Norfolk Escape to the Country

This country house was once home to a pioneering 19th-century

social reformer whose face now lines our 21st-century purses and wallets.

Find out who she was and where I am in just a few moments.

Today, our house-hunting couple is taking early retirement

so they can live out their rural idyll.

I can't believe this. It's huge.

And our properties never fail to deliver.

It's not like a bathroom that we've seen before, is it?

-And a view out the window, as well.

-It's a room with a bath, it's lovely.

Today, I'm in Norfolk and behind me is Earlham Hall,

childhood home to Elizabeth Fry

whose face may look strangely familiar.

Born to a Quaker family back in 1780,

she was a social reformist and philanthropist

and her face now appears on the back of our £5 notes.

Fry dedicated her life to helping those in need, and though

she's probably best remembered for improving the lives of women

and children in prisons, she also campaigned for mental asylum reform,

enhanced nursing standards as well as better housing for the poor.

Her legacy continues to echo today

and many of her reforms underpin 21st-century society.

A truly influential woman and one of this wonderful county's most famous

and determined daughters.

Norfolk sits on England's east coast and is bordered by the North Sea

and The Wash along its shoreline

and Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk inland.

The county's known for its arresting flat countryside

with crop-rich fields overlooked by tall church towers

and endless views often scattered with vibrant red poppies.

And the winding waterways of the Norfolk broads

flanked by lush green reeds and open plains,

have been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The region is home to a variety of pretty seaside towns like Cromer

and has a wealth of beautiful sandy beaches

overlooked by rugged coastlines.

All of these charming characteristics

see an estimated 30 million tourists flocking to Norfolk each year

but it also holds an alluring appeal

to those wanting to call this county home.

So let's find out from today's buyers what's inspiring them

to make Norfolk the base for their future move.

Aerospace engineer Mark and his wife Steve

have lived in this detached house in Luton in Bedfordshire

for 29 years. They met at a party when they were just 17.

-I fell over you, I think, didn't I?

-You did and I fell over you.

Apparently I fell over on the floor. I'd had slightly too much to drink.

Then I don't know if you said or I said we should stick together

in case we break something.

And then it was love!

And with Mark taking early retirement in just two months' time,

they've decided to up sticks and move to Norfolk,

somewhere very close to their hearts.

We've done phases of our life and this is a new phase in retiring

and it gives us a new challenge and something to look forward to.

We like the area that we want to buy a house in

and we've spent lots of holidays and lots of time there.

Engineering is in Mark's blood and at home his garage is shelter

to his pride and joy which will be joining them in their move

and will also need a new home.

The car that I've got is, I had one when I was a kid,

it brings back my youth.

It's probably better than when it came out the factory

so I need a decent dry garage to keep it in.

Steve and Mark are also passionate about their grandchildren,

whom they're extremely close to.

We see them pretty regularly, which is going to be the difference

between moving from here to moving away.

So one reason why we need a four-bedroom house when we move

is so that we can still accommodate them.

Steve makes sure that all the precious moments with her family

are documented each year, never to be forgotten.

Photography's my love.

I do photography a lot, and after, taking the pictures,

I do an annual photographic diary.

So this year's one hopefully will show goodbye to the house

where we lived in and hello to a new one.

And with funds in the bank and Mark's retirement on the horizon,

this busy couple are ready to celebrate

their 40th wedding anniversary in Norfolk.

It's going to slow me down, that's what I'm looking for,

just slowing down and relaxing a bit more.

Steve and Mark have lost their hearts to Norfolk

and are happy to move anywhere in the eastern county,

if the house is right.

So far they've spent a year viewing around 60 properties.

So before we begin our hunt for their new home,

I'm meeting them in the county

to get to the bottom of their property desires.

Welcome, both of you, to a... What a simply beautiful Norfolk morning.

So what's bringing you to this beautiful part of the world?

Over 30 years ago, we started to come on holiday here

when our children were small and we fell in love with it.

-How far inland would you like to be?

-If we fall in love with the house,

that will determine where we are and how long the drive is.

What does this house look like in your mind's eye, then?

We like light, open and airy.

The house that we have at the moment is light, open and airy.

Style-wise, do you want character?

Yes, character, anything. I think when you look at it, you'll know.

-How many bedrooms are we looking at?

-Four. En suite if we can.

-Outside space?

-For me, as much as I can get, I think.

-Yeah.

If possible, I want to put a workshop on.

Where do you want this property to be?

Do you want to have amenities nearby or do you want to be out

in the countryside, something completely different?

The house dictates where we will be.

-I'm quite prepared to be quite remote...

-Yes.

..but I think somebody else is not quite so prepared...

-Yeah.

-..to be remote.

Detached, semidetached? What's your thoughts?

A detached house, please.

Remind me of how much you're looking to spend.

-We're looking at somewhere between £400,000 and £450,000.

-Yeah.

Well, that's a good budget up here in Norfolk but let's face it,

you've been looking for a long time and not found anywhere yet.

What parts of your wish list do you think you'd be prepared

-to compromise on?

-I think most of it's open because...

-Yeah.

-..we're willing to compromise anywhere.

We've got three properties to show you.

All I ask from you guys is that you voice your opinions

so we can maybe learn along the way.

-OK.

-All right?

-Fabulous.

-Right.

-Vocal is good.

I don't think I'm going to get that problem from these two.

I'm just getting that sense. Listen, let's get started.

-Come this way.

-OK.

Steve and Mark have a healthy budget for this part of the world,

so I'm confident I'm going to be able to find them what they want

but only they will know if it's got the right feel.

They'd like a detached house with four bedrooms

to put up visiting family and friends, and a large garden

so their young grandchildren can enjoy the fresh country air.

Mark would love a workshop and a large garage so he can tinker

with his classic car, and they'd like to be in a rural location

but not too far from civilisation.

Steve and Mark know Norfolk well,

but are yet to find their forever home.

We'll be showing them three very different properties

and after they've had a good look around

we'll reveal each one's price.

Their last visit will be to the mystery house.

We'll be taking a bit of a risk, showing them something quite unusual

and I just hope it pays off.

We're starting our property search in the northeast corner of Norfolk

in the village of East Ruston, three miles from the coast

and a 30-minute car ride from Norwich.

East Ruston is a small community with a traditional pub

and a village hall in its centre.

Shops can be found less than three miles away in the village of Stalham

and it's just a six-minute drive to the coastal village of Happisburgh

with its beautiful sandy beaches.

A journey of just under three miles takes us back to East Ruston

and our first house, a delightful period cottage.

Oh, wow.

-This is a pretty house, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yes.

-Roses over the door.

It's got the character.

Parts of this house go back 300 years.

-Good golly.

-This used to be thatched.

-Ah.

-Right.

Now back in about 1901, they took the thatch off...

-Oh, really?

-..and then about 25 years ago,

they went out the back with that extension.

-It's got a feel.

-The right feel?

-Yes.

-I like it.

-Let's go inside.

Steve and Mark have said that they'll just know when they

find their dream home and things are already looking hopeful.

Fingers crossed the good feeling continues inside.

The front door leads through the hallway to the dining room,

which is also brimming with character.

It's great, it's got the beams. It's light, there's plenty of light.

It is light, yes.

That's the old external wall. It would be very shallow, this house.

-Yes.

-But thankfully they've managed to push an extension out that way

which gives us a kitchen.

-Right.

-Let me show you.

It's a cottage kitchen, as far as I can see.

-Is it doable?

-It is, yes.

You've got enough cupboard space down the back.

-And it's light because we've got the...

-The skylights.

..skylights up there.

'The kitchen is nestled between the dining room and the sitting room,

'which is where we're headed now.

'It stretches from the front to the back of the house.'

It's surprising because you see the room the other side, which is

quite snug, and this one's got the other dimension

for adding that extra width on, it's brilliant.

Well, this is triple aspect as well

so you're getting that nice, light, airy feel, aren't you?

-And that is beautiful.

-You're getting light from all directions.

'And the period cottage character continues upstairs,

'where there's a family bathroom and three bedrooms.

'A double to the back, another to the front

'and the master which runs the width of the house.'

It's big and it's light.

It's got two nice windows with a beautiful view.

There's a couple of things you said you would love to have.

-First of all you said you wanted four bedrooms.

-Yeah.

You get three bedrooms and a lovely family bathroom.

-Right.

-You can live with three?

Now, you did say you wanted an en suite, as well.

-Tah-dah!

-Oh, well, I've got less cupboard space, then.

-Great.

-Oh, and a shower.

-Yeah.

-That's brilliant.

When I first met Steve and Mark,

I wasn't sure if they knew what they wanted in their country home,

but this cottage is coming up trumps on all levels.

Hopefully it'll keep up the good work outside

in its rather lovely garden

with stunning views as far as the eye can see.

This is something else, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

-Gorgeous, isn't it?

-It is, it's lovely.

Now, garage-wise, good size garage with power.

-Yeah.

-Boarded for storage at the top as well.

Could you live here?

-Could we live here?

-Yeah.

-Yes, I think we could.

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

-425.

-OK. Mark?

I was going to say 417.

This place is on the market for offers around £380,000.

Good golly.

Have you felt like this before in other houses that you've looked at?

-I was going to have that conversation with Mark and say no.

-No.

This modernised Victorian cottage comes in at a substantial

£70,000 under Steve and Mark's budget.

It may not have the four bedrooms they were after,

but they've fallen in love with its character

and are happy to compromise.

It's got a garage for Mark's beloved classic car

and a pretty garden with stunning views towards the coast.

-So, good start, then?

-Very good start.

-Yes, it is.

-Excellent. On to the next one.

-OK.

Half of Norfolk's border runs along beautiful coastline,

and the seaside town of Cromer on its northeast coast

is world-famous for its crab.

I've come to meet Kevin Jonas,

who has followed in his father's

footsteps working in the local crab business.

So, Kevin, how long have people been potting for crabs here in Cromer?

I think the first records go back to around about 300 years ago.

What makes Cromer crabs so special, then?

We generally think that the crabs are smaller around here and

-they grow more slowly and therefore they are more fully meated...

-OK.

..and they have a much more tender flavour.

Two years ago, the town's largest crab factory shut down,

leaving a gap in the market

for supplying Cromer crab to large supermarkets.

Kevin stepped in and opened his own site nine months ago.

He's hoping to process 200 tonnes of crab in his first year,

keeping his prize catch on shelves countrywide.

Sounds like things are going well. Now I understand,

is it your nephew that works within the company as well?

-Yeah, John fishes our own boat, yes.

-So he's out at the moment?

-That's correct, yes.

-What sort of time does he go out?

About first light, about 3:30 this morning.

I'm going to go over there and meet him. I'll catch up with you later.

-OK. Cheers. Bye.

-Thanks very much, Kevin.

John became a fisherman straight from school and he's been

potting for crabs for Kevin's factory for the last seven years.

He takes the family boat out six days a week,

travelling two to three miles from shore,

where he has a string of around

12 pots lying on the seabed 20 metres down.

-Good morning, John. How are you?

-I'm fine, thank you, and yourself?

Yeah, pretty good, thanks. How did you get on?

Nearly three boxes of crab and about six lobsters.

-Can we have a look?

-Yeah, sure, yeah.

The crabs need to be four and a half inches long

to be legally taken out of the water.

Any smaller, and they're put straight back in.

So point out what makes this fella a good crab.

-When the crab is full of meat...

-Yeah.

..they actually bulge out more.

-Bursting out of its shell...

-Yeah.

-There's loads of meat in there.

-Yeah, yeah.

And they take seven years to get to legal length.

I'm going to meet your uncle back on the beach

so I'll leave him to you, John.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

-Good luck.

-Cheers.

'The proof of the pudding is in the tasting

'and I can't wait to sample this local delicacy.

'I'm heading back over to Kevin

'to try some of this little crustacean that has put Cromer

'firmly on Norfolk's culinary map.'

How long have they been landed?

They would have been cooked at our factory yesterday.

How long do they cook for?

About 20 minutes for these sort of size crabs.

This is a fully meated female crab

but as it's cooked, the meat has expanded

so it's broken its membrane.

So this here, this bit has just expanded

-because of all the meat inside.

-That's correct, all the meat inside.

If I hold up the male crab,

-you can see it's a much narrower apron.

-Yeah.

'The apron is a triangle of shell on the underside of the crab.'

And also the male has bigger claws and therefore...

These are much bigger than those, aren't they?

-Yeah, and much more white meat.

-Is there is a preference?

Do people say, "Right, can I have a male crab or a female crab?"

Yes. Some people like, if you like more brown meat,

-sweeter brown meat, that's the female.

-Yeah.

If you like the white meat, they go for the males.

-It's easy to open.

-Oh, wow.

Just comes away like that.

-So you can see all that lovely fresh meat in there.

-Yeah.

And then you put your finger under there

and take out all the digestive part there.

-OK.

-So all that is left in there is then edible, brown meat.

But what we would then do is we'd take the legs off.

And take the claws off.

There's a bit of brown meat in the middle there,

Goes into the bottom there with the rest of it.

Yeah, and that's how you see it, isn't it?

That's correct, yes.

So I think I need to try it for myself. Can I?

-Yeah, absolutely, help yourself.

-Right.

Oh, wow, you can tell it's fresh.

It tastes... It's a really nice thick, tasty meat.

I'm going to try some of that brown meat as well

because this is the sweeter stuff, isn't it, the brown meat?

Absolutely, yeah, that's the female crab

so that'll be slightly more delicate flavour than the male crab.

-That tastes absolutely gorgeous.

-Yeah.

I wish you all the very best of luck.

-Thank you so much.

-You're welcome.

For our second house, we're journeying just over 30 miles west

to the rural village of Whissonsett, five miles south

of the market town of Fakenham and 23 miles northwest of Norwich.

In the village, there's little more than a handsome 14th-century church,

but in nearby Fakenham, there are plenty of

shops and eateries to choose from.

A 13-minute drive takes us back to Whissonsett and our second property

situated in the heart of the village at the end of a stone driveway.

So, another old house.

Nice brickwork, flint stone on the side.

You're in the middle of the village, but it's quiet.

The only things we've heard is two tractors going up and down.

-Well, that's not bad, is it?

-No.

-No.

This brick-and-flint house dates back to around 1800

with some later additions.

It's had extensive renovations and we're starting off our tour

-in the first of two reception rooms.

-Oh, wow.

Quite snug, parquet flooring in here and a wood floor in there.

-Yeah, this was added later on. The current owners put this in.

-OK.

It's light because you've got two windows there

and the window at the front here.

Behind the two reception rooms at the back of the house is

a shower room and, across the hallway, a large kitchen-diner.

-It's a cracking kitchen, isn't it?

-It's fantastic, isn't it?

And there's plenty of cupboard space for you. Plenty of work surface.

-A lot bigger than the last house, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And it's got enough room to socialise in here with

the table that's in here.

-Let's go upstairs and look at the bedrooms.

-OK.

We are heading straight for the largest of four bedrooms

across a galleried landing.

-So the master bedroom...

-Oh, wow.

-..is a very elegant affair.

It is. I like the decor.

-And it's bigger than the average room, as well.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

This spacious bedroom has views to the back and side of the property.

There's also two decent-sized doubles to the front of the house

with a smaller room between them and the eye-catching family bathroom

has a feature bath as its centrepiece.

So what do you think?

In comparison with the other house, this is a lot bigger.

What do you think you prefer at the moment, Mark?

-I'm tossing up between the two.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's difficult.

-Because they're totally different.

The other one is a bit smaller,

but it's got a different character to this one.

And I'm thinking, hmm...

-Causing us a problem.

-Yeah.

Well, it's a good problem to have.

'Well, I must say I'm rather surprised and rather pleased.

'So far it looks like it's two out of two

'on our tour of Norfolk houses.'

'Steve and Mark seem to have that feeling here too and I think

'they'll be even more confused when

'I throw something else into the mix - a beautifully renovated barn.'

I can't believe this. It's huge.

You can see through there, you've got another studio room as well.

Now, I was thinking you said you wanted to get into photography -

-what a great studio this is.

-It would be...

-Yeah.

-It's beautiful.

-You've got room to drive a car into that top end.

-OK.

But I don't think you'd need to because you've also got a car port.

Oh, wow.

Attached to the car port is a workshop

and the manicured gardens extend to around a third of an acre.

So you can see, look, you've got a kitchen garden here.

Mark, you said you wanted as much garden as possible.

-It's a good-size garden.

-How do you price this?

I reckon it's got to be up the top end of the budget. 450,000.

OK, 450. What do you say, Steve?

I would agree with that, it is at the top end of our budget,

so I will say 445.

Well, this place is on the market with a guide price of £439,000.

-Wow.

-There's a lot...

-For your money.

-..of what both you said you wanted.

-Yeah.

-You guys, go and have a look around the rest of the house

and I'll see you whenever you're finished. Fill your boots.

Coming in at around £11,000 under their top budget,

this detached house will give Steve and Mark a decent amount of change

and it has just the number of bedrooms they're after.

The converted barn will be an ideal space for Steve to indulge in

her love of photography and the workshop and car port will provide

Mark with the space and shelter he's after for his classic car.

The house sits in around a third of an acre, which not only comes

with a ready-made vegetable garden, but is also a great space for

the grandchildren to play.

-Ooh, lovely, claw-feet bath.

-Roll-top bath.

It's not like a bathroom that we've seen before, is it?

And the view out the window as well.

-It's a room with a bath. It's lovely.

-Yeah.

I know you enjoyed this morning, but now hopefully

you've got two houses in the bag to think about tonight.

We have and there'll be a lot of conversation.

Well, as long as you let Mark get a word in edgeways.

-OK, away you go.

-Well done.

Well, after a cracking day yesterday,

I'll be pretty disappointed

if Steve and Mark don't go back to at least one of the houses

we showed them for a second viewing.

Now today, as you can see, it's another glorious start

here in Norfolk and we're off to see the mystery house.

Now, as you know, the mystery house sometimes represents

a riskier prospect, and this one is no exception.

So far, the one thing I've learnt from Steve and Mark is

they want a detached property - that is for sure, so guess what?

We're off to see a semidetached house

and on top of that, this one has a slightly more unconventional layout

but if they're prepared to overlook these foibles,

they could get their hands on the style of property that most people

dream of buying when they look to make their escape to the country.

Let's see how we go.

Travelling just over 16 miles east

takes us to our third and final house

in the small village of Brandiston,

ten miles northwest of Norwich

and around a 40-minute drive from the coast.

The village is pretty rural, but around a five-minute drive away

is the attractive Georgian market town of Reepham.

Just over two miles away

and we're back in Brandiston at our mystery house.

It's something a little out of the ordinary - converted cattle barns.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-It is.

-Completely different.

-We'll get the cars in that space.

I'll explain to you what we have here.

You've got a big L-shape so obviously from the garage there...

-Yeah.

-..right the way around there to, see that upright black pipe...

-Yeah.

-That is the corner of your property.

-That is the next door neighbour.

-OK.

-Yeah.

I would normally take you inside the house, but because this property

has something that I think you will love, let's start with that first.

-A shed?

-More than a shed.

Somewhere to put it, follow me.

-Now look at this.

-Wow.

The best viewing point is just from this corner.

You can see all the way down there.

-Oh, wow.

-All the way down there and this is all yours, exclusively.

-Wow. Wow.

-There's a lot of ground there.

-Let me show you the inside, at long last.

-Great.

This stunning property sits in almost an acre of land, which

has clearly impressed Steve and Mark and they don't seem to mind

the fact that it's semidetached at all.

We're starting off our tour in the striking kitchen.

I love the ceiling and I love the kitchen.

I think we do spend a lot of time here, that's social

because you can get out into the garden and you've got lovely views.

It's lovely.

I can't be happier, it's a great size and I like it a lot.

This beautifully converted barn is laid out in an inverted L-shape.

We're moving from the top of the property,

where the kitchen is located with an adjoining utility room,

to the side where the sitting room is found,

sandwiched between the bedrooms and overlooking the courtyard garden.

It's more than impressive, it's a wow, isn't it? Vaulted ceiling.

Vaulted ceiling, inglenook fireplace.

-Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

-Yeah. I can go through the list.

You've come up trumps here, haven't you?

And there's plenty of light - all those windows there.

Yeah, you couldn't wish for anything more.

I wasn't sure I could top Steve and Mark's reactions to our first

two houses, but the mystery house is certainly working hard for

its place as a serious contender.

This wing of the barn has a family bathroom, a bedroom-cum-study,

a double bedroom and past a single bedroom is the master -

the largest of the four bedrooms.

We're en suite here, which has got to be good news.

-So what do you think?

-Another vaulted ceiling.

It's got character.

There's enough for about five of us in the bed they've got there.

Now for guests, I mean, let's talk about the grandchildren.

You've got all the bedrooms you need.

-There's a lot there.

-Yeah.

Heading back outside, where there's plenty on offer too,

with a double car port perfect for Mark's classic car

sitting in almost an acre of land.

-How are you feeling?

-Over the moon.

-Excited.

Well, let's see if we can add to that in guessing the price.

It's over our budget, so I'd probably say 460, 470.

-Which one?

-460.

I think it's over budget and if he says 460, I'll say 470.

When it first came on the market it was over budget.

It's now on for offers around £450,000.

-Spot on budget, then.

-They've just gradually got better.

The first one was good, really good, good aspects.

The second one was in a village, had everything we wanted and this one...

-Has surpassed that.

-Yeah.

This superbly designed brick-and-tile barn conversion

is bang on Steve and Mark's upper budget

but they would have to do virtually nothing to it.

It has just the amount of rooms they're looking for

to accommodate visiting family and friends and although it's

semidetached, the next-door neighbour is only attached

at the far end of the property adjoining the guest bedroom.

Outside is a blank canvas of a garden which Mark

could make his own and although the location feels rural,

it's only a couple of miles from local amenities.

Well, hopefully we've given you lots to discuss,

-so let's find you somewhere to do just that, shall we?

-Yeah.

Hi.

Well, after the reactions I saw this morning,

I've got a fair idea of what the favourite property may be.

-Put me out of my misery.

-Mystery house.

-What do you what to do about it?

-Get my cheque book out.

-Do you? It's that good?

-Yes.

-Yeah, it's that good.

-Yes.

For me, it was always a dream to try and own a converted barn.

I think it's the home for us to retire to, basically

because it fulfils everything on our wish list.

-Are you going to go to the estate agents from here?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

Well, I wish you both the very best of luck.

I mean, it does seem completely suited to you,

so whatever happens or hopefully when you secure the deal...

-let us know, won't you?

-Yeah, we'll do that.

-We will do that.

For most of us, when we look to buy a property,

our primary focus is understandably on its location,

but as Mark and Steve have been here to Norfolk

so many times over the past 30-odd years, they instinctively knew

if an area worked for them

and then they were able to focus on a house itself.

But I must admit I was getting a bit concerned

when they seemed to be falling in love with everything we showed them.

That was until they saw the mystery property.

Sure, it had everything they said they were after

on their shopping list, but it also had that one thing that

you can't quite put your finger on - and that's the feeling

it gives you when you first see it and you walk over the threshold.

So, hopefully we'll hear some good news later this afternoon

once they've had a visit to the estate agents.

I'm looking forward to finding out.

Steve and Mark had their offer on the mystery house accepted

the very next day,

but unfortunately, the sale has since fallen through.

We wish them the very best of luck as their house search continues.

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