Wiltshire Escape to the Country

This is Lacock Abbey, the subject of the very first photograph

taken way back in 1835.

And this amazing contraption is a Field Bellows camera.

It works on much the same principles as the camera that took that original photograph.

So smile, it's time to escape to the country!

In today's show, I'll be helping a couple say goodbye to their rented flat

for their first home in the country.

-Gorgeous!

-Great!

-Isn't it fab?

-Really good.

-It's fantastic! Wow!

I'll show them some gorgeous rural retreats...

With that price, I really, really like it!

And, of course, there's the mystery house. Will any of the properties get them raiding the piggy bank?

Welcome to Wiltshire, home of the spectacular Lacock Abbey.

And the place where William Henry Fox Talbot

began developing the very first positive and negative photographic process

on which all modern photography is based.

It's also where he took the first photograph back in 1835

using a camera like this.

This is called a mouse trap because when his wife saw them lying around at home,

she thought they were mouse traps.

But actually, at the back here, you put a piece of paper

and in the front an image is projected through this lens onto the back.

15 minutes later, voila!, you have a photo.

And Wiltshire is the kind of place you want a camera handy

because it's also home to some sensational scenery!

Wiltshire lies in the south of the country,

bordering five counties.

The phrase "chalk and cheese" is often said to have its routes here.

The chalk downland makes up two-thirds of the landscape

and the cheese refers to the large pastures of clay soils.

Salisbury is one of the county's most important and historic towns.

Located on a flat plain, the 404-foot spire of the city's cathedral

can be seen for miles around.

But of course one of the most important sites is the world-famous Stonehenge.

The prehistoric standing stones draw in almost 900,000 visitors a year.

The housing stock changes dramatically as you move from the north to the south.

The local Bath stone is prominent in the north,

whereas the south heavily favours the darker limestone imported from the quarries of Dorset.

If you like the idea of living in Wiltshire, you are not alone.

Since 1981, this county has seen its population increase by 20 per cent.

This makes it the fifth highest rate of growth anywhere in the UK.

As you can imagine, that popularity is reflected in the property prices.

So the average detached house is selling for about £288,000.

That's 22% higher than the national average for England and Wales.

But if Wiltshire still hits the spot for you,

then take a look at some of these properties that are on the market right now.

With £1.3 million to spend,

take a look at this five-bed house in Rodbourne.

Built in 2004, it has the convenience of a new-build

but with the character of an older property.

It includes striking architectural features

and the principal rooms take full advantage of the view.

If only a period property will do,

then how about this four-bed cottage on the edge of the Longleat estate in Dertfords.

On the market for £550,000, it's bursting with character

but has also been skilfully extended to provide spacious accommodation.

Or if you fancy a thatched property,

this three-bed cottage in Stanton St Bernard is ready to be snapped up for £315,000.

The lounge displays evidence of the 1730s build

and there's a well-maintained garden.

Clearly, there are plenty of great properties here in Wiltshire.

I'm confident we'll find more gems for today's couple.

But first, let's meet them.

Our buyers today are Hannah and Les,

both financial advisors who've been together two years

and live in a spacious rented flat in Clifton, Bristol.

We moved to this property just over a year ago.

It has two large bedrooms

and also two bathrooms as well. But being a flat, there's no outside space.

We've been so lucky, living on the edge of Bristol.

We've got restaurants and bars all on our doorstep.

There is some trepidation about that convenience,

-so a good country pub would be really good!

-Yeah.

Hannah and Les work for the same company

and divide their time between Bristol and Croydon

and visiting clients in the south-west.

Now the time has come to buy, they're keen to escape city living

and find a rural property in Wiltshire half-way between their offices.

We want to move to the country so we can take advantage of the outside space.

The peace and quiet, as well.

Being able to sit in your garden and not be overlooked,

being able to get close to nature and go for walks and that kind of thing.

That's something we certainly do miss, being stuck in a city.

I suppose we really want to buy "the perfect house",

-and not have to move again.

-Definitely.

The Clifton flat is part of a beautiful building packed with character.

That's something Hannah and Les are looking for in their new house.

There are other considerations, too.

I love cooking and we both love entertaining.

In this current property, we've got the open space of the kitchen/diner

so in the new property, it would be great to have a similar style of space

or the potential for that space.

What we really love about this place is the size of the rooms and height of the ceilings.

Ideally, in the place that we eventually buy,

it would be great to have this kind of living area.

Hannah and I both leave at the same time for going to work in the morning.

In the current property, we're used to having two bathrooms.

So it's almost an essential in the new property that we have two bathrooms,

be it an en-suite or additional shower room.

Hannah also has a sports car and is keen that the new house has off-road parking.

But what sort of property will part them from their cash?

-Fairly modern, would you say?

-Well, modern, yes,

because we like the open space.

But I guess if there was an older property with that bit of character that had that inside,

-that would be a great bonus. It's got to have a minimum of three bedrooms.

-Definitely.

It's got to have office space for both of us to work in.

The kitchen/diner, open space or potential to open a space.

Ideally we'd like some kind of wow barn conversion or mill or something,

but we're not exactly sure whether our funds would stretch to that.

Hannah and Les have a good deposit.

Without a property to sell, they're in a strong position to move forward.

But how deep will they be digging?

For a place that ticks all the boxes,

fulfils all our requirements and has that wow factor as well,

the maximum budget is 450,000.

So Hannah and Les are about to buy their first property together,

which is always an exciting journey.

They seem clear on what they're looking for.

Three bedrooms, open-plan living, although there's the issue with the style.

On the interior, they want sleek modernity,

all wrapped up on the outside with a period character property.

I'm pretty confident we can deliver all that, and well within the £450,000 budget.

But I think the real question is whether Les and Hannah

are really ready to leave behind the bright lights of the city

for a more serene and gentle pace of life.

Hannah and Les will continue to work at their Bristol and Croydon offices,

so easy access to the M4 is crucial to the move.

So we're focusing our searches around the market town of Marlborough.

Over a period of two days,

I'll take them on a tour of some of the most desirable properties on the market,

but we'll be quiet about the prices until after the viewings.

As ever, our last stop will be the mystery house,

a property that aims to challenge their original thoughts.

Guys, here we are in the beautiful sunny market town of Marlborough.

It's a good choice. We thought we'd break you in gently to country living

so we're on the high street.

There's a bit of activity. You're both city dwellers.

-How rural are you looking?

-Very rural. A lot more rural than this!

Definitely!

What's prompted this big decision to move?

We've been together a couple of years.

Living in the city, living in a flat. And we want to get away to the country.

-So this is the right time for us.

-And the right man, as well!

-Perfect! Right man, right time. All we have to do is find the right house!

-Exactly.

We've got a good budget. It's a really popular area.

We have lovely properties to show you, and the mystery house. So let's have a look!

-Brilliant.

-Grab some peace and quiet!

For the budget of £450,000, we're ready to hit the road

and find Hannah and Les their dream home.

Ideally, they'd like...

So we're in search of peace and getting back to the countryside.

-What are you looking forward to?

-Being away from the town centre.

Also, back to nature. The sound of the birds and so on.

We're fortunate to live next to Bristol Zoo

so our morning sounds are flamingos and lions!

I can't guarantee such exotic sounds can be heard from our first house

which is in High Penn, a mile to the east of Calne.

In the 18th century, Calne played host to a significant woollen industry.

Some of the 20 mills dotted along the riverbanks still remain.

The wealth that the cloth brought is evident in the Georgian properties on the green.

Only a 20-minute drive from the M4, Calne and its surrounding villages are popular with commuters.

Right, guys. First property. Nice and exciting.

I know something on your wish list was a barn conversion.

Oh, yes!

So, big intake of breath, cos that's what we've brought you!

-This is the property.

-Wow!

A "wow" - that's good! Really?

-Yeah.

-The windows. I like the lights.

-Definitely.

-It looks really good. And it looks quite modernised as well!

Big smiles. Good start.

-Can we go and see it?

-Yeah!

-Let's have a look and see if it can be your new home.

-OK.

-OK.

This property is currently empty and is unfurnished.

The fact it's not in a chain makes it a very attractive first offering.

Come on in. A nice generous hallway to get us started.

-First impressions?

-Really good.

-Light and airy.

-Open.

It's a barn conversion but got that modern feel.

-I've noticed the beams as well.

-It brings a nice character in.

It is quite modern, with things you'd want in a modern house

-like a downstairs cloakroom.

-Perfect.

Something convenient.

Let me show you the kitchen.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow!

-That's a nice kitchen!

-I love this!

-I do like this!

-What do you like?

The centre aisle gives you more room to work. Plenty of storage.

-A table round the corner.

-That's what I thought.

-A lovely space here. A table, a comfy chair or something.

-Yeah.

So much light, as well. Yeah. Really good.

I'm glad you like this space.

It's thumbs up for the kitchen, then. Across the hallway

is the first of two reception rooms.

Wow! Good space!

-Dining room?

-Could be. Could be an office.

An office, dining room, a lot of scope for this space.

Definitely. Big enough to do anything you want.

It's not something you've parked away and you have to use it. It's a nice space.

-Head through here.

-OK.

I think you're going to love this!

-That's gorgeous!

-This is great.

-Isn't it fab?

-That is fantastic! Wow!

-Really good.

-Come down.

I love the carpeted steps.

-Lovely features. The stone's still here.

-Gorgeous.

And the original beams which they have kept, which is so nice.

And looking back again, I love the double doors everywhere that open out.

And staggered. That's a beautiful perspective.

-I think this could be the office.

-Hold your horses, cos I think I've got a solution on the office.

And this isn't it.

-We're not finished down here. Let's keep moving.

-OK.

Their enthusiasm is shining through.

But will it continue when they discover one of the three bedrooms is on the ground floor?

-I don't mind, actually.

-No. I like the fact it's at the end of the building.

You walk through a number of rooms. It's not next to the kitchen,

-or anything like that.

-So it makes an ideal guest room.

-Yeah.

It's got an en-suite, which is also quite unusual. Have a look in here.

-Different!

-Yeah!

-I'd have a shower unit in there and be done with it.

That would make a lot more sense. The rest of this room has another little surprise.

-OK.

-You've got all the light from the windows here. But...

-Great!

Oh, wow! That's fantastic!

What a view!

That makes an excellent... "Come and stay here!"

Definitely. No, it's great.

This property really is a blank canvas

which should help Hannah and Les visualise living here.

Next for us, the upstairs.

Downstairs really grabbed you.

The upstairs, as it's a barn conversion, is not quite as big.

We're building up into the rafters.

-We'll start with the bathroom.

-No, that's fine.

It is fine. It would be good to have a shower.

But we could probably do something with the downstairs en-suite.

-There are two bathrooms, the plumbing's in.

-Yeah.

-So if we need a shower room, we can fit the shower.

-Lovely bath!

-It is!

A nice roll-top bath.

-Let's look at the master bedroom. After you.

-OK.

Wow!

-Another wow!

-Beautiful! It's just light and airy.

-Need a bit of storage, though!

-I thought you'd say that. That was my thought.

You'd have to be creative with the storage. Possibly fit a wardrobe here?

And you've got the other bedroom, so maybe cheat some space there.

-Exactly. There's only two of us.

-Only two of us.

-Some form of dressing room that side.

-Millions of wardrobes!

Two bedrooms up here with the bathroom.

-That's fine by us.

-Yes.

-It works for us.

I'm so pleased Les and Hannah see the potential of this place.

Outside is a manageable tidy garden,

at the end of which is that office space I promised.

I thought this could be a fantastic office.

Wow!

-And it's separate from the house!

-Separate from the house!

-Brilliant.

-It wouldn't take too much to sort out the flooring,

do the walls. It's got power. It's got water as well.

-Right.

-I really like it.

-Yeah.

-Really like it.

And the office is not the only asset to this property.

Beyond the garden lies the bonus of just under two acres of land.

-What about...

-You're not having a horse!

You're not having a horse!

He's already saying you're not having a horse!

-I don't know what else you'll do with all this land!

-We could have a pony.

-Oh, dear!

I know what's going to happen. Hannah will love this and say, "We're getting a horse."

Would you really be anti-horse?

Yes!

-Having the land is a real bonus. I'm really surprised. Really surprised.

-Yeah.

So, take it all in.

-One, two, three paddocks.

-Gosh.

The office. The conversion.

-Wow.

-But how much are you willing to pay for it?

It's probably a fair bit over budget.

I'm probably being optimistic if I say 485.

-OK.

-I would go for 500.

-500?

-Yes.

-So you think this is way over your price range.

-Yes.

How do you feel, then, when I tell you it's on the market

-for £425,000?

-No!

-Where's the cheque book?

-Weak at the knees?

Hannah's going to buy it straight away! That's fantastic.

-Wow.

-That is great value.

-Wow.

It's great value. It's under budget. Leaves you money to play with.

You can convert the office, afford the horse!

I can see that'll take a bit of work. Or you could play golf out here. Turn it into a golf course!

Fine! That's fine.

-You think about golf. You think about horses. Head back inside and I'll find you later.

-Fantastic.

This barn conversion was a pleasant surprise for Les and Hannah at £425,000.

I really like the kitchen. It's pretty well set out.

Room for the table for dining.

-Entertainment-wise, perfect for us.

-Yeah.

I think the space within this house

works really well for Les and I to use as a home

and as an office. It's superb.

I think the run-through of the house, it flows really well.

Even though it's got one bedroom downstairs, it's tucked away at the end of the house.

There's a lot of space out there. Do we need all that space?

We weren't expecting it and we didn't ask for it, but it gives you that security

that there's never going to be anything within that area.

So that view will never be spoilt.

In terms of what you get for your money, the property itself and the land,

I think that the price is really good.

I would be shocked if you find anything to improve on this!

Come on, you two! I had to get your attention somehow!

I'll never drag you out of there!

Who won - the golf or the horse?

Not decided, yet!

While you're thinking, let's find some more properties!

Marlborough lies at the heart of Hannah and Les's search.

They're taking some time to get to grips with the area.

This small town sits on the old coaching route between Bristol and London

and the high street, the widest in England, is lined with historic buildings.

The twice-weekly market has been running for over 800 years

and today offers fresh produce,

including the famous Wiltshire-cured bacon, and local cheeses.

-There you go.

-Great. Thanks.

Thank you.

One of the more interesting buildings on the high street

is the 17th-century house of silk merchant Thomas Bailey.

The brick and timber property is open to visitors in the spring and summer.

A restoration programme is ongoing and undertaken by a dedicated team of over 30 volunteers.

When we began to restore this room, we took off the architrave round this fireplace

and discovered a painting that had been here for 300 years.

We analyse the paint, reproduce it,

paint the walls to show what it was like when Thomas Bailey painted the walls in his dining room.

It's colour!

A more spiritual aspect of Wiltshire's rich historic tapestry

lies just six miles away.

The stone circles at the World Heritage Site of Avebury

are 5,000 years old.

That's older than its more famous counterpart, Stonehenge.

Druid Terry Dobney is the keeper of the stones.

-Come and meet our stones.

-What is the purpose of the stone circles?

The sun circle is for telling the time,

and the moon circle helps predict the weather.

What links the stones to the Druids?

Ah, well, we were the people who bothered to make the effort

to understand the necessity for predicting the cycles of the seasons.

What's the difference between Pagan and Druid?

Pagan is country folk

and Druids are their priests.

-So we're going to become pagans?

-Yes, if you move to the country!

You have to learn to be nice to sheep!

Hannah and Les can't wait to embrace country life.

So hopefully, that shouldn't be too difficult.

Our next house is in Milton Lilbourne,

eight miles south of Marlborough.

The larger village of Pewsey, two miles away,

offers a range of shops and a few pubs too.

The Kennet and Avon canal dates back to 1810

and today is popular with the boating fraternity.

Milton Lilbourne sits 15 miles from the M4

and I'm sure Hannah and Les will enjoy exploring the scenic trails here.

I've brought you to the very exclusive village of Milton Lilbourne.

-What do you think?

-It's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

-Chocolate box.

-What about your very own box of treats right here?

Oh, wow!

That's so pretty!

-It's got all the character that you could want.

-Definitely.

-Thatch!

-Thatch as well! Is that something that would put you off?

-No, not at all.

-No, definitely not.

We just haven't looked at them because they tend to have quite small rooms.

But that one looks quite big.

It does. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you go in.

OK, let's go. Follow me down here.

Come on through.

Just pause here for a moment. This is the hallway into the cottage.

What do you think?

Quite small!

Small, but what you'd expect from what we saw from outside.

You would. Actually, it's more generous than other cottages.

-It's got more headroom.

-Definitely the headroom.

There are little rooms off here including the downstairs cloakroom.

-There's practical parts to it.

-And more functional.

There's more to it than you might think.

Come through here. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

What do you think of this room?

Oh, it's so bright. That's fantastic.

Good. Light and airy.

It's surprisingly big. For a cottage, you don't expect a room of this size.

Character and a period property were something you wanted.

But you also want it to be quite modern.

This has got the character and the open space.

So you can decorate it sympathetically for the old

but you've still got that modern feel to the living space

which is exactly what we were looking for.

All positive thoughts. Just off the lounge is the office space,

which has been converted from the old garage and would easily accommodate both of them.

But it's the hub of the home next on our tour.

I think you'll love this.

Those are happy chuckles!

-That's gorgeous. That window!

-This is fantastic.

-It's huge!

-It's perfect for entertaining.

Perfect for the kitchen space, but also that light and airy dining area.

You could get an eight-seater table in there!

-A big table in there.

-Wow.

-You can fit all your friends and some more in here!

-Brilliant.

It's been done so well. The flooring going all through.

-The slate. All of that light.

-Mmm.

-And it's a great open-plan space.

-It's gorgeous.

The views out to the garden. It's so pretty.

-So pretty.

-Can you picture yourselves in here?

-Definitely in here.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Without a doubt.

So despite appearances outside,

the interior of this house is challenging their views of thatched cottages.

Let's hope the feeling continues upstairs.

Upstairs, we do have four bedrooms. But let's start with one of two bathrooms. Have a look.

-Excellent.

-Just our taste, I'd say. Definitely.

-That's perfect.

-Yeah.

-Perfect?

-There's nothing more to say about a bathroom.

As long as it's got the essentials. It's got a shower.

I love you, Les! You're so practical!

"It's got a bath and a shower. I'm happy!"

That's the way it is!

Two of the four bedrooms are singles and unless they like pink, they may want to decorate!

The third bedroom could accommodate a double bed.

And finally, there's the master.

-What do you think?

-En-suite.

-That's good.

-Your second bathroom.

It's still a good size.

And with storage.

-Are you surprised?

-I am.

-I'm more and more surprised

-by a cottage offering this sort of space.

-Yeah.

-So charming.

-It is very charming.

It's chocolate box from the outside

and then all the surprises inside. Probably something we wouldn't have considered had we just looked at it.

-Because it's a cottage.

-Yeah. Absolutely.

Look at that. We aim to please!

Show you something you wouldn't have thought of.

We need to head outside, look at the garden area.

Think about the location and then, of course, discuss the price.

OK.

It's amazing how deceptive the exterior of a house can be.

This property really does provide them with what they're looking for.

-To top it all off, we have this gorgeous garden.

-Sun trap!

-It is. Come on up here.

-OK.

What do you think of the size? Start with that.

It's just right!

Totally manageable.

A large garden didn't matter. Just to have an outside space was what we were looking for.

And just listen!

BIRDS CHIRP

That is the sound of the countryside you were looking for!

-It's great.

-Absolutely. Not even a buzz.

So add that to the fact you have this gorgeous property.

The mix of the old and the new, the exclusive village.

How much do you think it's worth?

I don't know. I still think it's over our budget.

I think maybe 465?

-OK. Les?

-I still think it's over budget.

For all the reasons you've just said, I'd go for 475.

But oh, no! This is on the market at £445,000.

It's under budget!

-Wow!

-That is a surprise!

Five grand under budget, so you've got money to play with.

-There's lots to think about.

-Nothing to do!

-Just wander round and have a look!

-OK!

-Then tell me what you think!

-See you later on.

-OK, then.

-Thanks!

I think they were pleasantly surprised by that as well.

The rooms are bigger and the price is lower than they thought!

But is it the property for them?

It's good news again for Hannah and Les

as they overestimated the £445,000 price tag.

I'm just loving the kitchen, and the downstairs is absolutely spot on.

The kitchen is the place we'll probably spend the most time.

For entertaining purposes and just having friends round, it's just ideal.

The downstairs just works. There's an office which is shut away.

The kitchen/diner is brilliant.

And the lounge is just spot on.

This room's ideal. It's got the light, big windows,

-in terms of entertaining or what we want it for.

-Mmm.

-We don't need it any bigger than this.

-Oh, it's lovely!

I can just relax.

I thought this cottage was really pretty and totally different to anything we've looked at before.

It's beautiful from the outside, in terms of the outside space we were looking for. Fantastic!

They've been in there hours. Will I ever get them out?

Are you ready yet?

-Come on!

-Just about!

-Coming!

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

It is. It's a lovely place.

But we're only half-way through this journey!

-Don't get too attached just yet.

-OK.

Oh, go on!

Hannah and Les are looking forward to immersing themselves in village life.

Where better to get a sense of community spirit than in the village of Lacock.

The settlement dates back to the 13th century

and prospered during the Middle Ages at the height of the wool trade.

It's almost frozen in time. Take a look.

-Wow. It really is like going back in time!

-Isn't it just?

-Apart from the cars!

-It's a medieval village, wonderful properties,

with a lovely story to it.

The Talbot family, who lived in Lacock Abbey, used to own it up until 1944,

When Matilda Talbot decided to bequeath it to the nation.

It's now under the care of the National Trust.

It's really popular, and you can see why. Isn't it stunning?

-Great.

-It really is.

-Can we get a house here?

Unfortunately, you can't buy one, Hannah,

but it is possible to rent, and many people do live here.

The village is a mix of architecture with examples from the 13th century onwards.

Today, Lacock benefits from the stringent measures introduced

to prevent the village being spoilt by telegraph poles and satellite dishes.

If you recognise the streets, it's because it's a popular choice for film-makers.

The village has appeared in Harry Potter and Pride and Prejudice.

And we are getting a welcome from the public face of the community,

town crier, Leo Stephens.

Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye!

Earls, thanes and churls!

Welcome to Les and Hannah,

to this most ancient county of Wiltshire.

We hope they're successful in their search

for a home here and their escape to the country!

Thank you!

Hannah and Les have had a successful day property hunting.

Now it's time to ponder on what they've seen.

-What did you think of the barn?

-I thought it was fantastic.

The kitchen was just brilliant.

So much space. What did you think?

I think the location I was question-marking when we got there.

But if we're going to compromise, that's it on that particular property.

Other than that, the views were brilliant.

The other great thing was the potential for the office being away from the house.

-Yeah.

-That's perfect for us.

-Yeah.

-What did you think about the thatch?

-The thatched cottage was a real surprise.

I never thought I'd find myself saying I liked the inside of a thatched cottage!

It gave you that feel of modern living. The space downstairs is ideal for us.

What I really liked about it was the back garden.

It's got a really nice aspect and it's not too big.

I can handle that one!

Yes, it's got character, got everything we were looking for,

-but perhaps it's just a bit too picture-box perfect.

-I know!

That is two properties that are just fantastic

and have stretched our preconceptions of what we wanted to see.

So if tomorrow has something anywhere near those two,

-it'll be a hell of a day!

-It's going to be great, yeah!

Hannah and Les from Bristol want to escape their rented flat

and buy their first home together in Wiltshire.

They have a budget of £450,000 and with commuting, proximity to the M4 is key.

So far, they've viewed two properties and their enthusiasm is wonderful

and coming up, it gets better!

Oh, what a kitchen!

And we keep delivering!

I wish you hadn't told her that!

Yesterday, it was all smiles and happiness from Les and Hannah.

They really liked what they saw.

Today, we're coming back further east to where they started their search.

I'm just hoping this weather doesn't dampen their spirits.

We're kicking off this morning in Shalbourne,

12 miles from Marlborough and close to the Berkshire border.

It's a quiet village with attractive housing, and eight miles from the M4

it should make an interesting option fro Hannah and Les.

Although it's a small village, there is a pub,

and the house sits next to the village store and post office.

The weather's not great, but I hope you keep your spirits up.

I'm sure you'll love this property. Thing is, you're coming from the city,

and you wanted to get away for some peace and quiet,

but I think you could do with neighbours.

Post office. Local pub, and this property!

-Oh, wow!

-That's great.

-That's so pretty!

It's a lovely looking cottage!

If it attracts you from the outside, I'm convinced you'll love the inside!

-Let's get in.

-Excellent.

-Great.

So, what do you think?

-Cosy.

-Wow!

The ceiling's quite low, but at least it's brightly coloured

so it doesn't have that dark feeling.

-Interesting, though.

-It draws you in.

-Yeah, it does.

It's a cosy cottage. Head in there and have a look.

I think you'll like this room a lot.

-Very good, actually.

-It's a lovely size.

-Yes.

-You step down into it

-and you've got that extra height.

-Yes. That's right.

Gorgeous cornicing as well. Lovely detail.

-But you want modern as well.

-That's the other thing.

We wanted the open plan-style living. Yes, it's a lovely room, but...

It's trying to work out how that works for us.

Yes. I think it could work for you.

I understand what you're saying. There is a lot to offer here, as we'll see.

But a good, practical room.

And being of Georgian style, there's another one on the other side.

The hallway has got that feeling of low ceilings,

but when you come in here, it really opens out.

-Yes.

-A second living room. Fantastic.

-Really nice.

-How generous!

-Yes.

-Not one, but two.

A beautiful fireplace.

The detail on the mantelpiece. Very pretty.

It's got a good feel to it, even though I mentioned the open plan.

-It's got a nice feel.

-Very homely.

-Yeah.

Tucked at the back they've got a little office.

It's a space for one person, really.

I'm thinking this is a perfect living room as they've set it up.

So there is the option of having a bigger office, moving that to there.

-Yes, that's an ideal size.

-A great size.

-For an office.

You don't lose anything cos this is a generous room.

Then we could think about looking at extending that.

Think about what to do there. Maybe bring in a bit more of your open plan living in this space.

Hannah and Les are really seeing the potential of this place

and I think the next room will be a winner.

Oh, what a kitchen!

Lovely finish and lovely shape, as well. What do you think?

It's great. It's got the work area, the dining area.

-More the country kitchen feel.

-Lovely floor as well.

A nice cosy room and biggish room to give you the space.

-It's ideal.

-Yeah, it's good. I can imagine ourselves sitting, having a dinner party.

-Nice gin and tonic!

-You really are settling in!

That I like! There are nice little touches in here.

I like the way they've kept exposed beams and brickwork,

yet things are tidied away as well.

-A mix of modern...

-It is a mix of modern and old. It works really well.

I knew that the kitchen would hit the right note.

Upstairs, two of the three bedrooms are small doubles.

And then there's the family bathroom, which isn't huge

but I do have a solution elsewhere.

-I love the good sized hallway upstairs.

-Oh, yeah.

It's really nice.

And unusual for a cottage, to have this much space.

And in there, that's the master.

-Can we go?

-Of course.

Now, that's enough wardrobe for you!

-For your clothes at least!

-For me!

-Just for you?

-I've got an idea for a clothes space for you.

-Oh?

-Yes. This is a good sized room, isn't it?

-Yep, it is.

-Definitely.

I really like it. It's got that homely feel.

It's touching you here, isn't it?

It's hard to explain. You walk into a place sometimes and it just feels right.

It has that homely feel. And this is one of those places.

-Definitely.

-But there is only one bathroom.

-I know you wanted two.

-Yeah. Ideally.

-Ideally. Behind there, you've got all the space above the kitchen.

-Right.

They've already put some plans together.

-The cost, for what they were planning, is about £15,000.

-OK.

-But that would give you a shower, bath and wardrobe space.

-Brilliant!

-A dressing room.

-A dressing room as well.

-Yeah.

Something to think about.

It is something to think about.

I agree with Les. It's homely and there are beautiful character features in this house.

Last stop is the garden.

Like the rest of this house, it's a cute and neat little garden.

Fine for us. All we want is the outside space. Somewhere to sit.

You can dine outside. It's all set up for barbecues.

-A little bit of greenery.

-That's fine, honestly!

-I won't do any more than that.

-We can cope with that.

Come up here because there is a little bit more to this. You can park a car.

-OK.

-You can drive through, across the back of the other property. But turn around.

We did say we'd look at the space for the en-suite.

-There's a lot of space. I see what you mean.

-You can see the pitched roof there.

-So it's more than an en-suite.

-It is more.

-It is an extra room on the house, definitely.

-Wardrobe for me!

-At last!

-A dressing room and a bathroom would be really good.

-Yes.

-You've got that option. You've got three bedrooms.

Gorgeous village, close to where you were looking.

Can you afford it?

-Les?

-Yes, I think we can afford it.

I think this is under our budget.

I would hope that it would be no more than 425.

OK. Good solid guess.

I'm going to go higher than that because I think the village is an exclusive place to live.

So I think at least 435.

-If not above.

-435.

-Yeah.

-This property has been on the market since June last year.

-Wow.

-2008. It started at 495.

-Right.

-Way out of your range.

-Yes.

Right now, you could snap this up for £400,000.

Wow! OK.

-A bargain!

-And you could pay for the bathroom.

With that price, I really, really like it!

Go back inside, skip through the hoops.

And I will find you happily skipping down the lane later!

-Off you go.

-Thank you.

Spontaneous joy. I think we've done it.

I knew they'd like this property. It's a great village and a cracking price.

At £400,000, this house is well within budget.

And less than Hannah and Les estimated, yet again.

It has character features which provide a homely feel

and the kitchen/diner they're looking for.

Above all, with 50,000 left over,

there's plenty of scope for redevelopment.

-What do you think of the reception rooms?

-Cosy.

A cosy feel, but light and airy

which is what we were looking for.

It's a good size, and so is the other reception.

I think this cottage has so much going for it

in terms of how we could actually spread out into it and make it a home.

I really like this cottage. The kitchen/diner is good.

Two reception rooms that we can use as we see fit.

I just have some reservations on the upstairs as it stands at the moment.

The master bedroom is a really good size.

Relatively small bathroom.

It is a small bathroom, but I quite like it.

It has that cottagey feel.

For this property to work, it probably needs the dressing room idea.

It would benefit a lot from opening out a bit further.

For a cottage in this area, and the size of this place,

it is a really good price.

So that may play its part when we come to compromises and so on.

-Hello!

-Hi, there.

-It's so quiet round here. It's lovely.

I really like this village. What do you think of the house?

-Yeah, good. Interesting.

-Good house in a good location.

Let's have a wander, cos there's a bit more to do.

Wiltshire may be famous for its prehistoric monuments and chalk horses

but its other claim to fame is its Wiltshire-cured bacon,

a process dating back to 1840.

We've arranged for Hannah and Les to visit one of the last producers in the county, to find out more.

-The farm owner is Roger Keen.

-How many pigs have you got here?

We've got 320 sows and they produce something like 20 pigs per year, each sow.

Enough to produce all the bacon we need for supplying retail and farm shops in the area.

I'll get one of the little ones for you to have a stroke.

-There she is.

-Hello, little girl! Hello!

-How old are these?

-About eight days old, now.

Just over the week. I'll pop her back now with her mum. There.

There we are. There we are.

You've seen the piglets. Now we should look at the bacon house

and see what we're about, which is Wiltshire bacon.

-OK?

-Lovely.

-Follow me.

At eight months old, the pigs are slaughtered

and the meat is taken to the bacon house to be processed.

Once kitted out, we're allowed entry.

Perfect!

This is one of our pigs that's come back to us.

She's ready to be cured and go into the brine.

The brine is a mix of salt and sodium nitrate, which preserves the meat.

How long is the pork in the brine, once it's settled in?

Four days in the brine. We'll get some weights on this later and submerge it.

Then it'll come out and be stacked to mature for a further ten days,

making it a fortnight before it's ready for sale.

So, bacon prepared, it's ready to be shipped out.

For Hannah and Les, Roger's cooked up a quick taster.

Here we are, then. The final result.

The final testing!

Fantastic!

-We've got the unsmoked here.

-That's absolutely gorgeous.

-Yes.

You've just had the traditional taste of Wiltshire. Well done.

-What do you think the mystery house could be?

-Something that perhaps needs a bit of work?

Possibly.

But has a lot of potential.

I feel it might be a windmill or something like that!

-You might take us into something completely different!

-Four million pounds!

Sadly, it's not a windmill.

But it is less than four million, Hannah!

Our mystery house is just over the border into Berkshire,

in the village of Chaddleworth.

Just five miles from the M4, this house sits the furthest east

but offers a swift commute to the motorway.

Chaddleworth is a well-kept village with pub.

The house we're viewing is a more contemporary proposition,

sitting in an elevated position in the heart of the community.

Your very own driveway off the street!

-Great! Excellent.

-That is good.

And this very modern house.

-Is it too modern for you?

-Definitely not, actually.

What we were looking for was something quirky or pretty.

So the fact that it doesn't look like it's falling down isn't an issue!

I don't think it looks that modern.

-No?

-They've painted the brickwork white, which fits in with the village style.

So it actually doesn't have that modern feel.

-And to your taste?

-Yes, very much so. Yes.

If you think the outside isn't that modern, wait till you see the inside!

Oh, yeah!

It's looking good for the mystery house and there's a garage for Hannah's car.

We go in and up, again!

You keep climbing in this property.

-Down there is a little utility space.

-OK.

But this building is unusual, so you've got all your living accommodation on this one level.

-Right.

-And all your bedrooms at the front, as you come in.

-OK.

You need to see the rooms, then it makes more sense. Come through.

-OK.

-Because this is the master.

It's a good size!

Fantastic. And the light coming in through the windows, as well!

Two sides of windows, and big windows.

And the views. And you're not looked over. No-one can see in,

-but you can see out.

-Just got the greenery outside.

-It's a benefit of being so high up.

-Yeah, definitely.

So it's not only a good size, there's plenty of room

-to fit the bed and any storage we need.

-And all your clothes!

-And my clothes.

-Your many clothes!

The views might deserve first prize,

but unfortunately, I can't conjure up an en-suite.

The stunning contemporary family bathroom, however, more than makes up for it.

Down the hall are the other three bedrooms.

Two of them are small doubles, and the final room is used as an office.

And just round the corner is something quite spectacular. Look at this!

-Oh, my goodness!

-Wow!

Oh, my goodness!

-I can't see round the corner, but...

-This is what I call open plan!

-It's huge!

-This is enormous!

Have a look over there. Get a better look at the kitchen.

-This is a very modern kitchen.

-It is.

-Open-plan style.

-What do you think?

-Beautiful.

-It is gorgeous.

-So highly finished.

-But I'm not sure...

-Some hesitancy?

Just having looked at country kitchens,

-I'm now thinking, having said we liked modern...

-Yeah.

I think I prefer a country kitchen!

Because you've shown us some excellent older properties,

which have accommodated the open plan, I think that's what I prefer.

Ooh! Well, it's not over.

This may be open plan, but there's even more.

Come with me.

You'll love this.

Ta-da!

-Oh, this is...

-God, that's a high ceiling!

-Actually, for a living space...

-We've found a ceiling like is in our flat!

-This is really nice.

This is true open plan, and that's impressive.

But that makes even more sense now.

Yeah, now we've opened it up.

It flows through into your living space.

This is huge.

I like this, the idea of having the glass doors there.

Plus the window on that side. Yeah, looking down.

Come over here. I'm so excited!

You said how nice it is to have the glass and you can look out.

Even better,

-you can bring the outside in.

-Wow, look at that.

-You like those.

-I love concertina doors

cos you just open it right up.

-Such a beautiful garden as well.

-It's great.

So now what do you think?

If we'd seen this property first, we'd have said spot on.

And now seeing this property last,

it's probably not having the same impact

-as it would have done. I have to say this is lovely.

-Yeah.

-It's a gorgeous property.

-Absolutely stunning.

Tucked away outside is a sheltered decked area,

perfect for summer al fresco dining.

Back out here, you get a lovely look at the whole expanse of the house.

Looks like a lot of house!

-It is. It feels like it when you're in it.

-It does.

-It does.

-So quiet and peaceful. True countryside.

-Goodness, even the sun's coming out!

-It's an omen!

-It's an omen! Can you afford it? How much is it worth?

Hannah, I'll start with you, because I think you're quite taken with it.

I think this is on at maybe 420.

-I don't know. I've been surprised all the way through.

-Come on.

Four hundred...and twenty-five.

Both of you have gone under your budget.

It is a lot of house.

I've got to tell you, it went on in October 2008 at £500,000.

Given the market conditions, it's now on at 399,950!

-Really?

-50 quid short of 400 grand.

I wish you hadn't told Hannah that!

That's an interesting reaction, don't you think!

How do you feel about it now?

-I'm still not sure that's me.

-Oh!

-Questions, questions!

-A lot of questions. And a lot of house.

I think you should wander round it. Don't get lost!

I'll find you later on. But there's a lot for you to think about now.

-Yes.

-So get thinking!

-OK.

-OK.

-See you in a bit.

We've really mixed things up, haven't we?

Les loves traditional now

and Hannah will have her work cut out to convince him that this bargain is for them.

Not to break with habit,

Hannah and Les overestimated the £399,950 price tag.

It has a stunning kitchen/diner,

a living room with concertina doors out to the garden.

Well, this is a big bathroom.

Do you think it's what we need, though?

I think it's great.

And it's the biggest shower we've seen in any of the properties.

-Best shower!

-That's good.

The finish to this place is superb.

But there's something in me, I don't feel it's quite right.

However, the location is just where we wanted to be.

I could see myself living here, definitely.

It's fit to move in straightaway and start making a home.

This is a great room, actually.

Whether you're looking for modern or not,

-this is a fantastic living room.

-Yeah.

-You've always wanted those doors!

-I love concertina doors cos it opens everything up.

I really like the open-plan living.

The fact that you come into the front door and have to pass the bedrooms

is a little bit funny. I just think it needs warming up a bit!

Closing the gate on our final property. We've given you a lot to think about.

Let's find somewhere for you to sit down, mull it over,

-and come to some decisions.

-OK.

Hannah and Les have shown endless enthusiasm for the houses they've seen.

Balancing their property requirements with proximity to the M4 in integral to their decision.

Well, usually at this point in the show, I have some sort of vague idea

which property our couple are going to go for.

With Hannah and Les, lovely though they are, they're impressed with everything!

You've been on the journey with us. Do you know what they like? I don't! So let's ask them!

It's been such a pleasure showing you the properties.

We've shown you different locations, a lot of house,

but I haven't a clue which one you're going to go for!

You seem to like them all. So let's go through them.

And let's start with the barn conversion. That was in Wiltshire. What did you think of that?

The location we hadn't considered,

but because of the property, we'd really have to think about that.

I think for the price, the land was the big surprise.

-The office space separate to the living space was really ideal.

-Brilliant, yeah.

In terms of your lifestyle, Hannah, can you see yourselves living there?

Completely. It was absolutely gorgeous.

Let's discuss the thatched cottage in Milton Lilbourne.

An exclusive village and a very traditional property. What did you think?

Absolutely beautiful property. The space inside was a total surprise as well.

The kitchen/diner was fantastic. You could see yourself in there.

Really unexpected with that style of cottage.

The village itself, so many beautiful properties.

We've just got question marks about how far south it was

in relation to the main trunk road which we need to get onto.

What were your thoughts on the cottage in Shalbourne? Lovely village. What about the house?

Beautiful light airy windows that opened the whole thing out.

Gorgeous kitchen.

The cottage surprised in as much as it had the smaller rooms

but had that warm feel. The kitchen/diner was big enough

that if we were there in the evening on our own,

or entertaining, that room was big enough on its own,

without having to open up to another room.

So, finally, the mystery property.

That threw the cat amongst the pigeons.

Completely modern and different to everything else we've seen.

-How did you feel?

-That was gorgeous. I thought it was gorgeous!

A pretty house and beautifully landscaped gardens.

I thought it was a stunning property. It had been finished really well.

But I struggled with that big space. It seemed too much in that kitchen/diner.

However, that living space was gorgeous.

With the concertina doors, I actually could see myself in that room.

I really had mixed feelings about that place.

You've been so positive about everything, but I don't know which one you like.

If you had to choose, which is your favourite?

The barn. The barn conversion for us.

I think it just had everything. In terms of the living space,

-office space.

-It's got a wow factor as well.

-And views.

-What's the next step? What will you do next?

We'll probably be there within the next day or so, testing the routes out to the motorway and so on.

From then on, it's contact the estate agent. Definitely have another look.

So are you saying that if you test out the drive, and it's OK, that you'll put an offer in?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-Without doubt.

Result!

That makes me very happy. It's been brilliant spending time with you and helping you out.

Best of luck. Let us know how you get on. Hopefully you'll be moving in soon!

-We'll let you know. Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, I really didn't see that coming.

Wiltshire has thrown up lots of surprises.

At least Hannah and Les have made a decision.

They're about to start a wonderful new life together.

We have helped them escape to the country.

I'll see you next time.

And the latest from Hannah and Les is that they did put in an offer on the barn conversion in High Penn.

Unfortunately, they were pipped to the post. Hannah must have worked her magic on Les

as they've now put in an offer on the mystery house and are waiting to hear more.

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