Warwickshire Escape to the Country

This house played a significant part in one of the most notorious episodes in British history,

an event so infamous that we still remember it today.

Any ideas where I am? Find out in just a moment.

Today I'm helping a dog-loving couple to take more walkies

out in the countryside.

At our first property, they find it hard to agree on the basics.

-You don't want a huge house, do you?

-No.

-Well, maybe.

No, we don't need a big house.

-There's a nice one next door.

-Oh, Peter.

But then our mystery house proves almost too good to be true.

We've been saying we need to do this, we need that,

it doesn't matter when you see something like that, does it?

I'm in the county of Warwickshire, and this is Coughton Court

which has been the ancestral home of the Throckmorton family for the past 600 years.

It became notorious for the part it played in The Gunpowder Plot,

an attempt by conspirators, the most famous being Guy Fawkes,

to blow up the Houses Of Parliament and assassinate the king, James I.

And it was here this dastardly deed was plotted

over a full two years before that fateful day on November 5, 1605.

Now, out of all of the plotters,

it was only Thomas Throckmorton who was found innocent.

The rest were either imprisoned or met a grisly end.

Fascinating to think such an important event was played out in this beautiful setting.

Landlocked in the heart of England and divided into two by the River Avon,

Warwickshire is a county of contrasts.

Just 55 miles in length,

the majority of the county's half a million residents live in the north,

an area which prospered from its proximity to the cities of Coventry and Birmingham.

It's an intensively farmed county

which is reflected in the appearance of the countryside.

Many of the quiet villages here,

such as Stoneleigh, feature 17th-century timber box-framed cottages,

but towards the south of the county

the houses are markedly different, constructed of locally quarried lias stone.

The average cost of a detached house in the county is

just under £265,000,

that's around £10,000 above the national average.

But this figure pales into insignificance

when you look at prices in Stratford-upon-Avon.

With gorgeous housing stock and great commuter links,

a detached home in the birthplace of William Shakespeare, well,

it's going to set you back around the £400,000 mark.

Let's take a look at some of the properties available across the county.

For £285,000 you could be the owner of this two-bedroom thatched cottage

in Sutton-under-Brailes.

Immaculately refurbished, it has a good size sitting room,

a modern kitchen and a lawned garden to the rear.

£550,000 will buy you this three-bedroom barn conversion

in Weethley.

It boasts exposed beams in the sitting room,

terracotta tiles in the kitchen

and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

And for a wallet-stretching £799,000,

you could be owner of this stunning five-bedroom house in Long Marston.

Packed with period detail, this property dates back to the 14th century

and is believed to be the oldest house in the village.

A lovely selection there.

Now, it's time to meet today's buyers

and find out why they are ready to Escape To The Country.

Lecturer Peter and former teacher Alison are planning to move to Warwickshire

to continue their passion for volunteer work with guide dogs and puppies.

Since 1999 we've puppy walked for Guide Dogs.

Their headquarters is in Leamington

and we would like to get more involved.

We love the aspects of the work that they do

and we're too far away at the moment.

-It's something we're both keen on and spend a lot of time on.

-Yes.

-And in the past we've had 13 puppies to walk.

-One at a time.

We've now got a breeding dog

and the breeding dog needs, ideally, to be nearer the breeding centre.

But there's also another reason for the couple's move to the country.

A few years ago, Alison discovered that she had a life changing illness

which has meant they've had to completely rethink their current way of life.

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's,

and we know it's a progressive illness.

I'm managing it very well now but I'm not going to be able to do it.

So we thought now is the time to bite the bullet,

find somewhere that we want with a flat garden

and get involved in something new together a lot more.

Despite Alison's illness, our couple have no plans to take it easy just yet.

-We like walking.

-Walking.

Riding our bikes, when I don't fall off.

We'll get a tandem for you.

I'd like to do more riding again.

-Everybody says it, but what do I want to have?

-Chickens.

-Yet more animals of some kind.

-Yes.

While Alison is spending time with her menagerie,

Peter also wants to indulge in his other hobbies.

I've got a model railway, which has been sitting in boxes for years,

and there isn't room here for it.

I play the piano and play the guitar

but I need to do a lot more practice.

So I'll have time for that.

They've lived in their five-bedroom house,

a few miles from Stafford, for the last 16 years

but, with a move to Warwickshire on the cards,

they've got clear ideas on what they'd ideally like to find in their new house.

-We need a large utility for the dogs.

-Yes, we do.

Nine puppies is rather a lot to handle in our current house.

Three bedrooms. I suppose Pete will want somewhere for his piano.

And a large kitchen-diner. Those are the must haves.

And with no need to sell before they can move,

that just leaves the all-important subject of money.

Our maximum budget, if there is no renovations to be done,

would be £450,000.

We are concentrating our search on the area

within an hour of Royal Leamington Spa,

where the Guide Dog Centre is located.

We've got three eye-catching properties to tempt them with but,

as usual, I won't reveal the price until they've had a guess first.

And with today's mystery house,

I've got high hopes that it could turn their world upside down.

So, Peter and Alison, welcome to Warwickshire.

Alison, you've enlisted our help because apparently we need to rein Peter in a little bit,

he's a bit of a dreamer, I believe?

Yes. Just a bit.

He's got grand ideas, grandiose ideas actually

and he just needs to be calmed down a little bit at times.

What is it about you then, Peter?

Do you see these huge mansions and think, "I could live there?"

Yes, and I think, "Oh, I could do them up."

-And I'll spend years doing them up.

-And not finishing.

And not finishing. Nearly finishing.

-Really?

-Gives me plenty to do.

-Needs reining in.

-That's our job.

-0K.

So if we do find your perfect property, your dream house,

who makes the final decision?

-Well, Pete will say yes or no, straightaway.

-Instant decision.

And I will then have to, sort of manage to get him round to seeing the pluses if I like it

or I'll go along with it if I don't like it, that's fine.

But you'll know from Pete, in an instant, yes or no.

-Literally, Peter, on the doorstep?

-Yes.

-You'll make a decision?

Yes, my face will show it, instant like or dislike.

-We might have to push him inside.

-Really?

-Yes.

-I've got my work cut out with you, I think.

-Yes, Nicki, welcome.

Two women to persuade me.

Shall we drink up and get going?

With a maximum budget of £450,000, which includes any renovation, Peter and Alison want.

We've travelled ten miles south of Royal Leamington Spa

close to the village of Kineton.

Its church, St Peter's, dates back to the 14th century.

It's believed that John Newton wrote the hymn Amazing Grace here in 1772

after converting to Christianity.

Our first property is a newly-built redbrick house

sitting centrally within its own plot.

Here is your very first property.

What do you think?

It's lovely, it's very spacious in the front.

-It looks a bit big for me.

-It looks a bit big?

No, you need all that space.

No, it looks good.

It's a promising start?

-Yes, yes.

-Yes.

-Come on then, let's go inside.

-Yes.

Although it looks big from the outside,

I think Alison might be surprised at just how cosy the interior of this property is.

Step inside, going to take you straight through into the sitting room.

-Nice wooden floors.

-Yes.

Is that a working fire?

There is an open flue but you would need to put in your own fire.

-The present owners have left it.

-First project.

Yes, project number one. Would you like a wood burner in there?

Yes, I would, to give a focal point, I think. It's nice.

Nice view out at the back. Plenty of size.

I don't know where the piano is going to go.

-No, I did think that.

-0K, yes.

Could go in the corner.

Might have to go.

You might have other options.

-You didn't hear that, did you?

-Yes, I'll have to build outside.

-Ahh, Pete.

-Did I hear you say it might have to go?

-Yes.

-Well, we could put a conservatory on.

-It's already started.

Right, I'm going to take you through, see what else we've got.

There may be a solution to the piano problem elsewhere in this house,

but before that, let's see what they think of the kitchen.

-Now, a big kitchen.

-That is a big kitchen.

-It was a must.

-Yeah, absolutely, good flooring.

-Yes, perfect for the dogs.

-Nice and wide.

Now, with these all-important puppies.

Yes, this will be fantastic.

-Yes?

-It really would.

-It would.

-Because you could have them there and fence it off.

-Oh, I'm already on my way now.

-Stair gate there.

-We are changing this already, aren't we?

-Yes.

-Now through that door there is a utility room.

-Right.

-With all the white goods and access to the garden.

-And a sink?

-Yes, there's a sink in there.

-Brilliant.

-Which is a major consideration when you have puppies.

-Yes.

-Yes, unfortunately.

Also to the right, through that door, you've got a very large study.

Great.

That could be perfect for the baby grand,

perhaps have it as a reading room, train sets, guitar.

Lock on the outside.

Or, if you wanted to keep the utility room as it is,

that could be a puppy room.

What's good is, when we first looked at the house

I thought it was really big but, actually,

it's big enough but it isn't as big as it appeared from the outside.

-You don't want a huge house, do you?

-No, we don't.

-Well, maybe.

No, we don't need a huge house.

-There's a nice one next door.

-Peter.

So it's still a battle of wills when it comes to agreeing

on how much space they need and how to use it.

Let's see if they can agree on how to use the upstairs of this property.

To give you the geography of the upstairs,

you've got the family bathroom just behind us.

-You've got two good sized bedrooms, a very large hallway.

-Yes.

And here's the master,

which I think is a little bit special.

Still doing well, Nicki.

Yes, it's a good size. Windows front and back, morning and evening light.

-Yes, it's nice.

-And that is a very generous ensuite.

Good, that sounds good as well.

So the majority of the time there will be just the two of you.

-Yes, keep reminding him, Nicki.

-And the dogs.

-We don't need five bedrooms, we don't need all this space.

-No.

-We've got three bedrooms?

-You look disappointed.

-Well, there's plenty of room in the garden to build.

-Oh, Peter.

-He's looking at projects.

-Yes.

Outside there's plenty of room for Peter's project, whatever it might be,

as there's a sheltered patio and an expanse of lawn.

You've probably noticed, standing here,

that you've got about the same amount of garden at the back as you have at the front?

Yes, this is my reality check, isn't it?

It's flat, it's smaller,

like I said, but in theory I like a bigger garden,

in practice this is probably more than adequate.

And there's lots you could do to it, isn't there?

There's plenty of room to make more flowerbeds round the edge for you,

less lawn to mow for me.

And it looks like light soil.

I'm going to put you on the spot now.

How much do you think this house is currently on the market for?

I'm going to go 425.

I'll go for 430,000.

The actual asking price is £450,000.

Well, there you go, that's what we said was our maximum,

so now we know what our...

We have hit your maximum budget,

however it has given you something to think about.

-It has, yes, that's right. As a first one, it's great.

-It's only the first house.

-And nothing to do, I mean, you could move straight in.

-Yes.

I'm sure you'd find something to do, Pete.

Go and take him round for another look

and see if you can convince him nothing needs doing.

-I will. All right. Thanks.

-Catch up with you in a minute.

At their maximum budget, this property needs no renovations

and delivers well on their demands.

It's a modern house but it's got character,

which I think is very important.

I think this is a good-sized room, don't you?

It is, we'd get the piano in here.

-You could have the piano up that corner.

-Yes.

I could shut you in here with your trains and your music, that would be good.

-I think that could work well, don't you?

-Yes.

I thought this house was interesting,

it wasn't particularly what I was expecting.

I wasn't expecting such a modern house.

Having said that, I like it.

I would've liked a bit bigger garden but that's perhaps my reality check.

-All right, you two?

-Yes, thank you.

-First house done, happy?

-Yes, for a first house.

It's very good but I bet you've got even better things up your sleeve.

-Ah, I can feel the pressure.

-That's a very good start.

-Come on.

-Thank you.

During the 1800s, Royal Leamington Spa was a popular destination of the great and the good,

due to the supposed healing properties of its spring water.

Queen Victoria granted the town its Royal prefix in 1838.

Her statue, which stands by the Town Hall,

was erected in 1902 at a cost of £1,500.

Royal Leamington Spa is also home to the newly-opened Guide Dogs For The Blind Breeding Centre.

So with Peter and Alison looking to get even more involved with volunteering for the charity,

we've arranged for them to have a tour with its manager Matthew Bottomley.

Hi, I'm Matthew, I'm the breeding centre manager here.

-Pleased to meet you, I'm Alison.

-I'm Peter.

Hello, Peter, pleased to meet you.

Guide Dogs For The Blind was founded in 1931

and has since been entirely dependent on voluntary donations.

Come on through, this is an upstairs sort of walkway,

indoor gallery if you like.

This is our first block for you to look into.

where all our baby pups are.

Of course, as you know, our breeding mums normally live and whelp,

that's give birth to, puppies in family homes, just like you do yourself.

But there are some that, for whatever reason,

can't give birth at home and have to come into the centre to give birth.

But, of course, what we're looking for is, well, lots of help, really,

in terms of all sorts of different volunteering areas.

-For example, puppy socialising.

-Oh, yes.

That's people who will actually sit in with the puppies,

play with puppies, get them used to being handled and touched. Just generally playing with them.

-I'd be up for that.

-That's something you'd be up for?

-That would be fantastic.

-Great, if that's something you'd be willing to help us with.

-Yes, that would be fantastic.

Up to 1,500 puppies a year can now be bred for work with blind and partially-sighted people.

The new puppy block is where Pete and Alison's puppies will come

when they are six or seven weeks old.

Here they'll be vaccinated, micro-chipped and vet checked

before they're sent to their puppy walking families,

another set of volunteers.

So what sort of qualities are you

particularly looking for in the puppies that we're sending to you?

First and foremost the dogs need to be willing, they need to want to do the job

and all these types of dogs, as you can see,

these puppies are happy, affable and friendly types

and would be willing to work with a blind and a partially-sighted person.

But they'll also have to adapt to different handlers.

So they've been with you for a while, your puppies,

then they move on to a puppy walker, then move on to a professional trainer

and, ultimately, to a blind or partially-sighted person.

So they've got to be adaptable,

they've got to be able to cope with change.

Do all the dogs go on to be guide dogs?

Not all, but we're actually very proud of our success rate.

Of all the dogs that we breed, between 70 and 75%

will go on and become guide dogs.

The charity trains roughly 780 guide dogs every year

before the crucial stage of matching them up with an owner.

A guide dog's working life is usually six to seven years

and latest figures show that there are about 4,500 guide dog users in the UK.

So, after strengthening their ties with the charity, I'm hoping that Peter and Alison

have got an added incentive to find that property nearby.

For our second house, we've border-hopped to the edge of Leicestershire,

still within that hour from Royal Leamington Spa, we're heading towards Market Bosworth.

The town was the site of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485,

the final battle in the War Of The Roses

between the House Of Lancaster and the House Of York.

Our second property is a grade two listed character conversion

dating back to around 1750.

So, for something completely different from the first house that we took you to see,

here is your second property.

-What do you think?

-Lovely looking house.

-Looks good.

-Yes?

Not so sure about where we are.

Leicestershire or the distance?

-He's off.

-The distance maybe, the distance from Guide Dogs.

It's half an hour, yes, but it's not an attractive half an hour.

I'm going to ask the question again when we've finished the tour of the house

and you've seen everything that comes with it is.

See if I've managed to change your mind. Shall we step inside?

We'll see.

Well, Peter did say he makes instant judgements.

So let's see if the interior can persuade him to consider this property more carefully.

The front door leads straight into the kitchen/dining room.

-As you can see it is brand new.

-Yes.

-Nice floors.

-Is that the back door?

-Yes, access to the back door.

-Stone at the door, nice, good for dogs.

You've got a utility room, just to the right, and that leads to a downstairs cloakroom.

-Right.

-I think the way this barn has been converted, it flows beautifully.

It also benefits from windows on both sides of the property,

which you don't often get.

As it is grade two listed, it's been done extremely well.

How about those beams? Do you like a bit of character?

-Yes, it's got character.

-But it is not over fussy or over pokey.

No, it's got a contemporary feel, hasn't it?

It has.

The upstairs is divided into two

with a separate staircase for each area.

From the kitchen, there's access to two good-sized guest bedrooms

and a shared bathroom.

At the other end of the house, this staircase from the playroom,

which could become Peter's music room, leads up to another guest bedroom,

a generously sized bathroom

and the largest bedroom of the lot.

And here is the master bedroom.

-That's nice.

-That's lovely.

And because the four bedrooms are divided, two on one side with a bathroom

and the other two this side, in a way that's going to be like an ensuite

because no-one else will be on this side of the property.

That would give us the space, as and when we needed it

and when we didn't we could virtually shut it off. I wouldn't have to clean it then.

-And I could have a piano in the downstairs.

-Oh, no.

-Railway room upstairs.

-See, practical.

What do you think about the property itself?

I think the property is lovely but I want to see the garden.

Oh, can I convince you both with the garden?

Oh, but the garden will be too big.

While there's a great deal to the garden, including a pond,

a long lawn, room for Alison to keep those chickens and a large paved patio area,

I'm pretty certain they could easily manage looking after it.

Well, this is lovely. It is too big.

No, the all-important garden.

-As you can see it goes all the way back to the trees.

-And it's flat.

-And it is flat.

-And a pond.

-And a pond.

-Gosh.

Then you look back at your beautiful barn.

-That's lovely.

-It is actually.

-Now you think it's big, you asked for a third of an acre, didn't you?

-Yes.

I did.

It's under half an acre

and that includes the long driveway

and a double garage.

-That's lovely.

-Ooh.

-What do you think?

-I'm getting itchy fingers.

-Are you?

So, as the rain starts to fall,

will it put a dampener on how much they'd pay for this house?

Well, at least it's dry under this gazebo.

Serious business now.

How much do you think this converted barn is currently on the market for?

-Your turn.

-So it's me first.

-Go on, Peter.

I find it's a difficult one because I don't know this area at all,

-it's further away than I thought.

-And you don't like the area.

-No, that's not going to affect what I think it is worth.

-0K.

-440,000.

Alison, how much do you think? I'm going to be optimistic and say 460.

OK. The current asking price for the barn

is £475,000.

However, we have spoken to the owners

and they are willing to look at offers in the region of your budget,

which is £450,000, because they know that you are willing to move quickly

and you can move quickly.

That's why they would look at serious offers around that amount of money.

There's good conversations to go on there, aren't there?

-There are, yes.

-Do you want to go and take another look around?

That would be great, thank you.

So at £475,000, but with offers willing to be considered

around their maximum budget of £450,000,

this property has everything they've asked for and more.

The house is lovely. It possibly is too big for us.

What I wasn't so happy about was the approach to the house.

It's also further away from Leamington,

so if we were to spend time with the Guide Dogs it would be a further trip.

I'm surprised I don't feel as happy about the house as I thought I would.

On paper, I think, this house is everything that

I would've said I'd wanted if you would have asked me

and yet, there's just something that doesn't make me go whoopee.

Well, that's it for today. You've seen both houses. Have you enjoyed it?

-Yes, it's been a good day.

-Good.

-Thank you.

-And we've got one more tomorrow.

-Yes.

-It's the mystery house.

As evening falls over the Warwickshire countryside,

it marks the end of day one of our property search.

Lecturer Peter and his wife Alison

are hoping to pursue their passion for volunteering with Guide Dogs in the county of Warwickshire.

Alison has Parkinson's disease

so their new property must have a flat, manageable garden.

The two properties so far have both had their good points

but, still to come, our mystery house could turn their property dream on its head.

It's folly, it's a folly. It can't be right.

And I join a 750-year-old ceremony in Alcester.

Gentlemen, are we ready?

-ALL: Lead on.

-Thank you.

So we have just crossed the border into Gloucestershire,

so we're on the edge of your 20-mile boundary search, but we are in the Cotswolds.

So what do think we are taking you to see?

It could be part of the house,

it could be a cowshed to convert, rather than a barn.

-Oh, no.

-I don't know.

There is nothing I would turn my nose up at, I don't think.

As long as it's not in Leicestershire?

Oh, that's cruel.

We've travelled 20 miles south of Royal Leamington Spa,

crossing into Gloucestershire to the village of Blockley.

Its civil parish includes the pretty north Cotswold hamlet of Aston Magna,

which is where our mystery house is located.

The property offers a contemporary twist on a period Cotswold stone cottage.

While it may not be as practical as they have asked for,

I think they'll find it irresistible.

So I've brought you to the village of Aston Magna.

-This is so unfair.

-This is unfair.

Why is this unfair, tell me? I can see by your faces.

We know this area. We know it. Lovely area. Way out of our...

This is probably my dream area but too expensive,

it must be a tent in a field. It must be, Nicki.

It's a kennel for you and the doggies.

Why am I not surprised?

But it is the mystery house, you see, and we thought North Cotswolds, beautiful,

just outside of the search area by a few miles.

A few miles doesn't matter when it's nice, no buses.

All this logic has just gone, just gone.

-You don't want see the mystery house?

-No. Not at all.

-No, we are going home.

-We're off, bye.

-Just get one reaction from you and then we'll go.

-OK.

-Turn round because this is it.

-Ohh.

It's a folly, it's a folly. It can't be right.

-Ooh.

-Are you convinced?

-Is it worth stepping through the door?

-No, not at all.

Can we go now, please?

And why is that, because you don't want your heart broken?

Yes, probably.

We've been so in head, we need to do this, we need that

but it doesn't matter when you see something like that, does it?

Well, it doesn't get better than that, love at first sight.

I'm sure they will be equally besotted with the inside.

Welcome to your mystery house.

You're itching to get in, aren't you?

Yes, we are.

It is very, very different. It's an upside-down house.

Upside-down house, right.

-You've got your bedrooms on this level.

-Yes.

And your living accommodation up there.

-Let's go.

-Are you ready? You are, aren't you?

Love is still in the air for our mystery house

so I'm heading up to the living area.

Let's start off with the sitting room.

-In a way, I think it's a double sitting room.

-ALISON SIGHS

That was a lovely sigh.

A nice high ceiling.

-I like the end gable being open, as well.

-Yes, let's more light in.

-Lovely wooden floors.

-Did you expect it to be this large?

-No.

No, I thought it could be quite pokey and dark,

which I wouldn't have liked.

But in here is far more the sort of contemporary living.

Best of both worlds, isn't it? And there's yet more to see.

-There's more to see.

-But where's the piano going?

-Oh.

OK, before we leave this room let's figure this one out because of the baby grand.

It can stop at home.

Is it allowed to go or not?

If it has to.

Hey, on camera.

So let's go through into the kitchen.

-I think it actually flows really well.

-It does, beautiful.

A bit smaller perhaps than I would have hoped for. Nice island unit.

Quite big enough

and the view out there.

Oh, yes.

-Yes, that's lovely actually.

-She's forgotten the units already.

-Yes, she has.

-Yes, I have. I could wash up even with that view, I think.

You've got sturdy tiles, good for the dogs.

So it's a really good space here

and it actually flows even more because at the end you've got sort of a child's play area,

and there's access, by that huge window, back into the main sitting room.

-Oh, yes.

-It actually is a circle.

-So far with the mystery house what do you think?

-I do love it.

Pete, you warned me

that you were going to be very honest with these house searches

and so far all I've heard is positive comments.

I like it very much.

I fear it may be dark downstairs.

Time to find out. Follow me.

So they are both more than a bit smitten

and I have the feeling that the downstairs bedrooms won't change matters one bit.

Here is your master bedroom, on the ground floor.

Oh, it's a black hole.

-No, it's not, it's very light.

-I didn't expect it to be this light down here.

I mean, luckily, it's got a huge window.

Yes, out onto the road but that doesn't matter

because you've across the road's beautiful garden to look at, haven't you?

-It is surprising this, isn't it?

-It is.

Have you been convinced on this bedroom, then?

-This bedroom is fine, it's very light but maybe the other ones...

-Oh, gosh.

-..will be a little dark.

-Well, there are three.

-Three?

Three bedrooms in total and a family bathroom.

Shall we take a look at one of them to put your mind at rest?

-Yes, convince him.

-After you, Alison, you lead the way.

-Thank you.

The family bathroom is off a spacious hallway,

as is the smallest bedroom, perfect for the grandchildren.

This double room has a little less light than the master

but will that worry Peter?

So here we have one of the two other bedrooms.

It is a little dark, in the sense that it is a little window

but, I don't know, maybe something could be done about that.

It's dark when you sleep, so it doesn't matter if it is dark.

In fact you will sleep in longer.

Let's go outside now, have a look at the garden.

Outside there's a paved patio area and a lawn.

The only drawback is the lawn is slightly sloping

but will that be enough to spoil this love story?

All of this is your garden up to the tree.

-There's a nice dry stone wall at the end there, that I saw.

-Yes.

It's not flat.

It's not flat, it's not as steep as the one that you have at the moment.

-No.

-But it would need to be, I think, landscaped to suit your needs.

Yes, it would.

But at the beginning of your search we did talk about your Parkinson's disease

and we need to be mindful of that condition.

If you look at the sitting room you've got those huge windows, those three panels there.

If you made one of those a door, perhaps two of them, patio doors

and had, not a drawbridge, but a bridge across

into the garden, the access point, it might be little easier for you.

I think that's a really good idea.

So this Cotswold cottage, how much is it currently on the market for?

It's going to be 450,000, at least.

I think it has got to be at least 470.

Current price is £475,000.

We are in the Cotswolds.

Yes, we are.

-We expected that.

-This village is up there, isn't it?

-Yes.

However, the owners do know you are serious about moving,

that you could move pretty quickly

and they would look at offers in the region of £450,000.

-We double-checked it.

-Right.

-It's very tempting.

-Very tempting.

-Do you want to go and have another look?

-Yes, please.

-Be my guest.

Thank you.

With a price tag of £475,000,

but with offers at their maximum budget being considered,

this house more than delivers on their wish list.

It's nice and light down here, isn't it?

There's potential, isn't there?

Could do something there.

The room there and this one here we could have as a playroom.

I think I've got my name on this.

But the railway would fit in here beautifully.

No, it's a nice room, I like this one, you can have next door.

It's absolutely beautiful.

The price I knew would be high, because it's the Cotswolds,

but the premium sometimes is worth paying for getting what you want.

This house shows you the difference between writing a list on a piece of paper

and the reality of what you see.

It's the whole package, that goes together, because if I pick it apart there are lots of things.

But then I just screw that piece of paper up and put it in the bin

because it just works for you.

If it fills your soul, it fills your soul.

And it does.

That is it, guys, search over.

-You've seen all three properties. It's given you something to think about, hasn't it?

-It has.

Do you want to go somewhere quiet, you can gather your thoughts together,

see what the next move's going to be?

-Yes, please.

-Yes, please.

Warwickshire is home to a number of historic and ancient towns,

some dating back to Roman times, so it is no surprise to discover

that some old traditional ceremonies are still alive and kicking,

like this one in the market town of Alcester.

I am with the bizarrely named Alcester Court Leet,

one of only 30 such groups in the country.

Their mission is to keep alive a tradition that dates back 750 years.

Now, of all the Court Leets in the country,

Warwickshire has the highest concentration

but this is unique as they have an ancestral lord of the manor.

So what or who is a Court Leet?

-Now, Nick, you are the grandly named High Bailiff.

-I am.

-Are you in charge of all these boys?

-I like to think I am.

So what exactly is your role?

Right, Nicki, we used to do the jobs that the environment agencies does,

the weights and measures does, the police do.

We used to run this town.

Wow, that's a lot of power and authority.

It used to be, we lost it in the '70s

when the Act took our power off us

and we are now purely ceremonial.

What exactly did you do within the community?

We used to make sure that the rivers were kept clear,

that the roads were maintained, that the bread was of the right weight and quality,

that the ale was fit to drink,

that the people of the town behave themselves well

and we had a lot of authority to take action if they didn't.

There's a few perks to the job as well, aren't there?

And ale tasting is the best.

Oh, I was hoping you were going to mention that.

Am I able to join you for the ale tasting?

I'm glad you asked me that, Nicki.

We have arranged for you to take part in today's ale tasting.

Excellent.

-Ale tasters of Warwick, the robes.

-Certainly.

I'm getting kitted out.

First of all, I will present you with the official gong.

Thank you, a gong, look I get my own medal. Very smart. Right.

And now, you have the official ale-tasting robes.

Look at this.

And that allows you to partake of the ceremony.

Thank you very much. Right.

Now then, you need the words.

First you must rap on the door three times

and you must speak very loudly.

Well, I hope I can do it justice.

Make way for the High Bailiff of Alcester, his ale tasters

and other officers of the Alcester Court Leet.

(That's me.)

Who are here today to conduct the ancient ceremony of ale tasting.

Gentlemen, are we ready?

ALL: Lead on.

Thank you.

-Are you the landlady of this inn?

-Aye, Master Bailiff.

I command you to produce two tankards of your finest ale,

that my ale tasters may judge of its quality.

As you command, Master Bailiff.

Ale tasters, do your duty and report to me your findings.

After you.

Nicki, the first thing we have to do

-is test the temperature.

-OK.

And I find this the correct temperature for this particular ale.

We will now taste it.

Well, Nicki, I now find this ale fit for the consumption

of the people of Alcester.

-I agree.

-ALL CHEER

Traditionally, after a successful tasting, a sprig of evergreen was placed over the pub door

as a sign that the ale was fit for public consumption.

And, with this ale passing the test,

it's time for Peter and Alison to call last orders on their house search

as they mull over the three properties.

Well, Peter and Alison, what a fun few days we've had.

-Absolutely, it's been great.

-Certainly.

The question is, have we found you the ultimate Escape To The Country?

You could have. You could have.

Well, let's start shall we with the first property that we saw?

It was a new build.

I thought it was very nice, even first impressions,

and inside I thought it had the sort of accommodation we really needed.

It did, exactly, have everything that we'd asked you for.

It was a very sensible house.

And when I've got my sensible head on, yes, that was good.

The second property, I'm going to look at you now, Peter,

we kept within the 20-mile radius.

The approach to the house hadn't got that attractive countryside feel around it

and the journey from there to Leamington would be motorway

and that's not what I'm looking for.

What about the property itself?

It was a beautiful property and I liked the garden.

I could see the potential for the garden to make something really special.

I know I could.

Which brings us nicely to our third property, the mystery house.

The mystery house.

We selected this house especially for the two of you,

perhaps a house you might not considered before?

I definitely don't think we would have considered it because,

if I'd been looking at the piece of paper or the Internet I would've had my sensible head on

and would've said to Pete, "Don't be silly, it is an upside-down house, it's got steps,

"it's not the sort of thing we can cope with."

And I wouldn't have gone any further.

I don't think you would have done?

I don't think I would have done.

Totally impractical for keeping a dog and especially keeping puppies.

Nowhere for a piano, really.

That's why it's a mystery.

So where do we go next?

I think first of all I want to go back to the first property.

So we haven't ruled that one out?

That's still my sensible head.

And then, I would come up with all the arguments why the third property is going to be fine.

I think we have to reflect

and decide whether we can now allow

heart to overrule head

by saying that in fact it doesn't really matter,

what really is important is being happy where you're living.

Isn't it better to have something you really love for a short period of time and enjoy it,

and have something good to look back on when I'm in the sensible house,

that's perhaps the answer, Pete.

-Yes, and a positive attitude is good for your condition.

-Yes.

-It is, yes.

And if ever there's someone I've met with a positive attitude,

young lady, it's you.

-Thank you.

-With Pete by your side.

-Yes, absolutely, always.

Well, thank you both so much. We do wish you well and stay in touch.

-Let us know what happens.

-We will, we will, definitely.

-Thank you.

What a fantastic couple and I think Alison summed it up rather well.

Do they go with the sensible option, or throw caution to the wind

and go with their heart's desire?

I think it's going to be the latter, but whichever they choose,

we wish them all the best.

See you next time.

Peter and Alison have been back to view all three properties

but in the end they weren't for them.

They've now decided to put their house on the market

so they can get more for their money.

If you would like to escape to the country in Scotland, Wales,

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

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]