Hampshire Escape to the Country

This huge oak tree is thought to be up to 600 years old,

making it the real granddaddy of this forest.

Find out where it is and why it's this particular shape

in just a few moments.

Today we're helping a retired couple find a rural retreat

where they can really crank up their music.

'But it's the heat we're turning up in one property.'

-Oh!

-Now, that is a burner.

-That's a fire.

'And we reveal something that's music to the ears and eyes.'

I wasn't expecting this room, and it's stunning.

I'm in Hampshire, and this is the Knightwood Oak in the New Forest.

Not only is it one of the oldest, it's also one of the thickest,

measuring over 24 feet around its trunk,

and this is due to an ancient tree-management system

known as pollarding, whereby cuts were made in the trunk of the tree

just a few metres above the ground,

which would encourage it to grow more branches,

thus yielding more timber. Now, towards the end of the 1600s,

this method of pollarding was banned here in the New Forest,

as the Navy wanted taller trees to produce long, straight planks

to build ships for Nelson's fleet.

But it's great to see that even today, this beautiful tree survives

as a reminder of this county's rich heritage.

Bordered by five regions,

including the home counties of Berkshire and Surrey

to the north and east, and Wiltshire and Dorset to the west,

Hampshire takes an enviable position on the central southern coast,

with 34 miles of Solent shore.

Blending both coast and countryside,

it's one of the oldest counties in England.

The majestic Hampshire once made up part of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex,

with King Alfred making the county town of Winchester his royal seat.

This ancient capital is famed for its magnificent cathedral

and is also the resting place of literary great Jane Austen,

who spent most of her short life in Hampshire.

Today, the village's 400-year-old manor house

is home to a unique library of over 9,000 titles,

to preserve women's writing in English

from as far back as the 17th century.

So let's find out where today's buyers are looking to head here in Hampshire.

It's the end of working life

that heralds the beginning of a new country life

for former civil servant Mike and his wife Jill.

They've been married for over three decades,

and have spent the last five years in this 1930s dormer bungalow

in Warlingham, Surrey. But preparations are under way

to turn their backs on the southern-London suburbs.

It's a little bit anonymous.

Everybody sort of keeps to themselves.

Everybody's very busy.

There isn't really much of a sense of community here.

The traffic, if I have to go into Croydon to go shopping,

it takes a long time in the car.

There's just too much bustle,

and I'll be very glad to get away from that.

So the plan is a rural relocation

equidistant between their closest loved ones.

The reason we chose Hampshire is that Mike's mum lives in Devon,

so we travel up and down to see her quite a lot,

but our son lives in London, and we don't want to be far away from him,

so Hampshire's really a perfect place, right in the middle.

SHE SINGS

And when it comes to the perfect pad,

they're hoping to raise the roof.

We've got a lot of instruments and music,

so we'd like to have a separate music room or a study, something like that.

I still play my bass.

Jill never stops singing. She's always singing to the radio.

In fact, I can't even mention the title of a song,

-and you have to sing the whole thing!

-Yes.

But when they're not making sweet music,

Jill and Mike have their own separate passions.

I took up golf when I was a teenager,

and got quite good at it,

but then was stopped through working life quite a lot.

-But I've really taken it up with a vengeance again...

-Yes.

..recently. I can still play in single figures,

which I'm determined to hold on to as long as I can.

'In the last few years I've been trying to grow a lot of vegetables,

'and it's my dream to be self-sufficient in vegetables.'

'We've got a huge garden here, but it's actually too big, and I'd like something a bit smaller.'

Their current home is already on the market,

and a budget is set for this new Hampshire venture.

The maximum we'll look up to for this move is £525,000.

Jill and Mike want the best of country and coast,

so a house search will focus on the county's southern portion

and the pretty villages surrounding the small town of Bishop's Waltham.

So, with the area sorted,

I'm meeting up with our buyers on Hampshire soil

to clarify the details of their move.

Well, it's always nice to start in beautiful surroundings,

-so welcome to a beautiful and sunny Hampshire.

-Gorgeous.

Tell me, why have you decided to look for a house here?

It's got everything we want. It's got the coast,

it's got the countryside...

Of everywhere we've looked at, this is where we feel most comfortable.

And we don't want to be too far from London, cos our son's in London.

What's your shortlist? What are your must-haves?

We like a pretty reasonable-size garden,

cos gardening's very important to me.

-How about you, Mike? What's important to you?

-Golf course.

-Unfortunately I need...

-Tell me it's nearby!

-..reasonable access to one.

-We don't want to live in one.

What about the house itself?

I know you want a music room. How many bedrooms?

Very flexible, really, because we'd be willing to change rooms around

and use them for what we... Minimum is, we only need two bedrooms.

I'd love a nice kitchen, but everybody wants a nice kitchen.

-What's a nice kitchen, though, for you?

-Um...

-A five-burner gas hob.

-Yes!

She dreams of a five-burner gas hob.

-Old or new?

-An older property would be fine,

-if it's been modernised inside.

-We've got three properties lined up.

I'm going to really enjoy showing you round these old new houses,

or new old houses. Let's start. This way.

'For their maximum budget of £525,000,

'Mike and Jill are after a low-maintenance, modernised property

'that must be detached. It has to have at least two bedrooms

'and a room they can dedicate to music.'

And let's not forget the two all-important Gs -

that's gardening and golf.

We'll be showing our buyers a selection

of some of the best homes on the market,

but as always, I won't reveal their price tags until they've had a guess.

And our final choice is a mystery house,

which while straying from their stated wish list,

could disprove the adage of "age before beauty".

The first location on our house quest

is situated in the village of Durley,

which lies just a couple of miles from Bishop's Waltham

and the nearest golf course.

Lying in the Meon Valley, the small medieval town of Bishop's Waltham

benefits from a choice range of businesses, shops,

restaurants and boutiques.

And just a five-minute drive away in Durley,

the first house we're viewing is a barn conversion

right in the heart of the village.

Now, then - property number one.

-What do you think, Jill?

-I like the look of it.

It looks like it's quite modern.

It looks like just what we're looking for,

except the extent to which it looks a little bit squeezed

between the two adjoining houses,

-so the overlooking element might be a no-no for us.

-OK.

-Possibly.

-Well, it's a good point. It's something to bear in mind.

OK. Let's look inside.

Great.

'Originally an agricultural building for a neighbouring farm,

'this property was converted into a family home in 1981.

'So let's see if it's modern enough for Jill and Mike.'

So, let's start with the kitchen.

Ooh! Yes. Very nice. You don't have to walk far. Everything's...

-Yeah, it's right there, isn't it?

-Which is brilliant for working,

-for cooking. That's good.

-You're not cramped in here.

-Not at all.

-Plenty of room for a table.

Again, just looking, it's been done.

-Nice lighting.

-It's been finished to a nice standard.

And I like the windows. So there's lots of light in.

Yes, this corner window behind us works well.

Great thing about this house is, the living room is just off the kitchen,

-so let me show you just through this door.

-Ah! Sorry!

So, conveniently off the kitchen.

-Oh, a vaulted ceiling!

-Yes, that's nice. Very attractive.

-Always like that.

-Yeah.

-So much light, with a high ceiling.

That's what you get with barn conversions.

Now, let me squeeze through, and we'll go to the bedrooms.

Within the main house, there are three bedrooms in total.

The smallest one is a single,

and all three are served by a family shower room.

Now, this is the master.

OK.

-It's a little small.

-Yeah.

-What we're used to...

-But tap that wall.

It's a stud partition, so then you could knock through here

and have a lovely master suite, really good.

-You potentially could do that, couldn't you?

-Yeah.

'That concludes our tour of the main residence,

'though we haven't yet addressed the issue of storage

'for all their musical instruments. But, back outside,

'I think there could be the perfect solution.'

So...

we have the annexe.

There's an office, there's a double bedroom and a bathroom,

-so completely self-contained.

-Excellent.

You've still got a double garage here.

Might not need both of those. Could always build into one of them.

You'll need to reconfigure the garden.

-What's your thoughts on this, Jill?

-Well, the best thing is...

the way it's facing, and the sun here, I would think,

-pretty much all day.

-It's really sunny.

How much do you think this house, with the annexe,

is on the market for?

Um, I'm going to go 470.

-OK. Jill?

-I think it'll be a little bit more,

-so 480.

-All right.

Well, it's on the market, and has been for two months,

at £499,950.

-Oh, I'm well low, then.

-Yeah, so am I.

Under budget with an asking price £50 short of half a million pounds,

the first property is a detached barn conversion,

comprising a large kitchen/diner,

an impressive sitting room with vaulted ceiling,

three bedrooms, and a separate one-bedroom annexe.

-All done and dusted?

-Yes, thank you.

Good. Well, that's property one finished and viewed. Off we go.

OK.

More than 80 percent of the land in Hampshire

is used for farming and forestry,

but in the depths of the countryside,

one pioneering British farm has successfully diversified

from cultivating watercress to the native Japanese superfood, wasabi,

one of the rarest and most expensive vegetables in the world,

that's notoriously difficult to grow.

'So I went to the farm to find out from product manager James Harper

'just how they've managed to cultivate and harvest

'this valuable crop.'

-Hi, James.

-Hey, Jonnie! How you doing?

Very good, thanks! Very good. What an amazing place!

It's not what I was expecting,

but I was surprised to even hear we had wasabi here in the UK.

It's Europe's first wasabi farm.

I don't think it's what anybody expects!

-Europe's first, eh?

-Absolutely.

-So, James, what is wasabi?

-Wasabi is a Japanese aquatic plant.

-Yeah.

Although it looks like a root, it's actually a rhizome.

It's a swollen plant stem. And you grind this up.

The paste that you buy in the supermarket is trying to mimic this.

So, how come you're growing it here in Hampshire?

You'd think it would only grow in Japan.

The reason is... We're standing in it. It's spring water.

It's mineral-rich spring water that comes out at source.

So what are we looking at? Is this fully grown?

No. This is less than a year old. It gets to be quite a large plant.

-Shall we go and have a look?

-Yeah, please.

-Do some harvesting.

'Wasabi is a member of the same family as cabbage and horseradish.

'It grows wild in Japan, but here it takes two painstaking years to harvest.'

Now, I tell you what, James - this is impressive.

-Bit bigger, isn't it?

-These are magnificent plants, aren't they?

-Shall we pull one out, have a look at it?

-I'd love to.

-This one looks about ready.

-You feel around for what - a rhizome?

Yeah, rhizome. These bits here are the actual roots themselves,

but these bits that look like roots are actually rhizomes,

-swollen plant stems.

-Could someone at home

-grow this kind of plant?

-Yeah, it's possible.

In fact, we actually sell plants to the public.

We use everything on the plant. The leaves are edible.

-You can eat it raw?

-Yeah.

-Can I have a go?

Yeah.

That is sweet. Ooh! It's still got a bit of a kick...

It's still got a bit of a kick to it.

'The price of fresh rhizome is just as eye-watering as the taste,

'and costs upwards of £25 per 100g.

'Traditionally ground into a hot paste to accompany sushi,

'wasabi's intense flavour and heat is now used as a key ingredient

'in a range of dishes, both surf and turf.'

Now, whilst this steak is just finishing off cooking,

-I've got one eye on these oysters.

-Well, let's give it a go.

-Yeah, please.

-There we are.

Thank you very... Cor, that is a lot of wasabi!

-Cheers!

-Chin-chin.

Oh!

That goes so well!

'Wasabi is not just simply hot. It has more of a nutty flavour,

'and unlike chilli, you get a kick through the nostrils

'as opposed to the back of the throat.

'But once it's been grated, there's about 15 minutes

'before it oxidises and loses its flavour.'

If you don't mind, I'm just going to help myself.

While you're doing that, I'll stick some leaves in a pan...

-OK.

-..and, er, we can try those,

because they're very good with rock salt, tossed in butter.

This is going along the lines of... I've just done you a bit there.

This is going along the lines of using the whole plant again.

Mm!

-Oh, that is amazing!

-Well cooked, Jonnie. Well done.

'Even the leaves are edible, much like spring greens

'when they're wilted down.'

-OK.

-Right, see what you think.

-They're lovely!

-Quite fibrous.

-Yeah, very much so.

And after savouring a flavour of the Far East,

but freshly grown in Hampshire, it's about time we found out

if any of our three properties are to the taste of Jill and Mike.

For our second property, we're heading four miles south

of Bishop's Waltham to the village of Wickham.

Dating back to at least Roman times,

today the picturesque village is lined with historic buildings,

housing a great variety of shops and restaurants,

and just a mile away on the more rural fringes of the village

and right opposite the Forest of Bere, we find our second property.

-The house. Do you like it?

-Yes.

-I do, yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. Very positive first impression, yeah.

-That's all we want to hear. Let's go inside.

-OK.

'Originally built in the 1930s,

'this bungalow has been considerably extended over the years,

'and we're heading straight for the main living areas at the back.'

Let's start with the living room in this one.

Ooh! Oh, that's nice.

Nice! Modern, light, bright.

-It's got a good feel to it.

-It has, hasn't it?

-Uh-huh.

-Oh!

-Now, THAT is a burner.

That's a fire, isn't it? That really is.

-You wouldn't need central heating if you've got that.

-Almost!

-But you've got to be... OK...

-Nice.

It's a 1930s house, or bungalow,

but inside it's very contemporary, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yeah. Very tasteful. Nice floor. I like the floor.

Beyond... I'll show you the kitchen. You don't need to dine elsewhere,

but you do have a conservatory that's set up for formal dining,

which I thought was maybe a foot in each camp for you.

-That might be nice, yeah.

-Very nice.

-You could move in.

-Yeah.

-Well, I almost think Jill has!

But let's show you both the kitchen. Let me squeeze past you.

-So, the kitchen!

-Oh, very nice.

-Lovely view of the garden.

-Spacious.

You have a utility room with this place,

so you can get the white goods out of the way if you want to.

-Talking your language there, aren't we?

-Very much so.

Well, I'm glad you say that,

because these two rooms are very important to you,

but I want to show you something that may be a bit unexpected,

-which is right up you pair's street. Let's go.

-Oh, excellent!

So, just through the utility room...

Oh!

-Oh, this is super, isn't it?

-What a nice little room!

-Yeah!

-Oh, yes. This is good.

-Now, we know what this room's going to be, don't we?

-Mm-hm!

-I suspect we do.

-Mm-hm.

Music room.

Your third bedroom is just through there, with its own en suite,

and you still have a music room.

You said a third bedroom would be the music room.

You've got that extra room, that extra space,

-but also your guests aren't right on top of you.

-Sounds perfect.

This extended arm of the property lies to the rear of the house,

accessed through the kitchen and utility.

The remaining two bedrooms are back in the main part of the property

to the front, and are both large and well-proportioned rooms.

One is a bright double that looks out over the front garden,

and is served by the family bathroom.

And the final bedroom is the master suite.

So...

-Bedroom.

-That's a good, decent size, isn't it?

I like the storage space.

Behind that door, en-suite shower and loo.

Splendid.

Great news! Well, it's going really well so far, isn't it?

-Yes. Yeah.

-Let's take a look at the garden.

-Let me just squeeze past you there.

-Sorry.

-Thank you very much.

The front garden has a huge gravel drive

with plenty of parking, and again, a double garage.

'But we need to find out if the back garden is appropriate

'for Jill's veggie aspirations.'

-So, a cracking garden!

-Yes. Lovely.

Very nicely laid out. Lovely trees, shrubs, everything.

-So...

-That's very nice.

-..how much...

-Ooh...

..do you think this place is on the market for, then?

-520.

-520. OK. Mike?

Mm. I'm going to say 535.

Well, yeah. I mean, you've seen the house.

You've seen the gardens, of course.

It's on the market for £475,000.

Oh!

SHE LAUGHS Wow.

A huge £50,000 under budget,

the second property is a detached 1930s bungalow

that's had a thoroughly modern make-over

and features a large kitchen/diner, two reception rooms

and three bedrooms, two of which are en suite.

And the whole lot offers plenty of scope

for our buyers' specific hobbies, both inside and out.

-Now, then, have you explored the gardens?

-Oh, yes.

-Yes.

-Did you have a good time?

-Great.

-Yeah.

Lots to see. Lots of little nooks and crannies.

And you're both still smiling, which is great news.

-It's a super place.

-A good point to end today's search on, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Very much.

For the mystery house,

we're travelling out of their preferred search area,

to the village of Over Wallop, near the Hampshire-Wiltshire border.

And in the midst of green and tranquil Hampshire countryside

peacefully sits our mystery house.

-Oh, my word!

-Wow!

Oh, heavens above!

-Wow!

-Isn't that pretty?!

-It's not contemporary.

-It's "wow"!

-No, it isn't, is it? But it is "wow".

-Totally "wow".

-Dying to see inside.

-Yes. I want to see inside.

Let's go inside, then. Come on.

'With a pedigree dating back to the 19th century,

'the mystery house is an utterly charming Grade II listed cottage

'under a recently thatched roof.

'It's absolutely packed with period features,

'but the twist is that it's a far cry from the modern living space

'Jill and Mike requested.'

So, the big moment!

SHE SIGHS

-Lovely!

-Big inglenook fireplace.

-It's dramatic.

First reception room. Second one just through here.

Oh, another reception?

So, this one's a bit brighter, actually, this room.

Oh, another reception room, and another open fire.

-Good size, as well.

-Yes, another fire.

-Three windows.

-It's spacious, though.

That's... Actually, if you combine the size of the lounge

and this as well, there's a lot of room.

-Plenty of living space.

-Yes.

With two comfortably sized reception rooms to choose from,

there's definitely a solution for their music room.

'Time to see if the kitchen fits the bill.'

Now, then, the lowest ceiling of the house!

Oh, that's fine. Not a problem.

-No, it's bigger than I thought it would be.

-Is it?

Again, you get some white goods out the way,

-because you got a utility. Have you cooked with one of them?

-No.

Not a clue. But I'm sure you can learn fairly easily.

It's got two windows, which is great. That brightens it up a lot.

The last room to see on the ground floor is the bathroom,

which could benefit from a make-over.

'But, unusually for a property of this type,

'there are two spacious bathrooms, and the other one lies upstairs

'alongside the bedrooms.'

I love these steps into this master room.

-Oh, isn't this lovely?

-I wasn't expecting that.

Oh, it's so pretty! I love the staircase coming up,

and the window. Isn't that smashing?

Now, you got three bedrooms up here on the first floor,

family bathroom. With three bedrooms and that second reception room,

you've got options. You don't have to lose a bedroom

-to get your music room.

-No.

It's not just heart-versus-head, this house.

You do have some practicalities here.

This is a real... This is a real bonus.

As I said, I wasn't expecting this room,

and it's stunning.

So, outside - garden's hugely important.

Let's go and see where you could get your hands dirty.

-OK.

-Great.

'I'm really encouraged that both Jill and Mike are keeping positive

'about this delightful mystery cottage,

'and I'm confident that the well tended, south-facing rear garden,

'enveloped by glorious countryside, won't disappoint.'

Oh... Oh!

Golly, what a lovely garden!

Let's have a sit on this flint wall, shall we?

So...

-What...

-What a picture!

-Gorgeous, isn't it?

-It is absolutely gorgeous.

-I think I'll just stay here.

-It's so pretty!

-And this garden?

-Oh, fabulous!

All right. How much do you think

this beautiful thatched house is up for sale for?

I'm going to say 535.

OK. Jill?

There's a lot that needs doing to update it,

in terms of the kitchen, the bathroom, or the two bathrooms.

So I would go down a little bit and say 500.

Not a bad guess, Jill.

This place is on the market for offers around £495,000.

Gosh!

Yet again comfortably under budget,

the mystery house is a listed 19th-century thatched cottage,

with two separate reception rooms, a roomy kitchen,

three bedrooms, and large, beautifully kept cottage gardens.

-Now, then, quite thought-provoking, this house.

-Very much.

-You didn't fall out, did you?

-Not yet.

-No, actually!

We should find you somewhere to have a bit of a think

and then we'll catch up later on.

-Oh, lovely spot again.

-Beautiful.

So, you've had a bit of time to think.

What's your favourite property?

-In a word...

-BOTH: Number two.

OK. What is it about the second house that makes it your favourite?

It's the flexibility of the accommodation.

That annexe that was built onto the back,

you could use that living room

between the kitchen and the extra bedroom

as a music room or a study, or almost as a day sitting room.

And everything done. That's a big thing.

There's nothing immediately crying out to be renovated or modernised.

Your head wasn't turned by the mystery house, then?

It was really beautiful to look at,

and the environment and everything about it was great from the outside,

but it didn't really fit the bill.

Are there any question marks over the second property?

I think we've thought we would like very much to have another look.

I think you should do just that. Go back there on another day,

-spend some time there.

-I'm sure we will.

-I want to get it right, and this has been really helpful.

-It really has.

Good. Well, it's been a pleasure to accompany you

these past couple of days, and find out a bit more about the area

and what's of interest to you, so thank you both very much.

-It's been great fun.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

It looks like the mystery property was a fairly tempting option,

but it seems like Mike and Jill have kept their heads on this one.

And let's face it, property number two did pretty much give them

everything they said they're after. But it's a big move for a couple,

so I think they're doing the right thing in coming back here

for a second viewing. They'll get the chance to suss out the area too.

And then, if all goes well,

hopefully they'll both make an escape to Hampshire sometime soon.

See you next time.

On reflection, Mike and Jill decided not to pursue the second property,

but are looking for their dream home away from their initial search area

and around the location of the mystery house instead.

If you would like to escape to the country

in England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland, and need our help,

you can apply online at...