Worcestershire Escape to the Country


Worcestershire

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Here I am 1,000 feet above sea level in front of this extraordinary

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Rapunzel tower, from the top of which, on a clear day,

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it is said you can see 13 English counties.

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Find out where I am in just a moment.

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Today we'll be helping a dynamic couple keen to buy

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their first house together in the country,

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and they have some very playful opinions about one of our homes.

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It's a traditional house that you draw as a child.

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With the door in the middle of the house.

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And we showed them a mystery house

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with more space than they could have ever imagined.

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You could run around with about 2,000 dogs here.

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Today we're in Worcestershire.

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And this is the Broadway Tower, built in 1789

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by the renowned architect James Wyatt

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for the sixth Earl of Coventry.

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And in the 1880s it was the weekend retreat, very glamorous,

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for William Morris of Arts and Craft fame.

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And it said that this building inspired him to set up

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the Society For The Protection Of Ancient Buildings, or SPAB.

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And indeed many thousands of buildings across the UK

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over their continued existence to SPAB,

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and in some way to this delightful folly,

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but there's lots more to Worcestershire than just follies.

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Landlocked Worcestershire is bordered by Herefordshire

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to the West, Gloucestershire to the south, and Warwickshire to the east.

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The county is home to the Malvern Hills,

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which have been described as a mountain range in miniature.

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Stretching for eight miles,

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they contain some of the oldest rock formations in Britain.

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The east of Worcestershire falls within the Cotswolds

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area of outstanding natural beauty.

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It boasts villages like Broadway, which characterise

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the stunning architecture often seen across the region.

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The county was also home to Geoffrey Bazeley, creator of The Archers.

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And his watering hole, The Old Bull in Inkberrow, still remains today.

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So, for fantastic scenery, with real rural charm,

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Worcestershire provides an attractive option

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for aspiring escapees.

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When you consider it's such a handy commute into Britain's second city,

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Birmingham, and lovely rural countryside,

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Worcestershire is a great buy for property hunters,

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particularly when you think about prices.

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According to the Land Registry figures,

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an average detached house here will set you back £262,000,

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which is just £6,000 above the national average.

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That's particularly good when you think about nearby Gloucestershire,

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where you'd have to pay 10 percent more for the same sort of property.

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So, let's take a look at what's on the market in this lovely county.

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For just under £350,000,

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there's this two-bedroom converted barn in Holt Heath.

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It has an open plan sitting room with a feature glass balustrade,

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and a high spec kitchen with wooden flooring.

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Outside, there is a walled garden, with a patio and lawn.

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Also on the market is this timber framed four-bedroom

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thatched house in Whickham, priced at £555,000.

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Behind the historic facade, there are exposed beams

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in the sitting room,

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and a stunning contemporary kitchen with a range.

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Outside boasts half an acre of extensive landscaped gardens.

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For larger budgets, this six-bedroom house

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in Clifton-on-Teme is up for sale at £850,000.

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The huge kitchen has bespoke units, and underfloor heating.

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The bedrooms feature sash windows with exposed timbers,

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and outside there is a third of an acre of private

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landscaped garden with mature shrubs and trees.

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Some beautiful properties on the market here in Worcestershire.

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Let's meet the couple who we're hoping are going to buy one.

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Lynette and her partner Ned have been together for three years,

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but have yet to buy their first property together.

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Dividing their time between their respective homes in Halesowen

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and Stourbridge in the West Midlands.

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Lynette works for England Athletics, and owns a horse called Mickey,

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who she keeps an hour away from her house.

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And it seems being closer to him

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is a key motivator for the move to the country.

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I spend all my free time that I'm not at home down the stables with him.

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So, for me, getting a house in the country,

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and having some land, and having him right on my doorstep

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would be absolutely wonderful.

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Motorbike fanatic Ned, on the other hand,

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is lucky enough to combine one of his passions with his job.

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Heading up the West Midlands Police Force's driving school.

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But, unfortunately,

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Ned's wealth of motorbikes is threatening to overrun his home,

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so more space is essential.

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Four bikes and a very small garage really don't mix,

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and something needs to give.

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I've got no plans at all to get rid of any of my bikes,

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I'm only ever going to get some more.

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So, the prospect of moving to the country with more room

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and some land to ride the bikes is a very tempting idea.

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Both our buyers work in Birmingham,

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and need to be within an hour's commute of the city.

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And after much consideration, they are convinced they have found

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the perfect location to start the next chapter of their lives.

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My horses are based at Dodford in Worcestershire,

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so anywhere around the North Worcestershire countryside,

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we thought would be ideal.

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We spent quite a lot of time there, and every time we find we want to stay there just a little bit longer.

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And they have a very clear vision for the wish list.

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I wouldn't particularly like to live somewhere which is too close to, perhaps all the neighbours around,

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or perhaps is a little bit overlooked.

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The new house, for me, is something that has around about three bedrooms.

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And, for me, bedroom with an en suite.

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It's got to have some land, open fire, wood burner,

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large kitchen, just lots of open space around us, I think.

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-That would be great.

-And development potential.

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Certainly, that we can put our own mark on it.

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And enough space that we can perhaps chase a dog around the garden.

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The only remaining factor is, of course,

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how much money they had to spend.

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Our ideal budget would be around £450,000, but if we do come across

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something that really captures our heart,

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we can perhaps extend this to, maybe, 500,000.

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This is a big, romantic move together for Ned and Lynette,

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but it could be quite a headache for us,

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because they are Birmingham commuters,

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and Worcestershire is Birmingham commuter-belt, in all effects.

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And it means to find a beautiful house with two acres of land

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might be a bit of a squeeze, even with half a million pounds.

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Particularly if we're insisting that we need to be near Dodford,

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where the horses are stabled now.

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So, we might suggest, just very gently, that the horses could move.

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Ned and Lynette want to move to North Worcestershire,

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ideally around Dodford, where Lynette's horses are stabled.

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So, we'll bear that in mind as we take them

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on a gentle canter around the countryside.

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I'll be showing them three fantastic properties,

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but I won't reveal the price until they've had a guess first.

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Our final option will be, of course,

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the mystery house, which provides more land than they could dream of.

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Welcome to Worcestershire,

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although it's not so far away from where you live.

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-No, not at all.

-No, about 40 minutes, something like that.

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You're very keen around the area of Dodford,

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where your horses, but there are only around

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20 houses in Dodford, so we couldn't find anything in the village.

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-No!

-And it's probably a good idea to widen your net a little.

-Yes.

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How many properties have you seen?

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Probably about half a dozen in the last three or four months.

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What was wrong with them? What were the things that put you off?

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Well, so far we've found some great locations,

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but houses without the features that we want.

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Or, alternatively, the great features,

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-but not really where we need to be.

-Yes.

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And how big an issue is land,

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because I know you're not going to have the horses on your property?

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So, how much land do you actually need, or want?

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Well, a large garden would be nice. Or a small paddock, one to two acres.

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It's not a necessity to move the horses,

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but if we had the opportunity to, that would be great as well.

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Now, you are in quite a desirable area,

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-you know, there are commuters into Birmingham.

-Yes.

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Prices are quite steep,

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and to get one to two acres might be a bit of a stretch.

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Is there something that can give? What would you compromise on?

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Because you want a big kitchen, you want to land, position?

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I know, I want it all for the budget.

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And I know I've got to compromise.

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Maybe the space would be more important, should I say.

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Because there would always be an opportunity, hopefully,

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to extend the living space at some point, would be a way to look at it.

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-And what is your budget?

-Well, we're looking towards £500,000.

-Excellent.

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Well, there are some beautiful properties out there,

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-so let's get on the road and see them.

-Thank you.

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Ned and Lynette have a maximum budget of £500,000

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to spend on a detached country house.

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On the wish list is a large kitchen diner that could be

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the hub of the home. Three bedrooms.

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A garage to house Ned's bike collection,

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and up to 2 acres of land.

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We're kicking off our property search in Sinton Green,

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on the edge of Hallow, which is around an hour south of Birmingham.

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In the 1680s the village was home to the soldier, William Careless,

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who saved King Charles II, after he fled the Battle of Worcester,

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by hiding him in an oak tree.

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The first property I am showing them

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is a rather characterful redbrick cottage.

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Come onto the lawn to get a good view of house number one.

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-Here we have it.

-Oh, that's lovely.

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It's the traditional house that you draw as a child,

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-with the door in the middle of the house.

-It really is, isn't it?

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-So, what are your first impressions?

-It's lovely.

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-Beautiful looking house, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's fantastic.

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The house is interesting, it's actually from the 1700s.

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It doesn't look it, it looks more Victorian,

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but as people had a bit of wealth

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they put bricks on the front of their houses,

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because at the time, that was the sign of wealth.

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So, actually, this facade is probably later, probably Victorian,

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you can see there's been a bit of work done around the windows.

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Yes.

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We haven't really talked about the period,

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or the style of the house that you want. What does this do for you?

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It appeals to me. I have to say.

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I like the style, it's got character.

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It certainly has inside. Let's look inside.

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So, good first impressions, and behind that Victorian facade

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there are some lovely historic treats.

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Here we go. Straight in to the front room.

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-Well, I'm loving the fireplace.

-Yeah.

-I'm loving the fireplace, too.

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-Certainly big enough.

-Yeah.

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-That is what they call a proper inglenook.

-Yes it is.

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And you've got these lovely beams,

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you can see the age of the building

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is much older than the Victorian frontage.

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These would have come from the 1700s when it was built.

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Well, you've got a separate room on the other side,

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which is very much the mirror image, a little bit smaller.

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But, the room where very excited to show you is the kitchen. So, follow me.

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Lynette is after a kitchen that could be the hub of her home,

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and I think this one really delivers.

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-Here we go.

-Goodness me. That's a huge size, isn't it?

-OK.

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That's a great size kitchen, isn't it?

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You could entertain in here, I think.

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I think this is a magical kitchen diner.

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Yeah, that's great. We could do a lot in here,

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couldn't we?

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Yeah, I like it. It has a nice feel to it. Nice, light and airy.

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The feeling of space around you.

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It's a proper place that you'd congregate, wouldn't you?

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-Yes, I think so.

-Very nice.

-Good.

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There's also a bit that goes out into this rather nice sunroom.

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So, this is, essentially a utility room, but a conservatory.

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Very practical. Very nice to have the end

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of your kitchen diner as well, isn't it?

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Yeah, I think we'd sit in here with a glass of wine.

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That would be very nice.

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I know you're itching to look into the outside,

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-but let's look upstairs at the bedrooms first.

-OK.

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On the first floor there's a good-sized family bathroom.

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And the two double bedrooms both have delightful period features,

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with exposed trussed beams, and wonderfully wonky doors.

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But I'm taking them to the room that could be theirs.

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OK, so mind the steps.

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So, this takes us up into what is the master bedroom,

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that's built over the kitchen.

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This is unusual, coming up the stairs, and then down more stairs.

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-That's to an en suite, so you have an en suite shower in there.

-Oh, right.

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It's nice, because there's windows all around the room.

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So, like you say, from each aspect you've got some nice views.

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Certainly.

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And that view, that would be something nice to wake up and look out the window.

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In the end, that's why you wanted to move, to open the door, windows, and have...

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Well, I know that land is important,

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-it's always been a big issue, so let's go outside.

-OK.

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Out here there is a large garage and workshop,

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which could house Ned's motorbikes.

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There's also a secluded garden which backs onto open fields.

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Land, land, land. Now,

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-as it stands this is your garden.

-OK.

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-OK, yeah not a bad side.

-Not a bad size.

-Not a bad size.

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But, there is the possibility,

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you can see next door has already done it, of purchasing

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-the land up to the beginning of the field from the farmer.

-Oh, right, yes.

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That's not, I hasten to add, in the purchase price.

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That there is a precedent next door,

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-there's been signs that the farmer is perfectly willing to do that.

-OK.

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Well, let's talk about price.

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What do you think this is on the market for?

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-I think, I'm going to go low, and say 425.

-No, I think a little bit more.

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I say 440.

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OK, so this is going to be a bit of a shock,

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because this is on the market at just a dot under £500,000.

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-OK. We got that wrong then.

-Yeah, a little bit.

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So that's the figure, unfortunately,

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you have to carry around in your head, as you do a little tour,

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-and I'll meet you out the front when you're done.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you.

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On the market for just under £500,000,

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this quaint period house has a massive kitchen diner,

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and two reception rooms,

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which could certainly meet our buyers' entertaining requirements.

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Upstairs there are four double bedrooms, and outside

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a good-sized mature garden, with the potential to buy more land.

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So, you think you'd be all right with the allotment?

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I think that will be your speciality,

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I'm not sure if it's our ideal property,

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but it's certainly got some definite promising features

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that I think we need to go away and think about.

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It's very nice. The location is fine,

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the house I'm not so sure, and the price,

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perhaps more than I would like to pay for a property of that type.

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-Hello.

-Hi.

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All done, I'm going to have to move you on to the next property.

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-Right, OK, thank you.

-Shut the door behind you.

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Lying on the banks of the River Severn is the historic

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Worcestershire town of Bewdley, linked together

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by the Bewdley Bridge, designed by Thomas Telford, and built in 1798.

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The town is also one of the six stops on the ever popular

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Severn Valley Heritage Railway Line.

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Built between 1858 and 1862,

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it regularly carries steam trains along a route

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between Bridgnorth in Shropshire, and Kidderminster in Worcestershire.

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A few miles away is the Elizabethan manor house of Harvington Hall.

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From the late 1500s it became a secret haven for Catholic priests,

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driven into hiding during the English Reformation.

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A period of religious unrest which began with Henry VIII

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and stretched beyond the reign of Elizabeth I.

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Earlier in the week,

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we sent Ned and Lynette off to meet local tour guide

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Ian Fletcher, to find out more.

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It's a very unusual house, and it's got a lot of unusual features.

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And if you'd like to follow me,

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-perhaps we'll have a look at a few of them.

-Great, thank you.

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The hall has one of the most striking

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collections of priest holes anywhere in the country.

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They date back to a time when any Catholic priest being caught

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would have faced the penalty of high treason, punishable by death.

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If I push on the top and pull on the bottom.

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Oh, clever.

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So, that once the priest has gone in you can actually close it

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and he can bolt it from the inside.

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Would you like to go in?

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When Elizabeth I, who was a Protestant, came to the throne,

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she remained tolerant towards Catholics

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worshipping in private houses.

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But after an attempt by the Spanish Catholics

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to overthrow her rule in 1588, the tide turned

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and Catholicism was driven underground, leading to a network

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of houses such as Harvington, where priests could hide away safely.

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Well, I was hoping for something slightly bigger!

0:17:590:18:03

There are four of the secret hideouts in total.

0:18:030:18:08

Aha. OK.

0:18:080:18:11

-Oh, excellent.

-Looks like we have found the jewels as well!

0:18:130:18:16

You see where the priest is?

0:18:160:18:17

You see a square of light, that would have been a complete panel across there,

0:18:170:18:21

you wouldn't be able to see the priest.

0:18:210:18:23

Just imagine that I'm one of the searchers,

0:18:230:18:26

and I got to here, I've lifted this up,

0:18:260:18:29

and there's some small valuables there.

0:18:290:18:32

So, pick it up, "wow, like that."

0:18:320:18:34

So, I'll put that in my pouch, and then I close this up again,

0:18:340:18:37

and then I'm going to go back to the person in charge,

0:18:370:18:40

and I'm going to say, no, I haven't found anything."

0:18:400:18:43

Because I'm not going to admit to stealing.

0:18:430:18:45

Harvington Hall stands as a continuing

0:18:450:18:48

reminder of the extraordinary lengths

0:18:480:18:50

members of the Catholic Church went to in order to pursue their faith.

0:18:500:18:54

But, for now, it's time to turn our buyers' focus back

0:18:540:18:58

to our property search,

0:18:580:18:59

and see if we can find a rural hideaway of their own.

0:18:590:19:04

For our second property I'm taking them to Old Hills,

0:19:080:19:11

which is just outside the village of Callow End,

0:19:110:19:14

around 40 minutes south of Birmingham.

0:19:140:19:16

Situated on land between the stunning Malvern Hills and

0:19:160:19:19

the River Severn, this quite village has a mix of more recent houses,

0:19:190:19:24

and period homes.

0:19:240:19:26

The house I'm showing them is a thatched cottage,

0:19:260:19:28

set in idyllic gardens.

0:19:280:19:30

Once again, let's get onto the lawn to get a full eyeful of this

0:19:320:19:37

beautiful thing.

0:19:370:19:39

That's lovely looking, isn't it?

0:19:390:19:41

That's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

0:19:410:19:43

It is a really spectacularly well-kept

0:19:430:19:47

-thatched cottage.

-Yes.

0:19:470:19:49

What do you think about thatched? Not everyone's mad on thatch.

0:19:490:19:52

They always are eye-catching, yes, but yes, I hadn't considered

0:19:520:19:57

a thatched property, I've got to say, so, yeah, that's really nice to see.

0:19:570:20:00

Yeah, it's looking good.

0:20:000:20:01

-Shall we look inside?

-Absolutely, yes.

0:20:020:20:05

'The interior of this property is full of charm,

0:20:050:20:08

'with a contemporary feel.

0:20:080:20:09

'And I think it will really appeal to them.'

0:20:090:20:12

Here, you can see.

0:20:150:20:16

Wow.

0:20:160:20:18

Quite a different take on the period cottage.

0:20:180:20:21

I like the fireplace though, again.

0:20:210:20:24

I like the mix of it, actually, just from walking into here.

0:20:240:20:28

Yeah, I think so, the painted brickwork, the stone floors,

0:20:280:20:31

the beams, it's of a time, isn't it?

0:20:310:20:32

It's so nicely maintained that it just draws you to it.

0:20:320:20:37

I'd like to see some more, I think.

0:20:370:20:39

Is it yours sort of time? Does it feel comfortable?

0:20:390:20:43

Yes, it does.

0:20:430:20:44

-I've got a nice feeling for the house, have you?

-Yeah, I think so.

0:20:440:20:48

Good, well, this is the sitting room,

0:20:480:20:50

let's go through into the kitchen.

0:20:500:20:52

Here, so, again, a very different offering.

0:20:540:20:57

I like the range, as well.

0:20:570:20:59

Yes, it's nice in that feature, um...

0:20:590:21:02

It's an inglenook range.

0:21:020:21:03

Yes, it is. It is.

0:21:030:21:05

It's a nice-sized kitchen, though.

0:21:050:21:09

But it's beautifully finished, again, you know,

0:21:090:21:11

this very nice, red and black and white theme throughout.

0:21:110:21:16

What do you think, Ned, do you think this is more your speed?

0:21:160:21:19

Yeah, I think so,

0:21:190:21:20

particularly the finish, it just jumps out to me,

0:21:200:21:22

it's been so well maintained, it's very nice.

0:21:220:21:25

It's very airy.

0:21:250:21:26

Yeah, there seems to be some quite large gardens out there as well.

0:21:260:21:29

Just keep your eyes to yourself, we haven't finished inside yet.

0:21:290:21:33

'I'd say that's a thumbs up for the kitchen,

0:21:340:21:36

'and the beautiful finish of this house continues in the drawing room.'

0:21:360:21:40

As with the other property, this is an extension

0:21:420:21:44

that was put on the back of the original cottage, in the 60s.

0:21:440:21:49

We might use this as your lounge area, rather than the other room.

0:21:490:21:53

Yeah, we'd get some use out of this room, I think.

0:21:530:21:55

And there's an open fire again.

0:21:550:21:58

So, this is all of your space downstairs.

0:21:580:22:00

There is quite a nice, big utility room which we haven't seen yet.

0:22:000:22:04

-Let's have a peek up stairs, shall we?

-OK.

0:22:040:22:07

Downstairs is a the mix of modern period features,

0:22:100:22:12

however, as we're about to discover,

0:22:120:22:14

the rooms on the first floor are much more in keeping

0:22:140:22:17

with the property's heritage.

0:22:170:22:19

Upstairs.

0:22:210:22:22

Oh, this is nice, isn't it?

0:22:240:22:26

Oh, yeah.

0:22:280:22:29

So, nice, high ceilings as we've gone right up into the roof.

0:22:290:22:33

And you can see these lovely, little feature windows,

0:22:330:22:35

tucked into the thatch.

0:22:350:22:37

So, essentially, you've got four bedrooms again,

0:22:370:22:40

but they are interlinked, as they would have been in an old cottage.

0:22:400:22:43

This one goes into that one, and then there's another one,

0:22:430:22:45

over what was the extension, and then a fourth one through here.

0:22:450:22:48

OK.

0:22:480:22:50

The interesting thing about this house, a feature, shall we call it?

0:22:500:22:55

Is that there is no bathroom upstairs,

0:22:550:22:58

there's a very nice modern bathroom at the bottom of the stairs.

0:22:580:23:01

OK.

0:23:010:23:02

But, we were thinking, since it's just the two of you,

0:23:020:23:05

one of these rooms, ie. this room

0:23:050:23:07

which is linked, as you can see, just by stepping into the next room,

0:23:070:23:11

would make a gorgeous, big en suite bathroom.

0:23:110:23:13

It's crying out for it, isn't it?

0:23:130:23:15

And it's right above the kitchen,

0:23:150:23:17

so it can't be that difficult to run the plumbing up.

0:23:170:23:19

-No, that's a good idea.

-We're not averse to building work, are we?

0:23:190:23:22

-No, no, a project for you.

-Thank you.

0:23:220:23:26

-Are you handy at DIY?

-Absolutely, yes, I can build.

0:23:260:23:28

-Really?

-Yeah, no problem.

-I can't tell whether you're joking.

0:23:280:23:31

-No, I can build, I do a little bit.

-No, he really can.

0:23:310:23:35

So, you've got a very high standard to match here.

0:23:350:23:38

We can't have any botched jobs.

0:23:380:23:39

Well, that's a challenge for you, Alistair.

0:23:390:23:41

I should comeback in a years time and check?

0:23:410:23:44

I know it's difficult when you haven't seen all the rooms to clock the layout,

0:23:440:23:49

but I'll give you plenty of time to explore later on,

0:23:490:23:51

but I want to get you out in the garden,

0:23:510:23:53

because I know that's where you want to go.

0:23:530:23:55

'Although they'll have to sacrifice a bedroom

0:23:560:23:59

'to get that en suite Lynette wants,

0:23:590:24:00

'I'm hoping they'll be wowed by the outside of this property.

0:24:000:24:03

'Which comes with just under half an acre of land.

0:24:030:24:06

'It includes a secluded lawned garden,

0:24:080:24:10

'with spectacular views of the countryside.'

0:24:100:24:13

So, incredible views over towards Cheltenham there,

0:24:130:24:18

through the hedges.

0:24:180:24:19

And you can see, this is a much more substantial garden.

0:24:190:24:22

Yes.

0:24:220:24:23

-It's a gorgeous plot.

-It's very pretty, isn't it?

0:24:230:24:25

When you look back at the property now,

0:24:250:24:28

from inside the grounds here and it's lovely, really nice.

0:24:280:24:32

And very quiet.

0:24:320:24:34

Mmm.

0:24:340:24:35

What do think of this garden?

0:24:350:24:37

Yeah, I think you'll be very busy here, don't you?

0:24:370:24:40

THEY LAUGH

0:24:400:24:43

It is fantastic, you know, it's had so much work done to it,

0:24:430:24:47

by the looks of it, and as with the house, it's immaculate.

0:24:470:24:50

Good.

0:24:500:24:51

I think you've all got poker faces on,

0:24:510:24:53

I can't quite tell whether you're loving it, or you're just...

0:24:530:24:57

Anyway, this is house number two, you don't know the price yet,

0:24:570:25:00

what do you think the price of the property is?

0:25:000:25:03

I think you spent our budget,

0:25:030:25:05

and I would say just under 500,000,

0:25:050:25:08

maybe 499, 490.

0:25:080:25:11

Well, it's certainly the top end, but I can't agree with you,

0:25:110:25:14

so, let's say 480, maybe.

0:25:140:25:17

480, the moral of the story is you should always agree with Lynette,

0:25:170:25:21

because she is dot on the money,

0:25:210:25:23

it is exactly the same price the last one, just a dot under £500,000.

0:25:230:25:27

Right. OK.

0:25:270:25:29

So, why don't you have a look around the grounds,

0:25:290:25:31

-and I'll see you at the front.

-Thank you, will do.

0:25:310:25:33

At £495,000, this characterful cottage has plenty of appeal.

0:25:380:25:43

It has a good-sized kitchen diner, two reception rooms,

0:25:430:25:47

four bedrooms,

0:25:470:25:48

and a relaxing, secluded garden, with stunning views.

0:25:480:25:52

Well, there's my garage.

0:25:520:25:53

-It's big enough for your bikes, isn't it?

-It's a workshop as well.

0:25:530:25:56

Your second home.

0:25:560:25:57

I think so, you know, I could live in it, I really could.

0:25:570:26:00

It is what it is, it's a very old cottage,

0:26:000:26:03

and there's only so many things you can do with the layout.

0:26:030:26:05

It's certainly been very sensitively arranged,

0:26:050:26:07

and I think it's something we could certainly live with.

0:26:070:26:10

I do think it has got a bit of a wow factor for me,

0:26:100:26:12

I really like it, it's very, very pretty,

0:26:120:26:15

and yes, I probably could see myself living in it.

0:26:150:26:18

Ah, beautiful thatch work. That's a cracking house, huh?

0:26:210:26:25

It's lovely, really nice.

0:26:250:26:27

Well, that's your lot for today, time to retire and regroup.

0:26:270:26:31

As the sun sets over the Worcestershire countryside,

0:26:460:26:49

our first day of house-hunting draws to a close.

0:26:490:26:52

Armed with their £500,000 budget,

0:27:000:27:03

Ned and Lynette are making two huge leaps in their lives.

0:27:030:27:07

Buying their first home together,

0:27:070:27:09

and starting a new life in rural Worcestershire.

0:27:090:27:12

Out of the two properties we've shown them so far,

0:27:120:27:14

the thatched cottage seems to have won them over.

0:27:140:27:17

-I've got a nice feeling for the house, have you?

-Yeah.

0:27:170:27:20

It's picture perfect from here, isn't it?

0:27:200:27:22

Looking at the house, it's ideal.

0:27:220:27:23

'But coming up, we've got a mystery house

0:27:230:27:26

'that stretches their horizons to the limit.'

0:27:260:27:29

It's absolutely huge, yeah.

0:27:290:27:31

It's huge.

0:27:310:27:32

'And I join some industrious babes in the wood.'

0:27:320:27:36

So, they're like, kind of, biological ground clearers?

0:27:360:27:40

Yeah.

0:27:400:27:41

It's an absolutely beautiful autumnal morning

0:27:440:27:47

here in Worcestershire,

0:27:470:27:48

and we've got the mystery house lined up for Lynette and Ned.

0:27:480:27:52

After the first day's properties

0:27:520:27:54

I wasn't quite sure whether we were hitting the nail.

0:27:540:27:57

They were being very polite, making nice noises,

0:27:570:27:59

but maybe the houses are a little too period,

0:27:590:28:02

little too old, too beam-y.

0:28:020:28:04

So, for the mystery house, we've gone grand,

0:28:040:28:08

and we've gone lots of land.

0:28:080:28:11

Day two, and we're off to the mystery house,

0:28:140:28:17

what do you think the mystery house might be?

0:28:170:28:19

Do you know, I haven't got a clue,

0:28:190:28:21

I think you threw us yesterday with the thatched cottage

0:28:210:28:24

so, who knows what this could be.

0:28:240:28:26

Maybe a converted barn?

0:28:260:28:29

Converted one end for the horses, and the other end for us.

0:28:290:28:32

Who knows.

0:28:320:28:33

Ah, a live-in stable?

0:28:330:28:36

Yes, a stable in the middle of a field.

0:28:360:28:39

Who knows.

0:28:390:28:41

'For our mystery house, we're heading further south to Croome,

0:28:490:28:52

'which is situated around four miles from the market town of Pershore.

0:28:520:28:56

'This unspoiled, Georgian town is surrounded by beautiful countryside,

0:28:560:29:00

'and is particularly renowned for its wealth of independent shops.

0:29:000:29:06

'In contrast to the chocolate box charm of property two,

0:29:060:29:09

'I can safely say that our mystery offering

0:29:090:29:12

'is right at the other end of the scale.'

0:29:120:29:14

Now, you wanted some land.

0:29:150:29:18

Goodness me, and some.

0:29:180:29:20

There is some land, OK.

0:29:200:29:21

Here is land aplenty,

0:29:210:29:23

you've got the Malvern Hills in the background, framing your garden,

0:29:230:29:26

and then 200 acres of Capability Brown-designed stately home garden.

0:29:260:29:31

However, your house is in these Robert Adam-designed stable block.

0:29:310:29:36

What are your thoughts?

0:29:360:29:39

Well, it's certainly unexpected,

0:29:390:29:41

I never in a million years dreamt of a property on a National Trust,

0:29:410:29:47

or ex-stately home, park, at all, did you?

0:29:470:29:50

No, not at all, it's not something we'd considered,

0:29:500:29:53

-but we have to have a look, it's fantastic.

-Let's have a look.

0:29:530:29:56

'I love throwing our mystery home into the mix,

0:29:590:30:01

'especially as this house offers our buyers

0:30:010:30:04

'a slice of very elegant living.'

0:30:040:30:06

Come in.

0:30:060:30:08

It's amazing to think this was just built for the horses,

0:30:080:30:11

you know, back in the 1700s, this was all for stables,

0:30:110:30:14

the carriage houses, the coach houses, amazing, hm?

0:30:140:30:20

It would have been.

0:30:200:30:21

Yeah, yeah, it is now, as it's all been converted.

0:30:210:30:24

It's pretty impressive, isn't it, to look at?

0:30:240:30:26

And you've now got seven dwellings in this block.

0:30:260:30:30

As you can see, it's a C shape,

0:30:310:30:33

and the one that I want to show you is this one,

0:30:330:30:36

-which was the coach house.

-OK.

0:30:360:30:38

What are your thoughts about living in this shared courtyard-y type?

0:30:380:30:42

We were, perhaps, hoping to have a bit of privacy,

0:30:420:30:44

and perhaps live a little more on our own,

0:30:440:30:47

but when you have views like this, you have to reconsider things.

0:30:470:30:50

And the facilities too, having all of those grounds on your doorstep,

0:30:500:30:55

again, it's something else to consider, really.

0:30:550:30:57

I'm not closed to the idea.

0:30:570:31:00

Let's take a look inside.

0:31:000:31:01

'Let's see how they feel once they've had a peek at the interior.'

0:31:040:31:08

Come on in.

0:31:090:31:11

Oh, it is lovely, isn't it?

0:31:120:31:13

Gosh, that's a reception.

0:31:130:31:16

Isn't it just?

0:31:160:31:17

What we've got is, essentially, this would have been all open space

0:31:170:31:20

for the carriages to come in,

0:31:200:31:21

and it's been converted in to three stories.

0:31:210:31:24

Oh, really?

0:31:240:31:25

Of very well proportioned, high ceilinged rooms.

0:31:250:31:29

Well, it's lovely,

0:31:290:31:30

because you wanted the kitchen to, kind of, flow open,

0:31:300:31:33

so, if you open these doors,

0:31:330:31:35

ta-da!

0:31:350:31:36

Oh, gosh.

0:31:380:31:40

That is lovely, isn't it?

0:31:400:31:42

I mean, it's a great-sized kitchen.

0:31:420:31:44

-It seems to offer everything we asked for.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:31:440:31:47

And the ceilings are amazing, they're just so high.

0:31:470:31:50

That's good.

0:31:500:31:51

Just need to see some more now, I think.

0:31:510:31:53

Well, let's open up another big door.

0:31:530:31:55

Ah, I could really get used to opening all those doors like that,

0:31:590:32:02

bam!

0:32:020:32:04

Another massive room.

0:32:040:32:06

With such high ceilings again.

0:32:060:32:07

It's huge. Light, spacious, airy.

0:32:070:32:11

Very dramatic with the front windows there, don't you think? Very nice.

0:32:110:32:14

What's nice about it is that it feels like a very grand house,

0:32:140:32:18

well, it is a very grand house,

0:32:180:32:19

but it's just an unusual property in many ways.

0:32:190:32:23

It's unusual in the fact that when you're in here,

0:32:230:32:26

you don't feel as though you're a part of a block,

0:32:260:32:28

which is, essentially, what you are.

0:32:280:32:30

And it's good that it gives you that feeling of being separate, I think.

0:32:300:32:36

That's what I was trying to say, but you said it much better. Thank you.

0:32:360:32:40

Well, that is the total ground floor,

0:32:400:32:44

I mean, it's about 3,000 square feet, the whole house.

0:32:440:32:48

So, the rooms are very big,

0:32:480:32:50

but you do have four bedrooms upstairs,

0:32:500:32:54

all of them, all of them, with en suites.

0:32:540:32:58

Goodness me.

0:32:580:32:59

I'm just saying.

0:32:590:33:00

'I certainly think we've hit the jackpot with this property,

0:33:020:33:05

'and there are highlights around every corner.'

0:33:050:33:08

Two flights of quite steep stairs.

0:33:120:33:14

They are, aren't they?

0:33:140:33:15

Take you to this really lovely mezzanine level.

0:33:150:33:19

Gosh, that's unexpected, isn't it?

0:33:200:33:22

It's great, isn't it?

0:33:220:33:24

It's a little settee area, half way up your stairs.

0:33:240:33:26

What a feature.

0:33:260:33:28

As I mentioned, there are four bedrooms, another floor,

0:33:280:33:31

so the attic space has got another two bedrooms.

0:33:310:33:34

And two huge rooms, so you can take your pick.

0:33:340:33:38

We'll find a use for that, I'm sure.

0:33:380:33:40

Always can.

0:33:400:33:42

Both the bedrooms are, sort of, identical.

0:33:440:33:46

This is being used as the master, but the other one is of equal size.

0:33:460:33:50

-It's a huge room.

-It is huge, it's lovely.

0:33:520:33:54

With a nice, big en suite there, and lots and lots of wardrobe space.

0:33:540:33:58

You can never have enough wardrobe space.

0:33:580:34:00

Again, ideal.

0:34:000:34:01

It's really, really tastefully done.

0:34:010:34:04

Yeah. There's no work to do here, it's all about relaxing time, isn't it?

0:34:040:34:08

That sounds good.

0:34:080:34:09

Well, this is going to be a very hard one to price.

0:34:100:34:13

So, let's go outside and do that.

0:34:130:34:15

'This residence,

0:34:170:34:18

'offering a share of a stately home within private parkland

0:34:180:34:22

'is truly unique.

0:34:220:34:23

'But I'm not sure it's enough to convince Ned and Lynette

0:34:230:34:26

'that this would be their ideal property.

0:34:260:34:29

'Time to find out.'

0:34:290:34:30

Now, apart from the 200 acres, which is quite a lot of garden,

0:34:310:34:36

you do have this communal private garden at the side,

0:34:360:34:38

which is just for, just for reading the papers in, I suppose.

0:34:380:34:41

Yes.

0:34:410:34:43

But clearly, you do share this courtyard with seven other neighbours,

0:34:430:34:49

and then the land beyond,

0:34:490:34:50

which you pay a, sort of, nominal maintenance fee

0:34:500:34:53

-to the National Trust to look after.

-OK.

0:34:530:34:56

-There is a garage as well.

-OK.

0:34:560:34:58

Just to give you all the factors

0:34:580:34:59

so you can work out how much it's going to cost.

0:34:590:35:02

How much do you think for this rather unusual, unquantifiable property?

0:35:020:35:08

You can go first, Ned.

0:35:080:35:10

Oh, thank you.

0:35:100:35:11

Well, it's a fantastic property, isn't it?

0:35:110:35:13

There's no doubt about that.

0:35:130:35:15

I think with our budget of 500,000,

0:35:150:35:17

it's going to be at the top end, so I'll say that, 500,000.

0:35:170:35:20

Well, I think all go little bit lower, but not too much,

0:35:200:35:23

um, 480 I think.

0:35:230:35:26

I feel like a bit of a broken record,

0:35:260:35:28

because this too is just a shade under £500,000.

0:35:280:35:31

-It's not surprising at all.

-That makes complete sense, doesn't it, it is beautiful.

0:35:310:35:35

Well, it's a difficult one to price, because it's so unique.

0:35:350:35:38

Yes, indeed.

0:35:380:35:39

Why don't you go inside and look upstairs, cos we didn't look at that top floor,

0:35:390:35:43

and also wander around your 200-acre garden,

0:35:430:35:45

although not too far, or I'll never find you again.

0:35:450:35:47

-OK, thank you.

-We'll do that.

0:35:470:35:49

'On the market for a shade under £500,000,

0:35:520:35:55

'this grade 2 listed converted coach house is a fantastic home

0:35:550:36:00

'in a spectacular setting.

0:36:000:36:02

'It has an elegant kitchen diner,

0:36:020:36:04

'a large reception room,

0:36:040:36:06

'four double bedrooms, all with en suite,

0:36:060:36:09

'a garage for Ned's bikes,

0:36:090:36:11

'and glorious views towards the Malvern Hills.'

0:36:110:36:14

This is such an unusual feature of the house,

0:36:140:36:16

and to be able to sit here

0:36:160:36:18

and look out towards the Malvern Hills is really lovely.

0:36:180:36:22

I'm not still 100% on the courtyard living,

0:36:220:36:24

but the property is so lovely,

0:36:240:36:27

it's also pulling me another way

0:36:270:36:29

into saying that it would really, really be a nice place to live.

0:36:290:36:33

I'm not sure it's going to give us the privacy that we particularly want,

0:36:330:36:36

or the opportunity to ride the horses,

0:36:360:36:38

ride the motorbikes and things in the grounds,

0:36:380:36:40

I'm really not too sure just at the moment.

0:36:400:36:43

Ah, there you are, taking in the view?

0:36:430:36:45

We are.

0:36:450:36:46

Gorgeous, isn't it?

0:36:460:36:48

Just beautiful.

0:36:480:36:49

I am glad you weren't in a folly 200 acres away.

0:36:490:36:52

We were very tempted.

0:36:520:36:54

Let's go find a place to discuss.

0:36:540:36:56

'Spread across more than 6,000 acres,

0:37:080:37:10

'the Wyre forest in Worcestershire

0:37:100:37:12

'is one of the largest remaining ancient woodlands in the country.

0:37:120:37:16

'And like all forests, it's an ever-changing environment,

0:37:160:37:19

'in need of constant regeneration.

0:37:190:37:22

'But in these woods, help is at hand,

0:37:220:37:24

'in the shape of a rather unusual ally, pigs.

0:37:240:37:28

'I've come to meet local farmer, John Ayles, to find out more.'

0:37:280:37:32

So, where do the pigs come into it?

0:37:320:37:33

What they're doing is breaking up the ground, and eating the bramble,

0:37:330:37:38

and the bracken here,

0:37:380:37:39

so that the oak acorns when they fall to the ground,

0:37:390:37:43

are going to germinate, and replace all these lovely oak trees.

0:37:430:37:46

So, they are, kind of, like biological ground clearers?

0:37:460:37:49

Yeah, here they come. Come on, pigs!

0:37:490:37:52

-Ah!

-Come on, pigs!

0:37:520:37:53

Oh, they're beautiful.

0:37:530:37:56

These are Tamworth pigs,

0:37:560:37:57

and, as you can see, they've got a lovely, long snouts,

0:37:570:38:00

which means that they're really good at digging.

0:38:000:38:02

They actually eat the bracken and bramble,

0:38:020:38:04

which nothing else will eat?

0:38:040:38:06

Yeah, they go particularly for the roots.

0:38:060:38:07

These Tamworth pigs are believed to be the closest descendants

0:38:070:38:11

of the indigenous English forest pig.

0:38:110:38:14

Here in the Wyre Forest,

0:38:140:38:16

the pigs are being used as a means of naturally protecting

0:38:160:38:19

the local environment.

0:38:190:38:21

Helping to clear areas of woodland,

0:38:210:38:22

to allow young tree seedlings to grow.

0:38:220:38:25

The alternative to using pigs is either mechanical means,

0:38:250:38:30

which would just destroy everything.

0:38:300:38:32

Or chemicals, and for herbicides,

0:38:320:38:35

we don't really know what the lasting damage is that they do.

0:38:350:38:38

The pigs are in here, three or four months, and they're gone.

0:38:380:38:41

Well, I can't really see what they're doing.

0:38:410:38:43

Is there a bit where they've been?

0:38:430:38:45

If we walk up here, Alistair, we'll see what they've been up to.

0:38:450:38:49

Ah, now, I can see they've been much more industrious here.

0:38:490:38:52

Yeah, you can see they've really pushed back the bramble

0:38:520:38:55

and the bracken around us here,

0:38:550:38:57

and, in fact, the bracken has got way back.

0:38:570:39:00

You've got these little birch saplings coming through,

0:39:000:39:03

there's a wee oak seedling here.

0:39:030:39:06

Here, some holly.

0:39:070:39:08

So, the woodland species that we want to encourage

0:39:080:39:11

are starting to come through,

0:39:110:39:13

and the pigs are leaving them,

0:39:130:39:14

and they're going for the bramble and the bracken.

0:39:140:39:18

'The young trees that grow are felled and recycled,

0:39:180:39:21

'providing woodchips, fuel, and fencing.'

0:39:210:39:25

What about the pigs, what happens to the pigs?

0:39:250:39:27

At the end of their time here, which will probably be early November,

0:39:270:39:31

they go and they're made into sausages.

0:39:310:39:33

And because we use the whole pig in the sausages,

0:39:330:39:36

you're getting all the best cuts,

0:39:360:39:38

so, the sausages taste absolutely delicious.

0:39:380:39:41

'It's amazing to see these animals in action in their natural habitat,

0:39:410:39:45

'helping to manage such a delicate and important environment

0:39:450:39:48

'for future generations.

0:39:480:39:50

'But now, it's time to catch up with our buyers,

0:39:500:39:53

'and see if they're smitten by any of our three properties.'

0:39:530:39:57

That mystery house was a bit risky.

0:39:570:39:59

I think Lynette, for example,

0:39:590:40:00

didn't really like it as she was approaching,

0:40:000:40:02

but once they both got through the door, completely different picture.

0:40:020:40:06

So, I'll be interested to see whether it affected their decision.

0:40:060:40:10

Let's find out.

0:40:100:40:11

Has it been fun, exploring Worcestershire?

0:40:160:40:18

Yeah, I think so,

0:40:180:40:19

I think we've seen one or two sites that we'd never been to before,

0:40:190:40:23

so, yeah, it's been a real adventure.

0:40:230:40:25

Yeah, it's been really good, and as you've just said,

0:40:250:40:27

there's still parts of Worcestershire that, even though it's on our doorstep,

0:40:270:40:31

we really, really haven't explored,

0:40:310:40:34

and I think it's proved to us now

0:40:340:40:35

that we need to go and explore more, maybe.

0:40:350:40:38

Tell me about the first house, because that was a period property,

0:40:380:40:41

but it seemed to raise questions for the two of you.

0:40:410:40:43

Perhaps the question for myself

0:40:430:40:45

was the fact that it had had quite a bit of refurbishment,

0:40:450:40:48

and perhaps a little bit more or to do,

0:40:480:40:50

and at the very top end of our budget,

0:40:500:40:52

I'm not sure that was exactly what we're looking for.

0:40:520:40:55

I thought the garden area was lovely,

0:40:550:40:58

but I have to say, I would want to look at that option

0:40:580:41:02

of having the additional land at the back,

0:41:020:41:04

just to make it a little bit more open, a little bit more space.

0:41:040:41:07

What about the second house, because this did have a bit more land.

0:41:070:41:10

Well, the second house really had the wow factor, didn't it?

0:41:100:41:14

It was beautiful.

0:41:140:41:15

Yeah, you could just move into that, they had refurbished it beautifully,

0:41:150:41:19

and it's one I could actually see myself living in there, maybe, maybe.

0:41:190:41:24

Well, we dealt you a real wild card with the mystery house,

0:41:240:41:27

because it wasn't anything that you'd asked for,

0:41:270:41:29

but it was a very striking property.

0:41:290:41:31

Yeah, the mystery house, for me, if I'd had looked at it on paper

0:41:310:41:35

I would never, ever, in a month of Sundays had gone to look at it.

0:41:350:41:39

And then when we walked into the property

0:41:390:41:42

it completely changed my view, considerably.

0:41:420:41:45

So, that certainly gave us food for thought.

0:41:450:41:48

Well, I think if there were a draw back

0:41:480:41:51

it's the fact that it's such a stylish and grand building,

0:41:510:41:54

I'm not sure it would be in keeping with me

0:41:540:41:56

and six or seven motorcycles in the grounds.

0:41:560:41:58

I'm not too sure they'd go down well with the neighbours.

0:41:580:42:02

In terms of the three properties now, looking at them,

0:42:020:42:04

are there any of them that you would proceed on,

0:42:040:42:06

maybe take another look at?

0:42:060:42:08

What are your thoughts at the end of the process?

0:42:080:42:10

I think the one that, perhaps, stood out for us would be property two,

0:42:110:42:15

the thatched cottage.

0:42:150:42:17

That's certainly a very, very nice place to live.

0:42:170:42:20

Mmm-hmm.

0:42:200:42:21

I think what we need to do now is to just have a look at the area,

0:42:210:42:23

get an idea of how long it may take to travel to work,

0:42:230:42:26

and just get a feel for that particular part of the world.

0:42:260:42:28

Excellent, well, I hope to see you galloping your horse,

0:42:280:42:31

or riding your bikes across the Worcestershire hills very soon.

0:42:310:42:34

We hope so too.

0:42:340:42:36

Thanks very much.

0:42:360:42:37

Thank you.

0:42:370:42:38

I do hope our week in the countryside here in Worcestershire

0:42:420:42:45

has helped Ned and Lynette loosen up their search criteria a little,

0:42:450:42:49

because that, in turn, is going to help them find,

0:42:490:42:52

and move in to, their love nest in the countryside more quickly.

0:42:520:42:56

So, if you've enjoyed our rambling

0:42:560:42:58

in this beautiful bit of the countryside,

0:42:580:43:00

make sure you tune in next time for more of the same,

0:43:000:43:04

on Escape to the Country.

0:43:040:43:05

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

0:43:050:43:09

Northern Ireland, or England,

0:43:090:43:11

and need our help, please apply online, at bbc.co.uk/beonashow

0:43:110:43:16

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