Devon Escape to the Country

The county I'm in today is home to around 40,000 buildings like these made simply from mud.

Find out how they've weathered the test of time in just a few moments.

'On today's show, I'm accompanying a novelist and her daughter

'who've always lived in rented accommodation

'to buy their first house, a dream home in the country.

'Along the way, we find them the ideal place for family celebrations.'

-Oh, I can imagine Christmas here. Can you?

-Yeah.

-THEY LAUGH

'But later, it becomes a battle of the bedrooms.'

-This is mine.

-Oh!

-You can go and find your own room.

Today I'm in Devon, and here in the village of Drewsteignton

are some fantastic examples of properties dating as far back as the 15th century

made simply out of straw and soil, known as cob.

The clay-like soil found in this area had the ideal qualities for cob construction,

which is why so much of this type of architecture

can be found right across the county.

You may be thinking that using earth for building is a little primitive.

But because the materials are relatively cheap and eco-friendly,

cob construction methods can still be found in the county today.

And I'll be finding out what's involved in that process later in the programme.

But first, let's take a look at the county's other enduring features.

'Lying in southwest England,

'Devon is the only county with two separate coastlines.

'The North Atlantic coast is popular with surfers

'and is home to some of the finest beaches in England.

'The sandy expanse of shoreline in Croyde attracts sea-loving visitors,

'while the village itself, which lies within the North Devon area of outstanding natural beauty,

'exudes gentrified charm.

'Devon's landscape has provided the inspiration for many literary greats.

'Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes,

'used the wild, windswept southern landscape of Dartmoor

'as the backdrop for his most famous tale, The Hound Of The Baskervilles.

'The dramatic countryside around Exmoor inspired author RD Blackmore to set Lorna Doone there.

'Westward Ho!, the Victorian resort on the north Devon coast,

'was named after Charles Kingsley's novel from 1855.

'In the book he describes nearby Appledore

'as a little, white fishing village.

'In fact, this quayside community was the largest importer of tobacco in Elizabethan times

'and has been a thriving fishing port since the 14th century.'

Devon's popularity is reflected in its house prices.

The average cost of a detached property here is around £290,000.

That's around £35,000 above the national figure.

Now, generally speaking, your money stretches further in the north of the county.

So try out villages like South Molton and Bampton,

which will also get you closer to Exmoor National Park.

This, however, is in stark contrast

to the costly hotspots on the south coast, such as Salcombe and Dartmouth,

which seem to be perennially popular with the sailing fraternity.

But if you fancy heading inland

and sampling some of Devon's lush countryside,

try heading to central villages like Hatherleigh,

where you'll also get generally more value for money.

But no matter where you look in this fantastic county,

I think it's pretty fair to say there is a greater range of properties on offer.

'If there's one architectural style that typifies Devon, it has to be cob housing.

'Used since the 13th century, it involves the use of local earth materials

'such as straw, soil and water.

'And it's enjoying something of a revival here.

'In the attractive west Devon village of Drewsteignton, this Grade II end-of-terrace cottage

'with a thatched roof and two beds is priced at £275,000.

'And thatched properties are also a recurring theme

'in the pretty villages and hamlets across the county.

'Despite being a natural material,

'each straw thatch has a lifespan of around 25 years.

'This traditional whitewash property in the north Devon village of Chittlehampton is Grade II listed.

'It comes with three bedrooms, along with an attached barn,

'and is on the market for £385,000.'

Well, such a range of houses should certainly be of interest to today's buyers. Let's meet them.

'In today's house-hunting tale,

'Helen, an author of swashbuckling historical novels,

'is on a quest to find a country home with daughter Cathy.

'After living with Helen's husband, Ron, in their rented East London home for the past 17 years,

'good fortune has smiled on the family.

'Out of the blue, their dream of an escape to the country has turned into a reality.'

The reason why we want to move is we unexpectedly had a little bit of a windfall

which has given as the financial opportunity to move away.

-We want to move yesterday.

-SHE LAUGHS

It would be just so nice to get away from London,

take the chance to slow down a little bit,

appreciate the countryside,

-and the opportunity has arisen, and we're going to take it, aren't we?

-Yeah.

'It's Cathy's passion for horses that is really driving the family's enthusiasm for a change of scenery.'

I've got two horses at the moment, Lexi and Jasper.

We've always really wanted to move out cos of having the horses,

it's not practical, really, for where we are.

So finding somewhere with stables and land

would be a good move.

'So for Ron, Helen and Cathy's first house purchase they're off to Devon,

'which has served as an inspiration for Helen's latest pirate adventure novels.'

I think we were just talking one day and I said, "What about Devon?"

And both you and Dad went, "Oh, yeah, Devon would be nice."

-And that was it.

-Mm.

-Devon it is.

'While Cathy's fantasy is setting up livery stables

'and retiree Ron is in the garden tending to his pigeons,

'Helen will be getting stuck into her writing work.'

I'm not sure what I'm going to do for my next project.

It'll probably be another serious historical fiction. I've got a couple of ideas.

I'm just waiting for the inspiration of the view from my new study.

'So with a study and stables top of the wish list,

'there's one more thing Helen would really like from her new home.'

Somewhere we can move straight into. That is, I think, another priority.

Ron is a lot older than me. He doesn't really want to do work there.

He wants to go and enjoy his retirement.

'And husband Ron is very much taking a back seat in the property search.'

Helen knows what I want. I've told her.

And I trust them wholly to get it right first time

and sort it out in one go. I don't want to be mucked about.

'Being cash buyers will certainly help them move quickly.'

The maximum for our budget would be £620,000.

'North and central Devon are Helen and Cathy's preferred areas,

'ideally close to South Molton

'or the region Helen has written about in her latest novel,

'which includes the town of Bideford.

'They came to Devon to tell me more about their fantasy future home.'

Well, ladies, welcome to a Devonshire morning,

-quite a departure from Walthamstow, I'd have thought.

-It is a little bit. Yes.

-What are the must haves, then? Cathy, for you?

-Erm, it's mainly the stables,

-in that sense, because they are my main thing.

-OK.

Well, I suppose my must have would be I need somewhere where I can write.

What kind of house are we looking for? I take it it's going to be a smallholding of some sort, is it?

Well, something with stables and land,

-and we want somewhere where Cathy can have your own bedroom, sitting room.

-Space, yeah.

Somewhere where we can be together as a family, but where Cathy can have her independence.

We're looking for a lot of property all of a sudden.

-Yeah, it's quite a bit, isn't it, really?

-Yeah.

I think basically a house with four bedrooms.

-OK.

-A couple of reception rooms.

An annexe would be nice, but then you're looking price-wise, as well.

How soon can you move? Do you need to borrow any money?

-No, we're cash buyers.

-So you can do the deal.

-We can move in tomorrow.

-This is exciting, isn't it?

-It certainly is, yes.

Hugely exciting. Let's not pause any longer.

Let's get on with it. This way.

'Helen and Cathy have a specific list of what they hope to find

'for their budget of £620,000.

'First off, it has to be a character property with a study for Helen,

'a minimum of four bedrooms,

'and have a separate area or annexe for Cathy if possible.

'Outside they're after stables

'and at least eight acres of land for the horses to graze on.

'I'll be showing them three properties that we hope will inspire them.

'At each one, we'll be playing a price-guessing game after we've had a look around.

'Last up will be our mystery house, which could offer them everything

'as long as they're prepared to work for it.

'But let's head off to house number one.'

One practical thing that comes across my mind is the fact that

you're moving to a very rural environment

and neither of you drive. How are you going to get about?

-Well, Cathy is going to learn to drive.

-Yeah.

-And we might get a pony and trap, might we?

-Yeah.

Really? It's like going back in time, isn't it?

Yeah. Why not?

-I write historical fiction. It's good for research.

-There you go.

'Mindful of the preferred location,

'we've travelled around six and a half miles from South Molton to Chittlehamholt.

'Situated in the Taw Valley, this pretty village is full of history and character,

'with a thatched traditional coaching inn dating back to the 16th century

'and a community hall which hosts a variety of activities.

'Our first property continues the historic theme.

'Dating back in parts to the late 1700s,

'it was once a dairy farm and it provides the peaceful rural setting

'along with all the outbuildings and acreage.'

I want you to start here, really, cos this is where you get the best view of the house itself.

-Ooh, this is nice.

-Isn't it just?

Ooh, yes.

-And lovely and quiet.

-Well, listen, there's...

-..nothing to hear.

-Lovely!

-Nothing at all.

There's a lot of history in this house.

-You said you wanted character, didn't you?

-Yes.

Yeah, it looks a nice old cottage.

-Yeah, we'll see what it's got inside and see what size it is.

-Yeah.

OK. Let's go inside. This way.

'So the period charm of this stone property

'is working its magic so far. And as we walk around to the back door,

'in typical farmhouse fashion,

'I'm hoping they'll be impressed with what they find inside.'

Now then, I'm not sure just how important the kitchen is to you ladies,

but I thought this was rather lovely.

-Yes. It is quite a nice size, actually, isn't it?

-It's a proper farm kitchen, isn't it?

Just through there, there's a little dining room with patio doors

-going out to a sun terrace, cos south is that way.

-Right.

Do you like... How is it...

A lot of people talk about this fuzzy feeling that they get when they walk into a home.

Certainly you spend a lot more time in the house because you work from here, don't you?

-Yes.

-If I can squeeze past you, Cathy, let's go to the living room next.

'I know Helen needs somewhere to write and she'll find it just off the main reception area,

'which is wonderfully atmospheric and brimming with period detail.'

This is where you're starting to feel the real age of the property and character that you're after.

Oh, this is nice. Oh!

-I can imagine Christmas here, can't you?

-Yeah.

Is this is the sort of thing you like, as well, Cathy?

-Yeah, I like the all the old things and everything.

-Yeah. OK.

-You did say you wanted to work from home.

-Yeah.

-And I was thinking,

the study for you could be just through here. Let's have a look.

Now, Helen, do mind your step.

Is this big enough for a writing room or a study?

Yes. Yes. And it's nice and light and airy and I've got a view.

It could be nice and quiet.

-This is not going to be my study or my office, this would be my snug.

-Oh, right!

Somehow, I think writing books has taken a back seat, all of a sudden.

-Yes, I'm not going to get any work done.

-Oh.

-All right.

-Great!

-Perfect. If you're happy, I'm happy.

-Yes.

'Helen seems so smitten by this house, she's thinking of giving up the day job.

'Now we're going to head upstairs, which certainly delivers, as there are four bedrooms in all.

'Two good size doubles with exposed beams,

'one which also has a cast iron fireplace,

'and a further double in the newer, 19th-century part of the house.

'But we're heading for the largest one.'

This, I think, is the master bedroom out of four bedrooms you have.

Oh, nice.

Four bedrooms, one bathroom, a really lovely family bathroom.

But I know you said ideally you would like to have your own bathrooms.

You don't have that here. OK? So this is a compromise.

Well, Helen, if we've got you onboard with the house,

-we need to get you, Cathy, on board with the land and the stables.

-Yeah.

I think you might be, anyway. Let's hope so.

-Just through here.

-Let's go see.

'Outside there are two good-size outbuildings, a cow shed and a dairy,

'which offers great conversion potential for that independent living space for Cathy,

'with the right permissions in place, of course.

'There's also some up and running equestrian facilities for her future riding business.'

Stables you wanted. Stables you have.

-Right.

-Ooh!

-Four boxes.

-Yeah.

-They look all right.

-Right at the end of the garden.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Are these the sort of things you had in mind?

-Yeah, similar.

It'd be nice maybe to have a few more to branch out into a livery,

but I don't know what field space there is.

-The only thing you haven't looked at yet is the land.

-Yep.

-And there's loads of that. Come with me.

-Brilliant.

'So, along with the stables, Cathy was hoping for around eight acres of land.

'And with this property, we've more than delivered,

'as she's got two paddocks here,

'along with the top field which is the same size as the paddocks together.'

How much land is here?

-13 acres.

-Right.

-I think that's enough, don't you?

-I hope so.

-You've got the stable yard to yourself.

-Yeah.

How much do you think this house is on the market for? With all of its land?

-I'd say, what, 600?

-OK. Cathy?

-What do you reckon?

I think maybe a little bit more, maybe, like, 615.

You'll be pleasantly surprised to hear that this place is on the market for offers around £575,000.

-Oh, right. That's quite a bit lower.

-OK. Definitely sold.

Yeah. I think first off, go back and look at the stables,

then go into the house, have a good look around the house itself.

And then, whenever you're finished, we'll go on to the next property.

-OK.

-OK.

-All right?

-Yep.

-Go and have another look.

-Away you go. Good luck.

-Thank you.

'At £575,000, the price is a nice twist in the tale,

'as this house comes in well under budget

'and addresses all the elements they asked for.

'Helen gets her study-cum-snug,

'a characterful sitting room and four bedrooms.

'Outside, the horses are well-catered for, with four stables.

'And there's an outbuilding which Cathy could develop for herself.

'All set in 13 acres of paddocks and fields.'

They're good-sized stables. There's only four of them

so one would obviously have to be for tack and feed.

It's mainly the space in the house, I think,

more than the actual land and the stables.

So there's another bedroom. But you could have that as your bedroom

and this could be the sitting room, cos you've got a nice fire there.

It could make a nice little cosy sitting room for you.

I love the house. It's just the right sort of period.

I can feel there's such an atmosphere in there.

I know I can sit and write in that place.

-When can we move in?

-SHE LAUGHS

-I don't want to go home!

-SHE LAUGHS

There's so much to look at.

-Hopefully you've seen it all, have you?

-I think so, yes.

Well, I have to rush you on because we have another property.

-Hopefully a bit of land to look round again. So let's go.

-OK.

'North Devon is dotted with pretty historic villages and market towns

'set in the midst of unspoiled green countryside.

'Great Torrington must be one of the most spectacular

'due to its cliff-top position above the River Torridge.

'Known as the cavalier town, it played a significant role in the English Civil War,

'the battle here marking the end of the Royalist resistance in the West Country.

'The surrounding landscape has remained practically unchanged

'since the 1920s, when Henry Williamson wrote his novel, Tarka The Otter.

'And these days, it's a popular place with walkers, cyclists and horse riders alike.

'As both Helen and Cathy, an expert rider, share an interest in all things equestrian,

'we arranged for them to visit a riding school in nearby Petrockstowe

'to find out more about a traditional mode of transport from its owner, Gail Palmer.

'The 19th century was the golden age of carriage driving,

'when horsepower was the main form of transport.'

The West Country is a good place to do carriage driving

because it's... the roads here are less busy.

And there's more off-road driving you can do, anyway.

There are qualifications that you can take,

such as the Competency Test,

which is something the Great Western Harness Club expect you to have achieved

before you can attend a public event with your own horse.

And then there's the BDS Road Assessment Test,

which speaks for itself,

which is qualifications on how to handle your driving horse on the road.

So how practical would driving a carriage be to, let's say,

going backwards and forwards to the shops and things?

A lot of people now are going back to the old thing now

where they do use carriage and horse for transport,

which would include going to the shops.

'As neither Helen or Cathy drive a car,

'this could be both a very useful and nostalgic way for them to travel

'once they've completed their British Driving Society training.

'One of the skills they would learn would be to harness the horse correctly.

'A key piece of equipment is the breeching, which is worn around the horse's hindquarters.'

But it's this breeching that we need to make sure is correctly fitted,

not too high, not to low, on his hindquarters

cos that's what he stops the carriage with as he's coming downhill.

'Once they've harnessed up, it's time for Helen and Cathy

'to get their protective gear on, too, as the carriage is readied for the off,

'a process that needs an extra pair of hands from assistant Abby.

'Then there's a quick lesson about holding the reins for Cathy, who's going to share the driving.'

This is how you hold the reins in traditional driving.

And your left rein is coming over your index finger

and your right rein is going in the middle of your four fingers.

'The British Driving Society has a Devon branch

'which runs events in the county throughout the year.

'A great way for Cathy and Helen to meet like-minded people.'

That's good. Good boy, Bruno.

-How you feeling?

-Yep.

-I can feel his mouth, so...

-Yeah, that's good.

'Now they've enjoyed a ride through the Devon countryside,

'let's hope we can steer Helen and Cathy in the right direction

'as our house-hunt continues.'

'Chapter two on our journey takes us close to the village of Bishops Nympton,

'which lies about three miles from South Molton.

'Once an estate of the Bishop of Exeter,

'it's a charming community in a valley setting

'and home to a whole host of well-preserved buildings.

'The 15th century church tower is a local landmark,

'and along with a shop for everyday necessities,

'there's a very characterful inn where the residents gather and can play a traditional game of skittles.

'Our second property lies around two miles away in the hamlet of Mariansleigh,

'a small cluster of houses on a high exposed ridge.

'This is an entirely different proposition to our first home

'as they'll need to think more laterally about the land,

'while the property itself needs no work at all.'

Well, then, here's the second house.

-Looks nice.

-More modern looking, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yeah, by a couple of hundred years, I think.

-THEY LAUGH

-This place is just over four years old.

-Right. OK.

-What's your first impressions of it?

-First impression is it looks very plain and ordinary.

OK.

But I think it could be looks are deceptive, maybe.

-Good. Well, keep an open mind.

-Yep.

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

'I'm glad they're giving this property a chance, because the interior does have character,

'it's just more contemporary, and includes bespoke features such as the staircase,

'which is the first thing that greets us as we step through the door.'

This is a house that you very much use the front door,

-because you want to make use of this wonderful entrance hall.

-This is nice.

-Very different.

-OK.

-And the kitchen is different again. Follow me.

-OK.

I know neither of you are particularly keen cooks.

-Ooh!

-But I think you might have to learn.

-Yes, quite a big kitchen.

-This is a nice big kitchen, yes.

-Yes, it's a bigger kitchen than in the other house.

-I would probably use the range. You won't.

-No.

I'll use the table. I'll sit in here, though.

-Sit there, cup of tea, looking out the window. Yeah, I would do that.

-It's a stunning view, isn't it?

'Towards the back of the house, there's a small study or snug which might work for Helen.

'But we're going to take a look at the main living room.'

So the other side of the house...

..another south-facing reception room.

Another nice room. It's a nice size.

My feel is that it's not a home yet because it's new.

There's no sense of the past and of people who lived here before that.

-But then, you make it a home, don't you?

-Yeah.

We're talking about land and stables, but you spend a lot of time inside, working and relaxing,

-so let's keep thinking about that.

-Yep.

-Let's go upstairs to the bedrooms and see how those might work for you.

-Yep.

-OK.

'Upstairs in this immaculate home, there are four bedrooms in total,

'all of them a very good size,

'with one ready to use as an office if Helen prefers to work upstairs.

'They stand alongside a generous and stylish family bathroom.

'The third bedroom, however, comes with its own en suite shower room

'which will be good news for them, as we take a look at the master.'

Now, Cathy, you'll be rather pleased to hear that there are two bedrooms of this size.

-Right.

-Oh, right.

-Both of which are en suite.

-Oh.

-OK. That's you sorted for that, then.

-This is a nice size.

-Mm.

-At least you get your own space then, don't you?

-Yeah.

Yeah, unlike the first one, which didn't really have any space at all.

It's a shame, that.

It still all depends on what's on the outside.

-And that is, in some ways, even more important than the house for us, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Right, OK. Well, let's go outside.

-Let's go and have a look.

-But think laterally. You might need to use your imagination with this one, OK?

-Yep.

All right. Let me just squeeze past there.

-I'm an author. I can do that.

-Good!

-Don't put any pirates anywhere.

-THEY LAUGH

'While the house works perfectly for them in terms of layout,

'the land does need careful planning to give them the stables and space they're after.

'With a total of four and a half acres,

'there's plenty of paddock at the back of the house which would need fencing.

'There's also a choice of adaptable outbuildings,

'including a store shed and two large barns,

'which give Cathy great potential to develop into stabling in the future.'

Loads of outbuildings, land that needs a bit of thinking,

maybe some attention to make it horse-ready, I would've thought.

But, yeah, in the long run,

you could probably make something of it if you wanted to.

-So, you know what's coming.

-Yeah.

-THEY LAUGH

-Ooh, this is going to be hard.

-I think maybe around 590.

-590, all right.

I was going to go maybe a bit more. I think 615.

Right. Well, this is on the market for offers around £650,000.

-That is high.

-That is high.

-I thought it would be higher.

I think it's really interesting what you said about,

"It's practical, we just don't think it's a home yet.

"Maybe we could make it a home." Maybe revisit that conversation.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Let's go and have a look.

-OK.

Away you go. I'll see you whenever you're ready.

'So, this stunning property may be priced over their budget at £650,000

'but as cash buyers, they're in a great position to negotiate.

'It offers a fantastic bespoke interior

'with a light, spacious kitchen/diner,

'a choice of study spaces for Helen

'and four bedrooms, two of which are en suite.

'Outside is bursting with potential with its many outbuildings

'and provides four and a half acres of land.'

The land is smaller, so it'll be easier to manage.

It's nice that there's a barn, but again, it's having to put stables in.

But it's a good possibility to think about having larger stables

rather than the smaller ones in the first property.

I did like it. I just feel with this, it needs a little bit more past life to it.

This is a blank page.

You've got to write your own story onto this house.

I was just thinking, pity we didn't get better weather, cos there's a fantastic view here, isn't there?

This would be stunning of an evening, sitting here.

-Wouldn't it just?

-Yeah.

-Now, two completely different houses.

-Hopefully something to compare against each other.

-Yes.

-That's it for today, so let's go back.

-OK.

-Right.

'So, as dusk falls over the dramatic Devon landscape,

'it marks the end of a tale of two very different houses

'in our property search.

'Author Helen, who specialises in swashbuckling historical novels,

'has had an unexpected windfall.

'So together with daughter Cathy and husband Ron, she can leave her rented London maisonette behind

'and with £620,000,

'buy a dream home in the Devon countryside.

'She loved the historic bones of our first property,

'while our stunning second house fell short of giving them a warm, homely feeling.

'But coming up, the mystery property proves that truth is stranger than fiction.'

It reminds me of an inn off of one of the old films,

like, fantasy films.

'And I get back to basics and try my hand at building a cob wall.'

So of the two properties we saw yesterday,

I'm pretty sure it was the character of the first that appealed to Helen's love of history.

Even though, in house terms, maybe the second property was the most practical option.

But one thing they haven't yet seen is a house with the land and stables

but also access to a community.

Let's face it, neither of the ladies drive.

So if they're going to get that, as you can imagine, there may well be a compromise somewhere.

But that's where the mystery house comes in.

It's here to challenge the expectations of our buyers.

It asks them to use their imagination,

which is something I'm hoping novelist Helen will have little problem with.

'For the final chapter of our property story,

'we've taken the road to the village of Weare Giffard,

'around four miles from Bideford.

'It sits on the east bank of the River Torridge,

'with all the necessary day-to-day amenities and surrounded by walking country.

'In the 13th century, it was part of the estate of the Giffard family,

'and the Weare part of the name can be traced back to the tradition of salmon fishing here,

'as mentioned in the Doomsday Book.

'Within striking distant of the village and on a useful bus route

'for our non-driving buyers, the mystery property dates back to the 16th century.

'Yes, it offers fantastic potential for the livery business

'as well as offering Cathy more independence.

'But it throws down the gauntlet of having to do some work to give them all of that,

'and I know that was something they wanted to avoid.'

So, as you can see, right on the edge of the village,

-the last house in the village...

-Yep.

-..is the mystery house.

-This is nice.

-It reminds me of an inn off of one of the old films.

Like, fantasy films.

-Right. Or maybe a fantasy novel.

-Yes!

Inspiration maybe for the next one.

OK, well, good first impressions. Let's get inside.

'Our mystery property certainly delivers on the charm as well as fantastic views.

'And I know they'll love the inside, too, so we're starting

'by heading for the side door into the kitchen, which was added in the 1980s.'

Straight into the kitchen.

-You wouldn't normally use this entrance.

-Yeah.

-What do you think?

-I think this is a nice compromise size kitchen.

-It's not too big.

-Yeah.

-It's a bit more, erm, modern.

-But there's enough room to move around here.

Well, I learnt that kitchens aren't hugely important to you.

You're not particularly keen cooks. You're out busy with the horses and you're busy writing.

-It's nice and light and airy. Yeah, I like this.

-Good. All right.

'With the kitchen passing the test, we're heading for the sitting room,

'which I think will be to Helen's liking.'

Right, then. Something a bit different, I think.

-Come right in.

-Oh, yeah, I like this.

-Nice fireplace. Nice and cosy.

-It's got a fireplace both ends.

Yeah. Going back to what you said you wanted,

you could imagine yourself in an older building with an open fire.

Well, you've got your choice of which one to use.

One for me, one for Ron or one for you.

Let's go upstairs now. We'll talk about some options

-and then... Don't worry, I'll let you outside. All right?

-Yes!

-Let's go.

'So far in our property search, we haven't managed to completely crack

'giving Cathy an independent area to call her own.

'But this property definitely comes the closest.'

Right, let's start with the master bedroom.

-Oh, this is nice!

-Yeah, quite big.

-Yes.

-Look, you want the independence, don't you?

-Yeah.

-This has a fantastic en suite at the end.

-Yeah.

-You've got another double bedroom next door.

And then at the back end of the house, you've got a double bedroom

-with an office next door which you can knock through to if you want and another bathroom.

-OK. Good.

-You have complete separation if you want.

-Right.

-That sounds good.

-Mm.

I will be fighting Cathy, because look at that view out there.

-I like that. This is mine.

-Ohh!

-You can go and find your own room.

'Upstairs may be where Cathy could sleep to start with,

'but I've got a real treat up my sleeve for her,

'as we head outside to the detached garage.

'This could be converted into two large stables for her horses.

'But it's upstairs that could be her domain,

'as there's planning permission for accommodation and work has already begun.'

-So, above the stables...

-Uh-huh.

..is current planning consent

-for a one-bed apartment.

-Oh, yeah!

-Oh, right, OK.

-Well, this'd been all right, wouldn't it?

-It's quite large, actually.

But for you, I thought it was ideal. You've got independence, nearby though.

Yeah, that is a lot easier, in that sense of that independence, yeah.

So, the only thing we haven't seen is some land.

Yeah, that's the other thing now that's going to worry us.

'For the all-important horses, we've already seen two potential stables.

'And there's the opportunity of having more on the other side of the house,

'where there's an old granary currently with permissions granted to convert to a two-bed holiday let.

'The grazing land is across a pretty wooden bridge

'and the land stretches all the way down to a boundary fence,

'giving them plenty of acreage to play with.'

-So all in all, you've got comfortably over six acres here.

-Mm-hm.

OK? Of usable land.

Now, you do need to bear in mind, there is a covenant on this land,

-which means you can't build on it.

-Right.

-Right.

So any potential stabling you might want to build extra to what we've seen

-has to be done that side of the water.

-OK.

-Right.

-So...

-Ooh, dear.

-..land for your horses.

You've got a lovely house with potential for your own accommodation

next door above the garage, which could be stabling.

-You know where I'm going.

-Yes! We've now got to make a guess.

I'm going to go over-budget, 650.

-OK. Cathy?

-Yeah, I think a bit less. I'm going to go for about 600.

Good guess. Offers around 599,999.

-Right.

-Just recently reduced from around 625.

So that's well within budget

-and even does allow us enough for doing that conversion, as well.

-Yeah.

Go back into all the accommodation you haven't yet seen.

-All right?

-OK.

-OK.

-I'll meet you whenever you're finished.

-OK!

-See you in a mo.

-OK.

'Priced just shy of £600,000,

'there's money left over to complete that conversion of Cathy's accommodation.

'Overall, the mystery house is a compelling package,

'providing a characterful sitting room,

'four bedrooms, two with en suite,

'while outside there's a garage ripe for conversion to stables

'with a work-in-progress living space for Cathy upstairs.

'There's also the bonus of a further outbuilding,

'all wrapped up in six acres of land

'with village amenities right on their doorstep.'

Nice house, got a nice atmosphere, very welcoming.

Being on the edge of the village makes sense.

This is far more practical, really, for what we should be looking for.

Yeah, it's got potential for changing the block into stables and accommodation above.

The nice flat land, the downside to it is you can't build on it.

Now, then. Have you sorted out who goes where?

Yeah, I think... it's got possibilities upstairs, hasn't it?

-Yeah. I think there's still a lot to think about.

-Very much.

Let's find you somewhere to do that thinking and have a chat afterwards.

-OK.

-OK.

-Just this way. Mind your step.

'Throughout the Devon countryside, traditional cob buildings are a familiar sight.

'These thick-walled structures built from soil, straw and water

'are common in southwest England where the subsoil is a sandy clay

'and where other building materials like wood and stone were once rare.

'Thought to date back to the 13th century,

'this sustainable building style is making a comeback today

'after falling out of fashion with the advent of commercial brick-making in the 18th century.

'On the edge of Dartmoor, the heritage of this traditional building material

'is being kept alive by Jackie Abey and Jill Smallcombe,

'two artists who specialise in the use of cob in art and architecture.

'I went to meet them at Jackie's cob farmhouse in Drewsteignton.'

Well, thank you very much for seeing me today, ladies.

-I understand, Jackie, you're the owner of this fine-looking structure behind us.

-I live here, yes.

-This is a typical Devon long house.

-Right.

-Quite a few, obviously, in Devon.

-Yeah.

-Made out of cob.

You know all the thatched cottages with whitewashed walls, they're mostly made of cob.

Because most of the cob houses are listed,

-you have to repair like for like.

-Yes.

So that has been very good for keeping the traditional method.

-So the listing has safeguarded the technique as much as anything else.

-I think it really has.

And what's been fantastic in the last ten years

is that architects, surveyors, planners,

are really getting on board with that and it's the vernacular of Devon.

'Cob is actually an English term for mud-building,

'which uses no form, bricks or wooden structures,

'just whatever local materials are available.

'Jill and Jackie are going to take me through the process of making it.'

Now, everybody goes, "What's the mixture? What quantities?"

And we reckon it's about a small bale to a ton of subsoil.

Then people say, "How much water?"

Well, it depends how dry your subsoil is.

So the answer to all those questions is, "Until it's about right." THEY LAUGH

It's easy to teach in that it's a very simple process,

but it's very hard to have hard and fast rules about it.

'So we're adding wet soil onto this straw until it looks about right,

'and after that, the process of mixing the two together

'is done rather in the manner of treading grapes,

'simply by jumping up and down to break down the soil and work it into the straw.

'I'm glad I've got my wellies on for this bit.

'The next stage is then turning the mixture with a spade.

'Once it's ready, I'm all set to try my hand at building a cob wall

'with the help of a rather unexpected implement.'

If you leap up on there, we'll show you how it's done.

And also, before you get on, quickly,

you always pare back, or cut back,

your lift, your previous lift.

So all this has been cut back with a mattock first.

But also, it cuts the straw, so it cuts the straw and pulls it downwards.

-So when you've got rain, it runs off the wall.

-Oh, clever! Yes, of course!

-So if you want to jump up.

-Right.

-There's a cricket bat.

Of course. Why wouldn't there be?

-And what we're going to do is just place it with the pitch fork, the mud.

-Yes.

You've then got to stand on it and hit it on the sides

-because cob works by being compressed.

-Right, OK.

'The most effective way to build a cob wall is with a team of two people on the ground

'loading the mixture onto the wall, while another two are on the top trampling it down.'

So you stand on it...

-That's it. Squidge it out.

-Brilliant.

Whack it with your cricket bat. No, come on, with a bit of...

-Oh, really? I can have a good go at it, can I?

-That's it.

-This is where you get rid of the tensions of the day, is it?

-Therapy, yeah.

And then turn round and do the other side, cos it all falls off otherwise. That's it.

-Oh, so I'm making sure everything on here...

-Stays there.

-..is staying on there.

'So, a very simple but it appears very effective method,

'as Devon has around 40,000 cob buildings in all.'

Well, it's great to see a traditional process that, just like these buildings behind me,

has stood the test of time. Now let's catch up with our buyers

to see if they've been tempted by any of the properties we've shown them.

So let's start at the beginning. The first property.

-I really liked that little house.

-You did, didn't you?

I really did like that little house. And the field space and the stables were already there for us.

Yeah. There was a lot of land there

and the stables are already there and set,

it'd just be a case of looking into whether that building could be converted into a small cottage.

The view across that valley was stunning.

I would've moved in there that morning.

OK. So you did have to leave there, unfortunately, Helen.

What about the second property in the afternoon?

It was very interesting looking at a modern build.

-Yeah, it was quite clean and sleek in that sense.

-Yes.

It just didn't feel like a home.

And I think because the land needed so much to do with it...

The land needed a lot of attention.

The barns were nice. It'd be nice to have barns.

But the land did need a lot of work.

-All in all, it just wasn't quite right for us.

-No.

OK. So the land needed some work.

So this morning, I took you to the mystery property, which...

I wanted you to see something which I thought should be important to you

and that was to have a community nearby, but it also had pretty much everything you asked for.

Nice-looking cottage and everything. The buildings are quite nice.

Nice flat ground. I'm just sort of looking into it closer,

not having the building facilities to put a manege in is the downside.

It gave you, unlike the first two properties,

some independence accommodation-wise, didn't it?

-You could have your own space, which I thought...

-Yeah, that was quite nice.

And the fact that it's got the planning permission already

means it's something we haven't got to worry about, we just go ahead and do it.

-I like the third place because it is near the village.

-Yep.

But I did like that cottage garden at the first one.

I think property one is possibly the best in the long run,

cos it is only one thing that needs to be done, to try to get accommodation.

-So what's the next step for you?

-I think I would like to come back

to look and number one and possibly the mystery house again.

Well, if I was a betting man,

I would probably put my money on the first property,

just because of especially you, Helen, the way you reacted to the character.

-I did like that character place.

-But no matter that you do

-and when you do it, please let us know what your next step is.

-Yeah.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

Well, if you excuse the pun, I'm not sure it is a two-horse race

between the mystery property and property number one,

especially when you consider just how well Helen reacted

when she saw that first property. It had everything, didn't it?

It had the land, the character building,

but it didn't have one thing and that was for Cathy,

that independent living accommodation.

But when they come back down here to Devon and do their second viewings,

I think if they can satisfy themselves

that they can convert that separate building at property number one

into ancillary accommodation for Cathy,

I'm pretty sure that'll come out on top. See you next time.

'Well, my bet would have paid off,

'as Helen and Cathy went back to see house one

'and had their offer accepted.

'So they and Ron should be moving in very soon.

'It looks like happily ever after for all of them.

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

'Northern Ireland or England and need our help,

'please apply online at:

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

.