Nottinghamshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Today we're in a town that's not only home to this gorgeous

minster behind me but was once also home to one of Britain's most

famous and controversial poets. But where are we?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

Today's mission, to move from the busy big smoke into the calm

of the country, leaves our buyer almost lost for words.

I'm bowled over, I'm knocked for six, I can't speak.

And before long emotions become overwhelming.

You've just found such a wonderful house. I am going to cry.

It's OK, it's OK.

Well, today, we're in Nottinghamshire

and we're starting in the pretty Georgian market town of Southwell.

Now, not only is it famous for this lovely 12th-century minster behind me

but it was also home to none other than Lord Byron, one of our

most famous poets, a man described as mad, bad and dangerous to know.

Now, he lived here during his teenage years

but wrote of it afterwards,

"I have never been so happy as I was in old Southwell."

High praise indeed from one of the country's most famous poets.

Lying in the East Midlands,

Nottinghamshire borders four counties and is the gateway

to Yorkshire in the north and Lincolnshire to the east.

Despite being one of the most landlocked counties in England,

the water isn't too far away,

as the mighty River Trent runs from north to south

and flows right through the city of Nottingham.

The city centre boasts the UK's largest surviving town square

as well as many Victorian buildings by the once local

leading architect, Watson Fothergill.

Quieter pockets can be found

in pretty, peaceful villages such as Linby.

One of the most famous residents, though, must be

the infamous folk hero Robin Hood.

And it's said that Hood lived in the depths of Sherwood Forest,

which is now a 450-acre national reserve.

And let's hope there's plenty on offer to tempt retiree Susan,

who's drafted in our help this week.

She lives in a small two-bedroom semidetached house right

next to the Thames in London's Docklands.

But since calling time on her career last year she's decided to

turn her back on the city, too.

I moved down to London nearly 40 years ago.

Because I've always worked in London I've not been able to afford

the sort of property I would really like to live in

and now I'm looking forward to upsizing.

Susan may want to increase her square footage but she definitely

wants to cut back on the chaos that comes with city living.

I'm getting a little bit tired of the hustle and bustle of London,

waiting for tubes, waiting for buses,

being squashed on tubes.

I have friends and relations in Nottinghamshire

and it's not far from Yorkshire, where I have very many friends

because that's where I went to college.

She may want a more leisurely lifestyle but she's not planning to slow down.

I would like to live in a village that's got a thriving

community where I could join in with lots of local events.

If the village has a WI, I would like to join that

and I would like to grow my own vegetables.

Besides learning new skills,

the key to this move is having more space to play host.

I like entertaining and I'm looking forward to having a house

that's bigger so that I can do more entertaining.

With socialising high on the agenda, this gregarious city slicker isn't

going it alone, and she's roped in her close friend Lesley for support.

Lesley and I have known each other for 45 years,

we've always been in each other's lives.

She can see possibilities where I can't.

I see my role as helping to keep Susan's feet on the ground,

because I know what she'll do,

she'll go to houses, fall in love with the house and not be

terribly practical about what it's going to be like to live there.

-That's true, isn't it?

-That's very true.

The core of the home is going to be my kitchen.

Now, I would really like a big kitchen that's big enough for a table

and a sofa. If I had a little window seat somewhere that would be terrific.

But you can make a window... This is the thing,

Susan will buy a house because it had a window seat in it, right?

Whereas I would say to her, "No, buy this house

"and put a window seat in it."

She showed me one last night and said,

"This is a lovely house, look, it's got a wishing well in the garden."

And? What's the kitchen like?

Let's hope we can make Susan's wishes come true,

with or without a well.

But not before we've discussed the finances for this

London to Nottinghamshire relocation.

The budget for this move is £330,000.

Good public transport links are essential for sociable Susan,

so we'll be searching for properties in and around

half an hour from the market town of Newark-on-Trent, which has

great train connections back to London and throughout the country.

Time for me to meet up with our buyer and her friend Lesley, to get

better acquainted and finalise the details of Susan's impending move.

Well, Susan and Lesley, welcome to Escape To The Country.

Let's face it, when we talk about moving from the city,

-you are literally moving from the city of London...

-I am indeed, yes.

The good news is you've sold.

-I have indeed.

-And more excitingly for us, you're upsizing.

-I am.

And I know that incorporating space for family

and friends to visit is important to you, not least of course somewhere for Lesley to visit you.

Yes, I'm interested in the spare room, yes.

Now, we've already got a rough idea of what you're looking for but just paint a picture of your wish list.

Well, I haven't got a set idea about what I want

but I'd like at least three bedrooms, obviously a big kitchen living space.

And in terms of its age, are we looking for character?

Are we looking for modern?

-Character, definitely character, nothing too modern, please.

-Yeah.

Well, my role is to try and relieve you of £330,000 and to

show you - I hope - three very interesting and viable properties.

-So, let's get going.

-Yep, absolutely.

So for a maximum budget of £330,000, Susan is looking to upsize

and is after a character property that has three bedrooms to

accommodate visiting friends with a large country kitchen

and living area in which to entertain them.

Outside she'd like a manageable garden

and the location should have an active and welcoming community.

And we've got some great traditional properties lined up to tempt

Susan away from the city, but I won't be revealing the prices

until the end of each tour.

Then, to top it off, there's the mystery house, which takes

upsizing to a whole new dimension.

And with Susan's home under offer, time is seriously of the essence.

So let's get this search under way.

Our first destination of this house hunt is about 15 miles

south-west of Newark, in the small village of Epperstone.

Surrounded by fields and woodland,

Epperstone is situated within a conservation area.

This small village has an attractive mix of architecture,

and in an exclusive development within

the grounds of an historic manor, we come to our first house.

So, property number one, there we are. Come in and see.

-It's beautiful.

-What do you think?

-Really lovely.

The thing we liked about it, Susan,

-was that given where you're coming from...

-Yes.

-..where you've got neighbours

and it's quite secure and it feels very at home,

this offers you the same sort of feel but in a lovely village,

Epperstone, which has got loads going on. WI, lots of groups.

Come on, let's have a look inside and see what you think.

Right, in you come.

Let's start with the living room.

-Whole thing is open-plan, as you can see.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-Very nice.

-And it's exactly what I asked for, isn't it? Open-plan.

-Yeah.

How does it compare with where you are at the moment in Surrey Quays?

-This is much bigger.

-This is upsizing.

-Oh, this is upsizing.

And very cosy. I think you'd feel very at home and safe here.

Yes, I'm putting myself in here already.

-Well, we haven't seen the rest of it yet.

-No.

The kitchen is through here.

There.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-Oh, it's your open-plan.

-Yeah.

-The whole thing.

-It's the whole space in one.

Oh, I love it.

-No, it's lovely, I love it, I really do.

-Yeah?

-Is she telling the truth, Lesley?

-She is.

-I am.

-You'll know because I might start crying in a minute.

-Ohh, right.

Then you'll really know.

Well, before Susan starts to sob, we'll finish up the tour of

the ground floor that has the added bonus of a large tiled cloakroom.

Then, just off the kitchen, the staircase takes us

up to the first floor.

So what have we got up here, then?

Family bathroom, very nice again.

A good double in there, Sue, which I'm thinking, Lesley, would be you.

Yes, that's my room, yeah.

There's another single there and so this is your bit, Sue...

..we're thinking.

-Oh, wow.

-I love that, the vaulted ceiling, that's so nice.

-And the en-suite behind us.

-Yes.

I think all in all, this is a really interesting package for you.

It certainly is, yes.

But I think we should go out into the garden and get some fresh air.

-Right.

-And consider the sums. Go on, after you.

That wraps up what I think has been a very positive reaction to

house number one.

All that remains is to check out the veg-growing

potential in the south-facing garden and to work out the price.

Right, come this way.

We might as well sort of finish where we started.

What you see is pretty much what you get but if your green fingers

get any greener, the good news is

they're about to open some allotments

-within the development.

-Oh, perfect.

You also get a garage with it.

So, let's have a think about the price, shall we?

-Susan?

-Yeah.

-Make me an offer.

329,950?

OK, yeah, Lesley?

I think it must be at the top end of the budget as well

but I'm going to go for 325.

-325.

-(5,000. 5,000 change.)

-5,000 change, wouldn't that be nice?

-That would be nice.

The good news is that is exactly what it is.

-Ohhhh!

-She won! She won.

The first in our selection is

a delightful character cottage that nails Susan's wish list

and gives her £5,000 to play with.

The property comes with an open-plan living,

dining and kitchen area, three bedrooms including a master

en suite and a low-maintenance cottage garden.

This garden is such a sun trap, I could happily spend all day here

but alas, we can't spend all day here, we've got to go, haven't we?

-I think we've spoilt you a bit there.

-You certainly have.

Yes, follow that!

Well, we've got something to keep up with, haven't we?

But it's Escape To The Country, we never let you down.

Despite the alluring natural beauty of rural Nottinghamshire,

it was here in the market town of Southwell that the Victorians

were drawn for more desperate measures.

Built in 1824, the Grade II listed Southwell workhouse became

the model for a new generation of 600 Victorian workhouses

created across the country.

Now in the hands of the National Trust,

it's the most complete workhouse in existence. I went there to meet

volunteer Samantha Ball, to find out more about last resort life here.

This is a place that not many people would have really

-wanted to come, of course.

-No, no.

What's the story behind it, when did it start and who was behind it?

The workhouse was built by Reverend John T Becher, he was a local

clergyman in Southwell.

He wanted to improve or change the way that relief was

given to the poor and needy in society.

Because the workhouses were funded by the local town or parish,

weren't they?

They were, yes, and because of the success of this workhouse here,

it changed the way the Government gave money for the poor

and this workhouse actually became a prototype for the new Poor Law of 1834.

At the time, the workhouse was the only

form of relief on offer to the destitute,

and those who had no choice other than to stay here were separated

from their family and children in different parts of the building.

However, this strict segregated regime was intended to deter

those who weren't truly needy.

This idea of segregation I suppose is probably more evident

here than at the front, isn't it?

Yes, it is, and it really does follow Becher's strong

principles of segregation.

It seems to me and I think probably to many people that the segregation

really was the cruellest act of all.

It certainly was for children. Mothers were allowed to stay with

their babies until they were two years old,

particularly if they were nursing, but from then they were separated

and they could only see each other, families were only reunited

if they all behaved themselves

and followed the rules, they could meet on a Sunday afternoon.

The workhouse provided food and shelter for those at the most

dire periods of their lives and children were given an education.

But in return at least ten hours a day of monotonous

manual labour was required from the adults.

Right, Samantha, what have we got here then? What are we looking at?

We are looking at oakum, and oakum was tarred ropes from old ships.

And what the paupers were asked to do was to unravel these ropes.

The unravelled bits of the rope were then sold on,

either back to the ship makers or to make paper.

Effectively you were given money for old rope.

I love it when one gets to the bottom of those sorts of sayings.

Regardless of the tough and hostile conditions, workhouses

like this at Southwell paved the way for future social reform.

I'm delighted that it's still here

but in many respects I'm also delighted that it's no longer

a workhouse, because for anybody to have to come in here and live

under those conditions, well, we don't know we're born, do we?

We don't, indeed.

We're venturing right over to the far eastern side of the county

for our second property,

to the village of Coddington, about three miles from Newark.

And in an enviable setting at the heart of the village

is our second property,

a charming detached cottage believed to date back to 1840.

-Look at this, eh?

-Oh, wow.

-Property number two.

Ohhh, a whole wing for me.

LAUGHTER

Actually, you're quite right.

Because that's why I wanted to start with this aspect of it because

it displays this L shape and it is a wing for you, that is a guest wing.

-That is amazing.

-Yeah.

-I'm bowled over, I'm knocked for six,

I can't speak.

-This is huge.

-A beautiful house.

-It's a much bigger proposition than number one.

-I like.

-Yeah.

Well, let's see if we like your bit.

We're going to start with the guest wing first. How about that? Yeah?

Come on.

Right, come on in.

-Yes? All good?

-Yep.

Right, let's start in here with your bit, Lesley.

This is currently set up as a sitting room.

This would be something else, wouldn't it?

Well, on the spec this is down as a bedroom

-because it has an en-suite shower room through there.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's got a lovely outlook.

-It's pretty, isn't it?

-It is pretty, really pretty.

-So, how we doing?

-Excellent, wonderful.

-Speechless!

I know, I can't speak, I can't speak.

-You're going to make this very difficult for me.

-Are we?

Yeah, you are, because I can see that I'm going to fall

in love with this one as well.

Once again things appear to be hitting the right notes

and we've only seen the annexe wing so far.

This part of the property features two main rooms that can be

used as extra bedrooms or living areas and they're

attached to the main two-storey house via the farmhouse kitchen.

-OK, Susan, come on in.

-Oh, it's huge.

-Yes.

-It's fabulous.

-Isn't it just?

And you've given me a kitchen that's big enough to put a sofa in.

Yeah, we brought that in especially.

You've given me everything I asked for. Look, Lesley, and a proper sink.

-You've got a Belfast sink or butler sink.

-Wood surface!

Now, is there a window seat hiding anywhere around here?

We didn't have time to fit one of those.

Now, it goes on, there's a study next door.

Come through here. And your living room.

The study is there, which is really nice actually.

Oh, that is lovely, yes.

And then in here we've got your living room, come on in.

-And this is lovely too.

-Yeah.

-It's lovely.

-It's cosy.

So, it's another really good choice, yes, it is really cosy

-but it's a fine room as well.

-It's very elegant, isn't it?

-Yes.

The way it's dressed and presented.

So, if the upstairs is as good as the downstairs, we're laughing, aren't we?

-We are indeed.

-Let's keep laughing, come on.

Along with the bedroom potential we've already

seen in the annexe wing, this house also has a further three

bedrooms up on the first floor,

so Lesley would be spoilt for choice,

as she can take her pick from a bright double room with

dual aspect windows or a cosy double guest bedroom with a built-in cupboard.

But it's Susan who's buying, so let's see what she makes

of the family bathroom that's right next to the master bedroom.

There we are, there's the family bathroom.

SHE GASPS

-Come and have a look, Lesley, quick.

-It's a bathroom.

-I can dance in there.

-Come on, come on.

I'm choking up.

Well, having shown you the rest of the upstairs,

-it's all got a bit emotional, hasn't it?

-It has, it has indeed.

You were a bit excited by the bathroom

and here we are in what would be, I think, your master bedroom.

No, I'm having the double aspect one.

You've just found such a wonderful house. I am going to cry.

It's OK, it's OK, you don't have to...

I pull such funny faces when I cry.

Let's go downstairs,

we'll gather our breath and we'll talk about the money.

Before emotions get the better of Susan, we're going to head back

down to the ground floor, as we've still got the garden to take in.

Now, garden-wise, this is it, obviously.

But of course you do get the view of the green

and you also get the double garages, which are next door.

The whole lot is overlooked by what could be your new, beautiful home.

Let's ask Lesley to go first on your price guess.

I think it might be a little over budget at 335.

335, yeah, that would be nice. Susan?

-I'm going even higher.

-Yeah?

-340.

-340, yes.

-Oh, it's not, it's 350, isn't it?

-No, it's 330.

SUSAN GASPS

-You are joking, you are joking.

-Bang on?

-You're not lying to me?

No, I'm not, I'm really not, no. Come on, take it all in.

This could be yours for your budget of £330,000.

Oh.

I'm doing it again.

Right on the money, the second property is

an immaculately presented 19th-century Victorian cottage

that's bursting with character.

It comes with Susan's much coveted farmhouse kitchen

and two separate reception rooms down on the ground floor.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms, but the icing

on the cake must be the attached,

self-contained, one-bedroomed annexe.

And I think that's a great way to end our first day, how about it?

-Yes.

-Yeah? Lots of stuff going round in your mind, isn't there?

-Yes.

But it is beginning to get dark,

-so I suggest we go home and have something to eat.

-Good idea.

-And maybe a drink, how about that?

-Yes.

-A good idea.

The final house on Susan's property quest is

up in the north of the county, in the village of North Leverton.

For 200 years a windmill has been the iconic landmark,

and it's still milling flour and animal feed today.

The buzzword to describe Susan's move is upsizing.

So, after two cottages the mystery house offers up a serious

amount of living space, over 2,500 square feet.

-So, this is it.

-Not the whole house, surely?

The whole house, the whole mystery house, yeah. What do you think?

-Really? The whole thing?

-Yep.

-It's the mystery house because it is the biggest house we've been able to offer you.

-Yes.

-Up to now everything we've shown you has had three bedrooms...

-Yes.

..this one has six.

Come and have a look inside.

With a history that dates way back to 1790, not only is this

Georgian Grade II listed home massive but it also has project potential.

Come on in, there we are, right.

Well, let's start in here, which I'm going to call a drawing room

actually, as opposed to a living room.

-I think it's got that sort of feel to it.

-It's lovely.

-Isn't it?

-It is.

And it's not too big, either, is it?

No, it's got a lovely Georgian feel to it.

Let's go through to the dining room, which is across the hallway.

How about you and all the girls having a good old gossip

-and a natter and a bite to eat?

-Yeah.

Let's deal with the kitchen, come through here.

Right, well, in terms of kitchen space this is what

-is on offer, girls. Not as square as we've had.

-No.

-Certainly lots of space.

-And a cooker, yay!

-It does come with a cooker.

-Can I go over and warm my hands?

-By all means.

Despite the heat from the range cooker,

it's clear that Susan isn't warming to this property

but we'll continue upwards and hopefully onwards.

Upstairs, the family bathroom serves a total of three bedrooms

within the main house,

a single room with built-in storage, as well as a lovely

and light dual-aspect double, and that just leaves the master bedroom.

-And then finally, in this bit of the house is this one.

-Ohhh.

Another double aspect.

It is another light room.

-It's growing on you, that's good.

-It certainly is.

After the lukewarm response on the ground floor,

Susan and Lesley are seeing the positives of the sleeping areas,

so I'm keeping hopeful and showing them

what's on offer in the additional wing.

So, here we are, kind of two for the price of one, really.

Now, there's a really nice little kitchen area there with a dining table in it

and then this is the living room for this part of the house.

In terms of being self-contained

and you having your own kind of crash flat...

With a three-bedroom house?

Well, yeah, let's not forget we've got three really good double

bedrooms above here

and a proper family bathroom to go with it.

Absolutely, it's a nice little space, this, as well.

The annexe rooms add an extra boost to the property's appeal

but will the same be said for the price?

I love this bit of the show.

-Ha, I don't.

-The price guess, yes.

-310?

-£310,000, that's pretty optimistic. Lesley?

I think I was going to go lower than that,

so I'll have to stick with my 305.

Well, I'm afraid you're both wrong

but the good news is you can afford this.

-It is a remarkable, I think, £325,000.

-I wasn't far off.

Just under budget at £325,000, the mystery property is a listed

Georgian home of two halves.

The main house features two reception rooms,

a large kitchen breakfast room and three bedrooms, but there

are also a further three bedrooms in the attached two-storey annexe.

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

Three really interesting properties,

not least of course the mystery house behind us.

-What's going on in that mind of yours?

-A lot.

-A lot?

-Hmm.

Thought there might be. Let's get you somewhere for a nice cup of tea

and a bite to eat and you two can mull it over.

And then we'll find out what the future holds.

-After you, Susan, go on.

-Thank you.

-It's your search.

-So how are we feeling?

-Confused.

OK, well, let's just deal with the odd one out then,

property number three, our mystery house,

obviously the biggest of the lot, but I get the feeling, Lesley, that

one has probably now been discounted for very practical reasons.

Well, it has. It's perhaps a great opportunity

-but I think not one that you're really looking for, is it?

-No.

That's OK but it does leave us with two very exciting properties.

Property number one was gorgeous, could just move up and move in.

Little garden, beautiful community, lovely village, it was lovely.

Is there a but?

There's a little but there. It had a lovely kitchen and lovely bathrooms

but it didn't quite have what I had in my mind when I came up here.

So what was in your mind?

The kitchen in house number two.

-Ha-ha, yes?

-The kitchen in house number two filled that bill perfectly.

-As did the bathroom.

-As did the bathroom, the wonderful, wonderful bathroom.

-Yeah.

So, I don't see why this is such a dilemma.

The reality of it is, if you get a kitchen

-and a bathroom that size you also get a house that size.

-Yeah.

And in Susan's own words, you still have to live there

-when everyone's gone home.

-OK, let's cut to the chase, then.

If I could give you the keys to any one of our three properties...

..which one would you take?

Number one.

-Yes!

-So, what happens next?

-Another look.

So, here's to you, it's been a real pleasure.

Congratulations, let us know how you get on.

-Yes.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you, thank you, Jules.

Moving to a completely new area in a different environment and choosing

the right home has no doubt been quite an overwhelming

task for Susan to undertake on her own.

But she's been helped fantastically by her old buddy, Lesley.

And that just goes to prove that when it comes to successful

house hunting, sometimes we all need a little help from our friends.

Well, I'm delighted to report that after a second viewing,

Susan made an offer on property one that was accepted and we wish

her all the best for her retirement in the Nottinghamshire countryside.

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