Worcestershire Escape to the Country

Welcome to a very special edition of Escape To the Country,

where Alistair and I will be helping two couples find their dream homes in one county.

And if you feel inspired to make the trip out into the countryside

too, we've got some hints and tips to help you along the way.

Now today's destination was the inspiration for the Shire,

the rural idyll in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings,

but find out where in just a moment.

'On today's show, I'll be helping an Anglo-French couple

'trying to find a creative space in the countryside.

'We uncover some rather personal details...'

Well, I thought you would fit in here comfortably.

You won't be able to wear your high heels, though.

And I'll be helping to find a home for a couple and their horse,

but one of our properties falls at the first hurdle.

-It looks a little small.

-But then we find a real thoroughbred.

-Oh, my Lord!

-That is extraordinary.

Today we're in Worcestershire which, apart from anything else,

is fantastic running country because it's got the Malvern Hills.

So if you want to crack up Worcester Beacon, that's a real lung-popping

run with beautiful views over both Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

But in a way it's a funny place cos lots of people pass through it

but never really explore it, and I think that's a real shame cos

I think Worcestershire offers huge amounts to anybody wanting to

escape from suburbia.

Forming part of the Midlands,

Worcestershire is bordered by five counties,

including Staffordshire to the north and Herefordshire to the west.

Despite its proximity to Birmingham, Worcestershire is primarily

rural and the landscape is formed of undulating hills

and farmland stretching on either side of the River Severn,

which weaves its way through the centre of the county.

One of the county's natural gems are the Malvern Hills

and although they only cover 3,000 acres,

they provide a hugely diverse landscape.

At the foot of the hills lies the town of Great Malvern which

developed as a spa resort in the 19th century,

playing on the healing properties of the local spring water.

From the connected industrial areas in the north,

to the rural scenery in the south,

the diverse character of Worcestershire makes it

an appealing location to escape to.

Jules, what do you think it is that makes Worcestershire so appealing?

I think if you're looking for property at a reasonable price,

Worcestershire is certainly worth a look

and when you look at the average price of a detached property there

it is pretty much on a par with the national figure.

National figure. You're putting me on the spot now, is it £260,000?

It is, indeed. Yep.

£260,000, but for that what a range of architecture you

have at your disposal, everything from lovely black and white

timber frames, to those classic limestone cottages of the Cotswolds.

Gorgeous market towns.

You've got Pershore, Bewdley, and actually all the way across into the Cotswolds with Broadway,

though you do pay a premium, it's about 30% over the odds.

You are going to pay a premium. And it is worth thinking about the geography of Worcestershire.

It is effectively divided by the River Severn, so anything to the east of that,

within striking distance of Cheltenham and Birmingham,

that also is going to be quite expensive because of those commuters, so my advice would be

to go that little bit further west over towards Shropshire and Herefordshire.

Well, that's a good tip, and I had a couple that were looking to

escape to the country and find a home for their four-legged friend.

But first of all, let's meet my buyers.

John and Dominique have lived on the outskirts of Oxford

for the past 11 years but feel that the time is right

to head for the hills and start a new chapter in their lives.

We met in Scotland over 40 years ago

and we've now been married for...

-39 years.

-Well remembered.

And both our sons now have a three on the front of their age

so it is perhaps time for us to look at the next stage of our life

and embrace a new project.

And living on an estate close to a city is no longer an option.

England, on a sunny day, if you're in the countryside,

it's the most beautiful scenery that you can imagine.

You don't need to travel anywhere, it's fantastic.

-So it would be lovely to live in the middle of that all.

-Indeed.

For John, it's an opportunity to move back to his home county.

I was born in Worcestershire

and Worcestershire has always attracted me as a county

and my family - some of my family - still live there.

So it's that combination really of almost going back

to my roots as well as going back to much more of a rural environment.

And they're hoping to find extra space for their hobbies.

One of the things I'm looking forward to with the move

would be to develop, perhaps, my artistic side a bit more.

In terms of sculptural work, particularly with metal.

An outbuilding would give me chance to perhaps

look at soldering and welding.

'I've always been interested in sewing,

'particularly with curtains, blinds, cushions.'

I've started doing a little bit of silver jewellery

'and I can see myself doing a bit more from home

'rather than having to go to classes.'

If I could have a little studio to make some jewellery,

that would be lovely.

So how much do they have to finance this Worcestershire move?

The budget for the move is £650,000.

John and Dominique have asked us

to focus our search in the south of the county.

But before we get started, I'm meeting them on Worcestershire turf

to find out what it is they're after from their new home.

Well, Dominique, John, welcome to Escape To The Country

and to Worcestershire.

Now, there is one factor that does concern me slightly, John,

and that is how tall you are.

Just tell us how high you come to.

Six foot six on a good day.

Six foot six, with a good breakfast inside you.

That is going to preclude many of the properties that are out there

that we'd ordinarily show you. Low beams are out.

Perhaps the small black and white cottage is out on this occasion.

-I would think so.

-Well, fortunately we're not that keen

on that sort of property anyway.

-Well, tell us what you are keen on.

-Erm, I like airy properties.

I need light and sort of a downstairs space, erm...

and a nice garden.

A nice sort of space outside, outbuildings would be wonderful.

-Three bedrooms is a sort of minimum.

-Yeah.

Erm, a big kitchen, I'd like a big kitchen.

Now, just remind us of the budget, has it changed at all?

We talked initially of 650,000, but, erm,

we can stretch to 700 if everything is in there.

If there's some project work needs to be done, it would need to

be done within the 700,000 total figure.

Well, I think we've got three very interesting properties

to show you, including our mystery house, which is a real classic.

I can't wait for you to see that one.

So without further ado, let's finish our coffees and juice

-and get going.

-Lovely, can't wait.

-Thank you.

We've found three fantastic properties to show them

and at each one I'll be testing their eye for valuation

when they guess the price.

And third on the list is our mystery house,

which could really blow them away.

Bearing in mind their specific requirements for a home

and John's height, we're casting our net far and wide.

Starting in the east of the county in the village of Kington.

On the fringe of the village is house number one,

a period barn conversion with views across the open countryside.

So there we go. What do you think...

-of that, Dominique?

-Very nice.

I love its... It looks very friendly and welcoming.

You're responding very nicely to this one, but what does John think?

I'm holding all my questions in.

-Retreat, retreat, retreat.

-Let's see what you think of the inside.

'Converted in the early '90s, the property has been architecturally

'redesigned, hopefully delivering the light and space they're after.'

OK, Dominique, there we are.

Is this big enough and light enough?

It's very nice, yes. Very fresh, like the colour.

And you've got this nice sort of dining area here,

a little bit of a sitting room around the corner there too.

Yes, it's got a good feel definitely.

-Yes, I like it.

-Good.

-Very much so.

-Very much so. Worcestershire is outside the window.

-Absolutely.

-As much of it as you want to look at.

-Classical Worcestershire.

-Yes!

Well, let's continue. This way.

So this is the dining room. Again, lovely views out there.

-Nice little separate room.

-And then this is your principal living room.

-Oh, interesting.

-Come on in.

-Now, this is what I want to see.

-Will I get under the beam?

-Come in.

My brother wouldn't be able to visit.

Brilliant. Yeah, it all works.

-Oh, look at these beams here.

-Yeah.

So you've got this nice kind of mixture

of the very contemporary look in the kitchen

and you drift through into the older bit.

I like that, I like the mixture. Definitely.

-But all the wood is original from that barn, or...?

-It is, yeah.

Well, I thought you would fit in here comfortably.

-Plenty of head room.

-You won't be able to wear your high heels, though.

Right, come on. Let's go this way.

The building is essentially one long line of rooms

all leading onto one another.

There is a guest bedroom with en-suite at one end

and three bedrooms at the other, comprising one double

and a single and both served by the family bathroom.

And then there's the master.

-Straight onto the garden. Again, very light.

-Yeah, lovely, isn't it?

-Yes.

-To our specs.

-Could be slightly bigger for us cos we have a huge bed.

Well, you have a choice. You know, there is the one at the far end,

-maybe that's a bit bigger for you.

-Yes.

That is en-suite, as indeed is this one. A nice shower room and so on.

Oh, yes, that's lovely. I like the colour scheme. Very, very nice, yes.

There is one thing that we haven't discussed yet

and that is the outside space.

You wanted a nice big garden and some outbuildings,

we've got plenty of both.

-Very keen to see it.

-Come and look at these.

'There is extra living space in the study

'and a utility room sits off the kitchen.

'The grounds of the property total around three and a half acres,

'with a formal lawned garden looking out over a paddock.

'There's also a stable block that could work as a workshop.'

So, let's get our thinking caps on and think about the...

..the money. You go first.

-As long as you're not teasing us, I'll say 675.

-675, yeah.

-Dominique?

-I say a bit less, 650.

Well, I'm afraid you're both wrong.

-It's 645.

-Ah!

-Yeah.

There's a lot on offer with this one.

-Yes, a lot to think about.

-Yeah.

-How are we doing then?

-Very well.

-You wanted a view, you wanted Worcestershire, there it is.

-Yes.

-That is a view.

-I think this is a really interesting one to start with.

-It certainly put a smile on your face.

-Well, you've set a high standard.

-Good.

-Not quite sure what you're thinking.

-Well, I'm always more cautious.

I like to think things a little bit, but...

-Every man needs a cautious woman.

-There you go.

Never a truer word spoken. Come on, let's go.

The Severn Valley Railway is one of the great heritage

highlights of the area.

Following the meandering River Severn for 16 and a half miles

between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth.

Opened in 1862, it was never financially successful and by 1970,

passenger and freight services had come to a grinding halt.

However, a group of enthusiasts had already formed a preservation society

and by 1967 had purchased a five-mile section of the line,

an engine and four coaches.

A charitable trust now handles fundraising

and a current share scheme has so far raised £1.5 million.

Today, I'm meeting Nick Ralls,

general manager at the southern terminus in Kidderminster

to find out more about this wonderful railway.

-Hello, Nick.

-Good morning.

-Very nice to see you, sir.

-Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway.

-Is this train ready to go?

This train is going to be going very soon, so we'd better get on board and have a good look.

Let's not be late.

'Volunteers are the lifeblood of the railway,

'with currently 1,300 helping out driving trains, manning

'signal boxes, maintaining track and overhauling the locomotives.

'With a national skills shortage,

'the railway aims to boost the restoration expertise

'of their workforce to continue the preservation of the line.'

How do you ensure that you've got that skill set to keep

something as historic as this going?

We're piloting this year, actually - this September -

a heritage skills training academy

and we're going to take on five young people as trainees.

They'll be undertaking experience and training on the railway

to complement the engineering they're learning at college with

-the heritage skills that we demand...

-Fantastic.

-..to keep going as a railway.

Of course, you're then investing directly in those young men to keep the railway alive.

Yes, it's important that we invest in them

year on year as well because we are going to have

probably 50 apprentices on the railway at one time.

-Wow, yeah.

-TRAIN WHISTLES

Thank you. 'I'm getting off at Bridgnorth station over

'the border in Shropshire and home of the boiler shop,

'where the restoration of the engines take place

'and where new apprentices will be learning their craft.

'Boiler manager Duncan Ballard, who started his career

'as an apprentice 18 years ago has agreed to show me around.'

How important do you think these apprenticeship schemes are?

Massively. I mean...

you can sit and show people books all day, at the end of the day,

you're only going to learn by being exposed to the job, you know.

-To actually have a feel for it, have a go.

-Yeah.

-Learn the hard way when something goes wrong.

-Yeah.

Use your own mind, you know, a bit of initiative.

But what I love is, you're not just resurrecting these skills,

you're resurrecting these locomotives.

I mean, for example, that one there. How old is it?

-That one's from Dunrobin, that's 1895.

-1895!

-So well over 100 years old.

-Yeah, it's a time capsule.

You're bringing these skills together, keeping everything going.

And we're also using the skills they were using in 1895 to preserve it.

Well, it's an absolute credit to you and the apprenticeship scheme, I can only celebrate.

I think it's just a fantastic idea.

It says a lot about the railway and its vision. Congratulations.

OK, thank you.

'We wish the academy great success in developing new talent with

'old skills, to keep this wonderful railway chugging through

'the heart of the Worcestershire countryside for years to come.

'But time now, though, to return to our property search

'and catch up with our house hunters.'

For our second house, we're heading

to the very north of the county to the village of Wolverley,

right on the Worcestershire/Staffordshire border.

On the outskirts of the village,

just over the border, is house number two.

A very unusual, extended property

offering a mixture of styles and character.

Now...

oddly, with this one, we're going to start back to front.

There is a front door but we're going to deal with it here to start with because

I think this really gives you the story of this building.

The whole thing started life back in the mid '90s

as a bungalow.

-Difficult to imagine.

-It's impossible to imagine it now.

I'm slightly speechless at the moment.

I want to remain open-minded.

-I'm not sure.

-John?

Struggling to stay open minded. This is quirky plus, plus.

I think what we'll do is, we'll start with that half there

that looks like a chapel.

It's built from the remains of a chapel.

-You'll see what I mean when we get inside.

-We'll pray for insight.

'House two is certainly not one for traditionalists,

'as despite having bags of space over three floors,

'they may have to see past some of its more unique styling,

'as we head to the lower ground floor.'

You see what I mean? It's the most amazing

hammer beam ceiling, this. Or roof truss.

-Is that what it's called?

-Yeah, absolutely and they've imported this from a...

-You know, a reclaimed chapel.

-This wasn't here originally?

-No.

-This was all added.

Look at this skirting board. Isn't that incredibly original?

-Never seen anything like this...

-Original.

-Roof slates.

-Original with quirky.

-Yes.

-The vocabulary's building, yeah?

This is something of an annexe.

There's a little kind of kitchen area through there,

a bedroom and so on.

-Let's have a look at the rest of it, let's go upstairs.

-OK.

'I think the chapel annexe has caught their imagination,

'so let's see what they make of the living space.

'We're heading up to the kitchen on the ground floor.'

So when you get up to the middle floor, it's the kitchen...

-that greets you.

-Good grief.

That's quite a... quite an impressive kitchen.

-It's a great size.

-Yeah, lovely size.

The beam is good, the way it separates the room.

-I love the number of windows.

-Yeah.

I mean, I would have to change quite a few bits and pieces

to feel more comfortable. It's not...

I don't feel it feels like a nest.

I like the idea of a nest.

Well, if you want a bit more cosy, have a look at the living room.

I think it gets cosier through here.

Come in, Dominique.

Is this cosier?

-Come in, John.

-Very nice room. Nice brick, I like the exposed brick.

-Gorgeous room.

-It's... It is worth you seeing, this place.

I mean, it offers a huge amount.

So eclectic, it's wonderful.

Eclectic, I note, is good. Quirky, original, eclectic.

-I think we've cracked it.

-I particularly like the split level,

I think it's a very adventurous way of living and, um...

Lets you imagine living in the room.

Well, let's have an explore. Come and have a look.

I mean, it's bigger down here than it is up there, I think.

You know, as garden rooms go, I mean...

-This is a party room.

-It really is a party room.

-Can you see that little gallery up there?

-Yes.

That comes off of the master bedroom.

So that's probably our cue to go upstairs.

-Yes, please.

-Yeah? Follow me.

'A study - the fourth bedroom -

'and shower room complete the ground floor.

'Upstairs, the spacious family bathroom with corner bath

'serves two double guest bedrooms and the master.'

So we're thinking that this would be your room.

Very good size for a master bedroom.

I hoped you'd say that. Yes, it's... It almost...

And that balcony over there, that's the one that

looks down into kind of the garden end of the main living room.

Perfect for the chaise longue, isn't it?

-So is it big enough, John?

-Yes.

-It may be over-quirky, but it's...

-You can always tone it down a bit.

-It has a je ne sais quoi.

-Perfect!

That's the word we were looking for, wasn't it? Yes.

Well, I think we should go outside.

Talk about some land cos we've given you a huge home,

we've also got you plenty of ground to play with.

-Come with me.

-Wow.

'There is plenty of room in this property

'but is the unique character too much for John and Dominique?

'The grounds total three and a half acres,

'comprising lawn and paddock areas and come with a large timber barn.

'A perfect location for a workshop.'

All of it is so unusual.

Let's try and make sense of it with the numbers,

you've got £700,000 to spend.

-Go on, John.

-I think there's a lot of value here,

if only in the land, and I'm going to go 625.

625. Dominique?

Slightly higher, 630.

630. You're very close to each other, aren't you?

-But you're right to be because you, sir, are dead on.

-Result.

-Not that we're remotely competitive.

-Of course not.

But, yeah, £625,000.

How do you feel about it, now you know the figures?

It's interesting, it's just...

It's a grower. Yeah.

-It's got some exceptional rooms.

-Lots to think about.

-Indeed.

Changed my mind a lot since I first saw it.

I told you it's a grower. Maybe the money's done it?

-After you, madam.

-Thank you.

-After you, sir.

-Thank you, Jules.

Well, you did say it was worth coming.

-It was.

-Look, at last.

At last I'm almost the same height as you.

-Almost.

-Come on, let's go.

What an eccentric building. I've never seen a chapel annexe before.

It was extraordinary and a real find.

And although clearly an awful lot of work had been done

on the renovation, I don't think it was quite enough to tempt my buyers.

-But we've still got the mystery house to go.

-Indeed.

We'll have to see what happens there.

Meanwhile, let's meet my couple who are grabbing the reins, saddling up and heading off Worcestershire way.

For the past 12 years, IT consultant Nigel and American-born Maddie,

who is an insurance broker, have lived in this four-bedroom new

build on the outskirts of Southampton.

But with their two children now finished at school,

they feel it is time to begin a new chapter in their lives.

It is, has been a great place to live

and raise children with good schools and good, you know, facilities.

But you feel a little bit boxed in because it is in an estate

at the end of the day, it is a very nice estate, but it is an estate.

But they're not the only ones we need to consider with this move.

Busby is a 17-hand French Percheron horse

and he was definitely a mad purchase of mine.

At the moment, Busby is about 25 minutes away

and one of the reasons why we want to move and find

a place in the country is so that Busby can come and live with us.

Whilst Maddie is busy with Busby, Nigel will be spending time

with their other four-legged friends.

We have two dogs.

At the moment I take them out at the weekends, I have to drive them down

to Hamble where there are lovely sort of walking areas and big parks.

So an ideal world would be something very similar or you know

a lovely walk in the countryside where we can take them out,

but just close to the house.

All that is left to find out is how much we have got to play

with for this move to the Worcestershire countryside.

The budget for the move will be £550,000.

Nigel needs to be close to motorway connections for his work

and Maddie's head office is in Bristol.

But they would also like to be close to the Malvern Hills,

so we are concentrating our property search with that in mind.

-Welcome to the Malverns.

-Thank you.

-Very nice to see you here.

-And you don't really know this area very well, do you?

-No, not at all.

-This is the first time we have visited here to be honest.

-So why this area?

-It is strange that you just sort of...trust it this much.

-Yeah.

It's looking for a property for, like, at the right price and an area

that is still close enough to where we work, we are need to commute to.

I have got family around Bristol and Bath,

which I would like to be able to commute to, so you have the M5 and the M4 corridor.

Obviously it's areas I can work in and Maddie can work in,

-so that is kind of the driver for this.

-Now what is your budget?

Right, well, it's £550,000 and there is a lot of ask for that really

for what we want, cos obviously land is very important to us.

In terms of house, we are a little bit more flexible on that.

Converted barn.

-Well...

-That's what I'd like.

-Doesn't sound very flexible at all!

-You definitely want a converted barn?

-That's been my dream. I mean, it's not the be all and end all.

But it's that kind of open plan space that I like the idea of.

-Now you've got a horse, Busby.

-Yeah.

-How much land?

-It's an acre a horse, isn't it?

-It is. Exactly.

But they don't like to live by themselves!

Ah! Nigel's face is like...that. "Oh, God, another one?"

Yeah, an acre upwards would be ideal.

Now you've got two boys.

Are they living at home or have they flown the nest?

They are getting close to flying the nest.

We've got a 21-year-old and a 19-year-old, both of them

do currently live at home.

I suppose what I am getting at is how many bedrooms do you need?

OK, a minimum of three bedrooms, just in case

yeah, they do come along with us. So, yeah.

Well we've got some lovely houses lined up

and I hope that you like them.

-OK, great.

-Follow me.

-Thank you.

We've lined up three properties currently on the market for Nigel and Maddie to view.

And at each one I will be quizzing them on the cost.

Our last house, the mystery property, could please one of our buyers,

but at the expense of the other.

Our first property is located in the small village of Birtsmorton,

not far from the borders with Herefordshire and Gloucestershire.

-Nice.

-Cute.

-Very nice.

Now this is a house that is quite unassuming from the outside.

I think you're going to love the inside, but what are your impressions of the exterior?

-Nice.

-It's cute. It looks a little small.

-You should hold your judgment till you go inside.

-Looks nice from the outside.

-Let's look.

-OK.

'Maddie doesn't need to worry.

'I am confident the inside, which has been considerably extended

'and renovated, will impress.'

-Come on in! This is your sitting-room.

-Oh, it's cosy.

Oh, crumbs! Yeah, it's nice. It's quite large, actually, isn't it?

-You see what I mean?

-And that's a wood-burning stove?

Yeah, wood-burning stove.

And you will see later on that you have your own source of fuel,

-so that won't be a problem.

-I guess that can be from outside.

-Yeah.

Yeah, I'm surprised. I am very surprised looking at the outside,

doesn't really look like the inside.

-Let's look at the kitchen.

-OK.

-This, I think, is a really lovely space.

-Wow!

-Oh, crumbs, yeah.

-That's beautiful.

-Yeah, love the kitchen. The kitchen is very nice.

Very nice, yeah, very spacious.

So what do you think about the sunroom?

It's nice, it's nice how it flows out from the kitchen

-Um...

-It's almost like a dining room, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Very open plan. Open living, which is nice.

You can have guests out there, be cooking.

-It's very nice, it's all windows. Yeah, it's very light.

-Yeah.

It brings a lot of light into the...the kitchen.

And also underfloor heating throughout. For all these parts,

underfloor heating.

-So these are the living quarters as it were. Let's go through to the sleeping quarters.

-OK.

'Whilst it may not be a barn conversion,

'the light open plan nature of first property is drawing our buyers in.

'As well as the kitchen and sunroom, there is also a utility room with space for the white goods

'and a further living room at this end of the property.

'All the accommodation is arranged across one level

'and the three bedrooms are just down the hall.

'They are all doubles and all of them have en-suite bathrooms.

'There is also a spacious study which could be turned into a fourth bedroom

'and a rather stylish family bathroom which just leaves the master.'

You've got three big bedrooms, and this is the master bedroom.

-It has an en-suite.

-This is the master? Yeah.

It's a little bit...

It is surprising because the proportions are

-so big for the kitchen...

-This is quite small.

-..and this is a little bit kind of boxy

and not a huge amount of storage although they have some.

I mean there are two or three other rooms...

About the same size, really, but you could perhaps take your pick.

-Yeah, yeah.

-But they all have en-suites.

So you have three bedrooms all with en-suite and a family bathroom

-and toilet. And I know the interiors are your bag.

-Absolutely.

-But the exteriors are very important for you.

-Absolutely.

-I think you might like the outside.

-Looking forward to that.

'And I think Busby will feel at home here too,

'because as well as a large wraparound garden

'with decked and lawn areas, a wooden bridge leads you to a coppice and beyond that,

'two enclosed paddocks.'

'All in all, there's three acres of land here,

'but it might involve a bit of work to turn it into a home for the horse.'

-So you have your own woodland.

-I know.

-Very nice.

-It's quite nice.

What is particularly nice about it is that it supplies

all your wood for the log burner.

-And then you have this very nice vegetable garden.

-Yeah.

And some outbuildings, but we need to talk about the access,

because this is not an equestrian property,

and for you to make it an equestrian property,

you are going to have to lose that greenhouse,

probably lose the other side of this sort of tack room

and build a driveway that comes down the side of the garage,

all the way along this property, over the two brooks into the field.

-Right. It's worth considering.

-Yep.

-Well, we also have to think about the budget.

-Yes.

How much do you think this is going to cost you?

I'm going to say it's up on the top of the budget, really.

-I was going to say 550.

-I'm going to go a little lower.

I'm going to say 525.

OK, so this is on the market for 575.

HE EXHALES SHARPLY

But the owners are quite open to negotiations.

So I definitely think you could get it in your budget.

-How's the weather? Well, it is not raining.

-Typical English.

-Aww!

-Well, a sunny response to house number one?

-Absolutely.

-Absolutely loved it.

-That's what we like to hear.

'Worcestershire is home to one of the most historically important

'country estates in the West Midlands.

'Croome Court, the former home of the Earls of Coventry.

'It was remodelled in the 18th century by the landscape artist

'Capability Brown, with the palatial interiors designed by Robert Adam,

'both trailblazers in the world of architecture at the time.

'But decades of neglect under private ownership saw the building

'fall into disrepair and the worst hit was the Grade-I listed Red Wing.

'Today it is part of a £5 million repair project involving

'the entire house which is being managed by the National Trust.

'I have come to meet the building's Project Manager, Sean Wilkes.'

So tell me a bit about the Red Wing.

It was a service wing to ensure the smooth running of the court.

-So this is for the servants or the undesirables.

-Exactly.

On the upper floors, you would have had the servants' accommodation,

and on the lower floors you would have the kitchens.

When the trust got involved, what sort of state of repair was it in?

It was in a terrible state of repair.

It was about to collapse. It had already suffered partial collapse,

some of the internal floors had collapsed, and we had got here just in time.

We're standing on a fairly significant scaffolding, which was the first thing to be erected,

along with the temporary roof.

And I think it's fair to say that the building would not have stood another winter.

We have saved quite a lot of the original building.

-So here for example, you can see that's a new bit of oak.

-Yes.

-And this is presumably an old bit?

-Exactly.

The bottom section was rotten

but there was enough left of the original timber to warrant saving.

'As well as repair work to the inside of the Red Wing, craftsmen

'are making good the damage to the exterior brickwork of the building.

'Again, by mixing the old with the new.

'Each brick costs £80 and has been specially made

'so they can be cut more easily.

'I am meeting bricklayer Tony Cunningham to see

'if I can lend a hand.'

-This bit that you are doing here is obviously a bit specialised.

-Yes.

There is a lot of damage on them and we're replacing them with new bricks

-So you need gloves because of the lime on them.

-So it's lime...?

Yes, it's lime putty on the arch, yeah.

'Lime mortar is more flexible than cement, allowing the building to

breathe and to move, making it much better suited to an historic structure.'

Put it firmly in place.

Hey presto!

'Once the work is finished on the red Wing,

'the builders will move on to the rest of Croome Court,

'and the make-over should be completed in the next few years

'when the whole house will be open to the public for the first time in its history.

'And talking of houses,

'let's get back to our search with Maddie and Nigel.'

'For our second offering, we're heading south-west,

over the border into Gloucestershire and to the hamlet of Kilcot.'

-House number two!

-Oh, my word.

-Wow.

-That is very pretty.

-It is a pretty house.

-I notice they have solar power on the roof?

-Yes, they do.

These are actually hot water pipes, so these heat the water.

-So on a hot day like today, you don't need to turn the immersion on.

-OK.

It's a handsome stone property.

You can see that it has been extended at the end there, about 30 years ago.

You can see the different stone.

One thing about this house is that it is not an equestrian property.

SHE GROANS

No need for a long face.

Because it could so easily be one, much more easily than yesterday.

-Because look at this... Two loose boxes.

-OK.

Actually all opened up inside.

-Wow. OK, that's a good sign.

-Right. And then, follow me.

-OK. So this is all yours!

-Really? Oh, my gosh!

That is such a pretty paddock. How many acres?

It's, again, the whole plot is about 3.2 acres. SHE GASPS

Is it all fenced off?

-It's all fenced off.

-Oh... It's unbelievable.

-It's a huge plot, we will explore a bit later on.

-Yes, please!

-OK, we have won over Maddie. We've just got to convince Nigel.

-Yeah.

-Let's wait and see.

-Let's look inside.

'Good reactions to a second property

'but we've got a lot to do to beat the first house.

'We're heading to the newer part of the house via a dining hall and study room.'

So I will with you through those rooms into this big lovely room.

-This is the extension.

-OK.

-So this was put on about 30 years ago.

-Yeah.

-But it gives you the big volume.

It's a good space, no question, and it's got good aspect windows and it's light

and you can see out to the garden, so we have got some positives.

It's just that you have spoiled me with the first house.

I'm sorry, that's just the way I am.

-I'm just showering blessings on you both. And you have to choose.

-Yes.

But there are lots of lovely features. You've got to think about the space here

-cos you have a lovely south facing, south-west facing sort of room.

-Yes.

-Very nice, big log burner.

-It is light and airy.

It is a nice room.

And you've got to think long-term,

-you are not going to have any costs to heat it.

-Yes.

-Yes.

The other house had underfloor heating, which is quite expensive.

-Is it? Well, let's see the rest of the house.

-All right.

THEY LAUGH You're so bossy! OK.

'As well as the living room, there is also a dining room and separate

dining hall with wood-burning stove at the older end of the house.'

Come through this smallish snug down some stairs into a smallish kitchen.

-OK. Oh, yes.

-A very small kitchen.

And through here you have got another small dining room,

so my thought is that you might want to remodel this in some way.

-Because through here you have got a huge utility room.

-OK.

-So it feels to me there are a lot of small bits that add up to a bigger...

-Bigger rooms.

-A bigger room.

-Yes, it is going to take some thinking on how we can make it to how we like it.

-Absolutely.

It depends what the price is, Alistair.

But also you have got to remember, you know, this is a beautiful plot.

-It is stunning. Absolutely stunning.

-Yes.

And the location you can't change, the house you can change.

It is not listed so you could build out, you could build a sunroom.

That's true.

'Upstairs, this property has four bedrooms.

'Three of those are doubles and there is a smaller single bedroom

'and family bathroom.'

So unlike the last house, there are lots of steps up and down.

-There are indeed.

-A nice big master.

-But a much bigger master.

-This is huge.

-Yes, it is a good size.

It is lovely, it looks out there.

-The fields and the paddock and the garden.

-This is a lovely room.

-Yes.

-Through here you have got a very nice en-suite.

-It is beautiful.

-Beautiful. The B word.

-Beautiful but needs redecorating.

It is whether you are the sort of people who like to do that sort of thing.

Who like to get architects in, knocked down walls, I'm not sure.

-We are not DIY people, are we?

-No, certainly not.

-So...

-These are not the sort of things you would do yourself.

-No.

-No.

-It is whether there is money in the budget.

-Exactly.

-That's the key question.

-Yes, that will be the key question.

Well, luckily it is the question I'm going to ask you very shortly.

'Along with the paddock and outbuildings, the garden to the side

'and rear of the property is made up of patio areas with steps

'leading to a large lawn and great views of the surrounding countryside.'

I get the impression the outside's a winner and the inside a few question marks?

I want to like the inside, I really do,

because the outside is just so gorgeous, but...

There is a lot of work. A huge amount of decoration. As you say, probably a lot of remodelling.

So how much do you think it is on the market for?

I'd say it is on the top of the budget - 550?

I'm going to go lower because I think they realise it is

a lot of work to do on the house, so I am going to go for... 500.

-Well, if you split the difference, it's on the market for 530.

-530.

-OK.

So you would have £20,000 to remodel.

Which is a considerable budget for what needs to be done on the house

-because it is not insurmountable.

-No, no.

-Are you all done inside?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Done with your head-scratching about the interiors?

-A lot of head-scratching, yes.

-Yes. A lot of head-scratching.

-It's a challenging property.

-It very much is, yes.

-But we do have the mystery house to come.

-Yes, looking forward to that.

So a pretty good start. And property number two looks quite promising.

Yes. Although I am finding, and you will excuse the equestrian metaphor,

but I am having to plough quite a narrow furrow between horse

-and house for them.

-Interesting to see how that one turns out, really.

What about your couple?

Well, John and Dominique, looking for their dream

home in the Worcestershire countryside with £700,000.

A very generous sum of money.

Now our first two properties were gorgeous,

but clearly weren't quite hitting the mark,

so for our final offering, our mystery house, we thought,

well, to hell with land, let's go for house.

We're travelling south into Herefordshire

and our third county for the mystery house,

close to the market town of Ledbury.

On the outskirts of town in a rural location is our mystery house,

a converted farming property.

However, in order to give them a spacious home, there's a compromise.

So here we are, just outside Ledbury and our mystery house.

Now, I have to tell you that you don't get all of it

but you do get the central third of it.

There are three properties here, sharing this driveway.

You also get two garages up there,

which we're thinking workshop space, John.

-It's an old oast house.

-We gathered that.

Built about 1910 and now much renovated.

But the great thing about these vast,

old, agrarian industrial buildings is space.

We have spoiled you up to now with lots and lots of land.

We have got you a very generous garden

-but not acres and acres.

-OK.

What do you think of it?

-Very impressive. I mean, the building looks fabulous.

-Good.

Well, I think now we've whetted your appetite, let's go and have a look.

Come on then.

'Great first impressions

'and I think the six bedrooms and over 3,500 square feet of living

'accommodation could be just enough space of for them.'

Do you see what I mean about high ceilings?

-This is fantastic.

-And look at these doors.

I don't think I've ever seen doors that high.

-You don't get those off the shelf, do you?

-You don't. Let's start in here.

This...

..is the snug.

But this is probably the place to start because it's

the smallest reception room here.

Well, not bad for the smallest.

So is it living up to expectations from the outside?

It's better inside than I thought it was from the outside

and I love the outside, so, um...

Wood and stone. Two of my passions.

-Yeah.

-And space.

-Yeah, indeed.

-Lots of space.

If you're enjoying this, I think you'll love

what's through here, Dominique. Come with me.

OK, Dominique.

-Whoa.

-Yeah.

-What a magnificent room.

That's the first "magnificent" of the week, that's good. That's good.

-Can I add another one then?

-Go on, then.

-Magnificent.

I mean, as you can see, they've combined dining, living room

-and kitchen.

-I think that's lovely.

I think it would suit us very well, wouldn't it? The way we spend...

Yeah, the bay into the larger window adds that extra dimension to the room.

I mean, this is a room that you're going to use 90% of the time,

I would think.

So is this one getting further onto any kind of list

-that might be a contender?

-Yes.

-For me, yes.

Yes, excellent. Thought it might.

Come on, let's go up.

'The mystery house seems to be wowing them

'and we've still two floors to go.

'On the first, there are two double bedrooms served by a family bathroom

'with a double ended bath.

'And of course, there's the master.'

THIS is the master.

-That is incredible.

-It gets better.

-This is huge. This is, agh...

-Yeah.

There's a dressing room in there which is currently a study

but I would suggest probably more useful as a dressing room to you.

Lovely views out there and then you've got an en-suite in here.

-Kind of double shower and so on.

-Excellent.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-I love it.

-The space, the light, the warmth of the wood, it's...

very, very impressive.

Well, it's not over yet, let's go upstairs. Come with me.

-On the top floor.

-What, there's only one more floor?

Only one more, yeah.

'They're clearly blown away by the sheer scale of this property

'and there's more to see on the second floor, with bedrooms

'four and five both doubles with en-suite, next to bedroom six.'

So I guess it poses the question,

what will you do with all these bedrooms?

and we were thinking maybe this would be a nice kind of studio...

-I think you're right.

-..for the craft.

-Cos you have the light sort of in the roof there.

-Yeah.

Craft room or a man's room.

-Ah.

-Erm, crafts room.

-Crafts room, then. Yeah.

Consider yourself told, John. You have got the double garages outside.

-Exactly.

-Don't forget.

But, yeah, I mean, you've got so many choices here.

-That's what's nice about it.

-Definitely.

OK, well, let's get outside into that sunshine...

look at the garden and we'll start to think about the price.

Have a poke in the garage?

Might let you have a look in the garage. Bit later on.

'I think they might just have fallen for this splendidly roomy home.

'The question is, will the gardens be enough for them?'

Last but not least, the garden and the views beyond.

Now, we said at the outset we weren't

going to give you acres and acres.

With all this to play with, does it matter any more?

We could cope with this size garden.

It is a lovely garden.

-It's well laid out and with a field at the back.

-Yeah.

You get the view and that's for free.

But you don't get that for free. So...

Now, what's coming next, then?

Dominique, it's your turn, I think.

-670?

-670,000, yeah. John?

-I was thinking higher but I want it to be lower.

-All right.

-So I shall say 685.

-£685,000.

You're quite good at this, you two, aren't you?

This is on the market

for 675.

That's put a smile on your face.

I thought you would push it right to the top of the budget.

Well, it's comfortably underneath your £700,000 proposed

maximum spend and what a house.

You know, I get the feeling it just kind of fits you.

-Yes, it certainly felt very good.

-It was love at first sight, I'm afraid.

Oh, don't be afraid.

Well, that gives it away, doesn't it?

Well, I think that was a very interesting final house tour.

-Very much so.

-So are we that little bit closer - do you think -

to finding your new home?

-I definitely think so, yes.

-A lot closer. Yes, definitely.

-A lot to talk about.

-I should think there is, yeah.

Well, Dominique, John, here we are at the end of our house search.

It has flown by and we started off with up to £700,000

of your hard-earned money to spend

and high hopes for a new home in the countryside.

We've given you three very interesting properties,

question is, have we found the perfect one?

You may well have done.

Can I take a flying guess as to which one it might be?

Do that, let's see.

-The mystery house?

-You're clairvoyant.

-I think you're right, yes.

The house itself has got so much character.

The architecture is so interesting, the space in the house is fantastic.

Yeah.

The lounge in particular, well, this sort of open lounge, kitchen,

diner, overlooking the garden.

I can see myself living there.

So the question I must now ask you...

is what happens next?

Try to sort of use our head over the heart.

Because the heart was sort of, you know...

totally...

overcome and... yes.

But is it too large for us?

You know, a few questions like this, but...

very tempting.

So we started off looking in Worcestershire

-and we've ended up in Herefordshire. Who'd have thought it?

-Yes.

-But as ever, let us know how it goes.

-No, thank you very much.

-It was a very good experience.

-Our pleasure.

-Thank you.

Let's return to my buyers, Nigel and Maddie from Southampton

who've got a healthy budget of £550,000

to spend on their dream home.

We've got one last property to show them

and as it's the mystery house, we are going the extra mile

and are heading further away from the Malvern Hills

into the Herefordshire hamlet of Weston.

With the mystery house, we are giving Nigel what he wants

but Maddie may have to compromise

and I am keen to see how she will react.

-Ha-ha.

-It is the barn!

Nigel... This is your big moment.

-It's a converted barn.

-The converted barn, it looks lovely.

It looks really nice.

-It is a huge house. It is not a lot of land.

-Oh.

That's the mystery!

But there is so much land around here

and the owners are sure that you could rent acres and acres...

-Really?...

-..of equestrian land within walking distance.

-OK.

But I think your oohs and ahs might come

-when we get inside.

-Yes? OK.

-OK.

-I don't want to prejudge but let's have a look.

-So far so good.

So our third house is a converted L-shaped barn.

One wing is double storey, but the other takes

advantage of the ceiling space to create a fantastic reception room.

-I'm going to take you straight into the kapow moment.

-Oh, my word!

-It's massive.

-Wow. That is a converted barn - beautiful.

-That's extraordinary.

-That's formal dining.

This is formal dining.

-That is extraordinary.

-Yes.

High, high ceilings, skylights -

-which is unusual in a barn conversion.

-OK.

-To get more light.

-To get more light, yeah.

And obviously this mezzanine area up there.

It's almost worrying it's so big, but they have a lot of stuff

-and it still feels spacious.

-Yes.

-I'm sure we could fill it.

I'm sure we could fill it.

What's nice, is there's a study at the end there with doors

that you can shut, and also this potential you

-have for a bedroom or another second study at the top.

-Yes.

-Spectacular.

-Well, the beauty continues.

Coming into the kitchen after that room, it feels a little pokey!

-Just a little!

-But for most of us it looks massive.

Yes, that's a nice Shaker style kitchen.

It's a pretty substantial size, there's no doubt about that.

So this would be, I guess, your lunch and breakfast room.

-Yes, everyday.

-Everyday, as opposed to formal dining.

-Yes.

Can you imagine living here and coming down in the morning

-and making yourself a cup of tea?

-Yes, I can.

-Yes?

-Definitely.

I think we'd need more animals to fill the barn!

It keeps on going.

-OK.

-Follow me.

As well as the double height dining hall

and the kitchen, the ground floor also features a large sitting

room with wood-burning stove, and beyond that a large office,

a generous utility room, and a ground floor shower room.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms in this property

and they are all doubles built into the eaves and with exposed timbers.

Two of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms,

one of those has a his-and-her sink and rolltop bath

and it's part of the impressive master suite.

You have three bedrooms upstairs. This is yours.

Look at that closet!

-Yes!

-It is not really a closet, it is a dressing room.

-It is.

-Oh, my word!

-It is pretty substantial again, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Again.

I like to have a sofa in my bedroom.

-Somewhere where you can just think about getting into bed.

-Yes.

Well, I'll let you explore because there's a lot more to see.

I just want to pop outside so we can talk about Busby

-and think about budget.

-Yes. The B word.

Although not large enough to accommodate the horse,

the garden is made up of a spacious lawn with raised vegetable beds

and there's also a sheltered patio area as well as a gravel driveway

and single garage.

-It is actually a lovely garden. It's not a paddock.

-No.

It's not a paddock.

-But it is beautiful.

-What do you think it is on the market for?

I am going to say...

I get it wrong all the time but I'm going to say

it's the top of the budget, 550,

because it is a stunning, stunning barn.

I'm going to go above that again - 575.

-You say yes?

-It is probably pushing the ceiling. I would say 575.

Well, you shouldn't because you were right the first time, it is

-on the market for 550.

-Really? On the mark.

So, in your budget, your dream barn could be yours, Nigel.

-It's big, it's huge.

-It is.

-It's almost too big.

It is overwhelming!

Don't say too big!

Priced at £550,000, our mystery house is right at the top of Nigel

and Maddie's budget.

It is a spacious converted barn, which is what Nigel asked for,

but there is no room at the inn for the horse.

The accommodation includes a magnificent dining hall with

high ceiling and an equally impressive master ceiling.

There are three bedrooms in total

and the possibility to create more if needed.

The garden is largely laid to lawn

and there are options nearby to rent land for a paddock.

I'm going to have to drag you two away from a dream barn.

Yes, it's pretty special.

I've done quite a number of these shows and I feel

I have the gift of guessing which house people like the best.

-I think you like the mystery house best. Am I right?

-Absolutely.

Yeah. The mystery house certainly has a lot to

offer in terms of value for money. Incredible.

-What happens next?

-I think we are going to move fast on this one.

I think if we don't grab the opportunity,

-somebody else certainly will.

-And make an offer.

-Yes.

The mystery house was wonderful because it was beautifully quiet.

-I think we were there all day and not a car went past.

-No.

But the flip side of that it is quite a long way from the motorways.

Nigel, is that daunting for you? The commute?

It would mean probably staying away from home more often

during the week but that is part and parcel of the work I do.

Finally, do you think that that house, the mystery house,

could be a sort of... "this is where I am going to lay down

"my bits and bobs?"

I can see us definitely there for 10 or 15 years if not more.

Yes! That is what I wanted to hear. Wonderful, that's a great conclusion.

I hope it all goes well, I hope you sell your house,

I hope you put an offer in, and I hope it gets accepted.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you, it's been great.

-So, the mystery house won it by a nose.

-By a furlong. It was amazing.

At the beginning of the search, it was all about Busby the horse but

as soon as Maddie saw that mystery house, Busby was out to pasture.

I think we saw the same thing with John and Dominique.

It wouldn't be the first time that buyers come on the show with

a really detailed and extensive list of requirements that then

gets rapidly redesigned as the house hunt continues.

I think that would be my top tip.

Don't get too narrow, particularly when we are always looking online,

Internet searching, for a certain house with all these criteria.

Don't get those too narrow, throw in some wild categories.

Look at a bungalow, look at something attached,

-look at something in a different area.

-Or look at us.

We went out to Worcestershire looking for a property with land.

We ended up in Herefordshire with a garden

and a beautiful mystery house thrown in.

It just goes to show, you never can tell until you see it.

That's absolutely right. You can never predict 100 percent

how buyers are going to react to properties

but you can, of course, always join us here

for another Escape To The Country. We'll see you next time.

Indeed, see you next time.

John and Dominique are still looking for their perfect home.

And Maddie and Nigel have put their house move on hold.

And if you'd like to escape to the country in

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