Cornwall Escape to the Country


Cornwall

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Today, I'm in a county home to this,

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one of the best-preserved Tudor manor houses in the country,

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and a place that the last five centuries seem to have passed by.

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So which undisturbed corner of the country am I in?

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Find out in just a moment.

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Today we're under starter's orders to find dream pads with paddocks

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for a couple wanting to gallop into the countryside.

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And the competition is fierce.

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-Pressure's on, Frank, isn't it? Up your game.

-Oh, boy.

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We may even back a winner.

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-This is what I've always wanted.

-This is it.

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Today I'm in Cornwall, and this is Cotehele House,

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home to the same family from 1485 to 1947.

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Like many of us, they didn't get round to many home improvements.

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But that's our gain, as what you see is an immaculately preserved medieval building,

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just flaunting its history.

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But what makes this place so special isn't just the ancient bricks and mortar.

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The entire estate is on the east bank of the River Tamar,

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whose valley forms a fertile border between Devon and Cornwall.

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As you travel deeper into the Cornish county,

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you'll find it's one that delights and inspires

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at every twist and every turn.

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Set in the extreme southwest corner of England,

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Cornwall has a real sense of seclusion from the rest of the country,

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sharing just one county border, with Devon.

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Historically, Cornwall lays claim to a strong Celtic heritage

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that developed when ancient Britons were pushed to the country's edges

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by the invading Romans.

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Mining was the main occupation of the Cornish people for centuries,

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and the remains of its industrial past can be found across the landscape.

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But Cornish riches aren't limited to those underground.

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The lush, dramatic scenery is pounded by more than 300 miles of captivating coastline,

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dotted with fishing villages tucked into the cliffs

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and creating perfect locations for a once-infamous smuggling trade.

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But the smugglers who once harried the coves are long gone,

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leaving some five million tourists who come to enjoy this fascinating county every year.

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For most of the UK, the property market kicks off in springtime.

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But here in Cornwall, with the highest proportion of second homes in the UK, eight per cent,

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things are quite different. In the autumn,

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second homes flood onto the market,

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their owners having spent one last holiday here before moving the house on.

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Some are in prime locations, just like this.

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So, as the leaves begin to fall,

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now is a fantastic time to start a property search,

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especially since house prices down here are just five per cent above the national average.

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With that in mind, take a look at these fantastic properties currently on the market.

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If you can stretch your budget to £599,000,

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you can get your hands on this grand four-bedroom, 18th-century farmhouse in St Neot.

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Or in the small hamlet of Lower Treween,

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this listed four-bed cottage is on the market for £450,000.

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Lastly, £250,000 is the price of the central terrace

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of this two-bed barn conversion

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in Ludgvan.

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With Cornwall's enticing mix of stunning coast and inland scenery,

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it's little wonder why few are able to resist its charms.

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The county certainly has its hooks firmly in today's buyers.

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After 14 years of marriage, Frank and Sue are desperate to break free

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not from each other, but from

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their busy town life in Christchurch, Dorset.

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They're focused on finding some rural harmony in the Cornish countryside,

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together with their dogs and two horses, Chad and Tear.

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Now is a good time for us to move.

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We're a rural couple struggling to cope in an urban environment.

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I'm finding it difficult to split my time between the horses

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and the dogs and my work.

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We go to Cornwall four times a year and people remember you.

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I've lived in Christchurch for 65 years and I can walk through the town on market day

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and I don't see anybody I know.

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So what's the missing element they're hoping to discover in Cornwall?

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Our move is driven by our requirement for two acres of land

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to keep our animals.

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The horses are a few miles away from home

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so we don't get to spend much time with them.

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Chad is 32 years old now. He deserves a happy retirement.

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No doubt land for the horses is a top priority,

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but what about the house?

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What we need from the house is a minimum of two bedrooms,

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kitchen, bathroom, living room

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and we wouldn't mind open-plan living.

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I would like a barn conversion or a traditional cottage.

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I wouldn't mind something more modern,

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-but we are prepared to compromise.

-Yes.

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We'd never buy a thatched property.

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We're not looking for anything where there would be complete renovation.

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We're prepared to do some work,

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and we would like a property that has some outbuildings with potential.

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Outbuildings would be a bonus, as they're hoping a change of scene will spark new opportunities.

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When we move, I hope to set up my dog-grooming business again

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and also provide a pet-sitting service for the locals.

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We'd like to buy another horse

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so that Frank can come out riding with me, and we'd like to walk the dogs together.

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And I would like to do a bit more research into the possibility

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of having alpacas.

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With a host of four-legged friends to cater for,

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will it be the house or the land that ranks the highest?

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To me, the land is the most important,

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and I realise we may have to make compromises due to our budget.

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They've just accepted an offer of £275,000 on their current house.

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So what is their final figure for freedom?

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If the property ticks all our boxes we would pay up to £350,000.

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So, Frank and Sue want to escape their urban coop for some free-range living,

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not just for themselves but for their horses too.

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I think it's a smart move leaving pricey Dorset for Cornwall,

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especially if they're after some land.

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And I'm happy to hear they're prepared to compromise,

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as they seem to want an awful lot for a fairly limited budget of £350,000.

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Let's see what we can find them.

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Property prices in Cornwall are significantly cheaper inland.

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So for the best chance of finding what our buyers want,

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we're going to focus our search on the quiet villages inland,

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from Launceston in the east to Truro in the west.

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I'll be showing Frank and Sue round some great homes to suit them,

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their horses and their hounds.

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But I won't reveal the price

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until they've had a chance to take everything in.

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Finally, there's the mystery property, which will take them right out of their comfort zone.

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Welcome to a misty morning in Cornwall.

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So, a house with land...

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We all want that, especially if we're going to make this big escape to the country.

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But land comes at a premium when it's attached to a house.

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What's the most important thing for you?

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House, or the land for the horses?

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Suitable land for the horses, because we can always do alterations to the house.

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Oh, to be a horse! Horse lovers always put the horses first, don't they?

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Yeah, you have to be dedicated.

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You've been here many times. Have you got a favourite area?

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Near Bodmin would be fine, or the Luxulyan Valley.

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How far west can you go?

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No further west than Truro.

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-It starts to get a bit remote when you go further west than Truro.

-OK.

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The first property's lined up. Let's take a look.

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-Great.

-Lovely.

-Follow me.

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For a top budget of £350,000,

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we're on a hunt for a two-bedroom country property.

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The jury's out on its style, as Sue likes modern and Frank prefers traditional.

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But they're both agreed on a rural setting.

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Room to house Sue's dog-grooming business would be a plus.

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Land is the key factor as they need two acres for their horses.

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I won't ask who wears the trousers,

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but who's most likely to get excited in a house out of you two?

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In the house it'll probably be me. Outside the house, it'll be Sue.

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Right, OK.

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He would like a nice kitchen.

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-He does a lovely roast-beef dinner.

-Ooh!

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We kick off our search in east Cornwall.

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We're heading five miles northwest of Launceston

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to the village of North Petherwin.

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Surrounded by open country and fields with cattle grazing,

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North Petherwin is a small village with a thatched pub and a grand parish church,

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parts of which date back to the Norman period.

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About three miles outside the village is our first property,

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a late-Victorian cottage that lies on a quiet country lane.

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I like the look. It's traditional. It looks up together.

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Good. Up together sounds like something good.

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-Yeah.

-Not a lot of work.

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One thing I want to point out. This shows how rural the area is.

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They sell their own eggs here.

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They just have an honesty box.

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-Good idea. We'd like to keep that up, wouldn't we?

-Yeah.

-Good.

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-You have to keep some chickens.

-Yeah, that'd be good.

-Alpacas don't lay eggs.

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-Well...

-No, that's true.

-Is that news to you?

-That's true.

-Let's look inside.

-OK.

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In a wonderfully rural location,

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this cottage was built in 1881,

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with a modern extension added in the '90s.

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Okey-doke, come right in.

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So, living room first off.

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A meeting of old and maybe new dimensions.

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What do you think?

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It's a good-size room.

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Yes, spacious room

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-and it's got the wood burner you've always wanted.

-That's right.

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It's so old, this cottage is,

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but you've got a good-size room in here.

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It's a good-size room, I like it.

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It's got this olde-worlde look about it

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but it's nice and bright.

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There's planning permission to knock down the storeroom

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and build a large, single-storey extension,

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very useful for Sue's dog-grooming business.

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But next up is the most important room for Frank.

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OK, now the kitchen, I'm hoping, will certainly be

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big enough for you. Frank?

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It's wonderful. I love the range and the island unit.

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Four ovens. What are you going to cook on there?

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More than I'm cooking now.

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-Pressure's on, Frank, isn't it? Up your game.

-Oh, boy.

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One reason there's so much space in here

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is because you've got a utility, so all the white goods are out of the way,

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which is a real bonus.

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It's bigger than what we've got. This could work for me.

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As we walk through, we're coming back to the future.

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That was built in 1881, this is 1995.

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This next bit is 2007. Follow me.

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It's very nice, isn't it?

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Nice south-facing position.

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-A real addition to a house, isn't it?

-Yeah.

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-It'll be nice to have all our friends round.

-Brilliant.

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It's great to see Sue and Frank picturing themselves living here.

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Let's see if they'll be at home on the first floor.

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Upstairs, the bright, modern family bathroom serves two of the bedrooms -

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a single room and a perfectly pink-decorated double room.

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This is the master bedroom.

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Initially it doesn't seem as big because downstairs is bigger.

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Yeah. Plenty of room in here, though.

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-Good enough for a double bed.

-Yeah, and I notice

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-it's got the en-suite bathroom.

-Nice view out the window of the countryside.

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All very positive.

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-So... so far...

-So good, yeah.

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I like it. I can see ourselves in here.

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I'd have no problem living here.

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So, a resounding thumbs-up for the property.

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But Sue's focus is the land, so let's see if it's up to scratch.

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The extensive back garden is mostly laid to lawn,

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with a vegetable patch, a chicken coop and an original stone piggery.

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As for the horses, will two tree-lined paddocks surrounded by fields be suitable?

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-What do we think?

-Wonderful.

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-Do we?

-Yeah. I love the way it slopes away from you,

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because the horses will hang around by the gate waiting for their food.

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It's best if it drains away, or they trash the ground

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and end up up to the knees in mud, so I like that about it.

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You've got, all in all, a plot size of around two-and-a-half acres.

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-It goes right down... See the tree line?

-Yes.

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-Right down to the bottom of those trees.

-Oh.

-Wow.

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We've had pretty good reactions all round the house,

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and now outside on the land.

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-Yeah.

-Yes. We've definitely got a good feel for it.

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I'm getting good vibes from both of you guys.

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-Let's have a go at guessing the price.

-Oh.

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How much do you think this house is on the market for, Sue?

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355,000.

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-OK.

-I'll go more than that.

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I think it's going to be about 380.

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Well, it's split the camp.

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When this property came on the market, it came on at 385.

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But it's now been reduced to offers around £365,000.

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-So in your haggle zone if you like.

-It's certainly worth considering.

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I wouldn't mind having a second viewing.

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There we go, then.

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-That's promising, isn't it?

-It's a good start.

-Yeah.

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-First property, big tick.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

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Just over budget at £365,000,

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this residential small holding has got us off to a great start,

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comprising of a late-19th-century 3-bed cottage

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with a large kitchen/breakfast room.

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Outside, the grounds cover some 2.5 acres with two paddocks,

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which makes one apiece for the horses.

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-The dogs could have a good run.

-Yeah, it's all nicely enclosed.

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They could be out here all day with us.

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I thought it was lovely. I liked the location.

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I need to do some homework,

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find out what sort of off-road riding there is around here

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and then maybe give it a second viewing.

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My favourite bit of the house was the kitchen. Could I do some baking!

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-Are these satisfied faces I see?

-Pleasantly surprised.

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-Good, as I am with your reactions. Shall we go?

-Yeah.

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With its breathtaking coastline and stunning scenery,

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Cornwall attracts four million tourists every year.

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But away from the delights of the surf and turf,

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this county was once home to a much tougher industry, mining,

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providing the majority of the country's tin and copper.

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During the week, Frank and Sue headed to Carclaze Mine

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near St Austell,

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once the largest open tin mine in the world.

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Mining expert Ivor Bowditch was on hand to tell them more

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about the wealth beneath the soil.

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We know over the long history of concentrated mining,

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probably somewhere in the order of 200 years,

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some thousands of tons were produced.

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The sheer value of the mined material, at today's value, half a billion pounds,

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that's a lot of money's worth of metal.

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What were the working conditions like for the miners?

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Extremely poor by today's standards.

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The mines were dangerous, very damp.

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The workers worked long hours

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with little light.

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The average life

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of a miner was pretty grim.

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You didn't get much past your mid-30s in the early days.

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By the mid-19th century, cheaper ores from abroad

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sent Cornish metal mines into massive decline.

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However, Carclaze was found to contain huge quantities of China clay,

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so from the 1860s, clay mining took over as the area's principal industry.

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By 1860, 65,000 tons of white clay were being mined each year.

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The village and port of Charlestown in St Austell Bay was purpose-built

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to serve the new thriving industry,

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exporting the product throughout the world.

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-What is China clay used for?

-50 per cent goes into paper,

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30 per cent to our oldest industry, ceramics,

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everything from fine porcelain to industrial applications,

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and the rest into products like paint, rubber, plastics, sealants, adhesives, medicines.

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Every day we probably either touch something or take something that contains China clay.

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White clay was first used in China more than 10,000 years ago

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to make fine porcelain, which was highly sought-after in Europe.

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So the Cornish discovery in the mid-1700s of a similar clay product

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by the Quaker pharmacist William Cookworthy

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was a real breakthrough for the county economy.

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Remarkably, Charlestown has largely escaped development,

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and remains a working port

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with tall ships regularly at anchor in the Grade-II-listed harbour.

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And as one of the most preserved places on the Cornish coast,

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visitors can transport themselves back in time

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a couple of hundred years.

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For our next house,

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we're travelling to Roche in the centre of the county.

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The village gets its name from Roche Rock, a granite outcrop

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featuring the ruins of a 15th-century chapel precariously perched on top.

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Roche also has a parish church with medieval tower.

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But it's the neighbouring Goss Moor National Nature Reserve that should excite our buyers,

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covering nearly 500 hectares of mostly flat moorland,

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ideal for horseriding.

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The property is part of an agricultural community,

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and is rurally situated on the outskirts of the village.

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I think from this garden, you get a better look at the house,

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and how quite attractive it is, as well.

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-Wow, it's really nice.

-Yes. It looks sort of

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as if it's fairly modern, built in a traditional style.

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I hope it will please you both.

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I like the granite lintels over the windows.

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Well, the majority of the house is some 300-odd years old.

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But it's been vastly modernized and extended

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to what you see today.

0:19:420:19:45

So you get your old cottage, and you get your modern interiors.

0:19:450:19:49

Let's go inside, come on.

0:19:490:19:50

Right, first things first.

0:20:010:20:02

This house is obviously unfurnished, it's empty,

0:20:020:20:06

-so I'll need you to use your imaginations when we walk around here.

-OK.

0:20:060:20:11

Our first room we come to is a little ante-room or snug.

0:20:110:20:16

You've got an open fireplace there,

0:20:160:20:18

which leads into a much bigger room just through here.

0:20:180:20:22

-Oh, I like this.

-Is this the lounge?

0:20:250:20:28

-If you want it to be, yeah.

-Then that could be the dining room.

0:20:280:20:32

-OK, that works, doesn't it?

-Either way, yeah.

0:20:320:20:35

-I think we could cope quite well in here.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:20:350:20:38

It seems to have a homely feel.

0:20:380:20:41

That's good, because it's difficult to put that into someone's mind in an empty property.

0:20:410:20:47

But you're feeling a vibe here.

0:20:470:20:49

Yeah. It's a tidy-looking place, yet it's olde-worlde as well.

0:20:490:20:54

Great stuff. Let's see what you make of the kitchen, through here.

0:20:540:20:58

You've got a utility room through there and a ground-floor bathroom next door. Now Frank,

0:20:590:21:06

this is your domain. What do you think?

0:21:060:21:09

I like it. It's a lovely kitchen. Not as big as the last one we saw,

0:21:090:21:14

but it's workable.

0:21:140:21:17

I could even get Sue interested in doing the washing-up,

0:21:170:21:21

because she's always wanted to see the horses out the kitchen window, and what better view could she get?

0:21:210:21:28

-You could feed them a carrot over the sink.

-Certainly could.

0:21:280:21:31

You get a very different style to this house.

0:21:310:21:34

-It feels connected with the outside a bit more, doesn't it?

-Yes.

0:21:340:21:38

Is there anything in this house on the downstairs that you'd like to see that you haven't yet seen?

0:21:380:21:44

Somewhere you can kick off your boots and hang your coat.

0:21:460:21:51

-You want that in the country.

-Yeah.

-You've got a boot room there.

0:21:510:21:55

Stable door, another part of the extension.

0:21:550:21:58

It's got heating, so you get your muddy boots off there,

0:21:580:22:01

into the rest of the house.

0:22:010:22:03

That wraps up the ground floor and I think we're hitting all the right notes.

0:22:030:22:08

In the corner of the lounge, the stairs lead up to the sleeping quarters,

0:22:080:22:12

where there are two light double rooms, one with built-in wardrobes

0:22:120:22:16

and down the landing is the third bedroom.

0:22:160:22:19

So the master bedroom, like the first property, is en-suite.

0:22:210:22:25

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

-Mm.

0:22:250:22:28

Nice bright room.

0:22:280:22:29

I'm just visualizing our pine furniture here.

0:22:290:22:33

Pine would certainly go with this home.

0:22:340:22:37

What does that smirk mean?

0:22:370:22:40

I... I just like the place, that it's all up together.

0:22:400:22:43

We could spend time outside. We could be straight in.

0:22:430:22:47

That's one happy customer mentally packing his bags to move in.

0:22:470:22:51

Which just leaves Sue, and I've got the perfect place for pet pampering,

0:22:510:22:56

back outside in the garden.

0:22:560:22:58

Just want to have a quick peek in here.

0:23:010:23:04

It's laid out as an office at the moment.

0:23:040:23:07

-Dogs?

-Yeah, this would make a superb dog-grooming workshop.

0:23:080:23:13

Which means you don't have to encroach on your own living space.

0:23:130:23:18

With the pooches sorted, it's just the horses left,

0:23:180:23:22

and they'll be well catered for here,

0:23:220:23:25

as this place comes with its own stable yard.

0:23:250:23:28

There are three timber stables and a feed store,

0:23:280:23:30

alongside three hedged and fenced paddocks, as well as two field shelters.

0:23:300:23:35

Now I'm hoping for both of you, this is your equestrian dream.

0:23:350:23:41

-I mean, look around.

-Yeah.

0:23:410:23:44

-This is what I've always wanted.

-This is it.

0:23:440:23:47

It's fantastic.

0:23:470:23:49

-Just under two acres this time.

-Mm-hm.

0:23:490:23:52

But maybe slightly better configured.

0:23:520:23:55

Yes, I...

0:23:550:23:56

-That's our compromise.

-Yeah.

0:23:560:23:59

I think we could manage it if we made use of the stables.

0:23:590:24:03

After seeing the first property,

0:24:030:24:05

how much would you like to pay for this one?

0:24:050:24:07

360,000.

0:24:070:24:10

-Frank?

-Bit lower than that, 340.

0:24:100:24:13

It's on the market for 350.

0:24:140:24:17

So you're there or thereabouts. What do you think?

0:24:170:24:20

Pretty good. We might need a second viewing.

0:24:200:24:23

That's two second viewings.

0:24:230:24:25

-Excellent.

-I could really feel at home here.

-Yeah.

0:24:250:24:28

Have a think about

0:24:280:24:30

not only the land, but what you could do with these stables and how you could make it work.

0:24:300:24:35

Catch you later on.

0:24:350:24:37

Bang on budget at £350,000,

0:24:390:24:42

our second offering is right on the money when it comes to Sue and Frank's wish list.

0:24:420:24:47

The delightful 3-bedroom house offers modern living

0:24:470:24:50

packaged up in a traditional building.

0:24:500:24:54

The grounds extend to just under two acres,

0:24:540:24:57

and include three paddocks and a stable yard.

0:24:570:25:00

I thought it was lovely. It looked like a nice, bright, cheerful little house.

0:25:000:25:05

I can imagine all our bits and pieces all around. It really felt like home.

0:25:050:25:09

I can see myself living in this house.

0:25:090:25:12

All we would have to do is bring our furniture and personal possessions,

0:25:120:25:17

and I know exactly where they would go.

0:25:170:25:19

I think the land here is perfectly adequate.

0:25:190:25:22

Not as much of it as the first place.

0:25:220:25:24

But it's got some lovely stables and it's got two shelters.

0:25:240:25:30

So...

0:25:300:25:32

-You're the one who's going to have to deal with it. I do the cooking.

-Yeah.

0:25:320:25:36

-Here they are. All done in there?

-Yes, thank you.

0:25:360:25:40

So, successful day?

0:25:400:25:42

Yes. It's got better as the day's gone on, and it started well.

0:25:420:25:46

It feels like it's gone pretty well. I'm quite chuffed.

0:25:460:25:49

Let's get out of here and find somewhere for a chat.

0:25:490:25:53

With the moon rising over the Cornish landscape,

0:26:020:26:05

the first day of our house quest ends on a real high.

0:26:050:26:08

On a budget of £350,000,

0:26:130:26:15

we're on a hunt for a remote Cornish home

0:26:150:26:18

to unite Dorset-based Frank and Sue with their two horses.

0:26:180:26:22

So far, they've seen two great equestrian properties.

0:26:220:26:26

Pretty good. We might need a second viewing.

0:26:260:26:30

That's two second viewings.

0:26:300:26:32

Still to come, we'll be sweetening them up with the mystery house.

0:26:320:26:36

I can just tap on the window and get him to bring my hot chocolate up.

0:26:360:26:42

You may have noticed yesterday

0:26:440:26:46

that although Frank and Sue said it was the land that was important, not the houses,

0:26:460:26:51

once inside, I got some fantastic reactions, especially in the second property.

0:26:510:26:57

They used their imagination, even though the house was completely empty.

0:26:570:27:01

So today, let's hope they're equally open-minded,

0:27:010:27:04

because they'll need to be, for the mystery house.

0:27:040:27:08

Do we have to keep our eyes closed?

0:27:110:27:13

-I know my way around here well.

-Do you?

0:27:130:27:16

-Tell me when you're out of your comfort zone.

-We've got a way to go to Truro.

0:27:160:27:21

We've got plenty of petrol in the tank, so wait and see.

0:27:210:27:25

I hope Frank and Sue are sitting comfortably,

0:27:250:27:27

as we're travelling into southern Cornwall,

0:27:270:27:30

where our final destination is Carn Entral,

0:27:300:27:33

quite a bit further west than they had anticipated.

0:27:330:27:36

Our mystery house presents a slice of rural Cornwall at its best,

0:27:360:27:41

with green, rolling hills in one direction

0:27:410:27:43

and incredible, far-reaching views out to the north coast

0:27:430:27:47

and St Ives in the other.

0:27:470:27:49

Carn Entral is home to some of the best bridal ways in the county,

0:27:490:27:53

and for the ultimate Cornish trek, Gwithian Beach is nearby,

0:27:530:27:57

with miles of golden sand to ride on.

0:27:570:28:00

So far we've found enough land for the horses, but not Frank's alpacas,

0:28:000:28:05

so we're hoping that heading out west will offer the solution.

0:28:050:28:09

And the house itself is an old Victorian miner's cottage.

0:28:090:28:14

What are your thoughts?

0:28:140:28:15

-I like the look of that.

-It looks good from outside.

0:28:150:28:18

Is it all up together, Frank?

0:28:180:28:20

It looks good from here.

0:28:200:28:22

-Can't wait to see the inside.

-Let's do just that.

0:28:220:28:25

This typical Cornish cottage is chock-full of character,

0:28:260:28:30

and dates back to the late 1800s.

0:28:300:28:32

We're starting the tour in the kitchen.

0:28:320:28:35

Quite a different kind of kitchen than we've seen so far.

0:28:390:28:43

Yeah, I like it, actually. It's quite quirky, isn't it?

0:28:440:28:48

We are standing in what used to be the outside of the house.

0:28:480:28:52

So there is the old outside wall, you can see the old window.

0:28:520:28:55

-It's stone. High ceilings, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:28:550:28:59

-It is different. All very workable.

-Yeah.

0:28:590:29:02

But we're not using superlatives

0:29:020:29:06

for this kitchen at the moment.

0:29:060:29:09

What do you think, Sue? What's going through your mind?

0:29:090:29:12

I quite like it, actually. It's erm...

0:29:120:29:14

It's got plenty of storage space. and everything, and erm...

0:29:150:29:19

It's quite a pretty little kitchen.

0:29:190:29:21

All right. This is a muted start, I think.

0:29:210:29:25

Let's see what you think of the living room.

0:29:250:29:27

Hopefully things will get better there. Follow me.

0:29:270:29:31

The living room, by the looks of it, used to be maybe two rooms.

0:29:340:29:39

What's your thoughts?

0:29:390:29:40

-It's lovely.

-It's lovely, this.

-Yeah.

0:29:400:29:43

-Spacious.

-I like the stone walls and the beams.

-Yeah.

0:29:430:29:47

-All done very tastefully.

-Feels solid this house, doesn't it?

0:29:470:29:51

-Look at these walls!

-Stand for 1,000 years.

0:29:510:29:53

-Really impressive, isn't it?

-Yeah, oh, gosh.

0:29:530:29:56

It's lovely, very homely-looking.

0:29:560:29:58

Next to the sitting room is a cosy conservatory overlooking the back garden and water feature.

0:30:000:30:06

The ground floor also has a second reception room,

0:30:060:30:08

referred to as the third bedroom, as well as a handsome navy-tiled family bathroom.

0:30:080:30:14

That's the ground floor, so it's back to the kitchen

0:30:140:30:17

to take the stairs up to the other two bedrooms.

0:30:170:30:20

So up on the first floor, they've cleverly used the eaves for the dog's bedroom.

0:30:200:30:26

Oh, that's clever.

0:30:260:30:28

Two bedrooms on this level. This is the master.

0:30:280:30:31

-Nice, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's really nice, actually.

0:30:310:30:34

Nice cosy little room.

0:30:340:30:36

-I like the exposed stone.

-Yeah.

0:30:360:30:39

It feels quirky. For a bog-standard miner's cottage, what they've done,

0:30:390:30:43

I like the storage space, almost like a minstrel gallery,

0:30:430:30:48

and the window into the kitchen. Shout your orders through, Sue.

0:30:480:30:52

Yeah, I can just tap on the window

0:30:520:30:55

and get him to bring my hot chocolate up.

0:30:550:30:59

There you go.

0:30:590:31:01

Across the hallway is another characterful double bedroom.

0:31:010:31:05

That's the house tour complete. Time to size up what's outside.

0:31:050:31:10

You've got a selection of outbuildings.

0:31:100:31:14

I don't know how you like to arrange these.

0:31:140:31:16

You've got a decent-size stable, a lean-to

0:31:160:31:19

and you've got that shed, so you tell me

0:31:190:31:22

what you'd use those for.

0:31:220:31:23

I'd use that as the dog-grooming workshop.

0:31:230:31:26

-Would it be big enough?

-Yeah, it would.

0:31:260:31:28

It doesn't have to be that big.

0:31:280:31:31

That takes care of business. Let's finish up with the land.

0:31:320:31:37

Now you've got a whole arrangement of paddocks here

0:31:380:31:41

looking down over this valley, if you like.

0:31:420:31:45

We've got a paddock across the driveway, a paddock here which is yours.

0:31:450:31:50

Next door as well, but also going up, and it flattens out up there.

0:31:500:31:55

Now the owner has something like four horses,

0:31:550:31:59

-so easy enough for two.

-Yeah.

0:31:590:32:01

Or maybe alpacas. They could cope with this terrain.

0:32:010:32:06

They're used to a bit of mountain climbing.

0:32:060:32:10

Yes, quite.

0:32:100:32:11

What's your thoughts?

0:32:110:32:13

Erm... It's a nice lot of land. Erm...

0:32:130:32:16

But it's quite steep.

0:32:160:32:18

I'm worried my 32-year-old might go for a roll

0:32:180:32:22

and go rolling right down the hill.

0:32:220:32:25

These horses here are getting on a bit as well.

0:32:250:32:29

It's flatter up there, but that's something to bear in mind, of course.

0:32:290:32:33

But you do have just under four acres of land here.

0:32:330:32:38

Yeah. That's a useful amount of ground.

0:32:380:32:41

You can certainly rest some of it and use other bits of it.

0:32:410:32:45

-You'd rotate these paddocks.

-Yeah.

0:32:450:32:47

So, with that in mind, the just under four acres of land,

0:32:470:32:52

and the character property,

0:32:520:32:54

how much do you think this mystery house might be on the market for?

0:32:540:32:58

355,000.

0:32:580:33:01

-OK. Frank?

-I'll go a bit lower at 345.

0:33:020:33:05

HE SUCKS HIS TEETH

0:33:050:33:07

Right. Well...

0:33:070:33:09

You maybe haven't taken into account the price of land.

0:33:090:33:13

This place is on the market for offers around £385,000.

0:33:130:33:18

Go and walk the land, look at the quality of the keep here

0:33:190:33:23

and the terrain, and when you get back in the house, look at the rooms you've not seen.

0:33:230:33:29

Catch you in a bit.

0:33:290:33:30

Not the reactions we had in the first two properties.

0:33:330:33:36

But it's a different option with more land.

0:33:360:33:39

I'm glad they saw it.

0:33:390:33:41

At £385,000,

0:33:420:33:44

the mystery property is a stone-built Victorian miner's cottage

0:33:440:33:47

with three potential bedrooms and space for Sue's business.

0:33:470:33:53

Plus there's space for the horses and Frank's alpaca enterprise with grounds that cover four acres.

0:33:530:34:00

But will the land here be too much of an uphill struggle?

0:34:000:34:04

It's all right for alpacas, but we've got to think about the horses.

0:34:050:34:10

We need somewhere where they're gonna see their days out.

0:34:100:34:14

Yeah.

0:34:140:34:15

I wasn't particularly keen on the view,

0:34:150:34:18

but the house itself is lovely, it's full of character.

0:34:180:34:21

If I could pick this house up and plonk it somewhere else, it would be perfect.

0:34:210:34:26

The location, I feel, is too far west.

0:34:260:34:28

The property is beautifully presented.

0:34:280:34:32

The living room is exceptional.

0:34:320:34:34

The kitchen is very quirky,

0:34:340:34:36

and it would have been nice to have had an en-suite upstairs.

0:34:360:34:40

So, have we seen enough?

0:34:400:34:43

-Yes, I think we have.

-Good.

0:34:430:34:46

Now you need to have a chat amongst yourselves.

0:34:460:34:49

-Then we can have a recap.

-Fine.

-This way.

0:34:490:34:52

We've given Frank and Sue time to weigh up their options.

0:34:580:35:02

Now it's time to find out if we've struck gold.

0:35:020:35:05

Let's concentrate on these houses.

0:35:080:35:11

The first property we went to see.

0:35:110:35:13

What do you remember about it?

0:35:130:35:15

I noticed it had a lovely sunny aspect.

0:35:150:35:17

Fantastic kitchen.

0:35:170:35:20

Lovely view.

0:35:200:35:21

-There was also a project element to it.

-Yeah.

0:35:210:35:23

-You had the ability to build on to the gable end for your dog business.

-Yes.

0:35:230:35:29

How did you find the layout to the land there?

0:35:290:35:31

The paddocks were nice. The only thing against it was

0:35:310:35:35

-that you couldn't see the horses from the house.

-OK. Fair enough.

0:35:350:35:39

So the second property, completely empty,

0:35:390:35:41

you had to use your imaginations. What's your thoughts now there?

0:35:410:35:46

I like going into an empty property because straightaway I could

0:35:460:35:50

see where to put our furniture. It looked like home to me.

0:35:500:35:54

A very tidy house,

0:35:540:35:55

well maintained.

0:35:550:35:58

Lots of extra things that we hadn't even asked for,

0:35:580:36:02

like the stable block and the shelters,

0:36:020:36:05

and the wonderful office workshop for the dog grooming.

0:36:050:36:09

Yep. And also,

0:36:090:36:11

you just mentioned the first house, you couldn't see your horses on the land.

0:36:110:36:16

The second house, you could wash up while having a conversation with them.

0:36:160:36:20

It was Sue's dream of moving to the country

0:36:200:36:24

to be at the kitchen window and see the horses with their heads over the paddock fence.

0:36:240:36:31

And well,

0:36:310:36:34

-that did it.

-Pretty close to the dream, isn't it?

-Yeah.

0:36:340:36:37

So because we'd got so close to the dream,

0:36:370:36:40

the mystery house was to find something completely different.

0:36:400:36:45

And we thought that something different would be an area

0:36:450:36:49

way outside your target area.

0:36:490:36:51

-You didn't want to be further west than...

-Truro.

0:36:510:36:55

What do you think about it now we've come back to base?

0:36:550:36:59

I really liked the house.

0:36:590:37:01

The lounge was absolutely gorgeous.

0:37:010:37:04

It had been so tastefully decorated.

0:37:040:37:06

A really beautiful place.

0:37:060:37:08

But I wasn't so keen on the view.

0:37:080:37:11

The paddocks I didn't think were ideal for our two old horses.

0:37:110:37:16

They were very steep. The property was wonderfully presented,

0:37:160:37:20

but there was something that didn't do it for me.

0:37:200:37:24

So out of all three houses that we've seen,

0:37:240:37:26

have you agreed on a favourite?

0:37:260:37:28

-Yes.

-Yes. Straightaway, yes.

0:37:280:37:31

-The one at Roche, the second one.

-Number two.

-Yeah.

0:37:310:37:34

-No big surprise there.

-We've compromised, because

0:37:340:37:37

it hasn't got as much land as we originally wanted.

0:37:370:37:40

But I think Sue

0:37:400:37:42

thinks she can manage that well for her horses.

0:37:420:37:45

Yeah. With the stables, if I make use of the stables,

0:37:450:37:50

I'll be able to manage.

0:37:500:37:53

Between you you've got a great balance of head versus heart.

0:37:530:37:57

I'm sure you'll find some middle ground. The best of luck.

0:37:570:38:01

-Please let us know how you've got on.

-We will.

0:38:010:38:04

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:38:040:38:06

After trying to escape to Cornwall for so long,

0:38:090:38:13

Frank and Sue may well have finally found what they were looking for.

0:38:130:38:17

The second property does give them exactly what they asked for -

0:38:170:38:21

a great house with a wonderful kitchen for Frank,

0:38:210:38:24

and all that land for the horses.

0:38:240:38:27

So fingers crossed the second viewing goes according to plan. See you next time.

0:38:270:38:32

It was property two that worked its magic on our buyers.

0:38:320:38:35

They had a second viewing and put in an offer of £330,000,

0:38:350:38:40

and I'm thrilled to say it's been accepted.

0:38:400:38:44

So we wish them and their horses all the best

0:38:440:38:47

for their new life in the Cornish countryside.

0:38:470:38:50

If you'd like to escape to the country

0:38:500:38:52

in Wales, Scotland, N Ireland or England and need our help,

0:38:520:38:55

please apply online at -

0:38:550:38:57

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