Dorset Escape to the Country

Welcome to today's Escape To The Country.

Now this gorgeous pool behind me

may look like the quintessential picture of peace and serenity,

but about 200 years ago it was a hive of industrial activity

with men furiously digging. But for what? And where?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show I'll be helping an island-hopping spiritual healer

find peace in the countryside, ably assisted by his daughter.

We hit the spot...

Oh, this is... This is it!

This is...wow.

-It's the perfect size for you, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And leave them stumped.

You're a bit lost for words!

I'm a bit speechless, yeah. I am.

Well, today we're in Dorset and this

is the aptly named Blue Pool at Furzebrook just outside Wareham.

Since the days of the Romans, this area has been a rich source of

what is known as Purbeck Ball Clay.

Since the early 1600s, it was much in demand for producing clay pipes

following the introduction of tobacco from the Americas.

And as our love affair with tea increased in the 1700s,

the likes of Wedgwood turned it into teapots and teacups

to grace some of the finest homes in the country.

This particular clay pit behind me was begun in 1840,

but within 20 years they'd finished work here,

and left behind this amazing blue lagoon.

And it's the clay in the water that still exists

that gives it this amazing turquoise colour.

It is a real gem,

that just goes to show that this region is full of hidden surprises.

Dorset, bordered by four counties

is sandwiched between Hampshire in the east and Somerset in the west,

and its geographical location offers the best of countryside and coast

with 42 percent of the county designated as protected

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Its shores encompassed the 95 mile long Jurassic coastline

whose 180 million year old prehistoric cliffs

have earned it World Heritage status

and include the remote stretch of Chesil Beach

and the secluded Lulworth Cove.

Looking inland, farming has shaped Dorset's rural landscape

with lowland areas defined by lush pasture land

feeding their county's dairy industry.

Unsurprisingly, 80% of this agricultural splendour

falls within a natural conservation area.

It's no wonder then, that Dorset exerts

such a powerful pull on property shoppers,

looking to find a permanent home

in this wonderful mix of glorious scenery.

Now, Dorset's desirability does come at a cost.

£316,000 is what you'll have to pay

for your average detached property here -

that's some 60 grand above the national figure.

But as with all statistics, there are things that can skew them,

and here, well, it comes in the form of Sandbanks near Poole.

Multi-million pound properties that represent some of the most

expensive real estate in the UK.

But don't panic if you haven't got seven figures to hand,

head north to Wimborne or indeed around Blandford Forum

and you will certainly find plenty,

not only that will take your breath away,

but would also make your money go that little bit further.

So, time now to meet today's buyers

and find out why they think Dorset is the county for them.

Since the year 2000, retired IT consultant John

has lived in busy Bembridge on the Isle of Wight

close to his daughter Sarah,

but he feels the time is right to swap the high street

for a quieter spot in the countryside.

Bembridge is a lovely, lovely place,

but over the years it's got more and more and more busy.

The traffic is getting bigger and bigger,

so for me it's not as quiet as I would have liked it.

And John has signed up his daughter to assist in his search for a new home.

Sarah's been my... I would say, my closest friend.

It's two good mates, isn't it?

-Yeah, we do get on very well.

-We're good mates.

And I don't preach any more. I don't tell her what to do.

I will help Dad find his next property by being honest, I think,

and practical about it.

Having lost his wife just over six years ago,

John has a new lady in his life but she lives on the mainland,

prompting his desire to leave the island.

Ingrid lives in Weymouth,

and I want to be near her,

because she's very special to me.

It's been difficult because of the expense of the ferry crossings.

The logistics of it are just quite difficult to manage,

to get from here to Weymouth.

So, it makes sense for Dad to be over there.

When it comes to the new home, John is very specific about what he's after.

I think the priority is a nice quiet spot.

My ideal property would be a nice low-slung cottage.

I'm not keen on thatch,

what with the insurance problems and all that sort of thing.

Its energies are quite important, and the feel.

It's not so much the bricks and mortar - that's not important -

I'm not after chocolate box stuff.

An important element in the new home is the kitchen.

I am passionate about my cooking.

I've been cooking Indian food - well, cooking food -

since I was about three.

We love cooking huge banquets together.

We'll cook about 15 dishes, you know.

And also playing a key role in the property search

is spiritual healing - something close to John's heart.

My biggest passion - it's my life now, vocation,

whatever you want to call it - is healing.

The healing that I do has not got a label on it, not like others.

I just try and keep it very simple and very straightforward,

and I work on the basis that there is a cosmic energy which drives everything.

So a healing room is very important.

It doesn't have to be a bland empty box or anything,

it just needs a room that feels right.

All that's left to discover are the finances for the move.

My budget for the move - £350,000.

John has asked us to concentrate our search around the south coast,

to be within reasonable distance of his partner Ingrid in Weymouth.

I met up with him and his daughter Sarah

to find out more about his property hunt.

This is an interesting tale, really.

You're escaping the Isle of Wight!

I'm actually moving here to break out with the healing side,

and take that a bit more seriously now. And, erm...

I found a partner three years ago

and we've really hit it off together.

She lives in Weymouth, so it was an opportunity to bring the two together.

What sort of travelling time are we trying to get within?

About 20 minutes to half an hour.

Sarah, are you the voice of reason - dare I say - in all of this?

He's the one who's going to feel the energy, but, yes.

I'm giving him the advice.

But in terms of practicalities... Bedrooms-wise, what...?

Three bedrooms.

I don't need any more than that.

I know that you've been quite anxious about the idea

-of a thatched property.

-Yeah.

I mean, my reservations are obviously how long the thatch has been there.

I don't want a £30,000 build cropping up in two or three years.

If it's a thatched place, it's got to be relatively new.

Right, then, so you've got £350,000 to spend,

we've got three, I think, really interesting properties to show you.

I think we should make a move.

For a budget of £350,000, John is looking for three bedrooms,

a separate room to use for his spiritual healing,

a good-sized kitchen diner,

a quiet village location

and all within half an hour of his partner Ingrid in Weymouth.

We have three gorgeous properties for John,

and after each tour we will see if he can guess the price.

Our final offering is a mystery house which,

although it might not be on his radar,

could totally change his outlook.

So, we began our search with our first property.

What other interests are you hoping to pursue down here?

I've always had a fascination for working with wood and glass.

So working with the two together would be an ideal.

It's something you could have a bit of pride in,

and it doesn't take up a lot of space.

-You're clearly a very positive man, John.

-Oh, yeah.

And I get the sense that you are pretty optimistic about this week.

Yes, it will all come together.

We're heading west to the village of Netherbury,

close to the town of Beaminster,

about 40 minutes from his partner in Weymouth.

Netherbury is a peaceful village beside the river Brit

in a designated conservation area,

and in a region known for its stone houses and cottages.

For the essential day-to-day supplies,

the nearby market town of Beaminster is only two miles down the road.

Property number one, a detached period stone house,

sits in a quiet hedge-lined lane in the heart of Netherbury village.

-Hey.

-What do you make of that?

-Well, that's a wow.

-Yes?

-That is beautiful.

-You got a wow out of me!

-How about that?

-Already!

We haven't been in yet!

-Central front door, rooms either side...

-Yep.

-Pretty, isn't it?

-It is really pretty, yeah.

What do you think Ingrid would make of it?

I think she would really love it.

We're off to a great start, with a "wow" for the exterior

and so far it's hitting all the right spots.

As we head inside, I've got a good feeling about this house.

Let's hope John does, too.

Well, John, I thought we'd start in here.

Now, obviously, this is set up as their dining room,

but I thought we'd tackle the business of having somewhere

for you to work with the healing first.

Yeah. This would be perfect.

There's a sense of quietness in this room as soon as you walk into it.

Is the road an issue? I mean, you can't really hear it, can you?

There is some secondary... double-glazing there, too.

Let's keep going. Follow me across the hallway.

So this is your main living room, John.

Oh, yes.

This is just the right size.

I think I said I don't want anything too big.

-We can get six of us in here, no problem.

-Yeah.

And it's all done as you can see.

The finishes are really nice.

Another lovely working fireplace there.

No, the room is neutral.

You know, so there's nothing here that would disturb me.

-Well, Sarah's smiling, so I think it's all good news.

-I like it.

-Oh, it is lovely.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

-And then this is the kitchen/diner, John.

-Oh, this is it.

This is... wow.

-It's a perfect size for you, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Very simple space, this. Nothing's very cluttered.

Lines are very clean, it's all done.

It's really nice, actually.

It's been done really well.

-We do need to see upstairs.

-Mm.

-Yes.

-To draw this picture together, don't we?

-We do.

-Indeed.

-OK.

The house has delivered the perfect kitchen,

and so far no negative vibes at all from the downstairs.

So let's hope that continues.

Up on the first floor

there is one good-sized and another slightly smaller double bedroom,

and a small single.

Then, up another few steps is the master bedroom.

Ah, yes. This has got to be the master, hasn't it?

-Yes, indeed.

-This is good. This is good.

Next door is a really lovely bathroom.

Just been all done.

So, again, nothing really to have to do.

No. You could just move in here.

But what about the practical side, Sarah?

The rooms are manageable.

I think you'd manage quite well. You wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

-And this is a lovely room.

-Yeah. Definitely.

-Good.

-Lovely and bright.

Well, talking about lovely and bright,

let's get out there to the garden.

-Yeah, go into the sun.

-Absolutely.

John seems really taken with the house. Top to bottom.

And as we head for the garden to guess the price, the sun is shining.

It really can't get any better.

This is a sun trap, for sure.

You've got that sort of patio area down there,

and then it's terraced up to this lawned area.

And then you've got farmland and an orchard beyond.

Yeah, it's fantastic.

Well, let's have a think about the price, then.

I would probably say...

Mmm...

-335.

-£335,000, Sarah?

Voice of reason?

I think it's going to be a bit more.

-I would say 345.

-345.

I would say it's close to the budget.

Actually, you've both straddled it.

-Oh, right.

-This is on the market at £339,500.

That's isn't far off. That's nice.

-That's a nice price.

-I'd say so. Ten grand under budget.

-Yeah.

-There's nothing really needs doing.

-No.

-Well, I think you should now go and explore a bit more.

-Right.

-Feel the energy.

-Feel the energy!

THEY CHUCKLE

Under budget at £339,500,

this double fronted period stone cottage will give John

the peace he's looking for,

along with four bedrooms,

a quiet private space to use as a healing room,

a good-sized kitchen/breakfast room for when the family come round.

A generous sitting room

and it's all set in a pretty village

in the peaceful Dorset countryside.

-This is nice, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it?

-It's good.

You could even have this as a master bedroom, really, if you wanted to.

It's got a lovely feeling to it.

It's a very, very gentle feeling to it.

There are issues with locations for me. Mainly the distance from Ingrid.

I wanted to be a bit more closer, roundabout the 20-minute driving time.

Here we're a bit further than that.

I could see my dad living here.

I think this is ideal for him.

The rooms are just the right size, they're cosy.

There is a room he could definitely use as a healing room.

-I think that went rather well, John.

-Brilliant, absolutely superb.

-Yeah?

-A good start, Sarah?

-Yeah, very good start.

It couldn't get better, really, could it?

-It might, it's still shining. Come on!

-It is, isn't it? Wow!

For centuries Dorset's countryside has been home to traditional

craftsmanship skills that underpin country life.

But with shifting employment trends,

these practices are in danger of dying out.

However, artisans at the Dorset Centre for Rural Skills near Child Okeford

have been reviving and teaching traditional crafts.

Mindful of John's creative streak,

we sent him, and daughter Sarah, to meet founder, Rob Buckley.

Well, welcome to DCRS, the Dorset Centre for Rural Skills.

This is one of the workshops where we run courses.

Is there anything you're particularly interested in?

I have always had this passion, since I was a child, to do something with glass.

-I think it's fascinating.

-Yes.

If you want to come down this way to the studio,

one of our tutors has got something very special lined up for you.

-That's wonderful.

-Oh, fantastic.

-If we head on down here.

The aim of the Centre is to give craftspeople the opportunity

to pass on their skills whilst maintaining a business.

Running courses such as hedge-laying, blacksmithing and glass blowing.

Local glass-blower Emsie Sharp has been running her own studio for over

ten years, having learnt her craft around the world,

including three years in Murano, Venice,

the centre for glass blowing.

-Have fun.

-Thank you very much, lovely to meet you. Cheers. Bye-bye.

-Come in.

-Okey-dokey.

-Thank you.

-So you've come to have a go at glass blowing, have you?

-Yes.

We're going to try a bauble.

This is one my son made, who's six.

-If he can do it, you can do it.

-Exactly!

The glass, a mix of 24% lead and silica,

has to be in the furnace for 24 hours, making sure

it's approximately 1,100 degrees Centigrade

and pliable enough to be worked.

Keep turning, that's it.

Got it.

Colour is achieved by rolling the molten glass in ground metal

oxides which impregnate it.

Over to the heat.

The glass is then returned to the heat in the glory hole

part of the furnace, which is not as hot.

-We're melting in the colour.

-Right.

Out you come, hang it down. Into the mould.

Ah, right.

Now I want you to blow as hard as you can

-and turn at the same time.

-OK.

Steep angle.

Turning and blowing, turning and blowing.

Speed is the key in glass blowing as it's imperative to

get the glass shaped before it cools down.

Yes, here it comes already. Good, keep going.

And it's essential to keep turning the pipe to avoid the fluid

glass dropping off the end.

-Lovely. OK?

-Yeah.

-See that.

Not a bad attempt.

Now for the finishing touch.

-Tweezers there?

-Snip, yeah. And again.

Lovely.

A little hook.

Hurray!

Great. Beautiful bauble.

Thank you, Emsie, that was really, really good.

After their insight into Dorset's rural craft heritage,

let's hope John and Sarah can continue to plough their creative

gusto into a house-hunting quest.

For our second property we're travelling east to the

centre of the county to the village of Hilton, near to the town

of Blandford Forum, around half an hour from Weymouth.

The pretty village of Hilton with its 15th century Gothic church

is in the heart of the Dorset countryside

and is littered with picture postcard thatched cottages, typical of the area.

Bearing in mind John's aversion to thatched roofs,

we're taking a chance here in order to give him extra space.

House number two is a Grade II listed semi-detached cottage

that has undergone extensive modernisation.

Now, John, look over there.

Good grief!

That is property number two.

-That's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah? What do you think, Sarah?

I love it, I think it's really sweet, really pretty.

One thing I can assure you of is what we find on the inside

is not what you're expecting.

OK.

'A good reaction to the outside and John hasn't run away

'at the sight of a thatched roof so here's hoping the configuration

'of this extended cottage will give him the space he needs.'

-Feast your eyes, John.

-Good, gosh.

Gosh!

-Wow.

-Wow!

I was not expecting that.

-I told you.

-You were right.

-It's something else.

It's absolutely fantastic, isn't it?

-You are lost for words.

-I'm a bit speechless, yeah. I am.

It's not like me.

Let's see if you can find words in here. This is amazing, look at this.

'As we leave the kitchen, we move into the new part of the cottage,

'an extension that runs along the rear of the property adding

'significant extra space with two large extra rooms.'

What do you say about this?

It's not a wow, it's more than a wow, I think. Yeah.

-They've done a fantastic job.

-It's really clever, isn't it?

Come and soak up the atmosphere, it's quite a lot, to be honest,

to take on.

It is so different to probably what any of us were expecting.

It's this mix of contemporary and old and thatched

and it would take me a time, I think, to get adjusted to it.

'Onwards to the rest of the extension

'that offers an option for John's healing area.'

-Now here on the other side of the pod you've got a wet room.

-Gosh.

This, which is currently,

the master bedroom.

-Nice, isn't it?

-Very nice.

If you were prepared to compromise on your bedroom and go upstairs,

this might lend itself to being your treatment room.

That's true. That makes sense.

'The upstairs is within the original part of the cottage

'with its more period configuration.'

Now it's up here, guys, that we really start to go back in time.

-Much more of that cottagey feel.

-Yeah.

Come into this one.

It's nice.

Now really here we have two bedrooms that are pretty much the same size.

This one and one next door.

-Quite a nice family bathroom up here.

-Mmm.

-In all, it's a three bedroomed house.

-Yeah.

-OK.

This is where the compromise might be

if you decide to use that amazing master suite as your treatment room.

Yeah.

Yeah, it would be an option, though.

Come on, let's go and get some fresh air.

'As we head outside, I get the feeling John is finding this

'combination of the old and new slightly confusing.

'It remains to be seen if he's willing to concede on bedroom size

'in order to get his healing room.'

You see, this John, I think this is where

it really starts to make sense.

It seems to blend, it's a nice contrast with the thatch.

You know what's coming now, don't you?

It's Sarah's turn first.

-I'm going to say, 360.

-360.

I know it's above budget, but...

I think, potentially, it could be spot on budget about 350.

-Mm-hm.

-But I'm being optimistic there, I think.

-It's 325.

-Good grief!

-No way, really?

-How about it?

-Wow!

It changes the equation yet again.

Well, you go and do the maths and I'll catch up with you later.

Yeah, OK.

This Grade II listed thatch cottage comes in under

budget at £325,000.

With a mix of contemporary and traditional features,

and gives John three bedrooms, with a master ensuite.

A large kitchen/breakfast room, a bright and airy sitting room,

a manageable garden and all within an attractive village location.

If you are going to compromise with downstairs

I don't think either of these two are big enough.

-No.

-For you.

-Yeah.

I love it, I just don't know whether it's the house for you.

I mean, really, what do you feel about it?

I don't know, I just don't have that sort of feeling.

Well, the bedroom, absolutely stunning.

I would die for that. It is beautiful.

When I walked into the living room, it literally knocked me back.

I had to step back a little bit.

This is lovely uber-modern and all the rest of it

but there's a bit too much space here.

It may be a bit too modern for him downstairs.

I think, then upstairs, it was a bit too small and cottagey for him.

I think his mind is still trying to work out how that would work for him.

This has definitely got the wow factor, this house.

I'm not sure it was the right wow for him.

-We've had quite an exciting day, I think.

-We have.

Ready for a celebratory drink to finish our first day.

-Phor!

-Absolutely.

-Come on.

-Lead me to it.

It's day two of our house hunt with John from Bembridge

on the Isle of Wight who has £350,000 to spend

on his Dorset retreat.

Coming up, we get the right vibe from the mystery house.

This one, for me, does send zinging things around.

'And I try to meet a very slippery countryside resident.'

-Are you sure there is anything living in here?

-Definitely.

You know we do get to work in some fantastic locations on the show

and, as always, Dorset has not disappointed us.

Just take a look at that.

Chesil Beach, the Fleet Lagoon,

and over in mist, Lyme Bay and the rest of the coast

to the south-west, stretching off into the distance.

The beginning of any working day doesn't get much better than this.

When we finished up yesterday at property two

John said that he was feeling somewhat perplexed.

As we are over halfway through our house tours,

I think we need to transform that sense of confusion

into some sort of conclusion.

Maybe value for money is the key.

Let's find out.

It's mystery house time.

For the mystery house we're staying in the area,

travelling a few miles down the road to the village of Milton Abbas.

Milton Abbas is a picture perfect 18th-century model village.

Thatched cottages equally spaced apart run either side

of one Main Street, interspersed with village shops,

a pub and post office.

It has, however, an unusual history having begun life

as Middleton village, half a mile down the road

on the Milton Abbey estate.

The Lord of the estate didn't like the look of Middleton, so he razed it to the ground

and moved everyone to a new site, now known as Milton Abbas.

The man responsible was called Lord Damer

and in 1772 he asked one Capability Brown to redesign the estate.

He moved the village and produced this, well, amazing vista.

It is, it's fantastic, isn't it? Beautiful.

If you like all this you're going to love our mystery house

because it's just down the road

-and this will be your local port of call.

-That's good.

Come on, let's show you the property.

'A short walk away at the bottom end of the village lies

'the mystery house, a Grade II listed semi-detached cottage

'that may test John's ability to compromise.'

Oh, that is...

Yeah, gobsmacked as they say in Liverpool.

-Lovely?

-Yeah. It's gorgeous.

-You don't get the whole thing.

-Oh, right.

-It is a semi.

It's lovely.

-Does it have the right sort of feeling?

-It does.

'An amazing reaction,

'especially considering John's reluctance for a thatched roof.

'He seems to have come full circle.

'However, the acid test is to come, as we head for the kitchen,

'a room high on his agenda.'

Come in, John.

Now...

Not a massive kitchen/diner.

-No.

-Not a diner.

You know we can't have everything, can we? It's about compromise.

-What are you thinking?

-I thought you would say "no" immediately.

-I'm really surprised, pleasantly surprised.

-Yeah.

-No, because of the kitchen size?

-Yeah, I thought that would just be...

But compromise is good.

-It has three bedrooms.

-Mm-hm.

-Two of them are on the ground floor.

-Yeah.

I think we should try and have a look at one of those next.

'John's U-turn by compromising on the kitchen dining space

'has taken us by surprise

'as I thought it would be a substantial sticking point.

'Let's hope the good vibes continue with the possible

'space for the healing room.'

-This is nice and light, isn't it?

-Isn't it? Gosh, yeah.

And you get a nice view out to the trees.

-Next door also has a light well like that.

-Yes.

This is bigger, it's set up as a twin and next door is the bathroom.

-You just get that lovely feeling, it's very grounded.

-Mmm.

That's probably because of the age of the property.

The living room is a real seller, come and have a look.

That sounds intriguing.

Now on the way, is the dining room.

-Oh, yeah.

-That's nice.

It's not a kitchen/diner but it is a kitchen with a diner.

-Wow!

-Yeah.

-Oh, gosh.

-You like that?

-Yeah. Definitely.

-Cosy, isn't it?

-It is.

-That's rather nice, the little window seat there.

-That's lovely.

This one, for me, does send zinging things around, you know.

But the head is still saying, "You don't want semi

"and you don't want this and you don't want..."

The heart is saying, "Hang on, let's just..."

Is he given to following his head, or his heart?

-He's a heart man.

-I thought so, yeah.

-Yeah, definitely.

We have got you quite a nice master bedroom upstairs,

-so you've got your own little domain there.

-That's good.

-Let's have a look at that.

-That's important.

'The mystery seems to be coming up trumps,

'not just on a practical level but spiritually too.

'Onwards upstairs to see if the bedrooms

'have the zing factor as well.'

-Do you like this?

-Yeah.

-Oh, yeah.

-That's really sweet.

-It's nice.

-You're beaming, aren't you?

-I am.

I've never seen you so happy.

And across the landing, effectively an ensuite dressing room, really.

-Shower in there and so on.

-Yeah, it's really cosy.

-It's really cosy.

I think it's a happy coincidence that, actually, our final property seems to fit more.

It is all kind of here, spatially, for you.

And it has the character and similar, better energy,

than number one did.

-So...

-Which you really liked.

-Yeah, I did like.

-Ah...

-So, yeah, this is lovely.

'With the energy flowing, we head outside to the garden

'as it's time to guess the price.'

-What do you think, John?

-There it is, the pond.

-Your water feature.

-The water, yeah.

-You love water.

That's... Listen...

WATER TRICKLES

Now the garden itself also continues up beyond this other terrace

here and way up towards the wood line.

I think this one is going to blow my budget.

It's going to be above 365.

365, Sarah?

I'm being more optimistic and I'm going to say it's on budget at 350.

-At 350.

-Mmm.

It could be yours for offers in excess

of £300,000.

Good grief!

That is incredible. Gosh, I know I would be so happy here.

The feeling of this place is quite incredible.

-This is the one.

-Yeah.

-Oh, yeah.

Well, there is a bit more that you haven't seen and it's up that hill.

-Beautiful views, go and check it out and I will find you later.

-OK.

'The charm of this 18th century Grade II listed mystery cottage

'seems to have completely won John over and is well within budget

'with offers required in excess of £300,000.

'It gives him three bedrooms, including a decent sized master

'with the option to convert one into a healing room.

'A characterful living room with inglenook fireplace,

'a peaceful garden, including ornamental pond and secluded patio.

'Views over the glorious Dorset countryside

'and all within reasonable distance to his partner, Ingrid, in Weymouth.'

-It's a nice space, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it?

-Can you see yourself healing up here?

-Oh, yeah.

This has totally blown me.

-I know I said that yesterday.

-I know.

This is a very positive thing. Very positive.

The kitchen, perhaps I would have liked a kitchen/diner

but actually that kitchen is perfectly adequate for cooking.

The living room is just, it's just so fantastic

and there's a lovely energy in the whole thing.

Wherever you go on this property, there's a feeling of flow of energy.

Timing point of view, from Weymouth, we're only looking at 20,

maybe 25 minutes.

I think I've got a very clear idea of where I want to be.

This has changed his whole outlook and he's willing to compromise.

There's something about it that he feels is right for him.

He's just walked through the whole house saying, "Yeah, I love this.

"I'd love it, I can feel it."

If he's happy with that, so am I and I share that.

I think it's really, really cosy and lovely. A really lovely house.

-Out you come, sir. Madam.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Wow, what a few days we've had, John.

-What a journey.

-What a journey.

-Mm.

It's not quite over yet, you've got it all to think about now.

So off you go, let's hope you've resolved that confusion.

-Yeah.

-I'll catch up with you later.

-Thanks.

-Brilliant.

That is it as far as our house tours go for John and for Sarah

but if we have managed to whet your appetite as to what

Dorset has to offer,

here's a little taster of what's on the market right now.

If you want to put down roots in Dorset, you can

still secure the village life with period stone cottages

such as this two bedroomed terraced house in Pymore,

just north of Bridport on the market for £210,000.

Should your budget stretch a little further,

then this Georgian Grade II listed three bedroomed semi

in the classic picture postcard village of Bradford Peverell

is full of character.

This home is available for offers in excess of £395,000.

If the classic thatched cottage is your idea of a country retreat,

but you're looking for modern conveniences,

then how about this 10-year-old four bedroomed hamstone property,

mixing contemporary fittings with period character

inviting offers in excess of £625,000.

At the beginning of the 19th century, heathland covered

most of South East Dorset

but today some 86% has been lost.

It's important to conserve these areas as it's this environment

which is home to specialist plants and animals,

including all six of our native reptiles.

'Today I've come to Arne,

'a heathland nature reserve near Wareham on the south coast

'to meet Michael Wilson from the RSPB

'to find out more about these cold-blooded creatures

'and, hopefully, meet some.'

Now the headline that there are six reptiles in the British Isles

was news to me, I have to confess, and I'm surprised, in a way,

that there are so many.

It's amazing, there's actually three lizards, three snakes.

So we've got slow worms, common lizards, sand lizards,

grass snake, adder and smooth snake.

Here Arne is a hotspot for them, really.

I have to confess, probably like most people,

I have a slight reservation about snakes.

Should I be cautious, are there any that are dangerous in any way?

The only venomous reptile is the adder

and really it's more scared of us that we should be of it, really.

It will only bite if it's threatened,

if someone accidentally stands on it, something like that.

Well, what is it about this particular reserve that makes it

work as a home for this rare collection?

Lowland heath is an extremely rare habitat. It's dry here.

We're obviously at the southern edge of the country.

They just really like that sort of habitat.

How big an area does this cover?

We've got about 1,200 acres that we currently manage here at the moment.

So, yeah, big area.

A fair bit to get around, we better get a move on! Come on.

THEY LAUGH

'Up on the heath, the RSPB monitor and record reptiles

'and we're hoping to see at least one of our six native species.

'Because of their rarity, a special licence is required to survey

'and disturb smooth snakes and sand lizards.

'If we do find anything, I'll leave the handling to the experts.'

So, yeah, if you come over here, Jules,

I'll show you our reptile surveying area we've got set up.

All I can see is some old tin sheets.

It does look a little bit odd but there is a serious point to this.

Reptiles are cold-blooded

and these tins warm up first thing in the morning

and reptiles find them as a refuge,

so they can actually reach a decent body temperature,

so they can be active.

Fingers crossed, see what we can see.

Take it off carefully.

Well, there's no-one in!

There are several more to look under so we'll see what we can find.

-They are clearly rare.

-That's reptile hunting for you!

Ah, ants.

Lots of ants.

No.

No.

No.

Not a soul.

No.

No. No one!

A spider.

-Is it?

-No.

-No.

I mean, Michael, we have looked under...

-What, 40?

-About 40 tins.

They are out here somewhere. I like to think they're watching us.

-Probably laughing at us.

-Probably laughing at us, yeah.

'Thankfully, however, Michael caught a couple of reptiles

'earlier in the day. Let's see what he's got for us.'

The first thing I'm going to show you

is probably the commonest reptile in Britain.

This is a slow worm.

Despite appearances she's actually a lizard.

If you grab hold of their tail it will actually lose its tail.

Just put your hand out like that.

Incredible, it seems quite happy.

Yeah, they will start being quite active because they like the warmth

-of your hand so it'll make them more active.

-There you go.

-Shall I put the lid back on there?

-Yes, safely.

-What have we got in here?

-That was a lizard.

This is a snake.

Again, quite common,

you might even find these living in your compost heaps at home.

The biggest snake that you get in Britain

and it's a grass snake.

-She's actually a couple of feet long.

-That's incredible.

I wasn't expecting to see anything that big, if I'm honest.

It's incredible the way it's lying there, with its mouth wide open.

That is a classic grass snake playing dead.

Yeah, properly playing dead.

I'm not sure she's enjoying this experience, you better put her back.

I think I'll put her back.

Michael, thank you very much.

We had a frustrating search but it's lovely to see the real thing here.

Of the six species, the adder is the only venomous reptile in the UK.

When it comes to our cold-blooded neighbours,

remember the golden rule.

-Look, but don't touch?

-Yeah.

'Like the creatures basking in the Dorset countryside,

'I know our house hunters have certainly enjoyed their time here,

'so let's find out if Sarah has managed to help John

'come to a conclusion.'

Well, as you can probably just make out, over there,

John and Sarah are now coming to the end of what,

I suspect, has been a fairly detailed discussion

and where better to have it than against the backdrop of the remains

of Milton Abbey, set now within the grounds of Milton Abbey School.

There's an awful lot going on around that table.

Let's go and find out what's going to happen next.

So...

Where are we now, Sarah, with this search?

Have we managed to do it for your dad, do you think?

-I think you have.

-Really?

-I think you have, yes.

-OK.

I'm not going to say too much because it's his decision.

I'm getting the right vibes, let's say.

-Property number one had the edge, didn't it?

-It did.

It did because it had a lot of all of the parameters

that I was looking for.

Dead on there, it was spot on.

It was perfect until today.

The mystery house seems to have changed everything.

Today wouldn't have happened quite so dramatically

if we hadn't had that contrast from the first two properties.

It challenged maybe what I was thinking.

What am I trying to do, what's my purpose?

Am I coming here because I want to do my healing?

That's not the ultimate thing.

The purpose is to spend the rest of my life

in peace and tranquillity and in a place I'd love to live.

So where are we?

Providing things go ahead back at home,

I'm going to see if I can make an offer on the last one.

-The mystery house?

-The mystery house.

It's dependent on you selling your current property on the Isle of Wight.

-Which could be soon.

-Could be soon.

-Have you got a good feeling about that?

-Yes, brilliant.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you. It's been really good.

That is our pleasure.

Now Milton Abbey ceased to be a monastic centre during the

Reformation of the 1540s

but it still has a spiritual air about it.

I think that's a theme that's really run through this entire week.

I've always believed that buying a house should be an emotional

process but, thanks to John, I'm beginning to think it should

also have a spiritual dimension, as well.

I've learnt a lot from him

and now, with any luck, he'll be living just up the road from here

in possibly just a few months' time.

'John has since returned to Milton Abbas for a second viewing

'of the mystery house and is eager to put in an offer.

'All that remains is for John to sell his property

'and Dorset may soon welcome a new resident.

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