Yorkshire Escape to the Country

I'm in a county that's home to moorland that gave rise to a famous local song

where dogs play football and sheep fly backwards.

Where are we? Join me in a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show I'll be helping a couple from Northern Ireland

find there forever home over the water in England.

And, early on, we hit a high note at one of our properties.

I said to you this morning you're the miracle man. Maybe this is...

You're on song today, that's all I can say.

Then the mystery house reduces them to tears.

Sorry.

-What is it?

-I didn't want to do this!

Today, I'm in West Yorkshire and this is Ilkley Moor,

a place famous, of course, for the song "On Ilkley Moor Bar T'At",

a tune now synonymous with the West Yorkshire dialect.

But there's more to it than a jovial tale

warning of the dangers of coming up here courting without a hat on.

In these parts, it's a serious matter.

One local MP proposed a motion in the House of Commons,

trying to keep the song alive.

Now whether you know the words or not,

it is just one part of the area's rich heritage and culture

which makes this part of Yorkshire well worth a visit.

Set in the North of England, West Yorkshire is bordered

by Lancashire and Derbyshire.

With cities like Leeds, Halifax and Huddersfield all calling this region home,

you might think you'd be hard pressed to find any countryside at all here.

But as you head towards the boundaries,

the mills give way to fabulous moorland.

In fact, over 60% of the county is classified as rural.

And although the heathland and crags may appear desolate,

man has made his mark here over thousands of years.

On paper, house hunting in West Yorkshire

makes for pretty interesting reading.

Your average detached will set you back around about £206,000.

To put that in context,

that's the same price you would have paid back in 2004.

But don't be fooled. The amount of urban sprawl around here

tends to cheat house prices down a bit.

Get out into the countryside, and they can rise.

Around Ilkley, by as much as 20%.

But, as you might expect in a county with such historic pedigree,

there are wonderful architectural styles and examples on offer.

'There's a choice of affordable period properties'

thanks to an array of former workers' cottages.

You'll find cosy two-bed terraces in most villages in the county,

with prices starting at around £100,000.

If your budget can stretch to at least £450,000,

you could purchase a Georgian detached house

in traditional local stone.

Many of these properties have been internally updated,

creating a modern home with a wealth of character.

And if you want to lord it up,

keep your eyes open for one of the rare ex-mill owner's mansions.

Prices can start at around £800,000 and spiral upwards from there.

As you can see, some wonderful architectural examples on offer,

to suit every taste and every budget.

Let's just hope we can find something to fit today's buyers.

'Meet 60-somethings Bert and Maggie, from Bangor, Northern Ireland,'

who have been married for almost 46 years.

I would describe Maggie as bright, articulate and lovely.

I would describe Bert as good fun,

-steady and... Well, I still fancy him!

-SHE LAUGHS

Now retired from the Irish Guards, Bert's distinguished

military career saw him reaching the rank of major

and being awarded an MBE.

But now he and Maggie are planning to escape from their modern

two-bedroom house to England, in order to be closer

to their four children and six grandchildren,

the majority of whom live in Yorkshire.

What we're most excited about as regards moving

is obviously to be with the children and grandchildren.

But, also, I would say I feel energised by change

and so the fact that this is going to be changing to a new place,

a new environment, that is exciting.

'However, the move has been delayed by illness,'

with Bert being diagnosed with cancer several years ago.

When I was first diagnosed, I was very lucky because this was picked up early.

Now is the perfect time to move because I am between transplants.

They will give me a stem-cell transplant

and then, down the line, I will have another stem-cell transplant.

My cancer cannot be cured, but it can be treated.

'Despite his illness, Bert is tackling life head-on.'

In fact, he's planned a fund-raising walk for his old regiment.

At the moment, I am in training to get myself fit enough

to walk from Dublin to Belfast.

This is a distance of 128 miles.

We're doing this for the wounded soldiers from their service in Afghanistan.

'And once the walk is over,'

Bert will be able to take life a little easier, allowing him

and Maggie the chance to indulge some of their passions.

I really enjoy writing. I write prose and poetry.

I've had a poem published in an anthology

and that's something I'd like to continue when I get to Yorkshire.

I love music of any description. I will listen to any sort of music.

And I have been involved in playing in a folk group.

And then I suddenly thought, "Why don't I change direction here?"

So I'm attending lessons at the moment -

I'm finding it quite difficult, I might add -

to become a heavy-metal rock star.

SHE LAUGHS

Well, a rock-star budget would be nice, but our buyers have a bit less to play with.

The budget for our move is £250,000.

Bert and Maggie have set their hearts of living within

an hour's radius of their daughter's home,

which is around 15 miles north of Halifax.

I caught up with them in the West Yorkshire countryside

'to find out a bit more about their future plans.'

Maggie, Bert, lovely to see you here in Yorkshire.

-Is it nice to be here at long last?

-Yes, absolutely.

You're now still in Northern Ireland.

So the joy at the moment is we've got you here for a few days

to really concentrate our search

and to really get to the bottom of what it is you're after.

Maggie, just describe your ideal property.

The ideal would be preferably a detached house,

with two or three bedrooms.

Lots of light and space.

A garden, which would give us a degree of privacy.

Bert, do you get any say in this?

I'm a man, Jules - no! To be quite honest.

What have you got to spend, Bert?

Er, 250,000

would be our top, top line, Jules,

really.

Your house in Northern Ireland has suffered

some drop in its expected value, hasn't it?

Yes, we're now tied to the budget that we're in,

but we're hoping you're the miracle man, to sort this out for us.

-It always worries me when people say that! I am fairly optimistic.

-Good.

-This is what we're hoping.

-You've come to the right place, you hope.

-Yes.

-We have total faith in you.

-The miracle man can sort it out.

-You've said that once too often! Come on, follow me.

So for their budget of £250,000, Bert and Maggie would like us

to find them a light, bright home with three bedrooms,

a spacious kitchen and a private garden.

We've got three properties which I think they'll find hard to resist.

But before I reveal the price of each, I'll ask them to take a guess at it.

The final option is, as ever, our mystery house,

and we're hoping it'll really put a spell on them.

So time to hit the property trail.

I imagine, Maggie, you've moved around a fair bit during Bert's army career.

We certainly did. We had about 23 houses in 19, 20 years.

-23?!

-Yes.

So the chance to get properly settled at long last,

knowing your children are going to be just down the road

must be... Well, I bet you can't wait, can you?

No. It is really just something that we.. We've set this as a goal,

by whatever method, we want to achieve it.

So we can't wait.

We've made the journey seven miles west of Halifax

to the beautiful village of Heptonstall.

Historically, a centre for hand-loom weaving,

it was also the site of a battle in 1643,

'during the early part of the English Civil War.'

How about this? This is the centre of Heptonstall,

the location of property number one. What do you think, Bert?

This is absolutely stunning for a start, Jules.

I did ask for miracles earlier on. LAUGHTER

You're not doing too bad today.

Well, you haven't seen the house, yet.

If you like what you see, all this would be on your doorstep.

It's beautiful.

What you can see ahead are the ruins of one church,

in the churchyard of another, much grander affair.

That's quite unusual arrangement.

There's lots of history here.

But also some amenities.

We've got a couple of pubs,

-one of which is closer than you might think.

-Right.

And we've a post office for you.

And we're about 30, 40 minutes from where your daughters are.

-Sounds good.

-So let's see what you think of it. Follow me.

I'm suddenly looking forward to seeing their reaction

to our first property, which is an old weaver's cottage

that was extended during Victorian times.

So that's one pub. And here's the other one.

-Right.

-And the house I want you to look at

is that one. It's in the middle.

-LAUGHTER

-What do you think?

-About the pub or the house?

-About the house!

We'll get to the pub later.

-It's different, Jules.

-Is it different to what you're imagining?

I'm surprised and I'm not surprised, if you understand me,

from our conversation earlier.

-Go on, explain.

-Surprised that it is where it is.

Not surprised, because I realise that it's not going to be a mansion.

So mixed reaction so far, but I think the inside might prove to be a bit of a revelation.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-Ooh.

-It is.

-Bert's lit up!

-Yes.

-I'm very impressed, I must admit.

-Lovely.

-It's unusual, because it's got these nice, high ceilings.

-Yes.

-It's absolutely fine.

-Yes, it is.

I was a expecting to be standing talking to you like this.

-You might have to do that later on.

-THEY LAUGH

I'm not going to kid you.

So initial impressions are perhaps slightly different

-to what they were on the outside.

-Yes.

-Certainly this is unexpected for what I saw on the outside.

-You seem a little bit more relieved.

Yes. It really has a comfortable, welcoming feeling, doesn't it?

It has.

'And there's a bonus underneath this room.'

Down a stone spiral staircase, is a cellar

currently being used as a sewing room.

It could be just the space for the grandchildren to store their toys.

Now we're going to look at the kitchen,

which I think they'll find as welcoming as the sitting room.

-There we are, Maggie.

-Ah!

-Come on through.

-This is nice.

-This was the main bulk of the weaver's cottage.

-Right.

Now it makes a fabulous kitchen. This is a proper wood burner.

So it would be really cosy.

I'm thinking, Bert, picture the scene.

I'm going to be you for a moment, in your chair

with a nice, large glass of wine.

Rocking alone in an old rocking chair. THEY LAUGH

Or a comfy armchair!

Through that door is a utility room and your main family bathroom.

That's where the bath is. There's a shower over it, but there is another option upstairs.

You could certainly feel at home in here,

because there is a welcome to it and it is...

It's just sort of embracing.

'I'm pleased that Maggie is enjoying the homely feel to this charming cottage.'

There's more than might be expected upstairs.

On the first floor, there's a lovely south-facing room,

which could be used for guests, or, indeed, for writing.

'Also, this is where they could we sleeping.'

Last, but not least, for you, what do you think?

-The master bedroom.

-Yes, this is lovely.

-Yes?

-It is.

Again, a little bit taller than you might have expected.

The doors, you know, Bert, might be a thing for you.

But once you're in, you're in.

And the bonus is you've got a very nice shower, en suite,

which, for the size of property, is pretty generous, too.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Very much so.

There are these hidden things that you're not expecting,

-because of the exterior.

-Yeah.

'The third bedroom on the top floor would definitely be the one that'

would suit their grandchildren, set up as it is with children in mind.

But now we're heading to see what this property offers outside,

'in the shared courtyard space.'

It's not every day we get a house like this with this sort of courtyard, but looking around,

I suspect it has always been like this.

It probably goes to the heart of why Heptonstall is such a vibrant community still.

So all of that on your doorstep,

but, let's think about the price of our first property.

Well, comparing this with the prices of houses in Northern Ireland is difficult,

so I would think this is well under our budget.

I'll try 195.

-Mm-hm.

-I would be more in favour of saying

it'll be £220,000.

-You're not far off, sir.

-Oh.

230 will get you this one.

-So we are comfortably under the budget.

-Yes.

-Mm-hm.

There's an awful lot to consider, not just with this property,

but with the move in general.

But I think you should have another look upstairs,

in that attic room, check it out.

-I'll catch up with you later.

-OK.

-Off you go.

-Thanks very much.

At £230,000, this charming cottage is under budget,

leaving them money in the bank.

It has a large, cosy kitchen, a cellar,

three bedrooms for the grandchildren to stay,

a shared and sociable courtyard garden.

The first property took me by surprise

when I was standing on the kerbside.

I wasn't expecting something to be quite so close to the road.

Then, when I went inside, I was struck by the comfort and the warmth

and the cosiness of the room.

In fact, all the rooms are much bigger than I expected them to be.

The property would give us the living space that we would expect

to have to house the grandchildren and the family.

Being overlooked it is not a problem to myself, but it is for Maggie.

HE LAUGHS Because she likes her privacy when sunbathing.

-Maggie, emerging into the sunlight. Out you come.

-Right.

-Come on, Bert.

Brilliant. Well, one of three.

-Two more to go.

-Right, OK.

-Let's get going.

-Come on.

-Great. Thank you.

West Yorkshire's dramatic landscape is popular walking territory

and includes well-trodden routes across the Pennine and Calderdale Way.

In the midst of its river valleys, there is a network of towns

and villages whose existence, historically,

depended on navigable trade routes.

The market town of Hebden Bridge is defined by its landmark stone bridge,

which has linked the banks of the River Calder since 1510.

The town prospered in the late 1800s at the height of the textile industry,

due to its riverside position,

providing it with water power for the mills.

Civic pride and traditions from the industrial age remain strong here.

Living proof of this is the Hebden Bridge Brass Band,

formed back in the 1850s by local mill workers.

Earlier in the week, we sent keen musician Bert

and Maggie to meet Ian Coleman, the band's longest-serving member,

to find more about Yorkshire's brass band heritage.

How important is it to have a band in the area?

It's traditional in Yorkshire to have a brass band in the local villages.

If you go around, there are lots.

There is one in Haworth, not so far away.

There's one up the road.

There's one down the road in Todmorden.

It's very important to have a village band and to keep it going.

-And would that give rise to competition?

-It does, yes.

This band is a Championship Section band.

There are five divisions, starting on the fourth

and building up into the championship.

We were in the fourth division in 1997, so as you can see,

we've worked hard and we've got up to the top.

The band's bright uniforms date back to the early 1990s,

when they were sponsored by the local clog factory, which made clogs in their colours.

These days, they are mostly funded through playing concerts in the area.

Typically, this brass band is something of a family affair.

At the moment, we've three couples who are in the band.

We've Les and Colleen, who are a married couple.

We have Ian, at the back, and Tracy, another married couple.

And Steve and Di are a married couple

-and both their sons have played with this band.

-Right.

As Bert once played bugle with the Boys' Brigade,

Ian has an instrument which should make him feel right at home.

This is a tenor horn. You know what to do?

Well not really, because it's a bit different than a bugle.

-You still blow in the same place!

-LAUGHTER

I'll try my best.

Ah. HE LAUGHS

PLAYS DISCORDANT TUNE

HOLDS LAST NOTE

LAUGHTER AND CHEERING

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Hurray. Well done.

Thank you very much.

With Bert having blown his own trumpet, so to speak,

it's time for the band to give them a tune and it's something special

for our house-buying trainee rocker.

-Have you ever heard of the Kaiser Chiefs?

-I have indeed, yes.

-Well take backward step and listen to this.

-Right.

-Sounds good.

Really looking forward to this.

Er, three, four.

MUSIC: "Ruby" by the Kaiser Chiefs

Ah, music to my ears.

But time to change the tune back to properties as we continue our search.

Travelling four miles south-west of Halifax, we reach the village

of Barkisland, set on a hilltop in the borough of Calderdale.

Once home to a 19th-century woollen mill, the community has

its own cricket club, which plays in the Huddersfield league,

and a couple of pubs for lunch.

Within walking distance of the village shop

and post office is our second house,

a Grade II-listed barn conversion.

This is the property that I want you to consider.

-Come on in.

-Oh.

-It looks lovely.

-Wow.

-There's something about it.

I don't know what it is.

You can see this huge door,

the stone surrounds and reveals of this door,

-came from an old convent in Wales.

-Right. This is intriguing now.

-Yes, it is.

Come and follow me.

'This house is packed with original features,'

which I think Bert and Maggie will just love.

It also has the light and space they're craving.

-Oh!

-Yeah.

-It's lovely.

-What do you think, Bert?

Well, I said to you this morning you're the miracle man.

I think maybe this is... You're on song today, that's all I can say.

It's got a certain sort of baronial feel.

Befitting an officer and a gentleman, I thought.

SHE LAUGHS Yes, well,

I don't know about the gentleman!

LAUGHTER

-But is this the sort of room where you could feel at home?

-I would say.

-What about you?

-I would very much say.

-Let's have a look at the kitchen.

-It's just through here.

-OK.

There. Straight off the baronial hall, you've got this.

-Now this is nice.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Isn't it?

-Yes.

-Nice outlook from the sink.

-Yeah.

Where Bert will be washing the dishes!

I suppose that this one is probably feels very familiar

to what you've al ready got, in a sense.

Spacious-wise, it is, yes.

This huge and social space is definitely going down well

and also on this floor, in what was originally the dining room,

'we find the bedroom that our buyers could be calling their own.'

Now, this is currently set up as the master bedroom, all right?

It doesn't have an en suite,

but it does have space and it is on the ground floor.

Or, it could be a dining room or study, or snug,

if you were happy to go upstairs.

It definitely has the space -

not the wardrobe space, maybe, for someone like Maggie!

It has the space for it to be our main bedroom.

The dining room is rather given away by this enormous chandelier

that's hanging over the bed at the moment.

You wouldn't really want that in your master bedroom.

Although maybe you would!

-I mean, back in the day, Bert!

-HE LAUGHS

-Swinging from the lights.

-That was a long time about ago! LAUGHTER

Well they're certainly very happy

and while the two bedrooms upstairs are considerably smaller,

they could be just right the grandchildren when they come to stay.

-This was the master bedroom.

-Gosh.

-You can see what they've done what they've done downstairs.

-Of course.

The other room up here is mirrored by this. They're the same size.

You have storage behind the curtains.

Lots of light, which is nice.

The other thing to point out is the main family bathroom,

or shower room, is also up here and it's next door between the bedrooms.

This is all the room we need, if we retain the master downstairs,

this is all the room we need for a guest room.

We saw the paved courtyard on the way in.

You've also got some grass and some sunshine.

Let's go and look at the other garden.

'As Maggie is after a nice spot to sunbathe in,

'I think the lawn of this property would suit her perfectly.'

We've saved this till last.

-We thought we'd give you a little bit of grass to play with.

-Sounds good.

-And in terms of maintenance, I think this is probably enough.

-Absolutely.

-So let's have a think about the price...

-Oh, dear.

-..of our second property.

We made Maggie go first last time, Bert, so I think it's your turn.

Well, I'd love it to be under our budget, but I can't see it.

I would go for £260,000.

260. Yeah.

I was going to say 260. Which way do I go? Above or below.

-You could agree!

-I could agree.

-THEY LAUGH

-That would be a first!

-That would be difficult.

I was waiting for it, yeah.

I'll go for 265.

£265,000.

You are both right to think that this would be over budget.

It was on the market at £295,000,

but it has just been reduced.

A process you know only too well.

And the good news is that this is now £250,000.

Oh, really! Just on budget.

-That's fantastic.

-It is.

Now you know what it's on the market for,

and what you might get it for, go and have another look around.

-I think we will do.

-Yes. Thanks very much indeed.

Off you go, Bert, well done.

-HE CHUCKLES

-Lovely.

So on the market at their maximum budget of £250,000,

this beautiful barn conversion offers them everything they're after.

It has lots of light and space downstairs,

a spacious kitchen and socialising area.

Three bedrooms and a manageable garden for Maggie to sunbathe in.

My views on the second house are really hard to put into words,

because I did not think it would be

even close - possible - for us

to find a house like this within our budget. It's truly amazing.

I have to say house two is a hit.

Coming up to the front door, it's a stunning front door.

It just says, "Welcome and come in."

That's how I felt when I came into the larger room.

It really just is a lovely room.

I think I belong in this chair!

Just checking out the pond.

If they buy this place I don't think they will have many fish,

but I do suspect you are going to have quite a few frogs,

looking at the spawn that's in there.

-That's fine.

-I think this has been a success, hasn't it?

-Absolutely.

-It has indeed. I think so.

-Good.

There's a real buzz about it, a real excitement in your voice.

-Absolutely, there is.

-Excellent.

Right, well, if the long-haired general is happy, I'm happy, Jules.

There says a serving man!

Very good, sir. After you, Major, let's go.

LAUGHTER

Left, right!

And as the sun sets over the Yorkshire hills and dales,

it marks the end of our first day of house hunting.

Retired Army Major Bert and wife Maggie are making the move from Northern Ireland

to be closer to their family in West Yorkshire.

So far, they've been surprised by a terraced weaver's cottage

and enraptured by a 17th-century barn conversion.

But, coming up, the mystery house delivers the goods once again.

I was not expecting anything like this, Jules, I must admit.

And I visit a family business with a right royal reputation.

It's the start of day two.

The burning question is what do Bert and Maggie

think of the show so far?

I don't think there's any getting away from the fact

that property number one left them feeling shocked and disappointed

as to what they could really afford.

But, in property number two,

I think we saw a new-found sense of optimism

and I'm really keen to keep that theme going with our final property, the mystery house.

As you would expect,

it's unlike anything they are probably expecting to see.

But, in many ways, it's a modern take on an old classic.

Just over seven miles outside Halifax is the parish of Wadsworth,

set in the stunning landscape of the Upper Calder Valley.

Its amenities include a post office that acts as an off-licence and shop

and a community centre for getting to know the locals,

which is also the HQ of the bowling club.

Our mystery house is close by in the charming village of Pecket Well,

which has a local pub dating back to the 17th century,

serving food and real ale.

It's also home to the Grade II-listed Pecket Well Mill complex,

a working weaving mill from 1858 until the 1980s.

On the site where the workshops and weaving sheds once stood

is our mystery house,

set amongst a new development.

The building we're concerned with is the one with the doors open,

-leading out onto a little patio at the back.

-OK.

So you've got views from there over all of this.

The other thing I should tell you is it is brand new.

-The builder left a week ago.

-That sounds good!

So there's nothing to do.

-You might want to change the colours, but it's all white.

-Oh, no. That's good.

-White is bright.

-White is bright.

-Happy to have a look?

-Yes, please.

-Our mystery house beckons.

-Let's go down the track and into the mill.

-Good. Thank you.

While not prepossessing from the outside,

once Bert and Maggie get through the front door,

they'll find this property a real stunner,

with a particularly bright and spacious living area

attached to the kitchen-diner.

There we are, Maggie.

-Come on in.

-I do not know what to say!

-LAUGHTER

What do you think?

-I'm sorry! I didn't want to do this.

-SHE LAUGHS

-It's so nice.

-Is it nice?

It's ridiculous. Sorry.

-It's all got a little bit emotional.

-I know, because it's so bright.

-Bert, take over.

-I'll try, I'll try.

It's a... I said that you are the miracle man.

You obviously are, Jules,

because you've just reduced this woman to tears.

For me, as well, it's taken my breath away.

I'm not usually short for words, but you've stumped me.

It's so modern and bright.

You know, light everywhere and that's what I wanted.

-It doesn't get much lighter or brighter.

-Perfect.

-Nothing to do.

-Absolutely nothing to do.

Yeah, the kitchen. Come and look at this.

-There you go.

-It's lovely, too.

-Absolutely brand new.

-Yes, perfect.

Straight out the wrapper.

-And everything is built in.

-Yep.

It's really good.

-Bert really is lost for words!

-LAUGHTER

I was not expecting anything like this, Jules, I must admit.

'Well, you can't get better than that, can you?'

Let's see if we can keep them

enthusing as we head into the main bedroom.

Come on in. This is your master.

-It's lovely.

-On the ground floor.

Yes.

Built in. And your en suite. Go and have a look.

That's really just all we need, isn't it?

There's plenty of room for me to swing around in there, all right!

-LAUGHTER

-More information than we probably need, Bert, to be fair!

It's excellent. Really lovely, I have to say.

Upstairs, there are two more bedrooms

which could be perfect for the extended family or visiting friends.

One bedroom in there, a very similar size to the master.

Family bathroom with bath. And this would be bedroom number three.

It's just perfect, isn't it? Look at the light from the ceiling.

Two huge skylights. And again, built-in wardrobes.

It's really... It's everything.

-Oh, Maggie!

-Don't make me...!

-LAUGHTER

I love it, I love it.

-Maybe we're getting there.

-We are. Definitely.

'I'm pleased to say their reaction just gets better and better.'

I think Maggie will love the outside space.

'It's a real sun trap for her bathing and has amazing views.'

So what about it? Is this big enough for you?

It's big enough, certainly. Not a lot of looking after.

I'm feeling that perhaps, yesterday morning,

I was demanding a miracle from you.

LAUGHTER

As one does.

But when I see the delight of my wife's face,

you've...you've...

Well, you've just lived up to all my expectations.

I hope we can satisfy all these fantastic expectations,

but there is one more bit to consider

and that is the price of this one.

The price, in a way, gives me a sinking feeling,

because with what we've seen already,

-this must exceed our budget. I would say 270.

-Yep.

I'm with Maggie on this one, Jules.

I'd say it is well over our budget

and over the 270,000 that she is quoting.

Well...

The good news is that you're both wrong.

This is on the market, much reduced,

-to 249,995.

-COCK CROWS

-Yes, mate, I'm just telling them!

-Really?

Oh. So just on budget.

-Go and explore your new house. Off you go.

-Thank you very much indeed. LAUGHTER

Brilliant. We often get an emotional response to our houses.

Very often, it is the mystery house that does it.

This one was no exception.

But even I was unprepared for Maggie's reaction to this one.

I think it's a real winner. It satisfies all of their needs.

I love it.

So it looks like top marks for this bright and modern mystery house,

which is on the market

for the merest fraction under their £250,000 budget.

It offers a big, sociable living space,

three bedrooms, and a private, walled patio garden

with fabulous views of the countryside.

When I saw it from the outside, when Jules pointed it out across the fields,

I didn't really think it was for us.

It didn't really fire my rockets. But how wrong can you be?

Well, I was just taken by surprise, totally.

My favourite space in this house has to be the main room.

It's big, it's bright, lots of light.

High ceiling.

It really just has everything I would want in a house.

Come on. Out!

LAUGHTER

-I want to stay!

-I know you do, I know you do, but,

as Bert said earlier, you've seen some fantastic properties,

all of which need your full consideration, I think.

You've given us an awful lot to think about, Jules, without a doubt.

-Right, let's go and think. Come on.

-OK.

Historically, West Yorkshire has been an industrial heartland

and while the mines may have come and gone,

the mainstay of trade around these parts has been the textile mills.

The wool would be brought down from the hills, dales and moors

and woven into the fabric that clothed an empire.

In the town of Pudsey, wool milling 21st-century style

is a thriving commercial enterprise and earlier in the week,

I met with Tom Hainsworth, seventh-generation weaver

and managing director of the family textile business,

which has been flourishing here for almost 230 years.

How did it all start, it wasn't like this presumably?

In 1783,

my great-great-great-great-great grandfather had a horse and cart

and he used to collect the fabric from the local cottage weavers

and take it to Leeds market to sell.

Eventually he saved up enough money -

he used to keep a pot on the side of his mantelpiece -

in order to build his first factory, in 1800.

What did the company make its name in?

It was really military textiles.

Since the Battle of Waterloo, we've clothed the British Army.

-So you clothed Wellington's army?

-We clothed Wellington's army.

That's quite a claim to fame, isn't it?

Yeah, we're very, very proud of our history.

'Practices have changed over the years,'

but the process is still relatively similar to what it was back in the 17th century.

The raw wool is teased out and spun into usable thread.

It's threaded to create the warp, before being woven.

From here, it's dyed and finished, ready to be cut up

and be tailored into soldiers' uniforms.

Here we've got the Scots Guards and Irish Guards.

This is the Guardsman's uniform.

What the MoD are looking for is a fabric that looks the same year on year on year.

-I guess you ship this all over the world?

-Yes.

Most countries where they have a royal family, will have

their ceremonial uniforms made from our cloth, whether they be Malaysian,

whether they be Swedish, whether they be Danish, whether they be Dutch.

-What about our own Royal family?

-Yes.

William, in his recent marriage to Kate Middleton,

-he was wearing our cloth.

-Yeah.

The scarlet uniform that you saw with him and the page boys was made from our...

-And presumably Prince Harry's, as well?

-Prince Harry's.

That's right. And Prince Charles. The Duke of Edinburgh. They were all wearing our cloth.

It is a terrific testament to the company

and the attention to detail in this product,

that it's still going so strong.

Wool in Britain is still big business.

Last year, 30 million kilos were produced.

And Yorkshire is still at the heart of this industry,

as it's home to three quarters of all British wool mills.

But this traditional wool manufacturer isn't resting on its royal laurels.

They've created an unexpected new woollen product.

You talk about diversification.

-It's what I think it is, isn't it?

-It is.

-It's a coffin.

-Absolutely.

That's extraordinary. Amazing.

As you can see, it's very tactile. It's nice to touch. It creates...

-It's sustainable, renewable...

-Eco-friendly.

Eco-friendly. It supports British farmers. This is 100% British wool.

Tom, my congratulations on a pretty breathtaking bit of innovation.

So there you go, an inspiring tale of a family business

with strong military connections.

Does that sound familiar, I wonder?

Let's go and see how Bert and Maggie are getting on.

Here we are. At the end.

-Did you ever think we'd reach this point, Maggie?

-Probably not.

LAUGHTER

Let's just think about the three properties that we've been able to show you.

Number one, tucked away, mid-terrace, next to the pub,

well, in between two pubs, with a lovely double, Victorian bay front.

I was really surprised by the height of the ceilings.

I was not expecting that at all, Jules.

The kitchen also was of a very good size,

which we were not expecting, I don't think.

-Were you?

-No, at all. I didn't expect that.

It certainly helped us gauge what you're interested in

in terms of character, but we didn't want you to be outdone.

So we took you to our second property, which,

although a semi-detached, it was one with a difference,

that lovely old converted barn.

I really liked the approach to that. The front door was stunning

and then walking in, there was such a welcoming feel.

-And a bit of a wow, Bert?

-Yes. Oh, there was a wow factor there.

-There was, yes.

-It was awesome, really.

-So we finished our first day on a real high.

-We did.

Um, and then we took off this morning to our final property,

the mystery house. Now that lot more of a reaction than I was expecting, Maggie.

It did. Having seen the two properties that were more traditional

and then to walk into something that almost was all of my wish list.

High ceiling, lots of light and space.

You saw from both our reactions. I was lost for words myself,

because it seemed to be exactly what we were looking for.

And still is.

Now, that brings me onto my final question.

What happens next?

Have we stolen your hearts and your wallet

-with any one of our properties?

-Well, my heart is stolen.

-There's no doubt about that.

-The mystery house?

-The mystery house.

-The mystery house has done it once again.

Bert, how would you feel about that, moving into our mystery?

The house of mystery.

I could.

-I could.

-Short and sweet, you could.

-Yes.

Bert and Maggie, it's been an absolute pleasure.

As anybody watching this will, I'm sure, have gathered,

-it's been a real giggle, as well.

-It's been good.

And I'm really, really pleased, genuinely very happy,

that we've been able to, I hope,

help you to relocate to be nearer your family.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-It's been great for us, as well.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Some people come on Escape To The Country

because they want to downsize, but, for Bert and Maggie,

they've had to, because of their unique financial and personal circumstances.

But, as you might expect, for an Army family that have moved

26 times throughout Bert's career,

they've tackled the challenge with true military determination.

Thanks to that, and with a bit of luck,

hopefully they can look forward to a new life

near to their family here in Yorkshire.

Bert hoped that we'd wield a little bit of magic.

I'd like to think we've certainly managed that.

Bert and Maggie made a second visit to the mystery house

and the good news is that they are keen to make an offer as soon as

they've secured a buyer for their property in Northern Ireland.

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

Northern Ireland or England, and would like our help,

please apply online...

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd