Cambridgeshire Escape to the Country

I'm in a county with this wonderful cathedral, with the only gothic dome of its type in the world.

That is about 66 metres high. You can see it from miles around.

This county is also one of the flattest places in the UK.

Any idea where? Join me in a few moments when I'll tell you.

'Today, we're helping a couple swap the seaside for a slice of country life.

-'We need acres to horse around in.'

-You're hitting the spot.

'But there will be compromises.'

-What it doesn't have is an en suite.

-Ah.

'So will any of our properties make it past the post?'

I'm in Cambridgeshire, in the magnificent surroundings of Ely cathedral.

Its crowning glory is that,

its magnificent octagon lantern towering 43 metres above me -

an intoxicating medieval cocktail of stone, lead and glass.

Some 200 tons is up there and, as for the stained glass,

that's not the only thing that dazzles in this part of the world.

'Brilliant minds abound in this county,

'being home to the second oldest university in the UK.

'As poet Rupert Brooke penned,

'"Cambridgeshire, of all England, is the shire for men who understand."

'No surprises he was a Cambridge scholar,

'but it's hard not to be impressed by the beauty of historic Cambridge.

'But there's more to this county than rhetoric and learning.

'Part of East Anglia, Cambridgeshire is landlocked by seven counties,

'including Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

'Extending over the north are the Fens.

'This ancient landscape

'contains some of the richest soil in Britain.

'From the 17th century, this led to vast swathes being drained,

'turning the area into a powerhouse of agriculture.

'For wildlife enthusiasts, it's home to nature reserves and wetlands.'

The rolling hills of south Cambridgeshire have more of an appeal to many buyers

than the flatlands of the north, and there's the draw of Cambridge.

That has an effect on house prices.

Your average detached in the south

will set you back £119,000 more than if you were buying in the north.

Quite a hole in anybody's budget!

To give you an idea of what's available right now, take a look at these.

'You'd be forgiven for thinking you'd swapped the UK for the Med

'with this Italian style villa on the outskirts of Huntington.

'It has six reception rooms, six bedrooms and equestrian facilities

'set in 14 acres of ground.

'It'll set you back a majestic £1.2 million.

'For acreage without the million-pound price tag,

'check out this six-bedroom Victorian grange near March.

'For £725,000, you get three reception rooms,

'a large country kitchen

'and three and a half acres of attractive grounds.

'Hop into Suffolk and snap up this beautiful Grade II listed cottage.

'Character features aren't in short supply, with three reception rooms.

'It comes with a cosy kitchen and four bedrooms,

'and could be yours for a snip under £400,000.'

There you have it, proof that there are plenty of properties in Cambridgeshire

to tempt anybody into making a sea change to life in the countryside.

That's what today's buyers are trying to do.

'Teachers Jim and Marian have lived in the same house

'in Newquay, Cornwall, for 22 years,

'where they brought up Spencer, Matthew, Gareth and Jessica.'

When we bought the property in 1988,

it was a hotel.

We ran the property for five or six seasons.

Then we went back to teaching

and the house became, and has been, a lovely house, that's a little bit too big.

'You can say that again!

'This eight-bedroom courtyard house is huge.

'A downsize is on the cards.

'Jessica and Gareth will be moving, too, but why are they swapping the sea for the countryside?'

Our two eldest children and our three grandchildren

live 350 miles away.

To bring the family back together,

we thought we'd move closer to them, but not too close.

'As the boys are in Essex,

'Jim and Marian are looking at the Cambridge-Suffolk border,

'and would like to be no further than 90 minutes from Brentwood.'

We realise that, with the number of boxes we'd like to tick,

we may have to go a bit further north than we first required.

'That sounds ominous. Just how big is their wish list?'

A minimum of four bedrooms is essential in the new house.

Our kitchen here is really big.

It's the place where we congregate. A big kitchen is important.

Something we haven't had, and I'd love to have, is an en suite to our master bedroom.

As far as renovating or repairing is concerned,

I can't see any reason why that wouldn't be a possibility.

Then I think we couldn't do without a garden large enough

first, to have some area for the grandchildren,

and secondly, to grow sufficient vegetables and flowers for the house.

'It's not just cucumbers and children that need outside space.'

This is Baby, one of our three horses.

She lives here with Jim-Bob. His mum's out on loan at the moment.

What would be really amazing is to have a paddock at our own house,

and have all three living there.

If that weren't possible, then a field a walk away would be OK.

But absolute preference is that we all live together.

'Adding acreage to the mix will make this search trickier.

'Jim and Marian are about to exchange and will be cash buyers,

'which puts them in an advantageous position.

'How much do they want to spend?'

Ideally, as far as price is concerned,

I think £400,000 would be right.

If the property were special enough,

ticking all of the boxes,

then I guess we could probably go to...440?

Maybe.

At long last, after 22 years, Jim and Marian are giving up sea air for a move to the countryside.

Their house is gorgeous but has clearly become impractical.

They do have specific needs. Marian needs somewhere for her horses. Jim would like a nice big garden.

It's underpinned with a fundamental need to be closer to their grandchildren.

Their budget of £440,000 is not an inconsiderable amount of money.

Trying to match their aspirations to the market in this part of the UK is going to be tricky.

As well they know, because they have been looking for a very long time.

'Jim and Marian don't want to be

'more than a 90-minute drive from their boys in Brentwood, Essex.

'To find the property package they're after,

'we'll start north of Cambridge, where average prices are 50% lower.

'We found some super country pads to view,

'but I'll be tight-lipped on the price tags till the end of the tour.

'And, finally, the mystery house.

'Will it be their perfect place to roost?'

-This is an auspicious week for you in more ways than one.

-Mm-hm.

-You just completed on the sale of your house.

-We have.

-Yesterday, the news came through.

-The money's in the bank.

-Is it burning a hole?

-Yes.

-I could go shopping.

-That's what I'm doing!

-Just spending a little more money than on a Saturday afternoon.

-Absolutely.

A lot of house hunting is all about managing expectations.

This is quite a challenge, to get land for what you're after in this part of the world.

This is a very sought-after location.

440 is a lot of money.

But what are your hopes? How far do you think we're going to get?

Ooh, well, I guess, as you say, the land is possibly the problem.

If it were a four-bedroom house with garden, we'd have more scope.

It's the conundrum of ticking all the boxes with the time frame

and within the monetary budget.

We'll leave that to the professionals like you guys!

-Welcome to house hunting!

-No pressure, Jules.

-Come on.

'So, for a top budget of...'

'It needs to be in a semi-rural or village location

'within a 90-minute drive from Brentwood.

'Talk about cracking the whip!

'We're starting in Wimblington,

'a tad over a 90-minute drive from Brentwood.

'I'm hoping this pretty community village will make up for the drive.

'The population of 2,000 is served by two pubs and a Post Office store.

'From its Grade II listed church to Georgian manor houses

'and thatched cottages, there's a plethora of period architecture.

'We found a character home on the edge of the village.'

-Let's start with this one.

-Ooh! Wow!

-What do you think?

I love it! Looks like it's a characterful house.

-It is.

-Certainly substantial.

It's very substantial and it's Edwardian, 1910.

-I think "a very handsome property" is the best way to describe it.

-Yes.

-That's a good adjective.

-It's not just the house.

-There's a bit more to go with it.

-Yeah? Is that a promise?

-It is a promise.

-Good.

-Let's do the house first.

Those trees!

-Yeah?

-Come on, let's do it.

'We're off to a flying start.

'I know they're happy to do some renovating, and this house offers a real opportunity to get creative.'

-Look at this!

-Oh, wow!

-Lovely hallway!

Even nicer than ours - in our old house!

Now it's an old house. You sold it!

-Come on in, Jim.

-Lovely. Lovely size.

-Beautiful.

Oh, look at the rose.

That is gorgeous.

-I wonder what the floor is.

-I wonder!

There are bare boards in other parts.

It's amazing the difference the floor makes in the out room.

-Much brighter.

-This was put on in '95.

-It does make a big difference.

-Very nice.

-Lovely lounge.

-Good. Let's have a look at the dining room.

-Interesting.

-It is a dining room.

There's a serving hatch through there which leads to the kitchen.

The sizes are really good. Lots of scope for work to be done.

It's very promising at the moment from the two rooms we've seen.

'And plenty more to come.

'The kitchen is next door and this could be one area to put their own mark on.'

-It's lovely...

-Yes.

-But it's not as big, perhaps, as modern tastes...

-Yes.

-..enjoy.

-If you pushed it back either side of that chimney breast...

-Yeah.

..it would feel a lot lighter.

Because that's a chimney breast, I could probably have my range there.

-I think you probably could!

-The flue being available!

-We're all thinking along the same lines.

-Yes.

-I think you would.

-We could certainly move into here.

-There's more than enough room.

The kitchen's lovely. It's got lots of potential.

'They're really buying into the possibilities.

'And there's a bit more space to play with -

'a utility room and a downstairs shower room.

'There are four bedrooms in all.

'Two good sized doubles, so Gareth and Jessica are well catered for.

'There's a single, a family bathroom and, finally, a master.'

-This is quite big.

-This is the biggest of the lot!

-It's bigger than the one we have at the moment.

-Ours is big, but not as big as this.

The only thing to say about this and the other bedrooms

is that none of them are en suite.

-Had noticed that.

-That was on your wish list wasn't it, dear?

That may have to be a compromise, I suppose.

-If we have to compromise on an en suite, is that a deal breaker?

-I think we can compromise somewhere.

'That is good to hear.

'One area we're not scrimping on is the all-important outside space.

'At a quarter of an acre, Jim gets his big garden.'

Look at this! Blossom's out. The sun isn't.

You can't predict the sun!

-Lovely.

-In terms of space here, Jim, what do you think?

-It's wide open for you to do what you like.

-It's big enough!

We haven't had one for 22 years so any space is great.

This is an open canvas. We can do whatever we want.

'That's Jim sorted. What about Marian and her horses?'

-How about this, then?

-MARIAN CHUCKLES

-The final piece of the jigsaw.

-You might be hitting the spot now.

Two acres! Right down to the far post-and-rail fence.

You've got this oblong plot with three stables.

-Would this be big enough?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yes, it would.

-Happy?

-Yes.

In terms of money. How much do you think this is on the market for?

Oh, I'd say...we're probably talking the top end of our budget.

Maybe 440?

-445?

-415?

-415?

-Wow!

-Cheeky.

-Very cheeky!

-It is not 415, I'm afraid to say.

And it is a little bit over your budget.

But only by £10,000.

I say "only" for two very good reasons.

I know that it is open to sensible offers, and you are cash buyers.

-Those put this property within your reach. Worth seeing?

-Absolutely.

Definitely worth seeing.

Good. Go and weigh it up.

-The thinking.

-Yeah. Go and explore.

-We will.

-Try not to get lost!

'I think we're off to a cracking start...

'It doesn't have Marian's massive kitchen or Jim's en suite,

'but there is potential to put their own stamp on it.'

That's my cardigan, cheeky. You cheeky chappy.

It would be so lovely to have ours in here, just at the bottom of the garden.

-Two acres!

-Stunning location. A lovely house. I love it. Yeah.

I can't think of another word other than "stunning".

I found you at last, loitering in there!

-It's terrific.

-It is. I'm impressed.

For what you're after, it should be on the list.

-You're definitely right.

-But two more to come.

-What else have we got you?

-Oh, my goodness!

'Cambridgeshire might be one of the flattest counties,

'but there must be something in the water.

'These lands have given birth to some of Britain's greatest minds.

'Samuel Pepys, Oliver Cromwell,

'Richard Attenborough and Stephen Hawking all hail from these parts.

'And eminent thinkers are made here.

'Home to one of the most prestigious universities in the world,

'Cambridge has been a site of learning since the Middle Ages.

'We thought Jim and Marian would like a lesson on the county capital.

'We sent them to meet up with Richard Butler, a final year student

'studying architectural history.'

Cambridge goes back to Roman times. It was a military and trading post.

The town got its charter in 1201 AD and, a few years later, students arrived after a schism at Oxford.

The story is that students headed in the direction of Reading and were never heard of again!

Those that came here founded the university and 80 years later Peterhouse college was founded.

'The university was, and still is, made up of many colleges,

'each with its own property, income and staff.

'By the 16th century, there were already 16,

'founded and funded by the important literati and glitterati of the day.

'The most wealthy was Trinity College

'founded by Henry VIII in 1546.

'It's now home to 600 undergraduates, 300 graduates

'and over 160 fellows - that's some seat of learning!'

By legend, it's possible to walk from here to Oxford on land purely owned by Trinity.

Another wealthy college was King's College, founded by Henry VI in the 1460s.

It wasn't finished until the time of Henry VIII.

It's one of the most impressive buildings in Cambridge.

It certainly is.

'You can submerge yourself in history and tradition here.

'If you're not careful, one tradition linked with the university

'might just have you completely submerged.'

In terms of going anywhere and getting the direction right,

it's important to put the pole down right beside the punt the whole way.

So it's touching the punt.

If it's out, the punt will start turning around.

It's quite hard to get, but once you've got the knack, it seems natural.

'Punting has been part of Cambridgeshire for centuries.

'These flat-bottom vessels were ideal for navigating the Fens

'and used by fishermen, hunters and tradesmen.

'The going was slow but economical.

'A punter could push over a ton along with no more fuel

'than a cheese sandwich and a pint.

'Nowadays, it's undergrads and tourists soaking up the scenery.

'It's a nice way to travel, but we'll stick to the car.

'We're heading to the hamlet of Ramsay Heights,

'which falls in the 90-minute drive radius from the grandchildren.

'It's a rural setting with a handful of properties and farms.

'For supplies, Marian and Jim can head to the nearby town of Ramsay,

'which has all the amenities you'd expect in a country town.'

This is our second one.

Very different to look at. The first one was very Edwardian.

-Believe it or not, at its core, this is the same age.

-That's surprising!

Not Edwardian in style, but a couple of farm cottages built 1911.

They've been knocked together radically to produce a very big

-and practically brand new family home.

-Right. OK.

I'm not feeling the love.

-It hasn't got that something.

-It hasn't got the same wow factor.

But you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

'Never a truer word spoken, Jim.

'This property offers more space and less work so it's worth a look.'

In you come.

-Come on, Jim.

-Goodness me! This is lovely!

-It's not what you expect.

-No.

-Follow me through here.

Now then, Marian...

-Come on in. Don't be shy.

-Wow! I like this.

-Yeah?

-That's the size.

-Yeah.

Coming back to this idea of a family space that you can all enjoy.

-When you're all here en masse.

-Yes.

How many in total, when you're all in one place?

-We're 11 at the moment.

-11.

-Well, you would get 11 people eating in here.

-Yeah, you would.

-Certainly would.

-And share the experience of you cooking.

-They could share the cooking even!

-I'll do the washing-up.

Look there, Jim. They've got a garden room attached on the side.

This is a splendid garden room.

I love the way the kitchen space, dining space and garden space

all can be rolled into one.

I'm thinking grown-ups in here, grandchildren playing in here.

-Everybody can keep an eye on everybody else.

-Ideal.

'I think that's a thumbs-up to the living space.

'There are also practical rooms, including a utility,

'a shower room, a gym - equipment not included - and a study.

'Plenty of space to play with. Let's turn our attention upstairs.

'There are four bedrooms, just what they wanted.'

Come on in.

This is currently the master.

-Uh-huh.

-OK.

-It's nice.

A couple of built-in units.

Pretty big. Loads of light.

-It doesn't have an en suite.

-Ah.

-Not doing very well on en suites.

-No.

-The box keeps getting unticked.

-I'm really sorry, Jim.

It doesn't have an en suite but it does have that.

-Is that a balcony?

-Yes. Kind of an en suite!

-Stand in the rain, I suppose!

-With a hose.

-Thank you, darling!

-There.

-There you go, Jim. Hosepipe. Hosepipe out here.

This gives you a good chance to get a sense of what you get land wise.

The last one had two acres.

-This one has three.

-Right.

-Crumbs.

-Which is effectively that.

-Another big oblong plot of land.

-That's good.

-Really good.

-And there is the rest of the county!

-Spread out before you.

-Ideal.

-Growing on you?

-Yeah.

-It is.

-Yes.

-It's a slow burn, this one, but it's getting there.

-Maybe?

-Yes, it is getting there.

'Back inside, the other three bedrooms consist of one good sized double

'and two singles, so Jessica and Gareth may need to draw straws!

'They all share a modern family bathroom.

'So, how about accommodation for the horses?

'Outside, there's ample stabling and, with three acres of paddock,

'plenty of space to keep them happy.'

-We're bang in the middle of three acres.

-Nice.

-Not bad.

-No.

All this land is criss-crossed with a network of hacks.

So you've got loads of opportunity to get out there riding,

-literally on your doorstep.

-Yeah. Ideal.

The question is, how much do you love it? Jim, make me an offer.

-I think it's got to be at least 435.

-435. Marian?

-I was going to say that!

-You can.

-Am I allowed?

-Yes.

You have, presumably, agreed on some things in 38 years!

-Yeah.

-Every now and again.

-We have.

I had 435 in my mind all the way through.

I'll let you agree because you're not far off.

It's a direct comparison with our first one.

This is on the market also for £450,000.

-All right.

-You get a newer build but you do get an extra acre.

-It's a lot to take on board. Go and imprint it on your mind.

-Will do.

-We'll catch up later.

-Thank you.

'Again, on the market at £45,000, this is £10,000 over budget.

'As Jim and Marian are cash buyers,

'they are in a strong negotiating position.

'They've warmed up to it, but will first impressions last?'

First impressions weren't good.

When you went in, something just happened. I like it.

I love the downstairs.

I love the fluid way it flows from one room to the next.

Upstairs is a bit of a concern.

Not a great deal of opportunity to change a great deal.

There's lots and lots to like.

-What are we not liking? The size of the bedrooms?

-Probably, that's about it.

So, are the bedrooms big enough after all?

-Well, yeah...

-Probably, just about.

Ooh, yeah, maybe.

-Look, we have given you lots to think about.

-You have.

In terms of satisfying the horse requirement, the thing that's driven this search, made it tricky,

-we've got there on that score.

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

-You can argue over the house.

-Yes.

'With the sun setting over the countryside, we're two houses down

'and have given Marian and Jim plenty to consider.

'Coming up next, it's mystery house time.'

-The old school.

-The old school.

-Oh, right.

Great. I like it.

'Will it pass with flying colours or go to the bottom of the class?'

We have one more day of house hunting to go.

Whilst yesterday went pretty well, Jim and Marian are celebrating.

We haven't even got to the mystery house, so what's going on?

'All will be revealed soon.

We're heading south to the Suffolk-Essex border, Alphamstone,

'just over an hour's drive from the grandchildren.

'There is no shortage of colourful and characterful period homes.

'Community spirit is thriving.

'However, you get a lot less property to the pound than in north Cambridgeshire,

'so there will be compromises to overcome.'

This is a momentous day.

Not because it's the mystery house, but it's your wedding anniversary.

-It is.

-Yes, it is.

We've brought you much further south than yesterday.

-Back to where it all started.

-Yeah. A couple of miles down the road!

-The mystery house is in front of you.

-The old school?

-The old school.

-Right.

-LAUGHING:

-Great. I like it.

It's the mystery house!

-Home-from-home.

-It's Victorian. 1876.

It finished being a school in 1934.

I'm going to be up-front. It's not sat within loads of acres.

-So horses will have to be accommodated elsewhere.

-OK.

In terms of giving you a very pretty, lovely family home

in the heart of an interesting community...

-Could be good.

-Come on.

-OK.

'There is a livery five miles away, so that's the compromise.

'This property is much closer to the grandchildren, at an hour's drive.

'So is it going to get top marks from our teachers?'

Come on into the old school.

Grab the latch on the door, Jim. Look at this!

-My goodness!

-Wow!

-That's seen some use. Hasn't it?

-Lots of period features.

They go on in here.

-One of the reception rooms on offer.

-Like the fireplace.

-That's working.

-Super.

Lovely sash windows looking out onto the green.

-You can see all village life.

-Yeah. Nice.

How about this?

That's a bit unexpected! This is kind of open.

-I was expecting... Oh, that's lovely.

-It has been opened.

-Can you see this? It's been pushed that way in the last decade.

-Ideal.

It's lovely, isn't it? It's expansive.

It goes on. A choice of sinks. Stainless steel one there.

Belfast sink there. Then you've got this bay window arrangement.

Then this garden room. We haven't got a separate dining room.

-OK.

-This is the most recent addition.

You could go for a dining table in here.

-Nice.

-Yeah? "Nice"(!)

-Yes.

-How nice is nice?

-OK.

No, I like it. I do like this. I like this very much.

-Jim?

-It's got lots of possibilities. It's growing on me.

'That's what I like to hear.

'Also on this floor is a really spacious Victorian style bathroom.

'Time to look upstairs.

'We're delivering above requirements with five bedrooms.

'On the first floor, two doubles, and there's a family shower room.'

I'm going to suggest that this would be a guest room.

It's one of the bigger ones on this floor.

-It also has this lovely original...

-Fabulous view.

-..sash.

With original glass in it.

-Beautiful.

-It does pack in a lot.

-Yeah.

-There's a lot to it.

There's even more in the loft, because that is our master bedroom.

-Ooh.

-Follow me!

Come and look at this!

As you can see,

they really have pushed the floor space out in every direction.

-Oh, yes!

-Oh, crumbs!

-Not least up here.

My goodness!

-Interesting, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Right in the roof line.

-I think it kind of works.

-Yeah, it does. It's lovely.

It is a very clever use of space. Great floor.

We haven't yet found an en suite.

-I knew this was where it would be.

-It's got half an en suite.

-Half an en suite?

-A loo and a basin.

It's closer than the rest.

-Not what you expected?

-No, it wasn't.

'That's it for the inside. Let's head outdoors.

'We're not delivering on acreage in any way, shape or form.

'So is this a compromise they can live with?'

What you see is what you get.

-A little on the small side.

-We have got chickens.

Fresh eggs.

-So, that's our mystery house.

-Lots of food for thought.

Well, the price is going to be an interesting one.

This is a difficult one.

4... 450, like the others.

450. Mm-hm.

-I'm going to be optimistic and go a fraction lower.

-435 again.

435.

-You are right?

-Me?

Absolutely spot-on. It's £450,000, just like all the others.

We've really opened it up to give you a clear and direct comparison.

-Absolutely.

-What you get for your money and where you want to be.

Go back to school. I'll catch up with you later.

'So the old schoolhouse is also on the market at...'

'..For Jim's veg, the current owner pays £5 a year for an allotment.

'Is this going to be an A-plus or a D-minus?'

-It's lovely.

-It's quite good.

-I was surprised when I walked in.

-I thought was a bit...

-Enclosed?

-Yeah. But this is really...

-Lovely granite.

-And a wonderful breakfast area at the end.

I'm glad they chose three identical prices. It makes comparison easier.

I guess it was something that we knew but it's been shown to us.

-The further south, the less land we get.

-Gosh! What are we going to do?

BELL RINGS

Come on!

-Play time's over!

-Is that the end of school?

-It is.

-It's the end of term.

-Great. School's out.

-Come on down, Jim. You've been great sports.

-It's been great fun.

That's it. Three properties. Lots to think about.

Let's get you somewhere to think.

-At least we've got something to celebrate today.

-Yes, we do.

Have we sold a house, I wonder?

'North Cambridgeshire's flat expansive landscape

'might not be to everybody's taste.

'With the Fens producing 37% of the veg grown in England,

'there's no denying their importance.

'Just above sea level,

'the wetlands of the Fens sit atop nutrient-rich peat

'which, 400 years ago, led to them being drained

'to shape the modern landscape.

'As a result of drainage and intensive farming,

'99% of traditional Fenland has been lost,

'with just three major fragments remaining.

'I met up with Louise Rackham of the Great Fen Project at Holme Fen,

'the lowest point in the UK.'

Why have you brought me to this iron post on the edge of this dyke?

This isn't just an iron post, Jules.

This depicts the whole story that the Fens is a changing landscape.

This was put in by the landowner William Wells.

-He owned the Holmewood estate.

-When?

He put that in in the 1850s.

He'd seen what happened to the rest of the Fens when drained,

the shrinkage of the peat.

He decided to put this post in the ground. Look at the top of that.

That would have been on ground level.

-So we've lost 15 feet or so?

-Yeah, say four and a half metres.

You would have been walking up there.

Simply pulling that plug and draining the Fens

caused that peat to shrink and oxidise and disappear.

'Vanishing land means many wildlife species have disappeared.

'It's part of one of the biggest conservation projects of recent years,

'to restore and protect these natural habitats

'by reclaiming farmland and joining the three Fenlands of Holme Fen,

'Woodwalton Fen and Whittlesey Mere.'

We're hoping to recreate 9,000 acres, 14 square miles,

of a mosaic of wetland habitat.

We own about 60% of the land. I want to bring it all alive.

I want to show people that this is a fantastic area for wildlife, for people and for stories.

-I want them to visit the Fens and see how amazing it is.

-You're doing a great job!

Thank you.

At long last, it is decision time.

Jim and Marian started married life here in Suffolk.

Where better to hear what they'll do with the rest of their lives than the glorious Kentwell Hall?

One of the finest Elizabethan buildings of its kind in the country.

As it's their anniversary, I thought we'd celebrate.

Oh, no! Don't waste the champagne!

-There we are! One for you.

-Thank you.

-One for you, Jim.

-Thank you, sir.

-What I love about it

is that we've been able to coincide our tours with your anniversary.

-We've ended up back where it all started.

-Yes, indeed we have.

-In Suffolk.

Now, question I'm dying to know is have we sold you one?

We started up north with that double-fronted Edwardian villa.

Very impressed. Imposing, handsome, beautiful.

Everything that we required on our wish list was probably there.

-The ground floor was fantastic.

-You could just move in there.

-And move the horses in straightaway.

-Yeah. Absolutely. I liked that one.

Then we took you to a property of a similar age but very different.

Two old farm workers' cottages knocked together.

It didn't appear to have character, but it opened up, didn't it?

-Didn't it?

-I loved the ground floor. The upstairs...?

-You weren't sure about.

-No. I felt the bedrooms were on the small side.

But you got an extra acre. Plenty of space for the horses and stables.

Lots of room outside. Lots of tack rooms and store sheds.

-The mystery house.

-I loved the location.

It was the village green. Loved it.

The space opened up - the kitchen, the breakfast room, the sun room.

That was the most dynamic, as far as space was concerned.

-The search goes on, I suspect.

-I think so.

Yes, I think so. I think so. I think...

If I were to say I might make an offer on something,

I'd be most leaning towards the Edwardian.

The first one.

We still have minor reservations about whether that is the property

that gives the wow, buzz.

But are you still convinced that the right property exists for you?

-It's out there somewhere.

-Yeah.

It needs a little bit more looking for.

-The truth is out there!

-Absolutely.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

Here's to you. Cheers.

GLASSES CLINK

I've left Jim and Marian finishing the champagne,

contemplating the 39th year of married life that stretches out before them.

We haven't managed to find them their ideal home.

We gave them three interesting properties, all the same price, but very well spread.

When it comes to location, you really do get what you pay for.

Where's their dream home? I think it's further away than they thought.

See you next time.

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