Monmouthshire Escape to the Country

Built in the late 13th century, this is the only medieval

fortified bridge in the UK to still have its gatehouse intact.

Oh, yes. Find out where it is

and why it was particularly unfit for purpose in just a moment.

On today's show, we're offering a couple of committed country lovers

the chance to escape the city for good.

There are incredible sights...

-Look at the view!

-Wow, what a view.

-That's amazing.

..and the right sort of sounds.

-Oh!

-Wow.

-Oh, wow.

-Yeah.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-Blimey.

-Ooh!

-My word.

-Wow.

Today we're in Monmouthshire and this is the Monnow Bridge.

In 1297, it was Edward I who gave the townsfolk of Monmouth

permission to build this splendid structure to defend themselves.

Little knowing that 100 feet upstream

there's a perfectly passable crossing by foot,

which was exactly the route that Civil War soldiers took

350 years later when they attacked the town.

Still, you can't win them all.

Although Monmouthshire itself does score notable victories elsewhere.

Take a look.

Monmouthshire is bordered by the Welsh county of Powys

to the north and the English counties of Herefordshire

and Gloucestershire to the east.

The ancient county was much larger,

incorporating many of the Welsh principal areas to the west,

including Torfaen and Newport.

It's an area of great geographical diversity and awe-inspiring scenery.

Lying to the north of Monmouthshire

and rising to a height of 2,000 feet are the Black Mountains,

part of the much larger Brecon Beacons National Park.

Straddling the border with England in the east

is the meandering Wye Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It's a county rich in history,

from the eerie monastic ruins of Tintern Abbey

and the imposing Chepstow Castle,

which sits on the bank of the River Wye,

to the town of Monmouth

which has one of the finest Georgian shire halls in Wales.

It's not hard to see why this county appeals to those

seeking the perfect rural escape.

When it comes to property shopping in Wales,

Monmouthshire is the most expensive county -

largely due to its proximity to commuter towns

like Bristol, Cardiff and, of course, Newport.

However, don't let that put you off,

because the average price for a detached house here

is £234,000, which is £23,000 less

than the national figure.

And if you go to the north, to the border with Powys,

your money goes even further -

20% further according to the local estate agents.

So, what are our couple today going to do with their property pound?

Let's meet them and find out.

Pete and Dawn, who are both in their 30s, currently live in Bristol

in a three-bedroomed terrace house with their puppy, Jenny.

They've only been here for a year,

but they quickly realised that it's not the place for them.

I think the area doesn't really provide the outdoor space

that we're requiring and also it's very built up, as a city would be.

We just don't have that outdoor space,

we don't have the off-street parking, which is a major issue.

Yeah, and not so much privacy, as well,

because the neighbours are very...there.

Welsh born Dawn is a solicitor and Pete, who's from Somerset,

works as a broadcast sales manager.

They met through an online dating agency.

We've been married six months, so, we got married at Christmas,

-20th December, so a Christmas wedding.

-Yeah.

And it's going well so far!

-Do you think?

-Yeah, of course I do!

Why did you say that with a question mark? "It's going well?"

But at least there's no doubt about where they want to live.

I think we're definitely both rural people.

We both were brought up in the country

and we've obviously been in the city for a little while now.

We're definitely rural people at heart.

I was born over in the Wye Valley, Monmouthshire.

So, I'm used to the countryside.

My uncle's got a farm in the Wye Valley so, I'd go up there quite

a bit when I was younger, not so much now I'm over here.

But, yeah, we do like the countryside.

And Monmouthshire is the perfect place for Pete

to indulge his passions.

I think when we move to Monmouthshire,

the things I'm really looking forward

to are certainly the cycling.

So, I mean, I'm a very keen road cyclist

and the countryside in Monmouthshire is great, it's very hilly,

it's great terrain for riding.

I think it's also having the outdoor space

to take our dog Jenny for walks

and for us to go for more walks

and just have the space, really, that we don't have at the moment.

And there's another pressing reason why now is the right time to move.

Pete's talking about babies.

So...

So, yeah, a bit more space for a family.

Yeah, so I mean we are looking at starting a family, as well.

So starting a family, we don't really want to have a family

in the location that we're in.

Despite living in the city,

Pete is already getting into the country spirit.

Yeah, well, he bought a tweed jacket the other day

and now he's going, "Ooh, I need another one. Ooh, ooh, ooh."

I like my country tweed, I must say I do.

So, all that's left to find out is how much money is financing

this new start in Monmouthshire.

The budget for the move is £450,000 but we can increase that slightly

if the right property comes along.

Dawn would like to be close to her parents in Chepstow

and her work in Bristol, so we're concentrating

our property search in the south of the ancient county.

I met up with them in Monmouthshire

to find out what they want from their new home.

-Morning, guys.

-Morning.

-Welcome to Monmouthshire.

-Thank you.

Well, you're actually from Monmouthshire, aren't you?

-I am, I'm from Chepstow.

-Oh, so do you still have folks there?

Yes, my mum and dad and gran are down here,

my brother's just moved back home.

-Oh.

-And I've got an uncle in the Wye Valley as well.

So, gathering of the clans.

-Indeed.

-Do you know what you're getting into, Pete?

-No, I don't think so, really.

-You're not from these parts?

No, no, no, I'm not, I'm from Somerset.

-So not so very far away.

-Not too far, no. No.

What are you looking for in terms of the house?

The key things we're looking for is certainly

a nice big farmhouse kitchen.

I guess a reasonably detached property.

Dawn would like four bedrooms, I don't mind three.

-There's only us two.

-What about land? I hear this

is a bit of a contentious point between the two of you.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Pete would like about seven acres.

-Seven acres?

And I would like about half an acre.

I think I've always had this idea of having a smallholding,

I guess, but a very small, smallholding so a few animals,

a few pigs, a few chickens, and sheep and things.

But I mean, it's not urgent and I think,

as long as we have the potential to maybe purchase

some land in the near future, it's not an absolute requirement.

So, you want a postage stamp with a guinea pig

-and he wants seven acres with a...

-Yeah, I think so.

-Pretty much.

I mean, I think we've compromised. As long as we've got a good

bit of outdoor space then that's absolutely fine, I think.

What about period, are you fussed about how old the house is?

I'm probably more flexible, again, than Pete.

-Yeah, I'm pretty set in my ways.

-We'd like some character.

Character property.

What do you want then? You see he's going to be the problem, isn't he?

-He is, yeah!

-I am, yeah.

I mean, certainly I just want a character property.

I don't like modern houses in any way.

I don't mind. I'm not so fussy as long as it's...I don't know.

Yeah, as long as it's just right, I'm not fussy.

Dawn's easy to please. You'll see this later.

Tell me your budget again.

So, budget's 450, 460 but we can stretch to a little more if need be.

We love that. We love stretching budgets.

Good. Well, we've got lovely houses lined up.

I hope that you like them, or at least one of them.

-Come with me.

-Great.

-Thanks.

For a budget of £450,000 but with room to go higher,

Pete would prefer a detached, older house with character.

It should have a large farmhouse kitchen

and a minimum of three bedrooms

to accommodate their plans for a family.

Pete would also like up to seven acres of land for a smallholding

although this isn't a dealbreaker.

And they'd like their property

to be in a quiet location

and not too overlooked by neighbours.

We've lined up three suitably wonderful properties

for Pete and Dawn to cast their eye over,

and I'll be asking them to guess the price of each

at the end of the viewing.

Our final property, the mystery house,

could challenge Pete's farming ambitions.

For our first house we're heading to the small village of Redwick,

a short distance from the Severn Estuary.

Although just inside the principal area of Newport,

it's still within the historic county of Monmouthshire.

The nearby village of Magor is a larger settlement

with a variety of shops and eating establishments arranged

around a pretty village square and an impressive parish church.

Property number one is just a few hundred yards from the coast.

Here we are, house number one.

-Oh.

-Wow.

-It's nice.

Looks like a good size.

I must say, the grey pebble dash isn't probably something we'd go for

but that can always be changed...

-Yeah, that can come off.

-..and be painted.

-I like the porch, you've got a little entrance way.

-Yes.

It's actually quite an old property.

The oldest parts go back about 200 years

-but it's been extended in sort of different ways.

-Right.

And the present owners sort of took it in hand

and brought the insides all up to date.

We're never scared of a bit of work to improve any property.

-Good.

-Nice.

-So, it's a contender?

-Yes, it's nice on the outside.

-Good start so far, yes.

-Let's look inside.

-Great.

-Perfect.

A positive start to our first house tour and I'm sure the modernised,

if slightly unconventional lay out, will appeal to our buyers' tastes.

-Come on in, through the new porch.

-Right.

-Into the front room.

-It's nice. Yeah, it's a good size.

-Very good size.

I like the fact that there's a separate porch before walking

straight into the living room.

-Yeah, neutral colours so, that's good.

-Yeah.

New windows, new floor, pretty much everything inside is new.

Hopefully there'll be a separate dining room

or...something downstairs.

-Sounds like a little hesitation in your voice.

-Yes.

Is that it, that you are worried about the size?

Erm, well, I'll wait to see the rest of it and then we'll go from there.

-Well, let's do that.

-OK.

-Well, you wanted a separate dining area, here it is.

-Oh, great.

-Oh, wow.

-Yeah.

-With the log burner as well.

-Oh, yeah, that's nice.

-Very nice.

I think it's used as a dining area cum sitting area at the moment.

Yeah, I mean the thing about this house is there's lots of options

as we go round, you'll be saying "Oh, I could do this..."

So, you can really re-zone it according to how you use the house.

I probably would want to knock down that wall, maybe,

and open it right up and you'll probably lose some kitchen cupboards

but if it's slightly more open I think that would suit us.

Let's have a look at the kitchen,

you can see whether it would be worth it.

-Oh, I see.

-Oh, yes.

-OK, yes, I see.

-I like the kitchen.

-You like it?

-It's probably not big enough for Pete, but...

-No.

It's nice, it's a good size, but no.

It's not quite the size I was hoping for.

I think knocking through this wall here

-would give us that large kitchen/ dining room.

-What you could do is

you could have this as a big sort of working island...

-Yeah.

-Oh, yes.

-That would be ideal.

Yes, that would be... I like the idea of that,

actually, that's a good idea.

-I'll charge you after, I'll send you an invoice.

-Thanks!

As well as the kitchen, there's also a spacious utility room,

off the dining room,

which, as well as providing space for the white goods,

could be reconfigured to offer further living accommodation.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms, all serviced by one family bathroom.

There's a large double, with original fireplace,

ideal as a guest room and two smaller bedrooms,

one of which is currently a study.

But I want to show Pete and Dawn the master.

This room is being used as the master bedroom

because of these great views, views over the fields.

-Yes.

-Oh, yes.

-Lovely.

In fact, actually in the horizon you can see, that's England.

-That's Portishead.

-Oh.

-Mm!

Very nice room.

Yeah, it's a really good size, actually,

for a cottage size, as well.

-Exactly.

-That's the key.

-Yeah, original fireplace.

Yes, yes, do like that.

And are you sort of...some people love massive bedrooms.

Are you happy with this sort of modest sized bedroom?

I will need a dressing room. Yes. For the shoes, mainly.

-Oh, good.

-I've got a bit of a shoe habit.

-I'm getting a picture!

-Dawn likes a large bedroom with a...

-Lot of shoes.

I will let you explore this at your leisure

-but I want to show you the outside.

-OK.

Outside, the gardens are laid extensively to lawn,

with vegetable plots and numerous outbuildings,

including a shed, machinery store and greenhouse.

Now the back is also ripe for redevelopment.

-You can see you've got lots of outbuildings.

-Yes.

Yeah, it's a lovely space actually. A lot, a lot of space.

This is approximately, maybe just shy of an acre.

So, it's not seven acres.

-Yeah.

-No, no, but I think it's realistic.

I think when I say seven acres,

-I think I'm probably looking...

-At one.

-Yeah...

-I like it how it's divided up though,

because you've got the garden, as such, in the front

and then you've got this area to do greenery and veggies and animals.

And then you have got a back lawn, as well, to...

-Which is very spacious.

-Which is nice.

I think there's the garden area plus also the land, as well,

almost you could have it like that.

So, I think the size is probably more what we're looking for

than the seven acres or so that I was suggesting.

So, how much do you think it's on the market for?

-I would say £425,000.

-Oh, right, OK, well I'm completely different.

I'm going for £480,000.

Oh, right. OK, well, you are closer.

It's on the market for £470,000.

-Oh, OK.

-So, it's in your budget...

-Yes.

-..at the top.

-Absolutely.

And I think you've got to bear in mind where it is,

-it's on the commuter belt.

-Yeah.

Think about that figure as you go inside and have a look round,

because upstairs and downstairs there are things I think you

-could reconfigure and also outside.

-Yeah.

-So, you hop in and have a look round.

-OK, thank you.

I'll meet you out the front.

-Great.

-Thanks a lot.

On the market for £470,000,

our first house is a detached home which has been renovated

in the last five years.

The accommodation includes

a large room, an additional sitting room

with the option to knock through to the kitchen.

It comes with four bedrooms

and there are original fireplaces throughout the house.

The property is set in one acre of land

and is close to a thriving village

and good transport links.

I think, overall, the property has a lot of potential.

I love the outdoor space, I think it's fantastic.

I think the house inside really has a lot of potential as well.

It's a really good size.

I think after a little bit of work, I really can see us living here.

I think we'll obviously have to have a further chat about it,

but I really do like the area and the house and the land as a whole.

So, thumbs up.

I think the house is probably a little bit small,

the kitchen a little bit small for what I'm after.

Probably not for me.

-All done inside?

-Yep.

-Lots of good ideas?

-Yes.

-Absolutely, yes.

-Well, put them on hold because we've got another house.

-OK.

-Great.

Tucked away, surrounded by fields and close to the border with England

is the small and peaceful Monmouthshire village of Trellech.

Looking at it now, it's hard to imagine that around 700 years ago

Trellech was one of the largest

and most important medieval towns in Wales.

Today, it's the scene of a major archaeological dig.

Pete and Dawn are keen to find out more about Monmouthshire's history

so we sent them to a field, just outside the present day village

to meet the archaeologist responsible for the project,

Stuart Wilson.

Stuart's dig has revealed a far larger footprint

of the medieval town than was previously thought.

So, why did you start digging here?

Well, in 2002 I was invited up to another field to dig

and very, very quickly we found a building.

And then we dug there for a couple of years

and then this field actually came up for auction.

And I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to buy

a field and dig it to prove for once and for all

that this town was here and actually prove the academics wrong -

they thought it was actually in the village and where it wasn't.

It's actually here. And now we've got it.

-Wow.

-So you proved them wrong?

-Yes.

And you bought this field yourself?

Yes, I bought this field myself, yes -

but it's only one of many fields in this area

which should have medieval buildings in.

Medieval Trellech was established by a family of Anglo-Norman lords

in the 13th century to supply their army with iron,

which was mined locally. The archaeological discovery

suggested it was a bustling and prosperous industrial centre

and had a population of around 10,000 people.

Here we have our fortified manor house.

We've got a main hall along here,

entrances leading off to the main road,

and I have a little picture here of what it used to look like.

This was essentially like an administrative building

to organise the town.

It was a very large and important and imposing building,

and shows the wealth of the town at the time.

As well as the evidence of buildings, Stuart and his team

have uncovered a wealth of material from the medieval period.

-This is actually part of a medieval flowerpot.

-Oh!

Now, medieval flowerpots are extremely rare.

-This is the first one to be found in Wales.

-Oh, crikey.

Also, very nice, we don't normally get it, is a complete -

or nearly complete - medieval jug.

We know that the potter was a right handed potter

because it's actually quite thin just here

-and the bowl was on this side...

-Oh!

-Oh, I see!

..so his hand was this way when he formed it.

Well, we're finding things all the time

and this is just a small selection -

pottery, bone, iron slag,

metalwork, glasswork is always coming up, all of the time.

And it's a really fascinating site.

Stuart believes it will take another 75 years to dig this field alone,

so plenty of time for Pete and Dawn to return

and perhaps lend a hand -

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

to see if we can unearth a hidden gem.

For our second property we're travelling

to the hamlet of Cwmavon in the Afon Lwyd Valley.

We're hopping over the border into the principal area of Torfaen,

but we're still within the ancient county of Monmouthshire.

Nearby Abersychan was once home to a thriving ironworks.

Today it's a busy village with a range of shops and two schools.

And house number two is just a mile and a half up the road.

-Here we are, house number two.

-Blimey.

-All of it.

-Yeah, wow.

-Wow, it's not small, is it?

-Here you get a better view of it.

-Wow, it's big.

-Very impressive.

-Yeah.

-Very impressive.

-This property is all about the location, really.

-Yeah.

-Because we're a bit further away, it's about an hour to Bristol.

-OK.

Near Pontypool, but look at your own valley.

-Wow.

-Amazing really, absolutely amazing.

-Very nice.

You've got a river that runs down the bottom of your garden,

which we will explore in a bit and this wonderful old Welsh longhouse.

-Wonderfully impressive, actually, isn't it?

-It's very peaceful.

So you're in a hamlet of seven dwellings,

so you've got neighbours but you're also out in the countryside.

And a bit of history as well, this is a 16th-century Welsh farmhouse.

-Wow.

-It was originally a pig farm.

Right by the river. The sound of the river's actually really...

No, we don't need to see the house, we'll take it!

Well, I'm actually going to show you something

before I show you the house

so, we'll bracket the house for a second,

-but come with me.

-OK.

So this is part of your garden, up to the fence here,

and you have exclusive fishing rights

-down this stretch of the river.

-Wow.

And as you can see, it's a great fishing river.

-Incredible really, yeah.

-That's lovely.

Now, Pete, we were thinking about you when we selected this property

-because you wanted some land.

-Yes.

As it stands, the house comes with...

-this land, so, up to the fence.

-OK.

But the owners are also offering

this field.

Oh, wow!

-About three acres.

-Blimey! Wonderful!

-But it is an ideal place to have some animals.

-Yes.

-Some horses.

You can have a lot more than just chicken here.

Now the present owners have lived here since 1978.

-Wow.

-They've sort of made it their own,

-and I think you'd probably want to put your mark on it.

-OK.

-Yes.

-Will it be the house for you?

-BOTH:

-Let's find out.

The current owners have lived in this house

since before Pete and Dawn were born -

and although, compared to our first property, it's not as modern inside,

this is truly a unique find.

Come on in!

-Very nice!

-Oh, wow.

THEY LAUGH

We've moved from "nice" to "wow".

I like the beams.

-I like the inglenook fireplace.

-Yeah.

-It's got a more homely feel than the first property.

-Yeah.

-Lovely thick walls as well.

-Extremely thick walls!

Very thick walls, yeah!

There would be no knocking these ones through.

THEY LAUGH

Well, as the name suggests, it's a longhouse,

-so it's a series of rooms off this.

-OK.

As we work our way through the house, we pass a formal dining room,

with another exposed stone fireplace.

-So, come into the kitchen.

-Very nice.

-Oh, very nice.

-I like the size.

-The size is very good.

I love the deep walls again, the really thick walls, that's...

Oh, lovely big range as well. Very nice.

In terms of the size, is this sort of what you were hoping for?

I think it's very workable.

There's certainly room to entertain in here, as well as to cook.

-I think it's fine.

-Yeah.

You've got a beautiful walk-in pantry which is great

-for a cook, I think.

-Right!

-A proper larder. And at the end,

there's a very large boot room and through there,

a sort of...a sort of shower/bathroom, really.

It's got a toilet and downstairs shower.

Thumbs up so far.

Well, I'll let you explore the other rooms later but let's look upstairs.

Great.

Pete and Dawn seem charmed by this house.

The downstairs tour could not have gone any better.

Let's hope we continue in the same vein upstairs.

There are three other bedrooms along the landing,

but this is the master.

-Oh, wow, good size.

-I like the beams again.

And...this is very exciting...

through that door, is not just any old en-suite,

but a Jacuzzi bath,

a shower, and...wait for it... It was the '70s after all.

A sauna!

-Wow, really?!

-Oh, my goodness! Our own sauna.

-Definitely sold now.

THEY LAUGH

-That's cool, isn't it? Having an upstairs sauna.

-That is impressive.

You've got a very 1970s family bathroom which you can

-explore at your own pleasure.

-Perfect, we'll look forward to that.

-Three really good sized rooms as well as this one.

-Yeah, absolutely.

So four good sized, workable rooms, which is what you wanted.

-Yeah, it is what I wanted.

-That's the inside of the historic house.

-And it seems to be all right?

-Yes.

-More than all right?

-Yes, we like it.

-We do like it.

But there are some additions outside which I am very excited to show you.

As well as the river running through it,

the grounds also include a barbecue area

and a garage currently being used for storage.

Another building houses a gym, which could be converted to an office,

and there's a further surprise just around this corner.

Oh, wow!

-Chuckles all round.

-Yeah.

-I wasn't expecting that.

-No.

-No, I bet you weren't.

-No.

-Not at all. My word!

-Wow.

-That is something.

-That's nice!

-That's incredible, actually.

-And you've got a hot tub.

And a hot tub!

Overlooking the river, the view, that's...

-I'm speechless. That's incredible.

-Yeah.

Well, if you were thinking of having a family,

you would be the number one top parents to come and visit.

-Definitely.

-We really would.

And I can see parents enjoying a glass of wine or two

-out here in the evenings.

-What a great place to entertain, isn't it?

Fabulous.

How much do you think it is?

I'd say £495,000.

I'm going to say, um, quite a bit over.

I'm going to say £510,000.

So this property, including the three acre paddock there,

and all the outbuildings and the house, is on the market for...

£480,000.

-Wow.

-Interesting.

-Wow. Very interesting.

-It's certainly given us something to think about.

-I'd quite like a pool!

Well, there's more to explore up there,

so you might want to have a little toddle up there

-and I will see you at the front.

-Will do, thank you.

-Thanks.

That is a good response to a unique

and, I think, rather wonderful property.

Our second house, priced at £480,000,

is a traditional Welsh longhouse,

thought to have origins dating back to the 16th century.

The accommodation includes a spacious living room

with stone fireplace

and a farmhouse kitchen.

As well as the four bedrooms,

the property comes with a swimming pool,

gym and sauna.

The house occupies a private spot next to a peaceful river

and included in the price

is a three acre paddock.

The amount of surprises this house has to offer is incredible.

I think every room we went into and

every building we went to outside was fantastic.

My only words are wonderful property, a lot of potential,

a lot to offer, really, so very exciting.

I think this house brings the best of both worlds.

Pete has his outdoor space that he wants. Nice kitchen.

I'll have plenty of room to do some pottering in the garden

and the swimming pool at the top is just an added bonus.

The only thing that concerns me slightly would be the commute

to work over in Bristol,

and also it's slightly further from my mum and dad,

which I was expecting.

I can definitely see Pete and I living here and starting a family.

We may even look to get another puppy or two.

I think this could be just the house for them.

They could put their mark on it.

There's a nice young family up the hill

so they'd have a bit of community.

I think this is the one. I've made my mind up.

-Yes, it's pretty ideal, actually.

-It's very impressive indeed.

Good end to the day, because that's it for today.

Let's rest and prepare for tomorrow.

It's day two of our property hunt here in Monmouthshire

and on a budget of £450,000,

we're helping Bristol-based Pete and Dawn

find rural peace in South Wales.

Still to come, our mystery house cooks up a storm.

Oh, I like the kitchen. Very nice.

And I metamorphosise into a butterfly collector.

Ooh, there's one! That's beautiful!

Butterflies!

I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of people's character -

sometimes even of their taste.

But yesterday afternoon, I got it so wrong

because I was convinced that

Dawn was going to hate the decor of that house, and she loved it!

She even wanted to keep the 1970s bathroom. So, the mystery house...

it could go either way. Pete's going to be disappointed about the land,

that much I know, but they are both going to be wowed by the view.

For our mystery house,

we're heading east into present day Monmouthshire,

and to the popular village of Trellech,

which Pete and Dawn now know well

from their archaeological adventures earlier in the week.

The village has an award-winning pub, serving real ales,

a medieval church and a primary school.

With our mystery property, it's all about the house and the location.

There is very little land on offer here, but the view alone

should help Pete forget about his farming ambitions.

-Oh!

-Wow!

That's the noise we want for the mystery house! Oohs and aahs.

Look at this, before we look at the house, look at the view.

-Wow, what a view.

-That's amazing.

Crikey, that's impressive.

And where are we looking then?

-This is the Usk Valley.

-OK.

-Oh, wow.

So we're a bit closer to Bristol,

-about 35, 40 minutes to Bristol.

-Right.

-OK.

-25 minutes to Chepstow.

-Mm-hm.

The twist with this property is

there is really no land.

-Right.

-OK.

-This is one for you.

-I don't mind that at all!

Because pretty much this is your garden.

Right. So there's the compromise.

There is the compromise.

Looking at the house, we've got a historic worker's cottage.

1780 it was built.

-The frontage, just a simple two up, two down cottage.

-Right.

But it's been extended twice,

so 1995 once and then again 2008.

Nice extension at the back.

Great. Yeah, it looks very quaint, doesn't it?

A very quaint, cute cottage.

-Let's look inside.

-Great.

It's a thumbs up for location and style of property

from Pete and Dawn.

I hope the cottage's combination of modern decor and character features

will also appeal to our young professionals.

Come on in.

-Straight into the old part of the house.

-Oh, it's very nice.

-I like the size of the kitchen.

-Oh, I like the kitchen. Very nice.

This would have been the entire floor plan of the original cottage.

-Oh, wow.

-They were small, all the cottages.

And you can see this is the original staircase.

-It's actually a false staircase, it doesn't go anywhere.

-OK.

I think this is probably your perfect kitchen, isn't it, Pete?

This is actually the best kitchen we've seen so far.

Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt.

-Do you like it?

-Yes, I do.

-Good.

Let's go look at the new bit, then.

-OK.

-Great.

-This was put on in 1995.

-Right.

-A change of gear.

-Yes, it's more modern.

-Very, very.

Much more. You've got this limestone floor, but lots of the details,

-the lovely oak lintel...

-Yes, that's very nice.

-..deep bow window...

-Mm-hm.

-Yes, very nice.

It's very clean, isn't it?

It looks very finished, I think.

-I feel your enthusiasm has dipped somewhat.

-Yes, erm...

I would have preferred the country cottage theme to come through,

I suppose. But... It's an extension. The size is still good.

What would make the country cottage continue, for you?

I don't know. The edges are just too clean-cut.

Maybe some beams, like in property number two?

Just a bit more character, I suppose.

This is another addition, and this does continue

-the kind of country theme you're looking for.

-Great.

-OK.

This is the new extension,

and here I think they have kept the country feel with all the green oak.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, definitely.

-It looks nice.

Again, it's very light and airy in here.

This is a green oak extension.

-Oh, right.

-So it's sort of...

-Eco-friendly.

Eco-friendly and it's so beautifully built.

You can see it more clearly upstairs, actually,

-so let's hop up there.

-OK.

-Great. OK.

There are three bedrooms upstairs,

one fewer than in our previous properties.

They're all doubles and

two of those are in the older part of the house,

built into the eaves with exposed beams.

There's also a decent sized family bathroom.

The master suite is located in the extension

at the back of the property.

So this is the master bedroom,

-and this has that amazing, I think, rather lovely...

-Oh!

-..oak extension.

-Oh, that's very nice.

-The views are amazing.

-The views are absolutely amazing.

The room is quite small.

-Is that an en-suite I can see?

-That's an en-suite shower, yes.

-OK.

-OK, great.

Yeah, erm...

It feels like the shine has gone off this property for you.

Yeah, I think so. I don't know what it is.

It's too modern, I think.

Yeah, I mean I don't really mind the design of the house,

as long as I get the feel for it, but for some reason,

I'm not getting the feel with this one.

Before Dawn completely writes it off,

there's still the garden to see,

and that's made up of a large enclosed lawn area

at the front of the property,

with a sizeable parking space, a summerhouse

and that amazing view.

Well, I feel the house has not really grabbed you

as I'd like it to have grabbed you.

The original part of the house is very quaint and cute

and I like that side of it.

I don't like the extension so much, I have to say.

It's certainly got its appeal.

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

Um, I'm going to say...

£440,000.

Oh, I was going to go higher.

At about £465,000.

Well, views are obviously at a premium here

because this is actually on the market for £485,000.

Oh, blimey!

Really?

Wow, wow, yeah.

Again, it's a lovely property,

lovely views,

-but just not for us.

-No.

Well, we can't win them all.

Not every property has a hot tub, sauna and a pool.

But why don't you go back and have a little nosey round

-and I'll see you out the front?

-Great, thank you.

Priced at £485,000,

the mystery house is the most expensive property we've seen.

It's a worker's cottage dating to the 18th century,

which has been extended and remodelled over the years.

It comes with a large farmhouse kitchen

and a more modern living room, leading onto a green oak extension.

There are three bedrooms upstairs, including the master suite.

The property features

a lawned garden with fantastic views

over the Usk Valley.

Wonderful kitchen.

I probably couldn't hope for a better kitchen, so very nice.

Knowing there wasn't much land was obviously a down point.

I think the mystery house is very... quaint...um...

It's a little bit smaller than what we were looking for.

Beautiful location, but just not for us.

There you are!

-Admiring the view rather than the house.

-Yes, we are.

It is wonderful.

Well, it's a beautiful way to end our little odyssey

-round Monmouthshire, but it is over.

-Yes, thank you, it's been great.

Sadly, yes, but it's been fantastic. We've very much enjoyed it.

Well, let's go find somewhere to collect our thoughts. Come with me.

Although it might be a small county,

Monmouthshire has a wide range of natural habitats,

from the Black Mountains in the north,

to the woodlands of the Wye Valley.

This diverse environment makes it an ideal home

for a number of rare species of butterfly.

But across the UK as a whole, the butterfly is under threat.

And to find out how we can save our fluttering friends,

I've come to an area of heathlands near Trellech to meet

Dr Martin Anthony,

who's been recording butterfly populations for over 40 years.

-How are our butterflies doing?

-It's a bit of a sad tale.

Something like three-quarters of British butterflies have

declined in the last ten years.

A lot of the habitat has either disappeared because of development,

or more frequently, because it's not managed properly.

-You're the county recorder.

-Yeah.

-Does every county have one?

Yeah, there's a charity called Butterfly Conservation which

has built up a network of recorders for each county in Britain.

It's great because they've now got millions and millions of records

going back at least 50 years.

And because butterflies go through complete life cycles in a year,

or sometimes just in a few months, you can see quite quickly

when something's going wrong.

You can then come up with action plans

to try and improve the habitat.

To help halt the decline,

this habitat has been cleared of trees

and the heathland has been allowed to grow back naturally,

making it a haven for the flying insect.

It's amazing.

Even a few years after it's been recreated,

some of the specialist heather species

have been recorded from here.

Do you still catch them? What's the etiquette with butterflies?

I catch them if I need to identify them,

or, if there's a particular purpose.

If I want a photograph of it or something like that.

-It's a proper net!

-Yeah. That's very soft, if you feel that.

-So that won't damage the butterfly.

-That's it. It's called a kite net.

You get the butterfly to fly into the net and then twist it.

Oh, I see.

By recording individual butterfly sightings

over a period of weeks and months,

Martin can build up a picture of how individual species

are faring in this habitat...

Oh, there's one! That's beautiful!

..but catching them is harder than it looks.

Oh, they're too fast. There's one.

Got one, got one, got one, oh!

-So what have we got there?

-That's a Large White.

Oh, that's a Large White.

You can see the club at the end of the antennae.

-That's the difference between a moth and a butterfly.

-Very good.

-The butterfly has a club...

-..and the moth doesn't.

So what can we do to help the butterflies survive a bit more,

have more of them?

It's not just having nectar sources for the adults,

or buddleia bushes in the garden,

you need the food plant for the caterpillar.

So a lot of the common butterflies might feed on nettles.

-So we need our nettles?

-Painted Lady feeds on thistles.

-Mm!

Meadow Brown, the Gatekeepers, feed on grasses.

Sadly I've got all of those in my garden at the moment.

Gladly, for the butterflies!

Despite the overall decline in butterfly numbers,

there is a glimmer of hope.

According to a recent nationwide survey,

the relatively hot summer of 2013 led to a boom in butterflies,

but you can't rely on the British weather.

Sensible management of areas like this one in Monmouthshire

is key to the long-term future of this much-loved creature.

Ah!

At the beginning of the house hunt, it was an open field.

Any one of those three houses

could have been a great hit with Dawn and Pete,

but it seems like house number two has leapt ahead,

despite some quite heavy decor.

I think.

I'm going to take a punt

and say that it's house number two that's leading the field.

-I think that's probably fair to say, yes.

-Psychic abilities.

-I think all round, the better house really.

-And it had a river as well.

And a swimming pool. And a sauna.

-The list is almost endless of the things it had.

-It had a lot!

Is there anything that worries you about it,

-or that you're unsure about?

-I think probably the area.

We don't really know the location very well

so that's certainly something we'll research

before we revisit the property.

I think we'll do the drive,

Bristol to the property, and see how long that takes.

On our way back for a second viewing,

I think we definitely want to look a bit deeper

into the work we'd have to do

to bring the interior up to how we'd like it to be.

-Dawn was pretty keen on the interior as it stood.

-On the bathroom...

-Particularly the bathroom!

-Yes, yes, yes. Me, not so much.

But I think we'll probably take a builder or Dawn's dad

-over as well and have a look.

-Are you excited about all this?

Has it become more real, now that you've seen a house that you want?

Dawn's been talking about it all day.

Yeah, it's definitely the house that I've been looking for

with the kitchen and the living room, separate dining room.

The outdoor area is amazing.

Yeah, the fact that it's got a good amount of land...

-The hot tub, the barbecue area...

-It's endless.

-The outbuildings are fantastic.

-I love it.

Dawn's going on about the swimming pool, the steam room,

and you're getting some land. Don't forget some land as well!

Well, do let us know one way or t'other, when you make your move.

It's been a real pleasure showing you round. Such enthusiasm.

-Thanks for having us.

-Thank you very much.

Dawn and Pete's move is a bold one.

They're young, and they're moving from a Bristol terrace

to possibly a palatial country pad

with a river, a swimming pool and a sauna upstairs.

But I think if they do it and overcome their hesitation

about the location, it would be a great place to raise a family.

Just imagine all those little Petes and Dawns

running around the valleys.

So I hope they do it. I hope you join us next time

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