Devon Escape to the Country

It's said that the man buried within that elaborate

and imposing tomb went on to inspire one of the country's

greatest 19th-century novelists to pen

one of the most compelling crime stories ever told.

Some say the tale is rather elementary. But where are we?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

Today, I'm on a mission to help a dynamic couple set up home

and a business in the British countryside.

We get off to a great start

when a converted chapel really raises their spirits.

-Your face is brilliant, you're so excited, aren't you?

-Yes!

Right, let's keep that going.

And a surprise in our mystery house is too good to be believed.

-Oh!

-No, there isn't.

-Yes, there is.

-No, there isn't.

There is. It's down here, come and have a look.

Well, today we are in Devon

and these are the ruins of Holy Trinity Church in Buckfastleigh.

Now, the tomb we saw earlier was that of a 17th-century squire

by the name of Richard Cabell.

Local legend has it that after his death, his spirit could be

seen wandering Dartmoor accompanied by his hounds from hell.

The story, it's said, so alarmed the locals that they encased his tomb in

ironwork and walls to try and keep him and his wayward dogs at bay.

It's a cracking story, one that went on to inspire

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write The Hound Of The Baskervilles.

But take it from me, you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes

to uncover the other delights that this county has to offer.

Situated in the South West, Devon is the third largest county

in England and the only one with two distinctly separate coastlines.

Its rural landscape is defined by a farming heritage

which stretches back to the Neolithic period.

It also encompasses two national parks - the wild drama of Dartmoor

and Exmoor, whose heather moorlands spill over into Somerset.

Set within the park borders here are the Blackdown Hills,

an area of outstanding natural beauty whose countryside

is as well-preserved as the traditional buildings

that make up its villages, such as Hemyock.

To the south are reminders of the county's mining past

which was prolific during the 18th century

when Devon was Europe's largest producer of copper

as well as generating half of the world's arsenic.

Moving towards Devon's southern shores,

the Jurassic coastline is a recognised geological gem.

The red sandstone cliffs around Sidmouth form

part of its 95-mile stretch,

which now has World Heritage status.

Now, at £290,000, the cost of an average detached property

here in Devon is some 30,000 above the national figure

and, let's face it, it shouldn't really be that surprising -

it's a gorgeous place to live

and a very popular place in which to move to.

But the great thing for me about the property market down here

is that it is remarkably flexible.

Yes, of course, there are hotspots,

particularly on the south coast around Salcombe and Dartmouth,

but head up to the north of the county,

and particularly around the north coast,

and you will unquestionably find far more value for money.

And when it comes to architecture and beautiful buildings, well,

as you can see, that's one thing that Devon has never been short of.

As one of the main historic slate-mining areas in the UK, it is

no surprise that this material is a common sight on properties throughout the county,

either on the roof or as a protective facade on external walls.

Prices for a three-bedroom detached home in south Devon

begin in the region of £275,000.

The array of thatched cottages in the county fit many people's

vision of a picture perfect rural England.

From two-bedroom cottages to the classic longhouse,

thatch was widely used in remote areas before the 1900s.

This charming two-bedroom property in Witheridge

is on the market for £129,950.

Well, given properties like that, it's no surprise that

I love coming house hunting here in Devon.

And, of course, so do today's buyers.

They're coming quite a long way, though, so let's meet them.

Russell, a fitness coach, moved to Holland nearly 20 years ago

where he met his wife, Gerrie, a business analyst.

But Russell has begun to yearn for his homeland and as for

Dutch-born Gerrie, she can't wait to move to the English countryside.

It's a dream to, sort of, sell up everything

and start a new lifestyle together and being away for 18 years, I think,

you realise just how beautiful England is.

In Holland, of course, it's totally flat,

but so much variety in the country here.

The beautiful landscaping, the area, it's just gorgeous.

They met nine years ago at the gym where Russell worked

and the sparks soon began to fly.

-After lots of hours of chatting.

-Yeah.

You know, we just really clicked.

So, I thought, you know, we make great friends

and it went on from there, really.

For this new move, they want to run

a bed and breakfast where they'll be very much front of house.

We wanted to be in a beautiful place

and also we both love to be around people, we love spoiling people.

And their hearts and business heads have steered them towards Devon.

The reason that we want to move to Devon is

because it's such a beautiful part of the world.

From the business point of view it's a good place.

Devon is a good place to start a bed and breakfast.

But they won't be going it alone, as Russell's mother,

who has just retired, is up for the adventure too.

So, with three people to please in one property,

they've all decided on their top priorities.

The most important thing is the location, purely and simply

because we absolutely can't change that.

So, in the location I think that one of the most

important things is the view - we'd like to have a nice country view.

They've sold their house in Holland, so they're keen to move quickly

and know exactly how much money they have to spend.

-The maximum budget for our move is £550,000.

-For the perfect house.

When it comes to location,

Russell and Gerrie are happy to keep an open mind and will even

consider Cornwall, given their need for extensive accommodation.

However they would like to have countryside views,

rather than coastal.

I caught up with them in Devon

to hear more about the details of their planned move.

-Hello, guys, nice to see you.

-Hello. Nice to see you.

-Hello.

-So, here we are at last. Gerrie and Russell, welcome to Devon.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

On a gorgeous day.

At long last this great idea of a whole new life is coming to pass.

-Yeah.

-Amazing.

For years we've been dreaming about this,

that we really would like to start our own B&B.

Well, this is a gorgeous corner of Devon, but how do you

feel about a bit of border hopping over into northern Cornwall?

I think the location is most important.

The house we can change, but the location, obviously, we can't.

We're not really fixed on, "Oh, it has to be within 10 miles of..."

It's more like, "Yeah, when we get in, this is it."

Now, you've got £550,000 to spend.

Give us a run down, give us a list, of what you want for that money.

In an ideal world, about an acre,

a property on the middle of the land, two bedrooms, if we have people

coming to stay, a separate annexe for my mum,

preferably attached, then possibly on the other side of the house,

maybe slightly separate, three bedrooms, en suite, good size.

We've got three lovely properties to show you.

They are quite spread out, we've got an awful lot of driving to do today.

But, I don't know, I'm relatively optimistic, the weather is

with us, we've got some fantastic countryside in which to be.

-There are worse things to do.

-Absolutely.

-Absolutely.

-Come on then, follow me.

-Great.

Russell and Gerrie have a maximum budget of £550,000.

And that has to include any conversion or refurbishment work.

Their wish list is pretty substantial, as they'd like

a spacious property with high ceilings, two bedrooms for them,

and set apart,

another three bedrooms all with en suite for their B&B guests.

Russell's mother will also need her own annexe

and, most importantly, they're after a spectacular countryside setting.

We've got three charming properties for them 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 gives them more than they bargained for.

In a bid to give them as much as we can for their budget,

we're getting our property search under way in north Devon,

a few miles from South Molton.

This small market town is ideally situated to explore Exmoor

and the surrounding countryside.

Starting life as a Saxon settlement,

South Molton came to prominence in the middle ages,

when its marketplace became a centre for the wool trade.

These days, its historic street are home to a range of local shops.

A few miles down the road

and set in a fantastic rural location

is where we find our first property -

a conversion whose 1850s origins might surprise them.

Right then, well, this is where it all starts

with property number one.

What do you make of that, Russell?

I like the look of that, it's got some ornate stuff going on,

I think it looks very solid. It's nice, interesting, nice brickwork.

Any ideas what it might have been?

-School, maybe?

-No, not really.

-It's a converted chapel.

Yeah, is this the sort of thing you might have come

-and had a look at?

-Yeah, I think so. Yeah.

-I haven't seen it, so...

Your face is brilliant, you're so excited, aren't you?

Right, let's keep that going. Come on, follow me.

Gerrie's enthusiasm is a promising sign as we head inside

to explore this chapel conversion.

The property is spread out over three storeys and as we enter

on the middle level, an impressive entrance leads into the kitchen.

Exciting. Oh, everyone is very excited. Come on in.

-Let's keep getting excited.

-Oh, I like that.

-Wow.

-Yeah?

-I like the floor, as well.

-It's nice.

Really nice, beautiful.

I mean, you said you weren't bothered about a range or an island,

-but you've got both of them.

-We'll take it!

-And also, I like the three windows.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Russell?

I think it's got everything. It looks great.

Good. Right, well, let's continue our tour. This way.

This middle floor also gives them a potential bedroom or B&B dining area,

although it's currently being used as a music room.

There's also a bright yet cosy snug with a wood burner.

But we're now heading upstairs to the top floor,

where there are three good-sized bedrooms -

two of which could be used for the B&B.

All are extremely bright and airy,

due to the skylight windows that also give superb views

and the bedrooms on this floor share a light and spacious bathroom.

Now, watch your head.

They've padded the beams with these kind of pillow arrangements.

-Erm, you weren't so bad there, were you?

-No, I was OK.

ALL LAUGH

What's nice is that you can see these lovely,

elaborate roof trusses.

So you've got the three bedrooms up here

and then this would be the master.

It's not en suite, but it does have this huge dressing area...

-Oh, yeah, absolutely.

-..I suppose behind it.

-You could maybe even change it.

You could because you've got the family bathroom next door,

so all the plumbing is in the right area, as it were,

so it could be easily done.

But I suppose the question it begs, really, is, you know,

-how do we work out the accommodation here? Choices are endless.

-Exactly.

-Absolutely, yeah.

-Come and have a look at this, you'll enjoy it.

We're retracing our steps downstairs

and heading to the lower ground floor, which gives them

self-contained accommodation and living areas.

Now, this to me is where it all really starts to come together.

The final bit of the jigsaw puzzle. There's a lovely bedroom in there.

Something of a sort of galley kitchen here.

This is a really nice light double opposite a little bathroom.

-And then you've got this space. So, well, you tell me, really.

-OK.

I think that it will be good for Mum, because it has a nice...

It really feels like a nice living area.

-And it's all on the same floor.

-OK.

-Good.

And then going even to the garden.

Well, Mum's got her own, you know, courtyard garden if she wants it.

Erm, or guests, I mean, yeah, there's lots of options.

-Absolutely, yeah.

-Good, so lots of space, lots of potential.

-Absolutely.

-Well, that's a story that continues outside.

Let's go and have a look at the garden.

The space and features around the property include

a large paved area and a number of outbuildings.

We're heading past the large double garage to the garden

which gives us a great view over the entire plot.

So, here we are, the outside space.

You've had a little glimpse as we walked up here.

You've got, obviously, a vegetable patch,

a nice little orchard, we've also got the paddock and so on.

-All in all, about 1.75 acres.

-Ooh.

-That's a lot.

-That's a lot.

Not bad and, of course, they all enjoy this view.

-But that does depend on the price.

-It does depend upon the price.

-Oh, dear.

-So, as it's your national currency, Russell, why don't you go first?

-535?

-535, yeah.

-I think a bit higher.

-I think it's 545.

-545.

Well, not bad, actually, you have clearly been doing your homework.

This could be yours for £550,000.

-OK.

-Very exciting.

-Very exciting.

-Well, off you go.

-OK, thank you.

-Go and explore

and I'll catch up with you later. Brilliant.

I'm delighted - we're in Devon and the sun is shining.

Bang on budget at £550,000, this sympathetically renovated

chapel conversion delivers flexible accommodation

that they can apportion to suit their different needs.

It gives them a raft of character features,

including exposed stone walls and beams,

four bedrooms to divide between them and the B&B guests,

along with a separate two-bedroom annexe for Russell's mother.

What's more, the property is wrapped up in 1.75 acres,

with stunning views over the surrounding countryside.

When I first walked into this room,

I could immediately see it was a kitchen and living room.

It was like, "Wow." I loved it immediately.

If I take the house as a whole,

I think downstairs could be ideal for Mum.

I think upstairs could be ideal for Gerrie and I as a couple.

I'm struggling to find the three letting rooms and, of course,

because it's the top of our budget, it doesn't leave us

any money to knock things around.

Well, one down, two to go.

Come on. Out you come.

-Figured it all out yet?

-Mm, getting there.

-It's a good one, isn't it?

-It is.

-Very good.

-I think it's a very good start.

-Absolutely.

Good, and we are all still very excited, aren't we? Yes, good!

Devon lays claim to being the only county in England

to have two separate coastlines,

with the Atlantic to the north and the English Channel to the south.

This means its shores are home to over 300 miles of dramatic cliffs,

golden beaches and idyllic fishing ports.

It was here in the late 18th century

that gig boats would ferry pilots out into the waters

so they could help incoming vessels navigate around the rocks

and bring them safely into harbour.

Each gig boat would compete to get their pilot out first

and if they failed, they did not get paid.

It was from this competitive activity that gig racing was born.

As Russell is a keen sportsman

and Gerrie is eager to learn more about England's heritage,

we sent them to meet Gill Gibson,

vice chair of the Rame Gig Club in Cawsand

to find out more about these traditional seafaring boats

of the South West.

-Hello, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you too.

What do you know about gig rowing? Have you done this before?

Never even heard of gig racing.

Totally new for us, so really interesting to hear about it.

Quite popular down in the South West.

Most of Devon and Cornwall, most of the coves have all got a gig club.

How many people are in one boat?

Six rowers and one coxswain in most of the races.

OK, if you want to come and have a look

and I will show you the gigs and introduce you to

-some of the crew and maybe you could have a go yourself.

-Oh, fantastic.

Yeah? Come on, then. Let's go and have a look.

Rame Gig Club was set up in 1992 to revive this regional sport

and unite the community.

Entire families have been known to row together

as each crew consists of six oarsmen and a coxswain.

The local club is quite rightly proud of its achievements.

This is our boathouse.

Our boat store started off just as a ramshackle garage,

back in 1992, up until about 18 months ago,

and we had it all rebuilt into the boathouse that it is now

-and these are our racing boats.

-Ready to go?

Yeah, shall we get this boat out onto the beach and give you guys a go at rowing her?

-Sounds great.

-Great.

Although originally used as aids for navigating the perils of this rocky coastline,

their dependable seaworthiness meant it did not take long

for gigs to be turned to other uses.

Smuggling was rife in the early 19th century,

and for £5, a boat and crew could be chartered to row

a return trip to the Continent.

So what you're doing is, everyone is following Aaron and Irene...

We normally do this without jumping overboard!

The Industrial Revolution meant that traditional oar power

was eventually replaced by the muscle of engine efficiency

and it spelled the decline of the humble gig boat.

However, the 1990s saw a resurgence in celebrating

the heritage of these regional boats in Cawsand

and as a reminder of the energy needed to row them.

Now that they have got to grips with one of the region's

traditional maritime sports,

let's hope they continue to apply the same level of gusto to our house hunt.

So whose idea was it to start a B&B?

Initially, after watching Escape To The Country years and years ago,

we started to think, "Well, maybe we could do something like that as well."

We've kind of come full circle, so if you could find a house, it would be amazing.

What you are trying to tell me, Russell, is it's our fault!

Absolutely.

With the aim of finding them the best properties we can,

our second house takes us

over the border into Cornwall, close to Lewannick.

This pretty village is located on the edge of Bodmin Moor

and offers many of the amenities Russell and Gerrie would like to have on their doorstep,

such as a church, pub, and local village store with a post office.

Just three miles from here, set in a rural hamlet,

is our second property, which has period features and has been extended

and renovated over the last ten years.

Here you go. What do you think of that then?

-Well, it's very different to the last one.

-Yes.

-I quite like the brick.

Not too sure about the extension.

-I like that smaller part, it's the same...

-The stone?

-The same stone.

-Unusually, your wife isn't saying much.

-JULES LAUGHS

It's because the smaller windows make me sort of think, like,

"Does it also mean lower ceilings, less light?"

The whole thing has been renovated over the last six or seven years

-to produce what is now a very generous, I think, family home.

-Right.

-That sounds interesting.

-With that has come some modern thoughts.

-OK.

-Which are... Lots of windows letting in lots of light.

-Oh, right.

It's not as dark and as low as you might think.

What you get is lots and lots of character.

And that's the joy of it. It's really interesting.

-There is also an annexe.

-Ah!

-That is very good. Let's go and have a look.

-Shall we?

-Yeah.

-Come on, then.

Despite their somewhat reserved first reactions on the outside,

I'm confident that they will be beaming

when they see what is on offer inside.

Right, let's start with this one, then.

-There we are. Yes?

-Oh, I like.

-That is nice.

-Ah!

-I like the wood.

-I like the colour of the wood.

-Good.

-I love this floor.

The slate is terrific, isn't it? It is, yeah. Big slate, I like that.

You look a little bit sort of entranced with this one.

Yeah, I like it a lot. I would do this myself.

Good, that's a very good sign.

Let's see if you'd do the rest of the house in the same way.

Come and have a look at this.

The adjoining dining area has a fantastic flagstone floor

and leads through to the kitchen. Now, what would you do with this?

Or would you need to do anything?

It's a bit smaller than I would hope,

but still, having said that, there is a table in there.

Through there is a very big utility room,

which you could...push this wall out. It's only a stud wall.

If you wanted to, you could effectively double

-the size of the kitchen going that way.

-Look at that window there.

Yep, beautiful view.

You see, I think this place is really working, isn't it?

I can see there was a little bit of...

reticence on the outside, but now we've come in, it's hit you, hasn't it?

-It's very cosy.

-Brilliant. Come on, let's go upstairs.

-Good job.

Well, thankfully, the more they see of this property,

the more they are warming to it.

Wrapping up this floor, there is

a study which could potentially be converted into a B&B guest bedroom

and there is also a useful WC.

Time now to explore upstairs where there are two good-sized bedrooms -

one with an en suite, which could be for the B&B

and there is also a large family bathroom.

However, I am going to show them the room I think they'd claim as theirs.

So finally, this is the one that we think you would probably go for

-for yourselves.

-I like this a lot.

It's the lightest. It doesn't have the attached loo, the little en suite...

-No problem.

-..that the bedroom at the end of the corridor has,

but maybe that's for your mum.

-Mm.

-This is very nice.

-Triple aspect.

-It is.

-It's amazing.

-It's great, isn't it?

So we like the downstairs, we are interested in the three bedrooms

that are on offer up here with, of course, the family bathroom.

But the annexe, I think, is really interesting. Come and have a look.

See what you think.

Whilst the one-bedroom annexe is attached to the main body of the house,

it also usefully has its own separate entrance.

There. This is currently the sort of principal room of the annexe

that is currently being done up as it were. This...

I suppose you'd describe it as something of a sort of studio en suite.

You've got the kitchen area out there behind us,

and another room which at the moment is pretty cluttered

but could perhaps have been the dining room...

It's currently a long-term let, so there's lots of stuff in here.

This is a really good size, the sort of size we were looking at

as a B&B letting room, and with the en suite this is perfect.

-OK, shall we go outside and finish off with the garden?

-Absolutely.

-Right.

-Sounds good.

The garden itself amounts to just over three quarters of an acre

and has a range of small but useful outbuildings,

including a shed and greenhouse.

So now they've seen the lie of the land, it's time to talk money.

Let's remind ourselves of your £550,000 budget.

So, would you like to go first, madam?

I think because it's a little bit less land, I'd probably think 515.

-515, yeah.

-I'm going to be really cheeky.

I think because it's in Cornwall, it's less land.

It needs a lot of work doing. I'm going to say...

Excuse me, it's my turn! I'm going to say 460.

Well, now, you are sort of... Sort of there, almost.

The good news is it does begin with a four.

But it doesn't end with 60.

-This could be yours for £499,950.

-Really?!

Just under 500.

Well, as with any house tour,

we have REALLY just scratched the surface.

-I want you to go and have another look around. Off you go.

-Thank you.

-Enjoy. Take your time.

Well under budget at £499,950, this well renovated but rustic farmhouse

leaves Russell and Gerrie £50,000 for any work they would like to do.

It provides a generous amount of living space,

including a study that could be converted into a guest room.

Three bedrooms, one with en suite.

A self-contained one-bedroom annexe,

and over three quarters of an acre of land.

Compared to the first house, this house had less appeal from the outside,

so that was a bit of my concern.

Once I came into the living room it really was a buzz for me

-cos I thought it was amazing.

-There is so much possibility.

That higgledy piggledy - I really like that.

I think there's definitely a possibility of a B&B for us here.

-Ah, we are done.

-We are.

-Property two is over.

-It's been quite a busy day.

-It was.

-Long day.

-Long day, lots of miles.

The nights are drawing in, so I'm thinking that's it for houses.

-That's good.

-Supper time?

-Absolutely.

-Fancy a pint?

-Yep.

As the first day of house hunting draws to a close,

our buyers can sit back and reflect on all they have seen so far.

With a maximum budget of £550,000,

Gerrie and Russell have said farewell to a busy working life in Holland

and have set their sights on running a bed and breakfast in rural Devon,

where they will also be joined by Russell's mother.

Despite going the distance on this rather challenging house search,

the two different properties they have seen so far

haven't completely captured their imaginations.

But coming up, our mystery house raises an unexpected issue.

-You know what I find disappointing about this room?

-Go on.

-Nothing.

And I discover a local malting house keeping an age-old tradition alive.

Absolutely fantastic!

Well, yesterday, to my mind,

was defined by the liberal use of three words

and they are in alphabetical order - exciting, interesting and potential.

It's an intoxicating combination,

exactly the sort of thing we always hope for on Escape To The Country.

Now, of course, it's time to introduce our mystery house.

They wanted a B&B and that is exactly what we are going to give them,

but like many a good mystery house, it's NOT where they think it is.

As they are flexible on location, we are edging further into Cornwall

for the mystery property, to the village of St Tudy.

It's named after a sixth-century monk who helped establish

monastic sites and churches across the English Channel in Brittany.

The village has all the useful everyday amenities you would need,

including a community shop, two churches and a local pub.

Our mystery proposition is a bit of a gamble

as it puts the business venture at the top of the agenda,

which may mean compromises elsewhere.

At long last, the wait is over. We can reveal our mystery house to you.

-What do you reckon?

-I like the look of it.

-It looks substantial, doesn't it?

-It's really substantial, yeah.

It's a proper old farmhouse, this one.

So, why have we brought you here? Well, we think in terms of a business, this is a winner

because it is already an up and running B&B.

-BOTH:

-No!

-I all of a sudden saw the...

-All the leaflets in the window? Yes!

-So this is a turnkey business. This is ready to go.

-Oh, right.

-Lots to see. The only downside, really...is the road.

-Right.

-We can't have everything.

-But it could be your friend.

-Exactly.

It's a road lined with gold, bringing business in.

-It's a hard sell, isn't it?

-ALL LAUGH

The stature of our mystery B&B has certainly sparked their excitement.

Let's hope they are as dazzled by the interior,

which still retains its Victorian grandeur.

Well, let's start in here. One of the reception rooms that's on offer.

-Oh, that's nice.

-Yeah?

-Really beautiful.

-Isn't it nice?

Really, I mean... Everything. I like the size, the floor, fire...

-The corner, seeing...

-What I find disappointing about this room...

-Here we go.

-Nothing.

If the rest of it is like this, this is... This is fantastic.

-Do you want the good news?

-Tell me.

-It is.

-Oh, right!

-It's just like this.

-JULES LAUGHS

Those Victorian proportions continue in the dining room,

which also leads off the main hallway.

And where we are heading next is equally as spacious.

And here...the kitchen.

-Yeah?

-I like it. Great size.

-Isn't it? Really nice.

-It's all good.

It's all good, isn't it?

And it continues through here into this conservatory.

For the guests, this could be quite nice.

So they've currently got this sort of setup as more of a kind of

relaxing area, but I was thinking what about guest dining?

-That's true. Absolutely.

-It's bigger than I thought. I didn't realise it had this corner as well.

-Good. Let's go upstairs.

-Interesting.

I think we are on track with the space

and style of our mystery house,

so let's keep those positive vibes flowing

as we head up to the first floor.

-Like the stairs.

-Lovely, aren't they?

-Mm.

-Very nice.

And they lead us up to this lovely, light landing,

which is a real feature of many a Victorian building,

as you might expect.

Now, to give you the broad overview,

we've got three bedrooms on this floor.

-Two of them are en suite...

-Right.

So all of that is done. All right?

Now, that bedroom in the corner has three beds in it,

three singles at the moment.

It is served by the family bathroom that is over there.

-OK.

-As you can see, this is really ready to go.

The guests are here, nicely separate.

-Your accommodation is through this door and up another floor.

-Right.

-Interesting.

-Come and look at this.

These three guest bedrooms command a rate of up to £55 a night.

What's more, their sleeping accommodation also gives them

a spare room of their own

in addition to a fantastic master suite.

Now, the space up here is just terrific.

It lends itself to all kinds of possibilities.

Could be...a dressing area. Living area.

-There is an en suite in there, but this is your room.

-It's massive!

-On your own kind of floor.

-It's very light.

-Yeah?

-Oh! But, Mum...

-Yes.

Well, we haven't really forgotten all about her

-because there is an annexe.

-No?

-Yes.

-Oh!

-No, there isn't?!

-Yes, there is.

-No, there isn't?

-There is. It's down here. Come and have a look.

JULES LAUGHS

Oh, yes!

Although they are somewhat bowled over by our mystery property,

there's more to come because Russell's mother

certainly won't be short-changed with the annexe.

This part of the building is connected to the main house,

but it also has its own entrance.

So you come through the little sort of kitchen area

with the bathroom attached to it,

and then you've got this as a bedroom for Mum.

-Mm-hm.

-It's a good size.

-It's bigger than she's got now.

The other point to make is that that door there

would connect you back into the main kitchen.

-So that's where the fridge is?

-Yes.

-Oh, right.

-Yes, well-spotted.

-Oh, you could even open it up again.

-Well, exactly, yeah.

The opening is there.

And she's also got use of this space through here.

So, I'm wondering, she might quite like this.

Come on in, Russell. What do you think?

-That's a surprise.

-Yeah.

So lots of space in here.

There's even more space outside. 1.7 acres.

-Wow.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. Come and have a look. It's tucked away.

As we move outside,

the land immediately surrounding the property is mostly lawn,

but just a short walk away

is an area that offers even more business ideas.

Now, they have got permission to have caravans on here too,

so in terms of your business expanding from just B&B,

you could entertain the many caravanners

-that come down to Cornwall on holiday.

-Right.

This does worry me a bit, because there's so much,

this must be way over our budget.

What is this one going to cost you, do you think, Russell?

Well, I think it's over the budget as well, but I'm just hoping...

-I'm going to go on the budget, 550.

-550?

-599.

-599!

-Well, you've just raised it by 50,000.

-I know.

-Bang in the middle. 575.

-Right.

-Yeah.

-But, they know your budget. They want to sell.

-All right.

-There's a conversation to be had.

-Right.

-Know what I mean?

-That's food for thought.

-Isn't it just?

It's going to consume all of your budget, but it's a turnkey business.

There is money to be made here from the moment you move in.

Go and have a good look around and I will come and find you later.

-All right.

-OK, thank you.

-Off you go.

-OK, thanks, Jules.

-Enjoy.

Granted, our mystery property may be over their budget at £575,000,

but the established B&B guarantees them a ready-made income.

It gives them three spacious reception rooms,

a large contemporary kitchen,

five good-sized bedrooms,

including three for the B&B guests,

and a one-bedroom annexe for Russell's mother.

And it all comes in a generous 1.7 acre plot.

When I first walked along the drive, I thought,

"This is my idea of what I'm looking for in my mind's eye.

"This is my dream sort of property, with the drive in,

"and it's a farmhouse."

I think when we went upstairs and had a look at what would be

the guest accommodations, all the basis is there.

It's got three rooms, which is what we wanted,

so that was actually, I think, ideal.

I thought it was stunning.

I felt very excited, really wanted to get in to see the interior.

When I walked in, it didn't disappoint me at all.

It was exactly what I was hoping for.

I thought the dimensions of the room were great.

I liked the high ceilings. I liked all the details.

I really thought it was stunning.

-Hey, Gerrie.

-Hey.

-Out you come, Russell. All done?

-Yes.

-All done.

I've really enjoyed this house tour.

-Absolutely.

-I think you have too.

-Absolutely.

But of course, it is only one of three. Lots to think about.

-Mm-hm, indeed.

-Look at him.

Plays it close, doesn't he? Come on.

Often described as fields of gold,

barley is a beautiful and familiar sight

across the British countryside.

It is the second most widely grown arable crop in the UK,

with around six million tonnes produced every year,

of which a third goes into producing malt,

an important ingredient in the making of beer and whisky.

Devon is home to one of only four malt houses in the UK,

still using the traditional malting technique.

So, as a man who enjoys the odd pint,

I've come along to the historic Tuckers malting house

in Newton Abbot to find out more about what goes into my ale

from Richard Wheeler, who's been working here for 50 years.

-Richard. Hello, nice to see you. I'm Jules.

-Nice to see you.

The business of malt, it's a process that many of us have heard of.

It's been going on for hundreds, if not thousands of years,

but what is malt?

Well, malt is barley,

which is converted into malt by soaking it, germinating it,

the whole idea being to convert the starch in the barley into sugars

which are needed for brewing beer.

But you're one of the few producers

-who are still using traditional methods.

-Yes, that's right.

There are only four, as far as I know, floor maltings,

as we call them, left in the country,

doing it in the old traditional way.

Why have you stuck with the old rather than embracing the new?

When you work on such a small scale, traditional floor maltings

are regarded as producing the best quality,

and I think it all comes back to scale.

It's a bit like home cooking.

-And lots of experience?

-Well, hopefully.

-Come on then, show me around.

-OK.

The process of turning barley into malt happens in three stages.

The first phase is known as steeping.

Talk us through the business of steeping,

for anybody not in the know.

Well, we steep the barley.

We've got barley which is dried down to 12% to 14% moisture,

and then we want to get it to germinate,

and to get it to germinate, we need moisture,

so we have a system where we soak it for about 24 hours,

drain it off and give it several hours of air,

and then refill it again with water for another 24 hours,

and finally, after about 50 to 60 hours,

we drain the water off and the barley is then

at 45% moisture, approximately.

The steeped barley is then ready for the second phase.

The tank is emptied into the germination room,

and then, using the traditional method,

it's wheeled into piles using a maltster's barrow,

where it will then be raked out across the floor

to a height of 10 to 20 centimetres.

Is it possible to see it in its germinated form?

-Does it physically change?

-There you are. You can see it.

These little tails, is that what we're looking for?

Yes, those are the roots.

The roots are growing, and what we're doing there,

we're converting the starch in the barley into sugars,

which is what the brewer wants for brewing his beer.

Finally, the grain is shovelled from the germination floor

and transported to the kilns.

-Well, this is a sight, isn't it!

-Certainly is.

-Absolutely fantastic.

Amazing. So what's going on here?

Obviously, this is the final part of the process.

This is the kiln.

The malt from the floor, we've seen it germinating down on the floor,

and they're scraping that across into the elevator,

going up the main elevator, coming down into this kiln spreader,

and it's spraying the malt out across the kiln,

and then we start the fire at the bottom, the gas furnace,

and the heat comes up through to dry the malt.

And that stops the germination.

How hot does it get in here?

Well, just below the floor, we get up to,

at the final stage, up to about 90 centigrade,

which is hot, you know.

And that's baking the malt, giving it colour and flavour

that we are looking for.

But how long is it take to dry the contents of a kiln this size?

It takes us about 40 hours.

The last 8 to 10 hours are the curing process

where we're baking the malt

to give us the colour and flavour that we want.

So we ought to get out of here, otherwise we're going to be buried.

We are, aren't we? Right.

Thank you very much, Richard. It's been a real pleasure.

-You're very welcome.

-Yes, let's leave in a hurry.

Well, as you can see, when it comes to making decent malt,

it is a question of timing, and I suppose in some ways,

the same could be said for a successful house hunt,

which reminds me - how are Gerrie and Russell getting on?

We've let them plenty of time to think about all the properties

we've shown them, but have they got a plan for the future?

Well, let's go and ask them.

-How are we?

-Good.

-Yes?

-Tired, but good.

-Tired, but good.

That's a good sign, actually.

We've travelled huge distances in this county in just a few days,

and we've seen three, I think, very interesting,

quite different but very viable options.

So...property number one.

Our old chapel conversion. What are your thoughts on that now?

I loved that house. I still do.

I really think it's charming, it's welcoming, I love the location.

The location was fantastic.

We asked for an amazing view, and it certainly had that,

but I couldn't see the potential for the letting rooms.

Well, then we take you over the border to our second property,

just into Cornwall. What are your thoughts on that now?

It was really charming.

It was clearly an old house, and it had so much...yeah.

Lovely old features, as we went through.

All the slate flooring, I liked.

For me, the slight attractive point in that house

was that a few of the rooms were a bit darker.

That's the only downside I think I see in that house.

But also, you highlight some of the cons, as it were,

the darkness of some of those upstairs rooms in particular,

but it was comfortably under budget.

Yeah, absolutely. Because that will give us really

a possibility of creating the real dream, actually.

Well, then we took you to our mystery house,

an up and running business.

Setting the scene for you.

What are your thoughts on that one?

That house, for me, was the most beautiful house.

The whole style of it, the space, everything.

I mean, I really, really, was taken with that.

You blew me away with that annexe I didn't expect.

And then we went out the back to all that extra land.

It was just like Wonderland.

And then I looked at it all, taking it all in,

and I thought, you know,

I was really looking for a tiny little business,

and it's kind of rambling so much, but on the other hand,

you can always sell bits of land on,

so it's a definite possibility, I think.

Well, you've clearly got a lot more thinking to do.

I appreciate this is a really big move for you,

not least because you're looking for a whole business to go with it,

and you're also trying to second-guess what your mum

is going to think and how she's going to feel,

so it's always difficult when not everybody's here.

Well, guys, it's been an absolute pleasure.

I hope you are a little bit closer to realising this ambition of yours

to be here in the West Country.

So, very best of luck.

Thanks, Jules.

Well, as we have seen, when it comes to property,

both Devon and Cornwall have certainly delivered this week,

so where better to finish the show

than on the border of these two great counties?

This is Devon.

That's the River Tamar, and beyond it, Cornwall itself.

And of course, we've had a terrific couple in Russell and Gerrie.

You can't help be touched by their excitement and enthusiasm.

It's as palpable as their focus and determination

in trying to turn their long-held dream into a reality.

And so, hopefully, now, they're well on the way

to making it happen. All the way, in fact, from Holland.

If you would like to escape to the country in Scotland, Wales,

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