0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to Escape to the Country.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06Now, the legendary owner of this very modest cottage
0:00:06 > 0:00:08called it his "earthly paradise".
0:00:08 > 0:00:11But who was he and where are we?
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Well, stay with us and I'll tell you.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33On today's show, we're helping a couple
0:00:33 > 0:00:36who are taking a break from their busy careers
0:00:36 > 0:00:40find a new home and a whole new business venture in the country.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42The journey proves to be educational...
0:00:42 > 0:00:45- You said, "Give us something to think about."- Yeah.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47It certainly is something to think about.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48..and amusing.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51- And now look up. - THEY LAUGH
0:00:51 > 0:00:53BIRDSONG
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Well, today we are in Dorset and this is Clouds Hill cottage.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59Now, back in the 1920s,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02it was standing by a quiet and sleepy country lane.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Now, sadly, the road is a little bit busier,
0:01:05 > 0:01:09but it's significant because it was once home to TE Lawrence,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11better known as Lawrence of Arabia.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15During the First World War he had shot to international fame
0:01:15 > 0:01:18leading the Arab tribes in revolt against the Turks,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22but tragically in 1935 Lawrence was killed in a motorcycle accident
0:01:22 > 0:01:25just a few miles down the road from here.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27But when you look around this gorgeous landscape,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31it's perfectly clear why a man like that would fall in love with Dorset.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Situated on the south coast of England,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Dorset borders Devon to the west,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Somerset and Wiltshire to the north and Hampshire to the east.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47Largely bypassed by the Industrial Revolution,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Dorset has retained much of its rural charm
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and over three quarters of the county
0:01:52 > 0:01:54is still in agricultural use today.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Without a single motorway or city within its borders
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and its mild south-coast climate,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03it is perhaps unsurprising that the life expectancy here
0:02:03 > 0:02:06is higher than anywhere else in the country.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10An extraordinary landform celebrated for its impressive life span
0:02:10 > 0:02:12is Dorset's Jurassic Coast.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16It's England's first Natural World Heritage site
0:02:16 > 0:02:17and its fossil-rich cliffs
0:02:17 > 0:02:20recall millions of years of the Earth's history.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Attractive seaside villages
0:02:22 > 0:02:25punctuate this awe-inspiring coastline
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and one of the most appealing is West Bay
0:02:27 > 0:02:30with its working harbour, cliff-top walking trails
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and fine pebble beaches.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35This appealing county provided the backdrop
0:02:35 > 0:02:38for the novels of its most famous writer, Thomas Hardy.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41And much of its ancient beauty that so inspired him
0:02:41 > 0:02:43remains unchanged today.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Now, at £60,000 above the national figure, the headline news
0:02:51 > 0:02:54is that your average detached property here in Dorset
0:02:54 > 0:02:55does not come cheap,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58but of course the devil is in the detail.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00There's no doubt those figures are somewhat inflated
0:03:00 > 0:03:03thanks to the popularity of coastal hot spots
0:03:03 > 0:03:06such as Lyme Regis in the west and Sandbanks in the east,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10one of the most expensive bits of real estate anywhere in the United Kingdom.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13But as a general rule, the further north you go up towards Somerset,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16the more affordable properties do become.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18But for today's buyers, well,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21they can cast their net as far and as wide as they like,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23because they've got a seven-figure budget
0:03:23 > 0:03:26and ambitious plans to go with it.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30When Mark and Michelle bought their five-bedroom 1930s home in Henley
0:03:30 > 0:03:33ten years ago, it was virtually a wreck.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35But Mark, who is quite a handy man,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38gutted and completely renovated the place.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Since they met in 2002, they've been busy with demanding careers,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Michelle in telecommunications and Mark in the aviation industry.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49But recently they decided to put work on hold
0:03:49 > 0:03:52to look for a new more balanced way of life in the country.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56I mean, we love Henley, so we love the house, we love Henley, but
0:03:56 > 0:03:59what we wanted is somewhere where we could start a business together.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And just looking round this area, it's really difficult to do that,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04to get the land we're looking for.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07And, you know, Dorset is very much the area that we've settled on
0:04:07 > 0:04:10to start looking at and exploring those ideas.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12I've got a real relationship with Dorset,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14I spend a lot of time down there in the Forces,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19I was based on RNAS Portland during my time in Royal Navy.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23And I...miss it. I really missed it. I love the Jurassic Coast.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27I love the walking and the relaxed feel of it and the space, really.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31They know they want to begin a business together in Dorset,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33but they're not entirely sure what it will be.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37And they're hoping the properties we show them might spark some ideas.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42I'm really open, I just want something to come along that's going to grab hold of me.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I want a property that is going to give me an opportunity,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47maybe it's got holiday lets currently,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I've always had an idea of doing some really high-end luxury,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52even with their own little swimming pools.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Make a place for people to come to.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57But we don't just want to stop there, we'd like to have potential
0:04:57 > 0:05:02to maybe start a little microbrewery, a vineyard, anything like that.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I'm not saying that's going to be it, we could make cheese even.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I'm just looking forward to getting my teeth into a new project.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09- Yeah.- It's quite exciting,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13we could possibly do something completely different
0:05:13 > 0:05:16that right now sitting here we don't know about yet.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Aside from building up their new business,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22there are other things they're looking forward to doing when they move to Dorset.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24For me, it's just the fresh air
0:05:24 > 0:05:27the space is something that's really attracting me to it.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29We've just got a new puppy, Chester, who's eight months.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31he needs a lot of walking.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And just being by the coast, being by the sea,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36lots of long walks is really what I'd really like to do more of.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Yeah, I'm hoping I'm going to do a lot more mountain biking down there
0:05:40 > 0:05:41or cross-country mountain biking.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44I do a lot around here at the moment,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47but I noticed the hills are a lot steeper in Dorset
0:05:47 > 0:05:48than they are around here.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- That's one problem, so I'll probably get...- A lot fitter.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52I hope so, yeah.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54But what's the budget
0:05:54 > 0:05:58for a property with business potential in rural Dorset?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01So the budget is up to a maximum of 1.5 million.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04And then, really depending on if it's absolutely perfect,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07doesn't need any work on it, the 1.5.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Actually, we would look at something a lot less than that
0:06:10 > 0:06:13if it had massive potential and we can use some of the capital
0:06:13 > 0:06:14to actually do the property up.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Mark and Michelle particularly like
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Dorchester and the countryside around it,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26so we're focusing our search within 30 miles of the town.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I'm catching up with them by Dorset's scenic coast
0:06:29 > 0:06:32to learn some more about what they're hoping to find.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- Hello, Michelle. Hello, Mark. - Hi.- Nice to see you.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- Nice to see you.- On a gorgeous Dorset morning. Look at that! - It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41If you want a coastal view, they don't get much better than this one.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Horses, sheep, everything, setting the scene for you
0:06:44 > 0:06:48for what I think is quite an ambitious move.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Yeah, I think it is. It's...
0:06:50 > 0:06:53We're quite comfortable where we are at the moment,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55but we're trying to challenge ourselves
0:06:55 > 0:06:59and make a complete move and change of career and look for something
0:06:59 > 0:07:01completely different.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Well, let's talk about this ambition.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06And we can't go much further without talking about the budget,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- which is a very, very handsome £1.5 million.- Uh-huh.- Uh-huh.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16But for all that, you yourselves don't want a massive house, do you?
0:07:16 > 0:07:17No, that's it. We don't want...
0:07:17 > 0:07:19It's just the two of us and our dog, Chester,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22so we don't need a house to rattle around in.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24It's really a property with a business,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27so whether it's an existing business or just opportunities,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32outbuildings, somewhere we can add some value and we can actually start something together.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35So, leaving the business element to one side, give us an idea,
0:07:35 > 0:07:40- Michelle, of the sort of property that would suit the pair of you and the dog.- And the dog, yes.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43So, ideally, probably about four bedrooms, something like that.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47We sort of like big kitchens, I do a lot of cooking,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50so a really nice farmhouse-type of kitchen would be great.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Obviously, the quainter the property is...
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Dorset's full of beautiful thatched cottages and sea views, obviously.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00So if some of that was involved, that would be really good.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Well, we've got three properties which I hope will tempt you
0:08:03 > 0:08:06and, who knows, maybe one of them could be your new dream home.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- That'd be fantastic.- Let's go spend some money, shall we?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- THEY LAUGH Let's go.- Sounds good.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16With a very healthy budget of £1.5 million,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Mark and Michelle are looking for a four-bedroom period property
0:08:19 > 0:08:21with business potential.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25They're interested in holiday lets, but are very open to suggestions
0:08:25 > 0:08:28and like the idea of an outbuilding that could provide the foundation
0:08:28 > 0:08:31from which to create some kind of cottage industry.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33They'd also like a decent sized plot
0:08:33 > 0:08:36to give their dog, Chester, plenty of room to play in.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41We've found three very different Dorset homes for them to look at
0:08:41 > 0:08:43and each of them has business potential.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47One will be our Mystery House, which is such a rare piece of real estate
0:08:47 > 0:08:51it's unlikely our buyers would have seen anything of its kind before.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Now you say you've explored Dorset,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02you've obviously grazed its property market presumably sort of online.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Describe the perfect property for me.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I think something that's quite traditional,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10got plenty of character, is in the right location,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12maybe has a pub that's walking distance,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15fairly close to the coast.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19We want the ideal, I think we know already that compromises have to be
0:09:19 > 0:09:21made when you're buying properties,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24so you want everything at the start and you have to rein yourself in.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- Well, let's see what you think of property number one. I'm quite excited about this one.- So am I.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35We're beginning our search
0:09:35 > 0:09:36in Whitchurch Canonicorum,
0:09:36 > 0:09:3820 miles west of Dorchester
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and just a mile from the coast.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42The village is nestled
0:09:42 > 0:09:45in the Marshwood Vale in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48It has a pub and a school with a village hall
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and its church, known locally as the Cathedral of the Vale,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54is one of only two churches in England
0:09:54 > 0:09:58to have survived the Reformation with the shrine and the remains of its patron saint intact.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04Just a few minutes' walk from the church on a quiet road is our first offering.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09This is property...number one and I think it really sets the scene
0:10:09 > 0:10:11in terms of your classic Dorset home.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- Definitely. It looks lovely, doesn't it?- Yeah, it's gorgeous.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- Fantastic front door. - Beautiful front door.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19The thing to point out is that that bit
0:10:19 > 0:10:21is just the owners' accommodation.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26- OK.- Because this has a huge holiday complex that way.- Uh-huh.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29We'll deal with the home bit first,
0:10:29 > 0:10:30and then we'll deal with the business,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- and then we'll talk about how much it might cost you.- OK. SHE LAUGHS
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Come on, then.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38This four-bedroom, Grade II listed stone farmhouse
0:10:38 > 0:10:43dates back to the 16th century and has plenty of period charm.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47- Let's start at this end. Study in there.- OK.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- And then this is your principal living room.- OK.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It's nice. It's got some good character because of the beams.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- It's quite, quite cosy, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- It's whether it would be big enough for us.- I think it feels smaller
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- because of the beam in the middle. - Yeah.- But on the whole,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04it's very quaint and cosy.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- Come and have a look at the kitchen space.- OK.- Let's look at this.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- Ahh! This is a really good size, isn't it?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- A lovely size.- There's an enormous utility room through there.- OK.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- But this is nicely appointed.- Yeah.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Nice and open plan as you can see and it leads out onto the courtyard,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- which we'll explore a little bit later on.- OK.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33- And that's the business end of it. - OK.- Is it your sort of style?
0:11:33 > 0:11:35I like the fact that it's quite open plan,
0:11:35 > 0:11:37so you've got your open plan area
0:11:37 > 0:11:40but you've got a nice kitchen table as well.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Well, let's have a look upstairs quickly at your accommodation
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- and then we'll deal with the business end of it through there. - Perfect.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Also on the ground floor adjoining the kitchen is a cosy snug
0:11:53 > 0:11:56that could be converted into a formal dining room.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59And next to that is another characterful reception room
0:11:59 > 0:12:02with a beautiful inglenook fireplace.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Upstairs there are four double bedrooms,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09one of which has a walk-in wardrobe and en suite.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12There's also a family bathroom.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Well, this is perhaps one of the lightest rooms at the moment of the four to choose from.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19This isn't currently the master, but it could be if you wanted it to be
0:12:19 > 0:12:21cos there is a bathroom next-door.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22- OK.- Yeah, nice feel to it.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25I like the scaled ceilings, we have that in our current house,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- so it's something we like.- Yeah.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32- So this really, I suppose, completes the picture for what you get as the owners.- Yes, exactly.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- Just about right for us, I think. - Good. A few cosmetic changes,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- but nothing that a man like you couldn't do.- Absolutely.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- You've done it all before anyway, haven't you? - THEY LAUGH
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Yes.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47I'm not certain the style of the interior is exactly to Mark and Michelle's tastes,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49but I'm thinking it's probably
0:12:49 > 0:12:52the business potential that's going to be the main deciding factor
0:12:52 > 0:12:55for our buyers when it comes to choosing a property.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57So I'm interested to hear their reactions
0:12:57 > 0:12:59to what this place has to offer.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- So, here we are, the main event.- OK.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- This whole complex contains eight separate holiday lets.- OK.
0:13:06 > 0:13:12- They're currently turning over just under...£100,000 a year.- OK. - A good turnover.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- Of which about 50,000 is profit. - OK.- Sure.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19They have a lot of return customers, 25% are returns,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23so that means that you walk into an existing business with people already booked in.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- OK, so there's plenty of goodwill there already.- Absolutely.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- The courtyard's nice, isn't it? - Very nice.- So we've got eight to choose from.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- Let's have a look at the biggest one, which is that one.- OK.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37These brick and stone holiday cottages are currently operating
0:13:37 > 0:13:41at a 40% occupancy and were originally the farmhouse stables.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Now, it's going to be very interesting to learn
0:13:47 > 0:13:51how this compares with the...the market that you're going for.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Yeah. I think the space seems quite good.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I like that wall, the fact you've got that natural part of it.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01I think we would probably... Yeah, we would do quite a bit of renovation, I think.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02It's got that potential, hasn't it?
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It has and that's what we've asked for,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- so the potential is here, I think. - Yeah.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Also included in this holiday let package,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13in what was originally the farmhouse barn,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16is a games room and a superb indoor heated pool.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Outside there are more than two and a half acres of land
0:14:19 > 0:14:22that includes a pond and a paddock.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Well, this is a view we haven't seen before.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29This is the back of your bit, the owners' accommodation.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Which in itself is the sort of beautiful property
0:14:32 > 0:14:34- we would happily sell on its own. - Yeah, exactly.- Yeah.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37So there's quite a lot with this one.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39- What do we think it's worth, then? - Oh!- Difficult.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Probably 1.35, something like that?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I think there's a little bit of maintenance work to do here,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I'm going to go a bit lower and, I think, about 1.25.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Well, as we're in the world of decimals, you're 100 grand apart,
0:14:52 > 0:14:57but this could be yours for 1.3.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- Ahh!- Split either side.- You straddled it nicely.- OK.- Yeah.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04Well, there's a lot to explore with this one, we have kind of skipped across the surface,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07so why don't you go away, have a good look around
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- and I will find you a little bit later on.- Smashing. Thank you.- OK. - Off you go. Enjoy.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Under budget at £1.3 million, this period property
0:15:17 > 0:15:21offers a ready-made holiday let business with eight cottages
0:15:21 > 0:15:23that can accommodate up to 36 guests,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26a games room and an indoor pool.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The house itself has three reception rooms and four bedrooms
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and outside there's more than two and a half acres of land.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- OK, so this...- Yeah, they're all very similar.- Yeah.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42But, again, it's a real blank canvas, isn't it?
0:15:42 > 0:15:44- You could easily do a lot with it. - Yeah.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46- There's certainly food for thought here.- Yeah.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- It's a good first property to see, isn't it?- I think so.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51When we first arrived, I thought,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55beautiful thatched Dorset cottage, this has got a lot of potential.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Coming into the main property you've got to duck a few times
0:15:57 > 0:16:01to get through the doors, but, yes, good first impressions.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02A little dark in some of the rooms,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05so I think you could easily lighten those a little bit.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10Plenty of scope. The property size is a really good size for us.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I think I'd want to make some sort of personal changes to it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I think from a business perspective
0:16:15 > 0:16:17the fact it's got the eight holiday lets
0:16:17 > 0:16:20plus the pool, I think overall it's a really nice package
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and certainly a really good start to our search.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- Oh, squeaky door! Out you go. - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- Well, I think that was quite an impressive start, really.- Yeah.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- Yeah.- A business all ready to go, it's a beautiful house
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- and it's more or less where you want to be.- I think so, yeah.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- Have we spent any money yet, though? - SHE LAUGHS
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- We've got two more to see yet. - We have indeed.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43THEY LAUGH
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Dorset has a rich farming heritage and one of the crops it's known for
0:16:54 > 0:16:58is the fundamental beer ingredient barley.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00And demand for this grain isn't set to slow down
0:17:00 > 0:17:04thanks to a craft beer revolution that has taken hold of the country.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07There are now over 800 breweries in Britain,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09which is more than at any time since the Second World War,
0:17:09 > 0:17:14with up to 50 independent microbreweries opening up each year.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17One of those here in Dorset is Sunny Republic,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21which set up 18 months ago in two restored grain-drying barns
0:17:21 > 0:17:25where they produce more than 12,000 barrels a year.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And since brewing is one of the business ideas Mark and Michelle are considering,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32they're here to meet Brent Smith, the company's founder.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36I've been in the industry about 26 years now with my wife, Rosie,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38we worked for the largest breweries in the world,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and we just wanted to do something for ourselves
0:17:40 > 0:17:43at the same time as making the big move from London,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46cos we've got young children, and start something down here
0:17:46 > 0:17:49in what we think is the most beautiful part of the British Isles.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Beer has been brewed in the UK for centuries,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54but Brent is one of a new generation of brewers
0:17:54 > 0:17:57who are challenging conventions by experimenting with new styles
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and seeking out unusual flavours.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04I guess this is where the magic really all starts.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06There's about 120 beer styles in the world
0:18:06 > 0:18:10but there's only four basic ingredients of beer.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Barley, hops, water and yeast
0:18:12 > 0:18:15so it's amazing you can get 120 from four, really.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Where do you get your ingredients from?
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Do you source them locally or is it...
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Some of the ingredients are sourced locally.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25There's only two hand maltings left in the United Kingdom.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26Just up the road from here is one
0:18:26 > 0:18:31and they source the malt from 26 local farms for us.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Malt is germinated barley or other cereal grains that have been
0:18:35 > 0:18:37dried in a process known as malting.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40It provides the fermentable sugars that are needed to make beer.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45What we've got here is three types of malt for you. Or malted barley.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47This is pale malt.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49It tastes like a Nutri-Grain bar. Pretty tasty.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- Mm!- Malt, if you like, is the soul of beer.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It's going to give the beer its body.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57It's going to give the beer its potential alcohol
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and it's going to give the beer its colour, as well.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The next one here is crystal malt.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Got a biscuity sweetness to it.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09I think it tastes like the base of a cheesecake.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Yeah. Digestive biscuit.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Like a lot of craft beer companies, Brent and his wife, Rosie,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19have an onsite bar where they have weekly tasting sessions.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22As well as promoting their product, the customer feedback
0:19:22 > 0:19:26they receive helps them refine their recipes and create new ones.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29I've got two beers for you to try today.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33The dark, traditional style ale and we've also got true lager
0:19:33 > 0:19:35so they are very different beers.
0:19:36 > 0:19:37Ooh!
0:19:40 > 0:19:43I really like that. That's got sort of toffee notes to it.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46That's more about the complex layering of malts.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It's got lots of different dark malts in there where
0:19:48 > 0:19:51the lager is about refreshing and freshness.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- It's more about the hops, really. - We could stay here all afternoon.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- THEY CHUCKLE - Exactly.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00But before our buyers get too comfortable,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02we need to return to finding them
0:20:02 > 0:20:05a property with the potential to create a business of their own.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Our search takes us further inland
0:20:14 > 0:20:16to the village of Hazelbury Bryan,
0:20:16 > 0:20:1816 miles north of Dorchester.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Situated in the peaceful Blackmore Vale,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25this attractive North Dorset village has some handy amenities
0:20:25 > 0:20:28including a farm shop, a pub and a village hall.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Just down the road is our second property, which doesn't come
0:20:31 > 0:20:35with a business but does have eight acres of land offering
0:20:35 > 0:20:37a blank canvas from which Mark
0:20:37 > 0:20:40and Michelle can create a completely new venture of their own.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45This is a very different proposition to property number one.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48We showed you an existing business that
0:20:48 > 0:20:50was very much in the mode of what you've been thinking about.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52- With the holiday lets and so on.- Yeah.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55But maybe, I'm wondering, it was too defined.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57So with this one we are trying something a bit different.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01It's very much about a home with land and potential to go with it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- OK.- But what do we think of that?
0:21:04 > 0:21:06It looks lovely. So...
0:21:06 > 0:21:09The fact that you've got the combination of the thatch
0:21:09 > 0:21:10and non thatch.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14This part of the house looks really quaint. Very pretty.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17From here it's certainly very impressive.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Let's take a look inside.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20I think you'll enjoy it.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25This good-looking thatched farm house dates back to the 16th century
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and incorporates a more recently built weatherboard
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and tile extension, which is where we're starting the tour.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- This, I think you will enjoy. - I like this, yeah.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39This is magnificent. Loads of space.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It's open plan but the fact is the kitchen's bigger
0:21:42 > 0:21:47- but a nice area where you can put tables or sofas.- Very cosy feel.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Feeling the outside coming in there.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52There's also a very useful utility room through there.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53It's really nice.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- Like it.- A good start, isn't it? - A good start.- A very good start.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58That's why we came in here first.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Brilliant.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01- Come with me.- OK.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05'Back across the entrance hall to the original part of the property
0:22:05 > 0:22:07'is an appealing family room.'
0:22:07 > 0:22:09The owners are currently moving out
0:22:09 > 0:22:12so there's load of space to appreciate with this one.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- Yeah, this is nice. This is lovely, isn't it?- Bread oven in there.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- Nicely lit.- Yeah.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21So you've got this as a very big family room and then it goes
0:22:21 > 0:22:25through to this area which is much cosier. More of a snug, I suppose.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27But still pretty imposing.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- This is lovely, as well.- This would probably be the main lounge.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- I like the...- Vaulted ceiling. - Yeah, that's really nice.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36Double height.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41I get the feeling this is more exciting than our first
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- property, as it were?- Yeah, from a property perspective, definitely.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- It just feels a bit more us, I think.- Yeah. More us as a home.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- Yes, definitely. - Let's have a look upstairs.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Also downstairs in this older half of the house,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00there's a double aspect study.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Upstairs there are two family bathrooms.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07One on the first floor and one above in the attic.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11There are four light-filled bedrooms.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Three are doubles and one is a single.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21- This is the one that's currently being used as the master.- OK.
0:23:21 > 0:23:27It does have an en-suite but it's only the loo and a wash hand basin.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- OK.- But it is big enough, I suspect, for you to get a shower.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- In a way I think many of these rooms are interchangeable.- Yep.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37As to which one you would pick for yourselves.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Again, it's beautiful to see all the beams.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Again, really spacious, really light.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45A really nice cosy feel to the house, I think.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Good, so that's the main house. More or less.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52But we have got these eight acres.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54What's this business going to contain?
0:23:54 > 0:23:56What's it going to look like? What are you going to do with it all?
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Let's go and have a look.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02I'm really pleased they've responded so well to the house.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03The big question now is
0:24:03 > 0:24:07whether they can see some business potential in the land outside.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11What you can see here, double it over that hedge
0:24:11 > 0:24:16and that's pretty much your eight acres and that is our lovely home.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18You said, "Give us something to think about."
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- That's what we've done.- It certainly is something to think about.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23There's plenty of scope there.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26There's some outbuildings so we'd have to have a good think.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27The outbuildings are interesting
0:24:27 > 0:24:31but behind there is a huge open Dutch barn.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Obviously subject to the right planning consent
0:24:33 > 0:24:36but the footprint of that might make an interesting holiday let
0:24:36 > 0:24:38proposition in its own right.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42The question is, how much might that cost you because that's going
0:24:42 > 0:24:44to have a bearing on how much we want to spend
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- on property number two.- Exactly. - Who's going to go first, then?
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- Who is going to guess the price? - I'm not going first on this one.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Mark can go first on this one.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I'm finding this one really difficult because it's a lovely, lovely house.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01I'm going to go probably 950, I think.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I'm going to say 1 million.
0:25:04 > 0:25:11- This is on the market at £975,000. - Wow, that's not bad.- Yeah.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Now, I don't often get to say this on Escape To The Country,
0:25:14 > 0:25:20but that has brought you in under budget by a cool £525,000.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- You can do a lot with that. - Could do a fair bit with that.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Go and have an explore. See what you might do
0:25:25 > 0:25:28with the space, more importantly. Forget about the money for now.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Think about the space and what kind of a life you could create here.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- Brilliant. OK?- Off you go. - Thanks.- Brilliant.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Considerably under budget at £975,000,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46this beautifully renovated thatched home has a large kitchen diner,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49two reception rooms and four bedrooms.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51It doesn't have an existing business,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54but with eight acres and that large Dutch barn,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56there's masses of potential to create one
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and plenty of money left in the budget to do it.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01What do you think of this? This is a really big barn, isn't it?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03This is massive, isn't it?
0:26:03 > 0:26:06You could really do more or less anything you wanted in here.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07It's purpose-made.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Really quite impressed with property two.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Very different to anything I've ever bought before.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I normally buy wrecks and do them up, but this is a lovely home.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17The fact that it's got the thatch
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and the tiled roof I think was a really lovely combination.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I think the space, we wouldn't feel like we were rattling around.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27I think it's the perfect size for us.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Straight away I'm thinking we could do a microbrewery,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but we could have a look at what potential there was further afield.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I seriously have to think what we could do here.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The outdoor space, there's loads of it, so I think Mark and I
0:26:40 > 0:26:43would really have to think about how best to use it.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I think there's plenty of opportunity
0:26:45 > 0:26:46to get some holiday lets.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49You've certainly got some really good options here.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Well, what a fascinating time we've had.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53It's been a very good day.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57You wanted lots of options, you wanted us to challenge and test you.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- We've given you two very different proposals, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03- Most definitely, yes.- But there is one more to come.- The Mystery House!
0:27:03 > 0:27:04- Tomorrow morning.- Can't wait.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's the second day of our property search
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and with the sizeable budget of £1.5 million,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Mark and Michelle are leaving the town of Henley, Oxfordshire
0:27:23 > 0:27:28to set up a home and a brand-new business in the Dorset countryside.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Still to come, the Mystery House gives our buyers' minds
0:27:31 > 0:27:33a mental workout...
0:27:33 > 0:27:35We asked to be challenged and you're challenging us
0:27:35 > 0:27:37in terms of our thinking.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39..and I discover a brand-new scheme
0:27:39 > 0:27:41where fishermen are protecting the sea
0:27:41 > 0:27:44and their livelihoods on the Dorset coast.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Well, as you can see, we have a glorious start to our final day
0:27:51 > 0:27:53of property hunting here in Dorset
0:27:53 > 0:27:57as we set about the task of trying to find Mark and Michelle a new home
0:27:57 > 0:28:00for the future and, importantly, some sort of business to go with it.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Now, we are well known, of course,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05for spoiling our buyers with our mystery houses,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08but on this occasion, it's a real treat for me too,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10because what I'm about to reveal
0:28:10 > 0:28:13is a property the like of which I have never had
0:28:13 > 0:28:15on Escape To The Country before.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18We're about to show them a Grade I listed gem.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21These are so rare and to find one on the market -
0:28:21 > 0:28:23I can't tell you how excited I am.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25It's one of only 2% of such properties
0:28:25 > 0:28:28anywhere in the United Kingdom.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29I can't wait.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35The final stop on our search takes us
0:28:35 > 0:28:37half an hour's drive south to Kingston Maurward,
0:28:37 > 0:28:42just east of Dorchester, in the heart of Thomas Hardy country.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44But before we look at house number three,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46we're stopping off in the neighbouring village of Stinsford
0:28:46 > 0:28:50to take in the significance of its 13th century church.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Of course, Dorset, well known for Hardy, Thomas Hardy,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- and this was his parish church.- OK.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00But when he died in 1928, his body was buried in Poets' Corner
0:29:00 > 0:29:04in Westminster Abbey, but his heart, he insisted,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06- was to be buried here.- Ah.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09He described this as the most hallowed part of the country.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- Are we setting the right kind of scene?- I think so, definitely.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- Come on, then.- Good.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Our Mystery House is moments from the church
0:29:20 > 0:29:23and is set amidst 35 acres of beautiful parkland
0:29:23 > 0:29:26owned by Kingston Maurward Agricultural College.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29With this place, seeing is believing.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Right, keep looking down.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Keep looking down.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Keep looking down, and now look up.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Wow!
0:29:42 > 0:29:44- Are you being serious?- Yep!
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- Really? The whole thing? - The whole thing.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- Oh, my lord.- It's one of the most perfect examples
0:29:50 > 0:29:53of an E-plan Elizabethan manor certainly in the region.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58We're thinking high-end residential,
0:29:58 > 0:29:59dare I say it, B&B.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I know you haven't really gone for the whole B&B idea, but...
0:30:03 > 0:30:07..it's with a twist, because as a destination venue...
0:30:07 > 0:30:09- Amazing, isn't it? - ..it's astonishing.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Yes, it's certainly a Mystery House, that's for sure.
0:30:12 > 0:30:13Do you know what, Jules?
0:30:13 > 0:30:16I have not been so excited to go inside a property
0:30:16 > 0:30:17for such a long, long time.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19- Definitely.- Come on!
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Built in the 1590s, this Grade I listed manor house
0:30:23 > 0:30:26was close to being demolished in the early 1960s,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28but, thankfully, new owners stepped in
0:30:28 > 0:30:30and saved the then derelict building
0:30:30 > 0:30:32with a huge eight-year restoration project.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- Oh, my goodness.- Quite a hallway. - Yeah!- As you can see.
0:30:39 > 0:30:40It is absolutely amazing.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Obviously, the staircase is one of the door surrounds.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47- All kinds of periods... - Look at those door surrounds.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51They're not door surrounds, they're castle entrances!
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- Let's make use of them. Let's go through this one.- OK.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Into the drawing room.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58This is fantastic, isn't it?
0:30:59 > 0:31:00It's just amazing.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06- I love it.- Your eyes just can't take in all the detail. It's incredible.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Remember I mentioned to you this E-plan
0:31:08 > 0:31:10that the building conforms to?
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Part of the E goes round that corner there
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- as a wing.- Oh, OK.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18This is a house that has genuine wings, which is terrific.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21This is a room that your guests could make use of,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24because that way there is another room equally as big,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27equally as beautiful and that's the library.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30It's separated by a very modest kitchen, actually,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34but you could have the library for yourselves on the ground floor.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36This could be for your guests and you could feed them
0:31:36 > 0:31:37in the dining room through here.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- OK.- Come and look at this.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Crossing back over the central hall, we enter the northern wing,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46which, in Elizabethan times, was occupied by the great kitchen.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48There.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Do you think this is big enough?
0:31:50 > 0:31:51I think it would work, wouldn't it?
0:31:51 > 0:31:53This is... Oh, my lord, look at that.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56- That's lovely.- Again, this E-plan,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00so the room stretches off that way as a little finger.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03We are moving on from the first property
0:32:03 > 0:32:05where we had very separate accommodation
0:32:05 > 0:32:07and self-catering accommodation
0:32:07 > 0:32:10to something which is much more involved as far as you're concerned,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13because you're living with your guests.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15We asked to be challenged and you're challenging us
0:32:15 > 0:32:19in terms of our thinking, but I can see real potential here.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21- Wait till you see the accommodation upstairs.- OK.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Have a look at this.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Since the current owners bought the manor in 1998,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28they've been running it as a five-star B&B
0:32:28 > 0:32:30with an annual turnover of £40,000.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35'All of the guest accommodation is upstairs on the first floor
0:32:35 > 0:32:37'of the galleried landing.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39'We're taking a look at the north wing,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42'which is directly above the dining room we've just seen.'
0:32:42 > 0:32:45This is something of a suite, which is rather nice,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47so your guests have this lovely little lounge area,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50tea and coffee and all that sort of stuff,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54and then through here is the bedroom.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- En suite through that little door. - OK.- And quite an impressive...
0:32:59 > 0:33:03- ..suite.- That's amazing, isn't it? - This could be your master bedroom,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06but there are also two further rooms upstairs
0:33:06 > 0:33:09which occupy the entire top floor,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12so you could separate yourselves completely
0:33:12 > 0:33:17- by occupying that top floor, because it also has its own bathroom.- OK.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20So we could run that like a self-contained apartment
0:33:20 > 0:33:22up there for the owners and run this as the business.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26In the original E-shaped part of this house,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29the suite we've just seen in the north wing
0:33:29 > 0:33:32is mirrored on the other side by a second suite the same size
0:33:32 > 0:33:35and in an extension built during the 17th century,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37there are three more bedrooms.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40All of the rooms are doubles with their own en-suite bathrooms,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43and they have some wonderful original features,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46including stone-mullioned windows and exposed timber beams.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Outside, the garden is just over half an acre,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54which may seem small in relation to such a large house,
0:33:54 > 0:33:55but it is surrounded
0:33:55 > 0:33:58by the agricultural college's expansive parkland,
0:33:58 > 0:34:00which includes a five-acre lake.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- Garden-wise, this is it.- OK.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07But in terms of something that's manageable
0:34:07 > 0:34:08and that really sets the building off...
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- That's a good-sized garden, I think.- I think it is.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- I think it's a good-sized garden.- So...
0:34:13 > 0:34:14Don't ask.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- I'm going to ask you. I'm going to make you tell me.- No!
0:34:17 > 0:34:20What is our Mystery House on the market for?
0:34:20 > 0:34:22I really do not have a clue.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24But I'm going to go over 2 million for this one.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28- I'm going to say 2.2. - I'm thinking about 1.8.
0:34:28 > 0:34:311.8.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35It was on the market for close to 1.8.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39It's now on the market for 1.25.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42- No.- 1.25 million? - I can't believe that.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- And a million pounds under my guess. - Yes!
0:34:45 > 0:34:46LAUGHTER
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Go and take some time. Explore this wonderful building at your leisure.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Fantastic. Thank you.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54Take as much time as you like.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57I never usually say that on Escape To The Country,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00but this is a building that deserves it. It really is a first -
0:35:00 > 0:35:03a Grade I listed gem that's on the market, that's for sale,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06and that could really give these two the life
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and the business they've been looking for.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Below budget at £1.25 million,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17this extraordinary Elizabethan manor house
0:35:17 > 0:35:20has a ready-made B&B business,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22with three huge reception rooms on the ground floor
0:35:22 > 0:35:25and five en-suite bedrooms on the first.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27There's also plenty of space on the second floor
0:35:27 > 0:35:29that could be Mark and Michelle's accommodation,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32and it has a peaceful parkland setting.
0:35:32 > 0:35:33I was just stunned.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36I just couldn't believe that you'd found
0:35:36 > 0:35:38something like this for us to see.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42I think Mark and I thought, "It's a flat, it's an apartment in it."
0:35:42 > 0:35:44So the fact that it was the whole house,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47I was really, really surprised. It was amazing.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50From the outside it could look quite cold and imposing,
0:35:50 > 0:35:55but once you get inside it, it's really quite a nice cosy house.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56Some amazing features.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02The stonework, the oak beams, the oak floors,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05the fireplaces. It's just incredible.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Could I see myself living here? I'm not... I don't know whether I could.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10It's a fantastic place.
0:36:10 > 0:36:16It's just so different to what we had in mind before we started.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20You'd really have to spend some time here and really get to feel
0:36:20 > 0:36:24whether this was somewhere you could call home as well as a business.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28You know, buildings like this are, for me,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31what escaping to the country is all about.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33It certainly spoilt me and, I suspect,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35it's spoilt you two as well.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Oh, it certainly has. It's been amazing.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38But have we sold it?
0:36:38 > 0:36:40I think there's a lot of consideration
0:36:40 > 0:36:42to take into account here.
0:36:42 > 0:36:43- Let's go and consider.- OK.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Fishing has been a way of life for generations of Dorset families,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56but over the years the growing decline in fish stocks
0:36:56 > 0:37:00has put both this age-old local industry and the costal ecosystem
0:37:00 > 0:37:02under threat.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Finding a way to reconcile the needs of both the environment and
0:37:06 > 0:37:11the fisheries has long been fraught with conflicts and frustration.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14But in Lyme Bay, a dedicated group is approaching this sensitive issue
0:37:14 > 0:37:18with a ground-breaking scheme that facilitates dialogue
0:37:18 > 0:37:22between concerned parties to reach solutions through collaboration
0:37:22 > 0:37:24rather than confrontation.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27The organisation is known as the Lyme Bay Working Group.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30I'm here to meet its project manager, Neville Copperthwaite.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36We've come in more or less as mediators, really.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38We've developed a model where all stake holders, you know,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40all the fishermen, the conservationists
0:37:40 > 0:37:44and also the scientists have got together to manage
0:37:44 > 0:37:47the area in a better, more sustainable way.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50How have you managed to persuade the fishermen here that this
0:37:50 > 0:37:52scheme is worth getting involved in?
0:37:52 > 0:37:55As much as anybody else, they want to be able to fish in the future.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59They want their children to be able to fish, and their grandchildren.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01So they've entered into a code of conduct,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03basically, about gear limitation,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06about not putting too many pots down, too many nets.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10So, for instance, they can only fish with 250 pots per boat
0:38:10 > 0:38:14and 4,000 yards of net, and numerous other things.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19This code of conduct is voluntary and is regulated by the fishermen
0:38:19 > 0:38:23themselves, which is what makes this project the first of its kind.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25With input from scientists and conservationists,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28they manage the waters they fish in a responsible, sustainable way.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Another of the group's initiatives is the investment in equipment
0:38:34 > 0:38:37to be set up on the cob that will ensure the fishermen deliver
0:38:37 > 0:38:39only premium fish.
0:38:39 > 0:38:40Quality versus quantity
0:38:40 > 0:38:43is very much at the core of the organisation's aims.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48We would like the fishermen to catch less but earn more.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Is that really possible though?
0:38:50 > 0:38:51It is possible.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54What we're doing to achieve that is we're going to install
0:38:54 > 0:38:57ice-making facilities inside these sheds,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00so that then the fishermen can get a really good quality product
0:39:00 > 0:39:02into the shops.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03But you're also, as I understand it,
0:39:03 > 0:39:08marketing Lyme Bay fish as an entity for the first time.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10We are, yeah.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14This quality underpins that branding.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17What will be included in that is traceability
0:39:17 > 0:39:19and sustainability as well.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Neville and his team have been overwhelmed
0:39:22 > 0:39:24by the response they've received.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27After some robust resistance when they first proposed the idea
0:39:27 > 0:39:32almost two years ago, they now have 98% of the Bay's fishermen on board.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Alex Jones is one of them.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Do you think that this project is going to work?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40That you might be able to fish less but still maintain
0:39:40 > 0:39:43a decent standard of living and an economically viable business?
0:39:43 > 0:39:44Well, this is the plan.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48We believe we can get up to 30% more on the fish markets for our fish.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51The fact that if you buy our fish, you know it's probably
0:39:51 > 0:39:54caught on one of the most sustainable fisheries in the UK.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58But for the fishing community here, there must be some optimism.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Yeah, I mean, the fishing industry's got to evolve
0:40:01 > 0:40:02and move forward with the times.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04I think this is just one way we can do that.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09I don't think any fisherman's going to be unhappy
0:40:09 > 0:40:11if they're getting more money for their fish.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Let's just see if we can get it to work. I think we can.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Already receiving attention from abroad,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20the innovative scheme instigated here in this quiet Dorset bay
0:40:20 > 0:40:23may well provide the blueprint for sustainable
0:40:23 > 0:40:24fishing all over the world.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Well, it is now decision time for Mark and Michelle.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36In his words, we have given them an awful lot to consider,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38but, of course, there is one burning question that remains -
0:40:38 > 0:40:40the £1.5 million question -
0:40:40 > 0:40:43have we managed to find them their new dream home?
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Well, they're just over there. Let's ask them.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55This has been quite an interesting process for you,
0:40:55 > 0:40:56and certainly from my point of view.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00You gave us such a broad brief, really.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Have we managed to refine it any more over the last few days?
0:41:04 > 0:41:08I think you've brought us some focus. Yeah, most definitely.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10The three properties you've shown us are quite diverse.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13I think property number two, where you had a home plus
0:41:13 > 0:41:16an opportunity to start something from scratch, I think
0:41:16 > 0:41:21it's helped us narrow more into that area rather than an existing
0:41:21 > 0:41:23holiday letting business that is about just upgrading.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25It had lots of acres,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28but I think it was more the breathing space it would give us
0:41:28 > 0:41:32to build a business and not have to get an income from it immediately.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34But then with our Mystery House,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36we went for something completely different.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39An astonishing building.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Yeah, we can totally see the business side of that.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45As a home, we're not so sure about it, are we?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48It's so far removed from how we live today that, you know,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51you'd really have to spend more time to figure out
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- whether you could actually live there as a home, I think.- Yeah.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58I think sometimes that size of budget can give you too much choice.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Actually, going on this journey of finding out what it actually is
0:42:01 > 0:42:03you really want has actually taken us
0:42:03 > 0:42:06longer than we thought it was going to ourselves.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Thank you very much for coming down here.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10We wish you all the very best of luck.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14I'm glad that we've brought a little more focus to this great,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17life-changing plan that you're about to undertake. Good luck.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19No, thank you very much. It's been fantastic.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21- It's been great.- Pleasure.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Well, the sun is setting on today's show,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32so where better to finish up than here
0:42:32 > 0:42:35on one of Dorset's most famous landmarks -
0:42:35 > 0:42:37the shingle bank of Chesil Beach
0:42:37 > 0:42:40with Portland Bill in the background.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43We've had gorgeous houses and a generous budget,
0:42:43 > 0:42:47but still Mark and Michelle's search for their new dream home continues.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Maybe Mark was right - maybe the more you've got to spend,
0:42:51 > 0:42:52the harder it is.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55But when you've got a county like this with views like that,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58can you really put a price on it? I wonder.
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0:43:02 > 0:43:04in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales
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