County Durham Escape to the Country

This impressive structure is the oldest

single span railway bridge in the world.

It's also a symbol of this area's very impressive industrial heritage.

Find out where I am in just a moment.

This week, I'm helping a father and daughter-in-law duo

looking for a sizeable rural home to suit three generations.

-I think there's enough space here.

-Should be.

-Only just!

But after a shaky start,

it looks like I might have found a plot to please them.

That something special makes it a very nice property.

Today I'm in County Durham.

This is Causey Arch, which was built in 1725

by a consortium of mine owners

who wanted to transport the coal over the Burn here.

At the time, it was the largest single span bridge in Britain

and at its peak, it was seeing more than 900 horse-drawn carts

crossing back and forth every single day.

Then, after about ten years,

the bridge and the collieries nearby went into decline

and it was 200 years later in the 1980s

that it was restored, as a symbol of this area's

rich industrial heritage.

County Durham in the north-east of England borders north Yorkshire,

Cumbria and Northumberland to the North.

The region boasts some of the most breathtaking countryside

and dramatic coastlines in Britain,

including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

and the famous Durham Dales,

encompassing the valleys of Teesdale and Weardale.

The rolling farmland

and rugged moorland is broken up by meandering rivers

and is scattered with picturesque villages and market towns.

The county takes its name from the city of Durham,

which offers an appealing mix of history and contemporary culture.

The old English university city's winding cobbled streets

are crowned with the dramatic cathedral

and Castle World Heritage Site,

which makes for a stunning city setting.

But is it the place for our buyers today?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Today's house-hunters hail from the city of Sunderland

and are a father-and-daughter-in-law team, Doug and Anne.

Anne is married to Doug's son, Jeremy,

and has three children, Alex, Christina, and Jonathan.

They first met 15 years ago.

We enjoy each other's company because we like the same things.

I love the way he doesn't let the grass grow under his feet.

We'll suddenly think of an idea and then, the next thing,

we're doing it. And that's what great about him.

He's dynamic and just good company.

I'll give her the 20 quid later!

It was one day 18 months ago that the pair came up with

the brainwave of selling their separate homes in order to buy

one big property to fit the whole family.

Doug will be joining Anne, Jeremy and the children,

as well as Anne's mother, Eileen.

My idea is to have everybody around, not living in each other's pockets,

but just a stone's throw away so we can be there if we're needed.

Anne and her husband have lived in their five bedroom home in Seaburn,

just outside the city centre, since getting married 14 years ago.

With their children fast growing up,

Anne feels it's time for a change of scenery and pace.

I do have a natural pull to the country.

When I visit the country,

I would love to be part of that life on a permanent basis.

Currently just a five-minute drive away,

Doug is keen to remain close to his only son and grandchildren

and, despite being 76, he's up for a new adventure.

I'm at a stage in my life where

I'm prepared to look at anything and everything.

Armed with a long wish list and seven people to consider,

the pair have a lot of responsibility

resting on their shoulders to find the perfect extended family home.

The bottom line is,

I've reassured the family that I have everybody's interests at heart

and of course, Doug's coming along with me anyway,

so it's going to be a joint enterprise.

The family want to be within an hour of Sunderland

for Anne and Jeremy's work and Doug's social commitments.

They are otherwise open-minded so we are looking all over County Durham.

I'm catching up with Anne and Doug

to talk through the details of their proposed move.

Welcome to County Durham.

Let's go through what you're looking for.

Let's start with you, Doug.

What would you like to get out of the move?

I would like separate accommodation,

either a cottage or something where, perhaps,

we may have to do some work on, to create that separate accommodation.

Anne, your mum is coming, too - is she going to want a separate house, too?

I'm afraid so, yes. If possible.

Would Eileen be prepared to be in the house if push came to shove?

I think it would be preferred to be a self-contained annexe if possible.

How much land are you looking for?

Just a couple of acres, really just maybe a nice garden.

You also want some horses, for your middle daughter, isn't it?

My middle daughter who likes to ride, yes,

and yearns for her own horse.

What about your house -

how many rooms do you want in the house for you and your family?

Probably a minimum of five. Or six.

At least a couple of bathrooms, if possible.

What about location - are you keen to be way out in the countryside

or more in a community?

It would be superb to be within a community,

within a village or a hamlet as long as it was commuting distance.

Remind me again of your budget, Doug?

The budget would be about 700,000.

Of course, there is a little bit of flexibility in that.

So we've got three beautiful properties lined up.

They are going to require a little bit of head scratching and,

"How is this going to work for us?" So, put on your compromise hats.

-Let's go and look at them.

-Right.

For a joint maximum budget of £700,000,

Anne and Doug are hoping to find their family a main property

with five or more bedrooms,

a separate cottage or annexe for Doug,

and either a second annexe or an extra bedroom in the main house

for Anne's mother, Eileen.

Outside, they're after two acres of land and a paddock for a horse.

We've found them three unique properties,

all of which could suit the family setup.

After each tour, I'll be asking them to guess the property price.

The final offering will be our mystery house,

designed to really test their appetite for a challenge.

We're starting our search five miles south of Durham city

in the sought-after Tudhoe Village.

This conservation village centres on an attractive village green,

surrounded by character properties of various ages and styles.

Our first house lies on a quiet corner of the village green,

adjacent to open countryside.

Here we go. House number one.

All for sale.

We've got a lovely annexe which is actually the oldest part,

it dates back to the 1700s. The whole thing is a conversion.

The present owner took it back to the foundations

and built it up again.

And then we would have to convert this.

That's the job that you'd have at hand,

to give Eileen a separate building.

Yes, the footprint's there. I think it's very smart.

I think the annexe looks good.

The house, probably... We are flexible,

but it does seem to me quite modern.

-Yes.

-Let's have a look inside.

-Lovely.

A mixed reaction to the outside,

but I am hoping they'll like what's to come.

Come into the main heart of the house.

This is the sitting room.

-Lovely room.

-Nice size. I like the French doors leading onto the patio.

-Mm-hm.

-Both sides.

-Both sides, yes. So, very nice. Very spacious.

So, through those, there's a snug, and over here's the kitchen.

Recently converted, this property has a modern feel.

The work has been done to a high standard,

so the family could move straight in without any further effort.

Nice double doors into the kitchen-dining room.

I think this kitchen is lovely.

What about the dining area? Because it's not a massive table

-and there's a lot of you.

-It's big enough.

-And there's a study which would have to be another bedroom.

-Right.

If you wanted all your family in this bit...

-..that would have to become another bedroom.

-Right.

-Ah-ha.

-OK?

-Good, yes.

-I can see all this sort of going on in your head.

I want to know what it is.

-But tell me in your own good time.

-OK.

Back through the lounge on the other side of the property

are two good-sized double bedrooms,

the family bathroom and a separate toilet,

as well as the master bedroom with an en suite.

-Well, Anne, this would be yours and Jeremy's room.

-Yes.

-The dressing room's nice.

-Yes and en suite.

-Smaller than our existing room.

-Right.

However, we have our wardrobes in the existing room.

So, that's a nice touch, that you don't have now.

I'm conscious that we haven't shown you

-where you're going to live.

-Yes.

-So let's go and look.

-I am all right, Jack.

ANNE LAUGHS

Jokes aside, I'm sensing Anne wasn't overly impressed

with the size of the master bedroom.

One area I'm confident will deliver on their desire for space

is the detached annexe.

So this is the annexe for you, Doug.

-Oh!

-It's LOVELY.

Oh, it looks as though it's been very well done.

-Very nice.

-And you have two rooms, really.

This could... It's being used as a bedroom,

-but it could be a, sort of, sitting room or study.

-Yes.

And through there you've got a big bedroom with an en suite

-and quite a lot of storage.

-Oh, very good.

It looks ideal. First impressions are very good.

Well, that's good, one happy customer.

-I want to show you the garden, the outside space.

-Lovely.

-Good, good.

Outside, the annexe has its own small garden area

off the central courtyard.

To give Eileen her own space, they'd need to convert

the garage, currently used as a workshop.

Beyond the main house, there's a larger garden

backing onto open fields.

-Oh, so green.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-So, this purple hedge is the end of your property.

-Right.

-I'm afraid there isn't a paddock or a stable block.

-Right.

-Yes.

Um, but...it does have a lot going for it.

It's a beautiful garden.

I thought this was going to be the garden

and I thought, perfect size for the garden.

-And you also thought there was going to be a paddock?

-I did, yes.

OK, well, we need to find out how much it's on the market for.

So what you think the price of this property is?

I would think it's probably on the market for about 670.

I think 600,000.

OK, so THIS property

-is on the market for £695,000.

-Oh!

-It's right at the top of your budget.

-Right.

-Right.

And that's a lot to do about where it is, I think.

It does, to me, seems expensive.

For £5,000 short of their maximum budget,

these converted farm buildings offer the family a main house

with three bedrooms and a study to be converted as a fourth.

There's a separate two-bedroom annexe that could suit Doug

and a large garage that could be converted

to give Eileen her own space, too.

Unfortunately, there's no paddock here,

but the gardens are a good size and the property is within easy

commuting distance of Sunderland.

-Got all your information?

-We have, yes.

-Well, we've got another house to do it all again.

-Good, well.

-Good stuff.

-Let's see.

-Thank you.

County Durham is known as one of the earliest and largest

mining areas in the country.

Its mineral-rich shallow seams with close proximity

to the coast meant coal could be dug

and quickly shipped around the country.

Since the mine closures in the 1980s,

the county, and in particular the ex-colliery villages, have welcomed

the addition of new industry and entrepreneurship.

A new business on the outskirts of Durham City hoping to help

with the revival is Durham Distillery.

I've come to meet owner John Chadwick to find out more

about this craft industry.

So this is a juniper wood.

We're in the biggest juniper wood in England.

Obviously, essential for gin, and I'm quite intrigued

because I don't associate gin with County Durham.

No. We are the first legal distillery in Durham

since Henry VIII.

How did the idea come around?

I was in America and I came across a whole load of really beautiful

little micro distilleries mainly on the East Coast.

And then the moment we said "Durham gin",

it was such a lovely concept, we kind of thought we had to do it.

In 2012, it was reported that a fungus infection was found

to be present on juniper bushes in Northern Britain.

Already a declining supply, it became a protected species.

Due to the volumes needed at the distillery,

John imports his juniper from Europe.

But with a small supply of the local strain, his plan is to regrow it

with the aim of becoming self-sufficient within five years.

So what's the basic of a gin?

By law, it must be juniper.

I think you would want to have a balance

of some nice very English flavours,

so we use things like elderflower, celery and Angelica.

And you'd want to balance that with some slightly sort of

more exotic flavours,

so we use pink pepper and a bit of coriander and cardamom.

Compared to a commercial distillery that produces

thousands of bottles a day, this is a small operation.

Each batch of just a few hundred bottles at a time

takes several days. At the forefront of what they do here

are the craft techniques and skill of the distiller, Jessica Tomlinson.

At 25, Jessica is the youngest female distiller in the country.

-This is your baby.

-It is, yes.

A 400-litre copper pot still.

It was handmade for us in Portugal and Spain so it's bespoke to us.

So just talk me through it.

So, into our main still here we put grain neutral spirit,

which is just ethanol,

mineral water which is from Durham itself and a selection of botanicals.

We've got the hand-crushed junipers in there.

And we cold-macerate that overnight,

so that means all of those oils are infused into the ethanol overnight,

and then in the morning we add another selection of botanicals

into there and close that up,

and once we turn the boiler on it all heats up.

During the distillation process, the ethanol separates from the water

and infuses with the botanical oils.

Over several hours, the liquid starts to evaporate.

The vapour then passes through a copper tube, called a Lyne arm,

and into what is known as the gin basket,

containing a third and final set of botanicals.

The hot vapours just pass over those.

Yes. And then we pass down here and in to our worm tub.

-Worm tub?

-Worm tub, yeah.

As the hot vapour hits the cold metal, it condenses and passes

all the way down through here

and then comes up through the parrot spout.

So this is where the finished product comes out.

It does, yes, and we collect that from there.

And presumably that's super strong.

-It is.

-Roughly kind of 75-80%.

-And then you dilute it?

-We dilute it down with water

to the legal 40%.

Have you got any of the good stuff?

We do, yes.

Yeah.

It definitely has... I wouldn't typically drink neat gin.

Especially given how early in the morning it is.

We always say try it like that

and you can see what your gin's actually like.

It's quite strong, but it does have lots of taste to it.

Brilliant. Well, all the best and congratulations.

-I hope it's going to be a long career in distilling ahead of you.

-Thank you.

For our next property, we are heading towards the market town of Bishop Auckland,

12 miles from Darlington.

The town grew rapidly in the 19th century,

but was of historical significance much earlier.

Home to the magnificent Auckland Castle,

it's been the principal residence of the Bishops of Durham

since the 12th century.

Six miles south-west in the small village of Evenwood Gate,

we find our second property in a rural setting

half a mile from the main road.

This is an old Durham longhouse,

dating back to 1630.

Oh, lovely.

And you can see the period, the lovely mullioned windows

-that were boxed up between the window taxes.

-Oh, yes.

-Yes.

It looks more right than the other one, to me.

-But I warn you there will be compromises.

-Yes.

-Yes, well.

Nothing in life's perfect, is it?

-Except me!

-Ha-ha!

Let's go.

Doug may not be expecting to be blown away,

but I have got a good feeling about this farmhouse.

So this house has one...

TWO sitting rooms.

-Big size.

-It is, lovely.

-Perfect.

-Oh, ha-ha!

-Yes.

Love the inglenook fireplace.

I love the sash windows, as well.

Not only does this house have two sitting rooms,

it actually has two dining rooms, which is a first on the show.

-Yes, well.

-Lovely.

-We could easily make use of that.

-Yes, I'm sure we can.

-This is dining room number one.

-Yes.

And then through the kitchen, dining room number two.

Wow.

-I think there's enough space here.

-There should be! Good Lord!

Only just!

But this dining room is wonderful. Lovely.

The real issue, of course, is bedrooms,

and here you are going to have to think creatively.

-I'm just warning you.

-I'm happy to.

Despite the abundance of space downstairs,

the upstairs might be a bit of a squeeze.

There are three double bedrooms for the children,

a single bedroom, currently used as a study,

as well as a family bathroom.

At the far end, there is a light and spacious master bedroom.

Here we have the master suite.

This is a lovely room, isn't it?

Absolutely delightful.

You've got an en suite and a sort of walk-in wardrobe affair here.

Similar to the last property but much bigger.

The windows are lovely.

You and the family are sorted.

We might have somewhere for you lined up.

We need to think creatively and find a solution,

which is always possible,

-to find somewhere lovely for Eileen to stay.

-That would be nice.

Get your thinking caps on. We shall explore the annexe.

We might not have found a solution for Eileen yet,

but, first things first, I need to show Doug the annexe.

Currently used as a holiday let, it has its own entrance

and should give him the independent living he's after.

Doug, come and look at your home-to-be.

Wow.

This is a sort of sitting room area, you've got your bedroom in there,

and a sort of galley kitchen here.

And a bathroom here.

-More compact.

-Ideal.

One of the other things you need to see is the land.

-Yes.

-Let's do that.

The property sits on an impressive plot of over three and a half acres

and includes an outbuilding providing useful storage,

a patio area and a huge lawned garden.

It's also got the paddocks they were looking for

and comes complete with its own stream.

-You have your three acres, including two paddocks.

-Yes.

And then you also have your own stretch of river.

Including a little bar.

That's something special, makes it a very nice property.

How much do you think this property is going to set you back?

I would say about 700.

-What about you?

-675.

This three-acre plot with the house and the annexe

and the river is on the market for...

-£575,000.

-Wow!

Which gives you, like, £100,000 to think seriously about...

you'd have to build something for Eileen.

At that price, you would be able to afford, no bother.

And this is not a listed building, it's not a conservation area,

so planning, particularly if it's a relative coming to live with you,

they're quite keen to support that.

The third property that we're going to see will have to be something

to beat this, without a doubt.

You've thrown down a gauntlet.

For a significant £125,000 under their maximum budget,

this property works hard to give the family

practically everything they're after.

With five bedrooms, four reception rooms and an annexe,

all it's missing is a separate space for Eileen.

But with a sizeable plot and coming in well under budget,

they could easily build her what she wants.

Good. Let's draw a line under today and get ready for tomorrow.

That's excellent.

I may have been a little hasty in saying the sun always shines

in County Durham, but this morning we've brought Doug and Anne

into the interior of the county,

where the landscape is very striking and very beautiful

and very sparsely populated.

We're playing the remote card with the mystery house

and also throwing down the gauntlet about building

because they are going to need to build those annexes,

but that's what the mystery house is about.

A challenge.

Heading inland to the heart of the Durham Dales,

our mystery property is in Upper Weardale,

in the traditional Dales village of St John's Chapel.

A popular tourist spot for walkers and cyclists,

visitors come to the area to explore its famous scenic routes

including the highest road in the UK.

A mile from the village, our mystery property occupies

a secluded position with fantastic views of the Dales.

-The mystery house.

-Looks very nice.

-It's lovely.

One of the reasons we really wanted to bring you here is this

-is a house with a huge plot of land. It comes with 13 acres.

-Wow.

It's a big offering that gives you potential to do things

that the other properties perhaps couldn't.

The house is very big, so it could accommodate everybody in the house.

It means you would have to build or convert to even give you

an annexe, so it's a bit more work,

so in that sense it's a bit more of a challenge.

-That's good.

-We don't mind challenges.

Obviously, we would like to see inside.

Because it's you, I'll let you.

Originally built in the late 1800s,

this farmhouse is an impressive modern conversion.

Across three floors, it offers a generous seven bedrooms

and substantial living space.

-This is the main sitting room.

-Very nice.

I think it's lovely, lovely and comfortable.

Let's look at the kitchen.

Accessed from both the main sitting room and another lounge,

the family kitchen is spacious and bright

and runs the length of both rooms.

This is a lovely room, I think.

I think it's really nice and I could see myself in here.

I wanted to show you upstairs

-because you have seven bedrooms in this house.

-Lovely.

Also on the ground floor,

there is a stunning beamed room used as a study.

Heading up to the first floor are five of the seven bedrooms -

all good-sized doubles.

None are en suite, but there is a family bathroom

and a separate shower room.

This is being used as the master

-because it has a walk-in wardrobe over the staircase.

-Lovely.

So when push came to shove, when you were building,

-you could have everybody in the house.

-While we were building, yes.

But let's go outside and look at the footprint of those houses.

Outside is where this property's real potential lies.

With a garage, a number of outbuildings

and a vast plot of land, the family could build separate accommodation

for Doug and Eileen.

It really is a stunning view, and this is your field.

This and the field beyond it is your field,

-so it's 10 acres of hayfields.

-Oh, right!

You've got that outbuilding up there.

So you can see they've already put the footings down

for a giant... This was going to be a barn for the hay,

so they got that passed no problems and they were suggesting

if you went with the same architect with some plans for a dwelling,

you can probably get that through as well.

-But that's all subject to planning so we can't promise that.

-Course.

-Exciting prospect, isn't it?

-Yes.

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

600,000.

-My guess is 500,000.

-500,000.

That's a bit of a wild card because this is on the market

-for 650,000.

-Ohh, right.

So a little wide of the mark.

The owners might be open to negotiations.

Of course, that's true.

At £50,000 under their top budget,

this property and its lovely location

could give Anne and Doug the rural family lifestyle

they've been discussing for so long.

This substantial three-floor conversion with seven bedrooms

should have more than enough space for the family.

The 13 acres of land would keep the kids busy

and there are paddocks for a horse and a number of outbuildings,

meaning, subject to planning permission, they could give

Doug and Eileen purpose-built separate annexes,

but whether it's too rural, only they can decide.

Hold your thoughts, because we are going to find

a nice County Durham pub,

and that's where we'll have our final discussion.

Thank you so much for bringing us to this lovely part of the world.

I don't think we've ever been here before.

-Was it a good trip for you?

-Without a shadow of a doubt.

I don't think we're naive enough, or certainly I'm not,

to believe that there is a perfect property out there.

There will be a part-perfect property, which we think we've seen,

and we'll have to put a lot of work effort

to make that property perfect.

Which one are we talking about? Which is the part-perfect property?

Well, perhaps Anne and I are at odds here.

-Mine was the last one.

-And yours?

I'm thinking property two is slightly less remote,

but I can see Doug's point regarding property three.

I think it does have huge potential.

I very much value my husband's opinion, too, and I have

every intention of arranging to go back to both properties.

That's good. So, you did give us a very tall order.

Did we measure up in any shape?

Yes, it's been excellent

and I'm a lot more knowledgeable about the marketplace

and, as Anne said, we will follow it up.

-Very good.

-Thank you.

It's been a great pleasure and thanks again for bringing us

to this lovely county.

I think we did a pretty good job here in County Durham,

because Doug and Anne are keen to revisit not one but two of our properties.

So claps for us and claps for you for watching and do join us

next thing for another challenge on Escape To The Country.

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