Dorset Escape to the Country

These mysterious undulating slopes are all that remains

of England's largest hill-fort.

It's the size of 50 football pitches

and in the Iron Age, it was home to several hundred people.

Find out where I am in just a moment.

On today's show, we're helping a semi-retired couple

who've been married for 35 years find their very first home together.

We don't exactly get off to a roaring start.

It's not quite your dream kitchen?

No.

But, thankfully, things begin to look up.

This is a bit more like it!

-This is more like what you were looking for?

-Yeah.

Today, I'm in Dorset and this is Maiden Castle,

a gigantic Iron Age fort, just outside Dorchester.

Archaeological digs show that people lived here 6,000 years ago

but it was in the Iron Age,

around 600 BC, that these massive earthworks were built to protect

a circular encampment in the centre, filled up with little round houses.

The castle fell into disrepair in the Roman period

but it still remains one of the oldest and, perhaps,

the largest attraction in this very attraction-rich county.

Sitting on England's south coast, Dorset is bordered

by the counties of Devon to the west and Hampshire to the east.

Its 95 miles of magnificent coastline is punctuated

by appealing seaside resorts.

The westernmost is Lyme Regis,

a genteel town with strong literary connections.

After spending a summer here,

Jane Austen was inspired to feature it in Persuasion, her final novel.

And its harbour wall, known as The Cobb,

is where the mournful heroine of John Fowles' modern classic,

The French Lieutenant's Woman,

stood and stared wistfully out to sea.

As well as seaside appeal, the county exhibits a rich history,

reflected in evocative landmarks, including the ruins of Corfe Castle,

built after the Norman conquest

to keep guard over the royal hunting grounds

of the Isle of Purbeck, which it towers above.

Further inland, the countryside has been shaped by centuries of farming.

And hidden amidst the gently undulating hills are appealing,

age-old villages, bearing quaint names.

With its charm and unspoilt beauty,

it's no surprise visitors and house-buyers are so drawn

to this wonderful part of the country.

If you want to buy yourself a slice of Dorset property,

then it comes with a hefty price-tag attached.

The average price for a detached house, here in the county,

is £317,000, which is £60,000 above the national figure.

Which makes it, outside of London, the most expensive area in the UK.

However, if you discount the multimillion pound mansions

along the coast at Sandbanks, in Poole,

then the whole picture becomes more optimistic.

Basically, if you head north out towards Blandford Forum,

then things get more affordable.

So, what is it that attracts our buyers today to this county?

Let's meet them and find out.

David and Susan have lived in this four-bed bungalow,

on the outskirts of Woking, Surrey, since they married 35 years ago.

Having both grown up in the countryside,

they'd love to return to a more rural way of life.

And now that David has semi-retired from his electrical business

and with their 28-year-old daughter, Anna, living abroad,

they're free to make the move.

I think over the last 40-plus years in business,

I've given 110% to whatever I was doing.

Now is the time to relax

and to enjoy retirement before we become too ancient to enjoy it.

You could just sit comfortably here, if you wanted to, for ever and ever

but we both want something different.

The roads are just so busy, there's so many people

and the area has changed so much in 35 years.

Having contemplated moving for nearly 15 years,

they've considered almost every county

but have finally honed their search to Dorset.

We love the scenery. It's close enough to the sea.

I like the rolling hills and it's peaceful and quiet.

Despite having been together for 41 years,

this house search will be a first for them.

David has lived in their current house since he was 12 years old!

When he and Susan were newlyweds, his mum was looking to downsize,

so they bought her place and have lived here ever since.

To go and find a property, the two of us, and actually start

choosing something for ourselves will be exciting and different.

I'll look forward to it.

I have thought about what it's going to be like

to actually leave the property and, quite frankly, as long as we find

what we're looking for, then I think it's not going to be a problem.

I think we've, frankly, been here too long.

Although they've never looked for a place together before,

there are things on their wish list they've had no problem agreeing on.

From my point of view, the external building,

I'm quite good with my hands, I like to repair stuff.

So, to have a suitable outbuilding as a workshop would,

certainly, be one of the requirements.

Yes, I would be keen on that.

You could go out into the workshop.

At the minute, your old wreck

that you've been restoring for 15 years sits on the drive.

No, no...14 years.

Under a bright blue tarpaulin, which is not attractive.

So, outbuilding's fine.

The wreck, as Susan describes it, is an ex-army lightweight Land Rover

that David bought himself for his 50th birthday.

It still starts, despite the fact that Sue calls it a wreck and now

with the pending move, I will get it roadworthy

and I will probably sell it.

And the money from the sale of the lightweight will go towards

the boat fund, because that's the next project,

when we move somewhere near the coast.

As well as new projects, they're hoping the move will offer them

more time and space for leisure activities.

I'd like to start to learn the piano again.

The garden, we want to play golf again together,

fish, and lose yourself in a shed with the old wreck.

THEY LAUGH

The last thing to establish is the amount of money

they've set aside for their dream home in Dorset.

The budget for the move is £650,000.

Susan and David are fond of Lyme Regis,

so we're focusing our search within 30 miles of this town.

I'm catching up with them on Dorset's shoreline to learn

more about what they're looking for from this move.

Welcome to Dorset.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Why this place?

Have you got family bonds down to this part of the world?

Well, I used to spend a lot of time in Lyme Regis.

My parents had a caravan there and I would come down with my mother

and spend every summer there.

So, you know all this.

I know this area quite well, yeah.

Yeah, we used to bring our daughter down here,

when she was small.

We've holidayed and taken cottages and fished out in Lyme Bay...

You've been in your present house 30-odd years?

Well, I have for 35 years.

-You've lived there for...

-I've lived in it for...

-52.

-Getting on for that.

So, it's a big move for you two.

And what is it that you're looking for,

in terms of the spec of the house?

I think, three to four bedrooms. We'd love an en suite.

I'd like a kitchen with a view.

I'd like an outside, decent garage/workshop,

so that if I keep the...

if I'm allowed to keep the classic Land Rover,

I can actually do the renovation on it,

which I've been talking about doing for some time.

What about the age of the property, are you into old buildings?

-Listed buildings?

-I don't mind.

I mean, I think a chocolate box with a thatched roof is lovely

but I don't know that I could cope with that.

No, this is where there's a slight dichotomy,

is that I would be quite happy

to find a property that needs total renovation.

I'd happily project manage that to get what we really want.

So, you realise you have chosen

one of the most expensive bits of the country.

So, what is your budget?

The budget is up to 650,000.

And rooting backwards into what you just said

about living in a house for 35 years,

are you quite gung ho about these things

or is it going to be another 35 years?

I think Dave...no, I think you are much more adventurous and gung ho.

Oh, I'm ready, yeah.

Yeah, I am feeling a little bit of trepidation.

-Well, we have three lovely properties lined up.

-Right.

I hope they're going to, kind of, wet your whistle.

-So, let's go and look at them.

-Excellent!

Thank you.

With a budget of £650,000, David and Susan are hoping to find

a home with four bedrooms, an en suite

and a spacious kitchen, ideally with a view.

Outside, they'd like a decent sized garden

and a garage or workshop for David.

We've lined up three wonderful Dorset homes for Susan

and David to look at.

And I'll keep them guessing about the price,

until they've had a good look around.

One will be our mystery house,

which has a rustic style that could either divide them or unite them.

Our search begins 19 miles northeast of Lyme Regis,

in the rural hamlet of Hooke.

There are no amenities in the hamlet but a pleasant place to shop,

four and a half miles away, is Beaminster,

an attractive market town, with over 200 listed buildings

and a popular annual arts festival.

A short drive away on a quiet country lane is our first offering.

A five bedroom detached home, made of local Dorset stone.

Well, here we have it, house number one!

-Super!

-What do you think?

-Quite a property.

-It's very pretty.

-Very pretty.

-Very pretty.

-It's quiet.

-Quiet.

-COCKEREL CROWS

It's super quiet, apart from the cockerel,

-which is a good countryside...

-I can live with that. I like cockerels.

This property is very interesting, this used to be the schoolhouse.

-You can see, it's got the school bell above the door.

-Oh, yes.

What do you think of the style, the age of the house?

-Doesn't worry me at all.

-I like it.

I like the roof.

My only concern is how modern the facilities are.

The facilities? Does that mean the toilet?

THEY LAUGH

Kitchens, bathrooms.

-Right.

-That's what Sue worries about.

Shall we go inside then?

-Yeah...yes, please.

-Follow me.

'The property was built in 1850 and was once two separate buildings,

'the schoolhouse and the headmistress' quarters.

'But the two were joined in the 1950s

'and a few extensions have been added since then.'

Come on into the kitchen.

-A range.

-A range for you.

-Always wanted a range.

-Really?

-Yeah.

So, this is what you called a facility.

THEY LAUGH

Is it the sort of facility you were looking for?

It could be, yes.

-Needs a bit of sprucing up or...?

-Yeah.

-It's a reasonable size and it's got lots of storage.

-Yes.

There's lots of possibilities.

But you'd want to change it?

Yes.

-OK, it's not quite your dream kitchen.

-No.

-Right.

-DAVID LAUGHS

Come into this room, which is the sitting room.

So, up until the 1950s, these were the school rooms.

-Good size.

-Yeah, nice size.

-Nice.

-Nice ambience.

-Wood burning stove...

-Indeed, wood burning stove.

..which is nice. Possibilities.

That word again.

Starting to ring alarm bells... "possibilities" is underwhelmed?

I wonder if it might not be a little dark.

-Dark.

-Yes, you've got...it's light at that end, slightly darker here

but when you've got older properties, they're often smaller rooms.

Well, to pick up on your word, there are lots of possibilities,

because there are lots of rooms to this house,

it's a house of many rooms.

-Let's continue.

-OK.

I'm going to bring you over to this corner

because then you can see the feature of this...part of the house.

Oh, lovely.

-Gallery.

-That's nice.

-Very nice.

So, it's a gallery, sort of, sitting room, drawing room,

perhaps you could call it.

This was put on when the schoolhouse was closed in 1950.

A family came over from India who'd been in the army

and they set up a curtain-making business.

This is where they displayed them, hanging down from the gallery.

Ah, yes, of course.

I think this is a lovely feature.

Yeah, super feature, isn't it?

And out here they've added a very lovely sun room.

-That's nice.

-Yeah, I was going to say, nice breakfast room, yes.

So, upstairs is a case in point,

upstairs probably needs a bit of re-modelling.

And a bit of your special touch.

-TLC.

-Let's have a look.

Also on the ground floor, adjoining the kitchen we saw earlier,

there's a whole extra wing,

which in the past has been used as a holiday let and a granny annexe.

It contains a bathroom, a spacious dining room and two single bedrooms,

one of which is currently being used as a study

and it has its own entrance via a sunroom, which is

one of the extensions added a few years ago.

Upstairs, back in the main part of the property,

there are three further bedrooms.

This is the biggest bedroom upstairs

and they're using it as the master bedroom.

-This is where I think you could do some re-modelling.

-Yeah.

You've got a big family bathroom at the end, beyond that wall,

and then two bedrooms at the other end.

So, basically from here, all you're going down to is a bathroom.

Yeah.

Then I would take that wall out, make an en suite

and I'd take this wall down and do away with the corridor.

-Yeah.

-You see, the possibilities are opening up.

DAVID LAUGHS

Yes...I've never done this before.

No, no...to be honest, you know, you'd want to move here

and live here for a few months to work out how you use the house.

-Yeah, you would.

-But I do want to show you outside,

-because I think you'll like that.

-Lovely.

It's pretty clear they haven't exactly been wowed by this house

but outside in the half acre plot,

there are some features I think they'll approve of.

Right, well, you have a river down the bottom of your garden.

Lovely!

The centre of the river is the end of your garden.

-Right.

-This belongs to your neighbour.

-OK.

-For you, Dave, you've got this big shed that used to be workrooms.

-And a big double garage, so you could work there.

-Absolutely!

What do you think it's on the market for?

-Oh, golly!

-You go first.

I would say 625.

-What do you think?

-600.

600...very definite.

This is on the market for £565,000.

-Wow!

-That surprises me.

I'm going to let you explore because there's quite a lot inside. I'll see you out the front.

-Lovely!

-OK.

-Thank you very much.

-Off you go.

'Considerably below budget at £565,000,

'this charming converted school house, with its handy annexe,

'offers three reception rooms,,

'two sun rooms

'and five bedrooms.

'There's no en suite but there is plenty of scope to create one.

'Outside, on the half-acre grounds,

'there's a workshop, perfect for David's projects

'and there's even a river.

My first impression, when we first arrived at the property,

very pretty, old,

nice area, property standing in its own grounds

and attractive.

There is a lot of rooms, a lot of space

but I believe, for us,

it's probably not in the order that we would like it.

We would want to be able to remodel,

especially upstairs.

The kitchen, we would want to modernise it.

The fittings are very nice,

very traditional farmhousey.

But I'm beginning to think that, possibly,

I want something more modern.

It's incredibly quiet here apart from the sound of the river.

It's very nice.

-I was just saying it's very peaceful here.

-It's wonderfully peaceful.

It's very quiet.

Can you just pull the door behind you, because we're all done here.

-OK.

-Time to motor on to house number two.

Righty-ho!

'With miles of coastline,

'fishing has long been a way of life for many Dorset residents.

'But like much of the rest of the world, fish stocks here have

'been significantly depleted from overfishing.

'And some varieties are suffering more than others,

'due to the nation's rather limited fish repertoire.

'Currently around 80% of fish bought by British consumers is made

'up of just five types - cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawn.

'But in Wyke Regis, on the northern shore of Portland Harbour,

'chef Nigel Bloxham is determined to redress the balance

'by promoting lesser-known, but more plentiful fish varieties

'at his beach-side cafe.

'And because David is keen to take up fishing

'when he and Susan move to Dorset, we've arranged for them to meet up.'

We have a sustainability ethic here.

We have an ethic of doing things different.

What we should be doing is looking at the other fish species to eat.

How about ling, cod family?

The best way to describe ling, for me, is chewy cod.

Firm, lasts longer in the mouth.

Sand sole looks like a Dover sole.

I think it's a better eat than a Dover sole.

-I think it's more tender, more delicate.

-Yeah.

We've got some dabs here today.

Sand dabs.

I was brought up eating these for Sunday tea with bread and butter.

-Right.

-Yeah.

'Encouraging consumers to be more adventurous with their choices

'helps relieve pressure on threatened fish stocks,

'giving them a chance to recover.

'It also leads to less waste because unpopular fish

'that would typically be discarded from a catch end up getting used.'

What we really want to do is use everything the fisherman catches.

-We even deep-fry the bones to make fish crackling.

-Wow!

-Now, that's interesting.

-We really believe in using everything.

'And it's not just the marine environment

that Nigel is supporting.'

We have an ethic in using fish from the English fishermen

off English boats, in the English Channel.

How does using local produce tie in with sustainability?

It helps the community by me buying it and selling it

off the local fishermen, so the whole community

is living and working together.

'Research carried out on behalf of a leading UK supermarket

'has shown that around 31% of consumers say they wouldn't try

'a different type of fish if they didn't know how to cook it.

'Nigel is committed to proving that underappreciated varieties

'are both just as flavoursome and simple to cook

'as more favoured ones.

'And today he's recruited Susan and David to help him

'prepare a tasty dish, using a sand dab,

'a type of flatfish that came in on the morning's catch.'

We're going to flour our fish.

If you can just dip it in the flour.

-Right.

-One of you.

-Two of you.

-This is a together thing.

-One each.

-This is the fennel from the garden.

-Right.

-This is the rocket.

You put a bit of rocket into it, wild rocket.

Very hot and peppery, nothing like supermarket rocket.

We've got some purslane.

These, Sue, are slightly salty.

You can eat them like this,

blanch them off, put them in salads.

Oh, yes, they are.

'Sea purslane is one of the variety of sea herbs that grow

'wild around the coast and Nigel uses them regularly in his recipes.

'As well as adding a pop of saltiness to the dish,

'they're also nutritionally rich, with high levels

'of iron, calcium and vitamins.'

-This looks interesting.

-Add a little bit of herb butter,

a squeeze of lemon juice, to stop the butter burning.

And we'll finish it off with a wild rocket flower.

-Beautiful.

-Do you reckon?

-Really delicious.

-Absolutely.

-Looks good.

-Perfect.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-OK?

-Yeah, too right!

-Oh, yum.

-Mmm.

-No salt, no pepper.

-It doesn't need it.

-It doesn't need anything else.

-Absolutely delicious fish.

'It's clear Nigel has found a couple of new converts

'with this delicious sand dab dish.

'Time now for us to return to finding them a home.

'Our search continues nine miles south

'to the small village of Uploders,

'situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

'Two miles away in Bradpole, there are one or two handy amenities,

'including a post office and an award-winning butcher.

'Our second property, just a short drive away,

'is a four-bedroom period stone house with a clay tile roof.'

Voila!

-House number two.

-Oh, right.

What do think of the structure from the outside?

I like the appearance.

I like the stone built house, I think that's pretty.

Windows are nice.

It's been remodelled to a pretty high spec when we go inside.

-Oh, goody.

-Oh, well.

THEY CHUCKLE

-Good facilities.

-Yes, that's what I'm looking for.

-So in good country style, we're not going to go through the front door, but the back.

-Okey-doke.

'Built in the 1800s, this attractive home was originally a dairy.

'The current owners bought the place in 2000

'and they've done quite a lot of renovations to it.'

Straight into the sitting room,

or should I say the summer sitting room,

because you actually have two sitting rooms.

-Oh, right.

-Ah, interesting.

Interesting, this has got loads of character.

Is this more your style?

Yes.

Yes, interior, decorative, yeah.

-I like that feature.

-That's a nice little feature.

That's interesting, that's partly so you can talk to people

in the dining room but also because the heat from this is quite intense

and it heats that room as well.

Oh, wow! I like this, it's nice and bright.

You could walk straight in and...

-..live in it.

-What, move in? Exactly.

-Yeah, I like this.

-Let's continue our tour, then.

-All right.

It's got a nice flow, this house.

We've come in a circle, this is the dining area.

Then through into the kitchen.

-Oh...

-Yeah, this is a bit more like it.

-This is more like what you were looking for?

-Mm-hm.

-Yes.

It's not huge but it's been very nicely done.

The facilities are good.

THEY CHUCKLE

They continue up here, you've got a utility room with your big fridge

-and there's a larder and washing machine.

-Great.

It's all to hand.

-Yeah, it's a good, easy plan and layout.

-Yes.

There's a second sitting room,

a winter sitting room up there on the right.

-Yeah.

-Which means that you can change around, winter and summer.

Or, if it's just the two of you, you can just shut the door, put the fire on...

-Yeah.

-..with the snow outside...

-..and snuggle up.

-Let's look upstairs. All right.

'This property is giving them more of what they're after than our first house.

'On the next floor there are three bedrooms.

'Two are doubles,

'one is a single and they all share a family bathroom.'

-They use this as the master bedroom.

-Right.

-Very nice.

-A nicer set of cupboards.

-Lots of storage.

-Wonderful.

Lovely views. Simple space but...

..good size, just nice.

I think you might reconsider which room you use as the master

-when you see the next floor.

-Ah.

-Ah-ha.

Ah-ha.

-So up here...

-Interesting.

This is different.

-They've created actually what's essentially a separate flat.

-Right.

But in terms of the light and the peace and quiet

-and views...

-Yeah.

I think you might like to make this like a tea station.

-There's a fabulous bathroom through there.

-Right.

You might consider making this...

What are your thoughts about this space?

The ideas are rolling in the head.

-It's lovely and bright.

-It is.

This has got a lot of possibilities...

-Oh dear!

-And potential.

Oh no! I preferred it when you were saying everything was lovely.

I'd need to do a little bit of work up here and a bit of thinking.

'Outside, there's a quarter of an acre of land

'which is smaller than our first property's plot

'but it has been nicely landscaped

'and includes a greenhouse, and a good-sized veggie garden.

This is a manageable size. It's enough.

It's not too small?

No, because there's a lot in it.

There's quite a bit... Although it's small,

there's a lot of borders and enough to maintain here.

You don't have a garage, that's the downside.

Ah, right.

There's this building here

-but it's really more of a storehouse.

-Yeah.

How much do you think it's on the market for?

I'd put it at 630.

I would agree with you there and say 620-630.

Then you will be pleased to know that it is on the market

for 595.

-Ah.

-So once again, we've given you some cash in your pocket.

-Wow!

-Absolutely.

Yeah, that does surprise me for the standard of the interior,

the way it's been done.

OK, why don't you go and explore, there's quite a lot we haven't seen,

-and I will see you at the front.

-Lovely.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much.

'Well under budget at £595,000, this beautifully renovated house

'has three attractive reception areas,

'including winter and summer sitting rooms.

'On the first floor there are three bedrooms,

'and above that there's a self-contained suite.

'Outside, there's an attractive garden

'and a substantial vegetable plot.'

-Oh, this is nice.

-Super, isn't it?

-I could just see us sitting here in the winter.

-Yeah.

-Nice, big fire blazing.

-It's charming, it's got a lovely feel.

It has.

It feels right.

The immediate impact on looking at the outside, it's very pretty,

I love the styling, the way it's been done.

It's just got a really nice, warm feeling.

The way it's laid out, I think is superb.

I love the concept of the two sitting rooms.

The property does not lend itself to bringing the Land Rover

with us so, maybe, that would have to be sold.

For the right property, I'm prepared to do that.

One of my major concerns is David's old wreck,

where he's going to "do" that up.

And although he said, he's prepared to sell it,

I think that would be really sad.

It's been one of his joys.

Oh, he's made me stand up.

-Ah-ha.

-But it was worth it. Was it a good house tour?

-Yes.

-It was.

-Yes.

-Is it still lovely?

It's still lovely.

Rising tone.

Let's rush you away somewhere before you change your mind!

THEY LAUGH

'It's day two of our property search and with a budget of £650,000,

'Susan and David are leaving the suburbs of Woking, Surrey

'where they've lived all their married life to find their first new

'home together in rural Dorset.

'Still to come, the mystery house undergoes a thorough scrutiny.'

I feel like I'm being picky.

THEY LAUGH

'And I meet up with a cantankerous character who has been

'a familiar face on Weymouth beach for well over 100 years.'

That's the way to do it!

There's a couple of alarm bells ringing in my head this morning

as we head out to show Dave and Sue the mystery house.

One is really resting on my theory that actually,

the daunting prospect of moving out of that house

where they have lived for 35, or 50-odd years in Dave's case,

is just too much

and actually, they're looking for any excuse not to make the move.

The second thing is, reading between the lines,

if they did want to move, they'd want to move into something really,

really modern with new facilities,

they don't have to do anything,

which is slightly worrying because the mystery house

is the oldest of all three properties.

Having seen the two houses yesterday,

what do you think the mystery house might involve?

I think it might be modern,

a complete contrast to what we saw yesterday,

even to the point of possibly, to get the sea view,

a luxury apartment.

Ah-ha, so down by the coast. What about you, Dave?

I'm thinking maybe again an ultra modern property,

maybe in the middle of a village.

'The final stop on our search takes us 13 miles west to

'the hamlet of Maudlin, less than a mile from the Somerset border.

'One of the closest spots to find amenities

'is the pretty village of Thorncombe,

'where there's a sports club, a village hall

'and a much-loved community shop run by volunteers

'that supplies local produce and holds regular tasting events and other activities.

'Our last property, a five bedroomed detached cottage,

'is two and a half miles away.'

-Well it's definitely not a modern apartment with a sea view.

-No.

Completely wrong! Completely wrong.

As always, the mystery house, slightly curve ball.

-About 300 years old.

-Wow!

-Not listed.

-Good.

But we've been having kittens about showing it to you because it seems

that actually, what you're looking for is something more modern.

It depends what's like inside.

But the spin is that I think you're going to want

to put your mark on it.

OK. That sounds ominous!

-It's a sort of rustic property.

-Ah.

-I'm intrigued.

-Absolutely.

-Let's start the tour from the back.

-OK.

-Okey-dokey.

'This characterful home was originally a pair of cottages

'that were converted into one several years ago.

'Some of the stone it's built from is thought to have been

'recovered from an old, nearby abbey.'

Step in...

..through the large porch area.

Right.

-Into the kitchen.

-Ah-ha.

-Yes.

I think the guiding idea here is a sort of French Provencal theme

because you've got these lovely original tiles through here

-and then an old country kitchen here.

-Mm-hm.

Tight-lipped there, Sue. What are your thoughts?

-It's a bit too rustic for me.

-Too rustic?

-Mm-hm.

-This is probably the biggest kitchen that we've shown you.

-Yeah.

It would need a certain bit of modernisation, I would say.

But then you'd lose the rustic charm.

You're either into it, in my opinion, or you're not.

-True.

-If you like this sort of thing, great.

It's not floating my boat.

It's not floating your boat.

Let's continue the tour into the sitting-room.

That sounds good.

Here we have a bit more history because you've got the beams above your head.

Most definitely.

It's a south facing garden,

so on a sunny day this is all filled with sunlight.

Mm-hm. It's a good size.

And the ceilings aren't too low.

It's not my scene at the minute

and my fear is to do what I would do with it,

it would ruin the charm of the place.

I think you were very clear in what you wanted

but the mystery house is always a bit of a challenge.

Yes, well.

-It is challenging!

-Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

I feel that I'm being picky.

THEY LAUGH

-Let's go and see the rest.

-OK.

See how it hangs together.

'Also on the ground floor, there's a utility room

'and another characterful reception room,

'with a recently laid parquet floor.

'There's also a snug,

'which is currently being used as a music room.

'On the next floor, there are four light-filled double bedrooms.

'One has access to a loft above

and is being used as an artist's studio.

'All are served by a family bathroom.'

This one's used as the master.

Ah-ha.

-You do have lovely views down the garden.

-Yes.

And, like the last house, there is an attic room

-which has been opened up.

-Mm-hm.

-Which has an en suite bathroom.

-Oh, right.

Thinking about what you were saying about somewhere to do your car

and the lack of facilities, to use your word...

..outdoor facilities in the last house.

This house has it in spades.

-Ah.

-OK.

'It seems the style of our mystery house is a little

too rustic for their liking.

Outside, there's half an acre of land that includes

an ornamental pond, a veggie garden and a building

'that I think could make an excellent workshop for David.'

So at the bottom of your garden

-you've got this big, old outbuilding.

-Mm-hm.

It's already got water and electricity, obviously,

-and then down there you've got a big garage.

-Fantastic.

Oh, yes, I can see a little workshop in here.

-Well, enough torture for you!

-Thank you.

-Let's go out the front.

-OK.

It's a handsome property.

It's actually probably the biggest property that we've showed you

but I'd be interested to hear what you think it's on the market for, What its market value is?

I'd go for about 575,000.

600.

Well, in this instance, your husband is spot on.

It's on the market for 575.

Well done, you.

So for one happy buyer, it's going to be a fantastic project,

maybe not for you two.

Unless we separate!

Which we don't want.

Why don't you have a look upstairs?

There is this whole room upstairs

-that runs the whole length of the attic space, explore that.

-OK.

-I'll see you back outside.

-Super, thank you.

'Below budget at £575,000,

'this beautiful stone cottage has three reception rooms

'and a spacious farmhouse kitchen.

'On the first floor there are four double bedrooms,

'and above that, in the converted loft, there's another bedroom with

'a large and attractive en suite.

'Outside, there's half an acre of land,

'a substantial outbuilding

'and a garage that would make the perfect home for David's Land Rover.

If you like old and you like rustic,

it'll be a lovely property for somebody.

It's rural, it's large enough, a garden,

but it's way too much for me to take on.

For me, it's not a project too far.

The potential to actually convert it into a really nice modern

internal farmhouse would be a great project.

Externally, it's got a unit that can turn into a nice workshop.

Yes, I could finish my Land Rover off.

I've always said before,

the chocolate box, pretty cottage, that appeals.

What is becoming more clear to me is that yes,

I want the appearance of it, but I want the interior more modern.

-That is the final house tour done.

-Right.

So maybe we should find a spot to reconvene

and consider everything we've seen.

-OK.

-Sounds a plan.

Sitting on Dorset's coast

is one of England's archetypal seaside resorts.

Weymouth has been attracting holidaying families for generations.

It is thought to be the last resort in England to have had

a near continuous run of Punch and Judy shows

on its beach, drawing crowds here since 1881.

The most recent in a long line of Punch and Judy men,

known since Victorian times as professors, is Mark Poulton.

And his first experience of the show at a young age

was a life-changing moment.

I saw it down here when I was four years old

-and we used to come on holiday.

-Here?

-Yes, in the same spot.

And I knew there and then, that's what I was going to do.

I came and said to the Punch and Judy man,

"When I grow up, I'm going to be a Punch and Judy man on a beach."

-And here I am.

-What's the history of Punch and Judy?

The first record we've got is by Samuel Pepys in his famous diary.

The entry was on May 9th, 1662.

He went to Covent Garden, saw an Italian puppet group

and they were string puppets.

The main character was called Punchinello.

Sometime after that, when people stopped going into the marionette theatres, they cut the strings,

turned him into a glove puppet and went out to the people.

Here he is.

-I mean, he's quite a scary-looking chap.

-He can.

They say, handled in the right way, he can make you laugh.

Handled in the wrong way, he can terrify you.

There's a famous stick, he's whacking people with his stick.

-Yeah.

-Is that where slapstick comes from?

It is. Mr Punch's stick, it's big effect, big noise without hurting.

As well as devising the show and performing it,

Mark creates all of the props, sets, puppets and theatres himself,

including this replica Victorian booth.

-We've got...

-Ah, Joey.

Joey the clown, taken from the famous white-faced clown, Joey Grimaldi.

-A musical clown.

-He is a bit off-putting.

If you had a fear of puppets and clowns,

-that would be like a double whammy of phobia.

-Oh, I try!

And then this character comes up and gets the sausages.

We think that the crocodile came into Punch and Judy because of Peter Pan.

It would hurt if I...

HE LAUGHS

Originally, the shows were mostly found in cities,

but when the advent of steam trains made seaside trips

accessible to the masses,

Punch professors found a whole new audience, and soon became fixtures

on beaches all over the country.

Which finger goes where?

-That one's the head and the other ones are the arms.

-I see.

That's the way to do it! I bet you've never heard that before?

Oh, no!

So, on comes Punch and then there's Judy.

So you have to make them look at each other.

Yes, if they are talking to each other

they need to look at each other and if they are talking to the audience

they need to look at the audience.

Well, I am looking forward to seeing the show.

-Yes, well, it won't be long now.

-Thank you very much.

And good luck with it. I hope it doesn't go out of fashion.

-Well, it's lasted 351 years so far...

-So it will keep on going.

It'll keep going.

The show was originally intended for adults,

with topical storylines mocking the politicians

and establishment of the day.

But by the late Victorian era, it had evolved more

as an entertainment for children,

and some of the original cast deemed inappropriate for youngsters

were phased out, including the devil and Punch's mistress, Pretty Polly.

Hello, lovely, lovely, nice to see you all and welcome to Weymouth.

SQUEAKY VOICE: Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?

AUDIENCE CALL OUT

-Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

BLOWS RASPBERRY

Oi, naughty boy!

It's charming to witness this very British institution

being performed here so expertly by Mark,

who is helping to keep this seaside tradition alive,

hopefully for generations to come.

Time now, though, to return to our buyers to get their final verdict

on the houses we've shown them.

My property sixth sense tells me that, well,

unless you're going to get divorced...

THEY LAUGH

..houses one and three are not really contenders, is that right?

Correct.

-Dave nods obligingly.

-Correctly.

And that second house seemed to give you a lot of what you wanted.

I think we'll do another drive-by, we want to go and see the village.

It ticks a lot of the boxes.

And obviously, there are a few items for me which it does not tick.

-You don't have somewhere for your car.

-Correct.

And so at the end of this week, what do you feel will happen next?

I think we'll still keep looking in this area.

I think it helped us to focus on what we really want between us.

Yes, it has with me.

This chocolate box is all very well,

but unless it's been modernised inside, or has the potential

to do that, within not having to do the massive restoration...

Not bring my team of builders in.

I'm sorry we didn't whisk you away to a brand-new home.

It's been great fun and it has given us a lot to think about.

-It's helped us a lot.

-It's been terrific. Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

I think there are two conclusions we can draw from our time

here in Dorset with Sue and Dave.

One is that facilities must be modernised and two,

that projects should not be undertaken

unless there is a marriage counsellor on hand.

That said, the properties were lovely, Dorset is always lovely,

and make sure you join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

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