Dorset Escape to the Country

There's been a castle on this spot for over 500 years,

watching out over this stretch of water and protecting our shorelines.

Where am I?

Well, I'll give you a clue. We're not on the mainland.

Today, I'm house hunting with a retired couple looking to

swap their suburban home of 24 years

to begin a new chapter in the country by the coast.

Our search serves up a few surprises...

-Oh, my goodness.

-Oh, goodness.

What did we say about large gardens? Not wanting large gardens, eh?

..as well as a few home truths.

So, this is a good place for you when you're in the doghouse.

There are facilities there.

I wouldn't mind being in the doghouse.

Welcome to Dorset and this is Brownsea Castle

on its very own island in the middle of Poole Harbour.

It was built in the middle of the 16th century by Henry VIII

to defend against the Spanish Armada.

But over the centuries, it passed into private family hands.

At the beginning of the 20th century,

it was owned by a very extravagant millionaire

who developed the grounds and built a golf course,

imported golden pheasant and exotic game for his Edwardian guests,

including grandchildren of Queen Victoria herself.

In 1961, it passed into the stewardship of the National Trust

but, I have to say, as properties with a sea view go

this one is hard to beat.

In the south west of England, Dorset is bordered by Devon

to the west and Hampshire to the east.

Largely bypassed by the Industrial Revolution, the county has

retained much of its natural beauty with habitats that are among

the richest for biodiversity in the country.

Along its stunning 95-mile coastline are some extraordinary

geological features, including Chesil Beach, the longest shingle

bar in Europe, separated from the mainland by the Fleet Lagoon.

Further east is Poole Harbour, created from a drowned valley

formed at the end of the last ice age.

It's one of the largest natural harbours in the world

and provides a perfect haven for yachts.

At neighbouring Bournemouth, the glorious seven-mile sweep of

golden sand was recently voted the UK's best beach

and it's just another of the wonderful features

this gorgeous county has to offer.

So, is it going to be worthwhile for our house buyers to move here?

Let's meet them and find out.

For the last 24 years, Sue and John have been living

in a five bedroomed detached home

in the town of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

But until they moved there, they rarely stayed put in one place

longer than three years, thanks to John's career in the oil industry.

After such a stretch of settled life here, the globetrotting couple have

got itchy feet and are fairly clear about where they're headed next.

It's not so much that we want to leave Beaconsfield.

We'd like a new start, a new challenge.

Somewhere like Dorset is a place that we've always hankered after.

I used to live on the coast, before I got married,

so I really miss the coast.

Although they now feel able to move away from the area

there are some much-loved family members

they'll have to leave behind.

Two of their three children live close to their current home,

so they've been able to spend a lot of time with their grandchildren.

We really enjoy being grandparents

and that's one of the downsides of moving, really.

But they've all promised to come and visit us lots and lots

and, I suspect, half terms we'll be quite popular,

so we're looking forward to that.

And there's one particular pastime they enjoy together.

We are both quite competitive.

John usually gets quite cross because he's trying really hard.

And the harder he tries, the worse it gets!

And Sue is so laidback, you know, "OK, it's only a game."

But anyway, we love the game. It gets under the skin.

On the days when the weather isn't suitable for golf

there's a place indoors where John is most likely to be found.

I like being in my study.

Sue and I don't share the same television programmes.

So, when she's looking at her soaps, it's a fine time for me

to go in there and have a little escapism.

I've got some bits and pieces in there, my toys.

I'm a bit of a collector of militaria and things.

There so much stuff in there.

Yes, there's all sorts of stuff but it's stuff that I like.

Uprooting after 24 years and moving all that stuff

might seem daunting but this couple aren't fazed.

I quite look forward to the challenge of it.

We're not too old for a new start!

Our buyers have chosen Dorset for its beautiful scenery and are

happy to consider either a coastal or countryside setting

but with family to consider, close to their current home in

Buckinghamshire, they'd like to be no more than two hours away,

so would prefer to look in the east of the county.

I'm meeting them to talk through the details of their planned move.

John and Sue, welcome to Dorset.

-Thank you.

-So, this is a big move for you?

This is your big, wonderful retirement move.

It's the first time we've ever actually chosen

where we're going to live.

With the company, we've always been told where we're going.

And what are you looking for in the property?

Well, I'm looking, mainly, for a view.

Sea, golf course, or really nice countryside.

We'd like five bedrooms.

Well, four to five, isn't it?

-Because you've got your family to come and stay.

-Yes.

-Yes.

We've got family coming. And a lovely, big, modern kitchen.

I'd like a nice study, or family room, for my toys.

Toys? What do you collect?

Bits and pieces I've picked up on my travels around the world.

So the house is going to be a showcase for your collection.

No, he has to keep all that in his room. That's why

he needs a separate room.

And what about the style, then?

Are you looking for something contemporary and modern

-or are you happy for a period property?

-Certainly modern interior.

No thatched cottage with tiny windows.

I like the older buildings, I must admit.

I'm a bit traditionalist in that respect

but on the other hand, we don't want small windows.

We do want rooms that are well lit, naturally well lit.

-With lovely views.

-With lovely views of course.

-That's definitely number one.

-And what about the outside space?

We're not great gardeners.

We're not looking for a large garden.

Small to medium would be fine.

Remind me again of your budget.

Ideally we're talking about just

under a million or up to a million, ideally, but for the right place,

we're prepared to go up to 1.2 million.

That's obviously a beautifully big budget.

And what about your house sale, how's that going?

Legally, it's sold, subject to contract

and I believe there's another two weeks, is it?

We're expecting to exchange in two weeks.

-Better get our skates on.

-Absolutely.

Well, we've got three lovely properties. Let's go and see them

-before you miss the boat.

-Great, lovely.

With a very substantial budget of £1.2 million to spend,

Sue and John are looking for a spacious home

with at least four bedrooms so the grandchildren can visit.

John needs a study to store his collections

and Sue's after a light, modern interior.

The garden doesn't need to be huge but one thing they don't want

to compromise on are great views.

They'd also like the property to be

in an attractive village setting

with an active local community.

We've lined up three excellent properties to view which

would offer them the lifestyle and scenic setting they're after.

They won't know the prices of each until they've viewed it

and at the end of the search, I'll be tempting them with a

one-of-a-kind property in the form of our mystery house.

For our first property, we're heading to the East Dorset village

of Horton, ten miles north of Poole.

This small village has a population of just over 500 people.

There's an attractive church, local pub and the village itself is

overlooked by the unique local landmark, Horton Tower.

Just a mile away from a very prestigious golf course and

100 yards from the pub, hopefully the position of our first property

will appeal to Sue and John.

Et voila! House number one.

Oh, wow. It does look lovely.

It's a contemporary property. It's from the '60s but it's been extended

and completely transformed, actually,

in the last eight to ten years.

The core of the house is this really central part

and all these other sections have been added in subsequent decades.

You're very well-placed here for golf clubs.

-There's a very exclusive golf club just around the corner.

-Right.

But there are also several other ones, so you've got lots of options.

-Oh, really? Oh, my goodness.

-It's golfing central here.

I'd like to go inside.

-Shall we go?

-Indeed.

Built in 1965, I'm hoping this house offers the contemporary living

that Sue and John are looking for.

Offering nearly 4,000 square feet of floor space,

the downstairs centres on a well-thought-out

open-plan kitchen and breakfast room

developed by the current owners.

Straight into your domain, Sue, the kitchen.

Yes! Oh, wow, that's really lovely.

It's nice and light, isn't it?

A lovely combination of kitchen with the dining area,

right out onto decking.

Really lovely. That's exactly what I like.

-Is it?

-Yes.

The ceiling being so nice and light

and this area is really light,

you know, when you've got the family it's really nice not to be

shut away in the kitchen.

Through there, you've got a sort of TV snug room.

Round the back, there's a big utility room, a downstairs toilet

and lots and lots of storage. Is it your taste in finishing?

-Oh, yes, indeed.

-Great.

So, let's go through into the lounge.

At the front of the property, there's a study area

opposite the main lounge.

A large modern space with a southerly aspect.

More space.

Oh, yes, it is, it's lovely.

Really unusual with the glass panelling there.

That's the dining room, but they're using it as a study.

That would be my study.

Let's look upstairs.

Upstairs, there's plenty of space to accommodate the family with

three good-sized guest bedrooms,

two modern en-suites and an impressive family bathroom

with floor-to-ceiling windows to the garden.

This is the master bedroom.

-My goodness.

-Oh, my goodness. Yeah.

That is lovely.

You've got an en-suite in here. Lovely views.

-Yep, triple aspect makes it extremely bright.

-Nice and light.

And upstairs, you've got a mezzanine changing room.

-Oh...

-My goodness.

Or you could keep it as your study.

Indeed, yes, out of the way.

-Let's look outside.

-Right.

The grounds are larger than John and Sue asked for,

with great countryside views.

I think this low-maintenance space could work well for them.

You have this formal garden, which is pretty simple to keep.

-Just a bit of lawn.

-It needs a sit-on mower.

Definitely needs a sit-on mower because...

At the back, there, you see that huge field? That's yours too.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Oh, goodness.

What did we say about large gardens?

Not wanting large gardens, eh?

Well, what's good about that is that it's four acres, the total

of the garden, but you can just leave it to go to hay and there's

a farmer who comes, there's an arrangement where they take the hay.

-Oh, right.

-Oh, that's quite nice.

It is quite low-maintenance.

So how much do you think the house is on the market for?

I think it's probably about £900,000.

John?

Probably around £960,000.

Actually, it's a bit more expensive than that.

It's on at £1,195,000.

-Gosh.

-Good grief.

-Well, we're not very good at that then, are we?

-No, we're not.

Coming in just under budget, this contemporary and bright home

would give John and Sue the

four bedrooms they want, that

all-important study space for John,

plus another for Sue.

Coming with over four acres, there

may be more outside space than they

wanted but it's low-maintenance and

comes with beautiful country views,

not to mention a number of golf

courses within a short drive.

Excellent. Pull the door behind you, we're going onto house number two.

-Thank you.

-Oh, great.

Dorset is celebrated for its landscape and captivating coastline,

three quarters of which is a world heritage site.

But like the rest of the British Isles,

its seas can be deceptively treacherous.

Keeping a watchful eye on the welfare of seafarers is the RNLI.

And it's here in Poole, at the charity's purpose-built college,

that the thousands of volunteers

who make up the RNLI's lifeboat crews and lifeguards

come to receive their training.

I'm meeting Training Manager Glen Mallon

to find out more about their work.

It must be quite exciting for you

to have all these things around you all the time?

It is. It's a real privilege to be able to look after this

and allow us to train the volunteers on some of the best kit in the UK.

How many boats have you got here in Poole?

Two lifeboats and we've got a myriad of different vessels,

from the inshore lifeboats behind us and some training vessels.

And in terms of the training...

So, obviously the RNLI is famous for its volunteers.

..do they come down here and do their training in Poole?

The reasons people come here is that the facilities are second to none.

We can do things like training on the full bridge mission simulator

and the sea survival centre.

Is there anything I can do here that's not too...?

We've got some surprises for you and I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

And it might involve you getting a little bit wet.

I'm up for that. Lead the way.

The centre opened in 2004

and has the largest sea survival pool in the UK.

Capable of creating waves of up to 1.5 metres in height

and demonstrating various conditions such as thunder, lightning and rain,

it means volunteers can be trained in sea-survival skills,

lifeguard tests and capsize drills,

which is what I'm being taught today.

So, this is an amazing set up.

It's like a giant swimming pool, really. So, basically, we're

learning to right the ship and get going again, is that the idea?

Yeah, the aim of this isn't to train our volunteers how to capsize,

cos the aim is to go and do the rescue, but it's to ensure that

they've got the right skills and the confidence in themselves

and the kit, should the boat capsize for real during a service.

That's a pretty good skill to learn.

They operate around 2,000 capsize drills a year here

and Glen assures me that the boat we're on has been running

and capsizing for 14 years.

OK, then, guys. Helmets on.

So, after a full briefing, I feel in safe hands.

With the lifeboat capsized, all crew make their way towards

the bow of the upturned boat, where there's the most space.

We then exit one at a time.

With the team out, we move to the back of the boat

and swim backwards along the swim line.

The inflation ring is pulled, activating a cylinder

which fills an airbag to re-right the boat.

Since its foundation in 1824, the RNLI has saved more than

140,000 lives.

Seeing Glen and the team in action first hand, really highlights

the importance of the work these volunteers do.

The drill ends with a series of engine checks

and it's mission complete from the team and me.

That was amazing!

You did really well, Alistair. I'm impressed. Well done.

And that demonstrates that, for our volunteers,

less than one in ten comes from a maritime background.

This training's vital.

-Yeah. Well, hopefully I'll never, ever have to use it.

-I hope so, too.

Brilliant though, really brilliant.

For our second property, we've crossed the border just

east of Dorset to the Hampshire village of Damerham,

13 miles from Salisbury and five miles from the New Forest.

Running along the River Allen, this typically English village

provides excellent walking, riding and cycling opportunities

for residents and visitors alike.

Down a country lane and standing proud behind hedged gardens

is our second property offering.

Come here and you get a full frontal version of the house.

-Gosh, yes, it looks imposing.

-Impressive.

So, we're not going contemporary here. This is a much older offering.

Mm-hm. As long as it's got a nice modern inside.

Architecturally, it's more in sympathy with my feelings.

Well, it is an historic building. This bit is the Georgian part,

the redder brick. This is an Edwardian extension. And then

on the other side there's an '80s extension plus a little extra.

-Oh, right.

-Plus a very special treat added to that.

Oh.

We've crossed over the border into Hampshire. Is that a problem?

No, no, it isn't actually because it's not going to any further

than two hours from our home.

We're much closer. It's one hour 40 to Beaconsfield from here.

-Oh, right, well, that's good.

-Shall we go in?

-Indeed.

Larger than the first house they viewed, this one occupies

three floors and, despite being extended over the years, has

retained many of its traditional features.

Here's the kitchen and dining room.

Quite farmhouse feel to it, isn't it?

I think I prefer the other kitchen a little bit more than this one.

The wood, I preferred. You know, the granite and the wood.

Let's go and look at the rest of the house.

So this is the orangery.

-Oh, this is nice and light and airy, isn't it?

-Oh.

-Mm-hmm.

Yes, this is gorgeous. It is, it's lovely.

Lovely, well constructed. And then this.

This is the sort of '80s extension

and the sitting room that goes through into this space here.

Is it gripping you like the last house or not so much?

Not quite as much, although I love this room.

I can imagine spending time in this room.

OK, so muted feelings.

Just a little, yes.

-Let's take a look upstairs.

-OK.

The downstairs of this house flows seamlessly, connecting large

entertaining rooms with more intimate areas.

Back through the kitchen, there's a large formal drawing room

with views to the garden and meadows beyond.

And the trend continues upstairs.

-They use this as the master bedroom.

-Right.

-Ah.

This one has a very nice en suite, you can see,

-and a dressing room so you can take your pick.

-Indeed.

-It's a lovely room.

-Again, a lovely room.

-Nice proportion.

And here you start to get the views over the fields and the horses.

I'm conscious though, John, that we haven't given you a study.

I'm here, waiting in anticipation, though.

-Don't wait any longer.

-Right.

-Follow me.

There are three further bedrooms on the first floor.

Two of which have en-suite bathrooms.

The fifth bedroom is on the second floor, which has been converted

to a self contained suite - the perfect set up for John.

This would make a lovely office, I think.

-This is spot on, absolutely.

-Ah.

Yes.

And you've also got a bedroom through there with an en-suite.

So this is a good place for you when you're in the doghouse.

Indeed it is, and with the facilities there,

I wouldn't mind being in the doghouse.

-Well, let's look at the garden and see if that pleases you.

-Indeed.

Outside, the property is a double garage, a number of seating

areas and wide gardens

backing onto open farmland at the rear.

Lovely field here with horses.

-This is your boundary.

-Right.

So a smaller garden but it's still about half an acre.

-Yes, look, it's...

-It's a lovely garden.

-Very nice garden.

So what do you think the price of the property is?

Probably about 1.1.

I think it would be at least 115.

It's actually on at a shade under 1.1.

It's on at 1,095,000.

Right. Well, so that's... that's good.

For £105,000 under their sizeable top budget, this huge extended

home is a mix of traditional and contemporary, that would give

John and Sue enough space to accommodate the whole family,

while offering the perfect hideaway for John and his toys.

Many of the rooms have a southerly aspect and those countryside views.

They'd get the village lifestyle

they wanted and be nearer

their family in Buckinghamshire.

OK, so that's your lot for the day. Two down.

Time to digest and have a rest. Are you ready for that?

Absolutely. Thank you, Alistair, it's a very interesting property.

Let's go.

What a day yesterday. Two big budget houses.

Lots of strong responses.

I got the impression that Sue was not so sold

on the second house although, after I showed him that man cave

at the top, John was definitely gunning for house number two.

I think one of the problems for Sue was there wasn't really views,

and she really, really wants views, so for the mystery house,

oh, my word, we are giving them views.

But it's going to involve some work.

For our final offering, we're stretching the search area by

moving further west, to give them the coastal setting they dream of.

Seven miles south of Weymouth, our mystery property is in Weston,

on the Isle of Portland.

Four miles long and just a mile and a half wide,

the island sits in the English Channel.

Our mystery house is an architect-designed circular property

positioned high on a cliff, maximising views out to the sea.

But this stunning setting comes with a compromise.

The plot around it needs a lot of work.

Now you are puzzled, aren't you?

THEY LAUGH

-Very.

-Oh, my goodness, yes.

-You wanted a mystery. This is a mystery.

-It is a mystery.

Well, I totally blame the both of you because you wanted views,

-and you're interested in military history.

-Correct.

Mm-hm! So this, believe it or not,

is a modern building based on a pre-World War I

military installation.

SUE LAUGHS

So we've come onto the island of Portland.

-Right.

-Not famous for its golf courses.

-True.

You will have to cross the causeway to get to the nearest

-golf course in Weymouth. But you wanted views.

-Yes.

SUE LAUGHS

The fortress on this plot was constructed in 1902

as part of Portland's coastal defence.

Now an area of archaeological interest, the site was purchased

by the previous owners in 2007, to build this unique, modern home.

Despite the building being completed to a high specification, parts

of the inside still need some finishing and the outside of

the property is yet to be landscaped.

But I felt I had to show it to them for one very good reason.

Oh, goodness me! That is lovely.

So the whole house is built around this room, really, and this view.

I can cook with a view.

And a modern kitchen with a black marble worktop.

Definitely modern kitchen, yes.

You can see basically the whole length of Chesil Beach.

The causeway across.

This side, you can see... Well, actually, come over and have a look.

So you look down there, you can see the top of the lighthouse,

just on the other side of Portland Bill, and this is the coastal path

-that goes in front of your property behind this wall.

-Stunning.

Obviously, the challenge for this property is the surroundings.

-Yes.

-Correct.

You are perched right on the side of a cliff, but you are on a

Portland stone cliff,

one of the most erosion-resistant stones there is.

-OK.

-Let's go and look at the bedrooms.

This property would clearly be a huge undertaking, but they

don't seem put off just yet.

Hopefully they'll stay open-minded when they see the five bedrooms,

spanning the circumference of the house.

They're all of a good size but currently lacking in furnishings.

Luckily, the master bedroom and en suite is almost there.

It's gorgeous.

-You could lie in bed and look over Portland.

-What a view.

-Oh, it's lovely. Superb situation, isn't it?

-A nice sized room, too.

Not yet decorated, so...

Here, through here is the en-suite.

Also with a glass window so you can see the view while you're showering.

-SUE LAUGHS

-They have thought of everything.

You'd have a view and you've got your bubble bath.

-I mean, what more do you want?

-Great.

The house is very energy efficient. It kind of basically

runs itself. It's one of those incredibly green houses.

Let's have a look outside and then we can talk about price.

Heading downstairs, there's a bright study with an en-suite bathroom

that should keep John happy, with plenty of space for his collections.

The house sits on a sizeable 1.5 acre plot

and comes with a few added extras.

This is the whole thing,

and then over here you've got all these outbuildings,

so these are the leftovers from the World War I site.

You've got a big workshop, and then there's actually

a bungalow where they lived while they were doing it up.

Obviously you'll need some budget over to do all this work outside,

so how much do you think the house costs?

About £500,000.

I would say at least 600,000.

Well, it's very difficult to price a property like this.

I mean, it's kind of unique.

Though you're both a little on the low side.

It's actually on the market for 685.

Oh, goodness, I was way out.

It is still a considerable chunk of change.

-Oh, absolutely.

-Indeed. That's true, yes.

But you would have to do a lot outside.

For over £500,000 under Sue and John's maximum budget,

this one of a kind property gives them their number one wish -

fantastic sea views.

Once finished, it would have

the modern interior they're after

with plenty of bedrooms and a study.

The outside of the property needs

some extensive landscaping work

but with the pot of money left over,

they could afford to do it justice.

Whether it's too large a project and too far from their family

are the only questions.

So, all three houses... We've seen all three houses.

Now, time to find somewhere to mull them over.

-Indeed.

-Yes. Let's do that.

-Come on.

We've finished. We're all done.

Have you enjoyed the week?

-Very much.

-Yes, it's been a wonderful few days.

More to the point, has it been useful?

Because obviously you've got someone moving into your house

-in a few weeks.

-Yes, we have.

But sadly, I don't think we've found our house.

I think if you put the first house in the second house's

situation, that would have been great. But we are going to go back

to Horton and have a look, and look at the village area.

So, of all the contenders it was the first house

that took your fancy most?

Yes, the specification of that house,

all the rooms and the views from it that we would want.

But the one factor against it, really, appeared to be

the lack of being part of a community, a community village.

So, have things come into focus? I mean, I know the clock is ticking

cos you actually need somewhere to live.

-I think we're going to have to rent, I think...

-Right.

..and then take our time, a bit more time.

Well, I'm sorry we didn't manage to pull the jackpot for you.

But it's been lovely showing you round with a lovely big budget

and I hope you've enjoyed your time in Dorset?

We have, very much. Thank you.

Oh, it's so frustrating when we've got a £1 million budget

and we don't find the house buyers the house that they want.

But I guess if you've got £1 million to spend then you really

have a precise idea of what it is that you're looking for.

Hopefully, though, John and Sue will rent

and take a leisurely stroll around Dorset,

and finally find that dream property.

But you don't have to wait that long.

No, you can just turn on the TV next time

and watch more Escape To The Country.

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