Somerset Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

According to the nursery rhyme,

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner somewhere around here.

But where are we and who was Jack Horner?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show, I'll be helping a couple who want to swap the Swiss Alps

for a bit of glorious countryside back home in the UK.

And as our house hunt gathers pace, so do their reactions.

-Fascinating.

-Ooh!

-Yes.

-I think things have gone up a gear.

So much so, it all seems too good to be true.

-Where to next?

-Where to next?

-We can only go downhill from here.

No, we can't, no, we can't.

Today, we're in Somerset in the village of Mells,

the place, it's thought, that inspired the nursery rhyme Little Jack Horner.

Now, the story goes that Little Jack was one Jack Horner,

an emissary from the abbot of Glastonbury,

who was entrusted with taking a pie to the table of Henry VIII

in the crust of which were the deeds to this manor.

The implication is that he pinched this place

but in reality, well, the story is very different.

Jack Horner actually bought it from the crown

at the time when the monasteries were being dissolved.

His descendants still live here

and more to the point they've got the receipt of sale to prove it.

So if you ask me,

it was a fairly plum bit of 16th-century property speculation.

Seen by many as the gateway to the Southwest,

Somerset boasts beautiful countryside

and stunning coastline,

looking out over the Bristol Channel.

Towards the north of the county, the range of limestone hills known as the Mendips

conceal an extensive network of caves, underground rivers and gorges,

the most famous of which is undoubtedly the dramatic precipice at Cheddar.

The county is not just home to nursery rhymes.

It's thought that Somerset's north coast inspired Coleridge

to write his epic poem The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

and a seven-foot high effigy of the Mariner stands in the poet's memory

on the harbour in the town of Watchet.

Covering more than 1,500 square miles

Somerset's varied landscape epitomises the timeless beauty of the rural West Country,

painting itself perfectly in just about every shade of green.

Now, at £265,000, the average house price in Somerset

would appear to offer fairly good value for money,

being just 3% above the national average

and there are some rich pickings to be had

around Shepton Mallet and Cheddar.

But head towards Bath and things go up.

In villages around there you could add a £50,000 premium

to the property that you're looking at.

But as you can tell, there is one thing this county is not short of

and that's beautiful architecture.

Somerset has an extremely diverse geology

and quarrying for building stone has occurred since Roman times.

The robust red sandstone from the Quantock and Brendon hills

are most commonly used in the west of the county.

Further north, around the city of Bath,

the villages owe their distinctive style to the local Bath stone.

This warm, mellow stone has been used extensively

in the handsome 18th-century houses in Bathampton

and this detached, two-bedroom former coach house,

dating back to the early 1800s, is a prime example,

that's currently for sale at £435,000.

Thatched roofs are common in the West Country

and here the style is typically combed wheat reed or water reed,

featuring a shallow pitch.

This delightful four-bedroom thatched cottage in Mells

is on the market for £850,000

and is awash with character from its 16th-century origins.

So as you can see, there is plenty to tempt anybody

who wants to escape to the country,

which is just as well because today's buyers

aren't just escaping, they're moving from one country to another.

Close to celebrating their ruby anniversary,

Graham and Sandra are both on the cusp of retirement.

Sandra is a teacher and Graham's role as a group vice president for a Swiss service company

has taken them all around the world.

Residents of Switzerland for the past three decades,

their busy lives have included raising three sons.

But they can't ignore the call of the English countryside,

so they've sold their house in Geneva

and are now temporarily staying in a hotel in Britain

with the hope of finding their new dream home.

The international life in Geneva has its positives, strong positives -

the bistro, cafe mentality in the summer,

the skiing in the winter -

but there are a lot of things about the UK that we miss,

not only the weather but also going down to the pub in the evening,

something you can't do in Geneva.

So the time is right for them to settle back on home turf.

Coming back to the UK, it's like an old shoe.

It's a bit uncomfortable when you put it on

but you take a few steps and it's yours

and your foot fits and it's easy to walk.

It will be a whole new life,

away from work and everything that we've known in the past

to something new, which is quite exciting.

Graham is originally from Swindon

and they're both familiar with the Southwest,

so they've settled on Somerset as their county of choice.

And as for the property itself, well, they're pretty flexible.

I think we're looking for a house with character,

an individual house.

It could possibly be a barn conversion

simply because of the opportunity there is to have an open space.

I'm interested in a spacious house

but the garden - that is the thing that really interests me.

And I would actually quite like a pond in the garden.

Leaving Sandra to the horticulture,

you'll probably find Graham in the garage,

busy with a pastime he takes very seriously.

I get offended when people talk about my "train set".

My sons say, "Are you going out to play with your trains, Dad?"

I prefer to think of it as model engineering.

The existing layout occupies almost the entirety of a double garage.

-Maybe we need a triple garage.

-Maybe we need a triple garage, yeah.

There's a thought.

All that remains is to find out what their euros convert to in pounds sterling.

The budget for our house would be a maximum of £900,000.

Good transport links are essential for our buyers

as they need to access the M4 to stay connected to Graham's mother in Swindon

and also for airport runs when their three sons fly in to visit from abroad.

Our house search will focus on the villages to the north of the county,

around the city of Bath.

Time now for me to catch up with Graham and Sandra,

to discover more about the details of their move.

-Hello, there.

-Hello.

-Nice to see you.

-Good morning.

Well, Sandra and Graham, the lure of the English countryside

has brought you all the way back from Switzerland to Somerset.

-35 years abroad.

-Yes.

-How well do you know the UK now?

Not very well at all, so it's a voyage of discovery for us.

Give us an idea, Sandra, of the sort of property

that you envisage living in.

A reasonably sized home.

Four bedrooms, maybe five

if there's a downstairs bedroom with an en suite

that would suit for when Graham's mother comes to visit.

-Now, the garden is very important, isn't it?

-Yes.

How keen a gardener are you, on a scale of one to ten?

Ooh, nine.

Nine, yeah?

So you've both got your areas of influence -

-the model railway and the garden.

-Yes.

-You need a house to contain all that, somewhere for Mum if she comes to stay...

-Exactly.

..but with a slice of English character, I suspect,

-to give you that feel that you have come home.

-Yes, yes.

-Indeed.

The most important thing is that we've got you three wonderful properties to look at,

including the mystery house.

Come on and follow me.

For a top budget of £900,000,

Graham and Sandra have requested a house with character

and plenty of space.

They need five bedrooms, including one on the ground floor,

a large garden for green-fingered Sandra,

and for Graham it's a room for his extensive model railway network.

We've cherry-picked three fantastic properties

that will hopefully conjure up the English country dream

for our returning ex-pats.

Among them is the mystery house, which should open up their eyes

to somewhere entirely different.

Seeing as Graham and Sandra are living in a hotel,

time is of the essence,

to find them a home as soon as possible,

so let's get started.

Our first house is the Mendip village of Buckland Dinham,

towards the north of the county.

Around three miles away from the house is the neighbouring village of Mells,

which has a fantastic community-run shop, post office and cafe.

We're making a quick detour here

to whet Graham and Sandra's appetite with some English community spirit.

-Here we are. Good morning.

-Morning.

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

And look who've I've brought . to visit the Mells shop.

-These two have lived out of the country for 35 years.

-Oh, my goodness.

We're trying to reintroduce them to the best that England has to offer.

-Yes.

-And I don't think this is a bad start.

I think you've come to the right place, definitely.

This is a shop with a difference. It's not just the village cafe.

No, it's a community shop,

it's a post office and a wonderful cafe all rolled into one.

June, how did the shop come about?

Well, in 2008, a group of interested villagers got together around a kitchen table

and from there, we offered membership to anybody in the community.

As a result of that we got £20,000,

which demonstrated the interest in the community

-and we go from strength to strength.

-I think you've done it really well.

So presumably a brilliant place

to get to know not just the area and people

but also the sense of community?

Oh, absolutely. It's really brought the community together.

-I really recommend it for newcomers. It's ideal.

-There you go.

And though the cakes look mighty tempting,

we've got to get going to our first house,

which is just a ten-minute drive away

in the small village of Buckland Dinham.

Set back from the main road is our rather appropriate first property.

-How about that, then?

-Was it a school?

-It was a school.

-Well spotted. We thought this was quite fitting for you.

-Yeah. OK.

-The old school.

-Lovely old schoolhouse. 1853.

-You also, however, get that orchard behind us.

-Ah!

Very, very good soil. All organic, I'm told.

-OK.

-Nice apple trees, as you can see, nice and mature,

-so plenty of space for the gardening to develop.

-Yes.

-Yeah, good.

-In whichever way you want it to.

-Yes.

-Looks fascinating.

-I think this is a nice one to start with, I really do.

If offers a very interesting part of the history of this village

and you could get to call it home.

-We could.

-Indeed.

-Let's find out. Come and follow me.

-Thank you.

Graham and Sandra have expressed a preference for conversions

and this one is a particularly fine example.

Comprising a former Victorian schoolhouse and cottage,

it has a light and modern feel

wrapped up in an historic mid-19th-century shell.

-What do you think, Graham?

-I like the beams. I do like the beams.

-And I also like the two spiral staircases.

-Yes.

It's amazing. It's not at all what it looks like from the outside, is it?

It's amazing. That's the word I was hoping to hear.

In a way, you've got two kind of distinct zones in this huge room.

You've got a lovely, very modern multifuel stove there...

-Yes.

-That's what the wood is for.

-Yeah.

And you've got this lovely open fireplace,

which is original to the build of the school.

-My guess is you'd probably want to sort of zone it.

-Fascinating.

-Ooh. I think things have gone up a gear from outside.

-They have, they have.

We've come to there. The question is, can we go to there?

-Let's go to the kitchen and find out.

-OK.

There we are. Again, as you can see,

-just drifts off of the main living area itself.

-Yes.

-It's a good-sized kitchen.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

How does it compare to what you've got already?

-This kitchen is probably bigger.

-And it's more open to the outside.

Mm. There's also a very generous utility area through there,

a downstairs loo and another door out to the garden.

-It's more spacious than I expected it to be from the outside.

-Yeah.

Because it goes that way as well.

The key thing, Sandra, is that we haven't let you down.

-Absolutely not.

-Oh, no, no, no.

-Follow me across here.

It's all going to plan so far,

so let's see if we'll get equally positive reactions

to the other wing on the ground floor.

Now, this is interesting.

Across that huge space, we've got another, smaller living room,

something of a snug, if you will, with another lovely woodburner.

What's interesting, though, is that leading off it

is a lovely conservatory

-and through there, bedroom.

-Ah!

-Bedroom. That's a surprise.

-That, if you kept it as a bedroom, would be bedroom number four.

-OK.

-It's a good size.

-Isn't it?

-It is a good size.

Now, in fairness, it doesn't have an en suite

but just next door is a very fabulous family bathroom,

so it's all on the same level.

-So I'm thinking Mum.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Indeed.

So the big open living space, that's one thing

but somewhere a bit cosy, perhaps if you're here on your own

-or just relaxing, reading a book.

-It's ideal.

I can close the door and turn up the stereo.

And while Graham pumps up the music,

there's plenty more space for Sandra to escape to upstairs.

Directly above the annexe wing is a galleried landing,

transformed into useful office space,

off which sits a bright and modern family bathroom

that serves two double bedrooms.

The larger of the two is a dazzlingly light room

that sits right next to the smaller one, set up as a study.

Then the last of the four bedrooms is the master suite,

which is accessed from the other spiral staircase on the opposite side of the property.

And this is your own kind of wing, as it were.

-Ah!

-A little palace.

-Come on in. Come on in.

-How about it?

-I rather like that semi-circular window.

Yes! You're going to love the en suite, which is through there.

-Rather special.

-It is.

-Isn't it?

-It is, yes.

-I'll say.

-Yeah!

-It doesn't have a school feel at all.

-Good, good.

-No, no, no.

-Good.

Well, so far, Sandra seems to be awarding us high marks,

so let's wind our way back down the stairs and into the garden

to find out if that also makes the grade.

Well, the back tells a slightly different story to the front.

Gone is the symmetry and here, there's this lovely amalgam.

In terms of garden space, you remember we saw the orchard -

-that's pretty big.

-Yes.

-It would make a fabulous vegetable patch.

-It would.

But you've also got this area here and it extends off round the corner.

Again, a few more fruit trees and so on and so forth.

-And a pond, Sandra.

-Wonderful.

-Happy?

-Yes.

Yeah! Well, I know that ponds are of interest to you.

-Now, then, the railway.

-Yes, indeed.

There is this garage space behind us

that also contain the oil tank for the boiler,

but if renovated, it might do the job, I'm hoping.

-You can have a proper look at that a little bit later on.

-Fine.

But I think we've certainly got space to accommodate it,

-even if you went to build yourself something bespoke.

-Yeah.

-Well, let's see if we can tempt you with its price.

-Right.

-Your £900,000...

-Yes.

-..is ready to go.

How much of it do you think you're going to have to part with

to get property number one, madam?

800, maybe a bit more.

Maybe a bit more than 800? You could be right, there, yeah.

-Graham?

-I would have said about the same.

OK, well, this would cost you £850,000.

-This could grow on me.

-It could? That's the spirit.

-I'll catch up with you later.

-All right, thank you.

At £50,000 under budget,

this schoolhouse, thought to date back to 1853,

has been sympathetically converted and has got us off to a sound start.

The flexible reception areas lend themselves

to an impressive open-plan drawing room

with exposed pine timbers,

a kitchen-breakfast room

and included in the four bedrooms

is the potential for a ground-floor annexe suite.

Outside, the grounds extend to just under half an acre,

with an orchard and pond for Sandra

and also options for Graham's miniature railway.

When we entered the house I was really quite surprised.

The open space, the vaulted ceilings,

the way they've used the original architecture of the school building,

really opened up quite a few possibilities for me

as to what we could do with this space.

I love the garden because there are so many facets to it.

It has so many areas that you could work with.

It has a wonderful pond that I would really enjoy working with,

as I haven't had one for a lot of years.

The whole garden, I really like it.

-I would have the time to work on it.

-Yeah.

-So that's not an issue.

-OK.

I'm delighted that the trains have made way

for a conversation about the garden, Sandra's garden.

-Come on.

-Let's go.

-I'm going to take you off to property number two.

Throughout Somerset's rural landscape,

there are many waterways cutting their way through the countryside.

Towards the west edge of the Mendips,

the River Sheppey rushes through the historic market town of Shepton Mallet,

and was once used to power as many as 30 mills for the local textile industry

during the 1600s and 1700s.

By the 19th century,

the arrival of the railway changed the area's fortunes again

and, indeed, its scenery.

There were once two networks that crossed the town

and although both lines have long since closed,

the imposing Charlton viaduct creates a dramatic reminder

on the skyline.

However, just a few miles from Shepton Mallet,

part of the rail network has been resurrected.

Earlier in the week, we sent locomotive loving Graham and Sandra

to this preserved railway at Cranmore,

where they met up with chairman Dick Masters.

You must be a railway enthusiast to come here on this rather dull day.

You're right, I am, for many, many years.

Was this once a fully operational station?

It opened in 1858 when the original East Somerset Railway opened

from Witham Junction right the way through to Yatton on the Bristol to Taunton line.

Passenger and freight trains ran along here.

In particular the line was used, as some of it still is today,

to transport stone from the local Mendip quarries.

But the line closed just before the Beeching era in fact

because, like many small country branch lines,

there weren't really enough passengers to make it pay its way.

So the line closed for passengers but it stayed open until about 1985

and we took over the station here

after British Rail finally stopped their tar freight business.

The current heritage railway here was founded in 1971

by celebrated artist and conservationist David Shepherd.

He purchased the derelict site

and with the help of many committed volunteers,

it was reopened as a charity two years later.

How many volunteers do you have working here?

We have about anything up to 100.

Without them, we could not run the railway.

So it's something that both of us could contribute to.

Oh, definitely, yes, yes.

-Let's go and have a look and I can introduce you to some of the things the volunteers do.

-Let's go.

The line now runs for two and a half miles

between the restored stations of Cranmore and Mendip Vale

and duties include staffing the ticket office,

maintaining the tracks and, of course, driving the engines.

That's the brake there. Push it all the way round to your right.

Push that forward.

HOOTING

In its heyday, the number 45 diesel engine was used by the Liverpool docks

and ended its working life as a bitumen train in Plymouth,

after which it was donated for preservation.

You can release the brake a little bit, Graham.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

Well, it may be nearing the end of the line for this journey

but we need to get back on track as we continue our house hunt.

HOOTER BLARES

The destination of our second property

is near to the village of Oakhill within the Mendip Hills.

Just about a mile away in Stoke St Michael

is the nearest village pub and convenience store.

Our second house is an enormous single-storey barn conversion

that started life as a milking parlour

but was then transformed into a fabulous family home

around eight years ago.

So what do we think of property number two?

-It has the wow factor.

-Does it?

-It does.

-It's impressive.

-I do know that barn conversions are of interest to you.

-That's correct.

And this is just that. It's a great, big, bruising barn conversion.

Your initial thoughts, Sandra?

I would like to get in there.

-Let's take your advice and get inside.

-Let's go.

With enthusiasm like that, we can't keep them waiting any longer,

so let's find out if what's revealed inside lives up to expectations.

Now, please don't tell me this isn't big enough.

-It's more than big enough.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Not bad, eh?

-It is a superb space. Ideal space for a kitchen-diner.

I can see our furniture in here. I love the stone floors.

-It's amazing. It's a really good family space.

-Yeah.

I could really see myself in here.

-Well, if you like this, you're going to love the living room.

-OK.

-Straight off the kitchen.

-Oh!

-Another amazing room.

Come on in, come on in, don't be shy.

So what do we think of this, then, Sandra?

-I love it.

-Really?

-Yes, I do.

-This house is bowling you over a bit.

-It is rather.

-Plenty more to see.

-OK.

-Follow me.

The huge eating, dining and living areas occupy

the central portion of this sprawling barn conversion,

formerly the old dairy parlour.

In the wing to the far side of the hallway

are three of the five en-suite bedrooms

that feature in this property,

so plenty of options to accommodate Graham's mother.

Immediately off the hallway there's a utility room and handy WC.

Then there's a large comfortable double bedroom

with an en-suite shower.

This is next to a bright and simple twin room

with a sleek modern shower room.

And a third bedroom is another double,

this time with an en-suite bathroom.

The last two remaining bedrooms are across in the other wing

and include the one currently used as an office

and the one we've earmarked for Graham and Sandra.

Now, as if you didn't have enough bedrooms to choose from...

-Ooh!

-..this one is currently the master.

There's the en suite in there. Have a look, Graham, yeah.

Oh! Rather good.

There's a quiet confidence about you.

Yes, well, I haven't seen anything I don't like, so...!

If only everybody said that about all the houses we took them to,

my job would be so much easier.

Brilliant. I'm delighted.

-Where to next?

-Where to next?

-We can only go downhill from here.

No, we can't, no, we can't.

I think Graham needs to keep the faith

because what we've got coming up next

should be just the ticket.

-Now...

-Crikey.

-Come on in.

-Oh!

-Now, I'm thinking railways.

-So am I.

-It works.

-Doesn't it?

-Yes.

-It does work indeed, yes.

-I'd imagine this being square really helps.

-It does.

It's an absolutely perfect shape. I can see that now.

-And of course you can access it from the house.

-From the house, yes.

Super.

OK, so, we've sorted you with a property,

-we've sorted you with somewhere for our railway.

-Yeah.

-Let's sort you out with a garden. Out that way.

-Thank you.

Brilliant. Happy days.

This property just keeps on giving.

Outside is no exception and it's bound to make a splash.

-It's not raining any more.

-Great.

-Hurrah!

-Super.

Now, then, look over your shoulder.

-Yes!

-As ponds go, it's pretty good.

-It's not bad at all.

-Not bad.

And of course we've got the full extent, at long last,

of our lovely property number two - it's huge.

So in terms of garden space for what you might want to do...

-enough?

-Yes, more than enough.

-More than enough.

-There's a series of raised vegetable beds as well.

-Yeah.

-But it also is for sale with six acres...

-Ah.

-..which goes that way down to that tree line behind us.

-OK.

So the question is what's it worth to you, sir?

This has got to be close if not on the £900,000

-that we've said we're willing to pay.

-Mm-hm.

£900,000. Sandra?

Yes, I would say the same.

The good news is that it has just been reduced to £895,000.

-OK.

-Well, that's a good price.

-That's a fair price.

-Yes.

-There's no need to do anything in the house.

-No.

We could move in today and leave everything the way it is.

-Brilliant.

-It's perfect.

Well, go and explore, go and enjoy. There's plenty of it.

On the market for £895,000,

our second house is a stone-built single-storey barn conversion

that seems to perfectly match all of our buyers' requirements.

Highlights include an enormous kitchen, family and dining room,

a spacious living room

and no less than five bedrooms,

every one of which has its own en suite.

The attached double garage could make the ideal getaway

for Graham to indulge in his model engineering

and the six acres of grounds come complete with a wildlife pond

and open views over the surrounding countryside.

My first impressions were, "Interesting."

I didn't fall in love with it at the point we walked through the door.

When we went into the kitchen-lounge area,

that was the point at which we said, "A-ha! This is something interesting."

Can I accommodate my trains? Yes, I can.

That question's already answered.

It's got a wonderful kitchen.

It's got a great dining area and it's got a sitting area.

I liked the house so much once I was in,

that the outside space would have worked as well.

I think I love this house.

I think I would be very happy here.

-Hey! All done?

-All done.

-It's great.

-Great. Yeah!

I think this is transforming your perspective on Somerset, somewhat.

Er, it didn't need transforming much but, yes, you're right.

Good. Well, I suspect you could write a cheque right here

-and right now.

-Yes.

-But there is one more property to come, of course.

-There is.

-Sleep on it. Come on.

-Right.

As dusk falls over rural Somerset, the first day of our house hunt draws to a close.

With a budget of £900,000,

returning ex-pats Graham and Sandra

have decided to close the door on 35 years in Switzerland

and start afresh in the magnificent Somerset countryside.

So far they've seen two wonderful properties

and although they were quite ready to seal the deal on the second one

it's never a done deal until we've seen the mystery house.

You'd never get me out of here.

And I'll be taking a nostalgic trip to the flicks.

Well, yesterday certainly finished on a high

and the good weather that heralded the end of day one

thankfully looks as if it's going to be with us for the start of day two.

Graham and Sandra's reaction to our second property left me feeling

that perhaps my work here in Somerset was done

but of course it's never over until it's over.

One more property to come. It is mystery house time.

Time to get our buyers to think not just outside of the box

but in this case, outside of the county.

Our mystery property is ahead of us

but it's got a lot of work to do, I suspect,

to compete with property number two, hasn't it?

-We're ready to be surprised.

-We stay open-minded.

-Yeah.

That's the spirit, Sandra!

To get to our mystery house we're travelling further north

and hopping over the county border into south Gloucestershire

where we're headed for a hamlet near the village of Wick

and just ten minutes' drive from the centre of Bath.

Wick has several shops and pubs

and though we haven't got majestic snow-capped mountains,

the mystery house takes full advantage

of some outstanding panoramic views over the Severn estuary.

So at last, the suspense is over.

This is our mystery house.

It was worth waiting for.

And this one is a very interesting, a very clever rearrangement

-of this particular property.

-Yes.

Let's see what you think of it.

The mystery house started life 200 years ago

as a smaller traditional cottage

but has been considerably extended in the past decade

and now spreads itself over many levels

that flow off a rather impressive hallway.

Let's see if it will work for Graham and Sandra.

How about this, then?

There!

-Quite a nice kitchen diner.

-Yes.

-Yeah?

That's a huge difference.

-This is great.

-Yes, it is.

-Lots of space.

-Excellent.

Well, the kitchen itself is absolutely lovely, as you can see.

-The kind of arrangement that suits you?

-Yes, it would. It would.

It's a good-sized kitchen. It's got everything you need.

-You can always put the chairs this way if you want to look at the view.

-Turn them round!

There's plenty of places to enjoy the view from.

There's a utility room through there and a back door out,

-so all your white goods and stuff are in there.

-Yes.

But it is the views, of course, that have really determined

how this layout has come together.

It gives you this lovely family space,

which I think you'd use quite a lot.

-We would.

-Yeah?

-Absolutely. Yes.

-So far, so good.

-So far, so good.

-Right, follow me.

Although the kitchen and family room would probably become their main socialising space,

the house has been designed to offer the best of both worlds,

with a more intimate formal area, too.

-Now, this, I think, is really nice.

-Ooh!

-Come on in.

-You weren't expecting this one, were you?

-No.

-It is a well-proportioned room.

-Yeah.

-Nice fireplace.

-This has really brought a smile to your face, hasn't it?

-Yes.

-Can you see yourself relaxing in here? It's very comfortable.

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-Good.

There's a bit of confusion written all over your faces, isn't there?

I sense we may have found some competition for the second property

with this mystery house

and there's much more here to increase the odds.

A large conservatory provides the link

to an adjoining bedroom suite, currently set up as a study,

with patio doors onto the garden.

This could easily become a potential fifth bedroom for Graham's mother

as it's on the ground floor.

The other four bedrooms are all upstairs.

A family bathroom serves three of them, all doubles,

including one that's dual aspect,

another smaller one that's currently used as a single,

and a third, which is attractively decorated

but we'll take a look at the master.

So last but by no means least, your bit.

-Ah!

-What do you think?

-It's a good space.

-Yeah?

-Lovely.

-It's got views.

-You have got views.

-Yeah.

You've got that cosy feel.

Combined with all the other bedrooms that this place offers you,

hopefully it's beginning to kind of complete the picture.

-Yes, this is definitely the master bedroom.

-Yes.

Good. And you've got that. Have a look in there.

-Have a look. It's like a spa.

-Ah!

-How about that?

-That's wonderful.

-Isn't it?

-Proper wet room for you.

-Indeed. You'd never get me out of here.

Well, I am going to get you out. Come on!

You've got plenty more to see.

Bit by bit our buyers are appreciating the way the character of this house unfolds

and the garden is no exception,

with a lovely mixture of paved terraces, lawned areas

and there's even a pond hidden away as well.

This is the perfect spot to get a sense of the geography

of what's on offer in terms of the outside space.

It's about three quarters of an acre in total, Sandra,

most of it running up behind us, there,

to some mixed woodland at the top.

I want you, Graham, to look at that shed down there.

-I'm not saying it's big enough for a railway at the moment...

-No!

..but would there be space there, do you think, to put in a new shed

and maybe treble its size?

On the footprint of that patio area down there, certainly.

-Would it be big enough?

-Yes.

-It would? Brilliant.

-This is our last guess. You can go first.

-Last guess.

-875.

-£875,000. Graham?

Erm, we've not colluded but the same figure was in my mind.

-Would you like to agree?

-We agree on 875.

You agree on £875,000.

Well, it's not a bad guess, guys, to be honest.

This offers a direct financial comparison

to property number two

because it is also on the market for £895,000.

It's a good price. A fair price.

-It's got great views.

-It's got wonderful views.

-It challenges us.

-Good. Well, may the challenge continue.

-Yes.

Off you go!

£5,000 under budget, the mystery property is a wonderful detached house

with yet another unconventional layout.

It's beautifully presented with a superb open plan family kitchen,

a more formal living room

and five bedrooms, one of which is on the ground floor.

And it's all set in grounds that cover some three quarters of an acre,

with spectacular views.

When I first saw the mystery house from the outside,

I think it was something, yet again, that was different,

so I just wanted to get in.

The views are a real plus to the house.

I was particularly struck by the sort of mezzanine level

that you have in the kitchen-dining area,

at a slightly different level to the entrance to the bedrooms above them.

That's a very distinctive feature.

In terms of the choice between the three properties that we've viewed,

certainly it's going to be a very tight choice between two of them.

It's a pretty spectacular view all round.

It's like looking at a map.

You can pick out different features in the landscape as you look at it.

I thought I'd find you here.

-Pretty captivating, isn't it?

-It is.

So what happens next?

I think we need to get you somewhere

where you can think about our three properties

-and mull it all over.

-Yes, indeed.

-Shall we?

-Yes.

-Let's go.

The coastal town of Clevedon became a popular holiday destination

in the Victorian era

and many fine examples of architecture from the period

include its restored Grade I listed pier that dates back to 1869

and its Grade II listed picture house

which has entertained Clevedon for a century.

During the week I took a trip to the cinema,

which is now celebrating its centenary year,

thanks entirely to a passionate group of community champions.

Margaret Keel and Jeanette Maycock are two devoted volunteers

at the front of house.

Hello, ladies! Nice to see you.

How long have you been working here now?

Erm, 27 and a half years.

-What was it like when you first came?

-Pretty dilapidated building, actually.

Its future was obviously hanging in the balance somewhat, Margaret.

What happened to turn its fortunes around?

I think it was Jon Webber that turned it around.

One Saturday morning he opened up the cinema

and told everyone to come in and bring £1.

Everyone came with £1 and you've never seen so many people in your life.

-So the thought of losing their cinema galvanised Clevedon's population?

-Yes.

I'm going to go up have a look around, if I may.

-Do I need a ticket?

-Oh, definitely.

-Look at that!

-One ticket, sir.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

The cinema was the brainchild of local sculptor and stonemason Victor Cox

and first opened its doors to the public in April 1912,

just days after the sinking of the Titanic.

The first screening raised funds for the survivors and victims' relatives.

The cinema proved so popular, within ten years they'd enlarged it

but building works didn't interrupt a single performance.

Projectionist Maurice Thornton has worked here

for an incredible 69 years.

-Maurice!

-Yes.

-Hello, sir.

What are you putting into the projector now?

We've got a film here. It's about Clevedon as it was in 1903.

-Right, are we ready to run?

-Oh, yeah.

PROJECTOR WHIRRS

Talkie films weren't introduced here until 1930,

so before then the musical background to silent performances

was provided by pianists playing an organ,

a role which is now in the hands of Bernie Brown.

ORGAN PLAYS CADENCE

-Bernie, this is an absolute beauty, isn't it?

-Isn't it just?

-How old is this particular organ?

-This one's 1931.

-1931.

It's about 80-odd years old.

Where do all the sounds come from?

Well, they come from up there in the side of the cinema.

So you've got a room full of bells and whistles and drums and...?

All of those things are up there, yes.

XYLOPHONE PLAYS

Wonderful. You get a real sense, just hearing that,

how useful these would be, how essential they would be

in accompanying the early silent movies,

to give you that tension and drama.

The effects are wonderful. Have you ever accompanied a silent film?

Oh, yes. We frequently run silent films here and do an accompaniment.

It's a part of cinema history and quite an important part

and I think it needs to be kept alive.

Bernie, an absolute treat. Thank you very much.

Give us a nice seaside theme to end on.

ORGAN PLAYS JAUNTY TUNE

Well, for me that little cinema in Clevedon is just one example

of how community makes Somerset a wonderful county in which to live.

So let's see if we have managed to find Graham and Sandra

the perfect place in which to do it.

Let's go and ask them.

-So, how are we doing, then?

-Pretty good, pretty good.

-Difficult time, though.

-Difficult decisions to be made.

Trying to make a decision is always difficult.

Well, that sense of confusion is often a good thing

but have we managed to find you the home of the future?

Let's just remind ourselves of our properties.

Property number one, the old schoolhouse.

Very dramatic, in many respects.

The inside of the house was really, really well done.

I really liked the inside. I also liked the garden.

I think the difficulty I had with it was the beams, absolutely wonderful,

but it was very difficult to envisage

how we'd position furniture within that space.

Then we took you to an altogether different proposition.

House number two.

There was a great entrance into the property.

You saw a lot of the garden when you were going in

and it was a lovely garden.

It was just a good property to look at.

It had a really good feel about it.

The idea of the entrance hall being a welcoming space,

with the bedrooms on one side and the living space on the other,

that worked very well for us.

-And that kitchen, Graham?

-Wonderful, wonderful.

Perfect living space.

It probably represented the best that we could even think of.

And we also finished up with a lovely great big pond for you.

Yes. Yes, you did. The pond of my dreams.

-It was the pond what swung it.

-It was the pond, definitely.

But we had one more property to show you, our mystery house,

and I'm delighted to say that that also piqued your interest.

The views from the property are stunning.

The inside of the property is so light and spacious

that, yes - a lot of serious consideration, there.

It certainly was an intriguing property.

Well, we've seen them all and talked about them all.

So what happens next?

For me, we're at the nine and a half to ten for the second property,

the third property probably nine.

Do you agree with that?

Yes, although I love the mystery house,

probably the second property had more that we were looking for

in terms of friends, relatives.

Are you going to go and have another look at the second property?

We certainly are. I think there's a strong probability

-that we'll put in an offer.

-Brilliant.

Well, as ever, let us know how you get on.

-We will.

-I'm delighted that you came to us to help you make this move,

back from Switzerland to the old country, as it were.

It's a wonderful property, number two.

If you are able to get it, I'm sure you'll be very, very happy there.

-Thank you.

-Thank you for your help.

It's been a really warm welcome back to this country.

Good. Well, that is our pleasure. Best of luck.

I count myself extremely lucky to spend most of my life

out here in the countryside

and whilst I hope I'll never, ever take it for granted,

it is of course familiar,

so it's been interesting watching a couple like Graham and Sandra

embark on a journey of rediscovery.

The exciting thing is that they're right at the beginning

of that process.

But I'd like to think that for a couple who've spent so many years in Switzerland

and developed a passion for model railways,

when eventually they do make the move, it'll run like clockwork.

I'll see you next time.

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