Northumberland Escape to the Country

This grand memorial is to a humble girl whose act of extreme bravery

made her the nautical heroine of the Victorian era.

Find out who she is and where she hails from in just a moment.

Today, we're meeting a couple seeking a home in a historic

English county for some rural respite in their retirement.

Fantastic, I really, really like it.

But one bedroom makes them come over a little French.

-One of Mary's favourite words is bijou.

-Yeah.

-It's a little bit bijou.

-A little tres bijou.

Today, we're in Northumberland, and this is Bambridge Churchyard,

the final resting place of Grace Darling,

the young daughter of a local lighthouse keeper who,

on a stormy night in 1838, saw that a ship was running aground

and, with her father, rode out and rescued five survivors,

brought them back to the safety of the lighthouse

and then rode out again to rescue another four.

She became an instant celebrity and was inundated with offers

of marriage, but she chose, however, not to leave her home county.

And when you look around Northumberland,

you'll understand why.

Right at the head of England,

Northumberland is the country's crowning glory,

Surrounded by County Durham and Cumbria

and also sharing its northern borders with Scotland.

Centuries of strife have ravaged this remote

and fiercely contested border county, whose prime coast

and beautiful countryside was a prize asset

for both the Scots and English.

History surrounds you everywhere,

no more so than in the wealth of architecture from the distant past,

some ruined and others still preserved in all their magnificence,

like Alnwick Castle, which has been home

to dukes and duchesses of Northumberland for generations.

But literally at grass roots,

Northumberland is a kingdom of farmers and fishermen.

And some 80 miles of coastline are punctuated by quiet villages

with a great maritime tradition.

One picturesque gem is the fishing port of Craster,

famous for its kipper produce

and a great base from which to explore

the dramatic North Sea coast.

It's good news on the property price front here in Northumberland

because the average price of a detached house here is £219,000,

which is £32,000 less than the national figure.

That said, as always, there's shading in the price map.

So if you come to lovely coastal towns like this one,

Bamburgh or Alnmouth,

then you're going to be paying about 25% above that county figure.

That said, if you go to the north to Berwick-upon-Tweed,

which is also a lovely town, or west over to the Cumbrian border,

then you get a lot more for your money.

So which of this cornucopia of options is going to tickle

the fancy of our buyers today? Let's find out.

And our home-buying hopefuls are retired civil servants Chris

and his wife, Mary, who met one another five years ago

after a chance meeting in cyberspace.

Well, we met on the Internet.

-We met up at a local pub.

-Yes.

And we got on really well and...

-It went from there.

-It went from there.

They both live in Chris's customised bungalow in Bingley, West Yorkshire,

but feel cramped in the house

and hemmed in by their urban surroundings.

The area is quite built up

and the population is pretty much

a commuter population working either in Bradford or Leeds.

I mean, I think we've both lived in the countryside

and smaller villages.

I think we feel that we like that open space,

we like nature.

And I think we do just enjoy becoming involved

in a small, you know, community.

Since retirement, the plan is to create a new life together,

where they can enjoy the very best

of the Northumberland coast and countryside.

It's wild, it's rugged,

it's got all of the things which I think we really enjoy.

It's also really special for me

because it's where a lot of my ancestors come from.

The northeast, as well, is famous for its quilt making,

and I just want to be able to bring that tradition

and use that tradition in the home where I'm going to live.

Mary is a creative at heart

and is in desperate need of a room for her favourite pastime.

I have quilting as a hobby,

which I really enjoy,

and I've been doing it now for about eight years, I suppose.

So, I would like to be able to have somewhere that allows me

to be able to keep all of my work out all of the time

and where I haven't got to constantly pack it up and put it away

when we have visitors.

Chris's passion for buying and selling antiques gets him

out and about scouring shops and markets for valuable gems.

But back at home, room to manoeuvre is the key element to this house move.

For obvious reasons, stairs aren't particularly good for me.

And therefore, what we really need is to find something with

a good amount of ground-floor space, but hopefully a building

which has either been converted from an old barn or farm buildings

or a bungalow with at least some form of character.

Mary and Chris are longing to make their first

and last house purchase together, so all that is left is to find out

how much money they have earmarked for their future forever home.

The maximum budget for our move would be £320,000.

For the finest country and seaside scenery, we'll be

concentrating our property hunt in the beautiful coastal villages

surrounding the market town of Alnwick.

Time for us all to meet up in Northumberland to learn

more about Chris and Mary's prospective move.

-Good morning, guys.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

Well, welcome to Northumberland. It's very nice to be here.

We don't come here very often. Which of you has the link here?

I know Northumberland

and I sort of brought Mary up quite a few times in the last few years.

And I've been here on holiday before and just loved it,

I think there is a real magic about the county.

It is a magical place, isn't it? It really has a special feel to it.

Obviously, we need to think about specifications

for you and your chair.

What are the main things we need to look out for?

It's normally the size that it will raise

for turning into a particular room.

Clearly, steps aren't the most convenient of features.

Now, your budget is 320,

but does that include any money you need to spend to make modifications?

-We've got other money set aside to cover the adaptations.

-Good.

That's the base cost.

You did mention that you did not necessarily want a bungalow.

But would that be ideal?

-I think we actually like properties with some character.

-Yes.

And most bungalows tend to be more recently built with, you know,

maybe lacking as much character.

And in terms of the very basic spec,

what are you looking for in terms of bedrooms and reception rooms?

-Well, we'd like to have three bedrooms. Wouldn't we, Chris?

-Yes.

We are quite happy for the rest to be relatively open plan, flexible.

What about the coast? Are you keen on being near the sea?

Going down to the sea has always been the thing which uplifts me

more than anything else.

I mean, the coast changes every day you see it,

depending on the light and the time of year.

And, you know, for moods and for sounds which really interest me,

I think of the coast.

Well, we've got three lovely properties lined up.

Let's finish our tea and then we can ship on out.

-OK.

-OK. Thank you.

For a budget of £320,000,

Chris and Mary are after a spacious character property,

be that a house or a bungalow.

They need three bedrooms to cater for hobbies

as well as visiting family.

And that must include a ground-floor master bedroom

with a large bathroom.

Ideally, they'd like an open-plan kitchen and living area,

but are willing to reconfigure the property

to best suit their specific needs.

And we have got a wonderful mix of homes to show our buyers.

But, of course, I won't be revealing the price

until they have had a guess first.

Then, last on the property agenda is the mystery house,

where we will see if they really do like to be beside the seaside.

Without further ado, we are heading straight for our first property,

and Chris has kindly offered to take the wheel.

So, are you both still working or are you two taking early retirement?

Chris took early retirement

and I then just left work

so that we could spend more time together

and actually enjoy the time that we have.

So not only are you moving into a new house,

-it's a sort of new phase of your life.

-Very much so, yes.

Our first destination is about nine miles north of Alnwick,

in the village of Christon Bank, and just two miles

from the beaches at Embleton, which should be comforting to Chris.

But Christon Bank itself has a local shop as well as a pub,

and the first property is situated in a quiet private road

within striking distance of fields and open countryside.

-So, this is house number one.

-All right.

I think it looks very nice.

-A little garden.

-It's lovely.

It's a nice little area just outside, isn't it?

-The stone effect is very pleasant.

-Yeah.

-It looks quite modern.

Ideally, maybe we would like something which is a bit older.

But I think actually, for internal accommodation,

which I am going to be more concerned about...

Right. In which case we should get in.

You'll see there's a big step at the front door here,

but there is a ramp at the back.

Chris's suspicions are correct, as this is indeed a modern property

with an attached single garage.

It was built in 2006, using natural stone,

which gives this newish home some warmth and character.

So, in you come, straight into the kitchen.

-That's very nice. It's a good size.

-Yes, it's a lovely size.

It's really beautiful.

We probably would have to move the island or maybe even put

it on some form of casters so you could actually move it around.

As you'll have noticed, there are rooms upstairs,

but there is a master bedroom on the ground floor.

-So, shall we go and have a look at that?

-Nice.

-Thank you.

-Well, this is the room they've got set up as the bedroom.

-Right.

So, you know, our question was

whether this was going to be sufficient for you,

cos it has an en suite here with a shower, but it is quite snug.

I think that is going to be a bit too small for us, isn't it?

It is on the small side.

On the other side, you've got a downstairs loo and the utility room.

-Right.

-So there is perhaps potential there to...

Opportunity to knock through and make into one large bathroom, yep.

It is certainly a very pleasant view.

-The current owners have got it very nice.

-Yes, it's beautiful.

The final room down on the ground floor is the main reception,

which again is a tastefully decorated and light space,

which benefits from triple aspect windows.

-It is a very pleasant room.

-It is.

-Do you do a lot of entertaining?

-Would it sort of...?

-We do a fair amount of entertaining.

I think moving here, we would end up having people coming to stay more

rather than just coming for an evening or so.

And this property has some ideal guest accommodation,

but it is all upstairs.

So, while Chris has a think about the potential on the ground floor,

Mary and I are heading up to the first floor,

where a spacious hallway leads to a large,

four-piece family bathroom

and two double bedrooms, one of which could make a good craft room.

It would give me lots of space so I could actually set out

the quilting table and the sewing machine, that would be nice.

How much space are you actually looking for?

Well, I'd like to be able to do something called longarm quilting,

which would need significantly more space than this.

But the ordinary domestic quilting would work

in here very nicely indeed.

I feel a bit odd leaving Chris downstairs.

Yes. I feel a bit uncomfortable about doing that as well.

But I think... We have both spoken about it

and it's...

If I'm using this as my area for almost...

business area if you like,

it's no different from me being at work.

Well, let's go and collect Chris and go out into the garden

-and see what the price of the property is.

-OK.

The gardens outside are compact,

but they have been well thought out and landscaped to provide

a paved patio area, a veggie plot and even room for chickens.

However, the present gravel pathway isn't wheelchair friendly,

so we're going back into the front garden to guess the price.

So, what are you looking for in your outside space?

We'd like somewhere where we can sit out

and have some friends round for barbecues if the weather is nice.

Yes, I think we both enjoy a bit of gardening,

like to see a bit of colour.

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

I'd say it is on for around 310,000.

-Chris?

-I think something similar. I would probably say 305.

-Well, it is actually on for £295,000.

-OK.

So, maybe you'd like to go back in and discuss

if it will work with having an upstairs...

-And when you are done, I'll come find you.

-OK.

Under budget, on the market for £295,000, property number one

is a modern but characterful, stone-built, detached house.

It has flexible accommodation over two floors that currently

lends itself to a roomy kitchen/diner, separate living room,

ground-floor master en suite

and two first-floor double rooms,

offering scope for Mary's creative aspirations.

I do quite a bit of the cooking, so having a kitchen which

I could use is important and, yes, I think I would be able to use it.

I think the biggest problem

is the downstairs bedroom and the en suite.

They are both a little bit too small.

It's a shame because it is certainly a very pleasant property

and it seems to be a nice, quiet, little road which it's on.

My initial reaction when I saw the property was it was very pretty.

I really liked the dressed stone outside,

very much in keeping with the surrounding countryside.

The living room, especially with the wood floor

and the log burner, was a real surprise and was lovely.

There's possibly too much on the first floor

and not enough on the ground floor.

Personally, I don't think it would work for us.

So, that is house number one under our belts,

-let's head off to see house number two.

-OK.

Over the centuries,

the drama of the Northumberland landscape has also been played out

in its historic towns, and nowhere more so

than Berwick-upon-Tweed, the most northerly town in England.

Berwick's prime location, just 2.5 miles from the Scottish border,

has seen it change hands

between England and Scotland at least 13 times.

During the Middle Ages, as a Scottish town at the mouth of the River Tweed,

it became one of the wealthiest ports in the country.

But it was captured by the English throne in 1296, prompting

a fierce tug-of-war between the two nations that lasted some 200 years.

Fortunately, conflict has now given away to creativity.

Today, many residents are involved in the town's long-established

cultural art scene.

And it is this mix of art and history

that we thought would appeal to Mary and Chris.

-Hello.

-BOTH: Hello.

I'm Peter, welcome to Towerhouse Pottery.

Peter Thomas has been a ceramicist in the town

for nearly 40 years and, by chance,

his studio is on the same site as a 600-year-old pottery kiln.

He uses traditional methods to create his ceramics,

but the decoration is in a very modern style,

inspired by the local Northumberland landscape.

Can you tell me, is there any particular pottery heritage

in the town?

Yes, every community had a pottery, and there was a pottery

in Berwick, producing pots for the local community, for farmers

and for kitchens.

That died out when the Industrial Revolution happened,

-and mass-produced parts were produced.

-OK.

And I, like many other potters,

I have started making handmade pots as a revival.

Many of our pots reflect

the tradition of pots that were produced in the past.

And we now decorate them reflecting our local environment.

Chris and Mary have never tried pottery before, and they are

going to attempt to make a milk jug using red clay from Stoke-on-Trent.

And to start off, the clay is kneaded in a spiral motion

to remove the air and create an even consistency.

Then, Peter demonstrates how to manage the wheel

and, at the same time, mould the jug's shape.

Now, up it comes.

A tool called the rib is used to refine the shape.

And now they have seen exactly how it is done by the expert,

it's Mary's go to unleash her creativity.

After getting a feel for the material,

the really challenging bit is pulling out the clay

before gently raising up the sides.

-Aw...

-It's more like jelly than clay.

-Yes.

That's quite a charming shape.

Let's see if Chris can do better when he gets hands-on.

-You should be really proud of that.

-Yeah, well done.

-Brilliant.

And now we've fired up Mary and Chris's imagination, let's hope

the creative vision continues as we get back to the property hunt.

For our second property, we are travelling down,

south of Alnwick, to the small village of Choppington,

just a short drive from the coast

and within easy reach of Morpeth, which stands on the River Wansbeck

and is actually the county town of Northumberland.

As such, Morpeth has a great range of businesses,

shops and restaurants, all housed in its historic architecture.

About three miles east of the town, our second property is

another vintage building that started life as a humble cowshed.

So, come in. Here is the front garden of this property.

-As you requested, this is a barn conversion.

-Lovely.

-So, it dates probably back to 1870.

-All right.

It was the dairy to the farmhouse here on the left.

I think it looks very, very attractive.

The stonework, again, is very nice. The garden is very attractive.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-That would be lovely.

-Follow me.

Chris and Mary are looking for a property with character, and so far

this attractive honey-coloured stone conversion doesn't fall short.

What's more, all of the living

and sleeping space inside is at ground-floor level.

-Thank you.

-Get yourself

straight into the kitchen. What do you think?

It's fantastic. I really, really like it.

Very nice country kitchen, isn't it?

And there's plenty of space around the island

for you be able to move round when you're cooking.

-It's a bit like a roundabout.

-Indeed.

It flows through into the sitting room, have a look here.

So, have a look at this room here.

You can see the history of the building a little more

with the truss.

-It's very nice.

-I like the old-style radiators.

-Very nice.

-It's a lovely touch, isn't it? And I like...

-I really like the way it goes up into the ceiling like that.

-It's nice.

So far, they are in harmony about the style of this barn,

but the proportions here are on a smaller scale than our first property.

And when it comes to the sleeping quarters,

they may have to rethink the current arrangement.

How are we doing for the turning into this room?

-It's the doorways off the corridor which are a bit more difficult.

-Yes.

The corridor itself is all right.

-But then turning into the doorways...

-Yeah.

Well, as I said, this is a smaller property.

This is one bedroom and there is another one on the other side.

There is a small study at the front of the house.

You get an en suite here. A little shower and toilet.

And on the other side, a family bathroom.

You will probably want to knock down all the walls and reconfigure it

as I imagine this is not going to be big enough for you as it is.

As you said, there are many options you can do.

Sit down with a piece of paper

and you measure out the total space and then try to cut it up

in different...different ways.

-One of Mary's favourite words is bijou.

-Yeah.

-It is a little bit bijou.

-It is a little tres bijou.

Fortunately, the plot does open up outside

and should also provide our buyers with the ready-made community

they're hoping to find when they move,

as this attached barn makes up part of a small,

exclusive development of five individual properties.

It comes with a single garage. At the front, is the private,

level lawned garden we saw earlier, completed by a sunny patio.

Then, out the back, there is

a low maintenance courtyard with raised beds and potted plants.

How do you feel about this sort of outside space?

I mean, I think we'd have to do quite a lot to make it usable for us

because the gravel really doesn't work for Chris and the wheelchair.

And you are being overlooked both by the houses facing us,

and it doesn't feel very private.

-No.

-It doesn't feel private at all, no.

-So you'd have to get on with your neighbours.

-You would.

-Are you good at neighbours?

-We try to be.

Well, I think we seem to be where we are at the moment.

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

I would say around about 280,000.

-Chris?

-I would say about 265.

OK, interesting. This is actually a bit over what you said.

This is actually on the market for 289,950.

OK.

I mean, if you'd like to go back in and have a peek

in the bits that we haven't viewed, and I'll see you at the front.

OK. BOTH: Thank you.

Again, under budget with a guide price of £289,950,

house number two is a converted barn

with a history that spans some 140 years.

A single-story property,

the accommodation includes an open-plan kitchen and diner,

a living room with vaulted ceiling, a master with an en suite,

two further bedrooms and low-maintenance level gardens.

It's a modern conversion of an old building.

And it has been converted to a good standard, very nice standard,

especially in the kitchen, where they have made a big effort.

The style of the building really does suit me

and ticks a lot of boxes for me.

I'd just like to have more space.

So, guys, that's all the houses for the day.

So, time for rest and relaxation and... James, you can drive me home.

-Thank you.

-It's nice to be driven. My own chauffeur.

The second day of our house quest is under way

and, on a budget of £320,000, retired civil servants Chris

and Mary want to leave suburban West Yorkshire

and head to the coastal wilds of Northumberland.

And still to come, the mystery house is a feast for the senses.

I can smell the sea air. I'm feeling quite refreshed already.

But I fear it is an attack on the senses as I attempt

a centuries-old Northumbrian tradition.

It was always going to be a difficult brief finding

this property for Chris and Mary here, but I have to say, yesterday,

I felt a bit disappointed that we didn't really give them

the space that they wanted or, indeed, the property near the sea.

So, for the mystery house, we are getting close to Chris's

beloved coast and we are also giving them a bigger footprint

and some period detail.

The thing is they're going to have to knock down some walls

and maybe even build some.

Our final property stop is in High Hauxley,

a village right on the coast.

The nearest place to pick up essentials is the harbour town

of Amble that lies at the mouth of the river Coquet.

It has a small working fishing port on the Heritage Coast

and lives in an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

So, where better to stop off and set the scene for the mystery house?

-We managed to get you to the coast.

-You have.

-Yes.

A dramatic part, as well.

I'm going to bow to your superior knowledge, you know this part

of the world far better than me, but do you know Amble?

I've been to Amble. It's a few years.

And also, we were talking about Grace Darling.

Her lighthouse is farther down along the Farne Islands,

-but this was her brother's lighthouse.

-Right.

And she apparently caught tuberculosis rowing out to see him.

-Oh.

-She died very young.

She did, she died just four years after the famous rescue.

But history aside,

-do you know this bit of the coast?

-Not as well as Chris does.

-Well, this could be your beach.

-Well, that sounds wonderful.

Because the house we found is only about five minutes away.

-Fantastic.

-Shall we go and see it?

-Would love to.

-That would be nice.

The final property in High Hauxley is just a stone's throw away

from this captivating coastline.

So, here she is. This is the mystery house.

-OK.

-And this property

-dates back to the 1600s.

-Fantastic.

-So, a bit of period,

-a bit of coast.

-Yes.

-Attractive.

-Yes.

-It's all very level.

-It, yeah, seems very easy to get access from the front here.

-Indeed.

And the location?

I can smell the sea air, I am feeling quite refreshed already.

-So, you see, it also has solar panels.

-Yes.

-And they bring in around £400 profit every year.

-Oh, right!

-Good.

-As well as paying for your electricity.

The mystery factor about this property is that we are giving you

the period, we're giving you the location,

but I think you're going to want to do some building work here.

-OK, that seems fine.

-Luckily, there is planning permission to do that.

-Even better.

-Good, let's have a look inside.

The mystery house is a 17th-century, single-storey,

semi-attached bungalow that offers the largest ground-floor

footprint of all of our houses, and we are starting in the dining room.

So, come into here.

This has got a nice wooden floor, which I imagine is probably easier.

This is a... Well, it's a dining room,

but what I thought was quite nice with the property

is that you have got a door,

which obviously you'd want to adapt so it's easy to get in,

and it goes straight through out into the conservatory.

I think it's lovely the way you come into it and the space. I think

-that's very nice indeed.

-This is the sitting room.

I think this is a good-size room, actually.

Lovely original sort of inset fireplace.

-It's a fantastic fireplace, I really like that.

-A bit of character.

-I really like the deep windowsills as well.

-What's the vibe you get?

-I think this is really very pleasant.

-It is.

The living room lies at the front of the property with an aspect

out to the front garden.

Behind this room, a hallway leads to the kitchen

that runs across the back of the property.

But on this side of the house, access does get a bit more tricky.

So, that is a very tight corner for you.

-Yes.

-And this is what we were flagging up, actually the back

of the house from now on, I think, is going to need some remodelling.

-All right.

-This brings us into the kitchen. And again,

I imagine that you might want to move this

-so you had a bit more sort of space...

-Yeah.

-..to flow around.

What do you think of the kitchen?

It's different from the other ones we've shown you.

It's very different, but I really like this.

I think it has a nice, cosy, friendly feel to it.

I think there's plenty of work space around, certainly.

-I like it a lot.

-Country style.

And then, also through here, you've got a big utility room,

with your big American fridge, washing machine...

But, I mean, it might be a possibility with these

and the conservatory doors, just take them out.

And that way you would have sort of quite a large L-shaped kitchen.

Well, that would make it possible

to have a nice kitchen/diner type area, wouldn't it?

More so, yeah, cos then you'd get some of the garden light.

But this is not the main work.

There is actually an even bigger project that I'm about to

-introduce to you.

-OK.

-Which involves building an extension.

-Right.

Back off the hallway,

all the bedrooms are to the far side of the property.

Two of these have outlooks to the front, one a well-appointed

single room and the other the largest of the bedrooms.

This is the master bedroom as it stands.

-What are your thoughts about this?

-Well, I think,

with different furniture in here, there would be enough space

for you to be able to get in and out to the bed.

Yes, it has some large furniture.

This is a huge fitted wardrobe which you probably want to keep

because it's useful, but these sort of dresser units are, yes,

they're pretty obstructive.

The windowsill and seat is very pleasant.

It's lovely, I really like that.

-This would probably end up being the guest room.

-OK.

Because at the end of the hall, there's a bathroom

and a smaller guest room, but permission to knock out

-almost doubles the size of it to the back and build an extension.

-OK.

So you could build a great big master bedroom and wet room and

have that and inserted your sleeping quarters and this as the guest room.

That would be excellent. That would work well, wouldn't it?

It certainly has got potential.

Potential is the buzzword here, but it would be easier to envisage

the extension area in question from outside.

At the back of the property, there is

access to a driveway for off-street parking

and a rear garden that features a decked terrace, a paved patio

and raised borders.

And this is the area I was talking about.

You see behind the shed there, there is a sort of courtyard space

from the old extension to the old building behind.

That has all got planning permission for an extension out.

-OK.

-That's why I think, even with your advanced DIY skills,

that you would probably want to get some builders in.

-I think it is definitely builders.

-He might help, but...

I'm not very good at getting on roofs any longer.

-Yeah, well, it's a flat roof.

-It is.

I think the front yard of the house works really, really well.

I think all that we need to really consider is the ways and means

and costs of making the second half of the house work for us.

-Well, you did mention the cost word.

-Yes.

Which is the final piece of the jigsaw.

How much do you think it costs?

Um, I'd like it to be on for about 290,000.

Chris?

I think it will be on the market for about 285,000.

If you split the difference... It's much closer to your guess.

It is on just £50 short of 290 -

289,950.

Right, that gives us some really serious food for thought,

because I think that does make things possible, workable.

So why don't you go in and have a look

and I will meet you round the front?

-OK, thank you.

-So, let's see if you can wiggle through.

Well, I think the mystery house was pretty much

a good success there. The other houses really struggled.

I think, to give them the space, this one has a lot of potential.

We love potential.

Another one below budget, for offers in the region of £289,950,

the mystery option

is a 17th-century, semi-detached bungalow.

It currently offers two large reception rooms, a conservatory,

three bedrooms, as well as planning permission to extend.

I really like so many aspects of this house.

You have given us something with lots of character

in a very pleasant, quiet location. It looks like a nice little village.

Entrance and dining room and living room could be made

totally accessible at a minimal additional cost.

I really like the look and feel of the mystery house.

I think it is very, very nice having something with a bit of age

and character to it.

The master bedroom in the mystery property house as it is now

is probably one of the best that we've seen.

Certainly looking at that, there is enough space

for Chris to be able to move around.

I love the deep window seat, windowsill,

and the fact that it catches the early morning sun.

So, I think that is really, really nice.

So, that was a good mystery house.

If you guys go and get the chariot ready,

I'll come and join you in a second.

-Will do.

-Thank you.

So, of course, Chris and Mary have been looking at a particular

price bracket here in Northumberland,

but this county has lots of properties for every kind of pocket.

Take a look.

This detached three-bed stone cottage in Morpeth is currently

on the market for £295,000.

It comes with

a large kitchen breakfast room

that opens out onto nearly eight acres of grounds.

Morpeth is also the location of this impressive four-bedroom

luxury barn conversion

that has a guide price just shy of £440,000.

It boasts a stylish kitchen/diner

and a striking, contemporary master en suite.

Lastly, the asking price for this three-bedroom,

handsome home in Eglingham

is £600,000.

And for that figure,

you get a modern kitchen/breakfast room,

an elegant reception ideal for dinner parties

and a drawing room with countryside views down the valley.

When most people hear bagpipes, it is

the Scottish Highlands that immediately spring to mind,

but there is a long tradition of pipe playing associated with

the north-east of England.

And this region even has its very own bellows-blown pipe called

the small pipes.

I have come to Alnwick,

the native heartland of this lesser-known instrument,

to face the music at a local pub

with Northumbrian small pipes expert Susan Clark.

So, Susan, you are going to initiate me

into the mysteries of the Northumbrian small pipes.

-Yes, do they look mysterious?

-They do. And small.

-Yes, they are.

It's probably heresy to mention this word here,

but how are they different from the Scottish bagpipes?

-They are an indoor instrument for start.

-Ah!

Yes, they're not meant to be played outside.

If you were to play them outside, the sound just blows away.

-So they are a bit more petite.

-Yes.

One of the other differences is that they are bellows blown,

so you don't actually have to blow.

So can you talk me through how it works?

You have to operate the bellows.

Can you feel the air coming?

One of the very big differences

between these pipes and any other pipes anywhere in the world, really,

is the fact that these are stopped off at the end.

And I'm covering the holes with my fingers.

-So it's blowing up like a balloon.

-It's completely sealed.

The air can't escape from anywhere.

So, how do you think that the sound comes out now?

-So, when you lift a finger.

-You have to lift your fingers.

Ah, I see.

-As soon as you put your finger back down, the noise stops.

-Yes.

Now I've seen how it's done, I'm going to have a try.

First, the instrument is strapped around my waist.

Then, the blow pipe is plugged in.

And to creates a sound, the real skill is to make sure

my fingers completely cover all of the holes.

Very gently, you've got to lift your right arm

and get the air into the bag.

-Can you feel your right...your left arm going?

-Am I already?

-Go. One.

Next one.

Was that Ba Ba Black Sheep?

Have you any wool?

SHE LAUGHS

I'm awesome. I rock at this.

Documented records of the Northumbrian small pipes

suggest it was played as early as the 17th century.

And the most famous and notorious local player was probably

the Gypsy piper Jimmy Allen.

A petty criminal on the run for most of his life,

he was also a master musician whose talent was

recognised by the aristocracy

when he was employed to the Countess of Northumberland in the mid-1700s.

Susan's main instrument is actually the fiddle.

And she is a member of the 70-strong Alnwick Pipers' Society,

whose roots go back to the 1940s.

How many of you are piping? Hold up a pipe.

Oh, there's lots. What are you going to play for us?

We're going to play Proudlock's Hornpipe.

Fantastic. So, well, take it away.

Unlike the distinctive constant note of a bagpipe,

the effect of covering all the holes on the reed means that

the melody produced by the small pipes can be stopped and started.

And it is this staccato tone

that gives traditional Northumbrian music its unique sound.

Pipe music was once the main source of entertainment

for local Northumbrian people. And centuries later,

this dedicated and talented group of musicians are keeping

the glorious tradition of this region alive for our enjoyment today.

Time to find out which of these three houses

might be contenders for Chris and Mary.

My money is on the mystery house, but I am often wrong.

Let's find out.

Well, this has been quite a week here in Northumberland.

Very illuminating in all sorts of fronts.

I might be getting ahead of myself, but I get the impression

that the first two houses are not really in the running any more.

-Not really, are they?

-No.

I mean, I think for the first house,

although it was a very nice house,

decor really to a good standard and nice-sized rooms, but just

-not quite the right configuration to what we would require.

-No.

What did you like about the mystery house? Is that still a possibility?

I think it was a property with some age

and some real character about it, which, you know, we liked.

I mean, we liked being close to the sea.

And I think it had a lot of what we would look for in a property.

But obviously, it involves quite a lot of work.

Are you not getting the heebie-jeebies about that?

I don't think the amount of work involved particularly worries us.

No, I think I've certainly been in houses

where we've undertook as much, if not more, work.

So, actually, employing a builder to do it,

you know, wouldn't be a problem.

Do you think you might proceed on it or visit it again?

I think we'd like to see the details, the floor plans

just to see what you could reconfigure the rooms to look like.

I think we'd probably want to look at some other properties.

Wouldn't want to rule it out, because I do think there is

a lot of potential there, but I think it is also...

See what else the area has to offer.

We can combine a few days of house hunting and a few days of holiday.

Coming to Northumberland is never a problem for us.

-Excellent. Well, good luck.

-Thank you.

Chris and Mary were terribly diplomatic and polite,

but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that we weren't able

to give them exactly what they wanted in their budget

and with all the specifications that they needed.

Nonetheless, the market is what the market is,

even here in a lovely property market like Northumberland.

And sometimes you win and sometimes you don't.

Still, I hope that won't put you off joining us

next time for more Escape To The Country.

Chris and Mary decided to re-evaluate their move

and are now exploring their options in County Durham instead.

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