Wiltshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to today's Escape To The Country.

Let me introduce you to Monty and Prince,

a pair of magnificent Shires

who for five days a week, 50 weeks of the year,

make deliveries here in the local area.

Join me in just a few moments to find out what they're delivering and where.

On today's show, I'm helping a house hunter with an extremely generous budget

buy her first ever home.

She's certainly dazzled by the interior of one property.

-Oh, this is a surprise.

-Is this a wow?

-This is a wow.

And our mystery house really delivers where it counts.

-That's a kitchen.

-Isn't it?

-This is fantastic.

Today we are in Wiltshire, Devizes to be precise

and it's where Monty and Prince make their daily deliveries of beer,

just as their ancestors have done in this town since 1875.

A little later on in the show, I'll be back here accompanying them on their next round.

Landlocked Wiltshire lies in the south-west of England surrounded

by six counties including Dorset, Somerset and Gloucestershire.

In the south-east of the county, sits it only city, Salisbury,

which boasts a medieval cathedral with a 404 foot high spire,

that is the tallest of its kind anywhere in United Kingdom.

Wiltshire has proud farming tradition, going back for thousands of years

with around 72% of the region currently given over to agriculture.

There are rich, historical monuments, too,

such as the stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury,

which draw visitors from all over the world.

They are the focal point of a rich, prehistoric landscape,

full of burial mounds and hill forts,

constructed by our ancient ancestors.

The county is also home to the White Horse Trail,

a 90-mile walk taking in eight white horses cut into the chalk hillsides.

The largest of these is the Westbury Horse in the Vale Of Pewsey,

which can be seen from 20 miles away.

Of course, all that rural charm does come at a price.

Longleat House, behind me, isn't for sale but you do get the general idea.

Things are quite nice down here.

After Dorset, when it comes to the south-west,

Wiltshire is the most expensive county you could pick.

Your average detached will set you back around £293,000,

14% above the national average.

But, needless to say, in a county as popular and as beautiful as this one,

there are some fantastic properties on the market.

This charming two bedroomed thatched cottage in Stockton

is priced at £345,000.

It has a delightful beamed sitting room with a large

inglenook fireplace and wood burner.

There's also a country kitchen which features a colourful range

and a quaint breakfast room.

Upstairs the bedrooms all boast exposed beams.

How about this lovely four-bedroom 18th-century house in Hindon,

which is on the market for a whisker under £500,000.

It offers a spacious oak framed kitchen/diner which has a lovely contemporary feel,

an elegant sitting room

and half an acre of beautifully planted gardens.

Or, if your budget can stretch to £695,000,

you could go for this very attractive three-bed, 17th-century

stone house in Chilmark, which comes with five acres of land.

The drawing room has an impressive vaulted ceiling, with gallery

and outside there's a glorious sun terrace.

If you are tempted by some of those wonderful Wiltshire properties,

like today's buyer, you're in very good company

and she's brought along her best friend, Liz, for some moral support.

PA, Linda has recently inherited the four-bed detached family home in Wimbledon

that she lived in with her parents for more than 40 years.

A developer has just bought the house

so she's now looking to buy her first home on her own

and will be accompanied on her property search

by friend of 25 years, Liz.

This is actually the first time I've moved on my own.

I inherited this house from my parents

so I've never actually gone and sought a house myself.

Also, the timescale is very short.

My house is being demolished, probably in a couple of months time.

I haven't got long in which to find something.

Indeed she hasn't, however this isn't a spur of the moment move.

Linda's has been planning to leave London for more rural way of life for some time.

I'm coming up to 60 next month and have been looking to retire, probably within the next year or so.

The developers offered me a good price, about six weeks ago.

It's all happening very quickly.

I had been thinking, over the past six months

that I would like to move out of London to the country,

so this has given me an ideal opportunity in which to do that.

This is the only move Linda is planning on making in her entire life

and she has had a long time to dream up a perfect home.

In an ideal world, I would like four bedrooms, possibly five.

I would like an en suite bathroom.

I would like a nice sized kitchen and a utility room,

that's fairly important, as well. I'd like a study.

I would like quite a large garden, possibly half an acre,

maybe a wee bit more, up to an acre, if it's reasonably manageable,

depending on the nature of the garden.

It's not just the wish list that's been nailed down, the location has too.

I would like to move to the Salisbury area,

or just to the west of Salisbury or the south-west.

-You don't want to be too remote, though, do you?

-No.

Because being on your own, you can get a bit isolated.

-You want a little shop, or little village, or something?

-Yes, if possible, yes.

I don't want anything that's too lonesome,

like at the end of a long track, or too far from anybody.

I think I'd feel a bit isolated.

It's my first experience of living in the country.

The deal with the developer is a lucrative one

and it's given Linda a very generous amount of money with which to buy her very first home.

My budget for the next property would be probably between

800,000, perhaps up to a million if the right thing came along.

Of course, there's always a certain amount of luck involved

when it comes to buying and selling houses.

Being in the right place at the right time and that sort of thing, has a key role to play

but Linda, she scooped up bucket loads of luck.

Just when she was thinking of retiring and moving to the country,

a developer steps in, offers to buy her house for an enormous amount of money

and sets her up in the enviable position of being a cash buyer.

Let's just hope that some of that luck rubs off this week

as we try and find her a home of the future.

Linda wants to be within striking distance of Salisbury,

so we'll be taking her and friend, Liz,

on a gentle ramble around the surrounding countryside.

We've got three delightful properties to enchant them

and I'll be challenging Linda and Liz to guess the price before I reveal it.

The last property is, of course, our mystery house.

I think it has all the ingredients to teach them a thing or two about country life.

Let's not kid around here, you have to do this in a hurry

-because the developers are coming in to knock your house down.

-Yes, they certainly are.

I've got five weeks, six weeks at the maximum before the bulldozers move in and I'm homeless.

Now, you say "homeless," it sounds very desperate

but you are armed with a fantastic budget of how much?

I'm in an extremely fortunate position.

I'm looking for a property between £800,000 and probably up to a million-ish.

-Brilliant.

-Yes, so, yes, I'm incredibly lucky.

Now, Liz, has come along to help you find your ideal dream home

-with our assistance, of course.

-Yes.

Liz, what do you think? How's this move going to go?

She knows what she wants. You've got your work cut out, I think.

-This is interesting, because you've never bought a house before.

-I haven't, no.

I've lived in the family home since it was built way back in the '60s.

The requirements, you say you've got 800 to 1,000,000 to spend,

-That's a lot of house for one person.

-I know.

I like entertaining and I have people to stay with me quite frequently

and usually more than one bedroom's worth of people.

I often have two or three rooms taken up with visitors.

I do need a fair bit of space for that.

-Liz, all set?

-Yes, ready to go.

You're going to keep her on the straight and narrow for me?

-I'm really quite excited about this, actually.

-Good, let's get going.

-Follow me.

-Thank you.

Well, these two can't wait and I'm not surprised,

with a very healthy budget between 800,000 and £1 million.

On the wish list is a detached house with a spacious kitchen

for keen cook, Linda.

Four bedrooms, so ample space for the party guests she's anticipating.

A large garden and it all needs to be set within a village location.

We're kick-starting our property search, eight miles from Salisbury

in the village of White Parish.

It's an attractive location, with a thriving shop/post office,

a doctors' surgery and two pubs.

They're all situated within walking distance of our first property,

which sits in the charming position, overlooking the local church.

-OK, ladies. There we are.

-Oh, that looks lovely.

-It looks very, very promising. Just the style but I was looking for.

-House number one.

-Perfect.

-You can just see the churchyard behind us.

-I can indeed, yes.

This perhaps, not surprisingly, is an old vicarage.

Wow, so it should have some history to it?

-It certainly has got some history. It's been extended a little bit over the years.

-Yes.

And we think it's about 1700, probably mid-1700s.

-It's had an Victorian addition.

-No ghost, I hope.

-Who knows? Let's see what we can find.

-What do you think, Liz?

-Well, I think it's got character.

Roses around the door and one of Linda's criteria

was not a glass front door and it's got a solid front door.

-It's got a nice solid front door.

-That's nice, yes.

I'm really looking forward to having a look round.

-And, we've got a lovely garden for you.

-Even better.

-Come and have a look.

-Great.

We're off to a roaring start. This former vicarage has almost everything Linda is after,

so let's hope the inside continues to impress.

-OK, Linda...

-Oh, that's nice.

-Could this be the one?

I didn't say I wanted a nice, big square hall,

but actually I did think I would have liked one and this looks lovely.

That's what you've got.

-You've got light from the window, which is really lovely.

-Yeah.

This little alcove, this used to be the only phone box in the village.

Oh, goodness.

-Leading off of here, we've also got you one of the two reception rooms.

-Right.

-A very nice little snug/TV room. In terms of entertainment, you do want a dining room?

-Oh, definitely.

Come and look at this.

Knowing Linda is a keen entertainer, this next room is always going to be particularly important to her.

-How would entertaining work in here?

-Not bad at all. It's lovely.

I'll have to learn to play the piano. It's lovely.

Just a nice size, very cosy and I like the beams.

They're not too conspicuous but they're there, which is lovely.

Of course, we are opposite the church, so I'm thinking,

when it's snowing, and you've been over to church,

everybody's coming back for drinks, you're the first stop.

Sounds good, yes.

-A Christmas tree and all the mulled wine.

-Exactly!

It's definitely got the atmosphere for that.

-Entertaining, all well and good but we need a kitchen for that.

-We do.

We've got you a brand-new one. Have a look at this.

This is it.

-That's a lovely, yes. And, an island unit.

-Yeah.

-Plenty of cupboard space.

Granite tops. You've a gas-fired, massive cast-iron range.

-Oh, that's good.

-It's mains, which is lovely.

-Yes.

-Kitchens are one of your things, aren't they?

-Kitchens are my speciality.

-How's this one?

-This looks very nice.

-It's a high quality kitchen. It's been very well fitted.

-I would say so.

-It's also complemented with an enormous utility room, behind.

-Which is also good.

What you see is what you need for the kitchen, the rest is out there.

-Right, follow me this way.

-Where is the wine cellar?

Here we go, come on.

Well, I'm afraid there's no wine cellar here, Linda,

but in the newer extension next door there is this superb drawing room.

-I think this would suit you down to the ground.

-Oh, very nice, yes.

Not too cavernous but, you know, cosy again. A bit like the snug.

-Yes.

-Again, a lovely place for a bit of formal entertaining.

And, nice to have it wide enough to get chairs in a square,

-rather than having to sit in a line, as well.

-Yeah.

Yes, very nice. And, windows on three sides.

-They've got a desk overlooking the garden, which is a nice touch.

-Very tastefully, done

-And above it, is the master suite.

-Suite, sounds promising.

-Yes.

-Shall we have a look upstairs?

-Oh, yes. please.

-Follow me.

This is a house that just keeps on giving and there's an added bonus on the landing.

-Oh, I do like this.

-Yeah.

-And, a study area.

-There you go.

I was just going to say I was going to convert the snug into a study area, but no need.

-In a way, what else would you use that space for?

-Nothing, it's dead space otherwise.

-And, of course, you can see who's coming and going.

-Of course, yes.

-You wanted five bedrooms.

-I did.

-We've got five.

-That's good.

Follow me.

Yes, there's plenty of space for guests with this double room, currently made up as a twin

and a further three bedrooms, all of a good size.

There's also a family bathroom but it's in the new extension,

above the drawing room, where Linda would sleep.

-Now here, Linda, is your master wing.

-How sweet.

Lots of storage there, lovely en suite and more storage and the bedroom itself.

This is nice, with the windows on three sides, as well.

Waking up in here for the first time, would you feel comfortable?

This house gives me a nice feel. I would feel comfortable.

It's nice, it's not too far from neighbours, too.

It's great that Linda can see herself living here.

Time to head outside and although the garden isn't the half an acre she's asked for,

it's certainly a large enough space for her to potter very happily.

-There, isn't this nice?

-This is lovely.

-Yeah?

Especially on a sunny day, we're so lucky.

-It's in zones, you've a formal lawn here.

-Yes.

-There's another area there.

-And a gate, going somewhere.

-That's to the garage.

-Not to the secret garden.

-Secret garage!

There's another area here, at the bottom, which is nice.

-This is the secret garden.

-That's the secret garden.

Have you had a chance to think about how much this might be worth?

I imagine it'd be towards the top end of the budget,

-so, I would go for 925,000.

-925,000, yeah.

-It might be a little bit optimistic.

-Oh, dear.

-Go on, Liz.

-I'd aim for a little higher than that. I think it's 1.175.

-1.175.

-I really think it is, yes.

-OK.

-It's a good quality, solid building and it's nicely situated.

Well, it could be yours for 985.

Oh, right. It's a definite possibility. Yes.

You've identified one or two things you might want to tweak. You've got your designer on hand.

Off you go.

At £985,000, this former vicarage is within the budget

and packed with period charm.

It provides her with a spacious high spec kitchen/diner,

as well as two reception rooms.

Upstairs there are five double bedrooms

and outside the garden is big enough to keep Linda busy.

When I came into the house, it had a nice, warm, cosy feel about it.

I felt I would be comfortable here.

I was even more pleased with it than I expected I was going to be.

When I came into the house, there were a number of things I first noticed.

One was, the square hallway with pieces of furniture in

and the decor was everything Linda would choose herself.

Right, ladies, out you go.

Now, I sort of get the impression we might have surprised you.

-You have, very nicely.

-Good, well we like nice surprises, don't we?

-And, there are plenty more to come.

-Excellent.

-Follow me.

The village of Laycock in north-west Wiltshire is owned entirely by the National Trust,

who are keen to maintain it as a valuable example of British heritage.

As an admirer of Trust properties, we knew Linda would appreciate

the magnificent architecture that's showcased here.

So, earlier in the week, we arranged for her and Liz to visit the area.

The entire village was given to the National Trust in 1944

by the descendants of William Henry Fox Talbot, who originally lived here.

Fox Talbot was an early pioneer of photography

and Laycock Abbey, which sits in the middle of the village,

houses a museum celebrating his achievements.

It's just one of more than 200 listed buildings in the area

which capture almost every style of architecture from the 13th century onwards.

The National Trust aim to preserve Laycock's traditions in many forms,

one of which is its Artisan soap making shop

where techniques are used that have not changed for centuries.

Linda and Liz are meeting owner, Jacqui Sheard to discover more about this unique craft.

-Hello.

-Hi, Jackie, I'm Linda.

-Hello, Linda.

I must say, coming in the colours and the smell is fabulous.

-Thank you.

-It's really nice.

It's fitting that in the village where scenes from Harry Potter were filmed,

that our house hunters are getting the chance to perform some alchemy of their own,

making soap in a way that has changed little since Roman times.

The first step is to mix up some caustic soda.

There is a little magic formula with putting the soda into the water.

They always say, put the soda into the water,

not the water into the soda.

You want it to be a bit like it's snowing, really.

If it splashes, you don't want it splashing on your face

or on your arms.

In the very early stages of human history, soap was made

from animal fats and potash and was mainly used to clean fleece and fabrics.

The Roman recipe introduced the use of the caustic ingredient, lime.

For Jacqui's soap, olive, coconut and palm oils are mixed together

before the caustic soda is added. The ladies will need strong arms,

as the mixture is stirred for an hour until it thickens.

-Am I a good stirrer?

-Yeah, you're doing quite well.

Sometimes people stir like... It needs to be a little bit faster.

Yeah, that's it.

The final process is the addition of essential oils to scent the soap

before leaving it to set overnight.

Once solid they can be decorated.

It wasn't until the 15th century that finer soaps were produced.

These used vegetable oils like those made from olives, rather than animal fats.

It was only with the advent of the Industrial Revolution that small-scale soap production

went into decline.

-It's great, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well, it certainly looks as though Linda and Liz are awash with new crafty ideas.

Will any of our houses scrub up?

Time to get back to the house search and find out.

For our second property, I'm taking our ladies to Eastcott,

some 21 miles north of Salisbury.

It's just down the road from Urchfont, a vision of rural charm

with a pleasing mix of Georgian houses and traditional thatched homes.

All the essentials are here, including a pub, church

and a community-run shop and post-office.

Well, Linda and Liz, this is our second property.

-That's a surprise, it's very different.

-Isn't it just?

Very different to the last house we've just seen, I must say.

It's not as conventional as the last one.

-No, I can see that.

-The first property was much more cottagey.

-This one has an altogether different feel.

-Right.

Liz is being quite quiet at the moment, what are you thinking?

It's not doing it for me yet, I'm waiting to see the inside.

I'm not comfortable with it yet.

Linda, what are your thoughts, you've got to live here?

I'm not quite as excited as I was on the last house.

Let's see if we can get you more excited and impress you. Come on, follow me.

Well, Linda might need to heed the words, "don't judge a book by its cover,"

as this house really scales up on the inside.

-This is a surprise.

-It this a "wow"?

-This is a "wow".

-Come on in.

I was a bit disappointed when we arrived, but now I'm not.

No, this is brilliant. It's lovely. It's a total and utter surprise.

-There's a little smile creeping into Liz's mouth, there?

-Yes.

I'm starting to warm but I'm still not comfortable.

The room is divided into two main zones, a dining end here,

-naturally next to the kitchen.

-Yes.

That end is very cosy. Come and have a look at this.

I think this enormous fireplace, you can see there with these lovely corbels supporting the beam

-over the wood burner.

-Lovely.

There's also a conservatory. I think this rather sets the scene.

-I think it's a terrific space and we talked about your love of entertaining.

-Yes.

-Come on.

-It's the way to do it, isn't it?

-This would be a nice place.

Being in the kitchen and everybody around the dining room table.

Come and look at the kitchen. This is lovely, it's beautifully made.

It's hand built, as you might expect.

You know, complete with range, as indeed with our first property.

It's a superb kitchen, isn't it?

-Lots and lots of storage space and lots of work space as well.

-Mm-hm.

I can imagine myself cooking up many a meal here for people.

Of course, you've got access out to here. The whole thing is an extension of this room.

And a lovely view out onto the garden as well, which is a bonus.

OK, that's the kitchen. We've talked about this main living room.

-Let's go upstairs to the master bedroom.

-Right.

-Follow me.

Linda could have her very own master suite,

located just off this charming gallery.

This is what is outside your bedroom door, a nice little viewing point.

-That's not a bad view, is it?

-Yeah.

-Very nice.

-The bedroom is in here.

Come on in, let's explore this room. It's quite big.

There's storage hidden away behind these lovely panelled walls.

-It's very different, very attractive.

-Yeah?

-I love the pillar. I think this is lovely.

-It's a nice feature.

-A medieval hint about it.

-One on either side, yes.

I would feel comfortable in this bedroom, yes.

-Liz?

-I have a design issue.

These ultramodern windows in a property like this.

The thing is about windows like this, it is a design issue

but it's also easy maintenance, no painting.

-You've got to look at it.

-Yes.

As you would expect, a room like this in a property like this does come with an ensuite,

-it's behind that panel there.

-That's what I was just going to ask about.

You're completely self-contained here. That's the joy of it.

-Is the only room upstairs, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yes.

-How many bedrooms are there?

-Four. Four, in total.

And, of course, the rest are downstairs.

Let's have a look at them.

I'm glad Linda is looking favourably on the windows

as I don't feel they detract from the overall rustic charm of this place.

The remaining three good-sized bedrooms are on the ground floor,

at the other end of the sitting room

and we're about to take a look at the one that's currently being used as a study.

-Now this is technically bedroom four.

-Right.

-We've seen the master.

-Yes.

-They've got it, very well furnished as a study.

-Very nice.

You've got these double doors out to the sunken garden out there.

-It would, of course, mean you would have only three bedrooms if this remains as a study.

-Yes.

I have a vast number of books, so I'd need somewhere to store them.

-That's purpose-built.

-Yes.

-And very nice it is, too. Liz?

The sunken garden's a lovely feature. That is a nice feature.

-It's just one bit of the gardens.

-Right.

-Which we should now explore, I think.

-I would very much like to see it.

Come and have a look.

Gardening enthusiast, Linda, is after around half an acre and this garden should measure up,

after all, it's big enough to accommodate its own swimming pool.

I think this is a nice place to settle and take in what the garden has to offer.

It's quite a big garden, but easy maintenance, by the looks of things.

-This wouldn't daunt you in terms of size?

-No.

-Also, lots of lovely fruit trees. Something of a little orchard area there.

-Very nice.

No, it's a really good garden.

So, Linda, let's have a think about the price of this one?

It's a difficult one to price.

-I think, not as high as the last one, probably 895.

-895, yeah. Liz?

-I'd say it was 930.

-£930,000.

You said £895,000.

This could be yours for £775,000.

No! My goodness, I was way out.

-Has that upped the ante a little bit?

-Just a bit.

-Yeah.

I'm still hovering.

Go and hover in there and I'll catch up with you later.

-I might go for a little paddle.

-OK.

Priced at £775,000,

this converted stable block leaves Linda plenty of money to spare from her budget.

It gives her a bespoke, solid oak kitchen,

a vast and sociable reception space,

four bedrooms

and just over half an acre of garden.

I don't think, overall, I could see myself living in this house.

It's very nice but it's just not my style

and looking around I began to see the practicalities of it and realised, nice as it is,

in fact it's delightful, I don't think it would work for me living on my own.

My first impression of the house, as we drove up to it,

didn't really give me that wow factor. The first house, I really liked.

If only every house tour ended like this.

-It's gorgeous having a pool. Hello.

-Hi, there!

Have you had a hover? Have you had a mooch?

All the way in, Jules.

Sorry to interrupt you, here.

Well, I'm enjoying myself. I hope you've had a good time.

-We've had a wonderful time.

-That's cooled you down?

-It certainly has.

-You need a glass, as well, don't you?

-Well, we might just go and find one of those.

-OK.

Follow me. Come on.

As the sun sets over the serene Wiltshire countryside,

the first day of our property search draws to a close.

First-time buyer, Linda, from London is in the enviable position

of having a very generous budget to spend on a country home in Wiltshire.

-Our first house really took Linda's fancy.

-It looks very, promising.

Just the sort of style that I was looking for.

But, coming up, our mystery house could also be just the ticket.

I think I won't need the other rooms, I'll be cooking here and then just relaxing down there.

And I try my hand at the forgotten art of coopering, which, as I discover,

-is alive and well in Wiltshire.

-Just give it a whack.

Ah, does that matter?

It does.

Well, I've just had breakfast with Liz and Linda

and I can tell you there is a great deal of excitement

as to what our final property, our mystery house, may be.

Whatever it is we got lined up for them,

it's certainly got a lot to compete with.

They fell in love with property number one yesterday.

But, hey, a bit of competition never hurt anyone.

-What do you think we've got lined up for you?

-It's difficult to know.

Maybe a thatched house or a new build, even. Maybe even a newly built thatched house if such houses exist.

-Well they do exist! I mean, what about a windmill?

-A windmill would be fine.

-How about a school house?

-That would be nice.

-Really?

-Yes, I think that could be interesting.

We're crossing the Wiltshire border into Dorset,

close to the village of Woodlands where we found a stunning mystery property

with a scholarly association for bookish, Linda.

It's just down the road from Cranborne, a pretty village

full of unspoiled charm.

The Church of St Mary and Bartholomew has 12th century origins

and should the ladies wish to dine out, there's a pub,

a restaurant and two village stores.

The house I'm showing them has certainly got the wow factor

and I'm just hoping they like it as much as I do.

Here we are, ladies. Here is our mystery house.

-Bathed in lovely sunshine, an old school.

-It looks very, very pretty.

-Isn't it just?

-It's beautiful. Very, very promising.

Now a little bird did tell me that you quite like old schools.

I do like old schools. A bit of character, very interesting. Yes.

This is an absolute treat.

-The reason it's our mystery house is we know you like old schools.

-I do.

-And we're not in Wiltshire any more, we're in Dorset.

-Oh, right.

-I think we might get a wow.

-Sounds good.

I'm sticking my neck out there. Come and look inside.

With the exterior of this property making a good impression on Linda and Liz,

I'm taking them straight through into the rather elegant, open plan reception area.

Well, Linda, we're back to school, but probably not as you would remember it. Not like this, anyway.

-Certainly not, no. This is lovely.

-Isn't it?

Very nice. As you say, it's cosy.

It doesn't have the cavernous feeling of the place we saw yesterday.

-But we've got this huge, vaulted ceiling.

-Yes.

The original ceiling, obviously, which is in here.

-That's a later addition, the mezzanine floor.

-Right.

Which now provides something of a summer bedroom.

I was wondering what was there, yes.

It could be another reception room, we'll look at that later on.

Lovely big windows, too. Very, very nice.

Liz, you weren't sure about our second property yesterday, which had similar properties.

-Similar.

-Is this working for you.

-Yes, it is working for me.

-It's certainly working for me.

-Yes.

-Good.

One thing we haven't got for you is a separate dining room.

That's not a problem.

-We could, potentially, incorporate the dining end.

-Lots of opportunities...

There's loads of areas I can put a dining room table.

That's not a problem at all.

-Next stop, the kitchen.

-Lovely.

-Lovely.

Come and have a look at this.

-Right, come on in.

-That's a kitchen.

-Isn't it?

-This is fantastic.

-That has the wow factor.

It's got the size, it's got room for a big table, lovely windows looking out onto the garden.

Oil fired range there, with electric to back it up, as well, in the summer.

Actually, I probably won't need the other rooms, I shall just be cooking here and just relaxing down there.

-So you've moved in.

-I have moved in.

-Yes.

Also on the ground floor, off the drawing room, is a cosy sitting room cum study,

as well as a bright utility room and a modern bathroom.

We're heading for the main bedroom.

-Now, this is what is currently set up as the master.

-Right.

-OK.

-Yes.

-It's on the ground floor.

-It is.

-How do we feel about that?

-Not hugely keen on ground floor bedrooms, I must say.

I really wouldn't let it worry you too much.

-This is one that they use in the winter.

-Yes.

Because they like to use the mezzanine.

-Oh, right.

-In the summer.

-In the main room.

-An interesting idea, yes.

The question is, is it simply big enough for you as a master?

-I think it would be, yes.

-Then we've got plenty of storage here.

-Yes.

-Loads of that.

-It's quite nice and light.

-How about bathroom?

-The bathroom is just down the corridor.

-Right.

-It's not ensuite as such.

But you are self-contained at this end, anyway.

You are, if you shut the door in the corridor, you're in your own wing.

-This, as I say, is currently the winter master.

-Yes.

Let's go upstairs and have a look at that other one. Come on.

Let's see if the summer mezzanine sleeping area will appeal.

-Just to remind you, this floor is new. It wasn't part of the original school fabric.

-Yes.

-But it gets us nearer to this amazing ceiling, of course.

-Yes.

They've made very good use of the space, haven't they?

-This is the summer bedroom?

-This is what they're calling the summer bedroom, one of the four.

-Through that door we've got two further bedrooms. A bit smaller.

-Yes.

This one, and the one we've just seen, are the bigger of the four.

-Yes.

-Would you use this as a summer bedroom?

-I think I would, yes.

Depending on if I had somebody staying with me.

I daresay if I had visitors who are going to bed through there,

-I may well revert to the winter bedroom.

-Ah...

-No, they don't have to do that at all.

-Do they not?

-There's a separate staircase.

-That's good.

-Which comes off the hallway.

They've got access to that completely on their own.

There's another bathroom through there and so forth. Actually, this is just yours.

That was a slight concern them having to come through your bedroom. That's really good, actually.

-All right, I know the garden, we've said before is very important.

-Yes.

-Come and look at this.

Immediately outside the back door is a very private terrace,

beyond which stretches a wildflower garden, complete with a pond and woodland.

Here we are, then, in the middle of what could be your 1.25 acres of lawn,

woodland, pond and old schoolhouse.

-How much do we like this one?

-We like it a lot... Well, I do.

-Now then, I'm going to ask you to go first, Liz.

-OK.

What do you think the old school house is on the market for?

-I think it's probably about 875.

-875.

-Yeah?

-I would go 835.

£835,000.

-If it was £835,000, would it be of interest?

-It would be of interest.

It's interesting at 835. It's a no-brainer at £750,000.

-No, you're joking!

-Think what I could do with this.

-Yeah?

-That has confused me.

-Think how we can spend.

There's a list forming, isn't there?

There is a shopping list forming.

Right, off you go and start writing, I'll catch up with you later.

Thank you. Where are the shops?

Well, when ladies want to shop, I know I've hit the mark.

At £750,000, this old school house

has a charming kitchen and breakfast room,

a stunning galleried drawing-room,

four double bedrooms

and 1.25 acres of garden.

The longer I've spent here, the more comfortable I've felt.

Now I'm completely torn because yesterday's house, that I liked,

the old vicarage was right in the middle of a village.

This is a completely different location and different type of house.

It's really difficult to choose between the two.

You know, it's amazing what we find in some of the properties we have on this show.

Have you seen girls, this little plaque?

It says, "These trees were planted to commemorate the coronation of George VI in 1937."

I guess it must have been a school then.

-It just goes to show that everywhere has a story to tell.

-It has indeed.

-And he left his bike behind too.

-He probably did.

THEY LAUGH

Let's see how your story is going to end.

Come on, let's go and have a chat.

In the Wiltshire town of Devizes, brewing has been a commercial activity

since at least the mid-16th century.

It was due to its growth here that around 200 years later,

coopering, or barrel making in the county, eventually took off.

By the first half of the 20th century, there were about 600 coopers at work in Britain,

skilfully bending and hammering out sturdier barrels for countless millions of pints.

Timber shortages and the arrival of mass produced metal barrels,

have all but consigned the craft to the scrapheap.

Earlier in the week, I visited a Victorian brewery in Devizes to meet Alistair Simms,

the UK's only master cooper, to find out more about this ancient craft.

It's the original wheel.

Invented by the Egyptians, you can roll it along

and if you want to turn it, you just press on one side

and the cask springs around.

Because it's got this belly on it.

You press on one side and it'll go around that way,

press on this side, it'll come around that way.

Because of the shape of the belly, you can rock it about,

two men can actually stand it up on end.

I never thought of it as the wheel, but you are right.

The casks are made of oak stays, held together with metal hoops.

Norfolk reeds are then slotted into the grooves at the ends to expand and seal the barrel.

Once Alistair has put the lid of the barrel in place,

it just leaves the adding of the final metal hoop.

He starts the job by hammering it firmly and precisely, around the edges.

Then, it's my turn to help finish it off,

using an iron bar that weighs a hefty 32.5lbs.

Just give it a whack.

-I can't break it, can I?

-You can, but it doesn't matter.

THEY LAUGH

This might take some time, then. Ah...

-Does that matter?

-It does.

THEY LAUGH

If you can't see this, I just bent the top of the...

-It is fixable.

-Is it? OK. Are you sure you want me to carry on?

You're all right.

Well, I won't be giving up the day job any time soon.

Now, I'm going to meet another pair of heavyweights,

two of the breweries Shire horses, who are being looked after by head horseman, Barry Petherick.

Together, they help deliver casks of beer to the pubs of Devizes.

I mean, it's a wonderful sight. We would have seen this in every town and city

up and down the country, many years ago.

-You really are a dying breed, aren't you?

-That's right.

I think we're one of the last few delivering every day of the week.

In Britain there used to be well over a million working Shire horses

but with increasing mechanisation, by the 1960s, their numbers had fallen dramatically

and now they're classified as a rare breed.

For Devizes itself, it must be a source of local pride

to see that the brewery's still doing it the old-fashioned way.

It is, they reintroduced the horses back in 1974. We've got two drays out every day delivering.

What a great way to go to the pub.

So, with the day's refreshment delivered, we're turning our attention back to our house hunt

to find out what's brewing for Linda as she thinks over her three properties.

When we set out on this house search, Linda said that she'd never bought a house of her own before.

Have we managed to reverse that trend and relieve her of nearly £1 million?

Let's go and ask her.

-Here you are, contemplating the future?

-Indeed.

-You have a lot to think about, Linda?

-I certainly have.

We couldn't have done this without Liz's help. Well done for coming along and giving your moral support.

Let's just remind ourselves of where we went. Property number one,

-I think you both fell in love with that one, almost immediately.

-Yes.

-Yes, definitely.

It was central in the village so it had lots of Linda's requirements which I was very pleased with.

You've known her for 20 odd years, so you will know what's going to work for Linda.

Let's hear it from the horse's mouth. What did you think of it?

I loved it. It had plenty of space, just the right layout of rooms.

The only one doubt I had was that I was wanting to be near the country

you can't actually back onto fields there.

-There is always a little bit of a compromise.

-Yes.

-The garden was gorgeous.

-It was fantastic.

-We definitely scored with our first property.

-For sure.

Our second property, for me, was a little bit frustrating.

-I loved it but you just didn't feel the love from the minute we turned up?

-I liked a lot about it.

I thought it was a wonderful property just not for me to live in.

We took you to our final property, our mystery house, the old school.

It didn't have a feeling of remoteness at all. There were near neighbours.

It just had that feeling which you felt,

you didn't feel isolated, at all.

-I loved it.

-The price was a good attraction, as well.

They gave you spare money to do anything you want.

Now then, £750,000 and let's face it you'd set out thinking you would spend at least 800,000?

-Yes.

-So we were comfortably under your budget.

Way under, that was wonderful.

-What happens next?

-Property number one is a definite contender.

-Yeah.

I loved it, I'm going to make arrangements to go back and see it as soon as possible.

-Are you now?

-I certainly am!

-OK.

As you know, I'm looking for a house for life.

I think, thinking of the future, that's the one for me.

-It's been a treat having you.

-It's been lovely.

-Liz, lovely to see you

and thank you for all your help.

-OK, thank you very much.

-Thanks a lot.

You know, I don't think I've ever met a first-time buyer with

£1 million to spend but, of course, that effectively is what Linda is.

She's in a very enviable position.

But she's had this tussle going on, something which most of us,

familiar with buying and selling property, know all too well.

Do you follow your head, or follow your heart?

My sense is she's going to follow her heart and that,

take it from me, really will be a £1 million love affair.

Well, Linda did indeed make an offer which was accepted

so she hopes to be moving to Wiltshire very soon.

If you would like to escape to the country in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England

and would like our help, please apply online at...

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd