Norfolk Escape to the Country

There are 47 working pleasure piers in the United Kingdom. This was built in 1901 at a cost of £18,800.

That's about £1 million in today's money.

Which one is it and where am I? Find out in just a moment.

'On today's show, we're helping two workaholics

'to swap the hubbub of metropolitan life

'for the soothing tones of the coast.

-'They try to be positive...'

-We have a light airy kitchen.

That's where the family tends to congregate. It's functional.

'..and take an unexpected turn.'

-It might surprise you, but I'd be tempted to leave it as it is.

-Really?

-Yeah.

I'm in north Norfolk and this is Cromer pier.

There's been a pier or a jetty here for the last 600 years.

The previous one, which was half its length, was made of wood.

It had an interesting bye-law that stated that gentlemen

were not allowed to smoke until after 9 o'clock in the evening,

when it was assumed that all ladies had gone to bed.

This modern structure is 500 feet long and includes a lifeboat station

and the Pavilion Theatre which hosts summer spectacles and Christmas shows.

I'll be walking along the length of the pier

and exploring its heritage later on in the show.

'The low-lying eastern county of Norfolk,

'bordered by Cambridgeshire to the west and Suffolk to the south,

'was once, according to the Domesday Book,

'the most densely populated county in the land.

'Nearly 1,000 years later and Norfolk is now the sixth lowest populated county in England.

'It's estimated there are over 150 deserted Norfolk villages,

'more than almost any other English county.

'The peace and stillness of Norfolk's wide-open spaces

'attracts many of the 31 million visitors to the county every year,

'enjoying nearly 100 miles of glorious coastline,

'1,200 miles of gentle walking trails

'and, of course, the renowned Norfolk Broads

'which, since 1878,

'has been one of the world's most popular boating destinations.

'Horatio Nelson, historically one of our greatest Britons,

'once said of his home county, "I am a Norfolk man and I glory in being so."'

There's some glorious property here in Norfolk.

As a whole, the county compares very favourably with England and Wales.

The average price for a detached house here

is £46,000 less than the national figure.

That said, it is a very big county and it has its property hot-spots.

They tend to be on the northern coast,

in beautiful little Georgian towns and villages like Blakeney, Holt, Burnham Overy.

In fact, Blakeney is the most expensive square footage in the whole county.

We've got three lovely properties lined up for our buyers, so let's meet them.

'David and Marie have lived in Wychbold, Worcestershire, for 12 years,

'but feel the time is right to swap the bustle of everyday commuting

'with the peace and quiet of the Norfolk coast.'

We live very close to the M5 and the A38, which you do get used to,

but it can be quite noisy. It's really a commuter town.

There's not so much of a community feel that there would have been some time ago.

'They'd always planned to move to the countryside,

'but David suffered a life-threatening fall which forced them to re-evaluate.'

It all came to a head last June, when David had an accident.

That meant four months in hospital with quite a serious brain injury.

The accident kind of brought it home to me that I want more out of life.

I want some of the things that I've always wanted to achieve,

like living by the sea, like having dogs.

Here was the opportunity and to keep putting it off

no longer made any sense.

During the last month in hospital, David agreed with his company to take redundancy.

That was my trigger, really, to say,

"Maybe it's time for me to resign and for us to head off to the sea."

'With the children having flown the family home, it was time to think about themselves.

'It wasn't hard to decide on the location for their escape.'

We love a village called Mundesley, which is just outside of Cromer.

It's very peaceful, and to add to the rural feel that it has,

there's also a beach and the seaside on its doorstep.

'The Norfolk coast will enable David to indulge in his love of sailing.'

I've always loved that sense of freedom.

I want to buy a boat once I get to wherever we get to.

Sun shining, nice day, bit of wind.

"Let's get in the boat and let's go out for the day."

Fantastic!

'Moving to the country would allow another lifestyle change they're keen to explore.'

I was brought up with border collies,

but I've never had one whilst I've been working.

Now that situation's changed,

I can achieve my original ambition, which is to get a couple of dogs.

'They have a good idea of what they're searching for.'

I think our ideal property has a number of key components.

Very much close to the sea.

Probably a minimum of three bedrooms, but we'd like a reasonable garden.

We've got a nice central point to the house where we live -

the kitchen and the family room being together.

It's important for us to feel, as it'll probably be our last move, that it's the right house.

'So all that remains to be discovered are the finances for their coastal relocation.'

The budget for the move is £325,000,

but we are prepared to push higher if we get the perfect property.

'Marie and David would like us to concentrate on the north coast,

'near to their favourite holiday destination.

'I met up with them on local soil to discover more about what they're looking for in their new property.'

-Welcome to Norfolk.

-Thank you.

-Where it's actually snowing.

-Are you prepared for snow?

-We recognise that this weather is quite common, yes.

We know about the three bedrooms and a garden for the dogs,

but I wanted to ask you about some of the things that'll be happening as we look.

You haven't said a lot about the style of properties that you like.

We like both old and new, but I guess we like the inside to be quite modern.

-OK. Is that shared, David? Do you feel the same way?

-Yes. Airy.

A sense of space and light in the house.

I prefer a single storey, but that doesn't mean that we're wedded to a single storey.

What are you willing to pay, if we find a house that's perfect for you?

We're still looking up to 350.

We'd also be happy to look at something under 300, but we'd have to spend some money on improving

and making the house that we want.

As we walk round, please feel free to knock down walls in your head!

-We've got some lovely properties.

-Great.

-Let's go and see them.

Thank you.

'For a top budget of £350,000, Marie and David would ideally like...

'..We found three fantastic properties to show them.

'At each one, I'll be asking them both to guess the price.

'The last will be a mystery house,

'a home they may not have considered on paper,

'but which we think might take their search to another level.

'Time to get our property hunt under way.'

You are moving from one side of the country to the other.

You've got children, mainly on the west side, is that right?

We have one in Surrey, one currently in Lancaster

but moving to Birmingham in the summer,

and we have one in Falmouth, in Cornwall.

So they're spread fairly well apart.

What's happened to David, it's time to make the choice for us now.

We've seen the children through education and university.

They've all got their futures mapped, so it's about us.

We've talked to them all and made the decision it's Norfolk.

'We start our house search in the north of the county,

'in the village of Baconsthorpe, four miles from Holt

'and 20 minutes away from Mundesley on the coast.

'To the north of the village lies the ruins of Baconsthorpe Castle,

'a moated and fortified 15th-century manor house.

'All the essentials can be found in the nearby Georgian town of Holt,

'as well as an array of curio and antique shops and galleries.

'Our property is a four-bedroom brick and flint period cottage

'surrounded by the unspoiled Norfolk countryside.'

Let's pop ourselves here. We get a good view of the house.

-It's a splendid Norfolk cottage!

-Mm-hm.

And quite old.

It pre-dates 1780. It's in this very typical flint and brick...

-Very typical.

-I like this style in Norfolk.

-Yeah.

-I'd obviously like to see a bit more of it.

It has a very solid feel to it.

-An outhouse here is also habitable.

-OK.

A sort of muted, cards-to-the-chest response, but generally positive?

-Yeah, positive.

-Yes.

-Nice village.

-Let's have a look inside.

'After a somewhat 50-50 reaction to the exterior,

'I'm taking the bull by the horns, heading straight to a room

'that needs to play a central role in their new home.'

We're coming into the back of the house into the kitchen.

This is probably a bit small for what you were hoping.

It is small. GIGGLES

-It's quite low.

-Yeah.

-The ceiling. And quite small.

We have a light, airy kitchen, where the family tends to congregate.

It's got everything in it. It's functional.

I've just seen, next door have extended out their kitchen.

-Oh, OK.

-So, there's a precedent, in terms of planning.

-OK.

-So you could, actually, have a gorgeous big kitchen.

-Yeah.

-Going out that way.

-Nice central kitchen, yes.

Would they call that a Belfast sink?

-You'd feel right at home!

-Yeah!

-LAUGHTER

I like the floor as well.

If we go next door, if you lead the way, the quarry tiles continue.

These are lovely quarry tiles here.

-All the way through.

-This would have been the downstairs of the cottage.

What do you think of this in terms of a dining room?

It's probably as big as our dining room at home,

so our furniture would fit in here.

The beams are quite low, but I didn't notice you hit your head.

-Giving a little test here.

-Give it a test, David.

Oh, maybe you would! No!

Then you're confident, you see!

-It's not low for me. LAUGHING:

-You're fine!

Then you've got a quite nice big sitting room.

So come into the corner.

They would have sunken the floor here so the ceiling feels higher.

What are your thoughts about this?

This is all your downstairs, these three rooms.

It's a lot lighter than I thought it would be, coming in from the other rooms.

Yeah, I like it. It's a room that works. I think it's a nice room.

There are four bedrooms. I'm going to show you the master.

'They're still not dancing on the ceiling but, even so,

'a more positive note to take us upstairs.'

They're using this as the master.

There's two doubles and two singles.

This is in the middle of the house and is the most heavily beamed.

For me, this is the biggest change from where we are now.

We have quite a large master bedroom with the en suite.

This, at this moment in time, I just walk in and it feels quite small.

'The first floor is completed by a double and two single bedrooms,

'all served by the family bathroom.'

It is a historic home and, by that token, the rooms are more separated.

Let's have a look outside then I can let you explore in your own time.

'We've had a mixed response to the interior.

'Can the grounds deliver the required space?'

It's quite a long garden. What's lovely is it goes out into open fields.

-Yeah. Not overlooked at all.

-No.

You've got raised vegetable beds,

-a tool shed and compost heap at the back.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

How important is the garden going to be?

It's important, certainly to me.

Space for the dog and space for growing vegetables.

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

I guess it's hope more than knowledge, but I would say maybe...

around the 300,000 mark.

-Mm-hm. What about you?

-I'd have said about 280.

OK. So this is where both of you are going to have to sort of, er...

-MARIE GIGGLING

-..really kind of wake up to the prices round here.

-This is on the market at 349,950.

-Wow!

-Right.

-So this is £50 short of your very top budget.

-Yeah.

-LAUGHING:

-So, armed with that unfortunate fact...

It's always disappointing. ..have a look round.

-Explore upstairs cos we didn't have chance to look upstairs.

-OK.

-So I'll meet you out the front.

-Lovely. Thanks a lot.

'Just creeping in under their upper budget limit,

'this flint and brick 18th-century cottage has...'

I was a bit dubious, really.

I hadn't really thought of a cottage

but I've actually quite taken to the house, now that I've been inside it.

Then the garden looks to me like it's not quite as big as what I was hoping for.

When I came in, I didn't get the feeling that the house was for me.

As we've spent some time here, I'm thinking about how we could put our stamp on it.

My head is telling me that, potentially, we can make this work.

My heart is saying, "But will it be ours?"

OK, time to leave. Before we leave, I wanted to tell you about this.

-See these stones, these knapped flint stones?

-Yeah.

These are remarkably similar to the ones in Baconsthorpe Castle.

-It was very expensive to have this finished flint.

-Oh, right!

You'd have a little bit of castle - were you to buy this property!

-Let's press on. More to do.

-Thank you.

'The beautiful Norfolk countryside, with its sweeping vistas,

'pine forests and pastures,

'benefits from a 1,200-mile network of trail traversing the county.

'Given all this walking potential

'and Marie and David's desire to acquire a lively set of dogs,

'we sent them to meet Michaela Smith of Beachside Agility

'and her two border collies, Harvey and Howdy,

'to find out about the UK's most popular canine sport, dog agility.'

Nice to meet you both.

-We brought you to Great Yarmouth on the Breydon Water to have a go at agility.

-Should be great fun.

How long have you been doing agility training?

I've been doing it for seven, eight years.

I also do obedience as well.

I do both sports and I really enjoy it. It's addictive.

What kind of age do you start agility training with them?

There's a recommendation that you don't start till they're a year old.

You can't enter competitions until they're 18 months old,

that's the minimum age they have to be to be able to compete.

-We've got a course set out. Would you like a go?

-Absolutely.

This way, then.

'Helen Anderson, dog agility winner at Crufts 2013,

'is here to show Marie and David how to direct your dog

'as fast as possible around the course.

'The border collie was originally bred to herd livestock.

'With top speeds of up to 30 miles an hour

'and motivation to work in partnership with their owners,

'it's no surprise it's is the most popular breed in dog agility,

'with two of the last Crufts agility winners being collies.'

That's really clever, the way she slaloms round those poles.

-That's called the weave obstacle.

-Right.

The pace of the dog's just about synchronised with the gap it's trying to get through.

SHOUTING COMMANDS

'Now it's time for Marie and David to discover if they're natural dog handlers.'

Go! Come on!

BARKING

'Agility was first introduced to the UK in 1978 at Crufts,

'when a committee member was tasked to find a way of entertaining the audience.

'It was a largely jumping style course resembling an equestrian show

'designed to demonstrate dogs' natural speed and agility.'

There were some nice bits in there!

'Its popularity has significantly increased since,

'with around 400 dog agility competitions per year

'and over 600 agility clubs across the UK.'

Good boy!

-So, have you enjoyed it?

-Brilliant! It's been really good!

Thank you ever so much for your time.

You questioned about getting fit.

-What's your thoughts on that?

-It's harder than it looks.

'Marie and David seem to have been inspired by the idea of keeping active with border collies.

'Let's hope we can get them equally excited by our properties,

'as their house hunt continues.

'We're heading to the pretty coastal village of Mundesley,

'around eight miles along the coast south from Cromer.

'Before I reveal property number two,

'I'm taking David and Marie for a stroll along the front

'to find out why this is the number one destination on their wish list.'

You were getting quite excited as we pulled into Mundesley.

-This is a village you know well.

-It is. It was like coming home.

-What is it that you like about it?

-It's a lovely sized village.

Lots of local shops. You don't need to go to a big supermarket.

It's got a lovely park, a lovely community feel

and the beach is fantastic for walking the dogs.

-Your house is not far from here.

-Excellent.

-Not right on the coast.

We couldn't magic that up for you, but it's definitely in Mundesley.

-Brilliant.

-Lovely.

-Let's look.

-Yes, please.

'A short walk from the village centre lies house number two,

'a detached four-bedroom property with bags of period features.'

-We can still hear the sea.

-We can hear the sea.

-This is property number two.

-OK.

Actually, a fact you may not know about Mundesley

is that it was the Norfolk home of the poet William Cowper.

-All right.

-It's written Cowper, and this is Cowper Barn.

-OK.

-So it has history.

It's actually a 1930s construct on the foundations of the barn.

It looks really nice, really unusual.

I like it. I think it's really interesting.

-Interesting style of those pillars by the door.

-Mm.

-But the style of the house is nice.

-Yeah.

-Shall we look inside?

-Yes, please.

-That'd be lovely.

'Its situation in Mundesley means we're already off to a flying start,

'but I'm keeping my fingers crossed with the interior,

'as this is a property which offers potential

'rather than the finished article.'

This is a good room to start in.

You can see the 1930s feel to it with these eight-fold windows,

the eight-pane glass windows.

-You've got a log burner.

-Mm-hm.

-This is much more open-plan than the last one.

-It's really nice.

I like the dual aspect. You've got light coming in from both sides.

This little alcove, when it was a barn, this is where the farmers

would have put their candles so they could see the animals at night.

It's nice. I like the thick walls, which mean it'll be a warm house.

Let's take a look at the other mirror room.

The other side is the dining space.

-You have this lovely 1930s fireplace.

-It's really nice.

It's unusual. It's nice.

-Is it a working fire?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

-It would certainly fit our furniture.

-Get people in here easily.

Again, a feeling of air and space in the room.

-Let's look at the kitchen, cos that is important for you.

-OK.

Thank you.

Well, the kitchen, once again, could be...an issue.

-Yes. It's very small.

-It's smaller than the last one.

But there are options for extension.

'The kitchen is mirrored by a utility area,

'and a toilet divides the spaces.

'With the help of an architect,

'Marie and David could open up the whole area.'

-It's whether you could live with this as a temporary...

-We could live with anything.

We were always prepared to look at projects, so long as we could live in the house.

There's nothing that's not functional.

It's just that we would tend to gather in the kitchen at home.

But you've got a large living space outside

that combines the dining area with the lounge.

-Let's look upstairs.

-After you.

'David and Marie are seeing the possibilities

'and we're getting a better reaction than in the first house.

'I'm hoping that continues as we head upstairs.'

This is what's being used as the master bedroom.

I think upstairs is something you definitely want to put your mark on.

-Yeah.

-Because there are four bedrooms up here.

Another four-bedroom house. This has got an en suite attached.

And then there's a family bathroom.

Whether or not you need four bedrooms,

or whether you'd like to convert one of those into a bigger room.

Lots of possibilities of new configurations.

If you were getting an architect to look at the kitchen downstairs,

you may as well get them to look at other parts of the house.

So a simple, plain, straightforward layout like this works for us.

-You seem quite positive.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. It's nice.

I'll let you explore, but let's go out into the garden and talk price.

'It may be lacking a wow factor, but the house continues to deliver positive reactions

'as a potential project for David and Marie to consider.'

Back from where we started.

So, now that we've seen inside, how does the property shape up?

It's really nice.

I think it's got a lot of potential.

We haven't talked about the garden, David. I know that's your department.

-It is noticeably smaller than the last one.

-Yes, it is.

Alistair, I think there's plenty of potential for tidying it up

and putting our own personalities onto the garden itself.

What about price? It's in the heart of the village that you love, a minute from the sea.

I guess my starting point

would be more where the finishing point was on the last one.

I'd say 340 to 350... 347.

I'm going to go cheaper again.

I think more like 320 or 330.

Well, in this instance,

David, your gut instinct is correct.

-This is on the market for 330.

-That's fine!

-Oh, that's OK.

-Split the difference.

-That kind of price would allow us

to start the improvements that we've been thinking of.

I suggest that you go upstairs cos we really whizzed around upstairs,

and maybe have a little scratch around downstairs

-to see if you can reconfigure that space.

-OK.

-And I'll see you out the front.

-Thank you.

'On the market for £330,000, this 1930s property falls within budget

'and comes with...'

I do like it. I think it's got character, it's a bit different.

I like it a lot. I can see myself living here.

I think we'd both be very happy here.

Frankly, what's not to love about this house?

Coming inside, it isn't exactly what we would have looked for,

but I can see what we can do to make it ours.

There's some work to be done. We can do that, rather than move into something that's finished.

I love the hanging tiles.

I'm not sure it's terribly 1930s, but whatever it is, it's a success.

I was admiring the porch. It's a very handsome piece of architecture.

It is. Yeah. Very nice.

-Imagine on a nice sunny day, hot.

-Having afternoon tea out here.

-Yes.

That's a sign you've moved in when you're planning where to have tea.

We can exit through the door onto the high street.

'It's the second day of our house hunt in north Norfolk

'with Marie and David from the Droitwich area in Worcestershire,

'who have £350,000 to spend on their coastal relocation.

'Coming up, we get the perfect reaction.'

You could almost say it felt like home when we came in.

-Yeah. It did.

-That's what we like to hear.

'And I brave the elements to discover an old seaside favourite.'

Yesterday in Mundesley, one thing jumped out at me

as being more important than they had let on,

and that's proximity to this, the sea.

Even though that house was lovely, it was smaller,

had a smaller garden, but the thing they loved was the location.

It was sold before they even entered the garden.

So, we're going to be testing them with our mystery house

'by dragging them away from the coast in order to offer them space,

'along with access to the countryside they desire.

'We're heading five miles inland from Mundesley,

'close to the market town of North Walsham.

'Once at the heart of the 14th-century weaving industry,

'the town is centred on the market cross,

'where people once sold their produce, livestock, wool and cloths.

'Many of the narrower shops still occupy their ancient plots

'huddled tightly against the churchyard.

'Our mystery house is a three-bedroom barn conversion

'sitting just over a mile outside of the town,

'surrounded by stunning Norfolk countryside.'

Here's the mystery house.

-OK.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, it looks really nice.

Really, really like the setting.

-The sea's not here, but what a fantastic setting.

-Yeah.

You're four miles from Mundesley, so that's your nearest spot of seaside.

It's a single-level dwelling.

It's a converted stable, part of a series of farm buildings.

The conversion was done in the early '90s.

This little wing here and that wing here are new additions.

The old part is the bit in the centre.

How do you feel about a conversion of a farm building?

From the outside, it looks really nicely done.

It looks in good condition and fits well with the area.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, I like it.

-Good.

-Positive?

-Yes.

-A really good feel.

-No drawbacks?

-Not at the moment.

Let's have a look inside.

'A very promising start and although set on one level,

'I'm hoping that this stylish conversion can deliver the space they're looking for.'

Come on through. This is the main room.

You get a taste of the whole layout, really.

-It's cosy. It's nice.

-Yeah, it is nice.

-So much light as well.

-This is a triple-aspect room.

-Quadruple, if you count this window.

-Yeah, very nice.

You've got a conservatory through there, which is south facing,

so it gets lots of lovely sun.

It does bring the outside in, having that flow of the windows.

-That's really nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I really like it.

-This is a very different offering. It's not a period property.

-No.

-Well, not by look. And it's all on one level.

-Yeah.

How do you feel about that single-level concept?

Personally, I'm very happy with single level.

We wouldn't plan to move again so I'll let my knees grow old here.

-LAUGHTER

-So it's a good vibe you're getting?

-Yeah. I like this.

-Let's look at the kitchen.

It's been a bone of contention in the other houses. See if it is here.

It's, um... It's small, probably not much bigger than the others.

But the light and the view actually make it feel OK.

I feel fine and I can see the conservatory out there.

There's a potential to have a small family table there for breakfast.

Right next door, there is a dining room.

It's not huge, and all of these walls are stud walls.

So you could take that wall down so that's all just one big space,

kitchen-sitting room.

Or take this down and have it as a kitchen-diner

on this east side of the house.

-It might surprise you, in this house, I'd be tempted to leave it as it is.

-Oh! Really?

-Yeah.

-So this is positive as it is, without any knocking down?

-Yeah.

Hm. Good. I wasn't expecting that.

I thought you were going to go, "We need a project!"

Let's look at the sleeping accommodation, obviously all on one layer. I'll show you the master.

'That's a shock. Even though the kitchen didn't match up size-wise, they're seeing the potential.

'Let's hope that continues.'

This is by far the biggest bedroom we've shown you.

-Very nice and light again here.

-Dual aspect, is it?

-Dual aspect.

-A light-well here brings in light from outside.

-Right, yeah!

-The present owners have to block it up on a full moon cos it's too bright!

-Oh, right.

And it's got an en suite, just a shower and a toilet.

It's a lovely bedroom. I like the shape and the size.

Yes, I like it. It's almost big enough to give it two uses.

You could have a kind of office area there, quite easily.

Yes, cos you've got two bedrooms.

There's a comfortable double and then there's a small single,

which is being used as a study.

So, less bedrooms than the other properties.

So if you put your desk here you could liberate the study as a bedroom.

Anything you don't like so far?

-No.

-We're looking forward to seeing the outside.

We could get a feel for it but we haven't seen it.

-You could almost say it felt like home when we came in.

-Yeah. It did.

It's what we like to hear. Talking of the garden, let's go look at it.

'I don't want to speak too soon, but if outside meets with approval,

'we may have cracked it with the mystery house.'

-What a lovely day it's turned out to be!

-Sun's coming out.

-Beautiful.

-It's a sign!

-It is!

-An omen!

-Have to buy it now.

-ALL CHUCKLE

One more thing to point out is this beautiful landscape behind.

A hill that goes up into a bluebell wood, which is protected.

-That's a forever view, then?

-Gorgeous for the dogs.

-Exactly.

-You've got a path that takes you up there.

-Excellent.

How much do you think it's on the market for?

It's smaller than some of the things we've looked at.

-This is me wishful thinking. Maybe 325?

-Mm-hm.

-I think I'd put it on at 340.

-Very good. It's so interesting...

-LAUGHING:

-Whether you like the property or not reflects in how much you think it's worth!

This property is on the market for...

just a shade under 320.

-Yeah, excellent.

-That would give us room for manoeuvre, if we wanted.

-Why don't you have a look around and I'll see you out the front?

-OK.

-Thank you.

-Lovely, thank you.

'On the market for £319,950,

'our mystery house has set the pulses racing with...'

I feel at home here. I think the property's nice.

I know it's smaller than the other properties we looked at,

but I think it suits the kind of lifestyle that we're moving towards.

We asked you to find our "forever house",

if I can describe it that way, and this could be it.

I've moved in here already.

It's very different to the house I've got and to what I thought I was looking for,

but as soon as I walked through the door it felt like home.

Once I knew where my Christmas tree goes is when I'd moved in for real.

I can see where the Christmas decorations go

and I can see the family around.

-The view's wonderful...

-Hello, guys.

-Hello, Alistair.

-Are you taking in the bluebell woods?

-BOTH: Yes.

-I have to drag you away, I'm afraid.

We have one more station to go, and that's decision time.

-All right.

-That'll be lovely.

'We've served up three delightful properties for Marie and David,

'but this easterly county has much more on offer, if the Norfolk coast is where your heart lies.

'The ever-popular towns of Cromer and Sheringham are at a premium.

'For the more modest budget try Trimingham,

'where this three-bedroom semi-detached cottage

'with period features is on sale for £190,000.

'If your finances can stretch to a thatched roof,

'then head a mere five miles inland to Thorpe Market

'for this six-bedroom Grade II listed flint cottage.

'With bags of character features,

'it has a guide price of £375,000.

'If you need a quiet rural location within a stone's throw of the sea,

'this five-bedroom period farmhouse in West Runton may be the answer,

'starting at £625,000.

'The glorious countryside along the Norfolk shoreline

'has been a tourist attraction for centuries.

'But no coastal county is truly complete

'without that other traditional seaside attraction,

'the pleasure pier,

'and Britain offers more piers than any other country.

'In the early 1900s, almost 100 piers stood around Britain.

'Sadly, a little more than half remain.

'Many stand as a testament

'to the achievements of Victorian engineering.

'I am back at Cromer pier,

'opened at the beginning of the 20th century,

'and now owned and maintained by North Norfolk District Council.

'I'm meeting expert Peter Stibbens to discover more.'

Morning to you. Welcome to a windy Cromer!

Peter, it's a little breezy here on the pier.

I should think it's blowing a good eight, maybe a bit more.

Just describe what the pier would have looked like.

Like it looks now, or how would it have looked?

It was certainly very open.

There was no intention to have slot machines.

It was a promenading and walking pier.

-It was a pleasure pier? There was no function to it?

-Absolutely.

The tradition previously on the jetties that were here

was that you went for a walk on the east cliff in the morning,

on the west cliff in the afternoon

and that you came for your walk on the pier in the evening.

'In Edwardian times, tourists generally came from upper classes.

'They would arrive by train, bringing their servants with them -

'although THEY weren't allowed on the promenade.

'Pier owners began to stage amusements and concerts,

'but charged expensive entrance fees to keep the working class away.

'The introduction of bank holidays and affordable train travel

'meant piers became popular attractions for everyone to enjoy.'

The pier was reserved for townsfolk on Sundays,

but the rest of the week it was your visitors you were after.

Of course, we're delighted to have visitors here.

'The pier's original bandstand was roofed in 1907 and a new floor laid

'to accommodate the new craze of roller-skating!

'Over the next 20 years, the building was transformed into a fully fledged theatre

'where, in 1922, a group called the Rolling Stones performed.

'That's the 1920s variety troupe, not the rock band.'

The bandstand stood roughly in front of us here

and you just had that wind break around.

They had eight years of going, "Oh, it's freezing!"

About four years,

and I should think it was hard to keep your music in place!

It's a peculiarity of England that we build these metal structures out into the sea.

-Very odd thing to do.

-Was it ever on the circuit for the real stars?

-Or was it always...?

-We had one very funny favourite comedian of mine came on last year and said,

"You play Cromer twice. Once on the way up, once on the way down.

"I enjoyed myself the last time I was here."

I love what you were saying about this quirky English habit

of building a rickety old iron structure over the sea

and having some entertainment.

Long may it continue! It's a great British tradition.

The sun is finally shining in Norfolk. Spring is in the air.

I think we did pretty well with the house hunt.

It seems clear that the mystery house was the favourite for David and Marie.

The big question is what happens next?

Let's find out.

Marie and David, I need to check whether I'm right.

-Is the mystery house your favourite?

-It is, yes.

-It certainly is.

That's interesting, because in many ways, the mystery house offered less than the other houses.

The first house had four substantial bedrooms.

Y-yeah, well, size isn't everything as they say.

I think it's really about the feel of the house and it felt right.

-It felt like us, didn't it?

-Yeah, and the setting of the last house was really good.

Those views up the hill!

I can just see ourselves sitting outside having a cup of tea.

The whole peace and tranquillity of the setting was brilliant.

For me, when I went in, my heart was in there already.

It felt like it was somewhere where we belonged.

In the second house, although the sea was there and that lit us up,

the house didn't give me quite the same feel.

You said the mystery house felt like home.

Do you want it to become your home?

At this moment in time, yes. We'd certainly like to see it again.

It does feel like it's something we'd make an offer on.

We did like all three properties, in fairness, but our favourite by far is the mystery house.

Fingers crossed that your house sells

and that we see you in the mystery house and on the high seas soon.

I'll wave at you as you go past.

Thank you.

Not only does Escape To The Country always bring out the sunshine in every county,

but we do sell people houses.

This move did mean a lot to David and Marie and I think that we found them the perfect solution.

Just the right budget, just the right location,

just the right style.

Join us next time for more escape. I'll leave you with some...Norfolk.

'The good news is Marie and David have accepted an offer on their home

'and are returning for a second look at our mystery barn conversion.

'If you want to escape to the country in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland or England

'and need our help, please apply online at:'

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