderful for you to do your artwork.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Lots of light.

-Or even outside - it's a lovely little area there, too.

-It all lends itself.

-So we've found a place for you

and you're looking at the garden. We'll come back to that.

First I'll show you upstairs. Ordinarily you lose space upstairs,

-but here you get four bedrooms and a family bathroom.

-You've done it again! Made good use of it.

'This is a spacious character cottage and Frances seems seduced by its charm.

'Fingers crossed that the four bedrooms upstairs also work their magic, starting with their room.'

So this is the master bedroom.

-Ah.

-Ah.

-I like the window.

-It has a holy feel with the light streaming through!

-Yes.

-You've got that theme throughout. The chapel feeling.

There's some built-in storage. His and hers or hers and hers.

-He can have some area!

-And cupboards over there.

-Oh, right, that's Robin's!

The recess there. The en suite.

-Very nice.

-We didn't see when we walked in.

-I'm amazed, really.

-Amazed?

-Yes.

-Taking it all in.

-It takes time.

-It's so different.

'The other bedrooms include a lovely light double and a single, so ample room for when their children stay.

'There's also an L-shaped family bathroom with bath and shower.

'At the end of the landing is the fourth bedroom, which we'll peek at.'

-Another example of a good-sized double bedroom.

-Yes.

-Yeah. Again, spacious.

It is. You have built-in wardrobes, which are quite deep. Lots of light.

-Looking at the sky today, I was thinking it might be another place you could sit and paint.

-Yes.

-It's certainly light enough.

-I like it.

-Good.

Let's go out to the garden, then tell me what you think.

'Frances should be pleased with it. It's south-westerly facing and amounts to one-fifth of an acre,

'with space for evening drinks on the patio.

'With all that to consider, let's see if our couple are on the money.'

Right, from back here you can get a good look at the house, the garden,

and the question, of course, is how much would you pay for a wonderful cottage like this in Suffolk?

-I'm going to start with Frances.

-I think it probably is around the 445 area?

I still feel there's quite a bit of work to do.

-I don't know if we could afford that.

-I would have thought probably more.

-I'd have said around 465.

-465. How about this?

-This property came on the market four weeks ago at £410,000.

-That's good.

-That's very good.

-That is a big surprise. Big surprise.

-Looking at all it's giving as a property.

-And leaving you money left over.

-Definitely.

-No, that's...

-You're reeling! I can see.

-Even more appealing.

Go back in, you start measuring up, you get your calculator out. I'll see you a bit later on.

Fantastic! This is what I love about this show.

That's a house they would never have looked at, but it's under budget and gives them everything they want.

Traditional, yes, but something that could be for them.

Under budget at £410,000, this charming property leaves them a £40,000 pot

to make it perfect for them. And it includes...

-You could sit here all afternoon.

-Definitely.

-And you're not overlooked.

-No, privacy.

-And I liked the front.

-'The question is do you see yourself living here?'

For all the change, which for me would be quite considerable, I could.

I thought this house was so intriguing and I really like it.

I've been used to modern properties, but this is something completely different that I need in my life now.

-Robin? Frances? Still in there?

-Yeah.

-I thought you were settling in.

-We are!

Well, don't just yet. The journey isn't over. We've got a little bit more to do.

'If Frances and Robin escape to Suffolk, they'll move to a county literally embedded with history.

'Its archaeological jewel has to be Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon burial site excavated in 1939,

'at the request of Mrs Edith Pretty, who owned the land.

'In one of the mounds, a 90-foot-long ship was found, packed full of priceless treasures.

'They're meeting Nigel Maslin from the Sutton Hoo Society to discover more about this.'

One of the things Mrs Pretty saw coming out of that ship trench

was 500 crushed pieces of very boring looking iron.

But if you analysed them, you can make a reconstruction like this - the Sutton Hoo helmet.

It's tinned bronze. Very heavy. Even this reconstruction is.

Just look at it. What a face! If you put that on,

power is not exactly going to shine out of the eye sockets - they're dark. That's part of the mystery.

And look at everything surrounding it. Either side of the nose piece, two pairs of dancing warriors.

You can tell they're dancing. They're wearing horned helmets.

This is the world of Thor and Odin. This is fantastic stuff.

And then the other panels show another mounted warrior

trampling a foe underfoot.

Just look at the main features on the front - the moustache,

the nose piece, the eyebrows with these marvellous red garnets,

make a winged dragon or something like that. A mythical beast.

So you've really got terrific power there. That beast would have protected the wearer.

Raedwald, who probably wore the real version, was a pagan. He was baptised a Christian.

His successors were pagan again before they were Christian.

So we're just on the cusp of the old pagan politics and traditions from Sweden and Scandinavia

and the rest of the Germanic lands, and a newly-Christian Europe.

'This discovery in a quiet Suffolk field is a fascinating window into what rolled out across Europe

'1,400 years ago.'

Robin and Frances haven't moved for 25 years. Although they say they want something completely different,

I'm not convinced they're ready for such a radical move,

so for the mystery house we're going for big, modern and central.

Our mystery house takes us, intriguingly, to the outskirts of Ipswich,

whose street architecture is a real journey through time, with medieval streets,

ornate Victorian civic buildings in the market square,

and the newly-developed waterfront.

We're heading just south of the town through private gates to where our mystery house, in woodland, awaits.

So this could be your countryside palace in the middle of the town!

-It's the mystery property. You said you wanted to get away from it all.

-That's right.

And find a quiet place to settle down, somewhere very different,

-but you've always lived in modern buildings, you have a fairly long commute to do.

-True.

-And you want to be in the heart of the community.

-Uh-huh.

-Ta-da!

-Ipswich! The train station is within walking distance.

-Yeah.

-This is a gated community.

Only five other properties. Very close-knit and the building is fairly new.

-With some character.

-Quite a size.

-Countryside in Ipswich.

-Yes!

-That is different.

It's completely different to what I was looking for, but...give it a whirl.

Open-minded. That's what the mystery house is all about.

Completely different, but who knows once we get inside?

Let's go have a look.

'Robin has definitely grasped what the mystery house is about.

'This could give them the best of both worlds.'

Here we go.

So come on in. It is a modern house.

Nice hallway, lots of doors.

We've got some big rooms and high ceilings.

-Interesting.

-A hall is always a nice thing to come into like this.

-Let's start with this room over here.

-All right.

-Nice big lounge.

-Yes. I like the bay, particularly.

-And the windows.

-Yeah, good size.

-It's more than adequate.

-More than reasonable.

-It's got the modern look, which I do like.

-Good!

Right, things are picking up. Let's look over the other side, and look at the other rooms.

'At the front of the house on the other side is a large study with a bay window,

'ideal for Robin. Next door, there's a handy cloakroom.

'I hope Frances will be hooked by what's coming next.'

Come through to the kitchen.

-It's modern...

-Yes!

-Very nice, actually.

-Looking out onto the garden.

-Yeah.

-It's too dark for me.

-I had a feeling you'd say that.

-Not enough daylight?

-Nowhere near enough.

-What do you think of the space?

-Oh, yes, it's a nice size.

-Very nice.

You could put a round table. Or you could come this way.

There's more!

And do this.

-That's better.

-Ah!

-Much better.

-Yes, I prefer that.

-It opens out, doesn't it?

-It does.

-It lets in more light.

-Very much.

-The only thing is it doesn't feel to me like a kitchen.

-It's a dining area.

-But it doesn't feel like the same room for me.

You could move things around and try to make it your own.

-There's the capability to do that.

-Absolutely.

-I'm not sure where to start!

-That's the challenge!

While you think, let's head upstairs!

'Robin's going with the flow, but Frances seems uneasy at being taken out of her comfort zone.

'We'll head upstairs and see if she warms to it.' You get four bedrooms, all a good size.

And a good-size family bathroom. One fairly big double here,

another one there and this is the bathroom.

I thought we could start over here.

So...

I know what you're going to say - it's pink!

-It clearly is a little girl's room.

-Absolutely.

-But that aside, what do you think of it as a room?

-It feels like you're in a turret.

-It's the bay windows again. A nice finish.

-As a space, with blank walls, you get quite a bit of light, you're elevated...

-That's what I like.

-Use it as a fourth bedroom.

-Doesn't have to be a bedroom at all.

-No.

-Exactly right.

-It could be a lovely workspace.

-Very much.

-You could do as you wish, including taking away the pink.

-Although I think you secretly like it!

-You do?!

-Let's look at the master! Come on!

-How about this for a master suite?

-Mm.

-It's big.

As rooms go, this is huge.

I agree, it's huge. Nice big bed, lots of space either side.

-Plenty of wardrobe space. Maybe even a little bit for you.

-Yeah.

-Some space for your shirts.

-There's a fighting chance!

-And the wonderful bay windows.

-That opens up all the rooms.

-Over here is a very impressive en suite.

-As well.

-You get a big en suite with this bedroom.

-Yes.

-The bath.

-And a bath!

-A bath as well.

-Good size.

-You wouldn't normally expect a bath and a shower.

-You wouldn't.

And all that extra space. Lovely window looking out to the garden.

-That is where we should head now. There's a surprise with this house.

-Sounds good.

-Follow me!

'Our mystery house has a fabulously spacious interior, which they could adapt very easily,

'but I don't think Frances can quite visualise it. Perhaps she'll get excited by the garden.'

Back here is the garden space.

One of the things you have definitely asked for is land.

This garden isn't just this area.

It goes way back there and you get just under an acre of land.

-Good grief.

-'This mystery house really gives that feeling of being in the country,

'especially with that tiered wooded garden. Yet Ipswich is just a walk away.

'But can they guess the price?'

-We'll start with you, Robin.

-I'd put it top side of the budget. 470?

It's a nice property. I would say 469,995.

-That's very precise!

-I don't know why, but that's what I think.

You are absolutely right! This is on at £470,000. You were £5 out.

-That's pretty good going.

-Not bad.

-All of £5! Not bad, was it?

It is over budget, but it brings you very close to the train station so it cuts your commute.

Your close to the shops, yet you get this land.

Our mystery house is over budget at £470,000, but it's huge,

there's no work to do and it has some great selling points.

-I didn't expect to find this up here.

-Not quite the land I expected.

The house itself is very spacious, it's very well decorated and it's very nice.

Probably 20, 25 years ago it would have suited us, but not now.

-Look, there's the train! You can see it from here.

-Ideal.

-Ideal?! Not for me it's not.

I'd be on the train in 5 minutes.

Having seen this property, within the environment it's in, close to the town,

it crystallises what we're looking for, which is more the rural, country kind of environment for us.

Wonder if it's grown on them any?

-Are you still here?

-Yes.

-You've seen all of the houses now.

It's been a bit of a journey, but I'll find you somewhere to sit down and mull it all over.

We've shown Robin and Frances a real assortment of properties. Now they must think through their options.

Frances and Robin certainly had a very strong reaction to our modern, urban village mystery house.

Has it pushed them closer to a more traditional house? Let's find out.

25 years in the same house, children all grown up and now it's time to concentrate on your lives.

We started with the white cottage. What did you feel?

It's deceptively spacious. Once you actually got into it.

-It went back a long way.

-Surprisingly big.

-There's a lot more to it, but overall it just wasn't probably for us.

-It wasn't us.

-Not what we want.

Both the homes you've lived in have been new builds, so we took you to one.

I fell in love with it pretty early on.

-You just got that feeling?

-Yeah. It's spacious, light, which was what you wanted.

-Absolutely.

-And a nice-sized plot that went right round the house.

-Yeah.

-Even room for chickens.

Then we saw something very traditional, the Suffolk pink. How did you feel about it?

First impressions, I wasn't sure.

As we walked into the property, I was intrigued all the time.

You wanted to keep walking into different rooms.

-So different and so promising. I just really, really liked it.

-Immense amount of character.

-Tremendous.

-Nooks and crannies. It had a vestry look about it.

Finally, we took you to our mystery house, designed to throw a curve ball into the situation.

It did that! It certainly did that.

The property was lovely, but really for somebody, a young family. It wasn't for us.

-The wrong stage in our life.

-Definitely. The extra land you had was fantastic for children,

but not for us really.

I've got to ask - of all the range of properties we showed you, with those great prices,

is there anything close to the mark?

-Two of them, definitely.

-Two.

-That's a result!

-The dilemma is we've got one of each!

Put us out of our misery. Which two?

In my case, it's the new build. In Frances' case, the Suffolk pink.

So we've got a slight dilemma there. We've both got a preference, but we both like each.

All things being equal, if you find the journey from the new build is not too bad

and there's not too much work to do at the Suffolk pink, which one?

-We liked the village.

-Particularly the village.

-Which village?

-Capel St Mary.

-Therefore, the pink cottage.

-And that would be a radical change.

-Oh, such a change!

-Is that what you're looking for?

-Yes, definitely.

You don't actually realise how much of a change you need until you see...

You set off on that journey.

-Do let us know how you get on.

-Yes.

-And I hope it's not too long before you escape to the country.

-Thank you.

-It's been a fabulous experience for us both.

-Very much enjoyed it.

-Thank you.

Frances and Robin have reached that moment in life when they really want to shake things up,

but they have to get out of the comfort zone. Robin is still very tied to a new build,

but Frances is ready to take that leap to a more traditional home.

Who's going to win? Well, my money's on Frances! See you next time.

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