Lancashire Escape to the Country

I'm in one of the last remaining areas of ancient forests in England, yet there's not a tree in sight.

Where am I? Find out in just a moment.

In today's show, I'll be helping a couple

find a new home for themselves and their three children.

After living in the cramped city, they're keen to make the most of a more spacious lifestyle.

-Would you share an office? Is that the plan?

-No!

We've got a mystery house that will leave our straight-talking couple lost for words.

Speechless and grinning ear to ear!

Welcome to Lancashire and to the historic Forest of Bowland.

In this case, I'm using the word "forest" in its ancient meaning,

an area typically owned by the sovereign and used as a royal hunting ground,

rather than just a big old wood.

Now, much of the Forest of Bowland is still owned by the Queen as part of the Duchy of Lancaster.

In the past, wild boar, deer, wolves and wild cats would've roamed here,

but today you'll find slightly tamer packs of cyclists and walkers

making the most of this fabulous landscape.

Lancashire, in north-west England, borders Cumbria and Yorkshire.

It's a county that boasts spectacular coastal landscapes.

The stunning sweep of Morecambe Bay has long been a popular seaside resort.

When the tide is out,

around 120 square miles of mudflats are revealed

and the bay provides an important winter sanctuary for a host of wildlife.

Lancashire's Ribble Valley affords a wealth of countryside, perfect for exploration.

Designated an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

it's an idyllic landscape of lush valleys,

majestic fells and heather-strewn moorland.

Time to find out what today's house-buyers are looking for

from their new home.

Management consultant Tom and charity director Helen

have been living in this family home in London

with their three children for the last 14 years.

Although they've enjoyed the city, they've had a revelation about their working lives.

I started working from home at Christmas

and we realised that we could work from anywhere,

so it became reality rather than just a pipe dream.

And I also work from home s it just felt like the right thing for us to do at this moment in time.

As Tom and Helen will be moving with their children, who are still of school age,

they've had to think carefully about where they should go.

We want to move up to Lancaster.

It's between where Tom grew up and where I grew up,

close enough to the Lake District, but it's a good-sized town with very good schools.

We're willing to move within a five-mile radius of Lancaster,

but the further we are out,

we'd hope there's public transport for the children to get into school.

Space is at the top of the agenda for their move,

but there's plenty of other demands to take into account.

Minimum of four bedrooms,

a separate reception room for the children to be able to do whatever they want to do,

a larger kitchen than we have would be perfect,

not necessarily an enormous garden, I don't think either of us are interested in gardening,

but more outside space, or just outside space, is important.

Tom and Helen have already sold their London house

and they have a healthy sum for their new home.

Our maximum budget is £525,000.

Tom and Helen seem really keen for their three children

to have the same sort of upbringing as they experienced

growing up in rural northwest England.

Having ridden the London property wave for the last 14 years,

they have got a very healthy budget of £525,000

and that should get them the extra space that their family require.

But I've got a feeling that it's going to be very important to Helen, Tom and the kids

for them to not be too isolated in their new home.

Let's get cracking!

Tom and Helen want a family home in the countryside near Lancaster,

where their children will go to school.

So we're focusing our search in villages to the south of the city,

where we have lined up three fantastic properties to show them.

As usual, I won't be telling them what they're on the market for

until they've had a guess first.

And we have a real surprise for them with our mystery house

that could leave them speechless.

I don't think I really need to ask why you want to move to Lancashire, but tell me!

Well, we both work from home and so it seemed like an opportunity to move to a house with more space.

We've got three children. We thought it would be nice to give them more space,

more opportunity to go outdoors and less confines of London.

Are you ready? What's happening with your property?

We sold our house about two weeks ago, we accepted an offer,

so that's now going through, so we're ready to go.

-We've got three lovely properties.

-Excellent.

-And while the sun's shining, let's go and have a look!

-Fantastic.

So with a budget of £525,000,

Tom and Helen are after a character property

with two reception rooms, a large kitchen,

an office, which is absolutely essential,

five bedrooms and a manageable garden.

Our first property is in Quernmore, to the south of Lancaster.

It's just down the road from the charming village of Scorton,

which is set in beautiful countryside

and has a range of amenities, including a pub and a post office.

The first house I'm showing them is a stone barn conversion,

which was transformed into a home just four years ago.

-It is this one!

-Lovely.

-Wow.

-That was a "wow". That's a good start.

-Yes.

It's a barn conversion.

-How do you feel about that?

-Good.

-Good so far.

-BOTH: Very good.

-All big smiles?

-Very big smiles.

-Barn conversion's on your list?

-Yes, that was my favourite.

-Really? All sounding good.

-It's sounding very good so far.

-I guess you want to see inside.

-Definitely.

-We do.

-Come on.

So positive first impressions.

Let's hope the stunning hallway keeps those smiles coming.

Right, this is pretty much the entrance hallway,

-which I think is pretty impressive.

-Lovely. Very nice.

-It is, it's nice.

-Lovely.

-And you finally get to see the views through to the back garden.

-You do.

-This is by no means the biggest space in this property.

-BOTH: Oh, right!

-Yes, intriguing! Shall we keep looking?

-Yes.

-I'll follow you.

'Off the hallway is an immense lounge.'

Now, tell me, what do you think of this?

-Oh, wow. Lovely.

-That's very nice.

-I promised you more space!

-That's gorgeous.

-That's a big room.

Come and have a look deeper in.

As you can see, the windows are really down at this end,

-looking out onto...

-Oh, lovely.

-..the gardens and countryside.

You've got the feature of the fireplace.

-There's a multi-fuel burner there.

-Good. I like the fireplace. I like the wood burner.

-Next stop, the kitchen.

-I'd love to see that.

'A big kitchen is one of Tom and Helen's priorities

'and I don't think this one will disappoint.'

-This is what I call a lovely kitchen!

-Wow, that's lovely.

-That's gorgeous. Very nice kitchen.

I like the hob and the oven. Nice and big.

How does it compare to your current kitchen?

-It's a lot squarer.

-Ours is long and thin, so this is a really nice feel.

So, you've seen the downstairs.

Of course, what we haven't shown you is an office.

I will be straight. What you get is four bedrooms,

and this is the amount of space you have,

so you'd have to consider where to fit the office.

-Shall we have a look at those bedrooms?

-Yes.

Through this way, it's not a utility room,

-we have a stairway.

-Ah!

'Our couple wanted to have their own space, away from the children,

'and this might be the quiet spot they're looking for.'

Up here, you would get your own separate wing!

-This is lovely.

-That's a very nice bedroom.

It is really nice. Gosh.

You are away from the rest of the bedrooms.

-You do get kind of Mum and Dad quiet time.

-Fantastic. Brilliant.

-How do you feel about ensuite? Is it a must?

-It would be nice to have.

-Yes.

Good! Because there's one here. Have a little look.

-That's lovely. That's great.

-That's a gorgeous bathroom, gorgeous shower room.

Now you've seen this space, how do you feel about this house?

-It's a perfect-sized bedroom.

-I'm loving you two!

Let's go down, have a look at one of the bedrooms

and then go outside and talk the hard cash.

-OK.

-Come on.

'Back downstairs, there's a double bedroom with an ensuite

'and two further bedrooms, one of which is being used as a study,

'and there's also a family bathroom.'

And this is an example of one of the rooms.

-Next door to this, there is a single garage the other side of that wall.

-Right.

Currently, you don't have entrance to it from the property,

but that could be an alternative office.

-It's worth thinking about.

-Something to investigate.

-Great.

-That's it. You've seen everything inside.

-Thank you.

-Let's have a look outside and talk money.

-Lovely.

-Right.

'As Tom and Helen aren't very green-fingered, they wanted a manageable garden

'and I think this could fit the bill.'

Back outside with these gorgeous views!

It's beautiful. Really lovely.

-That is spectacular.

-Wow.

Well, this is it, your garden space, that total plot,

including the house sitting on it is about a third of an acre.

The question is, of course, how much do you think you'd have to pay to get your hands on this?

Are you going to go first?

£490,000?

-I'm more pessimistic, I'm going to say 499.

-OK.

-This is on at £475,000.

-Oh, wow! OK!

-Yes.

-How's that sound?

-That sounds really good.

-That's better than my guess!

-That gives you even more room to -

-It could give you potential for the garage.

-If that's possible.

Lots for you to think about.

-And a good price.

-Very good price.

-That's good.

I'll let you wander round, check out the garage and the bedrooms

-and we can talk later about what you're thinking.

-OK, thanks.

-Thank you.

Priced at £475,000,

this stunning barn conversion has a kitchen/breakfast room,

one large reception, four bedrooms

and a single garage which could be converted into an office for our buyers.

It's great to hear that it was under budget.

That would give us the flexibility

to look into how we can manage the garage.

The only concerns are, we're one room short of perfection

in terms of the actual floor space of the property.

We've talked about the possibility of converting the garage. That's something we could look into.

I think it would work if we had the extra room at the end.

For our second property, we're in the pretty village of Lower Dolphinholme,

which is south of Lancaster.

The village, on the edge of the Forest of Bowland,

has been designated an historic conservation area

and is situated next to the River Wyre.

There's a village pub, a post office and a local shop.

The house I'm showing them is a newly-built detached house

in a spectacular rural position.

Here we are, second house. This is it.

Right. OK.

-New build.

-Yes! Well spotted!

It is a new build. Built in 2006.

-It looks quite big.

-It does look pretty big, doesn't it?

-It does.

It looks quite substantial, which is good.

And set within an area where you've got lots of neighbours, yet it's very peaceful.

-It's very quiet.

-It is.

-Just what you're looking for?

-I think so.

-Let's see if the house delivers.

-Great.

-Thanks.

'I'm glad they're open to seeing a new build.

'Let's hope the interior will live up to their expectations.'

Now, straight through into the living room.

-Oh, lovely.

-It's a great size. Big square room.

-Very big.

-You've got the focal point of the wood burner.

-Lovely.

-That's nice.

-Cedar beam above it.

So there's a little touch there, even though it's a new build.

-But what you do get with this house is quite a few reception rooms.

-Excellent.

-Lovely.

After you.

'Off the hall, the second reception could make a good office space.'

-OK, smaller reception room. It's still a good size, though.

-Yes.

-Fantastic doors.

-They're using this like a snug at the moment.

-It's great for the kids to watch TV.

-Yes, absolutely...

-Then we can go out into the garden.

-..or an office.

-Would you share an office? Is that the plan?

-No!

-That's not the plan.

-I was not expecting that!

-Who's the office for?

-For me mainly.

I think the children will try and grab it for a TV room, as well,

-so I'm in competition.

-You are.

-Shall we see if we can find an alternative?

-Sounds like a good idea.

-Come on.

-Here you go.

-Oh, great.

-Another big room.

-Brilliant.

It's used as a dining room. We'll look at the kitchen in a moment.

What do you think about, potentially, this being an office or keeping it as dining?

I'd quite like to have this as another reception room.

-I think so.

-If there's enough room in there to eat, I'd prefer that.

I think it's wasted as a dining room.

-What do you think?

-It's a nice kitchen.

-Yes?

-It's nice.

-Is that a utility over there?

-You get the extra space of the utility room through there.

Do you think this would be enough for you to eat meals here?

I think it would work.

-What you don't want to lose is space upstairs.

-BOTH: No.

-I'll give you a hint -

-You're going to tell us there's three bedrooms.

-Would I do that to you, Tom?

There are two!

-You've all got to squeeze in!

-But they're big!

-No, there are five.

-Excellent.

-Brilliant.

-Come on!

'There are three ample double rooms and two single rooms,

'one of which is being used as a study.

'There's also a family bathroom.'

So you do still get a lot of space upstairs!

-Wardrobes! My word!

-I knew you'd love the wardrobes!

-Look at that!

-We'll have to go shopping. We haven't got enough clothes.

It's the same size as the lounge. It's massive.

-And the view...

-That's gorgeous.

-It comes with an ensuite.

-It's a huge bedroom, isn't it?

-Really big.

-Really big, yes.

-Do you want to see really big?

-There's another one?

-There's another one! Come on!

-Welcome to your London studio apartment!

-Oh, my word!

-It's huge!

-That is amazing! Wow.

You do have five bedrooms. Three more.

They're not all this size, but they are good-size bedrooms.

Why don't we head outside now, have a closer look at that river and see how much this costs?

-Great.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much.

'Outside is a patio area and a private lawned garden

'which surrounds the property.'

-This is beautiful, isn't it.

-That's gorgeous. Wow.

-That is fantastic.

-The River Wyre running behind your garden.

-But this is your garden.

-BOTH: Right.

-So it's not the biggest...

-BOTH: No.

-It's a huge house.

-Huge house, great location.

-Yes.

-It comes at a price!

-Indeed! Right, who's going first?

-You go first this time.

It was me second last time.

I'm going to say £530,000.

Er... No, I don't think it's as much...

510.

-Why do you think it's a bit lower?

-Just because of the size of the garden.

It's quite small.

-You're very good at this, Helen.

-Oh.

-Spot on!

-Really?

-£510,000.

-BOTH: Wow.

-Yes.

-What do you think about that?

-It's interesting. Very interesting.

Interesting indeed! Go spend some more time wandering around.

-Have a look at the garage. That's huge, as well!

-OK.

-I'll see you later on.

-We'll see you later.

Priced at £510,000,

this new-build house isn't short of space, with...

Gosh, look at this. It's a really big garage.

-That is a big and very nicely organised garage.

-Yes.

I think it is a good contender.

I'm now totally confused because the one this morning got my heart strings,

but this one seems practical and has the lovely river with it, so I don't know.

It's certainly given us a lot to think about.

It's flexible, we can change it around,

so I think we'll be doing some thinking about that one.

It's an interesting option.

So at the end of an exciting first day in Lancashire,

our buyers could be one step closer to finding their new country home.

We got off to a fantastic start with Helen and Tom yesterday.

They seemed really enthusiastic about the two houses we showed them.

The first, I think they were taken with the character, and the second, they liked the practicalities.

So for our mystery house, let's take them out of their comfort zone

and show them something with a bit more grandeur.

What are you expecting from the mystery house?

Well, since both the houses we've seen so far

have been almost fresh out of the box and newly developed,

I'm guessing the next one won't be.

-Helen, are you worried about that?

-I am. Tom's keen to roll up his sleeves and do lots of work,

but I think I just want to get here and relax and enjoy the new life.

The mystery house should throw up a challenge to you,

something you may not have looked at.

And people often change their minds. But no promises!

For the mystery house, we're taking them just outside Caton

where I found a rather special home.

It has a touch of grandeur

that I think might appeal to Tom and Helen.

Just five miles north-east of Lancaster,

Caton sits in the Lune Valley.

A main road into the city has all the amenities they'll need,

from shops and a supermarket to a petrol station.

The property is a former gate lodge, set within a private park.

This house doesn't have an office and has a bigger garden than they wanted,

but I have a hunch they could fall for this unique place.

-You're being good sports. Eyes closed.

-Still closed!

This is your mystery property. Have a look.

Oh, wow. It's a lodge house. Fantastic.

-It's beautiful.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-So gorgeous.

-So it is.

It's set in these amazing grounds.

And then you get all of this! How are you feeling?

-BOTH: Excited!

-Can't wait to get inside.

-Let's have a look inside, then.

I think I've scored a hit with this house.

I'm taking them straight into the sitting room.

-The grandeur continues inside!

-Wow! Gosh!

-Wow. That is fantastic. Very pretty fireplace and log burner.

-I just spotted that.

-That is amazing.

-All in working order.

-Great.

-What are your first feelings?

-Just...

-I'm intrigued.

-Yes.

-Intrigued. Yes.

It's very grand from the outside and it's gorgeous inside. It's been beautiful done up.

Before we see the rest,

-there's a little bit up here I want to show you.

-OK.

-Come on.

Immediately above the sitting room is a charming secret double bedroom.

Up we come!

-Isn't it cute?

-It's so cute! Wow! Very pretty.

-The current owners call this a little holiday room for themselves because it's so lovely!

-Sweet!

They'll spend some time in here every now and then, but I imagine one of your children would like it.

I've got a feeling which one! Very nice. The intrigue continues.

It keeps unfolding. Let's discover some more.

'Downstairs, through the sitting room, there's a lot more to discover.'

Right, back down here, you've got a bedroom there,

-another one through here...

-Right. Gosh.

-..and a second reception room.

-Lovely.

-Those windows...

-Very light room. They are gorgeous.

It gets better and better.

-Having seen that, you need to see the bedroom that could be yours.

-Right.

-Come this way.

'They are simply loving this house. Let's see if the main bedroom will seal the deal.'

You've got a dressing area, wardrobes out here, ensuite.

-And this could be your master bedroom.

-My word!

-That is just beautiful.

-You've brought us to a hotel!

-Yes!

-Come on in!

-It just feels like a hotel.

-I think we've blown you away.

-I'm speechless.

-You are actually speechless.

-ALL TALK AT ONCE

Speechless and grinning ear to ear!

What can make it any better?

-An amazing kitchen.

-Of course. Let's go find one! Out there, to the right.

'Round the corner from the master bedroom is the hub of the home.'

-DENISE LAUGHS

-Have we delivered?

-Wow. Gosh!

That's...

-That is fantastic.

-That is just beautiful, again.

-Quite modern, quite contemporary.

-Very much so.

-Total contrast to the rest of the house, but works really well.

-Brilliant.

Loads of surfaces and space.

-Can it get any better?

-Well... I don't know!

-Shall I try?

-Yes.

-Go on, then!

-Come on!

'This house just gets better and better.'

'Outside, there's another surprise, with a pretty summerhouse.'

Oh, my word!

-It's another room!

-Oh, my word!

-HELEN GASPS

-I know you love a party, Helen.

-That would just...

-A bit of entertaining!

-That is unbelievable.

-And just for you, there's even a barbeque.

-Indoor barbeque.

It's even got a vent!

-Oh, my gosh!

-SHE LAUGHS EXCITEDLY

That is just gorgeous.

-We are almost done. Let's step outside.

-OK.

-We'll talk about money.

-Right.

-Off you go.

-So your outside space...

-Wow.

-Equally well thought out.

-Perfect.

-You have a couple of outbuildings. Opposite us is what's being used as a bit of a workshop.

-OK.

It could be an office. Up there, you have old stables.

-It could be an office!

-It could be an office.

So you have seen everything.

This is the mystery house.

How much do you think it's on the market for?

I think it's well over budget. It just seems such a high specification.

-Er, £550,000?

-OK.

Just to be different, I'm going a little lower,

but I still think it's over budget. £530,000.

-£499,000.

-BOTH: Really?

-Gosh!

-I'm surprised at that.

-That is very surprising.

Go and explore the garden. Have a look around on your own.

We will catch up later on. This is the last property.

-You've got some serious thinking to do.

-BOTH: Thank you.

Priced at £499,000,

this gatehouse has two reception rooms,

a spacious kitchen/diner,

four bedrooms, an enchanting summerhouse

and an acre of garden which overlooks the private parkland.

As you move towards the back of the property, that's when it comes into its own.

The kitchen is absolutely stunning. It was a perfect kitchen.

And the garden is amazing.

-This is brilliant.

-Oh, wow!

-Really brilliant!

-That is so cool!

It's got real wow factor. The garden and the house has got wow factor.

It's impressive together.

Well, it's only a matter of weeks

before Helen and Tom have to make the move to gorgeous Lancashire.

They've seen three houses and seemed to love something about every single one.

But are they going to buy any? Let's find out.

Tom and Helen, we've had a fun couple of days.

-It's been great.

-With a sense of urgency!

-Absolutely!

We started off with that barn conversion.

I really loved that property to begin with.

I loved the open-planned aspect of it

and the massive living area and the great kitchen.

t was a really good start, but it's one room shy of perfection.

-The second property, the new build...

-Yes.

-How did you feel about that?

-At first, I felt a bit disappointed.

I thought, "It doesn't look great."

But when you went inside, it was such a practical space.

It didn't feel like a country house. It felt like it could've been anywhere.

Well, from there, we took you to the mystery house.

-What are your feelings about it?

-I really, really liked it.

The more you went in and saw, you know, particularly the size of the kitchen,

it was a fabulous house, it had such a lovely feel to it.

I think it had a lot of potential.

I think so. I did have potential. It was big.

I could see the children in there. It grabbed us.

Are you going to buy any of the houses we've shown you?

I think as a matter of urgency, we need to bring the children up

All things being equal, if the children say, "Love it", would you buy?

-Yes. We'd put an offer in.

-I think we would.

I think we're sufficiently taken with it.

That's the right answer! I was pretty taken with it, too!

I would love you two and your family settled in there very soon.

Thank you for showing us three great houses

-and for taking us on this journey.

-Thank you. It's been fantastic.

For Helen and Tom, this move was all about giving their children

the chance to grow up in the open countryside and peaceful surroundings

that they themselves enjoyed as kids.

But they have to find the right house to make that transition.

That's not just an exercise in being sensible and practical,

you have to find a home that's going to tug at the heart strings and touch you emotionally.

Do you know what? I think we may have done it.

I'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.

If you would like to escape to the country

in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England

and would like our help, please apply online at:

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd