Gloucestershire Escape to the Country

This is the world's very first lawnmower,

patented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding.

And this little beauty revolutionised the art of cutting grass.

But which county was it built and designed in?

Find out in just a moment.

'Today, I'm helping a couple of second-time-around newly-weds find their first home together,

'and early on, our property search gives them some uplifting extras.'

I love the balcony. That's really struck me.

'But ultimately, will it be the mystery house that steals the show?'

-There's a big smile on my face.

-I can see.

Today, we're in Gloucestershire and I'm here in Stroud.

It was near Stroud that Budding, who was a mechanic, went in and out of the cloth factories

and noticed that the cylindrical blades that cut the fabric would also be good for cutting grass.

He tried out his prototype on his lawn at home, but at night to avoid his neighbours' curiosity

and perhaps their ridicule.

Even though the machine was manufactured in the 1830s,

it's incredible that the design really hasn't changed that much up until the present day.

But Gloucestershire is about more than just clever lawn-cutting devices.

Let's take a look at what else it has to offer.

Gloucestershire is bordered by Wales to the west

and six English counties, including Worcestershire and Wiltshire.

The southern part of the county encompasses the beautiful Cotswolds,

but these are not all that Gloucestershire has going for it.

Head west and you'll reach the spectacular Wye Valley

whose great river is a popular draw for canoeists.

The nearby Forest of Dean, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

is one of the last remaining ancient woodlands in England.

In 1986, a four-mile-long sculpture trail was established in the forest,

including many works of art like this wooden Giant's Chair,

which blends in perfectly with the wider natural landscape.

Unsurprisingly, living in this glorious Gloucestershire countryside comes with a hefty price tag.

You will be paying £290,000 for an average detached house

which is 15% above the national average.

That said, if you come south towards Stroud or west towards the Forest of Dean,

you'll get a lot more for your money than in the crushingly expensive Cotswolds.

So what kind of house will be the one for today's buyers, Howard and Valerie from London?

Let's meet them and find out because the story of their relationship

could be described as a modern-day fairy tale.

I was 17 at a steel band dance.

-Yes.

-And we went out for about 18 months.

He asked me to marry him. I was too young. I said "no".

And we went our separate ways.

And it wasn't until 40 years later, almost to the day,

that we set eyes on each other again.

I logged on to a social network for my school

and I wondered if Valerie had logged on with her school.

I checked and there she was.

-Yes, and very shortly after that, we got engaged and we've been married almost a year now.

-Yeah.

With children from their previous marriages all grown up

and Howard soon to retire from his management job at a housing association,

he and Valerie have no ties and are keen to plan a future together.

They live in a busy West London suburb in a five-bedroom house with a swimming pool

which Valerie bought with her late first husband.

-What we're most excited about, regarding the move, is buying a house together.

-Absolutely.

We've never had a house together and we'd be just completely starting afresh.

New house, new furniture, new garden, new friends, new life.

-It is very exciting.

-It is, yeah.

After a lot of careful thought, they've set their hearts on living in Gloucestershire.

Our only concern about moving is that we're going to be a little bit far away

from our friends and relatives,

but having said that, one of the criteria that we've laid down

is a maximum of two and a half hours' drive,

so it's not the end of the world that we're moving away from this area.

And once they get there, they'll be jumping headlong into country pursuits.

We love walking. We're looking for places out in the country where we can walk.

I go clay-pigeon shooting. I'd like to pursue that more.

One of the things that we are hoping to do when we move is to have a bee-hive.

Something I've often wanted to do is have a hive, but it's just not practical to have one in London.

As far as the new property goes, their must-have list isn't a huge one.

Our dream house would be a relatively modern house.

It must have a double garage

for my classic cars.

Or the possibility of building one if it hasn't got it there.

A reasonably-sized garden because I'd like to build a swimming pool in the garden for Valerie.

With Howard's property sold, plus the future proceeds from the sale of Valerie's house,

they've worked out what they can afford to spend.

Our budget for the move is up to £600,000.

'As even the most westerly part of the county is accessible from London within two and a half hours,

'thanks to good links with the M4, we can extend our search as far as the Welsh border.

'Howard and Val are meeting me in Gloucestershire to tell me more

'about what they'd like in their first home together.'

-Welcome, guys, to a very green and slightly damp, but as yet no rain, Gloucestershire.

-Good morning.

We're excited that you're looking for a more contemporary property.

We're always showing people things with thatches and beams, but you don't want that.

No, I've been in the building industry for 40 years and I'm due to retire at the end of this year

and I don't really want to be renovating an old property.

-I've had enough of it.

-What do you want, Val?

What's on your top three...features?

-Certainly easy to manage, eco-friendly if possible.

-Mm-hm.

It has got to have either a double garage or space to build a double garage.

-For all your cars?

-Yes, yes.

-Yes.

Other than that, four bedrooms, so that the family can come and stay.

-Right.

-A reasonable-sized garden

and close to amenities, I think that's... Yes.

-A swimming pool?

-If there was a swimming pool, it would be lovely.

-Space for a swimming pool?

-Space for a swimming pool.

-That's something you could do?

-I could project-manage that.

-Project-manage it, not do it.

-No.

-Someone else can do it?

-I'll do it.

Great. We're very excited. We've found some really lovely properties.

With contemporary properties, you get much more for your money.

The weather is looking quite bright, a little bit of sunshine coming through the clouds.

-Let's go and look.

-Looking forward to it.

-Come with me.

Our buyers have £600,000 to spend on their first home together and they'd like it to be...

'We selected three gorgeous properties to tempt them with

'and at each one they'll have to guess the price before I reveal it.

'The last one, our mystery house, could prove there are no boundaries to finding their dream home.

'Time to hit the road and go to our first property.'

Are you good at making friends? Within a few weeks, will you have a network of new friends?

Will you miss the ones you've had back in London?

I'll miss my neighbours. We've got a very close community within our road.

I'll miss them terribly, but hopefully, we'll be able to make good new friends.

There's no reason why we shouldn't.

And people love to visit people in the countryside. You might have a lot of time with them anyway.

We anticipate our children coming to see us very often, yeah.

-So Christmases and all those things, will there be a full house?

-I hope so. Yeah, that's the idea.

'We're travelling to the village of Brockweir close to the border with Monmouthshire.

'We're just under ten miles from the M4 for those trips back to London.

'Lying on the eastern bank of the River Wye,

'the focal point in this lively community is the village shop.

'Staffed by volunteers, you can buy fresh baked bread and a wide range of local produce here,

'as well as posting your letters and grabbing a newspaper.

'Our first house should get us off to a flying start.

'It's a modern build dating back to the early 1970s and it should be right up their street.

'And the double garage could instantly please Howard.'

This is the house I want to show you.

-House number one.

-Double garage.

-Yeah. It's very striking.

-It is, yes.

-The first impression is good.

-I love the balcony. That's really struck me, that.

-Sitting out there overlooking the valley would be fantastic.

-Yes.

-Maybe we should go in and check it out.

-Yes, please.

'That seems like a good start and to take in the brilliant view from the best vantage point,

'we're heading up a couple of steps to the front door and up another flight to the main living space.'

And here we are. This is the famous view.

Lovely, lovely.

That is stunning.

So it's a slightly topsy-turvy house. You come in on one floor. It's sort of staggered.

You come in on one floor and there's two bedrooms down there.

But the main living space is on this first floor.

I think that's lovely having the living on the area where you have got the view.

You sleep downstairs. It doesn't really matter.

-There's a wood-burning stove in the corner.

-Yes, fantastic.

'Well, the love story with this property seems to continue

'and I expect they'll find the kitchen just as impressive.'

So, quite a kitchen.

-It is.

-Really huge.

-It is.

-Huge.

-Yes, it is.

It's quite the most extensive fitted kitchen I think I've ever seen.

That's amazing, isn't it?

-It's very well done.

-Yeah.

And leading into a lovely dining room there. Look at all those windows!

-There's lots to catch your eye down here.

-Yes.

A beautiful space and...

-A swimming pool!

-It's my pool, my pool!

-Yes, yes...

-It's exactly the same one that you've got.

Yes, yes, it looks...

It's actually an above ground pool, but it's all boxed in.

'That sneak preview of the pool has really put a smile on Valerie's face. So far, so good.

'And also on this floor there's a good-sized utility room and a shower room,

'both located off the kitchen.

'Now let's explore the sleeping arrangements this house offers.

'Back down on the ground floor where we came in are two generous bedrooms, along with a shower room,

'so there's plenty of space for visiting friends and family.

'As we head upstairs, on the next level, there are two other bedrooms large enough to fit in a double bed.

'These both share a family bathroom.

'But we're climbing to the very top of the house to have a look at what's being used as the master.'

So this they've carved out of the loft space

into their master bedroom.

Yes, um...

That's one thing that you're not too keen on, is it?

-No, I don't like skillions.

-Yes.

-The window in the ceiling?

-No, it's the sloping...

-Oh, the sloping...

But we could put a dormer in there.

It could be a guest wing because you've got an en-suite bathroom here.

-Mm-hm.

-OK.

So any reservations so far about the house?

Well, that.

And the stairs as well. There's a lot of stairs here.

-A lot of stairs.

-This is going to be, hopefully, our final house.

And if we live to 100, we might find it difficult climbing up all those stairs.

But it's not beyond the realms of possibility to put some stairlifts in if necessary.

Let's go outside and look at the grounds.

'Outside, along with the garage that was top of Howard's list and the swimming pool that Valerie wanted,

'there's also a lovely, large, expansive lawn

'which is easily big enough for them to set up an apiary for the bees.'

Through the double doors.

I like these doors.

Let's come on to the lawn and we get a good view of the whole property.

Stunning views. The garden is an amphitheatre for these incredible views down the Wye Valley.

The view is stunning. It really is.

OK, so how much do you think this property would set you back?

Well, I think it's below our budget.

I'm going to guess at 545.

What about you, Val?

I'd have thought it's closer to our budget. I'd say 580.

Well, this property is on the market... It's been on the market for over a year

and it's now valued at 535.

-Wow!

-My goodness!

-I wasn't that far out then.

-That is...

-I am impressed with that.

You get a beautiful property and incredible views. Have a look round.

I'll meet you in the garden. It's very nice here.

-Then we can push on from there.

-OK.

-In you go.

-All right.

Well within their budget at £535,000,

this beautiful modern house with breathtaking views offers them everything they're after and more.

The sun's shining.

-Oh, yes.

-Look at that stunning view.

-It's lovely.

-And it is so quiet.

I'm impressed with the house. I'm really taken with the price, I have to say. I'm very impressed.

The pool is perfect. I always said I wanted to pick up my home in London

and put it down in the country and this goes a long way to doing that.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Have we won you over with this first house?

-Y-Yes.

-Yes? Do we need other options?

-There's a lot going for it.

-That's what we like to hear.

-There's an awful lot going for it.

-You've got another two to view.

-Yes.

-I'm looking forward to it.

-One right now.

In the spring and summer, the Gloucestershire countryside is alive with flowers and blossoming trees,

a veritable haven for bees.

However, in the 20 years up to 2005,

wild honey-bee colonies declined by 50%.

Fortunately, Gloucestershire has a very active population of beekeepers

who are taking steps to increase their numbers by encouraging more people to own hives.

As Val and Howard are keen to keep honey bees once they move to the country,

we've sent them to meet Liz Gardner of the Gloucestershire Beekeeping Association to find out the basics.

Welcome to the apiary. We've got lots of hives to see.

We know nothing at all about beekeeping. Living in London, it's very difficult.

We're moving to the country and we'd love to keep them.

It's really good to get involved in your local branch of the BBKA where we do lots of teaching.

Once you open a hive, you will see that there's quite a lot to learn.

British Beekeeping Association courses run for 18 months

and end in an exam which is practical and theory-based.

Once you've passed that, you'll have the basic qualification in beekeeping.

Only then should you get your first bee-hive.

The BBKA is the best place to go for this too, as well as for your bees,

as they'll provide local ones that are used to sourcing local nectar.

Before handling bees, it's always advisable to wear a protective bee suit with veil and gloves.

I'll drift a little bit of smoke at the front of the entrance.

Come in closer to look, but we don't stand in front of the entrance when you're working the bees.

So here you can see a very tiny split.

There's an entrance block in

and we're just going to drift a bit of smoke along the bees.

That's just to let them know we're coming, so they don't have a rude awakening.

Inside a starter bee hive, there's a row of five frames,

but as this one is a little more advanced, there's 11.

Honey bees are social insects

and a colony includes a queen, drones and workers.

These types of bee are categorised by the division of labour

with the workers doing all of the nectar gathering.

This actually is food.

The bees have been out and collected this. This is nectar in here.

This is capped nectar, so this is their food. The bees have gone out, collected the nectar, come back,

passed it over, the bees have stored it and capped it with wax.

They have six little wax glands and they secrete wax.

The bee performs a vital role in the environment.

One third of the food we eat relies on pollination by bees.

As they forage amongst the flowers, their furry bodies pick up pollen which fertilises other plants,

resulting in the formation of seeds and fruit.

The queen is quite distinctive from the other bees.

The queen is quite distinctive from the other bees. She's a lot longer.

And obviously, she produces a pheromone.

This is why it's important to keep a young queen in a colony, so that she'll be laying well.

Wild colonies of honey bees are increasingly rare, due to a loss of habitat and disease,

and now only survive as a result of the treatment and care provided by beekeepers.

And how many bees in there approximately?

At the moment, they can get up to about 55,000.

-In one box?

-In both of them, yeah.

So, I mean, there are quite a few bees.

Honey bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years

and they exist on every continent except Antarctica.

Now that Val and Howard's beekeeping ambitions are taking full flight,

we need to buzz back to the search for their dream home.

'We've travelled around four and a half miles from Brockweir to the parish of Woolaston,

'situated on the western edge of the Forest of Dean.

'We're within easy reach of the A48 and the Severn Bridge which gives access to the M4 to London.

'Lying on the north side of the Severn Estuary, Woolaston is a beautiful setting,

'surrounded as it is by both woodland and undulating farmland,

'but although it consists of a scattering of quiet hamlets,

'there is a post office and local shop,

'as well as a pub within a reasonable distance of our second property.

'With this house, we've mixed the modern look with the character of a period cottage

'as this one dates back to 1738.

'A bit of a gamble, but will it pay off?'

Here we are, house number two.

-Oh!

-OK.

-A very different offering.

Yes.

-It's older.

-It's certainly older.

But it's been extended innumerable times over its long history.

A lot more land than the last property,

so it's about 1.3 acres.

-Does it include the tennis court?

-It does include the tennis court.

-We may have to learn to play tennis.

There's also the option to change the tennis court into a swimming pool! We'll explore that later.

Let's look inside.

'Well, no compliments so far, I notice,

'but hopefully, the mix of old and new elements inside will be to their taste.'

So a lovely porchway. This is the last bit of the extension they've done in the last two years.

It goes into the kitchen which is again an extension that they've put on.

Mm-hm. That's lovely.

-That's more than adequate, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It's more cottagey, isn't it?

The fittings are... are fitting in a cottage.

-But very homely, yes.

-And then this takes you through to the oldest part of the building.

This was the original kernel of it, back in the 18th century.

Mmm.

I think it's lovely. I like the fireplace.

-This is not the main sitting room. This is the breakfast room.

-OK.

The main lounge is in the new part.

'I'm not sure that Howard is convinced by the charm of this property, but both he and Valerie

'may be more impressed by this more modern living space.'

-So here you can see the oak floor throughout with the underfloor heating.

-Mmm.

-And another wood-burning stove.

-Yes. It's actually a very green house.

You've got solar panels on the roof, underfloor heating, which is better, lots of solid fuel burners,

-so that doesn't use as much gas.

-OK.

-Mm. Very good.

-I'm getting a more muted response on this one.

-Yes.

-It is...

-You're not kicking your heels.

No, it's dark.

Well, let's go upstairs. It's a bit lighter.

'Our two lovers of all things modern are proving a tough nut to crack.

'Also downstairs, off the kitchen is a useful utility room and cloak room, both bang up to date,

'while off the living space there's a good-sized dining room and study, both with the same oak flooring.

'And upstairs they'll find no lack of light in the bedrooms.

'There are three guest rooms up here, all very good sizes for accommodating friends and family,

'and these all share a very stylish modern family bathroom,

'but we're heading up the impressive oak staircase to see where they could be sleeping.'

This is the master.

So it has a big en-suite and a big walk-in wardrobe.

Ah, lovely. That's one thing I've always wanted, really.

And then you are down at the bottom of the valley, so the views are more up the fields.

But lovely open country views, nevertheless. Yes.

I'll let you explore upstairs, but let's go outside. It's got quite considerably more land.

'Outside on this one-and-a-third acre plot, as well as that tennis court by a wooden summer house,

'there's an immaculate lawn with space for a whole host of bee hives,

'looking onto those countryside views.'

Come up to the point and we have a little vantage point of your domain.

You've got the house, we have one, two, three, four sheds.

So what do you think it's worth?

I would reckon it's...

£500,000.

I would go in a little bit lower. I'm going to go in at 445.

445.

OK, so this house is on the market for £50 short of £600,000.

-Oh.

-Oh, dear!

-Oh, dear.

-So slightly optimistic in your pricing.

-But often our pricing reflects what we like or dislike.

-Yes.

So there is a lot you haven't seen.

Do explore outside, particularly. There's a few bedrooms you haven't seen.

And we will meet back up outside.

-OK.

-And see what happens.

-All right.

-OK.

-Thank you.

On the market at a fraction under their top budget of £600,000,

this beautifully-refurbished period cottage offers them almost everything on their wish list.

Four bedrooms, a garage and outbuildings for Howard's cars,

beautifully maintained mature gardens with scope for keeping bees

and a tennis court which could be turned into a swimming pool.

Going round the back to enter the house, there's a lovely modern aspect to it.

Big windows, great. But when you come inside, that is just in the hall.

But the rooms going off were still very dark and with small windows, so there wasn't the light.

The owners have spent a lot of time and trouble and money on improving the property,

but I was a little bit disappointed at what I perceived to be a lack of character.

It's not really for me.

There they are. All right? Have you seen everything you wanted?

-Yes, thank you.

-Inside and out?

-Yes.

-Ready to go?

-Indeed, yes.

-OK, let's rest and recuperate.

-Thank you.

-It's been a long day.

As the sun sets over the stunning Gloucestershire countryside,

it marks the end of a day of highs and lows in our search for Howard and Val's dream home.

'Armed with their £600,000 budget, newlywed retirees from London, Val and Howard,

'are property hunting together for the first time.

'So far we've shown them a '70s house with stunning views that they loved,

'yet the second property didn't go down so well.

'Could the mystery house raise their spirits?'

-Might have something for you, Val.

-I'm excited!

'And I discover how a dedicated group of volunteers is reviving Gloucestershire's canals.'

Delicious English summer weather on our second day of property hunting with Val and Howard(!)

Yesterday afternoon, I think we got our fingers burnt.

We showed them a period property, out of force of habit, and they really don't want that.

So for the mystery house we're going to play it safe, skip across the Welsh border and give them modern.

For our mystery property, we've crossed over into Monmouthshire,

close to the historic village of Tintern, famed for its abbey.

And we're in easy reach of the A40, providing access to the M4.

Lying at the southern end of the village, the ruins of Tintern Abbey

are a remarkable local landmark to have on your doorstep. We stopped to have a closer look.

Cross over the bridge to Wales and you get this.

-You get your own 13th-century Gothic abbey ruins.

-Wow.

-It's magnificent, isn't it?

-Have you been to this part of the world before?

-Last time I was 16!

-Have you ever been here, Howard?

-No, I haven't. I've passed it,

but I've never actually come in to have a look at this magnificent building.

-Shall we explore?

-OK.

'The abbey was founded by Cistercian monks in 1131 and was home to around 400 holy men.

'Like many other such buildings, it fell into disrepair after the dissolution of the monasteries

'in the mid-16th century.

'Our mystery house is considerably more modern.

'Built in the 1920s and surrounded by forest, it's completely secluded.'

Finally revealed, here it is. The mystery house.

-Yes. This is what we've been waiting for.

-Ah!

-That's lovely.

-Music to my ears. Very good.

This is an exceptional property. I've seen a lot of properties.

I don't think I remember seeing one that has such incredible situation.

And especially for you, Howard, a triple garage.

-I am impressed. I can't wait to get inside.

-Val?

Very attractive. Mm, yes.

-It's lovely.

-I've got something for you as we step forward.

-I'm excited.

-On the way to the house, take a look to your right.

Aha!

-There's your swimming pool.

-That's fantastic.

-Pleased?

-It's lovely.

-Let's take a look inside.

-The impressions get better.

'We're definitely singing in the rain with those reactions

'and the style of our mystery house seems to have struck a chord, too.

'I think they'll be equally enamoured with the interior.' So come on in.

-Straight into the brand-new kitchen. It's about two years old.

-Mmm.

-Very impressed.

-Lovely.

-A good size.

-Yeah.

-Very bright.

-There's a window seat there.

-Very cottage-y,

-although it's in a modern building.

-Yes.

-So this is a kind of new creation,

although it takes lots of the old details. You see these interesting reliefs on the cupboard fronts?

-There's a squirrel and oak leaves. Those are from the original 1920s kitchen.

-Wow.

-They saved those and then fitted them into this brand-new kitchen. Is it your style?

-Yes.

-Oh, certainly.

-There's a big smile on my face.

-There is.

'I'm delighted that they're so taken with this house and the dining room should add to their excitement.'

-Oh, that is lovely.

-Magnificent.

Lovely.

It's a good size, yes.

-Would your furniture fit in here?

-I think certainly.

We've combined two house-worth's at the moment into the one house.

And we're sorting out exactly what we want to bring.

Because it's a completely new start, there's very little we'd bring.

We can take the opportunity of choosing some nice furniture.

It's just a great, nice space.

'Flowing off the dining room is a cosy sitting room with patio doors and wood burner. And there's more.'

There's a little study in there. This is an extension, this end.

There is actually a front door there, a sort of porch room,

and then a bedroom. That could be a guest wing.

-This is the main spiral staircase up.

-An interesting staircase!

-It's noisy.

-It is!

'Upstairs, there are two guest bedrooms, both for a double bed,

'along with plenty of built-in storage. And they both share a modern panelled bathroom.

'But we're heading for what could be Howard and Val's room.'

-It's enormous!

-That's a good size, isn't it?

Look at these lovely views. This forest is just bewitching.

-And the trees aren't cutting out an awful lot of light into the room.

-No.

-There's a nice en-suite with a shower.

-Mm-hm.

-What do you think of the inside space?

-It's enormous, isn't it?

-It is, yes. And quite flexible as well.

Plenty of options, plenty of storage.

'With the bedroom definitely offering enough light, there's just the outside to consider.

'We've already delivered Howard's garage and Val's pool,

'but the grounds offer so much more.

'Just under an acre of landscaped gardens with plenty of shrubs, bushes and trees,

'which ensure maximum privacy. And potential for a bee hive or two.'

Lots of nods and smiles, but how much do you think it costs?

I think it's over our budget.

I'm going to say 625.

I would have thought on the budget. I'd say 600.

It's on the market for...

-Brace yourself. 575.

-Wow!

-Oh!

-That's a good price.

-That's brought another smile to my face.

Have a look round. I know you're itching to look into the garage.

-Go and explore that.

-Come on, then.

'Under budget at £575,000, our mystery house stretches them beyond their original search area,

'but seems to have addressed many of their property demands.

'The interior gives them those modern, clean lines, four bedrooms,

'not just a double garage for Howard, but a triple one, a swimming pool for Val

'and a beautiful secluded garden for them and their potential bees.'

It's a place that's got character.

Very attractive. Good size.

Lovely.

There's a lot of the things we've been looking for.

There's a triple garage! And the pool was already in place.

The mystery property I'm very taken with. Very taken.

Living in Wales I don't see as a problem.

Valerie's relatives are still very close to us.

The shops and the main towns are still very close,

so I don't see a problem at all.

-Ah, you've been looking at the pool.

-Yes.

-Come on down. Mind the puddles.

-So we're all done here.

-Right.

-OK.

-Time is over here,

but let's go and find a place where we can dry off. Come with me.

'For over 200 years, two canals have shaped the landscape of Gloucestershire's Stroud Valleys.

'The 29-mile Thames and Severn Canal and the 7-mile Stroudwater Navigation.

'Built in the late 1700s, these were an essential trade link,

'carrying coal between the great rivers of the Thames and Severn. With the advent of the railways,

'these once-busy canals went into decline and both were closed by the early 1950s.

'20 years later, in 1972, the Cotswold Canal Trust was established by a small band of locals

'who shared a vision to restore and reopen all 36 miles of these historic waterways.

'I've come to meet Ken Burgin, the Trust's Chief Executive,

'to find out more about their work here on the Stroudwater Navigation.'

-What happened when it closed down?

-Well, the canal closed in stages

between 1927 and 1954.

What happened then is that bits got filled in, bridges got knocked down,

pipes got laid across it, rubbish got dumped in it. That was when the damage was done

and that's costing the money to put right. The big money is being spent on putting right

the destruction that has happened, rather than restoring what is left.

Taking nasty stuff out of the canal, diverting the canal in one place around a rubbish tip

as the original route is a road.

'Volunteers are important to the project with around 300 people helping out each week.

'The man who supervises them is Jon Pontefract.'

If someone joins the Trust and you've got lots of people, what would they get to do on a Sunday?

Rebuilding the towpath. That's the most important one.

A lot of the finishing off work - they're installing mooring bollards and, very importantly,

the paddle gear that people wind to empty and fill the locks.

-I have a feeling that I might be getting involved.

-Yes, indeed.

-What's down here?

'Once I'm correctly attired, I've to help Jon pull a barge through the lock to empty the rubbish

'collected in it from the canal bed.' So, pulling away.

-How heavy is this thing?

-Many tons.

What we're doing here, effectively, is replicating what people would have done in the very early days

of these waterways, where on the River Severn boats were hauled by men.

Obviously then it moved over to horses and donkeys.

-A mass of steel like this floats quite easily.

-It's actually not too much hard work!

That's us. That's as far as we need to go.

'Once the barge is safely in the lock, it's more heavy work securing the locked gates behind it.

'Then it's just a matter of floating the barge out the other side with the help of volunteer Paul.'

-Another volunteer.

-As you see, it's quite turbulent.

Jon's holding us in position anyway.

-How high do we get?

-About... We'll be stood just about level with the section back there.

By then, the two locks will have equalised and you can move on.

'British canals have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity,

'with 200 miles of new and restored waterways opened in the last decade.

'The number of boats using the canal system today is far greater than during its industrial heyday.'

So what do you think has changed? Why have canals become flavour of the month?

Well, it's almost like a green corridor through rural areas.

The footpath or the towpath becomes an exercise machine for people.

And with the new towpath, we've got such a good surface, it's allowed access for people with disabilities,

in wheelchairs and so forth. Also, it's a nicer route to walk than along a main road.

-It's very inspiring. We've risen to our full height now.

-We have indeed.

-It is a really worthwhile project. It seems win/win.

-Everybody gains from it. I've not found a negative.

Ken, Jon and Paul really inspired me. It's a long, herculean task they've got ahead of them

to get all 36 miles joining the Severn and the Thames up and running,

but it's going to be a wonderful legacy for Howard and Val when they move here,

which reminds me. We have to find out what they think about the houses.

-So can we cast our minds back over all three properties and see what you think now?

-OK.

-The first one seemed quite a hit.

-I was very impressed with it.

It was modern, there wasn't anything that we needed to do to it straight away.

-All we had to do was furnish it.

-Any reservations about it?

The only reservation was the stairs. It was on multiple levels.

And... we want this to be our first... our first and last house.

So we're looking forward hopefully a few decades.

And that could be a problem, but not insurmountable.

-The second property drew a bit of a dark cloud from you, Howard.

-Yes, I had a long face.

You had a long face. What are your thoughts, setting it in context?

It was a very well-extended period property.

I think for me the rooms were too small. Although we're not bringing a lot of stuff with us,

we've got quite a number of possessions. We're bringing them.

And family coming to visit and that sort of thing was my main reservation.

The third house, you had plenty of room for your furniture and that seemed a bit of a hit.

-What are your thoughts about the mystery house?

-It was lovely. First impression, what a pretty house.

-What a delightful house.

-The kitchen was lovely. It was a cottage kitchen.

Taken with the triple garage!

I knew that was a winner for you!

Plus it had a swimming pool, which is what Valerie wanted.

Again, it's a property that we could move straight into, furnish it the way we want to furnish it,

-and start living in it straight away. Very, very little to do to it.

-So what happens next?

Are any of them jumping off the page? Will you revisit any or put an offer in?

We did actually speak to the owner of the mystery house

and he has invited us back to look at the property again

-because we said we would like to see it in the sun, rather than in the dreadful rain.

-Sneaky!

-When did you do that?

-Well, we've come here to find the house of our dreams.

-No hanging around.

-No.

It's a very romantic story that you've met after 40 years and got married

and this is a very big move so we hope we do help in some way to finding that forever home.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank YOU.

It was definitely one of the moister summer weeks that we spent exploring Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire.

Despite the dampness, I'm hoping that Val and Howard will have been magically transported,

just by crossing that bridge into Wales and they'll love the mystery house enough to buy it.

It would be a fairy tale ending.

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

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