Cotswolds Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country. Today I'm in a region that's home to these furry fellows.

To you or I, they're just sheep.

But here, they're known as lions.

But where am I and what's their story?

Join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

Come on then!

On today's show, it's all about fantastic homes

with fantastic outbuildings, as I take a couple

in search of a rural retreat with an all-important artist's studio.

But at one property, the art space seems more appealing than the house.

Oh, shall we start there?

And then at the mystery house,

the wait to see the art studio almost tips our buyers over the edge.

-Shall we cut to the chase and go outside?

-Yeah, where's my studio?

Well, today, we're in the Cotswolds.

What I'm trying to show you is a good example of the famous Cotswold Lion,

and there is one, complete with fleece still on its back.

This rare breed of sheep, it's thought, were introduced to Britain

by the Romans a couple of thousand years ago.

By the 13th and 14th centuries, this entire region made a fortune on their backs.

Their wool was so sought-after,

it formed the backbone of the mediaeval woollen economy.

But since then, and changing economic circumstances,

their numbers have dwindled.

By the '60s, the breed nearly died out here altogether.

It's only thanks to a handful of local farmers and volunteers

that their numbers are now on the way back up again.

That is just as well, because let's face it,

the Cotswolds really wouldn't be the same without its lions.

The Cotswold Hills lie in the south-west of England.

At around 25 miles wide and 90 miles long,

they are mainly located within Gloucestershire

but spill over into five neighbouring counties

including Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.

As the UK's largest designated area of outstanding natural beauty,

it's easy to see why it attracts around 38 million day-trippers

a year to see the gently rolling hills or wolds.

This area is full to the brim with historic villages and towns,

built from the distinctive local honey-coloured limestone,

such as Chipping Campden and Northleach,

which date back to mediaeval times, when the wool trade was big business here.

These locations still retain

an abundance of fine characterful architecture,

built by the wealthy merchants of the time.

And if you're a lover of typically English idyllic settings,

then the Cotswolds with its hand-built stone walls is hard to resist.

Indeed, it's estimated there are over 4,000 miles

of dry-stone walling here,

longer in total than the Great Wall Of China.

The Cotswolds are, of course, famously expensive.

Your average four-bedroomed family home here will set you back

about £500,000, that's double the national average.

In pretty villages on the Coln and Windrush valleys, such as here in Lower Slaughter,

you could expect to spend £750,000. The reason why? Well, it's simple.

This entire region is packed with some stunning architecture.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the wool trade brought

enormous wealth to the Cotswolds

and this is reflected in the architecture throughout the region.

Many of the local limestone buildings have fine historic features,

such as stone-mullioned windows and steep sloping roofs.

If you'd like to live in a two-bedroomed cottage in the Burford area,

which was once home to the wool weavers,

you can expect a starting price of around £225,000.

However, if you're after something a little more grand,

then an impressive village merchant's house

could cost upwards of £745,000.

Well, as you can see, with properties like that on offer,

it's no wonder that this area is ever popular with budding escapees,

people very much like today's buyers.

Jim and Caroline met while working at same computer software company,

and they've been living in their five-bedroomed Victorian townhouse

in Bristol for 16 years.

But Caroline has always yearned for a different part of the country.

The area we'd like to move to is the Cotswolds

and the reason for the Cotswolds is because I grew up there,

and every time I return, it just makes my heart sing.

And the emotional ties for Caroline especially

have seen them try to escape to the Cotswolds once before but to no avail.

On a more specific level, we have attempted to find a place

that suited us in the Stroud area but we haven't actually found that.

It sometimes feels that we've seen everything, every house,

everything that's available.

They're hoping that this time they have much more going for them.

Caroline has retired from her computer software job

and Jim is now freelance. And their current house has already been sold,

so along with their Miniature Schnauzer, Teasel,

they're all set to enjoy everything the Cotswolds has to offer.

Since we got a dog three years ago,

we've become very dog-oriented, as you have to take it out every day, twice.

We need to be able to have good dog walks straight from the house.

I'm expecting that this move will enable us

to spend a lot more time together doing certain outdoor things.

For instance, we'd both like to get back to archery,

which is something we have tried while we're in Bristol,

but you have to drive all the way out of Bristol to go to the archery club.

That's the kind of thing we want to do together.

This creative couple will also be hoping to devote

more time to their passions of art and music.

Jim plays bass guitar in a curiously named band.

The Macaroni Penguins started as a band in 1995,

when all the band members were living in Bristol

and we played in various pubs and at each other's weddings.

While Caroline often spends hours locked away in her artist studio.

My mother had been a trained artist

and I grew up painting, drawing and generally making artist's messes.

Very recently, I've discovered encaustics.

They are the most fabulous, fabulous medium I've ever worked with.

Encaustics involves painting with a pigment that's bound with beeswax and damar resin.

Damar's a resin that's actually used as an incense.

You then have to work with them with heat so it's quite an alchemical process.

So space for an art studio in their new home

will be an all-important factor for Caroline.

But, of course, finding the right one will all depend on the amount of money they have to spend.

The budget for our move is up to £650,000.

Jim and Caroline have previously been frustrated

in their house search in their favourite part of the Cotswolds, near Stroud.

So whilst we'll be focusing around that area in particular,

there are also plenty of desirable options in other parts

of the Cotswolds too.

I met up with them in this beautiful part of the world

so they could reveal a little more about their property expectations.

Good morning!

-Hello.

-How are you?

So, Caroline, Jim, welcome to the Cotswolds.

So, house-wise, what do we need, Jim?

We need a good light living space downstairs,

preferably kitchen-diner.

Upstairs, we're looking for at least three bedrooms and two bathrooms

and Caroline is very keen on having a separate art studio.

Yes, now I was going to come onto this because I think

that this whole move is largely motivated by your artistic passions.

-Am I right?

-It is, yes.

And the studio is quite complex,

-it's not just somewhere for a few watercolours, is it?

-No, it's not.

It's got to be a place that's big enough for large, messy, smelly art.

So we don't want this in a spare room, do we?

No, we don't.

Would you be prepared, therefore, to potentially construct something

bespoke around the property if it wasn't already there?

I would love to.

Okay, well, we've got three, I think, quite interesting properties

to show you, including our mystery house.

You've got quite a lot of money to spend.

-Let's go spend it.

-Let's go.

-Follow me.

For their maximum budget of £650,000,

Jim and Caroline are looking for a new country home with a spacious kitchen-diner,

a music room for Jim, three bedrooms,

and outbuilding for Caroline to use as an art studio,

and a large garden for them and Teasel the dog.

We found three fantastic properties

which we think could have quite an impact on our buyers.

At each one, I'll be asking them to guess the price before I reveal it,

and one, of course, will be our mystery house which could really

propel our property search skywards.

We're starting our search in the north-east of the Cotswolds,

near the historic mediaeval town of Burford,

also known as the gateway to the Cotswolds.

Its busy high street, lined with historic houses and shop fronts

appears to have changed little for hundreds of years.

And naturally, it has all the necessary amenities for visitors and residents alike.

Just a mile down the road is the pretty village of Fulbrook,

where we find our first property,

built in the 1980s from traditional Cotswold stone.

There we go, that's it!

Property number one.

-It looks very promising.

-Isn't it just?

It's been extended and so on and so forth but the finish is fabulous.

So this is one that you literally can just walk into.

-Sounds good.

-Brilliant, can't wait to see inside.

Come and have a look.

'This house is a fantastic mixture of old and new on the outside

'and inside is much the same story.

'I think Jim and Caroline will love it.'

Let's start in here.

You wanted a nice kitchen-diner.

How does that work?

-It's lovely.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, this is a good space.

It's a good space, come on, Jim, it's gorgeous!

-Isn't it?

-That is what he means.

Oh, OK. Is that a good thing? All right.

It's got lovely finishes. Let's have an explore, look.

It goes on. This lovely big island arrangement or bar,

I suppose one would say.

So, that's the kitchen and kitchen-diner.

Next door we've got you a very nice downstairs cloakroom

and something of a utility space and so on and so forth.

But you do want your own study, don't you, Jim?

Yeah, that's right, for all my computer stuff and music stuff.

Follow me.

-There you go, Jim.

-Oh, this is good.

-Yeah?

-Do you like?

-I could get my computer stuff in and my music stuff in.

Because everything's all with the computer nowadays,

it tends to be handy if I can have my music stuff next to the computer.

OK, so living room next.

Follow me. This is really nice, actually,

you're going to enjoy this one.

Well, Jim seems happy enough with his music room,

although we haven't heard much yet from Caroline,

but I think she'll definitely be spurred into action

by this huge living space.

For what is, on the face of it, a tiny cottage,

I think this is really its crowning glory.

-Isn't it gorgeous?

-Isn't it?

-It's a lovely room.

-The current owners have extended it

so this beam here represents the old external wall.

-A proper statement of a fireplace.

-It's staggering, isn't it?

-Yes.

Oh, it's absolutely gorgeous.

'So while our couple aren't exactly saying a great deal,

'I think I can sense an interested vibe

'which should continue when they see the upstairs of this property,

'as it gives them the three bedrooms they've asked for.'

One is a charming, cottage-style twin room

and there is also a small single.

These both share a modern family bathroom off a bright landing area.

But we're heading for the master suite.

-And this is your bit, hey?

-It's good.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, I like this.

-"I like this", says the rocker, "Yeah, this is all right, isn't it?"

Great. I mean, this is again, part of the new extension,

which has made so much of the living room

so we're right above that and we've also got you a family bathroom

out there, your own en-suite in there. Have a look at that.

-You're going to like this.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Yeah, you see?

-Wow!

-How about that?

-That is an excellent en-suite.

-It's enormous.

-Yeah.

So, I'm going to put you to the test now,

just to gauge, you quiet pair, where we are.

Out of ten, Jim.

Where does our property number one come?

Er, I'd say it's quite high.

I would think, er,

-eight or nine.

-Eight or nine, little bit of room for improvement.

-A very good first start.

-And I like it.

-You like it.

-So, eight, nine?

-Yeah, eight, nine.

Well, let's see if we can push those numbers up a little bit outside.

-Yes, there is one crucial...

-The studio.

'Although they've had no luck in their past search for a property,

'it seems this one is actually scoring quite highly.'

Outside, there's around a third of an acre of pretty garden

with a patio area for alfresco dining,

an expanse of lawn and a vegetable plot

so plenty of room for their dog.

But what about that all-important artist's studio?

-Studio.

-Yes, where's that going to go?

-I'm not suggesting it's the Wendy house!

-Good.

That does look a tiny bit small.

What I am looking at is that prefab garage down there,

which is currently sitting on a concrete slab.

-Mm-mm.

-Now, the Wendy house will go

when the owners move, so what I was thinking was

could you, using that footprint, extend the whole thing out

and put up a bespoke timber-framed structure

that would give you enough space?

That would be lovely.

So, it brings me on to my final question

which is how much do you think property number one is on the market for?

I'm going to say 600, 620.

You're heading for 600 to 620. Jim?

Well, I'm not very good at guessing prices

but I would guess maybe 595?

You wish!

I'm always hopeful.

Yes, hopeful you might be but we are just down the road from Burford,

and that is one of the great magnets of the Cotwolds,

and I'm afraid 595 won't buy you property number one!

However, £635,000 would get it for you.

-So we have allowed a little bit...

-Yes, you've allowed a little bit.

..to effect your studio.

So, go and have a look around, explore a bit further.

-I'll catch up with you a little bit later.

-OK.

-OK.

-Off you go.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy this fabulous weather.

Jim and Caroline can afford this characterful-looking home

as it's priced at £635,000, leaving enough in their budget

to build a studio.

All in all, it has a large kitchen-diner,

a study-cum-music room for Jim,

three bedrooms and a lovely garden

which is manageable and safe for their dog to run around in.

It's a beautiful Cotswoldy house.

I love the way it fits in with its surroundings. Very nice kitchen-dining room

and a beautiful sitting room, I really like that.

It's got the Cotswold look outside but actually it's a modern building

so that's nice.

There's that little office for me.

Obviously, we'd have to look into constructing a purpose-built studio

for Caroline but that won't take up the whole garden

so yeah, I think that will work quite well.

-Look at this!

-Are you doing a bit of archaeology?

Well, you would think it's a bit of prehistory, a nice standing stone

but the clue is here, look, these gate pins.

It's just a gatepost but quite a nice bit of art to have in the garden, how about that?

It's a real feature, isn't it?

We have to go for several reasons. Not only do we have

plenty of property to have a look at but there is another viewing here in an hour.

-All right.

-So if this is of interest,

-you may have to move fairly quickly. Come on, let's go.

-OK.

A defining feature of the Cotswold landscape are the limestone villages

and market towns set amongst its hills and valleys,

such as Northleach, which stands at a crossroads on the Roman Fosse Way,

in a protected area of outstanding natural beauty.

The town centre is compact and completely unspoiled,

having changed little since 1500.

And its historic walled church, built from the proceeds

of the wool industry, is an impressive example of the renowned Cotswold perpendicular style.

Another typically beautiful town, and one that is familiar

to Jim and Caroline, is Minchinhampton,

just a short drive from Stroud.

Around three miles from here, in the village of Woodchester,

is a thriving local target archery club - the Bowmen Of Minchinhampton,

whose members have been firing arrows for close on 40 years.

Earlier in the week, we sent our two budding archers along

to meet club bowman Peter Munday.

-How often do you meet?

-We meet here Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings,

and Sunday mornings.

Sunday mornings are a bit variable if the tournament archers are away,

cos you've got to have a senior on site.

Once you've been in the club six months,

once you've demonstrated you are duly safe to the rest of humanity,

-then you can get a key to the field and come down any time you like.

-Oh, good.

This club has around 60 members but before they join them

to start firing arrows, it's time for Jim and Caroline

to get a refresher on the basics.

Helping them are club members Corrine and Kieran Slater.

He's hoping for a place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

We've got an arrow here, which has three fletches,

one different colour which we call the cock fletch,

which, when we attach it to the bow,

it's always pointing away from the bow.

So...as indicated...

I'm just going to nock the arrow between the nocking points,

and going to leave it on the arrow rest, which has got a hook on it so it's not going to fall off.

And I'm going to use my fingers,

two below the arrow nock and one above.

Move it around. And I'm going to lift to horizontal,

then draw back towards my face, and I'm going to line up the string

and the sight with the gold...and shoot.

Target archery is the most popular form of modern competitive archery

in the world, and has been an Olympic sport since 1900.

The archers shoot at stationary circular targets from set distances

and of course, the highest score is achieved by hitting the centre

of the target, known as the "gold".

Tuck in, look at the gold, and then release those fingers.

Very good.

British archery has a rich and colourful history,

with the earliest bow, discovered in Somerset, dating back

to over 2,500 BC, when bows would have been made of wood.

However, modern target archery uses bows made of carbon or fibreglass.

Now Jim and Caroline have added these extra strings to their bow,

let's see if our next property can hit the target as well.

We're travelling north, around 21 miles from Stroud,

close to the ancient Saxon town of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire.

Situated in a beautiful Cotswold valley,

the town's name literally means "valley with a bend".

And indeed, some of the streets do curve rather gracefully.

A popular tourist destination, it has all the tearooms, shops and pubs

you'd expect, as well as the very stately Grade I listed Sudeley Castle,

once home to Henry VIII's sixth and surviving wife,

Katherine Parr, who is buried within the church,

in the beautiful gardens.

-And what a view...from up here!

-Oh, wow!

It is a wonderful, wonderful building.

The ruined bit, that's 15th century.

Cromwell decided to take it apart during the Civil War

but in the 19th century, the rest of it was rebuilt

and it's now this glorious family estate.

So this would be on your doorstep

if you buy house number two.

-Oh-ho.

-Yes.

-It's an amazing place.

Well, it doesn't quite overlook Sudeley Castle but it's near enough!

So this could be your playground. How about it?

I don't think anything overlooks it, does it?

Around two miles away, towards the edge of Winchcombe,

is our second house, built from local Cotswold stone in the 1960s,

and set in secluded gardens off a country lane.

So, there is property number two.

-I like the little...

-Circular drive?

-Circle to drive round,

that's good.

The other key feature which we ought to take note of

-is that building over there.

-Oh, shall we start there?

JULES LAUGHS

We'll get to that later on!

But I think that would make a very interesting studio for you.

-Right, yes, it's already got more interesting!

-Yeah!

Well, thanks to the outbuilding, which has definitely caught Caroline's attention,

we're off to a flying start with this one.

I'm sure that inside will give them more than they bargained for too.

-There.

-Oh!

-Yes. Surprised?

Totally not what I was expecting.

I thought it was just going to be in this little piece but it's all that.

Originally, I think this area was something of a garage,

that they have obviously bricked up, stone-faced,

and created this L-shape classic sort of kitchen-diner...

-arrangement.

-Yeah, it's a good shape as well. Very good shape.

'So with Caroline still seemingly quite keen on this one,

'we just have to convince Jim.'

Luckily across the hall, there's a bright music room

that has enough space for a desk and his guitar equipment.

Next door to that is a dining room, currently being used as a sitting room.

This extends into a good-sized conservatory,

with an eating area overlooking the garden.

Time now to check out the other reception room.

This is your main, sort of, family living room, I would say.

Mmm, it's actually a decent size as well.

-Yeah.

-Yes, it's good. Nice view on to the garden.

-Yes.

-Lots of light coming in.

And the little window seat's quite a nice touch.

-Yes, that's nice.

-And the space is a perfectly good size.

-Yeah, this is fine.

-Good, OK.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms.

Two of the guest rooms are bright and large enough

to fit a double bed in while the third is a slightly smaller single.

But we're heading past the bathroom

towards the very spacious master bedroom.

-Yeah?

-It's big.

-Isn't it?

-Isn't it big?

-It's surprising.

A suite of rooms.

Well, have a look in there.

You've also got another another en-suite for you.

Gosh. Look...

There we are. That's the en-suite and that is your master suite.

It's very, er...yeah.

Caroline's laughing.

Why are you laughing?

Because he did change when he came in here.

He did change, didn't he?

-Yeah.

-I know, the mood lifted from Jim.

-Yes!

So, while we're on a high, let's get outside and check out your workshop.

-Yes, please.

-Come on then.

Well, this is the moment that Caroline's been desperately waiting for since our tour began

and where she could hopefully be creating her artwork.

At last.

At long last.

-At long last.

-There we are!

Now, it has water, there's this little kitchenette area out there.

There's a downstairs loo in here.

And it's in two halves really, you'll see what I mean.

And then you've got this lot.

Yeah, concrete floor.

Yes, that would be perfect.

Is it big enough?

To begin with, but I might want to knock it through.

Well, you could.

-The whole thing though.

-Yes, the whole thing would be big enough.

Yes, and the benefit of the water and heat and power.

Fantastic, yeah.

OK, let's finish off in the garden.

To the rear of the house, there's a lovely private lawn, with mature borders and trees.

So, now they've seen all the property has to offer,

it's time to find out what they think it's all worth.

So, Jim?

I'm thinking 640.

640, yeah.

Maybe 660, 670, something like that.

You're right!

Oh! That's a turn-up for the books.

-That's a relief!

-Yes!

-It does offer you the studio you want.

-Yes, it does.

The choice is yours really.

Go on, off you go.

-I'll catch up with you later.

-Right, thank you.

So, on the market just under their budget at £640,000,

this modern build in traditional stone delivers everything Jim and Caroline asked for.

It has a large L-shaped kitchen-diner, a music room for Jim,

four bedrooms, an outbuilding that's perfect

for Caroline's artistic endeavours,

and a manageable and pretty garden.

I thought it had good access with this parking area

and the house itself looked interesting.

I'm not too familiar with the area

but it would be nice to explore a bit further afield,

investigate the dog-walking opportunities in the area.

What grabbed my eye wasn't the house, it was the potential art studio.

Overall, this house feels to me as though it's got everything

we asked for, in an area that I don't know but it is Cotswoldy

and so well worth pursuing.

Well, Caroline, out you come.

Yep, that's it.

I've just done my masterpiece.

Have you now?!

Have you done a masterpiece on the sums though, Jim?

A lot to think about with this one, I would imagine.

Yeah?

Yeah, I need to know more about this area actually.

Well, there's a lot more to find out.

Come with me.

As dusk falls over the spectacular landscape here in the Cotswolds,

it marks the end of the first day of our property search.

Artist Caroline and her music-loving partner, Jim, are seeking a move

from busy Bristol to a rural retreat in the Cotswolds.

So far, they've been impressed by the finish of a modern stone house,

while Caroline fell in love with the studio space at our second property.

But coming up, could the mystery house split their opinions right down the middle?

So, you and I need to lead Caroline through this building, don't we?

Yeah, we might have to persuade her a bit

And I discover how the region's flax

is being used to make these fantastic boats.

Well, what a difference 24 hours makes.

The sunshine is gone and our final day of house-hunting is,

as you can see, now shrouded in mist and gloom.

But the good news is that we are still in the Cotswolds.

One more property to come. It is, of course, mystery house time.

And it's out there...somewhere.

Today we're heading just south of Stroud,

close to the historic town of Minchinhampton,

a place which we know Jim and Caroline are particularly keen on.

This classic slice of the Cotswolds is home to an array of thriving local businesses,

including pubs, cafes, and a Post Office.

Just a few miles outside the town is the area known as Aston Down.

Our mystery house is a single-storey conversion

of a 1920s airmen's convalescent home.

It might not be a traditional Cotswolds stone build

but I'm hoping our buyers will give it a chance

as it offers everything else they wanted.

OK, there it is.

-There's our mystery house.

-Ah-ha.

Now, to be fair, from this angle, it doesn't look a million dollars.

It hasn't got that Cotswold cachet, has it?

It hasn't got that Cotswold feel to it, but this is a property

that really works from the inside out.

You'll see why once we get in it.

OK, I'm intrigued to see inside then!

'A muted reaction so far, but this conversion really comes into its own

'once you step through the front door, as we're about to find out.'

This is what I mean about this property.

It works from the inside out.

-Oh, gosh, this is, er...

-There's a lot of space.

-Brilliant, yeah!

-Brilliant, that's the word I was looking for!

Well done, Jim! Loads of light, these lovely double doors.

Loads of light. It's just the atmosphere hasn't got me.

-When you say "atmosphere"...

-What I feel here.

But Jim seems to be quite moved.

Well, a lot of the properties we look at in the Cotswolds

tend to go a bit far on the old-world cottagey style for me.

-Yeah, this is more you.

-I find myself leaning more towards the contemporary design, so, er...

So, you and I need to lead Caroline through this building, don't we?

Yeah, we might have to persuade her a bit.

Well, at least I have Jim onboard so far,

as he seems very taken with this property.

But surely Caroline will be able to see the appeal

of the huge kitchen-dining space?

Ah, this is very nice. Very nice room.

-It's like a whole other living room.

-Isn't it just?

-Lovely double doors here, original doors.

-Nice and light.

It would be a good daytime living space.

But yeah, this is arguably the biggest property we've been able to show you.

Mmm. Oh yeah, I can see it's the biggest.

It's just not quite...

OK... Right, I'm not going to worry about you for now.

Have a look at this music room. Have a look at this music room.

Come and follow me.

So Caroline needs even more convincing

but she'll have to wait to see her potential art studio

as I have a room that should put an even bigger smile on Jim's face.

There, Jim. They have got this as a snug / music room.

You can see there's even an amp and a couple of guitars over there,

setting the scene for you.

-And all the access is flat, so getting stuff back out would be no problem.

-You see!

Oh... Caroline's halfway out the door!

Come here, Caroline, come here.

Now, OK, it's not old Cotswold stone.

No, it's not.

-But try and go with that arty vibe.

-Yes.

This beautifully finished conversion has plenty of space.

There's a very large boot room which adjoins a stylish shower room,

with very contemporary glass tiles.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the house

is the sleeping wing, which gives them four bedrooms.

One is currently being used as an office while the other two guest rooms

are good-sized doubles, providing a very welcoming space

for friends and family.

These all share the family bathroom,

but we're going to take a peek at the master suite

and hopefully I can get Caroline back on track with this one.

There we are.

-It's a lovely room.

-Silence again from Caroline!

I do feel like I'm pushing a big rock up a hill here.

Yeah, I feel like I'm a bit of a rock round here!

Ah, don't feel like a rock!

-But I'm just very surprised. I thought this would be an absolute winner for you.

-Hmm.

-We're not giving up yet.

-Right.

There's a lovely en-suite through there.

Huge walk-in wardrobe behind this wall here.

-Good.

-For all your stuff, you see?

-Yes, that's good.

But, er...

Yes, all right. Shall we cut to the chase and go outside?

Yeah, where's my studio?

Studio! Talk about the tail wagging the dog! Come on.

Set in a plot of almost an acre,

the surrounding gardens are flat and mostly laid to lawn.

Features to the rear include a pond, complete with tadpoles,

and a patio area for dining outside.

But time to see if we can finally make Caroline happy.

-So this is outside the boot room.

-Hmm-mm.

Then back to this end which, of course, is the kitchen.

-The garden is enormous.

-It is.

-Deceptive with these hedges in the way, but there's that.

-Summerhouse.

-Summerhouse, which is not as big as it might need to be,

but it might serve to get you going.

-That would do while I was getting one built.

-Yeah, absolutely.

There's so much space to do it round here cos everything's flat, that's the joy of a house on an airfield!

-That's true.

-Let's consider how much this might be on the market for.

-Well, I'd go for 650.

-£650,000. Yep, OK.

-Yeah.

-Er, I don't know. 620?

620, OK. So...

Here's the good news. The mystery house is on the market

for £575,000.

-That's good, that's good.

-That's really good.

-That is £75,000 under budget.

-That is ever so good, yes. It is.

-And it's close to Minchinhampton, which you love.

-Excellent.

Go and have a look around, give it its due.

-And I'll catch up with you later.

-OK.

Figure out what this studio's going to look like,

-for the grand total of £75,000! Go on, off you go!

-OK!

Am I going to be allowed to actually spend that?

Yes, go on, go on.

I do hope she's able to spend it

because this house would really work for them,

it's got the space, the aspect, the location

and it's got a price to match.

Priced at £575,000,

this beautifully converted house is a huge £75,000

under Jim and Caroline's budget

and gives them the potential for everything they want.

There's a large kitchen-diner, a music room for Jim,

four bedrooms, and a huge garden

with bags of studio potential.

Inside, it's a very impressive contemporary house,

which appeals, I think, more to me than Caroline.

But I like it very much, yes.

I know that Jim really likes it.

And...I'm perfectly prepared to compromise on style,

if Jim really likes this kind of style,

and there are plenty of options for studios

so that's probably not an issue.

I think the next stage is to get you somewhere you can relax

and really consider everything we've shown you thus far.

And then we'll see what happens next in your world.

What does the future hold, I wonder?

Wool may once have been a Cotswold staple for cloth-making,

but back in the Middle Ages, a different product was the most widely used textile in Europe.

Flax was originally introduced to Britain by the Romans.

It was added to wool and hemp to produce a fine workable cloth.

However, due to the import of cheap cotton,

the need for flax diminished, with commercial growing dying out in the 1950s.

But here, on a small farm in the Cotswold village of Cherington,

Simon Cooper is staging his own flax revival.

Not for textiles, but spinning yarn to make boats.

I've come to meet him to find out more about his use

of this highly versatile plant.

-And so this is it, this is the raw material.

-Yes.

We've grown this on the farm, only about half an acre,

as you can see, there's roots on the bottom

so we have to pull it all by hand, no machines involved.

How do you transform that into linen, effectively?

Into linen. Well, within the stems, if we get a bunch...

-If we give it a good razzle around...

-Look at that!

-The fibres!

-If you give it a quick twist and then give it a pull,

-it's incredibly strong.

-So, a bit of that...

Mm. Gosh, you'd have enough to hold the QE2 on a mooring there!

I can't break that at all, that's incredible.

-That's amazing.

-It's so versatile.

That can go down to the finest, finest sort of linen

right up to the strongest ropes.

So it's a really, really versatile crop.

Is that a piece that you've completely dealt with?

This piece, yes, this is in a...

You can see, it's a lovely long length.

What you're after is the full length of the fibre.

I mean, it is a wonderful material.

And then you transform it into linen.

This is some of our own fabric, own-grown Cotswold...

Well, we're calling it linen but I guess really, you'd call it a flax fabric.

-It's almost like a hessian.

-It is, it's really sort of open weave.

We specifically want it that way so we can use it as a boat covering.

Flax played an important role in maritime history,

as it was the fabric of choice for use on ships

for rigging and sailcloth, until it was superseded by cotton

around 150 years ago.

Simon is continuing the old tradition

with his own handmade flax-covered boats,

traditional coracles and curraghs.

His latest project is the construction of a one-man canoe,

a light ash frame, covered in the flax fabric

and sealed with resin from the flax seed.

I'm going to help him test it out on a local lake.

So, it's been in development, you have tested this.

-Yes.

-I'm just now the guinea pig, aren't I?

That's right, yes.

Just another one to put on the list.

Traditionally, these craft were covered with animal skins

and more recently with manmade petrochemical-based materials.

But I'm hoping that this flax fabric won't leave me up the creek

without a paddle.

-It's not leaking yet.

-No, no.

-So the flax is doing its job, isn't it?

Yes, yes, yes. No worries on that count.

All credit to you, it is absolutely beautiful, a real work of art.

-Thank you.

-Can I go for a paddle?

-Yes, yes, it's a good long lake

so we'll see you later!

'I'm delighted to see this ancient and sustainable crop

'being put to such creative use once again.

'But now, it's time for me to set a course back to today's buyers,

'Jim and Caroline.'

Well, this has been...quite an interesting experience this week!

Property number one, Jim, now you've had a chance to think about it.

Er, yes, it was an interesting property.

It certainly had an emotional pull from the outside

as a Cotswold stone cottage.

And I liked the fact that inside, it was a more contemporary layout.

-And in terms of the studio...

-Yes.

We thought about you building something in the garden.

What are your final thoughts on that idea?

I wouldn't mind it there. It's one of those things where

it didn't feel entirely right and I don't know why.

Because... It might just have been... I really liked the house.

But having the studio yet to build didn't appeal to me at that point.

I did actually like that garden a lot.

I like the fact it had chickens, it had the vegetable patch, I...

I suspect the studio could grow on me there.

So, we then took you to property number two,

near the lovely Sudeley Castle.

Let's face it, having that on your doorstep is quite nice!

Er, what are your abiding thoughts on that one now, Jim?

It appealed more to the head than the heart

in that it had more space for us,

although the initial view of it, it didn't jump out and grab you

as a nice chocolate-box cottage.

But I think with a little bit of work,

it could, you know, it would be improved and look nice.

And it would have an extra bedroom there for us

which is good, and of course, it has the studio ready for Caroline

-to get going on.

-Yes.

Caroline, your thoughts on property number two.

Well, I definitely preferred it and not necessarily just because of the studio.

I actually liked the fact we could put our stamp on it

and I like the thought of that.

Well, then we went to our mystery house.

Jim, help me out on property number three!

Well, yeah, I could see myself in there very comfortably.

I thought you could too! I could see you in there!

But would you be on your own, I wonder!

-Well...

-Caroline, come on. Have you been able to distil down the merits

of our mystery house?

Well...

Something that you don't know that I said to Jim

was that as long as I had the right studio, then he could choose the house.

Oh, right. So where does that leave us with our three properties then?

Of the first two,

the second one is definitely more interesting to us.

And as for the mystery house...

I mean, obviously I'm interested in it.

I hadn't imagined myself living on the edge of an old aerodrome.

HE LAUGHS

We'll look out on the map where...about the area

and where we might walk the dog

and maybe bring the dog and have another viewing.

So you're going to go back and have another look at the mystery house.

You can explore it a bit further. Take Teasel, the dog, with you.

-Yes.

-Best of luck, go and have another look at it.

Our mystery house may yet have saved the day, Jim!

It might give you the music room and house you've been dreaming of!

-Thanks very much.

-Pleasure.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

You know, there were times in this house search I was really worried

Caroline's determination to find herself an art studio

was going to derail the real point of this exercise.

That, of course, was finding them a home to live in.

But in the end, it seems, good sense has prevailed.

It just goes to show that no matter how we may dream of our ideal home,

no matter what elements we think it should have,

there is one thing that any house search can never do without -

that's a sense of balance and compromise.

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

Northern Ireland or England, and would like our help,

then please apply online at....

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd