0:00:02 > 0:00:05Built in 1632, this magnificent structure is the oldest
0:00:05 > 0:00:07stone-built windmill in Britain.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Which county is it in? Find out in just a moment.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43On today's show, my mission is to find a dream home in the country
0:00:43 > 0:00:46for one buyer and her beloved dog.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And she's brought along a good friend to help make the decision.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Our property search gives rise to a curious question.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- Is this a real house?- It is a real house. It's really for sale.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Oh, my, my!
0:00:58 > 0:01:02As well as some very enthusiastic reactions.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Ohh! Maggie! (LAUGHS)
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Ohhh!
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Today, we're in Warwickshire. And this is the Chesterton Windmill.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Attributed to the architect Inigo Jones, it has these rather amazing six arches underneath,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20not just for architectural merit,
0:01:20 > 0:01:27but also to help the flow of the wind, which then aids the speedy turning of the sails.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31It also has a very ingenious cap which could be manually moved to face the wind.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37And it really worked. It was in service for 278 years and only closed down in 1910.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40But it's not the only amazing thing in this county.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Landlocked Warwickshire lies in the heart of England
0:01:44 > 0:01:46and is bordered by no less than seven other counties
0:01:46 > 0:01:50including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54The county has some of the most attractive towns and villages in England
0:01:54 > 0:01:56set among beautiful countryside.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Leamington Spa, named after the River Leam which flows through the town,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03was originally a village known as Leamington Priors.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08But in 1784, its mediaeval saline springs were rediscovered
0:02:08 > 0:02:13and a public bathhouse was built for the great and good to take the waters.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17This fashion led to its growth into a town in the 19th century.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22To the south, the landscape is characterised by the gently rolling Cotswold Hills,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25which start in the historic village of Ilmington,
0:02:25 > 0:02:31known for its wealth of period architecture built from the region's honey-coloured stone.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Above the village, Ilmington Down is the highest point in Warwickshire
0:02:35 > 0:02:40and gives a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Let's talk money. The average price for a detached property
0:02:47 > 0:02:49in Warwickshire is just over £271,000.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54That's £17,500 above the national figure.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But as so often in a county like this there's a north-south divide.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02In the south of the county, close to the ever popular Cotswolds
0:03:02 > 0:03:06and with good transport links up to Birmingham and down to London, this can be more expensive.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11However in the North, particularly around Bedworth and Nuneaton, you get more for your money.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Although there are pricey little villages around Leamington.
0:03:15 > 0:03:21But wherever you are north or south there's a wide selection of architectural styles.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25The south of the county is home to a number of villages and small market town's
0:03:25 > 0:03:29lying among the northern Cotswold Hills.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Properties here are built from the local limestone
0:03:32 > 0:03:37and often date back to the 16th century, when the region's wool trade was at its peak.
0:03:37 > 0:03:44A typical three-bedroom cottage in Ilmington would cost you around £325,000.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Around the Stratford-upon-Avon area, you'll find many stunning examples
0:03:48 > 0:03:53of timber-frame properties dating back to the Tudor times.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58It was during this period the chimney stack first came into common usage.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02This two bedroomed end of terrace period cottage in Henley-in-Arden
0:04:02 > 0:04:06is on the market for just under £300,000.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Plenty to please the architectural palate there,
0:04:08 > 0:04:14but will it tickle the taste buds of our buyer today? Let's meet her.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18For the past 14 years, Norma has lived in her two bed 19th-century house
0:04:18 > 0:04:22in the London commuter belt town of Walton-on-Thames.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26She previously resided for some years in a countryside home in Canada
0:04:26 > 0:04:30and now she's planning a return to a rural lifestyle.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I'm happy to say I took early retirement in March
0:04:33 > 0:04:37and now it's time to move to be somewhere else.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41You know, be around farmland, just the whole bit.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Going along with her will be seven-month-old puppy Kerry,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49who has helped Norman meet friends in the town while out walking.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54Not least neighbour, Maggie, who will be accompanying Norma in her house search.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I've always liked going round looking at show houses.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I just find them fascinating, actually.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03And, you know, it's just lovely to see places
0:05:03 > 0:05:08- for Norma to look at that could be exciting. - That could be exciting.- Yes.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I think Margaret will be a great benefit to me.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13I think she'll help me to keep my feet on the ground.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Margaret admits to being frugal
0:05:15 > 0:05:18and I can get carried away from time to time.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21So I think she'll be a great balance for me.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Norma will still be doing occasional freelance work for her own training and development company
0:05:26 > 0:05:30and having a friendly community base around her is important.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34So she's picked her new destination with this in mind.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39I'm a member of the Baha'i faith, so we have many communities around England,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42and particularly there's a large community in Warwickshire.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44So I know that, were I to move to Warwick,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49I would instantly be established in a connected community, which is terrific.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Entertaining will be important to Norma in her new home,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57but she's also got a few creative hobbies she wants to immerse herself in.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02I think being in the countryside, closer to the countryside than I am now, will really inspire me.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08And I'll likely want to paint in situ, I'll want to paint outdoors.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12And recently I noticed some basketry work was on the television
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and it dawned on me that years ago, I used to do that.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18And I'd love to see if there's willow work going on.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21So I'll be investigating that and seeing what's going on.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25I would imagine in that area it's likely there would be some.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Even though Norma loves the home she has now,
0:06:27 > 0:06:32she also has a clear vision of how her house in the country must be.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37In my mind's eye, I see the chocolate-box cottage.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41You know, the rambling roses and maybe even a picket fence.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Inside the property,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47a wood-burning stove would be a must for charm and effect
0:06:47 > 0:06:53and preferably a bigger kitchen with room not so much for table and chairs but a sofa.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56There's the dream.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01With this picture-perfect home in mind there just remains the matter of money.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05The budget for this move is £300,000...max.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Norma is most interested in living in a village community
0:07:19 > 0:07:22close to the towns of Warwick and Leamington Spa,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25so she and her friend Maggie are meeting me in Warwickshire
0:07:25 > 0:07:29to give me a rundown on what she wants from her new rural home.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- So, ladies, welcome to Warwickshire. - Thank you.- Thanks for having us.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36It's a great pleasure. And the sun is shining.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- Warwickshire is very happy to have you too.- Great.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- Now obviously, Norma, it's you that's moving.- Yes.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47- And, Maggie, you're going to be given moral support?- I am. I'm going to be given moral support.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Tell me a little about the spec of the house you're looking for, what is it that you're dreaming of?
0:07:51 > 0:07:56I'm dreaming of my house that I live in now reappearing in Warwickshire.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00In that case, remind us what your house in Walton-on-Thames has?
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Right, well, it's a little labourer's cottage, it's got two bedrooms,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06it's got a little conservatory which I added.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11- I'm hearing little, that's good. - Yes, I'm very modest in my taste.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- And you need a garden.- I need a garden.- Definitely need a garden.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19- And what's your budget?- 300,000 max. - Max?- Don't push me.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20£300,000 is a big budget,
0:08:20 > 0:08:25but unfortunately here it gets squeezed a lot because it's an expensive place.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29- We have found you three, I think, really lovely properties.- Wow!
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- I have no doubt. Let's go.- Brace yourselves.- Absolutely.- Follow me.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39For her budget of £300,000,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Norma is seeking a character home with roses round the door.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47It should also have a kitchen that's large enough to fit a sofa in,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49at least two bedrooms
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and a spacious, secluded, dog-friendly garden.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55We've found three fantastic rural properties
0:08:55 > 0:08:59that we think Norma could really fall in love with.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03At each one, I'll be asking her and Maggie to guess the price before I reveal it.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05The last will be our mystery house,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10which could present Norma with an inside versus outside dilemma.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13But now let's hit the road to our first property.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Now, Norma you're not from England. I mean, you're Irish by descent.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23- Irish by birth.- Yeah. So what is it about this corner of England that attracts you?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25It's near Wales. THEY LAUGH
0:09:25 > 0:09:28So it's almost not England.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I very much enjoy Wales but I'm afraid the weather
0:09:30 > 0:09:33and I have a feeling Warwickshire has slightly better weather.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Plus, although I'm looking to leave London,
0:09:36 > 0:09:41I can still get to London should the mood take me and all my good friends that live near where I live now.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50We've made the journey just six miles south-west of Leamington Spa
0:09:50 > 0:09:52to the village of Barford.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Set in beautiful dog-walking country, this lively village
0:09:56 > 0:10:00offers a choice of pubs for eating out and some individual local shops,
0:10:00 > 0:10:05one of which is the community shop run by volunteers.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08We paid a visit to find out from Barford resident, John Murphy,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10what it's like to live here.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15So Norma may or may not, I don't want to jump the gun, might be moving into Barford.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18This would be of great interest to me, can you tell me how you
0:10:18 > 0:10:21join or what happens to a resident when they want to work here?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Well, it's a volunteer shop, it's a community shop,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27so we have one employed manageress
0:10:27 > 0:10:29- and about 80 volunteers.- Right.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32What else goes on in the village? Tell us a little bit about Barford.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34What else can we do apart from run the village shop?
0:10:34 > 0:10:40- It's a very busy village. There are over 1,000 adult residents.- OK.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44About 600 houses, lots of clubs and organisations.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49It's a fantastic community village, it really is. If you don't like people it's the wrong village,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52if you do like people it might be the right village.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55John, I need to get you at the beginning of every single house tour that I do.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59- I have to whisk these ladies away, but thank you very much.- Thank you so much.- Nice to meet you.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- You may be seeing him again. - Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you. Thanks.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Our first offering is a real slice of history.
0:11:07 > 0:11:13A Grade II listed Elizabethan property that was originally two yeomen's cottages
0:11:13 > 0:11:16with some surviving walls made from wattle and daub.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21- House number one...is this thatched cottage.- Oh, my gosh!
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- You're joking?!- You're joking? - Ohh, Maggie! SHE LAUGHS
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- Amazing, isn't it? - What are your first impressions?
0:11:28 > 0:11:33- It's just the thatched cottage.- It's chocolate box!- It's chocolate box.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38- It's beautiful.- I never thought that you'd find something like that, I must admit.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Alistair, my heart's pounding!
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- It's absolutely sweet! May we go in, please?- No.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- It's just the facade I'm selling you. Of course we can. Let's go. - ALL LAUGH
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Teaser.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction to this gorgeous thatched cottage.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And I know that as we take a look inside, Norma and Maggie
0:11:57 > 0:12:02will be thrilled by huge amount of character features in this property.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08- Let's have a look at the main living space.- Ohh!- Wow! Isn't that cute!
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- My goodness! It's a real piece of history.- It is, isn't it.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- This is a slice of Elizabethan England for you.- Wow!
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Is that a working fireplace?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- It's a working flue, yes. - So at the moment it's a fireplace,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22but you could put your beloved log burner in there.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- Sure.- Gosh, it would be nice and warm, Norma.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Look at the windows and the lead! Gosh!
0:12:28 > 0:12:32- So, of course, it's quite small. - Yeah, that's fine.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- It's only me and my dog. - I think it's absolutely gorgeous, though.- Uh-huh.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- Absolutely gorgeous. - It's certainly charming.- Yes.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41And we would have to see, would the charm wear off?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44But, yeah, I'd love to see more.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Well, there isn't an awful lot more to see, but we'll go and see the kitchen.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- There's the kitchen and then there's that little room at the front.- Right.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57The small room at the front of the house is a useful study which Norma had on her wish list.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00And we're about to deliver on another of her demands.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So, mind the step, mind your head.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08- Oh, my goodness! This is a surprise. - Nice space, isn't it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- Unexpected space.- You thought it was going to be smaller?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I thought it was going to be twee, twee.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16I have to say that I was thinking when I was in there,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18"Gosh, I hope there's a dining room."
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- Of course, cos it didn't really allow for dining space. - But this is amazing.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It's interesting, historically this has a whole cottage,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- so a family of seven lived in this side.- This was?- Yes.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32When the lady who owns it now moved in it was a garage,
0:13:32 > 0:13:37so she revealed all of these beams, decorated it all and opened it all up and put in the kitchen.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- Behind this is a separate staircase. - A second staircase?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44There goes up into what is essentially a guest wing.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46A guest bedroom and a little en suite.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51- Ohh!- So I can let you explore the guest wing a little later. - Super.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Quite a tight staircase up there,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57- so you have to have slightly nimble guests.- Right.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- But let's go and explore your bedroom.- Right.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- Great! After you, Maggie.- After me.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09To reach Norma's enormous sleeping domain, which is adjacent to a modern family bathroom,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13we're heading back through the sitting room and through a thumb-latched door,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17up the other set of stairs which are quite a tight fit,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20but that's what you get with period properties.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- Oh, the history.- I know. - History is everywhere.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- It just reeks of history. My goodness!- Oh, look at this! - Gently perfumed.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- I love this room! Oh, it's delightful!- I love the colour.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38- And the headroom here is more than you would expect.- Yeah.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40It's a fantastic bedroom, Norma. Wow!
0:14:40 > 0:14:44The beams actually still have bark on them, they're that rustic.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49- Yes.- And unusual.- Is this a real house?- It is a real house. It's really for sale.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53THEY LAUGH Oh, my, my! Thank you, Alistair.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54- My pleasure.- Is this it, then?
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- We don't bother with the other houses, we leave it here. - We could well do.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- Perhaps.- We could show you the garden and talk about money.- Yes.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04OK. Oh, thank you.
0:15:06 > 0:15:12This Elizabethan beauty is a win-win both upstairs and down and the garden is equally charming.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14It's got everything Norma could want,
0:15:14 > 0:15:19such as outbuildings which could be converted into an art studio with the right permissions,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22plus a lawn at the end for her dog to run around safely in.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Come on into your garden.- Oh, wow!
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- It's lovely!- Oh, my goodness me!
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- Goodness!- So it goes on quite a long way, right to the back.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- It's a long kind of ribbon of garden.- Gosh!
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- Let's stop in this little patio area.- Alistair!
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- Is it what you are looking for? - Awfully close.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Awfully, spookily close.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- It's fantastic! - The question is, can you afford it?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54I'm going to guess 298,000.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59- Very specific. Maggie? - Well, I would have to say 299,000.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01ALL LAUGH
0:16:01 > 0:16:05It's actually on the market for offers over £300,000.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07But if you've only got £300,000 to offer,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10then that's what you should offer.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Well, we're going to keep it on the list.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17- You're going to keep it till you've seen the others. - It's just amazing.- Yes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Well, what I'd like you to do is have a look in these outbuildings and explore the end of the garden.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27- Yes.- And I will meet you out front. - Fabulous. Thank you.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32On the market for offers on or above Norma's top budget of £300,000,
0:16:32 > 0:16:37this charming 16th-century cottage definitely appears to have won her heart
0:16:37 > 0:16:41with its cosy sitting room, a useful study,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44a sociable kitchen/diner, two bedrooms
0:16:44 > 0:16:49and a long dog-friendly garden with outbuildings.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53I thought it was magic. It's a real country cottage.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58And it was in such a lovely village, it seemed to tick all the boxes from the outside.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Well, I was speechless.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04It was almost exactly what I ordered, a chocolate-box cottage.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Beautiful!
0:17:06 > 0:17:08I was delighted with the kitchen,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11because my own kitchen at the moment, you could only swing a ferret.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16In this one you could swing whatever you wanted. This is a definite contender.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- Out you go, ladies.- Thank you.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- So we're all done in this house. - Right.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- Now brace yourself for house number two.- All-righty.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41The Warwickshire landscape is defined by its ancient woodland.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44The Forest of Arden covered much of the north-west of the county
0:17:44 > 0:17:47at the time when the Domesday Book was written.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Today, the county has over 800 woods within its borders.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54And there are still many traditional craft skills related to them.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59The prime example lies in the village of Stockton.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Lawrence Neal has been using local wood and rushes for the past 46 years
0:18:03 > 0:18:06to create handmade chairs in his village workshop.
0:18:06 > 0:18:12And as Norma is keen on learning skilled crafts and would like to try rush weaving,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15we sent her and Maggie along for a hands-on experience.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Lawrence, I'm really interested in this, it's fascinating.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20You know, these beautiful chairs,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- how do you begin the process of creating such lovely things? - Well, you start off
0:18:24 > 0:18:29with timber in the round, like small trees. You split it down
0:18:29 > 0:18:31to manageable size so that I can get on my saw.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36And then I turn the back legs up, then they get bent and put into these frames.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42They're boiled in electric copper over there and put in the frames for about a week to dry out.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47These chairs are made in the tradition of the Arts and Crafts Movement of the 1880s,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50when architect and designer Ernest Gimson
0:18:50 > 0:18:55revived the craft of making them from ash with seats made from rush.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Lawrence gathers his rushes from the local rivers Avon and Leam in the summer
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and stores them in sheds to dry them out until he needs them.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06We're going to do just a little demonstration of how you to do a rush seat.
0:19:06 > 0:19:12- These are rushes, which have been dampened the night before just to keep them supple.- Sure.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15I take a couple out to start the chair.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18You start in the corner and just...
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- Forget the tiny knots or anything, you just twist them in.- Twist.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25- Twist it in and then you start twisting the rush.- Ah!
0:19:25 > 0:19:30- And you always twist away from yourself.- Yes.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Round the corner.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Twist and tighten it.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Always get the twist going in the same direction.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42- Add another rush in if you need to. - How do you know when to add? - It's just experience rarely.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47You just know when you need to add one to keep a strand the same size.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- Of course.- So you want the strand to be the same size? - Yes, that's the real trick.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- The combination of the twist and the thickness.- It's just picking up the right sized rush really.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- Wow!- It's basically a very simple pattern.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Just sort of a figure of eight almost.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- You just go round and round. - And then it starts to fill in. - Yeah.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Practice makes perfect, doesn't it. It's like anything, isn't it.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10The chap that used to work for us when I first started,
0:20:10 > 0:20:16- he used to say you had to do 100 seats before you could do a good one.- Really?- Wow! Yes.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19I'd buy the 101st one then. THEY LAUGH
0:20:19 > 0:20:24To complete on seat can take between 4-5 hours depending on the quality of the rushes
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and of course the expertise of its weaver.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31So let's see how our enthusiastic novice gets on.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- This is going to wrap under?- Yeah, go round and then back up to there.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38- But you need to twist it more than that. A lot more. - OK, because it's too loose.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43- Yeah. A little bit more. Yeah, that's it.- Lose it in the chair. - That's it. Go underneath now.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45- Take it underneath.- Under I go.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49As the rush in this traditional pattern is woven around the four seat rails,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53the end result is four distinct triangles in the seat.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57OK. I really love this.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02I can see, Lawrence, how once you're skilled at it, how you would get lost in it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08- It's wonderful. - Yes, it's a bit like meditation, isn't it. I would think.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Now that Norma and Maggie have been furnished with an insight
0:21:11 > 0:21:15into a skill that's woven into this county's craft heritage
0:21:15 > 0:21:20there's no time to sit back, as we forge ahead with our property search.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26We've travelled just over 12 miles south of Leamington Spa
0:21:26 > 0:21:29to the historic village of Loxley.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Community life is based around the local pub and the 8th-century church,
0:21:33 > 0:21:39which is adjoined by an ancient meadow, a protected site of special scientific interest.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45Lying opposite the pub, our second charming property puts Norma at the heart of village life,
0:21:45 > 0:21:51and dating back to the 16th century is offset by a pretty front garden.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Come on down the path to house number two.
0:21:56 > 0:22:02- What do you think of this? - My goodness! Whoa! It's amazing!
0:22:02 > 0:22:07- That's all I can say. - So this part is the older part, that's 16th century.- Wow! Is it?
0:22:07 > 0:22:10And then this is a 1980s extension.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- Gosh!- And this one has a lot of the garden out front.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17It's a very different offering inside, cos it feels more...
0:22:17 > 0:22:21- I won't steal my thunder, I'll show you.- OK. Right.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25It's another instant hit with our second house
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and inside we'll be able to deliver on what Norma has been longing for from a kitchen,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32enough space for a sofa.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Enter your potential new kitchen.
0:22:37 > 0:22:43- My!- It's sunny, isn't it.- It's very bright and spacious.- Lovely.
0:22:43 > 0:22:49- Indeed, a very different kitchen layout for the last one.- Yes. - So this is a much bigger build.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- This is the 1980s extension.- Yes.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Quite sensitive, though.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Yeah, they've kept the beams. You could put a sofa here.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02- # Sofa in the kitchen! # - Yes.- Yes, you could. Exactly.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04You're meeting my specification. Excellent.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09And through there there's the study, also the white goods, the washing machine and stuff.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- It could be a utility room. - Yes, nice.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- I obviously need to see more. - You will see more through here.
0:23:15 > 0:23:22- Oh!- Ta-da!- Look at that!- Oh, my goodness!- A huge space, isn't it.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27- Look at the size!- And there's a dining...- Fantastic! Maggie, look at it is!
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- I was wondering where the dining bit was.- How interesting. And now we're going into the older...
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Yes, this is the old part. So you can see that even though it's a long house,
0:23:34 > 0:23:39it isn't a very wide house. You've got the entire width of the property here with windows on both sides.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- And it has that cosiness that I love. - It feels warm.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46- What's nice is that it flows very nicely. Lovely little windows, original windows.- I think it flows.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50- Deep windowsills, you can see the depth of the wall.- Nice wood.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Which I adore. I love this. Yeah.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- And look how sunny and bright it is.- Oh, wow!
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- And, Maggie, that's just marvellous. - It's lovely, isn't it.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04- You said you wanted an enclosed fireplace.- Absolutely. I love that.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08- It's all about charm, isn't it. - Isn't it.- My, my!
0:24:08 > 0:24:12- Ohh!- Often in these historical properties,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16particularly when they're been extended, there's a compromise upstairs.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18- OK.- In terms of the layout. - This is a warning.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20But in this house not.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24- I thought you were going to say it's a one-through-one.- I'm such a tease.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27You are such a tease. You're a scallywag.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31There's certainly more than Norma and Maggie would expect upstairs
0:24:31 > 0:24:33with a total of three bedrooms.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38One a very good sized double and the other a single which Norma could use for her study
0:24:38 > 0:24:42alongside a compact family bathroom.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45But we're heading for where Norma could be resting her head.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51- Come on in. So this is the third bedroom.- Gosh!- Wow!
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- That's a surprise.- This is the master. Three bedrooms. - Three bedrooms!
0:24:55 > 0:24:57And all of them really nice, good sizes.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- I think this is a gorgeous room. - High ceilings.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01Yes, it is a high ceiling, isn't it.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05But remember this chimney stack is right above your log burner,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- so when that's going full tilt it's like a radiator. - It's going to be warm.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- I like it.- I like it, too.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- It's stunning.- Sounds like another contender.- Unfortunately, yes.
0:25:14 > 0:25:20- Hmm! Well, let's do the drill. Let's go outside and talk about money.- Uh-huh.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- All right.- Money, money, money!
0:25:22 > 0:25:26While the house gives generously on space, the grounds are on the smaller side,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29although they are beautifully landscaped.
0:25:29 > 0:25:35There's a walled terraced backyard for relaxing in and a small lawn and plenty of planting at the front.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41So, as you can see, the lion's share of the garden is here in the front, but it's a very pretty garden.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- It's beautiful, isn't it.- Indeed. - Absolutely gorgeous.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46And a pub across the road.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49There is a pub across the road, is that good or bad?
0:25:49 > 0:25:56- Traffic. A little bit noisy, comings and goings. - OK, so cars and revellers?- Hmm.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Maybe the price will be the deciding factor.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03What you think this property in this village is on the market for?
0:26:03 > 0:26:06My guess would be to 292,500.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- Very precise. What about you, Maggie?- 299,000.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Well, this property is actually marketed above your budget.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- It's on at 325,000. Yes.- Oh, OK.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22It's been on the market for a while, so they would definitely negotiate,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- but that is the price. - OK, I'll take that on board.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29OK, well, why don't you have a look around inside,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33peek into the places you haven't had a chance to peek at and I will see you later on.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- Thank you.- OK, thank you. - We'll do that.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44Granted, at £325,000 this generous property does tip over Norma's budget,
0:26:44 > 0:26:50however, as the owners are open to a conversation, a lesser offer could well bring it within reach.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54It provides her with a large reception area with log burner,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57a kitchen big enough for her sofa,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00three bedrooms one of which she could use as a study,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02and beautifully landscaped gardens.
0:27:04 > 0:27:10My impression of this house is that it's got a fantastic downstairs, it's got a really good flow.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- I think it's very charming.- I was very surprised when Alistair took us
0:27:14 > 0:27:17across the road at the size of the property.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22I thought, "Is this the first part? Oh, no, it's the whole thing!" That really took me by surprise.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25And then when the door opened into the dining room and lounge,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27it took my breath away.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30The garden in the front is a beautiful garden,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34not useful for me with the dog, it would need to be dog-proofed.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37But nonetheless very, very pretty.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Ah! It's turned out a nice day, but it's the end of the day.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47- Indeed.- We've seen two properties today and we've got one more tomorrow.- Terrific!- Let's rest.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03As the sun sets over the beautiful Warwickshire countryside,
0:28:03 > 0:28:08it marks the end of a very exciting and enthusiastic day of house hunting.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18With a budget of £300,000, recently retired Norma
0:28:18 > 0:28:23has decided to make a move from the London commuter belt to the piece of the Warwickshire countryside.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28And she's brought along her friend Maggie to help her judge the houses we're showing her.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32So far they've been in raptures over a thatched Elizabethan property
0:28:32 > 0:28:37and impressed with the size of the rooms in a house with rather less outside space.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41But coming up, Norma's looking on the bright side at the mystery house.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45- Yes, plenty big enough for me. Oh, yes.- Good.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Yes, cos there's a pub across the road where I can go and dine.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53And I find out more about a heritage seed project that we can all get involved in.
0:28:54 > 0:29:00Day two. And usually at this point I'm filled with joy that we've picked the right mystery house.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04However, with Norma, she is a lady who knows her mind.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08And yesterday afternoon she was very clear that she didn't want to live opposite a pub
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and she wasn't going to settle for a small garden for more space.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Now, the mystery house might be quite close to a pub,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21and actually might give her lots of liveability with less garden.
0:29:21 > 0:29:28So I'm hoping that the goodness of her heart will give us... the benefit of the doubt.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Our mystery property lies nine miles south of Leamington Spa
0:29:34 > 0:29:36in the village of Lighthorne.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41Set in a valley this community has a Grade II listed church with an 18th-century tower
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and a good pub which serves traditional food.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47The pretty village green is a focus for local life
0:29:47 > 0:29:52where Norma could walk her dog and have an impromptu chat with her neighbours.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56The pub is, for better or worse, opposite our mystery property,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00a Cotswold stone-build dating back for the most part to the 1700s.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05And originally a cowshed to which a storey was added in the 19th century.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08While it looks large from the outside,
0:30:08 > 0:30:12there's a certain amount of compromise in the land that comes with it.
0:30:12 > 0:30:18And the mystery house, quite controversially, is this one here.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22- Oh!- OK.- It looks big.- It's big.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26- Wow!- It's big and controversially it's right opposite the pub.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- A pub.- A pub.- Yeah, a different kind of pub perhaps.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35- I'm liking the way you say that, because we didn't know that you were quite so averse to pubs.- No.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Concentrating on the house, this is, I think, a great property for you.
0:30:38 > 0:30:44- It's a good mystery house. But what do you think of the house from the outside?- I like it.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47- I like it, too.- There's character. I like the colour of the window frames.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51That green is attractive. Yeah. The sturdiness.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- What do you think, Maggie?- I think it's lovely, actually.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57- I really like it.- I like the stone. Shall we look inside?- Sure.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59There's a super atmosphere to this little area.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- It's got a good feel. - A beautiful feel.- I like it.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03- Let's look inside.- Great.
0:31:03 > 0:31:08Thankfully, Norma doesn't seem concerned about the proximity of a pub.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12And as we step through the front door into the hall-come-dining area,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15I think she and Maggie ill like the atmosphere inside the house too.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- It's very tasteful. - What are your first impressions?
0:31:19 > 0:31:24Yeah. And the beams...original.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28- I love it.- You love it? - You love it, Maggie?- I do. I love it.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30I think what's nice about this house,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34there are lots of nice things about this house, is that it's a bit bigger.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38- Than it looks on the outside. - And it's got three very good, usable spaces.
0:31:38 > 0:31:44Through here... a lovely big sunny sitting room.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- Oh, it's lovely.- Oh, it's delightful!- It is lovely, isn't it.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50- Unusual shape, it's a sort of triangular room.- Attractive.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54But around this lovely big hearth with a working fireplace.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So we're also dealing with much higher ceilings.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59This is a Victorian 19th-century addition.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02So you've got a picture around, higher ceilings, bigger windows.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07Yes I like the picture rail effect. I grew up with a picture rail. It's nice to have something familiar.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10- Right, well, this is the sitting room.- Yes.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14- We've still got the kitchen to look at.- Great. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:32:14 > 0:32:20So far the original features and fireplace are giving Norma and Maggie a warm glow.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23The kitchen, however, won't fit a sofa, as Norma would like.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27But it does have many other redeeming elements.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31- Lovely wooden lintel.- Isn't it lovely?- Then step down into this...
0:32:31 > 0:32:34- Beautiful floor.- Nice black slate.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37So this is the one thing that the present owner has put in.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40- He's done a big revamp of the kitchen.- Yes.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- He's done almost exactly what I've done in my kitchen.- Ah, great.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46Lovely. I love the two windows.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- Is it big enough?- Yes, plenty big enough for me. Yes.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Yes, because there's a pub across the road where I can go and dine.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56- So that's everything downstairs. - Yes.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- Upstairs we have three bedrooms. - Wooh!
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- Mm, let's have a look.- Golly!
0:33:02 > 0:33:05- I do like this kitchen, my dear. - Yes, I do.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07So far, so good downstairs.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Nice steady staircase. I like this.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12And upstairs should continue the positive theme
0:33:12 > 0:33:16as there are three bedrooms - one more than Norma was after.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18One bedroom is reasonably sized.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22And another is currently set up as a convenient office.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26And they all share a modern tiled family bathroom.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30But I'm going to show them where Norma could be sleeping.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Right at the top of the stairs you've got the master bedroom.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Right. Pretty colour on the walls.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42- It's nice.- Fabulous window. - Isn't it lovely?- They're wonderful.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44- You could move into those cupboards! - You could.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47There's room for a small family.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50The compromise is the outside space.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53- You've already guessed that. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57- So let's go and deal with that. - OK, let's have a look. Break my heart.- After you.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01I hope that the garden here isn't going to be a deal-breaker, let alone a heartbreaker.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05But it will take a bit of work for it to be made dog friendly.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07The compromise, as I'm sure you've guessed,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11- is that this is your garden. - Mm, yeah.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14There's a very small little garden at the front.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18- Is that a dealbreaker?- For me, it's a lack of safety for the dog.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- Well, the mystery house is always a bit of a gamble.- Mm.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24But I suppose we do need to know how much it costs.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Maggie, what do you think it's on the market for?
0:34:26 > 0:34:31Well, I've been low in the last two houses, so I'm going to up my price.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37- And I think it's worth 315,000. - Really? Wow!
0:34:37 > 0:34:41I'd come in at the 293,500.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43I love the precision of your guesses.
0:34:43 > 0:34:48- So very precise. But so very wrong.- Aw!
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- Both of us?- Maggie, you are absolutely on the money.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57- It's on the market at £315,000. - Get you, girl!- Mm.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00So, do have a look inside. Have a look round and I'll see you at front.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02OK, Maggie, let's have a look.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Priced at £315,000,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10our well-situated mystery house nudges over Norma's budget.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12But as it is currently a buyers' market,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15she's in a strong position to make a competitive offer.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18It has a cosy reception room with period features,
0:35:18 > 0:35:22a large modern kitchen, three bedrooms, one set up as a study.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25And although the garden is small,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29the village green is just a stone's throw away.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31I thought it was really lovely. I really liked it.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35I like the village it's in. You can walk in and it feels as though there's a good flow to it.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39And there's lots of windows. You've got good views.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42There's a wonderful ambience in here. There's a familiarity.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47Um, it's charming. The interior of this house,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49there's nothing to complain about.
0:35:49 > 0:35:54But the garden would take a little bit of work to dog proof.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- It's a glorious door.- Lovely door.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59If you can shut it behind you, that would be great.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04- Time for us to regroup. You seen all your houses. Time to think.- Indeed.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15In a leafy part of Warwickshire not far from the city of Coventry
0:36:15 > 0:36:18lie 10 acres of display gardens,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21which are all managed entirely organically,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25the headquarters of the National Charity for Organic Growing,
0:36:25 > 0:36:30which opened its Ryton Gardens site back in 1986,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33to advise visitors on every aspect of organic horticulture.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36It's also the home of a project that's proving vital
0:36:36 > 0:36:40in preserving our vegetable heritage.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42It's thought that since the 1970s,
0:36:42 > 0:36:47some 2,000 varieties of vegetable have been lost here in the UK,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51mainly due to the standardisation of our vegetable types by supermarkets,
0:36:51 > 0:36:53seed companies and the EU.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58Since 1991, the Heritage Seed Library has been amassing
0:36:58 > 0:37:02the seeds of around 800 rare and endangered vegetable varieties
0:37:02 > 0:37:05that would otherwise have been lost for ever.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08I've come to meet Chief Horticultural Officer Bob Sherman,
0:37:08 > 0:37:13who's going to show me some of the preservation in action.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15I can see here these are all run to seed.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Usually in a garden we would have deadheaded all these.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Yes, or eaten them, preferably, if they're vegetables.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24But we want to show people in this display
0:37:24 > 0:37:27just what seeding vegetables might look like.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31You've got a whole variety of things. You've got carrots in the foreground.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- These are carrots? - These are carrots here.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36And then the bigger, taller things in the back, those are parsnips.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41- It's amazing. You would never let them go to seed.- You wouldn't.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43And some of them, it's extraordinary.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46- The flowers of beetroot smell like sweet peas.- Really?
0:37:46 > 0:37:50That's extraordinary. I suppose because we're so used to thinking they just come in packet.
0:37:50 > 0:37:55Yes. This is growing it yourself. This is nature in the raw.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Back in the heyday, just imagine the golden era of gardening,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02would people have let things go to seed
0:38:02 > 0:38:05and then collect the seeds and then planted them again?
0:38:05 > 0:38:07At one time it was the only way to get seeds.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09Seed companies are a modern invention,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12relative to the history of agriculture.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Seed companies only start to appear really in the 18th century
0:38:16 > 0:38:20and reach their peak in the 19th century when they were just loads!
0:38:20 > 0:38:22What has happened is, of course, that commerce has meant
0:38:22 > 0:38:27that everything has shrunk down to the biggest, most successful players,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and there are far fewer seed companies than there used to be.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34As the charity can't physically grow every type of vegetable,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37they also rely on people they call seed guardians -
0:38:37 > 0:38:40a network of around 200 volunteers,
0:38:40 > 0:38:45who take on the responsibility of producing the seeds for them.
0:38:45 > 0:38:50And it's also volunteers like Rob here who sort the 40,000 packets of seeds
0:38:50 > 0:38:54that are annually distributed to the charity's 8,000 members.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59Over the decades, many varieties have been dropped from popular seed catalogues.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02The seed library collection contains many of these -
0:39:02 > 0:39:05but also a large number of family heirloom varieties.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11I went to sample one such variety with the help of a volunteer, Sally.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13This is Mr Gupta's Mustard.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18- It's a traditional...- Indian?- Yes. - I'm guessing, by "Mr Gupta".- Yes.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22It's used in Punjabi recipes. A very traditional thing.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Now is it called Mr Gupta's because Mr Gupta sent it in?
0:39:26 > 0:39:28- Yes, he gave it us.- Ah.
0:39:28 > 0:39:29That's great.
0:39:29 > 0:39:35So, say I've got Mr Gupta's delicious mustard...
0:39:35 > 0:39:37What do we do? What's the procedure?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I harvest a bit, dry them, and then send them in to you?
0:39:40 > 0:39:44If you think you've got something interesting that we may not have,
0:39:44 > 0:39:47then send them in as clean and as dry as you can.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50We will then check them out, grow them to see what they're like,
0:39:50 > 0:39:54and see that they're truly different, and interesting,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56and we want the back-story if we can get it, too,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59because that's all part of the history and heritage.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01And then we will make them available to other people.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03- And so the library goes on. - Does!
0:40:03 > 0:40:07What's great about this scheme is that it directly involves
0:40:07 > 0:40:11our nation of gardeners in nurturing and sharing rare vegetable varieties,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15ensuring they remain part of our country's horticultural heritage.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17I'm sorry to have to leave, but I have to find my home-buyer
0:40:17 > 0:40:20and find out what she's been thinking. But it's been a great day.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22It's been great to have you here.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Norma and Maggie, it's been a joy showing you around Warwickshire.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34A joy. And I think we've showed you some nice houses.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- Very nice houses. - They've all been exceptional.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Without fail. All of them.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Let's spin back the clock and look at the houses one by one.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44- Yes.- The first house - yesterday morning -
0:40:44 > 0:40:48- that was the thatched cottage. - Yes. Simply beautiful.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51- Absolutely what I ordered. - Chocolate box. Very English.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52Delightful.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And what about the rooms inside?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59I found them very charming. Slightly larger than I expected.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03- I did think they'd be more closed in.- What about the garden?
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Well, the garden is the thing that made the house, I think.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10I feel that if the garden hadn't been so spectacular,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13it might not have rated quite as highly.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18- The house was superb, but the garden topped it off.- Yes.- Delightful.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21So for the second house - we took you to another very nice village.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24You had reservations about the location.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I did. In terms of approaching the house,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I was pleasantly pleased with the expanse of it.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Very sweet garden, everything was great.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36But the fact it was situated directly across from a pub...
0:41:36 > 0:41:38It concerned me a little bit... Noise-factor.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41What about the inside of the property?
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Because it seemed a different layout from the first one.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48More spacious in some areas - very beautiful, very attractive.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- Very attractive. Very sunny.- Yes.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54But I did find, again, the ceilings very low.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57- So the mystery house had high ceilings.- Yes.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01- Which pleased you. - It did. I really liked the atmosphere in that house.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04I felt that I could live in that house.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06- From a personal point of view. - Sure.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11- But I knew that the garden was going to be a...a no-no.- A deal-breaker.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13It was very welcoming,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16and felt very much immediately like a family home, which it is.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And the interior - fantastic - really nice.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Looking at all three properties, what have you taken from the week?
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Well, I will revisit that first house.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- So the first house you might act on? - I'll take SOME action.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32I've got to find out how much it would cost to re-thatch it,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35and based on that being manageable over the years,
0:42:35 > 0:42:37I'm arranging a re-visit.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Well, I wish you all the best, it has been a real pleasure,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42because you've both got lots to say about all the properties
0:42:42 > 0:42:45and it's been really interesting taking you to these villages,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48which are new to you. And I hope you move in soon!
0:42:48 > 0:42:49Big thanks to you and the team.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Yes, it's been great, thank you.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Well, I have to say Norma kept us on our toes this week.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Because although she had a healthy budget -
0:43:01 > 0:43:02£300,000 is a lot of money -
0:43:02 > 0:43:06it does get stretched when you get close to Leamington Spa.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09So I'm quite proud that we managed to find her that thatched cottage,
0:43:09 > 0:43:11that I think will be a dream property.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14If you've enjoyed our escapades here in rural Warwickshire,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18then do join us next time for more Escape to the Country.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20If you'd like to escape to the country
0:43:20 > 0:43:22in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England
0:43:22 > 0:43:26and need our help, please apply online at:
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