Lincolnshire Escape to the Country

This impressive-looking castle behind me

houses one of the most important documents in British history.

The touchstone for democracy around the world. What is it?

And where am I? Find out in just a moment.

'On today's show,

'I'm helping a couple of retired expats say au revoir to France

'as they search for a new home in the beautiful British countryside.

'At one property, they can't help

'but fall in love with this simply stunning kitchen.'

-It took his breath away!

-And it is lovely. It is magnificent.

And it seems there's only one word to describe the mystery house.

-Different!

-It's different.

-It is. Very different.

Today we're in Lincolnshire

and this red brick prison inside the mediaeval walls

of Lincoln Castle holds one of the four original copies

of Magna Carta, which King John was forced to put his seal to in 1215.

The original document, which was signed by the Bishop of Lincoln,

guarantees the right to a free trial, and equality before the law.

And that included the King.

And these are the underpinnings of our legal rights today.

But it's not the only much-treasured thing in this county.

Situated on the East Coast, Lincolnshire is England's

second largest county

and shares its eastern border with the North Sea

and its western border with Nottinghamshire.

Covering over 2,500 square miles,

the expansive landscape is noted for its windmills

that dot the horizon towards the south.

The fens and agriculture here bear more than a passing resemblance

to the Netherlands. But the county also has its uplands.

In the north are at the Lincolnshire Wolds,

whose chalk downs are a designated area of outstanding natural beauty

and inspiration for the famed local poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson.

The county town of Lincoln was originally a Roman settlement.

Its historic and spectacular cathedral is 271 feet high

and dates back to the 11th century.

Eminent Victorian writer John Ruskin once said it was

the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles.

The cathedral may be dizzyingly high,

but house prices in Lincolnshire are not.

The average price for a detached house here is £167,000,

which is 35% less than the national average.

Now, if you want to live in an area of outstanding natural beauty,

like the Wolds, then you're going to pay more.

But unlike the rest of England, if you head to the coast,

you may get a bargain.

And there's also a wide variety of architectural styles to choose from.

Speaking geologically, Lincolnshire can be split across the middle.

with the low lying fens of the south and the Wolds in the north.

and the county's architecture follows suit.

Local limestone predominates in the villages of the Wolds.

Fine and slightly sandy in texture,

its versatility means you'll find properties in all shapes and sizes

such as this four-bedroom house in Thealby,

which is on the market at just under half a million pounds.

And there's also this beautiful two-bedroom grade two listed cottage

in Scopwick, which is priced at £210,000.

Also in the north, you'll find houses in the distinctive ironstone,

a blend of sandstone with iron oxides.

If that appeals, then you might like this semi-detached

three-bedroom house in Thealby,

on the edge of the Wolds.

It could be yours for £315,000.

Head south, and you'll see

where the Georgian and Victorian developers have left their mark.

The legacy of the local brickyards around Louth

lives on in the surrounding houses.

This six-bedroomed grade two listed home

is currently on the market

at £450,000.

A great variety of different building styles

here in Lincolnshire,

but are they enough to lure our house buyers back from abroad?

Let's meet them.

After their retirement, six years ago,

Terry and Judith upped sticks from their house in Scotland

to live in what was previously their holiday home in France.

But now, their thoughts have turned to a future back in the UK,

and the opportunity to spend time with their family.

They recently arrived at this British hotel,

so they can start their country house search.

Well, we haven't done this lightly.

-We thought about it for perhaps 18 months, haven't we?

-Yes.

About, you know, the benefits of living in the UK as opposed to

living in France

'and what things we could get out of it.

'What's better for us as we get older.

'We visit my family more than anything.

'My cousin, whom I'm very close to,'

her daughter, just four years ago,

had a little girl and we don't see as much of her as we'd like to see.

And she's, you know, she's one of the reasons.

And just being able to see the family.

Their current property is a four-bedroom,

timber-framed build set in the north east of France.

And even though they'll miss it,

they're convinced now is the perfect time for a change.

It's really hard to think about leaving it,

because we have become very attached to it.

But we've got to face facts, that it is too big for us.

At the moment, we just live on one level. On the lower level.

-And that is sufficient just for the two of us.

-It is.

It would be ideal to be able to take the lower level from France

and put it somewhere in England, and that would be ideal for us!

Unfortunately, we can't do that!

With their roots in Yorkshire, specifically the town of Rotherham,

they're looking for good access from their chosen county,

which is just one of the reasons for choosing Lincolnshire.

I think the other thing about Lincolnshire, also,

is the fact that it's really got good produce.

I like cooking, so obviously, I'm always looking at things like that.

And along with a large kitchen for Judith to create in,

there's something else that will definitely be on their wish list

for their new home.

I mean, for me, the most exciting thing would be open fireplaces.

Or even a...

The opportunity to actually put in a wood-burning stove.

Yes, a wood-burning stove. An inglenook would be great.

But, you know, that's everybody's dream, so, I don't know.

But that would be it for me.

Since retiring, Terry and Judith have travelled throughout France

and Britain in their caravan,

and they'll be continuing to explore on their return.

Since we took up caravanning, it's definitely changed my idea about it.

Because I'd never done it before. And I've really, really enjoyed it.

We've visited lots of places,

places that I never thought we'd ever get to visit in the UK.

And the beauty of it is, you can stay for a few days,

or you can stay for a few weeks.

With a return to the UK housing market, it's of course pounds

and not euros that will decide their finances.

The budget for our move is £300,000.

Terry and Judith would like to be within easy reach

of the A1 for convenient access to family in Rotherham in Yorkshire

and also for return trips to France.

So the west of Lincolnshire is their preferred area.

I went to meet them at their rather grand local hotel,

'to find out more about their expectations for their new British home.'

-Welcome to Lincolnshire, you two.

-Thank you.

-All the way from France.

How does it feel to be in the lovely English summer?

-Not quite the same as in France!

-I know, you've both got lovely tans.

-We've had a little bit of good weather.

-So, Lincoln is the goal.

And the property, tell me what you're looking for in terms of the property.

Something that's either two or perhaps three bedrooms.

A lounge, a fairly large kitchen, and a smallish garden.

-Somewhere that we can sit out.

-Probably on the edge of a village.

-Or in a small village.

-Yes.

And style-wise, what are you looking for?

We'd like something cottagey, we don't mind low ceilings.

Beams, we like. An eat-in kitchen.

I don't mind if it's a small living room,

as long as it's got an open fire or a log burner.

Well, so we've got a sort of two to three-bedroom cottage,

-really, is that what you're looking for?

-Yes.

-So with some period feel?

-If possible, yes.

-But an eat-in kitchen.

-That's right.

-And what's your budget?

-We're looking at £300,000.

-Right. Good.

Well, Lincolnshire has lots to offer.

No time like the present, let's go.

For their budget of £300,000,

Terry and Judith are after a character home

with a feature fireplace or wood burner, a large kitchen,

a minimum of two bedrooms,

a manageable garden,

and a driveway big enough to park their caravan.

We found three beautiful properties which we think will really fit the bill for our buyers.

And at each one, I'll be asking them

to guess the price before I reveal it.

One, of course, will be our mystery house,

which could prove to be something of a modern classic.

But first, let's hit the road to property number one.

We've made the journey five miles east of Lincoln

to the quiet village of Fiskerton.

And we're around 50 miles from Rotherham, for those family visits.

Fiskerton means "fisherman's town"

and it was a fishing as well as farming village

until the drainage of the Witham Fens in the 1780s.

These days, its amenities include a village hall,

which serves as a post office,

a local shop for day-to-day necessities,

and a hostelry for traditional pub grub.

Our first property was once two houses,

the original building dating back to the late 1700s,

with the front part added in the late 1800s.

In its past life, it was once a pub and also a post office,

a clear sign of which you can still see today.

Here we have it.

-House number one.

-Wow. It's lovely.

-Quite interesting.

-Yes, it is.

-Really pretty.

-On a road, but it's not too busy.

-No. No.

-A little bit of life to it.

-Yes.

-What are your thoughts from the outside?

-It looks beautiful.

-It's really nice.

-A nice front to the house. It looks a welcoming house.

-Good. Well, shall we have a peek inside?

-Oh, yes, please.

-OK.

'The traditional frontage of this property is in contrast

to the first room we'll see on the inside.

So I'm hoping that Terry and Judith will appreciate the contemporary styling.

Come on, straight into the kitchen.

The back of the house.

You always enter the house from the back in the countryside.

-Oh, it's beautiful. It's really nice.

-There's quite a change of gear

-because it's very modern inside.

-It is.

It's modern, but it's warm-looking. It looks nice. I like it.

-You wouldn't have to change it.

-No, it's quite nice.

-Well, you do have a very big utility room with all the white goods.

-Yes.

-So lots of space.

-Which is ideal, yes.

-And space to eat as well.

I think it's beautiful. It's really nice.

'The living space in this property is divided into summer'

and winter rooms.

The summer sitting room once housed the post office counter,

and it's a beautiful light and spacious area

with a decorative fireplace.

But it's the winter sitting room that's about to deliver

one of the key features on their wish list - a wood burner.

So, yes, a winter sitting room.

-Oh, very nice.

-This is really quite nice.

-Nice to have choice, isn't it?

-It is. It's beautiful.

I love the fireplace.

So there's a potbellied sort of log burner there,

-which will keep you nice and warm.

-Yes. It's quite nice.

-The double aspect windows is quite good.

-Yeah, it is.

Yeah, it's lovely. I mean, we're spoiled! I think this is quite nice.

-There's plenty of options.

-Really?

Yes, because of the use of the property, for example,

there's a beer cellar down below.

And then there's stairs, if you go through this door,

-there's stairs up which takes you up to three bedrooms.

-Right.

Or two bedrooms and one very small room.

So you could either have that as a sort of guest wing.

-But, your bedroom is at the back of the house.

-Oh, right.

-Up a different staircase.

-Oh!

-Follow me.

-Right.

'The route to the master bedroom is through a useful study,

'which could be used as a quiet area for reading.

'There's also a dining room,

'which features another stunning fireplace that is sure to delight.

'But it's time to see the room where our buyers

'could be resting their heads.'

So, up the back stairs, into, well, this is the main bedroom.

Yeah, it's lovely. It's quite big.

-Quite different.

-Yes.

Is it to the right sort of proportions for you?

-It's big enough for us. Isn't it?

-Yes.

So you've come up into the roof of the old part of the building.

You've got the beams. And then also, they've got this very nice en suite.

-Oh! Oh, that's nice.

-Big Jacuzzi bath.

-Aha. Oh, gosh.

It's ideal, it's perfect. Yes, I think it would work.

Well, that's pretty much all inside.

I'll give you a chance to explore later on.

But let's go outside and talk money.

'Out here, the very manageable garden is mostly laid to lawn.

'There's also a patio area

'if they fancy doing a bit of outdoor entertaining.'

Unusually, I mean, all the garden is at the front.

But there is a big parking space, perfect for a caravan.

Actually, it's perfect.

At least you can get a car on there and it's quite handy to have.

-And access to the back door, which is good.

-So that's the tour complete.

House number one. The one missing piece of information is the price.

How much do you think it costs?

Oh, it's quite a lot bigger than we expected.

So I think you've got to be really looking at the top, 300,000,

-at least.

-What about you, Terry?

I think it's quite near to the top of our budget.

I would say it was somewhere round about 290,000.

Well, I'm afraid that your wife was closer to the mark.

-It's actually on at 299.

-Really?

-Oh!

-I'm even surprised at that.

-I thought it possibly could have been over.

-Good.

-So I'm quite pleased.

That's good.

So, we haven't actually explored all of it, so I'm going to give

-you time to go and look at the upstairs and the front.

-OK.

And sort of see whether it's going to work for you.

And then I'll see you out on the drive and we can press on.

-That's lovely. Thank you very much.

-In you go.

-Thank you.

Just under their top budget of £300,000, this house

with a varied history meets all of Terry and Judith's demands.

It has a large modern kitchen, a variety of feature fireplaces,

four bedrooms, a manageable garden,

and space to park the caravan.

The outside of the property is really attractive. It looks really nice.

It's in a nice position.

A little bit near the road, but I think I could live with that.

The bedrooms are quite different.

Because you've got access through two staircases.

I think I'd have to probably alter the stairs a little bit to

make it a little bit easier to climb.

The house is quite deceiving in the size of it.

It's bigger than what I first expected from the front.

We are looking to downsize, but I think it's a good size for us

actually to downsize to.

I think it's going to be nice for these guys to be a bit more

embedded in the community, with a pub there and the church there.

-It's a good spot. All right, all done?

-Yes, thank you very much.

-Very nice.

-So, I'm going to whisk you off to the next property.

Lincolnshire's farming heritage is rooted in the richness

and versatility of its soil.

And it's home to more grade one agricultural land than any

other county in England.

As a result, around 20% of the nation's food originates here

with potatoes, wheat, poultry and cereals as prime examples,

along with livestock like pigs, sheep and beef.

In historic market towns

such as Louth on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds,

an array of thriving independent suppliers also produce

and sell food to their local communities.

As Judith is especially keen to find out more about the produce

and recipes of the area, we arranged for her and Terry to get

involved in the preparation of a local speciality pork dish.

They'll be helping chef Rachael Green,

whose family has been farming in Lincolnshire for 14 generations.

OK, guys, let's come and make some Lincolnshire chine, shall we?

-Have you had chine before?

-No, never.

Well, I'm going to do this my grandma's way.

Lincolnshire chine is a traditional, obviously, Lincolnshire dish.

We always used to have it for sort of high days and holidays.

So it's all about stuffing the chine with the parsley.

Now, today, generally people put it into a roasting bag,

and they roast it actually in the oven.

But I'm going to do it a different way and I need your help, Terry.

I'm going to make a crust, a flour and water crust,

to seal the chine in, which actually cooks it,

-sort of half steams it and half cooks it in the oven.

-Oh, right.

Terry, I'm going to get you here to mix some really good old

Lincolnshire flour from one of the windmills with some water

into a paste, so you get that consistency.

-If you keep feeling that, you'll know.

-OK.

-Basically, chine is the old English word for backbone.

-Oh, right.

But these days, we use the shoulder. And you can see this...

-It's a nice piece of shoulder.

-With all that lovely fat gauge on it.

OK, so the next thing we need to do is chop some of that parsley. OK?

We want some stalk, but not too much.

-And I'm going to make the slits, OK?

-Right.

-That parsley smells good, doesn't it?

-It smells beautiful.

Right, I'll open the slits, and you shove some parsley down. How's that?

-Right, OK.

-Don't be too delicate about it. Come and have a look here.

That's got to be full, it's got to be packed.

Got to go right to the end as well. Shove it right down.

Right, our Judith, I need you to hold it like that.

You can tell I'm from up north, can't you? "Our Judith"?!

Right now, I'm going to tie this, obviously,

so you need a long bit at the back and underneath.

And now it's time to roll out the pastry

that Terry's prepared for the crust,

turning the dough regularly to keep it an even thickness.

That will protect the meat as it cooks.

And what we'll do, we'll wrap it in it

and then we're going to cook it for about two and a half hours.

Pork is very much the heritage food of Lincolnshire,

being the source of several traditional recipes

such as haslet, faggots, and this one, chine.

And then we'll just literally...

-a bit like a big nappy!

-Yeah, yeah.

Wrap her up like that.

-Pop it into my oven.

-Right.

So I'm just going to put it into the roasting part of the oven.

After cooking, the meat needs to be left to cool,

as it is best eaten when cold,

and carved into thin slices.

It's traditional to serve the stuffed chine

with a dash of vinegar to cut through the fat

and strong flavour of the parsley.

-Oh, look at that.

-It looks good, doesn't it?

-It really does.

-Have a go, guys.

-Thank you.

-See what you think.

-It smells beautiful.

-It always smells good, yeah.

-It does.

-Does it taste OK?

-Beautiful.

-Do you think it is?

-It really is.

-Can I have a hug?

-Oh, thank you!

Now Terry and Judith have tasted one local recipe,

we'd better find them a kitchen to try cooking it in.

So let's head back to our property search.

We've travelled 13 miles east of Grantham

to the historic village of Folkingham

and we are around half an hour's drive from their family

in Rotherham.

In Folkingham, there are a number of amenities,

including a post office and local shop,

as well as somewhere to take afternoon tea.

Our second house is around five minutes away in Threekingham,

a small village dominated by its impressive 11th century church.

And there's also a local pub that dates back to 871.

The property I'm showing them is considerably more modern

than that, but even so,

'it's still 200 years old.'

In you come.

Thank you.

-Oh, wow.

-That's quite nice.

Oh, it's beautiful.

So "wow" from you, and a "quite nice" from Terry!

So what are your thoughts about it?

Because it's more contemporary than the last one.

Contemporary could be good. Do you think, Terry?

The cottage garden, it's really nice.

They've certainly put some effort into this area. It's beautiful.

-They certainly have. It's a real show garden, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yes.

Plus, look at this.

-Put what could you put there?

-At least a caravan.

-At least a caravan!

-Yes.

-It would fit there.

-It would.

So it's a very different offering, not least because it's more compact.

-That might be a benefit.

-It might, yes.

-Could well be.

Let's look inside.

'While it might not look its age from the outside,

'the interior of this property is a fantastic mix of contemporary

'and character features.'

So, come in.

Straight into the winter room, the sitting room, the snug.

Lovely. It's quite nice.

So these are the oldest parts of the house,

-so you can see the age with the beams.

-Yes, it's very low.

But it's lovely.

And you've got a lovely big log burner,

-which kicks out a lot of heat.

-Yes, it is beautiful, isn't it?

-It's really nice.

-A really nice room.

-It is. It'll sort our needs.

-It's a nice little snug for winter time.

-It is, it's beautiful.

It has very deep windows. You can see the old country cottage walls.

-Yes.

-It's beautiful. It's really nice.

-Really nice.

'They clearly adore the character feel, but now it's time to

'find out how far their love of contemporary styling might stretch,

'As we come to the kitchen,

'which is a rather more futuristic proposition.'

-Oh!

-Oh, wow.

-See what I mean about the change of gear?

-Oh, yes, definitely.

-Oh, look at that, that's beautiful.

-Absolutely. Look at that!

-It took his breath away!

-It is magnificent!

-It is.

-It's an amazing kitchen, isn't it?

-It certainly is.

-Fabulous.

-It's absolutely, I love it.

-Do you?

-I do, yes.

-Really?

Because we were worried it might be a bit modern for you.

Well, it is modern. It's not like anything I've ever had.

But I can't say I don't like it, because I do, I love it.

-I think it's brilliant.

-It really is.

And this has everything you could ever want.

It's got a double oven,

it's got a fridge and freezer all built into that back wall.

Space age! I mean, it really is a super high-tech kitchen.

I know you love to cook.

-I do.

-So this could be a whole new world of food preparation.

I mean, for a kitchen, it is absolutely beautiful.

-Even I might learn to cook!

-Ah, well, there you go.

That would be a dividend! That would be a dividend!

But if you step across this way, actually,

-you've got this access as well, which is also a massive room.

-It is.

It's huge.

And then beyond that sort of sitting area, it's the hallway.

-There's a log burner, a chaise longue.

-It looks very cosy.

-It really is nice.

-Really nice.

-Good.

Well, I mean, this is the downstairs. It's very open,

-it flows very beautifully.

-It does, it's lovely.

-Shall we check out the upstairs?

-Yes, please.

'Well, the kitchen has really got them excited.

'And I'm sure they'll be just as impressed

'with the finish of the bedrooms. Time to check out the master.'

So, we fulfilled your brief completely by giving you two bedrooms.

Two is fine. It's quite enough for us.

-But they are high-quality bedrooms.

-Yes, beautiful, isn't it?

-It's really nice.

-This is beautiful. Double aspect bedroom.

-Yes.

It really is nice.

And a very nice en suite again, with that very contemporary white feel.

And then in the other bedroom,

a good-sized bedroom also with an en suite shower and a cupboard.

-What are your thoughts about upstairs?

-I think it's beautiful.

It's lovely.

The configuration of this property is ideal for what we want.

There's plenty of room downstairs

and the two bedrooms is quite adequate.

-Is there a sparkle in your two eyes?

-Yes, definitely.

-I've a really nice feeling about this place.

-Yes.

-Let's go into the garden and talk about money.

-Oh, no!

'Love is definitely in the air with this home

'and our buyers seem quite smitten.

'We're heading back through the stunning space age kitchen

'and into the pretty landscaped garden,

'which also has a patio area for outside dining.'

So, an attractive proposition. How much would you pay for it?

Well, I think, taking it that it's slightly smaller

than the last property, I think probably 295.

I think, considering the configurations of the property,

I think it's the opposite. I think it's a little bit higher.

-I would say 310.

-310.

Well, once again, Terry, you should listen to your wife,

because she is exactly on the money!

-£295,000.

-See?!

-I love it.

-So, in budget. Well, there's not so much to explore,

because we explored most of it. But we didn't look at the room upstairs.

-See if you can feel at home there.

-Lovely, OK.

-Let's go back in.

Thank you.

Near the top end of their budget at £295,000,

this house is just tailor-made for Terry and Judith.

It gives them a huge kitchen that's out of this world,

a generous amount of sociable living space, two bedrooms,

a beautiful cottage style garden,

and enough room on the drive for the caravan.

When we first came round the corner and saw property number two,

I thought it was really quite nice.

The garden is absolutely magnificent.

I feel really comfortable in this house.

It is, yes, it's saying, "I could live with you!".

It's got a lovely warm feeling to it.

But I really do think, it's different,

it's different to what I've ever had before.

But I could definitely live with this. I really like it.

It's a beautiful garden. I feel like I was born to sit in this garden!

-You know, guys, if you don't buy it, I might buy it!

-Too late!

-Ooh!

-That's fighting talk. Excellent!

-It's a beautiful house.

-It is, it's really lovely. We both love it.

-A palpable hit. Very good.

Well, it's been a long day, so let's find some peace and respite.

OK, sounds good.

As dusk falls over the spectacular Lincolnshire countryside,

it marks the end of a very encouraging day's house-hunting.

Expatriate retirees Terry and Judith,

have spent the last six years in France

but are now yearning for the great British lifestyle again.

They want to live much closer to their family

and have plumped for the beautiful county of Lincolnshire.

So far, they've been impressed by the welcoming feel

of an old post office, but have fallen even harder

for the charming features of a country cottage

with a futuristic kitchen.

But still to come, our mystery house takes our property search

to a Jane Austen-tatious level.

Beautiful! What a surprise.

It's a shock, isn't it?

'And I find out more about the use

'and conservation of an ancient Lincolnshire woodland.'

I wish the English summer would be a bit more welcoming

to our homecomers from France.

Although I have to say, it looks like Terry and Judith

are very much in love with Lincolnshire.

No complaints there.

And they seemed to really like our second contemporary property.

So for the mystery house, we've gone for something

much more contemporary, but with an oh-so-period twist.

We've made the journey 17 miles south-east of Lincoln

to the village of Timberland.

And we are around 60 miles from Rotherham for those family visits.

The ancient church at Timberland has been a place of worship

for over 800 years

and amenities include a post office

and local shop for those day-to-day necessities.

Our mystery house is a bungalow, built just over a decade ago.

But we think it delivers all the character

that Terry and Judith are looking for.

It's designed in the grand style of Lyme Park,

which is the blueprint for Pemberley

in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Here we have it. The mystery house.

-Oh! Different!

-It's different.

-It is.

-Very different.

-Good heavens.

-Oh, wow. It looks very nice.

-It looks a bit like an old courthouse.

-Yes, it does.

-Exactly.

-Well, the inspiration is Jane Austen.

-Oh, right.

Yes, it's a sort of Georgian, based on a sort of Georgian orangery.

In a way, it's a simpler proposition.

Because, as we see inside, it's actually quite a simple layout.

And as you'll notice, it's all on one level.

-Right, OK.

-So no stairs.

-This is nice.

-We like that.

-Yes.

-Let's look inside.

'The Austen inspired style of this property is a winner so far,

'and I'm sure the quality of the period detail inside is going

'to really impress our buyers.'

-Come on in.

-Thank you.

Straight into the hallway.

That is lovely.

-See what I mean about the Jane Austen feel?

-I do.

-It is, yes.

It really is a work of art, this house.

It is, it's beautiful. What a surprise.

-It is a bit of a shock, isn't it?

-That is.

-I see your eyes caught by these amazing arches.

-Arches, yeah.

These are all bespoke. They are made by a local Lincolnshire craftsman.

Lovely cornicing and the roses here, the rose here, as well.

You'll see the whole house is this long enfilade of rooms.

You've got a sitting room there with a lovely log burner

-and a bespoke Ancaster stone sill and hearth.

-Love it.

Actually, I do like it, it is lovely. It is really nice.

It's not cottagey, but it's got that old-fashioned style to it.

I think it's lovely.

At the opposite end of the house, adjacent to the dining area,

is a separate family room which could be used

as a bedroom, as there's an en suite bathroom attached to it.

But we are going straight ahead into the kitchen.

Would this work as a kitchen, as it stands?

I think it's just a little bit too small for me, really.

Beautiful views, though, but I think that this is just too small.

However, whether you could maybe knock through?

Yes, next door, there's a bathroom

and then there's this utility room at the back,

so you could actually knock through

and get a double width kitchen.

That would be...

I'm sure that would be a solution because I don't think I could manage.

I think this area is just a little bit too small.

-Work would need to be considered?

-Mmm.

Next door to the kitchen is this family bathroom,

which is situated next to a single bedroom.

Adjacent to that is another slightly larger bedroom which is

currently set up as a library.

With the right permissions, the space that all these rooms occupy

could make a great kitchen diner for Judith.

What are your thoughts about knocking through and merging rooms?

I think it'd be worth doing

because I think you'd have all this space that you'd use,

instead of having little rooms that you probably wouldn't use.

-It's a question on whether it's a project too far.

-And cost, yes.

There is cost and the price of the house.

-We'd have to have a look at that.

-Something to think about, definitely.

'Well, they don't seem to be put off by a bit of a project,

'but now I just want to show them where they could be sleeping.'

-The master.

-Oh, lovely.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's really nice.

-It's a lovely sized room.

-It is.

-Nice views and you've got a really big wet room.

-Good idea.

It is, it's lovely. For us, it would be fine and it's lovely.

Judith is getting really fired up, isn't she?

She's planning and knocking down walls and moving things.

-Is that a good sign?

-Already thinking colours.

That is a good sign, but sometimes it has to be reined in a little bit.

-Worrying for your purse strings?

-Yes.

-Talking of purse strings...

It's that time already.

Outside, the compact garden has a very pretty lawn

with several features - this Georgian-style summerhouse, for one.

There's also a very smart seating area on the patio and the front

of the house has plenty of space in the driveway for a car and caravan.

Do you like the ambience of the outside?

I do, yes, I like it front and back. It's beautiful.

What do you think it costs?

I think it's perhaps 280.

-Terry?

-290,000.

-290. In this case, neither of you are right.

-It's more.

-It is actually on the market for 275,000.

-Oh, right, OK.

Pleasantly surprised?

Yes, because that gives you that little bit of leeway.

It gives you £25,000.

To have that work done, that's really good, I'm surprised.

So, you could get it as you like it and still be in budget.

That's right. It's a good prospect.

I can probably even think of more things to do.

Good, well, have a quick peek inside

and you'll probably get a better idea of what you're going

-to knock down.

-OK!

-Then we'll meet at the front.

-OK, thanks very much, thank you.

Under budget at £275,000, this beautifully designed property

gives Terry and Judith a healthy sum to play with

to make this house exactly as they'd like.

It offers plenty of character features,

such as the arches and coving,

a wood-burner, four bedrooms, one of which is currently used as a library,

a very manageable garden with lovely views,

and a driveway for the caravan.

The mystery house is really quite different.

It was quite a nice, pleasant surprise when we came round

the corner to see the shape of the windows, as though it's an orangery.

And it was really quite nice. It is very impressive.

The front part of the house would work for Terry and I.

There's lots of little bits that I would do,

but the biggest thing for me is the kitchen, which is quite small.

I think what I'd like to do is to open that up all the way along.

We'd probably live in the back of the house once it was opened up.

Right, I have to drag you out of this property. Lots of thoughts.

Oh, lots and lots.

-Knocking down walls, redesigning.

-Uh-huh.

Let's move away from all the properties, find a spot

and digest what you've seen.

-Yeah.

-OK?

Over the last 80 years, Britain has lost almost half of its ancient forests

and has become one of the least wooded places in Europe.

Only around 12% of the UK is now woodland,

compared to an average of 44% in other European countries.

Lincolnshire is one of Britain's least forested counties

but here in Hill Holt Wood, the community is fighting back,

planting new saplings and protecting trees.

The woodland is co-owned by Karen Lowthrop,

winner of the Community Forest Prize at last year's Forestry Awards.

She invited me to the 34-acre wood which she and her husband Nigel

are committed to preserving

and where they've built their fabulous eco-home.

How long did it take to create this?

About ten years to get the planning permission

and then the building control, design, detail etc.

Cos presumably it's a bit contentious,

building a house inside ancient woodland.

Extremely. The initial reaction was "absolutely out of the question",

and what we had to demonstrate was that the wider benefits to the community

and to the management of the woodland, the environment,

outweighed the normal principle of "no development in woodland".

Talk me through some of the features cos I'm assuming it is very green.

What are the highlights for you two?

The fact that it's off-grid, that was one of the challenges I wanted to overcome,

and that the house has very low power requirements,

but it's wired up like a normal house.

Rainwater collection so we're off-grid for water as well.

And heating?

The whole house, which is 160 square metres,

is heated by a single thermal mass wood burner

and uses about three tons of firewood a year.

Woodland is vital for generating oxygen,

storing carbon and stabilising soil,

as well as providing a home to a variety of wildlife.

This wood is a registered charity,

which is run as an environmental social enterprise

so any profits made are reinvested into sustainable projects.

It's beautiful woodland here but I also see big paths cleared,

so what's the ethos about how you manage it?

The reason for that is that this is a community-owned and controlled woodland,

open free of charge, in which the community can come and enjoy.

And our woodland has a history of management

and if we stop that management, they deteriorate.

The ethos of the business is to manage ancient woodland in the 21st-century.

Other buildings on the site, which employs over 20 people,

are all built from locally-sourced materials such as straw and wood.

They're used for vocational education,

with courses in construction and land-based studies on offer.

We've got three courses but the one that I think is of most importance

to us here in Lincolnshire is our under-16 programme.

That's run for young boys who are excluded from mainstream schooling.

We've got interest from various parts of Britain in replicating this model,

in Scarborough, in Hampshire, in Shropshire.

I think with the support of local government in those areas,

I think it's going to happen.

It's quite beautiful to be here amongst the trees.

-Woods are special places.

-I think you're doing a special job.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

What a lovely, inspiring couple,

and this here is exactly the sort of project that builds community

in Lincolnshire, and that is what Judith and Terry are looking for.

The only problem is, have we found them the right house to live in?

How do the homecomers feel about Lincolnshire?

I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a beautiful place. What about you?

-It's been really fantastic.

-Yeah.

Let's look at the houses one by one.

The very first house was right in the centre of the village,

quite exposed, really.

What are your thoughts about that?

We both liked it, didn't we? It's got some nice things,

but I think it might need quite a bit of spending on it

to bring it up to what we'd want.

I think it'd be a little bit more of a project.

It's actually probably a little bit too big for us as well.

We did think that, because it had all those rooms upstairs

which you probably wouldn't use.

-Never use, no. I don't think so.

-I don't think we would.

Whereas the second property -

just two bedrooms and a giant kitchen.

Absolutely beautiful. We both loved it.

-It was really, really wonderful. I really did like that.

-Yeah.

It's got a beautiful garden.

-The whole aspect of the house was really, really nice.

-I loved it.

I really did.

We're trying to think of ways we can overcome the storage situation

so we're not going to discount it because we both really liked it.

It might mean that you have to start decluttering.

It might well do. I think, possibly. I think, definitely!

Definitely!

-Now the mystery house was a mystery.

-It was.

-Unusual.

Thoughts about that?

I think the mystery house was really, really nice. I did like it.

The house itself, the entrance, it was very modern,

even though it was open-plan with the arches,

it certainly did have some character.

Which one are you going to plump for?

Are you going to make a move on any of them?

I think I'm just tipped over the edge with the third one,

the mystery house.

Because I think it could be made...

I think it's got more storage space and more opportunity to

make something of it, so I think that one might be the one for me.

Terry, are you in agreement?

I am in agreement with that, yes.

I think we would do really quite well with that.

Bonne chance with that. I hope it all goes well,

because it's a great story that you've come back

and lovely that you've taken us to this great county.

It's beautiful.

I hope very much to see you in one of those properties.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Vive le Lincolnshire!

LAUGHTER

I have to say we were all quite surprised.

We were convinced that Judith and Terry would go for house number two

with its lovely contemporary finish

but I think the mystery house might offer Judith more scope

to put her mark on the property

rather than move into somebody else's dream,

though I don't envy the movers

transporting all her knick-knacks from France to England,

or Terry coming straight into a massive building project,

but hopefully they'll move soon

and if you have enjoyed our perambulations around the property market here in England,

then join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

In fact, Terry and Judith surprised us by deciding not to go back

to the mystery house.

Instead, they're going to have another look at property number two.

So hopefully, they'll be back in Britain soon.

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

Northern Ireland or England and need our help, please apply online -

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