Hampshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to today's Escape To The Country.

This beautiful woodland and the paths and tracks that run through it

were once home to and inspired the great English poet,

Alfred Lord Tennyson.

As to where I am and importantly where I'm heading,

join me in just a few moments and I'll show you.

On today's show, I'll be helping creative couple get the wheels in motion

on a new life in the countryside. And early on in our house hunt,

one property makes them giddy with excitement.

-That is lovely, really impressive.

-Absolutely, that's different.

But their enthusiasm quickly turns to discontent.

To be honest with you, Jules, I'm disappointed.

Today I'm in West Sussex, on top of Blackdown Hills,

the highest point in the county, the perfect place to get an overview

of this glorious landscape with its ever-changing hues and colours.

No surprise then that it inspired Tennyson to write these words

about the place in which he lived.

"You came and looked and saw the view, long known and loved by me.

"Green Sussex fading into blue with one great glimpse of sea."

A beautiful poem inspired by a beautiful county.

The south-eastern County of West Sussex is bordered by East Sussex,

Hampshire and Surrey.

The county covers some 760 square miles,

half of which is dominated by the South Downs.

And the grazing sheep of on this chalky soil over many centuries

has resulted in a distinctive landscape which is known as old chalk grassland.

Located high on a hilltop on the edge of the Downs is Arundel,

a mediaeval town that has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk

for seven centuries and whose fine castle looks over the River Arun.

As if plucked straight out of a fairytale,

Arundel Castle towers high above the town,

which attracts thousands of visitors a year.

With such rich heritage and countryside on offer,

it easy to see why this is a compelling option for househunters

in search of a rural retreat.

West Sussex is full of property hotspots

and in many respects, it always has been.

For decades it's been popular with commuters from London

thanks to its excellent road and in particular rail links to the capital.

But, of course, all that comes at a premium. To put it in context,

when you consider that the average house price in the UK

is around about £258,000 a year,

you could comfortable add another 100 grand onto that figure.

But I suppose the burning question is, is it worth it?

As you can see from the rich array of architectural styles on offer,

for many people, it undoubtedly is.

One of the key building blocks of villages

and towns throughout West Sussex is flint.

It's been used for centuries by local craftsmen to create

an array of characterful homes. Since the Norman period,

sandstone has been used to build a wealth of Sussex properties

from cottages and barns to impressive manor houses.

This attractive stone has been in use since around 1320

and its fine texture initially radiates a subtle honey colour

that, over the years, weathers to a range of autumnal shades.

And this 18th-century three-bedroom cottage could be yours for £550,000.

The 16th century brought the use of timber to prominence,

with the construction of oak frames providing a distinctive local look.

However, properties in this highly sought-after style often come at a premium.

This five bedroom detached house is on the market for £935,000.

Well, if that little selection has whetted your appetite

and inspired you to make a move to West Sussex,

you're in very good company

because this is exactly where today's buyers want to call home.

Geoff and Fran live in Sutton in south-west London

and have been married for 38 years.

They met at university and it was Geoff's not so subtle choice

in clothing that first attracted his future wife.

It was a graduation show.

Yes, you had that really bright green, stripy jacket,

-which was particularly vile.

-Green and yellow.

-Yes.

Geoff is hooked on pottery and studied ceramics at college.

He's since gone on to inspire others to get creative.

I've had my hand in clay since I was 14.

I was very fortunate in going to a school where there were a couple

of extremely good teachers who could make pots.

They fired me with enthusiasm and I hope I've done that for other people too.

-You've been firing ever since.

-That's absolutely right.

Fran has just had a hip replacement but continues to work

in a high-pressure job as a PA for an investment company.

She's planning on retiring soon

and can't wait to escape the noise of the city.

What's really appealing to me about the countryside is not being

surrounded by concrete and a lot of green. I love trees.

One thing I have noticed and absolutely love not hearing

is police sirens and the constant drone of traffic.

Our buyers now want to combine their talents to start

up their own pottery and B&B business.

Our idea is to have couples or individuals coming down

and spending time with us, maybe a weekend, maybe a week

or maybe just using the studio on a daily basis or hourly.

They're hoping to find their country retreat around the Hampshire-West Sussex border.

But the actual location of the property is not

top of their priority list.

The place we want to move to in terms of the type of building

and buildings is probably more important than the immediate area.

So we are reasonably open within those confines.

We need to be not too far from London because if we have clients coming down,

they need to be able to get to us reasonably quickly and the journey won't put them off.

And when they're not entertaining pottery-loving guests,

they have plenty of other passions they want to pursue.

What I like about fly-fishing is that it's active.

You're moving around, you're thinking all the time,

you're changing tactics.

Although I've not done any, and I have to admit this,

for, oh, probably 16 years, but I'm really keen to get back into it.

I miss it.

While Geoff's eyes will be firmly glued on the water,

Fran has set her sights on relaxing in all manner of ways.

Perhaps take a life-drawing class,

devote more time to doing some gardening.

Our buyers have already accepted an offer on their house

so all their finances are in place to get the wheels turning on their new venture.

Our budget for this move is around £640,000.

Geoff and Fran want to move to the villages around Chichester

which has good transport links for any potential guests for their pottery and B&B business.

I caught up with our creative couple

in the beautiful West Sussex countryside

to find out the finer details of their move.

Well, Fran and Geoff, welcome to Sussex.

Give us an idea of the sort of property you're after

and what you want to do with it

because there is a twist to this story, isn't there?

We want to embark on something we hope will be a success

but if it isn't, it's still going to be a way of life for us,

which is for Geoff to open a pottery school and me to do B&B and evening meal.

So how big does this studio have to be?

It's got to accommodate half a dozen potter's wheels.

The rest of the equipment, the kilns will be in a different building

so I guess you're looking at something at least about 30 feet

by 20 feet, must be.

And you say six wheels, how many people are you hoping to have stay?

-Half a dozen.

-Half a dozen, so in terms of bedrooms, have you thought?

We've got to have four beds, haven't we?

Which leaves us with the question of budget.

-Where are we now with our final figure?

-I guess £640,000.

We might push it a bit if we really find the right place.

-Well, we are blessed with some sunshine today.

-Wonderful.

We've got three properties for you to look at. Shall we go?

-I can't wait to see it.

-Follow me.

Geoff and Fran have a maximum budget of £640,000

and are seeking a property with character and period features,

a sizeable kitchen, at least four bedrooms so there's enough accommodation to offer B&B,

and a room large enough to be a pottery studio or outbuildings

that could be converted.

We've found three intriguing properties, which we think

will really appeal to our buyers and at each one

I'll be asking them to guess the price before I reveal it.

As ever, our final offering is the mystery house,

which could really add some shine to their ceramic endeavours.

For our first house, we're travelling three miles south

of Chichester to Sidlesham in the Manhood Potential.

Sidlesham is a small, picturesque village

full of chocolate-box-style country homes.

The main focal point is the local pub,

where the community can get together whilst enjoying local seafood,

freshly caught from just down the road in the seaside town of Selsey.

But will property one, dating back to the 1800s,

be Geoff and Fran's catch of the day?

There you go. House number one.

-That's rather nice.

-That is so pretty.

-It's a nice, classic Sussex picture, in a sense.

-It's quite charming.

Yeah.

-Let's see if you can fit in it. Follow me.

-OK.

-Go for it.

This picture-perfect cottage has certainly captivated our buyers.

Let's hope they're equally as happy when they see the inside.

Let's start in here. Come on in. The dining room is our first stop.

-What do you think?

-It's OK, isn't it? Perhaps smaller than I'd like.

It is, I'm just trying to take it all in.

-There is access to it, the staircase.

-What's nice are all the beams.

I do like the beams. And I like the fact they've not been adulterated.

No. A good word. The house, in a way, I suppose, flows quite nicely.

It all sort of drifts through into here, which is the main living area.

Oh, it's much bigger than I expected to find. It's a really nice space.

-It's a nice room.

-Deceptive, isn't it?

-It is.

-It goes on a bit.

There's this sort of L-shaped arrangement in here,

which they've got as a bit of a study at the moment.

And that leads on to a downstairs cloakroom.

-That's a really nice space too.

-Let's have a look at the kitchen,

because that's going to play a key role in how this works.

OK, Fran. Come on in.

This is a really nice space, much bigger than I anticipated.

Looks to me like there's been an extension put on here.

It's another L-shaped arrangement with a diner, as it were.

-That is nice.

-It means you could have breakfast separate to your guests.

-Ideal.

-The only thing we haven't got for you is a more dedicated,

large utility room which I know is something you were keen on having,

but you have got that space through that door over there.

Let's have a look upstairs, OK?

Well, their enthusiasm about this house seems to have

dipped from the high praise outside.

Time, then, to see if we can stem the tide

as we check out the master bedroom.

So this, I'm thinking, would be your bit of what's on offer.

-That is a good-sized room.

-Big enough?

-Absolutely big enough.

-Cosy enough?

-It is.

But without being cramped.

I think it's helped by having again, the dual-aspect windows,

-which is really nice.

-It's doable.

Not en suite but you have got the two separate bathrooms,

-unusually, out there.

-I'm not worried about an en suite.

-Hurrah.

But it does mean, rather fortuitously,

that you can have a bathroom to yourselves

-and your guests can have theirs.

-Yes, that's good. That is good.

-That's very good. Quite a surprise, actually.

-OK. So that's the house.

I'm not going to ask you what you think of it just yet

because we need to finish off outside,

because this is never going anywhere unless we can find space

for at least one potter's wheel and a kiln.

Let's go outside.

Also on this floor is another double bedroom alongside a single.

On the next level, the loft has been tastefully converted

and now provides another two large bedrooms.

But out in the back garden, I've got a surprise in store.

OK.

-Out you come.

-Thank you.

-We've also got you a pool.

-Wow.

-That's amazing.

Now some people do have a pool on the list of requirements.

This was a bonus, in terms of entertaining your guests.

-It would be super.

-Marvellous, yeah.

-It would be quite nice, wouldn't it?

-Yes, absolutely.

-But let's not get distracted by that too much

because that's what I'll want you to really feast your eyes on.

-Right, yeah, that's quite nice.

-That's a big space.

-Shall we have a closer look?

-Let's do that.

-Now then, is that going to be big enough?

-Possibly.

The point I probably should make is that this building has, in the past,

-had planning on it.

-Really?

-For a conversion as an annex.

-For living accommodation?

-Yeah. Now that's lapsed, OK,

but the fact that it's been granted in the past,

-I suspect it wouldn't be difficult.

-It sets a precedent.

So let's draw this to a close with a discussion about the value

of property number one.

What do you think property number one will cost you?

-Well, I think it's under our maximum.

-Mm-hmm.

I'd agree with that.

-I think about £580,000.

-£580,000. Fran?

Well, I was actually going to go slightly less,

which might be me being optimistic.

-You're allowed to be.

-I would go £550,000 on a good day.

You're both wrong.

But you're both right. Because it is under budget.

This would cost you £599,950.

But there's a lot to consider with this one.

It's given us a nice idea of where we're pitching. Worth seeing?

-Absolutely right.

-Too right.

Well, go and have a poke around in there, you too,

in the barn, and tell us what you would do with that,

-and I'll catch up with you later.

-Lovely, thank you.

-Off you go.

On the market for just under £600,000,

this property comes in well under their budget,

leaving them plenty of spare cash for the barn conversion.

This is a charming period home

that still retains many characterful features

such as the wood burner in the main living room.

There are five bedrooms which gives them plenty of space for guests.

Outside, there's a heated swimming pool and topping it off,

there is a detached barn that's just big enough to be converted

into a pottery studio or holiday lets.

It's a large space. A lot of possibilities, actually.

It's big enough, that's a fact.

On arrival, I thought this was a very pleasant place.

Certainly from the external aspects.

Coming in, the size of the rooms is perhaps a little small.

Outside space, fabulous. I mean, absolutely loads of potential.

-So a brilliant start for number one.

-A good start?

-Absolutely.

Right, come on.

In the rolling hills of the South Downs National Park

is the town of Petworth. Since the mid-1970s,

Petworth has become a thriving hub for antique shops with over 30

spread across the town and in recent years

it's even been voted the best antiques town in the UK

in the British Antique Collectors Awards.

As Geoff and Fran share a passion for collectables,

earlier in the week we took them to meet Janice Enticknap,

who runs the antiques market and has a very personal connection

to the story of how Petworth created such a name for itself

in the world of antiques.

Well, in the 1960s, there were several antique shops here,

as there were in most towns.

And my mother decided to go into antiques

and she approached a lady in an antiques shop in Angel Street

and asked her if she could take a small space.

The lady said yes and my mother saw potential for an antiques centre,

which was quite novel in those days.

So she expanded the upstairs attic, took on stallholders

and as the business grew, they decided to buy these premises.

My mother was in the business right until she died last year.

82, she was still pricing up stock the day before she died.

Well I never. Super.

Having revealed the history of the market, Janice was now keen

to test Geoff's own unique knowledge of a very useful antique.

I've got a corkscrew here that I need to put in the cabinet.

It was one of my mothers. I don't know much about corkscrews.

-Can I have a look, please?

-Sure.

This is what we call a Henschel button, which was designed

and patented by Samuel Henschel at the end of the 18th century.

-Oh, right.

-It's Victorian. It has what we call a balusters stem on it.

-It has nice cipher work, can you see that?

-Yes, that is nice.

I've also got a bit of porcelain that hasn't been put out yet.

Just little spriggy cups and saucers. About 1780.

-Pretty sprig pattern.

-That's delightful.

-It is pretty.

Pretty colours, I think.

Alongside this more affordable market,

the town also has a thriving trade in much rarer collectables.

12 dealers are housed in the Tudor Rose building

and our buyers are off to discover more about the antiques

held inside from the owner, Elizabeth Lee.

This is probably the oldest building in Petworth.

It dates from about 1600. It was an old alehouse originally.

-How do you go about selecting stuff?

-The things I select I've got to like

because if I don't like them, I can't get very fired up

about trying to sell them. There's no real, overall style.

It's a real mixture

and probably allows people to express themselves far better.

If we come down to the front of the shop,

I've got a particularly interesting piece called a porter's chair

-that I think you might be interested in.

-Lovely.

-Here is the porter's chair.

-Look at that! It's splendid!

There aren't too many of these around now.

This example is early 20th century. There were four porters.

So whether you're talking about a London club or a hotel,

or a smart house. Perhaps you'd like to sit in it, try it for size?

-Golly!

-Yes, that's...

-That's lovely, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

Well, it's time to get Geoff and Fran out of the hot seat,

as it were, and back to the rather important job of finding them a hot property.

Now we don't have to travel far to get to house number two

as it's also located in Sidlesham, exactly the same as property one.

As we already know a little about the village, I thought I'd take

our buyers on a quick detour to the seaside, just a mile down the road.

Selsey lies just south of Chichester and is a busy and picturesque

coastal town extending six miles out into the English Channel.

Dominated by the sea, this place is well known for its fresh fish

and local crab, as we're about to find out.

-Right, then, who's for a seafood snack?

-Absolutely.

-Too right!

-Hi there, how are you?

-I'm fine, thank you. What can I get you?

-It looks like you've got a bit of everything here.

-We've got dressed crabs, we've got lobsters here.

-Shall we try a dressed crab?

-Why not?

-I've never eaten crab before.

-Can you believe it?

-Let's have a bit of crab then.

Finish the job off.

-I bet that's good.

-Now these two are trying to buy a house down here.

Would you recommend life in this part of Sussex?

It's lovely, because you've got the sea close by you,

and then you've got Chichester, which is really, really beautiful.

-I love Chichester.

-Well, there you are.

-That an endorsement, isn't it?!

You've heard it from the primary source for the area. There we are.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Brilliant. Much obliged.

Right, we're househunting, as if you didn't know. Come on.

-Thanks very much indeed. Bye-bye.

-Bye!

Time to go and see that second house in Sidlesham. There you go.

-That is lovely, really impressive.

-Absolutely. That's different.

It is, it is different. It's a lot bigger than property number one.

-Yes.

-The other thing to point out, while we're here,

are these two outbuildings which, to be fair, Geoff,

they do need a bit of attention.

-Look at the size of them, though!

-Just a bit(!)

-They are massive.

They'll do, absolutely they will.

-Now the whole lot sits in about 1.2 acres.

-That's good.

-There's a bit more that way too.

-Really?

The only thing that I think draws from it is the road noise.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

-But saying that, it does mean you're accessible.

-I'm really interested.

-It looks the business.

-I can't waits to get in there.

-Let's go.

Well, despite the road, Geoff and Fran are still really positive.

We're going to start by moving through the hallway,

right into the heart of this home.

Right, come through here. The hallway. Downstairs shower room

and cloakroom and what have you.

And then this is the kitchen. What do you make of this, Fran?

To be honest with you, Jules, I'm disappointed

because I can see beyond the decor.

It's just the space, the narrow galley-type shape of it.

-I just don't think it'll work.

-It's quite small.

Bear with me because I think the rest of this property, you know,

it's one of these ones that gets better

the further you go through it. Come and have a look in here.

This is where I think this house really starts to make sense.

Oh, that's a lovely sized room, really nice and light,

really light. Really good proportions.

Do you see what I mean?

It does evolve in a very positive kind of way.

-I'm liking it better already.

-You should do,

because I think there's a lot going for this place.

This is the dining area that they've currently got set up,

-which again really components this whole room.

-That's lovely.

-It really is, very light.

-Beautifully light.

-I love that.

Lovely view of the garden all round.

Yes. So, thinking back now to the kitchen,

which, let's face it, was on a bit of a downer,

would you be prepared or interested to reconfigure that end of the house

to make it match what we've got here?

-I think it would be imperative.

-Yes, provided it's within our budget.

-Absolutely. That's my concern.

-Good.

Well, there is method in the madness. Let's continue upstairs.

Let's go through this door, why not?

So, after a rocky start in the kitchen,

we seem to be finishing the downstairs of this tour on the up.

On this floor, there is also one of the four bedrooms

while the other three are upstairs.

Let's take a look at the room best suited to them.

This I love. I think this is where it works for you up here,

because you've got your own sort of master wing, as it were.

A little study in there. En suite in here.

Oh, right, that's good.

-And here, your master bedroom.

-Nice and bright, isn't it?

-It is. It is a very good size.

-The reason I love this layout

-is because it does give you your own space here.

-Too right.

You've got the other bathroom at the end over there,

-so your other two guestrooms have the use of that.

-A very good idea.

We've got the other bedroom downstairs and a shower room.

So you've got three very viable letting doubles

and you've got all this.

-That's certainly true.

-I can see the potential here.

-Brilliant.

-You've also got the added bonus of this balcony.

Come out here.

-Have a look at this. How about this?!

-Great.

-A nice bit of afternoon sun.

-Brilliant.

And quite a nice view, actually, of what's on offer, plot-wise.

-Indeed.

-Lovely.

-Fantastic.

-So, you know what's coming now, don't you?

-I'm afraid so.

It's the money bit. Go on, Fran, you go first this time.

-Make us an offer on property number two?

-I would say about six two.

Six two? £620,000 says your wife, sir.

I would have thought it was £640,000, £645,000,

-somewhere like that.

-Yeah.

It's open to offers between £600,000 and £650,000.

That's the kind of guide bracket that goes with it.

-So worth thinking about.

-Absolutely.

Right, then, I'm going to leave you up here on your own to ponder

all that you survey and I will catch up with you later.

-Enjoy the sunshine.

-Thank you.

On the market for offers between £600,000 and £650,000,

we got off to a slow start but I think Geoff and Fran

can see the potential. It has a large sitting room

with a wood burner, a lovely and light dining room

with fabulous views of the garden,

four bedrooms including one with an en suite

and a magnificent roof terrace

and two large outbuildings ready to be given a new lease of life,

possibly as Geoff's studio or as a holiday let.

I particularly like the land, I particularly like the size

of the workshops and the potential upstairs for taking guests

so that they can be separate is extremely good.

I was very disappointed with the kitchen

but after looking around the whole thing,

I could see a potential for us to be able to do what we would like to with that area.

Absolutely worked in terms of guests

and having a separate bedroom and dressing area for us potentially.

So that's it then, property number two done and dusted.

What will come tomorrow? Mystery house time.

-You're doing very well so far.

-Fingers crossed, though!

-Absolutely!

Come on, then.

As the sun sets over the South Downs,

it marks the end of our first day of househunting.

Pottery-loving Geoff and his wife, Fran, want to remould their life

and move from Sutton in south-west London to West Sussex.

So far, they thought our first property was charming

but the kitchen in the second house

failed to live up to their expectations.

However, coming up, will the mystery property fire up our buyers

or leave them glazed and confused?

And I get to grips with a piece of Sussex motoring heritage.

These bus drivers, and you, must have arms like Popeye!

HORN BLARES

Well, it's the start of our final day of househunting,

which means we only have a few hours left to try and find Fran

and Geoff their home of the future.

Now, to be fair, it has been a bit of a challenge so far

and I suspect that challenge is set to continue.

Of course, it's never over until it's over.

One more property to come. It's mystery house time.

But what, I wonder, do Fran and Geoff think we've got for them?

-Are we all suitably excited, sitting on the edges of our seats?

-Always.

It's going to be very interesting.

You've always given us the land in abundance

so it's just what's goes on it now is the consideration.

It's just what goes on it. Let's see what you make of our final offering.

We're travelling around 40 miles east of Chichester to Lyminster.

This small village is famous for its tale of the Knucker Hole,

a bottomless watery pit inhabited by a fearsome dragon

called the Knucker that was killed by a local dragonslayer.

The story is one of the best-known in Sussex folklore

and it's believed that the tombstone of the slayer,

known as the slayer's slab, sits in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalen.

For our mystery house, I'm taking Geoff and Fran

to a detached property that will hopefully solve all their guest accommodation worries

as it's already an up-and-running B&B.

Well, there is our mystery house.

42 years old. It was built by the current owners

but this is currently an up-and-running B&B.

-Oh, really?

-Wow.

-So this is the real deal.

And they're making quite a nice living at it.

That's really good to know.

We've also got you a double garage, which offers you a lot of space,

and a couple of outbuildings as well.

It's an interesting one this. Let's have a look around.

Well, we're off to a great start and I'm really looking forward to

revealing the wonderful potential this place has.

How about this, then? It's got a sort of Edwardian feel, actually.

-It's very open.

-Nice, open staircase.

-Nice and bright.

Very wide staircase. And then in here we've got the kitchen.

That's a really good space, a lovely square area. Very light.

I think you could do a really good job in here.

-We'd need to do something here.

-But it'd be really easy to do.

I think you've alighted on the main point, and that is its proportions.

You're absolutely right. The other nice thing about this kitchen,

it is absolutely slap bang in the middle,

so guests eat and relax through here.

Now I think this is a really clever solution to the business

of accommodating your guests.

In terms of dining and living space, this is all for them.

That's really perfect.

-Yeah, that's good.

-Fantastic.

-And the door there from the kitchen, sliding door.

-Oh, great.

-They've also got a guest conservatory.

-So I see.

-That's ideal, actually.

-And they've got use of the pool.

-We've got another pool for you!

-I can't believe it! Isn't that amazing?

We've found you two out of three.

Your living room is at the end of the corridor. Nicely tucked away.

Have a look at this.

-So this is you when you want to get away from it all.

-Right.

-Yeah?

That's a really good size room. It's lovely.

Really generous, isn't it?

And again, lovely views out to the garden.

And in a way, I suppose, when we get out there,

you'll see the garden has a guest side as well.

So you've got your own space

and that will be your little terrace out there.

That's perfect.

That's why this building really works

because everything's been really proportioned.

-Very much so. Super.

-Upstairs then. Let's go.

The more they see of this property, the more appealing it seems to be.

And I really do think it meets all their requirements.

Also on this floor is a handy utility room and a cloakroom.

Onwards and upwards, and we're now going to check out their room.

Have a look in here. This would be, I think, the master.

-You've got a little loo area in there, as it were.

-Right.

So sort of an en suite, I suppose.

-And then you've got this great big balcony again out here.

-Oh, wow.

-That's a nice touch.

-Really making the best of the garden.

All of the bedrooms are good-sized and well appointed

and two of the three are en suite.

On this floor is also the family bathroom.

Time is now for us to head outside

to see what they think of the grounds.

Now I think this would be a great sell for any would-be guests.

-Amazing.

-Isn't it lovely? And it's heated.

-No?

-Yeah.

-That's quite nice actually.

-Not bad at all.

-The owner tells me he was swimming in it this morning.

-Get away!

-How wonderful.

-How about that? Come and explore the rest of it.

So as you can see, we've got quite an interesting little package for you here.

The garden is gorgeous, it's in the National Gardens scheme.

-It's lovely.

-It's stunning. There are little rooms within it.

-Beautiful.

-What could possibly go wrong?

-We can't afford it?

-Right, yes!

Well, let's have a think about that then, Geoff.

Go on, then. It's our final guess. You go first.

-I reckon it's £675,000.

-£675,000, yeah.

-I'd probably go to 700, actually.

-To £700,000?

-I would have thought.

-This could be yours for £595,000.

-No!

-You're joking!

-How about that?

Wahay, that's the first big smile we've had when we've talked about the money!

-I think you've done well.

-Hurrah!

Well, go and have a look at those outbuildings and the garage

and so forth, and I'll meet you later by the veg patch.

-Brilliant.

-Great.

-Off you go. Brilliant.

Well, finally it looks like the mystery house might have delivered.

This has been a pretty tough search, as you can probably tell.

But I'm pleased with this one.

It delivers everything they're looking for and it's under budget.

Hoorah.

On the market for £595,000, this property is a welcome surprise

as it's already a successful and well-established B&B business.

It has a large kitchen with breakfast room,

a useful utility, an open-plan dining and garden room,

four double bedrooms including two which are en suite,

and there's even a heated swimming pool plus two outbuildings

that could be converted into a studio for Geoff.

The mystery house really blew me away.

I wasn't thinking we'd be looking at anything of this size or a business.

The plot of land is already beautiful.

The running business is something I'd never considered.

But in fact it might well work for us.

The big question is can we put a pottery in the back garden?

And if we can do that, it would be really excellent.

I think it's viable and I'm feeling quite positive, to be honest.

Of course, there's the pool, that's an advantage,

and then the lovely garden.

So that's it. House tours over. That was our mystery house.

Time to go and weigh it all up for you too.

You've given us a huge amount to think about, in a really good way.

-I'm feeling very positive.

-I am too.

-Keep that thought, Geoff.

Follow me.

Not far from Arundel Castle, at the heart of our house search area,

is the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre.

Set in the South Downs National Park,

this 36-acre site is dedicated to celebrating the industrial

heritage of the South East with a special interest in transport.

I'm going to take a nostalgic look at how people used to travel

around this county with long-serving volunteer, Bill Thornycroft.

Bill!

-Hello.

-Hi, sir, I'm Jules. Nice to see you.

-This is your pride and joy, surely?

-Yes, it is.

-And what are we looking at?

-Well, it's a pre-First World War bus.

The body is over 100 years old. The engine is 1914.

So this was created at the outbreak of the First World War

-and it's still running?

-Yes.

-And you've nursed it along ever since.

Well, we had to rebuild it. It was in a scrapyard.

But you've done it absolutely beautifully, I have to say.

This is almost indestructible, and any idiot can drive it.

-Probably even me if I tried my hand at it!

-No gears at all.

But when you look at the anatomy of this vehicle,

it does hark back to a bygone era of horse-drawn transport.

Yes, the construction of the body is exactly the same as a horse bus

but bigger. It's made of timber frame,

bolted together with great big iron brackets.

But it's got that stagecoach feel.

I guess that's why we call it coachwork, don't we, even now.

That's one piece of mahogany, the whole length of the bus.

There's absolutely nothing comfortable about it.

There's no give in these tyres.

Solid rubber, but you don't get punctures.

-I absolutely love it. Can we get up top?

-Certainly, yes.

-Wonderful.

I can't think of a better way to see the Sussex countryside than up here.

-It's a lovely way to see the countryside, yes.

-Wonderful.

Nothing very salubrious about the seating but very practical, I guess, because it's going to rain.

When it's wet, you sit down, you hold these over your knees,

just keep your knees try.

-So they're called knee aprons.

-Knee aprons?

-Yes.

-Absolutely lovely.

And this is the oldest bus

that is still giving regular rides to the public.

-In Britain?

-I think probably anywhere, I don't know.

Possibly the world!

The introduction of motor buses in about 1904

really revolutionised life, particularly in the country.

Almost every village was within walking distance of a bus service.

For the first time, ordinary people could afford to go to the town

to shop, to go to the theatre.

I suppose it also works the other way, it gave people in towns

and cities the chance to, well,

escape to the country for the first time

and explore this glorious landscape.

You said earlier when we first met

that almost any idiot could drive one.

-Yes.

-What are my chances?

-Well, of course you can drive. I trust you.

-Let's have a go.

-Yes.

-OK. Thank you.

-In the hotseat.

So these things, we've got no gearbox, no clutch.

So how do we actually go about firing it up?

Well, we've cheated on this.

Because we're getting old and feeble, we can't crank it any more.

In those days, you cranked it with a handle at the front,

so we've fitted an electric starter.

-I think we can forgive you that.

-We've cheated.

-If you'd like to press the starter button.

-OK. 1, 2, 3.

ENGINE SPLUTTERS INTO ACTION

There we are. OK.

It's come to life. Wonderful.

Push that forward, take the handbrake off like that,

tickle the accelerator a bit.

-And off we go. Bit more, bit more.

-Fabulous.

Gosh, I tell you what, you can see why they invented power steering.

These bus drivers, and you, must have arms like Popeye!

Well, this one's quite light, compared with some of them.

This is lovely. It's alive, it's living.

-I might just beep the horn, how about that?!

-HORN BEEPS

Haha!

Oh, right, you've really got to think ahead on your turns, haven't you?

BEEPING

Bill, thank you very much indeed.

I feel very privileged to have had a go.

Not just in a world gone by, but your world.

Right, then, I think there's time for one more hoot of the horn

before we get back to the rest of the show.

-Ready?

-Right. HORN BEEPS

Haha!

Well, it's nearly the end of the day and nearly the end of the show.

Perfect timing, if you ask me.

As you can see, it is now pouring with rain.

There's just one more thing to do, and that's to find out if Fran and Geoff have reached a decision

as to where their future home is going to be.

So, Fran and Geoff,

here we are at the end of our little voyage of discovery.

Has it helped to firm up your idea of the sorts of property

or sort of property that would really make this move work?

One side of the coin, yes, it has. And on the other side,

no, it hasn't. It's opened a lot of other doors and other thoughts.

OK. Well, let's just remind ourselves of the trip

we took to open some of those doors.

It started with property number one.

Lovely image of a classic Sussex facade, really, with the pool

and that quite useful outbuilding as well.

-You seemed to respond quite well to that at the beginning.

-I did.

I thought it was a really charming view, coming around the corner.

-The outside space certainly worked really well.

-OK. Geoff?

A lot of positives about it but also quite a few negatives,

things that wouldn't work for us.

Like going straight into that dining area from the front door

and then into the sitting room. I do feel that's a bit awkward.

As we said at the time, the trick was trying to fit a business

or two businesses, really, the pottery and the B&B,

-into a family home.

-Yes.

-Which is what the budget was going to get us towards.

-You were close.

But I think we got a bit closer with property number two,

which had a lot more space and would allow you all kinds of options

in terms of how you organise yourselves and your guests

in the property. I know there were some issues over the kitchen, Fran.

Yes, but you did take me their first and it kind of made me feel

that was never going to work but once we carried on exploring,

I could see the possibilities that could work there really well.

-I quite like that house.

-I guess the only big drawback was the road.

-The road.

-Unfortunately.

-Everything else was very good.

Well, then, today, mystery house time.

An up-and-running, fully-functioning B&B.

What did you make of it?

-I think it was brilliant, actually.

-Stunning.

-I liked it a lot.

It certainly has, well, I'm feeling good about it, actually.

We were both very impressed with that.

I never would have expected to see such a beautifully-proportioned,

albeit fairly modern... The garden, absolutely heavenly,

with the field beyond. I mean, really beautiful.

OK, what happens now then?

We need to make some careful considerations

but I certainly think it's a runner.

I want to go back and talk to the owners, find some things out.

Well, I would love to wish you all the very best of luck.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-It's been our pleasure.

As we all know, buying a house is never easy.

Buying one in an area that you're not that familiar with

and trying to develop a business that you've never run before,

well, that really is a challenge,

a challenge that's been matched by our house search this week.

But I have no doubt that,

having gotten to know Geoff and Fran the way I have,

they will eventually make a go of it.

The next time I fancy a little break,

getting away from it all, and the chance to learn how to be a potter,

well, I know where I'll be coming. I'll see you next time.

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