Somerset Escape to the Country


Somerset

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Transcript


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Welcome to Escape to the Country.

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I may be in the smallest city in England...

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..but it has a very impressive cathedral organ.

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Find out where I am in just a moment.

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On today's show, I'm helping a couple relocate from

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a town house by the sea, to a rural village,

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just like the one they grew up in.

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-We'll be showing them some real country gems.

-Oh, this is beautiful.

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But, will our mystery house hit the spot?

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It adds a whole new meaning to a home from home. I like it. I like it.

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Today we're in Wells in Somerset and the cathedral here has had

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an organ since 1310, this one though is a relative baby.

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It was built by Mr Henry Willis in 1857.

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Later in the show, I'm going to come back and have a lesson on it.

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I can't wait.

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The county of Somerset has many strong ties to the church

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and religion.

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Indeed, William Blake's poem, Jerusalem,

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source of the famous hymn, is inspired by the story

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that Jesus accompanied his uncle, Joseph of Arimatheia,

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on a trip to the tin mines of the region during the 1st Century AD.

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Legend has it that Joseph of Arimatheia went on to build a chapel in Glastonbury.

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Glastonbury itself is an area steeped in mystical associations.

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It's believed by some to be the site of the Isle of Avalon,

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the final resting place of the legendary King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere,

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but this county has much more to offer than just stories of its past. Somerset is the setting

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for one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the country.

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Wells has been a place of formal worship since Roman times.

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There's been a church on the site since the 8th Century.

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Somerset is situated along the edge of the Bristol channel

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and shares borders with Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire.

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It has a wealth of pretty villages, breath-taking countryside

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and spectacular historic sites.

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Predominantly agricultural land, the limestone hills of the Mendips

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sprawl in a line below Bristol, while their sister range,

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the Quantocks, stretch just east of Exmoor which spans the border with Devon.

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Now, if you're looking for beautiful and traditional countryside living,

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then Somerset is a good bet because it has 1,610 square miles of countryside

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and some charming villages filled in turn with beautiful property.

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As for prices,

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well, it's a little bit more expensive than the national average.

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A regular detached house here will cost £45,000 less than

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the same thing over the border in neighbouring Dorset.

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So, go on, treat yourself, take a look at what's on the market.

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If you're after a traditional property to match this county's rural allure,

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this three bed barn conversion in the heart of the market town of Crewkerne is full of character.

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It offers a number of original features, mixing the old with the new,

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and would set you back just under £240,000.

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Or what about this handsome house in the coastal town of Minehead

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which was built in the 20s for a member of the gentry?

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For £585,000 you could lord it up.

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With five bedrooms, an Edwardian plant room

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and light and airy reception rooms.

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If your budget can stretch to it, this gorgeous five bed

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converted barn in Cutcombe is believed to date back to the early 19th Century

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and it's set in 22 acres with views over Exmoor National Park.

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At £795,000, it has an enviable galleried living room

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with vaulted ceiling, French doors, leading out to a terrace,

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and a variety of paddocks and outbuildings to play with.

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Are you tempted by Somerset's property treasures?

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Hopefully, our buyers will be today, although they haven't come very far to go property shopping.

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Let's meet them.

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Meet Robert and Wendy.

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They actually went to school together in Wales.

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It was many years later that they met up again and married.

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They have three sons and four grandchildren between them

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and now they've added to their family further

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with a dog and two cats. So, the property they're looking for will need to have room

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for both guests and pets.

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Our buyers aren't quite ready to retire just yet, but they have begun to plan ahead.

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They feel now is the right time for them

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to sell their four bed Victorian townhouse in Portishead

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and move to a more rural location where they can be part of the community.

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My perfect property would be towards the centre of a village.

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Possibly with even like a village green in front of it and a pub.

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I'd like to be able to go out and know the people that I pass the road.

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Although they want to swap their sea views in Portishead for rolling hills and fields,

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they still want to stay in the same county.

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We've got family close. We don't want to be too far away from them,

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but we want it make that transition into the country proper.

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They have future plans for more leisure time

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and a home that will see them through their autumn years.

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We want to find our final house together really. Our forever house.

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We want this to be the big move.

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Paul still has a good few years' work in him yet

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and the move has to accommodate his professional needs.

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I travel a great deal in my job.

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In that we hope to move long before I retire,

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I still need access to communications, the motorways

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and particularly the railway station to get to Heathrow.

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The house they're looking for is one that is a similar size to their current home,

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but with less than the three floors they have now.

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We need a good kitchen.

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A large and open lounge, which could be combined with a dining room.

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At least three bedrooms, one for ourselves

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and two good guest bedrooms.

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A fourth bedroom, which would probably become a study.

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A barn conversion is definitely on the cards.

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The sort of place that I quite like is the conversion

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that might have been farm outbuildings or whatever.

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Again, provided that they've been done well,

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and relatively recently, then you've got a period property,

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but you've actually got a completely modern renovated interior.

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One thing they don't want is a property that needs too much work.

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My biggest no-no for our new house

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is going to be a renovation project of any sort.

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Also, anything church-like. Ecclesiastical, converted chapel.

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No, thank you, it's too creepy.

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With their property search about to become a reality, as always, the money does the talking.

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The budget for the new property is £400,000.

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Wonderful. It's a classic Escape assignment.

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A beautiful village, with cricket on the green and ducks on the pond

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and a lovely community, and in gorgeous Somerset -

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what more could we want?

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No converted chapels or creepy churches.

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Mha-ha-ha!

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Well, not unless they misbehave.

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Robert and Wendy have asked us to find them a house

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in the thriving village in the centre of the county, that's close enough to a station

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so he can hop on the train to Heathrow for work.

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So we'll be concentrating our search around Wells and Glastonbury.

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We've cherry picked some prime properties in the area. As usual, our buyers will need to

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guess the price before I reveal it to them.

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Then, of course, there's the mystery house which might just inspire them to embrace new ideas.

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-Morning, guys.

-Hello.

-Morning.

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Usually at this stage I would say,

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-welcome to Somerset, but you're actually from Somerset.

-We are.

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Do you know this area? Is there a reason to move to this bit of Somerset?

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No, we just like Somerset. We don't really know this area at all, do we?

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Basically, we've still got family back in Portishead.

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We don't want to divorce ourselves

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and move right out into the wilds. We need some home comforts,

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but we need a different set of home comforts.

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So is this a, sort of, final footprint?

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-Yeah, this is it.

-This is the plan.

-This is going to be the one for us.

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-Tell me your budget again?

-£400,000.

-£400,000.

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-I've got all of your list of desired qualities.

-OK.

-Let's go and look. They're all waiting for you.

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-Let's go for it.

-Thank you.

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Robert and Wendy are prepared to pay £400,000

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on a light and airy house with a minimum of three bedrooms.

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They want a big kitchen and are happy to combine

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their new sitting room and dining room in an open-plan space.

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They'd like a manageable sized garden

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and a property that's in a village with a lively community.

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Definitely not on the list is a project.

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This couple want a house they can move into straight away.

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We're starting our property hunt in the village of Walton,

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on the doorstep of the vibrant town of Street

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and two miles from historic Glastonbury.

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Walton is a popular village tucked away on the edge of the Polden Hills.

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It's a lively community with a couple of pubs and a farm shop.

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The local church, the Church of the Holy Trinity,

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is a Grade II listed building.

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Situated on the A39,

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the front of our first house has been reversed.

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The garages face the road,

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while the entrance to the property is accessed via the back garden.

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-Now, this is very unorthodox to show you the house from the back.

-Right.

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But you won't have overlooked the fact that there is

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the road at the front.

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In many ways, this house offers you everything that you want on paper.

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-Good.

-We wanted to show it to you despite the fact that the road is not ideal.

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Tell me about the location? Tell me about the road?

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Tell me about the building? Tell me what you think?

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The building looks lovely.

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The garden, from what I can see so far, is stunning. Lovely.

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I love the way that it backs onto a field. That's really nice.

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It does the old adage of making a first impression.

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You've got to give this one just that little bit extra because,

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as you walk away from the road, it just adds and adds and adds.

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It creates a terrific impression, it really does.

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-Shall we have a look inside?

-Love to. Yes, please.

-It adds and adds, I like that.

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A very positive first reaction for house number one.

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So this is the front side door.

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And there's plenty more for them to get excited about inside.

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-Now, it brings us straight into the dining room.

-It's lovely.

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I like this. It's just us really, isn't it? I like this.

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I like the floor.

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Because of the aspect of the house, you've got the double light.

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The light on both sides. That really does help it a great deal.

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A little bit of the history. This was all agricultural outbuildings.

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They had various functions.

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You can see these, sort of, cross beams that go across.

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That was where the hay was dropped down

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and underneath was the, sort of, manger on that side.

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Actually, underneath these tiles there's the original cobbles.

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I like the easy access from the kitchen. I don't like doors.

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-Lots of houses take the doors away. This really works well.

-Good.

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We'll come back to the kitchen later.

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Let's look at the main event, which is this wonderful living room.

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Oh, this is beautiful.

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That is just lovely, isn't it?

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It's probably a bit too early to be talking about wow factors.

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-Ah, never too early to talk about wow factors.

-It's just beautiful.

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It's so light.

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-The one thing we really wanted.

-The one thing I like about a conversion type building is,

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for the sort of money that we've got, which isn't excessive,

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it's the only opportunity that you get for this size of living room.

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Actually, this was the shearing shed. You can see there are hooks where they hung the shears.

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So all the sheep from the estate would come in here.

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This side of it was completely open.

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These were open to the elements, there was no wall here.

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The architect put these, sort of, curved cylindrical...

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-this is a feature.

-Yes, very cleverly done.

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Now, the house is in, sort of, two halves.

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There's an upstairs at this end.

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Again, it was all built really to be away from the road.

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Can you hear the road? Is it bothering you inside?

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-Not inside at all, no.

-No, not at all.

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A lot of the living quarters are on this side.

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There is actually another, sort of, staircase on the other end going up to some other rooms.

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Let's have a little peak up at the master bedroom/family bathroom.

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So on this side, we have a family bathroom here

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and a little room which could be a study or a dressing room.

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-Through here is the master bedroom.

-Yeah... It's nice.

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It's not huge, but it does everything you need a bedroom to do, doesn't it?

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-Room to walk round the bed.

-The storage space makes a big difference.

-Yeah.

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It compensates for what appears to be a small room.

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So the master gets the thumbs up.

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Let's see if we can build on this momentum as we head to the kitchen.

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Here it is.

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Oh, right.

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-It's compact.

-Yes.

-Compact. Is it too small?

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The important thing is the work surface.

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There's lots of work surface there

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and storage space within the cupboards anyway.

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-No, I like that.

-You could cook in here.

-I could cook in there.

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-Are you the cook?

-He's the cook.

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Right, next to the kitchen you've got this fabulous utility room which really is a boost.

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Ah, that is good. Yes. That's a great advantage.

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-It's a second kitchen, in effect.

-It is, yes.

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It's a bit like the tardis, it just gets bigger, actually.

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Meeting our buyer's requirements for guest space,

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there are two further good sized bedrooms, both with skylights,

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up the second set of stairs.

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There's also an additional family bathroom.

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At one third of an acre, this superb expansive garden might be

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bigger than Robert and Wendy were looking for, but it does include an apple orchard,

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a vegetable patch and views over neighbouring fields.

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-Lovely viewing weather.

-Yes, isn't it just?

-Absolutely.

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They always say if you see a house you like in the rain,

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then you're going to love it in the sunshine.

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Yeah. Yeah. We like what we've seen in the rain.

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Yes, indeed.

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I mean, you couldn't get worse conditions

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to make a first impression and it's still a good impression.

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

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I would go pretty near £400,000. What about you?

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I think the quality is such that it will push it towards £395,000.

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Your instincts are all correct.

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-Really?

-It's £50 short.

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It's just a smidgen under £400,000.

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-I'm not surprised because the quality is there.

-That's right.

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I'm going to send you back in to have a little root around,

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maybe look at the upstairs at the back, rooms you haven't seen,

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then we'll meet out the front and move on to the next.

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-Fantastic. Thank you.

-Let's go.

-On you go.

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Within budget at just shy of £400,000,

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this converted detached barn provides a strong opener

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for Robert and Wendy.

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It's got four good-sized bedrooms,

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a fantastic open plan living space

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featuring exposed roof timbers

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and natural stone,

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and a good-sized kitchen.

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It is on an A road, rather than a quiet country lane,

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but will this be a dealbreaker?

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I was really impressed by the standard of the property.

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One thing I didn't really want to have,

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was any work to do to a house when we move in.

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I think the downstairs space is better than the upstairs space.

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To be frank, for the money, I didn't expect to find so much space.

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looking at the house,

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I would say that this is a house we could live in.

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Not absolutely sure about the location.

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We'd have to take one step backwards and look at it objectively.

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It's the first house you've shown us,

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and you'd like to think it could only get better,

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but it can't. It's a super house!

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-You gathered up all your bits and pieces?

-Yes, thank you.

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We are done in Walton. Let's proceed.

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Robert and Wendy are no strangers to Somerset, having spent

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the last five years in the coastal town of Portishead in the northwest.

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Much of the rest of the county is still unchartered territory

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for them, so earlier, we took them to the cathedral city of Wells,

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the smallest city in England

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and the centre of our house search.

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Taking its name from the springs that supply the moats

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surrounding the Bishop's Palace, Wells retains a wealth of mediaeval buildings.

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The Vicar's Close is a cobbled street of uniform houses dating back to the 14th century.

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It's thought to be the oldest, complete mediaeval street in Europe,

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remaining unchanged for almost 700 years.

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The street still houses choir members

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of the impressive Wells Cathedral, built in the 12th century.

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Just outside Wells, lies another building of historical importance

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and one that Robert, who enjoys cooking, might find appealing.

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Located in the village of Wookey, Burcott Mill dates back

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over a millennium and is one of the only two fully working

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waterpowered flourmills left in Somerset.

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We arranged for Robert and Wendy to see the historic process.

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-Hello, Steve! How are you?

-Hello, welcome to Burcott Mill.

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-Thank you.

-This is where it all happens.

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-Would you like to have a look?

-Absolutely.

-Follow me.

-Let's go.

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The flour at Burcott Mill is produced

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using the same methods and machinery that were employed 150 years ago.

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The flour is ground between two millstones,

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each of which weigh about three quarters of a ton.

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Powered by water drawn in from the River Axe,

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these twin stones can produce 50 kilos of flour every hour.

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An example of this process can be seen using a quern and hand stone.

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-Shall I show you how it works?

-Yes please.

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Take a bit of grain, drop in the middle of the top stone, the runner stone.

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Then, using a bit of hand power...

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..it makes the flour.

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-Wow!

-Would you like a go?

-Wendy, I think!

0:19:000:19:02

Take some grain. I wouldn't put too much grain in,

0:19:020:19:06

otherwise it'll be really hard to turn and you'll look quite weak!

0:19:060:19:09

So, you wouldn't want that!

0:19:090:19:11

This method had been used in Britain for generations,

0:19:110:19:14

until the Romans introduced watermills.

0:19:140:19:17

There you go! I can see some flour.

0:19:170:19:19

I wouldn't like to spend all day doing that!

0:19:190:19:23

The mill produces 20 tons of flour a year, supplying hotels, restaurants

0:19:230:19:27

and bakeries across the county, and also has its own teahouse,

0:19:270:19:30

serving bread made in the mill.

0:19:300:19:32

The bread's delicious, thank you. Lovely! Thank you.

0:19:320:19:35

We continue our search on the edge of the village of North Wooton.

0:19:390:19:43

The name Wooton means, "The settlement in or by a wood."

0:19:430:19:47

Located three miles south of Wells, the village is dominated

0:19:470:19:50

by the heights of Twin Hills Wood and Launchley Hill.

0:19:500:19:55

Our second house is another barn conversion, this time set

0:19:550:19:58

in delightful open countryside, well away from any main roads.

0:19:580:20:02

Do you spot the difference?

0:20:020:20:04

-Peace, quiet...

-Peace, quiet, we're on the road...

0:20:040:20:09

-A marked contrast to the A road we were on earlier.

-Yeah, very much so.

0:20:090:20:14

The house I want to show you is this one, here.

0:20:140:20:16

It is joined to...this used to be a pub or a cider house.

0:20:160:20:20

This was the barn, again it's a barn conversion,

0:20:200:20:23

and it was converted back in the '80s.

0:20:230:20:26

-Looks very promising.

-Looks inviting.

0:20:260:20:28

Can't wait to go in.

0:20:280:20:32

-Shall we look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Absolutely.

0:20:320:20:35

As it's tucked away from any traffic noise, the initial

0:20:350:20:38

reactions to this house makes me think we may have hit the jackpot.

0:20:380:20:42

Come on in.

0:20:420:20:45

Straight through into the kitchen diner.

0:20:490:20:53

-It's empty at the moment.

-It's empty.

0:20:530:20:56

-A different proposition here.

-BOTH: Yes.

0:20:560:20:59

The thing about this property is that we've got all the location

0:20:590:21:03

and potential, but the house, I think, needs a bit of you in it.

0:21:030:21:06

It doesn't strike me as needing that much to it,

0:21:060:21:10

on first impression, certainly.

0:21:100:21:12

The house is empty, so you don't have the...

0:21:120:21:16

-Well...!

-"Well", says Wendy with a question mark! What would you do?

0:21:160:21:20

It's the units and floor, for a start.

0:21:200:21:23

Yes, this floor could probably do with a little sparkle.

0:21:230:21:26

So, unlike the last property, this is a smaller house.

0:21:260:21:30

It's quite a simple layout.

0:21:300:21:32

This is really the heart of the property, the kitchen diner,

0:21:320:21:35

and then you've got, through here...

0:21:350:21:37

..this is the sitting room.

0:21:400:21:43

Oh, this is pleasant. It's quite light.

0:21:430:21:46

It's airy, it's light,

0:21:460:21:48

it's got super access out to the garden and lawn, there.

0:21:480:21:51

And the garden is spectacular, when we look at it.

0:21:510:21:54

It does cry out for a conservatory or extension, in that respect.

0:21:540:21:58

And if that was in your budget,

0:21:580:22:01

then that would be a really good addition to the property.

0:22:010:22:04

'Well, that's a turnaround.

0:22:040:22:07

'Having said they weren't keen on a project,

0:22:070:22:09

'our buyers are suggesting changes they could make.

0:22:090:22:12

'Perhaps they might consider some renovation?

0:22:120:22:15

'Let's see if we can build on their ideas upstairs.'

0:22:150:22:17

This is the biggest room, would be, maybe, the master bedroom.

0:22:220:22:26

It's nice and light. First impression is airy.

0:22:260:22:30

-I think I'd be inclined to take that away.

-The vanity.

0:22:300:22:34

I was thinking there are other options. There's only three bedrooms here.

0:22:340:22:38

So you could have this as the master, or I was thinking,

0:22:380:22:41

if we look down the landing...

0:22:410:22:44

..there's a little room, there...

0:22:460:22:49

..and this is the other big room at the front of the house.

0:22:510:22:56

And the reason I thought maybe you could make this your bedroom

0:22:560:22:59

is because you are next to the bathroom.

0:22:590:23:02

So if you're going to take that vanity unit, I don't know why,

0:23:020:23:06

-I thought this nice to sleep in.

-This is a bit more confining.

0:23:060:23:10

To get a study out of this, and accommodate grandchildren,

0:23:100:23:13

or indeed anybody else, is going to be imaginative.

0:23:130:23:17

'Although the bedrooms are small, one significant extra this property does have,

0:23:170:23:21

'is a large garage which could be used as additional living space,

0:23:210:23:25

'with some clever renovation work.

0:23:250:23:27

And the garden with its mature trees and shrubs,

0:23:270:23:30

'does have a unique selling point.'

0:23:300:23:32

Personally, I think you should buy this house

0:23:320:23:35

-because of that tree.

-Pretty spectacular.

-It's stunning.

0:23:350:23:40

Wellingtonia - not many of them in the country.

0:23:400:23:43

Quite a rarity to find it here in the middle of Somerset.

0:23:430:23:45

Beautiful. Maybe 200 years old?

0:23:450:23:48

And looking back at the house itself,

0:23:480:23:50

can you see anything that you'd like to do?

0:23:500:23:53

It needs to be made an awful lot bigger.

0:23:530:23:56

It needs more space upstairs and downstairs, really.

0:23:560:24:00

So it needs an extension, or a conservatory,

0:24:000:24:04

or something to make it bigger.

0:24:040:24:06

There's perfect room for it, but it's going to cost money.

0:24:060:24:09

-What do you think the asking price is?

-I would go for...

0:24:090:24:13

365.

0:24:130:24:14

I would've gone less,

0:24:160:24:18

-I would've gone for 340.

-340.

0:24:180:24:23

So you're going to be shocked to find out that actually this is only

0:24:230:24:29

£500 less than your asking price!

0:24:290:24:33

-Really? Gosh!

-On the market

0:24:330:24:35

-for just a shade under £400,000.

-Gosh!

0:24:350:24:40

-That's a lot of money.

-It's a lot of money, largely because of the location.

0:24:400:24:44

Yes, indeed. It has got a lot going for it, it really has,

0:24:440:24:48

not quite in our direction, I don't think.

0:24:480:24:51

Certainly very clearly not in your direction!

0:24:510:24:54

Good, well, have a look around inside,

0:24:550:24:58

and then we can continue thinking, afterwards.

0:24:580:25:01

-OK.

-Let's have a look.

0:25:010:25:04

'Coming in just under their budget of £400,000,

0:25:040:25:07

'our second house does need some work,

0:25:070:25:11

'so Robert and Wendy would have to factor that in.

0:25:110:25:13

'But it does have three bedrooms,

0:25:130:25:16

'a sitting room with an exposed stone fireplace,

0:25:160:25:19

'a fantastic rural location

0:25:190:25:21

'and it also has a garage that could be refurbished

0:25:210:25:24

'to add additional living space.'

0:25:240:25:26

It would have had to be a lot cheaper,

0:25:260:25:30

to make me want to do stuff to it,

0:25:300:25:33

because, the price it is,

0:25:330:25:35

we wouldn't have any surplus money to do anything with it, really.

0:25:350:25:40

You might find we have to restructure what we think

0:25:400:25:44

we're going to get for our money.

0:25:440:25:46

Yes, we're looking for a village rural community

0:25:460:25:49

and to be part of the community, but, the house

0:25:490:25:52

and the fact we're going to live in it for the rest of our years,

0:25:520:25:56

has to come first.

0:25:560:25:58

I think a 90 foot Wellingtonia's not going to sway them to buy(!)

0:25:580:26:02

-Hello! All done?

-Yes.

-Yes indeed.

0:26:020:26:05

So, pull the door and we shall go home and reflect.

0:26:050:26:09

As the sun dips over the Mendip Hills, our buyers have plenty to think about.

0:26:120:26:17

We've had mixed reactions to the properties we've seen so far.

0:26:170:26:20

What surprises will the mystery house have in store tomorrow?

0:26:200:26:25

With a budget of £400,000,

0:26:330:26:36

Robert and Wendy want to say goodbye to the sea views

0:26:360:26:39

offered by the town of Portishead in North Somerset and move

0:26:390:26:42

further south to a village where they can become part of the community.

0:26:420:26:46

So far, they've had contrasting reactions to the two properties we've shown them.

0:26:460:26:50

It's just beautiful, it's so light.

0:26:500:26:54

So it needs an extension, conservatory...

0:26:540:26:56

With one more property to go, will our mystery house

0:26:560:26:59

whet their appetite?

0:26:590:27:02

-Gosh, isn't that fantastic!

-It is, actually.

0:27:020:27:04

And later in the programme,

0:27:040:27:06

I'll be working on creating my own harmonious atmosphere.

0:27:060:27:09

MUSIC: "Toccata and Fugue D Minor" by Bach

0:27:090:27:14

Wendy and Robert are on the horns of, for the show,

0:27:170:27:21

a very familiar dilemma.

0:27:210:27:23

House or location?

0:27:230:27:25

Yesterday, we showed them that beautiful property on a noisy road. Wasn't ideal.

0:27:250:27:29

Then a lovely location with a house they weren't so crazy about.

0:27:290:27:33

However, one thing has shifted.

0:27:330:27:36

At the beginning, they were adamant, adamant,

0:27:360:27:39

that they didn't want a project.

0:27:390:27:41

And yet, the second house yesterday, they were,

0:27:410:27:44

"Yes, we could put a sunroom here, an extension there",

0:27:440:27:47

and that gives me a glimmer of hope, because our mystery house,

0:27:470:27:51

if they are prepared to soften their attitude towards renovation,

0:27:510:27:55

could be their forever home.

0:27:550:27:58

The mystery house.

0:28:000:28:01

What do you think we might be showing you?

0:28:010:28:04

Well, I know you can be very sneaky on the mystery house!

0:28:040:28:08

Sneaky!

0:28:080:28:09

But I really, really don't have that much of an idea.

0:28:090:28:12

Is there anything you're definitely hoping it's not?

0:28:120:28:15

I have said that the thing I would not like is something like a church.

0:28:150:28:21

Graves would really worry me!

0:28:210:28:23

-No open graves for flower beds?

-No, no, absolutely not!

0:28:230:28:28

So onto our mystery house in the village of Chilcompton,

0:28:280:28:32

slightly further north, in the Mendip Hills,

0:28:320:28:35

and about 20 minutes from Wells.

0:28:350:28:37

Chilcompton is a thriving village, with three churches, a shop,

0:28:370:28:41

a post office and two good country pubs.

0:28:410:28:43

Right in the heart of the community, our mystery house has got

0:28:430:28:47

the central location Robert and Wendy are after,

0:28:470:28:50

and it's also a conversion,

0:28:500:28:52

but perhaps not the kind they had in mind.

0:28:520:28:55

Because you were both so well-behaved and such lovely housebuyers,

0:28:550:28:59

I didn't take you to a converted church.

0:28:590:29:02

-Oh, thank you!

-But I did take you to a converted pub!

0:29:020:29:05

Indeed! The place I've always wanted to live in!

0:29:050:29:10

It adds a whole new meaning to home-from-home.

0:29:100:29:14

-So you approve of a converted pub?

-Yes.

-Yes indeed, absolutely.

0:29:140:29:18

-Shall we go and have a look inside?

-Let's do it.

0:29:180:29:22

This former pub used to be a cider house for the miners who

0:29:220:29:26

worked in the local colliery, but will our buyers

0:29:260:29:29

chisel out their own changes to put their stamp on it?

0:29:290:29:33

Going to start at the back of the house,

0:29:330:29:36

because I can make more sense of the history this way.

0:29:360:29:39

Right. Oh!

0:29:390:29:41

-I didn't expect to see such an open space, really.

-Exactly.

0:29:410:29:45

The owner was telling me, this is probably the oldest part of the house.

0:29:450:29:49

It was probably a long farmhouse, so it's got these fantastic

0:29:490:29:53

flagstones and that's the, sort of, historic base.

0:29:530:29:56

The pub actually came later, in the 1880s.

0:29:560:30:00

Here, you see this light pointing in that alcove.

0:30:000:30:02

-That's where the dartboard was!

-THEY LAUGH

0:30:020:30:05

So, it has been... They sort of moved it around.

0:30:050:30:09

This wall, it's just a stud wall. This would have been one long room.

0:30:090:30:14

-And you might want to reinstall that.

-Yeah, it is really surprising.

0:30:140:30:20

When you come in through the front door, you don't expect to see this amount of space.

0:30:200:30:24

I would take the wall away, just to have the space and more light.

0:30:240:30:28

But that's a small job.

0:30:280:30:29

Although opening up the ground floor would mean losing the existing

0:30:290:30:33

study, there is still space

0:30:330:30:35

for a small reading room in what used to be the old snug bar.

0:30:350:30:39

The kitchen, however, is a space they wouldn't need to work on.

0:30:390:30:43

This is an area that they have really finished off to a high spec.

0:30:430:30:49

-Indeed! This is nice.

-You know, the lovely sink, The granite work surfaces.

0:30:490:30:53

-They found this when they were renovating.

-That's lovely, isn't it?

0:30:530:31:00

From some point in the house's history.

0:31:000:31:02

-Yeah.

-It's been restored.

0:31:020:31:04

So this was a Victorian addition. This was the utility room.

0:31:040:31:07

The kitchen was there.

0:31:070:31:08

So they have knocked through to make it a much more liveable space.

0:31:080:31:12

Yeah, I think you have got the kitchen-diner, haven't you?

0:31:120:31:16

It's all one.

0:31:160:31:17

I like that. I like open plan living, I think that's really nice.

0:31:170:31:22

'And there are other original features our buyers

0:31:220:31:24

'might like too.'

0:31:240:31:25

This is a really interesting feature from the old pub.

0:31:270:31:30

You know, where they turned off all the pub lights in one go.

0:31:300:31:33

This is the central control board for all the lights downstairs, other than the kitchen.

0:31:330:31:39

Which is slightly annoying.

0:31:390:31:41

Because you can't turn them off in the rooms.

0:31:410:31:43

-Oh, really?

-But, you know, it could be part of the project.

-Indeed.

0:31:430:31:48

'It seems that Robert and Wendy might be coming around to the idea of a project after all.

0:31:480:31:53

'And I am hoping the three upstairs bedrooms will meet their expectations.

0:31:530:31:57

'We could be onto a winner.'

0:31:570:31:59

We don't often show people bathrooms on the show,

0:31:590:32:02

but this is a rather big one.

0:32:020:32:05

-Gosh! Isn't that fantastic?

-It is, actually.

0:32:050:32:08

-Yes.

-It's the sort of bathroom we'd hoped to see, but never do.

0:32:080:32:12

-Across the landing into the master bedrooms.

-Right! Yeah, this is nice.

0:32:140:32:20

-My eye is taken by the black.

-Mesmerised by the black feathers.

0:32:210:32:25

Absolutely. Yes, but if you ignore the black

0:32:250:32:28

and have a look at the size of the room, you might think...

0:32:280:32:32

-It's a good-sized room.

-It is nice.

-Presumably storage over there.

0:32:320:32:36

-There is a surprise around the corner.

-Ah!

0:32:360:32:38

Unbelievably, through this little door...

0:32:380:32:42

is space for an ensuite.

0:32:420:32:45

-Oh, lovely.

-Not completed, but all the plumbing is there.

0:32:450:32:50

It certainly would be very handy to have that.

0:32:500:32:52

-I like having an ensuite.

-Yeah.

-That's great. Yeah.

0:32:520:32:55

So there is potential for an extra bathroom

0:32:550:32:59

and also three really good-sized bedrooms for all the grandchildren when they come to stay.

0:32:590:33:04

And once here, the whole family can enjoy the ample sized garden

0:33:040:33:08

which, unlike some other parts of the house, doesn't need any work at all

0:33:080:33:13

and is easy to maintain.

0:33:130:33:16

This is your garden. Not the biggest that I have shown you but I think rather charming.

0:33:160:33:20

-Indeed.

-It's about the size that I'd want a garden to be.

0:33:200:33:23

-Not too big. Yeah.

-What do you think of the property overall?

0:33:230:33:27

It's a very interesting.

0:33:290:33:31

It's got huge potential.

0:33:310:33:34

It appears to be cosmetically sound

0:33:340:33:37

but then you think, there might be some heavy make-up needed here rather than just cosmetic.

0:33:370:33:42

So I think there might be more to it in terms of what you'd really like to do with it.

0:33:420:33:46

-Heavy make-up being something like Botox?

-Exactly. Absolutely.

0:33:460:33:51

How much do think it is on the market for?

0:33:510:33:54

-That's a challenge.

-Yes.

0:33:550:33:58

I would guess, personally, at...

0:33:580:34:01

385.

0:34:010:34:04

Going on yesterday's experience, I'd say it is still pretty close to 400,000.

0:34:060:34:11

You are correct. It is actually the most expensive property.

0:34:110:34:14

It is 400,000 on the nose.

0:34:140:34:15

And it's actually dropped 50,000.

0:34:150:34:18

It has been on the market for a while.

0:34:180:34:20

It has been on the market for 12 months.

0:34:200:34:22

So it's dropped 50,000 already.

0:34:220:34:25

But that's the salient fact that you need to take with you as you walk around the house.

0:34:250:34:30

And think whether that deep surgery -

0:34:300:34:32

that cosmetic surgery on the house - is going to cost too much.

0:34:320:34:35

-OK.

-All right, let's go and look.

-Thank you, see you in a bit.

0:34:350:34:38

Coming in at £400,000, this property,

0:34:380:34:41

formerly a public house,

0:34:410:34:43

has many of the features Robert and Wendy are after.

0:34:430:34:47

It has four bedrooms,

0:34:470:34:48

and it's in the centre of a lively village community.

0:34:480:34:51

But it does need some updating.

0:34:510:34:54

So is renovation something they'd consider

0:34:540:34:57

or will they be calling last orders on the old inn?

0:34:570:35:00

I think there is an awful lot of space downstairs.

0:35:000:35:03

Keeping the front room on the left as a study,

0:35:030:35:07

but the rest of you could actually make

0:35:070:35:11

one large, very, very cosy but spacious living room.

0:35:110:35:16

I would have to be in the house for about a year

0:35:160:35:18

before it would feel like it was our house.

0:35:180:35:21

When we started the process, we didn't want to have to be doing anything to the house.

0:35:210:35:26

Everybody wants to walk into something that's perfect.

0:35:260:35:29

Life isn't like that. There's always got to be a compromise.

0:35:290:35:33

Definitely getting a bit brighter.

0:35:330:35:35

-The sun may well come out.

-It might.

0:35:350:35:37

-In that case you have to buy the house.

-OK, if you say so.

0:35:370:35:41

-Absolutely.

-No, let's go and think about it.

-OK.

0:35:410:35:43

CHURCH ORGAN PLAYS

0:35:480:35:51

'Now, as you may remember,

0:35:510:35:53

'I've got a project of my own to get stuck into.

0:35:530:35:55

'I am back at Wells Cathedral to learn about the organ here.

0:35:550:36:00

'Head Organist, Matthew Owens is going to show me how to play it.'

0:36:000:36:04

-Morning, Matthew.

-Good morning. Welcome to Wells Cathedral.

0:36:040:36:08

It's so beautiful! What an amazing sight for the eyes.

0:36:080:36:11

-And the organ - what a fantastic beast.

-It is absolutely stunning.

0:36:110:36:15

You're in the Queen of English cathedrals, as it's known.

0:36:150:36:19

This is the heart of the cathedral, the quire,

0:36:190:36:21

which we spell Q-U-I-R-E.

0:36:210:36:25

And this is where the cathedral choir sings services every day.

0:36:250:36:30

No, I'm a terrible old hack on the piano,

0:36:300:36:32

but my visit here is to take a lesson from you.

0:36:320:36:34

-So, can we go up into the organ loft?

-Absolutely, let's go.

0:36:340:36:38

'Every organ is unique, with different sounds

0:36:390:36:41

'and different means of operating.

0:36:410:36:43

'There won't be another one like this anywhere else in the world.'

0:36:430:36:48

-Ah, it's a real beast.

-It certainly is.

0:36:480:36:50

This is the nerve centre of the organ.

0:36:500:36:51

-So, four "manuals", they're called?

-Four manuals and pedals down below.

0:36:510:36:56

These manuals all correspond to the stops here.

0:36:560:36:59

So we have the choir organ, which is here, the lowest manual.

0:36:590:37:03

This division here is called the swell because, literally,

0:37:030:37:07

the sound swells.

0:37:070:37:10

There is a system of almost Venetian blinds which open and shut as you'll hear now.

0:37:100:37:15

ORGAN NOTES SWELL

0:37:150:37:18

-Ah, it is like a crescendo.

-Yeah.

0:37:180:37:20

And, of course, it has got very soft sounds, as well.

0:37:200:37:23

ORGAN PLAYS SOFTLY

0:37:230:37:27

Wonderful.

0:37:270:37:29

OK, so in terms of you teaching me something,

0:37:290:37:32

the basics of playing maybe, but also this piece.

0:37:320:37:37

Why don't start on this one. You want lots of noise, don't you? Yes.

0:37:370:37:42

All right, here you we go.

0:37:420:37:43

PLAYS DRAMATIC OPENING NOTES

0:37:470:37:49

Then go up here.

0:37:500:37:54

REPEATS NOTES IN LOWER KEY

0:37:540:37:56

And then here.

0:37:580:38:00

REPEATS NOTES IN DIFFERENT KEY

0:38:020:38:04

Now what? Ah, a pedal.

0:38:070:38:09

Excellent, 10 out of 10. That's it.

0:38:090:38:12

-Excellent. You are a natural.

-Two bars in and I'm exhausted.

0:38:290:38:32

So can you do the difficult bit?

0:38:320:38:35

'Organs need constant maintenance, just like any complex machine.

0:38:410:38:45

'And this one was substantially rebuilt in 1973.

0:38:450:38:50

'Upkeep includes repairs to features like the electrical components and the leather parts

0:38:500:38:54

'and it can cost up to £1 million.

0:38:540:38:56

'But of course it is cheaper than buying a new one.

0:38:570:39:01

'At the top end, a brand-new cathedral organ would set you back

0:39:010:39:04

'anywhere between £2 million and £4 million.

0:39:040:39:07

Oh! Bravo, maestro. It's wonderful. Thank you so much.

0:39:130:39:17

-It was a great joy.

-Lovely to meet you.

-What a beast.

0:39:170:39:21

I'm not so sure the converted pub was really Robert and Wendy's cup of tea, or pint of cider.

0:39:280:39:34

But it did raise some interesting issues

0:39:340:39:36

about how much work they're prepared to do to get their forever home.

0:39:360:39:39

So let's find out which one was the best contender.

0:39:390:39:43

Tell me about the houses we visited.

0:39:480:39:50

It's useful to run through them to find out what you thought about them.

0:39:500:39:54

-What about the first house?

-Absolutely love house number one.

0:39:540:39:57

-Really?

-Really, really.

-Terrific house.

0:39:570:40:00

It just had everything that I would want in a house.

0:40:000:40:04

And it had such a lovely feel about it, a homely feel.

0:40:040:40:07

You went in and it was just really perfect.

0:40:070:40:11

With one drawback and it was a fairly large drawback - the road.

0:40:110:40:16

-Robert, are you quite as dewy-eyed about it?

-Indeed.

0:40:160:40:19

I really did like the house.

0:40:190:40:21

I've heard, again, doing a bit of digging

0:40:210:40:23

that there might have been a possibility of a bypass that might have been stopped

0:40:230:40:28

because of the current economic situation.

0:40:280:40:30

-Can you pull strings, Robert?

-I wish, I wish.

-That would be good!

0:40:300:40:34

But it was the prospect of that,

0:40:340:40:36

-then...now might be time to buy that house. Very much so.

-Very good.

0:40:360:40:41

-Where did you snuffle that piece of information out?

-Well, I have my sources.

0:40:410:40:46

-What about house number two? There you didn't have any worry about traffic noise.

-No.

0:40:460:40:51

The situation for house number two, perfect. Lovely.

0:40:510:40:54

But the house itself just didn't do it. The layout was wrong.

0:40:540:40:59

It was too small.

0:40:590:41:01

It had the feel of a sort of 10 or 20-year-old three-bedroom semi.

0:41:010:41:05

Now the mystery house, this was interesting because at the second house,

0:41:050:41:09

you had been saying, "Oh, we could put an extension. We could put a sunroom."

0:41:090:41:13

Even though you said you didn't want to do any projects.

0:41:130:41:16

So, with the mystery house, it needed some work doing.

0:41:160:41:19

What are your thoughts about that now?

0:41:190:41:22

I think it did require work but you could see your way through it.

0:41:220:41:27

You could see what needed to be done to make it how you would like it to be.

0:41:270:41:31

So it did have possibilities.

0:41:310:41:33

Overall, I was afraid that we didn't really get you

0:41:330:41:37

your forever home, ready, packaged in the right location,

0:41:370:41:41

ready to move into, on budget.

0:41:410:41:44

What have been your reflections on budget and area since then?

0:41:440:41:49

Maybe we need to rethink or at least think about

0:41:490:41:53

the compromises we are prepared to make, to have what we wanted.

0:41:530:41:57

But you really did nearly hit the jackpot with the first house.

0:41:570:42:01

You really did. And in some respects that spoilt us for the rest of it.

0:42:010:42:06

-And what will happen next?

-We're thinking of going back

0:42:060:42:10

-and having a look at it another time.

-Yep, certainly.

0:42:100:42:13

And checking it out and checking out the bypass.

0:42:130:42:17

-Things like that.

-Well, I wish you all the best.

0:42:170:42:20

I hope that Somerset opens its heart to you, again

0:42:200:42:23

-and that you find your forever home.

-Thank you very much.

0:42:230:42:27

It's been brilliant. We've really enjoyed it. Thank you.

0:42:270:42:30

We were a bit overwhelmed by the concept of finding

0:42:320:42:35

Wendy and Robert's dream home

0:42:350:42:37

and then having to deal with all the mess of roads and budgets and compromise,

0:42:370:42:41

but I have been thinking about it and in a way, dream homes, forever homes, they're a slow business.

0:42:410:42:48

You move in with your family and your friends and you make it the warm place

0:42:480:42:51

that you want to spend the rest of your life in.

0:42:510:42:54

And I'm pretty confident that Wendy and Robert will find that place.

0:42:540:42:57

And if you've enjoyed our adventures here in Somerset,

0:42:570:43:00

then join us next time some in the UK

0:43:000:43:03

for another Escape To The Country.

0:43:030:43:05

Although property number one was Robert and Wendy's favourite, the proposed bypass

0:43:060:43:11

is still many years off, too long for them to wait.

0:43:110:43:13

But the rural Somerset still holds the key to their future plans.

0:43:130:43:18

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

0:43:180:43:21

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

0:43:210:43:25

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:43:480:43:51

Email [email protected]

0:43:510:43:53

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