Somerset Escape to the Country

In this gorge, the complete skeleton of a man that lived 9,000 years ago

was discovered at the start of the 20th century.

Find out what county I'm in and where our prehistoric ancestors called home in a few moments.

'On today's show, I'm helping a retired head teacher and her husband start their new life in the country

'by seeking out a house to use as a B&B with a difference.

'Along the way, the value of one property has them gasping in disbelief.'

-Heavens to Betsy!

-That's unbelievable.

'But later on in our search, panic sets in.'

Size-wise, tell me, Cathy...

-Agh!

-Yeah.

Today, I'm in Somerset and this is Cheddar Gorge

which was formed over thousands of years by glacial floods at the end of the Ice Age.

And it was here in 1903 that Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest intact skeleton, was unearthed,

which suggests that the hollowed-out caverns inside provided shelter for our Stone Age ancestors.

More recently, these same caverns provide the ideal storage conditions for Cheddar cheese

and I'll get a whiff of what's involved in that process later on.

First, here's a taste of Somerset's other historic highlights.

Sitting in the south-west of England, Somerset borders four other counties,

including Wiltshire to the east and Dorset to the south-east.

It's home to three upland Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty -

the Quantocks, the Blackdown Hills and the Mendips

which attract mountain bikers, walkers and horse-riders.

Cheddar Gorge, the biggest limestone gorge in Britain,

is also a famed tourist attraction thanks to its caves,

as well as being a national nature reserve.

Agriculture is major business in the county.

The farming of cattle and sheep for wool and the county's famous cheeses, most notably Cheddar,

are traditional practices, as is the cultivation of willow for basketry.

Somerset also boasts the smallest English city - Wells,

whose 12th century cathedral was the first in England to be built in the Gothic style.

And it's also where you'll find Vicars' Close

which claims to be the most complete surviving medieval street in Europe.

Buying a house here in Somerset can be an expensive business.

The average price of a detached property here is around £265,000.

That's around £10,000 above the national figure.

Hot spots in the north-east of the county include beautiful Wells and Castle Cary

where you're paying for good train links into London.

Likewise, head to the south of the county and expect to pay a 10% premium for desirable villages

such as Hinton St George and Dowlish Wake,

so if you want your money to stretch that bit further, head to villages such as Ilton or Stoke-sub-Hamdon

where prices are around 10% below the county average.

No matter where you look, you're sure to find a wealth of period properties on offer.

In Somerset, the ground under your feet is made up of different types of rock,

depending on where you are in the county.

Limestone, evident in the immense gorges around Cheddar, is by far the most prolific building material.

The honey-coloured stone was used to construct great Georgian properties,

as well as two-bed cottages which can be found for under £200,000.

Pockets of sandstone are common in the south around the Quantocks and Blackdown Hills.

Its reddish-pink colour means that any home built from this distinctive rock is eye-catching.

This four-bed barn conversion with terracotta tiled roof in Burrington

is priced at £710,000.

Or if you prefer to live in a cool, blue property made of Blue Lias stone,

then head towards the levels around Glastonbury or the Polden Hills.

Currently on the market for just under £450,000,

this five-bed period cottage in Pedwell is typical of the area.

Time to meet today's buyers to find out what will tempt them to this county.

Accountant Michael and retired head teacher Cathy have been married for over 30 years

and have brought up their three children in Dulwich, South London.

They've lived in their four-bedroom, Edwardian house all of that time, but encouraged by their family,

they're looking for a change of scenery in the country as they spend more time together.

I am retired and I'm hoping to start enjoying retirement, especially with a move on the cards

and seeing a bit more of Michael, although, of course, that could be disastrous.

The idea is that when we move I'm going to start working from home

and so far, Cathy's been finding me sheds at the bottom of the garden.

The idea is that I will go to work, not just be in the house.

There'll be more than just Michael's work in their new property.

They're planning on taking in paying guests too.

We've always wanted to do a B&B

and I think it's a good sort of halfway house for me

in that I would have an opportunity to be with people, but they won't be there all the time.

And we would love to be able to offer respite care because both our families have had situations

where somebody has been a very long-term carer for somebody who has been very ill

and we've seen how the commitment isn't always balanced out

with opportunity for respite for the carer,

so we would like to be able to offer that as part of the package.

The idea of the B&B is business plan A to subsidise business plan B which is the respite.

We would be looking to rent out two rooms because you don't want to run yourselves down into the ground

when you're trying to retire or enjoy life.

They've settled on the county of Somerset for their new venture

as it's a doable commute from London once a week for Michael

and they'll be making the most of their time off too, inside and out.

-Now I have a bit more time for gardening.

-I'm good at digging holes.

-And you're getting better at weeding.

I love cooking and I've done a butchery course.

I've done a floristry course to keep myself busy, but I'd like to do a bit more butchery.

I don't like touching raw meat, so, actually, it's quite a challenge.

Making the move with them will be their dog Max who they hope will play a part in their new community.

What I'd like to do is find a special needs school and take the dog in there

because I qualified in special needs and I think it will be great,

so that will link my teaching with having the dog as well.

Their house is on the market and Michael knows what's in the wallet for the next phase of their lives.

The budget for the move is £550,000.

'Michael and Cathy would like their new rural home to be in the areas around the cities of Bath or Wells.

'They'll need a good rail link for Michael to have a maximum two-hour commute to London once a week.

'They've come to Somerset to give me a clear picture of what they want from their new home in the country.'

-Welcome to a very bright, if not a bit breezy Somerset.

-Thank you very much.

It's beautiful round here. Let's talk about the environment of this home for you and B&B.

Do you want it in the middle of this beautiful countryside or close to a population?

We'd like to be in or on the edge of a village purely because we'd like some facilities available.

-How many bedrooms do you want for your own accommodation?

-Four bedrooms would be a good number.

Let's briefly talk about the must-haves.

It must have room for a large cooker. I'll leave my range behind in London.

-So we're looking for a substantial property then?

-Yes.

So it's going to be a four, five-bedroom house or a house with an annexe? Would you look at that?

-Yes.

-We certainly would.

-Let's talk about budget. It's not a cheap part of the world. What are we looking at?

-About 550,000.

Right, OK.

-There's a lot that you require.

-Yes.

I think we can service your requirements to a large extent.

We've only got three opportunities. Let's get started.

-This way.

-Lovely.

'For their budget of £550,000,

'Michael and Cathy are looking for a home that can also be a business.'

'We've got three fantastic properties to show them

'and at each one, I'll be asking them to guess the price tag.

'Last up will be our mystery house which could prove to be a ready-made delight,

'but before that, we're off to house number one.'

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

-The boss.

-Oh, right, yours, was it, Cath?

-Is this a long-held ambition?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Right. You've dealt with children all your working career.

-Have you not had enough of people yet?

-I have a naughty step, so it's going to be a very tailored B&B.

-OK...

-Any nonsense, don't eat the boiled eggs, on the naughty step.

-It's going to be a disciplined B&B by the sounds of it.

-Yes.

'For our first property, we've made the journey close to the village of Wedmore, eight miles west of Wells.

'When Michael needs to travel to London, he could catch the train from Weston-super-Mare or Bristol.

'Situated on the Somerset Levels between the Rivers Axe and Brue,

'Wedmore has an impressive Grade One listed church which mostly dates back to the 15th century.

'Other amenities include a pub that serves food, a pizza restaurant and a local shop.

'Set in a secluded position within the Mendip Hills,

'in the nearby hamlet of Nyland is our first offering,

'a former farmhouse built in the 1700s with an Edwardian extension.'

Now then, for the first property, we're going semi-detached,

but it's not your bog-standard semi-detached by any means.

This is it. What's your first impression?

-Neat shape.

-Neat shape?

-And it's got the views.

Fantastic views.

It's not short on views. Behind that house are views of the Mendips.

-Yes.

-Fantastic.

So, what you see so far... Michael?

I think it's...a good possibility.

Let's go home now(!) I'll show you inside. Come on.

'The great rural views are selling this property to Cathy right from the outset

'and as we head inside, I'm going to show them a room I think they'll be spending a lot of time in.'

I know this is a very important room for you guys.

Yeah, nice and light. Look at the space.

-Almost Georgian in proportions, one might add.

-One might say, yes.

No, good start, lovely.

Not only have you got your kitchen area, through there you've got a fantastic utility.

-There was an old dairy.

-Oh! Fantastic.

-And a ground floor loo.

Through that archway there, you've got a really nice sun room, well, a conservatory.

-That sounds good.

-Yes.

I know we're looking at the B&B aspect as well, but this is about you guys.

I think this part of the house is just yours. Forget about the guests.

That conservatory room through there is a reading room or maybe a formal dining room, whatever you want.

-This would be a good family room.

-That's what I was thinking.

'So far, the downstairs of this former farmhouse is really impressing them

'and I think they'll love the character and history of the next room too.'

You have a choice of reception rooms. This, I think, is just for you.

This is a really old part of the property.

A local historian has been here and the previous owners have passed down the same story

that this could have been some form of chapel.

It's got a lovely feel to the room. It's calm and I like that calmness.

Let's look upstairs at the bedrooms.

'Across the hall from this sitting room is a formal dining room which could be a guests' breakfast area.

'And we haven't forgotten that Michael will be working from home,

'so there's a small study next door in a quiet corner,

'but now for the upstairs which I think will give them more than they bargained for

'with six bedrooms over two floors.'

-This bedroom is by no means the biggest, but I think it's a good place to start.

-It's a good size.

-Splendid views.

-I mean, look at that view.

-If you could wake up and see that in the morning...

-Yes.

-This is pure letting bedroom.

-Yes.

-It's got a small en-suite, basically a shower and a loo.

-Yes.

You've got room for a cabinet each side of the bed,

which all the guides want you to have, and room for some storage.

-As a guest room, this is more than adequate.

-I believe so.

-Very good.

-Fantastic.

-We're up here on the first floor.

You've got a much bigger room at the other end which is a fantastic en-suite.

You could almost make that a family room. So, you've got two en-suites now.

You also have two standard, smallish rooms you could knock into one and a smaller room next door,

-so you've got at least four bedrooms here.

-Good.

'With two en-suites as well as a family bathroom on this floor,

'there are ample facilities for guests or family.

'What's more, there's another stunning bedroom on the floor above

'to which they could add an en-suite and let out or use as their master.

'Let's head outside to take a look at the lovely, terraced garden

'which comes with a double garage and a workshop that could be converted to an office for Michael.'

So, you've got enough garden here, I'm hoping.

-Yes.

-So, who wants to guess the price first?

I think it's slightly over budget,

-but not too far over budget, so I would say somewhere around about the £560,000 mark.

-OK.

-Cathy?

-540.

Straight in.

Well, I've got some good news for you then.

This house is on the market for offers around £499,950.

-Oh, that's very good.

-That's very good value for money.

-It seems it.

-I'm surprised.

-Have a good look around this house.

Bear in mind how much money you might save from your budget and what changes you might make.

-I'll see you whenever you've finished.

-Lovely.

-See you in a mo.

Well within their budget at just under £500,000,

this period farmhouse gets us off to a great start.

The kitchen is very important to us.

It had ample space, then with the utility room and the conservatory,

it gave plenty of space to move around for family,

so the ground floor gives us ample space to be running it as a business and for family use.

The en-suite room on the first floor that is already made for guests, you've got the south aspect

and people would be waking up in the morning to those beautiful views.

I think it would be bringing people back to stay again.

Now then, how did you get on inside?

-Very nice.

-Still good?

-Yes, still good.

-Very much.

It's testament to the hard work this guy's put into this place.

-In the last five years, after finding it derelict, he's spent £120,000 on it.

-Good grief!

-So, someone's going to benefit from that.

-Yes.

-Maybe it's you. Let's go.

-Maybe.

Both on the coast and inland,

Somerset has been defined by its relationship to water.

Coursing through every part of the county, it can be traced through the willow industry,

its water mills and in the names of its spa towns, Bath and Wells.

Nature has also carved out some spectacular geological sites here

like the caves at Wookey Hole on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills.

These were formed through erosion of the limestone by the River Axe and were once home to Ancient Britons.

Today, they are a popular tourist attraction

and as Cathy and Michael are looking to entice visitors to their new B&B,

we sent them to have a look around with guide Mark O'Callaghan.

Do you know when the caves were first occupied by man?

Yes, these caves were lived in 2,000 years ago or over 2,000 years ago by Iron Age people.

They were known as the Celts

until eventually, Anglo-Saxon invaders chased them away from the area.

Once they abandoned the cave, it was empty then for a very long time

until an old woman lived in the cave and that was over 1,000 years ago,

-and it's around that old woman that the story of the Witch has grown up.

-Right.

Legend says she terrorised the villagers and crops would fail for no reason

and people would disappear and it's said that the villagers decided to get rid of her.

They summoned a monk from Glastonbury Abbey, a few miles away.

After a fierce argument with the old woman, he picked up some water from one of the pools

and blessed it, then threw that holy water upon the Witch

and she turned to stone.

As well as consigning the Witch to her mythical and watery fate,

as supposedly illustrated by this effigy in rock,

the river also provided the clean, high pH water that was so vital in the making of paper.

This local mill has been in operation since 1610, making it the oldest paper mill in Britain.

By Victorian times, it was also the largest in Europe,

using cotton fibres in a pulpy mulch known as "stuff".

So, the tool that we use to make the paper is called the mould.

It's basically a very fine mesh

with a frame that goes over the top called the deckle.

If you'd like to hold the mould and the deckle there and dip it into the stuff,

right underneath,

then bring it up and give it a shake from side to side

and the fibres join together on the surface of the mould.

Then if you put it back here, Michael, and take the deckle off the top...

And Cathy, if you'd like to now lay the sheet of paper on to the felt...

Give it a firm press and then roll it off.

-This way?

-That's right.

That's called couching the paper.

This couching process would be repeated over and over again by the paper-maker

until the pile had grown tall enough to place in a hydraulic press which squeezed out the excess water,

then the paper would be hung on ropes to dry for around five days.

What was the paper used for?

In the old days, they used to make a lot of banknote paper

and during the American Civil War, Wookey Hole made the banknotes for the Confederate States of America.

The mill reached its peak of production in 1900,

but by that time, most paper-making had already been mechanised.

The last paper was made here around five years ago,

so having experienced the taste of local history, it's time to fast-forward to the present

as we resume Michael and Cathy's house search.

'Our second property lies in the village of High Littleton.

'For Michael's once-a-week commute, it's 20 minutes from his Bath to Paddington rail connection.

'The community has a Grade Two listed church, as well as a local shop and post office.

'There's also a pub which could be a useful draw for their B&B guests.

'Our second property makes the most of the facilities on offer as it's right in the centre of the village.

'Built around the 1840s, it's constructed of local Bath stone.'

Now, this...

-This is a completely different environment.

-I like the windows.

But let's talk about the location because that's the big thing,

-right in the heart of the village with a main thoroughfare at the end of your drive.

-Yes, I noticed.

Let's see what it's like at the house.

-For traffic noise?

-Yes, yes.

-Let's enjoy this house because it feels completely different. Let's go.

-Let's go.

'They built these houses with thick walls back in the 1840s,

'so I know that Cathy and Michael will be pleasantly surprised

'at how peaceful this robust stone property is inside.'

So, straight into a pretty sizeable living room.

-Mm-hm.

-It's very big.

-I like it.

-I think it's a nice, light room.

This probably would have been two rooms at least.

You've got two huge fireplaces, almost inglenook in size.

-So, one big living room.

-Mm-hm.

-Mm-hm.

-Do you like the idea of that?

If we were having this as a living space for ourselves and a facility for bed and breakfast people,

-then that would be a problem.

-Yeah.

I think you've got options. You might want to do something with this door here, but...

Road noise?

SILENCE

-True.

-Vastly different.

-Isn't it?

-It's very quiet.

-It is.

-Yes.

-It is.

-OK. Let's look in the kitchen.

'With their minds at rest about that aspect of the house,

'we're taking a look at where all the culinary action will be taking place.'

-Right, not as big as the first house's kitchen.

-No.

-No.

-It's still a dining kitchen, but here's the thing, you've got a dining room straight off.

-Yes.

-Oh!

-That's a breakfast room or a dining room and you've got patio doors straight out,

which means you keep your living room to yourself again.

-Yes.

-For a cook's kitchen, you've got it all. You've got a massive range.

It's huge.

It appears...a workable space and a good cook's area.

It doesn't need any changes immediately.

But here are where the options become apparent.

Through that door there is another third of the property, an annexe, if you like.

'I'll let them look at the annexe later, but they'll be impressed at the respite potential for carers.

'There's plenty of space to relax in the reception room and it also has a small kitchen.

'Upstairs, there's a bedroom, a small boxroom and a shower room.

'There's access to the main house through this sitting room,

'although it does have its own separate front door,

'but we're going to take a look at what's on offer upstairs in the main house.'

Right then, this is one of four bedrooms on this floor.

-Right.

-Mm-hm. A double. Very nice.

-All doubles.

-Two of the bedrooms are en-suite.

-Fantastic.

-Then you've got a family bathroom almost behind you.

-Right.

This is ready to rock and roll for at least two of the bedrooms

-if you had the family bathroom to yourself and one of the other bedrooms.

-It's a lovely, light room.

-Size-wise though, I think this is probably your best room.

-Right.

-We'll head down the stairs.

-After you.

-Thanks.

'With the sleeping accommodation all mapped out, there's just one more element to resolve

'and that's an office for Michael to work from home. Outside, I think we might have found just the thing.

'Alongside a large garage and a lovely enclosed garden, there's a barn ripe for conversion.'

-There's room for chickens.

-That's all we ever need.

-And there's room for Max the dog.

-Perfect.

-Michael, you're working one day a week up in London, then from home.

-Four days a week at home.

-How about converting that for an office?

-That would be more than adequate.

I'm glad you said that. Let's summarise what we've got here.

We've got the big house with its annexe, then this outbuilding

that is, to use estate agents' parlance, ripe for conversion.

-Yes.

-Yes.

How do you price it? Right in the heart of a village...

-Hopefully, it'll be under our budget and I would like it to be around 535, more said in hope.

-OK.

So, Cathy, 535 from Michael... Any advances?

I think with the close proximity to Bath, we could be looking at top of budget - 550.

Well, the asking price for this house

is offers around £499,950.

-No?

-Again. Yeah.

-Heavens to Betsy!

-That's unbelievable.

-Good find, good find.

-Yes.

It is extraordinary to have this amount of property in this situation.

-Now it's your opportunity to look around the whole property.

-Yes.

-I'll meet you when it's finished. I expect it to be dark when you're done! Do not worry.

-Thank you.

-I'll catch you in a mo.

-Thank you.

Priced at just under £500,000, well within their budget,

there's a great deal of house for their money here.

Within the garden, there's an outbuilding,

which could work as an office for Michael.

The outside of the building is very attractive. It appealed to me very much.

And I found it just a house that was asking me to come in, a home.

It would work very well for a B&B

and you could put a door back from the main reception areas directly into the breakfast room.

Nobody would have to come into the kitchen and see my mess.

I must admit I'm slightly puzzled as to whether we would continue to have this as a bed and breakfast,

allowing for the fact you have the annexe with its own catering area.

And it may be that, after discussion with Cathy, that we use this part of the house purely for ourselves

and the annexe as a letting area.

-So, a big enough project for the future?

-I think so, yes.

-Has it given you something to compare against the first house?

-Definitely.

-Quite different.

-Different feel, different components ticked.

-Ticks is all we want to hear, isn't it?

-Yes.

-There's just enough light left to enjoy maybe a sunset on the drive home.

-Lovely.

-Let's go.

'As evening falls over the stunning Somerset landscape,

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

'Retired head teacher Cathy and husband Michael want to escape their busy London suburb

'and run a B&B in the Somerset countryside.

'So far, they've been impressed by a character farmhouse with lovely views

'and seen the merits of a Victorian property set in the middle of a village, but coming up,

-'could the mystery house work its magic?'

-Absolutely, completely surprised.

'And I get to grips with Cheddaring, the county's iconic cheese.'

It's like when I overcook my scrambled eggs!

I'd like to think, last night, Cathy and Michael went to sleep pleasantly surprised at what they saw,

having seen two properties that satisfied a lot of their extensive wish list,

so this morning, I think we can afford to mix it up a little bit,

ask our buyers to think laterally, which is what the mystery house is all about, isn't it?

For our mystery property, we've strayed way out of their preferred search area,

close to the town of Crewkerne near the Dorset border.

The good news for Michael is that it still has convenient train links to London.

The community has all the facilities of a lively market town with many shops and places to eat and drink,

very appealing for any potential guests at Michael and Cathy's B&B.

Our mystery property is a mile and a half out of town in the hamlet of Hewish.

It's an impressive house built around 1638 from the local hamstone

and this time, although the home might need a bit of renovation,

we're giving them a business that's already up and running.

Now, I have been looking forward to showing you this house and here we are.

-It's lovely.

-That is...

-That's lovely.

-..stunning.

-Gorgeous garden as well.

-Yeah, it is, isn't it?

So let's first of all focus on you, your new home. Is this somewhere you'd like to come home to?

-Definitely.

-Definitely.

-I pretty much knew you would say that.

Let's go inside.

'The period grandeur of this house clearly appeals to our buyers.

'Inside, they'll find plenty of character, but there's a bit of work to do.

'We'll take a look at our first reception area off the hallway.'

OK, what do you make of this living room?

Well, it's cosy. In a good way, in a good way.

Most people say "cosy" when they think "small", but it's not small.

-No.

-It's a nice-sized room, a nice open fire.

You could be in here with a couple of friends, a glass of wine in front of the fire. Nice, usable space.

Behind this, we've got a good-sized dining room. I think it's only for you guys still.

Yes, lovely view of the garden.

OK, now, projects, a bit more than a little bit of work, are towards this end. Let me show you.

'And here is where we find out just how open they are to doing some renovation.'

You've got a space here. Keep that in mind when you see the kitchen.

-Yes.

-I did say "projects".

-Yes.

-This is a project.

-Bijou.

-Compact and bijou, I believe, yes.

Now, size-wise, tell me, Cathy...

-Aagh!

-Yeah, I know.

I was thinking, you've got a whole load of room behind this where you can build a new kitchen.

-Oh, right.

-You've got a utility and a downstairs shower room and some other rooms here.

-We could look at the whole footprint and work from there?

-Yes.

I wouldn't jump into things straight away, but I'd consult an architect.

Yeah. Now, upstairs, you've got three really good-sized double bedrooms, one of which is en-suite,

although I think at the moment that's just your accommodation still

because this is an up-and-running B&B.

-Fabulous.

-Why don't I let you see that yourselves later?

-Yes.

-Let's go and take a look at the B&B, shall we?

-Great.

-OK.

'Moving past the utility area, there's a separate dining room which would be perfect for guests

'as the French doors lead across a courtyard to the annexe and I think this is really going to impress.'

-DOOR CREAKS

-Squeaky door, Michael's first job.

-I like this.

-I wasn't quite expecting this from the outside.

Completely surprised, absolutely completely surprised.

-Beams, but they work.

-Yes, don't they just? This is the old cow barns.

Next door is a twin room, slightly bigger, just as nice, maybe even nicer, you never know.

I'm completely taken aback. Not what I expected at all.

-These have en-suites?

-Both letting bedrooms, this and next door, are en-suite.

-Very good.

I'm truly surprised.

Each room, she charges around £70 per night, B&B.

That's a good rate. It's lovely.

Careful what you wish for because sometimes a mystery property delivers it.

'They've been stunned by the B&B rooms, but this property has so much more potential.

'With the right permissions, this outbuilding could become another letting bedroom

'or the place for Michael's office.'

So, with that room next door there

-and this here, it's a pottery, as you can see...

-Yeah.

-What I like is the mystery house is giving you here lots of options.

-It is.

But if you can and it's going to be a bit of a guess, let's have a guess of the price.

It will be a guess.

'The house stands in a plot of one third of an acre

'and has a pretty, wrap-around garden.'

-So, now, Cathy, you can see you've got space for your veggies...

-Yes.

-Maybe some chickens?

-Yes.

-Guests having fresh eggs in the morning would be nice.

-It would be fabulous.

-Great.

-So, how do you price this place?

-I don't know.

-Good luck. Good luck.

I'd go 510.

OK.

-I was going to go 520.

-OK.

Well, this time, you've gone under.

The asking price for this house is this time slightly above your guesses - £545,000.

-Mm-hm.

-All right?

-Yes.

But on speaking to the agents, they reckon they're expecting to settle just below the stamp duty threshold.

-Just below the 500?

-Yeah, just below £500,000.

-Very good.

-No guarantees, but...

-No.

You would be getting an awful lot of property for that, wouldn't you?

-We would.

-And also an up-and-running income already.

I'm sure you're dying to see the upstairs of the main house and look around all the property.

-Go and do that now.

-Thank you.

-Take all the time you need.

-Thank you.

Under budget at £545,000, but with a good chance of success if they made a lower offer,

our mystery house provides them with a generous home, as well as an up-and-running B&B.

It includes a large sitting room, the potential to create Cathy's perfect kitchen,

a useful guest breakfast room and three bedrooms for them

with two existing letting rooms.

Finally, there's loads of scope to develop the outbuilding

into further accommodation or to use as an office for Michael.

The mystery house looked absolutely fantastic. It was the kind of house I'd imagined having in the country.

Overall, the house itself I would say would make a fantastic home for myself and Cathy.

As we walked through the garden towards the B&B, it gave no hint at all to what was behind the doors.

It's already an established business and would give immediate income,

the sort of thing we would be proud to call our business.

This house would be absolutely gorgeous in the summer with this red ivy.

-It would be.

-Fabulous.

-So, all done?

-Yes, thank you.

-Let's go.

'Somerset lays claim to a rich and varied food heritage,

'ranging from Exmoor lamb to cider manufacture,

'and of course, dairy produce.

'Indeed, the area around Cheddar has been at the centre

'of England's dairy industry since the 15th century.

'Originally, cheese had to be made within 30 miles of Wells Cathedral in order to be called "Cheddar".

'Today, just 14 makers are licensed to use the name "West Country Farmhouse Cheddar"

'which under the EU has Protected Designation of Origin status.

'I went to meet artisan cheese producer John Spencer who, since 2003, has been pivotal

'in bringing Cheddar cheese production back to where it all started.'

-The making of this Cheddar, it's called Cheddaring?

-Part of the process is called Cheddaring.

What cheesemaking is about is about turning a liquid into a solid,

so Cheddaring squeezes even more moisture out of it.

'As the biggest influence on the taste of the cheese comes from the milk,

'John uses just one local farm as his main source.

'After donning my protective overalls and hat,

'I got involved in some hands-on, unmechanised cheesemaking.'

So, I can see all this whey draining away. What's the next process?

This is the start of Cheddaring, so we'll let it settle down a bit,

then cut it into blocks and start turning it.

-Now we need to leave it for about five or ten minutes and we'll come back to it.

-OK.

'Cheddaring is a continual process of manipulating the curd,

'cutting it, turning it, piling it up and pressing it,

'all this to ensure the maximum amount of whey is removed.

'It was clearly popular with Scott of the Antarctic

'who took 3,500 pounds of Cheddar cheese with him on his famous expedition in 1901.'

It's got an amazing texture, like when I overcook my scrambled eggs.

Yeah. You can see the difference in texture straight away.

-So, you do your Cheddaring.

-Yeah.

-Then...?

Then you mill the cheese, which is ripping it up into small bits, so you can distribute salt in it.

-It then gets shovelled into the moulds and then on to the press.

-Right.

That stays there overnight,

then we take it out and we dip them in hot water.

That's to make sure you've got a plastic-type surface,

so when you put them back in the mould, you get a really nice, smooth finish on the rind.

-It almost seals it?

-That's right.

Then the next day, you take them out and you dress them in muslin and you put them back on the press again,

then the next day, you take them out, you cover them with butter or lard and they go in the store.

'Some of the Cheddar cheese here is matured in the caves of Cheddar Gorge

'just as local cheesemakers did centuries ago.'

Why on earth are you storing it in a damp, dark cave?

Because what you really want is a constant temperature which the caves give us,

but you also want as high a humidity as you can get,

so the water dripping through the limestone gives us virtually 100% humidity all year round.

If I try this one, you'll probably find different textures coming out.

So...just break a bit off.

That's it.

It's almost like... I don't know if I'm right.

I had a tang straight away before I got the matured taste as well.

You get one flavour, then another flavour. That's the unpasteurised milk.

John, it's a fascinating process and a rather tasty one as well.

-Thank you for your time.

-You're welcome.

I'm sure that's tempted the taste buds of any cheese lovers out there.

Time to catch up with our buyers to see if any of the properties we've chosen have matured in their minds.

A huge move from the Big Smoke to Somerset...

-Yes.

-Have we put you off or are you even more enthused?

-Definitely enthused.

-Good.

Let's start at the beginning, the first house, very rural, half of a farmhouse, really.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic views.

There was far more to it than you initially thought.

It wasn't a disjointed building, even though it was built in different periods.

It was a really good-sized kitchen.

It was possibly too isolated, just by the fact that there's only three or four houses around.

-OK. So, like a pendulum, we swung the other way in the afternoon.

-Completely the other way.

It was in the heart of everything, within walking distance, completely different from the first location.

I was quite worried when we were there that although when you're in the house, it's very quiet,

on a summer's evening when you wanted to sit out in the garden, that road could be very, very busy.

It was lovely. It was cosy, warm, homely.

But once we'd seen the main body of the house, we went next door to the annexe.

-It was almost a semi-detached bolted on.

-Yes.

-That was wonderful.

-Yeah, very well done.

So, hopefully, two houses to ponder yesterday evening, then we went to the mystery house today,

-outside your target zone of around Wells.

-Yes.

It's a beautiful house and sitting so comfortably in its own surroundings, just lovely.

It was a good bridge between the first two properties.

-What about inside the house?

-Inside, there's some work to be done.

-Mm-hm.

-But it's doable.

There was definitely the potential to do stuff there and make it as we wanted it.

Then it's an up-and-running bed and breakfast business, already two rooms you could let out.

What a surprise when you walk in, no indication about what's on the other side of the door. It was stunning.

We've looked at three very different properties in very different locations.

-Do you have a favourite?

-The mystery property.

-Yeah?

-Yes, definitely. It's an interesting project.

It's a building with history that deserves to be cared for

and it's a challenge that interests me.

-So what's next for you guys?

-We're going to go back and have a look round the area.

-Good idea.

If the area is as good as it feels, we'll have a second viewing.

Looking round the area is very sensible. Let us know what you do.

-It's got us hooked.

-Good. Job done. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

It probably doesn't come as a great surprise to hear

that yesterday morning when we stood atop the Mendip Hills

and I was listening to Cathy and Michael reel off their, how do I put it, extensive shopping list,

I was more than a bit worried,

but this morning, after taking them both away from their initial target search area

and asking them to think laterally, which is what the mystery property is all about,

I think we might have just cracked it. I certainly hope so.

See you next time.

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