Dorset Escape to the Country

Who would think this beautiful remote bay

held one of the greatest secrets of World War II?

So where am I? And what secret does this location hold?

On today's show,

I'm helping a business couple unwind after spending the last

few years living and working in two of the busiest cities in the world.

But will any of our properties seal the deal?

I thought the kitchen was bright. This is really bright.

I mean, it's just gorgeous, isn't it?

So far I think it's working very nicely.

It is picture-perfect.

Today I'm in Dorset

and this is the glorious tourist magnet of Studland Bay -

renowned for its wildlife and tranquil beaches.

Not quite so peaceful, though, back in April 1944, when Operation Smash,

codename for the so-called dress rehearsal of the D-Day landings in

Normandy, was in full swing.

A bunker was built to ensure the safety of dignitaries,

who were watching the proceedings.

Just a few weeks later, on the sixth of June 1944,

the Allied invasion of Europe was finally launched on the beaches of

Normandy. And despite the great sacrifices of those men

that lost their lives on that day,

many more may have perished without the experience

and training they received here on the shores of Studland Bay.

The county of Dorset sits in the south-west of England

and its neighbours include Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire.

The coastline, which borders the English Channel,

is generally formed of high cliffs, interspersed by undulating valleys.

It boasts the highest point on the entire south coast, Golden Cap,

just east of Charmouth and part of the world-famous Jurassic Coast.

The low-lying coastal area includes the seaside town of Weymouth,

which has been a draw for tourists

since King George III holidayed there on 14 separate occasions.

Inland, Dorset's rural scenery has provided inspiration for some of

Britain's best loved novelists,

including Thomas Hardy and Enid Blyton.

With its rural charm and unspoiled beauty,

it's no surprise visitors and house-buyers are so drawn to this

appealing part of the country.

Let's find out who today's buyers are and why they decided that Dorset

is the destination they are hoping to escape to.

David and Tracy have been married for 13 years

and currently live in a three-bedroom cottage in Ealing,

west London.

Having recently sold their skincare business,

the appeal of living in the capital is fading.

I've always said with London, and I really believe this,

I think everyone should experience it.

I remember in the early years, I was actually excited.

I have to say, I don't feel that now and I think, therefore,

that I would say it is definitely my time to move on.

David has a son and daughter from his previous marriage

and two grandchildren.

And their current property just isn't large enough

to entertain their family and friends.

Even though there is just the two of us, we actually want a lot more

space, because we've got a lot of family that could join us.

Tracy first fell in love with Dorset

during a memorable childhood holiday.

And for David, the county fulfils his desire to be close to the coast,

but still within reach of London.

We've always had this thing about going to the seaside,

living closer to the sea.

I think Dorset, for me, just seems to tick all the boxes.

We've been there many, many times. Very relaxed, very chilled.

Before London, the couple spent a number of years living and working

in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

The outdoors way of life has rubbed off on them

and it's something they are keen to replicate in Dorset.

After three and a half years of living in California,

I had blond hair, I had a suntan, I almost spoke the lingo.

I was really into my cycling.

I used to cycle to work and back, ten miles a day, and I loved it.

After a gruelling couple of years building up the business,

they are looking forward to relaxing.

Change is always really frightening, so don't think this is a light,

casual thing. You take a long time. And I think probably the last

two years we have worried about where our business is going.

I already feel happier. I know this sounds really strange,

but work has been so intense

- we are not going to be working together

and I'm actually quite looking forward to that.

Just having a normal life.

David and Tracy would like to be fairly close to the coast,

within 20 minutes by car, and not far from Dorchester.

So we are concentrating our property search in the south of the county.

With their London house now under offer,

I'm meeting up with them in Bedminster

to find out more about their prospective move.

David and Tracy, welcome to Dorset.

-Thank you very much.

-You are unusual,

because you're moving to the country,

-moving away from a big city, but you're not downsizing, are you?

-No.

-You're upsizing.

-We are upsizing, yeah.

I think you're the first couple I've ever had that are upsizing.

I think the word I keep using is "breathe", you know,

because I think London feels quite intense to me.

I just want to have this space that we can really kind of breathe,

light and airy and spacious. And have our friends and family as well,

-because they are very important to us.

-One of the other things,

we lost our dog a few months ago.

And we are dog lovers and we want to get a couple of dogs.

And, of course, we are waiting to get into our new house to do that.

The house, the dream property, what are you looking for?

Four bedrooms as a minimum.

Spacious and light.

This is where we probably divide,

because David would go contemporary and very modern and minimalistic all

the way. I'd be happy with that on the inside, but on the outside,

an older property.

Don't want to be on top of our neighbours.

And definitely not thatched - even though I like the look of it,

it's not something that we'd want take on.

So remind me of your budget.

-Tracy, you like talking about the numbers.

-£875,000.

-And is there any flexibility on that?

-Less than.

THEY LAUGH

Well, let's see how we get on.

We'll finish our tea and coffee and I think we should hit the road.

-Thank you.

-OK, very good.

-Fantastic.

For a very generous budget of £875,000,

David and Tracy would like a detached,

light and spacious property. As far as style goes,

they'd prefer an older shell with a modern interior,

but thatched roofs are a no-no.

They're after four bedrooms,

for when family and friends come to stay.

And, finally, they'd like to be within reasonable distance

of the sea. And hope to get a dog, so the garden should be enclosed.

Over the next couple of days,

David and Tracy will see three delightful Dorset homes

that we've lined up for them. And will keep them guessing on price,

until the end of each tour. Our final property, the Mystery House,

could leave our buyers clutching at straws.

We're starting our property shopping in the hamlet of Langton Long.

It's a mile and a half away from the historic market town

of Blandford Forum.

The original town was destroyed by a fire in 1731

and rebuilt shortly afterwards by renowned architects

and surveyors - the Bastard brothers.

The quiet hamlet of Langton Long, the location of our first property,

is a three-minute drive out of the town and stands on the estate of a

former mansion house.

-Here is our first property.

-Fantastic views.

-Amazing views.

-Of the countryside. Look at that.

-So the house was built

in the early 1960s. And the land all around here

is part of the Langton estate.

It is really beginning to rain now, so should we start the tour?

Indeed, yes.

The house has been stylishly refurbished in the last few years

and extended to the rear, with an emphasis

on reducing its energy bill.

The property's green credentials include solar and PV panels,

an air source heat pump providing near zero running costs.

So you've got a large hallway,

but I wanted to start off with the kitchen first.

It's amazing. Absolutely amazing.

-Very stylish.

-You've got all this space.

Cleverly, they've put in a sort of study area there,

which is all incorporated, same units.

But this kitchen leads us to this glass room.

-Incredible. Isn't it amazing?

-Hugely spacious, isn't it?

-Look at the staircase.

-Yeah.

-Oh, it's fantastic.

Look at the view! I love it!

In addition to the kitchen breakfast space and the glass garden room,

there is a further reception room -

a cosier option at the front of the house.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms,

including a good-sized guest room and two singles.

But the smallest leads onto a huge study area above the glass room.

Then there is the master.

-Oh, how lovely.

-Very nice.

Lovely and light, isn't it? And airy. Nice fitted wardrobes,

-very important.

-And an even better view from the window here.

Not only is it quite a large room, but you also have,

if you look just over your shoulder, you've got an en-suite as well.

Right. So far, I think it's working very nicely.

-Yes, it's looking very good.

-Yeah, it's good.

-I mean, it's very

-impressive, what we've seen so far.

-Good. Well, I'm thrilled.

And I think you are going to be just as impressed

with the garden as well.

The well-maintained garden is large and fully fenced,

so ideal for a dog.

There's also a vegetable patch. And at the front of the property,

and old well tower, now converted into a useful outhouse.

And a garage, which is integral to the house.

How much do you think it's on the market for?

I'm thinking 790,000, that sort of range.

I actually think it's a bit less than that.

So I think £750,000.

The asking price, Tracy, you are practically on the money.

£749,500.

-TRACY GASPS

-Wow.

-That's well under your budget.

-It's WELL under your budget.

It is, very much so, yeah. Excellent.

And the owners do really want to move. They are relocating to another part of the country.

This house was recently marketed just under 800,000

and they have just dropped the price by £50,000.

Under budget by £125,000, our first property,

a 1960s conversion, offers David and Tracy the light and spacious rooms

they wanted, a contemporary interior with that stylish glass room,

a dog-friendly garden and four bedrooms.

-You seemed to enjoy that tour?

-It was very good, thank you very much.

Only the first house, we've got to show you as well.

Dorset has remained a rural county

since the days of Thomas Hardy, in the 19th century.

The Industrial Revolution largely bypassed the county,

which in turn allowed rural crafts to flourish.

I've come to Brenscombe Wood, on the Isle of Purbeck,

to meet a woodsman who manages a 45-acre site

and in his spare time teaches green woodworking skills -

which involve using hand tools on freshly cut wood.

I'm meeting Toby Hoad and his work horse, Fleur.

Toby, what an amazing setting.

-Yes, it is, yeah.

-So, tell me, what exactly does a woodsman do?

I produce charcoal for barbecues, campsites and local shops.

That is during the summer. I produce furniture. And in the winter,

it's more getting out doing the felling.

-I sell logs locally as well for firewood.

-I can see Fleur in the

background there. Does she actually help you transport the logs around?

Yes, she does. Every single log I sell, as chopped logs or furniture

or any timber. With Fleur, I can weave in and out of the trees.

She has minimal damage on the woodland floor

and she' s good company, as well.

-Are we able to see her in action today?

-Of course.

Good girl.

Fleur is a Comtois, a French breed of horse especially suited to

logging, because of its broad shoulders and stocky legs.

Toby, it's the power. I mean, she's trying to break out

-into a trot already!

-She is, a little bit!

Toby is taking me to his woodland workshop to get a

lesson in greenwood furniture making.

He is finishing off a bench made out freshly fallen softwood.

So, can you work with it straightaway?

I work the wood green, using hand tools to shape it.

-It's easier, is it?

-So, it's easier. Because I've got no electricity

here, obviously, being a woodland workshop.

I wouldn't be able to work with any seasoned wood,

because you would need power tools to get through that hard wood.

The bench needs an armrest,

so Toby cuts a piece of oak to the correct size.

What we're going to do is, we're going to try to split it straight

-down the middle.

-Right.

And we're going to do that by positioning the froe,

which is this, which is a splitting axe, through that.

The piece of wood will spit straight down the middle.

Yeah? And there we go.

OK, the next thing we are going to do now...

This is a right-handed side axe.

You can see that it has got a bevel on the right-hand side

and completely flat on the left-hand side.

So again, very ancient tool. Designed specifically for this job.

The side axe enables Toby to craft the piece of wood

to the rough shape of the armrest,

before moving on to the shave horse to smooth the edges.

Would this date back hundreds of years?

Yeah, indeed. The old bodgers in the Chiltern Hills used these.

I'll just show you how it works. It's actually a clamping device.

So, you push with your feet and you hold the piece of wood in place,

like that. And then you use something called a draw knife -

which does look really dangerous,

because you are pulling it towards you.

Believe it or not, your shoulders

and your elbows stop you from pulling it into your body.

Which you will soon see.

I'm just don't ask you to sort of take the bark off with a draw knife.

-That would be a great help.

-OK.

-That's good.

-And then I bring it towards me?

Yes, exactly that. So just...

That's it, perfect.

Despite Toby's reassurance, my care in using the draw knife

means we'll probably be here all day.

So, it's over to the expert to smooth it down.

SHE LAUGHS

What's taken me quite a few minutes, it takes you seconds!

The final touches to smooth off the ends, using a rounder -

effectively, a giant pencil sharpener.

Now we've got ourselves an armrest which looks like it can do with

being fitted now, I think.

-That is a good fit.

-Excellent. Nice tight fit, brilliant.

-Very good.

-The proof is in the seating.

-So may I?

-There we go, Nicky.

Let's see how we get on.

Oh, and very nice it is, too.

-Toby, thank you very much.

-You're more than welcome.

For our second house, we are heading south towards the coast and the

Hamlet of Creech Bottom.

Nearby Wareham, a six-minute drive away,

provides amenities for the surrounding villages.

Sitting on the banks of the River Frome,

the Saxon town is effectively known as the gateway to the Purbeck

Peninsula. Our second house sits in a quiet rural location a few miles

outside Wareham

and was built as the foreman's cottage for the nearby railway.

Wow! This is very nice.

So, our second property,

we've brought you to practically the coast.

The cliffs are two miles up the road.

And you said you wanted to be close to the sea.

-Yes, absolutely.

-And here it is.

-Wow.

-Beautiful.

So, quite a substantial property. It has been extended out the back.

So, the original house is the part we're looking at.

Built in the Georgian style, but it only dates back to about 1910.

Right, well, I think we should start, don't you?

-Absolutely.

-Sounds good.

The coastal location of our second house should satisfy David. And the

facade of the property should fulfil Tracy's desire for an older

frontage. But will the interior prove modern,

light and spacious enough for our buyers?

Now, the way the house is set up at the moment,

you walk straight into the dining area.

But I'm going to call this the reception area,

because there is a lot of space in this property

and you might not choose to have a dining room here.

-Yeah, definitely. Lovely.

-OK.

This is a great welcoming area when your guests come to stay

and, of course, where is the first place you're going to take them?

Into the kitchen.

Now, plenty of space here!

-Incredible.

-I think you can see, can't you,

where the extension comes into play?

So, the way it has been laid out, you've got this very large...

At the moment, because it's a family that lives here,

it's a study area with a real fire.

And you have got this huge open-plan kitchen, again, with dining space.

It's so light and airy as well, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-And the floor as well.

-The floor is fantastic.

You've also got this room next door.

Oh, this is lovely.

An additional room for you.

I thought the kitchen was bright, this is really bright.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Mm.

-Mm, I'm liking this a lot, actually.

Enough room for family, grandchildren?

I think so. Absolutely.

There's more to see yet, but just the space here alone.

-Yes.

-You can see lots of opportunity.

Well, it seems we have won over Tracy,

but David is keeping his cards close to his chest.

The ground floor also provides a sitting room an open fireplace.

Upstairs, there are four generous bedrooms

arranged off a central landing.

One would make an excellent guest room, as it comes with an en-suite.

And there are two smaller rooms

overlooking the front of the property.

There is also a separate family bathroom

and the master is at the back.

We've got an en-suite.

Nice. Beautiful size.

-Good size, yeah.

-Really lovely.

The house sits in an acre plot with a large rear garden, mainly lawned,

and already partially enclosed by a dog-proof fence.

I think it's always great when you show somebody round a house

and you leave a little bit up your sleeve for the end.

Behind us, we have quite a large chalet.

In there, there's electricity, there's a toilet.

That could make a fantastic retreat,

perhaps for your grandchildren when they are a bit older.

Television in there, everything. Games, whatever you want.

And, of course, we can't forget the actual space

that we're standing in.

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

Well, I think 755, that sort of range.

And I think 720.

You're both out, by quite a lot of money.

The asking price, and this is unusual, the way it's worded,

but it's offers in excess of £835,000.

-I think we're quite...

-I'm shocked by that, really.

-Shocked at that, really.

It's high, I would say.

Under budget by £40,000,

our second offering provides David and Tracy

with a characterful exterior and a contemporary feel inside.

They get the four bedrooms they wanted,

space for the family and a dog-friendly garden.

Have we ended on a high note?

Not so sure about that price for you two.

Not so sure about the price. I think we'll have to see.

There's a few things to think about.

-Yes.

-And the good news is, I've got another house to show you tomorrow.

Yesterday, I think we got off to a good start with David and Tracy.

Both our houses were well-received,

but the price was a surprising factor

with the home close to the sea.

However, we do have is one more property to show them.

This time, it's our Mystery House.

Now, they like the idea of open-plan, they want space

for a home to flow on the inside.

All well and good, but first impressions on the exterior?

Well, this one might prove interesting.

For our final house choice,

we're heading inland to the hamlet of Winterbourne Muston.

Just three miles up the road is the large village of Bere Regis,

which featured in several novels of Thomas Hardy.

At the start of our house search,

David and Tracy had closed the book on thatched properties.

But I have a feeling the Mystery House

may provide the twist in the tale.

And our final offering is...

The Mystery House.

THEY LAUGH

It is picture-perfect, isn't it? I mean, it is gorgeous.

-Very lovely.

-Look at the lovely, lovely windows.

You two are remarkable!

The one thing you said when I first met you was,

"We don't want thatched."

It doesn't mean that I don't like the style of it, because I do.

It's beautiful, isn't it? How could you not like thatched housing?

It is thatched, it is our Mystery House.

But what is inside is so beautiful,

we think it's worth the consideration.

You probably wouldn't have thought of looking at this yourselves, is the truth, would you?

-No, I don't think we would have done.

-Probably not, no.

-Shall we have a look?

-Yes.

-OK.

David and Tracy's reservations about thatched, like many,

centred on the replacement costs.

But our Mystery Property was re-thatched

with Chinese water weed a few years ago, which has a life-span

of about 50 years.

The cottage dates to the 16th century

and, unusually for a building of its age, is not listed.

The rear has been extended,

providing a side entrance to the property.

So, step inside your kitchen.

Who expects a kitchen like this in a thatched cottage?

-It is fantastic.

-Yes, very impressive.

-Absolutely beautiful.

-So, the kitchen has given us a bit of the wow factor straightaway.

-Oh, it has.

-Definitely.

-It's lovely. It feels amazing.

Let's go through.

Well, at the moment, it's a dining room but it would make a fantastic

sitting-room/office.

So far, could you imagine yourself living in a property like this?

-I think we could.

-I definitely know that we could.

-Could you?

-For sure.

Despite our buyers' initial qualms about thatched houses,

the Mystery Property, with its light, open-plan interior,

natural oak floors and original features,

seems to have tugged at the heartstrings.

Just beyond the kitchen-diner

is the final reception room on the ground floor.

-Oh!

-Here is your sitting room.

-Wow! This is incredible.

-It IS incredible.

-Look at that wall.

I didn't expect to see this.

That is... If there is one thing I would love, apart from this house,

is that fireplace with the slate.

This house has is already proved to be very different to everything else

-we have seen.

-Yeah.

-Quite spectacular.

And just on another level, really.

Upstairs, there are five bedrooms, one more than they asked for.

Four of those are doubles and there is one single -

all in the older part of the house.

There is also a family bath

and shower room with exposed beams

and the master is in the newer extension.

So, master bedroom.

-Underfloor heating.

-Very good.

-And also in the en-suite.

Nice! What a treat.

-I hate cold feet in the morning.

-Shall we have a look?

-Go on.

Have a little look inside.

-Go on, David, I think you should.

-All right.

Oh, this is lovely.

-Oh, look, shower as well.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

David, you're not meant to be in the shower!

-Oh, but it is so nice!

-Also, I do want to point out,

you have a walk-in wardrobe there. So, are you keen to have a

-look at outside now?

-Indeed.

-We are.

The cottage sits in half an acre of gardens,

which are low-maintenance and mainly laid to lawn.

Within the grounds, there's also a garage and timber summerhouse.

I love it. There's nothing I don't like about it.

I really, really do think it's picture-perfect.

We've got to put a price on it.

So, how much do you think the asking price is on the cottage?

£820,000.

And I think 790.

The asking price for the Mystery House, it's offers in excess of...

£695,000.

-Wow!

-I'm so shocked. Given how much work they've done.

And the state that it's in.

It's just blown us away, I can't believe it. That's...

-That's incredible, isn't it?

-Mm.

-Are you shocked and that?

-Yeah, I'm very shocked.

-Say again?

-THEY LAUGH

Just confirm that number!

-Offers in excess...

-£695,000.

695,000, wow!

Under-budget by £180,000,

the price of our Mystery House comes as a bit of a shock,

but in a good way.

It's a 450-year-old thatched cottage,

which has been renovated and extended

to give it a contemporary feel.

It provides David and Tracy with one more bedroom

than they asked for, a light and spacious interior

and a large garden suitable for dogs.

There we go, finished.

You've seen our Mystery House, well,

you've seen all our properties here in Dorset.

-We have.

-Yes, thank you very much.

-We have been very pleasantly surprised, particularly with this one.

-Good.

Let's go somewhere, the sun is still shining,

-have a cup of tea and mull over your options.

-Yeah.

So we've had a fabulous couple of days. We have seen, well, quite

different types of properties, haven't we,

David and Tracy? But you're quite difficult to read.

Now, normally, when I think that it's because people aren't giving

anything away, but you have actually been very encouraging about all the

properties we've shown you.

I think with both agree

that we liked houses one and three in particular.

And they are ones that we will definitely go away and

discuss with the possibility to coming back and viewing.

Is there a preference over those two properties?

Well, surprisingly,

I think the preference would probably be on the third house.

Who would have thought we would look at a thatched house?

Yeah, it's unbelievable, really.

What do you think you are going to take away from the last few days,

this experience?

One of the overriding things is that we know for sure is that this house

needs to be right.

Not just for now, not just for next year or the next couple of years,

but for the rest of our lives.

-Of course, yeah.

-But we do have to think about things like closeness to

shops and towns and whether that's a priority, etc.

There's no doubt about it, Dorset is...

-No, we've learnt a lot.

-..an amazing, amazing county.

We can't wait to be down here. And thank you for the experience.

Well, you're welcome. We've been thrilled to show you just a small taste of it.

-But it certainly whetted your appetite.

-Thank you, Nicky.

Thank you very much indeed.

Well, what has become evident is that David and Tracy's budget is

realistic for their needs.

Their passion for Dorset certainly hasn't diminished.

And this whole experience will, hopefully,

have broadened their minds to all architectural styles.

Join me again on Escape To The Country.

David and Tracy decided the rural of locations of our first and third

houses were too remote for them

and have since made an offer on a property

in the small coastal town of Highcliffe, East Dorset.

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