Norfolk Escape to the Country

This statue of a wolf symbolises a king who died a martyr to his faith

and was the first patron saint of England.

Find out who that was, who he is,

and where we both are in just a moment.

One of the key property requirements for today's couple

is space to accommodate their horses.

But it soon becomes evident

there's something that's quite high on their priority list.

-Look at the sink.

-Oh, Belfast sink!

-Your dream!

-I've always said to you about a Belfast sink, haven't I?

-Yeah.

Luckily, our properties deliver on that front.

-Got your sink again.

-Yes! Wow.

Do you do all the washing up?

-Because you are obsessed by sinks.

-Belfast sinks.

I'm in the seaside resort of Hunstanton in Norfolk

and it's believed that this coastline behind me

is where St Edmund landed back in 855AD

to claim the throne of East Anglia.

After a relatively peaceful reign,

Edmund was forced to defend his kingdom from Vikings.

He was defeated in battle and later executed

for refusing to denounce his faith.

Now, as legend has it, his remains were later found guarded by a wolf,

and his followers were then able to honour their devout king

and give him a sacred Christian burial.

Now to commemorate the legacy of St Edmund,

the town have created a walking trail

depicting scenes from his life.

This carved statue of the wolf here, marks the end of the trail

and stands as a timely reminder of a captivating story

deeply rooted in this historic county.

In the East of England, jutting out into the North Sea,

Norfolk is bordered by Lincolnshire, Cambridge and Suffolk,

with wide atmospheric skies

and unbroken horizons,

the county is defined by some uniquely beautiful landscapes,

including the Fens,

which before systematic drainage began in the 17th century,

were an impenetrable boggy wilderness,

but now represent close to half

of the most fertile agricultural land in England.

Gateway to the Fens is age-old Downham Market,

renowned during the Middle Ages for its butter market,

and today known affectionately as the gingerbread town,

thanks to the local ochre-hued sandstone used to construct

many of its fine buildings.

Not far from here is the unassuming village of Burnham Thorpe,

birthplace of Norfolk's most famous son, Lord Horatio Nelson.

Home of heroes,

ancient settlements

and gorgeous vistas

Norfolk is an understandably desirable county to escape to.

The beautiful open countryside of Norfolk

certainly rates above the average,

and that is balanced by its property prices,

which are currently some £40,000 below the national average figure,

coming in at around £222,000 for a detached house here.

And regionally the county scores too, being the less expensive

option out of neighbouring Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

So, an undiscovered gem?

Well, today's buyers certainly seem to think so.

Let's find out why in particular they want to move

to this part of the county.

14 years ago, IT specialist Mark

and wife Sara, who's a marketing manager,

bought this four-bedroom house in Milton Keynes.

They've raised nine-year-old daughter Jessica here,

but have always dreamt of a rural lifestyle.

So, before Jessica gets to high-school age,

they're keen to make the move.

-Milton Keynes has been very good for us.

-A town of convenience.

Great for a young family.

I'm not sure I'd want to spend the rest of my life here.

Making the rural escape along with them

will be their two dogs Roxy and Otis,

their cat Kizzy, and Sara's beloved horses, Turtle and Jamie,

who are currently kept in stables eight miles away,

and are a major motivating factor for the move.

It's my dream to have the horses just there outside the back door.

Every day I get in the car and I drive, you know, ten minutes there

and I do them, and I spend so much time at the horses.

It's something I share with Sara as well, a dream for that...

every man dreams of his castle.

Both Mark and Sara work from home,

but Sara will still need to return to her office in Milton Keynes

every one or two weeks, which is part of the reason

why they've chosen Norfolk.

It's close to some major routes,

and it's that lovely village, rural community.

You've got the beach nearby...

Jessica's very excited about having the beach.

And within an affordable price range.

Realistically, what we're looking at.

Because we're not just looking for a house in the country,

we need land for Sara's horses.

While Mark and Sara are more than ready to leave urban life behind,

they have natural parental concern about how their daughter

will respond to the change.

I think she's very split between excited

and nervous.

She's lived here all her life.

It will be a change.

But there are things that she's really excited about -

like having swings in the garden and having chickens.

Sara and Mark might have quite different careers and interests,

but for both of them, family is very much at the heart

of their decision to move.

The thing that excites me most about the move

is having our whole family together, and that includes the horses.

To me they are sort of hairy children.

So that it's easy for Sara to travel back to her office in Milton Keynes when she needs to,

we're keeping our search within two hours of the town.

I'm catching up with them to learn some more about their move.

So, welcome both of you to Sunny Norfolk.

Why are we stood here?

I was born near London, so I have experienced living in the city,

but I think my heart has always been more living in the countryside.

This outdoorsy life's not just about you two, but about family, as well.

For a better family environment for your daughter?

Yes. Jessica wants swings.

Our garden isn't big enough.

Now, how much land are we talking about?

-Minimum two acres.

-Minimum two acres.

Let's talk about the house.

It would be lovely to have sort of a Georgian property,

or something along those lines.

I think my thoughts are for a character type of property.

I guess because with such a big change,

why not go the full hog?

What about a project?

As long as there's money in the pot, and we can see the potential.

OK. Now, the size of the house?

We're looking for minimum three-bed with a study.

-Or four bed.

-But, ideally, two working spaces for myself and Sara.

I guess it's even possible to build something,

if you've got enough land. I'm open to that.

How soon can you make this move? Are you ready to go?

We are, really.

-We've got an offer on our house.

-Brilliant.

Remind me how much you're looking to spend.

500,000, and a little left over for some improvements.

Do you agree changes you'd want to make? Do you have different tastes on things with the house or land?

Mark usually comes round to my way of thinking.

In the end.

I have a barrier, initially, and Sara has to break down.

No pressure. Well, we've got three fantastic properties lined up.

Let's make our way to first one.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-This way.

With a budget of £500,000,

Mark and Sara are looking for a characterful home for themselves,

their daughter and Sara's much-cherished horses.

They would like minimum of three bedrooms,

plus a room that could be used as a home office.

Outside they're hoping for a garden

that could fit those swings Jessica is angling for,

and to accommodate the horses they'll need at least two acres.

And stables would be a bonus.

Finally, for Sara's work

they'll need to be within reasonable driving distance of Milton Keynes.

We've lined up three excellent properties for them to look at,

and after each house tour

I'll be asking them to guess the price before I reveal it.

One will be the mystery house, with everything they asked for,

and much, much more,

but will that be too much for them?

We're starting our search in the little village of Necton,

which is just under a two-hour drive

from Sara's work base in Milton Keynes.

The nearest town, six miles away, is Swaffham,

which has all the amenities the family will need.

I like it. I like barn-y type conversions.

-Yeah.

-And I notice there's some land.

A big garden for Jessica. Even chickens!

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.

The house is a little smaller than I was expecting,

but I like how it's presented.

-It's got some character from the outside.

-Let's look inside.

The house was originally a cow shed,

but the current owners who used to live in the nearby farmhouse,

stored their tractor in it.

12 years ago when they were looking to downsize,

they sold the farmhouse, converted the tractor shed, and moved in.

So, the owners use this entrance

pretty much on a daily basis.

It's larger than our lounge in Milton Keynes.

I think this is perfectly acceptable.

Just through that door, you've got a downstairs bedroom.

-OK.

-All right? Which I think would make an ideal office.

-Let's take a look in the kitchen, next.

-OK.

A big space here to play around with.

Oh, wow. Look at this.

Yeah. And look at the sink.

-Oh, a Belfast sink.

-Your dream!

-I've always said to you about Belfast sinks, haven't I?

-Yeah.

Is this what you had in mind?

I actually quite like it.

-I'm more of a kitchen/breakfast and then dining room person.

-Ooh.

But, it does work.

This feels nice and open.

-Yeah.

-Very sociable.

Upstairs we do get a bit smaller,

-so let me show you that now.

-OK.

The ground floor has just over 1,000 square foot of, I think,

quite flexible space to play with.

Which hopefully makes up for the slightly more limited

bedroom space on the next floor.

So, just the two bedrooms on this floor,

both of which are en suite.

Now, this is the master.

You've got a slightly bigger en suite, with a bath in it.

OK.

-The bedroom, I think, is a slightly more interesting shape, certainly.

-Yeah.

I was just thinking if there was any other position

the bed could occupy within the room.

You normally expect a bed to be

the dominant piece of furniture within a room

whereas here it's almost tucked away around the corner.

But, to be fair, it's what, in hindsight,

when we did the build we would have done.

-And that we've discussed we would have done.

-Would we now?

-Yes.

-Oh-ho-ho. Slight difference of opinions.

-Yeah.

Mark, bearing in mind that Sara said that in time you normally

-come round to her way of thinking...

-Yes, there is some truth to that.

And Sara's liking what she sees...

I couldn't agree more with Sara!

There's three bedrooms in this house.

At present, that means we have to think

of other locations for the offices.

That's when the project starts, and it will go...

Well, the building would need to be done outside, I think.

-Let me show you.

-OK.

A bit of a tricky situation here with Mark and Sara's

quite different reactions to this place.

But maybe the space outside will help to unite them.

There's a good amount of land not actually dedicated

to the horses at the moment.

You've 3½ acres here, my friend.

Now, you have got a lovely building there.

That's sweet, isn't it?

Which would be excellent for a home office?

How much do you think this whole property as a package is on the market for?

I'm going to say...

470.

I would maybe go for 480.

Well, I've got some good news for you both, then.

This place is on the market for offers around £425,000.

That's a lot of room to make improvements.

Yes.

This charming converted farm building

is a significant £75,000 below

Mark and Sara's maximum budget.

It has plenty of living space

and the three bedrooms they want.

It doesn't have an office

but they could easily create one

in a characterful outbuilding.

1.5 acres MORE than they hoped for.

So, for someone who was pretty positive

all the way round that property, Sara, have you talked him round?

I think he's changing his mind a little.

I'm certainly beginning to see the benefits.

I think potential for me's the keyword for this property.

I think you're right, actually.

OK, well, that's one down.

-Two more to go. Let's go.

-Great.

Since the days of the Spanish Armada in 1588

through to the First and Second World Wars,

large stretches of Norfolk's coastline

have been seen as vulnerable to invasion.

One of the most determinedly defended locations

was Weybourne Hope to the north of the county,

where a military camp was set up

training as many as 300,000 personnel

over the course of four decades.

The camp was finally closed in 1959,

but in 1988, the site was bought and is now home

to the largest private military collection in the UK

and the man behind it all is Michael Savory.

To build a collection of tanks and militaria such as you've got here,

you have to be English and you have to be eccentric

and I'm a combination of both of them.

This began really at the Boer War years,

so you're looking at the turn of the century, 1900,

for infantry training.

The land was acquired from the local farmers by the War Office,

as it was then called,

and it gradually developed to becoming a residential camp

and one of the reasons why this bit of the coast was heavily defended

was that we have very deep water here.

Deep water allowed the ships to come straight up to the shingle bank

and unload troops.

Michael's collection includes 150 military vehicles,

25 of which are tanks,

but he also has a huge number of other military-related exhibits,

which are sourced from all over the world

and are painstakingly restored before going on display.

You are standing amongst a collection of Second World War tanks,

ranging from the Soviet T-34 to the American Sherman.

Surrounded also by a lot of light tanks.

It's a collection which is unusual to the extent that everything works.

As well as the regular military display days held here,

the public are offered the rare opportunity to get hands on

and actually drive a tank themselves.

Today, Michael's very kindly given me the chance

to experience that for myself.

-Do I shut this behind me?

-Yes, please.

Appropriately attired, I'm ready for basic training.

Pull the two levers forward, no thumbs on the top.

We're in business.

The vehicle I'm driving is a British Army Fighting Vehicle 432,

which is an armoured personnel carrier.

They were first introduced in the 1960s

for transporting infantry on the battlefield.

This particular one was used in the Middle East

during the first Gulf War,

and it would have carried nine to ten troops, a commander,

a driver and all of their weapons,

which would have made for a very claustrophobic journey.

I feel firmly in control. It's finger-touch accurate, isn't it?

Tanks aren't generally built for speed.

Their top acceleration doesn't usually go beyond 35mph,

but what they do have is power - between 500 and 800bhp.

Yeah, go on right.

It's been a real privilege getting to drive this formidable vehicle,

especially when you think of the troops it once carried

and all that they must have endured.

And to experience it in such a beautiful, historic part

of the county has made it all the more memorable.

Continuing on our search,

we journey 25 miles west to the village of Wigenhall St Germans,

an hour-and-three-quarter drive from Milton Keynes.

This appealing settlement is nestled in the fertile farmland of the Fens,

along the banks of the Great Ouse,

which was once a major navigation route through East Anglia.

There's an excellent general store here, a cosy pub

and an impressive 14th-century church.

Just over a mile from the village

is our second house, another converted farm building -

this time a barn.

Now then, best place to take it all in is from here.

And what you see, is what you get.

Could you live somewhere like this?

Yes.

-This feels more homely to me.

-Let's go inside.

The barn was converted by the current owners a few years ago,

and it already seems to have got the seal of approval

from both Sara and Mark.

Let's see if they share the same feelings about the interior.

So, you've got a big kitchen...

Oh, yeah.

-This is cracking. Your sink again.

-Yeah.

That's an even bigger Belfast sink.

-Do you do all the washing up?

-No!

I flipping hope so, because you are obsessed by sinks.

BELFAST sinks.

-Yes.

-No, it's right.

-All right?

The whole style of the kitchen has got a very country feel to it.

A lot of it's new. It's been put in retrospectively, but it works.

-These beautiful wide boards.

-I love the floorboards.

Now, you don't have to dine here,

because we've got loads of receptions. Let me show you.

Now, this is where the house really opens up.

Dining, and after supper maybe...

a game of billiards?

Wow, that's great.

Now, another big room.

My word. This is... Yeah. This is big.

Need more furniture.

And the fireplace, as well.

I like this, Jonnie. This is nice.

The character. Just... We're moving in.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-So let's go upstairs and have a look at the bedrooms, OK?

-OK.

-OK.

Also on the ground floor, just off the kitchen,

there's a fully set up study.

But there are more home office possibilities for Sara and Mark

in another part of the house which I'll talk more about later.

Upstairs, there's a family bathroom

and three double bedrooms.

All of which have that wonderful stripped wooden flooring

we admired downstairs in the kitchen.

Now, the master bedroom.

Yeah, that's nice.

-Yeah.

-It's got an en suite.

-It's lovely.

-Waking up to those views.

Now, there is some other accommodation to this.

As we walked in? That long single-storey extension?

-Yeah.

-Now, that is a self-contained unit.

-Wow.

-Bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, living area.

Or it could be just office space for you guys.

But that gives you so much room to grow into in this house.

-Yeah.

-It does.

-Let's go out the back, and look at the land, OK?

-OK.

I'll just squeeze past you, there.

Well, I'm delighted that this house

seems to have these two singing from the same hymn sheet.

But I'm hoping this sweet harmony, isn't set off balance

by what's on offer outside,

because there is less land here than the first property we showed them.

There's a total of 1.5 acres,

including the formal garden

which I'm sure Jessica would agree,

has more than enough room for her swings.

-Now, outside space you wanted, didn't you?

-I did.

So, you've got an acre there...

-OK.

-OK.

-..and then this land here.

-OK.

-OK.

-So it's smaller than your ideal requirement.

Any opportunity to get a bit more?

-Yes.

-Ah!

This land - all that land -

is for sale.

So, how much do you think this place is?

I think...

probably 490.

485, would be my estimate.

Good guesses! Pretty impressed.

This place is on the market with a guide price

of £495,000.

OK.

This superbly renovated barn conversion

is £5,000 below maximum budget.

The interior offers the space they hoped for and more.

There's that large country kitchen,

a separate formal dining room,

and even a billiard room.

The annexe would easily accommodate a home office for each of them.

Outside, there isn't quite the two acres they wanted

but there is neighbouring land available for purchase.

Well, that seems to be an end to a very successful day.

-What do you think?

-Yeah.

-Enjoy walking round here?

-Yeah.

Very pleased. It's been a good day.

You look quietly confident about this place.

Now, something to think about tonight. Let's take you back.

OK.

Today, we're off to the mystery house,

and as there's usually a compromise,

let's start with that.

This property doesn't have the pre-requisite amount of land

for Sara's horses, although not far off it.

And the property requires quite a lot of work from Mark,

and that's because there's quite a lot of house.

And it has the sort of character

they could fall head over heels for.

Continuing our trajectory west,

we reach the village of West Walton,

an hour-and-a-half's drive from Milton Keynes

and the final stop on our search.

Established by the time of the Norman conquest,

this quiet settlement doesn't offer many amenities,

but it does have a decent pub

and a unique 13th-century church

with an unusual detached and delicately carved bell tower

that can be seen for miles around.

And half a mile down the road,

there is another towering landmark,

which happens to stand in the grounds of our mystery house.

Now, Mark, I think you like Georgian properties,

so you should appreciate this specimen.

I am a big fan of that design and style, yes.

And this is the real deal, isn't it?

It's a genuine Georgian farmhouse.

It was actually attached to the remains of that old mill tower.

It's huge!

-Fantastic.

-Yeah? Big is good, isn't it?

I don't know.

-I suppose big means more work, and maintenance, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

Land-wise, it comes with that field.

-Oh, OK.

-The owner reckons there's just under two acres there,

although I think he's being a bit modest.

Sounds like all the basics are there.

Yeah... Basics is maybe a good word to use.

Let's take a look inside.

The three-storey mill house and the mill,

were built in 1822.

During the Second World War, the sails of the windmill were removed

because it was thought to be too much of a prominent landmark,

but after electrical grinding equipment was fitted,

the mill continued to produce flour until the mid-1960s.

The last miller still lives in the village.

Well, Sara, I think you like to have a separate dining area,

so you've got that here.

Then, mind the step up to the kitchen... What do you think?

Yes, it's a nice kitchen, actually.

It's got a very homely feel to it. Yeah, I like it.

Nice floor. It's more than adequate for us,

and it's got some really nice features.

Just through there, you've got another double reception room,

which you could use

for formal dining, if you like.

Then this way you've got other reception areas - let me show you.

Right, then.

This is when it starts to feel a little more boho, if you like.

I think there's some plastering work that needs done, but that can probably be fixed.

Mark, this place is your new hobby.

-You're right.

-So, look, you've got loads of space

on the ground floor.

-We've got two more floors to have a look at.

-Two more floors.

-Let's go and take a peek at one of them.

-OK.

At the other end of the ground floor,

there's yet another reception room,

and there's plenty more space upstairs.

On the next floor there's a family bathroom,

and five double bedrooms,

one of which looks pretty much ready for Jessica to move into.

But we're going to carry on up to the second floor

which pretty much mirrors this one,

because it also has five bedrooms.

Personally, I absolutely love this room.

Look at the views out here.

-It is nice.

-That's really, really good.

But, who says it has to be bedrooms?

Why can't this be an amazing office?

Yeah. It's a massive house

and I just think about the maintenance costs.

I suppose it does come down to price.

But, Mark, you kind of love the character of this place?

I'd be fully up for DIY decorating.

Look, let's go outside and talk about the outbuildings, OK?

So, between this floor and the one below

there's a grand total of ten bedrooms,

but aside from the room we've just seen,

this top floor is the part of the house

that requires the most decorative work.

Outside, apart from the paddock over the road,

there is an attractive garden

which leads to a large enclosed yard

where there's an array of outbuildings

including a two-storey farm shed,

which could convert into nice stables,

and another dwelling which is known as the old bakery.

Last, but by no means least,

there is the magnificent

Grade II listed seven-storey mill,

which at the moment is pretty much derelict,

but with planning permission

could be restored to create a very unique holiday let.

So, do we think we could make this into some sort of stable yard?

Look at the outbuildings there?

-I think a whole community could live here.

-Yeah!

-So, excited?

-Yeah, very excited, actually.

It wasn't what I was expecting, at all.

So, who wants to have a go at guessing the price?

More to the higher end of our budget - so 480,000.

There's so much work to be done,

so I'm going to say 410.

This place is on the market with that land

for around £475,000.

Good guess.

£25,000 under their maximum budget,

this extraordinary property offers Mark and Sara an awful lot.

There are five reception rooms and ten bedrooms,

which more than takes care of their request for three bedrooms

plus an office space.

Outside, there's a paddock for Sara's horses

and with a range of outbuildings,

there's plenty of scope for stabling them.

There's also the mill itself, which at the very least

offers an intriguing focal point to the property,

but could also be converted into yet more accommodation.

Have we warmed any more to this wonderful property?

-Well, I'm now seeing it as a business opportunity.

-Oh!

Sounds like you've got a lot to talk about yourselves,

-so let's find you somewhere to have a chit-chat. After you.

-Thank you.

Do either of you have a favourite?

The only property where my heart and my head agree with one other

is number two.

Number two is probably my strongest pull,

-but number one I see a lot of financial sense in...

-Yeah.

..and the mystery house, from my point of view,

I would see it as B&B, holiday let.

We'd have to get a business loan to do that

and then, would we recoup that money?

I don't think the mystery house works for us financially.

What is your next step?

We're definitely going to go back to house number two.

I think I'm going to drag Mark kicking and screaming

back to house number one,

because I see a lot of potential there and even with the work,

there's still room in our budget.

It's a been a really interesting process. With just three houses,

you've seen how your differences in taste and challenges have come out.

Look, you're going to come back here for a second viewing.

Please, please let us know what you decide. I can't wait to find out.

-Good luck!

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I'm pleased to hear Sara and Mark are agreed on one thing

and that's that they both want to go back to house number two.

Let's face it, they really enjoyed looking around that place.

I'm also interested to hear that Sara also wants to go back

to property number one, taking Mark kicking and screaming if needs be.

I think they've both realised

that it's not just about the house or the land,

it's the whole package,

so second viewings of both houses and their areas is what's needed

in order for them to decide which way they need to go as a family.

So I'm sure, just like me, you wish them both the very best of luck.

I'll see you next time.

Mark and Sara returned to view our second house

and they loved it just as much the second time round.

They were keen to put in an offer,

but after investigating the price of the additional land,

they felt it pushed their budget too far beyond

what they were comfortable with,

so their search continues.

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