Somerset Escape to the Country

Back in the 19th century,

these buildings were part of a great estate.

They were home to a scientist

who the locals referred to as the Thunder and Lightning Man.

Now, let's face it, that is quite a claim -

so who was he, and where are we?

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

On today's show,

I'm helping two career hotshots

who now want a shot at the good life.

It's one of my trickiest house hunts...

You're not saying very much, Mark. Which is worrying me.

..as not everyone sees eye to eye.

-Is it going to be a bedroom or a studio?

-Studio.

I say bedroom.

LAUGHTER

Well, today we are in Somerset,

and these are the remains of Fyne Court.

Now, back in the early 19th century,

this was once the site of a great mansion.

It was destroyed by a fire in 1890, but back then,

it was home to a local scientist called Andrew Crosse.

He was playing around with the newly discovered power of electricity.

In one trial, he placed a small volcanic rock into a bath of acid

and passed a current through it.

Tiny mites were said to have emerged from it,

leading many to claim that he was playing God

and trying to create life.

Now, in fairness to Crosse himself,

it wasn't a claim that he would ever have made,

and in a lecture explaining his findings

it's thought that one of his visitors

was none other than Mary Shelley.

The locals here like to believe that Crosse was the inspiration

for her Dr Frankenstein.

Now, of course, we'll never really know the truth of that,

but it's one of the lovely myths and legends that, for me,

makes Somerset so enticing.

Set in the southwest of England,

the county of Somerset is bordered by Wiltshire to the east,

Dorset to the southeast

and Devon to the southwest.

Somerset is best-loved for its varied and undulating landscape,

featuring the hill ranges the Mendips, the Quantocks,

and the Blackdown Hills.

Its ancient and historic terrain

is home to world-famous natural wonders,

such as Britain's largest gorge at Cheddar,

with its dramatic cliffs rising 450 feet.

Through the centre of the county runs the Somerset levels and moors,

one of the UK's most important wetlands,

and where the iconic Glastonbury Tor rises out of the landscape -

its 15th century tower visible for miles around.

Built from the local hamstone,

the county is peppered with pretty villages and towns.

All-in-all Somerset shapes up as a vision of classic rural England.

Now, here in Somerset,

your average detached property will set you back £264,000.

That's 7,000 more than the national figure for pretty much

the same kind of property.

And, of course, there are the predictable hotspots.

Anything within Chew Valley could cost you another 15% on top of that.

Why?

Well, it's beautiful,

it has some fantastic schools

and, of course, it's commuter country for all those people

working in both Bristol and Bath.

So, if you want my advice, and you want a bit more value for money,

head further south towards Chard and Crewkerne -

there you will be spoilt for choice, I can assure you.

So, time now to meet today's buyers

and find out what they're looking for.

Southerner, Mark, and Julie from Scotland are IT consultants

from opposite ends of the British Isles.

They met at work, and three years ago decided

it was time for Mark to move into Julie's existing home in Edinburgh.

I bought this house just for me and the cat.

It was big enough for the two of us, and, erm...

since Mark's moved in, the house is just groaning at the seams.

Every cupboard is stuffed full.

The garage is stuffed full.

With all this stuff we have between us,

it's been quite a challenge to find homes for everything.

Now a new job for Julie in Bristol

is giving them the chance not only to trade up the house,

but also offering a much-wanted change of lifestyle.

I think our interests always have been rural.

Out of choice, we would have always lived out in the countryside, anyway.

It's just... If you want a career you've got to be in a city.

When we go down to the West Country,

we are looking for the outdoor space,

we like to be around animals,

we want to do more stuff outside.

Home is currently a compact three-bedroom house

in Edinburgh's commuter belt.

What this area doesn't provide for us,

is the peace and quiet that we're really looking for.

So this is an estate.

The houses are very close together.

There's just too much noise.

We just want complete peace and quiet.

I'm looking forward to the only thing waking me up in the morning

to be a cow mooing, a sheep baaing or birdsong.

This will be the first time they've bought a house together.

It gives us the opportunity to have something that we can call "ours".

Where we've had properties before, it's either been mine or Julie's,

and this is the time for us to go and get something

that's going to be what we want.

There are certain things we agree on, but there are lots of things

that we don't, in terms of what we want in the property.

If we could have a wing each, it would be great.

But there's one thing that they are in complete agreement on,

the need for Julie's messy hobby of making stained-glass,

to move out of the main house.

Just, practically, cutting glass in a house...

Shards of glass go everywhere.

And it also takes up a huge amount of space.

You really need a purpose-built room

that you can actually just leave things exactly where they are,

and you can go away and come back at a later date to continue it.

For their bigger, quieter new home they have a decent pot of money.

The budget for the move is £500,000.

As Julie and Mark want a rural property

no more than an hour from central Bristol,

I'm concentrating our search in central Somerset

within striking distance of the M5,

and I'm joining them to find out more about the specifics

of their planned move.

-Well, welcome to Somerset.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-This is a long way from home for you, isn't it?

-A very long way.

-Now this is all motivated by your new job, isn't it?

-Yes.

This is a chance for the pair of you to buy a house

-that's actually both of yours.

-Correct.

-Yeah.

Something that we hope will be a bit bigger,

which has a bit more character to it, and certainly has a rural feel.

Yeah. We wanted to experience retirement before we retire,

basically.

HE LAUGHS

So, country life is your way of retiring early.

-Yes, definitely.

-But still working.

-OK.

Now, just give me some idea of what this house might look like.

How many bedrooms, and that sort of thing, do you need?

Minimum three?

We'd like a bit of land for keeping animals such as

sheep, pigs, er, chickens, quail...

-Quail?!

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

A very refined taste you have! Is it quail eggs you're after?

Absolutely.

So it's a bit of a...menagerie, really.

But the house has got to be large.

Now, getting you a bigger house, I'm not worried about.

My only concern, really, is this thing about land.

Because what you're describing to me, is a smallholding.

And, yes, you've got a very handsome budget of £500,000.

The need to be closer to Bristol,

obviously puts us into Bristol's own commuter belt

which comes with a price tag at a premium.

One other element that we do need to satisfy are your hobbies.

So we want a nice workshop/outbuilding.

Because it's a great thing that you're doing with the stained-glass.

There is a lot of use of blowtorches and smelly tallow

and chemicals and things, that you really don't want in your house,

so we really do need somewhere outside the house.

Again, outbuildings I don't think are a problem with half a million.

-Are you ready to spend it?

-Yep.

-Yeah.

-Good!

Well, we've got three very interesting properties

to tempt you with, including our mystery house

which we'll look at first thing tomorrow morning.

-In the meantime, let's get going. After you.

-Thank you.

It's quite a shopping list

but we've three properties lined up which all offer something

different and, as usual, I won't be revealing their prices immediately.

And for the final offering, the mystery house -

I've something up my sleeve they really won't be expecting.

We're kicking off the house search six miles east of the M5

in the rural village of Catcott.

Surrounded by fields and farmland,

Catcott is one of the 12 villages of the Polden Hills.

It's home to a Grade I listed church dating back to the 13th century,

and with a population of around 500,

is the epitome of peace and quiet.

But should the tranquillity become too much,

this small settlement boasts two pubs.

And not far from the centre of the village is our first property.

Right, in you come. In you come.

What do you think to all this, then? Come over here.

This is our first property for you.

Looks good so far.

Loving the stone.

Isn't it lovely?

That bit is the oldest bit - about 300 years old.

It's an old barn that's been converted and this bit was added

about three years ago,

with some wonderful oak beams in it, wood burner, and so on.

One thing we have to be upfront about, is that we don't have

acres and acres for you here.

As you can see, it is quite an enclosed garden set up,

but we do have access to somebody up the road

-who regularly rents out paddocks.

-OK.

So, if this little village community is for you,

and if this house is for you, I think we can satisfy every end.

But it is a fantastic property, this.

Looking forward to seeing inside it.

Come on, then, let's have a look.

With the option of land for animals off-site,

this magical walled garden does fulfil their desire

for a restful retreat from work,

and I'm hoping the inside will impress.

So, this is the new bit.

-What do you reckon?

-Very nice.

-Fantastic. Loving the wood.

-I like the woodwork.

Isn't it beautiful?

-And I love the stove!

-Yep.

And the light, as well. Coming in from the skylights.

Is this the sort of thing that would work?

It's definitely a place that you can relax...and chill.

And it goes on into the kitchen.

Which is here.

A nice open plan.

There's a larder and a utility room through that door there.

-But it's got a lovely kind of flow to it, I think.

-It is.

And it's nice and country-feeling, too.

You're not saying very much, Mark. Which is worrying me, slightly.

What's going on in my mind, is -

does it give us that formal space for formal dining?

Yeah. We don't mind doing the sort of informal things,

if we've just got house guests,

but when it comes to big occasions like Christmas, etc,

we do like to have the formal dining space.

I mean, there is the snug next-door that could become a dining room.

You can adapt part of that enormous living room through there.

-It does have a lot of options.

-OK. Let's continue this way.

It might not have a ready-made dining room,

but, as well as a separate WC,

there is a downstairs third bedroom

with its own en suite shower and sauna.

And upstairs, there is a further guest double

as well as the master bedroom.

Now, there are two bedrooms up here.

None of them are en suite

but they are served by a very big family bathroom right next door.

-OK.

-This is currently the master bedroom.

-Good.

-Nice size.

Good high ceilings, fantastic light.

I want to finish off with this, I think, amazing studio in the garden.

It's currently set up as an en suite,

so it's a great annexe for your guests,

but could it be your workshop? Let's have a look.

Overlooking an ornamental pond,

this single-storey cabin could

make a fantastic stained-glass studio for Julie.

-What are you think?

-Oh, wow.

-Not bad, is it?

-It's very nice!

The question is, does it stay as a bedroom,

with en suite through there,

or is it going to be a studio?

-Studio.

-I say bedroom.

THEY LAUGH

We're not going to agree on this one, I don't think.

But I actually quite like that this is separate from the house,

and your guests have got the flexibility that they can get

up whenever they want, go to the bathroom without disturbing you

and all that sort of stuff. They can more or less be independent.

-But no, he wants them in the house.

-East Wing and West Wing.

No, it would definitely make a good studio.

But, as I say, I like the fact that it's got the en suite.

It means that you don't have to traipse in and out

if you are covered in chemicals... Lead and acid

and all the other stuff that you play with.

And there was another outbuilding currently being

used as an office and extra bedroom which could also be

made into a workshop or more guest accommodation.

Have you got any idea of what property number one

is on the market for?

I'm going to go for... Top end of the budget, I think.

-I would go for 495.

-I am going to go a lot less.

-OK.

-425?

This is on at £475,000. Obviously open to offers, but...

You do get quite a lot for it.

The only issue, I suppose,

is whether or not you can compromise on the lack of obvious acreage.

-Mm.

-And whether the whole animal issue is one

that's going to really take hold of your minds,

and you want to pursue more fully.

But as a property to come and live in, I think it works.

For a property to live in it hits the mark for me.

-And you've yet to see that little studio outside.

-Yes.

Go on, then. Explore to your heart's content.

But is it enough house and garden?

Walking into that lovely family room. That was a revelation.

I loved the oak beams, I loved the space, I loved the light.

Whether it is a contender or not I'm not sure,

because we really do want some more outdoor space.

It's a beautiful house.

It's got lots of things that we really like.

I just think it lacks one room downstairs,

which is either a dining room, or a separate living area.

Ah! There you go.

I was rather enjoying this.

I thought you were going to take a bit longer.

I thought you'd found the kettle and made us a cup of tea.

Lots to see, lots to think about.

Well, I think this is a great start certainly,

but I think we still have some way to go. Let's get going.

The scenic rural landscape of Somerset

has long been shaped by its thriving agricultural industries.

On the edge of the Mendip Hills, a new venture is making its mark.

The community farm is a 22-acre plot run by volunteers.

This not-for-profit scheme focuses on producing food

that buyers can trace.

It also aims to teach people how to grow their own produce.

As Mark and Julie are looking for a property with land for an orchard,

and space to grow their own vegetables,

we've arranged for them to meet farm manager

Andy Dibbon to give them a head-start on setting up

for a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

So, can people come and get involved?

That is our main aim, really.

To encourage people to come and share the site with us -

whether that be just enjoying the beautiful location

and being in the fresh air and getting some good healthy exercise.

Obviously, learning about how to grow and harvest and store vegetables.

And that education side goes right from the very beginner,

right up to quite high-end professionals

who want to hone their skills more.

We're looking for a house in this area with a couple of acres.

-Can we get some advice from you?

-Definitely.

That's what we're all about.

What I can do today is run you through

some of the basics of growing your own veg,

-give you some advice and, hopefully, help to get you started.

-Great.

Right, come with me then.

Having only dabbled with growing a few potatoes before,

Julie and Mark could do with a few pointers.

So I'm going to start off with some basic seed sowing techniques.

This is called a plug tray.

The first thing is to fill it.

So we've got a good ol' dustpan, here.

Just put a big pile of compost on top of the tray like this,

and then with your hands move this around.

The next thing we do is the seed.

I just push them slightly down into the middle of each cell.

Like that. I might pass the job on to you.

So put your hand out... I'll pour these into your hand.

Is the depth important here?

Yeah, the depth is important.

If they're too deep, they might not germinate.

And if they are too shallow, they might dry out too quickly.

These are lettuce seeds.

And it's best to put three in each cell, just in case some don't grow.

Now that the seeds are all planted,

we're going to water them a little bit,

make sure there's enough moisture in there

to soften that seed and get it to germinate.

The cell trays allow lots of seeds to be planted in a small space,

but once they start to grow

the lettuces are transferred into polytunnels.

This crop will end up being sold to the public in seasonal delivery boxes.

Volunteers harvest the farm's produce throughout the year,

and the current crop ripe for picking is the runner bean.

This is the nice end of the operation.

This is where we get to harvest some of the hard work over the year.

These rows harvest between 60kg and 70kg of beans each week.

So, let's see how much Mark and Julie can contribute

towards that impressive load.

So off you go, see how many beans you can get...

If you're struggling to find any lower down,

track the plant right up to the top

and there'll be some nice bigger beans.

Would this be something we could grow on our smallholding?

Almost definitely.

It's one of the first crops I'd plant anywhere - runner beans.

Most things, if you're growing them on a small scale, I'd have a go at.

And that's where you learn. It's trial and error, really.

Over the year, the farm produces around 50 different varieties

of fruit and vegetables, all of which are organic,

and almost all of which are harvested by hand.

That's a lovely one there, Mark.

Looks like you've got enough beans now for your tea.

I think we'll go and see what else we can find to add to that, shall we?

-I don't think that's bad pickings.

-It's magic.

With dinner sorted, it's back to the property hunt.

And we've found a gem.

The search is taking us south to the village of Othery,

which is just on the edge of Julie's maximum commute to Bristol

of one hour.

The village was established back in 1515,

and given that today it has a small population of around 600,

Othery has rather good amenities,

including a bakery, a pub and a village shop.

And just a short walk away is our second property.

What have we got here for you?

-What about this?

-That's nice.

-Yeah?

-Really nice.

-What do you make of number two?

-Very pretty.

I like the stone, I love the front door, it's absolutely gorgeous.

-It looks like it's got a fair amount of character.

-Oh, yes.

If I tell you it goes back to between 1400 and 1500...

-Oh, fantastic.

-..you've got loads of character.

There is also that enormous barn attached to it

which I'm going to describe as a kind of party barn.

It is a really good space and I know we've talked about friends

and family coming down and you entertaining.

Clearly, the dining room is a good indication of your need to entertain.

That's a great spot.

-Great spot.

-I'm excited to see inside, now.

-This I am excited about, as well.

-Good.

'That's a great reaction for the outside of the property

'and I think Mark and Julie will be impressed with how much house

'they'll get for their money on this one.'

Let's start with one of the three

reception rooms this place offers you.

Very nice.

-Yeah?

-I do like this.

-Very impressive.

What's working?

The fireplace, the size of the room,

the height of the beams, just at the right height.

-This is working well, isn't it?

-It is, so far.

-So far.

I want to see more.

Right, let's go to the kitchen.

'There are two further living rooms, both with exposed beams

'and inglenook fireplaces.

'In this house they're spoilt for choice as to where

'that formal dining room would go.'

This is the kitchen, guys.

Very nice. Very nice.

Bigger than the last one.

-Yeah?

-Far more cupboards which is something that we're looking for.

-Oh, yeah.

-I like the worktops.

THEY LAUGH

There's definitely more smiles coming from you on this one.

Come on, there's so much to get through.

Follow me.

'A corridor leading to a rear conservatory

'concludes the downstairs layout and the spacious ground floor

'is definitely ticking boxes for Mark.

'Upstairs offers just as much, with four good-sized bedrooms

'full of period features and one family bathroom.'

This is what we've got in mind for you two.

-A nice size.

-Yeah.

-It's a good size.

Plenty of room for furniture, plenty of room for the wardrobes.

-Nice and light with the windows on either side.

-Good.

Similarly to our first property you've got the annexe

with another double bed in it

but I really want to finish off in the garden

and we'll talk about the price of property number two, as well.

-OK.

-After you, lead on.

'The space in this house is clearly a winner

'and the annexe gives them more than expected, too.

'With three rooms downstairs and a mezzanine bedroom upstairs,

'there is plenty of space to house both the workshop and guests.'

So, as you can see, here is the rest of the garden.

We had a glimpse of it when we arrived back there.

Within its half an acre it's got some interesting little zones.

I think you've got room enough, certainly for plenty of

vegetable gardening and, indeed, for some chickens and maybe some quail.

As a garden, it works for me.

-Does it work for you because I know space is the key issue?

-Mmm.

It's not far off it.

Before I send you off, I want you to go away armed with the price.

You've got half a million to spend,

where do you think property number two comes on the scale?

Near the top, 485,000.

485,000, yeah, OK.

-I'm going to go 490,000.

-490,000.

You're both wrong but you're not far off, in fairness to you.

This one is bang on the budget at £500,000.

How do we feel about that?

-Quite good.

-Yeah? I would.

It surprises me because it's a lot of house...

-It's a huge amount of house!

-..for £500,000.

I know it hasn't got everything but it's got an awful lot going for it.

You haven't been in there yet.

Go on, off you go, go and find a studio

and I'll catch up with you later on.

Brilliant, I'm very happy.

'So bang on the budget at £500,000,

'this converted farmhouse offers all the space they could

'wish for with four bedrooms and three spacious living rooms.

'There's enough land to start their bid for the good life

'as well as the huge annexe and an unconverted barn,

'which might need a bit of vision.'

-This is some space, isn't it?

-Yeah, what would you do with it, though?

All those things we've got to store,

-we've got somewhere to store them now!

-That's true, yeah.

House two has been a bit of a surprise, actually.

Inside, the rooms are full of period features.

It's quite quirky in its layout and the garden's plenty big enough.

Lots of potential out there for growing.

I could definitely see myself living here.

This house is definitely a contender.

The amount of space we've got, the rooms downstairs,

the bedrooms...

Bonus features, the outdoor annexe,

which would easily convert into an office, as well as a studio.

The barn, well, what a space.

Loads of potential there.

It's just got, generally, a really good feel to it.

Right, out you come.

You have had a lot to explore,

we've given you loads of time on this one but well worth it, I think.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Is it a contender?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

It should be, I love it, I was very excited to show you this one

but it's been a long day.

We've got our mystery house awaiting us tomorrow morning

so time now for some supper and a drink, maybe.

-Yeah.

-Come on, then.

'It's our last day of house hunting here in Somerset.

'For a budget of £500,000, Mark and Julie want to

'relocate from Edinburgh to a beautiful country retreat.

'Still to come, we face a difference of opinion on the finer

'points of architecture.'

I'm loving the wonky walls.

-I think you're more interested in the wonky walls than he is.

-Yeah.

'And I discover an unusual way to brush a horse's tail.'

You have to be careful with your knuckles.

Well, guys, I thought yesterday ended rather well

-with our second property.

-It did, yeah.

But something else has cropped up

and I'd like you to share it with the rest of the world.

This cow, tell us how you've ended up with a cow.

I did some interview coaching for a colleague at work.

When he got the job he said,

"When I get my first bonus I'll make sure you're looked after"

and I had said, "Don't bother, your dad owns a dairy and beef farm,

"so I'll just have one of your cows." That was the deal.

-He got the job and you got a cow?

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

Our final property, our mystery house,

will offer you more land but, as always, there's a bit of a catch.

It's not thatched?

I couldn't possibly say.

'For our final property I'm taking Mark and Julie

'six miles further south to the small town of Langport,

'just over one hour from Bristol city centre.

'This ancient market town was once an important trading post.

'Many of the historic buildings have been lovingly restored, including

'the curious hanging chapel which sits on an archway over the road.

'With shops, doctors and a library, all amenities are covered

'and just a mile up the road is today's mystery house.'

So you remember in the car, you said, "Is it going to be a thatch?"

-Mm-hm.

-There it is.

It is a thatch and I know you've got some

misgivings about thatched properties. You're not alone.

There are many misconceptions about thatched properties,

that they are going to burn down, they leak, they're damp and all the rest of it.

-That they cost a fortune to insure, none of which is true.

-OK.

Thatch has been around for thousands of years.

It is a brilliant and very durable material.

It does create the classic kind of chocolate box image

of your new country home.

JULIE CHUCKLES

We've got you 1.63 acres that run up behind here

through a lovely range of gardens

up to orchard, paddock and so on and so forth.

-OK.

-Let's have a look, then.

Yeah, let's see what you think of it.

'I'm relieved the thatch hasn't put them off because the land

'behind this charming cottage, with annexe, could make it a winner.'

To start with, downstairs loo and shower room in there

and a little cloakroom and then this is the kitchen.

Oh!

Small.

-Well, we've spoilt you, haven't we?

-You have.

We've spoilt you with what we've seen already,

but that's the kind of compromise.

I like the beams and the way it's been done out

is actually really nice.

It is all done, there's not a great deal to have to worry about.

Yeah, it is that bit smaller.

-Let's see the rest.

-Yeah, come on.

You're thinking it won't take long.

Next to the kitchen, the dining room, obviously.

-This is important to you.

-That is nice.

-Yeah!

-Yeah.

I really like the way they've made a feature of the brickwork

and rendering halfway up the wall.

It's very cosy and it is very, very pretty.

-Right then, living room.

-Yeah.

Across this little hallway is the living room.

Watch your heads.

HE CHUCKLES

-Very nice.

-Yes.

This has got a great, big smile from you, Mark.

-Yeah, it's just, er...

-The fireplace.

-The fireplace.

-We've not been short of an inglenook or two this week.

-No.

There's lots of features in here to recommend it.

The annexe is self-contained at the moment but you can access it

through that little door there which takes you into a little lobby.

We'll get you to have a look at that a bit later on.

On a practical level, seriously, would this suffice?

It would me.

I still think it's a room short downstairs but, as you say,

you've got this annexe next door.

Yeah, certainly you could spill through into there if you wanted to.

Erm, you'd still have to duck.

THEY LAUGH

Because you couldn't chop the beam out

but, for all of its size,

bizarrely, it's got four bedrooms upstairs, not including the annexe.

-Really?

-Yeah, come and have a look at this.

'With exposed beams throughout, there is

'one double room and two smaller ones for visiting friends and family.

'And then there's the master.'

Come on in.

-Very nice.

-Yeah?

I'm loving the wonky walls. I love that.

It gives so much character to the room.

-I think you're more interested in the wonky walls than he is.

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

OK.

All right, but, you know, in terms of your classic slice

of country living, as it were, you know, this is the picture, isn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

-It's a bigger room than I expected.

-Yes.

Of course, the other thing is that you get a really good sized

en suite through there. Go and have a look.

It is the bathroom up here so your guests have got to use the shower room downstairs.

-It's a nice size.

-It is a nice size. Nicely kitted out too.

-Yeah?

OK, well that more or less concludes the property, as such,

with the exception of the annexe, which I'm going to let you

explore at your leisure later on.

Next, however, I think we should get to the main event which is outside.

The garden and the paddock and somewhere for this cow.

Yeah? Come on.

'For Julie's stained glass making there are outbuildings aplenty

'with a garage, three sheds and a stable

'and across the formal lawns is the land that I think is the real draw.'

Now then, we talked about the good life and self-sufficiency,

what about that for a bountiful vegetable patch?

Yeah, and a compost heap.

-Compost heap, you've got two greenhouses.

-Yeah.

It's kind of all here and we haven't got to the rest of the land yet.

-Ah.

-Keep going.

-Yeah, come on, then.

'The ready-made vegetable plots would give them

'a head start on their dreams of a smallholding

'and this property offers them just under an acre of paddock,

'more than enough for Julie's new cow.'

So this is it.

This is the paddock and orchard.

-So, Mark, would this work?

-It would work, definitely.

-Good.

Even the way it's been laid out is

not dissimilar to something I would have done myself.

OK, good.

So, madam, you can go first for our last guess.

Make us an offer on the mystery house.

Well, we've gone smaller on the house,

-bigger on the ground, so bang on our budget of 500,000.

-Mm-hm. Mark?

I am going to go over budget at 520,000.

£520,000.

You're not bad at this, you two, to be fair.

On this occasion you, madam, are right.

Yes, at £500,000.

That gets you the mystery house. Happy?

-Yeah, very happy.

-Good.

Off you go, keep smiling

and I'll catch up with you a little bit later on.

Brilliant! Well, as you've probably gathered,

this has not been the easiest house search.

We've had an awful lot to accommodate within

the confines of a budget, albeit a very generous one.

On top of that, this morning I discover there's also a cow

being thrown into the mix.

But, at long last, I think we might have got there.

Once again, our mystery house might just have done it.

'For £500,000 this chocolate box farmhouse offers four bedrooms,

'two living spaces

'and just over 1.5 acres, including formal gardens,

'vegetable patches and a paddock,

'plus a self-contained annexe which could be remodelled.

It would make much more sense if it was part of the main house.

Yeah, it might be better.

So if you use this end of the house as a kitchen and do something else

with the other end of the house, like a family bathroom.

I absolutely love the mystery house.

It's everything that I could want and a little bit more.

I love the wonky walls, I love the quirkiness of the place.

I love the exposed beams, everything I could want in a garden and that

little bit extra being the paddock, as well,

it's absolutely perfect for me.

A cracking house.

Didn't expect to find a house of this kind of character.

The gardens are wonderful, the different areas.

My only reservations would be what to do with the annexe.

If there was a way through into that annexe

and we could change the format of the rooms, to give us

a bigger kitchen, I think we would definitely be on to a winner.

What are you thinking about the thatch, then?

-Are you still agonising over thatch?

-I'm afraid so.

I thought this might have been a turning point.

-I think we have given you three very interesting options.

-Yes.

-Maybe we found you a solution?

-Mm.

-Who knows?

Yeah? Shall we go and have a cup of tea and think about it?

-Yeah.

-Come on, then.

'Somerset is essentially a rural county

'but over the years it's also been a centre for industry

'with coal mining, quarrying, wool, weaving and textiles.

'Much of this manufacturing declined long ago

'but, thankfully, some is still thriving

'and today I'm visiting the south Somerset town of Castle Cary

'to see the last remaining horsehair weavers in the UK.

'Established in 1837 by a travelling Scotsman called John Boyd,

'today it's run by managing director, Anna Smith.'

Hello, Anna.

I'm Jules, very nice to see you.

This is what I was hoping to see, a classic old-fashioned

kind of weaving shed.

-Here you are holding some of the famous horsehair.

-Yes.

What is it about horsehair that makes it such a fantastic fabric?

It's a very unusual fabric.

It a very, very strong, resilient fabric.

It will last more than 100 years if it's properly upholstered.

It was the original fabric used by Chippendale, Hepplewhite,

Rennie Mackintosh. So if you have a good piece of furniture,

it's the right fabric to put on it.

To many people the idea of making anything from horsehair might seem quite unusual.

It's a fashion that's kind of disappeared, really. Why?

It was very popular in Victorian times.

Originally they used local horses and then when the car was invented

in 1890 there just wasn't as much horsehair available.

So we would travel up to London,

-we'd meet hair brokers from overseas...

-Yeah.

-..and source the hair.

-Hair brokers?

-That's like a commodity broker but dealing in horsehair?

-Yes, yeah.

-Where do you get it from now?

-It comes mainly from Mongolia

and Siberia where they still use working horses.

-That's incredible and yet here it is in Somerset.

-Yeah.

'To prepare the hair for weaving, it's first washed and then dyed.

'Each tail starts off in its natural state

'and is stained to order from a choice of over 200 colours.

'Once dyed, and before it can be weaved,

'the hair needs to go through one more traditional process.'

-Duncan...

-Hi, there.

How are you? Chief wizard of the dying process.

Yeah.

And also of hackling. This is hackling, is it?

This is hackling, yeah. This is done to remove the short and broken hairs.

-Potentially quite dangerous by the looks of it?

-It is, yeah.

You have to be careful with your knuckles.

But also, I imagine, quite cathartic, is it?

It's not too bad, it gives you time to think.

-Can I have a go?

-Of course you can.

Just hold it tightly there and start at the end.

-Start at the end?

-Yeah, and work your way up.

-Look at that, it's lovely.

-OK.

Flaxen hair, lump of mane, look at that.

So you just flop it on?

Just flop it on the end and pull it through.

-That's it, you feel it.

-Oh, yeah.

Then you go a bit further next time.

I'm with you, just working your way down.

Yeah, pulling the knots away.

How much hackling do you have to do on one of these pieces of hair?

Until it runs through smoothly. Basically...

It varies.

It can take a couple of minutes, it can take five or ten minutes.

Once you've finished your hackling, I guess it's ready to go onto the looms.

'Incredibly the looms at this factory

'are the originals, making them around 150 years old.

'The lengthwise threads, known as the warp,

'are made of cotton, silk or linen.

'The horizontal threads, known as the weft,

'are the individually inserted horsehairs

'and each loom can produce just two to three metres of fabric a day.'

Here it is, finished, and what I love about this is you can

still see the individual horse hairs.

Just remind us how many there are to the inch?

There's 90 hairs in one inch of cloth

and they're all put in individually.

And here we have it in its applied form, the finished product,

-doing what it's supposed to do.

-Yeah.

Is this what we might expect to see in royal palaces, for example?

Yes, we supply to royal palaces both here and also overseas, as well.

'In fact, its durability and unique lustre

'have made it a much sought-after textile.

'Fabric woven here in Somerset graces some of the world's finest

'interiors from the Ritz to the Thai Royal Palace

'and Hampton Court to the White House.'

So is it a market that's now growing again?

Yes, we're very fortunate a lot of contemporary designers are showing

more interest in the product because of its unusual properties.

I think it's absolutely fabulous and it's a real treat to see

that it's a tradition that's very much alive and well

here in Somerset.

'And let's hope it's a skill that can continue

'for at least another 150 years.'

Well, the show is almost over but, of course, there is

one final thing we need to do and that is to sit both Mark

and Julie down and find out if we have managed to find them

their new home of the future.

There is no getting away from the fact they've certainly

made us sing for our supper this week

and the challenge, it seems to me, has got greater as the days have gone by.

Have we managed to crack it?

Let's go and ask them.

-Well, this has been an interesting week.

-It has, indeed.

It has, indeed.

Have we managed to find you a new home?

No, I think is the short answer.

Erm, but given us some really good properties to look at

and lots of things to think about.

His face said it all.

THEY LAUGH

Can I pick bits of each three, one bit from each?

You would not be the first buyers to want to put all of our

properties into a bag, shake it all up and pull out your dream home.

-Mmm.

-But have you taken away

a clearer vision of what it is you are now looking for?

I think we have. Yeah.

The land is important

but probably not as important as the size and the rooms in the house.

You see, that's why I thought property number two

was going to be the one.

The scale of the property that was on offer.

It was massive.

I think it was kind of what to do with that big barn at the end,

and stuff. We felt that was a money pit.

Party barn! You don't need to do anything with it!

But we then tempted you with our mystery house this morning,

which offered you bags of land and that certainly seemed to resonate with you, Mark?

It did, it was perfect.

You know, you had everything in that garden.

-And the "but" was the size of the property?

-Yeah.

-Mainly the size of the kitchen.

-Really?

So if we could put property two in property three's location...

-In the middle of property three's location...

-THEY LAUGH

-It would be perfect.

-Right.

But I guess you are understanding now perhaps a bit more

clearly the limitations on what the budget can do?

So, actually, we've sent you off having to find more money

and still as confused as you were when you arrived!

We're not... I'm not confused.

It has been a great experience

and seeing the contrast between the three different houses, you know,

it's built a good story for me to,

-from what I need to look at in the future.

-Yeah.

Well, I certainly enjoyed it, you can't beat house hunting in Somerset.

Whatever the outcome, best of luck to you.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

Now, in making sense of this week's show,

you might think it's a bit disappointing

that we haven't managed to sell any one of our houses

but, in truth, Somerset's property market itself

didn't really disappoint.

We had three fantastic options.

What it has done, of course, is bring into sharp focus

for Mark and for Julie three key things.

One, what's available.

Two, what THEY really want and, finally,

what it's now going to cost to actually get them there.

Who knows what their future really does hold?

I'll see you next time.

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