Cumbria Escape to the Country

These mountains are home to a factory that was among the most significant in England.

But I've turned up about 5,000 years too late to see it in production.

What was made here and where am I? Find out as we escape to the country.

On today's show, I'll be taking our buyers

to a county that's almost a home from home,

as they've been holidaying there all their lives.

'Along the way, I'm hoping to unlock the potential in some very intriguing properties.'

-That's the key to the front door.

-BOTH: Wow!

It gives you a clue what it's like in there.

'And then the appeal of the mystery house

'makes them go all territorial.'

I'm not sure I'd invite the family, cos they'd never leave.

SHE LAUGHS

I'm in the Lake District, in Cumbria.

Behind me is the Langdale axe factory,

which, in the Mesolithic period,

was so successful that over a quarter of stone axes

unearthed in England came from this site.

As you can see, it's not the easiest factory in the world to get to,

hence the sweat on my brow.

But prehistoric man used to climb this slope

to collect a rare vein of volcanic rock.

This scree is entirely man-made.

It's failed axes and factory shavings.

Later on in the programme, I'll try my hand at axe-making.

If that doesn't take your fancy,

there's plenty going on in this county

that's sure to appeal.

Cumbria is the most north-westerly county in England,

and is home to its largest national park, the Lake District.

Covering nearly 900 square miles,

the Lake District's boundaries contain all ten

of the highest peaks in England,

and over 20 major bodies of water,

from Bassenthwaite Lake in the north

to the queen of them all in the south, Windermere.

At 10½ miles long and over a mile wide,

Windermere is England's largest natural stretch

of its type.

In fact, it's so big

that it even has its own tides.

Like the rest of the country,

house prices here in Cumbria reached a peak

back in 2008,

before crashing, and they're still on a fluctuating downward spiral.

The price for an average detached house here now

is £241,000.

That's £10,000 below the national figure,

and also lower than they were at the height of the crash.

But if you step inside the Lake District Park boundaries,

then that saving is lost.

You'll be paying a premium of around 15%,

especially in touristy areas like Windermere,

but for that price, not only will you get fantastic views,

but also a choice of period styles.

Like Beatrix Potter without rabbits, or Wordsworth without daffodils,

the English Lakes wouldn't be the same without Lakeland cottages.

These whitewashed homes with their slate roofs dot the fells

and come in all shapes and sizes.

For a two-to-three-bedroom property in the area around Windermere,

you can expect to pay anything

from £250,000,

depending on how much renovation work

has been done.

But if you're taken with the slate tiles,

why not go for an entirely slate property?

With the wealth and variety of quarries in the county,

you can find them in a myriad of colours.

Green slate of Keswick,

to the blue-grey of Skiddaw.

Commonly two-up, two-down,

you can expect to pay upwards of £200,000 for one of these treasures.

So lots of fantastic properties on offer,

but who are our buyers? Let's meet them.

'Management consultant, Tony, and his wife, Helen

'have lived in their four-bedroomed house in a suburb of Manchester for almost seven years.

'Since Helen took redundancy from her management job 18 months ago,

'they've been seriously considering a move to the country,

'especially as their ten-year-old daughter, Amelia,

'is about to start secondary education.'

We've been thinking about the possibility

of a move

from when I took redundancy,

because there was nothing really keeping us here,

apart from maybe Amelia's school.

Tony can work from pretty much anywhere.

It was really whether Amelia wanted to go. As soon as she said, "Yes, absolutely"...

And the added incentive, of course,

is we're looking for a bit of land,

and she would like her own pony.

She'd like a donkey - in fact, she's probably like a zoo.

SHE LAUGHS

That's one of the reasons that we're going.

And the location they've chosen is a county

they've fallen head-over-heels for.

My grandmother and grandfather had caravans up in the Lake District,

So I used to spend a lot of my childhood up there,

and fell in love with the place from being three or four years old.

Obviously, since we've been together,

we've spent a lot of holidays up there.

We're in the fortunate position where my father bought

a holiday cottage, probably about seven or eight years ago,

so that enabled us

to go up every other weekend,

cos we shared the holiday cottage with him.

It's somewhere very close to our hearts.

It's like a second home to us, really.

Helen hopes to find a teaching assistant post when they move,

while Tony's consultancy job means

he can increasingly work from home and enjoy more family time.

It's also their passion for their animals that's central to their future home,

with their two dogs

and a potential new pony to cater for.

To come up to Cumbria, the whole idea is we can spend more time

as a family - getting outside, walking,

cycling, walking the dogs.

Amelia riding horses, me watching.

We want to get back to that lifestyle

that we've seen every now and again

on weekends and holidays, etcetera.

So, outside space is key.

But that doesn't mean the interior won't have a lot to live up to.

My ideal house in Cumbria would be a traditional Cumbrian farmhouse-type building,

which would have a large room, which is a family room,

which has the dining room incorporated.

Nice, large kitchen.

Big utility room,

and taking dogs out, dirty feet all the time,

boot room, etcetera.

One final point of note -

that's the finances.

The maximum budget for the move will be £600,000.

Tony and Helen would like to be in the South Lakes area,

within a reasonable distance of Windermere.

And close to new schools for their daughter, Amelia.

They'll also need good commuting links

to the M6 motorway, and trains for Tony's work.

'I caught up with them in this area's beautiful countryside,

'to find out more about their move.'

Helen, Tony, welcome to the Lake District.

-Welcome.

-It should be you showing me round. You know the area well, don't you?

-Yes, indeed.

Let's talk about what sort of house you want in this idyllic location.

What are you after?

We're looking for something traditional,

possible cottage-type environment.

Minimum of three bedrooms, with a bit of land around it.

My daughter's into horses and things, so we're looking at

getting something with a bit of land,

with eventually to buying a horse.

So you want quite a bit of land?

Well, hopefully.

You know that within the National Park,

land comes at a premium?

-Especially if it has a house attached to it.

-Yes.

-Would you be willing to rent land?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Thank God you've said that!

-THEY LAUGH

-Shall we get going?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Follow me.

'For their maximum budget of £600,000,

'Tony and Helen would like their rural retreat to have

'a large family room,

'a kitchen/diner,

'a utility room with garden access,

'a study for Tony to work from home,

'three bedrooms,

'an enclosed, dog-friendly garden

'and also some space to keep a pony or two.'

We've selected three fabulous properties

that we think they will adore.

And at each one, I'll ask them to guess the price,

before I reveal it.

Last on the viewing list is, of course, the mystery house,

which could throw a whole new business proposition into the mix.

I can imagine this is a fantastic place for a holiday,

but do you think there's a danger sometimes

in making a holiday destination home?

Yes, there definitely is,

but we've seen this more as a destination

we've always aspired to get to.

We have looked at that aspect, but we have the school

for Amelia, which is local to us.

And we have a support network and infrastructure up here,

with Helen's father living up here.

We've taken that into account, to be honest.

'We've made the trip a few miles north of Kendal,

'to the valley parish of Longsleddale,

'and we're a 30-minute drive from Windermere, for Amelia's school.'

Longsleddale has a church, community hall,

and around 30 houses scattered over four miles,

on either side of the River Sprint.

It's also the inspiration behind the fictional Greendale,

home of children's TV show, Postman Pat.

'Our first property is a 17th-century, traditional Lakeland cottage,

'a former farmhouse, built of local stone

'and slate.'

-This is it.

-Lovely.

-Very spectacular view.

-That's what makes it.

-You couldn't ask for more than that.

-What do you think?

-Yeah.

-First impressions, lovely.

We'll go in, but have you got the key?

-No.

-No.

-Do they have keys round here(?) Is that the key?

-That's the key to the front door.

-Wow!

-That gives you a little clue what it will be like in there.

-Fabulous.

Let's go in.

'Another "key" to this lovely old farmhouse

'is that it's just overflowing with character and traditional features.

'I think it will be a real treat for our buyers

'when they step through the front door.'

Come on in.

Don't be shy.

SHE LAUGHS

-Wow.

-Wow!

First impressions?

Very nice. Love the fireplace.

-Yes.

-Absolutely love that.

Love the beams, love the character.

There's so much character in this room.

Original door, beams...

And this thing here.

-Do you know what this is?

-No.

-You'd bake your cakes

and your bread, and you'd put them there so the mice don't get at them while they cool down.

-It's good, isn't it?

-Great.

Fabulous. Yes, something you would keep.

The little room through there used to be the original kitchen.

-At the moment, it's an office - which could be ideal for you as well.

-Yes.

-Again, the door tucked away.

-Yep.

-And you have another little room which leads to the kitchen. Shall we look?

-Yes!

Lead on.

'Through the second room, or "snug", at the back of the house,

'is the entrance to the kitchen,

'which is in the part of the building that was once the hay loft.

'The kitchen runs the full length of the property,

'and opens onto the garden at the back.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-I wouldn't change this, at all.

-Really?!

-No, I'd leave it. It's fine, I'm happy with it.

Brilliant. Well, a happy you is a happy you.

The kitchen is well-designed,

and it works within the space that it's in.

It's versatile enough

that we could move things around to suit our needs, really.

-The range is fantastic.

-What about cooking on that range?

Can you imagine washing up and looking at that view?

-It's ridiculous, isn't it?

-It's great.

'With the downstairs of the property seemingly just the ticket,

'it's time to show Tony and Helen what's on the first floor.

'I'll start by showing them where they might be sleeping.'

-This is the master bedroom, currently.

-OK.

Little smaller than we'd hoped, but it's a cottage.

I love the window.

Yeah, I mean,

to just sit there and look out...

That's your back garden.

But don't you want that big bedroom with a nice dressing area,

with a massive en suite?

-She would, yes.

-I'd love a bedroom with a dressing...

-You could maybe have it in this one.

-OK.

-All right?

-Let me show you something.

-Go on, after you.

'Hold that thought, you two.

'Also upstairs is a family bathroom,

'along with two further good-sized bedrooms, so there's plenty space for Amelia

'and any friends and family who come to stay.

'And if you go through the middle bedroom,

'you'll find the rather large surprise I've been keeping tucked away.'

So you walk through the smallest of the bedrooms, but into this new space.

-Wow!

-Wow.

-Whoa!

-Now I'm confused.

This was a separate annexe, so you have a separate door there -

that's a bedroom,

with its own bathroom and kitchen.

-And we're above the kitchen here...?

-Yeah.

-..On this end of the building I see!

This is a super room.

This could work.

-It could, couldn't it?

-Yes, this could work.

You wouldn't leave the kitchen - you could take the kitchen away.

You could put wardrobe space in there.

This could work.

'So we've really delivered on everything they asked for inside this property.

'What about the outside?

'Well, there's the utility room they wanted for white goods and storage.

'There's also three-quarters of an acre of land, so a great space for the dogs.'

We are seeing this view on probably the finest day, aren't we?

Beautiful.

-But it's incredible.

-It is, it is!

What a valley.

One thing you've seen is probably land for...

Yes. Not sure that it's conducive for horses.

-No, but there are three families in the village with horses.

-Oh!

And they all use a livery which is six minutes away.

-Right.

-Fantastic.

Let's talk money, shall we?

I'll go first. I would say,

530,000?

530,000? OK.

I would think it's probably higher.

545,000?

545,000? OK.

It's on the market for £590,000.

590,000?

It's right at the top end, isn't it?

There's lots you've probably missed in that first viewing,

so go and have another look round and I'll be at the front,

catching a few rays.

See you in a bit.

So, at £590,000,

this traditional Lakeland cottage is £10,000 under their budget,

and offers them almost everything they're looking for.

It has a sociable living space,

a large kitchen and breakfast room,

a study,

a total of four bedrooms, including the one in the annexe,

an outside utility room,

three-quarters of an acre of gardens,

ideal for the dogs.

And it's in close proximity to a livery, for keeping that pony.

It's a beautiful house, and the lounge and dining room

seem to work - a lovely living space.

Log burner, really nice.

When I first saw the house,

I thought it was stunning.

Picturesque, beautiful.

Ticks all the boxes of my requirements, really.

The position of the house

could be a bit remote,

with Tony working away all week.

Myself and Amelia may feel a little isolated.

-This is the life, isn't it?

-DOOR OPENS

Oop!

Eh-heh?

-I was getting really bored with that view(!) Have you seen enough?

-We have.

Let's jump in the car.

Away from the dramatic and well-trodden Lake District fells,

and waters,

the south of the county gives way to the Duddon

and Levens estuaries,

and also the Furness peninsula.

At the foot of the Duddon Valley, lies the ancient village

of Broughton-in-Furness,

the location of the only traditional heavy horse-riding establishment

in the country.

As Tony and Helen are keen to keep horses for their daughter, Amelia,

we arranged for them to meet Annie Rose,

who owns Clydesdale heavy horses,

to find out more about this rare equestrian breed.

Historically, this whole area's Clydesdale country.

Agriculturally, this is where Clyesdales were commonly used,

because we're so close to the Scottish Borders.

So most of Cumbria was farmed using Clydesdales.

These beautiful, big horses were used

purely in agriculture,

but also the farmer would have used them in the cart,

to take the produce to the market,

or maybe ridden to church on a Sunday.

Once World War II came and went, though,

there was a real shift in these horses' fortunes.

Thousands of them perished, and with World War II,

came the advent of the tractor and mechanisation,

and literally hundreds of these beautiful horses went to slaughter.

Farmers didn't have a use for them any more.

Going back even to the '60s,

many, many farmers

kept a couple of Clydies

just because they'd always had them on the ground.

It was those farmers that kept the breed going, really.

I like to think we give people the opportunity to try

a ridden Clydesdale,

and many folk will go off and buy one to ride.

So there's a lot of people in the UK

riding with these big horses.

Really great. It's good news for the breed.

Would a total novice like myself be OK up there?

Course you will!

Most of the horses here at the stables

are Scottish Clydesdales.

This breed originated in the valley of the River Clyde,

which, of course, gave them their name.

Tony and Helen will see just what it's like

to ride one of these

gentle giants.

Indeed, the tallest horse here is 18 hands high,

which means on its back,

you're sitting six foot off the ground.

-How are you feeling?

-OK.

-Helen, how are you feeling?

-I'm great.

Between the post-war years of 1946 and 1949,

the number of Clydesdale-breeding stallions

in England

dropped from more than 200 to just 80.

By 1975, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust

considered them vulnerable to extinction,

meaning that there were fewer than 900 breeding females in the UK.

And today, they are still at risk,

with just an estimated 5,000 Clydesdales worldwide,

around 800 of which are in the UK.

We've just ridden from Chappels Farm

along here, and behind us, there's the boundary of the Lake District National Park.

We're sitting here on the very edge, the southernmost tip

of the Lake District National Park.

Over to our left here,

this really large hill here,

this is Black Combe.

It shadows the Whicham Valley,

a beautiful fell.

The top of that

is just shy of 2,000 feet.

That makes it

the biggest hill in England.

From the top of that, on a day like today,

which is so beautiful,

you can actually see

England, Northern Ireland, Wales,

Scotland and the Isle of Man.

It's a beautiful vantage point.

As well as introducing tourists

to the joys of the county's landscape from the back of one of her 22 horses,

Annie also employs ten local people,

making the stables a real community affair.

It looks as if the heavy horses

have gained two more admirers in our buyers.

It was an absolute pleasure to ride with you today.

Many thanks for all your help.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-See you again.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

Time to "trot along" to see our next property.

For our second house,

we've travelled to the outskirts of Windermere,

which is situated around half a mile away from the lake.

Windermere has all the usual amenities

of a lively town,

and attracts millions of tourists a year for boating and walking.

Here you'll find a post office,

plenty of shops,

and a variety of places to eat.

House number two was built in the 1960s,

and inspired by the cottages typical to the region.

'But will it be traditional enough for Tony and Helen?'

Was that a nod of approval, or...?

-That's different!

-Different, yes.

Not your usual country cottage.

No, it's a modern take on it.

-OK.

-A modern take on a traditional Lakeland property.

So what do you think?

First impressions,

yeah - it's a good-looking house.

Right, let's get you in there.

-Super.

-Come on.

'They're sounding a little reticent to me at the moment,

'but I think once they get inside and see the size of it,

'Tony and Helen might just warm up to this property.

'We start off our tour by going through the bright hall space

'and into the living room.'

So...

This is a nice, large room.

This is a nice room, yeah.

-Like it?

-Lovely.

-This is a very nice room, actually.

Lots of unusual shapes in this room, I like.

What about the totally modern feel

to the house?

-We could tweak it a bit.

-We're in a modern house now,

so our furnishings would go quite easily.

They would.

Yeah. Quite surprising, actually, how large it is.

-Oh, really?

-Yes.

-So you're happy?

From outside, it didn't look quite as big as this.

You have the dining room there that was put in as an extension

20 years ago.

It's what you see with a little added-on bit to the left.

-Let me show you.

-OK.

Oh!

This is nice, isn't it?

-A little sunroom.

-A little reading/sunroom - whatever you want to call it.

Having your dinner here,

looking out into your garden. Gorgeous.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

'I'm glad they're actually

'appreciating the space that's been created in here.

'Time to head for the kitchen,

'which has been recently extended.'

-Ah!

-Wow!

This is big.

It is.

It's quite an unusual shape, isn't it?

Yeah, I like this kitchen. Fantastic.

You have a table there, at the end of the L shape.

Also, the French doors opening out to a little decking area.

And so much storage space!

-Excellent.

-So you're happy? This seems to have changed your outlook completely,

-cos you've been walking into rooms, thinking a lot.

-I know.

You went a bit quiet, but now you're back with us.

-Come back down, yes.

-This is a different living space altogether.

-It is.

It changes the house a little bit.

OK?

Hey, good.

-You like it?

-BOTH: Yes.

-Excellent.

-We shall go and see the master bedroom?

-OK.

-Yes.

It's roughly about

12 paces away.

'I'm not sure how Tony and Helen feel about having a downstairs bedroom,

'but I'm about to find out. Fingers crossed.'

OK, so it was probably about 13 steps to the master bedroom.

Wow! That's a big bed.

It is a big bed.

-It dominates the room, I would say.

-It does a little.

Yes.

How d'you feel about having a bedroom on the ground floor?

Erm...

I don't see a problem with it.

I don't think I've ever thought about it, really.

Well, what difference would it make?

It doesn't at all.

Easier to get to the kitchen for a cuppa.

This could also be a great guest room.

Yes, it could.

You also have a good-size cloakroom,

and a really modern, lovely en suite,

with a top-range shower, the lot.

Very nice.

Again, it's spacious, though.

It is. There's a lot of room in it.

'Upstairs, in the original part of the house,

'there are two double bedrooms,

'so, if they wanted to use the downstairs bedroom for guests,

'there are perfectly good options for them and their daughter, Amelia.

'This floor also has a good-size family bathroom.

'Back on the ground floor,

'there's a studio space which could prove useful for Tony to work from home.

'And outside, the garden is a real beauty,

'with an expansive lawn and plenty of mature trees and shrubs.

'But the highlight must be the stream

'which runs along the end of it.

'This is a quaint bridge,

'which leads to a footpath,

'which could take our buyers, and their dogs,

'all the way to Lake Windermere.'

Another great seating area.

-Mm!

-It is, isn't it?

-Huge!

-That would be lovely for outside dining with friends.

-And how!

Yeah, beautiful.

So, all this comes at a cost. What d'you think it's on the market for?

I'd say 585,000.

OK, 585,000.

I would say slightly less -

-579,000.

-579,000?

That's very precise.

579,000.

You were closer. It's currently on the market for 595,000.

-OK.

-Wow.

-And that's because...?

-It's in Windermere.

And it's a big house with rather a large plot of land,

with a stream at the bottom of it.

Very close to the lake.

Yeah, you can understand why it's the price it is.

Do you want to go and have another look?

-Yes, we'll have a look round. OK. I'll be at the front. OK.

-Thank you.

So, just under their top budget,

at £595,000,

this beautiful property really delivers highly

on all their list of demands.

It has a fantastic sociable living space,

a huge kitchen/diner

with garden access,

a studio which could be used as a study,

three bedrooms,

and a long woodland garden with a stream,

and access to country walks.

First impressions was, it's not something I'd have normally looked at.

However, once we got inside, it did change my opinion somewhat.

The living space is nice,

the lounge is good,

the dining room here is a nice space.

And it's a nice living space to have.

When I went inside,

I was surprised, actually.

It was a lot bigger than I expected it to be.

The kitchen was a fantastic kitchen,

but I'm not sure

if I'm moving to the country, I want to move back into a town.

-Seen enough?

-We have.

-Yes, thank you.

Don't know about you, but I'm slightly frazzled,

-so no more houses for today.

-OK.

Both the houses you've seen have been completely different,

-so take it all in, and we'll start again tomorrow.

-Excellent.

-Super.

Let's get back to base.

As dusk falls over Cumbria's stunning Lakeland countryside,

it marks the end of day one of our property search.

Tony and Helen, from Manchester, fell in love

with the Lake District after spending many holidays there,

and are keen to make it their new home.

However, the ideal house

needs to be close to good schools for their daughter,

and have enough land for a new pony.

So far, they've been taken with the character of one cottage,

but it was a bit too remote.

Then they were surprised by the amount of space

in our second property, although that had too many houses nearby.

'Coming up, the mystery property looks like a winner, right from the off.'

-Love it.

-Yeah?

-Tick, tick, tick!

'And I get in touch with my inner caveman, with the help

'of a local bushcraft expert.'

I'm prehistoric man!

HE LAUGHS

And so begins the second day in our quest to find Helen and Tony

their horse-friendly house here in Cumbria.

Yesterday started very well.

Then Helen announced she found the first property to be a little too isolated.

I thought we were onto a winner with the second house in Windermere,

but it only goes to prove you can lead a horse to water,

but you can't make it drink.

They felt the had a few too many "neigh"-bours.

Apologies.

All is not lost. We still have the mystery house,

and I'm determined to show them something with land,

although probably it means

we have to ride a little further than the National Park to find it.

We've made the journey four miles southeast of Kendal,

to the small village of Old Hutton.

It's a beautiful rural location, surrounded by farmland,

and has a stream, known as Peasey Beck,

running through it.

Our final offering is set

in the hamlet of Eskrigg End, a community

of eight houses, including a sheep farm.

For the first time in our search,

we're outside the National Park,

and in an area that's not so familiar

to Tony and Helen.

The mystery house dates back about 100 years,

and was once an old stables,

before being converted.

It comes with an annexe at the front of the property,

which is set up as a holiday let.

This is it, mystery property.

-Fabulous.

-Wow! All of it?

-All of it.

-SHE LAUGHS

So first impressions are good?

-Yeah.

-Fabulous. Love it.

Tick, tick, tick!

Fantastic. Let's go in.

'It looks like we've struck gold with this house.

'And if they're dazzled by the outside,

'I've got an idea they'll really take a shine to the interior.'

Wow!

That's a kitchen!

A kitchen-and-a-half, I would say.

-Fantastic.

-That's stunning.

Absolutely stunning.

-The Shaker style.

-It's lovely.

A lovely island. You also have the utility room through there.

-Utility, as well?

-Yeah.

You wouldn't change a thing.

I love it. Absolutely.

I love the ceiling, as well.

That's the biggest smile I've seen on your face so far.

I love this.

'Big smiles for the kitchen,

'but I can sense more on the way when they reach the next stop of our tour.'

And this is the living room.

-Very nice.

-Wow.

Again, big living space, isn't it?

Wow!

Another dining table.

-A lovely room, as well.

-A big room, isn't it?

-Our furniture would fit perfectly in here.

-Oh, really?

-Yes.

Here you seem to have more modern lines.

-You don't mind that?

-No, not at all.

Because I still think it has that traditional feel about it,

with it being like an old farm building.

'So the love affair continues.

'Also downstairs, off the living space,

'are two bedrooms. They're both a very good size,

'and one could easily be turned into a home study for Tony.

'There's also a large family bathroom on this floor.

'Whilst upstairs, to really make the most of the space,

'there's a further living area.'

-It's beautiful.

-Isn't it just?

This is a huge space.

Isn't it just?

Yes, indeed.

How do you work with the two lounges?

I don't know, because I'd be confused.

"Which one shall I have today?"

-Yeah, this is fantastic.

-Oh, yeah.

I would actually have this as the main lounge.

-Yeah, spoilt for choice.

-You are, aren't you?

-Windows...

-I'll show you the master bedroom.

-OK.

-Thank you.

'On the way to the master, across the large landing area,

'we pass by the second bedroom,

'which could possibly suit Amelia, or be used as a dressing room.

'But here's where Tony and Helen could be sleeping.'

Another large, fantastic room.

It is, yeah.

-Again bright, double-aspect.

-The walls...

With, of course, you'd say, "En suite - of course!"

We have "his & hers" sinks to go with your "his & hers" living room.

HE LAUGHS

-And a really good-sized shower, as well.

-Right, fantastic.

-Can you imagine yourself living here?

-Yes.

Yeah, I think so.

-Seriously, it's a very, very nice house.

-Wow!

Amazing! We haven't even seen outside yet.

I'm getting quite emotional. TONY LAUGHS

Eh? Aw, don't!

It's lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's great

that you feel that way about it,

-because I think it has lovely feel.

-It has.

Of course, we've made you happy -

so happy, you're crying,

-and I think Amelia would be happy here.

-I think so.

'So the smiles have turned

'into tears of joy,

'and they haven't seen the grounds yet.

'As well as a dog-friendly back garden,

'there's a lovely, sprawling lawn at the front of the property.

'We mustn't forget the additional bonus

'of that huge outbuilding.'

What you have here is an annexe with a lovely good-sized bedroom,

living room, kitchen

and bathroom.

What you also have is one bedroom and an en suite

at the end, but not connected.

-So that's two separate bedrooms?

-Wow!

In effect, it's like

-six bedrooms?

-Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm not sure I'd want to invite the family, cos they'd never leave.

-I don't think they would, either.

-SHE LAUGHS

'That just leaves the matter

'of where to keep the horse for their daughter.

'Would I let them down?

'Of course not.

'Just a minute's stroll down the lane, is the answer.'

There's a spring in my step.

TONY LAUGHS

Just under two acres. Perfect for horses, really.

-It is.

-It is.

And it comes with the property.

-You're joking!

-No.

You've excelled yourself on this one!

Should we talk money, then?

I think it's over budget.

By quite a lot.

I would suggest

at least 625,000.

-OK.

-I was going to think that, as well.

630,000?

-630,000?

-Yeah, I think.

What would you do if it was within budget, though?

Erm...

Panic!

THEY LAUGH

-You'd better start panicking.

-Is it in budget?

-Yeah.

Wow.

-Go on.

-I would have never thought that.

£585,000.

That house,

this land could be yours.

It's fabulous.

Okey-doke. Right.

Let's see the estate agents, then!

Fantastic, off you go(!)

Go an have a look at the annexe and the house again,

cos you do like it,

-and it could be yours.

-We need to have a good look round it.

-Off you go. I'll find you at the front.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

I do love it when a plan comes together,

and they seem to be very, very happy.

As they say, it does tick every box, not just for them,

but also for their daughter.

And even the horse.

If you ask me, they'll be "foalish" not to buy it.

So, at £585,000, this property

is well within their budget,

and delivers handsomely on everything in their wish list.

It has not just one sociable living space, but two.

A huge kitchen/diner with adjoining boot room,

four bedrooms - one of which could be used as a study for Tony,

an enclosed back garden for the dogs,

an annexe,

and two acres of paddock, for a pony.

My first impression when I saw the mystery house

was, "Wow!"

I liked the look of it,

the location.

It's so quiet, so peaceful.

A really nice garden to it, as well.

Everything, I loved. Everything. Just the look to it. Everything.

My favourite room is this room, without the shadow of a doubt.

I can see that you would entertain here,

that we would cook here, we would eat in this room.

I always like the kitchens, because I think they're the focal point for the family.

I can see myself living here.

DOOR OPENS

See, it even suits you, coming out that house.

Still love it?

-Yes.

-Yes. Very nice.

You'll never guess what I'm drinking.

-And it's cold. You took your time!

-SHE LAUGHS

-There's a lot to see.

-There IS a lot to see.

-Let's find somewhere we can talk about all three houses.

-Lovely.

Since the time when Victorian poets

and painters romanticised the Lakelands' craggy fells

and clustered villages,

people have come to experience the cobbled streets

and whitewashed cottages in person.

It's easy to understand why Wordsworth and Ruskin

wanted to settle here,

but they weren't the first.

7,000 years earlier,

this was a harsh, inhospitable wilderness.

As nomadic Britons started creating more permanent settlements,

it was here that some of the most industrious Neolithic people

decided to put down roots.

The Lake District National Park boundaries

contain nearly 15,000 archaeological sites.

And 275 of these are ancient monuments.

To get in touch with my Stone Age ancestors,

bushcraft expert, Ben McNutt, promised to put me through my prehistoric paces,

starting with how to make an axe.

-The process is called knapping.

-Right.

Essentially, it's just beating the lard out of a rock

with a harder rock,

to the point that you have something workable.

If I strike downwards, it will hopefully bust out a flake

-on this side.

-Ah, OK.

And it's all about angles.

So I want to brace it on my thigh.

A-ha!

And you start knocking off

-quite big, clean faces.

-It's really sharp!

Oh, yeah. You could dismember a red deer with that quite quickly.

It's an amazing sound, though.

Yeah. If you think about it,

that's the sound that heralded the arrival of humanity.

That first tool being made.

-Do you want to have a go?

-Yeah, why not? Brilliant.

Thank you. What's this, by the way?

-That is just a bit of old fur coat.

-Oh, lovely.

HE LAUGHS

-I like it. I should hit it about there?

-Exactly.

-OK.

-A smooth strike.

-A-ha.

-Nice.

-That it?

-That's a perfect, workable blade.

That's amazing!

How does that become an axe head?

You can make it stronger,

using a technique called "pressure flaking".

That was where you take an antler...

You just push small flakes off.

That refaces this stone

and makes that a stronger cutting edge.

-They were clever, weren't they?

-They were, yeah.

From there, I've just halved it

onto an elbow of wood.

So I can use it like a little axe,

and this can quite quickly hew down a small tree.

That's brilliant.

'Although axes like these have been found all over the country,

'the vast majority of them

'appear unused.

'Many were discovered in significant locations,

'leading most historians to believe

'that they were just for ceremony.

'But we're going to use one, right now,

'on a birch sapling.'

So,

it's just a case of "beaver away".

It's quite effective, though, isn't it?

-It's slow, but it's effective.

-A slow process.

-Do you want to have a go?

-I'll come round to you.

-It's amazing how well it works, isn't it?

-Yes.

'And with a little more effort from both of us,

'the tree is down.

'But it's definitely not going to waste.

'Ben plans to use it for a little trip back in time he has planned for us,

'in an ancient form of watercraft -

'a boat made of twigs - traditionally tied together with vines,

'or in our case, twine.'

This looks interesting.

-Yeah, it's a pterodactyl's nest.

-It looks like it!

Traditionally, the Native Americans would have skinned this vessel,

using the skin of one bull buffalo,

which is why it's called a "bull boat".

Unfortunately, we don't have any bull buffaloes around,

so we're going to cheat and use a tarpaulin.

We're good to go.

I have to say I'm not sure if I'm excited or ever-so-slightly nervous.

Hey, what do you know? It floats!

-But does it float with us in it?

-There's one way to find out.

-OK.

-Do you want to jump in first?

-OK, then.

-Can I just go for it?

-Yeah, just step on there.

Try not to stay in the middle.

There we go!

-It's seaworthy.

-It's brilliant!

THEY LAUGH

I'm prehistoric man!

'I hope I make it back to dry land safely.

'Wouldn't want to leave Tony and Helen's house search "up the creek without a paddle".'

I don't think I'd have made it as a Mesolithic man.

But I wonder if Tony and Helen have "an axe to grind"

as far as any of the properties we've shown them are concerned.

Let's find out, shall we?

Hi.

-Hi.

-You chose a nice spot, didn't you?

-It's lovely.

-Fantastic.

So, what an adventure it's been.

-Yes.

-You really seemed to like that first house.

Yeah, it was a beautiful property.

The views around it were very nice.

As you say, from the outside, it looked a typical cottage.

Even inside, some of the original features were there.

Yeah, some of the features -

it was really quirky,

some of the things in there.

And I love that, yes.

It was also very dog-friendly.

You had three or four doors, didn't you?

Yes - you could go out of.

You were a bit disappointed in the master bedroom.

Yes, the first master bedroom,

because it was a little on the small side.

And then, almost like Narnia,

you walked to that bedroom, and...

Yes. "Where's this room come from?"

That changed, sort of, my opinion of the property,

because, from what we felt was a small master bedroom,

it had this huge bedroom, in effect.

And a good location?

Hm, not as good.

-A little bit remote and isolated.

-Yes, a little bit isolated.

I think with the first property, we started really well,

and then went downhill a little bit.

With the second property, we were downhill to start with, and then we went uphill.

Yes. First impressions of that was,

"Ooh, it's a 1960s build."

And the location, as well. To me, that isn't country living.

OK. But you had Windermere on your doorstep.

We did, yes. And the schools are on the doorstep,

and I harp on about Helen having a support network

and an infrastructure on the doorstep.

Definitely had it there.

Absolutely. It's just that we've always said

that this would possibly be our last move.

Me personally, I couldn't see myself

living there once I retired, etcetera, because it's not what I want to do.

I actually want to be out in something more rural.

We took you out of the Lake District and you did a little jig of joy.

Yes.

The third property was just fantastic.

When you walk up to it,

it was a beautiful-looking building.

You could tell it was old.

You can tell it had character.

Obviously, it had the bonus of having the annexe, as well,

which is great for visiting family,

but also if it's got potential to let it out as well,

as a holiday let, it could potentially be an income, as well.

Walking into that third property,

-that kitchen was amazing.

-Fantastic.

Yes.

Walking through that door and seeing that, I knew straightaway

that Helen would fall in love with that property.

-Straightaway.

-That's why the colour went out of your face.

THEY LAUGH

And that was before

-we took that little walk down the lane.

-Yes!

And dropped that bombshell, as well.

And we'd had tears from you before that, as well.

Well, once you pulled that 2½ acres out,

that's it. It sold it.

I suppose the million dollar question is,

can you see yourselves living there, and if you can,

are you going to?

I'd like to.

We will be coming up again

next weekend,

and go for a second viewing and, obviously,

bring Amelia with us.

Fantastic. Listen, I wish you all the luck.

-It's been really great fun spending time with you.

-Thank you.

I'm so pleased that you love that property now.

I'm so pleased you cried for the right reason, as well.

Don't you love it when a plan comes together?

I'm very often with people with definite ideas about what they don't want in a house.

But it's totally the opposite with Tony and Helen.

They know exactly what they want in a property.

And I think we may have found it.

And who'd have thought that their dream house

in the Lake District National Park

would actually be outside the National Park?

It's time for this presenter to ride off into the sunset.

I'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.

'Tony and Helen did go back to see the mystery house.

'There's no offer yet,

'but our fingers remain crossed.'

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