Dorset Escape to the Country

This windswept beach is home to a very strange natural phenomena

which makes it one of the most perilous beaches in Europe. Find out why in just a moment.

'On today's show, I'm helping two enthusiastic sailors find a country village in which to drop anchor.

'They've a very specific agenda...'

-These beams are not too low for you?

-Not for me!

They're marginal. I wouldn't like them any lower.

'..and are very excitable.'

It feels so airy and spacious, but also inviting.

-There's something really nice about this.

-Yeah.

Today I'm in Dorset and this is Chesil Beach, the longest shingle bar in Europe.

Back in the 18th and 19th century it saw many drownings and shipwrecks due to the strong tidal currents,

but that same sea has a curious effect. It hits the 18-mile-long beach at an angle

and perfectly self-selects and arranges the pebbles.

At that end, near Portland, they're as big as my fist.

And at the other end, like peas. The rest of Dorset is quite interesting, too.

Sitting on the south coast, Dorset is bordered by four counties, including Somerset and Wiltshire.

Its landscape is defined by its geology, whether the limestone cliffs of the Jurassic Coast

or the chalk slopes of Cranborne Chase.

Sharp straight lines cutting into the coastline around Portland are a reminder of 600 years of quarrying

and construction, notably in the rebuilding of London by Sir Christopher Wren

after the Great Fire in 1666.

The fishing industry in coastal areas like Weymouth also supported trade until the 18th century

when tourism started to make waves.

It was here in 1789 that George III became the first monarch to use a bathing machine.

Be it royalty, holidaymakers or residents, Dorset's natural assets

continue to work their magic to this day.

On the face of it, buying property in Dorset is quite expensive.

The average price of a detached house is £316,000. That's 20% above the national figure.

But if you scratch the surface, that is a little bit misleading

and the distortion is caused by the presence of Sandbanks,

the multi-millionaires' playground down by the seaside near Poole.

If you take that out of the equation, you can still buy a very reasonable house along here,

but further westwards towards Weymouth.

Our buyers today are both very keen on the sea, so let's see if they'd be interested in buying

a coastal residence in Dorset.

Retired couple Hugh and Christine have spent the last 21 years in Petersfield, Hampshire,

but they feel now is the time to leave the family home behind and begin a new chapter

out in the country.

Now that we've both retired, in the last 18 months, we want to think about the next 20 years.

This house has served us beautifully for bringing up a family,

but it's not what we're looking for for the next stage in our life.

It's a new era for us. The children have grown up, left home.

We want a house that we can enjoy with them and their family and participate in the activities.

Key to the location of the new house is proximity to a shared passion.

We have a yacht and we need to have it fairly reasonably near to where we live.

We've only had the boat for two years so far. We've had to do a lot of work to bring it up to spec.

It'll be also really nice just to go out whenever we want to and just say, "It's a perfect sailing day!"

When it comes to style, they know what they're looking for.

The new house we'd like to be a bit quirky and not run-of-the-mill.

We want to accommodate the family when they come along.

They're getting their own families. Grandchildren are going to be on the horizon. We have one already.

I just thought a double garage with provision for accommodation on top,

so that they can be self-sufficient, would be ideal.

I would like the new property to have an open fire.

On the other hand, I'm not so sure about that. I always think of the dirt they create

-and the dust everywhere.

-Oh, I'll sweep it up!

And they're not necessarily after the finished article.

We would like something that we feel we can develop and improve.

We would like to bespoke a building to our needs.

All that remains is to discover the financial detail for their Dorset relocation.

The maximum budget we have to spend would be £650,000,

but that would be for a house that was perfect to our liking

and didn't need anything spent on it.

Hugh and Christine have asked us to concentrate our search within a reasonable distance of the coast

with Bournemouth and Weymouth possible mooring venues for their yacht. I met up with them

to learn more of what they're after.

-Hugh and Christine, good morning.

-Morning.

-Beautiful Dorset morning. Slightly overcast.

In terms of the house, what are your dream features?

Em, three bedrooms, minimum.

-And a view!

-And a view?

So is this move all about the views?

Yes, I think it's really important that we've got something to look at

that is not bricks necessarily,

-but trees and fields and nature.

-You've said lots that you would like. Are there no-nos,

-things you definitely can't live with?

-A low ceiling.

-So no beams.

-I don't mind beams.

-I don't mind that.

You like rafters, but not beams!

How far away from the sea do you have to be? Do you need to be near a marina?

We've got to be within reasonable proximity of the marina.

40 minutes to an hour distance from the sea.

Well, we found three very - I think - beautiful properties.

-I hope you like them as much as I do. So let's go visit.

-Lovely!

Follow me.

For a top budget of £650,000,

Hugh and Christine are looking for a minimum of three bedrooms,

a large kitchen and dining area to accommodate family parties,

an annexe or outbuilding with options to convert, the possibility to refurbish,

all in a village setting with views of the Dorset countryside

and a maximum of an hour away from marinas on the south coast.

We've found three fantastic Dorset properties and before I reveal each price,

I'll be asking them to guess just how much they think it's worth.

The last is our mystery house, to challenge what they think they want.

But first it's house number one.

How much of a reluctant crew member are you, Christine?

I'm only reluctant when it's really very windy and pouring with rain.

-I'm with you there!

-But you don't exactly go out when the weather is like that at the start,

-unless you have to.

-That's the thing. You go out when it's not like that and two hours later it IS!

For our first offering, we're travelling to the north of the county, close to Somerset,

to the village of Nether Compton, around 50 minutes from Weymouth.

This pretty village comes with its own 13th-century church and village hall

and is served by a local shop that provides gourmet food and fine wines.

Before we find our first house, I'm taking them to meet Stewart Glasby

for an insight into this village.

-This is Stewart, the chairman of the village hall.

-Hello, yes.

A key player in the village.

-I believe this is true, it was voted sixth most desirable village to live in in England?

-It certainly was.

See, I bring you to all the best places.

-But I'm quite keen to know what makes it the sixth most desirable village to live in.

-One thing is

that most of the people are prepared to join in and enter into things.

-We have a progressive supper.

-Oh, great fun!

-In wintertime.

No one really knows where they're going until they get their paper

and we go to all people's houses for part of a meal. You go to three different houses.

-Then we meet back at the village hall.

-This is actually something we would love, when we move,

-to really get immersed in the village life.

-Thank you, Stewart. Extremely good sales pitch.

Good to meet you. Thank you.

I do hope you come.

In the centre of the village lies our first house, a four-bedroom renovated property

with stunning views of the Dorset countryside.

-I thought I'd bring you out the back for a better view.

-Wow. Look at that.

-Wow.

-Yes, look.

-And this would have been two dairy cottages.

-About 200 years ago it was built.

-Right.

-And it's been extensively remodelled over the years.

-Love it.

-I love the porch.

-Mm-hm.

-And that extension's looking very exciting.

-Yes.

-Shall we go inside?

-Yes!

-Lovely. Yes, please.

'We've made a splendid start with plenty of positives, so let's see if the interior can deliver.'

Come on in. Hugh, you may have to... We're doing the Hugh height test.

-Did you make it?

-Oh, look at this!

-Yeah.

-Oh, I love that.

-Yeah.

-I love that.

What jumps out at you immediately?

-The beams!

-The spaciousness. This is for family entertainment.

This was the extension they put on relatively recently.

Lots and lots of space. Were you OK coming in through the...?

I'm OK, but one just needs to take it into consideration.

-On the ground floor on the other side, there's the utility room and a toilet/shower.

-Right.

So there's amenities there. The sitting room is through here.

Yes, I imagine this is more of a wintry room or a TV room.

-But it's got a nice airy sort of...

-Cosy feel to it.

-Yes. Cosy little room.

-And you've got a log burner behind you.

-I approve of that.

-Quaint.

-Hmm. Let's have a little peek at the master bedroom upstairs.

OK.

'The downstairs is completed by a study and although they seem to like the house,

'I'm not convinced they're smitten, with ceiling height an issue.'

-Come into the master bedroom.

-Oh, this is nice.

-Again, mind your head, Hugh.

Oh, I like this. I like the ceiling.

And built-in cupboards, which is always a plus.

-So these beams are not too low?

-Not for me!

They're marginal. I wouldn't like them any lower.

-And are there any negatives?

-There's no en suite,

which is what we've got used to, but we haven't seen the rest.

I'll let you look upstairs later, but let's get out into the sunshine.

Yes!

There are two further smaller bedrooms, one under the eaves, as is the family bathroom,

so showering for Hugh might prove tricky. Up another flight of stairs is the attic room, a fourth bedroom.

I think one of the biggest selling points is this beautiful view.

-It's beautiful. Lovely.

-Very nice.

-What we don't give you is an outbuilding to convert.

-There's a very nice sort of wooden-framed double garage and store room.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-What do you think as a whole? Is it a contender?

-It's a contender,

but for me it's all been done and I'm not sure what I would change.

I am concerned about the low ceiling and living with it.

It's pretty. Somehow I'm not getting... "I love, I love, I love it!"

-What do you think about the price?

-I think perhaps...575.

Mm-hm.

No, I think it's much less than that. I think it's probably nearer the 500 mark.

OK, so this property is on the market for 625.

625?

-Right.

-Well, that's an indication of what you get or what the prices are in Dorset.

Why don't you have a look round and we'll meet again outside and go on to the next property?

Interesting! An interesting wake-up call about the price.

It's difficult when you move from Petersfield, a completely different market, to this lovely bit of Dorset

to really gauge the prices. That's quite a good wake-up call.

Under budget at £625,000,

this stone cottage gives them four bedrooms, a good-sized kitchen with dining area,

ideal for family gatherings, a sitting room with wood burner,

a decent-sized garden and all with stunning views of the Dorset hills.

First impressions were that it's a little bit small, but absolutely love the extension.

I think Hugh is going to be frustrated with the space getting up and down the stairs.

It's got its pros and cons.

So I think it's open to debate at this point.

I think the house is very nicely done, very nicely extended.

It's just a wee bit on the smaller side for me.

That's funny. It's perfect for Hugh and Christine.

Hello, guys. Hi! I have to drag you away, I'm afraid.

-Time to look at our second property.

-Excellent.

-Did you see this?

-Yes!

-I love that.

-We're off!

Dorset's lush landscape is home to some striking architectural landmarks,

conceived to make the most of their surroundings. One of its oldest historic manors is Mapperton House,

with one of the most distinctive gardens in the south-west.

With Hugh and Christine looking for new activities in their retirement,

we arrange for them to gain a personal insight from its owner, the Countess of Sandwich.

Hello. How lovely to see you. Welcome to Mapperton.

One of the most important things about it is it stayed in the same family

from the 14th century right through to the 20th,

but the really good thing about it is it went through the female line.

The house was bought by my father-in-law in the '50s.

At the time, it was being lived in by an old bird, Mrs Labouchere, and was in a frightful shambles,

ivy all over it, this courtyard hardly existed, and he pulled it together.

And we came and have been living here since the 1980s.

What you need to see are the gardens. They are extraordinary.

Mapperton's terraced valley gardens are famous for their romantic setting and sense of peace,

epitomised by Fountain Court, the Italianate garden laid out in the 1920s.

Come in and see the formal topiary gardens, which are one of the prides of Mapperton.

-This is fantastic. Beautiful.

-It really is lovely.

-Lady Sandwich, who designed the garden?

-Well, this part was designed by an architect,

but it was basically designed by Mrs Labouchere in memory of her husband

and created an Italianate garden. Every single thing comes down to the fountain in the centre.

The water going up in the centre of that pond is the whole focus.

It's so attractive how it's designed within the valley.

It lies in its deep valley.

It's a tumbly countryside, this area of west Dorset.

South of Fountain Court is the Pool Garden,

with its long 17th-century fish ponds.

The gardens rely on day-to-day care by a team of gardeners, one of whom is David Greenaway-Rowe,

who passes on a few tips to Hugh.

David, how do you get character in a garden? You're speaking to the person who does the humping and heaving.

Christine's the one who looks after the weeds and things.

It's one of those things where you can actually be overly tidy. It's nice to let some things droop over.

Like we have the cercis over there, just drooping over the path.

Or just let some plants just self-seed and freely climb. They shouldn't be there, but we let them.

When the flowers come out, it provides so much more interest

than just a straight border with one particular type of plant.

Hugh and Christine's love for Dorset seems to have flourished from their promenade at Mapperton.

Hopefully, they'll be able to apply their newly-found gardening tips

if we can find them their perfect property.

For our second property, we're moving eastwards to Hartgrove,

a short distance from Fontmell Magna and 45 minutes from Bournemouth.

The charming village of Fontmell Magna with its Grade 2-listed church

and the brook running through it is the local point for picking up supplies

offering a village shop and a post office. A short distance away in Hartgrove is house number two,

an unusual four-bedroom property over three floors, with stunning, panoramic views

towards the distant Duncliffe Hill.

Oh, look at that view!

Come on in. Don't get too excited too soon.

-First of all, let's take in the property.

-It looks fairly modern.

-It looks newish.

-It is from the '70s.

-Oh, right. OK.

-By comparison, that's new.

-Exactly. Sort of vintage.

-Yes.

-You've already spotted the major point of this house.

-Over there!

-Which is its incredible position.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Before that, any problems with a more modern property?

-No.

-Very open to see what's what.

-What do you think, Hugh?

Exactly the same. Very open.

-You wanted quirky.

-I like quirky.

-So thumbs up from the outside?

-Yes.

-I'm looking forward to showing you inside. It's a bit slippy.

'We're off to a great start and they're very positive about this property's individual style.

'With family gatherings to cater for, I'm banking on the interior, arranged over three floors,

'to deliver the space they need.'

So...

Oh, my goodness!

-Look at that!

-Lovely.

That's what you want.

Well, yes. It feels so airy

and spacious, but also inviting.

-There's something really nice about this.

-Yep.

-It is a huge, big blank canvas.

-Yes.

But your eye is clearly drawing you this way, so let's go this way.

Oh, look at that!

-Ha ha!

-Fabulous.

-You can see three counties - Wiltshire over there, Somerset over there and Dorset.

You wanted views and we were thinking this cannot be bettered.

Absolutely. And what I love is all these doors

-so we can get out and feel like we're right in it.

-Yep.

-Which we are, of course.

-But this space is just amazing for your family.

-Oh, yes.

-This would be your dining room, I guess.

-Definitely.

The living area, I reckon.

I'll let you have a look at the kitchen later. It's very modern. But I want to take you upstairs.

Guess what - there are more views.

Oh, goody!

'The downstairs seems to have well and truly hit the spot.

'Let's hope it continues as we head to the three bedrooms upstairs.'

-This would be your bedroom.

-Oh, wow.

-Look at this.

-Oh, gosh.

Look at that. You wouldn't need to get up, would you?

-Just stay in bed!

-Each of you have your own view. You get your own window.

Oh, yes.

-So we could sit in the morning and say, "How's the weather your side, dear?"

-Yes, indeed.

And an en suite,

but one of the really great selling factors about this house is what's down below.

'Two further double bedrooms complete the sleeping quarters.

'And I've got a surprise for them on the lower ground floor.'

Come into this surprise.

-Golly!

-Oh, dear!

-Oh, wow!

-So downstairs you've effectively got a little maisonette.

Oh, goodness!

-Yes, thinking of our son, when he's boomeranging back.

-Yes, exactly.

On the other side of the little landing is a kitchenette and a bathroom, toilet and bath.

-And here you've got a space you could make into a little bedroom.

-Yes.

-And hive it off.

And it goes into the garage.

-Oh, right.

-Right.

-And you've got a little sun room.

-This is a lovely big space.

-Shall we go outside and you can see more?

-Love to.

'So far, it looks as though house number two is leading the way.

'With only the garden to see, it could be a serious contender.'

I think this is a really intriguing garden. It's probably about a third of an acre,

-but laid out in a very different way.

-Very different, yes. I like the different layers.

And every layer, your eye is still drawn to the view. You're never going to miss it!

-No, absolutely not.

-Which is lovely.

It's something we had never come across or considered before,

-but I like it. We'd have a wonderful life here.

-But how much is it going to cost?

Well, I'll go first this time.

-I think it is nearer our budget, but I'll go for 625.

-I think it's 650.

Well, it's actually pitched above your budget.

It's on at 675.

OK.

But, of course, there's always room for negotiation.

-Why don't you go in and look a bit more? And then I'll meet you at the front.

-Lovely. Thank you.

This unusually configured 1970s property has the stunning views they're looking for,

but it is over budget at £675,000.

It gives them three main bedrooms, including a master with en suite,

a self-contained annexe with a fourth bedroom, kitchenette and sitting room,

ideal for family visits,

a large L-shaped sitting room and dining area, extra living space with a glazed veranda

and all looking out over the spectacular West Country scenery.

Lots of space, big rooms and ample for us to do in the garden,

just tweaking, modifying it. We hadn't seen anything like this.

Would we have considered it on the internet? I think seeing it does it so much more justice.

I actually like this house.

I love the way it feels very different in each place.

The different levels of the house is fun and the garden feels like

it's lots of different rooms, but every single one of them has the view.

It's like, "That's it!"

So one more peek at the view because that's your lot for the day.

-Time...

-Bye!

-..to rest and recuperate before tomorrow.

We're continuing our house search in Dorset with Hugh and Christine from Petersfield, Hampshire,

who have £650,000 to spend on their countryside relocation.

Coming up, our mystery house leaves everyone mystified.

-I'm unsure whether you like it or not.

-I'm a little unsure as well!

And I get some tips on grasping the ancient art of stonemasonry.

It's a lovely, blustery spring day for our second day of property hunting for Christine and Hugh.

I think they're on the horns of a very familiar dilemma -

choosing between a property and the location of the property.

The mystery house doesn't really solve that. We're giving them what they want in location,

close to their beloved sea,

but we're giving them something they hadn't asked for and that is a very familiar landmark here -

a thatch. Hugh and Christine had discounted thatched roofs

as they are traditionally associated with low ceilings, but this may give them something to think about

and the opportunity to put on their own stamp. We're moving closer to the sea to Askerswell,

around 17 miles from Weymouth, a possible home for their yacht.

The pretty village of Askerswell lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

and has a mix of old traditional stone cottages and modern ones.

For a wealth of local produce, the ancient Saxon market town of Bridport is nearby,

known for its rope and net-making industry since the 13th century.

On the fringe of Askerswell lies our mystery house - a four-bedroom cottage edged by woodland.

This is the mystery house.

-Very nice.

-This looks very exciting.

-Are you excited?

-Yes.

-I've noticed a little plaque that says 2002, which can only mean it's fairly new.

-Very keen eyes!

Although it has got an older thatch.

So that's mixed messages, isn't it?

I am quite excited to see inside, I must admit.

Let's have a look inside.

'Thankfully, they're not put off by the thatched roof, so a great start.

'Hopefully, it will carry on inside as the mystery house does offer them something for their family visits.'

Let's look at the kitchen first. It's a lovely old country kitchen, but actually it's brand-new.

This is very nice. Lovely and warm in here, which is such a lovely feeling.

Yes, you've got the old range cooker giving off lots of heat.

If you look over here, you've got this sort of...

A nook. I suppose you could put a dining table in there.

-Yes, you could do or just have it as a little snug like it is.

-I'm getting mixed messages...

-It's good.

-Positive?

-Yes.

-Yes.

You're being quite cagey on this.

-Flowing with comments yesterday. Early days.

-Yes, early days.

-Let's... Let's have a look at the rest.

-OK, let's do that.

'A more reserved reaction to the downstairs, but unlike house number two, this property has potential.'

OK, so this is the living space.

-This is nice.

-Spacious, lovely.

-I like the doors.

-So you can block that off.

Have a formal dining room that's separate or open it up to have one big, colossal living space.

-Nice big fireplace.

-Yeah.

-Very nice.

-And lovely quality wood floors throughout.

-Interesting.

-What do you think about the layout?

Can you imagine what you'd do here? This is pretty much the downstairs.

It needs a little thought, I think.

Not impossible.

-This is completely different. The mystery house.

-It is.

But I'm a little unsure about whether you like it or not.

-I'm a little unsure as well!

-Yes.

'They're still playing their cards very close to their chest,

'but I do have a couple of surprises which should swing things in favour of the mystery house.'

-Right, this is the master because it's the largest.

-This is a surprise.

This is nice. A lovely big room.

A big en suite. You've got a family bathroom also on the landing.

-Very good.

-And there's lots of room around the whole place.

-Yeah.

And lots of windows, which is nice. I like the light. That's lovely.

There's two really good-size doubles and then one smaller room,

but plenty of space for the family.

There is one feature of this cottage that we thought was a definite draw.

And it's outside.

'A big plus point for the master as we head outside to the garage for my final surprise.'

In the garden you've got another house.

Oh, wow.

-It's a fully-functional annexe.

-Which is just what we were looking for.

-Yes.

You've got a bedroom and a little tiny bathroom there, a kitchenette here.

This is not a listed building, so in the years to come you can tweak it as you like.

-Shall we have a look in the garden?

-Yes!

-And talk about price.

-Oh, yes.

'The annexe seems to have changed their outlook, but it remains to be seen if it has won them round.'

Once again, the plot is about a third of an acre.

We haven't been able to get much more, but you do have this rather grandiose Iron Age fort

-as the backdrop to your garden.

-Wow.

-It doesn't belong to you.

-It's certainly part of the ambience of the garden!

-It is indeed.

This is the grass laid out, lawn-y garden,

then there's a very sizeable patio, which is a massive sun trap.

-Yes, very nice.

-I do see potential for having an extension, a double door,

out from the sitting room. And having a...a conservatory.

What do you think this modern thatched property is on sale for?

I think we're looking at...

680, 690? Something like that.

I would like to think it's a tad less than our budget,

-so I'm putting a figure on of 635.

-This is actually on the market for...

625.

-Oh?

-Makes it interesting.

-Yes.

-Why don't you go inside, have a look round?

-Lovely.

We'd like to do that.

Our mystery thatched property comes in under budget at £625,000,

giving them the opportunity to extend further and it has four bedrooms, including a large master,

a spacious sitting room with inglenook fireplace,

a large kitchen/breakfast room, a self-contained annexe

and all surrounded by the rolling West Dorset countryside.

Another interesting choice. There's lots of potential

to tweak and change things. I think I would be exploring the possibilities of extending out

a little bit to take advantage of the southerly aspect.

I like this because it's a modern house dressed in old clothes.

It just feels like it needs a little bit of love and attention.

The other thing that's a big draw is the accommodation over the garage,

which is something that we did desperately want. It's needing a lot of thought.

It's definitely in the picture.

OK, guys, that is your lot. I do not have any more properties to show you. Why don't you head to the car

-and you can have some thinking time?

-Thank you.

We've served up three charming properties for Hugh and Christine, but there are plenty more

if, like them, you want Dorset's undulating scenery as the backdrop to your perfect country home.

For a reasonable budget you can still find the idyllic country location close to the coast

with charming three-bedroom thatched cottages like this one including feature beams

and a cosy fireplace on the market for £350,000.

If you can stretch the budget a little further, this stone cottage

that sits in the shadow of Corfe Castle combines modern living space

with original features and can be snapped up for £495,000.

But for those looking for more space a renovated farmhouse like this six-bedroom,

16th-century offering in Sturminster Newton with converted barn,

swimming pool and delightful orangery is on the market at £790,000.

The natural bedrock of Dorset has shaped not only the county's architectural heritage,

but also the nation's. In an area known as the Isle of Purbeck,

the quarrying of stone has been a defining feature for centuries,

providing material for buildings including St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.

I've come to St Aldhelm's quarry in Worth Matravers near Swanage

to unearth more from stonemason Andy Webster.

Andy, very nice to meet you. I've travelled all over the country

and often come across bits of Purbeck stone.

It's quite nice to actually see it in the raw. Have you any examples?

Yes, we've got a piece over here.

'The stone around Purbeck is excavated from different layers

'from 45 million to 145 million years old, which yield a range of stone finishes.'

-Have we got any Purbeck stone?

-Yes, this is one here.

This is one of the Purbeck marble beds, more or less as it came out of the ground.

And this is how it... It's really heavy! ..ends up.

-Beautifully detailed, really dense.

-It's literally millions of fossil pond snails.

-Is that what it is?

-Yeah.

'Purbeck marble is not marble at all. It's a fossil-rich limestone with a beautiful polished finish

'used in cathedrals since the 13th century.'

This is the Purbeck marble in-filling footprints in the layer below.

-Footprints of what?

-Well, it's lagoonal, so on occasions,

the lagoon was raised above sea level or the sea level dropped enough

for creatures to walk across it.

So here is a dinosaur footprint.

'A more workable stone is the Portland pond free stone,

'a creamy white Jurassic limestone found in many celebrated buildings

'from the British Museum to Windsor Castle. Andy's using this to teach me about stonemasonry.'

What are we doing? This is clearly something you've started before.

Yes, what we've got is a piece of moulded work, moulded on both sides.

What I;d like you to do... You see there's a line here?

-Yep.

-You need to go above that line.

We're not going to get a clean break right down to the line. If you do that,

we'll employ you!

So a little bit above the line and I'd like you to hit that off.

-A nice swipe, please.

-A big old whack.

-A big old whack.

-Bigger than that. Bigger than that.

-It's quite tough.

-There you go. And there's a chunk of waste gone.

-it came off quite easy.

It would be easy to just take a bit too much off.

-Do you have the satisfaction of going to some building? "I made that."

-Oh, definitely.

If you've done something, especially restoration work,

if you go to a cathedral and you've reproduced something that was originally done 800-plus years ago,

-using...

-The same techniques pretty much?

-Generally the same techniques

when it comes down to this kind of thing where you're forced to use manual mallet and chisel.

Obviously, things have changed because we have large machines to cut surfaces square and clean.

-So they did it all by hand?

-Flat surfaces were produced by hand.

-And that is quite demanding.

-I'm very glad that we could do our bit for safeguarding this heritage.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-I'm not going to touch that. You were a bit nervous!

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

'It's gratifying to know that centuries-old skills are still being employed today,

'but for now it's time to find Hugh and Christine to see if they've come to a decision.'

Usually at this stage of proceedings I know pretty much which house our buyers are going to go for,

but with Hugh and Christine I don't have a clue, so let's find out.

Now, guys, usually at this point I would say, "Clearly, house number one wasn't any good.

"What do you think?" But in this instance I have no clue which one you like.

So do you have a clue?

I think not number one.

We absolutely loved the village.

Not sure about the house at all mainly because it was so difficult for Hugh to get up and downstairs.

-So that leaves us number two and three.

-And, Hugh, do you have a preference from those two?

I think three has a marginal preference over number two because it would be easier to look after

-compared with number two.

-If we're thinking long-term, going into our old age,

it was quite a long way from the bottom of the garden!

-So you're thinking long-term.

-Yes.

What I liked about the mystery house was that we could definitely make it our own

and change all sorts of little things and tinker with it, which is exciting.

-So what happens next?

-We're remaining here in the area for the next couple of days.

-We want a quick recce.

-And see the houses again.

-Which ones?

Oh, definitely two and three.

-Great.

-And also I think it would be nice to just have a chat with the children. We want a family house,

-not just ours.

-Excellent.

I'm glad that we've got two in the running. I wish you all the best

-and I hope you find somewhere soon.

-Thanks.

-Thank you very much. It's been great fun.

-Ditto.

Although we didn't get them down to this lovely bit of the coast, this was a great success

largely because we got them excited about moving down to Dorset,

even though they were a little confused by the riches offered by our three properties.

Still, that's sort of our brief. I hope you enjoyed the show and join us next time

for more perambulations in rural Britain.

Even though they liked our second property and the mystery house,

Hugh and Christine felt they hadn't got the full package they were after

but they have since made an offer on another property.

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