Herefordshire Escape to the Country

This is Roaring Meg,

the mighty mortar responsible for bringing this medieval Norman castle

to its knees back in 1646.

Find out which castle and where I am in just a moment.

Our couple today have already crossed the continent

and are now crossing counties in their quest

for some countryside calm.

And we deliver quantity...

Does this all come with the house?

..as well as quality.

-Nice.

-It looks cute, yes.

-Well, it's better than "not bad"!

LAUGHTER

I'm in Herefordshire, and this is Goodrich Castle.

This magnificent edifice was begun in the 11th century

and guards the point where the River Wye

enters the valley of Symonds Yat,

giving a huge strategic importance for any military commander.

Today, these impressive ruins still stand

as one of the best examples of castle-building in the country,

and visitors get to enjoy some of the best views

of this beautiful county.

Nestled up against Wales, Herefordshire shares its borders

with the Welsh counties of Powys and Monmouthshire

and the English counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire

and Gloucestershire.

One of the most rural areas in the country,

Herefordshire's patchwork landscape has been shaped by agriculture,

with over 5,000 farms and 3,000 orchards.

Boasting one of the lowest population densities in England,

the pleasant pastures here could provide a perfect place

for those chasing a truly peaceful escape.

But will our buyers agree?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Arthur Goosen, known to his friends and family as Goose,

and his wife Judy relocated from South Africa to England

nearly 30 years ago. And for a long while,

home has been this five-bed semi in the Buckinghamshire town of Marlow.

But they long to get away from the rat race

and break free from their suburban surroundings.

We've been here 17 years,

which is a long time to stay in one place anyway.

And I think now that our children have grown up, it's now our time,

'so we can do the things that we want to do.'

Both Goose and Judy were raised abroad

and the commuter climate is a far cry from the environment

they experienced growing up.

We both grew up in Africa.

And both grew up in a rural sort of...you know, lifestyle.

And I think now is the time that we'd like to really recreate that.

Where I grew up, it was very tranquil and calm

'and very little traffic.

'In fact, if a car came by on'

some days, it was a real eye-opener.

Um...if an aircraft flew over, it was a miracle!

But there's a more profound motive

that's prompted this proposed chapter.

The reason we want to go to Herefordshire particularly

is because our daughter is there. She's married to a farmer.

We do travel there quite often for weekends,

really enjoy it, and the farm life as well.

We're pretty busy people. We work full-time.

I'm a trainer in the pharmaceutical industry

and Arthur is a key accounts manager,

so our lives are busy during the week.

But we're looking forward to, in a couple of years, retiring

and really being able to make the most of it.

So, with retirement on the horizon,

a new lease of life in a new location

should afford them more time for their passions.

I think my main hobbies are, um...cooking and painting,

which I don't do very much of at the moment.

'I just don't get the time.'

'I've been playing golf for about 35 years now. I started playing'

in South Africa.

'And I play virtually on every weekend.

'I play in the inter-club matches,

'really enjoy it'

and really enjoy the social life

in the golf club as well.

Arthur does play a lot of golf,

which means, particularly at weekends,

I'm often on my own during the day, which is actually fine,

because I love cooking, so I'll spend the day cooking

or doing something that I enjoy.

It doesn't worry me. I quite actually enjoy being on my own.

And if we have a garden as well that I can potter around in,

that'll keep me busy.

With so much time at home alone and after a long day teeing off,

they want a more inspiring house to relax in.

We would like a house with character,

so something a bit different, something a bit quirky,

something that's not just a square box.

But before we can start looking for their new home,

we need to find out how much money there is to play with.

Our maximum budget for this move is £400,000.

The fundamental incentive for Goose and Judy's relocation

is the desire to be within half an hour's drive

of their daughter in Dinedor.

Time for us all to meet up and finalise the details of their move.

-Now, Arthur, you're called Goose, right?

-My nickname's Goose.

Everyone calls me Goose.

-Can I call you Goose?

-Yeah.

-Except Judy, when's she's annoyed with me, she calls me Arthur.

-OK.

We'll see how that goes.

If I call you Arthur, it means you've walked into the wrong room!

So, run me through your top three assets

that the property must have for you.

Must have a minimum of three bedrooms,

because we will have quite a few friends to stay.

It must have a decent-sized garden, but not too huge,

but a good size that we can have some veggies

and maybe have some chickens.

-Are you going to keep chickens? Are you going to grow veggies?

-Yeah!

Who's going to do that? Goose, are you pretty handy?

I can see myself looking after the chickens

and eating them!

No, we're not eating them!

I take it, Judy, you want the eggs and you want the meat.

Coming from a South African background,

-you've got to be into barbecues, right?

-Big time.

-Oh, yes.

So, this garden - for you, is it an extension of the house,

-an entertaining space?

-Absolutely, yes.

So you don't want what you live in at the moment - a 1970s...

box, if you like.

I don't want a dark and gloomy interior.

-Right, OK.

-I'd love the house to be fairly airy and sunny.

-Yes.

We've got some cracking houses lined up.

-Great.

-Can't wait.

With a top budget of £400,000,

our buyers are looking for a characterful and quirky property

with light, spacious rooms.

They need three bedrooms to accommodate visiting friends

and a roomy kitchen in which to entertain them.

Outside, they want a decent-sized garden for barbecues,

and, ideally, the location should be within a 30-minute drive

from their daughter, as well

as a good golf course.

And we'll be taking Goose and Judy

to view some of the finest homes on the market,

but I won't be revealing their price tags

until they've had a guess first.

As ever, our final choice is the Mystery House,

which should open their eyes

to something we hope they might never have considered.

We're starting off about 15 miles south

of Judy and Goose's daughter in Dinedor,

where our first destination is the village of Goodrich.

A golf course is within a 15-minute drive of Goodrich,

which is a small village that developed around

the now ruinous 11th century red sandstone castle.

And just a five-minute stroll away

and up at the top of Coppet Hill,

our first property is perfectly positioned

to command an incredible 180-degree panorama

of the Wye Valley and beyond.

Look at the snow at the top of the mountains.

Wonderful. Well, this house is all geared up to enjoy that view.

Look at the way it faces.

And this is us.

-First impression?

-Nice.

Er...not a square block.

It's got a lot of character to it.

-It was a barn.

-Oh, was it?

With a cider press inside it. I'll tell you a bit more inside.

Let's go and have a look.

On the site of a mid-19th-century cider mill,

this property was built into the hillside on a gradient,

and as such, the internal layout is a little unconventional.

But our buyers specifically requested quirky character,

'so I hope this one does the trick.'

So in you come. Mind that step there.

I like the kitchen. Very nice.

This was a barn, but the farmer, the guy that owned it,

used to have this room as a cider press.

-I think it's quite nice, to be honest with you.

-Yeah. I like it.

Size-wise, it's not huge.

I mean, to be honest, I'd prefer the kitchen to be a bit bigger.

If I'm completely honest.

I like the kitchen, I like the style of kitchen.

It's got a nice feel about it.

-Now, your room is the living room, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

Let me show you that.

Right then.

I'm trying to picture you, Goose,

reading or maybe watching your sport in this room.

It is a nice room. Beautiful view. Lovely windows.

-We're used to having a bigger room where we live now.

-Right.

But I do realise we are probably going to have to downsize our rooms

and I honestly believe this is ample. This is fine for us.

-We don't need a room much bigger than that.

-Good.

Now then...three bedrooms.

I think one of the guest bedrooms is on this floor,

but the good thing about that is it's got a shower

and a loo next door to it. So your guests...

Even your day guests won't have to go traipsing through.

Downstairs, I think, is where you'll be sleeping.

-OK.

-Wonderful.

Coming down the stairs,

it feels like we're in the bowels of the building,

-but actually, you're almost on the ground floor.

-OK.

Is this the master bedroom?

It's what you want it to be, but, yeah.

The three bedrooms you've got are of similar size.

This has got all the power points, telephone points, what-have-you.

And it's got the bathroom opposite.

-So it feels like this would be your master.

-Yes.

-OK.

-Yeah.

Cupboard space...?

Where would you put your clothes?

It's smaller on the downstairs. This is built into a hill.

Right, OK. It is a small room.

I would struggle to think of actually living here,

-because I don't know where I'd put my clothes.

-OK.

It was all going really well,

but it seems we've hit a stumbling block over space.

But seeing as the house needs to accommodate just our buyers,

they could use the second downstairs bedroom for extra storage.

There's also a useful utility room down on this floor.

But we're going to weave our way back up and out of this property

to check out the garden

and find out just how many quirks Judy and Goose can take.

So...

All in all, including where the house sits itself,

you've got around three-quarters of an acre.

So...

what do you think of the garden?

The garden's a big disappointment to me.

Yeah, it's a bit slope-y.

You'd have to terrace it if you were going to do anything with it.

It depends what you want to do with it.

I mean, yeah, you'd need to terrace part of it

-for growing some veggies, maybe in raised beds.

-Yes.

So how much do you think this house is on the market for?

I reckon about...

349.

OK.

I'm going to go higher.

I would say it's about 365.

Right, OK.

Well...not high enough.

This place is on the market

for offers around £399,995.

Right. OK.

Just £5 short of their maximum budget,

property number one is a detached stone-built home

with a topsy-turvy layout,

that lends itself to a beautiful fitted kitchen/diner,

an inviting sitting room and three bedrooms.

And though the three-quarter-acre plot

may not present the ideal garden for veggies or barbecues,

it does boast terrific, far-fetching views.

-So, all done inside?

-I think so.

I think we're all done inside, seen enough.

-Good. Let's go to the next one.

-OK.

If there's one thing synonymous with Herefordshire,

it has to be agriculture.

And the largest agricultural sector in the country

is dairy farming, worth over £3 billion a year,

with an annual milk production around 13 billion litres.

But the UK dairy industry is in crisis,

as farmers struggle to break even.

So much so that over the last five years,

some 1,500 farms have stopped producing milk.

However, on Lower Buckholt Farm here in Herefordshire,

third-generation farmers Oli and Ed Partridge

are successfully adopting innovative methods

to ensure their family's 60-year-old farming pedigree

continues to thrive.

-Morning, chaps.

-Morning.

-Morning.

How are you? You are Ed... Oli, how are you?

-Who's this?

-That's Merlin.

Welcome to the farm.

-Come and meet the cows.

-I'd love to.

Come on, Merlin!

Brothers Oli and Ed work across two sites

and have a herd that currently stands at

250 Holstein Friesian milking cows.

So, Ed, why are dairy farmers finding it so tough at the moment?

The feed price has been high

and the milk price has been volatile.

We grow a lot of maize,

which provides starch for the high-yielding cows.

Basically, we had a third of a crop, so that's run out early.

We're buying in extra silage, and it's very expensive.

It still amazes me that you buy a pint of milk cheaper

than you buy a pint of water.

I mean, the amount of work that goes into a pint of milk,

-and you give it away, essentially, don't you?

-Yes.

It's incredible. It's such a lot of attention to detail and effort,

the skill that goes into dairy farming.

Our philosophy is, if we look after the cows,

then they'll look after us.

Despite the national drop of dairy herds,

recent figures show the average milk yield

has increased to about 241 litres per cow.

And the brothers have invested in a state-of-the-art milk parlour

to cater for their high-yield cows.

Each animal is given a number, which correlates to a computer programme

that individually calculates the feed and nutrients

for each and every cow.

First, the teat is prepared with an iodine disinfectant.

OK, up you go. There you go, love.

Then the computerised system distributes the feed.

5...8...3...

-Enter.

-Enter.

Listen to the cake drop.

Once she's happily feeding,

'the pumps are attached.'

And the milking begins.

-It's coming out straight away - look at that!

-There you go.

The welfare of their animals is the top priority for Ollie and Ed

and the sophisticated management and frequent milking they employ

not only keeps the cows in great condition,

but also provides more milk, and so optimises their profit.

Vets and nutritionists also visit regularly

to ensure the cows they've nurtured from birth

are as healthy and happy as possible.

So what are these cows doing in here?

These cows are about to be milked,

but we thought we'd show you some nice, quiet cows -

a few of the pets we've got on the farm.

-Do you name them?

-Yes.

-THEY LAUGH

-They've got names!

-Yeah!

-Go on, then.

That's Jezza over there.

Wet-Nose is over there.

Tufty's there, that red one there.

She's nice. You can see why.

And Fringina, 177.

Bouffant's over there somewhere.

But this shows just how close you are to your animals, doesn't it?

Which is great to see.

And you're certainly bucking the trend, so long may that continue.

Thanks very much for your time.

-Thanks very much.

-Good to meet you.

-Cheers.

The second property takes us closer to the water

as we're headed for the village of Staunton-on-Wye,

approximately half an hour's drive from Dinedor.

And in the rural outskirts of the village,

we find property number two.

So, for the second house...

Different position.

A different proposition as well.

OK, 1800s again, early 1800s,

but very different look.

May very well have been a farm worker's cottage,

could even have been two.

-I honestly think it looks really nice.

-It looks cute.

-Good.

-You like that, don't you?

-I do, yeah!

Well, it's better than "not bad"!

LAUGHTER

OK. This is all very positive.

-It IS positive so far.

-Shall we go inside? Follow me.

I must confess my relief that Goose and Judy are attracted

to the external period character

of this timber-framed property, for the black

'and white theme is a serious feature continued inside.'

Here we are.

Judy?

Um...I like the sort of openness.

It feels big.

It IS big. It's a lot bigger than the living room of the first house.

A lot bigger. It's still very nice and airy.

Very nice of the owner - they lit the fire for us!

It's a big, long room, but it feels cosy.

That obviously helps. It's a beautiful feature, isn't it?

-I've always wanted one of those.

-It's really nice.

So, good first impressions.

-Let's go through to the kitchen.

-OK.

Just off the sitting room, there's a downstairs WC and shower room,

as well as the dining room that looks out over open fields.

Then, across the back of the building,

a large dual-aspect study sits right next to the kitchen/breakfast room.

-I like this.

-You do?

-Lovely, yeah.

I like that.

The great thing about this house is -

and a lot of people have them these days -

they'll have a range, especially for the winter,

but for the summer, they'll have an electric hob and oven.

-So best of both worlds, really.

-Yeah.

-Onwards and upwards. Let me take you to the master bedroom.

-OK.

The staircase in the dining room leads to two first-floor bedrooms,

both of which share the modern family bathroom.

One of the bedrooms is a good-sized double,

featuring exposed timbers and built-in cupboards.

But we've earmarked the other bedroom for our buyers.

So, the master bedroom.

I think it's just that bit bigger, essentially, than the first house.

That makes it work.

It does seem to have quite a lot more room,

especially around the beds,

and...a lot of storage space, with the drawers across there.

-It's big enough, I think.

-Yes.

I can see myself waking up in the morning here.

Well, that sounds good.

-I mean, so far, you love the living room.

-Yes.

You like the kitchen, and what that could give you

in the future as well, opening those doors out to the garden.

-Absolutely.

-And upstairs, we've got two bedrooms upstairs

and a small third bedroom downstairs on the ground floor.

It seems to be going well.

-Mmm.

-I think it is going well.

I do think it's going well, yes.

I think that's full marks for the accommodation

and this time, I'm confident that the outside space

should deliver the goods too.

With a paved cottage garden and an orchard,

the grounds here require more than just a few green fingers.

But there's a couple of extra features

I want to show Judy and Goose.

Now, when you said you'd like a bit of land...

-I like to take things to the next level.

-Wow!

-How about that?

-Wow! Does this all come with the house?

-The whole lot.

-Wow!

All the way over towards those silver birches.

But the very best thing, the thing I love the most -

that little chalet/lodge thing there has electricity,

running water, and already a bedroom and kitchenette set up in there.

-Wow!

-I don't believe it!

-That's amazing!

That IS a surprise.

How much do you think this house is on the market for?

Oh, it's in my mind...

I had it in my mind and I changed my mind!

-I'll go first.

-OK.

I reckon right at the very top end of our budget.

399...

-Maybe even slightly more.

-OK.

Then I'll be really optimistic and say 380.

-I cannot believe 380.

-No.

You did say you'd be prepared to push your budget

-for the right property.

-We did say that.

Is this the right property?

It could very, very well be.

This place is on the market for offers around...

..£395,000.

-That does surprise me.

-Wow!

-That's amazing.

-That does surprise me.

I would have thought it would be more than that.

Five grand under budget,

the second property is an historic black-and-white cottage,

brimming with character.

It comes with a living and family room,

a kitchen/breakfast room

and three bedrooms,

one of which is in the separate guest annexe.

And surrounded by unspoilt countryside,

the whole plot claims over two acres

of rural Herefordshire splendour.

Well, I did think the sun would be going down,

-but there was so much to see, wasn't there?

-There was. Brilliant.

-Did you met the hens?

-We did.

-Good. Still want to keep some?

-Definitely.

-Yes, definitely.

Let's discuss it in the car on the way back. That's all for today.

-OK.

-Wonderful.

The final stop on Goose and Judy's property tour

is in Burghill,

which is our closest location to their daughter in Dinedor,

being just about 20 minutes' drive away.

So...here we are.

It's really sweet.

-Lovely.

-You could see it on a box of chocolates.

-Yes!

-Chocolate box.

-It's a country house if ever I've seen one.

-Yeah.

The second part is what it looks and feels like inside.

-So let's find out.

-OK.

'I've chosen this listed part-thatched cottage

'because it's definitely not

'the light and roomy home our buyers asked for.

'And it's packed to the rather low rafters

'with traditional features.'

-Righty-ho. Another island for you, Judy.

-Another island.

-Nice kitchen.

-So...

-Very nice kitchen.

-I like it.

-Isn't it really nice?

-It is really nice.

-Lovely.

This kitchen was built back in 2001.

Is it your taste? Because it would be a shame to rip anything out.

-It is. I like the colour.

-Good.

-OK.

-I hope there might be another area.

Two reception rooms to have a look at.

Which one do you want to have as a dining room?

Oh!

Oh, lovely!

-This is lovely. It's really nice.

-I like this room.

Are these ceilings OK?

Fine for me!

They're not fine for me, to be honest!

Just through that doorway, they've put a downstairs loo,

so your guests don't go traipsing through the rest of your house.

-Good.

-All these guests of yours.

-All these guests.

Now, a room just for you two. I think you'll love it. Follow me.

So...

I think this is for you.

-This is cosy. That's nice.

-A real fire.

-Yep.

-Imagine sitting on a winter's evening...

-Quick look at the master bedroom?

-Yeah.

-Follow me.

'The stairs are in the corner of the sitting room

'and go up to the first-floor landing,

'where there are three bedrooms and a family bathroom.

'Two of the bedrooms are similar-sized doubles,

'one of which is presented with a single bed.

'And the final bedroom is, of course, the master suite.'

So there are height restrictions up here, to an extent.

This is nice. I like it.

Nice and bright.

-Bit of storage there.

-Have a look at that storage.

Have a quick peek.

Aha!

-Quite sneakily put in there.

-En suite.

-It's not massive up here.

-No, it's not, but...

-it's not too poky.

-It isn't?

-And it's light and airy.

It obviously overlooks the garden,

which I'm really keen on showing you, because again, very different,

but I think there's upsides to it as well.

Garden-wise, there's a gravelled patio

and a large lawn, as well as some raised beds.

But there's also a little something just for Judy.

You mentioned, when you do get the chance to retire,

maybe taking up your art again.

-Yeah.

-Those two sheds are actually joined up.

-They'd make a lovely little artist's studio.

-Excellent!

-OK.

-So...

village location...

Yet you've got the right-sized garden,

your quirky but hopefully the right-sized house...

It is the right-sized house.

What do you think it's worth?

395.

OK.

OK. I'm going to go lower.

Why have you got this funny expression on your face?

Because I think I know what this property costs.

-Have you seen it?

-I've seen it on the internet.

-OK.

-I actually wanted to come and see it.

-Cheating!

-Did you?

-I did.

-That's good, then.

-Yeah.

So if we hadn't have shown you this house,

you might have looked at it anyway?

-I probably would have come and seen it anyway.

-OK.

Go on, then - how much do you think this place is on the market for?

-Or how much do you know it's on the market for?

-£365,000.

This is Smug Judy, isn't it?

I've just met Smug Judy.

You're absolutely quite right - it's £365,000.

For you, you thought it was...

-More.

-A lot more.

Our lowest priced option, the Mystery House

is a Grade II listed timber-framed and clad cottage.

It has a stylish country kitchen/breakfast room,

two separate reception rooms

and three bedrooms, including a master en suite.

Outside, there's a large, well-tended garden

and the property is located

smack-bang in the centre of the village,

right next door to a golf course.

I must say, whilst you were walking around inside, I thought,

when the sun comes out,

this would be the perfect place to have a glass of wine.

-Absolutely.

-Nice cold beer.

Let's go somewhere for a chat and see where we're up to, shall we?

-Let's do that.

-Off we go.

How are we feeling?

-Yes.

-Feeling quite excited.

Well, this is very positive.

It's no surprise, actually.

Last night you were quite excited after the second property.

You felt just as excited, if not more so, after the Mystery House.

So, what's your decision?

Well, I think...

-I think I'd like to go back and see the Mystery House again.

-OK.

-Brilliant news!

-The three days have been a great progression,

because we started with the first house. As you know,

it was nice, but not our house at all.

And the second house, we liked.

And we thought that was great,

but today was a revelation for us.

Ideal location,

in a lovely area

-and we both really liked the house, didn't we?

-Lovely house.

It sounds like a distinct possibility that you're moving to

some of the best-looking countryside

and real estate you're likely to find.

I tell you what, if I am anywhere nearby,

I will be imposing myself to try out these famous barbecues.

You're welcome.

I wish you, honestly, genuinely, the very best of luck.

It was a pleasure spending the last few days with you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks.

-Thanks.

Well, what a turnaround from Goose and Judy

raving about that second property.

But I think that's more because

they had their head turned by that paddock.

But, really, when you come to think about it,

it wasn't exactly what they asked for.

So when we showed them the mystery property,

which seemed to be set in exactly the location

they said they were after,

well, I think the decision was made.

So all that remains now is hopefully that second viewing

goes according to plan and then, hopefully,

their dream of escaping here to the Herefordshire countryside

will soon become reality.

See you next time.

And I'm delighted to report

that Judy and Goose did go back to see the Mystery House

and they put in an offer that was accepted.

So we wish them all the very best for the new chapter of their lives

in Herefordshire.

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