Cumbria Escape to the Country

Welcome to a special edition of Escape To The Country,

where Nicki and I will be showcasing the exploits of two house-hunting couples

and highlighting the splendours of one particular county.

Along the way we will offer up our own personal opinions, tips,

hints and reflections.

First of all, we are heading to a corner of England's green

and pleasant land, which has been the muse of many a poet

and writer along the way.

It is officially my favourite county in England.

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

they can expand their business and surround themselves

and their family in nature.

There's plenty that appeals.

-Wow, wow, wow.

-Yes, big smile on the face.

And I'm helping a couple abandon

busy city life for a restful, rural retreat.

But there are issues finding the perfect fit.

It is a little bit small for me.

-Small?!

-I'm sorry.

-No!

We've got a treat in store, haven't we?

Because today, we are heading to Cumbria,

-home to the Lake District National Park.

-Fabulous place.

And you might find this quite strange,

but I've only relatively recently visited, Cumbria.

I'm disappointed, Nicki, disgusted almost!

Well, I'll make up for it because I can see what all the fuss is about.

One area that I particularly fell in love with was Buttermere

and the surrounding countryside.

It might not be the biggest of the lakes, but for me, it's the most beautiful.

-It's funny, because for me, it's not actually about the lakes.

-No?

I love nothing more than getting high up on the fells, hiking,

or mountain biking down the bridleways.

At the end of a hard day's toil outside,

what better than to find one of their local pubs, perhaps

relax by the fire and have a nip of whisky or a locally-brewed bitter.

Ooh, sounds good.

Here's a taster of what else this stunning county has to offer.

Cumbria is England's most northwestern county,

and like neighbouring Northumberland,

is bounded to the north by Scotland.

The county is perhaps most famous for the singular

beauty of its Lake District National Park,

which encompasses some of the country's most awe-inspiring

landscapes, including 16 pristine lakes

formed by glacial meltwater millennia ago.

The park's northern hub is the medieval market town of Keswick,

a popular base for walkers and gateway to the

kind of beautiful landscape this county is so famous for.

Just outside the eastern fringes of the National Park is Penrith.

William Wordsworth spent some of his school years in the town and

lived most of his life in Cumbria,

describing the area as "the loveliest spot that man hath found".

A sentiment shared by the many visitors who continue to be

inspired by the elemental beauty of this extraordinary county.

For me, Cumbria is almost cliched,

it is the quintessential county to relocate to.

People seem to like what I like -

beautiful fells, woodland, lakes, it is just a picture postcard,

-everywhere you look.

-And it's not bad value, is it?

On average, a detached house would be £30,000 under the national figure.

It is surprising, isn't it? But there are two markets there

because when you go into the National Park, prices go up by 20%

and I think that reflects the restrictions on building.

It's the supply and demand thing.

If you were going to move there and up sticks, where would you go?

Well, I always find myself going back to the Langdales.

It's just got unspoiled scenery.

There's not many people there,

but the prices are pretty high as well.

So I recommend getting outside the borders, maybe east of the M6,

you pay less for your property there, but also a better transport network.

Well, you might have a few more neighbours because Cumbria is

becoming more and more popular.

We spoke to one estate agent who said

that 75% of his new clients are coming in from other counties.

-Flipping heck, that's a lot.

-It is.

-Which means that prices may well keep going up.

-Yeah.

But that brings us nicely to this episode

because my couple were a growing family with big ideas.

What about my couple? Let's start with them first.

They want to swap London's Crystal Palace for the

crystal waters of the Lakes.

A world away from the open wilds of Cumbria, civil partners Philip and

Alan's current home is Crystal Palace,

in the heart of South London.

They have lived here in their five-bedroom Victorian semi

for the last 22 years.

With Alan already retired and Philip phasing out his work as a consultant

in the financial sector, they are eager to embrace a new way of life.

In Crystal Palace, there's some nice shops,

there are a few nice restaurants.

And it's an area and a house that we've been happy to live in,

but it really is time for a change.

The age we both are and what we want from the future,

we can't do that and live in Crystal Palace.

And a big part of what they want from the future

is to pursue a shared passion for food.

I started cooking at home when I was around about 12 or 13,

so, yes, I've always had a big interest in it.

But it is not just the two of them

they have to consider with this move.

To spend more time with Philip's mother, who currently lives

150 miles from them in Lincoln, they are planning to take her with them.

So what have they got to spend on a country home in Cumbria?

We'd like to bring the purchase in within a budget of £500,000.

Philip and Alan are particularly fond of Keswick,

so we are keeping our search within easy driving distance of the town.

I'm meeting up with them

to talk through the finer details of their move.

Well, Philip and Alan, welcome to glorious Cumbria.

BOTH: Thank you.

Hopefully, your future home.

Why have you decided you wanted to move to this part of the world?

It's an area we've been to a few times.

We have had holidays here, we have explored the area a lot.

Beautiful scenery. And we just love it here.

-It is not just the two of you that are moving, is it?

-No.

-You are bringing Mum along as well, Celia.

-Yes, my mother.

She lives in Lincoln at the moment. She is going to be moving with us,

either into the same property or certainly into the area.

We are looking for something to accommodate the three of us,

but give us all our independence and privacy.

-Just remind me of your budget.

-It's 500,000.

-OK.

I have got to ask you, if we find this property,

it might need a little bit of work doing to it.

Are you happy to take on a bit of a project to make it that perfect

home for all three of you?

-Oh, yes, absolutely.

-Yes.

-Not work shy?

-No.

-Alan is not.

I like the delegation, Philip, that was very good.

I don't mind sharing with you that you have set us a challenge,

but I'm quietly optimistic. Are you looking forward to it?

-Very much.

-Good.

We have got three properties already lined up to show you,

-so shall we get cracking?

-Please.

With their £500,000 budget, Philip and Alan need rather a lot.

They are hoping for a generous kitchen-diner, four bedrooms

and two reception rooms.

And that's just for them.

They also want self-contained accommodation for Celia,

so either a large property that could be divided or one

with an annexe or convertible outbuilding.

And they are happy to consider a project.

They'd like all this to be within striking distance of Keswick.

We found Philip and Alan three wonderful properties,

and I will be asking him to guess the price at the end of the tour.

One will be our mystery house, whose hidden depths could offer

the living arrangements they are looking for.

But first on the agenda is house number one.

We are starting our search in the Lake District National Park,

in Embleton, which is ten miles north of Keswick.

Just a short drive from here is our first house,

a brick-built Edwardian property with a Buttermere slate roof.

So, as we are in Cumbria, we thought we would

start off with our first property in the National Park.

-BOTH: OK.

-And here she is.

-Looks really nice.

-Yeah, it does, it looks lovely.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

It's nice and isolated.

You can probably hear the beck in the distance, can't you?

That actually runs through your land.

So, what is your first impression when you look at the property?

-I think it is very solid.

-Yes.

-You know, very robust, sound home.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

-Does it excite you, though?

-Um...

Is it calling your name? Is it asking you to go in?

-It's boxy.

-Yes.

So I don't think you get the full impression of what it is like

until you actually see what is inside.

-So, shall we start the tour?

-Yes.

-That will be great.

The property was built in 1904 for a retired sea captain.

I am hoping the interior will convince Philip

and Alan that this is the place to drop anchor and call home.

We're going to start off in the drawing room through here.

A fair size and double aspect.

-Indeed, yeah.

-It is quite light.

And you've got the same size room on the other side of the hallway,

sort of mirrored, and then you have got a conservatory as well.

Because obviously we have got to think of Celia, your mum, too,

with this property.

So you could potentially have one reception room for you

-and one perhaps for her.

-Yes.

-Just a thought, possibly.

-Yep.

-I'd like to see more, definitely.

-Getting a good flavour?

-Yeah.

-All right, follow me.

Now, safe to say, Alan,

this really is the most important room in the house for you, isn't it?

Absolutely, yeah.

So, what do you think about our kitchen, with that in mind?

-I think it's...

-Good-sized?

It is not quite the size of kitchen I was hoping for,

so a little disappointed.

-Philip, what do you think?

-Um...

Alan does all the cooking

and it just needs to be something on the social end, so it'd be nice if

we could find a kitchen where there was room for an old rustic table.

So, good size kitchen, but not quite big enough for your needs.

-I would say that.

-OK. There are some other options.

Through the door is a utility room, plus a downstairs cloakroom

and storage, I think a coal shed as well.

So you do have a footprint already there.

Obviously, you'd need planning permission.

But there is the possibility perhaps of using that area.

-Right, would you like to see a bit more?

-Yeah, love to.

-Please.

That extra space could also be reconfigured to create

a self-contained annexe for Celia, leaving the rest for the boys.

And there would still be enough space on their side of the house to

put in the kind of kitchen that Alan would be happy with.

Upstairs are four bedrooms - three doubles and one single -

and they share a large family bathroom.

We're going to take a look at the master bedroom.

How do you feel about this room?

It has got a thing of openness about it that I think...

I mean, it's not huge, but, my goodness, it is

-certainly comfortably big enough.

-Yes.

We could make this into a lovely home for the two of us. The three of us...

Yeah, it needs a bit more thought.

Let's head outside, take a look at the grounds, the garden,

the surrounding fields.

-OK.

-Were also going to talk money.

-OK.

-OK.

It seems clear that inside the house doesn't quite deliver what the

chaps are looking for, but at least the outside can't fail to impress.

The three-quarter acre grounds are made up of garden and woodland,

which I am told are regularly visited by dear and red squirrels.

I must admit, I love being in the garden

because you just look around you and it's just stunning.

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

I would guess at £450,000.

-OK.

-Strange, that was exactly the figure I was going to say, yes.

Well, you are...

£70,000 under.

The asking price is £520,000.

-Wow.

-OK. Well, it's in the National Park as well,

-which I am assuming puts the numbers up.

-It does.

Because you can't build in the National Park, it is

very difficult to have new buildings put in,

existing properties do have a premium attached to them.

Reflecting National Park prices,

this house comes in above budget at £520,000.

It offers a kitchen with adjoining utility rooms that could be

converted to create an annexe for Philip's mum.

There are also four bedrooms, two reception rooms

and a garden room, all set in three quarters of an acre grounds,

complete with its own woodland stream.

OK, well, that is our first house done here in the National Park.

-Have you seen enough?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Yeah.

It has given us a good idea what we can get for our money

-in this area.

-Good.

-There's plenty more to show you.

-Looking forward to it.

-Thank you.

A name that is strongly associated with the Lake District

is Beatrix Potter,

who fell in love with the area after holidaying here as a child.

Its landscape had a huge impact on her,

but she, in turn, had a significant influence on it.

Committed to preserving the unique beauty of this area,

she bought thousands of acres of land here.

And when she died in 1943,

she left it in the safekeeping of the National Trust.

Tarn Hows is one of the places she helped to protect and I'm here to

meet John Moffat, general manager for the South Lakes National Trust.

What was her legacy?

Well, practically, it was 4,000 acres of land,

14 farms, lots of other buildings that she left to the National Trust.

Because of the way we are set up, we can't sell it,

we can't pass it on to anybody else so all the land is still farmed.

Beyond that, there's what she did to protect the area as well.

If she hadn't been involved, a lot of this landscape might look very different.

What a legacy.

Generations have read her books and will continue to do so,

but she probably didn't realise how many more generations would be

appreciating views like this, which she helped maintain.

As well as being a writer and conservationist,

Potter was a hands-on farmer, and during her Lakeland years,

she became an expert sheep breeder.

The breed closest to her heart was the Herdwick,

and I'm going to learn more about them from John Watson,

who runs Yew Tree Cottage, one of the farms she donated to the Trust.

So what was it about the Herdwicks

that Beatrix Potter championed so much? Why this breed?

They are very hardy, they are very adaptable

and just fit so naturally in that fell land.

The only sheep really that can survive up there,

that can graze there.

They don't just eat grass, they will eat anything, even bark in winter.

-Will they? Can we get them a bit closer so I can see them?

-Yes, sure.

HE WHISTLES

Distinguished by their white legs and faces,

the origin of this hardy breed is unclear,

but they are thought to have been introduced by early Norse settlers.

Certainly distinctive.

You see them dotted around all the landscape

and I now know which breed they are.

John, it has been great being on the farm,

-just getting a taste of what you do.

-You are very welcome.

Now, let's get back to Philip and Alan's house hunt.

Our next property lies just a mile outside the National Park

in the village of Bothel.

Our second offering -

a Georgian-style, Grade II listed property -

is in the heart of the village.

-And here it is, here is the second house.

-Lovely.

-Yeah?

Do like the look of the house?

From what I can see now, yes.

I think it is a handsome house, isn't it?

-Rather than a beautiful one, but, yeah, interesting.

-Striking.

-Yeah, definitely.

-It has an awful lot to offer.

-OK.

-All right?

-Yep.

-Sounds intriguing.

-Let's start.

-OK.

-So, I think an impressive Georgian-style hallway.

-Yep.

And you can see the set-up,

you have got two reception rooms on either side.

-Yep.

-Let's start off with this one first.

So, both these drawing-sitting rooms are about the same size.

Very high ceilings again.

This is nice, it's a good space.

-Well, the tour is just beginning, so let's keep going.

-Lovely.

So, we have already established just how important the kitchen is.

-So how does this one fair?

-First impression is I like it.

I think it has got a nice feel to it. It feels cosy.

Nice size with the table there as well.

-So, yeah, first impression is very positive.

-Good. Alan?

Um...

Again, like the last house, it's a little bit small for me.

-Small?!

-I'm sorry.

-No!

I was really hoping to get something that was more open

and had more work surfaces, for example.

-This is not a small kitchen.

-I know.

I look at lots of homes and this is not a small kitchen.

-But it is actually the surface space.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Well, that is fair enough.

I'm going to hold back my disappointment

because I thought I had done so well with this kitchen.

But plenty more to show you upstairs and then we will head outside.

Also on the ground floor, there is a utility room and a garden room.

The kitchen clearly didn't measure up, but I'm hoping the rest

of the property has more to tempt them, starting with the upstairs.

Now, this property does have plenty of character, doesn't it?

Big, open spaces, including the hallway.

So, at the moment, this would be the master.

-It is a good size.

-It is, yeah.

-It is.

-Nice, high ceiling.

Good dimensions, obviously light. Yeah, it's got a nice feel to it.

Across the hallway is the biggest family bathroom ever,

nearly the size of this, and it does have the four bedrooms.

One is a single. It is a generous single.

So, for your friends when they come to stay, plenty of space.

-Great, lovely.

-Any thoughts you want to share?

I think it is a house that Philip and I could live in.

I'm not sure it is a house that would lend itself to Celia

-being part of that.

-Yeah.

Well, I still have more to show you,

so I'm just going to dangle that carrot.

-OK.

-And ask you to follow me.

Outside, to the rear of the half-acre plot, there is

a wooded garden with beautiful, mature trees,

but that is not the only feature I am excited to show these chaps.

So, you might have got the impression that this property

used to be a farmhouse.

Because here are all the barns.

A couple of outbuildings,

one being quite large that they use at the moment for storage.

-But THIS is what I wanted to show you.

-OK.

-OK.

-A huge barn ripe for conversion.

-Mm-hm.

-If that's what you chose to do.

-OK.

Perhaps that could be Celia's home.

Or the other way round.

Or the other way round.

That perhaps could be Celia's house and you two could take

that on as a project and make it the most fantastic accommodation.

-I would like to look at...

-Why don't you?

Come back and then we will talk money.

-Off you go.

-Thanks.

I am quietly hopeful we might have found some space that could,

with a bit of imagination, work for Philip, Alan and Celia.

-Good grief.

-Wow, this is a huge space.

-It's just enormous.

-Yeah. You could easily get four bedrooms up here.

-Just four?

-Yeah.

I just can't imagine how all this is going to fit the budget.

Oh, I can't gauge your faces. Did I scare you or excite you?

A little of both. For me.

It's huge, it has got huge potential.

It just depends on what money we might have left having bought

the place, so...

-Do you want to take on a project like that?

-Yes. We've got

the fall back of being able to live in the main house

and we would be on-site. We could be completely hands-on,

use local things, local materials.

What a way to get involved in the community

by actually putting some money into it.

So...

what price are you going to put on the Grade II listed house with

all these outbuildings and one remarkable barn?

-Probably...495?

-OK.

I think it is over our budget.

The figure I have got in mind is 550,000.

-You both are quite a bit out, I'm afraid.

-Right.

Mm.

But in a good way.

-BOTH: Right.

-The asking price is £385,000.

-Oh, really?

-Yes.

-Seriously?

So I don't need to remind you that that leaves you £115,000

to potentially do up this barn.

That will go a long way, actually.

Just outside the National Park and well under budget

at £385,000, our second home features four bedrooms,

a kitchen-diner, two generous reception rooms and a garden room.

It is to the rear of the property where this place really starts

to make sense for our buyers.

The huge stone barn offers masses of potential to create an extra

self-contained living space

that would enable the three of them to live close to each other

but not too close.

You know what, bearing in mind a fairly extensive wish list, you

are doing pretty well, especially when you add into the mix their mum.

Yeah, it is always difficult when you have got a hidden third party

because you want to keep everybody happy.

We decided to show them as many different

types of property as possible so they could see what was on offer.

Good plan. And similar to one that we used.

My couple, again looking in Cumbria, and with a similar budget.

But they had very different requirements from the house.

Russian-born Natalie and Guy, who's Israeli, have had homes in the

United States and in Israel, which is where they met 21 years ago.

But Guy's job as a technical manager in the medical industry

brought them to the UK and they've lived here for the past six

years in this four bedroom new-build in Warrington.

The movers confirm that they're keen to make this country home.

But since they arrived, their family has expanded

and they're craving a less complicated life, closer to nature.

When we moved here, we had just one kid.

You know, we were very, very mobile.

Now we have three kids, now we want to leave the house, it all takes longer and that's why

we want to be, you know, closer to the things that we want to do,

meaning the outdoors.

So instead of getting everyone in the car and driving somewhere, we want

to be able to just leave the house and do that freely with the kids.

Natalie, who is a graphic designer,

runs a business creating products for children's bedroom interiors

and she's hoping the move will offer her the scope to scale it up.

It started small with a few products and a few orders a week.

And at this time,

to cope we really need to expand and have more space.

With his work in the medical industry,

Guy's on the road a lot travelling throughout the country,

which means they could be flexible about where they choose to move.

In spite of this, they've singled out Cumbria as their county of choice.

I love Cumbria. I just think that it's, you know, it's a beautiful place.

The last thing to establish is the figure they have in mind for a Cumbrian countryside home.

Our budget for the move is between 400 and £500,000.

We're focusing our search to the north of the county

and because of the travel Guy does with his work,

we're staying within a half-hour drive of the M6.

I'm catching up with them to learn a little bit more about their move.

So welcome, both of you, to... Well, beautiful Cumbria.

Now, what's prompted this move?

The outside space is the big thing for you, isn't it?

Yeah, it's really, really important for us.

Erm, for us personally and for Natalie's business.

So what sort of space do you require for your work?

I would think that it should be roughly around 30 to 50 square metres.

I mean, it should be a good-sized room or rooms.

All right, so that's a pretty big room or studio, isn't it?

Now what about the house itself? You've got, what three children? How many bedrooms you after?

Four bedrooms and up.

So what about outside, the surroundings of the house?

-We'd like to have about an acre. Around an acre.

-An acre?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Because you're looking for a house with some land,

it could be a converted barn or a farmhouse. Yes or no?

It is quite a bit different from what we have in our mind,

but I suppose you can be smitten by a space on the spot.

All right, just finally, what about budget?

Our budget is 400,000 stretching all the way to £500,000.

OK, well, look...

We've got three very different properties lined up for you.

Let's get started, shall we?

BOTH: Yeah.

With a maximum budget of...

We've found three attractive

and distinctly different Cumbrian homes for them to view.

And after we've had a look around,

I'll be getting them to have a guess at the price.

One of them will be our mystery house,

which could offer them an unexpected side income.

We begin our search nine miles east of the M6 junction at Penrith

in the hamlet of Newbiggin, which sits in the Eden valley.

Our first house, a four-bedroom Victorian home set well back

from the road, is a five-minute drive away.

So the first property we're going to have a look around is an old

-hunting lodge.

-Looks very impressive outside.

Well, Victorians did build impressive buildings, didn't they?

You can expect to see high ceilings inside, lots of original features.

-So, want to look inside?

-Definitely, yes.

-Let's go in.

-Let's go.

This former hunting lodge dates back to the 1800s and was originally

one of the buildings belonging to nearby Newbiggin Hall.

-So come on in. Straight into the kitchen.

-Uh-huh.

-What do you think?

-Erm...

-Quite cosy.

Cosy's not always a good thing.

Yeah, erm, cosy meaning that it's not on the big size

but it is quite well proportioned.

Yeah, it's... The layout could be changed if we wanted.

It is possible to make this a bigger kitchen.

I understand where you're coming form.

You might want to reconfigure this kitchen

but I think, as you'll see throughout this house,

with a few further reception rooms,

you could adapt this very well to be a family home.

So let's have a look at one of the reception rooms.

So this is one of the two reception rooms this side of the house.

Yeah, that's a beautiful fireplace.

All the fireplaces you'll see around this house,

and there are a number of them, are all original and working,

which is what you want from a country house, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Quite big windows, which is very good.

What about the room proportions?

-It's, again, on the cosy side.

-There's lots of rooms here, OK?

So you've got this as a formal living room or drawing room, if you like.

You've got a formal dining room the other side of the hallway, you've

got the kitchen you just walked through

and then you've got another, what they call a snug that side.

So... If you want an older property, you're going to have formal rooms.

Let's got to he master bedroom.

It's pretty clear that what we've seen

so far isn't quite measuring up for Guy and Natalie.

Let's see if the rest of the house offers the dimensions they're after.

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

up another set of stairs, there's a cosy twin bedroom in the attic.

-So the master of four bedrooms in total.

-Nicely done again.

The other bedroom, the other side of this built-in wardrobe, that has a

small en-suite shower and loo,

but the owners use this as their master just because...

Well, they prefer the view and the light that comes in here.

What do you think, Natalie?

I think it's a little bit smaller than what we have in mind.

OK, you want big rooms, don't you? By the sounds of it.

Yes, yes.

For our buyers, space is clearly an issue with this house

but outside, there is a roomy garage that could be converted into

a workable space for Natalie's business.

And there's also a large, attractive garden.

All in all, you get an acre.

Yeah, it's a really, really nice plot and it's again, well maintained

and quite an impressive size.

So after this brief tour around the property,

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

Based on the plot size and the house,

I would guess that it's around £350,000.

-Natalie?

-I would think, erm, not taking in account the location -

which we're not familiar with - I would think 390.

You mention you're not familiar with the location - it kind of shows.

This house is on the market for offers around £495,000.

-Location.

-We were quite a bit off.

Just below our couple's maximum budget at £495,000,

this attractive Victorian property has three reception rooms,

four bedrooms and plenty of original period features.

Outside there is a one-acre garden

and a garage that Natalie could use as a workshop for her business.

-Look at this, the sun's come out. It's beautiful, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-So have you seen enough inside the house?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Good. On to the next one, then.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

In the heart of the Lake District National Park is the Honister Pass,

one of the highest and steepest mountain passes in Cumbria.

This desolate but hauntingly beautiful place was once

busy with teams of men,

extracting sought-after Honister green slate from deep within

Fleetwith Pike, the imposing 2,000ft fell that towers over the pass.

Removing the slate from this precipitous location was

a costly exercise, and the arrival of cheaper alternatives from abroad

eventually brought activity here to a standstill, and, for years,

the site remained derelict.

But in 1997, a local entrepreneur bought the mine and opened it to the

public to help keep the history of this important local industry alive.

Barry Surtees is the mine's marketing manager.

-So, Barry, we're surrounded by mines, then, are we?

-Absolutely.

Up there, there's ten miles of tunnels in that mountain.

Goodness me, what, inside that face, if you like?

Yeah, ten miles of tunnels.

I can see bits of timber along this track here.

-Does that mean there was a railway here?

-Yeah, absolutely.

In Victorian times, they got so fed up of dragging slate up

and down this mountain that

they actually built railways in the most extraordinary places.

-This was one railway, which went up to the end here.

-Yeah.

And then at the other side, you can't believe,

but they built three railways right to the top of the mountain.

It's quite extraordinary.

What did they do before the railways?

Cos mining obviously predates the railways.

What they used to do was actually bring the slate down on sleds,

which was quite a dangerous occupation to do

because it's a hell of a weight.

Heck of a weight.

-These men were fearless.

-They really were.

Totally fearless.

To help give visitors an idea of the extreme conditions these men

endured, a cable walkway known as a via ferrata, has been

set into the mountain following the vertiginous route the miners

took each day, rain, hail or shine.

Joe Weir, one of the mine owners, is going to show me the ropes.

So what's the technique here? I'm tied in...

Really, there only is one thing that you have to remember.

When you come to the junction, just take one of them off

and then with the same hand, you come back to that.

-Oh, right, so there's always...

-There's always one clipped on.

-You can't be standing there with two carabiners.

-Got you.

-So, can we go up there?

-Yeah, we can have a go if you're up for it.

-Not frightened of heights?

-Not frightened of anything, my friend.

"Via ferrata" is Italian for "iron road"

and it's a system that was used in the First World War to move

troops and equipment safely over mountainous terrain.

I tell you what, I wouldn't fancy carrying

a load of slate on my back coming up here, would you?

I would not, no.

Well, Joe, it's an amazing insight into just how hard

the life of a Victorian miner was up here but I must say,

it's also a lot of fun to get involved in. Thanks very much.

It's a pleasure. No problem. Thanks for coming.

I'll come again, don't worry about that.

Back to our property search and we're heading 30 miles north to the

rural hamlet of Parton Wigton,

which is a 25-minute drive from the M6.

Our second offering is just down the road and it's Georgian,

one of our couple's preferred architectural styles.

So with property number two,

we've gone bigger and hopefully better. What do you think?

-Wow, wow, wow.

-Yes, big smile on the face.

-And wows.

-Three wows.

-Good. Why? Cos it's big?

-It's Georgian.

The Georgians were massive show-offs.

"Look at me and my big house," and you would, wouldn't you?

-Yes, we, I suppose as well.

-Well, this could be you.

So these are great impressions first off.

-It'll get better inside. Let me show you.

-Oh, right.

The property, which is thought to date back to the 1820s,

has been renovated over the last 15 years by the current owners,

who have managed to retain many of the original factures.

Now then...

Wow.

-That is big.

-That's nice.

-That is big and that is very, very nice.

I wanted to say it's absolutely spot on, but it's...

-It's probably above that.

-So it's exceeding your expectations?

-That's great.

-Oh, yeah.

-You like history, don't you?

-You like old properties.

-Yes.

If you look at this detail in this cornicing - which is original -

-it's just something else, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

-Well, if you like this room...

-Yes.

-you'll probably like the next one.

All right.

-So, rather elegant living room.

-Yes.

-Nice.

-Absolutely beautiful.

Magnificent features, so much detail.

This is way, way beyond my expectation, erm...

To be honest, so I'm a bit, erm... Erm... You know...

Lost for words, by the sound of it.

It's really, really nice.

Adjoining the living room is an attractive formal dining room

and below, there's a large cellar, handy for extra storage.

Upstairs, beyond the light-filled landing, the four double bedrooms

have large windows offering great views across the countryside.

Three are served by a family bathroom and the master has an en-suite.

So...

-Here we are. What do we think?

-It's lovely.

-Again, beautiful.

Big, erm, good proportion. Plenty of room around the bed, erm...

Big sized room, which is excellent. Lovely, lovely fireplace.

-Just beautiful and the views here are amazing.

-Yeah.

-It's a great house, isn't it?

-It's, you know...

From the moment we saw this house from the outside,

it got to a very, very high level and it's just staying there.

-It's absolutely superb.

-We wanted a grand house and that's what it is.

Yeah, just that.

Now, you did say you wanted a studio, somewhere to work from home.

We've got something in mind for that. Follow me.

'So far, this house really seems to deliver

'what our couple are looking for and I have a feeling

'they won't be disappointed by what's on offer outside.'

Apart from roughly three quarters of an acre of land,

there's also a 1,400-square foot workshop that has Natalie's

name written all over it.

So...you're after somewhere big enough where you could work,

maybe as a studio.

-Right, this is...

-Proper, proper size.

-Yeah.

-You can do anything you want in here, really.

-Yeah.

This is just for the studio sort of stuff and storage.

On top of this, you've got a self-contained home office.

-Your empire could go and go and go here.

-Yeah.

It's amazing.

Let's go outside and start thinking

about how much this is all going to cost.

So the house takes on a completely different look from this side,

-doesn't it?

-Yes, very different.

Which isn't unusual for Georgian property, actually.

-It's different in a good way.

-It's nice.

-It's as if you're having, you know, two different houses.

-In one.

I know what you mean. You almost have got a few different houses

and you've got that huge double garage there.

Above that, there's a converted playroom.

And then next door, what's thought to be maybe servants' quarters,

you've got self-contained two-bed accommodation here.

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

-Well, I would say 500.

-£500,000.

-Hope.

-Oh, you're hoping?

-Yes.

Right, OK.

-What do you think, Guy?

-I would think that it's, erm...

Based on the size and the way it looks, it's got to be over budget.

I would go for £520,000.

OK. Well, it's on the market for offers of around £525,000,

so you're not far off.

This elegant Georgian home is above budget at £525,000,

but the owners are open to offers.

It has a large kitchen, two reception rooms

and four double bedrooms.

There is also an adjoining self-contained cottage which

offers two more bedrooms,

perfect for visiting family.

Outside there is around three-quarters of an acre of land,

an office and a large workshop.

I didn't know which door to stand outside because this property's

-so big. But you've managed to see everything, have you?

-Yes.

-Took a while.

-It's a massive place.

-It is massive, yeah.

-Two happy customers?

-It's wonderful.

-Yeah, very happy. Beyond happy.

Beyond happy? That sounds good to me. Let's go back.

It might be over budget in terms of what they are after,

but for me that second property was right on the money.

Gorgeous, wasn't it? Who doesn't love a Georgian property?

But of course, that means we have to up the ante for the mystery house.

Let's go back to my London lads, Alan and Philip,

-they did have a very long wish list.

-What was their budget again?

It was £500,000. They wanted quite a lot for that.

And after showing them two properties, we realised that

what they really need is separate accommodation for mum Celia.

-Don't forgot the mum.

-Never forget the mum.

So, time to show them the mystery house.

And this one, it just keeps on giving and giving.

Our mystery house takes us just out of our search area to the

hamlet of Great Musgrave, 25 miles east of the National Park.

And the final property, just down the road, gives them two for the price of one.

So, we've brought you to your third and final property,

our mystery house.

-And here it is.

-OK.

Do you like the look of it, your initial reaction?

-It looks interesting.

-I think it is nicely presented,

the way they have decorated it.

You know, I think it looks fresh.

-Much more farmhouse-y, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-So, shall we start our final tour?

-Yep, love to.

-OK.

The property was renovated nine years ago to incorporate

a converted barn.

But will that convert into the kind of space Philip

and Alan are looking for?

So, with this property, you walk straight into the kitchen.

-Lovely.

-Alan, talk to me. What do we think?

It's a good size. It's a nice size.

So, this is a workable space for you?

Good entertaining space if you put your mark on it?

I think so.

I mean, if you are entertaining people, then they can be

sitting at that table whilst you are sort of finishing off things.

So, shall we continue through into the sitting room?

So, I think in this room,

-you really can see the age of the property, can't you?

-Very much.

-Yeah.

-Love the beams.

-Including over the window.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

And the wood panelling looks original as well.

-Yes, now that is all from man-of-war ships.

-Is it?

When they were decommissioned on the west coast of Cumbria,

very much in keeping. It divides the room up.

At the moment, they have got that as a second reception room.

You could have it as a study, a music room, you know,

whatever you liked.

Is this going to be ample space for you both?

I think it would.

I think, yeah, because you have got two reception rooms

and you have got that farmhouse-style kitchen.

So, yeah, I think at this point, yeah,

I'm feeling very positively that it would.

-Upstairs, you have got three large double bedrooms.

-Right.

And a very generous family bathroom.

Now, you might be wondering why I am not taking upstairs.

-Yes.

-Well, sort of.

Sort of. I will let you explore up there on your own

because this is the mystery house.

-Is the mystery...?

-And you're right.

You saw the doorway, didn't you?

Shall we go through and see the second part of this property?

Yeah, love to.

-All right, you ready for this?

-BOTH: Yes.

This property is a house of two halves - the central kitchen

was recently built to create a link between two once separate dwellings.

So, on one side, there is the converted barn and on the other,

is the farmhouse we just viewed.

Both sides have their own staircases,

which would give Celia and the boys the privacy they are hoping for.

So now, we'll take a look at the barn side of the house,

starting with the upstairs.

Let's see if the mystery house

can weave its magic on this side.

Cos there is a lot of people to find a property for.

We don't want to forget Mum.

Or perhaps, this section might work better for the two of you.

Maybe.

-It would need some thought.

-It definitely would need some thought.

It's an interesting space, yeah, absolutely.

You've got a sort of storeroom-utility room behind me,

-just there.

-Right.

But it does have hot and cold running water,

so you could easily open it up

-and make it a fantastic kitchen-cum-living space.

-Mm-hm.

-Let's go downstairs because it is sort of equal dimensions.

-Oh, OK.

If they were to have this barn side of the house to themselves,

then the room we're about to see downstairs would be their bedroom.

So again, you really get the feeling of the barn down here as well,

-don't you?

-Very much.

You've got a bathroom, a family bathroom, well,

it's not really a family bathroom, it's your own bathroom here.

I'm going to call it the ensuite.

But you've also got another shower room and toilet next door.

And quite a large utility room as well which you could change

and make the dressing room very easily.

-It's a huge room.

-It is.

-Is this something that is workable?

Could she live in this side

or would you have it the other way round or is it not working so far?

-Difficult.

-I think that's something for us to weigh up and decide.

My initial thought is probably this side is more us than her.

But, you know, nothing is cast in stone, is it?

All right, let's head outside.

We've got more to talk about

-and of course we will be talking prices for this mystery.

-OK.

-OK.

I think seeing the interior has got their minds whirring,

about the ways they could make this place work for the three of them.

Outside, the three-quarter acre plot has some small outbuildings

and gorgeous views across to the North Pennines.

-Tell me this - this is what you are after?

-It's stunning, isn't it?

It's a great view. It is a great view.

-Takes your breath away.

-You're not going to get bored with that, are you?

-You're really not.

-So, how much is the mystery house on the market for?

Possibly being slightly optimistic here,

but I'm going to say it's within budget

and allowing for some sort of work to be done,

so I'm going to say £415,000.

-OK.

-I think it would be less than that.

I would say 380.

OK. Sort of in between the two of you actually.

The asking price is £399,000.

So that would leave you with £100,000 to make any adjustments

if you felt you needed to.

At £399,000, the mystery house is well under budget.

Its layout offers two separate areas of accommodation under one roof.

Between the two areas, there are four bedrooms, three bathrooms,

three reception rooms,

and a large farmhouse kitchen that even Alan approves of.

But there is also scope to create

a second kitchen by converting an upstairs storage room.

This would give them two fully self-contained living spaces,

one for Celia and one for the boys.

I'm loving these little fellas.

If you buy this house, you've got to keep chickens.

-They are so entertaining.

-OK.

-Have you seen enough?

-Yes, thank you.

-Got you thinking now, haven't we?

-Very much.

I am going to be very interested to hear your views, actually.

I think on all three properties,

-so I'll take you back and we'll hit the road.

-OK.

-Lovely.

So, Alan and Philip, you set us a bit of a task, didn't you,

to find this remarkable property for the two of you and also your mother.

We have really struggled with your budget to find this, well,

these two houses.

How close did we actually get?

The whole process has taught us a lot.

We really have, I think, picked up

a lot of information that we will be able to use taking forward.

I certainly think the second property has enough potential

to warrant a second view, to get Mum to have a look around as well.

I think, given that were we able to convert the barn,

that will probably be our space.

At least there's something Mum can look around and think,

would this work, will I be happy here?

I would certainly be open to doing that.

I think she would like it.

All of our properties I think had their merits, but I'm delighted

you are considering going back and seeing the second one.

Let's hope Celia gives it the thumbs up

because it would be, especially if you got planning permission,

a remarkable home for the three of you.

-So let us know how you get on, won't you? All the best.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

So, that Georgian beauty won through in the end.

It did, it was an absolute stunner, a beautiful home.

The mystery house - too big a renovation project for them.

-Too much work.

-Yeah, unfortunately.

So, back to my couple, Guy and Natalie.

Like your couple, they had a budget of £500,000,

and they were hoping their move from Warrington to Cumbria would help them expand their business.

But also give them and their family more quality of life, really.

-Perfect for the children.

-Yeah, quite.

Now, again similarities continue.

The second house I showed them was a Georgian property and it was going to be tough to beat.

So for the mystery property, we decided to take them further afield

and this house was going to give them an unexpected added income.

Our final property takes us to Alston, in the east of the county,

close to the Northumberland border.

Set at the end of a long, private driveway

and surrounded by miles of gorgeous countryside is our last house.

So we are now very rural.

What do we think of looking around a farmhouse?

It is very pretty.

And I love the setting.

What do you think about being so close to another property?

It has some, you know, pluses and some...

What would you think if I was to tell you that you would own

that property as well? That's included.

-Oh, so it has lots of plusses.

-Right. OK.

-Good?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-You look freezing. Shall we get you inside? Come on.

Let's go.

Both properties date back to 1896,

one is the farmhouse where we're heading now.

The other was its barn, which we'll take a closer look at later.

-So, first reception room.

-Right, it is lovely.

-It's lovely. Yeah.

-Nice and warm and cosy.

-It is warm, yes, compared to outside.

Now what do you think about the ceiling height?

Because I think one of the reasons why you didn't want an old farmhouse

is because you thought it might be low ceilings and dark inside.

Yeah, these are high ceilings so, erm, good size. Good size, yeah.

-Beautiful fireplace.

-Beautiful fireplace, yeah.

Now that's a working fireplace, that wood-burning stove.

Next door in the other reception room - currently laid

out as a dining room - we've got another working fireplace as well.

So you've got two reception rooms at the front of the house plus

you've got an ex-dairy room next door,

which could be anything you want it do be.

-Let's keep looking around.

-All right.

-Let's go.

So the back of the house, the kitchen has, well,

some amazing views.

-Oh, right, yeah. It's very nice.

-Wow, wow, wow.

-Well, heard the wow word again, that's good.

-Yeah, three times.

Now, I'll, you know, make no bones about it,

this is no way near as big as the kitchen in property number two.

-Yeah.

-But again, has that nice farmhouse feel.

It feels very warm and inviting.

We've got, including this kitchen, four, good sized rooms on the

ground floor and upstairs is the same, so let's go and take a look.

They do seem to genuinely like this place, but I'm just not

entirely sure that it's managed to compete with house number two.

Upstairs, the four bedrooms are all doubles, one of which is being used

as a guest room-cum-office and they all share a family bathroom.

-So this is what the owners use as a master.

-Yeah. Size is good.

-Good, big.

-Lovely window.

Yeah, again, these views are just to die for.

Now, I'm not entirely sure you'd use this as your master bedroom.

The owners chose this as it's the only bedroom up here that

doesn't have a fireplace and they wanted storage along one wall,

but each of the four bedrooms are of equal size.

-But the rest of them have lovely feature fireplaces in.

-Right.

So I think you may want to use the other next door,

-that benefits from the same view.

-We may.

-All right.

This is one of the buildings.

Shall we go and have a quick look at the other one?

Yeah, excellent.

Even though it's a farmhouse, they don't seem to be

put off by the style of this place, which I'm really pleased with.

And I'm looking forward to seeing what they make of the barn

next door as it gives them a few interesting options to think about.

-So, you also get this.

-Oh, wow.

-That's a very big, nice space.

This is used as holiday let, self catering.

This side of the property, three-bedroom letting accommodation.

And then, see that door there?

You can link it up to the cottage next door,

which also has its own entrance,

and that is a two-bedroom self-contained cottage.

I mean, you can get around £500 a week for this in peak season.

Now, as you're working from home, you may want to use a three-bedder

and rent that out and you keep the two-bedder

to run your business from, or vice versa.

It is a possibility, I mean, it is a good size to do as we wish.

OK, well, look, that's something to think about

and obviously something to explore later on.

-Let's go outside and have a look at the land.

-Yeah, sounds good.

Our couple said they really wanted to immerse themselves in nature.

Well, this place certainly delivers on the that front.

They'd be completely surrounded by it here with plenty of fantastic

walks right on their doorstep.

So, let's talk land.

-You wanted one acre, yeah?

-Yeah, if possible.

-You've got five.

-Oh.

-So, what are you going to do with all that?

-Lots of chickens.

Chickens, bees.

Lots of chickens, lots of bees.

This is the outdoor person's paradise, isn't it?

Yeah, it's lovely.

Let's start thinking about how much this place is on the market for.

I would think that it's right at the top of our budget,

I would go with £500,000.

-OK, Natalie?

-I would think 550.

-Yeah.

Because of all the business, it can be complete lifestyle. Yeah.

-Well, it's on the market for offers around £499,000.

-Oh.

-Well done, then.

-Well done, yeah. Very good.

Now then, Natalie, have we found a base for your business?

-There is a lot of room for everything.

-There is, isn't there?

-There's a lot to think about.

-And new ideas as well.

-Good.

So let's find you somewhere to have

a bit of a natter amongst yourselves.

So, what's the plan?

We really do want to go back and see another time second house.

-So the Georgians beat the Victorians.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

It just offers, you know, everything that we wanted and more.

So the big gamble with the mystery house,

you didn't mind it being a farmhouse, did you?

-No, not as much the style. I think it is still the scale, really.

-Yeah.

-And the cottages, wonderful but thinking more about it...

-Yeah.

We're already doing things. Guy has a job and I have my business,

and that would be - as nice as it is - a distraction.

And I'm not sure if we have enough time and energy to do it well.

Sounds really sensible, actually.

Tell me, what is it about house number two that tipped the balance?

I think it's a combination of the house itself, which is

absolutely magnificent and the size of the rooms, the layout.

Erm, what it offers outside with the attached cottage

and the big workshop. It simply gives us, you know, everything we needed.

-So, erm, it's great.

-It's a good package, isn't it?

So when are you coming back to have a look at it?

-Erm, I'm thinking, erm, next week.

-Oh, OK.

Yeah, we're not going to hang around. We're just going to go for it.

Well, good luck with that and please, whatever happens,

-do let us know, won't you?

-We will.

-Yeah, will do, and thank you very much.

-Excellent.

Look at that, two different couples with two different wish lists

yet they've both fallen in love with Georgian properties.

-How can you not though?

-True.

They're so elegant, Georgian properties - the size of the rooms,

very symmetrical, then you've got the surrounding countryside.

-It's a perfect match.

-It just goes to show,

despite the lure of the Cumbrian countryside, if you know where to look,

actually, in Cumbria, £500,000 can get you quite a sizeable home.

It certainly pays to look outside the National Park.

-Your money goes that little bit further.

-It does, doesn't it?

Well, that brings this episode to a close.

-So please join us next time as we escape to the country.

-Bye.

Guy and Natalie recently found a home 30 miles west of Carlisle

and hope to secure the property soon.

However, Alan and Philip moved their focus to Lincolnshire

and are in negotiations on a house there.

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