Oxfordshire Escape to the Country

In the late 19th century, this magnificent manor house

was home to one of Britain's most famous designers.

He called this place heaven on Earth.

Find out where I am, and who was so inspired by this lovely setting,

in a few moments.

On today's show, we're helping a British expat to find a home

back in the motherland, after more than 30 years away.

It's a big step.

I think it could work for me,

but I'd need a bit more time to think about it.

-But she seems ready to make the leap.

-Ooh!

-That...

-Jump up and down!

Today, I'm in Oxfordshire and this is Kelmscott Manor,

where William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement,

spent his summers from 1871 until his death in 1896.

Later on in the show, I'll be back to take a tour of the house,

but in the meantime,

here's what else this wonderful county has to offer.

Oxfordshire, in the south of England, shares its borders

with counties including Wiltshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire

It's a peaceful landscape of wooded hills and green fields,

with the River Thames a dominant presence

in the southern half of the county.

Here you'll find the riverside market town of Henley-on-Thames,

with its string of pretty Georgian buildings lining the High Street.

The town has a strong boating and rowing tradition,

and the Royal Regatta is held here every July.

The county's capital is Oxford - the city of dreaming spires.

A phrase coined by the 19th-century poet, Matthew Arnold,

to describe the architecture of the university buildings,

many of which are around 700 years old.

Equally impressive is the county's most famous stately home,

Blenheim Palace, seat of the Duke of Marlborough

and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

With its diverse mix of rural beauty and peaceful market towns,

Oxfordshire is a county that offers something for everyone.

Property shopping in Oxfordshire can be very expensive.

The average price of a detached house tips over £390,000.

That's 30% more than the national average. And here's why -

not only are there great road and rail links into London,

but the area also takes in the desirable Cotswolds region,

making it commuters' rural paradise.

For more affordable property, I think heading out west is best.

For instance, a house in Farringdon could cost 20% less

than something similar in Henley, in the east of the county.

Worth bearing in mind as we meet today's buyer.

Leslie is returning to Britain

after spending the last three decades living all over the world,

most recently in Dubai.

'Joining her on the house hunt is her friend and fellow expat, Jenny.'

I left here in 1981 and I went to work, just for two years in Dubai,

and I met my husband and he was already on his journey going

round the world. So, really, I never came home. I intended to but I never came home.

So we married and had three children and we lived in the States.

We've lived in Hong Kong twice, Dubai twice, Holland.

And then we ended up, in '95, in Dubai and that's where we decided to stay.

Sadly, Leslie's husband died eight years ago.

She carried on living in Dubai because her three children were settled at school.

But now they are grown up and have flown the nest,

it's time for a change.

I'm a widow now. Getting...

knocking on the door of retirement, let's put it that way!

And um... I've done Dubai now,

I need to move on and I want to come home.

Leslie met Jenny in the early 1990s

when they were both living in Hong Kong.

Jenny has already moved back to the UK, and so has experience

of making the transition.

I have the feeling for what it is like to be back.

She knows how much I like properties and I've moved so many times.

Maybe I can really help her with that.

And I think that, um, you know,

together we could really be a good team...

And as we're friends,

she will know very well what suits me, as well.

Leslie has her heart set on finding a home in South Oxfordshire.

I need to be within striking distance of London...

fairly easy access, but also to my elderly parents in Surrey,

Heathrow, but also I have friends in the city of Oxford as well.

So if I position myself there, I think I'm getting

what I want in an area because it is rural, semi-rural

and partly urban as well. So...

it covers all the bases.

But as well as location, it's that unique country lifestyle

that Leslie really wants to find again.

It's funny because I came home two years ago to a spring

and I had forgotten what crocuses and daffodils and all of those things

were like at springtime.

And it was just so magical, so I do miss the seasons.

It will be lovely to have that again.

Also, I've always had this hankering for living

in a village community where you've got a country pub and you've got the Post Office.

You know, chocolate box, that kind of thing.

It might not be the reality that I end up with,

but that's the image that I have in my head.

And I've missed it.

And she wants a place that's big enough for the family,

as well as a possible business.

I have this vision of everybody coming to me for Christmas

and I want to have the room for it.

But also, the other thing that I'd like to think about is

having possibly a B&B business.

All that's left is to find out how much is in the pot

for Leslie's great British homecoming.

The budget that I'm looking at for the house that I want is

between £600,000 and £700,000.

Leslie has mentioned Henley-on-Thames as the town

she would like to be close to.

So we're concentrating our property search in the south of the county.

I'm meeting up with her and Jenny to go over the details

of her dream move.

-Leslie, Jenny, hello.

-Hello.

-Lovely to meet you both.

-You too.

-This is quite a change from Dubai.

-It is, it's a big change.

Although the sun is out for us today. So that's nice.

-A little reminder of where you've come from.

-Yes, just a little one.

Life in the British countryside is quite different from a life in Dubai...

-It is.

-..or Hong Kong. How are you feeling about that change?

Well, I've always lived in quite a major city, really.

And I think I will actually quite like a bit of peace and quiet,

but as long as I have a car and I can get to places fairly easily,

Henley or wherever. So I think it'll be fine.

-Leslie, you both met, of course, in Hong Kong.

-Mm-hmm.

-Yes.

But you made this move yourself a few years ago.

-Yes, about 18 years ago. Yeah.

-How did you find it?

Well, I was so delighted to come back home after 24 years abroad.

I came back with my children and husband who'd never lived here,

so I had a lot of convincing to make them love it as much as me.

But they eventually did.

Leslie, paint us a picture of the actual house.

Well, I do want character. I'm sorry, I know it sounds like a cliche,

but I don't want to live in a square box. I want a house that has

a flow to it, has an atmosphere to it

and I really want, really, really want a fireplace. Really.

And a great kitchen and I want to be able to come in the front door

and say, "This is mine, this is home."

-Well, remind us of your budget.

-It's £600,000-£700,000.

-And you want at least three bedrooms.

-Yes, I do. Yes.

-Well, we've got three houses that we want to show you.

-Great.

-Lots to get on with.

-Great.

-So let's get started.

-Thank you.

For a budget of £600,000-£700,000,

Leslie is after a house with character and atmosphere.

She'd like at least one original fireplace

and a spacious kitchen.

It should have three bedrooms for when her children visit.

Leslie has also mentioned the possibility of developing

a bed and breakfast business at some point in the future

so the arrangement of the house should take account of this.

Finally, she'd prefer not to be too isolated

and wants to be close to a large village or market town.

We've found three delightful homes for Leslie and Jenny to view.

I'll be asking her to guess the price at the end of each house tour.

Our mystery property could give Leslie much more than just

somewhere to live when she returns to the UK.

What things are you most looking forward to about living in Britain?

Well, I'm looking forward to having my own house because where

I've lived abroad, it's always been rented accommodation.

-Will you get a dog?

-I might.

I might, yes, I've been thinking about that.

But first things first, I've got to decorate a house first.

And that'll take a while.

For our first property,

we're heading to the small settlement of Winterbrook,

around 20 minutes' drive from Henley-on-Thames.

It's just outside Wallingford,

which also sits on the banks of the Thames.

This historic market town has a variety of shops and cafes arranged

around a large open square and along numerous paved alleyways.

House number one is set in a peaceful rural location on

a popular lane just a mile outside of the town.

So, ladies, may I present to you your very first house.

-Very nice, yes. It looks lovely.

-Very nice.

-Isn't it cute?

-I like the lane as well.

-So pretty.

It's a very, very desirable road.

It's only the second house that's gone on the market

-on this road in the last decade.

-That says it all, doesn't it?

So this is a real opportunity.

-The house itself - late 19th century...

-Mm-hmm.

-..but of course, as you can see, semi-detached.

-Yes.

-How do you feel about that?

-OK, I think. It depends what's inside.

I think I could live with that.

I think you're going to like a lot of the features we're going to show you inside.

-I hope so.

-Let go.

A nice positive start to our first house tour.

And I'm hopeful Leslie and Jenny will also like the interior,

which has had extensive work done to it.

We're heading to the kitchen and dining area first.

-So through the formal hallway...

-Wow, look at this!

..is what I think will be the heart of the household.

Yes, I think so too. This is lovely.

Charming. That's a word I could say, charming.

-I think this is a great entertaining space.

-Yes, I think so too.

-Do you do a lot of entertaining?

-I will do. Well, I used to.

I haven't for a while, but I intend to.

-Yes, this would be perfect, wouldn't it?

-It's lovely. Really.

-Let's go see the garden room.

-OK.

-Can't wait.

I think you're going to like it.

-Oh, wow, look at this.

-That's lovely.

I don't think you would ever leave this room, would you?

Right through to the cold weather, you'd have those doors open.

I think the thing is if you have lived in a hot climate,

-you are used to in-out living.

-Yes.

This is what we've done, we've put on a conservatory

and tried to live outside as much as we can.

There is another sitting room, the old sitting room.

-I want to show you that.

-OK.

-It has a very special feature.

-Oh, look how cute this is.

-Oh, this is lovely.

-I love the fireplace.

-I've got a thing about fireplaces, haven't I?

-I love that window.

-It's a beautiful little bay window, isn't it?

-It's charming.

-I wouldn't change anything with this. It's just too cute.

-It is, really.

Well, at the moment, they use it as a study.

I think it could also be your winter sitting room,

just as the conservatory is the summer sitting room.

What would you use it as?

A place where I would curl up with a book.

So that's the downstairs done. Let's go upstairs.

The downstairs also features a handy shower and cloakroom

off the entrance hall.

And to the side of the property, a garage which could be converted

to a further reception room, subject to planning permission.

Upstairs, there are three good-sized double bedrooms,

two of which overlook the back garden,

as well as a spacious half-tiled family bathroom.

But I want to show Leslie and Jenny the largest of the three bedrooms.

-Wow.

-So Leslie this would be your master bedroom.

-Very nice.

A nice size, isn't it? It's an L-shape, I like that.

And there's an en-suite bathroom which you can explore later.

-OK.

-Just through there.

-OK.

-Very, very nice.

-And it's a very nice aspect too. Look at that.

-Yeah.

So would you be happy with something this size?

Well, yes, because again there's quite big furniture.

I probably wouldn't have another wardrobe as big as that.

I think it could work for me...

but I'd need a bit more time to think about it. But, yes,

initial impression is good.

And, of course, you have two other good-sized bedrooms, so you could

-put clothes and shoes and handbags and...

-Oh, I'm already there!

I'm already there, it's OK.

What do you think about the size of the house?

No, it's very compact. They've made really good use of the space.

It's got all the things that I've asked for.

-So that's the inside of the house done.

-Mm-hmm.

-Thumbs up so far?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Definitely.

Let's go into the garden, and I want you ladies to start thinking about

how much you think the house is on offer for,

-because that's what I'm about to ask you. Follow me.

-OK.

The garden is secluded and largely laid to lawn,

but there's also a good-sized terrace for entertaining.

At the end of the garden, there's an old walnut tree

and, beyond that, great views of the surrounding countryside.

A fairly low-maintenance English country garden, I would say.

-Yes, it is. Yes.

-Is this what you had in mind, Leslie?

-I did, yes.

-Yes, it's perfect.

-Lots of positive vibes from you.

-Mm-hmm. Yes.

-Are you going to love the price?

-I don't know.

Jenny, what do you think this property is on the market for?

I think it's on the market for £695,000.

-So you think it's at the top...

-I do...

-..of Leslie's budget.

..because you've given her everything she asked for.

-Leslie?

-Lucky me?

-Yes.

Well, this is really difficult but I'm going to go with £665,000.

OK.

Well, I'm very sorry to tell you that...

you're going to have a lot of spare change.

The house is on the market for offers in excess of £600,000.

-No.

-Ooh!

-That...

-Jump up and down!

-Well!

-Are you kidding?

-Go on, more jumping. I want more jumping.

If you don't buy it, I will. That truly is amazing.

-Well, while you take in the price and reflect in that joy...

-Yes.

..of the price, I'll let you explore

-the two other bedrooms upstairs.

-Yes.

Jenny, I'm sure you want to go and pick out your bedroom

-for when you come and stay.

-Absolutely.

-And I'll see you in a little bit.

-Yes, OK then, thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, what a reaction. Not bad for a first house.

What a fantastic start.

On the market for offers over £600,000,

our first property is at the lower end of Leslie's budget.

It's a 19th-century, semi-detached family home

located on a pretty lane close to a popular market town.

The interior has been remodelled and extended

and includes a spacious kitchen/diner and garden room.

There are three double bedrooms upstairs,

including one with an en-suite bathroom.

The garden is low maintenance and extensive,

offering excellent views

of the surrounding countryside.

I really think that this house does have Leslie's name

written all over it, and I think that she would be very, very happy here.

I think location-wise, the size of the house

and I think she could manage this very well.

This house is very warm, welcoming, light.

It just has a good feel for it. And, yes, I can see myself being in it

and being happy. And that's the most important thing.

The only possible caveat, I would say, is that I did think about

possibly doing a B&B later on.

I don't think I'd do that here. I think it's just enough for me

and the family. I don't think I'd do that. That's not a deal-breaker,

but it's just something I hadn't thought of and I need to think

about that. But it is a contender, yes.

-OK, that's house one done.

-Mm-hmm.

-Does house number two have a lot to live up to?

-It does, yes.

-That did have a lot of the good things...

-Me too!

-..that I wanted, yes.

-It was lovely.

Let's hope it matches your expectations then. Let's explore.

Thank you.

Although Leslie is keen to adopt a rural way of life,

she wants to be close to a town or large village,

and Oxfordshire's green and pleasant land is dotted with some

stunning examples of the classic English market town.

One of those is Wallingford, close to the location of our first house.

The town grew up around an important crossing point along

the River Thames, and has a recorded history going back over 1,000 years.

Since Leslie is returning to the UK

after nearly three decades living abroad,

we sent both her and Jenny to find out more

about Wallingford's past from tourist guide, Jennifer.

-Welcome to Wallingford.

-Thank you.

-And you can see what a beautiful, idyllic place it is.

-Yes.

It dates way back to the Saxon times. In fact, we do know

there were settlements long before that in the Bronze and Iron ages.

But in the Saxon era, it was as important as Winchester.

It was a fortified town.

And it maintained that importance through the Middle Ages.

It got its own charter in the 1100s from Henry II.

So in the middle of the 1100s, it had a charter, which made it very important.

So important, in fact, that in 1215 it was one of only four towns

mentioned in the Magna Carta.

Wallingford prospered during the Middle Ages, thanks largely

to the Thames, which was an important transport route,

and the town became a vital trading centre

in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Many of the buildings which line the pretty market square

date back to that time.

So what type of industry was Wallingford involved in at the time?

Well, remember, Wallingford is in an agricultural setting.

So it was important to have agricultural tools, machinery.

So there was a large iron foundry here.

Other industries, breweries, of course. Maltings.

The market, which took place here,

was incredibly busy with butchers, bakers, brewers.

People would come here because it was a market town, and they would

sell their goods here on Fridays.

As well as being an industrial centre, over the years

Wallingford has been home to some notable people.

But perhaps its most famous resident is buried,

along with her husband,

in this churchyard in the village of Cholsey,

just outside the town.

Here we are standing in front of the gravestone of the queen of crime,

Agatha Christie.

Wallingford is actually mentioned, certainly in a couple of her novels.

House Of Cards and Dumb Witness both feature the town.

Can you tell us why she wrote under Agatha Christie, her maiden name,

and not under her married name of Mallowan?

She had started writing before her marriage to Max and had achieved

a certain fame, so the name was well known.

But also, I think, because she was a very private person.

With a tour of Wallingford's historic highlights, hopefully

we've given Leslie a hint of what a life in Oxfordshire could offer her.

Now it's time to turn house detective again

as we return to the property hunt.

For our second offering, we're hopping over the border

into Berkshire and to the village of Brightwalton.

Although we've crossed into a different county,

we're still around 30 miles from Henley-on-Thames.

The closest village for amenities is Great Shefford.

Located on the River Lambourn, there's a parish church,

local shop and a range of historic buildings.

The second property is a ten-minute drive away,

on the edge of the smaller village of Brightwalton.

Now, as you can see, house number two is a very different proposition.

That is something. It's so unusual.

-I mean, it's quaint, it's chocolate box.

-And quite different.

-Which is what you asked for.

-I think I used that term, didn't I?

They're both very different, aren't they? And normally I like things

to be more symmetrical. Is that the term I want to use?

So you've got a 17th-century, classic English countryside,

-thatched-roof cottage...

-It is cute, isn't it?

-..on this side.

-It's very cute.

-Yes.

And the extension that you can see over there was built nine years ago.

-Shall we see what inside has to offer?

-Yes!

-I would like to, yes.

I would like to very much, thank you.

We're going to start with the older, thatched part of the house.

This is where you'll find two reception rooms, one of which

is this cosy sitting room with a multi-fuel burner.

-So this is the dining room.

-That's the dining room.

-And is that a range?

-It is, good spot.

This used to be the kitchen before the extension.

So the range isn't working, at the moment, but it wouldn't take

much to get something like that up and running, I'm sure.

-OK, all right.

-And obviously here you have the...

-Oh, look at that.

-..brickwork.

-Gorgeous.

-I like it. Really great natural features.

-So, very different from the first house.

-Yes, it is.

How are you feeling about it, Leslie?

I don't know. I don't know.

-Ask me in ten minutes. I've got to think about this.

-OK.

-You need to see more of the property.

-I think I do. Yes.

OK, shall we go over to the modern part?

-The kitchen is in the modern part. Let's do that.

-Mm-hmm.

Oh, Jenny, look at this. Look at this!

That is something.

-I love the oohs and ahhs. Keep going!

-It's really beautiful.

It's almost like a church with all the...

This is like a whole other house.

It's another area where you're going to spend your daytime.

This is where I think, Leslie, you would spend most of your time.

Which is why the other side now makes sense

because that's sort of the cosy, evening, winter...and this is...

-This is the action in the daytime, probably.

-It's lovely.

-It's really lovely.

-So you've got your kitchen,

-a little breakfast area, a little lounge area.

-Sitting area. Yeah.

-Could you entertain here?

-Well, yes, you could, yes. You definitely could.

But you've got informal there and you have formal in there,

-so you have a choice here.

-Mm-hmm.

-Let's go and see what could be your master bedroom.

-OK.

Better reactions to the extended wing of the house,

although I'm still not sure it's grabbing Leslie.

The downstairs of the thatched part includes a generous bathroom.

Upstairs is also divided with two separate staircases.

In the newer section, you'll find two of the four bedrooms,

both with built-in cupboards and exposed beams

and they share another bathroom.

The older wing is home to another double bedroom and the master.

Welcome to the master bedroom suite, I think we can call it.

That is a very big bed, isn't it?

-And just to your left there...

-Oh!

-..is an open plan en-suite.

-Very nice.

-Mm-hmm.

What I think you should do is take out all the clothes rails

and the shoes from here, and actually turn the second bedroom

up here into your dressing room. So this whole part of the house...

-Now we're talking.

-Now we're talking, yes!

-See, I know what you want!

I know what a woman wants when it comes to dressing rooms!

-It's a brilliant idea.

-Yes, I like that idea.

-Shall we go out into the back garden?

-Yes, I'd like to see that.

Outside, the house is surrounded by a secluded garden which is

laid to lawn and enclosed by mature hedging.

There's also a timber shed - handy for storage.

How much do you think this house is on the market for?

Jenny, you went first last time. So, Leslie?

This is a real flyer, but I actually think it would go for

something like £575,000.

OK.

Interesting.

Jenny? Um...

-Maybe I would say £640,000.

-£640,000?

-Yes.

Well, this time Jenny is much closer to the mark.

They want offers in excess of £650,000.

-No! I did say that I wanted chocolate box...

-You did.

..but I think this is a little bit too much for me.

Whist I can see the advantage of having the house divided like that,

I'm finding it a bit too bitty.

Does that make sense? It doesn't flow right for me.

-Do you want to have another look?

-I can go and have a look, sure.

Go and do that and I'll see you in a bit.

At offers in excess of £650,000,

our second house is priced at £50,000 more than our first.

It's a thatched, English country cottage

which has been extended and modernised.

The accommodation includes a cosy sitting room

and a large open plan kitchen and breakfast room.

It comes with four bedrooms, two in each wing of the property

and a private lawned garden.

The plot size is great. It looks like a really nice community.

Lovely garden.

But I think really as you go from room to room, you just get a feeling

and it just wasn't really there for me.

I'm actually quite surprised about how definite an answer we got today.

I thought the house tour was going really rather well,

but that's how things go.

That's the end of day one, ladies.

-Let's go.

-OK.

It's the second day of our property search in Oxfordshire,

and on a maximum budget of £700,000, we're helping expat Leslie find a country pad back in Britain.

Still to come, size is everything at the mystery house.

-Oh, my goodness. This is space, I love it.

-Huge.

-It's a proper kitchen.

And I visit the house that inspired

one of Britain's greatest designers.

I was expecting it to be...fussier.

Now, Leslie has mentioned a couple of times the possibility

of running a B&B, and the mystery house could provide that option.

It has plenty of other possibilities too,

but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

First, she has to fall in love with it as a home.

For our final property, we're heading back into Oxfordshire

and to the village of Northmoor.

Although we're now half an hour away from Henley-on-Thames,

the west of the county offers a bit more value for money.

Northmoor is a peaceful village, but one with an active community,

and there's plenty to enjoy here, including a village pub,

a farm shop selling local produce and a church with a dedicated choir.

Our mystery house is situated in the heart of the village,

and is well placed for a bed-and-breakfast business.

But I'm keen to see if Leslie is up for that challenge.

Come on through to your mystery house. Mind your heads here though.

Oh, good Lord. Look at this!

-Oh, my goodness.

-This is your 18th-century country cottage.

-OK.

-It's listed and this is the new part of the building -

it was built 25 years ago.

The reason this is a mystery house is, you've mentioned a few times

-about the possibility of setting up a B&B.

-A B&B, yes.

-That's right.

-This house really does give you that possibility...

-Great.

-..and there are lots of other options as well.

-OK.

Real opportunities to put your own stamp on this property.

-I'm actually bursting with ideas...

-Good.

-..so I want to get you in there.

-Fantastic.

In many ways, our mystery house has a similar set-up to

yesterday's second property.

An old cottage with a modern extension attached. So I'm still

a little nervous that it might be a bit too traditional for Leslie.

We're heading to the older part of the house first.

-Oh, my fireplace.

-That is a beauty.

This is actually one of two reception rooms

-like this in this part of the house.

-OK.

The old part of the house.

And the B&B idea, the guesthouse idea is that you could

completely shut off that part of the house.

The entrance that we came through could be a completely

separate entrance for guests, for your B&B,

because there is also a separate staircase there.

So what you would have is a living room and there are two bedrooms

-and a family bathroom upstairs.

-All right, that sounds good.

-You could keep this and then there's lots more...

-Right, OK.

..in the new part of the house. So how are you feeling about that idea?

I like the idea, yes.

Very much, yes, if it can be closed off, I think

that would be a lot better.

I'm so glad that Leslie's open to the idea of giving over

the other downstairs reception rooms to guests,

along with two of the upstairs bedrooms and a bathroom.

But that's not the only option with this property.

Welcome to the kitchen. I think you're going to like its size.

-Oh, my goodness. Yes, this is space.

-Huge.

-I love it, yeah.

-That's a kitchen.

-It's a proper kitchen.

And it's very rare to get a kitchen of this size

-in a property like this. Of this style.

-Yes.

And the thing is, if you have a B&B, you need a bigger kitchen

in which to work as well. So it's lovely. I like it.

And look - the French door onto the garden. Oh, golly.

Well, this is the other surprise.

This is the other part of the mystery.

So you would have a sizeable kitchen, obviously.

But there is already planning permission, which lasts for

another year, for a garden room that would go up to that step over there.

-OK.

-So you would have your cosy fireplace in your sort of

-winter room and then you could build...

-Yes.

Somehow that works better than what we've seen before.

You know what I mean? The last house had the same elements

-but because the flow is somehow different, it works better.

-Yeah.

And this has the option of the extra garden room.

In addition to the two bedrooms earmarked for the B&B guests

in the older part of the house, there are two further bedrooms

upstairs in the modern extension.

One is a single and the other would be Leslie's bedroom.

This is the master bedroom.

-Right, OK.

-I liked your reaction in the second house when we mentioned

-walk-in wardrobes.

-Yes.

-A girl after my own heart.

And this is quite small, isn't it?

And this is not a grand master, but what you could do is either

knock through a little doorway into the single bedroom,

-or just use that as a walk-in wardrobe...

-Yes.

-..and just go out

-through as normal.

-That's possible.

-So it becomes a whole end as...

It would be a very substantial walk-in wardrobe.

-So you could just move the clothes out here...

-That's what I need!

Absolutely. There's an en-suite shower room here,

so you really wouldn't need anything else apart from this,

-your walk-in wardrobe, your en-suite shower room.

-Very nice.

I really like the idea of creating my own space.

There's plenty of room to do it.

And also making your mark. When you see something like this,

it's beautiful, but there's lots of options.

It gives you that opportunity to put your own stamp on it.

And I would, I would do that.

The mystery house gets the seal of approval from Jenny too,

but there's still the outside space to see.

As well as the strip of front garden,

round the back of the property,

there's an enclosed substantial patch of lawn

surrounded by shrubs and apple trees, as well as a big garage

offering plenty of storage options.

-So the question you're anticipating...

-Yes.

-Now's the time to ask it.

-Oooh.

How much is this property on the market for?

I'll start with you, Jenny.

-I would say £685,000.

-OK.

I think £690,000.

-You both are a little off, actually.

-Uh-oh.

But you'll be pleased about it.

It's on the market for £625,000.

Leaving you £75,000 to build that garden room,

make it your own, make any changes you want to make.

-So it does leave you with lots of change.

-Very interesting.

-Yes.

There's a lot to think about there. A lot.

I know, and that's why I think you should go back into the house,

have a look at all those bedrooms, figure out what you might

want to do with them, because I know I've given you lots of ideas.

-Yes, you have.

-And there are endless possibilities, I think.

Take as long as you want and I'll meet you back out here

-in the garden.

-OK, thanks.

-All right, thank you.

-Thank you.

Priced at £625,000,

our mystery house is well within budget.

It's a Grade II listed, 18th-century cottage

with a modern extension.

The accommodation includes two cosy reception rooms,

and a large country kitchen.

There are four bedrooms in total, with the option of using two

as part of a separate space for bed-and-breakfast guests.

There's planning permission in place to build a garden room

and the garden itself

is large and secluded.

I could actually see my family coming to stay here

and I think they would love it,

especially if there are grandchildren in the offing.

They would love that garden.

And if you had the extension, as well, it would be a real family room, I think.

I think, personally, that this house would suit Leslie very well.

And I do think it would give her that project that would

-pull her into England...

-The community.

-..in a very positive way.

-Yeah.

-And not miss that exciting life she had in Dubai.

Because I do think that the change is going to be great for you.

It will be, yes, and maybe I need to be busy.

-I think it's an amazing garden.

-I know and I love that, I really do.

-You could use a lot of things for that.

-Well, it could take the bikes

and it could become a sort of an afternoon...when it's a bit rainy

-or misty...

-A cup of tea.

-..a covered spot.

-I'm so sorry to interrupt...

-Oh!

-..but I am going to have to...

-We have to redesign the garden!

-..drag you away from the garden

that you so obviously love. We can't move in just yet.

-No.

-All right.

-Let's go and find somewhere to sit down

-and digest everything that we've seen over the last two days.

-Yes. There's a lot to digest.

-OK.

-There is a lot. Let's go.

-OK.

-All right.

In the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside,

close to the River Thames is Kelmscott Manor.

In the late 19th century, the manor had a major influence on one of

Britain's leading designers, William Morris, who came here with his family.

Morris was a key figure in the Arts and Crafts movement,

which sought to revive the notion of craftsmanship in an age

of increasing mechanisation.

Today, the manor stands as testament to those principles.

I've come to Kelmscott to find out more about its enduring legacy.

I'm meeting the curator, Sarah Parker.

Sarah, tell me, what attracted William Morris to Kelmscott?

Well, he was looking for his summer retreat away from the smog

and pressures of London, and he wanted a really beautiful place

in the countryside and, believe it or not, he actually saw this place in a dream.

So that when he actually came to visit it, he just couldn't

believe it. This was his heaven on Earth. Morris loved the house.

It was on the river, it's in the Cotswolds and, of course,

he felt it was growing organically, literally out of the ground.

It was made by local craftsmen, using local materials.

So, really, really important principles for him.

And that local craftsmanship, that's a founding principle of

-the Arts and Crafts movement.

-Definitely.

Kelmscott Manor and its garden inspired Morris' later work,

including some of his most famous wallpaper and textile designs.

Some of those influences can be seen inside.

So this is the oldest part of the house. This was the family dining room.

I was expecting it to be fussier.

It's funny you should say that because many of our visitors

expect a typical Victorian interior, really cluttered.

But Morris liked plain, simple lines. He liked, for instance, the original

Tudor furniture that you've got here, very simple, very honest furniture.

There might not be any wallpaper but these wall-hangings are very recognisable.

Yes, they are much-loved by many of our visitors.

They're called Strawberry Thief.

In fact, they were hung in 1883. Very reminiscent

of Morris, quite cheeky. The thrush stealing the strawberry, inspired by

the garden, the kitchen gardens here. We've actually got his very first embroidery

that he did himself in the house. So, shall I show you?

I want to see that.

So here we are, Sonali. This was the very first attempt by Morris

at textile design. You can see, here is his motto, "If I Can," which is

reminiscent of a famous Flemish 14th-century artist called van Eyck.

He took that from there to mean, well, I've tried my best.

If I can, anyone can.

I actually really like it because it isn't fussy. You feel like this

could be hung in a school, it's a school motto, isn't it?

-If I Can.

-That's very true.

William's wife Jane and daughter May Morris were skilled textile designers

in their own right. The manor house contains many

of their original works,

including this decorative bedspread in the master bedroom.

This room really follows the simplicity of the whole house.

Everything is simple yet elegant.

That's very true and that's very in line with William Morris' quote,

when he said, "Have nothing in your houses which you do not

"know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

The Morris designs are still much-loved around the world,

and have inspired many of today's designers and architects.

Kelmscott has changed little since Morris' day, and is a fitting

tribute to one of Britain's most influential craftsmen.

Well, we've now shown Leslie and Jenny all three houses on offer,

and I'm so, so pleased that we got positive reactions for two of them.

But what is Leslie going to do next? She's waiting inside.

We know how you feel about house number two, so you are only

-considering number one and the mystery house.

-Not number two, that's right. Yes.

The two houses are so different that I have to consider... It's really

a choice with lifestyle. Do I want more of a lock and leave, much more

compact house, which was very exciting when I first saw it.

Especially when you revealed the price!

And then the third one, I really loved in a totally different way.

I mean, I really could run a B&B from that.

The garden is fantastic, the kitchen is to die for, and if I could build

an extension, I really can see me living in that area

and I'd be very happy.

So there is a dilemma there that I'd have to think about.

In a way then, it's not really between house one and the mystery house.

-It's between a simpler life...

-Lifestyle.

-..and a B&B life.

-Yes, that's right.

-And that's really what you need to decide before you decide on the house.

Yes. I think I have to decide what I'm ready for, because when I looked

at house three, I thought, "Am I ready for this yet?" That was quite

revealing, actually, that I had to go through this journey

to find that out. But it's also very tempting to do now,

to sort of jump in with both feet and just do it.

Personally, I really think that Leslie would be happy

-in that first house, because I think it was a beautiful house...

-It was.

I think it was a fantastic location and, as Leslie said,

-it is a perfect lock-up house. But...

-I want both.

After saying that, the mystery house has got the potential

for a lifestyle that I think Leslie could handle.

-Double the budget and you can have both!

-Thank you!

So what happens next, Leslie? How do you make this decision?

-A big decision, we know.

-Yes, well that's a good question.

Jenny and I were talking about this and we think, first of all,

that we really do need to go back and look at house one

and the mystery house again. We really would like to do that.

You know I'm going to be mean. I know you are not ready to make

a quick decision. But if you had to put in an offer today, which one?

House one or the mystery house?

If you're going to put me on the spot, I'll say mystery house.

-Really? Why's that?

-I don't know.

That shows that you are gutsy, that shows that you do have the energy for that adventure.

I did say that it's a choice between your head and your heart.

That's from my heart - my head says the other house.

But I could enjoy that house as well, the number one. I could enjoy that too.

-Will you let us know how you get on?

-Absolutely, of course I will, yes.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-It's been an absolute pleasure.

-You too. Thank you.

-Thank you.

It's not surprising that Leslie wants more time to consider

her options and the houses that we've shown her.

After all, she's spent more than three decades living

abroad in bustling places like Dubai and Hong Kong.

She now has to decide how she wants to live her new life,

not only back in Britain, but in the countryside too.

I am pretty confident that the past two days

have focused her thoughts, and with a bit more help from Jenny, her other friends

and family, it won't be too long before Leslie has made up her mind.

I'll see you next time.