Cornwall Escape to the Country

I'm in a county where this is the deadliest catch.

Don't worry, it's not as vicious as it looks. Not now, anyway.

Find out what I am as we escape to the country.

On today's show, I'll be helping a leading lady and her scuba-loving husband

dive in to a new life in a coastal county.

And early on, one of the properties leaves them surprisingly lost words.

-You were nearly speechless for a second there.

-Nearly!

I don't do speechless.

Then the mystery house rustles up a real treat.

-I love it.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Today I'm in Cornwall and these are Cornish king crabs or spider crabs.

They're native to the seas and rather tasty, I've been told.

You'd be hard pressed to find them as dish of the day on a British menu.

Although over 300 tonnes of spider crabs are caught in Cornish seas every year,

around 95% of them are shipped off to the continent, where there's a healthy appetite for them.

If they ask me, they're just being shellfish.

Later on, I'll try my hand at fishing for them,

but in the meantime, here are some of the other natural delights on offer in this lovely county.

Located on the south-western tip of England, Cornwall is the UK's southernmost county.

80% of Cornwall's borders are coastal,

and its rich and varied shorelines span some 300 miles.

The northern stretch, which faces the Atlantic Ocean,

is a favourite with surfers, while the southern coastline is

more secluded, with harbours and fishing villages.

Steeped in legend, the county enjoys a rich history.

Just on the outskirts of Falmouth,

set high upon the headland, is the mighty Pendennis Castle.

Built in the early 1540s on the orders of Henry VIII,

it's stood for five centuries,

protecting the British mainland from foreign invaders.

When it comes to property prices, Cornwall does carry a small premium,

with an average detached house setting you back around £265,000.

That's £11,000 above national average.

On the coast, you can expect to pay around 25% more, especially if

you want a sea view in an attractive fishing village like St Mawes. Lovely.

So if it's more bricks for your budget that you're after, the idea

is that you move inland, but even here, properties are sought after.

So there's coast and countryside aplenty

and Cornwall isn't short on architectural style either.

Attractive fishing villages and scenic harbours are a hallmark of

the county, and a waterside property can cost from about £250,000

for a traditional two-bedroom fisherman's cob and slate cottage.

Away from the coast, you will find an array of houses built in local granite.

Old miner's and farmworker's cottages, some dating back to the 18th century

are priced at upwards of £360,000 for a four-bedroomed home.

But if your budget is more substantial

and you've got from around £500,000 to spend, you could be the proud owner

of a 17th-century granite or stone farmhouse with plenty of land.

When it comes to property, Cornwall has something for everyone,

but will that be enough for today's buyers?

Let's meet them and find out.

Angela and Chris have been married for nearly 50 years,

after meeting on a caravanning holiday.

But now they're planning an adventure of a different kind.

having spent over 40 years living in the historically industrial town of Altrincham in Cheshire.

We are rather bored with living where we are at the moment,

-as we've been here for longer than I can remember, really.

-40-odd years.

And we've never moved out of the same telephone area.

For our final fling, we want to go way away and go to the countryside.

We think now it would be a fabulous time.

Chris has agreed to retire... LAUGHTER

-..at long last.

-Reluctantly, but there you go.

-Reluctantly.

So, with a little bit of arm-twisting from Angela, Chris has finally finished working.

Now they're both ready to begin the next chapter of their lives together.

We're really looking forward to a different lifestyle

and definitely more green.

Chris is a keen scuba-diver

and with some of the best diving in the UK around the Cornish coast,

they've decided it's the perfect county for the move.

In the North of England, I dive in rather dark quarries.

Sometimes the temperature is as low as 3 degrees, so understandably,

I'm really looking forward to going to Cornwall and diving in seawater.

As for Angela, it's amateur dramatics that floats her boat.

She's hoping that her love of the stage can continue

as she's in no hurry to give up treading the boards.

I started off at my little church.

I was playing the Virgin Mary when I was about 11 years old.

I've just had a ball. I've loved it.

And now I'm doing a bit of directing, now I'm an older lady,

because you don't get the parts when you're an older lady.

Having decided to make the biggest move of their lives to Cornwall,

they've got a good budget set aside to make it happen.

Our budget for the property will be looking in the region of 370,000.

We could go a little bit further than that if we found something really special.

Chris and Angela would like us to focus our search

in the villages near to the cathedral city of Truro.

I caught up with them in the beautiful Cornish countryside

to find out what our very colourful couple are after.

-Hey, how are you? Nice to see you.

-Hello!

-Welcome to Cornwall.

OK, let's talk about what you are after, then. Ideal house?

-Well...

-Well...

-That's a good start!

We're not that bothered, really, about the type of house.

-OK.

-It can be anything from a cottage or a barn or anything.

-We'd like a dining kitchen.

-OK.

A decent sitting room with the possibility to have a wood-burning stove.

You've got to around here, haven't you?

-I suppose so.

-That's necessary.

-Three bedrooms, at least. Garden.

-Right.

This list is getting longer and longer.

Yes, I know but most of all, a view. We've got to have views.

-And who's the boss of this relationship?

-Oh, come on!

I think we're going to have a bit of trouble here, aren't we?

-No, not all, actually.

-OK.

-46 years. I'm used to it.

Yeah, I'm not!

I've got three lovely properties to show you.

-Well, I think they're lovely, anyway. Shall we get going?

-Oh, yes.

-Let's hit the road.

-Fab. Thank you.

Chris and Angela have a budget of £370,000

to find an idyllic Cornish retreat and they'd like...

..a garden big enough for flower beds and a vegetable patch...

We found three fantastic properties for our buyers to view.

Before I reveal the price of each, I'll be asking them

to take a guess at it first.

The final choice is our mystery house, a property they may

not have looked at on paper, but which might just win their hearts.

We're starting our journey in the village of Carnon Downs,

which is around 3 miles south-west of Truro.

This rural location may be small, but it has everything

our buyers will need, right on their doorstep, including a post office,

a shop, a chapel, village hall

and regular bus connections to Truro.

Our first house is a charming detached cottage,

situated at the top of a long, sweeping driveway.

-Oh, yes.

-That's pretty.

-Isn't it just?

-Isn't it?

It was originally a miner's cottage. It dates back to 1850.

It was a one-up one-down

and then this L-shaped extension was put on about 15 years ago.

-Oh, that's really pretty.

-You like it?

-Yes.

-Yes, I do. It looks very sweet.

-What about you, Chris?

-I'm just looking at it...

Doesn't matter what do you think, she's the boss anyway.

As long as you're saying on the right things..

I'm easily pleased.

I like you so much. I feel like swapping places. Come on.

-Go on then, yeah.

-We'll go and do a tour.

-Anyway, from outside, you like it?

-Yes, it's really nice.

-Can we have a look?

-Yes, of course. That's why we're here! Come on.

Chris and Angela can't wait to see more of this property.

Let's hope it lives up to their expectations when we get inside.

-So, are you ready for this? Come on in.

-Oh!

-Don't be shy.

-What do you think?

-A think it's very sweet. It's lovely.

-It is, isn't it?

-You wanted a kitchen breakfast room.

-Eating kitchen, yes.

-You've got quite a big table there.

-Yes, it's not bad at all.

-Is that a range I see?

-Yes.

-Oil fired, isn't it?

-I quite like this.

-Oh, that's very...

-A larder cupboard.

-Neat, isn't it?

-Very good.

-There are lots of little neat touches.

Not bad at all.

You've also got a massive utility room through there which you can explore later.

-Really, really good size.

-Uh-huh.

-Yes, I like it.

-Good.

-Shall we have a look at the living room?

-Oh, yes please.

-Follow me.

-This is the living room.

-Oh, yes. I like that.

-That's a wood burner and a half, isn't it?

-That's terrific.

That's something we've discussed before. That's what we wanted.

Also, off this living space, you've got two bedrooms.

Oh, that's ideal.

And also, running the whole length of the living room

is a conservatory, as well.

-Ah, how nice.

-With that south-facing garden.

-Oh, yeah.

But this is very pretty.

-OK, let's head upstairs. I'll lead the way.

-Thank you.

This floor also has a good-size family bathroom,

but we'll continue our tour in the main bedroom.

Come on through to the master.

Ah.

Oh, I haven't seen that face so far. What does that face say?

-It's a bit small.

-OK.

-A bit small. It's very pretty.

And there is some cupboarding.

-Yeah, there's lots of storage. All this slides back.

-Oh, yes.

That's not so bad, really.

See, that's what's made the room small, isn't it?

I guess so. Yes, it's just... But, it's going to be, isn't it?

-It's a cottage.

-I think it's very nice.

-It's very pretty.

The whole thing, they've done it very prettily, I think.

Well, the mood has taken a bit of a dip, which is a real shame.

On this floor, there's one more bedroom,

which is a charming single with a lovely ornate window

overlooking the garden, which is what we're going to see next.

-Nice garden, isn't it?

-It's beautiful, really is.

-It's lovely.

You've got the greenhouse there, ready to go.

And plenty of space to grow your veg, as well. It's manageable.

-Yeah, it is.

-It is.

-It's not too big, but it's plenty big enough.

And a nice cobbled area where you can have your seating.

-Nice sitting area, eating area. Alfresco.

-Yes.

This part of it's tremendous, there's even an outdoor barbecue.

And you've got a little room there, with a Saniflo loo as well.

So, an office in there, if you wanted.

-No, an outside loo, huh?

-Yeah.

So, what do you think?

It's very pretty and it's got a lot going for it, but I'm not too sure.

-OK.

-Love the garden, got to say,

this, actually, is exactly what I would want.

-OK, wow, that's great. Shall we talk money?

-Ooh.

-Ooh.

-This will be interesting, won't it?

-Yeah, it will.

-You've got £370,000 to play around with, yeah?

-Mm-hm.

-So what do you reckon this is on the market for?

-I'd say 350.

-350, OK.

I would think more, I'd think maybe 365.

£365,000, which would only give you £5,000 to play around with,

-wouldn't it?

-it would, yeah.

It's currently on the market for £325,000.

-Well. That's more interesting.

-Isn't it? So, you know.

-At least we'd have something to spend.

-A lot to spend.

-Uh-huh.

Well, in that case... We'll think about it.

You need to go and have a look upstairs again, don't you?

-We do.

-I think so.

-Yeah.

Listen, these are big decisions, so I think you should go back upstairs,

have a good look around and I'll meet you outside.

-I'll see you in a bit.

-Right, cheers.

This old miner's cottage is on the market for £325,000,

well under Chris and Angela's top budget.

All in all, it has a lovely kitchen/diner,

a good sized utility room,

four bedrooms, a bright conservatory,

and a perfect-sized garden.

-This is the other bedroom onto the main one.

-The second one, yeah.

There again, it is rather small, but...

If we were to take that wall out

we could put an en suite at this end.

Then we'd have a big bedroom.

The first house is interesting and very pretty.

I like the downstairs, I'm finding the upstairs a little small.

This first house has been interesting

because it is exactly what we expected from a cottage.

We've always had a slight reservation

about the size of the rooms.

However, I think there is a possible to correct that.

With money.

-Ah, hatched a few plans?

-Mmm.

Yeah, I think it needs a bit of thinking about.

OK, you've got plenty of time, I'll do the driving,

-you two can think in the back.

-OK.

-OK.

Cornwall is reputed to be one of the warmest

and sunniest counties in the UK.

The balmy weather not only makes it an appealing option for a holiday,

it's also created an ideal climate for a number of botanical gardens.

One such fine example is the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

These gardens were hidden from sight for nearly 70 years.

But a chance discovery in 1990 has allowed then to be restored

to their former glory.

Earlier in the week, we arranged for our keen gardeners,

Chris and Angela, to meet Mike Friend, the curator,

to see some of the horticultural highlights.

How did they manage to lose a garden of this size?

Well, it basically comes down to the fact that, back in its heyday,

the garden staff, most of them went off to fight in the Great War,

in the First World War, and, tragically, didn't come back.

There were many decades of neglect,

but in 1990, a new generation of gardeners on the estate

set about bringing these once glorious gardens back to life.

With over 200,000 visitors a year,

it's now one of the most popular private gardens in the country.

And it's constantly evolving.

Chris and Angela are off to see the productive gardens,

an area dedicated to fruit and vegetable cultivation,

which provides seasonal produce throughout the year.

We grow all sorts, the onion crops, potatoes,

the archway there is the apples, apple arch.

-Oh, lovely.

-Which are all old varieties.

The produce that we grow here are pre-1910 varieties.

We try to keep that, so we stick to that kind of Victorian era.

We've actually got some seeds that need sowing.

We've got some climbing French beans that we need to do.

-So if you'd like to follow me.

-Can we have a go?

-Get you doing a practical.

-Oh, right.

-OK. Thank you.

For the Victorians, gardens were a real status symbol,

allowing them to show off their wealth

with opulent planting schemes.

What are these, then?

-These are two-coloured cocoa climbing French beans.

-Wow.

What I want you guys to do is, very simple, all you do,

is just fill the pot.

Get the tamper, tamp it down so it's nice and level.

With your finger, just up to the top of your fingernail,

put two holes in.

-Two? OK.

-One bean in there, one bean in there.

Great.

OK, so what we do just to end it, is we put a label in one of the pots.

So all you need to write is "Two-coloured cocoa".

Job done.

In one part of the garden, the temperature is five degrees warmer

than in other areas, which means more topical crops can be grown,

including bamboos, giant rhubarb, bananas, and incredible palm trees.

Welcome to the jungle.

Wow, yeah, I can see why they call it a jungle.

-It definitely has a jungle feel.

-Yeah.

Could you actually grow some of this stuff in a domestic garden?

Most of the plants that are here will grow in your garden.

The further north you go, the harder it will be for some of them to grow,

but quite a few of the plants we have here are tough.

So when we move down here,

we'll be able to grow some of what you have here quite successfully.

-Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.

-Excellent. I just love it.

That's the end of the tour for Chris and Angela.

Now they know how to cultivate a perfect garden

for Cornwall's climate, we'd better find them a house to go with it.

For our second house, we're heading towards Porkellis,

a rural village some 14 miles from Truro.

And, in true British style, the weather is changeable.

So, from basking in glorious sunshine,

we're now sheltering from the rain. But that hasn't put off our buyers.

-It's nice, though, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

Porkellis Moor, it was densely populated during the Bronze Age,

and again in the 18th and 19th century, as well.

And that's all down to the mines,

especially the Bassett and Grylls Mine. Very prolific.

In its heyday, this place would have had a cinema, a pub,

-a coach maker...

-In the bronze age?

No, not in the Bronze Age, in the 18th and 19th century,

especially in the 19th century, and then, of course,

the mines went and with it the cinema, the coach maker...

But the good news is, it's still got the pub,

which is good news. Still got a school and a lovely church, as well.

But it's also the location of the second property,

which could be your new house.

-Ooh.

-Ooh.

-That sounds interesting.

-Yes.

You'll never, ever see this pub again, of course, will you, Chris?

ANGELA LAUGHS

-It's marginal, marginal.

-Come on,

let's go and have a look at the house.

Our second property is a detached cottage that was recently extended

but retains a lot of its original character.

-Come on, don't be shy.

-Wow, look at that.

-Oh, yes!

-It's rather lovely, isn't it?

-That's smashing, yes.

Oh, yes, that's very attractive.

-You were nearly speechless for a second, then.

-Nearly.

I don't do speechless.

-Not quite. You were close.

-You almost did.

-Almost, yeah.

-Oh, that is good, that's lovely.

-It's floating your boat, is it?

-Yes.

Yes, love it.

What we've got here is two cottages that were around in the 1700s

knocked into one. Two years ago, they put this extension on,

which we'll talk about a bit later.

But you see the stone, he's hand-picked all those stones

from the quarry so they match the ones on the original 1700s property.

Really? That's terrific.

-That's lovely.

-So shall we go in?

-Oh, yes.

-Come on, let's go.

Well, there are no stony faces from Chris and Angela,

so here's hoping they like this house as we step inside.

Feel like I'm back in the cathedral, coming through this door.

Come on in.

-Oh...

-Fantastic.

Stereo inglenooks, you've got one there and you've got one here.

Cos it would have been two cottages, wouldn't it?

-Amazing, yes, of course.

-And this is a 1950s reconditioned range.

I love it. This is so quaint.

-Good, good.

-Really.

-Right, onwards and hopefully upward.

-Oh, yes.

-Good.

Great reactions, but can we keep up the momentum?

Gosh. It's a lovely kitchen.

It's a small-ish kitchen, but it's very nice.

-You've got to boot room behind you.

-Oh, yes.

-It's a boot room with a view.

-That's great.

-And it's very nicely done.

-It's immaculate, isn't it?

Very nice. It looks nearly brand-new, actually.

-With the exposed stone, as well, all around you.

-It's fab.

OK, let's go upstairs.

'Our buyers seem to have really warm feelings about this property.

'Time now to check out the first floor.'

So, this part of the house, you've got a good-sized bedroom, there.

-Uh-huh.

-Lovely little office space here.

-That's super.

-Good-sized family bathroom.

-Nice bathroom.

-And another room here.

-Again, the current owner is doing a bit of work.

-Yes. I see.

-Lovely window though, isn't it?

-It is.

-And that stone again.

-I know.

-Masses of it. Good Lord.

-What do you think of this room?

-It's big enough, isn't it?

-It is.

And it's just so quirky, it's so interesting.

You've also got an en suite.

BOTH: Oh!

-That's good.

-You don't expect it to be there, really, do you?

-No, you don't. That's ever so good.

-So, could you see yourselves here?

-It's super, yeah, I love it.

-I could.

-Where are we going to put all your clothes?

-We'll think about that.

Course, you could just keep all your clothes in here

and you'd be in the master bedroom.

-This isn't, then?

-It isn't the master bedroom.

If it's a master bedroom, you're after, come check this out.

'That fooled them. Well, what have we got in store?'

-This is what you call a master bedroom.

-Oh!

-Goodness me.

-Oh, that's gorgeous!

-It is, isn't it? Wow.

Love it. It's fabulous.

-Isn't it just? Just great, isn't it?

-Yes! It's fabulous!

Imagine yourself sitting in those seats,

-looking out at your gorgeous view.

-Yes, I'm imagining.

-This is really impressive, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-It's amazing, yeah.

And the vaulted ceiling... It's gorgeous.

-And there's one other thing, as well.

-What?

Your en suite, as well. Very modern.

Oh, yes! That's marvellous.

-Fabulous.

-That's fantastic.

-Shall be pop out to the garden?

-Yes.

-Talk money. Come on.

Chris and Angela are already dreaming about moving in,

but before I bring them back down to earth with the price,

let's take a look at the garden,

which has the most spectacular views.

Come on out.

This gives you a good view of the house

-and the scenery, as well.

-Ah.

-Unspoiled, beautiful.

-It is, it is.

You've also got a bit of garden the other side of the property, as well.

-Uh-huh.

-And, actually,

cellar space running underneath the whole part of the extension.

That's right, yes, I noticed that.

I knew, because there's a door at the back into it.

-There is, yeah.

-So there's cellar space, as well?

-Well done, super-sleuth.

-Yes, there you go.

-Lots of storage.

-Yes.

-Right, let's talk money, shall we?

-Oh. OK.

-Who's going first this time?

-Angela.

-Oh, OK.

-Oh...

-Such a coward.

-Dead right.

-Yeah.

-375.

-375,000. OK.

I'd be somewhere near that,

but I'm trying to think of reasons to come in less.

And I can't think of one, so I'll say 375, as well, I'm afraid.

375,000, as well. You're both close.

-It's on the market for £380,000.

-Uh-huh.

-But the owners are open to offers.

-Right.

So it depends how much you like it.

Well, that we'll have to talk about.

Listen, I think the rain's on its way, so I think you should

get yourselves indoors, have another look around. Go on, take your time.

-OK, thank you.

-I don't mind getting wet.

-You'll dry.

She doesn't mean it.

Although it's over budget at £380,000,

this beautiful cottage could be in reach with a sensible offer.

It gives them a lovely, country kitchen, a quirky living room

with exposed stone and inglenook fireplace, four bedrooms, including

a sensational master bedroom with en suite, and great views.

-These are a smashing idea, aren't they?

-The window seats?

These little window seats, yeah.

I mean, the whole thing's been done very, very well.

So clever.

The main living room was wonderful,

it had everything that my wife's ever wanted.

It had a multi-fuel burner in one end, and a range in the other.

And it's just a very intriguing, original space.

I've never quite seen anything the same before.

It's so interesting and so cleverly done,

if we think longer and harder about it,

there are things that aren't absolutely perfect, what is?

But it's lovely.

-For your information, it didn't rain.

-There you go.

-Shucks.

Have to try harder next time.

Yes, I'll pray. My prayers weren't answered.

You were in there long enough.

And you're smiling, which is a good thing.

You've seen two, well, quite different properties

so let's not even discuss them any more, OK?

We'll reconvene in the morning and I'll drive you back, how's that?

-Smashing.

-Yes.

-Come on.

As the evening draws to a close over Cornwall,

our buyers take a moment to mull over the busy day of house-hunting.

Scuba-diving enthusiast, Chris, and his leading lady wife, Angela,

are taking the property plunge with

a move from Altrincham in Cheshire to Cornwall.

So far, they thought our first property was blooming marvellous

with its perfect-sized garden, but then they were completely captivated

by the rustic charm of our second house with its breathtaking views.

Coming up, will the mystery house fill them with joy

or leave them feeling empty?

-Nobody's lived in it?

-Nobody's lived in it.

-Oo-ooh.

And I come face-to-face with some infamous Cornish claws.

-Have you ever been got by one of those pinchers?

-No, not recently.

It's day two in our quest to find the lovely Christopher and Angela

their dream property here in Cornwall.

It's going rather well, they seemed to like aspects

of both properties yesterday, especially the second house.

Mind you, who wouldn't want to wake up in that master bedroom?

Absolutely divine.

They're after lots of space, especially in the kitchen area,

and I have to be honest, you're not going to get that

in a Cornish cottage, but you get it in a new-build.

Except they said they didn't like new-builds.

They didn't mean that, did they?

It's time to find out with the mystery property.

'As we head towards the mystery house,

'I want to see how our buyers are feeling about their search.'

What are your thoughts on the two properties?

I've sort of forgotten the first one

because my mind is full of the second one.

-Right.

-And parts of it were absolutely fabulous.

So, mystery property, what would you like it to be?

We'd like it to look nice outside, but it's more what

it's like inside, cos we're going to be living inside it.

Bring on the small, dark Cornish cottage

with no utility room or view, yeah?

-Yeah, that'll do, no problem.

-No, it won't do.

-Yeah, right.

For the mystery property, we're taking Chris and Angela

right to the edge of their search area,

to the outskirts of Helston, which is about 18 miles from Truro.

This bustling old market town lies at the edge

of The Lizard Peninsula and was inhabited

in the sixth century by the Saxons.

The patron saint of Helston, and indeed, Cornwall, is St Michael,

and there's a church here in his honour

that dominates the town's skyline.

Our mystery house is a bit of a gamble - a brand-new build.

Perhaps not the obvious choice for a couple

who profess not to be keen on modern houses.

However, its location is perfect for the community they're after

and their much sought-after country views.

So, you've got your bearings, I take it.

-Just up the lane we've walked down, is Helston.

-Uh-huh.

So that's got your supermarket, your cinema, your pub,

-everything you need.

-Everything we need.

The reason I've stopped here is cos this is the mystery property.

-Ooh.

-Interesting.

-Yeah, very interesting.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-It is new.

-It is new.

-I quite like that, actually.

-Ooh, yes, I do, actually.

-So, is it a brand-new build?

-Yeah, brand-new build.

-Nobody's lived in it?

-Nobody's lived in it.

-Oo-ooh.

And the current owners describe this area, where the house is in,

as the Beverly Hills of Helston.

-You're kidding?

-So I thought, maybe you'd like that.

Maybe a little bit.

-You mean, I'm ready for my close-up, Mr DeMille?

-Exactly.

-You've been waiting all your life to say that, haven't you?

-Gosh, yeah.

-She has, yes.

-Shall we go in?

-Oh, yes.

-Come on, let's go.

'I think you call that a risk worth taking.

'A fabulous reaction from Chris and Angela.

'Let's hope the inside dazzles them, too.'

Come on in.

-Nice, bright hallway.

-Very nice.

-Very modern.

Underfloor heating throughout, down here and upstairs, as well.

-That's great. No radiators?

-No, no radiators.

-Super.

'No radiators. But our buyers are definitely getting

'hot under the collar with this contemporary home.'

-So, again, very modern kitchen.

-Oh, yes.

-It's great. I love it.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. That is beautiful.

-Amazing.

-Lots of storage, great oak surfaces.

-Beautiful.

And this lovely, little breakfast bar, as well.

-It is fantastic, really.

-It's great.

-It's fab.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-It is amazing.

I mean, it's obviously modern and smart and streamlined.

It's very modern, yeah.

SHE SIGHS

-I'd buy that.

-Excellent.

And you're probably noticing, there's nowhere to put your plugs.

-And this is for your plugs.

-So clever.

Another little...skirting light.

-Why don't we show you the living room?

-OK.

-You've got your wood burner.

-I know!

-Yes.

-And look at the view.

-Fantastic.

-That's beautiful.

-Yeah, our furniture would fit in here no problem.

-It would?

We wouldn't have to throw anything away.

-It's super.

-It's spot on.

-You've seen downstairs.

-Shall we go upstairs?

-Yes, please.

-That would be good.

-Let me dive through you.

-Fantastic. Thank you.

Also on this floor is a utility room and cloakroom.

But let's see what they make of the first floor.

Up here, there are three double bedrooms

and a fabulous bathroom with a freestanding bath, where they

can enjoy a long, hot soak looking out over the Cornish countryside.

'It's time to see their room.'

-So this is the master bedroom.

-Oh...

-Absolutely lovely size, isn't it?

-It is, it's fine.

-I love the roof like that, as well.

-I like the roof.

-Fantastic.

I mean, it's fabulous.

And look at that, views again.

Course, there's another room through there, what would you like it to be?

I bet it's an en suite, but I'd like it to be a dressing room.

-It's an en suite, but it's a really impressive en suite.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

It's a pretty impressive en suite, isn't it?

-I love this bath with the waterfall tap.

-It's beautiful.

-Absolutely amazing. Brilliant.

-Beautiful.

-Oh, it's fab.

-It is.

-It's a good en suite, isn't it?

It is, and two smashing Velux, lovely and light again.

-It's really worked well that, hasn't it?

-It's absolutely beautiful.

-Good, well, I think we should head outside.

-OK.

-We can talk money.

-Oh, after you.

-Thank you.

Within the grounds of this property, there's a garage,

and plenty of space for parking, which I know was important to Chris.

But I'm not sure how they're going to react to the size of the garden.

-Well, dare I say it, it's not the biggest plot of land.

-No.

-No.

It's manageable.

-Very much so.

-Too small for you?

-What do you think?

No, it's fine. It needs... We'd have to think about it.

We could put a trellis along there

and grow fruit, or whatever, up there.

-Maybe veg at the end.

-I don't think veg, too small for veg.

No, maybe not.

And you are very much part of the community here,

you are surrounded by houses, but you wanted that, didn't you, really?

Sort of. Separate enough. But we didn't want to be too out of the way.

-OK, well, can you afford it?

-I don't know.

-Shall we find out?

-Mmm.

-What do you reckon it's on the market for?

-Oi, oi, oi.

-Go on, Chris, you go first.

-I mean, I would say...

-..365.

-OK. £365,000.

-Well, did you say Beverly Hills?

-Beverly Hills of the area. Yeah.

-385?

-£385,000.

It's currently on the market for £365,000.

-What do you reckon? It's within budget.

-Yes, it is.

I think it needs very serious thinking about, actually,

because it's got a lot positive as well as a few negatives.

-It's got a lot going for it.

-OK. Well, go back in, have a look round.

-Thank you.

-Imagine yourself in that kitchen.

-Yes.

No, she'll imagine me in the kitchen, actually.

-Go on, off you go.

-OK.

This ultra-modern house is priced at £365,000,

so it's within budget.

I think it's really caught the imagination of Chris and Angela.

It has a fabulous fitted kitchen with breakfast bar,

a master bedroom with stunning en suite, it's on the edge

of a village, and it has lovely views of the surrounding hills.

-It's very nice.

-It is, isn't it? Like the lighting.

-That's a fabulous view.

-It is, isn't it?

The mystery house is very different, but it's lovely.

I love the fact that it's so simple and clean lines.

Everything is fitted beautifully. Obviously, the kitchen is fabulous.

From the outside, I think it looks superb,

a lot of thought's gone into it. The design, on its own,

is absolutely super right the way through it.

Underfloor heating, for a start, you know, that's very effective

and something that's virtually maintenance-free.

To think they weren't too keen on modern properties,

they've been in there a while. Here they come.

-Seen enough for now?

-Yes, I think so.

-OK.

Well, three very different properties, so I think

we should retire somewhere and have a good chat about them.

-What a good idea.

-Okey-doke.

-Come on.

All along Cornwall's coastline, the harbours and villages

are a constant reminder of the county's strong fishing heritage.

95% of Cornwall's shellfish catch is caught in the seas

around North Cornwall, with harbours like Newquay playing a vital role.

It's home to the largest shellfishing fleet on this

stretch of coast, and is mainly made up of small boats,

using the traditional pot-hauling method.

Skipper, Phil Trebilcock, has fished here for over 40 years

and has kindly agreed for me to join him on his morning trip out to sea.

Thanks so much for taking me out today, what a day for it.

-It is, just right.

-What are we actually going to be doing today?

We're getting 100 pots.

and get a few spiders and a few lobsters, hopefully.

100 pots? Whoa! So, in a typical day,

how many spider crabs do you catch?

Well, we have been only a bit under a kilo, but I think they come

in an abundance now, so I think it'll be a good season.

-And do you eat them?

-Yeah, I love them.

-Fantastic. Shall we go aboard?

Yeah, let's go.

Catching shellfish using these small-scale inshore boats

is widely viewed as one of the most sustainable

and environmentally friendly ways of fishing.

The boats go out for a few hours at a time, and the seabed and

marine life are largely undisturbed by the pots as they're hauled in.

-How long has this pot been down for, Phil?

-Three nights.

How do you feel when you're out here doing this?

-This is your office, look, look at that lot.

-It's amazing, isn't it?

The best of nature.

A bad day out here is better than a good day in the office, they say.

'The shellfisheries around Cornwall's coast are seasonal,

'usually starting to set pots from early spring

'until late in the autumn. This helps to protect the stocks

'and the fishermen from the rough winter seas.'

Anything in this one?

-Plenty of spider crabs. There's a bitter crab here.

-That's a good size.

-But you see with that, you see how pale he's looking?

-Yeah.

He's too pale, like, he's white.

-He hadn't long cast his shell, so there's no meat in that.

-Right.

-And if you press in the side of the shell.

-Gotcha.

-He's a bit soft.

So we him let go, catch him in a months' time.

-Have you ever been got by one of those pinchers?

-No, not recently.

-It would hurt, wouldn't it?

-It would, yeah.

Cornish crab and lobster are protected by laws

set by the Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee,

making it illegal to land shellfish that are too young or too small.

Immature shellfish are returned unharmed to the sea to grow further.

-So we're specifically fishing for spider crabs, now, yeah?

-Yeah.

Just here on the sands, spider crabs like the sand.

-See how many's in there, look.

-Oh, my God. Loads.

-There's a big male here, look.

-OK.

-Wow, that's massive.

-Yeah.

-See, the meat is in the claws.

-Yeah. And in the body?

Yeah, and in the body.

People think there's no meat in the body, but it's like a honeycomb

in there, it's all full of little holes and you pick the meat out.

-Right.

-You've got to sit down, nice bit of bread, glass of wine,

take your time and enjoy the local produce.

Any chance we could go into shore and have a try?

-Going to try one, shall we?

-Yeah, let's do that.

-Right.

-Brilliant.

Well, I may have woken up feeling a bit crabby,

but all that sea air has given me an appetite

and I'm looking forward to tucking into what we've caught.

Cheers, thanks. That was brilliant, I enjoyed it.

This is what it's all about. So this is spider crab.

-Yeah, all things good aren't always in heaven.

-It's true.

That is what you call heaven. That is a doorstep spider crab sandwich.

-The crab's a lot sweeter than normal crab.

-It is, it's lovely.

You think, out of this humble creature here,

that's the meat that comes out of it.

Mmm. That's beautiful. Absolutely lovely.

I've loved it. Thanks so much for giving up your time

and taking me out there.

-It's been a pleasure.

-All the best to you. Thanks, mate.

-Not at all.

I really enjoyed that and I really do think I've got

a future as a crab and lobster fisherman, or I might just be...

giving it all that.

Sorry. Let's find out if Chris and Angela

have liked any of the properties that we've shown them.

Sitting here, looking out at that,

I can understand why you want to move to Cornwall.

-That is absolutely brilliant.

-Amazing.

-The question is,

have we found somewhere you want to move to?

Let's talk about the first property that we saw.

-It was very pretty from the outside, fabulous garden.

-Yeah.

The downstairs was nice, it was nice.

The kitchen could have been a bit bigger, I think.

But the bedrooms were just too small.

-Not for you.

-It wasn't from me, no.

-No, not really.

It wasn't for you, so therefore, it wasn't for you.

Absolutely true.

We talk about bedrooms,

-and property two had a rather nice one, didn't it?

-That was amazing.

The star feature of the property was that bedroom.

And it wasn't just a bedroom, I think that does it down, actually,

calling it a bedroom.

It was the area where you would sit in the two tub chairs,

looking our through that window.

-The whole house was really nicely done, I think.

-Beautiful.

-Yeah, it was.

-Absolutely beautiful.

-Only one thing, really, for me.

-I know what you're going to say.

-I mean, it was the drive to it.

-What was wrong with that?

It's really very narrow in places.

Because we've got to bear in mind,

maybe the driving will get more difficult as we get older, you know.

It was a little bit too far out, that's all,

-I would like to be a bit more in a community.

-Right.

And the mystery property, a new-build, and you liked it.

That was a surprise. It was a mystery, as I asked for.

-No, it was...

-Definitely part of a community.

-Oh, yes.

Had the stunning views, absolutely fabulous.

-It had the wood burner.

-Yeah.

-And a lovely kitchen.

Beautifully done with all mod cons, a small-ish garden,

-but you can't have it all.

-No, you can't.

It was pretty damn good.

-So, it sounds to me like you might go back and see it.

-I think we will.

-I don't think there's any doubt, yes, we will.

-Fantastic, wow.

-So you could have found your house.

-We could have.

-Yeah, yeah.

Listen, I hope you do find your perfect property in Cornwall,

it's been really fun sharing a couple of days with you.

-Thank you.

-Really nice to meet you both.

-Thank you, it's been lovely.

-Pleasure.

That was a turn up for the books, wasn't it?

I thought we had it in the bag with that second property

and the gorgeous bedroom.

But Chris and Angela seem really taken

by the modern mystery property. What a dramatic turnaround.

I suppose we'd expect nothing else

with Angela's love of the theatre, darling.

And I suppose, it just goes to show that you don't really know

what you want until you see it.

Tell you what I want, to get in out of this wind.

We'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.

Chris and Angela hotfooted it straight back to Helston

to take another look at the mystery house.

However, after a lot of thought, they decided that

some of the rooms in the property were too small for them.

The good news, though, is that they've found a house in Cornwall

and are moving in very soon.

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