Cotswolds Escape to the Country


Cotswolds

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As well as hosting Henry III's coronation and housing Edward II's tomb,

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this 1,000-year-old cathedral also contains one of the earliest

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known depictions of one of Britain's most popular sports.

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Find out which sport and which cathedral in just a moment.

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'Today, our couple both have very different views

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'of what they want from their move to the country.'

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One seems to prefer modern.

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You don't like the beams? No?

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-No.

-Too much beamage?

-Oh, yeah.

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-The other favours period properties.

-This is a great house, but it's not because of the look.

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But who will win the battle?

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I'm holding myself. I like it. I really like.

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Don't hold yourself. Let go.

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Mark is already cutting my head off.

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Welcome to the glories of Gloucester Cathedral, here in the heart of the Cotswolds.

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You won't be surprised to see a stained-glass window in the cathedral,

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but you might be surprised to see a golfer in a stained-glass window.

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There he is in that little red circle and he's not a modern golfer.

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He's been there since 1350.

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But it's not necessarily sport that's made the Cotswolds famous.

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Situated within six counties in the upper part of south-west England,

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the region has attracted artists, writers and composers,

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all falling for the fluid landscape and beautiful stone homes.

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In fact, novelist and playwright J B Priestly wrote

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about this local limestone, saying, "Even when the sun is obscured and the light is cold, these walls are

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"still faintly warm and luminous, as if they knew the trick of keeping the lost sunlight of centuries."

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Covering 790 square miles, this is Britain's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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Manor houses overlook vistas of lush, green pastures,

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dotted with grazing sheep, wandering in and out of medieval stone enclosures.

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In fact, that's where the name Cotswolds comes from.

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A "cot" was a stone pen for sheep and the "wolds" are rolling hills.

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In fact, the landscape is scattered with medieval wool churches and

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handsome market towns built on the profits of those sheep's fleeces.

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And cathedral choirboys have been singing the Cotswolds' praises for centuries.

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Of course, in the idyllic English countryside stakes, the Cotswolds does score pretty highly.

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I mean, it has beautiful architecture,

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lush, verdant countryside and great train links into London.

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But, oh, boy, is it expensive! Up to 45% above the national average.

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Yes, that's right, 45%.

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But take a look at what that can buy you.

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For £1.25 million, you're not just paying for the overwhelming views across the lush countryside.

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This five-bedroom, beautifully appointed, Victorian farmhouse

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has a modern kitchen that keeps the spirit of the house intact,

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a dining room anyone would be proud of, and after the meal,

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why not relax with a drink in the grand drawing room?

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If you're looking for a cottage, then this £695,000 property is literally a barnstormer,

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making use of the attached barn and converting it into a lovely reception with a vaulted ceiling.

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The kitchen opens out into the dining room

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for a great entertaining space with character beams and a log burner.

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With four bedrooms, this cottage can certainly handle a few city folk dropping in for the weekend.

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For £345,000, this two-bedroom, Grade II listed cottage is like taking a stroll into another time.

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Overlooking a beautifully manicured garden,

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this living room is the perfect place to sit by the fire

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after a meal whipped up in the pretty little kitchen.

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Surely, even the most hardened city dweller could be lured out of their urban ways

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by those beautiful properties, which is a good job,

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because at least one half of our couple today is a hardened urbanite.

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Only one half, though. Let's meet them.

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Mark and Luciano own a small listed apartment within the City of London's square mile.

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Mark works in finance and Luciano is a trained chemical engineer.

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But Mark, in particular, is starting to outgrow their cosy urban bolt-hole.

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It's a relatively small one-bedroom flat, where I really want at least, I think, at maximum, three -

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Luciano wants four - bedrooms. The kitchen is incredibly small.

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-Very tiny kitchen.

-Out of date.

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Bathroom, don't even go there. It has no outdoor space.

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We can't do anything with the house because it's listed.

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Even with its limitations, being just five minutes from Mark's work has been very convenient

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and they are in the fortunate position of being able to hang on

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to the flat and upsize to a spacious country home, although Luciano does have reservations.

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Most of the time Mark is working, so I have only my friends to go and talk and have a coffee or something.

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And if I live too far away, how am I going to do it? I don't drive.

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Even though Luciano doesn't drive, they do agree that the best region for them to move to

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is the Cotswolds, so he's not too remote from his friends in the city.

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It's got great communications to London.

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It's incredibly beautiful. You're also near South Wales and some natural beauty there.

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It's countryside, but there's a degree of sophistication in the Cotswolds

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which may not be there in some more remote areas of the countryside.

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Mark's right about the connections to London, especially if Luciano

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needs some time in the city with his friends.

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But is there anything that might persuade Luciano to stay in the country?

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When you buy a house, it's not like buying clothes.

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You buy a house, you want to keep a house for a long time.

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And for a long time, I want to have kids.

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And because I want to have kids, I want a bigger house because I want them to have their own rooms.

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OK. So what are the other must-haves?

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For me, it must have a big kitchen.

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I don't mind an open-plan kitchen which connects with the sitting room,

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where I can cook and my friends can be there and sit and we can talk.

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I don't need to stop and go and see what they're doing. Just go one side or another.

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And if it's possible,

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have a lake... a river, nearby.

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-A pond, you mean?

-I like to live by the water. No, not a pond.

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I love to live by the water.

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One of the things I've always wanted to do

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is have a garden. I mean, I kill plants in two seconds flat, mind you.

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What I'm hoping to do is find someone who knows how to garden who could teach me.

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But it's more actually about being in the country, as much in the country as I can persuade Luciano to be.

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-As far as possible.

-Exactly.

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So without selling their flat, how much do they have to spend?

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Maximum budget I think, for the actual house itself, is about £600,000, cos that means we've got

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another 100,000 or so which we could then spend on the house and make it a little bit more perfect for us.

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I have an impression this could be one of our most interesting escapes, because not only do we have to find

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the two of them a beautiful house, and Mark and Luciano both have quite exacting tastes,

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but we have to convince Luciano that moving to the countryside is not the end of the world.

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What we don't want to end up with is an escape from the countryside!

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Today, we're casting our property net across two counties,

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Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, prime Cotswolds territory.

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Prices in this area are at a premium, so on reflection,

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Mark and Luciano have decided to up their budget from 600 to £700,000.

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We'll show them some properties that'll whet their appetite for country life,

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but I'm not going to tell them the price until the end of the tour,

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and who knows, maybe the mystery house

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will bring this pair of personalities into alignment.

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-Morning, gentlemen.

-Good morning.

-How are you?

-Very well.

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Welcome to, well, Oxfordshire, bit of the Cotswolds. We're on the edge of the countryside, Luciano.

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-I know.

-How are you feeling? Getting jittery?

-No, no. I really like.

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So that's the plan, convince Luciano to...

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We've got to try to sort of integrate Luciano into the countryside, little bit by little bit.

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We'll find you a beautiful house, of course, that makes all the difference. Before anything else,

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-I just want to be clear about the budget.

-Yes. The budget's 700,000.

-Ah.

-Maybe more, maybe a bit less.

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-It all depends, really.

-But also, nicely for us, you're not really interested in period properties,

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-or not old, old period...

-No. I think we're quite broad spread in what we think we might like.

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-That's perfect.

-Perfect.

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Well, the only way we're going to find out is by looking and

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you've obviously got to take a deep breath of this lovely country air. Brace yourself.

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What is the thing you fear most about the countryside?

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-Oh, get stuck in the kitchen, chained to the oven, and never see my friends again.

-Ah.

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Which is ridiculous, because one of the reasons we want to come here is it's a couple of hours from London.

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I feel like I'm refereeing a kind of argument!

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-I feel that might happen all day long. Let's start looking at houses.

-Thank you.

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So let's do a quick recap. With a top budget of £700,000,

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Mark and Luciano are after a detached property with at least three bedrooms

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to cater for the future pitter-patter of tiny feet.

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An open-plan kitchen/diner is on the menu for entertaining and a garden for Mark to develop his green thumb.

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Luciano is also very keen on a home near a river or a lake.

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Our first property is situated in Great Rollright in north-west Oxfordshire.

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It's 11 miles by bus from the mainline station at Banbury,

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should Luciano need a quick escape to the city.

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It's a small village, where limestone-built houses hide

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behind the stone walls that line the pretty lane.

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Manor houses and well-kept larger estates congregate around the partly Norman St Andrew's Church

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and the local primary school.

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'And just outside the village, Mark can even pick up some supplies for his gardening hobby.'

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This is the first house I want to show you guys.

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-What do you think?

-I think it looks lovely.

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It's gorgeous. I love it.

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This was built in the 1970s.

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-Oh, OK.

-So it's actually quite a new build,

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but obviously built using original materials and it has been extended.

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This sort of garage wing, if you like, was put on 15 years ago. So there has been some work done.

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-But it's actually quite a modern property.

-Great.

-It looks very nice.

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'Not a bad start, really.

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'Outside, the tiled roof complements the reclaimed stone, which I think is a lovely touch.

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'And inside, the hallway connects all six rooms on the ground floor.'

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Straight into the sitting room.

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Yes, this is lovely. It's a nice size.

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-A nice fireplace, too.

-Nice.

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I don't like the wood, though.

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You don't like the beams? No?

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-No.

-Too much beamage?

-Yeah.

-I think you could possibly get used to this.

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And then you go through these double doors into a formal dining room, but it could be anything.

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Do you use a formal dining room?

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No, not on a regular basis.

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Cos you could just extend the sitting room into here.

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Also I think because it's more connected to the sitting room,

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-you're probably going to use more than we use where we are now.

-Or I could use it as my office.

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Not in the middle of my sitting room!

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"Not in my sitting room!"

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-Sorry about that.

-Quite territorial. I like that.

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Yeah. I apologise for suggesting it.

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'Next stop, Luciano's domain, the kitchen.'

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This is actually the part of the house that was finished most recently.

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They renovated it completely, put in this range,

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which gives off a lot of heat.

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-Which is very country.

-Very country.

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Yeah, exactly. But I was worried about the size of this room.

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Yeah. It's not really big enough.

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It's bigger than we've got at the moment, I have to say, but it is a bit small.

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I gather it's not difficult to be bigger than the one you've got.

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-Anything is bigger than that.

-A postage stamp!

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What's your ideal in terms of a kitchen?

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I want an open-plan kitchen.

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I want to have a kitchen that has straight access to the sitting room.

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It might be difficult to make it open-plan to that sitting room, cos these are quite thick walls.

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But this extension could work.

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This, if you remember, is the extension they put on 15 years ago.

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But I think this would actually make a lovely kitchen.

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I think so. It's very, very bright in here as well.

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I like it. I really like it.

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Good. Cos that's not all.

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There's more on the ground floor.

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'Back down the hall is a shower room and at the other end of the house

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'is a spot I think Mark will find rather interesting.'

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Cos you've also got this.

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This is lovely. Nice and bright.

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-This is my room.

-You can use your books to keep you warm.

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Book burning?!

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-He doesn't like my books.

-Really? Have you got too many?

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-I don't think I've got too many.

-You can never have too many books.

-Exactly. I agree.

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And then you've also got this delightful little conservatory at

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the end, so when you're done with working, you can go and chill out.

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Luciano, you'll be there watering the plants.

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'And I thought Mark was the keen gardener! The plot thickens.

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'Heading upstairs, there are some lovely details created with

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'the reclaimed materials, like this slit window on the spiral stairs.

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'Upstairs, there are two good-size doubles built into the eaves, a cosy single and a family bathroom,

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'which means any children will be well catered for.

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'But we're heading to the main bedroom.'

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-This is a nice size. This is big enough.

-It's perfect.

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You've got an en suite with a shower. You've got a lot of built-in storage.

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But, extraordinarily, attached to this...

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..is this magical little place.

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-Wow!

-So this is above the extension and they use it as a sort of nursery, the little girl's room.

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It would be great to have the baby in here.

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No, this will be good for your dressing room, I think.

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'I do like a dressing room with a view.

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'Most of the rooms in the house look out onto the manicured,

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'wrap around gardens, which is where we're heading next.

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'Although not massive, what the gardens lack in space, they make up for in manageability.

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'After all, Mark freely admits he's a novice when it comes to keeping plants alive.'

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So that's your garden. It's not a massive country garden.

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-No.

-Mark won't be working in the garden anyway.

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Well, I'd have a gardener, but I would like a vegetable garden.

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I like the idea of having a few chickens and that kind of thing.

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I mean, you know, it's compromising, isn't it? So it's kind of... There's enough space to have some of that.

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The crucial question is price, this is the first property we've looked at.

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We need to get a gauge of what you get for your money. How much do you think this costs?

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If I was going to guess, I would say 695.

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-How about you?

-650.

-650?

-650, yeah.

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-It's actually in the market for 700.

-OK. Right.

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It's been on the market a while and there's flexibility in the market, so you could put in an offer.

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Have a look around inside, then I'll meet you out the front and then we can go on to the next house.

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At the top of their budget at £700,000, this modern build offers the space they're looking for.

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With potential for an open-plan kitchen/diner and five bedrooms, Luciano seems very pleased about

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the space for any future additions to their family.

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But will the wrap around gardens measure up for Mark?

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Ideally, I'd like a bigger garden. But frankly, I haven't been a gardener before,

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-so it's a starting place.

-There is a lot of place for you to kill the plants.

-Exactly.

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I like the fact there's lots

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of little tiny rooms. They're all kind of a very human size, quite comfortable.

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I'm quite surprised of my reaction, actually.

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I didn't realise I would like it as much as I like it.

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I'm going to have to tear you away, I'm afraid, gents, cos we've got other properties to look at,

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the rest of the Cotswolds to explore. But generally, good vibes?

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Yes, not too bad.

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Keeping your cards close to your chest. I like it.

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If Mark wants Luciano to fall in love with country life,

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then the majesty of the landscape, the architectural sophistication and the wonderfully rich history of

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Chipping Campden is a very good place to start convincing him.

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And this small town is a shining example of village life in this part of the country.

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Typical of the Cotswolds, with its 17th century limestone architecture,

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historian G M Trevelyan said, "Chipping Campden has the most beautiful village street

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"now left on the island." So we organised for Mark and Luciano to rendezvous

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with local guide Tim Sexton at this 300-year-old market hall in the town centre.

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-Good morning.

-Good morning. Lovely to meet you.

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-Nice to meet you, too. Right, let's go and see Chipping Campden.

-Great.

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In its early days, this pretty town thrived due to the wool trade.

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In fact, the term "chipping" actually comes from an old English word meaning "market".

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William Greville, one of the most influential wool merchants of his time, built this wonderful house

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in 1380, when it would have been the first property to have chimneys instead of holes in the roof.

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It's a pretty big house. Was he a very wealthy man?

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Yeah. He was a very wealthy man.

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As a wool merchant, he was probably one of the wealthiest men in England.

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He was so wealthy, he used to lend money to the crown, which was King Richard II at the time.

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So why did he build a house here?

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The reason he built here was because Campden was one of the foremost

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centres for the wool trade in that period.

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We'd get wool in from as far away as the Welsh Marches and it was brought

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here to be graded and packed, ready for transport to the continent.

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The wool was of such a fine quality.

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The local breed, the Cotswold Lion, produced such good quality wool

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and it just flourished on the local hills.

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Another thread woven into the fabric of this 600-year-old town

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is that of the Cotswolds Arts and Crafts movement.

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In 1880, architect Charles Robert Ashbee created the Guild of Handicraft in London,

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an eclectic mix of blacksmiths, silversmiths,

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jewellers, wood carvers, printers and cabinet makers.

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In 1902, in search of inspiration, Ashbee relocated the entire guild to Chipping Campden.

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Today, Julian Hart, the great-grandson of one of the original guild members,

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runs his silversmith workshop in the original building where the guild was housed over 100 years ago.

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One of the main reasons they moved here was, this was an old silk mill,

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that was lying empty, so it was ideal for the workshops.

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There were lots of houses that were quite run down at the time, ripe for renovation and there was a station in

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Campden with a direct line straight to London, with easy access back to London, where they had a front shop.

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-Has the workshop changed much?

-It hasn't changed much.

0:19:280:19:31

I mean, pretty much everything in here is as it was back then.

0:19:310:19:35

We've moved things round a bit, but the tools, the benches, were what they brought with them in 1900

0:19:350:19:41

and we've been using them in here ever since.

0:19:410:19:45

And today, unless you have a sharp eye and ignore the cars,

0:19:450:19:48

you might be convinced not much has changed here in the last 100 years, except property prices, of course.

0:19:480:19:55

Our second property is equidistant by bus from Oxford

0:20:020:20:05

and Didcot Parkway for those all important rail links into London.

0:20:050:20:09

Standlake is a typical Oxfordshire village with more local shops than

0:20:090:20:13

our first property and this should certainly appeal to Luciano.

0:20:130:20:17

And for Mark, there are some prize examples of chocolate-box kept properties.

0:20:170:20:21

I fear the budget they have won't necessarily offer

0:20:210:20:24

the location and period build they're after, which brings us to our next property.

0:20:240:20:29

House number two.

0:20:290:20:30

A very different confection.

0:20:300:20:34

-Yeah, it's very different.

-I quite like it again, actually.

-I like it.

0:20:340:20:39

Obviously, this is not disguised as an old property.

0:20:390:20:42

This is a fairly modern property, built in the 1980s.

0:20:420:20:45

-Is that wisteria?

-It's not wisteria, actually.

0:20:450:20:47

-It's Russian vine.

-I like it because it ages the house a bit, gives it a bit more character.

0:20:470:20:52

-I can't wait to get inside and have a look.

-And you're happy to have neighbours?

-Yes, very happy.

0:20:520:20:57

-Very happy.

-I thought you might be.

-Completely opposite of Mark.

0:20:570:21:01

Well, compromise is the name of the game.

0:21:010:21:04

Let's look inside.

0:21:040:21:05

'Mark may be hesitant about having neighbours close by, but if he can get over that,

0:21:070:21:11

'he should be impressed by the space, including an extension above the garage.

0:21:110:21:16

'Heading into the main hall is easy on the eye, too,

0:21:160:21:19

'as the interior has been rather tastefully remodelled throughout.'

0:21:190:21:23

Here is the formal sitting room.

0:21:230:21:26

This is quite a size. And again, the fireplace.

0:21:280:21:32

Lovely fireplace and then also, this really nice vaulted music part.

0:21:320:21:39

-Wow!

-You always wanted to have a piano, didn't you?

0:21:390:21:43

Yes, if I ever learn how to play.

0:21:430:21:46

What do you think?

0:21:460:21:48

Ah, it's a good-size room.

0:21:480:21:50

I'm holding myself. I like it. I really like.

0:21:500:21:53

Don't hold yourself. Let go.

0:21:530:21:55

Mark is already cutting my head off.

0:21:550:21:58

-Ah! Don't listen to him.

-Don't listen to me, exactly.

0:21:580:22:02

-I like this place. A lot of space. There's no...

-Beams.

-There are no beams.

0:22:020:22:06

The layout here is much, much simpler than it was in the last house.

0:22:060:22:10

Spacious rooms. French doors out into the garden.

0:22:100:22:13

-Lots and lots of light.

-I really like it.

0:22:130:22:16

So far, so good, but the kitchen was a slight stumbling block in the last property, so fingers crossed.

0:22:160:22:21

Here's the kitchen.

0:22:210:22:24

There's my kitchen.

0:22:240:22:26

There's your kitchen.

0:22:260:22:28

This is quite a kitchen.

0:22:280:22:30

It's beautifully laid out. A huge T-shaped kitchen.

0:22:300:22:33

Chinese slate on the floor, great big range, masses of storage.

0:22:330:22:36

These are all reclaimed wooden units from a Victorian conservatory

0:22:360:22:42

-that was going to be pulled down, so they've been reinstated.

-I really like it.

0:22:420:22:46

-Taken it all in?

-Yes, thank you.

-Can you imagine cooking and entertaining here?

0:22:460:22:50

-Yeah. I can imagine myself chained to that oven there.

-It's got a bar there for that.

0:22:500:22:57

But in terms of entertaining, would this work?

0:22:570:23:00

Because this is the dining space. There isn't another room.

0:23:000:23:03

No, I think so. Can do something about it.

0:23:030:23:06

Doesn't really need to be a dining room here.

0:23:060:23:08

As I said, the layout of this house is much simpler. There's the formal sitting room and music room,

0:23:080:23:14

there's this dining room/kitchen and then there's one more room down here.

0:23:140:23:18

With the utility room off the kitchen and a study next to that, it's a very functional ground floor,

0:23:180:23:24

but there is another option for Mark's workspace.

0:23:240:23:27

This is the space above the garage that they built up into

0:23:270:23:30

a couple of years ago and turned it into a sort of family, TV, snug room.

0:23:300:23:34

-This could be my office.

-It's a bit different from the other ones.

0:23:340:23:38

But there's only really two major rooms on the ground floor and this little tiny room up here.

0:23:380:23:44

-Does that work for you or do you prefer more rooms?

-It works for me.

0:23:440:23:49

You're sold. I won't even talk to you. What about you, Mark?

0:23:490:23:52

-Er...

-I love the house.

0:23:520:23:55

Again, a little bit agnostic at the moment.

0:23:550:23:58

"Agnostic", that's the first time I've heard that word in a house tour.

0:23:580:24:02

Even if he is non-committal about the space above the garage, this house does deliver,

0:24:020:24:07

with no less than five double bedrooms, so Luciano will have plenty of space for children.

0:24:070:24:12

Three have a dual aspect, one comes complete with en suite and there's also a good-sized family bathroom.

0:24:120:24:19

But we're heading to the master suite.

0:24:190:24:23

-This is the master bedroom.

-Mm.

0:24:230:24:26

What do you think?

0:24:270:24:29

I don't like the windows. Too small windows.

0:24:290:24:31

But that's not a problem. There's enough light.

0:24:310:24:34

-Yes. I mean, it's...

-Simple.

-Simple. That's the word for it, exactly.

0:24:340:24:40

You do have an en suite.

0:24:400:24:41

Poke your head in there.

0:24:410:24:43

It's a good size. Got a bath, not a shower.

0:24:430:24:46

-That's quite nice.

-Yes, nice.

0:24:460:24:48

"Nice"? That's not exactly the response I was hoping for.

0:24:480:24:52

On the whole, this is a spacious property and as we make our way

0:24:520:24:55

into the garden, I'm hoping Mark will finally be impressed.

0:24:550:24:59

It's much more substantial than the last one and beautifully maintained.

0:25:000:25:04

And over the back there there's a fenced off area...

0:25:040:25:07

-They've got a dog. You could easily make that a veggie patch.

-Plenty of space for Mark's chickens.

0:25:070:25:13

-A much nicer garden.

-I love the trees. I really like them.

0:25:130:25:16

-Still not winning you over is it, Mark?

-Well, no, no. I'm sorry, I do like the garden.

0:25:160:25:21

I want us to go to the country.

0:25:210:25:23

I do love the Cotswold look and this is a great house, but it's certainly not a Cotswold look.

0:25:230:25:29

You mentioned the budget of the first house, which had the right look.

0:25:290:25:34

-How much do you think this costs?

-I would say that it's probably 670.

0:25:340:25:37

I think I go back to 650, I think.

0:25:370:25:39

It might be a surprise to you to know that this on the market for 725.

0:25:390:25:43

This sort of chunk of house in this location, even though it's not your favourite location,

0:25:430:25:50

-does fetch way up the top of your budget.

-Yeah.

0:25:500:25:53

Why don't you have a look around the house and I'll see you out the front?

0:25:530:25:58

-Sure.

-No scrapping though.

0:25:580:26:00

Although it's just over-budget at £725,000, this modern-built house

0:26:020:26:07

comes with lots of space, five or six bedrooms,

0:26:070:26:10

depending on what you do with the room above the garage,

0:26:100:26:14

four bathrooms,

0:26:140:26:15

a large formal reception and the kitchen with dining room attached.

0:26:150:26:20

The large garden also seemed to impress Mark.

0:26:200:26:23

So what do they think after a second look around?

0:26:230:26:26

I love the kitchen. The kitchen is perfect for me.

0:26:260:26:29

There are a lot of aspects of this house I like.

0:26:290:26:31

The garden's a great size. It's a mature garden.

0:26:310:26:34

So there are lots of things I do like about this house.

0:26:340:26:38

But it's simply not how I envisaged a house in the country.

0:26:380:26:42

I can see myself living here, but not Mark.

0:26:420:26:46

He won't live here.

0:26:460:26:48

See, this is wisteria. A bit wet.

0:26:480:26:51

-Hello.

-Are you still talking?

-Just about.

-Just about, yeah.

0:26:510:26:56

-Peace is maintained. Very good.

-It's a good sign.

0:26:560:26:59

On you go.

0:26:590:27:01

Well, that was quite a day, and as it turned into night, Mark and Luciano have plenty to discuss.

0:27:100:27:17

It may be a tricky one tomorrow.

0:27:170:27:19

The plot thickens on our controversial mystery house, but will it divide or unit?

0:27:230:27:28

I really like it. Really, really modern.

0:27:280:27:31

I'm kind of lost for words.

0:27:310:27:33

Lost for words!

0:27:330:27:34

This was never going to be an easy assignment and it became apparent yesterday that Mark has

0:27:360:27:42

the controlling vote, but he would like a two- to three-bedroom,

0:27:420:27:47

little, historic cottage in the Cotswolds made of Cotswold stone.

0:27:470:27:51

But we were going on the brief that Luciano also had a say

0:27:510:27:54

and he wanted four to five bedrooms for his children and something quite modern.

0:27:540:27:59

So we're not going to show them a country cottage for the mystery house. That would be far too easy.

0:27:590:28:04

We're going to show them something completely different.

0:28:040:28:07

Our mystery house is in South Cerney,

0:28:090:28:11

over the border into Gloucestershire,

0:28:110:28:14

just a bus ride from a mainline rail link to London via Swindon,

0:28:140:28:19

for when our buyers want a taste of the city.

0:28:190:28:22

South Cerney is thriving and comes with plenty of amenities...

0:28:220:28:25

post office, local shops, church, three local pubs and a river.

0:28:250:28:31

Mark's going to love the typical stone cottages, which are perfect period properties,

0:28:310:28:36

but our mystery house is meant to challenge their buying criteria.

0:28:360:28:40

So we're about to see something they are definitely not expecting.

0:28:400:28:44

Ah, I love the mystery house.

0:28:440:28:47

Particularly this week!

0:28:470:28:49

Cos it's basically a big, fat cat among your property pigeons.

0:28:490:28:54

-We are in the heart of the Cotswolds and this is obviously a modern complex.

-Yes.

0:28:540:28:59

And as the story's progressed, clearly I've been aware

0:28:590:29:02

that this is going to please you less and less and...

0:29:020:29:05

I almost bought a house like this when I lived in America, so...

0:29:050:29:10

The house itself, I quite like.

0:29:100:29:12

I suppose the reason we picked it, apart from the fact that it's very different,

0:29:120:29:16

is that it is officially a second home. All of these properties here have to be second homes.

0:29:160:29:21

-Oh, is that right?

-In fact, they're so much a second home that you can't live here all year round.

0:29:210:29:27

There's one month, January,

0:29:270:29:29

when you can't be resident here. Cos this is an area of outstanding natural beauty and the only way

0:29:290:29:35

that the developers could develop here is by making sure that they were not permanently occupied.

0:29:350:29:41

So you have at least a month where you don't have to be in the countryside.

0:29:410:29:45

For sure I won't be here at least a month. For sure I won't be here.

0:29:450:29:49

-Luciano, what do you think from outside? Because we are on water.

-Yeah, I love the water.

0:29:490:29:55

I don't know about the house.

0:29:550:29:57

That's a bit of a surprise. I think the exterior is rather handsome.

0:29:570:30:01

But inside, Luciano can't complain about the layout.

0:30:010:30:05

Come on.

0:30:080:30:10

And we come into this very big, open-plan space.

0:30:100:30:16

-It's nice.

-It is really lovely, isn't it?

0:30:160:30:18

-It is nice. Beautiful.

-I thought you'd like this, Luciano.

0:30:180:30:21

I like it. I really it. It's really, really modern, isn't it?

0:30:210:30:24

-There's not much period about this.

-Not at all.

-Not in the two years that it's been built.

0:30:240:30:30

But you have a lot of space. We can have everyone here and cook at the same time there.

0:30:300:30:35

Following your line of argument, in the sense of having everything on one space.

0:30:350:30:40

You've got oak flooring, under-floor heating throughout and light coming in everywhere.

0:30:400:30:45

It's beautiful. It is beautiful.

0:30:450:30:48

What do you think, Mark?

0:30:480:30:50

Er, er... Well, Luciano likes it.

0:30:500:30:54

So diplomatic. So diplomatic!

0:30:540:30:57

Well, at least Luciano has his truly open-plan dining experience.

0:30:570:31:04

What do you reckon to the kitchen?

0:31:040:31:06

I like it, but it's a bit too modern for me.

0:31:060:31:08

-Too modern?

-Yes.

-Ah! We've touched the edge of modernity.

0:31:080:31:13

Well, I mean, of course, this is the show home.

0:31:130:31:16

You can talk to the architects and put what you like in.

0:31:160:31:19

There's a big utility room there with all your washing machines.

0:31:190:31:23

I like country-style kitchens and this is not.

0:31:230:31:26

I was intrigued when we were talking yesterday about the dining room.

0:31:260:31:31

-Is that kind of what you were thinking of, a space in-between the sitting room and the kitchen?

-Yes.

0:31:310:31:36

The house does sort of centre round the outside space.

0:31:360:31:39

Let's have a little peek of that out on the decking.

0:31:390:31:42

Well, I can see that although he wants period, Mark can appreciate the space, light and finish.

0:31:420:31:48

More interestingly, I have a suspicion that Luciano has started

0:31:480:31:52

to think that modern may not be for him, at least in the country.

0:31:520:31:56

So here's your garden, Mark.

0:31:560:31:57

I mean, it's a water garden, essentially.

0:31:570:32:00

The lake is in two parts at the moment, but they're going to get rid of that wake-boarding park

0:32:000:32:05

and knock through as it were, so join the two lakes together so it becomes one private boating pond.

0:32:050:32:12

-I'm kind of lost for words.

-Lost for words!

0:32:120:32:14

-I'm feeling this kind of blankness coming from you.

-I think I've started to change my mind

0:32:140:32:21

-about the style of the house in the countryside.

-In what way?

0:32:210:32:25

I'm going more in favour of Mark's opinion.

0:32:250:32:30

Maybe Luciano and Mark are finally starting to agree on what they want from a country house.

0:32:300:32:35

Heading upstairs, there are two spacious double bedrooms, one with an en suite,

0:32:350:32:40

a family bathroom and a single room, which could easily be used as Mark's study.

0:32:400:32:46

We're heading up to the second floor, to the main bedroom, complete with a swish wet-room.

0:32:460:32:52

This is the master bedroom.

0:32:540:32:57

You can't say you don't like it, Mark.

0:32:570:32:59

No, I don't say I don't like it. I do like the render of it.

0:32:590:33:03

It's lovely to have balconies and the elevation as well.

0:33:030:33:07

To get to see the life of the whole building site.

0:33:070:33:10

But I must show Mark and Luciano where their plot will be.

0:33:100:33:15

-The property you could buy is over there.

-OK.

-The gap. Ah, OK. What do you think about that?

0:33:150:33:21

-It isn't there yet?

-And you can visualise it.

-You don't have to visualise it.

0:33:210:33:25

You can go over and feel it.

0:33:250:33:27

The plot does have a very different aspect to the show room,

0:33:290:33:34

so, hopefully, when we get there, it will help them visualise their very own piece of the project.

0:33:340:33:40

Interestingly, Luciano is changing his tune about wanting a modern house in the country after all.

0:33:400:33:45

Quite a surprise, considering this property is right on the water, which was on his wish list.

0:33:450:33:51

Here it is.

0:33:510:33:52

All this rubble could be yours.

0:33:520:33:54

-A house with just a little bit of conversion to do.

-A little !bit of work, yes

-Yes.

0:33:540:34:00

Yes, not exactly what we were looking for.

0:34:000:34:04

But it will be interesting to know what you think this plot costs or how much this sort of project costs.

0:34:040:34:09

-Well, what do you think?

-I think it will be quite expensive.

0:34:090:34:13

750.

0:34:130:34:15

-675.

-Actually, you're almost spot on.

0:34:150:34:18

It's actually on the market at 670.

0:34:180:34:21

And then you have to factor in quite hefty service charges, cos you'd be a leaseholder.

0:34:210:34:26

Because of this sort of quirky... So it's about £4,000 a year service charge.

0:34:260:34:32

That looks after the lake and grounds, and gives you membership to the local golf club and spa.

0:34:320:34:37

It's a very desirable area. Probably not quite made for you, but I mean, in terms of property,

0:34:370:34:44

-it's a very viable concept.

-I think it's a specific taste.

0:34:440:34:47

We're going to go back and you can wander round.

0:34:470:34:51

Great. Thank you very much indeed.

0:34:510:34:53

At £670,000 this home does have the open-plan living room,

0:34:530:34:58

which was a must-have for Luciano.

0:34:580:35:01

There are three light and spacious bedrooms.

0:35:010:35:03

The balcony provides views, which Mark asked for.

0:35:030:35:06

And it is right by a lake.

0:35:060:35:08

In theory, this property ticks plenty of boxes, but in practice,

0:35:080:35:11

we'll have to find out.

0:35:110:35:13

My first impression of the mystery house was quite a thing,

0:35:130:35:17

because I could see the water nearby, so I got excited

0:35:170:35:22

and I thought it would be something I would like.

0:35:220:35:27

I can see why you would say this is the mystery house for us.

0:35:270:35:30

Luciano loves water. He wanted to be by water.

0:35:300:35:33

So, you know, here you've got a great big lake outside the kitchen windows.

0:35:330:35:37

Deep inside what I'm trying to do is have a house what I want in London,

0:35:370:35:44

a busy house where we going to raise kids and everything, in the countryside.

0:35:440:35:50

This thing just doesn't really fit it.

0:35:500:35:55

Last-minute conversion?

0:35:570:35:59

-Scales fallen from eyes.

-I don't think so, Alistair.

-Damascus road?

0:35:590:36:03

-Nothing like that?

-Nothing like that, no, no.

0:36:030:36:07

No blinding moment of wanting to take the house.

0:36:070:36:10

-Do you want me to take you away from here?

-Yes, please.

0:36:100:36:12

Just a few years ago, when I was a child, I sang every week in my local church choir.

0:36:240:36:29

And if you live in the Cotswolds,

0:36:290:36:31

the chances are that your local church might have a very fine choir indeed.

0:36:310:36:36

Gloucester Cathedral, used as a filming location in the Harry Potter series,

0:36:360:36:41

is also a stunning example of 11th-century architecture and a lot more than just a film set.

0:36:410:36:48

I thought I'd reacquaint myself with the life of a chorister

0:36:480:36:51

and met up with the cathedral's musical director Adrian Partington.

0:36:510:36:57

-Adrian, morning.

-Morning.

-Thanks for taking the time.

0:36:570:37:00

-This is amazing. It's an astonishing piece of architecture. This is the cloisters?

-Yeah.

0:37:000:37:05

It's just a very fancy corridor that connected the different parts

0:37:050:37:09

-of the monastery to other parts so that the monks didn't get wet.

-It's like a forest of stone.

0:37:090:37:15

It is. It's just beautiful.

0:37:150:37:17

And the first of its kind in Europe.

0:37:170:37:19

-And tell me about the choir.

-Well, the choir in its current form dates from 1541.

0:37:190:37:25

Henry VIII and his ministers abolished the monastic system,

0:37:250:37:29

but he had to replace it with something,

0:37:290:37:33

so the most important abbeys he turned into cathedrals and appointed bishops.

0:37:330:37:38

And he was a great musician and not the Philistine that legend has him,

0:37:380:37:44

and he organised choir schools at all these cathedrals.

0:37:440:37:48

I sang at my little parish church and I sang when I was at university

0:37:480:37:51

and, for me, it's given me a lifelong love of church music and singing together.

0:37:510:37:57

You see boys go through the system in a four- or five-year cycle I presume.

0:37:570:38:02

-What are the things that it instils in the boys?

-They spend so much time together.

0:38:020:38:07

They must be like an army unit or something like that.

0:38:070:38:10

It's wanting to do well for the team and I think that's a fantastic thing to take through your life.

0:38:100:38:17

BOYS SING CHORAL PIECE

0:38:170:38:21

It's something that England leads the world at.

0:38:400:38:43

Cos across Europe, with the various religious wars

0:38:430:38:46

and things, all this has been destroyed, everywhere except here.

0:38:460:38:50

It is a unique tradition and this building, which has one of the best acoustics in the entire world,

0:38:500:38:58

it just sounds like you're in heaven.

0:38:580:39:00

The boys sing every day, so if you live locally, you can pop in and enjoy a free concert.

0:39:080:39:13

And speaking of concerts, combining their forces with two cathedrals in Worcester and Hereford,

0:39:130:39:19

this choir takes part in a major choral gathering called the Three Choirs Festival every August,

0:39:190:39:24

a 250-year-old tradition that makes it the oldest continuing music festival in the world.

0:39:240:39:32

And now it's time to find out what properties hit the right note for Mark and Luciano.

0:39:460:39:51

-Hello, guys.

-Hello.

0:39:510:39:53

Let's talk about the houses one by one and then perhaps we can talk more generally

0:39:530:39:59

about the whole experience of property shopping together. The first house that I showed you.

0:39:590:40:05

Looked very old. In fact, wasn't so old. What are your thoughts about that now?

0:40:050:40:09

I really liked the house.

0:40:090:40:11

It was just the kitchen wasn't exactly what I want.

0:40:110:40:16

But, generally, it was a nice house.

0:40:160:40:19

I think it's grown on me, the more I've been thinking about it.

0:40:190:40:23

The location, you can't beat it.

0:40:230:40:26

And the garden? Cos the garden was a bit...

0:40:260:40:28

A bit small, but actually, you know, the garden, in retrospect...

0:40:280:40:32

-Compromise.

-Yeah, exactly. It seems to me perfectly adequate.

0:40:320:40:36

Let's talk about the second house, cos this was a much bigger garden, certainly in a bigger house.

0:40:360:40:41

I like it from outside.

0:40:410:40:43

I like from inside.

0:40:430:40:45

I like the back garden.

0:40:450:40:47

I just loved the house.

0:40:470:40:48

Mark doesn't have exactly the same opinion.

0:40:480:40:51

If that house had been in a different location, if that house had been

0:40:510:40:56

in the location of the first house, would I compromise? Yeah.

0:40:560:41:01

I think I probably would. I am open to listening to what Luciano wants and compromising on that.

0:41:010:41:06

But it's not necessarily what I would choose myself.

0:41:060:41:09

That sounds like a diplomatic way of saying, "No, I won't negotiate on location."

0:41:090:41:13

Let's move on to the mystery house. Just to change the subject.

0:41:130:41:17

This seemed to crystallise a lot of things. Did it help bring some things into focus?

0:41:170:41:23

For me, it did a lot.

0:41:230:41:25

Because now I know exactly what we're looking for.

0:41:250:41:29

It's not a big house.

0:41:290:41:32

Cos we need to compromise. It cannot be modern.

0:41:320:41:35

Mark's not going to be 100% happy with a modern house at all.

0:41:350:41:40

For you, Mark, did it bring anything into focus?

0:41:400:41:42

It focused the fact that coming to the Cotswolds,

0:41:420:41:48

I would like, a Cotswold house.

0:41:480:41:52

And, you know, it's all part of a cunning plan I had that perhaps Luciano would come here,

0:41:520:41:57

see the Cotswolds and actually, you know, sense that he could be happy here

0:41:570:42:03

and could be happy living in a country house.

0:42:030:42:05

-Is that true? Have you had a...

-Yeah, I think it helps. It did help.

0:42:050:42:09

What about any of the properties? Would you pursue any of them?

0:42:090:42:13

-Would you go back and look at any of them?

-The first house.

0:42:130:42:16

-So, it hasn't all been...

-No.

0:42:160:42:19

It's been challenging. Oh, it's been wonderfully entertaining to see you work through

0:42:190:42:23

the kind of challenges that happen when two people want to buy a house with different templates.

0:42:230:42:29

And I really hope it works out. But all the best.

0:42:290:42:32

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you very much.

0:42:320:42:34

This is the house we should have shown Mark.

0:42:350:42:38

Although, of course, Luciano wouldn't have stood for it, being too old and too small.

0:42:380:42:44

And that's been our problem all along, trying to balance these two very different wish-lists.

0:42:440:42:49

But we've contributed to a compromise that could make this couple's country idyll come true.

0:42:490:42:54

Make sure you join us next time for more Escape To The Country,

0:42:540:42:58

where we will be exploring other corners of rural Britain.

0:42:580:43:02

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0:43:030:43:07

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