Oxfordshire Escape to the Country

For today's Escape To The Country, I've been given a real treat.

As an archaeologist, there aren't many ancient sites in this country

that I've not visited, but this is one of them.

To give you a clue as to where we are, it sits on top of a hill

and it's alongside one of the most important ancient trade routes

not just in Britain, but in Europe.

So, what is it and where are we?

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

On today's show, I help a couple of house-hunting novices

buy their first home together in the countryside.

Along the way, they're sizing up some huge rooms.

This is an en suite bathroom.

-It's gorgeous. His and hers!

-Well, look at it, yeah.

Although at times, they do feel the pinch.

I do like having the dining table right next to the kitchen,

but I worry just a little bit in terms of the size.

However, they've certainly got the measure of the property market.

I wonder if you've been doing a bit of quiet research on the side.

-Because you're spot-on.

-Come on!

Was I right?

Well, today, we're in Oxfordshire on the Ridgeway National Trail.

And these are the remains of the Neolithic long barrow

at Wayland's Smithy.

Five and a half thousand years ago, our ancestors built this as a tomb,

but its name comes from a much later period.

The Saxons thought it was the home of the Smith god, Wayland.

It's thought that travellers using the Ridgeway would bring their horses here,

pop a silver coin into one of these holes in these great sarsen stones,

whistle a tune, walk away,

and by the time they came back, their horse would be shod.

Now, whether it's true or not, I wouldn't like to say.

But whichever way you look at it, it's a cracking story.

Oxfordshire is bordered by a number of counties,

including Berkshire to the south and Warwickshire to the north.

Landlocked it may be, but its heritage

is very much defined by its waterways.

From the late 18th century, the Oxford canal

was an important trade route,

transporting coal from Coventry into Oxford itself.

However, for many of the 9.5 million visitors to the city these days,

its industrial character is obscured by the impressive academic

buildings which dominate its centre

and chart the university's 800-year-old presence here.

Awe-inspiring architecture is a running theme throughout the county.

Take for instance Blenheim Palace,

whose origins date back to the early 1700s

and is now recognised as a World Heritage Site.

More modest, but no less beautiful,

are the well-preserved residences

in rural villages such as Fringford and Bletchingdon.

They perfectly encapsulate

what many consider to be a dream home in the country.

Now, at £387,300 to be precise,

the cost of your average detached property here in Oxfordshire

is a cool £132,000 above the national figure,

which begs a question, what do you get for all that extra expense?

Well, the answer is simple.

Take it from me, despite the gloom,

there is some beautiful countryside here

and some wonderful property to match.

And, of course, great transport links to the rest of the country

and in particular, into London.

There are hotspots, of course,

around the Oxfordshire/Berkshire borders,

and East Hendred and Arlington

are also villages that are highly sought after.

But the good news is that wherever you look in this county,

there are some gorgeous properties on the market.

Take this charming 17th-century cottage priced at £345,000.

It's thought to be one of the oldest buildings

in the village of North Stoke.

It's often said that good things come in small packages,

and this Grade II listed property is certainly a gem.

The sitting room is full of historic character

whilst the bespoke kitchen adds a more contemporary feel.

Upstairs, the two bedrooms provide a cosy retreat.

£430,000 would buy you this four-bedroom thatch cottage

in the village of Uffington.

The living areas retain many of their 17th-century features

and the bright, open-plan kitchen is a great modern addition.

Outside provides a quarter of an acre of gardens.

Or if your budget can stretch a little bit further,

how about this four-bedroom property in the village of Long Whittenham?

Formerly two cottages knocked into one,

it includes a farmhouse kitchen

and a comfortable open-plan living room

and is on the market for just under £450,000.

So, as you can see,

the architecture is as captivating as the countryside here.

So let's meet today's buyers and find out what they're looking for

and why they think Oxfordshire could be their new home.

Steve and Nikki met in Dublin three years ago

and currently rent a two-bedroom apartment in the city centre.

We met through two mutual friends.

They set us up on a date and we went out.

They were dating at the time. They no longer are, we still are.

Now Steve's job with a telecommunications company

has brought him to Newbury.

And South African born Nikki

will be leaving her job as a marketing manager.

We've always lived in city centres.

Living in the city has been good fun, but now I think we want more space.

Just has that feeling of more of a home than a temporary apartment.

Enjoying the freedom of the countryside

is familiar to both of them

and forms many of their childhood memories.

I spent a lot of my holidays growing up in North Wales,

so I think I've always longed to go back to that.

Living in the city is actually...

you feel a little bit claustrophobic.

Since I'm from South Africa, I miss the open air

and the space you actually get when you're out and about.

This will be the first house our city dwellers have bought together.

But for Nikki, it will also be the first time she's lived in the UK.

However, she appears to already have a thirst for the culture.

Just finding a really great village

so you do get that nice community feel.

I think English pubs are great fun.

I think we've decided just south of Oxford.

The reason for that is it's got good transport links into London.

And as far as the property goes,

they've got some clear criteria on their wish list.

For me, a lot of natural light is key.

So high ceilings, big windows, really nice kitchen/diner.

So Steven absolutely loves to cook.

I haven't really got the bug just yet.

He's hoping I will.

They also hope they'll be able to devote more time

to their outdoor sporting pursuits.

I do a lot of tennis, golf and football.

But probably tennis will be the first game I pick up again.

I've recently started Bikram yoga,

so I'd love to find a Bikram yoga studio

quite close to where we're living.

But also, we'd love to pick up horse riding

and starting to run again.

Well, they obviously have a vision of the lifestyle

and property aspirations they hope to fulfil with this move,

but, of course, finding the right home in the perfect location

depends on the amount of money they have to spend.

The maximum budget for the move is £800,000.

Mindful that Steve needs to drive to Newbury in Berkshire for work,

and they also want to have access to Oxford for the odd night out,

we'll be focusing our house search on the villages

towards the southern part of the county.

I caught up with our buyers to discuss the finer details of their move.

Well, Steve, Nikki, welcome to Oxfordshire.

This is the first time you have lived in the UK.

So, what do you want?

Well, I think the biggest thing for me,

coming from South Africa, is lots of natural light.

Lots of big windows, open-plan living, outdoors.

Looking for a garden, probably not the biggest of gardens.

Given Nikki likes open living,

we'd like something that has an old feel to it in terms of the building,

but inside is a bit more modern.

Approximately around about four bedrooms.

Definitely a bathroom en suite would be a bonus.

We like entertaining, so I think probably

the most important room in the house is going to be the kitchen/diner.

Now, I know that for both of you, a sense of community is important.

And a village, obviously, is going to be key to that.

Good people. People make places, so we just want that community feel.

We've got three fantastic properties to show you,

including our mystery house,

so who knows what that's going to involve in this glorious country.

-Let's go and see what we can find you.

-Great.

-Follow me.

For a top budget of £800,000, Steve and Nikki are looking for

a detached four-bedroom house that is located in a lively village.

They want a spacious kitchen/diner for when they entertain,

a large, light, open-plan living area, but with character features.

Outside, they want a manageable garden that'll suit their needs.

We have selected three fantastic properties for them to view,

but I won't reveal their price tag until the end of each tour.

And, as ever, we'll end with the mystery house,

which comes with compromise attached.

With location at the top of the agenda,

we're kicking off our house search

just over 16 miles from Oxford in East Hendred.

Set in the Vale of the White Horse,

the village is home to numerous historic buildings,

including cottages with cruck beams

dating from the 14th and 15th centuries,

as well as thatched properties.

Since being part of community life

is important to Steve and Nikki,

we're taking them to find out more about

the village's activities and amenities

from Martin and Louise Johnson, the owners of the local shop.

Hi, chaps! How are you? Louise, nice to see you. How are you?

Our two escapees here, Nikki and Steve, are looking for community.

If you were coming in from outside, would you say this was a good place to start?

I would say this is a great place to start. We have two churches.

Two schools, three pubs.

Three pubs! Very important.

A vineyard, a shop, and a village post office.

On top of that, we've got just about every organisation

and society you can think of.

We've got a local amateur dramatics society,

every sports complex you can imagine.

Bowls green, football, cricket, it's all here.

Well, we must push on and see if you like house number one. Shall we?

-We might see you later.

-Lovely.

-Thanks.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Now we've been given the low-down on the community,

I'm hoping they'll be impressed by the house,

which is just a short walk away in a central village location.

Well, there you are.

That's what we're going to tempt you with for our first property.

What do you think?

Looks...interesting. Looks nice.

-Looks nice.

-It's beautifully presented.

It's got a lovely symmetry to it, that's what's really nice about it.

-And it has attractive windows.

-Very nice. There's lots of light in here.

-Let's see what you think of the inside. Yeah?

-Brilliant.

Built back in 1800, this substantial red-brick property

has been tastefully renovated and, as they'll see,

retains its character features, but with modern living in mind.

Right, in you come. Grab the door, Steve. Let's start in here.

Come on, Nikki. What do you think?

-It's a nice-sized kitchen.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah. Good kitchen.

That's rather nice.

The fireplace is original, the wood burner is quite something.

I've never seen one like that before.

But it gives you this nice division between

the kind of business end of the kitchen and the everyday end of it.

And the beams are nice in the kitchen.

I do like having the dining table right next to the kitchen,

but I worry just a little bit in terms of the size

and if you could have a really nice, big dinner party.

The size of the dining area.

Well, we have a dining space in here,

but in the main reception room next door, there's bags of room.

So maybe you have a kind of posh dining end through here.

-Have a look.

-Let's take a look.

-See what you reckon.

How about this? Loads of room. Look at it.

Really nice and spacious.

So maybe you can have a dining end...

Nice, different aspect and also makes the rooms...

It gives it a divide without actually having a divide.

Good. Right, let's continue this way.

There is another option for a formal dining area just off the kitchen,

if they wanted to use this light and spacious family room.

Also on this floor is a large utility room

as well as a study and WC.

Upstairs certainly delivers, too,

as they get the four bedrooms they asked for.

So you've got this lovely light landing.

Family bathroom in there.

Bedroom either side of us, currently children's rooms

But this...would be yours.

It's lovely.

Yeah? Ah! It's lovely!

Now we've got upstairs, everything's coming to life.

Yeah, it's a nice room. Beautiful cupboards there.

-Lots of built-in, which is great.

-Fireplace.

Now, I know you wanted an en suite.

Are you familiar with the whole idea

of what's known as a Jack and Jill bathroom?

If you're in any doubt, let me show you what I'm talking about.

So it opens up into this little corridor,

which gives you a shower room there and a loo

and then another gorgeous double bedroom.

Yeah.

It's pretty much identical to the last bedroom, isn't it?

Same perspective, perhaps slightly bigger.

That bathroom is interesting.

-Different, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Purely functional.

Let's finish off in the garden and then we'll talk about the price.

You can take your first guess at what it might be. Come on.

We've intrigued them with the layout upstairs

and the generous proportions carry on outside.

There's around a quarter of an acre of pretty garden

with a patio area for alfresco dining, a large garage

and a couple of other country-living essentials.

Down here...chickens.

How about that?

You've got the chickens and some really nice...

-A vegetable patch!

-..raised vegetable beds.

In keeping with the style of the rest of the house, really.

It's all pretty immaculate.

And I know you didn't want a massive garden, but you do want some space.

This is plenty big enough for what we need.

Let's have a think about how much this slice of interest might cost.

-I would say, looking at the house, 750.

-750?

-But looking at the village, it might have to go up to about 770.

-Mm-hm.

I would say no more than 750.

I think your instincts are right.

The nice thing is that this property could be yours for £725,000.

-Hm.

-Happy?

-Very happy.

-Yeah, you should be. I think it's a great price.

Right, then, off you go. Go and have a closer look

-and I'll come and find you later on.

-Thanks.

-Brilliant.

At £725,000, this gorgeous period property

in a beautiful and historic village

is well under Steve and Nikki's budget.

Along with plenty of kerb appeal,

it offers them a spacious kitchen/diner,

three reception rooms, four bedrooms

and a large, well-maintained garden

which has a lovely area for entertaining.

My initial thoughts were, it looks practical, it looks well kept,

it looks tidy, and basically, on the outside,

that was reflected on the inside.

It just didn't have that sort of...

wow factor that says,

you know, this is a house that you want to make your home.

I'd say my key issues would be the main bedrooms

going into the road, as well as the key living areas,

actually facing out onto the road.

I'd almost love to just lift the house up

and turn it the other way around and then it would be perfect.

Ah, here you are. All done?

-Yes, all done.

-Seen it all?

What about those chickens? They must have been a selling point.

Really cute and really nice fresh eggs.

Chickens, vegetable patches.

See, we've got him the dream. Yeah, it's all good.

I thought this was a really nice start overall.

But there are two more to come, including our mystery house.

-So, who knows? Keep your minds open.

-Exciting!

Running 77 miles between the dreaming spires of Oxford

through beautiful countryside to Coventry, flows the Oxford canal.

As one of the first British canals to be built between 1769 and 1788,

it was originally used to carry coal down from Warwickshire.

One section of the canal passes through the market town of Banbury.

It's here that the historic Tooley's Boatyard

has been in continuous use since 1778

and is the oldest working dry dock in Britain.

We arranged for Steve and Nikki to meet Matthew Armitage,

one of the directors of the boatyard,

to see how this historic site operates.

The boats you work on today are generally metal boats.

And there are a variety of different types of boats,

but they're all narrow boats here

because we're on a narrow canal, being the Oxford canal,

which was one of the first to be built.

They built the locks narrow. That's why they call them narrow boats,

to fit through the narrow locks.

Steve and Nikki are going to have a go at some boat maintenance.

Known as blacking, the wooden hulls of boats would be painted

with tar in order to preserve them.

What they used to use was a mixture of tar

and horse manure on the boat

and it was a mixture of all sorts of...

-Smelt beautiful(!)

-Yes, exactly.

And that was all boiled up in a big vat outside and applied to the boat.

But the term blacking is really the act of just painting it

with the substances to turn it black.

The boatyard also has a forge which dates back to 1790

and is now a scheduled ancient monument.

So here we are, this is the forge.

And it's very much a part of the boatyard itself.

We used to work in conjunction

with the wooden boat builders on site here.

So, what do you make in the forge?

The most common item we make onsite

is probably brackets and hinges and things like that.

-For the boats?

-For the boats, yes.

Steve and Nikki are now going to try their hand

at flattening out a piece of metal

that could then be shaped to make a window latch.

You can see there this is just one simple technique.

I don't think it's a bad attempt at a first go.

-Thank you.

-And, er...

I will take that as a compliment.

Having gained an insight

into the craftsmanship that's still practised here,

they now have a chance to board one of the historic narrow boats

and travel on this stretch of waterway,

which has remained largely unchanged over the past 200 years.

So now they've had a chance to navigate their way

through this important part of Oxfordshire's heritage,

we'd better steer a different course as we return to our property search.

We continue our journey to Longworth.

This pretty village is in a sought-after rural location,

however it's also within easy reach of Oxford

and has good road links for Steve's drive to work.

The church dates back to around the 13th century,

and it has a couple of welcoming country pubs.

In the heart of the village,

yet still retaining a great deal of privacy,

we find our second house, which, although it was built in the 1950s,

has been heavily extended and refurbished

to give it a real period feel.

There.

Property number two.

-Very good.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-You like?

-I do like, yeah.

-Very grand.

It's pretty grand, isn't it?

It's not short of space,

it is beautifully presented, beautifully finished.

The other thing is that the garden is all at the front, effectively.

But what we have got you is this nice secluded garden.

So I suppose going back to South Africa,

where you're used to that gated style of living,

maybe this will feel a bit more familiar. Who knows?

-Home from home.

-Home from home.

-I think it looks good.

-I'm keen to see if it looks as good inside.

-Let's do that. Follow me.

Well, we're off to a flying start with this one,

which has a well laid-out patio area just off to one side.

Let's hope the style of the interior suits our buyers' tastes.

Let's start with this bit.

What do you think, Nikki?

Really, really, really like that kitchen.

It's pretty special, isn't it?

This is a very kind of grand arrangement for the wood burner.

And what I do love about it is this panelling works really nicely.

Gives it something of a kind of Georgian feel,

even though it's a much younger building.

Yeah. That kitchen does look good. It's drawing us in.

Let's check it out. There you go.

A much more manageable island, as well, I think,

compared to property number one.

Yes. It's nicely finished, nice sink.

Island is the right size. It doesn't take over the room.

I think this part is key. It's light, as well, which is nice.

I'd say this is the centre of the house.

-We haven't seen the rest yet.

-No.

The reception room is through here.

I can imagine when you've had dinner, everybody drifting through

to enjoy a glass of wine in here.

There.

-This is a really nice-sized room.

-Yeah.

Yeah, it's a good-sized room

and you can get the settees around the fireplace,

-which makes it feel quite social.

-Yeah. Good.

Well, upstairs, plenty of space.

You wanted four bedrooms, we've got you five.

-OK.

-Check these out. They're really nice.

Wrapping up the ground floor, there's a separate dining room,

a large utility space and a WC.

Overall, the main living areas have really impressed them,

and as we move upstairs, I have a feeling

the space here won't disappoint either.

The five bedrooms consist of two

beautifully-decorated bright guest rooms,

one of which has an en suite.

The third is smaller, but would fit a double bed

and there's also a shower room just off the landing.

But we're heading straight to the master,

which has some magnificent features.

Well, you guys get something of a suite.

And that's the en suite to the master suite.

Yeah, OK. This is an en suite bathroom.

It's gorgeous. His and hers!

Well, look at it. Two sinks, shower, nice little roll-top bath there.

Yeah, that's a nice bathroom.

And it leads on this way, over here.

Again, the panelling a real feature,

not just of the house, of course, but of this room.

Really nice, warm room.

And there's such a lot of space. I mean, it's enormous!

All the bedrooms we've seen are very kind of open,

ceilings are reasonably high. It's nice proportions.

I think this property is causing a little bit of a stir, isn't it?

-Much more than the last one.

-Interesting. Right.

OK, let's pop downstairs and find out how much it's going to cost you.

-Sure.

-Who knows. Got any ideas?

-Start doing the sums.

-Some!

There's more accommodation to be found above the large garage.

A spiral staircase leads up to this light and airy double bedroom

which has its own WC.

So now they've seen all the property has to offer,

it's time to find out what they think it's all worth.

Oh, this kitchen is just gorgeous, isn't it?

Who wouldn't want to spend time in here?

-Even if you didn't like cooking, you'd still hang around in here.

-Absolutely.

So...how much do we think property number two is worth?

Who's going to make me an offer? Steve?

I need to go first. I would probably say 750.

Might be a little bit optimistic. Madam?

I'm going to say 770 again.

This doesn't begin with a seven.

This begins with an eight.

And it goes £835,000.

Now, yes, it is, of course, technically over-budget,

but the vendors know your budget,

and so there is a conversation to be had.

I mean, we have a bit of flexibility

to go slightly over-budget if we found the right house, um...

I'm not sure at that price this is the house.

Go and have a good old look around and a final explore

and I'll catch up with you later.

-Great.

-Off you go. Right.

On the market at £835,000, it is above their top budget,

however the vendors are open to offers.

It's a grand country residence finished to an exacting standard

and delivers the space that Steve and Nikki requested.

Its selling points include a huge kitchen/diner,

a spectacular sitting room with feature fireplace and five bedrooms.

Outside gives them a private and manageable garden

and it's located in a sought-after village

with good road links for Steve's work.

Absolutely love the master bedroom.

I think it's beautiful, but I think the big winner in this one

is that open-plan kitchen and living area.

I'd say as pleasing as it was on the inside,

outside it just lacked that little something.

But really nice on the inside, but it's too overpriced, I think.

Ah!

While you've been hard at work taking it all in,

-I've been relaxing.

-Can we join you?

-Yeah, do. Jump on.

-It looks kind of funky.

-As garden seats go, this is a first.

A swinging sofa.

It's got to be one of the ideas you take away from this house.

-Extremely unique.

-Extremely unique.

Extremely comfortable. Too comfortable, in fact.

Let's get going, shall we?

-I'm scared I'm not going to get out of here.

-Come on!

Up you get. Right.

As the sun sets over the Oxfordshire skyline,

the first day of our property hunt draws to a close.

With a substantial budget of £800,000,

Steve and Nikki want to quit apartment-living in Dublin city centre

and buy their first home together in Oxfordshire

as Steve begins a new job.

So far, there's been a lukewarm response to house one,

a 19th-century cottage

but a fabulous kitchen/diner in property two

got temperatures rising.

However, our mystery house might get the most positive reactions yet.

So, are we almost at a wow?

This has got to be there or thereabouts, I'd say.

And I revisit the golden age of Oxfordshire's railway heritage.

Well, as we head into our final day, it's perhaps worth

reflecting on what happened yesterday during day one.

Now, when it comes to house hunting, it's often said that

it's as much about knowing what you don't want as what you do.

When it comes to Nikki and Steve, I'm not sure I'm any the wiser.

We started with a classic Victorian

and finished it off with the stylish renovation

of what was relatively speaking a new build,

but still there were no wows.

So for our mystery house, it's clear

we're going to have to pull all the stops out.

So in time-honoured tradition, let's try them with something different.

We're hopping over the county border into neighbouring Berkshire

for our mystery house, to the historic village of Compton.

This lively community, with its variety of period buildings,

offers all the necessary everyday amenities, including a pub,

one of the demands on Steve and Nikki's wish list.

I gather there's been much speculation overnight

as to what our mystery house might be.

What are the current conclusions?

I think the current conclusions are we don't really know.

But if we had to guess, it's usually something different.

Maybe an old school, a barn conversion, an old church,

an old mill, something a little different is what we think.

The options are endless, really? We'll have to wait and see.

I think it's a good one, actually.

Do you think we'll get a wow today?

-I hope so.

-Yeah. I hope so, too.

Nikki doesn't give wows very easily, but you never know.

Well, they're certainly on the right lines.

We are indeed off to see a barn conversion.

Well, at last the wait is over.

And you were guessing we had you a barn conversion.

Well, that, of course, is what is on offer.

What do you think? How do we feel about barn conversions?

I love barn conversions.

I think they really do the nice open-plan living.

Well, this one is light, it's open plan,

but it's not cavernous as some of them can be.

So it's quite intimate, but there's lots of space to play with, with this one.

This one is currently unfurnished. There's nothing in it at all.

It's going to be interesting to see what you might do with it

and how you might use the space because there's a lot of it.

We'll need to buy some furniture!

You're going to need to buy quite a lot to go in here.

So I think we should get out of the drizzle and go and have a look.

-Absolutely.

-Come on, then.

As we go in, the first thing to flag up

is that the barn is attached behind,

which I know our buyers were keen to avoid.

The conversion three years ago stripped it back to its bare bones

and its redesign should be ideal

in terms of giving them their modern, airy interior.

What I thought we'd do was start with the main event,

which is this room here.

THEY LAUGH

-Ah!

-Ah!

-We like?

-The smile says it all, yeah.

Doesn't it just. Yeah.

-What a great wall that is.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Really lovely.

I think a really, really nice cosy lounge

around that log burner is...

So something over here that would

effectively kind of divide the room into cosy living?

I think that would make sense, yeah.

It's a good start. Great first room.

Hooray! So are we almost at a wow?

This has got to be there or thereabouts, I'd say.

Let's have a look at the kitchen. It's back through here.

There.

Lovely, clean, slick, ready to go.

-Nice kitchen.

-Now, in fairness,

it's not the biggest kitchen we've been able to show you,

but it does have the potential to be made bigger.

Above that cooker hood, there is a steel beam.

The idea being that you could actually remove that wall

and open it right out into the living space.

I kind of think that room is big enough already.

If you knocked it through, it's just going to be huge!

THEY LAUGH

Let's continue back across here.

We're going to retrace our steps across the main living room

to explore one of the bedrooms.

Now, also on the ground floor, you've got one of the four bedrooms,

which could be the master bedroom if you so wish.

There's its en suite, which I think you'll agree is pretty...

-It's lovely.

-..pretty good.

-It's nice. Really nice.

And then we've got the rest of the room in here.

So the issue is, I suppose,

are you happy with having a master bedroom on the ground floor?

-Hm.

-I think traditionally, we'd prefer an upstairs...

-But as a guest room.

-Great guest room, great bathroom, that.

Yeah. And they've got access, too,

through their own sort of patio doors out to the garden.

I guess the other bedrooms are upstairs, are they?

-They are upstairs.

-Stairs which I haven't spotted.

Come and have a look. The stairs are right around the corner.

There's one other bedroom down here

and it's located at the front of the property, off the main hallway.

As we make our way up the oak staircase to the first floor,

we'll find two other bedrooms, both of them en suite.

This is the thought. This could be your master.

But if you wanted to make that an en suite,

all it needs is a door across the landing.

And you'd have a dressing area then, to go with it.

-I like this room.

-It's great, isn't it? The vaulting is terrific.

And this, again, gives you that sense of being in a barn.

-Space, as well.

-Yeah. Yeah.

Let's finish off in the garden

and then you can give me your best estimates

as to what the mystery house may set you back. Come on, then.

I'm glad they're appreciating the space

and potential provided by our mystery house.

To the rear, there's a lovely lawn

with far-reaching views over the Berkshire Downs.

But time now to see if they're keen to buy into this proposition.

We haven't had a chance to see this view of it yet.

But, er...if you wanted a lovely image of a converted barn...

there it is.

It's really, really pretty from the outside.

A proper barn conversion, so it looks really nice.

The only concern is you can see your neighbours.

So it's not a freestanding...

Everything has its...compromises, really.

I hadn't really thought about the neighbours.

-I'm still focused on the house. This is a little different.

-OK.

Let's see if the price is any different.

What would you expect to pay for our mystery house?

-I would probably say 800,000.

-Yep.

I'd probably say 745.

I wonder if you've been doing a bit of quiet research on the side?

-Because you're spot-on.

-Come on!

-Is that right?

-Yeah. This is on at 745.

-Oh, brilliant.

Right, then, let's get you inside out of this rain

and let you explore a little further. Come on.

Comfortably under-budget at £745,000,

our mystery property gives our couple

a lot of house for their money.

It provides them with a huge open-plan living area

with exposed beams and a wood burner,

as well as a spacious fitted kitchen.

Of the four double bedrooms, three have en suites.

What's more, it's all wrapped up in a great location

as it's set in the heart of the Berkshire Downs

with a village community close by.

It looks good when you approach,

on the inside, it's really well appointed.

Great reception room for entertaining,

which is what we were after.

I didn't probably realise I liked barn conversions as much as I do now I've seen this one.

So yeah, it's made quite an impact.

I must admit, I absolutely love the mystery house.

The biggest concerns for me are the fact it's not detached,

so you have your neighbours next door.

However, when you look outside at the views,

you don't actually feel you're being overlooked by neighbours.

So I have to have quite a few big chats with Steven, I think.

After you, sir. Madam.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, who'd have thought it? Our house tours are now over.

-It's gone by in a flash.

-I really enjoyed it.

Has it been useful, though? That's the key thing.

BOTH: Definitely.

We've seen three very different places.

And I think the diversity of the three

has pushed us towards knowing what we want.

-And that's not a bad thing.

-I wonder!

Do you know what you want?

Let's get you somewhere where you can have a think about it

-and we'll catch up with you after that.

-Great.

Historically, it wasn't just the canal networks

that were used to navigate Oxfordshire's countryside.

In June 1841, the iconic Great Western Railway line opened

and ran through the county connecting London to Bristol.

It was the brainchild of the Bristol Railway Committee,

who appointed Isambard Kingdom Brunel as its chief engineer.

Brunel's great vision was that the line would link London

to New York by train and steamship.

I've come to the Didcot Railway Centre

to find out more about the Great Network Society,

which has played a key role in conserving this part

of the county's transport heritage over the past 40 years.

What's the importance of this place in particular

to the history of the GWR?

Well, Didcot is roughly halfway between London and Bristol.

And Bristol was the destination that Brunel

and the Great Western Railway was designed

to go from London to Bristol

to catch the steamers that went eventually over to the USA.

There was a desire to go towards Oxford,

but it would be a branch line rather than take the mainline to Oxford.

But it's fitting in a way that the museum here

should be alongside the current mainline at Didcot.

Every year, tens of thousands of people pass through that station,

but maybe few of them will realise just how important it was

in the history of one of the most famous railway lines in the country.

We try and portray what the Great Western was all about

in those glory days leading up to just after the Second World War.

I'm a huge railway enthusiast

and can't wait to have a look around the museum,

which houses the largest collection of locomotives

from this railway company anywhere in the UK.

First stop is a prime example of mid-19th century engineering

in the form of this working replica of an early steam locomotive.

-Well, this is a real sight, Roger. What a treat!

-Yeah.

-In engineering terms, is this where the GWR really begins?

-Yeah.

This is a replica of a Fire Fly locomotive

as they were built in 1840.

Built for the Great Western Railway, the Fire Fly class.

And these engines were doing roughly 56 mile an hour

or up to 56 mile an hour in 1840.

It's beginning to look like the sort of locomotive we would recognise,

but 60 miles an hour, I mean, how comfortable would it have been?

Do you want to come and sit in an 1840s carriage and sample it?

-Is this it?

-This is it, yeah.

-It's a cattle truck, isn't it?

-It is.

Fundamentally, it is basically a cattle truck with bench seats.

-Is this an original?

-No, this is a reproduction.

But exactly as passengers in third class

would have been carried in 1840.

You can see how broad it is compared to a modern train.

As you say, the seven-foot gauge from Brunel's decision

made the carriages much more wider and arguably more stable.

And... Have a read of that

and that shows you what the Victorians...

What's this? Handbook for Railway Travellers...

Oh, published in 1840.

So the same date as the engine.

"Persons intending to travel by open carriage

"should select a seat with their backs to the engine,

"by which means they will avoid the ashes emitted there from,

"that in travelling generally,

"but particularly through the tunnels, prove a great annoyance."

So the idea is that you get showered with sparks and fumes and...

Yeah, that's right.

The GWR was nationalised in 1948.

And it was soon after this

that diesel engines replaced steam locomotives.

The Great Western Society began collecting

these redundant engines in the early 1960s.

This is one of our locomotives that's in restoration.

A same class locomotive that we're reconstructing

back from another loco

because none of these were actually preserved.

And what about the future for the museum?

We've got lots of skills from the older generation

which we must pass on to the younger generation

if we want to keep the steam engines alive for the next 20-30 years.

Well, Roger, thank you very much indeed.

It has been a real treat to get a look at what you're doing here.

And I have to say, best of luck putting that back together.

Thank you.

Well, as you can probably tell,

I could very happily spend the rest of the day here.

But like any good railway, we have a timetable to keep.

So lets find out if Steve and Nikki have reached a decision.

Well, let's just remind ourselves of the first property,

that lovely Victorian bay-fronted cottage, which I had high hopes for.

I think one of the things about that property

was the village was absolutely beautiful.

I think one of the concerns for me more so is the privacy.

And you are on a road where your bedrooms

and your living areas, actually, are looked onto.

There was good space. I think for us,

I couldn't personally quite figure out how to use the rooms.

The kitchen, obviously, was dominated by the island.

And we couldn't see how we'd get more relaxing furniture into the kitchen.

-OK.

-We didn't feel the love, Jules.

-You didn't feel the love.

Well, we hoped you'd find a bit more love with property number two.

Quite an interesting - and I think stylish - renovation.

We said we wanted houses with an open kitchen,

you guys gave us a house with an open kitchen

and it was a really well-presented house,

I think both externally and internally.

But the house itself didn't quite work for us.

So we were learning all the way.

But still...creeping towards some kind of positive conclusion.

Our mystery house was our final offering, of course.

You were hoping for a barn conversion, I think.

-I got my wish.

-And that's what we got you.

-Really stylish property, I think.

-Yeah.

I think house number two and number three were really well finished off.

A great house. We just need to consider its location.

So in terms of where we are now, where are we?

I mean, is the mystery house our favourite?

I'd say definitely our favourite, well, my favourite. Your favourite?

I'd say the mystery house, yeah.

Probably...carry on looking for a couple more barn conversions.

Ah! So we've whetted your appetite for the classic barn look.

There are lots of options out there for you to explore.

You are going to have to get a move on,

but I do wish you all the very best of luck. It's been a real pleasure.

-It's been absolutely great. Thanks.

-Thank you.

Well, in drawing today's Escape To The Country to a close,

I thought we'd end where we started,

on the great Ridgeway National Trail.

Now, as we said at the beginning of this show,

this is one of the most ancient and important routes in Britain.

For thousands of years, people have used it

not just to cross the country,

but also to settle in the landscape either side of it.

Now, as for Nikki and Steve,

clearly their journey has yet to be concluded,

but hopefully now they are just a little bit closer

to figuring out just what it is they want from their new home.

As for me, well, I'm going home, and it's that way.

I'll see you next time.

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

Northern Ireland or England

and would like our help, then please apply online at:

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd