Cumbria Escape to the Country

If community spirit was measured in pints then this Cumbrian village would have it by the barrelful,

and the pub down the road certainly stands testament to that.

Find out more in a moment.

Today we're helping one couple and their menagerie of furry friends upgrade to a big country house.

We're going to need a lot of land.

-I can see the emu wandering about the garden with the beak up.

-Emu?

First time I've heard about emu!

And we're going to need a lot of house.

I'm speechless for once.

That makes a change.

But can we find all that in just one property?

-It ticks every single box that we would want.

-It does, yes.

I'm in the beautiful village of Hesket Newmarket,

and this is the first co-operatively owned pub in Britain.

When the villagers feared their local may be taken over by a large brewery

or indeed turned into housing, they decided to take action, clubbing together and buying the pub,

ensuring they, along with thousands of tourists, could continue to enjoy the local brew.

I'm going to be joining for a drink some of the many owners,

but first, let's take a look at what else Cumbria has to offer.

Made up from the old counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and parts of north Lancashire,

Cumbria is now England's second largest county,

and lays claim to some of the UK's most breathtaking scenery.

Open fells, craggy mountains, dales, and lakes - yes, those lakes.

It is of course home to England's largest National Park, the Lake District.

15 million visitors turn up here every year, and in the high season

it can sometimes feel like they've arrived all at once.

Escaping the hordes is possible though.

Head east to the fertile plains, and you're more likely to get stuck behind a tractor than a caravan,

as farming, particularly livestock, on both the dales and fells has been big business for centuries.

However, it can be a harsh environment.

In November 2009, a record-breaking 314 mm of rain fell in 24 hours,

causing a tragic loss of life,

and mass damage to homes, bridleways, roads and bridges in Cockermouth and Workington.

But there is a silver lining,

as recently announced funding of over £250,000 has been pledged

to help repair these much-loved tourist trails,

along with £330,000 for home owners to prevent future flooding.

Clearly, Cumbria is fighting back, to make sure the people that live here already and those thinking

of relocating can continue to enjoy this stunning scenery, with some beautiful properties to match.

If money is no object,

£1.25 million will snap up this four-bedroom house,

on the southern fringes of the Lakes National Park.

There's a wealth of character in its three reception rooms and bespoke country kitchen/diner.

Or you can catch some rays in the conservatory.

If you like the quiet life, check out this charming

Grade II listed 17th century cottage in the hamlet of Highbridge.

Extensively renovated, the interior offers both cosy character charm

and spacious living areas, with three reception rooms and three bedrooms.

Green-fingered types will love the kitchen garden,

but it'll cost you £585,000 to put down roots here.

If you're after a thatch, then how about this 15th century

three-bedroom cottage in rural Baldwinholme?

Exposed stone walls, beams and flagstone floors are impressive period features.

This cottage could be yours for £375,000.

What a selection, but I didn't spot a zoo among them,

and for today's buyers that might be what we're looking for.

Meet Mary and Graham.

They've been married for 11 years and are simply mad about animals.

We have the llamas and baby llamas. We have reindeer, we have monkeys, we have owls.

European eagle owls, tawny owls.

Pheasants, marmoset monkeys, giant rabbits.

Don't worry, they're not completely animal crackers.

Mary runs a charity specialising in animal-aided therapy for the disabled.

Both their home, a modern bungalow, and business are situated

on a one-acre site in Penrith, on the very busy A66.

We want to move from this particular spot, because... It's a combination of things, really.

We wanted to be more private.

We've lived the last 18 years in a goldfish bowl, basically,

operating the charity seven days a week and being on call all that time.

We need our own little escape to the country, really, for our own sanity.

As the charity is staying put, Mary would like their new home

to be within a commutable distance of Penrith, no more than 30 miles.

But as she plans to do llama trekking from the new place,

the llamas will relocate too, so I'm guessing location will be key.

The sort of location we'd be looking for, we're fairly open-minded about, really.

One of the main criterias is that we don't have any immediate neighbours.

We want to have our own personal space and our own private drive.

Having the dogs and animals around,

it's much better if you can let them out into your own garden without having to worry about roads.

We really need at least two acres or more to have our llamas around us.

We've got four horses and 20 llamas, so we really need space for these guys.

Well, that's the animals sorted.

Now, what about their own needs?

I guess my dream for a property in the country would be very large, rose-covered cottage.

Graham's always said that my cottage in the country would have to be a castle.

SHE CHUCKLES

Ambitious aspirations, but what about Graham?

I would be looking at things like outbuildings to be able to put the motorbike in

and a garage and things to put the car in and my tools in.

And I'd be looking for light, airy rooms,

things like en suite bedrooms, you know, so really like a modern property.

I guess if you can have a cross between a 17th century farmhouse and a modern house.

Ah, that old chestnut.

The ultra-modern period home.

I like the idea of an open-plan farmhouse kitchen. I'm a bit nosey,

so when we have a dinner party I like to be in on the act,

so it's better if people are there when you're cooking.

I find the kitchen here just too small, really.

Although it's modern, it's just too small.

It's a sizeable wish list, but do they have the money to match?

The maximum budget would be £800,000.

On the surface Graham and Mary have a great budget for what they're looking for,

but having spoken to some of the local estate agents, there's very little currently on the market.

In fact, over the past two weeks,

only five suitable properties have been marketed in the whole of Cumbria,

of which two of them have already had offers put on.

With so few options available we'll certainly be clocking up some mileage, as to find the right house,

we'll need to cast the search net slightly further than the 30-mile radius from Penrith.

We'll be viewing some stunning rural homes, ,but as ever,

I won't be revealing the price tags until the end of the tours.

And finally there's a mystery house, but will it romp home or fall at the first hurdle?

-Hi, guys.

-Hi, Nicky.

-I was going to say welcome to windy Cumbria, but this is your neck of the woods, isn't it?

-It is.

So why do you need our help?

Having only just moved to Cumbria the last two years, we're just really stumped to find

there's so many beautiful areas that we just don't know where to start.

Well, it is, isn't it, a massive county?

Apparently at the moment there aren't a lot of properties on the market.

In a premium area, when they do come on they're getting snapped up straight away.

So we might have to slightly push the boundaries, but we'll be mindful.

We'll make sure there's always good road connections,

so if you are a bit further away, it's a speedy road.

He's just bought a sports car, so that'll be fine.

So why are you complaining?! A good excuse to hit the road!

-Absolutely.

-We're in such a beautiful place here.

I can't wait to get out in it.

-Not in this weather.

-Explore some of the area.

So have you both looked at many properties in the area?

We've looked at two or three in the last month or so

and we've done a little bit of research on the internet,

but haven't found anything that grabs us just yet.

Mary, you're reducing our chances.

There wasn't that many properties to start with!

But we do have some very special properties lined up for you to see,

and, of course, we've got the mystery property.

-Shall we get going?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

So for £800,000 Mary and Graham would like a detached property with a minimum of three bedrooms.

A large farmhouse kitchen complete with traditional range is a must for Mary,

while Graham would like a period home with a modern interior

that also has a decent garage for blokey stuff.

For the llamas and horses they want two acres minimum, plus stabling.

And last but not least, they don't want neighbours,

which is where this could get very tricky,

because land here is at a premium.

If I was going to be cruel and ask you this, I don't know if you can answer it,

more important to get the house right for you two,

or the land and the surrounding outbuildings for the extended family?

-I think it's a bit of both.

-It's a balance.

Yeah. It is going to be a tough call really, because land isn't that readily available in Cumbria.

'Well, we'll do our very best.'

To kick things off we're heading to the very rural outskirts

of Kirkby Lonsdale,

a slight stretch in the commute at 36 miles.

Sandwiched between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales,

this ancient market town is a vital and busy commercial centre for the surrounding rural communities.

And it runs the full gamut of amenities.

That's far too hectic for our buyers.

Instead we're heading out into the Cumbrian countryside.

'Our property is situated up a very quiet country lane,

'and although there is a neighbour close by, it's a working farm.

'You don't get more rural than that,

'and maybe the llamas would appreciate some four-legged friends.'

This is the house.

It is Grade II listed.

-Right.

-The original part of the house dates back to 1640,

and this part of the house is Georgian, built in 1736. What you can see is roughcast rendering.

-Erm...don't like it.

-Give it a chance. Have an open mind,

-because I do think you're going to be impressed when you step through that door.

-Yeah?

'The words don't, judge, book and cover come to mind,

'because the interior of this house really is quite something.'

So, you step straight into one of the reception rooms.

Right. It's definitely different.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-You're going to give this house a try?

-I am.

-Yeah.

-Good.

My tastes, the decor and things.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-An architect actually owns this ,house and you can really see the imprint as we go around.

-Tick.

-Tick, tick. Next door you've got another reception room with the original oak panelling.

That's actually been painted white.

Again, windows with a little window seat.

So you've got two areas here for entertaining, cos I know you like lots of reception rooms, don't you?

-You want lots of space.

-Yeah.

-Like it?

Come on, Graham. Tell me what you're thinking.

-Lead on. I want to see more.

-You want to see more?

-Yeah.

'It looks like the interior is working its magic.

'Off the hallway with its original full-length window

'is the third reception room, currently a study.

'But a good country kitchen is high on Mary's wish list, so let's see what she makes of this one.'

Oh, yeah. Definitely different than it looks from outside. Absolutely.

I like the island in the middle. I love the range. What do you think?

Yeah. I quite like the finishing touches.

The slate floors are really nice.

It looks like all the fitted units and cupboards and things should be enough storage for you.

-Hmm...

-You don't know!

-You know the way I clutter things.

-It does have a large utility room.

-Oh, right.

-So, good kitchen?

-Yeah, definitely.

I want to continue this tour, because there's two more floors to have a look at.

Really?

'On the first floor are three good-sized double bedrooms which share a family bathroom.'

And the master bedroom.

-Well, another surprise.

-Yeah.

Very modern, very contemporary.

Absolutely nothing like the outside.

-No. I know.

-I really like it.

It's a bit like a Tardis. Looks like a police box on the outside, but inside there's an amazing world.

That's a really good analogy!

'Well, this Tardis has another floor.

'I don't think I've ever seen the Doctor go upstairs in his.'

-So here's the continuation of the window.

-Yeah.

But up here, this really is, I think, the most spectacular part of the property.

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, yeah.

-That's wonderful, isn't it? Absolutely brilliant.

-Fantastic.

-Super, isn't it?

-Oh, this is lovely. This is stunning.

The interior, you've got it right on the money.

'What a result, and there's more to see yet.

'On the left-hand side of the house is a two-storey annexe

'with its own entrance which could make an ideal home office or guest suite. But that's it for the house.

'Now let's get to the all-important land.

'As well as a formal lawn, there's around two acres of steep paddock.'

-Now, there's a sight you don't often see.

-Ah, they're gorgeous.

Now, they're the kind of trespassers you really don't mind on your land.

-That is a newborn.

-Newborn twins.

'The paddocks are separated from the house and are accessed by a track,

'so it might not be ideal, but can they make it work, given this amazing house?'

So it's a nice elevated position up here, so you can see all your land.

You've got all around here, up to the tree line,

and then past that is fells, which goes for thousands and thousands of acres.

-How do you feel about it?

-It's not near enough to the house.

I really wanted to be able to look out of the windows and see the llamas literally within yards.

And I think I'd struggle. I'd have to get a pair of binoculars, I think!

-Even with that view?

-The views aren't really a major issue.

The major issues are the amount of land, the proximity to the house,

and the privacy. That is a really big, big thing for us.

It's time now to guess the price.

I think it's a fantastic property.

It's got to be at least 700,000.

I would say about...650.

I think I'm going to shock you both.

-The top of your budget was £800,000.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

The current asking price is £795,000.

-Right.

-Yeah.

-Right.

-Yeah.

Well, why don't you take a wander?

Have a look at the fields, have a look at all the land that surrounds it,

-and I'll catch up with you a bit later on.

-Right, OK.

-Off you go.

'Well, that's a reality check.'

At £795,000, this stunningly decorated

Grade II listed Georgian manor has so much going for it.

Four reception rooms, a big kitchen/diner,

five bedrooms and a separate annexe, all of which seem spot-on.

It comes with a minimum two acres, albeit separated from the house,

and even though it's a working farm next door,

I get the feeling the neighbours are way too close for comfort.

All I can say is that those llamas are incredibly lucky if their owners

are willing to give up a house like this just to keep them happy.

Inside is just...stunning,

but I couldn't live with the outside space and the immediacy of the neighbours around it,

and the land is just far too small for what we want,

and there's no space for outbuildings or stables, so...

Certainly, to split the fields up to keep the animals separate,

we wouldn't be able to do here at all, so...it's not for us.

I think I would probably compromise with the interior of a house,

because that's something that can always be changed.

But the exterior of this property and the immediate surrounding areas just can't be changed,

so that's something that we couldn't do.

OK, guys,

I think it's time to hit the road.

From the Red Lion to the Coach and Horses,

there's nothing more uniquely British than the country pub.

For many people escaping to the country a pint within walking distance is top priority,

but these cornerstones of rural life are closing at unprecedented speed, around 40 a week in 2009,

leaving half of England's villages dry for the first time since the Norman conquest.

That's not the story, however, in Hesket Newmarket.

Eight years ago the villagers here pooled their finances

to become the very first community co-operative pub in the UK.

Shareholder Julian Ross has become a champion for like-minded schemes across the country.

-Julian, great to meet you.

-And you, too.

You're the man behind this idea to co-operatively own, with a lot of other people, this pub.

-I am.

-How difficult was it to get people involved?

It was surprisingly easy to get people motivated. In fact, motivation has never, ever been a problem.

The people that own this pub have driven the project right from the start.

You say owners, the shareholders of the pub, how many are there exactly?

Today we have 148 shareholders in total.

-When we started, we had 125.

-And how much did those people have to put in?

What was their initial stake?

Each one of them put in £1,500.

It really did redefine my idea of what a community is,

because I always thought a community was a geographical thing, but 40% of the owners don't live in the village.

Some of them come here for holidays, some of them maybe have second homes.

Some shareholders have never been. We've got shareholders in Spain,

we've got shareholders in America, Canada, north of Scotland, south of England.

They thought it was such a nice thing to do that they wanted to be part of it.

And for me, they're all part of this community.

So do you think this is the way forward, Julian,

that other villages and communities will try and own their village pub?

I think it can certainly be a way forward depending on the circumstances,

but a community buying a pub has the great advantage that they're not in it for money.

None of us who bought this pub care whether we ever make any money or not.

We just want to preserve this pub and keep it as the hub of the community.

-It really is the heart, isn't it, of this village?

-Absolutely.

And with that, can we go inside?

-Yes!

-Can't wait!

-I can buy you a drink.

-I'll follow you.

'The pub brews its own ales in a microbrewery at the back, which are served up by tenant landlady Edna.

'As well as pulling pints, she pushes some traditional old pub games, like egg dumping.

'Think conkers. but with dyed hard-boiled eggs.

'Who better to show me how it's done than the reigning champ, Keith?'

-So what do I do?

-The skill is to try and protect as much of your egg

whilst allowing your opponent a fair shot at it.

The dumper...has to have a little tap.

One of them would crack.

-OK.

-And the one that cracks is out.

Do you want to be the receiver or the dumper?

-I'm going to be the receiver.

-OK. It won't hurt.

How much am I allowed to let you see?

Depends how many fingers you want broken. LAUGHTER

Everyone laughed then. I think they're serious.

-Are you ready?

-OK.

HE TAPS EGG Oh, no!

-I'm sorry.

-Oh, I'm really disappointed.

-Can we have one more go?

-You can.

OK, right, let's get two more eggs.

-Are you ready for this, Keith?

-Oh, yes.

I'm taking this very, very seriously, right?

-OK, one, two...three!

-SHE TAPS EGG

Oh!

Two out of two I've failed.

-To the champion!

-Cheers.

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

The future looks bright for this pub, and it may well be the only way forward for other villages.

Perhaps we all need to take heed from French poet Hilaire Belloc, who made England his home.

He warned, "Change your hearts or you will lose your inns, and you will deserve to have lost them.

"But when you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England."

As the sun sets over the Cumbrian countryside, our first day of property hunting is at an end.

Coming up on day two of our search for the contemporary country house with lots of land, we up the ante.

-It's absolutely huge!

-It is.

And there's the mystery house.

Could Mary and Graham cope with the NEIGH-bours for the right price?

-Really?

-Yeah.

Maybe we could put some big walls up around it!

For our next property, we're heading northwest to the rural outskirts of Wigton.

It's only 23 miles from Penrith but along a country road, which makes it a 45-minute drive.

Wigton has been a busy market town since 1262, when it received its very first market charter.

Livestock auctions are still held regularly today.

But we're venturing three miles north into the West Cumbrian countryside.

And here is your property.

It's huge!

It's impressive, isn't it?

Very big, yeah.

This section here to the right, that was built in the 17th century.

The vast majority of the house was extended in Victorian times.

It's got so much character and charm.

What are your first impressions?

It's absolutely huge!

-It's a lot bigger than we expected for the two of us.

-Yeah.

Well, they liked the ample room proportions of our first house, so this should knock their socks off.

And there's plenty of scope for them to put their own contemporary twist on things.

You're not going to get a much bigger hallway than this!

Massive!

This is the Victorian part of the house. Just look at those Chinese-style tiles.

Yeah.

I'm amazed by the high ceilings, the height and grandeur of the building.

-I'm not used to this type of property.

-Let's take you through into the drawing room.

Another good-size room.

Yeah. There's such a lot you could do with this room.

It doesn't feel homely to me.

I don't know, it's maybe just not me.

Well, it's only the first room.

Maybe the kitchen will have the right feel.

-You wanted a large kitchen!

-I did, yeah!

-How's this for size?

-Yeah, nice size.

It's got the range in it.

Beautiful range. That heats all the hot water for the property.

I like the little touch of all the servant's bells.

If Graham's had enough when he's relaxing

in his drawing room and he just fancies his G&T, ding, ding!

And then probably be ignored cos she's looking after the animals!

Or maybe Graham will get a lucky break in the snooker room, also on this floor.

Along with this huge Victorian orangery and a self-contained annexe

complete with a bathroom, a bedroom, a sitting room and a kitchen.

But it's time to head upstairs, which is equally spacious.

Do you think you could squeeze into here?

-Yeah!

-You could have a ballroom dance in here, I think!

Nice, big size.

-Triple aspect.

-Yeah.

-Look at that view.

-It's beautiful.

It's...

I'm speechless for once!

That makes a change!

-You like space.

-Mmm.

Is it too grand? Is that what it is?

Yeah, possibly.

I don't know about too grand, I think it's just too much, too big.

Too much for what you're looking for?

For two people.

I'd never be able to find him, he'd be hiding everywhere!

I'd never find him!

It looks like we're over-egging the property omelette with this house,

as there's another five bedrooms coming in a variety of shapes and sizes. And two bathrooms up here.

But Mary and Graham want acreage, which tends to come with large houses.

So it's a tricky combination.

So you've got a huge courtyard here.

You've got a double garage.

You've got a triple stable block.

I want to show you this building.

Right.

-What do you think that is?

-Offices?

It's actually a holiday let.

-Really?!

-Yeah.

In peak season, it's £800 a week, and off-season, it's £400 a week.

Gosh, that's a lot, isn't it?

Converted barn. Beautifully done out, as well.

Let's take a step and have a look.

And it's not small.

It has three sizeable double bedrooms, a shower room and an open-plan kitchen/living room.

This is gorgeous.

-Wow.

-Can we not just buy this bit?!

It's actually classed as a holiday let, so if you do want to make this

-your home, you'd have to get planning permission.

-Right.

This is definitely to our taste.

-This is lovely, yeah.

-Lovely.

Well, we've definitely delivered over and above with the property,

but can we do the same with the land?

The entire plot is around three acres, including all

the buildings and formal lawn, which leaves around 1.6 acres of paddock.

It is flat and divided up, but will that be enough?

-So it's this field here?

-Yeah.

-And that field there?

-Yeah.

Mmm... It's separate paddocks.

Yeah, you could separate the paddocks off, yeah.

-I can see the emu wandering about the garden here with the peacocks!

-Emu?!

We've got an emu, and some peacocks as well!

Oh, my goodness!

-As well as all the other animals?

-Mmm.

There's a lot to look after. I'd hate to be the one who had to feed them all!

Graham, you've got your work cut out!

It's not me - that's Mary!

We've looked round the house.

What's the current asking price?

I would guess, given the size of the property, we'd probably be at the top end of the budget, I would think.

Round about the £800,000 mark.

OK. Graham?

750.

Current asking price, £695,000.

Really?

-That does surprise me.

-Including the holiday let.

-Beautiful family house.

Why don't you go and take another look around the whole property? And do check out the stable block.

-We will.

-See you a bit later.

At £695,000, this is a huge amount of property to the pound, with very versatile accommodation.

The main house has six bedrooms, three reception rooms, a country kitchen and a one-bedroom annexe.

Outside is a three-bedroom holiday cottage, and there's stabling,

a garage, a stone outhouse and nearly two acres of dividable paddock.

The barn conversion, I think, was fantastically done.

That was really beautiful.

I just think the first massive drawback

is the location, because it's just too far out from where we need to be.

This is nice. Hello!

They're lovely sandstone-built stables, aren't they?

Lovely, yeah. A lot of potential. Nowhere near enough for what we would need, though.

The size of the stables individually are quite big, and they would fit

the horses, but we really need another big building for the llamas!

-Yeah.

-DOG BARKS

I wonder what you'd make of the llamas!

It's not just the elements that have shaped Cumbria's beautiful landscape, but sheep too.

Cumbrians have been livestock farming for over a millennium,

and through the centuries, have bred some super-tough breeds to cope with the harsh terrain.

Grazing on everything from grass to shrubs, these sheep not only physically shape the land,

but as the wool trade boomed in the Middle Ages from the proceeds

of their fleeces, the villages and towns so popular with the tourists today began to flourish.

It was the country estates that really prospered.

Earlier in the week, Graham and Mary headed to Ullswater

to explore one of Cumbria's finest examples, Dalemain House.

They met up with lady of the house Jane Hasell-McCosh.

It's built from a very interesting beginning, because it was a peel tower originally.

You could imagine when they chose this spot it was a perfect position,

with boggy land round about, and this wonderful fortification.

They added on a medieval hall, they put on another tower,

they made it grander in Tudor times, with lovely rooms with panelling, and eventually they built this.

Remodelled by Jane's ancestor Thomas Hasell in the 1700s, he created this exemplary

Georgian house, which today is Grade I listed, and still has many original fixtures and fittings.

So we've come into this room, which is the main

dining room of the house, and it is one of my favourite rooms.

You can see from the surroundings the absolute symmetry of this room.

You have the fireplace behind you there, in the middle of this wall,

with the two doors balancing the fireplace.

The walls also are absolutely beautiful because, of course,

they're this wonderful, glowing oak panelling,

-which comes from the estate.

-Beautiful.

It's very much a country estate.

It still is today, we're a working farm, and we have a large number

of acres with sheep and cows and whatever on it.

And so it is still very much on that basis.

But the house is clearly the most important part of it.

So, that's a taste of Georgian architecture, but as Thomas Hasell left the medieval hall

and Tudor rooms intact, Dalemain's also a perfect snapshot of Elizabethan interior design.

Be prepared for a much darker room, and a much smaller room,

as we come into the much older part of the house.

Wow.

I love this room, because I think it has a particular atmosphere to it.

It's very much embellished by marvellous Tudor features,

including this very splendid portrait over here,

and it's the sort of portrait where you think, probably, his eyes are going to follow you around the room.

-Yeah.

-He's the Earl of Cumberland, very, very wealthy man, owned a considerable

amount of land and property, and also owned his own ship, which

he went into battle when the Spanish Armada came and attacked England.

He realised very soon into the battle that we were winning,

and the battle was going our way, so he left and rushed

back to London to tell the Queen, "Madam, we have won the battle."

And as a result, as you will see in his hat, he's wearing a glove

which would have been her glove, and she would have awarded it to him as a Queen's champion.

It's mystery-house time.

This week, I've really got to know Graham and Mary,

and I think the next property has everything they're after.

Impressive house, lots of land and a stable block for those animals.

The big question is, can they get on with the neighbours?

Well, the mystery will soon be solved.

We're heading just four miles south of Carlisle to Dalston.

It's a pretty village with plenty of listed buildings, including the 18th-century church of St Mary's.

But we're off to the rural outskirts to the small private development of nine houses. Yes, nine.

That means lots of neighbours.

However, the house is just five years old,

and should fit perfectly with their modern-character requirements.

This is your property.

So although you do have neighbours, the advantage of this building is

it actually looks out on to the paddock and to the surrounding countryside.

So how do you feel?

The property looks like it's been done very much in keeping with the surrounding properties.

It's the same local stone.

Still not too sure about neighbours!

Oh, she's a tough customer!

Let's see if we can change her mind inside.

-So, come on in.

-Right!

It's nice.

It's a nice feel to it, yeah.

-It feels more homely.

-Yeah? Good. You've got a snug to your right.

It could be a bedroom, could be a study. I want to take you straight through into the living area.

Lovely-sized room. I like the aspect of having the big windows.

That brings a lot of light into the room. A narrow slit!

And there's another one there. And again, in keeping, probably, with the barns next door.

Yeah.

-Have you noticed the use of beams throughout?

-Yeah.

Reclaimed, wherever possible, they've done it, to give it that old feel.

Yeah. I love the wooden floors as well.

They're very practical, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-When you've got animals!

That's not a bad start, but I think we can do better.

Next door is a dining room/study, but I'm hoping the kitchen will get bigger reactions.

-Again, really well done.

-Yeah.

Oh, it's brilliant. Yeah, it's lovely.

I love the beams, I love the stone.

Yeah, it's got the range as well.

Have a look at this, look.

Walk-in larder.

Oh, brilliant! I love larders.

-Absolutely brilliant.

-It's a nice touch for a new property.

I think a lot of thought has gone into the design of this house.

Yeah. There's lots of storage here as well, yeah.

Loads of storage.

There's also a spacious utility room.

So I think that's a thumbs up down here.

Let's see if we can notch up some more marks upstairs.

This side is the master bedroom.

Oh, yes, nice-sized room, isn't it?

I don't know, you have a thing about sloping ceilings in bedrooms, don't you?!

The sloping roof line.

I'm interested to see what's through those doors.

Poke your head in the cupboard.

I thought as much!

Yeah, lovely.

An en suite in it, great.

I like the surprise element with the ordinary doors on, so it looks like a wardrobe.

The skylights

-don't really work for you - the rest of the room does?

-Yeah, it's got everything that you need in.

It's got the size and the space.

-It's just the head height!

-It's just the head height.

I might have a solution. Come and see.

Perhaps you could use this instead as the master bedroom.

Yeah.

This is more like it, yeah.

Love the views as well. You can actually see out on to land and things from here.

Off the landing are two further good-sized bedrooms which share the family bathroom.

But we know the land is the deal breaker, so let's see if we've finally got it spot on.

As well as a formal south-facing lawn and patio, there's new stabling and a couple of paddocks.

So, here is the stable. This is what I really wanted to show you.

Here you've got the manege, with all the bark down for their training.

Actually behind the stable block, you've got another holding area,

a small training area, plus access so that you can park your trailer,

-your cars, everything, cos I'm sure you've got plenty of vehicles!

-Yes, we have!

The paddocks are yours - both of them, front and back.

But behind us is another paddock.

That paddock is owned by the manor house, and she

-lets the current owners of our house graze their animals in it.

-Right.

-Free.

-Right, great.

In your eyes, is this impressive?

It ticks every single box that we would want.

Maybe we would have needed a bit more stabling, but the fact that you've got the outdoor area at the back,

potentially if you could put a field shelter in there, that would do the trick for the llamas.

So, how much do you think this house,

with the stable block and the land, is currently on the market for?

I think probably in the region of 750?

I would say maybe 795.

How much are neighbours a problem to you both?

Erm, huge problem for me!

-Huge problem?

-Yeah.

-Because the current asking price for this property is £620,000.

-Really?!

Maybe we could put some big walls up around it!

Hold that thought. Go on, have another look. I'll catch up with you later.

Well, that shocked them.

At £620,000, the mystery house has nearly everything they've asked for.

But it also has something they don't want - neighbours.

The house is spot on with two reception rooms, a big kitchen/diner and four bedrooms.

And we've finally delivered outside, with two plus acres of land, ample stabling and even a manege.

Could it be a winner?

The property's everything that we were looking for, in size, in facilities.

Love the stables, love the manege and the area around here.

Yeah, I think these are perfect, aren't they?

Nice stables, a good size.

I like the idea that there's separate turnout paddocks at the front and at the back as well.

Means your horses can more or less live out all winter on the paddocks.

This is exactly what we're looking for.

I guess the only downside would be the proximity of the neighbouring houses.

-Have you both seen enough?

-Yes, I think so.

OK, we're going to go somewhere nice and quiet now, cos you two have got a lot to think about and discuss.

It's decision time.

It's been a difficult week here in Cumbria, and I don't think we've cracked this property search.

But what I am intrigued to find out is exactly what Mary and Graham think.

Well, you two, we've certainly had a fun couple of days, haven't we?

Certainly have, we've been busy!

Shall we start off with the very first property that we saw?

A fabulous Georgian manor house.

It was absolutely amazing when you went inside.

I liked a lot of the aspects of it and the way it had just been decorated and things.

-It was very down to my taste.

-It did have land.

It wasn't right at all, because there was nowhere near enough.

It wasn't near enough to the property, and there was absolutely nowhere to put any stabling.

We travelled north of the region and saw a Victorian country house.

Very impressive front, I seem to remember!

Yeah, it was lovely to look at, it was just huge inside.

Too big for just the two of us.

There wasn't quite enough land either.

There was a lot of grounds, cos there was big gardens,

but actual grazing land, there wouldn't really have been enough.

Our last property of our search - and it has been a search, cos we know

there haven't been many properties to choose from - was the mystery house.

Yep. The property itself was lovely. I've got to say it was lovely.

It was definitely to our taste.

I could see myself living there.

It ticked most of the boxes, probably nearly every box,

apart from that one, just the privacy, yeah.

And if you'd been able to pick that property up and put it on its own, detached, just with

fields surrounding it, we'd have been signing on the dotted line tomorrow!

We got so close!

It has been great, and you will find your dream property, I have no doubt.

I just don't think it's going to be in the next few weeks.

-But you will definitely, definitely get there. Let us know how you get on, won't you?

-We will.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

With the weather here in Cumbria setting in, the good news is Mary and Graham aren't out in the cold.

With the luxury of time on their hands

and all this on their doorstep, it's certainly worth them waiting to find their perfect Escape To The Country.

See you next time.

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