Shropshire Escape to the Country

Today, I'm taking a ride. Find out where in just a moment.

On today's show, we're helping a couple find a rural home

fit for them and their rather large collection of much-loved pets.

I think these will be your primary doggy areas.

So, I am looking after your canine needs.

And our house-hunters make some stylistic self-discoveries.

Yeah, I wasn't too sure, but it's actually really growing on me.

TRAIN BELL RINGS

I'm in Shropshire and this is Bridgnorth Cliff Railway.

Its dramatic height of 111ft connects the low town below

to the old town above.

When the railway was built in 1892,

it was powered by a water-based counterbalance system,

where the carriage going up would be filled with 2,000 gallons of water

and at the same time,

the car going down would be emptied by the same amount.

Today, of course, all of this runs on electricity,

but this railway is a prime example of Shropshire's historic links

to the Industrial Age.

Land-locked Shropshire is bordered to the west

by the Welsh county of Powys and Staffordshire to the east.

It's one of England's most sparsely populated counties

and has a tranquil beauty that makes it hard to conceive it was once

a progressive engineering hub that gave the world

its first iron-built bridge and set the Industrial Revolution in motion.

Another local landmark that was ahead of its time is Stokesay Court,

a magnificent late-Victorian mansion

that was one of the first private homes in England

to have integral electric light.

20 miles north is Much Wenlock, one of Shropshire's prettiest towns.

As well as offering a wonderful mix of Tudor and Jacobean architecture,

the town has its own Olympic Games

which have been held each July since 1850.

These Games were actually the inspiration

behind the launch of the modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

In spite of the significant influence it's had on the world,

Shropshire remains a quiet and unspoilt county

with an appealing understated charm.

Shropshire's property market serves up good value for money

when you consider that the average price of a detached home here

is £230,000.

That's nearly £30,000 less than the national figure.

But certain pockets of this county can be costly.

For instance, Ludlow's heritage and reputation for high-end restaurants

means buying a slice of property there

can add as much as a 25% premium.

Moving west though, to more rural areas near the Welsh borders,

say around Knighton or Presteigne, will reward you generously.

So, let's find out which part of this county

today's buyers are hoping to move to.

Our house-hunters today currently live in the town of Burgess Hill,

West Sussex, in this four-bedroom new-build.

Victoria and Stuart both have demanding jobs in IT,

but they're ready for a quieter pace of life.

And for Victoria, the move will fulfil a long-held desire

to return to her roots.

I absolutely love Shropshire,

I couldn't have been brought up anywhere nicer.

I always intended to go back and I thought,

"When I retire, I'll retire back to Shropshire."

But my parents are getting older and I would like to go back

and spend more time with them.

I work from home, I can work anywhere within reason.

So, why not now?

Although Stuart has only visited Shropshire twice,

he's more than ready for a change from their current situation.

Well, we're directly on the road, so you've got no front garden, really.

Very little privacy, I suppose.

And it's the same with the back garden, as well, you know.

-You're overlooked from every angle, aren't you?

-You are.

Which you're not so much when you're in the country.

Perhaps the biggest factor motivating the move

is their rather large family of rescue pets.

They have three cats, one collie, two lurchers,

one Parson Russell terrier and a whippet.

At the moment, we're quite urban,

so it's very difficult walking the dogs.

We always feel, especially as we have so many,

as though we're imposing on everybody else,

so it just would be nice to have the open spaces

that we can just get on and do our own thing

and not feel as though we're upsetting other people.

As well as walks in the great outdoors,

there's a decidedly indoor pursuit Stuart is eager to return to

when they find their home in the country.

I've been drumming since, I think, nine or ten

and I was in bands and sort of semi-pro up until the age of 30.

I haven't got a drum kit here, haven't got the space to set it up.

Also, it would really annoy the neighbours cos it's very loud.

The idea of getting back to having a drum kit,

being able to practise, it's right up my alley.

Although Victoria and Stuart bought their current home together,

they chose it from a developer's plan

and never actually saw the place until they were about to move in.

The move to Shropshire

is going to be our first time actually viewing properties,

-going in them and thinking, "Wow, can we actually live here?"

-Yeah.

"Is this right for us?" Which is going to be a bit weird.

It's going to be strange, because buying this place,

we had a floor plan and we could be very logical about it and say,

"Yeah, we like this, this, this works."

There was no emotion involved at all.

It's going to definitely be an experience, isn't it?

I'd like to think we're going to agree,

-but I have this horrible feeling that we're not.

-We'll agree.

Property particulars they definitely don't have any trouble agreeing on

are those involving the pets.

It's got to have the right configuration downstairs

for the dogs and the cats and for us.

It'd be nice to have a reception room

that we can keep for ourselves.

-Yeah.

-You know...

-Yeah.

..but then have enough space for the dogs to stretch out, lounge around.

Yeah. A big garden, definitely.

And it has to be a garden that we're able to fence off, as well.

Because of the lurchers, we need six-foot fencing,

otherwise they'll just skip over.

And because of the terrier, we've got to have fencing

cos he'll go under. He'll dig under, won't he?

-Yeah, he will. He's an escapologist.

-Yeah.

So, how much have they got to spend on a Shropshire home

for themselves and their pets?

So, the budget for the move is £360,000.

They'd like to be within reasonable distance of Victoria's parents

who live in Wellington,

so we're focusing our search within a 45-minute drive of the town.

I'm meeting up with them to learn some more

about what they're hoping to find.

So, Stuart and Victoria, welcome to Shropshire.

-How do you feel about moving to this area?

-We're very excited, aren't we?

Yeah, really looking forward to it.

So, tell us what you're looking for in a property.

Something with a large garden.

Obviously, we've got dogs so we want somewhere where they can run around

and ideally somewhere with a larger downstairs than an upstairs.

Only two of us, so we don't need lots of bedroom space.

-Space for a drum kit.

-Yes, definitely space for a drum kit.

-Somewhere soundproofed, preferably.

-Somewhere that we can soundproof.

Garage would be good, off-road parking.

-I think that's it, really.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

So, how many bedrooms are you looking for?

-Two to three.

-Yeah.

-Two to three would do.

-Who is the decision-maker?

Who is going to make the final decision

-when it comes to picking a property?

-It's Stu. It's got to be Stu.

Possibly.

Well, no, it's my choice really to move to Shropshire,

my family are here, I'm the one driving the move,

so I think it's only fair to give Stu the last say on the house.

-So, if he's happy, you're happy?

-Yes, that's the theory.

So, are you quite flexible about everything else in the house?

Yeah, we're leaving our options open to anything

that might be shown to us that we didn't think of.

That's music to my ears. So, remind us of the budget.

£360,000.

OK, good to know.

Well, we have three houses to show you.

-Let's go and have a look at them.

-Great.

-Fantastic.

With a budget of £360,000,

Victoria and Stuart are looking for a house with two to three bedrooms

and plenty of downstairs living space

that can accommodate both them and their pets.

They'd like a separate space for Stuart's drum kit,

ideally an outbuilding, and a good-sized garden

that can easily be fenced for their five dogs.

We've lined up a great selection of Shropshire homes for them to look at

but I won't be revealing the price until they've had a guess first.

One will be our mystery house, which would give them

the opportunity to stamp their own style on the place,

but will it be an opportunity they're willing to take up?

Our search begins a 40-minute drive west of Wellington,

to the rural hamlet of Rowley.

With no amenities, basic provisions can be picked up

a couple of miles away in the very peaceful village of Worthen.

And set at the base of a hillside in a rural location is our first house.

-Wow.

-So, this is property number one.

-Wow.

-Oh, it's gorgeous. It's really, really lovely.

And what we're standing on is a terrace that they've added

just at the front about six years ago. Lovely suntrap, I think.

-Yeah, it is.

-Yeah.

-And quite private.

-Yeah.

-With great views.

-With amazing views, exactly.

-Yeah.

Now, the property has been extended a couple of times,

so there's lots of lovely features inside

that I'm very keen to show you.

-Excellent.

-Let's go.

-Brilliant.

The house, which is thought to date back to the 1800s,

was originally a gamekeeper's cottage

and it's had a couple of extensions over the years.

-This is the kitchen, with lots of original features.

-Nice.

-How do you feel about beams?

-I like beams.

I wasn't sure but I actually really like them. They're lovely.

-Lots of character.

-Yeah. And that wall is great.

And is this the kind of size of kitchen you were thinking?

-It's smaller.

-Maybe a bit smaller.

But if there are enough reception rooms, then that's absolutely fine.

And, obviously, it's quite connected to the hallway

so as we came in, the hallway, which they use as a dining room...

So, it can all be one space and just back here we have a utility room

and there's an entrance straight out onto your driveway,

so great for the dogs.

-No, I like it a lot. I really do.

-A proper country kitchen, then?

Oh, yeah. That'll keep me happy, won't it?

Shall we go and see the rest of the downstairs?

-I want to show you the living room.

-Great.

-Do you want to lead the way?

-This would be the main living room.

-It's got the beams again.

-Yes, so this is part of the original house.

-Right.

And then just through there,

you have a conservatory, which they added on.

It's a great space with underfloor heating as well.

-Oh, lovely.

-Very nice.

So, you can keep all the doors open

and everything's quite open-living,

or if you would need to keep all the dogs and the cats

in different areas, you can shut all the doors and keep them away.

You've seen most of the downstairs now,

-let's go and check out upstairs.

-OK.

Also downstairs, there's a WC which is just next to the utility room.

Upstairs, there's a family bathroom and three bedrooms.

For guests, there's a good-sized double and a smaller one

-and then there's the master.

-Gosh, that's lovely.

-What do you think of the master bedroom?

-This is great.

It's lovely, it's so pretty.

And both of you have looked up, but you haven't looked there yet.

Oh, wow. Oh, gosh. That is absolutely stunning.

-Imagine waking up to that.

-Oh, my goodness. It's gorgeous.

For a cottage, don't you think it's a really decent-size master bedroom?

-It really is.

-Yeah, it's fantastic.

-It's bigger than ours at the moment, isn't it?

-It really is, yeah.

-It's lovely.

-So, you've seen the majority of the house now.

What vibe are you getting from it?

When I first came in, I wasn't too sure,

but it's actually really growing on me. It has a really nice feel to it.

-And it's nice and bright.

-The good news is, there's still plenty more,

-I'm not exaggerating, to show you.

-Really?

-Shall we head into the garden?

-Yep, let's do that.

Do you want to lead the way?

I'm pleased they're warming to this place

and I'm pretty sure they're going to like what's on offer outside.

There's almost an acre of land with a range of outbuildings,

including some old structures that could be repaired

and converted into kennels for the dogs.

And there's even a chicken shed.

-Look at your views.

-Oh, fabulous.

-Fabulous.

Yeah, it's beautifully positioned, it's incredibly quiet.

-It is, it's very quiet.

-It's fantastic.

And the other side of the garden,

there is a workshop that you can do something with, maybe your drums.

Right.

And there's also an old tractor shed that's been converted into a studio

that would work either as a great office space

or somewhere that would be your very own drum room

with no surrounding buildings, so no-one would be able to hear you.

-That sounds perfect.

-For you and for everyone else.

Exactly, everyone's a winner.

Are you both ready to guess the price?

-I guess we have to be.

-Yep, OK.

-Do you want to go first?

OK. I don't think it's going to be at the top of the budget

cos I think there's a little bit of work to be done on it,

so I am going to go for £350,000.

What about you, Stu?

-I actually would have said £350,000 as well.

-Really?

-Really.

Yeah, I think around that mark.

The house is actually on the market for £375,000.

I know it's above your budget, but they will accept offers,

-so this is why we've shown it to you.

-OK.

-Interesting.

-Yeah.

Well, while you think about it,

I want you to go and have a look at the other part of the garden,

the studio, the workshop,

-so you can really see whether this space would work for you.

-OK.

-And then I'll come and find you.

-Fantastic. Thanks very much.

Thanks a lot.

At £375,000, this hillside cottage is above budget,

but the owners are open to offers.

It has a characterful kitchen, a living room with sunroom

and three bedrooms.

Outside, there's just under an acre of land

and several outbuildings,

great for dogs and drumming.

-Wow.

-Oh, look at this.

-Oh, my gosh.

That would make a fabulous studio for you.

And I like that it's separate from the house.

You could do so much with it.

First impression when I saw the house - really nice exterior,

great location, very quiet, just ideal.

I really liked the inside of the property,

I thought the layout worked really well for us.

I would want to bring the sort of decorative order up,

lots of clean lines.

I think there's enough land to make this work for the dogs

and the cats and for us,

particularly with the outhouse,

where I can use the drums - brilliant.

From a drumming point of view, you really couldn't ask for more,

it's absolutely fantastic for him.

From the house point of view,

I reckon we're probably about 90% there.

-Did you have a good look around?

-Yeah, we did, thanks very much.

-Ready for property number two?

-Yep.

-Let's go.

In South Shropshire, at the foot of the Clee Hills,

stands Hopton Court Estate, which in the late 1800s,

played host to regular grand-scale hunting parties.

The sport continues here today, but increasingly popular

is the simulated version - clay-pigeon shooting.

Because Victoria and Stuart are keen to explore

new potential country pursuits,

we've sent them to meet the estate's shoot instructor, Martin Shineton.

So, how did clay-pigeon shooting become so popular?

Well, clay-pigeon shooting stemmed from pheasant shooting

and grouse shooting.

And from about the 1880s to the First World War,

it was all game shooting.

During the war, they sort of invented clay-pigeon shooting to fill in

for the lack of pheasants, grouse, and that sort of thing.

Shooting's traditionally associated with the wealthy.

-Is that still the case?

-It has changed throughout the years.

It was quite a prestigious thing years ago for the wealthy to do,

but clay-pigeon shooting obviously came in

and it sort of brought it back open to the classes

-and for everybody to enjoy.

-Cool.

The first targets used were glass balls

but in 1880, these were replaced by more effective clay disks,

which evolved into today's targets,

which are now made of a mixture of lime and pitch.

Basically, we have three different sized clays

to represent different flights of birds.

The big one, which is the standard target,

represents a pheasant or something of similar size,

which flies quite slow.

And then you come down to the midi target,

which will represent a pigeon or something similar to that.

And then the little target, a mini,

which represents a partridge or a grouse.

So, they vary in difficulty when you're actually shooting at them.

So, is the size of the targets the only thing you use

to replicate the flight of the birds?

No, they're not.

We use a machine, such as this,

which can be set at different heights, different angles,

different speeds that sort of

will represent different flights of birds.

Over the years, this rural activity

has evolved into a sophisticated, competitive sport.

The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, formed in 1928,

has more than 24,000 members

and the British team is one of the world's strongest,

claiming gold at the 2012 Olympics.

Right, what I'm going to show you now is how to hold the gun correctly.

Your head down on the stock...

and hopefully you should be looking at the barrels.

-Does that feel comfortable?

-Yep, cool.

-That's perfect.

When you're ready to shoot at the target, you call, "Pull"...

Put the bead on the edge of the target, pull the trigger.

Pull.

Bang. GUN FIRES

Well done. Absolutely brilliant.

Absolutely fantastic.

There you go.

-OK, so we run through it again.

-Uh-huh.

-Loading the gun.

You mount the gun in your shoulder, in the pocket.

When you're ready, you call, "Pull".

-Pull.

-GUN FIRES

Well done. Very well done.

So, we load the gun, mount the gun as you did before...

-Pull.

-Bang.

GUN FIRES There you go.

It looks like Stuart and Victoria are naturals,

or it's beginners' luck with their aim.

Now, it's time to set our sights back on the target

of finding them a home.

We're continuing our search 20 miles east, to the hamlet of Kenley,

just a 25-minute drive from Victoria's parents in Wellington.

The nearest village, 2.5 miles away in a tranquil setting, is Harley.

It's one of around 50 settlements known as Thankful Villages,

a term coined in the 1930s by the writer Arthur Mee,

to describe the handful of communities that were lucky enough

to have all their men survive the Great War and return home.

Back in Kenley is our second property,

a slightly unconventional three-bedroom converted schoolhouse.

Wow.

-Gosh.

-OK.

-House number two.

-Wow.

-Oh, that is stunning.

-That is, isn't it?

-Yeah, that is beautiful.

-Chocolate-box house.

-Yeah.

Now, I'm not sure if you've noticed it, but I'm going to get

the semidetached thing out of the way because it's semidetached, yes,

but not really.

That side, you would have no neighbours for most of the year.

That hall's used about four times a year by the locals

-and it's empty the rest of the time.

-Oh, it's a hall.

-So, you don't really have neighbours at all.

-Ah.

-OK.

And this is a garage/workshop/ wood store that is being built.

-It's huge.

-It is.

-Yeah, so a space that you could do whatever you wanted with.

-Yeah.

Now after getting to know you during the first house tour,

I'm very, very excited about showing you the inside, so let's get going.

Great.

Built in 1893, this stone schoolhouse is situated

in one of the most sought-after rural areas of Shropshire,

with views across to Wenlock Edge.

But it's not just the setting that's so appealing.

The inside of this property is pretty spectacular.

So, into the entrance, there's a utility just there

and then you have this gorgeous conservatory

and I wanted to show you those two first

because I think these will be your primary doggy areas.

That's what you requested, that we look after the dogs

and the cats, of course, so I am looking after your canine needs.

But the rest of the house, a lot of it, I think would be perfect

-for you two as a couple.

-Great.

And I'm going to be a bit unconventional

and show you the upstairs first

because there's a bit of an upside-down situation to the house.

-OK.

-OK.

-Let's go upstairs.

In this slightly topsy-turvy house,

most of the living space is upstairs, which is accessed

via a galleried landing that looks over the conservatory below.

You can see why I called it upside down,

because the living room is upstairs.

This is brilliant, this is really got the wow factor, hasn't it?

It really has and with that balcony... It's just unbelievable.

-Oh, it's just brilliant.

-It's amazing.

It's just how we would do it.

So, you can see yourselves both sitting here in front of the fire,

glass of wine.

Looking out on the gallery out there, keeping an eye on the dogs.

Well, that's the thing.

I know that you're used to giving them a sofa area in a...

-But they would have their own area downstairs.

-Yeah.

-It would work really, really well.

-It would.

Yeah, and our furniture would just fit right in.

-Shall we go check out your kitchen?

-Oh, yes.

-Yeah.

I'm going to call it your kitchen. I'm being presumptuous.

So, I called it a kitchen

but actually this whole space is one big living area, isn't it?

-So, your dining area and then your kitchen area.

-Oh, it's gorgeous.

-It really is lovely.

-Fantastic.

-Beautiful.

And what do you think about the decor in here?

Really in keeping with the rest of the house. Really like it.

-My favourite colour.

-Silver and grey.

And then the rest of the living space is downstairs.

-OK.

-So, let's go back down.

I'm delighted by their reaction to what they've seen so far

of this property.

With this quirky configuration,

the family bathroom is on the upstairs floor.

Downstairs, there are two further shower rooms which are en suite.

In total, there are three double bedrooms,

one of which has French doors onto a patio

and another which adjoins the conservatory,

which then brings us to the master.

-So, this is the master.

-Right.

But that's the upside-down living,

that all your bedrooms are on the ground floor.

-OK, it's interesting.

-Yeah.

How do you feel about that?

I probably would have said that I don't like it...

..but I just love it.

It sort of keeps its period features

but it's been done in a very modern way,

which is just what we would want to do.

Well, start thinking about how much you think this property is worth

-because that's what we're going to be asking you in the garden.

-OK.

It's clear the style of this place is more to their taste

than the first property we saw,

although it doesn't come with quite as much land.

It has an eighth of an acre,

but there are plenty of dog-friendly walks in the beautiful

surrounding countryside and there is that soon to be completed shed

that Stuart could use for his drumming.

-So, this is your garden.

-Right.

-So, a lot smaller, obviously, than the previous garden.

-Yeah.

What do you think about the size for your dogs?

-It's smaller than what we'd hoped for.

-It's bigger than we have now.

-It is, yeah.

-So, that's still a plus point.

-Yes.

-That's good to know.

-Yeah.

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

I think it's more expensive than the other one.

I think it's going to have to be £380,000.

Vics?

Well, it's less land and although you're not really aware of it,

-it is still a semi.

-Mm-hm.

-So, I'm going to go a little bit less.

I'm going to go for £365,000.

It is on the market for offers in the region of...

-£369,950.

-OK.

-Yeah, that's really interesting.

So, they're open to offers at around your budget.

-That's great news.

-That is, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Do you want another look around?

-Yeah, definitely.

-I think we should.

-Yeah.

-OK. Go and do that and I'll come and meet you.

-Fantastic.

Brilliant.

At just under £370,000, this beautifully converted schoolhouse

is just above budget, but that price is negotiable.

The upstairs living space includes a contemporary bespoke kitchen

and a stylish sitting room with superb panoramic views.

Downstairs, there are three double bedrooms and a large conservatory

which could make a great indoor space for the dogs.

But outside, there's just

an eighth of an acre of land.

When I first walked up to the house, it just looked absolutely gorgeous.

Really breathtakingly spectacular house.

When you actually walk through the house, very unconventional set-up.

But it really works. I'm quite surprised.

If we'd seen it on paper, we would have discounted it.

I'm not used to the upstairs-downstairs living arrangement,

but when you've got views as spectacular as these,

I can really understand why they would do it.

-And I think they'd have been mad not to.

-Great house.

Unconventional but quirky, that's good.

It's got a lot going for it.

My overall impression of the property is just a big wow.

It's absolutely gorgeous,

it's everything that we could want in a place.

-Are you ready to leave?

-Not really, but I suppose I have to.

-Shall we drag her away?

-Yes.

-We've got lots to think about.

It's day two of our property search with Victoria and Stuart, who,

with a budget of £360,000, are leaving the town of Burgess Hill,

West Sussex, for tranquillity and space in Shropshire.

Still to come, at the mystery house there's a bit of a surprise

with some unusual fixtures and fittings.

And that horse comes with the property...if you'd like it.

And I come face to face with some very prickly characters.

I think we found out a lot about Victoria and Stuart yesterday.

They were very particular about style and design

and preferred the property that was already done up to their taste.

So, how will they react to the challenge of a mystery house

that I suspect will require a lot more time and effort

before it feels like home?

Let's find out.

-Did you sleep at all last night?

-We got a couple of hours, didn't we?

We did. Yeah, lots of discussions.

The second house that we really, really liked -

there's quite a fundamental flaw with it.

The conservatory, thinking about it, with the dogs,

we're really worried that in the summer, it may overheat.

I mean, there are ways around it.

Yeah. We could blind it off, or...

Yeah. Do something like that.

The dogs really are our top priority.

Maybe we're not looking for a house that's got the wow factor,

maybe it's just got to have the doggy factor

and we can work on the rest.

So, if it's got the bow-wow factor...

The final stop on our search takes us 25 miles south

to the quiet hamlet of Little Isle.

It doesn't have any shops

but there are plenty six miles away in Ludlow, a picturesque town

with more than 500 listed buildings and a reputation for excellent food.

As well as Michelin-star restaurants,

it has a regular farmers' market

and lots of independent specialist food outlets.

Not far away, at the end of a long drive,

is our final offering, a three-bedroom detached cottage.

-So, this is your mystery house.

-Wow.

-Gosh, it's really lovely.

The mystery house is a mystery because what we wanted to give you

was something a lot bigger to work with.

The amount of land you would have here

is double the land of the first property.

And inside, it will require a bit of time, but actually,

what it will allow you to do, I think,

is really make it into something that you absolutely adore.

-Shall we go in and see what I'm talking about?

-OK.

-Let's do it.

The house was built around 150 years ago and has been extended

a couple of times since the current owners bought it in 1998.

So, the dining room that we've just walked through

was the original kitchen.

And when the owners moved in, they felt they just wanted more space

so this is the extension, this kitchen.

It's a good size.

I'm just trying to imagine,

if this house was decorated in the same way that house number two was,

whether that would make a big difference and I think it would.

I think I have to see past the decor.

I think you need to look at the layout of the house,

the amount of space it has, the configuration,

whether that would work for you,

-because I think cosmetic changes are the easiest thing to do...

-Yeah.

..and can be done over time.

Shall we go through to the conservatory?

So, this is obviously part of the extension, too.

-More of a summer room, I think.

-Yeah.

I love this because I think it brings the outdoors completely in

with this triple aspect.

-But size-wise, OK?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's OK.

-You're not saying much, this is making me nervous.

-It's...

-It's so different.

-Yeah, it is so different.

Yeah, it's completely different to property two.

-It's probably more like property one.

-Yeah.

OK, I'm not going to probe too much more.

I'm going to show you the upstairs and then I do want some thoughts,

because I didn't mean to silence you with the mystery house.

-Do you want to lead the way upstairs?

-Will do.

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

and adjoining the dining room in the original part of the cottage

is a sitting room with an attractive brick fireplace

and a wood-burning stove.

-Ah, OK.

-Oh.

Wasn't expecting that size.

Now, this isn't currently being used as the master bedroom,

but this, I think, would be what YOU would use as the master bedroom,

-just because of its size.

-Right.

-Yeah.

And then you've got two further bedrooms,

another double bedroom that's currently being used as a master,

a single bedroom and then a bathroom just next door,

so it's not quite an en suite, obviously, but it's just there.

-Yeah.

-What do you think, what are your thoughts?

Have you been able to have that vision, seeing past the decor?

It has the space, as you said.

If we ignore the decor, the space is certainly there.

The configuration, it's not ideal, it's not perfect,

but we could make it work.

-Um, I think it's going to come down, probably, to outside space.

-Yeah.

Then I better get you outside.

OK, let's go.

If it really is all hinging on what's outside,

then our buyers might just be swayed because there's loads of space here,

with attractive, mature gardens, wonderful views

and an unexpected extra.

Welcome to the garden again.

-So, you've got nearly two acres of land to play with.

-Wow.

So, there is definitely going to be plenty of room for the dogs,

because as well as the garden that you saw

just before we went into the house, you have this huge paddock here,

which goes beyond what we can see, so beyond the fence there as well.

And that horse comes with the property...if you'd like it.

-You weren't expecting that.

-No!

-That's part of our mystery.

-There's also space for geese, chickens, ducks...

-Oh, wow.

So, we really could add to the family.

Oh, look. He's coming over.

-Oh.

-Hello.

(Hello.)

Gorgeous.

What do you think about the space and him?

Oh, it's fantastic. It's really fabulous.

That paddock area is perfect.

Let's talk money. Who'd like to go first?

I think you should.

I'm going to be a little bit harsh

because of the work that needs to be done to it.

I'm going to say £340,000.

OK. All right. Stuart?

I'm going to go lower at £330,000.

So, the property is on for a bit more than you've both said.

-It's on the market for £350,000.

-OK.

So, it's under budget,

leaving you with some money to make some adjustments to the interior.

I think that's reasonable. I think I was going low.

Maybe there was a little bit of hopefulness in there,

but I think £350,000...

I think, compared with the other properties we've seen,

I think it's a fair price.

Now you have the price, do you want to have another look around

so you can assess the house with that price in mind

-and see whether it'd work for you?

-Yeah.

-I think we should.

OK, why don't you go and do that and I'll come and find you?

Brilliant, thanks very much.

Below budget at £350,000,

this detached stone cottage has three bedrooms,

two reception rooms and a conservatory.

Set in a wonderful rural setting, there's almost two acres of land

that includes a paddock -

and the horse in it.

My first impression when we walked up to the house was that

it's a really nice-looking cottage, it's been really nicely rendered

and I loved all the windows.

It's just a really nice-looking house.

When I first came into the house, it was actually quite a shock, I guess.

It's so far apart from how we would decorate somewhere.

It was difficult initially to see past that, I think.

The outside space here is absolutely amazing. Two acres.

It's also got a really gorgeous garden.

The only question for me, really,

is whether or not Stu's going to let me have a horse.

Overall impression, the land is fabulous.

I'd say the house needs work, but that's OK.

Certainly the idea of it is growing on me.

Vics, come and share my umbrella.

Now you've both seen everything we have to offer, shall we find

somewhere nice and dry so you can really discuss what you want?

-Yes, please.

-Let's go.

In central Shropshire, on the outskirts of Much Wenlock,

is Cuan Wildlife Rescue,

a charity dedicated to the care and rehabilitation

of sick, injured and orphaned animals.

Set up in 1991, it's Shropshire's only 24-hour wildlife rescue centre

and it takes in more than 1,500 casualties a year.

Anna Nicholas, whose parents started the organisation

when she was just a child, is now the centre's manager

and is building on the life-saving work they began over 20 years ago.

What type of animals do you look after here?

We look after lots of different types, all British wildlife

and every one's always released to the wild, we don't keep anything.

Quite a lot of things we have... We have a lot of swans,

a lot of birds, all your usual garden birds will come in.

-I can hear the birds in here.

-There are some up there, yes.

There's some little young house martins up there

-which have been orphaned through one reason or another.

-Aw.

But they're squawking at the moment

because they think they're going to be fed.

Are you really busy at this time of year,

-that transition from summer into autumn?

-We're still quite busy.

Obviously, summer is our busiest period,

with all the baby birds, all the baby animals.

However, the autumn period,

a lot of the autumn juvenile hedgehogs come in,

mainly due to the change of weather.

Obviously, it's getting colder now, winter's coming.

And we get a lot more of the hedgehogs come in

that aren't coping.

So, once someone brings you a hedgehog that isn't well,

what happens?

They come into the admissions room,

they obviously get looked over for whatever injuries they've got.

Sometimes it's not obvious, for example, some of these,

it isn't actually obvious what injuries they've got on these.

These are only about three weeks old.

The reason it's got pink on its head is because we have to mark them

to make sure we know which one we're weighing. This one's too small.

It's lost its parents for whatever reason.

..And then we'll start treating it for things like worming

and just generally feed them up.

Over the last ten years,

hedgehog populations have declined by more than a third.

The reason is unclear

but a key factor is thought to be habitat loss

from intensive farming practices

and increased road and housing construction.

-I've noticed some syringes there.

-Yes.

-Are they ready for these hedgehogs?

-They are, unfortunately.

They're having their worming treatment

cos they're suffering from worms at the moment, tummy worms.

Once the hedgehogs have completed their course of medication

and have gained weight,

they're transferred to the centre's hedgehog garden,

where they spend time readjusting to the outdoors

before being released back into the wild.

So, I'll just show you this one that's in here.

He's asleep at the moment, unfortunately.

He's a bit bigger than the ones we've seen.

And once they're ready to go back out into the wild,

where do you release them?

These'll get released as a group cos obviously they know each other,

they have a bit of a best chance.

We'll release them into certain areas of Shropshire,

not near any main roads and things like that.

How do people, how do the public, how can WE help prevent them

getting to a state where they need a rescue centre?

It's great if you can encourage them into your garden.

If you've got a little bit of your garden that you can leave a bit wild,

that you don't need to strim back, you don't need to cut back,

you can leave lots of wild plants,

wild things like that, that would be great. That'll encourage them in.

And actually, we could just put something like this in our garden,

-couldn't we?

-Absolutely. I mean, it doesn't have to be as fancy as this.

Anything like an upturned crate you've got,

cover it in a bit of hedge, bit of earth, bit of bracken.

Anything like that will provide a nice, dry, safe place for them to go

and you'll probably find

that they'll come and live in your garden.

-Thank you so much, Anna.

-That's all right.

It's been very informative and good luck to Mr Pink And White over here.

With increased public awareness

and the important work being done here at the centre

and others like it, hopefully these wonderful creatures

will be a familiar sight in our gardens once more.

Having now shown Vicky and Stu all three of our properties,

I'm not quite sure which house suited them best

because they liked aspects of all of them,

but expressed reservations about all of them, too.

What I'd really like to do is pin them down

on which property is their favourite.

Victoria and Stuart, which of the houses, if any, do you prefer?

We are still favouring house number two.

Even though you had reservations

that it might not quite suit the dogs?

Yeah, I think the conservatory is definitely a worry,

but there are ways around it.

We can look at having blinds fitted.

The back wall is too low, so we'd need to build that up,

so we'd need to see if we could get permission

to put a six foot fence in.

But apart from that, it really was perfect.

Now, the one big thing that house two was missing

was the outdoor space.

That's true, um...

There are lots of walks in that area, though.

-So, the outside space may not be such an issue.

-Yeah.

I think, from the moment I saw it, I just thought it was amazing.

And I think even if it had needed work,

I think I still would have loved it.

So, if you think you would have liked house two

even if it hadn't been done up to that standard,

what drew you to the house?

-I think it had the best location.

-It had a really great location.

I mean, it looked over Wenlock Edge, I mean, absolutely stunning.

It's closer to my parents.

It just felt right for us.

So, will you be going back to house number two?

-Think so...

-Yeah, I think so.

And if you're happy with the answers you get to all of your questions,

do you think you would put an offer in?

-I think we probably would.

-Yeah, I think so, too. Yeah.

Well, let us know how you get on with house two

-and whether you do indeed put an offer in.

-We will do.

-And thank you for letting me take you house-hunting.

-Thanks very much.

Thank you.

Well, that was revealing.

Vicky and Stu's main request was enough space and land

for their pets, yet they've fallen for the one property

that didn't quite meet that demand.

I think what we've all learnt during this search is that

this is a couple who instinctively go with their gut feeling

on a house, rather than sticking with a wish list.

Until next time, goodbye.

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