Carmarthenshire Escape to the Country

These great walls are the remains of one of the most historic and forgotten gardens in Britain.

Where are we? Stick around and I'll show you.

'On today's show, we'll be helping a very athletic couple

'in their bid for the country dream.

'On your marks and get set for some gold medal properties.

'But who will be the ultimate champion?'

I win!

Today, we're in a damp Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales.

These are the glorious gardens of Aberglasney.

The house is shrouded in mystery, but we know there's been a garden since the 15th century.

This is in the process of being restored - and it is unique.

Southwest Wales is dominated by the counties of Carmarthenshire

and Pembrokeshire.

With stunning scenery that covers 240 square miles,

Pembrokeshire has the only national park in the UK

that is virtually all coastal.

Carmarthenshire is known as the "garden of Wales".

It's said that Dylan Thomas found inspiration in the rural splendour,

which he referred to as "the fields of praise".

Here in southwest Wales, house prices can vary dramatically.

For value for money, try Carmarthenshire.

Prices are 15% lower than neighbouring counties.

If you want gorgeous coastlines

and stunning countryside, check out Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

The average detached will set you back a cool £206,000.

As you can see, there is plenty on offer.

'If money is no object,

'the former lighthouse at St Anne's Head

'could be yours for £1,250,000.

'It's awash with all the maritime quirks you'd expect,

'with six bedrooms, an indoor pool

'and spectacular views of the Pembrokeshire coastline and beyond.

'Tucked behind these double gates in Cosheston

'is this detached four-bed property with three reception rooms

'and a handcrafted kitchen centred around a grand atrium hallway.

'All this for £720,000.

'Finally, pop in to Carmarthenshire

'and this villa is on the market

'for just shy of £350,000.

'It has open-plan kitchen and living areas,

'enough space for a game of snooker,

'and a sun terrace to take in the views.'

Some fantastic properties on offer.

Are you tempted, I wonder?

Today's buyers are, so let's meet them.

'Conrad and Sueanne tied the knot last year and are looking for their first home in southwest Wales.

'They're renting a six-bedroom house 15 minutes' drive from Swansea.

'They yearn to return to their rural roots.'

We want to set down our roots and start our own family.

We want to give them the best start and the same upbringing that we had.

'As a true daughter of the land, Sueanne was brought up on a farm

'and has hopes of raising chickens.

'There also has to be space for three dogs and perhaps a donkey.

'Aside from room for the animals, Conrad has particular ideas

'about what he wants from the property.'

It's important to have room to build a gym.

I'm trying to get into the British team.

If I had a gym I could train harder and get to the Olympics.

'Conrad is an athlete and competes in discus and shotput to a professional level.

'Building the gym of his dreams should help medal chances, but what type of house would get the gold?'

I would never consider a little cottage because I'm 6 foot five,

and I'd be whacking my head all the time and I don't fancy that.

Somewhere where we can put our own stamp on it.

We've both got quite big personalities.

Our home needs to reflect that.

'So it's big ambition and a big house to match.

'But what are the specifics?'

Five or six bedrooms, a nice big kitchen.

-Tall ceilings.

-Yeah.

-Wide doors.

-Yeah.

Plenty of land for the dogs. A downstairs toilet would be a bonus.

-I'd like a den somewhere in the house.

-A boy's play pen, yeah!

'With Conrad's hideaway sorted, what about Sueanne?'

The kitchen's really important.

My day starts and ends there. I make eight meals a day for Conrad as part of his training.

'They don't have a property to sell so how much money do they have

'for their perfect family home in the Welsh countryside?'

Our budget is a maximum of £500,000.

So with the exception of a cosy cottage,

Sueanne and Conrad are pretty open to the kinds of property they're prepared to view.

They do have some specific needs -

outside space for the dogs, inside space for themselves and lots of room for Conrad's gym.

He's training for the Games in London in 2010.

He's not training for the Olympics. He's training for the Paralympics.

Seven years ago, an accident on a training exercise

ended his promising career in the army and left him virtually blind.

Those pleas for wide doorways and high ceilings really mean something

in this house search with a difference.

'The extra dimension is that Conrad's vision impairment

'makes the internal layout much more significant than usual.

'Location is also key, as Sueanne wants to be near her father.

'So our search will take us through Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire

'and Ceredigion.

'We've got a variety of spacious family homes.

'I won't be revealing the prices straight away.

'And there's the mystery house, but which will finish in first place?'

-Good morning, guys. How's things?

-Bore da.

Indeed. Normally, I say, "Welcome to Wales," but I can't do that.

-This is your patch.

-Yeah.

-Let's remind ourselves of your budget.

-500,000.

Any movement in that?

If you find me a big enough kitchen, maybe, or a big enough garden!

A little bit over five, if need be!

Give me a sense, Conrad, of what you can see.

Your face, the only bit that's clear is around your right eyeball.

-This bit?

-Yeah. Everything else is gone.

-Like looking through a pinhole?

-Yeah. Just got to scan all over the place.

-Conrad, you're training for 2010.

-Yeah. It's really important.

Let's just talk about the whole gym issue.

It's what gets us out of bed in the morning.

-How big a space are we after?

-Minimum is about triple garage size.

-At least.

-A triple garage size?

-Yeah.

It's quite big bulky equipment, you see.

Half a million pounds goes quite a long way. Let's see what we can find you - and keep dry!

'For £500,000, give or take, Conrad and Sueanne have set their target

'on a large house in southwest Wales

'with high ceilings, a few reception rooms

'and not far from Sueanne's father.

'The kitchen needs to be big enough for Sueanne to spend time

'preparing Conrad's eight meal daily menu...

'Let's start, and hope the weather doesn't dampen their spirits.'

-If you love Wales today you will love it any time.

-Who can't love Wales?

There is this sort of sense within the Welsh speaking community

of "hiraeth", this sense of home.

-Longing, yeah.

-Do you feel that very acutely?

Oh, yeah. Massively, yeah.

I think it was the way we were brought up as a family.

The first language - Welsh.

-Yeah.

-So, bless Conrad when he comes home to my dad's!

'Well, let's see if we're all talking the same language.

'Starting in Pembrokeshire, we're heading to the centre,

'eight miles north of Haverfordwest, to the village of Ambleston.

'A small community of less than 500, Ambleston is surrounded by farmland,

'farm buildings and stone walling.

'In the heart of the village is St Mary's church.

'Our first house is right opposite.'

-What do you think of that, Sueanne?

-Fantastic.

-Lovely.

-What do you like about it?

-It looks like a stately home!

What we've got is a great big Edwardian...

Well, this is the old vicarage.

-It's got really generous rooms.

-High ceilings.

-Shall we go look?

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-Come on.

'Dating from 1907, this is a handsome property,

'stuffed with period charm and approached by a long gravel drive.'

Right, in you come. Go on, Sueanne.

-Come in, Conrad. Little step there.

-Wow!

What do you think?

Stunning! The staircase is fantastic.

This lovely oak staircase dominates the hallway.

Just off to our right, we've got what I'm going to call a snug/study,

which may be for you, mate.

I'll let you explore later, but I want to start with your kitchen.

You wanted a big kitchen? Look at this!

Right. Sueanne, come on.

-What do you think of this, then?

-Oh, this is a kitchen! Wow!

It's a fantastic kitchen-diner.

-I like them.

-Like the sink?

-Yeah.

-Very classic, very farmhousy.

This has the proportions of a classic farmhouse kitchen.

Quite a big dining table, actually.

-I didn't see that.

-Massive.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Are you able to build a picture of this?

That's what I'm doing, trying to put it all together.

-And what do you think?

-Yeah. It's nice.

Look, kitchen-diner. Plenty of room for you in here.

-If this were the only dining area, it wouldn't be a major problem?

-No.

But we have got you a separate dining room. Follow me through.

-There we go. In you come, Conrad.

-Oh, my God!

SUEANNE LAUGHS

-This is a dining room. This is us.

-Oh, my God!

-It would also make a very generous living room.

-Yeah.

We have got other reception rooms. Let's go somewhere cosier next door.

After you, sir. I'll follow you out.

Now, what we've got here for you, Conrad,

this is the main living room, as it's currently designated.

-I like it.

-It's lovely.

-Looking at the garden is nice.

-You can make out the big bay window.

-Is that the church?

-Yeah.

The church served by the vicarage.

-So, points out of ten?

-I'd say a nine.

-Nine?

-Real?

-Yeah. Eight and a half, nine.

I like the feel of it.

-It's got a family feel.

-You could grow into this place.

Won't outgrow it, either.

I don't know. You're talking about siring a rugby team!

If she lets me!

-It depends if you buy me the right house!

-Right, OK!

-We've got nine out of ten.

-Come on, Jules.

'As a family home, this place fits the bill.

'Let's see if we can hit top marks upstairs.'

-How about that?

-Wow. Lovely. Keeps it light.

-Really light.

'Off the landing, there are five bedrooms.

'Two are bright single rooms, tastefully furnished for children.

'One of the three double bedrooms is a playroom.

'Another has been elegantly decorated with dual aspect windows.

'We're going to look at the bedroom they could call their own.'

-OK, Sueanne. This is currently the master bedroom.

-Lovely.

You can take your pick. They're all generously sized.

-None of them are en suite, though.

-OK.

Next door is the family bathroom. You could, in theory, go that way.

Right. OK.

Plumbing does exist in another room

to turn that into a big family bathroom.

You've got the choice but you'd lose a bedroom.

How's our nine out of ten?

-So far, so good.

-Still nine out of ten?

-Yeah. So far.

-Look! A brief bit of sunlight!

-I know.

-Make the most of that!

-LAUGHING:

-Let's get outside!

'With some tweaks to the layout upstairs,

'I think they can imagine this house as their home.

'Will the garden provide space for their pets and for a gym?'

Let's just stop here and take in the rest of the grounds.

We've got another bit of garden in front of me here.

Probably about a quarter of an acre, perhaps a bit less.

This wraps around the back.

-So, all in all, just under an acre.

-No donkeys.

No, but plenty of room for the dogs. What are your thoughts?

-Where's the gym going to go?

-That's the rub.

There are no outbuildings or garages which we can offer to convert.

You'd have to go for something purpose-built.

I'm thinking a timber-framed structure here.

-Would that be something you'd consider?

-Yeah. It would.

Let's consider the whole thing out of this gale, in the kitchen.

'They're keeping an open mind as to how to tailor the outside space

'to suit their needs.

'Now that the tour is complete, time to talk cash.'

You've got 500 grand, plus, to spend.

It's going to be close to the budget. I'm going 485.

485. OK, yeah.

I'm going a bit less. I think 475.

475. Ten grand between you.

It is pretty much on the budget. 50 quid short of budget. 499,950.

-I win!

-That's all right. There's more to see.

-How do you feel about that?

-It shows you what we can get.

But it's so close to the budget, I'd have to spend more to do the gym.

-But you did say you had a bit of leeway.

-A BIT of leeway, yeah.

Have a good look at what this house has to offer. I'll catch you later.

-I love it.

-GIGGLES

'A fraction under budget...

'..Without an outhouse for a gym,

'will they be up for the challenge of building one?'

The house is a definite possibility for Conrad and myself.

It's a real family home.

This is my room, then?

-I think we'd have to fight over it!

-I might win that one.

-I doubt it.

There's a few things to work out.

If I could build the gym outside, that's important for me.

Out you go, Sueanne.

-After you, sir.

-Cheers.

-Watch the step.

-Thank you.

-I think that was a pretty good start.

-It is.

-Have we relieved you of half a million pounds?

-Wait and see!

'With Sueanne's passion for her Welsh heritage,

'a visit to Aberaeron should be of particular interest.

'One of Wales' first planned towns,

'it was built to establish a shipbuilding centre.

'They've come to meet Mya Harrison to get an insight into the history.'

You see those three houses? It's known as Vulcan Place.

The people who lived there forged the fittings for the ships.

'Reverend Alban Jones Gwynne developed the harbour in 1807.

'The layout of the town was planned by his son, Colonel Gwynne,

'with the architect Edward Haycock.

'Gradually, Aberaeron turned from a fishing village

'into a successful port.'

-What importance is the harbour to the town?

-Enormous.

Without the harbour, there would be no town.

The town was planned and built because of the harbour.

'The introduction of the railway in 1911 brought a decline in seafaring.

'Today, the main industry is tourism.

'Visitors come to browse the boutiques and to enjoy the elegant Georgian architecture.

'The kaleidoscope of buildings is delightful, even on a wet day.

'Sueanne will be relieved to know that the next stop takes us east,

'closer to her father, and into Carmarthenshire,

'two miles north of Saint Clears,

'dating back to the 12th century, a small town on the river Taff.

'Famous for the Rebecca riots, the town features a wooden sculpture

'in memory of the 1842 uprising against high tolls set by landowners.

'Our second property presents a slice of rural Wales

'at the end of a daffodil-lined track,

'which may make our farmer's daughter feel at home.'

What do you think of that?

Quaint. It's a nice, typical farmhouse.

It is. The whole lot comes with some land.

It also has this range of stables behind me, too.

I'm thinking donkeys. And that barn there.

-In fact, you get three barns.

-Donkeys AND a gym.

-Plenty of space!

Plenty of space for all the things you want to entertain.

Come on.

'This is a cracking start.

'We've got quite a few things ticked

'and we haven't crossed the threshold.

'How will the house fare inside, I wonder?'

-LAUGHS

-Is it windy, or what?

-Come in, Conrad.

-It's got more windy!

-There we are, the hallway.

-Doesn't look like a farmhouse.

It's been made over in the last three years,

renovated from top to bottom.

Conrad, what kind of sense are you getting?

I get a sense of space and light.

Quite airy. Nice clean lines, which is good.

-I promised you a kitchen.

-Yeah.

-Come and look at this.

JULES CHUCKLES

There.

-SUEANNE LAUGHS

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Conrad, we've got a brand new kitchen,

underfloor heating under these very light tiles.

And a great big sun room, really, added on.

-SUEANNE LAUGHS

-Your wife is smiling a lot!

I think she likes it!

-Is this the point where you just give up?

-I know when I'm beaten!

'The huge grin on Sueanne's face means the kitchen works for her.

'The large dimensions clearly suit Conrad.

'Let's see what else downstairs has to offer.'

Now, come on in here.

-Oh, that's nice.

-Yeah?

This is one of two reception rooms we've got.

-There's a door there out to the garden.

-The dogs. I like this room.

Nice and straight and square for me. Nice simple layout.

That's obviously important to you now, so you can, I suppose, create your own map in your mind.

Yeah. You can still get around.

'Rooms with clean lines are vital to help navigate when you can't see.

'Not only is the layout simple, but the rooms, ceilings and doorways

'are generously sized.'

This is where you can choose who gets what.

-He can have that room.

-I prefer the other room.

-Do you?

-I do. Yeah.

-Marks out of ten?

-Eight.

Eight. Hm. Conrad?

-Ten for being closer to my dad.

-LAUGHING:

-I'll take that ten!

'With full marks for the ground floor, let's head upstairs.'

The family bathroom in there.

We're going to wind our way up to the landing.

'The farmhouse has five bedrooms.

'There are four good sized doubles, one with a large en suite

'and another that's perfect for curling up and getting away from it.

'I want to show Sueanne and Conrad the biggest bedroom.'

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

This is your master.

Very nice.

-Plenty of space for you.

-Brilliant.

-We also have a well appointed en suite.

-As well as the...?

-Yeah.

There. Have a look at that.

A bath!

-How is this place grabbing you?

-It's lovely. It's really light.

Really light.

-It doesn't feel like a farmhouse.

-Yeah. Like it.

'We're onto a winner with this place.

'Time to check out the grounds outside.

'They both wanted a lot of outdoor space but let's see just how much land they can handle.'

Land. You have said an acre.

-That paddock there is about an acre.

-OK.

-Which would do you a treat.

-Yeah.

But if it came with a bit more land, that would be a bonus.

Can you make out, Conrad, there's another field beyond?

-Up to those trees.

-Yeah.

There's another field beyond that. All that comes with it, too.

-The field behind?

-Yeah.

-SUEANNE LAUGHS

-All in all, eight acres.

-Eight acres?

There's another paddock included in the eight acres.

That wraps itself around all those outbuildings.

-Fab.

-Sounding good.

-I think it's really good.

Being a farmer's daughter, he'd be proud of you with this lot!

-Let's finish off with a barn.

-Sounds good.

-Find you a gym.

-Yes.

'The eight acres is a surprise and is fuelling their imagination.

'It's divided into four fields, giving plenty of space

'for Conrad to practise his shotput and discus and why not the javelin?

'But we've got more in store for our sportsman.'

Now then, Conrad. Come on in.

What can you make out?

Now you're talking!

-A gym.

-A gym.

-You said a three-bay garage. This is a four-bay.

-It's good.

It's not a garage, it's an old barn.

-Fantastic.

-60 feet long by 20 foot wide.

-This is superb.

-This would do it?

-Yeah.

-Let's have a think about the price.

-Hm!

You'll need some money to turn this around for your gym.

How much will you give me for this?

Conrad.

I think it's a bit more. Minimum 550. More, I think.

Maybe 575.

-550, 575.

-I think 550.

I'm going to take the pressure off.

-It's on the market for 495.

-No way?

-I win again!

Not that close!

You nicked my first choice.

-You said 575.

-This is 495, guys.

-This is £50,000 to £75,000 under your estimates.

-Wow.

-Go and explore some more.

-Can't wait.

'On the market for £495,000,

'this smallholding is £5,000 under budget...

'The property seems to meet all of Conrad and Sueanne's requirements,

'and more.'

The house would suit the way that Conrad and I live.

The living space downstairs might be a little small.

We can look at maybe extending.

Other than it's a bit small, I love it. I really do like it.

Right, out you go.

-LAUGHS

-Look at this crazy weather!

The good news it's sunny, but no less windy.

-I think that was well worth seeing.

-Yeah.

-Hm.

-You think so?

-Yeah.

-Look at your face!

'As the sun sets on a very wet and windy time in southwest Wales,

'the first day of our house hunting comes to an end.

'With a budget of half a million pounds, Conrad and Sueanne

'are looking for Paralympic glory and a family home

'in the southwest Wales countryside.

'We've shown them two great properties

'with more land than they bargained for.'

-Eight acres.

-Eight acres?

'Coming up, there's the mystery house.

'Will Sueanne be willing to share?'

It's mine!

Finally, the sun has come out and, at last, it's mystery house time for Conrad and Sueanne.

To describe these two as a bit sporty is a massive understatement.

We've learned a lot about what Conrad likes, but I also know that Sueanne is a really keen swimmer.

If she doesn't want to use west Wales' gorgeous beaches,

the mystery house might offer the perfect solution.

'We're venturing up north, into the county of Ceredigion.

'We're headed for Ferwig, three miles from Cardigan.

'It's a small village in the beautiful Welsh countryside.

'The mystery house was designed to create a splash.'

There you go. There's the mystery house.

-SUEANNE LAUGHS

-What can you see?

-A pool.

-A pool! Yeah!

Half the house is a pool!

Can you see that, Conrad? There are blue glazed window frames.

Behind them is a pool.

To my right here, Conrad, there's a great big double garage.

-We're thinking gym in there.

-Yeah.

I want to go inside!

'That's the enthusiasm we're after.

'The pool is a real pull but it's not the only mystery.

'That will be revealed later.

'Built 15 years ago, this is the newest house we're showing them.

'I'm sure the high ceilings inside won't disappoint.'

-JULES LAUGHS

-Squeeze in, Conrad.

I didn't think that.

Can you get a sense of the height of it?

-I think so.

-You're smiling.

-Yeah. I love it.

-Really? Good.

You should. It's the mystery house.

'After the pleasing reaction to the bright galleried hallway,

'we're heading to the lounge.'

-JULES LAUGHS

-Come on in, mate.

Plenty of room.

Quite a big room this, and it's pretty square, too.

Big arched windows look out across quite a small front garden.

-Two of them?

-Yeah. Two big windows like that.

Silence! I'm not sure whether it's good or bad.

-This is great.

-This is good silence.

'While they're quietly confident about the potential in the lounge,

'let's see if they say something about the master bedroom,

'rather unusually, on the ground floor.'

The master.

-Come on in. Silence again! I'm still hoping it's good silence.

-Yeah.

-Fitted wardrobes.

-It also comes with an en suite.

After you, Conrad. Corner tub with shower.

-All the other bits and pieces you would need.

-A bidet.

-All mod cons!

-LAUGHTER

'The different layout is the final piece in the mystery puzzle.

'The majority of living spaces - another bedroom and a shower room,

'are downstairs, which should help Conrad negotiate the property.

'On the first floor, there's a family bathroom

'which serves the three remaining bedrooms.

'We continue downstairs, where Sueanne may have compromises to make.'

Sueanne, come in.

-Come here.

-SUEANNE CHUCKLES

-I think I know what you're going to say.

-It's small.

Yeah. It is. Not tiny, but perhaps we have spoilt you a little.

You are going to make your own mark on whichever property you move into.

-You may want to do that here.

-Yeah.

-Going that way a bit.

-It's the only bit you've really got to compromise on.

-OK.

Yeah? Ooh, dear. Looking very stern there.

-JULES LAUGHS

-We might not be friends any more.

Oh, my God!

We've been through so much together. Now you're telling me.

Right. Come here. Follow me through here.

Back off the kitchen,

we've got this enormous dining room.

Which, of course, leads on to the pool.

-Shall we?

-Yeah.

-You can go first.

Go on.

Show us the pool.

-Watch your step.

-Yeah.

-What do you think?

-Impressive.

How long's this, about?

About 40 foot. And about 15 foot wide.

-We've also got a changing room and a shower room.

-That's good.

-It's like being in your own gym.

-Yeah.

In terms of making it manageable,

it doesn't have any handrails.

-That can soon be fixed, though.

-Exactly.

You'd want to use this route.

In an ideal world, through that door would be your gym.

-Follow me - very carefully.

-I will.

-Are you OK there?

-Yeah.

There's quite a step down here.

Over and down.

This is inside the double garage we saw from the outside.

It's not the biggest space we've seen for a gym, but what you do think?

It could just about work.

-It's the easiest fix of all the potential gym areas.

-Yeah.

Course it is.

It could just about work, I think.

'The garage may not be the triple length Conrad hoped for,

'but it seems it's a sacrifice he's willing to make.

'There's one more outside.'

Last, we've got the garden.

In fairness, it doesn't have acres and acres.

The whole lot sits within an acre. You did say at the outset an acre.

I get the feeling that, as we've gone through,

because we've tempted you with more, it's opened your eyes to the idea of more land.

But, you know, up to you.

-The key thing is going to be the price.

-Yeah.

-Over budget, I think.

-550.

-You're saying 50,000 over budget?

-Yeah.

-I'm going to say 525.

-525.

-Be better if it was that.

-It would be fantastic, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

You'd buy it tomorrow.

-Well, you could buy it today for 465,000.

-No way?

-No way?

How about that?

It's mine!

-Yeah. 465.

-I'm amazed.

-Handsomely under budget.

-I'm amazed.

That's it. Removal van.

-Enough to sort the gym out.

-Sort out your extension on the kitchen.

Go and explore your new home.

Brilliant. The mystery house seems to have done it once again.

I'm absolutely delighted. We picked it for a bit of fun with the pool for Sueanne.

Also for practical reasons, and that's why it's stolen their hearts.

'At £465,000, our mystery house comes at a very attractive price,

'which is yet again under budget, this time by a huge £35,000.

'That's plenty of spare cash left to really kit out Conrad's gym...

'With a taste of eight acres, have we raised the bar too high?'

When Jules told us the price of the house

and the fact that I was so way off,

I was so stunned.

And so happy.

It was fantastic. Can't believe it.

-This is the only downfall.

-Cos of the size?

-Yeah. You can't be with me when I'm cooking.

Final time we're leaving a property on this series of house tours.

-How does it feel?

-Quite sad.

-It is quite sad.

-You want to go look at more?

-Yeah. No.

-I think we've confused you.

-Yeah. Big time.

Let's get you somewhere to sit down, take it all in, talk it over.

-Make a few calls, I suspect.

-Yeah. To my dad.

-Come on, then.

'During our house hunting week, I couldn't pass up the chance

'to visit Aberglasney estate in Towy Valley.

'Aberglasney was once the garden that time forgot.

'15 years ago, a restoration project began

'to bring the 11-acre estate back to life.

'It's unearthed some unique finds.

'I'm meeting director of operations Graham Rankin, to find out more.'

This is the perfect place to get out of the rain on a filthy day.

This is the cryptoporticus, which was built for days like today.

You can wander up and down and, on fine days,

you can walk up onto the parapet.

'This is the only UK garden with a limestone structure of this type.

'It dates back to 1600.

'With no records to speak of,

'it's taken extensive research to recreate the style of garden.'

When were these gardens built?

The first evidence we have of these was around the 15th century. We don't know what they looked like.

It does look a little bit "plain", you might say,

compared to gardens today.

A gentleman called Hans Vredeman de Vries, a Dutchman, around 1600

produced drawings of gardens in the 1600s.

His was the ultimate fashion.

This is a pastiche of the style that would have been typical.

'Another arboreal feature is the ancient interwoven branches

'of this 300-year-old yew tunnel.

'It was created by just one row of yew trees

'intentionally bent over so that the branches met the ground.

'The gardens are mirrored by the novel greenery inside the house.

'The courtyard and some of the central rooms

'were deemed beyond restoration and were filled with exotic plants

'such as gingers, magnolias and orchids,

'making an unconventional indoor garden.'

What did people say when you suggested putting a garden in the building?

They took a bit of persuading.

I had a botanical artist do pictures of how it would look and it did the trick.

-Now you get to enjoy it all year round.

-364 days a year!

In just a few minutes' time, we're going to find out what the future holds for Conrad and Sueanne.

They say they're confused.

I'm delighted we gave them such fantastic properties.

Which one, if any of them, is going to be for them?

They're on the beach. Let's ask them.

Right, guys. This is it. Our final conversation of the week.

It started with the old vicarage, which you thought was stately home.

-It's fantastic. It had a family feel.

-You felt at home there.

I did. I thought it was somewhere we could grow into.

I did like it a lot.

Let's think about the farmhouse with eight acres!

Three barns. Stables.

The farmer's daughter is smiling. Go on, Sueanne.

It's somewhere for me to set up my donkey sanctuary.

-Sanctuary? We started with one or two donkeys.

-That's your fault!

OK, and what about the idea of the gym.

-We had a barn you could convert.

-That was brilliant.

That was perfect.

I thought it was a promising start.

We headed out for our final day's house hunting.

-The mystery house.

-That blew me away.

There's no doubt about it.

The newest property we were able to show you.

Very clean lines plus, of course, the heated pool.

And space to give you your gym.

-I spoke to my coach, told him the dimensions...

-Already?

-Yeah.

-I can see where this is going.

-He said that's just about do-able.

Well, we've seen them all. We've talked about them endlessly.

Question is, what happens next?

We need to find out whether we can get planning to extend one of the properties we've seen.

-Mystery house, maybe?

-That's a possibility. That's a fall-back.

-The fall-back option? What's the first option?

-The old farmhouse.

-I thought that would be the one.

-It's all down to the planners.

If you don't get that one, the mystery house is on the back burner.

-We're torn between the two.

-I'm delighted we've given you a choice.

Let's see you on your way and wish you well.

-Thank you very much indeed. Been a real pleasure.

-Cheers.

-Best of luck, Sueanne.

-Thank you.

We take looking at properties very much for granted.

For Conrad, this has been an extraordinary challenge.

He has to look at the world effectively through a keyhole.

As you would expect from a man who has overcome unimaginable adversity

and is now heading for the Paralympic Games in 2012,

he's overcome it and has been an inspiration to me and all the crew.

As for Sueanne, they came out as a genuine double act, looking for their dream home in the country.

I am delighted to say I'm pretty sure we found it. See you next time.

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