East Sussex Escape to the Country

This may look like a modest and idyllic waterway,

but in fact it is the third longest defensive structure

in the UK, shorter only than Hadrian's Wall and Offa's Dyke.

And if you don't know what it's called or where it is,

then you'd better stay watching.

On today's show, I'll be attempting to find rooms with a view

for a couple seeking a countryside hideaway.

And the allure of stunning scenery quickly overrides everything else.

-I love the setting, I just want to get up the hill to actually see the view.

-Yeah.

But then we strike gold with the mystery property.

Where's the contract?

It's perfect.

Today, we're in East Sussex, and this is the Royal Military Canal.

As the name suggests, it was built as a defensive structure

against the Napoleonic hordes who'd be approaching that way from the sea in 1809.

And it has a kink every 500 metres

so that the British could fire their guns down it,

and it was built, incredibly, in five years, by hand,

at a cost in today's money of about £10 million.

Quite a bargain. Except it turned out to be a huge white elephant.

It was never used for military purposes and remains,

as today, a haven for birds and nature lovers.

Historically, Sussex was one county,

but it's now split into East and West Sussex.

They share England's south-east coastline with Kent

and are bordered by Surrey to the north.

Traditional weather-boarded houses are popular in this region,

with the distinctive wooden cladding being used

on all types of buildings, from cottages and shops to windmills.

The beautiful South Downs are spread across the south of the county,

skirting the coastal resorts of Brighton and Hove,

before ending at Eastbourne with its seafront of Victorian hotels.

Along this coastline sits one of the area's most iconic landmarks,

in the shape of the dramatic cliffs of Beachy Head.

Away from the coast, the scenic Wealds was once a vast forest

and was a notorious hiding place for highwaymen and outlaws.

However, today you're more likely to spot ramblers

and cyclists enjoying the delights of this Sussex countryside.

One of the great selling points of this part of the world is the South Downs,

a beautiful chain of chalky hills that flows through East and West Sussex.

However, there is a big difference in price between the two counties.

A detached house in East Sussex costs on average £322,000.

Across the border in West Sussex,

the same property would cost you £355,000.

I'm not promising that either of those prices would get you this view,

but let's look at what you can buy on the property market.

This three-bedroom character property in Robertsbridge

could be yours for around £350,000.

Packed with traditional features, such as exposed beams

and a cast-iron bath, it's topped off by a pond

surrounded by expansive lawns.

For £535,000,

you could be living in this four-bedroom home in Heathfield.

Formerly a pair of farmworkers' cottages,

it boasts a Tudor-built mezzanine and a range cooker in the kitchen.

Outside, there is a patio and lawned garden.

And if your pockets are deep enough,

you could buy this opulent five-bedroom property in Playden.

Priced at £795,000, it offers stunning flagstone floors

in the kitchen and a spacious sitting room.

There's also a modern conservatory with a bar and a balcony

that looks out over breathtaking countryside views.

I love East Sussex, beautiful properties.

Let's meet the canny couple who are planning to move here.

Today's house hunters are retired wine wholesaler Stephen

and part-time physiotherapist Suzanne.

They recently married on a South African safari.

They've been looking to up sticks and escape

the busy commuter town of Chipstead in Surrey for around a year.

In fact, ever since they bought their bungalow with an eye to renovating it.

Although it sounds crazy,

we bought this property knowing full well we weren't going to live here.

But we've been concentrating on the renovation plans first,

and now we've got those up and going,

we're now really looking in earnest.

As they don't want to move too far away from Stephen's children

and Suzanne's parents in Surrey,

they've got a not-too-distant county in mind.

We like Sussex, we've driven down there a few times,

I have friends who live down that way.

And it's got wonderful dog-walking areas, especially the South Downs.

I don't think it's the fact that we're antisocial,

but our neighbours are all to close.

We'd prefer fields for our neighbours.

So, a remote location is high on their list of demands,

along with many other priorities for their new home.

We're looking for a detached property, three or four bedrooms,

large kitchen, large sitting room.

Preferably with a utility room and a driveway as well.

One of my passions is cars.

I've got a couple of nice sports cars, so one of the things

I'll need at the new property is a good-sized garage to keep them in.

Taking a spin around the Sussex lanes might be high on Stephen's agenda,

but it sounds like it won't be all play once they've made the move.

One of the things we're actually considering is

actually starting a business together.

We're not quite sure what that is necessarily,

but if we found the right property that had some decent outbuildings,

then we'd probably consider looking at doing something like self-catering or even B&B.

Thanks to Stephen's property-investment portfolio,

they're lucky enough to be cash buyers, who can move quickly,

so it's just a matter of how much they have to spend.

The budget for our purchase is £600,000.

And if there's any renovation work that needs to be done,

we've got some money set aside for that.

Suzanne and Stephen are newlyweds, it's so romantic.

They want to move to East Sussex and they really only want views,

except I know people who want dream homes in the countryside don't just

want views, they want lovely houses with lots and lots of wishes.

So let's see if we can find out what their secret wishes are and satisfy them.

Stephen and Suzanne want us to search for their perfect property

close to the South Downs,

the range of chalk hills which stretch along the coast.

We've got three wonderful properties for them to choose from,

and as usual I'll be asking them

to guess the price of each before I reveal it.

The last option is of course our mystery house,

which could see them living in scenic splendour.

Welcome to East Sussex, guys. Very nice to see you.

-Thank you.

-Beautiful setting.

-Yes.

What are you looking for, because you've got a nice house at the moment,

but it seems you're concentrating on a few things that you want.

The main thing that both of us would love to find

in our property together is to have a lovely country view.

At the moment, our property just doesn't provide that.

Hence, why we're looking to escape to the country.

-It's what you're looking out of the windows towards.

-Yes.

What about the budget? How much are you willing to spend,

cos I think we've eked a bit more out of your pockets.

Yes, I think we've gone to £650,000 now.

Good, £650,000 goes a long way around here.

-Have you had a chance to visit anywhere or look at anything?

-No, we haven't, have we?

-No.

-This is the start of a nice new adventure for us.

-Yes.

-Great.

So we have the advantage over you.

Let's get going, let's get in the car

and see some of these lovely properties.

So, with their budget now confirmed at £650,000,

Stephen and Suzanne are looking for a detached property

with great panoramic views, three to four bedrooms, a large sitting room,

a kitchen with utility room,

a driveway and garage for the sports cars

and some outbuildings, if possible.

Are you both quite sporty? You're particularly sporty, Stephen.

I started marathon running when I was 30,

and that virtually continued nearly every year since.

Suzanne, has he managed to tempt you into...?

He did, he caught me on a weak moment

and suddenly I'm booked in for the Berlin Marathon this year.

-Oh, really?

-Yes. Never having run before.

-Wow!

This is a nice place to train, nice and hilly.

We've travelled four miles north of Hastings,

and within 17 miles of the South Downs, to Sedlescombe,

a village of impressively characterful properties,

where the local shop-cum-post office supplies most day-to-day needs.

Our first property is in a lovely rural location, not overlooked by

any neighbours, as requested, and is a charming Grade 2 listed cottage.

Oh! Lovely!

-This is one of my most pleasing reveals.

-Gosh!

If I could draw a country cottage,

and put it in a beautiful spot, this would be it.

-Lovely thatch.

-I'm blown away, it's beautiful.

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

-It is.

-It really is.

-Probably from about 1750, Grade 2 listed.

-OK.

-This on the right is an extension they put on three or four years ago.

-I see.

-They've done it really well, you can't tell.

-Yes.

So you've got a brand-new thatch which will last another 60 years.

Absolutely wonderful, well done!

-Shall we go?

-Yeah.

Well, it doesn't get any better than that.

This property has taken their breath away, and the rustic interior of the new extension

should keep the smiles on the faces.

This is the extension, the kitchen/sitting room/office.

-Absolutely lovely, isn't it?

-Yes, beautifully done, it really is.

The owner did a lot of the building himself, so it's all bespoke.

Lovely oak floors and oak work surfaces.

-The kitchen is gorgeous, isn't it?

-It is, yes,

you wouldn't have to do anything to it. Perfect.

Round the corner is a nice utility room, so you can bring the dogs in that way.

-Perfect.

-When they're messy from a walk.

-Yeah.

And what's lovely is that you can have these French windows

and go straight out into the patio.

Yes. It extends this room, doesn't it, straight out?

-I'm getting the feeling you're sold on this already.

-I am, totally.

-Very drawn to it.

There's got to be something drastically wrong with it

when we go through that we're going to go...

-You have to sleep in here as well, this is a bedroom.

-This is it.

OK, it's fine.

With the kitchen area hitting the mark,

I know they're not going to be disappointed by the older part of the cottage either

as it has great original features.

-Come on in.

-Oh!

And a big inglenook.

Oh, that's fantastic, that's just fantastic!

Getting great responses from you.

I don't think we put that down, but that is what we wanted as well,

-wasn't it?

-Yeah. I love this, it's very cottagey, definitely.

-But size-wise, it's a really good size.

-It's lovely.

-This is a really good-size room. I like it, there's lots of light coming through this room.

-I love it.

-In the winter it'll be lovely, won't it? So cosy.

-Really cosy.

And there's more cosiness upstairs in the two spare bedrooms.

Both are located in the original cottage

and with plenty of character features.

They adjoin the family bathroom, but we're heading for the room

Stephen and Suzanne could be calling their own.

This is the extension, and by far the biggest room,

so this is the master bedroom.

-This is a nice-sized room, isn't it?

-It really is.

Much higher ceilings than normal.

Yeah, and I like it with the bedroom ceiling actually being higher. That is nice.

I have to say, that is unusual in country cottages.

In the old part, the rooms are smaller. Lower ceilings.

I'm anxiously trying to look out of the windows now to see our views.

-But this is a nice room, isn't it?

-Yes.

You can imagine waking up, looking out of the window, cup of tea, just sitting there.

A nice little en suite.

-Perfect.

-That's impressive, isn't it?

-Yes, it's great.

I think it's a very nice property, and size-wise,

it's pretty good for us, isn't it?

It is. We're not looking for a massive property.

But you are looking for access to the countryside

and outside space, so let's look at that next.

While there aren't the outbuildings they might have wanted,

there is a double-bay car port for Stephen's sports cars.

There's also ample garden space, with fantastic views

and room for the dogs to run around in.

-So your garden...

-This is pretty.

-Isn't this lovely?

-This is probably the most...

-Absolutely lovely.

..the most elevated view.

-Because I know you're very keen on views.

-We are.

Get you to the corner of the garden that has most of them.

-This is beautiful here.

-But you are in the dip of a valley,

so you don't get the elevated views of the Downs.

-But from here, you do get hints of the views.

-I think it's lovely.

We have got views here. Plot size, we love. This garden is just gorgeous,

-isn't it?

-It really is, it's an easy-to-maintain garden.

What do you think it's on the market for?

I would imagine it's about £630,000.

-OK.

-I think it's going to be £590,000.

Your senses are slightly more accurate,

it's actually on at £595,000.

-OK.

-So...it shows how much you like it, that you valued it so highly.

At just under £600,000, it doesn't give you everything you want, but it's a really charming property.

-It's a beautiful property.

-It's beautiful.

You haven't seen all of it, so do explore the garden at the back

and there's a few rooms inside that we haven't seen.

-OK.

-We will do.

-You go around and I'll see you at the front.

-Thanks.

So, well under budget at £595,000,

this delightful property has a great deal going for it.

There's a characterful lounge, a kitchen/diner with utility room,

three bedrooms, a double car port for Stephen's sporty motors

and fantastic views in that dog-friendly garden.

I thought the gardens were absolutely superb.

We would enjoy sitting in those and having

the surrounding fields next to the property.

I don't have to do any maintenance to those and we can just watch the horses.

I think one of the boxes it didn't tick was the outbuildings.

I know you can't have everything.

At the moment, we're not sure how important those outbuildings are,

but with this property we wouldn't be able to do anything there.

The look of the house, it's a perfect chocolate-box cottage - who wouldn't love it?

I like it being a Grade 2 listed building,

but my only concern would be that if we found later on

that we wanted a bit more space, we wouldn't be able to extend, I don't think.

It's a massive porch. You could turn this into the annexe.

-It would solve all their problems. Hello!

-Hi.

-Are you all done?

-Yes.

-Pull the door too, because I have another property to show you.

-OK.

There's no shortage of dramatic coastline in Sussex,

but Beachy Head takes some beating.

The highest chalk cliff in Britain, it stands at 162 metres,

with panoramic views of nearby towns Eastbourne and Hastings

and the English Channel.

Just a couple of miles up the road is the village of East Dean,

where you might expect to see a summer game of cricket in action.

But here, the locals are just as likely to be playing

the traditional Sussex sport of stoolball,

which dates back to the 15th century.

As sporty Stephen and Suzanne are keen to try something with a local flavour,

we've arranged for them to meet Kay Price, the chairperson of Stoolball England,

who's been playing the game since she was nine years old.

-Hello, Suzanne, I'm Kate.

-Hi, I'm Steve, nice to meet you.

Where does stoolball get its name from?

I think it comes from the milkmaid's stool

because it definitely has a country ancestry.

We understand that probably the milkmaids sat on the stool

and defended the wicket.

What they used for a ball, I have no idea.

But one has horrible thoughts about pieces of dung

flung together to begin with.

Who knows? And then graduated to stoolball as we know it today.

What do you use for the equipment now?

Well, this is a typical wicket.

As you can see, it's now become a square

instead of the round of a milkmaid's stool,

and the bowler aims at this and tries to bowl you out.

This is a typical bat. It's made of willow, and that is a stoolball.

It's a hard ball, it's got cork in the middle

and leather round the outside.

-So how was it played?

-When the ball is bowled, you hit it to the off.

You have leg strokes to the leg side, straight drives,

any strokes you like.

You bowl from 10 yards away. Ball underarm, like rounders.

-Can anyone play this?

-Yes, anyone can play it.

-Join us and I'm sure you'll enjoy the evening.

-OK.

The game of stoolball involves two teams of 11,

one batting and one fielding,

with each over consisting of eight balls.

The sport's golden age was in the 17th century,

but its big revival came in 1917,

due to Major William Grantham of the 6th Royal Sussex Regiment.

He suggested it as a game for soldiers recuperating from injuries sustained in the Great War.

In this same year, a stoolball match

was played at Lord's for the first time.

It was finally recognised as a sport by the Sports Council in 2008,

and today there are 258 teams taking part in league matches

in various counties, ranging from the West Midlands to Kent.

Yes!

LAUGHING AND CHEERING

I thank you.

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

-It was thoroughly enjoyable.

-Brilliant.

-Really good.

-Well done.

Time now to head back to the house search

and see if I can bowl them over with our next property.

We've travelled to Crowborough, a rural market town in East Sussex

which is around 13 miles away from the South Downs.

It's packed with pretty pastel houses

and has a high street full of amenities, including a local pub.

Just over a mile outside the town is property number two -

a former farmhouse believed to date back to the 1750s.

Here, we have house number two.

Instant first reactions.

Lovely, fantastic setting.

I love the setting.

-I just want to actually get up the hill to actually see the view.

-Yeah.

I'm intrigued.

There's lots of things to talk about here, not least of all this.

-Because this whole building at the side is yours too.

-Ah.

So you've got a huge space which has planning for residential use.

So this is a place where you can put your mark. Does that scare you at all?

-Not in the slightest.

-No, I think

we'd be up for a challenge like that.

We see it is a good project to do together, that would be great.

One of Stephen and Suzanne's top priorities in their joint project is a great view.

So we're climbing the hill to see exactly what's on offer here.

The property has always been associated with a fruit farm,

so these apple trees are kind of in keeping.

-They're lovely.

-They're right at top of the garden.

You can see the view that could be yours...

were it not for those tall trees at the front of your garden.

But those big trees all belong to you,

and there's no tree protection order.

-OK.

-But that would free up a great deal of the viewage.

-It would.

-It's lovely looking out to the hill beyond.

-Yes, it is.

Suzanne, I'm noticing a distinct lessening of the...

"Oh, I'm so excited!" factor.

I think it's because I can't actually see the view.

We can develop a house, subject to planning permission

and the ideas that we come up with, but we can't develop a view.

And if the view isn't behind those trees,

then it will be the wrong location for us.

With Suzanne not totally convinced by the potential of the view,

I'm hoping that the inside of this property might

bring back some of that excitement for her.

Here we are, inside the house. You go straight into the dining room.

-This is very sweet, isn't it?

-Good size, very good size.

We don't normally have just a stand-alone dining room,

so I'm wondering where the kitchen is,

as to whether it can be knocked into one.

You're already knocking down walls. That's a good thing.

Let's look at the kitchen, which is straight from here. Mind the step.

So here we are. It probably requires your special touch.

-But doable.

-Definitely.

-Yes. And I don't know whether we can...

That wall. We both thought exactly the same thing.

You have probably got your sledgehammers out.

Take it straight through into one, yeah.

It's not a listed building, so you can move things around.

There's not many of the original features.

The range cooker does the heating, so it has to be on in the summer.

-As you can feel, it's warm.

-Yes, it's warm.

Clearly, it's a happy house already

and it's got a very nice feel to it and I already feel

that I could be in here with the dogs and everything else.

You can feel there's potential in this place,

and that's how we felt with the last place.

So the kitchen has worked its magic on Suzanne, and both of them

are already picturing themselves living here, which is great news.

Now we're moving on to the lounge area,

which is another room I expect they'll feel equally at home in.

This is a nice, sunny room.

It is. It's a lovely size as well.

-One of the things we both like are the windows.

-Yes.

Nice big windows.

And if my master plan with the trees goes OK,

then you could sit here and just see across.

-Hmm.

-Yes.

-What do you think about the beams in this one?

Ideally, in his house, it wouldn't be a crime to actually paint them.

So that's what we'd probably intend to do if we bought this place.

-Not a big issue here, I don't think.

-No.

I'm more interested in this whole frontage here.

This property has four bedrooms, all quite generously sized,

with lots of natural light, which is something

Stephen and Suzanne will appreciate.

There is also a family bathroom.

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

This is the biggest of the four bedrooms you've got up here.

A classic upstairs cottage bedroom, really.

It's nice that it's the bigger room, because it's got the view.

Clearly, the thing that springs to mind, looking around,

no ensuite, is there a room next door that simply becomes the ensuite?

Yes, there's actually a corridor down here,

so you'd have to rejig things.

-Have a wander around later on and get your sketch pads out.

-OK.

-OK.

-Great.

-It suits us, it suits us.

I'm pleased they're open-minded to the idea of renovating this property,

but will the asking price suit their budget?

Out here onto the front lawn.

But, just in terms of money,

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

I think it's up to £625,000.

What about you, Suzanne?

I think it's £550,000.

Once again, Stephen is more in the right ballpark.

Not quite right, it's actually on the market at £600,000.

Why not look inside the outbuilding and see what you can do with that,

-and I'll see you round the front?

-OK.

-That's what we'll do.

So, well within their budget at £600,000,

this property has almost everything they asked for and more.

There is a large kitchen area, with plenty of room for the dogs,

four bedrooms, good views, with the potential for even better ones,

a huge outbuilding, which could be developed,

a spacious garage,

and it's all set in a lovely secluded location.

-Oh, this is really big.

-Gosh, this is a very nice size, isn't it?

-Yes.

We could do a lot with this.

Yes, you could actually make it a really good living area

-cos then you'd get the views.

-You would.

-A bigger window down there.

There are several pluses to this property.

Of course, one is the outhouse. I was surprised how big it was,

and you could convert that into a nice two-storey building,

perhaps suitable for Suzanne's parents to come and live in.

Really lovely.

I love the brickwork and the windows and the plot that it sits in.

The views, I have to take Alistair's word for it at the moment,

and I'm sure there are some lovely views behind the trees.

I'm yet to find that out.

-Perfect timing, all done?

-All done.

-Yeah.

-Very good.

-Right, the day is over, let's reflect.

-OK.

As dusk falls over the beautiful Sussex countryside,

day one of our property search draws to a close.

Stephen and Suzanne have been living in

and renovating their home in a busy part of Surrey for the past year,

but are now seeking a property with stunning views in Sussex.

So far, we've show them two very different houses, but coming up,

our mystery property could be the one that steals their hearts.

I'm thinking where we're going to put the furniture. I'm planning it already.

And I found out more about one of Britain's most famous battles.

Quite a soggy morning after yesterday's brilliant sunshine.

I hope it's not going to dampen Stephen and Suzanne's enthusiasm

because they were quite positive about the houses yesterday,

although I don't think we quite gave them what they were looking for, which is a view.

The mystery house has views, but it also comes with a catch.

In terms of East Sussex,

has this confirmed that this is the right area for you two?

-Yes, I feel so.

-Yes.

You've shown us some areas

that we actually haven't been to before at all.

We definitely want to come back and explore it more...

with the dogs.

And even in this pouring rain, it's still a very beautiful county, so yeah, definitely.

We've travelled five miles north-east of Haywards Heath,

which is close to the West Sussex village of Horsted Keynes.

Lying on the edge of the Weald,

under 10 miles from the South Downs, it has all the necessary amenities,

including a shop and a choice of historic pubs.

The mystery property is within a huge Victorian country house,

set in the idyllic location of Ashdown Forest.

It's one of seven apartments, so the space will be shared

by a number of neighbours, something they may not be keen on.

And turn and look now.

Wow! That's fantastic. BOTH LAUGHING

-You guys are amazing.

-That's fantastic.

-It's not all ours, is it?

-It's sadly not.

-OK.

This is a very unusual property, and it is set in these 18 acres

of communal ground, including your own swimming pool...

-heated.

-Wow!

So this is a perfect place, but it is a communal place.

Well, that hasn't put me off at all at the moment.

-No.

-Not at all, we just haven't thought of it. I love it.

It's beautiful.

I'm just intrigued to know which part you're going to show us.

Which bit would you like?

-I quite like...

-I like the bit on the end.

-Yes.

That's good, that's the bit I want to show you.

THEY LAUGH

I can breathe a sigh of relief.

They're obviously enraptured by this property,

and the fact that it has neighbours doesn't seem to bother them.

And the love story could very well continue

once we get out of the rain and see the inside.

And our brollies.

Step straight into your...

-Oh!

-Oh!

Into your living room.

-Wow! I love this.

-I love it.

Where's the contract?

-It's perfect.

-That's what we like to hear.

It's breathtaking, it's elegant, stylish,

but there's also quirkiness.

It's not just flat walls, there's the bay window,

lovely fireplace.

-I can see us living here, definitely.

-Yes.

-It's wonderful.

-I'm just thinking where we're going to put the furniture now, I'm planning it already.

-OK.

Well, who can blame them for falling for this unique property

after only seeing one room? I think they'll agree,

the kitchen is pretty special too.

-This is fantastic.

-Very different. Obviously very modern.

-But it works very well, doesn't it?

-I can see us living here.

-Really clever.

-I can see us in here.

-Yes, so can I.

-No problem at all.

You've got a worktop and you're looking out onto the gardens through beautiful windows.

It's definitely not a country kitchen.

It's...no.

I wasn't looking for country kitchen at all, I was looking for views.

And you've done this in a lovely-sized kitchen as well.

I'm having my hand squeezed again. LAUGHTER

I just have a feeling this is going to be snapped up very quickly.

-Before the end of the tour.

-Yes.

-Quite possibly, I think.

Better get a move on.

A stunning result with the contemporary kitchen

and those wonderful views.

Downstairs, there's also a stylishly modern cloakroom.

But we're heading upstairs,

where on the first floor are two bright and spacious double bedrooms,

the largest of which has a modern ensuite.

This is...well, this is being used as the master bedroom.

-Simply because it has all these views.

-Doesn't it just!

-Rather nice, these box windows, quite unusual.

-Speechless again.

I love it, absolutely love it.

This is a lovely, lovely light room,

-three windows in here. Perfect.

-Lovely.

-Absolutely perfect.

-It is all about this view.

-It is.

Well, great views were top of their list of priorities

and this house really delivers, as they are about to find out.

We're heading up again to the second floor,

which houses a large third bedroom, currently being used as a study,

which has its own adjoining shower room.

However, there's one last surprise.

There's also an exit to the roof terrace.

Umbrellas time again, I'm afraid.

I say, look at this!

So you're one of the only properties to have a little terrace.

-Good gracious!

-It's extremely private.

-We weren't expecting this.

And views all the way down over Ashdown Forest.

Obviously on a clear day you can see for miles.

-We said we wanted a view, you've certainly given that to us.

-Yes.

-It's magnificent.

-It really is.

We're blown away with this.

So it's a big pile of property, there's lots to it.

But let's talk money. Do you think you can afford it?

How much is it going to cost?

This is where I hope you guys haven't been cruel.

It's going to be the top end of our budget, so £650,000.

-I think it's over the top end, I think it's £690,000.

-Right.

Well, in this instance, Suzanne, you are right.

It's actually on the market at £650,000.

I'm really glad to hear that.

We love it. We absolutely love it, don't we?

-I think we're off to the estate agent.

-Well, it's that way.

-Have a wander around and I'll see you downstairs.

-Thanks.

-OK.

Another very successful house tour.

Right at the top end of their budget at £650,000,

this amazing property really appeals to them.

It has a fantastic, contemporary kitchen-diner, three bedrooms,

a share of 18 acres of communal grounds,

perfect for walking the dogs in, a swimming pool

and stunning views over the local countryside.

Well, Stephen and I have already moved in,

so I think that sums up how we feel, well, how I feel about this house.

Eureka!

You have given us a view, absolutely fantastic.

Even in the pouring rain, this view took my breath away.

When you think about it, the more it makes sense for us.

With regards our lifestyle, we want to do a fair bit of travelling,

and to have a lock-and-go and not have a large garden

to maintain yourselves, actually makes an awful lot of sense.

I can see myself living here.

I feel at home in this kitchen, and I don't really want to leave.

Right, before you rush to the estate agent and place your offer,

-let's regroup and have some thinking time.

-OK.

Battle Abbey, in East Sussex, is on the spot where, almost 1,000 years ago,

English history was changed for ever with the Battle of Hastings.

It was an event of such magnitude that it placed a foreign ruler

on the throne, altering our language and very way of life.

It's pretty peaceful and quiet today, but on 14 October 1066,

these fields were alive with the roar of two opposing armies.

We had King Harold up on the ridge

and William, Duke of Normandy, down the.

That day turned out to be one of the longest battles ever fought on British soil -

10 hours of fighting, with no quarter given or taken.

King Harold and the English formed a shield wall along this ridge,

which gave them the advantage,

and early in the day there was a rumour among the Normans

that William had been killed, which spread panic through the ranks.

William, sensing that his men were losing heart,

rode through the rank and file with his face uncovered,

thus showing that he was still alive.

That gave them the impetus to make a counter-attack

that pierced through the Saxon defence wall and gained them victory.

It was during these last exchanges that King Harold was killed,

by an arrow to the eye if you believe popular folklore.

And in the very place where Harold met his fate,

I'm here to meet Rosemary Nicolaou of English Heritage.

-Hi, Rosemary.

-Hello, Alistair.

-So this is the spot.

This is the spot where Harold is said to have been killed.

The arrow in the eye?

He was supposedly injured by an arrow in the eye,

but he was actually hacked to death by four of the William's knights.

Ah, really?

So this is the point, and then they built a church on top of it.

Was that to celebrate it?

William had gained support from the Pope,

and the Pope ordered, in 1070, I believe, that he would have to atone

for all the deaths that he had caused in his invasion in England.

So he did build an abbey here then. He personally funded it.

-So it was a sort of penance.

-It was as a penance.

The stone for the abbey's construction was brought over

from France, probably as a deliberate ploy by the Normans

to show their new dominance over the English.

Today, the most complete remains are those of the monastery,

which was home to a silent order of Benedictine monks for over 400 years.

This is the monastery. This would have been the novices' room.

They got up to some very dodgy things.

There were said to be tunnels that went to the local pub, which was the brothel underneath here.

-And tunnels into the town.

-A-ha, so they had mistresses.

Yes, at the dissolution of the monastery,

a lot of them actually went out to live with their families that were out in the town.

The dissolution of the monasteries

was ordered by Henry VIII between 1536 and 1540,

partly as an act of retribution for the Pope not agreeing

to his divorce from Catherine of Aragon,

but also because the monasteries had grown all powerful.

So their assets were seized and many of their buildings destroyed.

What was left on this site after the destruction

was turned into a private house.

One of the surviving structures is the impressive gatehouse,

which dates back to 1338.

You must live, breathe and eat 1066, running this place.

Is it still an important thing for British people?

It is because really it's the start of a national curriculum

that children learn about in history.

So, very important, and everyone remembers the date 1066.

-Thanks very much, Rosemary, it's been a pleasure.

-My pleasure, thank you.

All that Norman and Anglo-Saxon history hasn't distracted me

from the property history that's being made

as Stephen and Suzanne decide which of the three houses

they're going to proceed on, or think about proceeding on.

There's the thatched cottage, the project with the "almost view".

And then there's the shared ownership of the Victorian mansion.

Which one will it be?

Well, what a week.

-It's been an amazing journey, hasn't it, the last few days?

-It has.

It's my duty to go through all the houses, including the first one,

which got a rather knockout first impression from you, Suzanne.

Yes, it was a beautiful, beautiful house.

I could see us living there, but it didn't have the view.

Yes, it was nestled at the bottom of a valley,

-wasn't it?

-Yes, yes.

I liked the first house very much.

I think the extension that the owners had done was absolutely superb.

The gardens were absolutely gorgeous,

and for me, I could see myself living there,

but if I could pick it up and move it

probably 50 metres over the other side of the little lane,

that would have had some very good views.

The second house, a very different offering.

Lovely, lovely house,

great potential to turn it into a fantastic home.

It had the outbuilding, again we could really stamp our mark on that.

But I couldn't see us living there. Again, there wasn't a view.

-You're singing from the same song sheet?

-Yes, very much so.

I think halfway round, I pretty much decided this would be

a building project, and a very nice one to do as well.

But not a place Suzanne and I were going to call our dream house to settle down in.

Tell me about the mystery house.

Well, I don't think it would come as a huge shock to you

-if I said I absolutely adored the property.

-No, it wouldn't.

I think I gave away quite a bit there.

It's lovely, yeah, really felt very comfortable in there.

Lovely high ceilings, clean lines, could really see us living there.

-Is that unanimous?

-Absolutely.

There's no question that absolutely caught us by surprise

and straight between the eyes, I think, that one.

And what about the communal living thing? It's not your own house, you're not detached.

Yes, it feels detached.

You just don't feel as if you're living on top of other people,

and I think it's because of the view that you have,

looking out of all those windows.

18 acres of land that's kept for us, maintained, fantastic!

Well, you've bought lots of properties before.

What's going to happen next? What's your plan of attack?

Well, we've already spoken to the estate agents,

and we're having some details on the lease sent through to us later on.

And we are going back down next week to actually

look at the property again

and have a good look at the surrounding countryside,

exactly where it's situated.

Great, so you think it could be a goer?

-For sure.

-I'll be very disappointed if it's not.

-Oh, well, so will I!

I really hope it goes ahead. It would be wonderful to see you there.

I think the property suits you both, and I wish you all the best.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

Look at that - another property search nailed by the mystery house.

Although I have to surmise that Stephen and Suzanne

were probably just as swayed by the beautiful East Sussex countryside.

If you've enjoyed our adventures in rural Britain,

then make sure you join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

After further consideration,

Stephen and Suzanne decided not to go for our mystery property.

So their Sussex house hunt continues.

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

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