North Cumbria Escape to the Country

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

"That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

"When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils."

"The great Romantic poet William Wordsworth

was inspired by this spectacular landscape

when he penned his celebrated Daffodils poem.

So where am I? Find out in just a moment.

On today's show, I'll be helping a couple of rambling enthusiasts

set up home together for the very first time.

We've got plenty of great properties for them to fall for.

-Oh, wow, yes. That's brilliant, isn't it, Kevin?

-Yeah.

But will the mystery house make them want to take a step into the unknown?

-Yeah.

-Kevin, it's glorious.

-I'm almost speechless for once.

Today, I'm in Cumbria and this is Ullswater,

one of the largest lakes in the county's spectacular Lake District.

It was along the shores of this lake in 18O2

that Wordsworth stumbled upon his famous daffodils.

He once described Ullswater as "the happiest combination of beauty

"and grandeur that any of the lakes affords."

Looking round today, it's very hard to argue otherwise.

Cumbria is the third largest county in England

and one of the most beautiful and diverse.

Flanked by the Scottish border to the north,

Lancashire and North Yorkshire to the south

and County Durham and Northumberland to the east,

it's largely a rural region which is sparsely populated.

Less than 10% of Cumbria's residents live in the Lake District National Park,

which covers around a third of the entire county.

But the dramatic landscape

that inspired the likes of Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome

attract tourists and walkers by the busload.

The region contains some of the country's finest footpaths

and is perfect for rambling,

water-skiing or just sitting back and letting it all wash over you.

15 million visitors a year can't be wrong.

With such a great selection of properties on the market here,

things look promising for today's buyers.

The question is, what type of house will suit their needs?

Let's meet them and find out.

Meet Kevin, an ex-company director, and Carol, a social worker.

They have a shared love of the Lake District,

having met there on a rambling holiday.

Kevin is now planning to sell his house in Leamington Spa

and move up to Cumbria, where Carol already lives,

so they can buy their very first home together.

I've beaten Kevin because I'm already up in the Lake District.

-I moved about a year ago.

-You're so competitive.

-Yeah.

So competitive!

They have fixed ideas on location.

The area we're looking to move to is the Penrith area

of the Lake District, which is just outside the National Park.

And with Carol's insider knowledge of the area,

they're already clued up about what's on offer.

It's got very good access into the Lake District

and the Yorkshire Dales, and also it's got a mainline railway station

so it's got access to the south as well.

Carol's already making the most of Cumbria,

and she's hoping Kevin will do the same.

Currently, I volunteer in the Lake District National Park as a walk leader.

I've been doing this for a couple of years now and I really, really enjoy that.

In fact, that's where I met Kevin.

I'm going to hopefully rope him in in the near future

to become a volunteer himself.

As for their new home,

they've got very clear ideas about what they want.

We'd like a similar sort of space to what I've got here

at the moment, which is around about 3,000 square foot.

We'd like four or five bedrooms because we'll get lots of visitors.

-Friends and family, definitely.

-Absolutely.

A lovely view from the lounge.

-A log burner.

-Definitely. Nice big kitchen.

These two are certainly practical,

but they're also mindful of some of the finer details.

We'd like a combination of new and old with character, really.

Ideally, eco-friendly as well, really.

Ideally, we'd like solar panel heating,

air source heat pump heating system, that sort of thing,

which is going to be very efficient in future.

Probably a small garden. We don't want a huge amount of land, do we?

-We don't.

-The fells are going to be our garden, aren't they?

-Yes.

So with the dream of the fells as their playground, Kevin and Carol

are more than ready to embark on the next stage of their life together.

There's only one thing to nail down - how much they're willing to spend on their new home.

Our maximum budget for this move is £600,000.

So, our keen walkers have £600,000 to spend on a home that mixes old with new.

This quite healthy budget should easily stretch

to maybe a four- to five-bedroom house,

especially as they're looking outside of the National Park boundary.

My only concern is, this size of home normally comes with a pretty big garden.

Oddly enough, that's just what they don't want. Let's see how we get on.

Kevin and Carol have set their hearts

on a new home together in Cumbria.

As Carol currently lives in the area,

they've already got great insider knowledge

and they've decided they want to be as close as possible to the lakes.

We'll be focusing our search around Penrith.

We've uncovered three fantastic properties for our buyers to look at.

But I won't be telling them the price until they've had a guess first.

I'm hoping our mystery house won't have our ramblers

walking in the opposite direction.

-At the moment, pretty good start to the day, isn't it?

-Definitely.

This must be very exciting for a couple of reasons.

First of all, you're buying your first house together.

We are indeed.

You've both chosen your target area,

just to the north of the Lake District proper, if you like.

Just outside the National Park boundary. Why is that?

We're conscious that we're going to get far more for our money,

hopefully, outside of the National Park because, obviously,

it's a lot more expensive within.

Also accessibility. It has a good motorway and train links, north and south as well.

-To go back home.

-Yeah, definitely.

-The budget.

-Maximum is probably 600,000.

We wanted to see what we can get for the price

-I'll be getting for my house back in Leamington.

-OK.

What's interesting, really, really interesting about today,

is the fact that, obviously,

the first house I learn a lot about what you really want.

-OK.

-I think you're going to learn a lot about each other and what they really want.

-Indeed.

-Let's all start learning together with the first house.

-Excellent.

-Sounds great.

-This way.

With a budget of £600,000, Kevin and Carol want an eco-friendly home

with a minimum of four bedrooms and a mix of old and new.

They want to be close to a village but not too remote,

and they don't need much outside space

as they're hoping the fells will provide their garden for them.

We're starting our property search in Blencarn,

which is a short drive from the village of Culgaith, located in the beautiful Eden Valley.

Culgaith, meaning corner wood, is a modest village

and has been around since medieval times.

It owes its current existence to the Settle-Carlisle railway,

which dates back to the 1870s.

It's got a 17th-century pub, a fishing lake

and a local community hall.

A short drive away is the village of Blencarn,

which lies in the shadow of Cross Fell, the highest point in the Pennines.

Our first house is a converted barn situated on a new development.

This is the property we're going to have a look around.

-OK.

-What are your first impressions?

-Looks interesting.

It looks quite olde worlde.

This was originally a barn for a huge farm complex.

Now, this was built back in 1763 but it was all converted,

pretty much razed to the ground and rebuilt in 2006.

-Right, OK.

-Do you like that?

-Do you like the old?

-Yeah, I do. Definitely.

-Yes.

If you like this, hopefully you'll see there's little to do.

-Brilliant.

-Come with me and I'll show you.

-Excellent.

With little work needed, I've got high hopes for this house.

It's the perfect mix of old and new,

just what our buyers are looking for.

Now, I think you, Carol, for one,

said you liked the idea of maybe something open plan.

-Yes.

-And the kitchen was the heart of the home, I think your words were.

-Yes, that does look very nice.

-Does it?

-Yes, it does.

-Good.

Good size, isn't it? Good-sized room.

-I like the beam as well.

-This is the old and new, isn't it?

-Yes.

-I think it's lovely.

-It's a nice size.

-OK.

-Definitely.

Let's keep looking around,

-and hopefully it remains spacious and light for you.

-OK.

Well, that's a positive response.

Let's hope I'm on track with the rest of the house.

This is the first of a couple of reception rooms.

I want to point out these wonderful beams.

That's good, isn't it? That's nice.

This is always going to be a through room,

so have a think about what you're going to use this for.

-This is obviously more of a formal or full-time living room.

-OK. Yes.

-Good size, isn't it?

-It is a good size.

-It is.

-You've got your wood-burning stove, which you wanted.

-That's right.

Now, at the end,

you'll notice these doors are all pushed back at the moment.

You could, if you wanted to,

just put those doors across and that could be a part-time bedroom.

-Oh, yeah, that's ideal.

-Definitely.

-Good idea.

The downstairs has the benefit of a utility room

and a ground floor shower room,

should they decide they do want to turn the study into a part-time bedroom.

And upstairs, I think the master's a really good size.

Is this the room that you'd want to come and lay your head at night?

-It's very light. It's very big as well.

-A good size, isn't it?

-It is. I like the skylight as well.

-It's got a bit of light, hasn't it?

Just peek your head round the corner there. You've got an en suite.

-OK.

-Right.

Is this house a potential home for you?

-A potential first home for both of you?

-Yeah.

-This wing, both downstairs and upstairs, feels very homely, doesn't it?

-It does.

This house offers a further three bedrooms,

all of which are a good size and two of which share an en suite shower room.

Plus there's a further family bathroom.

Outside, it has the benefit of a large garage

which could be turned into a workshop or a games room.

Now, they don't want a massive garden,

and I think the size of this one should suit them.

Now then, I think, Carol, you in particular said you wanted

a fairly modest-sized garden, but a garden nonetheless.

-Definitely.

-It's a good size, isn't it?

-It is.

It's just about right, isn't it?

-How much do you think this house is on the market for at the moment?

-OK.

-Maybe 550,000?

-550,000. Kevin?

520.

-Brutal.

-Ooh!

-This place is on the market for £570,000.

-Right, OK.

-Oh!

-Right.

When you go back inside the house,

have a look at some of the other bedrooms

-OK, That's great. Thanks, Jonnie.

-Catch you in a minute.

-Thanks.

So, £570,000 provides our buyers

with four good-sized double bedrooms,

three large reception rooms and a tasteful mix of old and new.

The garden is the right size, too,

but will this property be their dream home?

I like the old beams and the originality of the property

as well as the wood-burning stove, I love that.

The kitchen is fantastic.

I actually like the house - it's actually warmed on me.

If I'm honest, it's probably the location

rather than the house itself which is putting me off a little bit.

Let's hope that our next property is a step in the right direction to finding their new home.

We continue our search towards Greystoke, a village on the edge

of the Lake District National Park, about four miles west of Penrith.

At the heart of Graystock is a village green

which still retains an ancient market cross dating back to the early 1600s.

The village has a pub and a post office

and excellent access to cycle routes around the nearby fells.

Tucked away in a rural location a short drive from the village

is our next property, situated at the end of a quiet country lane.

Now, for property number two,

you are literally on the edge of the National Park boundary.

-OK.

-Because we're maybe a little more remote,

you get a lot of property.

What you get here is again, hopefully,

this fusion of old and new.

You get some really nice period features,

but you do get this open space and good-sized rooms.

This house is a large and sprawling home,

and I hope the size won't be too daunting for them

because it has some great original features I think they could fall in love with.

OK. What do you make of this room, then?

Wow, I like the stunning wood-burning stove there.

-First thing you see, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

There's lots of little touches

and the bits of the original character coming through.

Also, I noticed the first time I've heard "Wow," which is encouraging.

Now, I think this is pretty clever, what they've done here.

Obviously, it was two rooms.

They've opened it up but still kept some separation.

-It makes it a nice big open room, doesn't it?

-Does indeed, yeah.

-Brought the one into the other.

Well, I think whatever you decide to use this for will be influenced

-once you've seen the next room.

-OK.

-Now, this room is deceptively large.

-Gosh, it is.

-It's a good size.

-It is. Look at this here.

-That feature there.

-These are probably 200 years old, these mullioned windows.

-Right.

But used to good effect because through this window,

and there's a lovely doorway here,

there's a really nice living room or snug.

Now, open fires after a hard day's walking, you come and relax in here.

-Right.

-Oh, wow. That's brilliant, isn't it?

-It is. It's lovely.

-Again, you've got a lot of light coming through.

-Deceptively so.

That's right.

And this isn't the only lounge on the ground floor.

Past the utility room,

there's another living room which is also packed full of character.

The current owners, I believe, did a lot of the work here.

-Wow.

-It speaks volumes.

The quality of the workmanship,

-you can see as soon as you walk in, can't you?

-You can.

Well, to try and get you on side even more,

-I want us to pop our heads around this doorway here.

-OK.

-I know you've mentioned a games room, Kevin.

-Now we're talking.

-Kevin!

-That's a decent size, isn't it?

-That's ideal, isn't it?

-Perfect.

-Yeah?

-Best room so far.

There's an extra guest bedroom and a wet room on the ground floor,

but now I'm going to show them upstairs.

I wonder what they'll make of the room that could be theirs.

-This is your master, I think.

-OK.

-Right.

-It's a good-sized room, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-Big enough?

-I think so.

A bit too big, even.

I know you'll find it hard to believe I'm saying that, really.

I'll find it hard to take!

I get what you mean because it sprawls around on the ground floor.

Upstairs, I think the house becomes a little smaller,

a little bit more manageable.

It's certainly more manageable, but this house still has

a further four bedrooms upstairs including two singles and two doubles,

one of which features a nice touch of exposed stone.

There's also two more bathrooms up here as well,

but if Kevin thinks the house might be a bit too big,

what will they both think of the garden?

-Now, slightly bigger garden than the first house.

-It's enormous.

-It's massive.

-It's a park.

-You're sat in about an acre plot size.

If you want a four or five bedroom house,

it's going to sit on a decent size plot of land.

How much do you think this lovely farmhouse is on the market for?

I think this is going to be towards the top end of our budget.

I would say 595.

595 from Kevin.

-Carol?

-590,000, I think.

Well, this house is on the market for £600,000.

-Yes!

-Oh, wow.

-Why don't you go back inside the house,

have a look around all the rooms, might take you some time.

-I will catch you when you finish at the front.

-Thanks, Jonnie.

-Cheers.

Priced at £600,000, this spacious extended period cottage

on the edge of the Lake District National Park

has a whopping six bedrooms, four reception rooms,

a host of original features and about an acre of land.

It is stunning, but is it too much for our buyers?

Certainly location-wise, this house is a little bit more than what we were hoping for

and obviously right on the very edge of the Lake District National Park, which is perfect.

The house for me is very spectacular with the old stonework and the beams.

Downstairs is lovely, when I first walked in,

but I don't feel as though it's home to me.

I don't feel that I could be at home here.

As night falls over the Lakes,

our buyers have a chance to reflect on the properties they've seen so far

and speculate on what surprises the mystery house has in store.

Yesterday seemed to be a battle between house and location.

I really don't know what side of the fence Kevin and Carol will fall.

Today, we're off to see the mystery house.

As ever, it's here to challenge our housebuyers' expectations

and it, as normal, comes with a compromise.

Although the upside, this gives them elements

of what escaping to the country is all about.

And for Kevin, it's also got a trick up its sleeve.

-So today is a new day.

-Yeah.

-Obviously we're on our way to the mystery house.

-OK.

This is where I would normally ask you what you think it might be

and hope you get it completely wrong.

-Right.

-What do you think it could be?

I've been thinking that it's going to be an apartment.

-It could be, couldn't it?

-You think it could be an apartment?

-No garden.

-No garden of our own.

-Of our own.

-Yeah.

With the mystery house, you never know.

-I might have found you something to do.

-Right, OK.

-Oh!

Or not.

A really big games room, you mean?

Well, Kevin might have plenty of times for games

once he's put the finishing touches to our mystery house,

which lies in the village of Great Musgrave in Upper Eden,

close to the small market town of Brough.

In the 19th century, Brough was renowned as a coaching stop between England and Scotland.

A number of inns catered for passing trade,

and buildings from this period can still be seen.

The remains of Brough Castle date back to the 12th century

and sit on an old Roman fort.

Our mystery property certainly offers more than meets the eye.

This is the mystery house.

A bit outside your target area,

but you mentioned a couple of things to me yesterday morning

-that none of the houses have yet provided you with.

-Right.

-One was views, you said you wanted at the top.

-Yes.

-Without saying too much, you mentioned you'd like the house to be quite eco-friendly.

-Absolutely.

-This house gives you both of those.

-Oh, wow, yes. It looks smashing.

I think this is fantastic, actually.

You might even get my first proper "Wow" today.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for that. Let's see inside.

What a fantastic first reaction to our mystery house,

which I hope we can build on inside,

although they'll need to use their imagination

as this property is newly converted and currently unfurnished.

OK, in we come. Downstairs living there.

I want to bring you into this first reception room.

-Straight away, it gives you the views, Carol.

-It does, yes.

-That's magical.

-It's a little on the small side, isn't it?

-Yes, but I'd be quite happy... as our living room here.

-Yeah.

-Here I was thinking could be a dining room.

-OK.

-There's planning consent for a conservatory facing west.

-Is there?

-All right.

-But wait till you see this room here.

Wow, look at this. Gosh.

But this is where I think, another reason why

it's a great mystery house, is that you get your chance to put

your own stamp on it without having to do a lot of the work.

This is just a choice of fit-out.

-The kitchen fitters come here and fit it for you.

-Yeah.

Our mystery house also has a great eco feature in place,

harnessing heat from the Earth.

-Kevin, prepare yourself.

-OK.

-We're about to talk about a boiler room.

-Right.

-OK?

-Now, this is a geothermal ground source heating system.

-OK.

Top systems can save you anything up to 75% off your fuel bills.

The ground floor also has a WC, a shower room

and a room which could be used as a bedroom or study.

The first floor is a blank canvas just waiting

for Kevin and Carol to put their very own mark on it.

Now up here, you have all the bedrooms you will need.

You've got five bedrooms in total,

a great family bathroom with a separate shower there.

-Bedroom number four has a walk-in wardrobe.

-Right.

The master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe the size of a single bedroom.

That would be OK for your clothes, wouldn't it?

-Look at the size of this.

-That's great.

-Even get your big bed in here.

-Yeah, that's incredible.

It's fantastic.

Everywhere you look,

you've got fells or hills or rolling countryside.

-Kevin, it's glorious.

-I'm almost speechless for once.

This room has a bathroom attached,

and there are also a further three light and airy bedrooms on the first floor.

This house really does offer everything our buyers put on their wish list.

And the views, well, they're simply spectacular.

Look at this for an aspect here.

-Wow.

-Wow, that's fantastic.

-Brilliant, isn't it?

-That is great.

How much acreage is it, then?

Well, you know you asked for a small garden?

-Being a mystery house, it obviously gives you three acres.

-OK, right.

-Now the tough bit is trying to value it.

-OK, right.

-575,000.

-OK.

-A little bit lower. 565.

-OK.

Well, it is a true mystery house

because it's on the market for £495,000.

-Wow.

-Wow, gosh!

-Amazing.

Have a look at all the bedrooms.

-Then we've got bigger decisions to make later on.

-Indeed. Great stuff.

-I'll give you a bit of time.

-Thanks.

Significantly under budget at £495,000,

this house offers our buyers everything they've asked for,

and would leave plenty of money for changes.

It's got five great-sized bedrooms,

lots of potential for them to put their own stamp on it,

fantastic views and an eco-friendly boiler.

The only downside is

that they are not quite as close to their preferred location.

Again, lots to think about.

I guess the compromise is that we are further away

from the National Park, further away from the Lake District,

but I guess that may be something we could live with,

given the house and the views we've got here.

I'm smitten with it. I hope that Kevin is.

It's eco-friendly, and it's a fabulous mystery house.

After looking around all of the properties,

I think Kevin and Carol have three distinctly different possibilities.

Of course, none of our properties gave them absolutely everything

they asked for, but we did get some fantastic reactions in all of them.

Let's find out what they think.

OK, cast your mind back to yesterday morning.

I remember you stood outside the first property and immediately,

Kevin, you had a few issues over maybe the size of that house.

From the outside, certainly. Yes.

It didn't look to be very big at all from the outside.

It didn't, but it was a very pleasant barn conversion.

Most definitely, in a very rural setting.

Actually, when you went inside, it was a good-sized property.

In the afternoon, we got right on the edge of the Lake District.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Location-wise, how was that for you?

Although obviously closer to the Lakes, it was very isolated.

I think that put us off a little bit, didn't it, really?

I got quite a nice feel when I went into the house there.

The kitchen and the snug room.

This morning, it was time to go and see the mystery house.

Plenty of time to settle into the idea,

because it was a bit of a commute, wasn't it?

It was.

But when we got there,

you were met with an amazing setting, weren't you?

It was spectacular.

The views from the front of the house, and the back and the sides.

It was just absolutely a dream.

So, overall, have you discussed what your favourite property might be?

-It would be definitely number three, the mystery house.

-Absolutely.

-That's right, yes.

-No contest.

-No contest?

-None at all.

So what's your next step?

I think the next step is hopefully to talk to the owner

and see where we can go with it, really.

-Well, best of luck and please let us know how you get on.

-OK.

-Thank you very much and thanks for all your help this week.

-A pleasure.

Well, that was quite some gamble, wasn't it?

I must admit, Kevin and Carol were rather quiet on that 40-minute drive over to the mystery property.

But by the sounds of it, that gamble genuinely paid off.

That was in no small part to those fantastic views.

Fingers crossed their second viewing goes according to plan,

and then hopefully Carol and Kevin could have found their very first house together

close to the Lake District but also the Yorkshire Dales.

See you next time.

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