Shropshire Escape to the Country

This dramatic, red sandstone cliff in the middle of a forest

used to be the home of a Tudor outlaw turned folk hero.

Who was this alternative Robin Hood, and where are we?

Find out in just a moment.

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

buy their very first home together.

And early on, we run into a few sticky issues.

How do you get at the cobwebs up there?

A very, very long duster.

But then, with the mystery house, we find property perfection.

I should have brought my thesaurus with me

because I've run out of superlatives for this house.

Today, we're in Shropshire,

and this is Kynaston's Cave in the Nesscliffe Country Park.

Humphrey Kynaston was a Tudor nobleman

who turned to crime after he was accused of murder,

and he lived in these case for 20 years.

Him in one and his horse in the other.

You might wonder how a horse would get up all those steps

but Beelzebub was no normal steed.

He could clear a 12 foot wall, and, on one famous occasion,

jumped the River Severn in one leap.

Humphrey Kynaston's career as a criminal,

robbing from the rich to give to the poor, did not last for ever.

He was pardoned by Henry VIII and died a peaceful death in 1534.

So, apart from cutthroats and folk heroes,

what else is Shropshire famous for?

Well, it's the largest landlocked county in England

and has one of the lowest populations the country.

Set within its spectacular, rural landscape,

Thomas Telford's cast iron bridge, now a World Heritage site,

stands testament to the area's industrial achievements

during the 18th century.

Shropshire's architectural heritage also runs deep.

Nowhere more so than in Ludlow,

which has imposing castle ruins that date back to Norman times.

Its historic centre is also home

to the distinctive black and white timber-framed buildings,

a style found widely throughout the county's towns and villages.

As you're probably aware,

house prices are pretty stagnant across the country at the moment

and, according to the Land Registry figures this month,

the West Midlands are not an exception.

Prices have been going down.

But Shropshire bucks the trend,

not by very much, I have to admit, 0.4 percent rise,

but nonetheless, a rise.

And with a buoyant market comes good value -

the average detached house here costs is £250,000,

which is £4,000 below national average.

Here's a selection of what's currently on the market.

For £365,000 this three bedroomed barn conversion in Stokesay

is all on one level, but its vaulted ceilings create a sense of space.

The kitchen comes complete with a range,

and the sitting room has a brick fireplace.

Outside, the well-tended gardens have views of open countryside.

This three-bedroom country house near Linley Brook

comes with nearly 8 acres of pasture and gardens.

And inside, the two main reception rooms feature exposed beams

and a huge inglenook.

With three bedrooms, all told, it's on the market for £585,000.

And if your budget stretches to £745,000,

this substantial barn conversion in Evelith

combines contemporary decor with character features,

such as the exposed ceiling timbers

that are a recurrent theme in some of its five bedrooms.

Outside, the secluded gardens extend to just over half an acre.

Some lovely properties on the market here in Shropshire.

Let's meet the discerning couple who are planning to move here.

Hayward, a company director, and Felicity, an educational consultant,

have been an item for 10 years,

but still divide their time between their two respective Cheshire homes.

His near Northwich, and hers in Sandbach.

As the six children they have between them have flown the nest,

and with retirement on the horizon,

they now feel it's the right time to move into their first home together.

I was born in the country, really.

I lived a country existence as a child, on the Wirral,

we had hens and vegetable garden.

I suppose I'm trying to recreate my childhood, if you like.

I think we'd like to move to an area that I know a little bit about,

because I work in Shropshire at the moment,

so we're looking to move to North Shropshire.

Although they're buying together for the first time,

both are agreed on an edge-of-village location.

But the wish list for the ideal property has many elements to it.

What we're looking for in our new house is at least 3 to 4 bedrooms,

with a study, a couple of extra reception rooms as well.

A really nice feature would be a dining kitchen,

with some nice ranges in, or whatever.

Because Felicity lives cooking, we probably do a lot more entertaining.

I think with the outside space and the land that's available,

there are various options I'd like to look at.

We do like wildlife,

so we'd like to develop an extensive wildlife garden,

and attract wildlife in.

We'd like a water feature of some sort, a river, a canal, lake, pond,

anything like that nearby or at the bottom of the garden

would be absolutely perfect.

I think if there was any outbuildings or sufficient space,

there are some sort of hobby businesses we'd like to do.

Felicity would love to start up a specialist cattery, wouldn't you?

-Because we both love cats.

-That would be nice.

And we'd definitely like to keep a few chickens.

-Yes, maybe a goat.

-Yep.

-Or two.

In order to finance the move,

Felicity plans to rent out her property.

Whereas Hayward is going to put his on the market.

But they're open-minded about how much they want to spend.

I think our budget for this move is £550,000, but we could be flexible

if there were business opportunities attached to it.

This is going to be a really interesting show

because Hayward and Felicity have been a couple for 10 years,

but they've always lived apart.

This house in Shropshire will be the first time they come together

and open up their moving boxes and go, "Oh, I want this here,

"and that should go there."

Or maybe not, they might move in very harmoniously.

We're also going to try and throw in a business option,

a sideline that will keep them occupied when they choose to retire.

And the thing is, we have to find the house that contains all of that.

Hayward and Felicity are keen to focus their search

in the North Shropshire area

so it's an easy drive from Cheshire for visiting friends.

I'll be showing them three country homes,

all with very different attributes,

but they won't find out the price of each

until they've had a guess first.

The last of these is our mystery house,

which will force them to re-evaluate what they think they really want.

-Welcome to Shropshire!

-Thank you very much.

You're moving in together having brought up families in separate homes.

Are you a bit anxious about that?

I don't think so, actually, the strange thing is,

we've been together for about, nearly 10 years now.

-It is 10 years at Christmas.

-And we don't argue.

This could be a new opportunity today.

There's always a first time.

But generally, we have similar tastes, don't we?

Now, the interesting thing about your house hunt

is that you want a home for yourself, obviously,

but there is a possibility that you want a little business holiday let.

Yes, that's right.

That affects your budget.

Could you just run through what you're going to spend?

The budget is £550,000.

And that's for the house?

If there is a business opportunity alongside that we can develop,

then the budget would increase,

depending on the size of the business opportunity,

but it won't be restricted to 550,000.

Excellent, it's a beautiful part of the countryside as you can see,

and we've picked out some nice houses for you.

-Are you ready to go and see them?

-Very ready.

-Very much.

Then follow me.

Hayward and Felicity have set themselves a budget of £550,000,

although they would be happy to increase that

if the right business opportunity came along.

Their criteria includes a large kitchen diner,

preferably with a range.

In terms of the property,

is there a particular style you're looking for, a period?

It's a really tricky one to answer, that,

because I think you just have a feel about a place when you go in.

We're looking for something cosy perhaps, but also airy,

that doesn't really make any sense, I know,

but we'd like it to be quite light,

but also welcoming and have a warm feel to it.

I'm sure you've found us just the perfect place, I'm not concerned.

Oh, dear, I'm not keen on all this pressure.

It's good for you, pressure, Alistair, it makes you perform.

Hopefully, we'll rise to the challenge

as we get our property search underway.

A short drive from the historic market town of Wem

which provides them with a whole host of independent shops.

A few miles out of town, set back from the road, is our first house.

A substantial barn conversion.

So, here we go, house number one.

What are your first thoughts?

Well, it's certainly a stunning building, yeah.

It's a barn conversion, it was done about 2006

and really has just been completed, it's a bit of a work of art inside.

Yes, it looks like it might be from what we can see, even from here.

-Let's have a peek.

-OK.

There's a surprise element to this house, which I'll reveal later.

We'll explore the beautifully renovated interior of this barn conversion,

which is set out in a U-shape.

I'm hoping the first room will be Felicity's idea of culinary heaven.

In we come, and straight into your realm, I think, Felicity.

Definitely my realm, this is amazing.

It's got plenty of space over there, nice family meals.

It's got the range, is that gas?

Yes, double topped gas.

I really like having somewhere to sit as well, like that, in the kitchen,

as well as having a big dining table.

It's nice to have someone to relax.

There's plenty of space in here, too, isn't there?

The one thing about this property is there is space a go-go.

I think this is a lovely space, and it keeps on giving, this house.

This is amazing.

Oh, that's nice, isn't it? I love the arch.

It's so light, isn't it, with the big windows?

How do you get at the cobwebs up there?

-A very, very long duster.

-It just makes it look even bigger, again,

because of the sudden height, the change in height, which is superb.

And then down here, more...

..when you look down this wing.

-Oh, goodness, look at this.

-I didn't expect that.

You've got a mezzanine seating area with a TV up there,

and then a more formal area downstairs,

with this lovely minster stone fire surround.

That's gorgeous, that is, fantastic.

A spiral staircase is something I've always liked.

I've always wanted to put in a house but never managed to get one in yet.

So, that another big tick.

This range of sprawling reception rooms

gives Hayward and Felicity's visiting family

acres of space to spread out in.

Retracing our steps into the central hallway,

the staircase leads up to three generous double rooms.

First up, the master.

So, this would be your bedroom.

Oh, lovely. Perfect.

I like the oak beams, it just adds a lot to it, I think.

And the original round windows.

The amazing green oak beams hold up the whole barn conversion.

It's been very well done, I think.

It's very nicely finished, everywhere is immaculate.

You've got an ensuite round the corner, with a nice, slipper bath.

And there's more.

Secrets, again.

The upstairs corridor leads through to a second guest room,

another enormous double, with a light, spacious ensuite shower room.

And even the final double comes complete with its own bathroom.

Sandwiched between these rooms is a landing with a spiral staircase,

that leads down to my surprise element. A whole other annexe.

Aha! The second house.

Good Lord, so, how many sitting rooms is that?

You lose track, don't you?

Essentially, this is a separate holiday let.

I just had no idea that would be here.

No, no, it's so much bigger than I thought it would be,

it just seems to go on and on.

This one-bedroom annexe with its own ensuite wetroom

is a perfect and low maintenance answer to their request

for a business opportunity.

Outside, the immediate gardens up to the wooden fence

and further paddock area, amount to nearly 1.2 acres.

It's a generous package, but there's one catch.

Just wondering, Alistair, about the rest of the...

You're being very subtle, there's a huge white elephant in the room -

this massive building that is attached to yours, in fact.

-This is being developed by the people who developed this.

-Right.

So you will have built in, plumbed in, neighbours.

Right.

So, it's obviously something to bear in mind.

So, how much do you think it's on the market for?

I would say about 520.

Yes, I'd say little bit higher than that,

not really counting in the extra annexe, but about 530-ish.

OK, so, this is on the market for 575.

-Right, OK.

-But it's the first property you seen in this area,

so it's difficult to pull figures out of the ether.

Have a look around and I'll see you out the front.

Although over budget at £575,000, this spectacular barn conversion

does give them an annexe with rental opportunity.

It also provides a super-sized dining kitchen,

with the range that Felicity wanted,

and three huge reception rooms with a fireplace.

Initially, I was slightly disappointed

because I'm not essentially into barn conversions, I don't know why,

they tend to be a bit too modern for me.

But when we came into the house and I saw the kitchen,

I was blown away by it,

it's a beautiful space, it's very open, very airy.

The range looks fantastic

and I can see us entertaining family and friends in here,

and that was a big wow feature.

I think, like all houses, there are upsides and downsides,

and the upside to this for me is the house itself, which is superb.

I think the downside is the proximity to a main road,

and the noise,

and the fact that there's really no views at the back,

you're next to another development.

Which I think isn't ideally what we're looking for.

So, the house a definite contender, not sure about the location.

Ah, there you are.

Had a good look round.

You had a good look? You ready for the second one?

-Certainly are.

-Yes, please.

-On we go.

North Shropshire is an area that Hayward and Felicity know well,

but they're less familiar with the south of the county.

Earlier in the week, we sent them into the heart of South Shropshire,

to the market town of Church Stretton.

Of its four churches, St Laurence is of particular interest,

as it features a medieval carving of a woman known as a Sheela Na Gig,

a figure said to ward off evil or to represent fertility.

Fertility symbols were also used by farming communities

to ensure a good harvest.

Which is how the tradition of corn dollies came into being.

To find out more,

we sent our buyers to the nearby Acton Scott Working Farm,

where they're meeting Margaret Newsom,

who's going to reveal all about this unique, rural craft.

So, the tradition of corn dolly making went back to ancient times,

pre-Christian, because people were very superstitious.

Of course, they didn't want the crops to fail,

I mean, it was literally fatal if they didn't have any crops.

So they used to believe that the spirit of growth and fertility

actually lived in the field.

The reaping team cut the field of wheat,

we leave a stand of wheat in the corner of the field,

and the spirit of growth and fertility goes into that.

And then the oldest member of the reaping team, would cut it down,

and he formed it into a very rough human idol, a rough human form.

And then you've captured the spirit of growth and fertility,

and it goes home on the last wagon.

Religious custom has been bound up

in ensuring a bountiful harvest for centuries.

The Romans worshipped their own goddess of grain, Ceres,

from which our word cereal is derived.

During the Victorian era,

different regions would compete against each other

with their own design of corn dolly.

Which is why there's such a variety, including some very intricate ones.

This corn dolly is the crown.

That's gorgeous, that.

This was made by the farmworkers in the field,

it was plaited, and it was given to the lord of the manor.

Having discovered the history,

Felicity attempts to master the basics

by weaving what is known as a fill the gap plait.

That's lovely, well done.

That's it, you've got it.

You could do with another pair of hands, really.

That's it, just use your thumb for control.

That's lovely, well done.

Time for Hayward to add his contribution

to what is known as a countryman's favour.

The two braids are tied together with the traditional red ribbon,

and, hey presto, they have the finished article.

Let's hope it all bodes well for our property search,

and that our crop of houses gives them rich pickings.

Our house search continues five miles from Oswestry,

in the village of St Martins.

Although the centre has its fair share of road traffic,

our second property sits by the banks of the Llangollen Canal,

where the only passing traffic are the barges meandering past.

Ah, now, house number two.

This is lovely.

That is quite fantastic, isn't it?

What a fantastic looking house that is.

And there's our water feature!

Well spotted.

Now, there's endless features to this property.

You have a Shropshire canal running through the property,

you have a 50-foot mooring,

and along here, well, the total land that you get with this

is just over six acres, so a lot of looking after nature.

This extraordinary building,

which was converted over the last 10 years or so,

probably in parts is about 200 years old,

but it's a completely up-to-date eco-house.

It's very carbon neutral, it's got a very good carbon score,

it's very ecological, and it has this separate, it's not attached,

a separate outbuilding,

which is up and ready to be converted into a holiday let.

Fantastic, let's have a look.

Set apart from the house is another large outbuilding

which gives them a garage and workshop.

I'm hoping the homely feel of the interior of the house will be just what they wanted.

Come on in, I'm going to whisk you straight through to the kitchen,

because I think this gives a good example of house.

Now, that's lovely, isn't it?

I don't know what the right word to describe this, really.

-It's not cute.

-It's more, sort of cottage-y, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

Yes, and the featured brick and the wood

is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it?

I'm spotting, what is that metal thing, is it an oven of some sort?

Yes, this is a little feature that actually came from the next cottage

and through into the utility room.

Everything here is reclaimed, recycled, the stone and wood.

You do have your nice big range.

And you have this rather nice doorway straight out into the canal.

One of the things we were thinking is that you could run a tea shop

-for passing canal boats.

-That would be ideal for us, wouldn't it?

You were talking about making gourmet meals

to give to the people on their longboats.

It would be really nice in the season, during the boating season.

I can't wait to see the rest of it.

The kitchen also has the added bonus of a huge pantry.

But let's get their view on the high spec features of the main reception.

So, notice these.

Oh, yes.

Here's the sitting room, it's much more modest than the last house.

-It's cosy.

-It's very light,

you've got light from three sides, which is excellent.

These doors go onto a lovely terrace that sits overlooking the canal.

And obviously views of the canal from this one.

And this magnificent log burner

which could probably heat the whole of Shropshire.

You also have solar panels that gives you hot water,

you have this which keeps the house very warm

because it has a series of vents,

there's vents that go out into the hall and upstairs,

so the hot air circulates around the house.

And it's extremely well insulated.

Overall, the property has an energy efficiency rating D,

which will help reduce those heating bills.

Back across the hallway is a second reception room,

which would make a great snug,

and a useful cloakroom which is tucked away next door.

With downstairs covered, we head up the impressive oak staircase

and explore the four bedrooms on the first floor.

Now, this is a lovely room, I think this is the master bedroom.

A huge size.

Oh, yes, it's gorgeous, isn't it?

It just makes such a difference...

I love the shape of the door, it adds another feature, doesn't it?

All the different aspects.

They're very high ceilings, very spacious,

-a beautiful picture view over the canal.

-It's lovely.

It's a lovely room, just a nice room.

I even like the raspberry coloured walls.

Yes, I do.

You've got cast iron radiators here, running off the biofuel.

Under your feet, this is one of the vents coming up from the log burner.

So no heat is wasted.

-It goes all through the house?

-All through the house.

Including into your rather fabulous ensuite.

Oh, look at this, this is fabulous.

This is rather nice, too, isn't it?

Down the other end of the landing is the family bathroom,

which serves the other three bedrooms.

A spacious double and single,

both featuring exposed stone and timber beams.

And a further sky lit double.

And there's no need for Hayward to use any of these for his study,

as outside in a separate building, there's a great office.

Above this, there's potential for a one-bedroom holiday let,

which already has planning consent.

Overall, this property gives them a gorgeous energy-efficient home

that needs no work,

with over six acres of land offering them plenty of scope.

Time to take a view on the price.

How much do you think it costs? I know there's lots of different bits,

so it's quite a lot of land. It's a, sort of, very modern, funky house.

And the outbuilding.

I'm thinking it's probably our limit.

I wouldn't be surprised, 570-575?

OK, this time, you've all gone a bit up because, actually,

it's on the market for 525.

-Oh, right!

-Oh, that's interesting.

-Have a look around and then I'll see you at the front.

-OK.

-OK.

Thank you.

Under budget at £525,000, this stunning country home

has so many components to it.

Besides having two reception rooms with a wood-burner,

Felicity was fired up by the country kitchen that gave her a range.

Upstairs provides four bedrooms with an amazing master ensuite,

and the outbuildings include the potential for a holiday let

and a study for Hayward.

It's all topped off with their own mooring on the neighbouring canal.

I was instantly attracted to the house when we arrived here.

There was something about the different fabrics it was made of.

The main road is quite close to the property

but, having said that,

when you are at the side of the house here,

in the lounge and in the bedroom, the noise is certainly lessened,

and I wonder whether we could, perhaps quite quickly, get used to that.

I used to live near a canal before.

I just love the idea of the narrow boats passing by.

So, really picturesque, beautiful.

Three aspects of the house have got tremendous views

over the countryside, and the extra land is a real bonus.

It's such a beautiful view, here.

Cos one mile that way is Wales.

I was just saying, these are the Welsh hills.

-On a clear day you can see way into Wales.

-I know, it's beautiful.

Beautiful. Especially when it rises up, as well. Beautiful.

Well, that's our last house today. Time to rest and digest.

Excellent, OK.

As evening falls over the fields of Shropshire,

the first day of our house hunt draws to a close.

Having been together for ten years, Hayward and Felicity

are now poised to buy their very first home together,

and cross the border from Cheshire to Shropshire.

Their budget of £550,000 is a moveable feast

as they're looking for a property

that comes with business potential to boost funds

and keep them busy during their retirement.

The two properties we've shown them so far have addressed the idea

of holiday lets, but coming up, we change tack completely.

-You're not just buying a house, you're buying a castle.

-Wow!

-Wow!

And I visit a unique farm with over 8,000 owners and a big vision.

I think the canal, yesterday,

so nearly convinced Hayward and Felicity

that that beautiful house by the canal side was the one for them,

but not quite, because there was still the road,

and I don't think they were really convinced by the business options.

So for the mystery house today, we're leaving all that behind.

What we're giving them is a beautiful house.

No road noise whatsoever,

and a surprise at the bottom of the garden.

Our mystery house takes us to the village of Cheswardine

which, along with a community shop,

would give them two local pubs to choose from.

Its distinctive sandstone church can actually be seen

from our mystery offering, which is going to challenge our buyers

to throw all their holiday let aspirations out the window

and focus instead on a special country home just for them.

-Here we are.

-Oh, goodness!

-Good grief!

-This is a corking mystery house.

-Charming, isn't it? Absolutely charming!

And the church tower as well. Absolutely superb!

-Oh, it's great!

-Beautiful house! That looks fabulous.

-And listen...

-No traffic!

-No traffic, just birds.

-Little trickle of water.

-Trickle of water.

-Yeah, it couldn't be more perfect, could it?

-No, it's fabulous.

-Absolutely superb.

-It's about 200 years old.

It is the cottages and stable block that belongs to the big manor house

which is at the other side.

-But you're not just buying a house.

-Mm-hmm?

-You're buying a castle.

-Wow!

-And the castle is in your four acres of woodland.

-Excellent!

-Good lord!

-Wow!

'These are not great romantic ruins but, instead, the 1,000-year-old

'earthworks of Cheswardine Castle.

'And the beautiful woodland provides a dramatic backdrop

'to the castle mound and its moat.'

So, imagine 9th century.

This is your castle mound!

-It's just superb, isn't it?

-A wooden fortress.

Moat goes all the way round.

And this is an English Heritage ancient monument.

And I wanted a wildlife garden!

Well, this is, like, much more than a wildlife garden.

-Impressed?

-Impressed.

-So do I need to show you the house?

-Yes, please!

-Suppose we best have a look at it, hadn't we?

-Come on, then.

Cross the drawbridge.

'Well, they certainly won't be disappointed, as inside is bursting

'with character features.'

Mind the step.

Into the sitting room.

This is fantastic, isn't it?

Isn't that lovely? And so warm and welcoming.

-Proper little cottage-y lounge.

-That is lovely, isn't it?

-That is really nice.

-What you've got is three cottages in a row,

and they've all been, obviously, made into one.

But you can see you've got the old beams from the original building.

-Super flooring! Look at the flooring.

-These lovely quarry tiles.

The bay window helps a lot, too. It makes the room so much larger.

-First impressions - yes, please! Yes!

-It is very good.

-You can imagine your things in here?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

Well, it flows on into the kitchen.

-I love this kitchen.

-Oh, gosh!

-Isn't that gorgeous?

-Fantastic!

-It is.

And a beautiful sink as well. Just beautifully hand-built, isn't it?

-It's hand-built and it's chestnut.

-Now, I love these beams.

And you'll notice above the door there's the coat of arms

of the le Strange family, who were the people in the, sort of,

manor house and everything, originally.

Flowing on from the kitchen is a separate dining room,

great for family entertaining.

And beyond that, the three former stables,

still with their original doors, offer up a great additional space,

and are currently being used as a utility area and a garden store.

Back through the house and the other side of the hallway

is a ground-floor bedroom which is served by a bathroom next door.

Upstairs, off the main staircase,

there are two double guest rooms either side of a small bathroom.

But we're going to head up the back staircase

to where there's a fourth skylit single room, with its own ensuite.

Plus, a huge vaulted landing, which Hayward could use as a study

or he could take next door, which is even bigger.

Oh, look at that!

I'll tell you, Alistair, I should have brought my Roget's Thesaurus

with me cos I've run out of superlatives for this house.

-I just don't know what else to say, really!

-It's really good.

Shocked awe, will do? I don't know!

-It is, it's amazing.

-Shock and awe.

-Yeah, this is a wonderful room.

Absolutely beautiful, isn't it?

Our mystery house may be a home just for them,

but there's no doubt that the space for visiting family

and superb original features have proved impressive.

But have we done enough?

Can you afford it? How much is it?

To me, it's probably worth 575, I'd say.

-I'd say, probably, at least that. Maybe 600?

-OK.

-Well, it's on the market for 595.

-Right.

But it's been on the market for a while,

and the owners are quite keen to move,

so there's a little room for negotiation if you really love it.

If it's a stretch, it's a stretch, but we need to look at it.

-I think it's a lovely house.

-That's the fighting talk I like to hear!

Have a look around inside, cos there's lots you haven't seen yet.

-And I'll meet you afterwards.

-OK, thank you, cheers.

OK, see you later.

Wonderful! I mean, it is, in many ways, perfect for them,

but it doesn't offer them any businesses, but that's all right.

They're going to retire here and be very, very happy.

Over their budget at £595,000, our historic mystery house

is a unique proposition, and has certainly put temptation their way.

It provides them with two reception rooms with character,

a wonderful country kitchen, four bedrooms, and a wildlife paradise,

including four acres of woodland

boasting their own moat and castle ruins.

The house inside is just stunning. It really is.

Traditional, lots of character, and when we first walked in the door,

and as we walked round, it just felt like home.

It's almost a house that I know I could fall in love with

and I think Felicity could as well.

We've got our own moat, our own ancient castle,

beautiful orchards, plenty of places for our chickens and everything else.

The potential is enormous and if I was being honest,

there is nothing that I would change about this house. I love it!

-Well, that went well.

-Very well!

-Absolutely perfect!

OK, so time to regroup, put all our thoughts on one page.

-Let's go and find somewhere to do that.

-OK.

COCKEREL CROWS

Shropshire is renowned for its farming heritage,

and five miles from the town of Market Drayton,

is one of the oldest organic smallholdings in the country.

Fordhall Farm has been the residence of the Hollins family

since the 1700s, and I'm here to meet Charlotte Hollins,

whose father, Arthur, was at the forefront of the organic movement

for around 70 years.

Tell me about this amazing farm,

because your father was a real pioneer when it came to organic farming,

way, way back in, when was it, in the '30s?

Just after the Second World War. Dad was one of the few farmers that believed that organic farming

was a more sustainable way of farming,

and was much more secure going into the future,

and he kept Fordhall organic, and it has been so ever since.

-So you've got 70-odd years of good, organic soil under your feet?

-Absolutely, yeah.

Charlotte and her brother have maintained their family's commitment

to organic farming.

Five years ago, when she was just 21, the farm faced the threat

of being sold off to developers, and their subsequent campaign

led to this becoming the country's first community-owned farm.

The really interesting bit about your story

-is how you raised the money.

-That's right.

We had to find some way of securing the farm long-term, and by talking

to the local community, by involving them in the farm's progress

and future development, we created a community ownership scheme.

We're an industrial and provident society,

and by creating that structure we were able to sell shares

at £50 each, and it was through that share scheme we were able to raise

£800,000 to purchase Fordhall Farm, and it's now in the ownership

of all those members right across the country.

-Wow, so how many shareholders do you have?

-We have 8,000 or thereabouts.

We were amazed by the response that we had from the general public.

The fact that the farm has the buy-in of stakeholders

AND the local community means that in the face of competition

from large-scale producers, a small farm like this can still

bring home the bacon, in the form of these Gloucester Old Spots.

-It's lunch-time, piggies!

-Come on!

-Woo-hoo!

-They're very lively, aren't they?

-They are, yeah.

-Are we just throwing into their trough?

-Ready for breakfast. Just put it in on the top.

-Here we go, some over here, come on now!

-That's it!

So all the pork from these animals gets sold in your shop?

-It does, yes.

-Cos, presumably, it's not commercially viable for you

to sell to supermarkets, cos it's too small?

No, we just wouldn't produce the volume that the supermarkets want.

The only way we can survive is by selling everything direct ourselves,

through the farm shop or farmer's markets, or the online shop.

-Any way we can get it direct to the customer.

-Aww.

I'm going to have to leave cos they're eating my boot!

Organic produce, ranging from nasturtiums to courgettes,

thrive in the farm's community garden,

and the environmental ethos even extends to its architecture.

This is an amazing build.

Now, this was also fundraised in your inimitable fashion.

Yes, last year we raised £100,000 towards this building

from all of our amazing shareholders.

-That's a great network of support you have.

-Fantastic. I mean, they are just so generous,

and the nice thing about having so many supporters is

everybody gives a little bit and something miraculous happens.

And this is a wonderful building.

-I mean, it's all this lovely green oak and...

-It's beautiful.

It looks very organic.

It is, and the very nature of the materials we've used are organic.

We've got sheep's wool, recycled newspaper, hemp.

We've got a green roof over this lovely oak canopy here.

We've tried to keep the building

in with the ethos of the farm as much as possible.

In summary, I mean, what's really changed for you and your brother

in ten years? I mean, lots?

Yeah, lots has changed as you can see behind us,

but one of the biggest things is that we've changed one landlord who

doesn't want us to be here, to 8,000 landlords who do want us to be here.

-That has got to be a good change!

-It is, yes.

The area of farmed land being managed organically nationwide

increased by 9% last year, but what's really special here

is that such a passionate and committed family came up with

a brilliant blueprint that has inspired the modern farming world.

Hayward and Felicity have seen all three houses now,

and usually at this point in the show, there'd be a little bit

of uncertainty about which one was their favourite.

In this case, not so much.

I think it's the mystery house, but I have been known to be wrong.

So let's find out.

Felicity and Hayward, let's talk houses.

-Yes, let's.

-And the first house,

we all thought you were going to love but, actually, you, Felicity,

seemed to be a bit muted.

I wasn't very good with the first house, was I? No.

The fixtures and fittings were amazing.

It didn't do anything for me, at all.

Hayward?

I felt a little bit different and I liked the inside of the house.

I liked the space, but outside the house, the location with the nearby road, the fact that the garden

was overlooked at the back and it was semi-detached and unfinished,

I think that really put me off.

You were worried about the second house, because there was a road

and we weren't sure what you'd make of it,

but it seemed to go down quite well.

-Yes, we did like the house, didn't we?

-Very much.

-A lot, instantly.

-Erm, it was very different.

-It was just so full of character.

It was incredible, both from the outside and then when you went in,

and alongside the canal as well.

What a picturesque situation that was.

In hindsight, probably a bit too small. There wasn't a really good dining area for entertaining.

At the mystery house, there wasn't a business attached but it was certainly a home.

The mystery house was absolutely perfect for us, I think.

It was really difficult to find a fault on it

as far as we were concerned.

The land next to the house, the woods,

the odd castle mound.

The odd moat, you know, sort of enhanced it a little a bit.

Bit of an orchard there.

Bit of an orchard, so the outside was absolutely perfect and quiet.

And then the inside of the house, beautifully kept and restored.

Even the decoration was to our taste, wasn't it, generally?

Yeah, which is very unusual, isn't it?

It's just a house you could fall in love with.

I'm not sure we haven't already, but it is a house you could fall in love with and care for.

So do I get from that, that will be the house that you'd proceed on?

-What will happen next?

-I think I'm going to rapidly go back home,

I'm going to talk to my mortgage advisor,

and if I can, I'd like to put an offer in on that house.

Great! That's wonderful. And you're behind him on that?

-100%.

-Wow, wonderful! Well, that's such good news.

-Good luck with all your negotiations.

-Thank you.

-Let us know.

-Thank you for all you've done for us.

-We've had a great time.

-We have. Really enjoyed it.

Sometimes on this show, we get a little overexcited at the prospect

of a country business like a tearoom or a holiday let,

and we lose sight of the bigger picture.

Hayward and Felicity reminded us that the most important thing

is a beautiful home.

So if you've enjoyed us learning a lesson,

tune in next time for more Escape to the Country.

Hayward and Felicity remain keen to make an offer on the mystery house,

but are hoping to secure the right price on Hayward's property first

before taking things further.

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Northern Ireland or England and need our help, please apply online at...

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