Gloucestershire Escape to the Country

I'm stood where people have been playing bowls for over 400 years,

and lays claim to be the oldest bowling green in England.

Find out which county it's in in just a moment.

Let's see how we go.

Come on...!

On today's show we're helping two sisters

who have high hopes of a joint house venture together,

unless sibling rivalry gets the better of them!

Are you happy to coexist together, are you?

No! THEY LAUGH

Sadly, I think you're out of touch with reality.

Today I'm in Gloucestershire,

at the historic bowling green in Painswick,

where people have been playing bowls since 1554.

The sport was popular all the way back in Tudor times,

when gentlemen would relax with a game of bowls

after a hard day's hunting in the Cotswold countryside.

This club's records date all the way back to 1905,

and the game remains a permanent and very pleasant fixture

in village life today.

Sitting against the Welsh border,

Gloucestershire also shares boundaries with the English counties

of Herefordshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

"Scratch Gloucestershire and find Rome" is an old adage

often associated with the county,

as its gently rolling arable land has been known since Roman times

for its farming and forestry.

And under Roman rule, the market town of Cirencester

in the east of the county,

was the second largest settlement after London.

Today the vibrant market place,

exhibits excellent examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture,

which have cemented the town as the capital of the Cotswolds.

Countryside accounts for some 90% of Gloucestershire's landscape,

into which sit perfectly preserved limestone villages.

One picture postcard example must be Bibury,

set on the banks of the Coln

and heralded by radical Victorian designer William Morris

as the most beautiful village in England.

Now, when it comes to researching the property market

here in Gloucestershire,

you have to unpick the stats a bit.

Yes, the average price for a detached house in the county

is around £290,000 - some 40,000 above the national figure.

But if you peel away the premium for living here in the Cotswolds,

which can be up to 50% in some places,

the picture does get much more affordable around the market towns

such as Dursley and Witherington.

So let's find out why today's buyers want to move here.

We've been called on to help two sisters

who have led a very different lives,

have very different tastes,

and who haven't lived with one another since they were teenagers.

-You were the bossy one...

-No.

-..and I had to do as I was told.

No, no, no, no, no. Not at all.

Lucky we grew out of all of that.

But we fought right the way up, through our teens,

pulling our hair out. Your hair out, my hair out.

I have a happier memory - of an older sister who was my friend.

I had nothing against you.

I can't think why I was pulling your hair out.

-That was when we were younger.

-You must've been very trying.

-Mm.

Now a few decades later,

Christina and Joanna both find themselves

living alone and so have turned to one another for support.

I've reached a sort of point where a lot of things have

reached a nice ending -

and unexpected endings -

with the death of my husband and other things,

and it's therefore the right time for a new beginning.

And I think a move will be a really good way

of creating a new space.

I'm also a widow, my husband died about three years ago.

Erm... I've got children, which, sadly, Christina doesn't have, so...

But she's very fond of them, thank goodness.

And they love her to bits.

So we want to be reasonably near to them, but not on top of them.

The older of the two, by three years,

Joanna, until recently worked as a management accountant.

Whereas Christina is a highly successful travel writer,

who has spent most of her life exploring the globe.

In fact, both sisters were born in Africa,

where they spent their early childhood.

With our mother, she always said to me,

it's all right to be different.

Don't feel you have to be like other people.

It's OK to be different.

That was an extraordinarily freeing thing,

and I realised that it wasn't.

It wasn't important to be like everybody else,

you can follow your ideas

-and I think that had a huge impact on my life.

-Mm.

So with that philosophy in mind,

they've decided to take an unconventional step,

to partner up onto the property ladder, but with strings attached.

We don't want to live together,

we want to live, sort of, next d...

Well, sort of in the same building and next door to each other.

Because we're both hugely independent people.

I've got three grandchildren,

so you've got three great nieces.

We want to be able to have them to stay as they grow up.

But have the space so that they are not on top of me the whole time.

So it probably means two kitchens -

I'll feed the grandchildren and she'll visit.

For now, Joanna lives in a rental property and Christina wants to keep

her current home in London's Shepherd's Bush as a base

from where she runs her charity to help the people of Madagascar.

But, it's not big enough or rural enough for their joint future.

In London you could be going somewhere, doing something.

And you can never just be, quietly,

or if you are being quietly,

you feel the world is whizzing past and leaving you behind.

Here you've got no garden and I would be stifled.

And I love growing things

and a window box is not big enough!

The sisters have recently come into some inheritance,

and have a rough idea of the figure they're willing to spend

for this new sibling adventure.

The budget for the move will be £550,000 to £650,000.

Gloucestershire is the chosen destination, as Joanna's

daughter and grandchildren live in Wotton-under-Edge,

so we'll be concentrating our house search

to the western side of the county,

which also has good road links back to London for Christina.

Time for us to meet up in a sunny Gloucestershire spot

to get better acquainted

and find out more about this sisterly move.

-Ladies, good morning.

-Good morning.

Look at this. You brought the weather with you.

We did.

Now, you're buying a house together.

Is this not filling you with a bit of trepidation?

I think it might be fun, actually,

because we've got the same set of things behind our skills,

but we've made different stuff of it.

So I think we will have a lot of laughs.

And a lot of interest.

OK, we'll you both seem to get on very, very well,

now how is that going to marry with the house-buying process?

You must have different opinions and differences in taste?

Well, we haven't really been house-hunting, so...

This is a first.

-We have yet to...

-Develop any opinions!

-Exactly!

Right. How many bedrooms are we looking at?

-Five, six...?

-Mm.

-Are you planning on running a hotel, as well, are you?

-No!

That's the whole idea, that we...

That any rooms for guests, we can share between us.

So that, erm... But we do need two or three.

It's going to be a fun house. Lots of guests staying all the time...

-It's going to be a very active house.

-Yes!

-It is!

That's the whole point of it.

Because left to myself, I'd turn into a complete recluse

and never see anybody ever again.

-And I love socialising.

-Do you?

-And I love catering

and I love people around...

We're after a lot of property here, a lot of real estate.

So, let's talk about the budget.

I understand that's moved a little?

What have you finally settled on?

-I think we settled on 550 to 650?

-No.

-Or have we gone up from there?

-We went up from that.

-Where did we go up to?

-750.

-Did we? Very good.

-I think so, yes.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

So, this is exciting.

You've got two very different influences coming together

to buy a house.

You've got no idea what the property market's like here,

but you also have nothing to sell.

So if we find you something, you can move straightaway.

-Yes.

-Right, let's go. Come on.

So, for a revised and rather healthy budget of £750,000,

our sisters are pooling resources

and looking for a spacious and characterful home

that has the potential to suit both their tastes and needs.

And the basics are:

We've a fantastic range of properties,

both traditional and unusual, which I hope will meet

Christina and Joanna's very specific yet largely loose requirements.

But before I reveal the prices,

I'll be asking our buyers

to have a guess first.

And we'll be swinging by something really out of the ordinary

with the mystery house.

Time to hit the road and head for our first property.

Have you discussed much about what you are looking for as a team?

Ah, not really.

I tend to have lived in the more, erm...

conventional English houses.

Christina has had the opportunity of having some new-builds,

but, you know, and the sort of London flats.

So, you know, it's completely different.

I've actually only lived in rented.

Right. So is this your first house you'll ever buy?

-Absolutely.

-She's a first-time buyer!

-I am a first-time buyer.

-That's brilliant.

You must be very excited about this.

I am and I'm wondering what grants are available to first-time buyers!

We're starting our property search

around 45 miles north of Wotton-underEdge

in a hamlet called The Leigh.

And a couple of miles from a shop and a pub,

our first property is situated down a narrow lane

surrounded by fields and enveloped by Gloucestershire countryside.

In we come, ladies. Now, then...

-Property number one is this little number.

-It's a lovely house.

It is, isn't it?

It was built around 1820.

Now, stylewise... Well, it's had a lot done to it.

Inside you'll see more of that, but what do you think of

-how it looks from out here?

-It's got character.

-Yeah?

The garden looks absolutely lovely!

I thought you might like that, but we'll discuss that later.

-Let's go inside and see what you make of that, shall we?

-Love to.

A very handsome, detached country home, this

early 19th-century property offers a versatile and unusual layout,

that I hope will suit both ladies,

and we're starting in the main kitchen diner.

There's two entrances to this property, I would have

thought this was the better one, to take us straight in

-to one of my favourite rooms.

-It's lovely. A lovely kitchen.

A lot of this was derelict.

What you see is the fruits and labour of the current owners.

You reckoned you wanted two kitchens, OK?

This is the really nice, big one,

-so, bear this one in mind when we see the next one.

-OK!

All right!

On the face of it, this property appears to be one large

family home, but what lies beyond the facade is a house that

has already been split into two independent zones that

separates the back of the property from the front.

The large kitchen diner lies in the original part of the house to

one side of the hallway, with the sitting room

and conservatory to the other.

Then at the rear, the current owners have used bricks and slates from a

derelict barn to build a completely self-contained two-storey wing.

We're heading for the dining area, which can also be

accessed from the original hallway.

Let me explain to you what we have here and then you can decide

if you like it or not.

You have a double bedroom, an en suite shower room,

you also have that bookcase looking door, if you like.

Up there is another reception room or a double bedroom.

You've also got this room, as we see,

and through there, you've got a small kitchen and a downstairs loo.

Now, living areas, you're happy to coexist together, are you?

-No.

-Let's have a...

-THEY LAUGH

-Let's have a look at it.

-Kind of.

-Let's have a look, is what I was going to say.

-Right.

-That's what I think I got from that! Come on.

-Which way?

-Up here.

With a hint of conflict brewing over boundary lines, we have thankfully

got a bit of border control with a range of reception areas.

One of which is upstairs.

So, up here on the first floor,

quite unusual to have a first-floor living room. So, what do you think?

I've not seen an upstairs living room for a long time. It's cosy.

Yes.

Maybe one person gets this room and the other person gets a smaller

-reception room on the ground floor, leading to a conservatory.

-Exactly.

-I think I want the conservatory. I got in first on that one!

-You did.

-That means you get this room.

-Pretty jolly quick, so therefore, I will look

and then choose... Before I say I want, I will look at everything.

OK, fine, well, maybe it's one of these things.

We need to get through this house as quick as possible so you can make your mind up.

I could turn this into an office, I could spread my papers everywhere.

Could I see out the window if I was sitting down at my desk, for example?

-Go on, go on.

-If I'm sitting, supposing I'm here, da-da-da.

Oh, I CAN see out the windows.

They're quite nice, because the ceilings are a bit low,

but the windows are quite low set. So, you can see out.

That's good, right? OK, let's look at a bedroom, shall we?

-Bedrooms, yes.

-OK, just through here.

-Lead on.

So, just across the hall from that big reception is,

well, I think this is your master bedroom.

It's got a lovely en suite next door as well.

And also, a fantastic family bathroom just the other

side of that wall there with a separate shower

and beautiful views from the bath over the surrounding fields.

You've also got upstairs, two double bedrooms.

And is there a bathroom upstairs as well?

-There's a bathroom servicing those two bedrooms, yes.

-Brilliant.

I know you want to see the whole lot, but what

sort of feeling are you getting so far from what you're seeing?

One of your dreams was to lie in bed and look out the window,

-now you could certainly do that.

-OK, I'll go for it.

Let's walk outside,

-because that's somewhere you're prepared to share, isn't it?

-Yes.

-We won't fall out outside, will we?

-Never.

-No.

-Good, follow me.

Despite what I see as a fairly straightforward

division of rooms, I'm struggling to figure out

whether or not Christina and Joanna can see this house working for them.

Outside, there's plenty of room to escape one another,

with almost an acre to play with, including mature gardens,

an orchard, and if sibling cohabitation gets too much,

the property also features its very own little pub.

OK, so we've had a whistle-stop tour around the house.

-Time for you ladies to have a go at guessing the price.

-500,000.

-OK.

No, sadly, I think you're out of touch with reality.

-I think it's going to be more like 700.

-Good grief.

-Better guess.

It's actually on the market for offers around £750,000.

-Oh, I was a bit low, wasn't I?

-Very much so.

Well, this has been a learning curve for all of us, I think.

You know, I'm starting to find out what's important to you and

who to please. Well, I've not learned who to please yet,

-I've still got no idea.

-Me!

-Well!

-She's the difficult one.

-Yes!

-I'm the easy one.

-I think I've got both opinions there.

THEY LAUGH

Why don't you go back into the house, have a

look at what you haven't yet seen, OK?

-And I'll meet you whenever you're done, OK?

-OK. Goodbye.

Two things here. I'm finding out a lot more about what the ladies

are after - they certainly want a lot more space.

The other thing is, I think we're going to have

a lot of fun over the next couple of days, aren't we?

It's in the top end of the budget,

on the market for £750,000.

Our first property is a detached 19th-century home that has

the flexibility to provide two completely separate,

self-contained dwellings.

All in all, the house boasts five reception rooms,

four bedrooms, a large kitchen diner,

alongside a smaller kitchen and just under

an acre of land, surrounded by beautiful, Gloucestershire scenery.

When we arrived, I thought the facade was fabulous.

It's a warm, welcoming, genuine-looking place.

But I'm a little disappointed in the house itself.

Inside, to me, doesn't match the outside impression.

Head down!

-There's another room over here.

-I'm following.

There's two staircases, two front doors, there ARE two kitchens.

But in a way, it still isn't quite lending itself to two

independent people who want to be able to share.

You've actually managed to get an awful lot of what we wanted,

and I'm surprised about that.

But I don't think it is going to be the right one, sadly.

This is almost a granny annexe, but we are the grannies.

-We haven't got a granny! I am not a granny!

-You're a great aunt.

-Right, then, all done?

-All done.

-No fallings out?

-Not yet.

-No.

-Not yet, let's keep it that way, onto the next one.

-OK!

Both Christina and Joanna aren't that familiar with Gloucestershire,

and one of the driving forces behind their move

is to get connected with the countryside here.

And with at least 60 nature reserves throughout the county

under its wing, there are no shortages of green places to

explore, such as the Stuart Fawkes site near Nailsworth, which is

under the care of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.

We arranged for them to visit this nature reserve to learn about the ecology

and conservation of these protected sides with volunteer Helen Winter.

Helen, what's special about this part of the reserve?

It's unimproved limestone grassland,

it supports a load of really rare species.

Any time permanent pasture is ploughed up, or fertilised

with artificial fertiliser or reseeded, then it's lost for ever.

Is there anything in particular here?

-Yes, there's a species called Meadow Clary.

-Are they rare?

Yes, they're extremely rare.

This is the only site in Gloucestershire where you can

see Meadow Clary. There's only 20 other sites in the country.

The site covers three fields, and rare specimens that flourish

here like the protected Meadow Clary plants have helped identify

the reserve as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

And to ensure that the plant continues to

thrive in the future, the trust have adopted an approach that uses

grazing livestock to stimulate its growth.

Meadow Clary doesn't reproduce so well through making seed.

It reproduces much better through making runners that

run into the soil.

So what the cattle now do is, they are allowed in during the summer,

they eat the plant off and prevent it flowering

so it puts much more energy into producing these runners.

In the past, the antibacterial properties of this tall,

vibrant and striking plant have been used as a medicine to

alleviate sore throats or clean teeth.

And even to flavour beers and wines.

With a life span of about 30 years, the Meadow Clary at

Stuart Fawkes is surveyed yearly to monitor its progress.

Right, so, now we need to get our noses in the grass.

The first thing to do is identify roughly where we have got

plants within the quadrat.

So, we can see from the flower spikes that there's a plant here.

You need to get down and look at the

basal rosettes and see how many plants make up a basal rosette.

So, how are they doing this summer?

Well, they're doing pretty well at the moment.

It's a slow process, because they are a very long-lived plant

and they only reproduce slowly and we think that the

change in management from the research is working.

Now that our sisters have witnessed some of Gloucestershire's wild,

natural and rare beauty, we need to get back to the house hunt

so they too can set down their roots in this county.

For our second property, we're travelling further south closer to

Joanna's daughter and heading for the Cotswold village

of Selsley West.

A pub and convenience store can be found just over a mile away

in King's Stanley, but back in Selsley West, lies property

number two, which is in an elevated position

and boasts absolutely glorious far-reaching views.

Now, then, as you can see, there is

more to this house than this initial facade,

which suggests it's a bungalow.

It's a modern house, it was built around 30 years ago,

but it's got this Cotswold stone facing brick, if you like.

Could it be the tip of the iceberg?

You took the words right out of my mouth, that's exactly what it is.

This is the very top of the house,

and it then just grows down into the hillside and it is

enveloped by a massive 280-degree vista.

-It's fantastic views everywhere you go.

-Really?

-Yes, you're going to love the views.

-Good.

-So? Any thoughts?

-Let's go.

-Intriguing.

-Good. Let's start, come on.

Built in 1980, this one-off property was designed to take

full advantage of the setting with the majority of the living

accommodation wrapped around a large hallway up on the first floor,

which is where we commence our tour.

-So, let's start off with kitchen number one.

-Oh, goodness!

-Who likes it?

-Fine.

-Compact, keeps clean. Perfect.

OK, well, this is a real whistle-stop tour,

because what I've learned is that,

I've tried to second-guess what you would use the rooms for

and I keep getting it wrong, so here is one, follow me to the next one.

-This is a kitchen!

-Yes!

So, kitchen number two.

-Wow.

-Oh, wow.

You can't have all the kitchens!

-You can only have one each, I'm afraid.

-OK.

She's just going to dither and say that she wants them all.

And, it opens up into a really nice dining room leading to

a conservatory with yet more fabulous views.

-Goodness, it's very light and airy. And I like the ceilings.

-Rustic.

-Keep it that way?

-I like rustic. Yes.

So, linking that reception with this is this beautiful conservatory

-with the views.

-Goodness.

It's interesting the way they have used the same sort of ceiling

-technique, lovely with the rise in it.

-And there's a balcony!

Now, let me try and get this configuration for you ladies.

You've obviously seen the kitchen going into the conservatory,

-and if you look through that door, that's where we came in.

-Yes.

Next door to this room, that could be another reception room,

could be a bedroom, next door to that, is a bedroom as well.

Is this all starting to make sense?

-It's quirky enough to be intriguing.

-Good.

-We want to see more.

-Right.

-Downstairs now, OK?

-OK.

Back in the central hallway, the staircase takes us down to the

ground floor and through another large hall kitted out with

a small sofa and then into the largest bedroom.

So, here we are on what I would call the lower ground floor.

Now, double bedroom, obviously.

Now what you've got here on this floor is a double bedroom

with en suite at the far end. You've got a small single next door.

AND, then you've got a family bathroom as well.

Now, you have also got an unconverted garage

and I can't believe I'm saying this out loud, a utility that

if you really wanted, could be a third kitchen.

THEY LAUGH

I say that in jest, but one thing is,

you could actually have one complete living area on this floor,

one complete living area on the top floor.

You could really have independent lives

-on top of each other here.

-Yes.

And you would still both get views. You know what, let's go out.

That goes out on to a terrace, does it?

-Do you want to go through those doors or where we just came?

-Them.

-These doors.

-Come on then!

-We agreed!

-So, come right through.

-Absolutely gorgeous.

Now, the house, knock on the front door,

you wouldn't expect to see this, would you?

No, no, that is quite a surprise.

It looks enormous from here.

Let me explain what we've got here.

We're in just over three quarters of an acre plot size.

Lots of gardens, lots of views.

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

Well, I was so glaringly out last time with my house valuation,

I'm just going to say the same as what you came in last time

-and see if I am scoring any better. 750.

-I love your reasoning!

-At least I've got a reason!

-Yes! Joanna!

-Pluck a number from the air.

I am going down, this time, I am going to 650.

So I could be completely wrong, but it is about time I was wrong.

Well, enjoy being wrong, then,

-this is on the market for around £800,000.

-Goodness.

Well, it's the last thing we're looking at today, so you

have enough time, hopefully, to rip it all to bits in your minds.

Away you go.

With a guide price of £800,000,

a sensible offer could bring

this second option closer to the ladies' budget

and would provide them with a more recent two-storey upside-down

build, giving the sisters one floor apiece.

But as a whole, the property lends itself to three reception rooms,

five bedrooms and even two kitchens.

Then outside, the garden features a pool

and backs onto open countryside.

But let's not forget the aspect,

for it has the most impressive panoramic view.

I found house number two intriguing, fascinating and it's quirky,

amusing, it's thought-provoking

and completely different to house number one.

-It's not that cold.

-It's not that hot either, though.

In a curious way, this house has a lot of the things that

I felt were missing from the last house.

The view that goes beyond, you know, look at that. It does go beyond.

That's gorgeous.

It's a bit of a confusing house, really, I am sort of trying to,

you know, can I count bedrooms on one hand, kitchens on another?

You count bathrooms.

-Right, then, all done inside and out?

-Finished.

-Good.

-Did you enjoy today?

-Very much, thank you.

-Good, I did as well.

Time to go back, let's go.

It's the second day of our property search

and we are in Gloucestershire on a tricky expedition,

helping London-based Christina and her big sister Joanna to find

somewhere to live independently, but under the same roof.

Still to come,

we're tapping into our inner child at the mystery house.

Whoever built this place has a huge sense of humour!

And it's full steam ahead for a once derelict

-passage of Gloucestershire heritage.

-TRAIN TOOTS

After all the ups and downs of yesterday,

I'm starting to wonder whether we shouldn't just be showing

Christina and Joanna two separate homes fairly close to each other?

And today's mystery house, well, it kind of buys into that ethos.

And we've lined up the most eccentric one we could find,

which I trust should better suit the personalities of our two

wonderful ladies.

And to get to our third and final property stop,

we're taking our buyers to the small village of Siston,

our most southerly destination.

A couple of miles from shops and facilities at Pucklechurch,

the mystery house in Siston

is within a cluster of old farm buildings,

with a pedigree that dates back some 400 years.

We're looking at a barn conversion,

but probably, like no other you've seen before. What do you think?

That's different.

For a barn conversion, it's got really nice, big windows.

That's surprising, yes, yes.

Now, the owners have been here 17 years.

And they converted it themselves. And it's quirky.

-Ah, now you're talking.

-Let's go and have a look.

In terms of internal square footage, the sprawling mystery house is

the biggest of our three properties, covering early 3,200 square feet.

And we're heading for the newer half from the 1800s.

-This is a fantastic part of the house.

-Goodness.

-Brilliant.

This is a wagon entrance, and obviously,

the listings stated that you had to retain something that looks

similar to how it would have looked before,

so, hence these nice glass openings, if you like.

But what it gives you now, this is where I want you to start thinking

about how it works for you, ladies, is a living room, another living

room, a winter living room with a lovely, solid fuel burner there.

-So you've got two living room options.

-Living areas.

But also, start thinking about now we're at one end of the house,

so this could potentially be just one of your parts of the home. OK?

That end, we've got a bedroom, a smaller bedroom, OK?

A little attic space for storage.

-But let's go down to the master, just up the stairs.

-Goodness.

So, this is the master bedroom,

-you have an en suite bathroom next door.

-Lovely.

Looking straight out the window, Christina.

-That's a good way to be looking.

-Feng shui good.

It's quite extraordinary to have your window at ground floor, floor level.

-But you're lying in bed.

-Yes, yes.

You've got one person's living area just this end, if you so desire.

-Good?

-Very good. What's through there?

Can I shout orders, ask for coffee?

You're closer to the truth than you think.

It connects you, if you like, to the other end of the building.

And to get to the other end,

we've got to go back down onto the ground floor.

The two-storey area we've just seen all lies to the

right-hand side of the property and joined to the left hand portion

by a large and lofty single-storey kitchen breakfast room.

Then beyond the kitchen is another two-storey part,

housing a snug, alongside a ground-floor bedroom.

But I'm keen to show Christina in particular,

even more in what could be her very own studio.

So, we're making our way across the property from right to left,

through the fantastic rustic kitchen with vaulted ceiling

and into the far side of the barn.

Now then. A little shower room and loo.

Now, let me just explain the configuration here,

because it's quite confusing.

We've just walked back through the kitchen, obviously.

Through that living room, there was also another room being

used as a double bedroom on the ground floor there.

Then above, where we've just walked through,

you've got bedroom, bedroom, and a bathroom.

Then, here. You're into this. Now, this could be a living room,

it could be a bedroom, it could be anything.

I'm now not going to tell you what this could be used for,

because you have your own ideas, haven't you?

-This is hugely multifunctional.

-Yes.

I like enormously the kitchen.

No, it could be used in all kinds of different ways.

And if I could make a suggestion?

For someone that is still considering travelling away

a lot and doesn't do a lot of cooking,

is this not your perfect kitchenette and living area?

You could be right, yes, yes.

I certainly, I don't intend to do a huge amount of cooking and you do.

No, that is fine for a kitchen for me.

I have just sussed it. It means I get the big kitchen!

-Hallelujah.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

What I think we should do now is, let's get into the garden to

give you an idea of where all the buildings are.

There's also a project area, which I think you'll like

and something else that this building has up its sleeve.

And we'll talk price. Which isn't going to be easy, ladies.

Right, follow me.

So, well, what have we got here?

We've got unconverted continuation of that barn.

You've got a workshop here, Christina, full power.

-I thought that would be an amazing external office.

-Yes, yes.

Now, to the other side of that building,

you've got a kitchen garden, raised beds, the lots,

and you have a small area there, bit of a garden area.

Manageable.

-Yes.

-It's an unbelievable house.

-It's an extraordinary house.

-You've really excelled the quirky and character.

-It's a mystery house, isn't it?

-Everywhere you turn, there's more character.

-Yes.

Now's the time to try and put a price on it.

How much do you think this house

in all of its glory is on the market for?

-I think it's got to be at least 900.

-OK.

Now, my theory was that whatever you said last time should be the price

this time, because it's sort of gone up, now last time you were at 800.

Yeah.

-I guess I have to go for 850.

-OK.

Well, this house is on the market for offers

-in the region of £795,000.

-Gosh.

-Goodness.

-It's ridiculous.

-Enjoy it, because it's there to be loved.

Thank you.

-Right, we're off.

-Go on, off you pop!

Over budget, but surprisingly closer than the ladies thought,

with a guide price of £795,000, the mystery property presents

an outstanding detached centuries-old barn.

Features include up to six bedrooms, the possibility of five

receptions, a huge kitchen breakfast room as well as a range

of outbuildings, some modernised and some right for remodelling.

The mystery house delivered the mystery. Bags of character.

Thoroughly unexpected. Beautifully done,

all sorts of exciting kind of twists around each corner.

Whoever built this place has a huge sense of humour.

I'm sure we can find any number of beams for us

to hang our swinging seat on for you.

I did say I wanted a trapeze in any house we moved to!

It was the kind of house that our parents would have adored

and would have bought and we lived,

we were brought up in a similar, quirky, quaint conversion.

So, we feel very at home in this kind of place.

It's certainly not to be dismissed.

It definitely needs thought.

-Well, then, much discussions to be had?

-Plenty.

Good. Well, it is quite a thought-provoking space, isn't it?

Yes.

Let's go somewhere where you can have that think

and a discussion about what you're going to do later on.

Let's go.

Christine and Joanna are turning to Gloucestershire to give them

a breath of fresh air away from the city.

And 100 years ago, vacationing Edwardians were doing

the very same thing, travelling out to the county from Birmingham

along the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

And part of this line is still running today,

thanks to a small group of enthusiasts who 30 years ago

clubbed together to buy around 50 miles of derelict track bed

and set about restoring the line back to its former glory.

BELL RINGS

I've come to Toddington platform to meet commercial director

Colin Fewell to find out more about this remarkable restoration,

which has been completed entirely by unpaid volunteers.

What a spectacle. This is stepping back in time, isn't it?

-It's a lovely sight.

-Isn't it?

Why was this line built in the first place?

Well, it was built by Great Western Railway in the very early 1900s.

It was one of the last main lines ever built in this country.

It was built because Great Western Railway saw an opportunity to

make money out of the newly industrialised Midlands.

There were more and more people earning more money

and this was an opportunity for them

to get down to perhaps the West Country for holidays.

So how long was this line in use then, Colin?

From about 1906 through till 1960, it carried passenger transport

plus fruit and vegetable and other freight.

Then in 1960, they stopped running passenger trains on a regular

basis, which was really the start of its downfall, I suppose.

Over 700 volunteers are involved in day-to-day operations,

responsible for the restored track as well as buildings, platforms,

steam and diesel locomotives and the all-important signal box.

Now called the Gloucestershire Warwickshire steam railway,

a passenger service runs between Laverton

and Cheltenham racecourse.

I'm hitching a ride on board an engine that's 180 years old

with Jon Crackson and John Pedley at the helm.

So, I'm the driver, he's the fireman,

-but I'm technically the man that's in charge.

-OK.

-But, it is teamwork.

-Right.

TRAIN TOOTS

So, what is John doing here now?

The signal man is going to give him the staff or the token.

So what is the token for?

That's our permission to go down the line

and nobody else can go down it, because we've got the staff.

-So it's a physical safety measure?

-Yes.

Goodness me! I can feel the heat coming out of there!

-He earns his lunch, doesn't he?

-He does earn his lunch!

What an amazing way to see the Cotswold countryside.

This line gives us the most beautiful views

-on a day like today.

-I've got to ask, any chance?

Yes, I should think so.

-Can I?

-Yes.

-I'm driving the train now!

-Yes.

I've got to say,

you made a nearly 40-year-old man feel like he's 10 again!

-Thank you so much!

-That's all right! You're welcome!

Today I've realised a boyhood dream,

and I know that sounds cliche, but driving a train in this beautiful

Cotswold countryside, it doesn't really get much better than this.

-Thank you both very much.

-You're very welcome.

With some ten miles of track already up and running,

the ultimate aim is to reach all the way to London, but for now,

we have two ladies who are after a one-way ticket out of the city.

TRAIN TOOTS

So let's find out how their journey will end.

Well, I'm pretty sure the mystery house is a favourite with

the ladies, as it satisfied so much on their, let's face it,

fairly unique shopping list.

But, has it done enough to warrant a second viewing?

Let's catch up with them and find out.

So, what do you think of Gloucestershire?

You don't know the area very well, do you?

-What do you think of the place?

-Intriguing.

And I'm kind of curious to learn, to see more of it, because it is pretty.

-Nice, rolling hills. I like it.

-Great.

-So, what is your favourite property?

-Of the three?

-Yes.

The third one.

Yes, I thought the mystery house would be the favourite.

-Would you consider coming back to the mystery house?

-Probably not.

Right, OK.

We came up with the idea that it wouldn't be fair for one of us

-to have all of the bigger rooms.

-That's true.

As we've talked about, I'm a first-time buyer,

so these are the first houses I've EVER looked at to buy.

And I have found the last couple of days hugely helpful.

And I think that what we've been doing with you will help us

-enormously in our search.

-How about you, Christina?

-You've bought property before.

-Yes, but I bought the first thing I saw.

-I wish you'd done that this time!

-THEY LAUGH

Do you want us to let you know we find something?

I would love you to let me know.

It's been a riot and I feel like I've aged, but I have enjoyed it.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Well, I always knew it was going to be an uphill struggle,

bearing in mind the fairly unique set of criteria

I was given by Christina and Joanna.

But I must say, after looking around three properties with them,

I'm not sure we're any closer, are we?

Well, they're on their own now, and I do hope that they

heed my advice on focusing on a few key points - must and mustn't haves.

And then maybe, hopefully not in the not too distant future,

they could be making their move here together to Gloucestershire.

See you next time.

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