Cornwall Escape to the Country

This magnificent coastal fortress behind me was the product

of a dramatic religious upheaval some 450 years ago.

Find out why and where it is

in just a few moments.

Today we're helping a couple of hip Londoners who are seeking

a complete change to their urban life.

Will my romantic country home sweep them off their feet?

I do feel like I am in a Jane Austen novel.

And as the house hunt gets under way, things begin to hot up.

I can feel my wife's heart beating next to mine.

He's feeling the love, Hanna!

Today I am in Cornwall, and this artillery fortress

at the mouth of the River Fal is known as Pendennis Castle.

It was built to defend the port here by King Henry VIII

in the mid-16th century,

following the threat of a European invasion after Henry decided

to abandon his Catholic faith and divorce his first wife,

Catherine of Aragon.

Today, even on a blustery day like this,

its circular design offers a unique 360 panorama of this

county's coastal and peaceful country scenery.

Almost in a world of its own,

Cornwall is situated in the most south-westerly part of Britain.

Surrounded by the sea except for the inland border it shares with

neighbour Devon.

Cornwall is a unique county and with its own language, culture

and industrial heritage,

so much so the Cornish are set to gain the same minority

status as other Celtic communities.

Cornwall is well known for its glorious coastline

but the beautiful inland waters shouldn't be overlooked.

The pretty Helford River winds its way through rolling hills to

reach the south coast.

And this coast is full of charming villages and towns, such as St Mawes

on the Roseland Peninsula.

With sandy beaches, open countryside and pretty villages,

Cornwall is a popular holiday destination

and, for the lucky ones, a wonderful place to call home.

So let's find out what's inspired today's buyers who

want to join the half a million lucky people that already

call this county home.

Our house-hunters today are married couple Hanna, a lawyer,

and Simon, a chiropractor,

who currently live in one of London's most vibrant areas.

This is, I suppose, the East End of London.

-We have lived here for...how long?

-Since 2009.

It's got an edge to it, it's youthful.

It's a nice area to live.

But life in one of the world's busiest capitals does

have its downsides.

We spend so much time commuting and sitting in an office

and it is very sedentary.

And the time is right for Hanna and Simon to escape the city

and move 300 miles west to Cornwall.

I think we have been brewing the move to the countryside

for a long time.

I grew up around St Austell, by the beach.

Yeah, there is something about the ocean

or the sea that draws you back.

I'm originally Finnish

so I don't have any particular connection to the West Country.

I'm just up for the adventure.

This adventure centres on Simon's chiropractic work.

He has bold and ambitious plans for a new wellness

practice in Cornwall.

It will have a welcome area, somewhere where people would

want to be before they come to get an adjustment, chiropractic adjustment.

There will also be a gym area where they can work out.

With the lease of Simon's London chiropractic premises ending,

and their house under offer, the dreams

and plans are now set to become a reality.

I think change is generally good.

What's the worst that can happen?

Our search will be focused on mid-Cornwall,

around the city of Truro, where Simon

and Hanna can still be rural yet close to potential clients.

And to find out more of the detail of their planned move,

I have travelled to meet them.

-Simon and Hanna, welcome to beautiful Cornwall.

-Thank you.

And very different from London, where you live at the moment.

But why Cornwall?

-Fresh air, nice water, less people, good clotted cream.

-Good reasons!

What is the situation with your current property?

We have to vacate within two months.

But it is not just about the house, though, is it, this move?

Having the ability to run a business

and a home in the same place.

Ideally, what are you hoping to achieve?

The business needs to become part of the local community,

it wants to be a hub for everything associated with well-being.

Are we talking food?

-Yeah, we'd like somebody to sell organic produce...

-Locally sourced.

-A cafe?

-Yeah, cafe, perhaps.

I'd be quite interested in having a little

bit of a sideline in bed and breakfast or holiday let.

So, what are we looking for?

At least three bedrooms, hopefully more.

That's just to future proof our life.

Regarding location, do you want to be near schools, villages?

We want to be close enough to population,

don't want to be completely out in the sticks.

So, let's talk budgets. It's time to discuss money.

Maximum budget is 1.3 million but that includes

any conversion work that needs to be done to the property.

Let's hope we can spend it well

because we have got three properties lined up to show you.

-Our first property is waiting. Come on.

-Fantastic.

So, there may be an extremely healthy £1.3 million budget

but there is also an extensive shopping list.

Our buyers are after a house with a minimum of three bedrooms to

accommodate guests, as well as future family expansion.

Then there is the business side.

For Simon's wellness centre,

they are ideally after several buildings to convert into premises.

The grounds must be appealing and location is key.

They would also like to be near a community they can forge links with.

And we have three excellent options,

all of which offer something really special.

But I won't be giving away the price tag

until our buyers have a guess at it first.

And finally, we have our mystery house,

which today is a proposition of mind-blowing scale.

For our first property, we're heading to central Cornwall,

to the village of Summercourt - nine miles from Truro and St Austell

and just six miles from the busy surf town of Newquay,

this village is well connected, yet retains a small community feel.

Half a mile from the village, down a country lane,

we find our first property.

So, we thought we'd start off with a bang.

Now, we didn't discuss period properties.

-How do you feel about it?

-Period is good.

I'm quite charmed by period features.

You're about nine miles outside of Truro, 15 from the Eden Project,

so although we're in a rural setting,

in actual fact, from a business point of view,

we're not too remote.

-Yeah, yeah.

-I think we'll start.

-Let's do that.

This house is a handsome period property

which dates back to the 15th century

with Georgian and Victorian additions.

Today, it's an enormous home with four bedrooms

and five reception rooms.

So, as we step inside, we've got your hallway,

and just off the hallway,

you've got two good-sized reception rooms.

But I wanted to bring you into this room

because I think this is the heart of the home.

It's got a really cosy feel. I love the wood burner.

-Slate floor is nice as well.

-It's lovely.

Through there, you've got a kitchen,

but there's an additional kitchen through there

which I'm going to take you to. So, there's a lot to this property.

Let's go through into the second kitchen.

So this is the kitchen that they use on a day-to-day basis.

It's a nice kitchen, this.

I love the character. I do feel like I'm in a Jane Austen novel.

This might just be a little bit too low-ceilinged

and the rooms are maybe a little bit too compact.

OK, well, let's continue through.

So, down a few steps...

-This would be your fifth reception room with this property.

-Yeah.

The reason I'm emphasising that is business opportunities.

I'm not sure this would accommodate the business.

-The good news is I haven't shown you everything.

-Good.

Going to head upstairs next, for the bedrooms.

They may have some doubts about this property,

but they haven't seen everything

and I think the dimensions are really not a problem.

Upstairs, there's a double en-suite,

two further guest doubles served by a family bathroom

and then there's the main suite.

So, as you come into here, you've got a master.

I think, for me, it needs a lot of work, Nicki.

-said you didn't mind a project.

-No.

-Oh, no.

It's just whether or not we want to spend the project money

on the house or the business.

But walking around, if it's not to your taste,

from what I'm seeing, I would say it's cosmetic.

You're right, it is.

Still more to show you.

-And the grounds, as well, to discuss.

-Very good.

-Excellent.

I hope Hanna will see beyond the decor of this house,

as it provides ample room for an expanding family in the future -

and it's not just the house in this package.

The grounds contain some great options

for Simon's wellness centre plans.

So here, we have two outbuildings,

ripe for conversion for business use.

I'm going to take us inside the cottage.

-Ah!

-Oh, my goodness.

This is...a little bit of a surprise, the cottage.

I didn't expect this at all.

Two double bedrooms with en-suites

and a rather spacious living/dining area.

-Wow!

-Mm.

-Now, this has caught you by surprise, hasn't it?

-It really has.

From a business perspective, too, for what I'm looking for,

it's a great space.

I didn't see the potential from the outset,

but it's growing on me, definitely.

Let's head back outside.

I can see this is definitely a grower for Hanna and Simon

as what's on offer begins to reveal itself

and I think the grounds are going to blow them away.

You've got huge meadows - I mean, just look over there, guys.

-That's your own orchard.

-You're joking!

I think we're going to go in here - follow me.

So, all of this comes with the property.

You've got the meadows, you've got a huge lake.

-Ten acres.

-Wow.

-Does this excite you?

-Yeah, it's very interesting.

Well, how interesting - we've got to put a price on it, now.

-I think 990 is my guess.

-OK.

I'm going to go a little bit above that. I'd say 1.2?

Simon, you are very close indeed.

-OK.

-£995,000.

-Wow. OK.

-The price makes me feel a little bit more comfortable.

-Does it?

Hanna, are you going to be looking at it with fresh eyes, now?

-I think I might very well be, yes.

-Good. I've got a smile.

For a whopping £305,000

under their maximum budget,

this enormous Grade II listed period home

offers four good bedrooms.

There are two barns,

ready to convert into business space

and an already-converted cottage

which could provide further practice rooms

or the holiday accommodation

Hanna was interested in.

But what could clinch the deal

is the incredible ten acres of land,

with meadows, an orchard,

a lake and a folly, which offers up

the stunning setting they have said

is so important.

-Is the picture coming together?

-More so than I could have anticipated

when we first walked in the front door.

I'm really pleased. And this is only our first house.

-Yeah.

-OK, let's go.

With some 300 miles of coastline and 49 ports,

for centuries, fishing has been a vital industry for Cornwall.

In recent years, protecting fish stocks has been central

to the business, with a major drive for sustainability.

Newlyn Harbour is home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the UK,

and I'm meeting fishmonger Robert Wing to find out

how looking at our eating habits could help the industry further.

Here they are, unloading the catch.

That looks about a couple hundred kilos of fish there.

What would they be fishing?

They'll be fishing for flat fish - Dover soles, lemon soles,

megrim soles, monk, squid, John Dory.

I suppose we might see 35 different species.

Out of the 35 different species, how many do we normally eat?

I think years ago, we only used to use cod and haddock and plaice,

but we are getting better now.

But there are some species that we still aren't eating.

I think that's really important that we try them.

Give me two that I might not have tried before.

I'll give you a couple - megrim sole and hake.

We have wallops of hake around the place. Boxes of meg coming up now.

Those are megrim soles there.

What you've got here, take a look, it's packed in ice.

That's a megrim sole. It's a lovely flat fish. It's quite deep water.

When you fillet off, you get lovely white, flaky fish.

What's the taste like? Is it similar to any other fish?

It's a member of the sole family.

It'll have a nice, quiet, mild flat fish flavour.

It's beautifully white and flaky.

What's the difference on the price?

Well, megrim sole is probably about a quarter of the price

-of Dover sole.

-So why aren't we eating it?

We're very traditional as a nation.

We need to broaden up and try something.

As it's not well known in the UK,

the majority of the megrim sole catch actually ends up not here

but on Spanish, French and Swiss dinner plates.

Whilst it may not be the best-looking fish,

it is abundant in Cornish waters.

As sustainability is becoming an ever greater consideration,

fishermen, fishmongers and chefs are keen to encourage consumers

to try out a wider variety of fish species.

'I'm heading to Watergate Bay to meet head chef Neil Haydock,

'who regularly has megrim sole on his menu.'

Neil, I've been hearing the merits

of different varieties and species of fish.

One we've really highlighted is the megrim sole,

but I've never tasted it.

We actually have it on the menu right at this moment.

We actually call it the Cornish sole.

-How easy is the sole to cook?

-Very simple.

This is literally a four-five minute dish.

We're going to pop it into some rice flour.

Little bit of oil into the pan.

Pop the fish in. The pan's been preheated.

Then we'll add a little salt.

Cornish salt.

'As megrim is a light fish, you don't want to overcook it.

'It needs just two minutes on each side.'

We've got our brown butter, then we're going to add our brown shrimp.

Brown shrimp - a real British staple.

Our shrimp are in there, we'll add our cucumber.

This is going to add texture, but also a real nice freshness.

I wouldn't think of putting cucumber in with fish.

'The dish is finished with a good squeeze of lemon

'and a sprinkle of fresh dill.

'Then it's time to find out just what I've been missing.'

Pop it on the plate.

This is the part where I love my job.

-It is quite delicate.

-Subtle, delicate. Exactly.

-Neil, thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

For our second property, we're going close to Truro, one of Simon

and Hanna's preferred locations.

The city of Truro was originally built on the wealth of the tin

and copper industries

and is now the southernmost city of mainland Great Britain.

Truro is also the administrative and commercial centre of Cornwall,

filled with shops, cafes and businesses related to Simon's.

Less than a ten-minute drive outside the city,

in a beautiful rural location, is our second property.

So we started our search here in Cornwall with a, well,

a part 15th-century home.

-We're now bringing you completely up-to-date.

-Ah!

-Built in 2010.

-Really?!

I love it!

THAT was exactly what I wanted to hear.

I wasn't expecting to love a new-build, but it...

-Yeah, it's got the wow factor.

-It's impressive, yeah.

So, shall we go in?

'I'm hoping the fact that this modern house,

'built in a Georgian period style, could be the bridge

'between Hanna and Simon's conflicting tastes in property.'

-So you've got a huge hallway...

-Wow!

..which leads us into your sitting room.

This is something else.

-That wood burner actually provides the hot water and heating.

-Does it?

-Heating-wise, you're looking at about £800 a year.

-You are joking?!

And this is a big home.

Does this feel more like a "you" property than the first house?

I think it feels more like a "me" property

and then we'll have to talk about it with Simon!

-Ah, OK! Do you like it so far, Simon?

-Yeah, no, no, I really do.

-Yeah, yeah, no - which one?

-The build...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the build quality is great. So, yeah, so far, so good.

OK, well, let's continue through into the kitchen.

So you've got a splendid dining room.

And then, leads through to this rather wonderful kitchen.

I love it! Again!

I love the range, I love the island. I love the light.

This is a nice kitchen.

I can feel my wife's heart beating next to mine.

He's feeling the love, Hanna! The love for the house.

I hope it's the love for the house!

There's another room that I want to show you on this floor.

-OK.

-Keep that cheeky grin on your face and follow me.

So, at the moment, this is a beautifully appointed

conservatory, family room, playroom...

-Wow.

-It's a sun lounge, isn't it?

-Could be a gym.

-Right.

-Yeah.

-Going to keep going.

-Okey-doke.

'Hanna is clearly loving this house,

'but I'm not sure Simon feels the same.

'I wonder what he'll make of the upstairs,'

'which would give them three guest double bedrooms, all of which

'are en suite, and perfect for visiting family from Finland.

'There's also a small room which is a single or could become a study,

'and finally, an impressive master suite.'

This is really spacious as well and I love the windows.

It's a beautiful room, beautiful space.

There's one more thing I want to point out.

Why don't you poke your head round that corner?

I hope you're going to like what you see. You BETTER like what you see!

-Take a look.

-OK.

-Oh, wow! Look at this, Simon.

-Oh, yeah.

-I'm loving the bathroom.

-Come on, more to show you.

So, the house itself clearly delivers on Hanna's dream,

and outside, I'm hoping to give Simon some good options

for his business needs, too.

So you've got a huge expanse of lawn here.

It's about two acres in total.

They have landscaped it quite prettily.

Got a water feature going down there like a terrace. Two outbuildings.

As we came up the driveway, you've got a large one to one side of you.

-There's a garage, there's also a chalet.

-Right.

And behind us, just there, you've got an additional outbuilding.

-So there's potential.

-Mm.

How much is this house on the market for?

I think 1.1.

I'm going to put in a conservative 1.2.

It is £1,150,000.

-So, both of you were only 50 grand out.

-Overall, I'm the winner so far!

-So far!

-THEY LAUGH

For £150,000 under their top budget,

this package gives a Georgian-style modern house

which seems to be to Hanna's taste.

The five bedrooms and extensive living rooms offer them both

enough space for family growth in the future.

Outside, there are two acres of beautiful grounds

with an already converted chalet

and an as yet unconverted outbuilding,

which would give options for Simon's practice.

-Have you seen enough?

-Yes, thank you.

-That is it for today,

but my goodness, what different reactions we've had.

-Yeah, it's been interesting today.

-A whirlwind of thoughts.

Good, good. We're going to hit the road now.

-OK, cool.

-Thank you.

Yesterday was...an interesting day.

I honestly thought Hanna and Simon were going

to instantly fall in love with our period property.

It didn't quite work out that way,

although they did come round right near the end.

Our second home, the modern build, I think was getting closer

to their idea of a perfect home, certainly Hanna's,

but maybe it did lack some of the business space they were after.

It's time for our final property. Of course, it is our mystery house

and I think with this one,

it's got its fair share of business opportunities,

which should appeal to the both of them.

For our mystery house, we're staying close to Truro

and going to the hamlet of Shortlanesend two miles away.

This tiny settlement feels like it's in the middle of nowhere,

yet it's connected to Truro by an eight-minute drive

and also by the Beynon Way,

a cycle and footpath route which was opened as a millennium project.

There's a wildlife reserve, a local school, pub and local shop,

where Simon and Hanna could get to know the community.

-And this is the mystery house.

-Right.

The reason it's the mystery house

-is because there is so much to this property.

-Yeah.

What do you think of the house?

I like the veranda and the view is nice.

It's not quite what I had in mind,

-but I'm interested to see inside.

-Let's go.

'The mystery house is more like a mystery package,

'because there is so much on offer here,

'which I think aligns with the type of business ventures

'Simon and Hanna have been thinking about.

'The house at the centre was built 12 years ago

'and was designed to capitalise on its environment.'

So, it is an unusual property

-because the living area is upstairs.

-Oh, right, OK.

-But it does make the most of the views.

-Certainly does.

Access to the balcony and your kitchen.

To make it our living space,

we'd have to change a few things, I think, cosmetically,

but view-wise, it's impressive.

Let's come up here

because you've got another huge space.

I quite like this space.

You can do a lot with it.

Let's see the bedrooms.

'The bedrooms are downstairs in this property.'

'At the back are two doubles with en-suites.

'Towards the front are a further two bedrooms which share a bathroom

'and then, with an en-suite shower room, there's a large master.'

This is the master bedroom.

And you don't have views like that in London.

-No.

-Not getting any feeling from you two.

-Come on.

-I don't think it's our house.

-It's not, is it?

-Mm-mm.

-But I have been there before with you.

-Yep.

-Where you haven't been sure about a property.

-She's a slow burner.

'It's taking a while for Hanna to warm to this property,

'but I hope she does,

'because if they are serious about having a viable business,

'what I'm about to show them is just that.'

So, where we're standing, in that outbuilding there,

you've got some industrial kitchens supporting a conference centre.

The building you can see, it's an L shape.

The left-hand side of it is the conference centre.

-Wow.

-Used by educational establishments,

they've had weddings there

and then next door to it,

you've got a three-bedroom cottage.

And six acres.

-OK, cool.

-So, you've got a water garden and if that wasn't enough,

there's a coffee shop, an existing business already going.

Does it make the house a little bit more attractive?

It certainly does. From a business perspective, it's great.

How much do you think the whole of this estate is on the market for?

Um, 2.5 million?

-OK.

-I think we're looking at the top end of our budget at 1.35.

The total asking price for everything is £1.7 million.

The top of your budget was 1.3 million,

we've spoken to the owner and you can actually break it down.

If you were interested in the house with the conference centre,

the industrial kitchens and the cottages with this land here

right around us, you'd be looking at £1.3 million.

If you wanted the house with the cafe and the lily ponds,

you'd be looking at £1.2 million.

-That's a lot to take in. That's a lot of numbers.

-Yes, it is.

-But it's a serious business that you're going into, isn't it?

-Yep.

To buy the whole package with all the business options is over

Hanna and Simon's budget.

But they can break it down into the house and other elements

to fit their £1.3 million limit.

On offer is a contemporary five-bedroomed house,

a conference centre and holiday cottage,

which could work for Simon's planned practice.

There's an up-and-running cafe and shop,

60 commercial lily ponds and six acres of gorgeous grounds.

But are they ready for this more commercial option?

I hope we haven't confused you too much because that's it.

You've seen all three properties.

I can't wait to hear what the final verdict is going to be on any of them.

Shall we go somewhere a little bit warmer, a little bit drier?

-Sounds like a plan.

-Come on.

I thought this was the perfect spot to find out

your thoughts on Cornwall and, well, really,

have we got close with the dream?

Yeah, I think we've got one property that stands out from the other two.

Oh! Tell me, tell me, Hanna, Simon, which one is it?

I think the closest business proposal is probably the third property,

but the overall winner in my mind would be property number one.

Now, that has surprised me.

I'm looking at you, Hanna, for that.

Absolutely. I think the grounds did it for me.

Having had a little bit of a sleep on it,

I think my first impressions were a little bit restrictive.

They were caught on very cosmetic matters,

which I think can be easily remedied.

So I think it's definitely a property that's

right for a second viewing.

You've always said it's the bigger picture.

This wellness centre, it's not just about finding a home.

It's about changing the way you live your lives.

It's about working together.

It's about working together, but it's also about feeling at home somewhere.

I think it's been hopefully really good for Hanna to feel her feet

on Cornish soil and see how she feels about that.

-I'm sold, Nicki.

-Are you?

-We'll definitely keep you informed.

Thank you, we'd love to know how you both get on.

Well, I must say I'm delighted and a little surprised

that of all the properties we showed Simon and Hanna,

it's our period home that they've opted to take a second look at.

But I must give them full credit.

They have a clear vision of what their future life

here in Cornwall looks like

and I hope they achieve their dream.

See you next time.

Hanna and Simon did go back for a second visit,

but felt there was too much work to create the set-up they required.

However, they've now had an offer accepted on another property

in the same area,

but rather than being the house/business package,

they've opted for just a four-bedroomed home

and will look for business premises separately.

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