Berkshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to today's Escape To The Country. This little beauty is The Devon Belle.

Over 70 years ago, she was one of 933 boats that took part in Operation Dynamo,

one of the most daring rescue operations in history.

Now she leads an altogether much quieter life, but find out where in just a minute.

'Today, we're helping a young couple wave goodbye to urban living and find their perfect rural pad.

-'Could a cosy cottage steal their hearts?'

-Beautiful.

-So pretty.

'Or will a stylish interior give another house the edge?'

Wow, that is definitely right up our street!

Well, today, we're in Berkshire on the River Thames

where The Devon Belle takes day-trippers on pleasure trips up and down the river.

Back in 1940, this little craft found herself in the heat of battle.

She was one of the little ships of Dunkirk,

playing her role in helping to rescue some 338,000 Allied troops

from the beaches of Dunkirk.

Later on in the show, I'll be taking a lovely little cruise on her down the river,

finding out more about her history and tales from the riverbank.

The Home County of Berkshire, covering 487 square miles,

is bordered by Surrey and Hampshire to the south, Wiltshire to the west

and Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire to the north.

Home to historic Windsor Castle,

still one of the Queen's official residences, the county is known as Royal Berkshire

and offers the visitor everything from scenic riverside paths along the Thames

to the gentle, rolling hills of the Downs.

With winding lanes, peaceful woodland, open fields and classic rural villages,

it's hard to believe this is just an hour's drive from central London,

but that, of course, does come at a price.

At £387,000, your average detached property is, wait for it,

a whopping £133,000 above the national figure.

This is a county where you do need your pockets to be that little bit deeper.

So let's catch up with today's buyers and see if they really know what they've let themselves in for.

Kim and Chara lived in London before moving to Guildford seven years ago,

but with the birth of their son last year, they feel it's time for a change.

I would have always seen myself as a city person and I really enjoy the city.

Most of the holidays Kim and I have been on pre-Milo were cities,

but with him coming along, we enjoy doing things together as a family.

There's a whole new chapter about to unravel itself and we'd quite like to do that in the country.

Chara's job as a pharmaceutical executive is relocating from London to Newbury

and with wedding planner Kim running her business from home,

it seemed like the right time to up sticks and follow their dream.

We are looking for somewhere within a commutable distance of Newbury, so we have quite a wide search area,

but we'd like somewhere that's got a real sense of community.

I really enjoy sports. Golf, particularly.

-A nice golf course nearby wouldn't hurt either and a good pub, of course.

-Yes, absolutely.

At the moment, home is a modern house on a new development, but they're itching for a change.

We'd like something different. We'd like a period property.

We'd like the idea of a roaring fire or a wood-burner

and just that more rustic look.

We're open to doing a bit of work, but not masses.

-We don't have the best DIY skills, do we?

-No.

With plans for more children in the future, Kim and Chara are looking for more space,

but what will really sell this new rural home to both of them?

I think the one room that's going to draw me to a house is the kitchen.

I love cooking and baking, so, for me, that's kind of the heart of the home.

-I spend a lot of time in there.

-For me, a nice lounge that's big enough to hold a 50-inch flat screen.

Kim's not too keen on it, but I'm a bit of a sports fanatic,

so it will be quite nice to sit down on a Sunday with a beer in hand and watch TV in a nice, warm room.

And how much do they have to spend?

The budget for the move would be £450,000,

but we could possibly stretch if we found our dream home.

'Our buyers want to be within 25 miles of Chara's new office in Newbury,

'near the southern border of Berkshire.

'I'm meeting up with them to find out the details of the kind of property they have in mind.'

-Hello, chaps.

-Hello.

-How are we?

-Good, thank you.

-You picked a nice spot.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

The kind of property you're after, let's start with bedrooms.

Ideally four, but three would be OK.

In terms of space, everybody wants the big kitchen/diner and I suppose you are no exception?

-No, that would be really nice.

-Have you got any views on style?

We're quite open, really, aren't we?

We'd quite like something with a bit of character.

We're in a fairly new house now, so it would be nice to do something different.

Outside space... Some people come on this show wanting the good life.

-They want goats and chickens and pigs. Is that you?

-We're not one of those.

A fairly low maintenance garden would be absolutely fine with me.

Room to run around with a football with the two boys, but nothing too strenuous.

So, the budget you have... Let's just talk about the broad figures.

Ideally, about 450,000, but we could stretch to about 475 if it was absolutely perfect.

Now, Berkshire, you do, I suspect, have some idea of just how expensive...

Yes, we thought Surrey was expensive until we started looking around here.

I presume you have, like most people, kind of grazed the internet

-and dipped your toe in the water to see what's out there?

-Yes. Not a lot.

-Hence you're here!

-Absolutely.

-Hoping for a bit of...

-Magic.

-A bit of Escape To The Country magic.

-Yeah.

We are fortunate in that your 25-mile radius or so to Newbury that you've stated as being important...

I totally understand why.

It does allow us to border-hop a bit between not just Berkshire,

but also Wiltshire and maybe even Hampshire.

-Are you wedded to any one of those counties?

-Not particularly. We're quite flexible on the area as well.

We don't know this part of the world that well, so it's just finding the right spot, really.

Let's go and see what we found you. Come on.

So, for the maximum budget of £475,000,

Kim and Chara are looking for a family home with character.

'We've found three distinctive properties to show Kim and Chara

'and at each one, I'll ask them to guess the price before I reveal it.

'The final offering is our mystery house which could steal the show.

'It's time to head for our first property.'

You are young. Do you not want to be amongst the bright lights?

Well, we've kind of done that.

We've been together for a long time, nearly 12 years.

-Wow!

-We started off living in London, then moved out to Guildford.

Now we've kind of started our family.

We quite like the idea of a bit of a less busy lifestyle, really.

What are you most looking forward to in this whole, new endeavour?

Being able to do more at home in terms of cooking and entertaining

and learning about things like gardening and growing veg.

I know it sounds really cliched.

-I think Chara's got his eyes set on a bigger golf course.

-A bigger golf course would be perfect.

'Chara said he wanted to be near Newbury where he'll be working

'and the first house I want to show them is just on the outskirts of the town, surrounded by open fields.

'With the pretty Avon and Kennet Canal running through it,

'Newbury has all the facilities a young family would need

'and the leafy, rural neighbourhood offers a peaceful setting.

'There's an added bonus for Chara.'

I know, Chara, that golf is your thing.

There is the bottom end of Newbury racecourse and just the other side of it, see that flag...

-That, I'm told, is the 16th hole.

-Wow!

-Perfect.

-How about that?

And in terms of location, I mean...

-You could walk to work.

-I could cycle into work.

-There's a lovely little canal that runs through there.

You could follow it all the way in.

All this is important because property number one is right there.

-Wow!

-That large, bruising thing behind those bushes.

-It looks huge.

-It is. There's quite a lot to see.

-So, shall we?

-Definitely.

-This way.

'Hiding behind the trees just across the lane,

'this first house is an imposing converted barn.'

-Oh, wow!

-Come on in. "Oh, wow," you said.

-Yeah, amazing.

Wait till you get a proper look at it. There you go.

Oh, it's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

-So pretty.

-It's a whopper, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's huge.

-It is huge.

-Technically, it is a semi.

-OK.

-Although as semis go, it's not bad.

Obviously, there's a neighbour at that side, then behind it,

there's another building of a similar size attached to it, but you get all of that.

-I've only just realised it's a semi. It's so deceptive.

-It's pretty generous.

Space was the key thing and this has got it in abundance.

-But its location to Newbury is why we're here.

-It's perfect.

-Shall we?

-Great. Yes, can't wait.

'Built in 1890, this former agricultural building was transformed

'into a substantial family home 17 years ago, retaining many of its original features.'

Right, let's... Let's begin in here.

Wow!

-What do you reckon?

-Brilliant.

-It's a big space.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That's the joy of a barn conversion.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Really high ceilings.

-Really good family area.

-Yeah, brilliant.

-It's a really good space to work with.

-Yeah.

There's plenty to do. Space-wise, this is great.

Again an extension of that family area. They've got a huge TV in here which I know is important.

-That was a key requirement.

-Get your new telly.

Exactly. And across here, the hallway, this is a huge room.

Oh, this is gorgeous!

-Oh, yes. I love the fireplace.

-Yeah, the fireplace is beautiful.

-Very cosy room, this.

-They've obviously got it as a study as well, but I think as a snug...

-Yeah, it's brilliant.

-It's perfect for that.

-Lovely.

-You see this lovely stained-glass partition?

-Yeah.

-Behind it is an extra bedroom.

One of five.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Yeah.

-Wow!

-So that's where all the space goes.

-Exactly. But I don't think you need five bedrooms.

-No.

In which case, that could also be a study or play room.

-It definitely has great potential.

-Good. Right then, upstairs?

-Yeah.

Through there... Follow me.

'Kim and Chara seem quite taken with the space on offer here.

'There's a shower room and utility room on the ground floor too.

'Upstairs, there are three spacious double bedrooms built into the eaves of the barn on one floor,

'then at the top of the house lies a contemporary family bathroom and an en-suite master.'

And then this would be yours.

-Oh!

-OK...

-They're in the process of moving out, hence all the boxes.

-This is a scene I suspect will be replicated...

-Absolutely.

-..somewhere soon when you move in.

-It's lovely.

-Very nice.

-And you get an en-suite shower room.

-Brilliant.

-Poke your heads in there.

-Perfect.

-Lovely.

-This is clearly a house that has the anatomy of a really nice family home.

Yeah. It's definitely one that you could grow into and do up over time.

There's lots of features that are really nice, that are almost lost behind everything else.

I like what you're saying. The creative juices are definitely flowing here.

-I suppose the last thing to deal with, really, is the price.

-Yes.

-Let's go downstairs.

-OK.

'It seems Kim could see past the boxes here and, hopefully, she'll be inspired by the outside space too.

'The large lawned garden is at the front of the property, but there's also a useful double garage.'

-OK, back where we started. Now you've had a chance to see what's on the inside.

-Yeah.

-You were quite excited when you saw the outside. Is that excitement still going on?

-I think so.

It would definitely be a project, but I think an exciting project.

It could be a really beautiful, big family home, I think.

-And the outside space here is completely under-utilised.

-Yeah.

-You could have a lot of fun.

-Definitely.

-Let's cut to the chase.

Kim, make me an offer on property number one.

I think it's a lot of house, so I think it's probably 450.

450... Hmm.

I'd probably go for 460, just a little bit more,

just because of the space, the location.

Well, we are hitting something of a learning curve, chaps, I'm afraid to say,

because property number one is on the market for 499,995.

-Wow!

-Now, I've talked to the owner.

-Yeah.

He would consider...

-..an offer of 475.

-OK.

-OK.

-All right?

-Yeah.

That will soak up all of your budget, so renovations will take a little bit of time,

-but things like painting, you can do that.

-And it's liveable with.

-It's a fair price, I think, isn't it?

-Yeah, but that's where we are - Berkshire for you.

-Yes, absolutely.

Off you go. Go and explore it to your heart's content.

Thank you.

This house is priced at just under £500,000.

Although the owner would accept an offer of 475,000, it is at the upper limit of Kim and Chara's budget.

The key thing for me was space and this has it in abundance.

If you look past a lot of the furniture

and everything in the house, it's got everything we were asking for.

I could see us living here. This would be a beautiful family home.

Price-wise, I'm not sure whether we would be able to go to our top budget and then do work,

but it's definitely one to think about.

-At last!

-Yes.

-You took your time.

-Sorry.

-There was a lot of house to explore.

-It must be working. That's a good sign.

-So, a nice one to start with.

-Yes, definitely.

-Two more to see.

-Absolutely.

-Come on.

As Kim and Chara get their heads round the Berkshire property market,

we're taking them to explore one of the county's finest architectural examples.

Cliveden near Taplow hit the headlines in the 1960s as the glamorous backdrop

for the notorious affair between the then Minister for War John Profumo

and model and showgirl Christine Keeler which led to the downfall of the then Conservative government,

but this architectural gem has a long and illustrious history which precedes the infamous scandal.

Hello. I'm Michael. Welcome to Cliveden.

Michael Chaloner is the house manager and is taking Kim and Chara on a private tour.

The house was built in the 1660s for the 2nd Duke of Buckingham.

It's been owned by many lords and ladies and dukes since then,

most notably by the Sutherland family, one of the richest families in the mid-1800s.

Surrounded by over 300 acres of glorious grounds,

the house was rebuilt by architect Charles Barry in his trademark Italianate style

following a fire in 1851.

Now owned by the National Trust, it became famous as the ultimate celebrity retreat when it was bought

by American millionaire William Waldorf Astor

and given to his son Waldorf and wife Nancy in 1906.

-This is the French dining room.

-Wow!

-Wow!

-This was installed by the Astors in the early 1900s.

They were the hub of New York society in the late 1800s,

so when they moved across here, they had massive amounts of money,

but to really earn their place in society, they needed more than money

and they did that by inviting the top politicians, the royal families from around Europe.

As England's first female MP,

Nancy Astor famously debated politics over dinner here with Winston Churchill.

Many famous conversations were had at this table.

In one of them, she said, "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd put poison in your coffee."

-He said, "Madam, if I was your husband, I would drink it."

-If these walls could talk!

If these walls could talk, I'd love to hear what they could say. It wouldn't all be good, I'm sure.

It wasn't just in the main house that great figures from history were entertained.

Right on the edge of the estate down towards the Thames, Spring Cottage has played host to royalty.

Oh, wow!

This is called the Tea Room.

The house was originally a little fishing hut on the banks of the River Thames.

Then in 1857, it was developed by the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland

because Queen Victoria was going to come and visit that following May.

There was a mad flurry of activity and it was just made into a little cottage by the River Thames,

-fit for a Queen and a Duchess to take tea in.

-Lovely.

Oozing Gothic style and elegance, the cottage was refurbished and extended by architect George Devey,

responsible for a number of properties on the estate.

Its balcony overlooking the river was the ideal spot for a bagpiper

to warn everyone that the Royal Barge was approaching.

These steps were only here for the two or three times Queen Victoria visited the Duchess of Sutherland.

These were built just so the dainty royal foot wasn't covered in mud each time she came.

They put these magnificent steps in which lead up over the bridge and up to the cottage.

-Why is it called Spring Cottage?

-It was built beside the Thames in a lovely rural setting.

But it also had a spring. You can just hear it in the background.

In the mid-1800s, the gentry liked to get into the rural surroundings of their houses.

Was that the fashion at the time?

It was. They considered this as really slumming it and going into the depths of the country.

In those days, it took a long time to get from London to Cliveden,

-so they were a long way out of town in the depths of the country.

-But I wouldn't call this slumming it!

Having discovered the rich stories of Cliveden's colourful past,

it's time for Kim and Chara to come back to the present and return to their own house-hunt.

Our second property is situated 24 miles from Newbury across the border into Wiltshire

and just outside the large village of Pewsey.

Sitting in the rural heart of the county, recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

it is fantastic walking country.

The village itself offers all the essentials, including a good choice of traditional pubs and tea rooms.

Come through the little gate.

Now...let's have a seat in the sunshine.

-Why not?

-Why not, eh?

-Take the weight off for a moment.

There we are. That is property number two.

-That is so pretty, a proper little chocolate box cottage.

-It's lovely.

-I'm looking forward to going in.

-What are you expecting?

Probably lots and lots of character, probably not quite so much space.

It's lovely. I can't wait to see what it looks like inside.

-Come on. We can't sit here all day.

-Go and explore...

'This Grade II listed, classic thatched cottage was built in 1750,

'although a ground floor extension with a tiled roof was added later.'

Squeaky door.

-Let's start with this. Come on through, Kim.

-Oh, wow!

-That is gorgeous, isn't it?

-Yeah?

-It's beautiful.

So pretty. I love all the little beams.

-It's a proper little, cosy cottage, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I think this is probably more what you were imagining.

-I think so.

-Yeah.

-It's what you kind of imagine to be a little kind of rural hideaway almost.

Yeah, exactly. Completely.

-Head on that way.

-OK.

-Let's carry on.

-Another fireplace.

-Isn't it lovely?

-Very nice.

-Gorgeous.

-It's very light as well.

-It is really light.

-What's nice is that the windows go right through the whole width of the building.

-The one thing I know is important to you, and we had it in property one, was an enormous kitchen/diner.

-Yeah.

This doesn't have that. Obviously, this is the dining room.

The kitchen is not massive, but you could join the two together by removing this wall.

-There's a little hatchway in there.

-Would that be an issue with it being listed?

It's a conversation you would have with the conservation officer

and, hopefully, they would allow you to do it.

But even as it is...

-It's still got a lot of workspace and a lot of cupboards and things.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's fine.

How are we doing so far? I'll put you on the spot. Out of ten?

I think probably about eight and a half, nine.

-Oh!

-I think I'm at the nine, actually. I really like it.

-It's really lovely.

-What is it about it...?

-It's the character. It's what we had in mind.

I think it's so different because we are in a fairly new house now.

Our whole thought of coming to the country and doing something completely different

was to have something with bags of character and charm and this has got it in bucketloads.

'It seems our buyers are rather taken with the ground floor

'which also offers a bathroom and toilet at the back and a large utility room.

'I hope they like what's on offer upstairs.

'Off a cosy landing are two charming double bedrooms with exposed beams and sloping ceilings,

'as well as a modern shower room, along with a spacious master.'

-This is the main bedroom.

-Oh, wow, it's so cute!

It's a lovely room. Lots of space up here, actually.

It's a really big room and nice and light again.

The whole house is lovely. And the views are fantastic as well.

-I was a bit worried about whether the height up here would be a deal-breaker.

-I don't think so.

-Any tall friends we can leave at the door or leave them outside.

-They can sleep in the lounge.

Brilliant. I'm really pleased because it's a great space.

-And probably not what you would have expected looking at it from the outside.

-No.

Thatch is quite deceptive because it's so thick.

-It doesn't always reveal what the likely size of an upstairs will be.

-The rooms are quite big.

-Yeah.

-Good.

-Lovely.

-So, our eight and a half, nine, you said...?

-I think so.

-Still there?

I think, yeah, nine. I'm sticking to nine.

Nine's OK. Let's go out into the garden and finish up.

'This characterful, 18th century cottage seems to be working its magic on Kim and Chara.

'It comes with an easy to maintain, lawned garden, a good-sized driveway and a double garage.'

-The garden is really sweet, actually. The summer house is rather nice.

-That's lovely.

-Little areas, little zones, and the veg patch over here.

-Yeah, that would be good.

You could keep it looking pretty all year. It's not high maintenance.

What's it going to score on the price?

-You go first.

-I reckon 475.

-Yeah?

-I think it's more than that. I think it's 495.

-495?

-Well, he's right.

-475.

-One-nil!

-He's right.

-I mean, obviously, the top of the budget.

-Yeah.

-It's so beautiful.

-It's ready-made. No work doing to it.

-That's the joy of it.

-These two properties offer you quite an interesting comparison.

-So different to each other.

Very different in style and location and finish.

-But both viable.

-Yeah.

-We've got some hard decisions to make.

-You have. We're not all the way through yet.

There's still the mystery house to come tomorrow.

Go and start the process of thinking and talking in house number two and I'll catch up with you later.

-OK. Thank you.

-Off you go.

When you look at a house like this, we often describe them as "chocolate box".

They are the classic image of English country life

and on a day like this, well, you can't beat them.

On the market for £475,000,

this pretty country cottage is right on Chara and Kim's maximum budget.

I could definitely see myself, Chara and Milo living here.

I think it is just so pretty and charming

and just exactly what I have dreamed of, really. It's gorgeous.

My only downside, as far as I can see, is the fact that it's got three bedrooms, rather than four bedrooms,

but it's got so many plus points and it's so pretty that I could get over that.

This was what we had in mind as a country cottage.

It's just so scenic, so beautiful. It's a really lovely family house.

Yeah, it's given us a lot to think about.

-Ah, two happy, smiling faces!

-Yeah.

-A good end to the day, I would suggest.

-Definitely. A pretty end.

-A pretty end, but it's a thirsty end too. I think it's time for a beer.

-Definitely.

-Come on.

'It's the second day of our house hunt in Berkshire and neighbouring counties

'with Guildford-based couple Kim and Chara.

'They have a budget of up to £475,000 to spend on a country home.

'Coming up, there's a surprise at our mystery house.'

-I wouldn't know what to do.

-Explore it.

-Yeah.

'And I take a trip up the Thames to discover the colourful history of this Elizabethan stately home.'

On Escape To The Country, we like to give our buyers as much of a range of properties as possible

and for our final offering, our mystery house, no exception is made.

It may well put the proverbial cat among the pigeons.

-Yesterday was interesting, two very different properties.

-Absolutely.

-Have you had a chance to think about them a little more?

-Yeah, we've done lots of talking.

-Yeah.

And still probably not made a decision, but...

Hold off on any decision-making because we'll have a proper de-brief later on,

-but not before we've shown you our final offering, our mystery house.

-Yes. This is very exciting.

-Very.

Any ideas what it might be?

-Not really.

-Absolutely no idea whatsoever.

-It's the mystery house.

Anything could happen. LAUGHTER

'Our third and final property is only 13 miles from Chara's new office in Newbury,

'but it's over the border again, this time into Hampshire, near the small town of Whitchurch.

'Surrounded by glorious countryside,

'it's a traditional market town, much of which is designated a conservation area.

'There are good independent shops and a real sense of community

'with plenty of local clubs and activities on offer, just what our buyers are after.

'We're taking a gamble with our mystery house. Kim and Chara wanted a low maintenance garden,

'but this one is anything but.'

There...

That is what I want you to look at.

-Aw!

-How sweet!

-Lovely.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Gorgeous.

-The flint.

-The flint's lovely.

But this one is interesting. It is semi-detached. That drainpipe is the middle.

-But it's had, back in the '90s, that great big addition put on at the other end.

-Yeah.

But done very much in keeping with the rest of the property which has doubled its footprint.

-You can't tell.

-No.

-It's been done really nicely.

-The only real drawback is there is no parking immediately outside of it.

-OK.

Your parking is down that little alleyway and on to the road.

-All right.

-But apart from that, I think this is a really viable option for you.

-Lovely.

-Brilliant.

-Come on then.

'This Victorian brick and flint cottage was originally one of a number

'built for local agricultural workers.'

Straight into this.

-Oh, wow! That is definitely right up our street.

-You see? Lovely, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

-This is very "us".

-Gosh, it's a big room, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Can you see that room through there?

-Yeah.

-That used to be the kitchen before the extension was put on.

-Beautifully dressed now and a great Milo...

-Milo room.

Yeah. And there are double doors off of it into the courtyard which you can see through there.

It's hard to imagine how you would fit a kitchen in there,

but it now occupies all of the extension and it's right through there. Go on, lead us through.

Oh, gosh, it is huge!

-Yeah.

-It's a lovely size, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's really nice.

Very light and airy. And it doesn't feel like a different part of the house to the older part.

No, it all joins in very nicely.

It does go back through that little doorway there, via a little sort of laundry area,

-and links up back with the living room, so the whole thing has a nice, circular feel.

-Lovely.

-I can see us in here.

-I think it's really nice.

'So far, so good.

'Upstairs, there are two cosy single rooms, a generous double, a family bathroom and the master bedroom.'

-This is a nice room.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-It's lovely.

-It is the biggest of the four.

-Very high ceiling.

-I thought you might notice that. That's what's quite striking about this place.

-It makes it feel even bigger.

-It does. And plenty room for wardrobes.

-Definitely.

-We've got the little boxroom next door which could be a Milo...

-Yeah.

-Or it could be a dressing room.

But having four to play with in a property of this size, quite unusual.

-Definitely.

-Excellent. Our mystery house is doing all right.

-Very well.

Is it causing something of a rethink on the other properties?

-Possibly, yeah.

-Yeah, maybe.

It's kind of halfway between the two if that makes sense.

It has a number of features which I think recommend it, not least outside.

-Come and have a look at this. We've got a little surprise for you.

-OK.

'I'm really looking forward to seeing Kim and Chara's reaction

'when I reveal the added bonus this house offers at the back.'

So, finally, the garden.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-It's really pretty.

-Very nice.

-Yes, it's lovely.

-I think what this place lacks in parking, it makes up for with the garden.

-Yeah.

There's a lovely geography to it, nicely terraced, laid out for a bit of alfresco.

-You've got the little patch down there.

-Lovely.

Then down there, the courtyard, nice, little sun trap, out of the wind.

The current owners had explored extending that into some sort of garden room.

-That would be nice.

-That's a good idea.

-So, planning permission, there is a precedent there for that.

-But whether you'd need it...

-That's the thing.

-..I don't know.

Because you also get that rather nice garden office,

fully insulated, wired.

-That's lovely. I can see ourselves working in there.

-Yeah, that'd be useful for me.

So let's have a think about our final price guess of the week.

-I think I went last time, didn't I?

-Yes.

-So it's your turn.

I think...this is probably 450.

-450.

-I'd say a little bit more. I'd say 460.

460...

Well, you were right last time.

But you're right this time.

-There you go.

-£450,000.

-Gosh, it's good, isn't it?

-That's good.

-It shows what you get hopping over the border.

It does indeed. However, I did promise you a bit of a surprise.

I think that's a really good price, but I think it's a fantastic price

when you also consider that you also get an acre of woodland over there.

-What?

-Really? Oh, my goodness!

-OK...

-Yeah?

-Wow!

-A boy's playground!

-A wood.

-Yeah.

-Gosh, Milo would love that!

-Wouldn't he just?

-I wouldn't know what to do with it.

-Explore it.

-Yeah.

-That's amazing.

-I'm sure I'd find out soon enough.

Go and explore it and think about what you would do with it and I'll catch up with you later. Off you go.

Enjoy your woodland walk.

At £450,000, this country cottage is comfortably under budget.

Best of all, this property brings the countryside right to their back door

as it comes with its own private woodland that our buyers could enjoy with their son.

-Look at all the space!

-I know.

-Especially with Milo being so active...

-He would love it, wouldn't he?

-Yeah.

Build some dens and swings and all sorts in here.

It's just stunning. You could get lost in here. It's so big.

From a space perspective, the house is what it is. It's a lovely house.

But for me, personally, I think the woodland is just every boy's dream, really.

It's just a great outdoor space.

I love this house. It's got a really nice feel about it.

The more time I spend in here, the more time I can see us here.

It would be amazing having all our friends round. All of their children could play in the woods.

We could still see them, they could have so much fun and we could sit and have a barbecue on the terrace.

It's just a really lovely... lovely house.

Well, well, well!

-Our mystery house may be...

-That was a surprise.

-..a surprise to you.

It certainly surprised me for the money and what's on offer.

-It's great value.

-You saved that surprise right to the end.

-There's an awful lot going on, I think, in your minds.

-Yes, definitely.

-Shall we go and weigh it all up?

-Yes.

-Come on.

-Lovely.

We've shown Kim and Chara three very different houses in and around Berkshire,

but there are plenty more to choose from if you too fancied relocating to the area.

You can find characterful, two-bedroom cottages with heaps of period features

like this one in Chaddleworth,

on the market for £325,000.

Further south near the Hampshire border in Aldermaston,

this three-bedroom, Victorian property in the centre of the village is priced at £400,000.

If you seek more luxury, a fantastic barn conversion such as this one in Compton in the north of the county

with a stunning, double-height interior and four bedrooms

will cost you £635,000.

'When we think of the River Thames, most of us picture it flowing through the city of London,

'but it actually starts in deepest Gloucestershire and winds its way

'for 215 miles across southern England.

'Some of its prettier stretches are here in Berkshire.

'I'm taking a trip from Reading four miles up river to the Elizabethan manor house at Mapledurham.

'My skipper for the day is Tim Deaton who is telling me more about the boat's history.'

The Devon Belle has quite a story to tell, doesn't she?

Yes. She was built in Dartmouth as a passenger boat just before the war in 1938

and she was called up to Operation Dynamo.

This is the moment when the British army in France can fight no longer and needs rescuing from Dunkirk.

What was the role of small boats like this?

This would have been a sort of halfway-house boat

because it's quite a small boat, it's fairly agile.

It could get very close to the beaches

and it would have then ferried people to the destroyers and the larger craft

which were waiting out at sea.

She was kept on by the Admiralty afterwards and she actually went back to Normandy

-with the D-Day landings.

-Really?

She was taken over lock, stock and barrel, painted grey and had a number on the side. And that's about it.

'Almost 70 years later, her vital role in the war was remembered

'when she was invited to take part in the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in 2012.

'After all she's been through, chugging up and down this beautiful river suits this boat just fine.'

That is a lovely sight - Mapledurham House. That's my final destination.

-It certainly is.

-Thank you very much for the ride

-and the insight into this wonderful craft.

-An absolute pleasure.

'The splendid 16th century Mapledurham House also has a rich and fascinating history.

'I'm meeting estate bailiff Corey Starling.'

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to see you. This is a wonderful place to end my trip down the river.

The first thing that greets you is that wonderful-looking mill.

It's the last commercially working water mill on the River Thames.

We've had a mill here now for over 1,000 years and it still works.

-It still works?

-We still produce flour. We have a wooden water wheel.

Not many mills still use a traditional structure.

They're usually made of iron. Ours is an oak frame with elm paddles.

'The centrepiece of this 2,000-acre riverside estate is the manor house built in 1588.

'It's still owned by the same family and they have an intriguing royal tale.'

The family surname is Blount and there is a lady by the name of Elizabeth Blount

who was the mistress of Henry VIII.

And she gave Henry an illegitimate son.

What a coup for the family if her, albeit illegitimate, son would become King!

Everything would have been completely different. He was groomed as if he was going to be.

At the age of six, he was made Duke of Somerset and Richmond which is incredibly unusual.

And there was always the possibility that he could become Henry IX.

If that had happened, there would have been a huge difference for the family, but it never did.

-It's a wonderful story though.

-It is.

It's lovely to see a building like this still in the same family after all those years.

-Thank you.

-You're very welcome.

-It's been a real treat.

The thing I love about Kim and Chara is that they have taken each of our properties on their own merits.

That, trust me, is the way to do it, but have they got a favourite amongst them?

-Well, here we are at the end.

-Yeah.

-Three very different houses in three different counties.

-Yeah.

But have we managed to find you your new home?

It is Escape To The Country, of course,

so it would be remiss of us not to show you a beautiful, little chocolate box cottage

-and that's what we showed you with our lovely little thatch.

-I loved that. So pretty.

If it was just me, Chara and Milo, we could live there quite easily,

but I think if we want to have more children, then we'd grow out of that quite quickly.

-Does that mean that property two is off of your list?

-I think so, yeah.

-As pretty as it was, I think it's just not very practical.

-OK.

Property number one on the edge of Newbury, next to the racecourse, the golf course, bit of a project.

It was a project, although it was actually pretty much just cosmetic.

Definitely. I think a lick of paint and that space would be really enhanced, actually.

-There's no reason why we'd have to do it straight away. We could do it over a good few years.

-Yeah.

So, property number one is on your list of contenders?

-I think so, yes.

-Yeah.

-It's definitely a possibility.

OK, well, then we came to our final property, our mystery house.

It was done beautifully, really lovely, and having the space outside, we didn't think we'd ever get that.

-And for £450,000.

-Yeah.

Hitting the mark on the budget front was such a big thing.

-It just gives us that little bit of...

-Flexibility.

-Flexibility, yeah.

So, what next? What's your favourite?

We might possibly go back and look at the first one, but we definitely would look again at the third one

with a view to maybe making an offer on it.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Let us know how you get on.

-Definitely. Thank you.

You know, I have to confess, when we set out on this house search,

I was a bit anxious as to whether or not we'd actually get there.

Despite their very generous budget of almost half a million pounds,

Kim and Chara were pitching it into one of the most expensive parts of the country,

but I think we've got there.

We've left them with two really interesting options

which they'll take a second look at, so fingers crossed for them.

But it goes to prove that whatever your budget,

just keep a bit of faith with the good, old-fashioned, British property market.

It can so often leave you spoilt for choice, provided you know where to look.

Kim and Chara did return to the mystery house and made an offer,

but I'm sad to report that they lost out to a cash buyer. Their search continues.

But if you'd like to escape to the country in Northern Ireland,

Scotland, Wales, England or even to the continent

and would like our help, then please apply online at:

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd