North Devon Escape to the Country

You really know that spring has sprung when these little chaps start showing their little yellow faces.

Primroses, of course, are common all over the UK, but did you know which part of Britain

has chosen them as their county flower? Well, you will in a moment.

On today's show, I'll be hoping we can cook up a dream property

for a pair of baking enthusiasts.

And early on, one of our homes is almost the icing on the cake.

Hmm, could be on to a winner here. THEY LAUGH

But then the mystery house rises to the occasion.

Wow!

-I said I wasn't going to say "wow".

-THEY LAUGH

We always manage to get a wow out of people.

Today, we're in north Devon, and it was here, 10 years ago, that the Devonians voted

the humble primrose to be their floral emblem.

And you understand why,

because the hedgerows are thick with it in these spring months,

and that's partly to do with the moist soil here and the very temperate climate.

And here is an interesting primrose fact, cos I know you want one.

There are 30 species native to the UK, but more than 1,000 worldwide.

But there's more to Devon than just pretty flowers.

Lying in the Southwest of England, Devon shares its Eastern border

with the counties of Somerset and Dorset.

The county is a Mecca for adventure lovers, and close to Devon's coast

is the Tarka Trail, a 31-mile foot and cycle path.

The trail runs from Braunton to Meeth,

via Barnstable and Bideford,

winding along old branch railway lines that were closed in the 1960s.

Further east,

the Exmoor National Park covers an area of 267 square miles,

making it one of England's smallest parks.

However, it supports great diversity,

with its landscapes ranging from moorland to green valleys.

It's also home to the Exmoor pony, a breed which is thought to have roamed free here

since the 11th century.

Generally, in Devon, your money goes further up here in the north coast than it does down south.

And that's largely to do with transport links.

It's trickier by road and rail to get to pretty little coastal towns like this one, Instow,

than it is their southern equivalents, because they have big railway links and motorways.

Still, the whole county is pretty expensive.

The average price for a detached house here

is £290,000 at the moment.

That's £35,000 above the national average.

Still, it's a good time to be buying,

because house prices are at their lowest since 2009.

Devon offers a varied mix of architectural styles.

In the popular coastal villages and ports, the price of a two-bedroom period cottage

can start at around £200,000.

Of course, those prized houses with sea views can cost up to 50% more.

Inland, the Devon longhouse is found throughout the county.

Often dating back to the 15th century,

these invariably have thatched roofs.

Prices for these historic homes can range from £500,000 to well over £1 million.

But Devon is perhaps best known for the chocolate box-style cottages

in the county's valleys and hamlets.

For a slice of this rural dream,

expect to pay from around £230,000 to about £500,000.

Devon has many architectural riches, but are they riches that would interest today's buyers?

Let's meet them.

Bob and Sue, his wife of 17 years,

met at work in the Ministry of Defence IT department,

and have been living in their modern four-bedroom home in Bicester, Oxfordshire for over a decade.

But their escape to the country has been on the cards for long while.

We've been looking to move for probably about three years now.

And we've looked at...

Physically looked at about half-a-dozen houses,

and on the internet, we've looked at hundreds.

And having lived in towns and in sort of rural locations,

it is definitely the countryside that we want to move into.

Bob will continue to work from home for a while,

but, as Sue has recently closed her cake decorating business,

she's a free agent,

and looking forward to a more peaceful lifestyle.

I dream of a quieter life.

Something with a bit less hassle, bit this traffic.

I'd like to be able to walk my dogs on the beach compared with

walking them around a busy MoD town.

And it's the west of England that has cast its spell on them.

We really love north Devon, because you drive along the road...

Once you get off the M5, you drive along that road towards Barnstaple

on the road between Barnstaple and Bideford,

and you feel that all of your cares have gone. It's a real...

-SHE SIGHS

-..sort of feeling. And that's the feeling I want to have every day.

Along with a minimum of three bedrooms,

there's a shortlist of priorities for their future home.

I do need a study. Or the ability to make one.

We dabble a bit in vegetable growing, though, but only on a small scale,

so we want to expand the sort of vegetable growing.

And the large garden also needs to be able to have either

an outbuilding for Mum so that we can annexe it at some stage in the future,

or be able to have a sort of lodge-style building.

So, the size of the garden is very important to us.

And growing veg aside,

there are definite plans for making their hobbies work for them.

I like making cakes.

I have been doing that for 25 years as a business,

and I've made over 20,000 cakes.

Mainly weddings, birthdays, christenings,

but I will still be making cakes.

One of the things that I've been getting into recently is bread baking.

And that's one of the things that I definitely want to do when we move.

And coupled with Sue's cake making,

we think that we can get involved in farmers' markets

and hopefully, you know, hobbies that we enjoy.

Also, that'll be getting involved in the local community,

and maybe even they'll pay for themselves.

With money in mind, it's time to pinpoint the budget.

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

If we found something that had an annexe already done,

we may be able to push to £450,000.

Bob and Sue are particularly interested in finding a new property

in the Bideford or Barnstable area of Devon.

And I caught up with them in its wonderful landscape

to discover more about what they're looking for.

-So, Bob and Sue, welcome to lovely Devon.

-Thank you!

-You're a Devon boy, aren't you?

-I am indeed, yes.

I left Devon when I was 17 to join the army, and haven't been back.

And I think it's about time I came home.

And what are your sort of top priorities for the property?

Erm, I'm looking for a bit of character, so, you know, from my Devon roots.

I remember travelling around the countryside and seeing these beautiful Devon houses,

so I'd like something with a bit of age, with a bit of character.

And I'd really like a large kitchen/diner.

We have an eating kitchen/diner at the moment, so I'd quite like to keep that.

I mean, you've got a budget of how much?

Well, £400,000 if you could find us something that's got

an outbuilding that maybe we could convert later on.

-That's for your mum?

-That's for my mum, yeah.

My mum will come and join us eventually, I think, but it's not essential now.

-Does the budget stretch for that annexe?

-It will stretch.

-If we have an annexe already done, we can go to 450.

-Right.

Well, that's a good, healthy budget for this part of the world,

and there are some beautiful properties that we found for you.

-So, come with me.

-Oh, we're very excited.

-Excellent, thank you.

For their absolute maximum budget of £450,000,

Bob and Sue would like a character property with a minimum of...

We'll be showing them around three properties carefully selected with their demands in mind.

And at each one, I'll ask them to guess the price before I reveal it.

One of these is of course our mystery house,

where, if they're lucky, they can have their cake and eat it.

So, let's hit the road.

Sue, the dog walking is quite a key factor in the whole lifestyle thing, isn't it?

It is, yes. We've got two collies,

so one who is fairly active and one who is very active.

So, yeah, they definitely need two walks a day,

so it is a consideration for us.

We've made the journey around seven miles northeast of Barnstaple, to the village of Loxhore.

Set in stunning countryside which is perfect for walking with the dogs,

this location has a small but thriving community

based around an active village hall committee.

Our first property is a Grade II listed barn conversion,

that was originally part of an 18th century dairy farm

and is constructed from local stone and slate.

Here we have house number one.

-Wow.

-It's lovely.

-That's certainly got some character, hasn't it?

-It has character.

-Yeah, it's lovely and quiet.

-I'm impressed.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

It's lovely. I love the stone. The stone is beautiful. Can't wait to go inside.

-Yeah.

-Very excited.

-I'm not going to make you wait.

-Thank you.

The inside of this property, which was fully renovated 15 years ago,

still retains as much stunning character as the exterior,

something I'm sure Bob and Sue will appreciate.

Here we get the full...

feeling of the property.

-It's a nice size.

-It's lovely. I love the beams.

-Love the beams, yes.

Yeah, this is actually one piece of wood.

-Of, well, a tree, basically, split in two.

-Wow!

-Amazing.

It's got that mix of the modern with the old, with the beams especially.

-So, it is a nice, symmetrical room. I like it.

-And here, which is nice,

this is where would've driven in the carriages,

but it makes a nice, sunny window and you can open those out.

-Beautiful.

-It's lovely.

-Hmm.

-Gin and tonic in the evening on the terrace.

-Exactly.

-Yeah, yeah, sounds nice.

They're already imagining relaxing here, which is a great start.

And just past this games room area, which could work well as a home office,

we come to the all-important kitchen.

-Wow!

-Oh, yes!

-This is lovely.

-Definitely.

-Really nice.

-This is gorgeous.

-I like the floor. Great for the dogs. Love the cooker.

-And there's lots of work space.

-And we've got a large kitchen table,

so plenty of room for that for dining, really. Our friends, and...

We do a lot of socialising and always intend to go in the dining room,

but always end up staying in the kitchen.

-Well, there is quite a big sort of utility room, and that goes through into the double garage.

-OK.

So there's potential there about maybe expanding the floor plan a little bit.

-Mm-hmm.

-But that's pretty much the downstairs.

-It's quite a simple layout. It's three big rooms really.

-It's lovely.

-Yeah.

-Really nice.

-As you say, it's compact,

but it has everything we need.

So, it's all positive on the ground floor.

Meanwhile, upstairs, there are three generously-sized double bedrooms,

two of which are currently being used for children.

And one with plenty of storage with its built-in double wardrobe.

There's also a spacious family bathroom.

But we're heading for the room Bob and Sue who could call their own.

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, wow!

-This is pretty.

-Goodness!

-Got some pretty wacky lights in the ceiling.

-Oh, yeah!

-I'm not sure about the work to take them out, but...

-They do change colour.

-Wow.

Oh, might keep them then!

-It's a lovely size.

-It's a good space, definitely. Yeah.

I mean, you've got three big-sized rooms.

-This one does have an en suite shower room.

-Mm-hmm.

-And lots of...

Lots of storage. I think I might get my clothes in there.

-There's no room for yours!

-Thank you!

-No room for yours(!)

You've got three other rooms, cos I know that you have a lot.

-I need them, yeah!

-But in terms of looking ahead to your mum moving in,

that's a slight issue, because there isn't an obvious annexe.

But, let's have a look on the outside and see what possibility there is,

cos we can buy a lodge and place it on part of the land.

-So, there's an option.

-I like your thinking. That leads me neatly outside.

Bob is spot on, and outside there's plenty of room for them to build a lodge and grow vegetables.

Mainly laid to lawn, the garden has spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

And there's also a pond and a decked patio area,

which is ideal for alfresco socialising.

All of this up here is yours.

So, there's about two thirds of an acre.

It's a lovely size. And it's wonderful for the dogs.

And certainly, it still gives us

the option to put a lodge on one part of the land for Mum.

-Mm. Definitely potential.

-Depending on price, of course.

So, what do you think the price is?

-I'm going to be a bit conservative and say 385.

-Sue?

I would say it's probably closer to our first budget, so around 400.

You've been watching the show more. You are exactly right.

It's actually on the market for £400,000.

But we knew that to get the annexe we would have to stretch our budget.

So, why don't you have a look around inside,

-and I'll see you at the front.

-OK.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

A very good first house. Tested the water, I think they were very keen on the kitchen.

I wonder whether the annexe will be a deal breaker.

But we've got two more houses after this one, so wait and see.

On the market at £400,000,

this house has plenty of character as well as...

Liked the flow of the house.

The kitchen was lovely.

Lots of worktop, plenty of room for our table.

There's plenty of options

for bedrooms and studies etc that I would need.

The one thing that it hasn't got, of course, is an annexe.

We'd have to look into that.

Up here, up in the corner, it's a bit secluded.

-We could put the lodge for Mum here.

-Definitely.

-Clear this whole area,

then she's got a large garden area that she could tend herself.

She likes pottering around with her pots and things, doesn't she?

Yeah, exactly. BELL RINGS

Should be one of these in every house! Guys, are you done?

-Yes, I think so.

-Come on out, pull the door behind you.

-Big smiles?

-Yes.

-Yes, good smiles?

-Really good start.

-Very nice.

Good, well, let's go and see the next one.

Many of the towns that hug north Devon's dramatic coastline

became popular holiday destinations in the late Georgian and early Victorian era.

A prime example is Ilfracombe,

where the grand 18th and 19th century villas, terraces and whitewashed houses

are a vivid architectural reminder of its mass expansion at that time.

A few miles further along the coast in Hele Bay is a historic water mill,

which today is still producing flour.

We sent them along to get a taste of the flour production process,

from current millers David and Kathy Jones,

who escaped to the country themselves several years ago.

I think you're very brave to take on such a mammoth task.

It's quite a responsibility, isn't it, to safeguard this for future generations.

Well, if it's your passion, then it's not such a chore.

I look after the maintenance of the mill and its history,

and Kathy, she looks after the tea rooms and the cottages.

-And we're both enjoying our new roles.

-Yeah, it's good.

This Grade II listed water mill dates back to at least 1525.

It became derelict after the Second World War,

but was rescued in 1973 and is now a working museum.

Its 18 foot cast-iron overshot water wheel runs on water that flows

-from the local valley.

-With all mills, one of the problems is that

when there isn't enough water, there isn't enough wind,

then you have to have other means of power to generate them.

And in our case, we have a big old National engine from the 1920s,

all connected with belts all the way through the mill

via the water wheel, so it acts as a giant flywheel.

Back to the stones, so we can mill when there is no water whatsoever.

-Of course, that's going to add to your costs, because water is free.

-Exactly, exactly.

I don't think our mill will ever be one of the ones that actually makes its money out of flour.

Because we use only organic grain,

we have to go quite far afield to get our product.

-Would you like to see the wheel turning round?

-Would be fascinated.

-Definitely.

OK, let's open up the top gate.

And now, after a couple of seconds, the water will come down.

Hits the bucket, so you can just hear it in the background.

-And after a couple of seconds, we're underway.

-Well, there she goes!

And now you can hear in the background, they're the drive belts.

They would drive other pieces of machinery,

so you'll be able to sieve the grain from all the wheat from the chaff.

The grain is processed through shoots down into a hopper,

and then into a device called a shoe.

This is shaken at a speed of 110 revs per minute.

The grain then slowly falls into the stones, where it's ground into flour.

Keen baker Bob couldn't wait to get hands-on with the milling process.

And what you're always looking for is if there's any small seeds

that have made it through the sieving process.

So, you're looking for something that doesn't look like wheat.

-Will you be monitoring that all the time?

-All the time. All the time.

-Pour in a handful of grain, and then just check for seeds.

-OK.

Because, being an organic product, it hasn't been so heavily refined

and you still find elements of the field

which have still made it into the sack of wheat.

Once it's ready, Sue is standing by to collect the finished product.

You're weighing to the yellow mark, and then we're going to bag that up.

So, your very first bag of flour. Well done.

David's wife Kathy has cooked up a treat with the flour in the kitchen,

preparing a traditional Devon tea with wholemeal scones.

Proper Devon cream tea.

From the mill to the mouth.

Bob and Sue have definitely got a flavour of what it could be like

to run their own small baking business right here in Devon.

For our second property,

we're travelling around ten miles southeast of Barnstaple

to the edge of the village of Umberleigh,

a community of pretty, whitewashed cottages

sitting in the attractive rural setting of the Taw Valley.

The local residents have access to nearby towns via the Tarka Line,

an hourly rail service that joins Barnstaple and Exeter.

And there's also a good range of amenities, such as a village hall for social gatherings,

a post office and an antiques shop.

Considering its proximity to the Tarka Line,

our second house is unsurprisingly an old railway workers' cottage,

which is constructed from local stone and dates back to 1880.

-This is probably one of the best approaches that I've done on the show.

-It's very pretty.

Gorgeous, isn't it? It's absolutely stunning.

-It's very, very pretty.

-House number two!

-Could be on to a winner here.

It's quaint, it's...

probably everything that I would tick from the outside.

It's a beautiful property, but it also has options for the annexe.

We'll talk about the ones in house, but it also has this amazing,

beautiful old stone-built hay barn.

And it's not listed.

So, there's much more flexibility

in what you can do here than in the first property.

-Definitely.

-Very pretty.

-Definitely.

-Shall we take a peek inside?

-Yes, please.

-Yes.

'It would be hard to beat this home for kerb appeal,

'and I think we could be on to a real winner with the kitchen/diner.'

Come on in.

-Straight into the kitchen/diner this time.

-Oh!

-Wow!

-This is lovely.

-Yeah, exactly what we're looking for.

I mean, the island, I love.

I can imagine, you know, baking bread and working on that surface.

So, yeah, this is still a hit.

-Yes, lovely. Yes.

-You could do some good baking in here?

Definitely. Nice big space here.

And if you come this way, this is sort of a mezzanine floor

above a sort of double height dining room.

And then you've got this beautiful sort of astral glass.

-Oh, yeah! Very clever.

-Arched door there.

-Makes it very light in here.

-Very light.

-Doesn't it?

And then upstairs is a sort of TV room, sitting room.

-Could make a nice study.

-Could be. You're very quiet.

Is that because you're bowled over, or because you're thinking?

I'm just taking it all in.

Hmm. OK! THEY LAUGH

Could it be that Bob is keener on this property than Sue?

Let's see if the sitting room can get her talking.

Oh, it's very sweet.

It is. Very cosy, isn't it? It's an interesting shape.

I like the quirkiness of it.

All the little nooks and crannies.

Often, these railway cottages were just one single space.

And they've divided it up and remodelled it over the years.

-But I think we've done a really nice job keeping kind of quite spacious proportions.

-Mm.

Also on this floor is a boot room,

handy after those long walks with the dogs.

It adjoins a shower room with a lovely flagstone floor.

Along from here, there's another room with a log burner,

which is currently being used as a bedroom. On the first floor,

there are two further bedrooms with original oak flooring and enough space for a double bed in each.

There's also a charming family bathroom with a freestanding bath,

as well as a master bedroom for Bob and Sue.

It's the biggest of the three upstairs.

-That's not a bad size, actually.

-No, it's not bad at all.

So, there are three bedrooms upstairs and there is what they call a fourth bedroom downstairs.

Which could be an office or... Well, up to you, really, what you want it for.

Potentially a bedroom for Mum, especially while we're waiting to do the outside, if we do that.

-Yeah.

-That's an option.

With Bob still mulling over the annexe possibilities,

we're heading to the garden, which covers around two thirds of an acre

and includes a walled vegetable garden.

Out we step.

-Now, what do you think of this sized garden?

-This is ideal.

Just the sort of veg gardening that I think I could handle

-and enjoy as a hobby.

-Now, let's talk about the annexe,

because you can see here a couple of options.

One possibility which I think might work is to extend out this way.

There's no listing on the building, so you could extend out this way.

That little lean-to there is where the downstairs bathroom is.

If they don't want to extend the house,

the other option for Sue's mum is the stone hay barn,

which, with the right permissions and some imagination, could work as a living space.

It's a beautiful building

and it could easily be something quite spectacular,

-but it's planning and cost.

-Mm.

But before you look round, I wanted to talk the price of this property.

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

I would think...

it's around 395.

I think this is a bit more than that, and I would say it's around 415.

-Well, with uncanny accuracy, you are spot on again.

-It's low!

-It's actually on at 395.

-It's only been on the week and there's been lots of interest.

-I'm not surprised, it's very pretty.

But why don't you have a look inside that building

-and look around the house, indeed, and I'll see you out the front in the sun.

-OK, thank you.

On the market for £395,000,

which is just within their budget for the house without that

ready-made annexe, this impressive property offers a good-sized...

..and an old hay barn, which is ripe for conversion

if they can get the right planning permissions.

The driveway is just gorgeous, and the property itself

is very good-looking.

And what a beautiful kitchen it is with that lovely island.

Everything was ticking the boxes at that stage.

The sitting room is OK. I could live with it.

But I was a bit disappointed in the upstairs space.

The outside space is fine

and the potential for my mum was definitely there.

-We could extend out here, to give us the room we needed for Mum.

-Yeah.

But also, I was thinking that if you really wanted to,

because the upstairs, as we said, is a bit small,

you could bring that all the way out and extend the whole house

and then we could have a larger bedroom with maybe an en suite.

Yeah, that's a definite option.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-Are you done?

-Yes.

-Did you see everything?

-I think so.

-Yes, I think we saw the whole house. Yes.

-Ready for a rest?

-Yes.

-Ah, that will be good!

As the sun sets over the stunning north Devon coastline,

we say farewell to a very promising first day of house-hunting.

Bob the baker and Sue the cake maker are cooking up plans

for a great escape from the town of Bicester to north Devon.

While they'll both be spending a lot of time in the kitchen,

Bob needs a study to work from home,

and they'd like and annexe for Sue's mum to join them later on.

So far, they've been bowled over by a barn conversion,

but not quite so swayed by a country cottage.

However, coming up,

the mystery house could be just the place for them to loaf around in.

-Imagine some cosy nights in here.

-Yeah, it's just...

I don't know what to say, really!

And my carriage awaits,

as I investigate a bygone transport of delights.

We're having the most phenomenal spring weather in Devon.

It's the sort of weather where I would buy any house that was put in front of me.

But Bob and Sue are showing much more restraint.

In fact, we were a bit surprised that they didn't love the house

we all thought they were going to love yesterday afternoon.

So, for the mystery house, we're swinging in a different direction.

Now, there are plenty of four-bedroom houses that they might like in Devon,

but this property offers them a certain special something that's going to beef up

their baking ambitions and also give their mum somewhere to live.

What do you think the mystery house is going to be?

At the moment, you've shown us two properties with annexe potential.

I think you may look at something that has an annexe already done,

which would probably either be at the top or maybe stretch our budget.

-We may.

-Yes!

We've travelled 19 miles inland from Barnstaple

to the large village of Lapford.

Set deep in sheep farming country, but still only 30 minutes drive from the coast.

This community has a range of pretty character cottages,

and a versatile post office which also provides banking facilities,

plants for sale, and dry cleaning.

There's also a 16th century pub, which is within walking distance of our mystery house.

This old bakery, dating back to 1790,

was still in use right up to the 1960s.

It could be perfect for Bob and Sue in so many ways, but there is one compromise.

This used to be... Guess what?

Think about what you do. What do you like to do?

-A bakery.

-It used to be the bakery!

And we thought that, "Now, we can't resist showing them this."

And the fascinating thing about this, or the great thing about this,

for you is that it has a fully functional annexe.

-Excellent.

-Fantastic.

-Excellent.

-Very excited.

-It's very pretty.

It's not something I would've picked to look at, but yeah,

it's very pretty and I love the village.

Lapford and this old bakery seem to have hit the mark.

'And as this home provides plenty of ingredients that Bob and Sue love,

'I think we should start our tour in their favourite place - the kitchen.'

Wow.

-I said I wasn't going to say "wow".

-THEY LAUGH

-Ha-ha, we always manage to get a wow out of people.

-Yeah.

I really like this. That floor's lovely.

It's gorgeous, isn't it?

There's just so much to see. I'm just trying to take it all in.

-Is it going to be big enough for you guys?

-Yeah, I would say so.

-I think so.

-There's plenty of work surface.

And an area for a table, if we needed it.

So, yeah, at the moment, I'm very happy.

It's the sweet smell of success for the kitchen,

and the sitting room could keep those smiles coming.

Wow. This is lovely.

Really, really... I said I wasn't going to say wow!

-Sorry. How many wows have you had already?

-Twice in one house!

And you do have some really spectacular beams running through.

-They are just beautiful.

-There are beautiful, aren't they? And a nice fireplace, an open fire.

That looks like... Oh, imagine some cosy nights in here.

-Yeah, it's just... I don't know what to say, really.

-Can't stop smiling!

And to ensure we keep them happy, I'm going to show them the three-storey annexe,

a potential space for Mum accessible through the sitting room area.

-Wow.

-Goodness!

-Mum would love this.

-Mm.

So you've got this kitchen sitting room with its own door onto the street.

-OK.

-And then upstairs there's a bathroom and bedroom, I suppose,

and then above that, there's another room.

The downside, I suppose, is that there are three sets of stairs for your mum.

-But she's quite spry at the moment?

-She is, yeah. Yeah, definitely.

And until the time that she decides to come to Devon,

you could also very easily rent it as a holiday let.

-That's a really good idea.

-A really good idea, yeah.

-Yeah, I like that.

Because it then doesn't say to Mum that there's something here waiting for her.

You know, she can come on weekends whenever she feels like it,

-then, when she's ready, it's hers.

-Yeah, exactly.

And I quite like the idea of a separate income as well.

There are some really good options for our buyers in this property.

The upstairs of the main house has three generous double bedrooms,

with space for large wardrobes in each,

along with the recently fitted family bathroom.

And then this bedroom has an en suite.

-So, they're not huge.

-No, but it's big enough for us.

This is not the one they use as a master, but it makes sense to have it with the en suite.

-It's... I'm still happy.

-Really?

-Yeah, yeah.

They both seem really smitten with this property.

It's even got Bob dancing with glee.

And before we go outside, there's a bit of a bonus in this next room just off the kitchen.

So this, I think, is a really fascinating room.

Oh, wow!

-This was the old bakery.

-Oh, right!

And it was a STEAM oven bakery. Very unusual for the time, and very successful.

People would come and they bring their food,

it would be baked during the day and they'd come in the evening and pick it up at five pence.

But you can see its still got the two ovens on both sides.

That's an amazing feature, isn't it? Erm, the only thing that there isn't, at the moment, in my mind,

is a study.

-I'm not sure where I would work, seeing that I work from home quite a lot.

-Mm.

Well, this is an option, and then, let's go outside.

This is, unfortunately, the kicker with this property.

-Cos this is your garden.

-Ah!

-And it was all going so well.

-Oh-h!

-This is it? Just this space?

-Just this?

-This is it, I'm afraid.

-Hmm.

-Oh, what a shame.

Yeah, erm, we really couldn't live with a garden this size,

not with two pretty large dogs.

-No.

-Even just as a social space, it wouldn't work for us.

-Even with the Lapford Steam Bakery sign?

-Yeah, that's fab.

-Can we move that somewhere else?

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

If it had outside space, I would have said way over our budget.

It had to be nearer 500. Without that, I'm going to say it's 450.

I think it's a little bit less than that, but probably not much though. About 435?

-Well, in this instance, you are both spectacularly wrong, cos it's on the market for £350,000.

-Wow!

-Somebody's going to get a bargain.

-Yeah.

Provided they don't need outside space. Such a shame.

This unique property came frustratingly close to perfection,

and is on the market for well below their budget at £350,000.

It has...

..and a courtyard garden, turning their thumbs up into a thumbs down.

Walking into the kitchen, my heart skipped almost.

It was like, "Yes, this is it!"

I have to say, it was everything that we were looking for, I think.

And to find out it had an annexe, you know, a ready-made annexe, was stunning.

But such a shame about the outside space.

It was just an absolute killer.

There was no way we could deal with two dogs out there,

let alone grow any sort of vegetables, and we probably

wouldn't have much room for very many flowers either.

It was such a shame, cos otherwise it's such a beautiful property.

-Guys, are you done?

-Hello!

Are you, are you kind of...?

-OK, deep breath.

-Yes.

-THEY BREATHE DEEPLY

-Gutted. Pretty gutted.

-Oh-h, don't say that! I don't want to... Come with me, we'll talk about it.

As a designated area of outstanding natural beauty,

the north Devon coast has a range of protected beaches, villages

and historic houses. One such property

is the grand Regency mansion of Arlington Court, near Barnstaple,

which is set in a 2,700 acre estate in the River Yeo valley.

Its stable block houses one of the best collections

of 19th century horse-drawn vehicles in the country.

'So I've come here to meet Ana Chylak to find out a little bit more

'about this key chapter in our transport history.'

This one is as good as it gets, but with carriages.

This one belonged to the Earl of Craven,

and I love it, cos it's yellow, it's bright, it's trimmed with silver.

-It's a really grand vehicle.

-So, what sort of period is this?

-Is this very early or is it...?

-These state coaches were around

all through the 1800s.

This one was built in the second half of the 19th century.

-Oh, right!

-This was a vehicle that you'd have used on grand occasions.

So, the state opening of Parliament, society weddings.

-But I always marvel how you actually get into these.

-They're very high.

-If you were fancy lady, that's not going to be elegant, is it?

-Well, you know,

you have to be elegant, and there is a cunning way to get in.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Yes, do.

-There we go.

-And a very nice brocade. Look at the colour. It's amazing underneath.

-Mm.

And this here is a range of steps which we can just fold down.

-Can I go on?

-Do, yes.

-Oh, look!

Look at that.

So, in your long, elegant frock, you'd be able to climb up very easily.

'Also in the collection, you'll find some carriages familiar from historical literature.'

For example, the barouche, which is mentioned in Jane Austen's novels.

At the turn of the 19th century, this was the ultimate vehicle

for taking the air and seeing society.

'And then there's the hansom cab.'

A common sight in the streets in Victorian times, these were dubbed "the gondolas of London,"

and evoke vivid images of Dickens and Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

So, this is one of our two travelling chariots,

and I think they're fascinating, really.

You as a gentleman would have travelled inside,

your servant would have gone on the back.

And can you see the strange flap at the front?

Well, this one, you can arrange it so that you can lie flat

and stretch your legs into this area here.

-So it's like a business class?

-It is very much like business class, yes, with its recliner in there.

If you wanted to go to Italy for the Grand Tour,

that's quite a distance.

And we just take it for granted, we can hop on a plane and fly there.

If you wanted to go to Italy in the 1700s, 1800s,

you'd have gone in a carriage like this.

'Time for me to have a grand tour of my own around the estate here at Arlington.'

I'm about to take the reins of a carriage led by two of their working horses - Erik and Mr Fips.

I'll also have a little help from my own coachman, David Brookfield.

-How are you doing?

-OK. Are you OK with that?

-Can I just hop up?

-Yeah, find a way.

-Ooh, there's a handbrake. That's good.

-Yes, yes, handbrake is on.

-Oh, you're very high up!

-You need to be able to see where you're going,

and as the horses are quite tall, you need to be even taller.

-No seatbelt?

-No!

-Right, so, you're going to drive us up the yard.

-So, walk on.

Nice and steady. Bring that right rein right round there. That's it.

-Really responsive. It's like power steering.

-Yeah!

'The age of the carriage came to an end at the turn of the 20th century

'with the advent of the internal combustion engine,

'making huge changes to the pace of everyday life.'

HE SIGHS

-It's not a bad job, is it?

-Yeah!

-DAVID LAUGHS

'But, this wonderful mode of travel remains an important part

'of our transport heritage.'

Time to leave my coachmanlike ways behind and find out how

Bob and Sue are doing thinking about those properties.

Well, the heavens have certainly smiled on our week in Devon.

It's been gorgeous. And I was just wondering how your week has been,

and particularly what you thought of the houses we showed you?

Let's start with the first one. What did you think of house one?

I loved house number one.

I think that was pretty close to what we need.

It had lots of possibilities, possibilities for the annexe.

The grounds were excellent, and I liked the flow of the house.

Mm, yeah, I agree. I fell in love with it,

and it just feels right.

The second house was...

-The great approach.

-It looked beautiful.

The downstairs kitchen/dining room was lovely.

But the more we went around the house,

I didn't feel that it flowed the same as the first house,

and the upstairs was definitely smaller than I expected.

There were possibilities there for an extension.

There are lots of options with that house, without a doubt.

-But it's about time and money.

-What about the mystery house?

I think, had that house have had the outside space,

we would've seriously considered it.

It was just the outside space that really killed it for me, completely.

-You nearly killed me too with your...

-Sorry!

-..heartbreaking,

crestfallen faces as we walked out into the courtyard.

Yeah, we do realise that we have to compromise somewhere,

but that's just a compromise a bit too far.

So, what happens next? Are you going to visit any of the properties again, or...?

Yes, we think we'll go back and see property one.

That one opened my eyes and I'd like another look.

Best of luck. I mean, you'd be a welcome addition to the county.

-I'm sure they're desperate to have you here.

-Oh, thank you very much for all your efforts

and all the team's efforts. We've had a really fun time.

-We have.

-Thank you.

-Devon scone?

-Thank you very much. Yes, why not?

It's a bitter blow when we show lovely houses and none of them -

and I understand why - but none of them quite add up to

the dream house that we hoped we would find for Sue and Bob.

But on one hand, I'm confident that what they're looking for

is not beyond the realms of possibility and they will find it here in Devon.

And I am grateful that we managed to prove to them that just because

it's attached or it's in a village, they should go and look at it.

It's very often the case that people don't look it things on the internet

because they have this fixed idea of where and what they want,

and unfortunately, they miss out on lots of really great possibilities.

So, I hope they'll persevere and move to this beautiful county as soon as possible.

I do hope that you will join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

After revisiting our first property, on reflection,

Bob and Sue felt the location wasn't right for them.

But I'm happy to report that they've had an offer accepted on a house

near Great Torrington, south of Bideford.

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