Cotswolds Escape to the Country

Welcome to today's Escape To The Country.

Now, this impressive mound was hand-built

by our Neolithic ancestors nearly 6,000 years ago.

But in describing this unique range of monuments,

archaeologists have, in part, named them

after the region we're exploring today.

So, where are we and what's this all about?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

Today's house hunter is hoping to put down roots

to be closer to her relatives, and it's a big family.

How are we going to fit 14, though? I'm not sure!

But I have a job giving her everything she wants.

I'm working very hard to try and make this house work for you.

-I think it's gorgeous.

-Yes, it is.

-Yes, it's lovely.

Well, today, we are in the Cotswolds

and this is the impressive Belas Knap chambered long barrow.

It's one of a series of very distinct Neolithic burial mounds

known collectively as the Cotswold-Severn tombs.

Now, it's thought it was built about 3800BC

and excavations here back in the 19th and 20th centuries

revealed the remains of up to 40 individuals

tucked away in these little chambers buried deep within the mound itself.

Now, of course, it was built to commemorate the dead,

but also to dominate this astonishing landscape

and for me, it seems only fitting, then,

that they should take their name in part from this fantastic region.

The range of hills known as the Cotswolds

is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

that lies largely within the counties

of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

There can be few other regions in the UK more defined by its geology.

The key to the area's beauty lies a foot or so below the soil,

a bedrock of Jurassic limestone.

The rock's durability makes it an excellent building material

and it comes in a variety of colours depending on the iron content.

The region's rich architecture

is a legacy of the medieval wool trade

and the picturesque image of rows of cloth workers' cottages

has come to characterise the Cotswolds

with their thick, stone-slated roofs,

dormer windows, high gables and tall chimney stacks.

Architectural style has varied little over the centuries

and even today, new properties have to follow a strict design code,

which is why the Cotswolds is sometimes described

as a place where time stands still.

Now, of course, the Cotswolds have been popular for decades

for many people wishing to escape to the country.

So popular, in fact, that your average detached property here

could set you back as much as £500,000.

To put that in context, that's double -

yes, double - the national average.

But, of course, as a region,

it's made up of bits of six different counties

so there is plenty of variation across the piece.

So, whatever your budget, don't be put off by the numbers.

There will be something here to suit you.

So, what is it about this region

that has captured the heart of today's buyer?

Christine has already made a partial move to the country.

Three years ago, she rented out her St Albans home in Hertfordshire

and bought a caravan.

She is currently trying out different areas

staying in various campsites in and around the Cotswolds.

Lending her advice on the house hunt is eldest daughter, Laura,

who is also hoping to move to the area

and it's the pull of the family

that's driving Christine's desire for bricks and mortar

in this part of the world.

When I lived in St Albans, we had this wonderful plan

that we were all going to move to the Cotswolds together one day.

Laura made the move first.

So I bought myself a caravan, and came travelling.

But that was nearly three years ago and I still haven't found a house!

Widowed four years ago, retired voluntary worker Christine

wants to spend as much time as possible

with her three children and seven grandchildren.

Mum's really caring

and the grandchildren are a huge part of her life.

And three years of moving around

has confirmed Christine's love of the Cotswolds.

What I really love is the beautiful countryside, the way of life. It's beautiful.

But as well as spending time with the family,

Christine has a business plan.

Mum's always run a B&B from when I can remember, really.

I'd like to try and aim for a five-star bed-and-breakfast.

So, after living a nomadic life for the last three years,

Christine is looking forward to settling down in a permanent home.

I like having a house full of people

and especially love having my family together.

Our buyer would like us to concentrate

our Cotswold property search to the east of Chipping Camden,

which is where daughter Laura is hoping to move to.

But Christine has already seen 20 properties

so we're going to cast the net a little bit wider

in an effort to find everything she wants.

I met up with her and Laura in the Cotswolds

to go over the finer details of the move.

-Well, Christine, welcome to your Escape To The Country.

-Thank you.

-How are we feeling, Laura?

-Good. Excited.

So, you're here to guide your mother through the process.

I am, yes. I'm going to try, anyway.

Now, I often advise people to get to know an area,

get a real feel for it,

but you have taken that to its extreme, Christine,

because you've been travelling round in your caravan.

I have, for nearly three years.

Just give us an idea of the sort of property that you have in mind,

having done all this exploration.

Well, ideally,

I would like it to be a traditional or a Cotswold property.

-I need three bedrooms, at least.

-Yeah.

I'd like to open a nice bed-and-breakfast guesthouse.

What do you think would really suit your mum?

I do think the location is really important, the facilities.

Some sort of garden.

Now, you've got £475,000,

but you could stretch that to £500,000 if it's perfect.

Yes. I know that's quite a tall order in this part of the world.

-Well, it can be. I mean, this is hugely popular.

-Yes.

I mean, the prices in the Cotswolds can make your eyes water.

-We've got to get you out of that caravan.

-Please!

-Let's see what we can find you. Come on. Follow me.

-Thank you.

For a maximum budget of £500,000,

Christina is after an older, traditional property

with bundles of character.

She'd like at least three bedrooms

in order to run a bed-and-breakfast business.

Location is key and she wants to be close to amenities and a community.

But we may have a job on our hands as despite viewing many properties,

none of them have been quite right for our buyer.

We've chosen three delightful homes to view here in the Cotswolds,

which will hopefully tempt Christine

and get the nod of approval from Laura.

They'll only learn the price tag once we've toured the house.

Our mystery offering will challenge Christine on location,

but could give her the space to fulfil her dreams.

Our first property is located in the sought-after village of Churchill

on the edge of the Cotswolds

around a 30-minute drive from Chipping Camden.

The nearby lively town of Chipping Norton

would provide more extensive facilities.

'Chipping' comes from an old English word meaning market

and there's been one here for over 800 years.

The village of Churchill is a 10-minute drive away

and our first house is situated a short walk from the parish church.

Well, ladies, here we are. Property number one.

Now, how do you feel about the idea of a semi?

I'm quite happy with a semi.

But in a way, what you see here belies the truth

-cos it's a bit more interesting and a bit more quirky...

-OK.

..around the back and it sort of explains a bit more of it

-if we look at it from the other side before we go in.

-OK.

-The village is lovely.

-Let's have a look around.

To give you more of the geography, got this little courtyard

with your immediate neighbours,

but if you turn around, this is the back of the property

and the whole thing's arranged over three floors

so you've got quite a bit of space, even though, as I say, it is a semi.

But it also comes with that little studio.

-Let's get on with the main event and the property...

-All right.

..and see if it's got all that character

-and fun you're looking for.

-OK, thank you.

There's much more than meets the eye to this wonderfully distinctive,

Grade II listed cottage built of Cotswold stone,

giving Christine potential

to develop the bed-and-breakfast business.

Come in, ladies. Let's start with the kitchen.

-Thank you.

-Why not?

-OK.

-What do you think, Laura?

-Nice. A little small, maybe.

-Yeah?

I love this house because I think it's got height to it,

-which is really nice for a cottage.

-Yes.

Lots of light cos of these great big picture windows everywhere.

-I like the aspect that the kitchen faces the front of the house.

-Yeah.

I like the style of it, but, of course,

it depends on where the guests would be eating.

Yes, let's see if we can resolve that one next door.

Let me squeeze through.

-So, this is the living room.

-OK.

It's certainly got all that character and charm, I think.

I love the window seat. Again, nice, big window,

the inglenook and all this lovely Cotswolds stone

-kind of coming through the fabric...

-Yes, I like that.

They've got quite a modest table here,

but I don't know whether that would solve the guest-feeding issue.

It's obviously got to accommodate not just B&B guests,

but when the family gets together, there are 14 of us.

Space is clearly going to be the challenge with this property search

with such a large family and a B&B to consider.

Upstairs are three double bedrooms arranged across two floors.

To accommodate guests, the first floor offers two bedrooms,

one with built-in cupboards and the other with a fireplace

along with a lovely family bathroom and study area.

Above that, on the second floor could be Christine's private suite.

Then the final flight up this amazing staircase -

I just love it.

-It's unusual, isn't it?

-Lovely, yeah.

-It's really clever.

Yes, it's a nice space.

Now, I'm sure guests would also love this kind of space.

It may be that you say, "Well, we only let the top floor" maybe.

But, of course, it's all going to depend a bit on the price, isn't it?

Let's go and talk about that.

Down this fabulous staircase again. I can't get enough of this.

Apart from a small courtyard at the back of the house,

there's no further garden space,

but Christine would get a studio across the gravel driveway,

which could provide more guest accommodation

or a play den for the grandchildren.

Let's think about the price, then.

-What do you think it's worth?

-I would say £495,000.

-Mm-hm.

-I was thinking £485,000.

Well, you know, it's as well to hedge your bets.

BOTH LAUGH

-But it's on the market for £500,000.

-OK.

You weren't far off, as you shouldn't have been

cos you've looked at so many properties around here.

You know the market very well.

At the top of her budget, our first property gives Christine

the characterful Cotswolds home she asked for

with the three bedrooms she needs to run the B&B business,

as well as a separate annexe to develop the business further.

Well, I was rather pleased with that as a starter,

but there are, of course, two more properties to come.

In the meantime, the thing I love about the Cotswolds -

it's never short on somewhere to get a decent bit of lunch.

Excellent.

On the edge of the Cotswolds,

the Vale of Evesham has long been famous for its fertile soil.

Known as the Garden of England,

vegetables have been grown in abundance here

since the early 19th century.

Today, it's the UK's main area for asparagus.

The start of the eight-week asparagus-growing season

is celebrated every year on St George's Day

at Bretforton near Evesham in an unconventional fashion.

But once the fun is over,

it's down to the serious business of harvesting the crop.

I'm meeting asparagus grower Darren Hedger.

Well, this is a part of the world that is passionate

about its asparagus, Darren,

but what is it about the region that makes this crop work so well here?

Well, we're lucky.

We've got light, loamy soil and good drainage as well.

You've got some there in your hand. Lovely fresh asparagus.

It's a strange-looking plant. What family does it come from?

It originates from the lily family.

An ideal sort of thing to eat raw if you are so inclined as well.

-So I could just bite into that?

-Yes.

-I've never done that, strangely.

-Give it a go.

-The whole lot?

-Hmm.

-You should be getting a distinctive taste from that.

-Initial taste is very nutty.

-It's a flavour of fresh peas.

-Yes.

Tastes completely different when it's cooked.

Very, very healthy vegetable to eat

apart from sort of the odd side-effect.

-The smell of your pee.

-That's correct.

-Yes, but you know what? I think it's worth it for the taste.

-Good.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Aside from the after-smell, asparagus is low in calories

and one of the richest sources of iron

which helps boost the immune system.

It's also packed full of fibre and potassium

as well as vitamin A and folic acid,

all believed to play a role in the fight against cancer

and heart disease.

Although it can be eaten raw,

boiled or steamed asparagus is what we know best.

But one local advocate, Sarah Stewart,

is rethinking how we use the vegetable

to champion its cause and put it firmly on the food map.

Now, we've got a fantastic selection of asparadishes in front of us.

You're putting it front and centre of your recipes, aren't you?

We thought it would be a great idea to be able to offer

an asparagus menu so you could have a starter,

a main course and something sweet

and then the idea of an asparacream tea came about

so that's what we did.

Asparajam, asparascones and you might like to try a bit of this.

My day is just getting better and better, I can tell you.

I'm going to just try it without any accompaniment just to see.

Mm.

-Gosh, that's delicious.

-Now try the jam.

-Mm!

-There's mint in there.

-Oh.

Mint, lime, gooseberry but obviously, the overall flavour is asparagus.

And what new recipes are you planning for this year and next?

-Apparently, asparagus is a great hangover cure.

-Really?

So we're thinking if we can bottle and sell asparagus shots

as the perfect morning-after hair of the dog, we're onto a winner.

I think you could tempt everybody in the country with that,

-especially around Christmas time.

-Yes, absolutely.

In the meantime, I'll settle for some more cream tea.

-It's absolutely delicious. Thank you very much indeed.

-My pleasure.

It's fascinating to see how a humble vegetable

can be used in so many different ways,

adding a new dimension to eating your greens.

So, it's back to the property search

and for our second house,

we're heading 20 minutes south of Chipping Camden

to Bourton-on-the-Water, one of the Cotswolds' most popular villages.

Regularly voted one of the prettiest villages in England,

it's a tourist honeypot and an excellent location

to lure guests for our buyer's planned B&B business.

House two is situated in the heart of the village

a short walk from the main street.

Now, what have we got for you here?

Quite a handsome Grade II listed townhouse, really.

The thinking on this one is that we know you want community

and you want to be busy with people

and activities and all the rest of it.

-Bourton has that in spades.

-Yes.

And it is all done.

-You could move in here tomorrow.

-OK. All right.

-Will you or not?

-Let's have a look.

-Come on, then.

This attractive double-fronted property

has been remodelled inside,

but does retain many original features.

-OK, come on in, Christine.

-Thank you.

Laura, can you do the honours with the door?

Now, what we've got for you are two reception rooms here,

which we didn't have in property one.

Neither of them are massive,

but this is the first one with the wood burner, as you can see.

So, you could potentially, if you went down the B&B route,

-have one for you and one for your guests.

-Yes, yes.

Lovely fireplace.

-I think the kitchen is definitely a step up.

-OK.

-Come and have a look at this.

-So far, so good.

There's the other reception room there.

-A little bit bigger, all right?

-OK.

-And then this is the kitchen and dining end.

-Looks nice.

-Yes?

-A bit more fitted.

-Yes.

-Certainly more space.

-Yeah, definitely.

And maybe this, as a family area,

may compensate for the size of the smaller living room.

How are we going to fit 14, though? I'm not sure!

I think I've got my work cut out.

Being able to entertain the family is a big reason for this move,

but I want Christine to imagine how she'd live in this house

when they're not all together.

Upstairs offers four double bedrooms arranged over two floors.

The top level has two bedrooms built into the eaves

and the first floor features a good-sized double

and a very generous family bathroom,

which I'd set aside for guest accommodation.

Plus, there's the master.

And finally, your bit,

which, like property one, actually, has a very nice en suite.

So, up here, we've got you four bedrooms -

one more than property one.

I'm working very hard to try and make this house work for you!

-I can see it's struggling...

-Yes.

-..as far as you're concerned.

-It is.

-Laura, what do you think?

-I love the house.

The location is great for the centre of the village.

-Yeah, it's a lovely four-bedroom townhouse...

-It is.

..with also a very nice little courtyard garden,

to which we should repair and talk about the price

-because it's the last card I've got to play.

-OK.

The outside space includes

the large lawn at the front of the property

and at the rear, there's a garden store

as well as a sunny courtyard, ideal for entertaining.

OK, let's talk about the price, then.

-So where are we on this one, then?

-I'd say probably about 480.

-Yes, I was going to say something similar. 485.

-485.

I mean, Bourton is a huge draw, and you're right to think like this

but here's another reason as to why we're here.

It's on the market for £449,950

so 50 quid short of 450.

Surprising, yes.

-Is it good surprising?

-Yes.

-Yes, it's a lovely house

and as you say, it's grade II-listed and it's got nice proportions.

Bourton is lovely.

It's the first place I looked at

but my granddaughter is going to school in Chipping Campden

and I want to help with school runs.

Chipping Campden is quite a long way from here.

I didn't know about the school runs.

£50,000 below Christine's maximum budget, on paper,

our second property gives her everything she has asked for -

a character house with one more bedroom than required,

plenty of room to run a B&B business

and all located in a busy Cotswolds village.

It's a 20-minute drive from Chipping Campden

and it seems that might be too far.

A useful day but no clear winner yet.

-Not yet.

-No, not yet.

-So, we've got one more to go.

-OK.

And tomorrow, as they say, is another day. Come on.

Well, as we head into our final day of house-hunting

here in the Cotswolds with Chris and Laura,

I'm beginning to realise why it's proving so difficult

for them to find the house that Chris is ideally looking for.

Despite her healthy half-a-million-pound budget,

the truth is the property market here in the Cotswolds

is really buoyant.

The kinds of properties that would really suit her

are being snapped up

and coming off the market almost as soon as they go onto it.

We now, of course, also know

that she's really wedded to being near Chipping Campden,

but even with a half a million quid,

trying to find a house there

that can comfortably accommodate up to 14 people socially,

well, that is going to be tricky,

whatever your budget, to be perfectly honest,

so we've got a lot to do with our final property, our mystery house.

We are of course going to stick with the brief and stay in the Cotswolds.

I think we've got a real cracker,

something that offers her all that she is looking for.

The big compromise, however, may be exactly where it is.

For our final house, we're heading west, away from Chipping Campden

and towards Cheltenham,

to the hamlet of Oxenton in Gloucestershire,

right on the edge of the Cotswolds.

One of the closest centres

is the ancient Saxon town of Winchcombe,

another popular Cotswold hot spot and close to Broadway,

which is one of the areas Christine originally said she loved.

Our mystery house is a 15-minute drive away

in the quieter setting of Oxenton.

Although we're now 20 miles from Chipping Campden,

this property would offer Christine

more space to entertain her huge family.

At last, the wait is over. Here we are, our mystery house.

-Chris, what do you think?

-Very nice. Very nice indeed.

-This is the first really big smile we've seen this week, isn't it?

-Yes.

-What is it about this one that's really tickled you?

-The character.

I can see that it's quite spacious inside.

The way it's been kept.

-Just the general style.

-It's absolutely immaculate.

You don't need to do anything here.

I think it's the biggest we've had a chance to show you.

Nice big garden out the back and as you say very perceptively,

lots of space on offer with this one.

Come on. Let's get out of the rain.

Well, that's a much better reaction

to this former farm worker's cottage which dates to the 1800s.

It seems we've got it right on style and character

but the question remains whether the inside delivers too.

-This is lovely.

-I think it's gorgeous! Come on.

-Yes, it's lovely.

-It is.

-It's really gorgeous.

-Utility room through that door, bags of storage, as you can see.

-Yes.

I like the flooring and the brickwork, the size,

the fact that there's an extra area through there and it's light.

Well, the extra area, to me, is the real seller.

Come and look at this.

-This conservatory opens up to give you all of that.

-Oh, wow.

That's very nice.

Well, there are ten chairs around that table at the moment

so I'm thinking your party-of-14 family

could comfortable sit in there.

Easily go in here, yes. It's very nice.

But I think this is such an interesting space

and I can see also your B&B guests here.

-Yes, it would work definitely. Lovely.

-Yeah?

The ground floor also features

a decent-sized office space as well as the living room.

Now, I think for me,

this is the biggest living room we've been able to show you.

-Yes, it is. It's very nice.

-Very nice.

-Lovely.

-The staircase is here, obviously.

You could have this just for your guests if you wanted to

-because you could make use of the conservatory.

-Yes.

I can see we're fighting hard on this issue of location.

Come on, Laura. You're the voice of reason here.

Could it work here?

I think for bed and breakfast, definitely.

I think for mum living kind of in a community

but also within easy access to everywhere, definitely.

I think the location that she has chosen,

not necessarily in Chipping Campden but within striking distance of it,

I think is going to be a sticking point, unfortunately.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms.

Three of those have fitted wardrobes and there's a family bathroom.

Loads of space for B&B guests and family.

Finally, there's the generously-sized master.

Nice bath/showerroom in there.

-Plenty of storage and then this is your bedroom.

-That's very nice.

-That's lovely.

-Yes, it's a nice size.

-I like the windows.

-Yeah. Dual aspect.

-A nice kind of arch window there too.

-Yes, a nice feature.

It's rather nice. Well, there is one more bit to see and that is the garden.

Let's have a look at that.

The garden is manageable, mainly laid to lawn

but with a paved area for outside entertaining.

Well, I was going to take you into the garden

but as it's still chucking it down with rain,

we might as well do it from here because it makes sense to see

why this room works so well in terms of allowing you to enjoy the garden

even when the weather is bad, but also, what you see is what you get.

-It's the biggest garden we've been able to show you.

-Yes.

So would it be enough?

-Yes, it would, actually.

-So, what's our mystery house on the market for?

It's a lovely house, nothing to do, I would go for 530.

I would say about 499, 495.

You're not far off, madam, actually, to be fair to you. It is £499,950.

-Good.

-Well done.

-So there's some good news here, Chris.

-It's not over budget.

-No.

It is very much at the top end of your budget

but to be frank, nothing needs doing.

Where does it leave us now, then? I know what you're going to say.

I'm hoping you're not going to say it.

-I won't say it, then.

-All right, then.

Location. That's what she's thinking. Location.

Just under Christine's maximum budget,

our mystery house is a period country cottage

and offers a large, open-plan living area,

easily enough space for 14 around the table

and four bedrooms - more than enough for B&B guests.

-Well, that's it. House tours are over.

-Yes.

-Shall we go and mull it all over and have a chat?

-Yes.

-Come on.

So we have added three properties to the many that you have seen

over your recent travels.

Has it helped at all?

Yes, I liked the exposed stone of the Cotswold properties.

I liked the lightness of the third property.

It was airy and spacious, lovely flagstone kind of floors.

I think light and view is quite important to me.

I think with you, Laura, if we'd given you the keys

-to any one of them, actually, you'd have been quite happy.

-Yes, I would.

Particularly property two and the mystery house.

I like both of those properties.

But it's all about you, Chris, and of course,

that's the task we've been trying to satisfy.

The houses, they all had something to offer

but I am pretty set on

the kind of location where I want to be, really, in terms of family.

It is a tall order.

I'm not making excuses

but I think we have joined you in your frustration

at how difficult it is proving to find the right place

But we wish you all the very best of luck.

I hope we've been able to help you focus

and refine your search a little more, if nothing else.

Thank you, yes.

And I dare say you'll now end up somewhere east of Chipping Campden.

I hope so. We'll let you know.

-All in good time. Best of luck.

-Thank you.

Well, there is no getting away from it -

this week has, I think for all of us, been pretty frustrating

but one thing we have learnt -

for Chris, her new home really is all about location

but for her to get it in such a specific part of the Cotswolds,

well, it's going to be all about timing,

being in the right place at the right time and in many ways,

I think the rather splendid surroundings of Dumbleton Hall

illustrate that perfectly.

Since it was built back in the 1830s,

it's been bought and sold many times

but if Chris had found herself here in 1875,

she could have bought the whole lot and the estate for £180,000.

Just think how far her half a million would have gone

way back then.

I'll see you next time.

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