Gloucestershire Escape to the Country

Welcome to a very enchanted edition of Escape To The Country.

This magical place is known locally as a scowle.

But what is it? How was it formed? And where am I?

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

On today's show, I'm helping one lady buyer,

who's brought along a good friend for moral support,

to find a home with a fantastic countryside view.

And our first property gets us off to a great start.

-Property number one.

-This looks idyllic.

But, as ever, the mystery house could just be the one to watch.

-Another beautiful room, yes.

-Wow.

Well, today, we're in Gloucestershire

and right now I'm standing in the middle of Puzzlewood

in the heart of the Forest of Dean.

These extraordinary limestone workings are the result

of Roman mining excavations dating back over 2,000 years.

It's even thought that Tolkien based his interpretation

of Middle Earth on these magical surroundings.

And when you look around here, you can see why.

Gloucestershire lies in the south-west of England,

bordering Monmouthshire in Wales to the west,

and Worcestershire and Herefordshire to the north.

The county town of Gloucester is rich in historic buildings

such as the imposing cathedral.

The main body of its abbey church dates back to Norman times

but it has additions in every style of Gothic architecture.

The county itself has three distinct areas -

the Cotswold Hills in the south, the broad River Severn Valley

in the centre, and the Forest of Dean to the west.

Designated as a National Forest Park in 1938,

the Forest of Dean covers around 42 square miles.

It is one of England's few remaining ancient woodlands

and it's home to a small number of deer and wild boar.

Now when it comes to A-list counties,

Gloucestershire is up there with the best of them.

No surprise, therefore, that many a celebrity have chosen to call

this place home. But that sort of desirability does come at a premium.

A £290,000, your average house price here

is around about 15% above the national average.

It is easy to see why when you've got beautiful towns and villages

like Stow on the Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water

right on your doorstep. But, take heart.

Step out of the hotspot of the Cotswolds,

further west towards Stroud and Nailsworth,

and you could save yourself about 30% on those figures.

So whereabouts in this county will we be looking on today's show?

It's time to meet our buyer Sarah, and her friend Ruth, to find out.

Sarah, who works in corporate communications has been

living in her three-bedroom house in the busy town of Sandhurst,

in Surrey, for the past two decades.

However, recent changes in her family circumstances have

given her cause to re-evaluate her work-life balance.

She's decided that now is the perfect time to fulfil her dream

of buying a house in the countryside.

I've just found myself on a treadmill these past, probably 20 years,

really, where you get up, go to work, come home,

do a bit of shopping, do a bit of tidying around the house,

then have your weekend off and then it all starts again.

And I'm really serious now about thinking, no,

you've got to look at it from actually getting some more

enjoyment out of what you do and what you work for.

My son is now far more independent

and I now do a sort of job that doesn't have to be so office-based.

So it's given me the perfect opportunity to actually think

seriously about my desire to move to the country.

While she'll still be keeping her current property for her son,

Sarah wants to find a new house within a two-hour drive

so she can still commute to work.

As a result, she's set her heart on the south-west of England.

Many years ago, when I worked in Worcestershire, I actually had

to drive through Gloucestershire to get there.

And the countryside around there, I think, is going to be perfect for me.

So that's why I've honed in on Gloucestershire.

It's a perfect distance from where I am at the moment.

And to help her find her perfect home, she's taking along Ruth,

her good friend of 20 years.

I'm quite happy with my own decisions.

I've lived by myself for quite some time.

It will be nice to have my friend Ruth along just to sort of bounce

ideas off and be able to turn to her and say, "What do you think, Ruth?

"Do you think this would suit me?" She knows me very well.

It's up to me to maybe be objective,

stay focused on what she said rather than the heart ruling the head

maybe, if she sees something that she gets really excited about.

And there's one particular aspect of country life that

Sarah is very enthused about.

The real reason I want to move to the countryside is for a view.

I'm just longing for the perfect rural view.

I must be able to see rolling countryside or hills, trees,

just something quintessentially English.

Looking ahead, she has the germ of an idea that might just turn

her countryside move into a great business proposition.

If we can't find somewhere that's actually just perfect for me,

perhaps we could actually look for a larger property that

I could actually then, in future years, potentially run as a

bed-and-breakfast business if that's the thing I decide I want to do.

Despite the potential for a business, she still has

plenty of plans to enjoy her free time in Gloucestershire.

The perfect day for me would be to go out with a friend

to a nice, old area and go and have a look at a country house.

Not only to look at the house but also to wander through the gardens

to get some ideas, to see what they're doing in their gardens,

what type of plants they're growing.

The day would also include a stop for coffee and a chat with a friend,

and also a nice lunch.

I'd just want to make a real day of it.

All that's left now is to assess the finances.

The budget for my move ranges from £250,000 up to £400,000.

Sarah needs her new home to be within about two hours travel time

to Surrey, so she'd like us to focus the search towards

the south of Gloucestershire in the Stroud area.

And she's arrived with Ruth to tell me more

about what she wants for her new rural hideaway.

-Hello, guys, nice to see you.

-And you.

-Nice of you to join us as well, Ruth.

-Thank you.

This is a long-term partnership, isn't it, between the pair of you?

-Uh-huh, 20 years or more.

-20 years or more.

So what do you think about this move that Sarah's trying to make

to glorious Gloucestershire?

I'm really excited to see whether we can find something

that will suit what she wants.

You've been thinking about this for a long time, haven't you?

I have, yes, for many years.

I used to go on holiday to a lovely part of Wales

and just loved the countryside.

My work has meant that I've had to live in more urban areas

and so I just want to get back

and live somewhere that's not quite as busy, not quite as hectic,

so I just want something a bit quieter and with a view.

-Something like this, perfect.

-OK.

So you mentioned the view,

but what else are we really looking for in this property?

Well, it doesn't have to be too large because, initially,

it would be mainly be me.

Yes, I'd like a spare room for a guest, perhaps another bedroom.

-Say you've got somewhere to stay? Yeah.

-Yes.

She'll have to come and see me living in my countryside splendour.

-What else do I want? Utility room.

-Yes.

At the moment, I come straight out from the garden

into my kitchen, and I really want a sort of stopping off place,

somewhere to put the wellies,

somewhere to wash off all the mud, because I enjoy my garden.

I also want a garden where I can grow some more flowers and some veg.

You mentioned your love of Wales, so why Gloucestershire?

Because Wales, at the moment for me, is a little bit too far.

I still have to work. I'm hoping to cut down the days I work

and perhaps work from home a little more often.

But at the moment, I do still need that access back towards Bracknell,

where I work at the moment,

and to my property, which I'm maintaining in Sandhurst.

So I really didn't want to be more than two hours maximum away.

OK, so I get the sense we're looking for something genuinely pretty

-but compact.

-Absolutely. Compact, Bijou. Bijou is the word.

-Bijou, OK.

There's a lot to fit in to this bijou property, isn't there?

Well, there is, and I think it's the two ends, really.

I either go small and bijou just for me or, potentially,

if the perfect property's found that happens to be larger then

I'll have to just look at a different way of using it.

-That would suggest a sliding scale on the budget.

-It does indeed, yes.

-Talk us through the numbers.

-OK.

-From around about 250,000 up to maximum around about 400,000.

-OK.

-Well. It's all to play for, isn't it?

-It is.

-A whole new life in Gloucestershire.

-Yes.

And we're going to have some good advice, I hope, from Ruth.

Well, hopefully I'll keep her on the straight and narrow.

-Brilliant. Let's go and see if we can find you a home.

-OK.

-Follow me.

Sarah has a wide-ranging budget of around 250 to £400,000, and for

the top price she'd want a property that has some business potential.

On the wish list is - lots of character,

a convenient location for commuting to work...

We've got three charming properties to view and, as usual,

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

The final option is, of course, our mystery house,

which could be just the business for Sarah in the future.

We're heading close to the lively town of Stroud with

good links to the M5 motorway for the commute to work.

And it's a place that should provide Sarah with plenty of scope

for her favourite activities of visiting historic buildings

before having a spot of lunch in one of its many cafes.

Property one is a couple of miles outside Stroud in the village

of Slad, made famous by Laurie Lee in his novel Cider With Rosie.

The house itself is built from Cotswold stone

and is thought to date back to the Georgian era.

So this is it, Sarah. This is property number one.

-This looks idyllic.

-Yeah, you said idyllic.

-Very peaceful setting, I can hear birds.

-Yes.

-Yes.

Lots of open countryside, different heights, I'm liking that very much.

And the fact we've got trees around and things,

I know you like trees around.

-Birdsong, as Sarah says. Yeah, I agree.

-Very happy.

Right, let's have a look, follow me.

This property certainly delivers on the views

and character Sarah is after,

and the inside has been beautifully refurbished while keeping

all the original features, which she'll definitely be pleased about.

Come on in. This is obviously your principal living room. You tell me.

-I really like it.

-Do you?

-Yes, very much.

I love the fact that they stripped the floorboards back,

the floorboards, that's lovely. Loving the fireplace,

that's perfect. I love the view that you've got that way,

so you're looking at a view that way, you're looking out this way, as well.

-Yeah.

-I'm very excited.

-And it's not low ceilings, either.

-It surprising, isn't it?

-Yes.

Because coming into somewhere like this,

I would have thought it would be lower ceilings.

-You'd be all right though, Ruth.

-I'd be fine.

-We have to think of Sarah.

-OK.

-Yeah, absolutely. Good.

-I'm really pleased.

-Yes, so am I.

-Happy days.

Right, follow me through to the kitchen.

And the kitchen and breakfast room

should keep the smiles on their faces.

Oh, wow.

-This is lovely, as well.

-I didn't expect this.

-Yes, perfect amount of work space.

-Yeah.

And then back for dining room.

Ideal for entertaining because you're working away,

your friends are sitting here with a glass of wine, talking to them.

Yes. Very nice.

-There's an air of excitement, isn't there?

-Yes, already.

-Oh, good.

And it's so full of character.

It's not overly done, but you've got the beams, you've got the wood,

it's just perfect.

OK, ladies, shall we go upstairs?

I don't get to say that very often, do I? OK, follow me.

Sarah and Ruth both seem quite taken with this cottage so far,

and the rooms on the first floor,

though not as large as downstairs, are equally attractive.

So this is your room, Sarah.

OK, yes.

-Now, obviously things are a bit smaller up here.

-Yes.

On this floor, we've got you two bedrooms and a family bathroom.

This is your room but you do get an en suite, too, which is in there.

-Oh.

-That's a bonus.

-Yeah, look at it, lovely freestanding bath

and all the rest of it.

Love the bathroom, it's not something I'd even thought about

-but great to have it.

-Would this be big enough for you, though?

You'd have to be clever with the space, wouldn't you?

Perhaps a slightly smaller bed.

It's liveable, I think it's just a little bit of thinking about how...

Bearing in mind, we've also got the other bedroom on this floor,

which might allow you a little bit of extra storage,

-because much of the time it will be empty.

-Yes.

-But upstairs, we've got you a third bedroom.

-Oh.

-Oh.

The bonus of having an extra room on the second floor

is that it could be a great space for Sarah to work in

if she can tear her eyes away from those views.

So this is what we're thinking about in terms of office space

-or study space.

-Yes.

And it could work very well for that, couldn't it?

Yes, it's nice and light, which is good when you're on the computer.

Yes, I get the sense that the excitement levels are dropping

the further up this property we go.

Perhaps the bedrooms aren't quite right but, again,

I think with perhaps some thinking, I might be able to come up with

a solution that would be perfect for me.

So while the bedroom space might be a little less than she'd like,

the garden should be more than ample.

Surrounding the property on three sides and with mature trees

and shrubs, it covers around a third of an acre.

At the moment, it's certainly liveable with,

I do quite like the unstructured, wild look, so I wouldn't want to

get rid of that completely, I don't like regimented gardening.

But just to change it and tweak it to the way I'd want it,

and lots of options.

I think the point about all this is you can see yourself having

a bit of fun here, which is what this is about, isn't it?

-It's a new start.

-It is.

-It's a new chapter.

So the question remains, how much is this bit of fun going to cost you?

-Go on, Ruth, you go first.

-Oh, dear.

I'm going to go for...

295.

295. Sarah?

I'm going to come in slightly under, 285?

It's a good job you've brought Ruth with you

-because she's absolutely spot-on.

-Is she?

-Yes.

-£295,000.

-Well done, you.

How do you feel about that?

I think I want to have another look round it to see how much

work I might want to do in there,

there's just some finishing aspects that I'd want to do.

Go and have an explore.

Make a list of those finer points of finishing and,

yeah, see if it's you.

-OK.

-I'll catch up with you later, off you go.

On the market for £295,000, this charming terrace cottage

offers Sarah nearly everything on her list of demands...

Three bedrooms, one of which could be used as a study,

and a mature garden with lovely countryside views.

This is definitely a house I could see myself living in.

It ticks so many of the boxes, my number one priority was the view

and from every single room in this property, you get a view.

So from that angle, absolutely perfect.

This property will suit Sarah in many ways,

particularly the challenge of the garden, the views,

the flexibility, I think, of being able to use, particularly

the upstairs rooms, in the way that she wants, and to be able to add to

it in various ways as she lives in the property itself.

-It's ideal as it is now, but there's so much more I can do.

-Mmm.

I love that slope, I love the fact there's different levels here,

-and such a big expanse, you know?

-Hello.

-Oh, hello.

-Ah!

-Plotting and planning, this is a very good sign, Sarah.

-Isn't it?

-Yes.

-Excellent. Good, I'm glad you like it.

-I do, very much.

-Lot of potential inside and out.

-Picked you a memento.

-Aw.

-Ah!

Thank you for getting that.

Right, after you, lead on.

On the South Gloucestershire border

lie the distinctive Cotswold market towns, which prospered

in the Middle Ages on the back of the wool trade.

Chipping Campden, for example,

boasts impressive limestone buildings which are testament

to the wealth of the old wool merchants.

Taking pride of place in the town centre,

the Market Hall has been an historic gathering point for farmers

to sell their produce since the 17th century.

Just a few miles away stands the 19th-century manor house,

Kiftsgate Court, with beautiful gardens that are a result

of three successive generations of women gardeners.

As Sarah has green fingers herself, we arranged for her and Ruth

to meet the current owner, third-generation gardener

Anne Chambers, to hear more about her family's unique story.

-Oh, what a view.

-Yes, it's lovely.

This part of the garden was created by my grandmother in the 1930s.

She decided to terrace these very steep banks, quite an undertaking.

But luckily, she had Italian gardeners

and they were used to working on steep slopes.

-On that sort of slope, yes.

-With the vineyards and things like that.

So she created these beautiful banks,

-which are quite hard to garden, though.

-I can imagine.

-How do you plant on a bank like that?

-Well, with difficulty.

I sometimes rope my husband, yes, if he's on the very steepest bit.

But they are dry and quite shady, so it's sort of

trial and error what grows. You've just got to experiment.

Anne's grandmother, Heather Muir,

started her work on the garden soon after she moved into the house

in 1918 and some of her work is remarkably still in evidence today.

Some of the plants, the acers and the magnolias,

-are from my grandmother's day.

-Are they?

-That Magnolia there, yes, that must be 80 years old.

-That's beautiful.

So there's a lot of different plants from different generations,

-which is nice.

-It must be lovely to see the continuity, to be able to

-think back to how far this has gone back.

-Yes, I think it is.

A lot of different plants, quite sort of feminine planting.

I think, being the three generations of women,

it's not a masculine garden, it's a sort of mixture of softness.

-It's soft and relaxed, isn't it?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Beautiful.

-Nothing too regimented.

-No.

From the mid-1950s, Anne's mother, Diany Binny, added her own touches.

She was responsible for the striking semicircular pool in the lower

garden and redesigned the White Sunken Garden to incorporate

a pool with a wellhead fountain.

And in the spirit of her predecessors, Anne has brought

the gardens bang up to date with her own 21st-century ideas.

Oh, this is spectacular. Isn't it lovely?

It's a complete contrast, yes, really, to the rest of the garden.

And Johnny, my husband, and I did this 12 years ago.

It was a tennis court and it all sort of fell into disrepair,

-so we decided we'll create something new and different.

-Yes.

The fountain was made by Simon Allison,

-who lives up near Banbury.

-Right.

We knew we wanted something with height

and that would move and reflect.

So it's stainless steel stems with gilded bronze philodendron leaves.

And the water is on a timer, it sort of runs off.

-They're so unusual, aren't they?

-Yes.

I think it works well, it's quite nice for each generation to add.

To do something different.

-Yes, to do something different to their contemporary.

-Beautiful.

So a great deal of inspiration for Sarah to take away

and apply to her new garden in Gloucestershire,

once she's found a house to go with it, of course.

We've made the journey, just over five miles from Stroud,

to the village of Horsley, which has a local shop

specialising in organic food, and a church which has been turned

into a space for schooling and community events alongside worship.

Our second house, a Cotswold stone cottage,

is in the hamlet of Wallow Green, within the parish of Horsley itself.

We're going to start this one in a slightly odd way.

Once again, it's an end terrace.

The bit that's on offer is everything to the left of that

-large soil pipe that's running up the wall there.

-OK.

Now, this piece on the end, this is a relatively new extension,

-with the solar panels on the roof.

-Mmm.

How are you on your eco-credentials?

I like eco-credentials, but I don't like solar panels.

They save you about £220 a year on the running of this house.

-Still not interested.

-Still don't like them?

-No, I'm sorry.

Well, there they are, you can do what you like with them

if you buy it. Let's see what you think.

This quirky rambling property is a very different proposition

to our first house, as Sarah and Ruth will find out

when they step through the front door.

-There we are, after you.

-OK. In you go.

So, what do you think? This is the kitchen in the new extension.

It used to be through here,

but they literally dragged the range through into the new bit,

-I imagine with a lot of huffing and puffing...

-I can imagine so, yes.

..to create this kitchen-diner, if you will.

You say this is an extension, but actually it's feeling old,

-actually, it's feeling very quaint.

-It all blends in rather nicely.

The doors that you noticed, that's downstairs cloakroom,

-this door goes to the cellar.

-OK.

-Or cellars, if you like.

-There are three rooms down there, actually.

-Ooh.

-Yeah.

-Lots to explore down there.

-Lots to explore.

The geography is something you're really going to have to

get to grips with, with this one. It's not obvious.

It does look like that sort of property already, yes.

Ruth?

I think I'll keep an open mind.

Ruth's suddenly become petrified.

It's like...

Probably not what I expected, but let's keep an open mind,

we're just starting, and see what happens. Yeah.

Good, that's the spirit. Follow me.

Next door, the old kitchen is now the utility room,

which is a very good size.

And adjoining that is the characterful sitting-room.

This is your principal living room.

-Cosy, I would say.

-Definitely cosy, yeah. Wood burner over there.

-Yes.

Nice deep-set windows, again. And lower ceilings than the property.

-Yes.

-It is light and very cosy.

It is. I think that is the word, it's a cosy feel.

-Bless you, I can see you're working really hard to understand it.

-I am.

-It's more complicated upstairs, come and have a look at this.

-Challenge.

Up here, there are rooms either side of the landing.

The first one is a single room, which might suit her son when

he comes to stay, or it could be one of Sarah's alternatives for a study.

But we'll check out the rest of this floor.

-And then down to this other level, all right?

-Right.

-Little sort of study arrangement there.

-OK.

-Family bathroom is in here, all right?

-Yes.

And then this, Sarah, would be your master bedroom.

-Come in, Ruth.

-That's different.

This is very different because this, again, is over the new extension.

-Right.

-Is it? And again, has been done very well to blend in.

I would have thought old again.

What it doesn't have, is an en suite.

-Mmm. Here, I'm just not quite feeling it yet.

-Ruth?

I think I feel the same, and the fact that it is so, so different.

Yeah.

Up on the second floor is a further guest bedroom,

and a spacious and light affair with two dormer windows

and lovely stripped floorboards.

But now we're heading outside to see if the gardens

are as generously sized as the house.

There's a timber studio here, which could serve as an office.

Plus, an expanse of lawn with space for growing the veg.

All right, let's finish up with an estimate of the value of this one.

-I think 320.

-320, yeah. Ruth?

330?

This is on the market for £387,500.

-Mmm.

-It's got the amount of rooms but it's...

I think because I don't feel the pull towards that property

as I did the other.

Go and explore the views and then go back inside our lovely

warren of a property and see if you can't get your heads around it.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Go on. I'll catch up with you later.

-Brain might not let it.

On the market for just under £388,000,

this rambling property has a great deal of potential for Sarah...

A range of alternatives for a study,

and a generous garden with views across the adjoining farmland.

That is a view, that's what I asked for,

but when you've seen property one

you realise that there are views and views,

and property one, I really loved that view.

I think Sarah's feeling maybe a little deflated after the

exhilaration of the first property, because she was so enthusiastic.

It's very quirky, there are certainly elements I love,

but somehow, altogether,

I find it's almost a little scary, I think it's a almost too big for me.

It's too big for me, I think.

Right, ladies, time to go. The end of day one has arrived.

-Have you had a good day?

-Yes, very good.

-Yes, interesting.

That's the main thing. As long as it's interesting

and it's stirring up those thoughts in your mind about what's going to

-work and what isn't, that's the main thing.

-Oh, it's certainly done that.

Good, right, come on. Follow me, let's prepare for another day.

As the sun sets over the wonderful Gloucestershire countryside,

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

Mum Sarah has decided to re-evaluate her work-life balance and,

with the help of best friend Ruth, she wants a new rural home

with glorious views of Gloucestershire.

So far, she's been charmed by pretty property one,

and a little overwhelmed by the quirkiness of property two.

But coming up, the mystery house gives her

much more than she bargained for.

-Oh, my goodness! All the room for storage you would want.

-Oh, wow!

And I get hands-on while investigating an eel-life story

of Gloucestershire conservation.

For our mystery house, we've travelled some way out

of Sarah's ideal search area to the village of Lydbrook,

on the western edge of the county, in the heart of the Forest of Dean.

Lydbrook itself has a range of amenities,

including a church and a pub.

The community is also served by a social club,

as well as a shop, which acts as a post office.

Our mystery proposition is a stone-built Victorian property,

which was originally two cottages,

and has a modern annexe currently being used as a holiday let.

So it offers genuine business potential for Sarah.

So...

..this is it. This is our mystery house. What do you reckon?

It's very pretty, I like the stonework, yes.

The point to really stress about it, I think, is that we're outside

-of the premium price bubble...

-Right.

..of the central Cotswolds.

Which means, not only do we get to offer you this gorgeous cottage,

but also that purpose-designed holiday let.

-Right.

-Wow.

-Yes, you see!

-All right, yes.

We'll explore the garden a little later on,

but as you see, you've got a nice little water feature for you,

-vegetable beds aplenty.

-Yes, yes.

Right. I like it. Yeah.

I've got a very good feeling about this one.

-Come on, let's have a look inside.

-Good.

So, with the view and garden demands both met,

plus the bonus of the holiday let to mull over, this should be a very

thought-provoking house tour for Sarah and Ruth.

Now, what do you think of this as an initial starting point?

-Let me grab the door.

-Very nice.

I love the way it's been done. Yes, very.

-Very cosy, yes. Lovely feature wall.

-Got a lovely wood burner in there,

which is currently working, thank goodness, on a damp day.

-Oh, good.

-Yes.

It's lovely, isn't it? Little bit of a bay window here.

-And dual aspect.

-Very good first impression.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

-OK, let's have a look at the kitchen. That's through here.

There you go.

Another beautiful room, yes, wow.

-And the views out, as well.

-Yes.

Now, the only other time I've heard you say "wow," Ruth,

-was in property number one's kitchen.

-Right.

So this is another wow. Good.

This gorgeous cottage has lots of space downstairs,

including a dining room and a bright second reception with doors

that open out onto a Juliet balcony.

It also has the utility room she's after.

Meanwhile, up on the first floor on one side the landing,

is a good-sized double bedroom,

which would be very welcoming for guests.

But how about this one for Sarah?

Now then, what about this as your master bedroom?

Yes. Again, dual aspect. Nice and bright in here, isn't it?

All sort of in character, plenty of room,

enough room for you to probably

get some kind of more cupboard space in here if you wanted to.

Well, the cupboard space is the moot point, really.

-Have a look in there, Ruth. Go on.

-My turn, is it?

Yes, your turn. Open that door. Come on, Sarah.

Oh, my goodness!

-All the room for storage you would want.

-Oh, wow!

-Look at that.

-Yes.

-Absolutely unbelievable.

-More storage. Wonderful bath.

-Yeah.

Modern, but still in keeping, I think.

I think this is every girl's dream, isn't it?

Well, I was just thinking, as you're wallowing in the bath,

looking out at the sky.

Yeah, loads of storage, loads of room,

you could pamper yourself to bits in here.

-You certainly could, couldn't you?

-Yeah.

With the upstairs really delivering the goods,

let's see what the annexe has to offer.

This could be the game-changer,

providing Sarah with some real options for how she might

spend her future work life.

While the lower level currently houses a workshop and a shower room,

up on the first floor there's a big and beautiful

living and sleeping area.

-Yet more space. And very attractive.

-Yes?

-Yes.

-Ruth?

-Oh, that is nice.

These skylights, of course, fill it full of light.

-Now, as you can see, this has only just been done.

-Right.

They've only had it registered as a holiday let for a couple of months.

There are already bookings.

This would work perfectly. Because, again, I've got options.

It's perfect for when friends, relatives come and stay,

but it could also be used, if not immediately then certainly

soon, to bring in additional income, depending on how things work out.

I think you can just, you know, certainly see.

Well, I'm glad that Sarah is pleased with the options

this property could offer her.

But now it's time to find out if she can afford it.

Well, let's have a think about the price, then.

I think it's definitely top-end

because it does have a lot of space in there,

but also the additional rooms for B&B if I wanted to go that way.

-So I'm going to say 410.

-410, yeah.

RUTH SIGHS

-You were going to say that.

-She's got me.

-Go on.

-OK, 405.

-405.

This will cost you £370,000.

Oh...

There you are, that's done it, hasn't it?

I'm not good at this game, am I? Not after seeing the second property

-and then this.

-Yeah.

-And all about where it is?

-And it's under budget.

-Wow, lots to think about.

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

Off you go, go and explore. I'll find you later.

So, well under Sarah's maximum budget,

this immaculate property is on the market for £370,000.

And, while it's a bit further away for her commute,

it handsomely fulfils all her other demands.

It has a wonderful view of the Forest of Dean,

beautiful living spaces with original features,

a utility room, two good-sized bedrooms in the main house

and a further one in annexe,

which is currently set up as a holiday let.

Last but not least, there's a lovely garden.

I think I've got quite a bit of thinking to do now.

I did really like property number one,

that was fitting in with the way that my thinking was

when I came away to do this.

But seeing the mystery house and the additional potential there is there,

perhaps it is time for me to have a rethink,

and think, perhaps I actually make the sort of move now

rather than the halfway house, which property one would be.

Although Sarah might not realise it at the moment,

I think Sarah would like to give up work.

I think she needs a bit of a kick to do that.

This house might be that kick.

Now, there's an awful lot about this property to fall in love with.

Out you come, girls.

Has it stolen your heart?

Close. It's possibly getting there, yes.

-You're not giving too much away, are you?

-I'm not sure I know.

Do you know, when this place was sold back in 1920,

it went for 230 quid?

-How times have changed, eh?

-Oh, dear.

If only, if only.

But I think this is a really nice one to end on,

and I think completes the mix of properties that

will hopefully give you some choice.

-It's certainly done that.

-Cup of tea?

-Yes, please.

-Come on.

The River Severn is home to a wealth

of diverse natural habitats and wildlife.

But one particular species residing in these waters

has unfortunately been declared at risk.

In 2008, the European eel was listed as officially endangered

after a 90% plunge in numbers over the previous three decades.

In recent years, a series of recovery measures

have been implemented to support eel numbers, including the unblocking

of migratory pathways in the river,

the creation of new wetland habitats, and restocking programs.

Here in the Westbury-on-Severn, a local food producer is running

its very own sustainable eel programme. Richard Cook owns

one of the UK's most environmentally friendly eel smokehouses.

-Now, what have you got in front of you here?

-These are my babies.

These are the ones that we caught earlier in the season,

-in March time.

-On the Severn?

-On the Severn. So they're wild glass eels

that turned up in the Severn, we caught them,

we've taken them out, we've health-checked them, we've given them

feed to get them feeding, because they're actually not feeding when

they're in the river. They don't actually feed at that point.

So these have turned the corner, then?

So these are now developing into what we would associate with an eel.

The life cycle of the European eel is a mysterious and fascinating one.

Starting out as larvae in an area of the North Atlantic

known as the Sargasso Sea,

they undertake a two-year migration to the freshwater rivers of Europe.

Here they turn into tiny creatures, known as glass eels, and en masse,

move upstream into the river system. However, within the first

three months of arriving in the River Severn,

99% of glass eels perish, mainly due to the hazards

of man-made river flood defences.

Richard's aim is to fish them out and to put them back

into smaller tributaries, where the environment is more suitable.

When these are released into our freshwater rivers,

how long will it take them to grow to a size that we would associate

with a sort of eel that we would eat?

In a wild environment, they will stay there and develop into adult eels

anything from seven to 15 years.

-15 years?

-It's a big, big life cycle.

In line with European policy, Richard releases 35% of his total

catch back into accessible parts of the river like this nearby wetland.

The long-term goal is to increase the number of eels which will mature

and make the 4,000 mile journey back to breed in the Sargasso Sea,

so continuing this ancient cycle.

Right then. So what's the process? Is it fairly straightforward?

What we're going to do is just put them down towards...

The corner? And just tip them in?

Just slowly let them run in.

So these little guys, hopefully, will get to 15 years of age.

-But, of course, there is a lot more to it than this, isn't there?

-Yeah.

What do your eels taste like?

You'll be the judge of that.

Richard's smokehouse uses local sustainable timber

and, as well as smoking adult eels here, there is also a restaurant

where chef, Tania Steytler, has cooked some up.

Absolutely fabulous. But you know what?

There is a slight pang of guilt about this, having learned what

these animals go through to get to this stage.

Do you ever wonder about that?

Just by eating this eel, this will stimulate three elvers

to be released back. We have a little scheme in here.

Every dish we serve, we release three eels back

to our eels-in-schools scheme and back to restocking.

So, hopefully, that'll soften the blow for you.

-That's a good excuse to keep eating, isn't it? Cheers, Richard.

-Cheers.

Mmm, fabulous.

The Severn was once literally alive in springtime with eels,

a natural phenomenon that the work of people like Richard

could hopefully bring about again.

You know, there are occasions on this show

when I do worry that perhaps we offer our buyers too much choice.

This, I suspect, is one of those moments.

Out of the three properties that we've shown Sarah and Ruth,

there's no doubt that there are two clear contenders,

but they offer two very different forms of country life.

So what's it to be? Well, let's go and ask them.

Now, let's just remind ourselves of the route

we've taken to get to this point. Property number one,

which certainly brought a smile to both of your faces, Ruth,

what did you think, in particular, when you walked through the door?

I thought it was nice and cosy.

It seemed to give most of the things that Sarah was looking for,

definitely gave the views and it was an adaptable layout, as well.

I think that was important.

She had a blank canvas in the garden, so, yeah.

Well, that's what Ruth thinks you thought. What did you think?

She's absolutely right, this is why I brought her.

-She knows me well, she does know me well.

-Thank you.

It's a naughty word to use, simple, but I think it was a simple house,

it would have suited me at the moment.

It would be easy to maintain, the garden was a perfectly acceptable

size and I think it would have been something that I could have

done a little bit more as and when I had the time.

Property number two was an altogether different proposition.

I described it as rambling.

It was a lovely, quirky, quaint cottage.

But, actually, just had too much room for me. Too many rooms.

-We don't often hear that, you see.

-No.

But, you know, fair enough.

And I think it was one that was going to take some imagination

to really turn into the sort of property which you want, which I

suspect has a little more, shall we say, mod cons attached to it?

Yes. And I think that was why I did like the mystery house.

I thought the building itself was beautiful,

it had obviously been extended over time, but beautifully so.

-And it just worked. It was a very, very attractive, cottage.

-Ruth?

I thought it was, similarly, very sympathetically extended.

You didn't have to do anything there.

And what about that bathroom, girls, come on?

Well, yes, I could laze in that.

And, of course, the holiday let,

which was beautifully appointed. Modest but very, very feasible.

Yes, and separate, I mean, totally separate.

You didn't have to do anything with that straight away

-if you didn't want to.

-So let me cut to the chase now. What happens next?

My gut reaction would be property one is perfect for me now.

But I think property three has set me thinking that, is it sensible

to move now with a view to then moving again in a few years' time?

I'm not going to press you on a decision as to which one you'll buy,

because I think you've almost gone back to the drawing board, in a way.

I think so.

We've given you a property in which you can envisage this new life,

you've just got to be sure that it's the life you want right now.

Exactly.

Well, best of luck to you, thank you very much for your help

in advising Sarah, I daresay this pattern of advice will continue for

some time to come. But you've been real sports,

it's been a real pleasure. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself.

And, fingers crossed, you'll be living in Gloucestershire very soon.

Thank you very much for all your help.

You know, when we started this house search with Sarah,

I thought we were looking for more of a bolthole,

something of an escape from the hustle and bustle

of her working life down in Camberley.

But what's emerged is something far more intriguing.

In the mystery house, we've offered her a slice of life,

a completely different country lifestyle, if you will,

that might enable her to move lock, stock and barrel

from Camberley to Gloucestershire.

And it just goes to prove that although they've got a lot of

thinking to do and discussion to be had, when it comes to house-hunting,

just occasionally, you do need to be very careful what you wish for.

I'll see you next time.

I'm pleased to say that Sarah has been back to see house number one

and she's consulting a builder about her plans for it.

So it's still very much in contention to be her future home.

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