Staffordshire Escape to the Country

Well, for today's Escape To The Country,

we've come to a lake that so inspired one set of parents,

they named their Nobel prize-winning son after it. But who was he?

And where are we? Well, as ever, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show, we're helping a couple of recent retirees

find a rural retreat. But it WILL mean downsizing.

And that could be hard getting used to.

The room itself, to me, just feels a little bit small.

But at another of our properties, the emotions are running high.

How about that?! I don't think I've ever had

a reaction like that as quickly as we've come into the house!

Well, today, we're in Staffordshire,

and this is Rudyard's Lake. Back in 1863,

one John Lockwood Kipling and his wife Alice were

so inspired following a visit here, that they named their son after it.

Now, the lake itself is about two and a half miles long.

It was built to supply the growing network of canals

here in the Midlands, but in 1846, the North Staffordshire Railway

bought it and the land around it and constructed this railway line.

But the good news is that the railway still works, doesn't it, Mike?

-It does.

-Right, then. All aboard.

The landlocked county of Staffordshire is

situated in the West Midlands and is neighbour to six other

counties including Shropshire and Worcestershire.

The north of the county takes in part of the Peak District

National Park, home to the craggy gritstone rocks

and heather-covered Staffordshire moorlands.

These red tinged formations run for two miles

along the crest of an escarpment, and from here,

views over the rest of the county stretch as far as the eye can see.

In the south lies the market town of Tamworth,

with its historic Norman castle overlooking the River Tame.

The castle's motte or mound is the second

largest in the country after Windsor.

Another architectural landmark graces the city of Lichfield,

birthplace of Samuel Johnson.

Its 800-year-old Gothic cathedral is one of the finest medieval

examples in England.

Whether it's national parks or national treasures,

Staffordshire's rich heritage certainly speaks for itself.

Now, whenever we do come house-hunting

here in Staffordshire, I've often left wondering why it is that

not more people choose to escape to this part of the world.

Because not only is it beautiful, as you can see,

but it also offers some fantastic value for money.

When you consider that the average detached property

here at £207,000, is a cool £48,000 below

the national figure,

now as always, you can spend more if you want to,

particularly in the villages of Leek and Longmore,

up in Staffordshire's Peak District,

all good and useful information for today's buyers,

who are determined to make this part of the world their new home.

For the past 20 years, Peter

and Christine have lived in the town of Cramlington in Northumberland.

But having both recently retired,

they're keen to start a new chapter in their lives.

This area, at the moment, we've lived here for nearly all our lives.

Born, christened, married here.

But southeast Northumberland, it is becoming quite urbanised,

-I would say.

-Industrialised.

-And industrialised.

Christine was a headteacher and Peter a self-employed gardener.

Their two grown-up children live down south

and that is the main reason for their choice of location.

We'd like to move, mainly to the Midlands,

preferably on the Shropshire, Staffordshire border.

We have family in the area, but the countryside is lovely around there.

But a recent addition to the family has given them

the impetus to move now, before they miss out.

We've always wanted grandchildren. Everybody does, don't they?

And he arrived last October. And he's absolutely a dream.

But he's growing and changing so much,

I just want to see each individual change in him, really.

And there's also someone else who will benefit from the move.

Barney the dog.

The reason we have Barney living with us now

is the fact that my daughter moved accommodation

and in her new accommodation, pets were not allowed.

So Barney had to stay with us.

It was not planned, but we do appreciate him.

The sort of space we would like to have is the fact we could just

walk out into the countryside and walk along country lanes.

Peter and Christine will be downsizing from the six

bedroom property they currently live in.

But the new house will need enough space for entertaining.

I think all of our married life, we have enjoyed a social life.

We like entertaining in the house,

we've had quite a lot of impromptu barbecues, where friends come.

Although we're downsizing,

I don't really want to downsize too much, that we haven't got

the downstairs space to be able to say, welcome, here's a drink.

Although they've both retired,

they're not the sort of people to put their feet up.

Christine is a keen golfer and Peter a rugby man.

It's been part of my life as long as I can remember.

I first started playing when I was 11 years old at school.

Progressed through to university and then on to club level

and became a qualified coach at level two.

I wouldn't be averse to taking on another coaching job,

if there was a rugby club in the area close to where we're moving.

But first, there's the money issue.

The maximum budget for the move would be £400,000.

Peter and Christine's son lives in Stowe-by-Chartley in Staffordshire

and their daughter is in Shrewsbury, so we're concentrating

our property search within easy reach of both of them.

I've come to meet them on Staffordshire soil to find out more about their dream house.

Now, your move, Peter, interests me, because this is only

-the second time in your entire life that you've bought a house.

-It is.

I was born in a farmhouse in East Hartford in Cramlington in 1945.

-And I moved in 1991.

-So, you were there how long? 40?

-47 years.

47 years! So, is this going to be an easy one to agree on,

-when you're looking for your new house?

-I think it is.

We've discussed it for quite a while,

and after we've discussed things, Christine usually tells me

that it'll be OK, so, I'm sure it will be fine.

Well, Christine, you can

tell us a bit more about the kind of property that you are looking for.

We'd like something detached, something with a bit of character.

Don't mind if it's old or new. Not overlooked. Kitchen, diner.

-Log burner.

-Yeah.

-Three bedrooms en suite. Four would be nice.

-Three bedrooms en suite?! Even he's raised his eyebrows!

-THEY LAUGH

-Three bedrooms. One en suite.

-OK.

-And if it didn't have one, you'd put one in?

-Yes.

-Happy to do a bit of upgrading if need be?

-Yes.

If the price was right, if it was the lower end of our budget, yes.

If it's the upper end of the budget, we want everything to be OK.

So, three bedrooms, one en suite, kitchen diner, what about outside?

Peter, that's your domain?

Yes, I would like a garden, roughly half an acre garden to keep me

-occupied during my retirement.

-Well, it's a lovely day.

-Let's go house-hunting.

-OK.

For a maximum budget of £400,000, Peter

and Christine want a detached property with character.

It has to include a large kitchen diner, three double bedrooms

for when the family come to stay and one of those should be an en suite.

Peter would also like a large garden, up to half an acre in total.

We've found three fantastic properties to show Peter and Christine,

but I won't be revealing the prices until the end of the house tours.

Our third offering is our mystery house,

which could really challenge Peter's gardening aspirations.

For our first property, we're heading to the

village of Milwich in the heart of Staffordshire's farming community.

The closest settlement for amenities is in the market town of Stone,

some four miles away.

It's known as the food and drink capital of Staffordshire,

due to its extensive range of restaurants

and cafes that line the town's main street.

And the Trent and Mersey Canal runs through the centre,

making it a popular stopping point for boating tourists.

Our first house is just a ten minute drive away.

Well, we thought this was an appropriate one to start with.

An old farmer worker's cottage.

Yes, it looks very interesting from the outside.

I mean, it IS obscured by this huge hedge.

There was originally, I'm told, a gate there.

I'm thinking ahead to what you might do when you retire.

You could drop the hedge, put the gate back

and reveal the front of the house as it probably would have been.

I like the porch at the front.

I like the brickwork and I think opened up, it's a nice size

and I love the chimney stacks.

They reveal the presence of some fireplaces, which is nice.

You also get this strip of land behind me, which is

quite overgrown at the moment. Plenty to keep you busy,

so, I'm hoping this might feel a little bit like home,

even though we're coming quite a long way from the North East.

-Yes, it might well do. Yes.

-Let's have a look. Come on.

The entrance to this former farmhouse is further up

the lane and down a long driveway,

offering a glimpse of the views that lie beyond.

Originally, a two-up two-down, the front of the property

dates to the 1850s, before a back extension was added 50 years later.

Come in, grab the door, Peter. A little sort of music hallway there.

And then, this is the living room.

-And there was silence.

-I like the floor. I like the fireplace.

-Yes, that works.

-The wood doors as well.

Yes, they are original to the house, actually,

they just had them stripped. So, a nice bit of character there.

-The room itself, to me, just feels a little bit small.

-OK.

So, we're on the road to downsizing. Peter's not so sure.

I think it's because you come in from a dining room lounge, a long...

It would take a bit of getting used to.

-Well, you did want a nice, big kitchen diner.

-I do.

Have a look at this one.

There you go, Christine.

Very much the kind of country feel.

And I'm hoping that this might make up for the perceived lack of space next door,

because I think you would probably spend quite a lot of time in here.

They've knocked out the wall here, creating this huge space, and I just love the texture of it.

-I love the pine, I love the painted brickwork.

-It feels homely.

-Yeah.

And, you know, I'm hoping to get the son and daughter-in-law

and the little ones and my daughter and her family,

I like family Christmases and meals.

Now, you did talk about possibly putting on an extension to the property. Maybe even this one.

We've got a conservatory, but I would love a garden room.

Well, funny you should say that, because, look at this one.

This has been relatively recently done. And that's what it gives you.

-Oh, yes. That's nice.

-Yes?

-Yes, I like the wood.

Granted, none of these rooms are particularly massive,

but there are plenty of them.

But you see, this gives us the extra room.

It gives us the light so we can sit in, we can look out,

the family can come.

Two things about this room that appealed to me are the wooden

finish that they've done with that, it's absolutely brilliant.

And the view out of the window.

Well, you wanted to see Staffordshire, there it is!

-Good, so it's growing on us.

-Yes.

-It's growing, definitely, it's made a big difference.

-Good, all right.

-How many bedrooms did we say?

-Three. Minimum.

-Three, minimum.

-OK.

Let's go upstairs. Follow me.

The garden room has lifted the spirits and Peter

and Christine may be further enlivened by the utility room

off the kitchen, giving them some extra space.

Upstairs, there's three bedrooms, all of them doubles.

Two of them overlook the front of the house

and are serviced by a family bathroom.

And then, there's the master.

So, this would be yours. Come on in.

-Yes. Yes. Nice size.

-Very nice.

The other key ingredient was the en suite.

That's in there, and it's enormous. This house is very deceptive.

-Bath and shower.

-Walk-in.

-Yeah. Walk-in wardrobe as well.

-Loads of room.

-Yes, very nice.

-So, is our property one growing?

-It's growing all the time.

It's certainly grown since the first room. THEY LAUGH

Perhaps I'm getting used to downsizing now.

Well, you did say when we came in, it is

the big challenge that you've got to face.

Yes, that's right.

Although Peter and Christine will have to get used to downsizing inside,

the garden gives them a lot more than they have at the moment.

In addition to the strip of overgrown land

at the front of the property, and the lawn either side

of the driveway entrance, there's even more land at the back.

One-and-a-half acres in total.

There's the garden room.

Which I think has been done really, really nicely, actually.

And the door out from the kitchen.

And then the bulk of the garden,

that I suppose you'd probably have most fun in.

So, let's consider how much this is on the market for. Peter?

-I think 360.

-360, yeah?

Maybe a bit optimistic? Go on, then, Christine?

420.

-£420,000, it's not.

-Five.

425,000 is the asking price on this one, I'm afraid to say.

But, you know, I suspect, you know, sensible offers as ever,

do get sensible answers. It's been on the market three weeks.

So, it's got a way to go.

Go on, have an explore, try out the rest of the garden, see what you might do with it.

-You're the one with the green fingers.

-OK.

-And I'll catch up with you later.

-OK, thank you.

Priced at £425,000, although our first property is over Peter

and Christine's budget, it does give them

everything they've asked for and requires very little work.

It's a Victorian farmhouse which has been renovated

by the current owners, retaining many of its original features.

The living area includes a spacious kitchen diner

and an oak-framed garden room. There are three double bedrooms

and a variety of garden spaces to keep Peter happy with

fantastic views over the surrounding countryside.

When I first came into the lounge, I thought it was small.

But then, you have to think, forget the house you're in,

you're downsizing, you want a cottage feel.

I love the fireplace in the living room.

And then, the garden room, I thought that was lovely.

The house IS over budget,

but I would have to decorate, I'd have to take that into account.

And it depends if it was the house we wanted,

whether there was any leeway.

I'm a little concerned about the little bit of garden that's

our responsibility on the other side of the road.

It looks as though it might be a bit of problem.

But the main garden here, it could be good.

-Ah! Look at my new friend!

-Yes!

-Hello. So, all done?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Happy?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-You'd be happy if it were cheaper!

-THEY LAUGH

Come on, let's go find another one.

Peter couldn't have chosen a better county than

Staffordshire to find his dream garden, as it plays host to

some of the finest formal examples in the country.

Designed in the early 19th century by the architect

behind the Houses of Parliament, Charles Barry,

the historic Trentham Gardens have been recently restored.

With Peter's passion for gardening in mind,

we sent the couple to meet Estate Manager Mike Walker.

But it's the ruined hall that's caught the eye of Christine.

Well, Peter and Christine, welcome to the Trentham Estate.

It's a pleasure to see you both here.

What did the house look like in its heyday?

At its zenith in Victorian times,

the architecture was influenced by the grand tour of the time.

And effectively,

it was a Georgian house remodelled with a Victorian, Italianate facade.

And it's very grand. It's very large.

Whilst there are plans to restore the Victorian hall

to its former glory, the Italianate gardens have already been

rescued by Michael and his team.

Why was it so important to reinstate the Italian gardens?

This was a very forlorn, very neglected area,

so, we started our process of restoration then.

What we were trying to do was restore the footprint of the original garden,

to give it an entirely new lease of life, and what was

perhaps most significant about the Italian garden in Victorian

times, was that at its time, it was a garden which was renowned

for innovation and plantsmanship. Charles Barry was no gardener,

he was an architect and he depended entirely on the great skills

of a very celebrated head gardener at the time who was George Fleming.

George Fleming was renowned for creating new trends of gardening,

seasonal bedding displays, carpet bedding,

and today, our restoration of the gardens has tried to replenish

the gardens in a very contemporary way, which has moved them forward.

As well as opening up pathways and making it more accessible,

the new design included the planting of thousands of perennials,

so the garden is never bare.

There are currently nine full-time members of staff,

and an army of volunteers which is handy, as both Peter

and Christine are keen to offer their services when they move here.

But first, we need to find a new home,

and with that in mind, it's back to the house hunt.

For our second property, we are

venturing 15 miles northeast to the village of Alton, which is

still within an hour from both Peter and Christine's children.

Although famous for the nearby theme park,

Alton itself is a vibrant local village with many historic

buildings, including a handful of handsome pubs.

The village also has a local legend, and I'm taking Peter and Christine

to the woods just outside Alton to tell them all about it.

Now, what do you know about Alton?

-As in Alton Towers, we've been once before.

-The theme park is here.

It was also home to the Earl of Shrewsbury,

and this track was the track that led to his ancestral pile.

And the story goes that back in 1821,

he was coming up here late one night, and he met this beggar on the

side of the road who asked him for some money, some coin, and he refused.

And the beggar was furious, so he placed a curse on the Earl

and his family. He said, that oak up there,

whenever a branch falls off it, a member of your family will die.

And just a few days later, a branch fell off and sure enough,

one of the Earl's family members died.

So, to put paid to this curse, the Earl had it chained up.

It's now known as the chained oak,

-can you see these chains that are hanging there?

-Yes.

So, spooky stories apart,

-will our property number two entice you to make Alton your home?

-Yes.

-Well, we'd be chained!

-We just have to wait and see! THEY LAUGH

Come on then.

Leaving legends behind,

our second property is just a short drive from the woods.

-That's what I want you to look at.

-Yes.

-What do you think of our property number two?

-I like it. Solid.

-Character.

-Quite handsome, isn't it?

-Stone built.

Looks good from the outside.

But there is one confession I have to kind of get off my chest now.

And that is that I'm afraid, it is a semidetached. Technically.

-You can't see it from here.

-No.

-And that's why we've taken a gamble on this one,

because the whole focus of this property is that way,

over towards the grounds and the woods beyond.

So, I think this is well worth you thinking about and having Alton

on your doorstep, let's face it, it's such a lovely, lovely place.

-It is.

-Come on.

I'm glad Christine isn't put off by our second property's

semidetached status.

Built from locally quarried stone, the two-gabled house dates back to

the 18th century and was once part of the Earl of Shrewsbury's estate.

Come in, Christine.

Right, we'll start with the dining room,

this is the thing that greets you when you first come in.

-What do you think?

-Nice. Yeah, I like it.

-It's just, when you walk in, it's different, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You've just got to sort of absorb it.

This is very much in the centre of the property,

so everything else kind of runs off of it.

But you've also got that glazed kind of porch arrangement there.

And it also leads off into a utility room, great for the dog

and all that sort of stuff. The kitchen is this way.

-There you go. All mod cons. Come on in, Peter.

-It's very nice.

-Yes?

-Yes. Compact.

-Granite worktops.

-It's nicely finished.

It's really nicely finished.

You've got the granite tops, I'm a bit worried about Peter,

you're very quiet, mate.

Yes, there again, it's like the first property,

it's getting used to the downsize part. But it's quite adequate.

-It's OK, yeah.

-Let's see what you think, Peter, of the living room.

I'm hoping it might give you a little bit more space.

-Come on then, Peter.

-Oh, I like this. Isn't this nice?

-Yes, nice and cosy.

-Oh, I like this.

-Open fire.

-Yes, open fire.

Look at all the windows. Plenty of windows.

I love the beams, it's like being at home again.

I know we're talking about downsizing,

-I actually think this is a pretty good room.

-This is a nice size.

This isn't downsizing, it's a nice size.

Well, I'm really delighted.

I think this property is beginning to work its magic, isn't it?

I think it is. And I need Pete to speak.

Yes, I think we're getting there. We're getting there.

OK, come on, let's get upstairs.

There are currently four bedrooms in this property,

one more than they asked for. Three of those are doubles,

one of which is currently being used as a study and there is one single.

They're all serviced by a large family bathroom.

-And then this is your bit, we think.

-Yes.

-Yes?

-Yes, a nice sized room.

-There's only one thing that it doesn't have.

-En suite.

-En suite.

-En suite.

-Look at the look.

That's the headmistress look! Do you get that a lot?

-I get it a lot.

-OK. I feel like I'm properly told of now.

-I'm used to it.

-Sorry, Miss.

Well, you could always take the end room, the double,

and make the other boxroom an en suite next to it.

-What a good idea!

-What about that?

-Yeah, it's a thought.

-You know, it's easily done.

-Things to think about now.

-I'm saving the best until last though, for you, Peter.

-Oh, right.

-Come and have a look at the garden.

-Oh, yes.

The property sits in around one acre of terraced woodland gardens,

with plenty of trees and shrubs to keep Peter happy.

So, as you can see, Peter, it's a

-very different proposition to our first garden.

-Yes.

This sort of terraced arrangement, the stone walls,

-the woods beyond.

-Yes, it's not going to ever be a manicured garden.

-But it's very pleasant.

-It's got that nice, woodland feel to it.

It's mature trees that are really nice.

So, how much do we think? How much do we think this property is worth?

-Christine?

-It's going to be topped towards 400.

-400, says Christine.

-I would really push to 385.

-385.

You see, the optimism always with Peter, I love it.

Well, you're not far off, the pair of you.

-This is on the market for £390,000.

-Yes.

-So, you were, you know.

-Not far.

-Not far off at all.

-All right.

-All right.

-Getting better.

-Well, that's brought a smile to your face!

-THEY LAUGH

-Excellent. Well, I think you should spend a bit of time.

We have plenty of it.

-Go and explore it and I will catch up with you later.

-OK.

-OK.

Off you go.

On the market at £390,000, our second property

comes in £10,000 under Peter and Christine's maximum budget.

It's a semidetached stone cottage built in the 18th century.

The accommodation includes a contemporary kitchen

and large living area.

There are four bedrooms and there's scope to turn one into an en suite.

And the house comes with an acre of secluded woodland garden.

This one is supposed to be the second bedroom.

But if we made this the master, you could not knock it down,

but you could actually put a door through.

When you came inside, I loved the lounge.

It's light, it's got the beams, it's got the open fire,

we can put a log burner in. And then when we went upstairs,

to have four bedrooms instead of three, was a real plus.

Even though it was a semidetached. It doesn't feel like a semidetached.

I like the garden.

It's a large area, plenty of work to do in it, to keep it tidy.

So, from that aspect, quite happy with it.

Here we are.

-Enjoying the view?

-Enjoying the view of the house AND the valley.

-Is it all working then? Peter?

-It seems to be. Seems to be. Yes.

-You HAVE had your arm twisted!

-Just slightly.

I think this was a nice one to end the day on.

-It is.

-It's been good fun, hasn't it?

-It has, it's a nice house.

Right, come on then, let's go and get a cold beer. After you.

-Sounds good.

-I'll treat you. How about that?

-Oh, yes!

It's the second day of our property search and with

a budget of £400,000, we're helping Peter and Christine leave the noise

of their town life in the North East for the serenity of Staffordshire.

Coming up, our mystery house leaves Christine speechless.

Go on, Peter, put some words into Christine's mouth.

And I help shed some light on the Dark Ages.

And they're doing this 1,300 years ago?

Now, when it comes to selecting our much awaited final property of

the week, our mystery house, in truth, it's never really an exact science.

Sometimes, we set out to challenge our buyers,

sometimes we end up just confusing them.

But on this occasion, I think we need to reward them.

One theme has emerged that is perfectly clear,

and that is that the business of downsizing for Christine

and Peter is proving a little bit tricky.

So clearly, we need something that offers them

much more space both inside and out, but on this occasion,

we're going to have to travel that little bit further to get it.

-So, how are we all feeling then? Peter and Christine?

-Excited.

-Good.

That's good! Christine's not saying a word, how excited are you?!

Excited, a bit apprehensive at the same time.

Well, I wouldn't be apprehensive.

I mean, the mystery house is always there to hopefully push

the boundaries a little bit.

I think, maybe, for the mystery house, it could well be a thatched,

barn conversion with a project. HE LAUGHS

For our mystery house, we're crossing the border into Shropshire

and heading to the market town of Ironbridge.

Sitting on the banks of the River Severn at the bottom

of a wooded valley, Ironbridge's claim to fame is being

the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

But the factories have long since gone and nature has taken over.

The town itself is packed full of history, many of the

homes of the iron workers and their masters have been beautifully restored.

Our mystery house is located on a quiet,

narrow lane overlooking the town.

As well as being in a different county to the one Peter

and Christine wanted to live in,

this property does have its challenges, like the garden.

Built into the side of the gorge and on many different levels,

will it be a step too far for Peter?

Well. Come on. Have a look.

It's not thatched, is it? That's what you thought.

But it's a cottage, and it's got chimney pots. And it's got a view.

The view over Ironbridge Gorge down there is just stunning.

Now, yesterday, of course, we were in Staffordshire and we were

about half an hour from your son and about an hour from your daughter.

We've flipped it over this time, because we've come over the border into Shropshire, obviously.

So, we're about half an hour from your daughter and about an hour from your son.

-Yes.

-So we have balanced it out.

And in terms of the garden, Peter, just take a look up there.

Yes, the garden looks quite a challenge.

I think it's more of a pruning operation rather than

-a mowing operation.

-Yes, but the thing about pruning is, a little bit can be done at

-a time, whereas the grass has all got to be cut to keep it tidy.

-Exactly.

I'm really excited about showing you this one,

because I just think, in terms of location and what it offers you,

very rare to get a property like this in Ironbridge up for sale.

Well, I told you, there's lots to see, there's a lot of space,

we better get a move on. Come on.

Well, the terraced garden with its variety of shrubs

and bushes hasn't put Peter off.

But for Christine, it's all about the house,

and I'm dying to see how she will react to our Victorian cottage.

-Right, on the way through, we find this, how about it?

-Log burner.

-Yeah.

-Open fire.

-Look at the study in there, Peter.

-Yeah?

-Very nice.

-I like the double doors.

And then this is the living room.

Which I'm hoping will be just that little bit bigger than what

-we've had before.

-I love the fireplace.

-And another open fire.

-Oh! This is a good sign, Christine.

-Such a nice room, isn't it?

How about that?

I don't think I've ever had a reaction like that as quickly

as we've come into the house. It's gorgeous, isn't it?

You can see why we're so excited to show this to you.

-Maybe this is the one, Peter.

-Maybe.

-Oh, bless you! Go on, Peter.

-Put some words into Christine's mouth.

-It's a very nice room.

-It's nicely lit.

-It's a nice atmosphere.

-The open fire sets it off. Wooden floor.

-I could see you in here.

French windows out into the garden.

And it's such a lovely approach that, isn't it?

It does overwhelm you a bit. I love it. Right. Gather yourself together.

-I'm going to show you the kitchen.

-Oh, dear.

What will you make of this?! Come on.

-Come on, Christine.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, God!

-You're going again!

-You're going again! Take it all in, it's gorgeous.

-It's lovely.

-I LOVE it. My cupboards.

-Look up there.

-Oh!

I mean, when you look, it is just gorgeous.

When you look up there, really clever.

Oh, right, right, right up to the skylight.

-Oh, wow.

-Just be careful what skirt you're wearing, Christine...

I thought you were talking about Pete there! THEY LAUGH

Yes. So, it's lovely.

Well, our mystery house seems to have worked its magic again.

In addition to the kitchen, there's also a pantry

and a spacious utility room.

But let's see if we get the same reaction upstairs, where there are

four bedrooms in total, all of them doubles along with three bathrooms.

Now, plenty up here to show you. That's a really nice guest room there.

-Oh, well, that's nice.

-Pretty, isn't it?

-A nice view out there as well.

-This is the famous light panel.

-Oh, yes.

-With the toughened glass.

-Just as well, for my weight!

-It is safe to walk over?

Just to prove it! There you are! OK?

And in here, you've got another beautiful guest room.

-Oh, that's nice and light.

-And then follow me this way. Your room.

-En suite shower room.

-Oh, yes.

-And all of this is your master.

-Oh, lovely. What a lovely size.

As we saw on the way in, you had a nice glimpse of the garden,

and there's plenty of that to explore, yeah?

Come on. A lovely feel though.

Outside, a series of paths leads you from terrace to terrace,

with lawned, paved and gravelled areas.

There's also an impressive vegetable patch towards the top.

The garden includes several seating spots,

ideal for entertaining in the summer.

The house, Christine, I think has had quite an effect on you,

-hasn't it, really?

-Don't get me started.

-Don't get you going again!

Well, let's see the price, shall we?

I'm going to get you to explore the garden after this,

but let's talk about the price. It's our last price guess of the week.

I'm going to keep you firmly here. Stop you falling over.

So, you can start, Peter.

-I will start, because I'm the optimistic one.

-Exactly.

-You're the optimist.

-Yes. I'm going to say 430.

-430. Yes? Christine?

-450.

450. It would absolutely break your heart if it was 450, wouldn't it?

-Yes.

-That's why it is 395.

THEY LAUGH

-How about that?

-Lovely.

-You can do it.

-I know.

-YEAH! Go on.

Go and take your time. Explore that garden.

Well, our mystery house has done it once again.

How often do we say that?

I'm often asked by people on Escape To The Country how

many of our properties would I like to buy?

Well, let me let you into a little secret, this is one of them.

On the market at £395,000,

our mystery house is just under their maximum budget.

It's a Victorian cottage, nestling on the side of Ironbridge Gorge.

The property has been extended over the years and features large

reception areas including a spacious living room for entertaining.

There are four double bedrooms upstairs for when the family come

to stay and outside, the garden is large and terraced,

with views across the historic gorge.

I like the log burner.

Yes, it is a nice, big log burner for the size of the room as well.

The blue sofa in there, or the white one.

-And then put the computer up.

-Yes.

Well, it was emotional, I think, and I really could feel the tears

coming and I was really trying to fight it.

The house didn't have the same effect emotionally on me as it did Christine.

But very nicely laid out inside.

The top end of the budget price of the house would concern me slightly.

-Worth coming to our mystery house then?

-Yes.

Right. Well, it is now time for you to go away and try

and make sense of it all.

-Boy, have you got some thinking to do.

-Yes.

Come on.

Peter and Christine have a specific price

range in mind for their move to Staffordshire.

But for those on a different budget,

here is a selection on offer.

On the market at just under £240,000, how about this

two-bedroom property in a converted sawmill in the village of Ingestre?

The interior includes this light kitchen diner

and a master bedroom with vaulted ceiling and exposed beams.

Delving a bit deeper into your pocket could get you this

three-bedroom house in Great Bridgeford,

on the market for offers in excess of £320,000.

It features a cosy living room and large master bedroom.

The price also includes a detached outbuilding in the grounds.

Finally, this four-bedroom grade two listed barn

conversion in the village of Barn Hey is on the market for £575,000.

Set in half an acre of gardens, the property has

a number of character features including exposed timbers.

The master bedroom with its high ceiling is the most

impressive room and there's also a large kitchen diner and a snug.

With my background in archaeology,

I'm particularly excited about being in Staffordshire,

since the farmland around Lichfield is where one of the most

significant finds in recent years was made.

Unearthed by metal detector enthusiast Terry Herbert in 2009,

the Staffordshire Hoard is the largest

collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver ever found.

The discovery is beginning to shed light on the seventh

and eighth centuries,

when present-day Staffordshire was part of the Kingdom of Mercia.

I've come to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery

in Stoke-on-Trent to find out what researchers have revealed so far.

I am meeting fellow archaeologist,

collections officer Deb Klemperer.

Now, for anybody not familiar with the idea of a hoard, or

indeed the Staffordshire Hoard, just tell us a bit more about what it is.

It's a group of material which has turned out to be nearly 4,000 items.

Some, far tinier than my little fingernail,

and they're nearly all gold or silver. So, all precious metal.

And we still don't know why this was put into the ground at the time it

was, which is about 650 AD or why that spot was picked, but it is a

fascinating group of material, and we are researching it even as we speak.

So, the reason for it being buried still remains a mystery?

There's a lot of work going on. There's some ideas already.

One of the ideas is that it is in fact battle booty.

This has been discussed quite a bit.

Nearly all of it is male warrior bling, so, fittings from swords.

Bling, so that's a technical archaeological term, isn't it?

It's quite a good way to describe it. It's very glittery and beautiful.

And most of it is sword fittings.

Although the hoard is comprised mainly of military pieces, many of

the items feature beautiful inlays and elaborately designed animals.

There's still much debate surrounding its meaning,

but experts have discovered an extraordinary

level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in the pieces.

Down in the museum's basement,

conservator Peta Greaves is cleaning some of them.

They're staggeringly beautiful.

But I guess, you also get into the mind of the people that made them.

Yeah, the big thing about conservation is,

yes, we're revealing what things looked like.

But also, the intricate detail of how they made it,

the effort they put into it.

The level of workmanship is absolutely extraordinary.

Can we have a look at that piece there?

That's absolutely astonishing.

So, in close-up, you can see it's a snake figure, you can

see his little head at the top and his body that scrolls down.

But I suppose the most eye-catching pieces are these beautifully

coloured ones, with this lovely inlay.

-This is obviously a bit of a work in progress.

-It is.

-Can we have a closer look at that one?

-OK.

This is one that I've started cleaning today. Yes, it's

made from these big garnets.

And they're set into these gold cells.

What we can see is in the bottom cell, there's some gold foil

and what that's doing is, when the garnet is set in through,

it reflects the light back through giving this beautiful shine.

-And they're doing this 1,300 years ago.

-Absolutely.

That's absolutely astonishing.

Researchers will continue to work on decoding the hoard over

the next few years.

In the meantime, perhaps it's beginning to show us that the

period known as the Dark Ages wasn't so dark after all.

Well, as we have learned, this is an enormous move for this couple,

in particular, for Peter,

a man not given over to moving house at all, really, during his life.

But I am confident we have given them

plenty of tempting options, so the question is, what happens next?

Well, they're enjoying a cup of tea. Let's go and ask them.

Well, I think there is probably one main contender on the list

-and that is our mystery house, am I right?

-Definitely.

Absolutely fabulous.

So, just tell me why it's touched a nerve with you?

It was the emotional and actually seeing the house itself.

It was a lovely setting.

It was just a gut feeling and that's what you do, isn't it?

A house is a home from the heart.

It is indeed. A home from the heart. Well said.

Now then, Peter, having found you your ideal home, what happens next?

I think what happens next is, we go and look hard at our finances

-and discuss it with the children.

-You're not going to say no, are you,

-to Christine?

-It would be a first. HE LAUGHS

Well, both of you, it's been a real pleasure this week.

We've had a lot of fun and I am delighted that we have

whetted your appetite for this part of the world

AND, I think, found you some wonderful properties,

one of which, let's hope, will be your new home. Best of luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

Well, we started off in Staffordshire

and we've ended up in Shropshire.

Sometimes, that is just the way it goes.

But thankfully now, all of the hard work is done.

Our searches are over, and with any luck, Peter

and Christine now have a fabulous new home to look forward to.

But let's not underestimate the scale of the move they are making.

They're coming a long way from everything they have known

and loved thus far.

But as Christine said of our mystery house, it felt like home.

Just as I hoped it would. I'll see you next time.

Peter and Christine returned to the mystery house with their daughter

and although they loved the property, on reflection,

Peter felt the terraced garden would be too much

of a challenge for him in the years to come.

So, their search continues. If you'd like to escape to the

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