Cotswolds Escape to the Country

The playwright J.B. Priestley, writing about these stone walls,

said that even on a cloudy day they seemed to stay warm and luminous.

It was as if, he said, they had learnt the trick

of keeping the lost sunlight of centuries glimmering about them.

Find out where and what exactly he was talking about in just a moment.

Today I'm accompanying a pair of retired folk singing teachers

On a very harmonious house-hunting odyssey.

They give the acoustics a try out at our first property.

# Adieu sweet lovely Nancy

# Ten thousand times adieu... #

And our mystery house has them planning a musical finale.

We've always wanted a house where we can put a piano.

Yes, and certainly you could put a piano here.

Today we're in the Cotswolds,

and Mr Priestley was talking about this, Great Oolite Limestone,

better known to you and I as Cotswold stone,

the ubiquitous building material in this part of the world.

And I'm in Bourton-on-the-Water,

which is known as the Venice of the Cotswolds,

because of these bridges,

which criss-cross the River Windrush, which flows through the centre.

Every August the villagers, intrepid as they are,

play football in the water.

I shan't be doing that,

but it is testament to the character of this part of the country.

The area known as the Cotswolds

stretches from Warwickshire in the North

to Wiltshire in the South and covers well over 2,000 square kilometres.

Of the 40 areas of outstanding natural beauty in England and Wales,

the Cotswolds is the largest,

but it's also one of the less densely populated,

with over half of its parishes home to fewer than 300 residents.

Although much of the economy of the Cotswolds

was originally built on the wool trade,

the main industry today is tourism.

Every year this region welcomes over 23 million visitors

attracted by its recreational opportunities, cultural heritage,

and natural attractions, such as the 3,500-year-old Rollright Stones,

located just a few miles outside the Oxfordshire town of Chipping Norton.

These ancient stones include the King's Men Circle,

which consists of 77 local Oolitic limestones.

And theories abound as to their purpose.

Some argue they were built as a victory memorial

whilst others suggest a temple.

Either way, their mystery is all part of their unique appeal.

The Cotswolds stretch over six counties,

so, as you can imagine, there's big price variation.

For example, if you look at the average prices across the area,

then there's about £120,000 difference

between the least expensive Cotswold county, which is Herefordshire,

and the priciest, Oxfordshire.

And then, if you want to live in one of these beautiful villages,

the local agents assure us

that you're going to have to pay five to 15 percent on top.

But when you see what's on the market,

you'll understand why they're so pricey.

For £300,000,

you could buy this three-bedroom stone cottage in Middle Barton.

With traditional features,

such as an inglenook fireplace in the sitting room,

and flagstone flooring and a range cooker in the kitchen,

this property also offers a pretty secluded garden,

with a lawn and patio.

Priced at a touch over £540,000,

there is this three-bedroom, 17th-century cottage

in the village of France Lynch.

Constructed from Cotswold stone,

it boasts exposed beams in the huge and sociable kitchen.

The addition of the modern conservatory

really makes the most of those stunning countryside views.

And if you have a bigger budget,

you might be interested in this five-bedroom barn conversion in Condicut,

on the market for £775,000.

Built in the late 17th century,

the drawing room has a Cotswold stone fireplace

and the spacious kitchen diner has been recently refurbished.

Gosh, there are really beautiful properties here in the Cotswolds.

Let's meet the clever couple who've decided to make the move here.

Retired teachers, Chris and Lesley,

are no strangers to moving to the country.

Although it was the French countryside

they chose to escape to five years ago.

We decided to move now, because we've been five years living in France,

we decided to review everything after five years anyway,

we had one new grandchild and there was another one on the way.

Our mums are getting older,

and we were missing the music,

and the, sort of, cultural side of England a lot.

Although they're glad to be back,

matching their idyllic French property is not going to be easy.

Our house in France was a stone cottage

with an attached, very large, very beautiful barn.

It was three-bedroomed, two receptions,

it was in beautiful grounds with a landscaped garden,

which is quite unusual in France,

and it was right in the middle of farmland.

So, it was sort of ideal, really, it was a lovely setting.

But after a lot of research,

there is one region in Britain they feel offers equal appeal.

I think we decided, in the end, we'd like to focus our attention

on the Cotswolds because it's a very, very beautiful area.

We are aware of the fact that it's an expensive area to buy a house in.

But, we think on balance, it's got a lot to offer.

And it's fairly central for us to visit our family,

because we have family scattered in various directions,

and it's pretty much central to most of them.

As well as seeing more of the family,

they also want to rekindle their musical aspirations.

When we were in France,

we were lucky enough to be able to play at the night markets they have in the summer,

in the summer evenings.

And that was really good fun,

and we would love to be able to continue to do something like that.

Yeah, I think it's really important for us to find the folk scene in the Cotswold area,

and get really involved in gigging again.

So, music remains a key passion.

They would also like some outdoor space

and a room for indulging in their artistic hobbies.

But these aren't the only requirements on their wish list.

In our next property, we're looking for a minimum of three bedrooms,

possibly four.

We would like an additional reception room,

to give us the opportunity to have a music room/creative arts type room.

In terms of the garden,

we're looking for enough garden for Chris to grow some vegetables,

and for there to be some lawn and flowerbeds.

And if there could be one or two fruit trees, that would be wonderful.

In the kitchen, we are hoping that we will find something large enough for Chris,

because he loves cooking,

and if possible, that there is a range cooker.

Because that would be absolutely fantastic.

That would be absolutely fantastic to have a range cooker.

And as cash buyers who can move quickly,

they're in a great position.

So, all that's left to confirm is the money.

Our budget for this house will be a maximum of £450,000.

Chris and Lesley have told us

that they would prefer to live within a 15-mile radius

of the Gloucestershire market town of Stow-on-the-Wold.

We'll be having a look at three superb properties

that we hope they'll be singing the praises of.

As usual, they'll be having a guess at the price of each

before I reveal it.

The final offering is, of course, on mystery house,

which I think with a bit of imagination

could give them a very harmonious home.

Welcome back to England, guys, the lovely Cotswolds.

Nice to have you here.

Now, you've been away from the English market for five years,

in which time property prices have really gone a little crazy.

Yes.

And you do have quite a big wish list.

Yeah, we do, and we're well aware of that,

and I know we want the moon on a stick,

but this is such a beautiful area,

and at the end of the day, we know we've got to compromise probably,

because we're very realistic about what we think...

Because location is really one of our prime priorities,

and we think we found the nearest thing that we had in France,

in terms of peace and quiet and tranquillity, in the Cotswolds.

-Plus the folk music.

-Plus the folk music, yes.

There are some beautiful houses here,

and even the most modest house looks beautiful

because of the Cotswold stone.

So, I'm excited to show you the ones we've got, let's go.

So, for their forever home back on British soil,

Chris and Lesley have £450,000 to spend.

They'd like a house in a tranquil location,

with two reception rooms so they can devote one of them to music.

A large farmhouse style kitchen with a range cooker.

At least three bedrooms,

and a secluded garden.

Now, I'm afraid you know what I'm going to do,

because we're in a car and we've got a journey,

-I'm going to ask you to sing.

-OK.

# Come fill up your glasses and let us be merry

# For to rob bags of plunder it is our intent

# As we roam through the valleys where the lilies and the roses

# And the beauty of Kashmir lay drooping his head. #

We're heading to the Gloucestershire village of Mickleton,

on the edge of the Cotswolds,

and just a 20-minute drive from Stow-on-the-Wold.

Architecturally, black and white buildings with thatched roofs

stand alongside those built of Cotswold limestone.

A Norman church dominates the centre of the village.

It's a location with amenities,

such as a local shop and post office,

as well a hotel with brasserie and restaurant.

Our first property is a thatched cottage,

parts of which date back 400 years.

So, this is property number one.

What do you think?

It looks very interesting.

It is interesting. It's got a lot of character.

Obviously this thatched part is the older part,

and this is the Victorian extension.

-Are you not scared of the thatch?

-It's funny you should say that.

I've always been a bit concerned about thatch.

I heard that every 15 years you have to get it renewed, which is a big outlay.

The ridge, the bit that goes most quickly, was done seven years ago,

and the main body of the thatch nine years ago,

but a good thatch will last about 50 or 60 years.

Oh, that's good news. That wouldn't be a concern.

With their minds put at rest,

were heading inside through the back door, as with many country houses.

I think our first room will particularly appeal to Chris.

Into the kitchen.

So, this is your domain, Chris.

It is.

How does it measure up?

It's charming, nice log-burning stove.

Love the floors, flagstone.

Yes.

It's not as big as we had in France, but it's a nice size.

Yes, and I think that's really... absolutely,

it's lovely to have that.

Because we're used to sitting around the kitchen table.

But you're not completely separated.

if someone's working in the kitchen you can still chat to them, can't you?

If Chris and Lesley want a more intimate or formal seating arrangement,

there's an additional dining room,

which separates the kitchen from the sitting room.

So, this is the sitting room in the oldest part house.

This would have been the original thatched cottage.

Yes, very quaint.

Nice fireplace, wood-burning stove again, which is good.

So, it's a very snug property, cosy and warm.

I always feel at home in properties with this sort of age, actually.

They feel very homely.

You feel as though you could move your stuff in

and within a very short time you would feel at home.

But that's the nature of this sort of property,

I think, that's its advantage.

It's a positive sign that they're feeling at home here.

Off the kitchen and dining area,

is a very convenient cloakroom-cum-utility room.

While upstairs, there's a very spacious family bathroom,

with a shower and lots of storage.

This is shared by the three bedrooms they've asked for.

The first, a quirkily shaped but good sized double room.

The second, a characterful single with exposed beams.

And the third is a room they could be calling their own.

So, this is the master bedroom.

I like it.

Are these floorboards original?

These are original, do you see the difference?

-Yeah.

-Great.

They're wide.

The only issue might be the accessibility of bedrooms

for our two mothers.

They're quite elderly now,

we'd have to think about that quite seriously.

Yes.

Are three bedrooms enough?

Yes.

Um, a fourth would be good, if we could find a house with a fourth,

but three would be adequate.

Well, maybe we have found you one with a fourth.

Follow me.

Yes, this property comes with an unexpected treat

at the bottom of the garden.

A double-storey annexe, where you could easily fit a fourth bedroom.

Across the garden, you've got this.

This is something else.

Yes. This could be useful.

Following on what you are saying about your parents not being able to get upstairs,

you could turn this into a very nice downstairs bedroom suite.

You could, yes.

There's also an upstairs which might be good for the grandchildren.

Or, we were thinking you could use it as a music room.

I think my first thought would be music.

Do you want to try out the acoustics?

# Adieu sweet lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adieu #

# I am going around the ocean...#

Sounds promising to me.

Meanwhile, outside the garden awaits,

with its lawn and fruit trees.

But will it be large enough for these two songbirds?

This is the garden.

We haven't really talked much about your garden expectations,

What does this make you feel?

It's very pretty, and it has got enough grass, definitely,

and it's private, it's quite secluded.

Which are all things we wanted.

-But it doesn't have the space.

-Space for a vegetable garden.

Which is the thing I was particularly keen on having.

The only thing is that sometimes, if you're lucky in a village,

you can find an allotment.

It's like you read my mind.

There are plentiful and cheap allotments in this village.

Are there? That's good.

All of which would be totally theoretical

if you can't afford to buy it.

So, what do think it's on the market for?

I'm going to have to guess at £425,000.

I'm thinking, because it's got an annexe, a little bit more.

I think it's probably £449,950.

Oh, so right at the top of the budget.

Yes.

Well, you've been away from the market for quite some time,

so your figures are slightly out.

But, luckily, their act in the wrong direction.

Because this is on the market for £400,000.

Oh, right, OK.

-That's very good news.

-Yes, it is.

Very good. So, why did you have a look round inside and explore?

There's lots of rooms you haven't seen.

I'll meet you at the front and we can take it from there.

Well within their budget at £400,000,

this property looks a real contender.

It has a large kitchen/diner, three bedrooms,

an annexe which could house an extra bedroom and a music or arts room,

and a pretty garden, with allotments nearby for growing vegetables.

I think when we arrived, my first thought was,

"I think this is going to be a little bit small for us."

And then the more we walked around, the more we thought, hold on,

there's more to this house than meets the eye.

But as a whole, I think it really works.

We probably wouldn't have looked at a cottage this age

because, in general, older properties like this tend to be quite small.

But because there's a Victorian extension we've got the best of both worlds, in actual fact.

Because we love the character of this cottage,

but we've actually got the light and space we wanted

in the Victorian part as well.

So it meets all our requirements, really.

I wonder if they sing all round the house?

# Price of the house is very, very fine

# 400K not 449... #

Come on, guys, hurry up.

I was imagining you make all the comments around the house in close harmonies.

-Not the case, is it?

-No, not at all.

Quite disappointed, you might have to practise.

OK, that's house number one done. House number two is on the horizon.

OK, thank you.

In the Middle Ages, wool production made the Cotswolds

one of the wealthiest parts of England.

And in the Oxfordshire market town of Chipping Norton,

dubbed the gateway to the Cotswolds,

you can find a fine example of what's known as a wool church,

which means it was built from the proceeds of the wool trade.

Indeed, this, the parish church of St Mary,

was rebuilt in Gothic style by an affluent local wool merchant in 1485.

Today Chipping Norton has a reputation as a centre for music,

with a festival that celebrated its centenary in 2004.

And Chris and Lesley will be pleased to hear there's a day devoted to folk music every autumn.

A resident who's been making his living from music here

for over 30 years is luthier Paul Fisher,

who constructs all types of instruments.

He is also a leading figure in the local folk music scene.

We sent our singing buyers to meet him.

Here we have the workshop,

musical instrument making,

and you can see before you here quite a range of instruments.

We have here classical guitars.

At the back you have a mould for a guitar of the 17th century.

-Stradivari guitar, in fact.

-I noticed the name.

One of the only complete examples actually is in Oxford,

which is very convenient for me to go and do the research.

Paul, am I right in thinking you haven't always been a classical guitar maker?

I began with a harpsichord and made harpsichords, spinets, clavichords, and octavinas.

When you learn to know, learn how the instrument's constructed,

you realise what a wonderful piece of engineering it is.

'Paul is working on putting together a classical guitar.

'The most important piece of the instrument is the soundboard,

'which is made from 350-year-old European spruce,

'an extremely stiff and strong wood.

'The back, which acts as a receptor for the sound,

'is carved from hard Brazilian rosewood, now a banned wood,

'which requires a licence from DEFRA before use.

'The sides are also rosewood, planed down by hand, steam-bent

'and placed onto a mould for 24 hours to hold its shape.

'And the neck is made of mahogany, which needs to be strong

'and stable to withstand the pull of the guitar strings.

'Paul's giving Chris and Lesley a rare chance to try carving the heel

'of this part of the instrument.'

This is freehand work you do with a very, very sharp chisel.

Here we have a neck that's partly made and this is how you begin.

You're holding your chisel upside-down and simply carve away.

'When playing the guitar, the hand and thumb reach up to the heel

'of the neck, so this part must have a distinct curve and be smooth.'

Who would like first go?

Can I check, this is the reject, is it, we're working on?

It's not a reject. This is the real thing.

So there's no pressure on us, then?

Go on, Lesley.

That's it. Good, good.

'Another method of carving is to turn the neck around

'and rest it on your shoulder so you can use both hands on the chisel.'

Now you can see why I didn't do any woodwork.

I hope you're going to make your own guitar now.

I feel inspired to, I must admit.

FOLK MELODY

'With musical inspiration overflowing for Chris and Lesley here in the Cotswolds,

'let's hope we keep up the tempo as we return to our property search.

'We've travelled around 15 miles east of Stow-on-the-Wold

'to Middle Barton in Oxfordshire,

'part of a lively community on the river Dorn.

'It has a splendid Gothic church

'and a pub which hosts regular music nights,

'where Chris and Lesley could do their folk thing.

'Our second property is an end-of-terrace stone cottage

'which was, once upon a time, the village bakery

'and is believed to date back to the 1750s.'

House number two.

And it's really this end of terrace,

so right down to the end of the building.

-Right.

-OK.

-What are your first impressions?

-It's very pretty.

-Very pretty.

-I suspect it's going to have some character.

-Yes.

We're close to Chipping Norton, which has a great arts scene,

-and two miles away there's a pub that has folk almost every night.

-Sounds promising, doesn't it?

Yes, it does. It does. And it seems relatively quiet here, as well.

Couldn't get you quite as remote as we'd hoped. But let's look inside.

'They seem quite taken with the location and I'm sure the interior

'of this stunning property won't disappoint.'

-Come on in.

-Thank you.

Here we are in the sort of oldest room and the biggest room, really.

It's got this fantastic fireplace.

Lovely fireplace.

And this incredible beam across the top. You can see the maker's mark.

You see the little triangular shape pattern to keep evil spirits away.

It's quite a homely feel to the house.

They've retained the character features like the doors.

-I love this area here with the old oak.

-Yes.

-Partition.

I love those features in houses like this.

'So that homely feeling is descending on Chris and Lesley -

'good news for us.

'Also in this lovely home is a bright study,

'which could be a useful space for their arts and crafts and their music.

'But we're heading for the kitchen and breakfast area.

'Originally two rooms, now converted into one.'

Come through to this raised part, underneath the beam.

-Yes.

-That's interesting. And the floor's lovely.

-Yes.

-Original, again.

-And a nice, big space for the cooker.

-And a double range, which I know is your...

-It is.

-Yes.

It's an unusual shape.

-But it's workable, isn't it?

-As long as there's enough workspace.

-Yeah.

Obviously, it's been separate.

It was two rooms originally.

What they've done is join it up

and if you have all these doors open, it's sort of like a circle.

You go through here, you've got a very nice, spacious dining room.

A good size. This side of the house, which is a separate age,

is actually really beautifully maintained.

-So I wanted to show you the bedroom and bathroom up here.

-OK.

'And the bedrooms certainly live up to the rest of this wonderfully characterful property.

'There's a single room with exposed beams

'and more of those narrow black timbers feature in the spare double.

'There's even beams in the family bathroom which,

'otherwise, is very modern.

'Up in the eaves, they've made great use of the distinctive space

'by adding an attic bedroom, a fun place for the grandchildren.

'But we're taking a look at where they would sleep.'

I love this bedroom.

-Lovely and light.

-Yeah.

-It is lovely, isn't it?

This is essentially a separate wing.

You've got three bedrooms at that end of the house,

up the elm staircase, which will be great for the kids

and people staying cos it's got their own bathroom,

and then you've got this bedroom which is a really lovely,

very light, nice shape.

So you could actually hide away from your guests if you wanted to.

-Yes.

-Sounds a good idea.

-Peace and quiet. It does, doesn't it?

'And they could even do a spot of singing,

'if they wanted, in the next room.'

-Quite a bathroom.

-Wow!

-That's very sumptuous, isn't it?

-Lovely.

-Double shower, big roll-top bath.

-Gosh. Beautiful.

Love the double shower.

-Very luxurious. No, I think it's very interesting.

-Promising.

I think the more we've seen...

-It's definitely grown on us.

-The more we like it.

-Talking of growing, you've yet to see the garden.

-Ah!

'This time I'm sure Chris isn't going to be disappointed

'as at the bottom of this garden,

'which is mostly laid to lawn with mature shrubs,

'there's a plot to grow his veg and a greenhouse, too.'

Not massive but it has one very big plus,

the veg patch.

A slight downer in the sense you're a bit overlooked.

Right, OK.

-So, thumbs up for the garden?

-Yes.

-Yes, I think so.

Definitely. It's very pretty.

It's a pretty garden and it's got some practical uses as well.

How much do you think it costs because we are in

the most expensive of the Cotswold counties, Oxfordshire.

Erm, I think £475,000.

Over budget, I think. I think it's £465,000.

So, once again,

your French sojourn has made you very pessimistic

-because actually this is priced at £435,000.

-Ah.

-Right, OK.

-So.

-That's very interesting.

Armed with that fact, why don't you go back in?

There's quite a bit we haven't seen.

-Maybe you can find a room you could sing in.

-OK.

'So, pleasingly under budget at £435,000,

'this property has everything they've asked for

'with four bedrooms, a large and characterful kitchen with a range cooker,

'a study space which could be used for music and crafts

'and a good-sized garden with vegetable patch.'

I like the kitchen because it's quirky. I love the range.

It's got a great flagstone floor and plenty of good working spaces.

As we went round the house, we realised how much more space there was and yes,

the more we walked round it, the more we've grown to like it.

They're singing! They sing everywhere! It's fantastic!

Guys, sorry.

-Sorry, sorry to...

-It's all right.

-We have to leave.

Come on out, I'm afraid your time is done in that house.

You're obviously sounding the rafters

-but two houses in a day is quite enough. Let's have a rest.

-Yes.

-OK.

'As evening falls on a most harmonious

'passage of house hunting here in the Cotswolds,

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

'Ex-teachers Chris and Lesley have sold their rural home in France

'to move back to the UK to be close to family

'and find a musical community.

'So far they've been in perfect sync with our first two houses

'but coming up, our mystery property reaches a crescendo.'

-It look spacious.

-It looks very grand. Spacious, yes, it does.

'And I find out about an intriguing pie

with origins dating back to a local feud.

'Can we stay in tune with our folk-singing house hunters on day two

'of this property odyssey?'

THEY ALL SING FRERE JACQUES

'For our mystery property, we've decided to gamble on travelling

'double the distance from Stow-on-the-Wold

'as we head for the ancient market town of Minchinhampton.

'Perched on a hilltop in the heart of the Cotswolds, the town has a parish church

'with a distinctive coronet tower that was erected in 1863.

'It also has a lively high street with a butcher's,

'a tea room and a pub which hosts a weekly folk club.

'Nestled below the common, our mystery property dates back to 1914,

'and is built of stone from the local quarry.'

# Tiddly-tiddly-tum. #

-Here's the mystery house.

-Wow!

-OK.

-My goodness!

So the mystery is not so much about the house but the location.

It's a sort of negative mystery in that we've basically not given you

what you wanted, because this is about 30 miles from Stow-on-the-Wold

and you wanted to be 15 miles, so it's double the distance.

But we brought you here really to show you what you get

-if you let go of that circumference around Stow.

-Yes.

-What are your thoughts about the area and the house?

-Stunning views.

-The house, it looks...

-It looks very grand.

-Spacious.

Yes, it does look extremely spacious.

See what you mean about more house for your money in this sort of area.

-Shall we look inside?

-Yes.

-OK.

'So, spacious looking on the outside this house may be,

'but inside is where it counts, especially for Chris,

'in the kitchen.

'He's keen to have one as large as he's been used to

'in their French farmhouse. Let's see if this one fits the bill.'

This is a different layout from what we've shown you in other cottages.

-It is.

-Come over here, you get a view of the kitchen.

-It's lovely. Very spacious, isn't it?

-Nice and wide open.

-More light and airy.

-Originally there would have been a hallway.

They've taken out this wall, as you can see. Opened it all up.

I like the idea you could be working in the kitchen, talking to people that are waiting for their food.

A really useful space.

It's not too open plan. It's not too modern inside.

They haven't destroyed the character of the house by modernising.

They've kept some of the feel of the period.

'There are more character features in the sitting room,

'which could well provide an answer to their musical prayers.'

-This is a lovely size room as well.

-Yes.

-Yes, it is.

Again, two rooms knocked together. You've got a nice log burner.

A log burner, which is always good for us.

I can see this as a music room. A concert room with a piano.

-Yes, we could.

-We've always wanted a house where we could put a piano.

Yes, and certainly you could put a piano here.

'And while the singing goes on in the sitting room,

'I've earmarked the light, modern conservatory

'for their arts and crafts activities.

'We're heading upstairs where there's a smart family bathroom

'with a separate cloakroom next door.

'These are both shared by two reasonably sized bedrooms

'with more of those lovely views, which could be perfect for Chris and Lesley's in-laws.

'And, of course, there's also a room to suit them.'

This room, they use it as the master room.

It's not actually the biggest bedroom

but it does have these great views up the valley towards Minchin.

You've also got an en suite next door, so that's handy,

and some big fitted wardrobes.

-It's quite panoramic, isn't it, that window?

-It is. It's beautiful.

-It's a stunning view.

-It is. It's a lovely bedroom.

I can see why they chose it as a master bedroom.

To have that view when you wake up in the morning.

'The grandchildren might appreciate

'sleeping up in the quaint and charming area on the next floor,

'where there's also a study and a fifth bedroom

'which could be used as a playroom

'or an alternative music room, if they prefer.

'Which just leaves the matter of a garden

'for Chris to grow his veg.'

-Ah, what a glorious day to be looking at gardens!

-It is.

And although this isn't a huge garden, it does have amazing views.

Yes, they are spectacular.

-In both directions.

-You could get a veggie patch here.

-Yeah.

-Yes, I think a small plot, there.

-That would really work well, wouldn't it?

-Yes.

OK, so how much do you think it costs?

I think I'll say top of our budget.

-£450,000.

-OK.

Because it's Stroud and it's not Stow-on-the-Wold,

I think it's about £436,000.

Well, in your tradition of guessing above the prices,

your staying consistent because actually,

it's on the market at £430,000.

£430,000. Right.

Clearly, house prices have not gone up

as much as you thought while you were in France.

Go and explore the rooms upstairs, particularly the rooms we thought you could use for music making.

-That will be good.

-We'll see you afterwards.

-OK.

-OK.

'Once again, we're well under budget with our mystery house,

'priced at £430,000,

'and it delivers handsomely on all their needs

'with a large and sociable kitchen/diner,

'space for a music and craft room,

'five bedrooms and enough garden for a vegetable patch.'

-Oh.

-Musical instruments.

This looks interesting.

-It's a music room.

-It is.

-This could be our music room.

-Made for our instruments.

-We haven't had a music room before, have we?

-No.

It is further than what we expected.

We would have liked to have been within 15 miles of Stow-on-the-Wold.

But at the same time,

this house offers a tremendous amount that perhaps

houses in that area didn't.

For me, the view is just phenomenal

and we've never had a house with a view.

I do like dramatic scenery.

Lesley's not so keen and that'll be interesting

to chat with her about that later, because for me, it's very dramatic.

Chris and I don't feel the same about the house because although we agree on things

like the fact there are lovely views and there's a lot of space,

I think for Chris that would sell the house to him.

But for me, that itself isn't enough.

And I didn't get that warm, homely feeling

when I stepped in the door that I hoped I would.

They're not singing. Is that a bad sign?

Has there been discord? Guys.

Hello.

-Yeah.

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Come on out.

-OK.

-Are you OK?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-No disharmony?

-No.

-A little bit.

-A little bit.

-Not a lot.

-A little bit makes for an interesting piece.

'The Cotswolds are dotted with beautiful limestone villages,

'steeped in history, folklore and ancient ceremonies.

'From the famous cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill

'to the bi-annual feast called Pig Face Day at Avening.

'But I've come to Painswick, known as the Queen of the Cotswolds,

'to meet Carol Maxwell, chair of the local history society,

'who's going to tell me more about the unusual traditions and folklore

'that abound in this village, like the dark story

'that surrounds the 99 yew trees that grow in the grounds of the parish church.'

So what's the story with the yew trees?

-I've never seen anything like it.

-There are various myths attached.

They were all planted in about 1792.

There has always been an attempt to grow 100

but apparently, only 99 will survive.

And any attempt to grow another one will result in one of the existing ones dying.

It is said that the devil himself will not allow the 100th to grow.

-So the devil blights the 100th yew tree.

-It would seem to be that way.

-Has anyone tried it?

-Yes. Lots of times.

The latest one during the millennium.

A new tree was planted and within weeks,

one of the existing ones fell down.

I have been struck in the Cotswolds how each place seems to have these unique and amazing myths.

Yes, yes. Certainly Painswick has its fair share.

'For another mythical tale,

'Carol has recommended I visit a local pub to track down the story

'of Painswick's intriguing local delicacy, known as puppy dog pie.

'Landlord Keith Ayres revived the dish

'when he moved here two years ago.'

-Keith?

-Yes. Welcome.

I've been reliably informed you can tell me about puppy dog pie.

-I can do better than that, I can show you.

-Excellent.

Come this way.

As you can see, there's a lot of vegetables that go in to it.

Celery, onions, carrots, mushrooms, leeks.

You're not telling me what this is. I'm hoping it's not actually puppy.

It's not. Puppy dog pie goes back maybe a couple of hundred years

and it came about from a feud between the youths

of Painswick and Stroud.

The parents got them together and tried to get a truce going

and made them some nice pies.

As they were leaving, they said,

"By the way, the pie you just had, we don't have any meat

"because we're very, very poor so consequently,

"we used our local dogs."

-Ah.

-So it was more to wind them up.

-To upset them.

-A wind-up. Do people get put off by the idea?

There's always somebody who does get a bit upset but in essence,

once they're explained about it, it is more humour now,

rather than serious.

People actually join in with the laugh.

I do ask them, "If you hear squeals when you're eating it,

"let me know because it's obviously undercooked."

'For the peasant folk in olden times, there wasn't much meat,

'so this pie traditionally contains a great deal of vegetables

'and, of course, no puppy dog at all.

'Today the pie is made using chopped steak,

'and Keith also adds local bitter and stout for flavour.

'After 20 minutes in the oven, the pie is ready.'

Yowzer! Look at those!

They're amazing! Like puppy volcanoes!

-Very tasty and they're crying out...

-To be eaten!

-Yes.

Whining to be eaten, in fact.

And leaving her tales behind, we're being joined by Carol for the tasting of this great local dish.

Nobody leaves here hungry, that's our philosophy.

Smells delicious.

Mm. That's actually great.

-Here's to Painswick puppies.

-Yes, good health.

Quite enough puppy dog pie, delicious as it may be.

Time to find out what's happening with our harmonious

and sometimes not-so-harmonious duo.

Are they in agreement about which house

they like best out of the three we've shown them?

Let's find out.

-Hello, guys.

-Hello.

-Found a nice spot, here.

-How have the Cotswolds lived up to your expectations?

-It's lovely.

We're sold on the area. We've decided this is the area we'd like to spend a lot of our time in.

We showed you three houses. Let's go through them one by one.

-The first house did offer quite a lot of what you were looking for.

-Yes, it did.

The site of the house was really quiet. We liked the kitchen.

The kitchen was a lovely space

and it had many other really appealing period features.

Yes, and there was the wood-burning stove as well.

But I think the overall impression we got

was that perhaps it was just a little small for us.

The second house was much more spacious on the inside.

I really like that house.

Once I'd moved from the lounge through into the kitchen

and the dining room and then upstairs,

I grew to like it more and more.

It had a good feel about it. A homely feel.

-And the third house, the mystery house.

-My first reaction was, "Wow!"

This is the sort of thing I'd really been looking for

was something with a tremendous view.

We've never lived in a house with a superb view.

To look down over Stroud and have that vista along the valley was amazing.

So that wowed me straight away.

It really did, for me, capture what I was looking for.

And that's where Lesley and I parted a little,

because she wasn't so seduced by that.

For me, I didn't feel at home in the house as I had in the second house.

As I say, once we'd walked round that house,

I felt immediately at home.

That didn't happen in the third house.

Overall, what would you say you've learnt and what happens next?

Regarding house two, we liked that very much

and I think we'd like to go back and look at that again

and explore the village.

And I think the mystery house, that was very interesting for us

because it did open up more possibilities

and I think one thing it's done is it's reminded us

that we may have to consider moving a little bit further

from that magic radius that we'd started with

in order to get the sort of space and environment

we probably want to end up with.

I do hope you find what you need.

I feel the Cotswolds is missing your tuneful souls.

-You need to bring harmony into this corner of the world.

-That would be very nice.

It gives me a warm feeling inside to think Lesley and Chris were away

for five years and then came back from France

but we didn't have to crush their hopes

of finding a reasonably priced Cotswolds home.

In fact, it seems their dream is eminently doable,

one could say, in tune, with this part of the world.

And if you've enjoyed our harmonious house finding,

make sure you come along next time for Escape to the Country.

Chris and Lesley went back to see the second property

but decided it wasn't for them.

They've now made an offer on a stone farmhouse in Oxfordshire,

just over 15 miles from Stow-on-the-Wold,

so they should be moving into their new home very soon.

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