Powys Escape to the Country

Welcome to today's Escape To The Country.

On our travels through the Great British countryside,

we do come across a few strange things

but this has to be one of the most bizarre that I've ever come across.

It's an yew tree and it was used to meet out punishment.

But what kind of punishment and where?

Join me in just a few minutes and I'll show you.

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

who are looking for a cosy, Welsh property.

-Cosy springs to mind.

-Cosy.

-Yeah.

Well, cosy, this is what we were talking about.

Proper cosy, I think this is.

And I threw them a curveball with our mystery house.

-Jules, I think you may have excelled yourself.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-First impressions.

-It's lovely.

Well, today we're in Powys in Wales

and this is the now famous whipping yew tree in Llanelieu

The idea was simple.

Back in the day, criminals or ne're-do-wells

would have their hands placed into these slots inside the trunk and.

An iron bar was then passed through and of course they couldn't then get away.

They'd be flogged or indeed left here overnight.

Fortunately, the criminal justice system in these parts has moved on somewhat.

As for the rest of Powys, there's plenty on offer which is just as arresting.

On the border with England, Powys is the largest county in Wales.

Covering an area of over 5,000 square kilometres,

it's home to the Brecon Beacons National Park in the south

of the county and the Black Mountains which are on the border.

At the heart of Powys is Llandrindod Wells,

the county's administrative centre and once popular spa town

with both the Romans and later the Victorians.

The latest figures reveal that Powys is the most sparsely populated area in Wales

and according to a recent well-being survey, it's also the happiest place in the UK.

So, if it's space and tranquillity you're after, Powys is the place to be.

When it comes to house prices in Powys,

the stats do make for some interesting reading.

Your average detached will set you back about £205,000.

You may think that's pretty reasonable

but bearing this in mind, it's still £30,000 higher

than the national average for the rest of Wales.

So why is Powys so expensive relatively speaking?

Basically, there aren't enough houses to go around here.

If you want to move, you'll get a lot of peace and quiet for your money

and some gorgeous, frankly epic landscapes, to spoil yourself with.

So, let's take a look at what's on the market.

This modern, three-bedroom, detached property in the village

of Evenjobb is priced at just under £300,000.

It has a light, open plan layout and a newly added conservatory,

with views over the surrounding countryside.

Or you could buy this seven bedroom, 17th-century farmhouse in Taliesin.

It has a feature stone fireplace, traditional kitchen,

outbuildings and a swimming pool.

It could be yours for £495,000.

And if you have a bigger budget, £650,000 would buy you this

five-bedroom former rectory in Machynlleth.

It offers spacious reception rooms with original sash windows

and two acres of beautifully maintained grounds.

Well, with properties like that on offer,

it's no surprise that today's buyers want to move to this part of the world

so let's meet them and find out just exactly what they're after.

Policeman Craig and his wife, Sophie,

who works in marketing are planning to make the move from Surrey

to Wales, where Sophie was born.

They're hoping to rediscover the outdoors lifestyle she had there

as a child and share it with their two daughters and their spaniel, Oscar.

While Craig will be commuting back to work in Windsor,

for each of his four-day shifts, Sophie is looking to make changes

to her business life in order to spend more quality time with her family.

When we move to the country the type of lifestyle we want is more relaxed,

I would like eventually to cut down my working hours.

Um...

And just to get more involved in the rural way of life, I guess.

I was brought up on a farm in Wales,

so I know it's like to live there and what it's like as a child,

so I think it would afford our daughters a good way of life.

We'd be looking for a place with a small piece of land maybe,

which would enable us to maybe have not so much a smallholding

but maybe a miniature pony or a couple of sheep,

which is going to be a totally new venture for us, really.

Craig and Sophie are ready to fully embrace rural life

and they've got plenty of ideas about what would appeal.

When I move to the country, I'm definitely looking forward to being outdoors more.

We've got a dog, so the dog needs walking.

To have longer, more varied walks.

Also as a family as well to do more things together,

horseriding for example.

We both did horseriding as children

and we'd like to do that as a family.

And also, we both cycle quite a bit as well

and the girls now, being the ages of seven and four,

they've now discovered the joys of cycling.

Again, that's something we'd like to do as well.

Of course, there's an array of Welsh hills to ride and cycle

but it's family ties which have been the real pull for their preferred location.

We're looking to be within an hour of Sophie's parents in Builth Wells

and that area allows an easy commute back to the south east.

And Sophie has clear thoughts on what she wants from her new home.

We do like period or character properties, fireplaces,

love wooden floors.

From the new property, we'd like a minimum of three bedrooms,

three reception rooms, definitely need to have a study.

-And we need a lot more outside space.

-A minimum of an acre, really.

All that matters now is to firm up the finances.

Our maximum budget for the perfect house is £425,000.

Craig and Sophie have asked us

to focus on properties within a radius of one hour's drive

from Builth Wells, which gives us access to areas ranging

from Newtown in the north, Knighton in the east and Brecon in the south.

We've found some great properties to show them and as ever we'll be

asking them to guess the price of each before I reveal it.

Last but by no means least is our mystery house which might

prove to be a whole new ballgame for this fun-loving couple.

Guys, here we are, back in your neck of the woods, Sophie.

Yes, was born in Builth Wells which is only a short distance from here.

Nice to be back?

It is, yeah. I always look forward to coming back.

In terms of the property that you're after,

give me a kind of picture of what it would look like.

-Well, our eldest daughter first and foremost says it's to be cosy.

-Cosy?

That has to be a criteria.

-That could be anything, I guess.

-OK.

Outdoor space is definitely one of the prerequisites really.

Remind us of the budget.

The max that we're looking to spend is £425,000.

Well, this money is burning a hole because you've just sold.

Yeah, we've sold so we need somewhere to live.

We need you to find us a house.

Well then, quickly, because the year is moving on.

-We're halfway through, now. It's what, May?

-Yes.

-The school year.

Yes, one's due to start school, the other's due to change

so we have a window of opportunity and we need them to be in school by September.

Better get cracking.

We'd better get cracking! No pressure, OK.

With a maximum budget of £425,000,

Craig and Sophie want a character property

with at least three bedrooms and three reception rooms.

Also on the wish list is a study, so Sophie can work from home

and a spacious kitchen/diner.

Outside, they'd like at least an acre of garden so they can fulfil

their dream of having a pony for the girls and maybe a sheep or two.

We're starting our property search 24 miles north-east

of Builth Wells on the edge of the village of Llangunllo.

Nestled in the upper Lugg Valley, this location offers perfect

opportunities for riding and walking.

The village derives its name from the Celtic Saint Cunllo,

and the church erected in his name was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century.

Our first property is an old vicarage dating back

to the early 18th century with plenty of original features

that are on their wish list.

This is what I want you to have a look at as our first offering of the week.

What do you reckon?

-It's nice, very pretty.

-Yeah, very nice.

-The old vicarage.

-I'm reliably informed that we know there was a vicar here in 1772.

-OK.

-OK.

-As you can see, it's been added to relatively recently.

-Very nice.

Is this the sort of date and period that you were contemplating?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Very much.

-OK, well your daughter said cosy.

-Yes, she did. Let's have a look.

'Well, the pressure's on.

'Will the vicarage be snug enough to pass the cosy test?'

-In you come. What you reckon?

-It's nice.

-Yeah, it's nice.

-Cosy.

-Well, cosy. This is what we were talking about, isn't it?

It's lovely, it really is cosy.

The current owner has described this as a reading room

so it's a spare reception room, if you like.

But this is the new extension of course. The old bit is really cosy.

Come and have a look at this.

Now, watch your head. Come on in. Do duck. So, there we are.

-That's lovely.

-That's nice.

This is the original part of the house.

This is, yeah, and that's why we all ducked.

-It's very...

-Very modern fitted kitchen as you can see.

-It's quite quirky, actually, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's not massive but the way it's been done is quite clever really.

But the old bit of the house I think is retained in the architecture and you get a real sense of it.

This is the first bit that reveals it.

Through here, this looks quite exciting. Come and look at this.

-First of all, this is the larder.

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah, that's great.

-They are terrific.

-Lots of space.

-And this is set up as a dining room.

-Very nice.

Lots of lovely features in here. Beams and so forth.

1700 or so when this was put up, it does go back.

A wood burner.

Yeah, and quite cosy in the winter

because you've got the fire going, everybody around the table.

It's got more of a sense of a living room, in the sense of a lounge,

rather than a dining room.

Ah! Let's see what you think of the living room because that's through here.

-OK.

-Yeah, it goes on.

-So, this is it. And, you know...

-This is lovely, Jules.

This is what our daughters meant by cosy, proper cosy, I think this is.

This is the picture that most people would imagine,

I suppose, if they're coming to a cottage in mid-Wales.

-A nice big inglenook with a wood burner in it, stone.

-It's huge.

-Do you notice the floor level here?

-Yes.

It's quite odd, the whole thing is sat up on this stone bench.

The story goes that way back when, one of the Vickers

married a lady who was a little bit of a higher station

and so in order to make the room feel bigger, he lowered the floor.

No. What a great story!

Which probably accounts for some of the odd levels which are going on around the rest of it.

That would make sense.

I quite like the story anyway. So, OK, right, come on. Follow me.

'Before we head upstairs, we pass the shower room and utility room,

'somewhere for spaniel Oscar to get his wash and brush up, perhaps.'

Now, the great thing about up here...

is that we haven't got you just three bedrooms, we've got you five.

-Five?

-Five doubles.

-That's incredible.

-Five doubles...

Two of which are en suite.

-Oh, fantastic!

-And this is one of them.

-OK.

You can see, just poking through the door there, the en suite. A nice bath arrangement there.

Loads of storage and so forth and views out to your garden.

-And the church beyond it.

-And the church beyond it, yeah, yeah.

-The vicar's view.

-Yes.

-It's amazing.

'The other en suite bedroom offers lots of natural light and the girls

'won't be short of space in the three remaining good-sized double rooms.

'There's also the opportunity for Sophie to use one of them as a ready-made office.

'Those bedrooms without an en suite are served by this airy family bathroom.

'This property really does offer an incredible amount of space

'and that continues outside with one and a half acres of land,

'made up of a formal garden and a paddock,

'perfect for that pony for the girls.

'The outbuilding, currently set up as a workshop,

'could prove to be a great stable for a pony

'and there would still be room for Oscar's kennel.

'That should keep everyone happy. But will Craig and Sophie be as happy with the price?'

We've got quite a lot on offer here. So, where are we at on the budget?

-Gosh, I think about 405.

-405.

-I was thinking more in the region of about 415.

-415.

You're sort of close to it. It's 405 but not in that order.

-It's 450.

-Oh, is it?

-It's £450,000.

But, and this is an important and real but,

-I do know that 425 would get it.

-OK.

I think it's an adjusting one because it gives you the extra

two bedrooms, very manageable plot of land in a pretty good spot.

Of course, the plot of land, didn't think about that.

-Yeah, you've got a lot of outside space, haven't you?

-Yeah.

But go and explore it. There's printing more for you to nose around in.

-I'll catch up with you probably at the bottom somewhere.

-OK.

-Off you go.

-Thanks, Jules.

In the meantime, I think I shall sit here and enjoy the view.

'Above their budget but potentially achievable,

'our first property certainly meets their requirements.

'It has five generous size bedrooms,

'enough office space for Sophie to work from home,

'loads of room downstairs, the girls will love the cosy fireplace,

'an old barn which could be used as a stable

'and sufficient land to graze a pony.'

This is great, isn't it? Lot of storage space in here.

-Which is nice.

-Yes, use as garage, workshop.

-Brilliant space.

-I like this area.

-There's a wood store through there.

Could be a little stable.

From the outside, it didn't seem too much at all, really.

Come inside, a TARDIS, in many ways.

The only potential downside

is the kitchen area. We were really looking for a kitchen/breakfast/family room,

but I think we would be able to overcome that.

Lovely. Well, I think that went pretty well.

Hey. How'd you get on?

-Yes, good start.

-Very nice.

-Excellent. One down, two more to go.

-OK.

-Come on, then, I'm starving.

Flowing through the county of Powys

is the second longest river in Wales, the River Wye,

which covers 135 miles from its source in the Welsh mountains.

It's renowned as the canoeing capital of Europe.

And, due to its relatively slow-flowing water,

is especially good for beginners.

So what better place to give Craig and Sophie a taste of the outdoors lifestyle they're seeking.

-Welcome to Black Mountain Activities.

-Nice to meet you.

My name's Mike, I'm taking you canoeing today.

-We'll go through these doors and get you kitted out for the canoeing.

-Thanks.

-Follow me.

Canoe Wales, the Welsh body for governing paddle sports, has 1,800

individual members and more than 2,000 affiliated club members.

They advise that the best way to take to the water first time is under supervision.

They also suggest canoeists should always wear a good buoyancy aid.

OK, so we've come to the canoes. Any questions before we start?

They look very unstable. What's the chance of us capsizing?

A slim chance today.

The canoes have quite a flat bottom, so they tend to not go upside down

-as much as the kayaks which are more rounded.

-OK.

-Have you got any tips

-for paddling technique?

-It's best to use your whole body.

Grabbing the paddle, you reach your whole body forwards,

place it in the water, drag it back, take it out again.

Try to get it as vertical as possible.

We really twist and rotate our trunk, using all our muscles,

-not just our arms.

-OK.

-OK, excellent.

The River Wye is one of the least spoilt rivers in the United Kingdom.

In the 17th century, an act of parliament confirmed it

as a free and open navigation up to Hay.

It became an important waterway in the early industrial era.

However, with the development of canals and railways, the commercial traffic disappeared.

Over the last century, fishermen became its main users,

along, of course, with canoeists.

Mike Smith is taking Craig and Sophie on a five-mile trip down the Wye from Glasbury to Hay,

where they'll have to negotiate a small rapid.

They seem to have taken to it like ducks to water.

Clubs are the heart and soul of Welsh canoeing.

They're a great opportunity to meet other enthusiasts,

find equipment to use, improve your paddling and get out on the water.

But enough of messing about on the river,

it's time to dry off and get back to our property search in Powys.

One of the many tributaries of the River Wye which run through Powys

is the River Ithon, which runs through the village of Llanbadarn Fynydd.

Our second property is a mile and a half outside the village,

which boasts a popular pub and restaurant and a shop

that's run by the community.

The house itself is set in a spectacular location

and was originally a 200-year-old stone drover's cottage with an adjoining barn.

Now it's been converted into one.

What do you reckon?

-Fantastic.

-Yes.

-Very nice.

-Completely different to what I expected.

-This is completely different to our first property.

-Yes.

But this is gorgeous. In terms of remoteness,

the only issue is winter and snow, and just buy a big freezer.

No, if you're going to get snowed in, this is the place to do it.

-It's a nice house.

-Yeah? Come and have a look.

-Great stuff.

Right.

-Check this out.

-Cor, this is nice!

Beautiful. Done a lovely job in here.

-Again, I mean...cosy springs to mind.

-Well, look, you've got...

-A wood burner again.

-Lovely burner running away.

It's open plan, but very much divided into its own zones.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-So, clearly dining end over here, and then here we've got

-this lovely sitting area, living area.

-Open plan can feel a bit cold sometimes, but...

-No, this works well.

-Above us is this mezzanine

and if you step over here to the wood burner, it's more obvious what's going on here.

There are three bedrooms on offer.

-One of them - the master - is up there.

-Oh, right.

-And the other two are above the farmhouse.

-Right.

-OK.

The arrangement here is interesting,

so we'll do this house tour differently.

Having done living space, we'll jump ahead and look at the master bedroom

-because you should check this out. Then we'll carry on with the rest.

-OK.

-OK, super.

-Right, up here.

Off this little landing, you've got your own en suite.

In there. And then, if you duck,

and come in here, this is the master.

Oh, great, what a room!

Lovely views out there.

-Fantastic.

-Yeah.

-It's very light, isn't it?

-The neutral furnishing and paint,

it's just very simple, very uncluttered.

It is lovely.

-We've done this unusually because we've gone downstairs, then up to the master bedroom.

-Yeah.

-We've yet to see the kitchen.

-Yes.

-Mm.

-Yes?

-OK.

'After a long wait, I'm hoping Sophie will be pleased when she sees the kitchen that's on offer.'

-There we go, Sophie.

-Oh, better, isn't it?

-I think this is the sort of thing.

-Yes, better.

-Yeah?

-Fantastic.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Yes.

-Good kitchen.

-Hm?

-Yeah.

-Yeah? This is the sort of thing?

Yes, this kitchen/dining/living space is good.

Well, because it all flows quite nicely, we've almost finished our house tour itself.

But let's go up that staircase and...

-Well, you tell me if you think the girls would be happy.

-OK.

-OK.

'Just tucked away behind the kitchen there's a small office space,

'something which should appeal to Sophie. But now let's look at the layout upstairs.'

So that's the shower room there.

There's bedroom two.

Then this is the final one. It's the biggest of the two in this half.

-Yeah. It's a lovely room. And inbuilt storage.

-Yes.

-A real bonus.

They may want to share that storage.

-Yes.

-Next door doesn't have any built in.

-OK.

-But again, you get this nice feeling, the beams and stonework...

-Such character.

-Floorboards, you know.

But again, beautifully furnished. One of the successes of this house

-is the way it's presented and furnished.

-Yeah.

-It really defines the kind of style of life one would have here.

-Yes.

The lifestyle our buyers are after is all about the outdoors.

So let's look at the surrounding grounds to see

if this property fits the bill as a smallholding for livestock or ponies.

Amongst the 10 acres of land, there's a stream and a small lake,

both of which are havens for wildlife.

They could also keep chickens, should they fancy having their own taste of the good life.

-Behind us, something of a market garden.

-Wow!

-It is, isn't it?

Terraced and well developed vegetable beds.

With the polytunnel and so forth.

So you could almost become self sufficient.

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

-It's also got its own water.

-Oh, has it?

-Has it?

-Yeah, and it has its own bio-tank which gets rid of

-all the septic stuff.

-Ah.

-Right.

-So you are completely eco here.

Gosh.

Obviously, price is important.

Let's have a think then.

-£420,000?

-£420,000.

-Yeah. Craig?

-I lost out on the last one,

but I feel more confident on this one, so I'll go for £399,950.

£399,950? Where did you get that figure from?

Well, I just...I'm just playing around, really.

-Just a stab in the dark, really, but...

-Ever the optimist.

He's the one who said it wouldn't rain.

And guess what - you're almost right. OK, well, not bad, sir.

This is on the market for £399,500.

-Oh!

-Ohh!

-I'll give you that one.

-£450.

-I'll give you that one.

-That's good.

-So, yeah, 500 quid short of £400,000.

-That's fantastic.

-That's a lot for you money.

-I would say so.

-That's incredible.

-Yeah.

-Plus, you've also got

what some would describe as either a very large pond

-or a very small lake.

-Oh, really?

-And it's down there.

-OK.

-Go and explore.

-OK.

-We'll go and have a look.

-We'll go fishing.

-Don't get your feet wet.

-Right, OK.

At just under £400,000, this property not only leaves them

with money left over, but it easily delivers on their demands.

Three good-sized bedrooms, a family-sized kitchen/diner

spacious and cosy reception rooms,

and 10 acres of eco-friendly land.

-I don't think you'll get many fish in here, would you?

-No.

-Is it too reedy?

-No, you could put stuff in here.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Really nice.

It's much more remote than the last one.

In terms of the actual plot, I think you get an awful lot for your money.

I mean, I'm amazed that you've got 10 acres, plus all the house, plus the little lake.

I mean, it would be a completely new thing

to Sophie and I. If you want to do the whole self-sufficiency thing,

it's here on your doorstep, all there for you,

all set up, ready to go.

A nice end to our first day of house hunting.

-It's getting a bit nippy.

-Yeah.

-Time for a drink, come on.

-Definitely.

As the sun sets over the Welsh hills,

it's the end of the first day of our property search.

Police officer Craig and wife Sophie are looking to move

from Surrey to the green, green grass of Sophie's childhood home in the Welsh county of Powys.

The two cosy character properties they've seen so far went down well,

but coming up, can they have their cake and eat it in our mystery house?

-That's fantastic.

-Yeah.

-That's really good news.

-Wow!

-That's a worthy contender.

-That's made my day, that has.

Excellent, brilliant!

And I watch a water vole make its new home on Llangorse Lake.

As we've learnt so far, Craig and Sophie are most definitely looking for a whole new change of lifestyle.

But the whole thing has to be paid for somehow.

And while Sophie can work from home at the moment,

poor Craig has to commute from Wales to London during the week.

So, for our final property, the mystery house,

we're going to offer them a different solution -

a property where they could both work together from home

and create the new lifestyle they're looking for.

We're on our way to our final property,

which is very different to what we've shown you before.

But there are one or two other aspects I'd like to explore.

In particular, this notion of holiday lets.

It's not an uncommon wish for people on Escape.

It's something we have thought about.

Eventually, I'd like to reduce the hours

I'm doing in my current job.

And if we find a property that had a holiday let either ready to go

or maybe a barn we could convert, then it's something we'd definitely look at doing.

Well, the mystery house is some way ahead of us

but I think it might offer you new ideas

-to get you living and working in the same place.

-That's great. Look forward to that. Fantastic.

For our mystery house, we're heading just outside the village of Carno.

The surrounding area is predominantly Welsh speaking and reliant on livestock farming.

Our final property is a detached, three-bedroom traditional farmhouse,

set in half an acre of mature gardens.

Here it is, our mystery property.

-Jules, I think you may have excelled yourself.

-Nice, isn't it?

-First impressions, very good.

-Lovely.

Really, really pretty. It's a good couple of hundred years old.

There's the main body of it. It's had an extension added on,

but an historic one, probably 150 years old itself.

-Right.

-So that's what's on offer.

But why is it the mystery house?

Well, we've thought about this holiday let thing, I've teased you about it in the car.

-Yes.

-Well, we've got you two really well-appointed holiday lets next door.

-Oh, great.

-Brilliant. So they're ready...

-They're ready to go.

-OK.

-So we have to see if we can fit you and the girls...

-In there.

-Excellent, let's go for it.

-Come on, have a look.

-OK.

Now, what do you think of this?

-It's lovely.

-This is good.

-Yeah?

-Nice and cosy.

-LAUGHS

I knew somebody would say cosy.

-It's the word of the week.

-Yeah.

Very cosy, clearly dominated by that lovely great big inglenook.

-Really nice feature.

-Lovely wood-burning stove.

-Lovely room.

-So, nice first impression.

-Yes.

Right, come and look at this.

This is the dining room, just off the main living room.

-It's a lovely room.

-Good size.

-Huge.

-It's got a lovely feel

to this room, with the sun streaming through it.

Next door is a traditional kitchen with some lovely period features.

-Now, then.

-Oh, gosh.

-That's nice.

It's sweet, it is what it is - it's a galley kitchen.

-It's got some nice features. That oil-fired range is lovely.

-Yeah.

That stable door goes out to a utility area,

another door out to the garden. Your thoughts, Sophie.

I quite like it, actually. It's not as big as the one we saw yesterday.

But you could improve on it. These units would make a big difference.

-Touch them up a bit, change them.

-Bit of updating.

-Room for a table as well, which is nice for breakfast.

-Absolutely.

-The nice thing about this one is that it contains the makings of tea and cake.

-Oh.

-Isn't that lovely?

That's a nice touch for anyone looking round a house.

-Hopefully we'll get back to the cake later.

-OK.

-We'll come back.

-Let's go upstairs first.

-OK.

On the first floor is a family bathroom

and two bedrooms which could provide loads of room for the girls

as they get older.

But there is one room we have not seen yet

and that's where Craig and Sophie might be.

Of the three bedrooms up here, this is by far the biggest one.

I think this would be obviously yours.

The master one, yeah.

-And built-in wardrobes and stuff, as well.

-Yes.

They're all over the place.

And, of course, views out over the garden.

-It's a pretty room.

-A good size room.

Good, OK.

I can see we're all itching to go have a look at those holiday lets.

Let's go.

-And cake!

-And cake, yeah.

The idea of the holiday lets seems to have really

captured their imagination.

I hope there is keen once they've seen the barn conversion.

Here we are, your sort of business complex

and this wonderful converted barn.

Through that door there we have some storage space.

Then there's a stair up to some office space.

Not completely finished at the moment but there's bags of it.

So, you working from home and running the lets from there

would be absolutely ideal.

And then we have these two lets on two floors,

so one at the bottom, and one of the top.

Let's go through the bottom one.

'So far, so good. Having the office space has gone down well.

'But will the interior live up to their expectations?'

Now these are enormous.

-Yes, gosh.

-What a surprise.

You have two very good double bedrooms there, twin in this one.

And then, in here, if you will.

-Oh, this is pretty.

-What a lovely room.

And then the kitchen tucked around the corner there.

And this floor plan is replicated upstairs.

Oh, gosh. A lot of thought's gone into this.

The interesting thing is they're not really pushing these.

They have only got them with one agent, in Newtown.

And the prices, I think, are pretty modest,

anything from 150 to 350 week, depending on the season.

In a good year, there's no reason why shouldn't be doing 30 weeks

a year, so with a bit of extra marketing I think you could up the prices a bit

and generate quite a healthy income.

I guess if you did a bit more cosmetically and went for that five-star rating, perhaps,

-then charge that bit more.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic

How do you feel about running these lets now you've seen them?

I'd quite like to do it, actually.

-Have we really whetted your appetite?

-It has, yes.

It's great news that Sophie can see herself running this new venture.

Let's head outside and see we can seal the deal with the price.

So, that's what's on offer.

Two lovely holiday lets, lovely three-bedroom period cottage,

and, all in all, half an acre of gardens and grounds.

I know what it's going to be. Next question.

Next question is going to be, how much is it worth?

Our final thought about this.

-I think it's going to be quite a lot over our budget, this one.

-How much?

-475.

-475, so 50,000 over.

-Yes.

I'm going to take a wild guess.

-Hopefully one that is going to be spot-on, at 420,000.

-£420,000.

That, of course, is very much the top end of your budget.

If it were 420, given that you could offset the cost with the lets,

would you think about doing it?

-Yes, it's a definite option.

-Yes, absolutely.

That's very, very good news, because this is

-actually on the market for £390,000.

-It's not, you're joking!

-Really?

-Oh, wow.

390. It was over four, it's been reduced and is now 390.

That is fantastic, really good news.

-Wow.

-A worthy contender.

-That's made my day, that has!

Excellent!

Off you go, go and check out the other let.

I'll catch up with you later. Off you go.

So, this traditional three-bedroom cottage with barn conversion

could be just what Craig and Sophie are looking for.

Way below the price they thought they would have to pay

at £390,000, this is a real contender.

It has a kitchen/diner, perfect for tea and cake.

A good-sized study, two spacious holiday lets,

and half an acre of land for the girls and Oscar the dog to play in.

-I think it would be fantastic.

-Yeah, no, I agree.

And I think, as you said, it will be a project for you,

with your experience and commitment,

it is something you would really enjoy, I think.

It's great.

I think the real surprise for me today is the price.

I really, really thought this was going to be way over our budget.

It has made my day in that respect.

I didn't think we'd be able to get a holiday let ready to go

and a house to live in for that amount of money, to be honest.

When we first saw this house I just hoped this was going to be

THE house, really, out of the three.

I mean, it is superb.

-What do you think?

-I like it, it's a lovely house.

-Very pretty.

-Ah, there you are.

-Hi, Jules.

-Look what I found.

-I hope there's some left!

-This is fabulous.

I tell you what, if you can make cake as good as this,

I will definitely come back to see you.

-Fabulous. Have you seen enough?

-Yes.

-Taken it all in? There's a lot of it.

-It's fantastic.

-Let's go and find a cup of tea to go with this.

-Lovely.

In the south of Powys is the Brecon Beacons National Park,

containing over 500 square miles of jaw-dropping scenery with

historic sites such as Neolithic standing stones and Norman castles.

No wonder around 3.8 million people visit here each year.

Sadly, in spring, it was devastated by what's been

described as some of the worst grass fires in 30 years.

Hundreds of creatures such as grouse and voles were killed

and vegetation vital to their habitat was lost

'as 2,000 acres were burned.

'Judith Harvey, the Western Area manager,

'took me for a walk to show me the damage.'

I can smell the burning that has been going on.

Just looking at my feet, from a distance it looks relatively green,

but as soon as you look down you can see it's all black and brown

and this is absolutely devastating to the ecosystem.

It is.

As national park wardens, we do burn common, every year, if we can, if we get dry weather.

-But it is controlled.

-Controlled, and during the winter months.

This has been after a very early spring

and then obviously we have had these fires

so birds nests and everything have been completely burnt.

Also, the peat has burnt, the soil has burnt,

and it will take a long time some of these areas to come back.

In terms of the ongoing research that you do in the park,

how much of a setback is an event like this?

It is a setback.

We will try to turn it into an opportunity

and monitor how the vegetation and stuff does come back.

But, you know, we are really upset, we really are.

While hundreds of mammals have been tragically lost on

one side of the Beacons, over to the east, on Llangorse Lake,

one of the UK's most endangered species,

the water vole, is being reintroduced.

Once common in the UK, their numbers declined in the 1990s

and by 2005, 90% of them had disappeared, mainly due to land drainage

and the introduction of the North American mink to our shores.

Their preferred habitat is near open water as they can dive

and swim with great ease.

They make their homes in burrows dug in the banks of waterways,

such as slow flowing rivers, ditches, dykes and lakes,

feeding on grasses and waterside vegetation.

400 water voles have set up home on Llangorse Lake over the past year

and there are plans to release a further 100 in the coming months.

Warden Gareth Ellis filled me in on this valuable conservation work.

We know that voles have been in trouble for some time,

but just how bad is it?

The vole population in the UK has been decimated.

We think it is down to 5% of the population used to be

perhaps 100 or 150 years ago.

It's important to provide the right habitat for them,

it's important to make sure that habitat managed in the right way so it's secure.

But we're hoping if we can protect the populations in these areas,

somewhere like here with the lake, eventually population numbers will expand

and they'll start moving out into the wider countryside.

Do you think they're robust enough as a species to do that?

Given a chance, given the right habitat management, given controls of mink numbers,

which a lot of people have been supportive of, then, yes, they have a fighting chance.

Selwyn Eagle is the warden giving these water voles their first

taste of freedom after being bred in captivity.

I went to watch him moving one new tenant onto the lake.

They are very lively animals.

If you try and get him out of the case, he's liable to leap out.

They can still leap out over my shoulder.

But once they are in the tub,

and if you put some straw in the bottom,

they'll tend to hide in the bottom in the straw.

I don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh.

-Look at that.

-There you are, little fellow.

Hello, mate! Extraordinary.

Where have these come from?

They've been bred specifically for the Environment Agency

by a guy called Derek Gow, the country's leading expert.

He makes sure through captive breeding to mix up all the genetics

and make sure they're strong individuals when they're released.

Brilliant, well, let's release him, shall we?

In he goes, look at that!

So he will now go off and look to find a little burrow

and create his burrow.

That's it, he's found himself

somewhere nice and tucked away immediately there.

It's a good spot.

He'll feel nice and safe there and take in his new surroundings

and start finding himself somewhere to set up home.

This reintroduction project has far reaching and long-term benefits

for the biodiversity of the lake area and, provided

the water voles continue to thrive, the Environment Agency will be

looking to release more of them at other suitable sites across Wales.

And just like water voles, we're hoping that Craig and Sophie

have found their ideal habitat here, because it's time for them

to reflect on the three properties they've seen.

Well, here we are, have you enjoyed yourselves?

-It's been great, A really good experience.

-Very good.

Let's get back to our first property.

We started with the old vicarage with an acre-and-a-half of paddock

and wonderful period features.

That was a nice property, and the edge of village location

which we asked for, had the outside space,

and had lots of character, as you say.

-And, of course, it came with five bedrooms.

-Incredible.

And the two en suite as well.

One of those extra rooms could be used for the study

or playroom for the girls.

To be honest,

I guess it was probably a little bit too big for our needs, in many ways.

Then we took you to, I thought, a very interesting conversion,

with 10 acres attached to it.

What did you make of that one?

Yeah, it was a lovely setting

and obviously the ground around it was incredible.

In terms of the house, a little bit different.

It had the kitchen, diner, living room area which was fantastic.

All open plan.

The whole thing really did flow together and it gave you

three bedrooms, but the master suite being very separate.

But it was a touch too remote.

Then we took you to our final property, the mystery house.

It's big selling point was that it had those fantastic holiday lets.

But let's talk about the house itself.

Could that work?

Yes, I think it could.

I mean, it's not my ideal property, but the fact that you've got

the holiday lets with it, and a lovely garden.

Those holiday lets, we can really put our stamp on those

and I think we would get a really good income of those.

Let's think about it. Are you going to buy it?

We'd definitely like to have a look at it but we'll soon need to check out the schools.

If the schooling checked out then I think we definitely go back

and have a second viewing on that one.

-Great. So watch this space.

-Yes.

Of course, every house search is different,

but the longer I work on Escape To The Country, the more I understand

that there's a growing divide between people who simply want to live in the country

and those who want a country life.

And somewhere in the middle are people who want a country lifestyle.

That is exactly what we have been trying to achieve for Craig and for Sophie.

With any luck, in the mystery house,

they've found the opportunity to do just that, complete with

a growing menagerie of dogs, ponies, sheep, and goodness knows what else.

If you'd like to escape to the country in Scotland, Wales,

Northern Ireland or England, and would like our help,

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