Devon Escape to the Country

I'm walking on one of only a handful of tombolos in the country.

But where exactly am I?

The mystery will be solved in just a few moments.

On today's show, our house-hunters are a couple of ladies

with one heck of a list of demands,

but I still managed to serve up some belters.

-Lovely.

-Yep.

Just as long as it carries on like this I think you're on a winner.

I think we could be.

And whilst delivering things they do want,

there are also a few features that weren't quite on the list.

-Wow, what a surprise!

-Most unexpected.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

Today I'm in Devon, and behind me is Burgh Island,

which was the inspiration for two

of Agatha Christie's famous murder-mystery novels.

Now the island itself is connected to the mainland

via strange beach phenomenon known as a tombolo,

which occurs when two opposing currents meet

and form this wave-shaped spit.

Now, at high tide, the island itself is completely surrounded by water,

but you can still get there with your feet dry

via this sea tractor, which has been operating here since the 1930s.

And once on the island,

you can take advantage of a number of foot paths that all look out

on this beautiful and spectacular Devonshire coastline.

The ever-popular southwestern county of Devon

sits between Dorset to the east and Cornwall to the west.

The north of the county borders the Atlantic Ocean

and offers a spectacular rugged coastline

which boasts some of the highest sea cliffs in the country.

The south of the county looks out over the more gentle waters

of the English Channel.

There are a number of attractive small towns and fishing villages

dotted along the coast such as Salcombe,

a popular sailing destination.

Inland are rolling hillsides

dotted with the region's famous dairy herds and other cattle.

With the small, historic villages nestled along its valleys,

it's a picture of rural England at its very best.

But, what are today's buyers looking for? Let's meet them and find out.

Vicki and her mother, Rosemary,

live in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire

and will be house hunting on behalf of their whole family

as they all plan to move to Devon together.

So we've got three generations of our family involved in the move.

There's me, my mum, my dad, Ray,

and then my brother, Chris, and his little boy, Ethan.

There's always been a little bit of something missing.

Haven't really spread our wings and, um...

..if we're going to do it, then we need to do it now.

We just all decided that actually we'd all quite like to go with them.

We're probably ready for an adventure as well.

A bit of a change of lifestyle.

Rosemary and Ray are retired, but for Vicki,

she's hoping the move will mean achieving a better work-life balance

and the chance to develop one of her big passions - baking.

It will be a big change for me work-wise.

I'd love to be able to build my own business,

so whether that's something to do with baking, you know,

holiday lets, or you know, something like that.

You know, it would be really exciting.

The idea of this move is for them all to live back together

in one big family home.

So far the only experience we've had of living all under one roof

is when we go on holiday, and we all get on well.

To be living all as a family again,

as long as we do have that bit of space,

I'm sure we will get on absolutely fine.

Their properties are on the market

and they're now ready to embrace their new adventure.

I feel really excited about the prospect of moving.

I think I'm really ready for a change and a new adventure.

Actually, it's really nice that I get to go with my family.

We feel really lucky that they also want to join us in this...

a new life.

Rosemary, Vicki, and the family have chosen East Devon,

so we're concentrating our search on villages and towns

between Exeter and the Dorset border.

But first, I need to find out more about the long list of requirements

for this big family move.

-Morning, ladies.

-Morning.

-Morning.

We're looking for something quite different today.

-You're moving en masse.

-Yep.

-There is yourselves, obviously, there's Ray, your husband.

-Yes.

-Your son, your brother, Chris.

-Yep.

-And his...

-His son, Ethan.

-Ethan.

-Yep.

Let's start with you and Ray.

Specifically, what would you really love?

A large house with lots of space.

Lots of nice views, I think.

Are you representing Chris as well as your own wants and desires?

Yeah. Chris is quite keen on having somewhere with land.

He'd quite like some animals in the future,

whereas I think I've got my eye on something that's going to...

perhaps have a business opportunity, maybe make us an income.

Honestly...this isn't easy.

-Land...

-That's why we've been looking for a while.

So, let's talk about finances.

How much are you looking to spend?

If there was something

that was absolutely perfect, we're talking about £910,000.

And then it slides downwards to, you know...

If it was just something that was just a big house

that was big enough for all of us to live in...

But with an acre as a minimum.

Yeah, then probably be looking at sort of £750,000 upwards.

It kind of depends on...

-The potential.

-The potential of somewhere.

-Our primary focus is to find all of you, the family, a home.

-Yep.

-With some land.

-Yes.

And then, if there's opportunities along the way

for business potential, then we'll discuss that. OK?

-Yes.

-Let's have a cup of tea before we start, OK?

-Yep, OK.

-Lovely.

So, for a maximum budget of £910,000, there are plenty of wants.

The first is for a large house with at least five bedrooms

and a good living space for this family of five to spread out in.

For Vicki's new business venture, she's after a big kitchen

and a holiday letting option.

Whilst Rosemary is happy with one acre of land,

son, Chris, ideally wants three to start keeping some livestock.

And rural views are definitely on the list.

We've worked hard to find three strong options

which cater for their many requests,

but I won't be revealing the all-important price tag

until after each house tour.

The final offering is a mystery house

which guarantees for some big decisions this week.

For our first property, we're going to the town of Honiton,

which is located half an hour east of the city of Exeter

and 25 minutes from the coast.

Honiton is a busy market town which offers the family

a practical mix of shops and facilities.

Just a mile from the centre of town,

the surroundings quickly become very rural

and up a quiet country lane we find our first property.

So, ladies...

-This is house number one.

-All right.

-OK.

-It looks very nice.

-Yeah.

Now, it's an old farmhouse with... Well, it's been converted as well.

Some of the barns were converted with more modern extensions

and restorations at the far gable end.

Is this the sort of house you could see yourselves en masse living in?

I think so. I mean, it looks big enough from the outside.

Views....

This is all very positive so far.

-Yep, so far so good.

-Yes, so far. Can we...

-Itching to get in.

-That's what I want to hear. Let's go inside.

Come on.

Parts of this farmhouse date back to the 17th century,

but it's had more recent additions

and conversions to turn it into a sizable and adaptable property

with five bedrooms and three living rooms.

-OK, first room - the most important room for you bakers, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Very nice.

-Now, you told me that you quite like the idea of all sitting together as a family.

-Yeah.

-Which according to current owners,

-that's exactly what they do here.

-Yes. It's really nice.

Yeah, it's got loads of character.

-Very nice kitchen.

-So far?

-Lovely.

-Yep.

Just as long as it carries on like this I think you are on a winner.

I think we could be. Follow me.

-OK, so, another reception room.

-That's nice.

-Another nice room.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

This is good. I just want you to get the flavour of everything.

-Yeah.

-Keep going.

Now, one of three reception rooms, or sitting rooms, rather.

-Yeah, it's got nice view out the window.

-Lovely view out the windows.

-This could be completely separate.

-Yes.

-You've got a wet room there.

You've got a second staircase there going up to a master bedroom.

Oh, right.

So this could be a completely self-contained one-bedroom cottage.

-Oh, I could live here.

-Yes.

Let's go up the staircase to give you an idea of the flow of it all.

-OK.

-Then will come back down the other one.

-Right.

-Follow me.

Passing through the kitchen and dining room,

this first sitting room is located at one end of the house

and has a staircase in the corner which leads to the master bedroom.

-So, pretty much the footprint of the living room down below.

-Right.

-Wow, indeed. It's such a lovely size.

-Yeah, nice high ceiling.

-Could be more than a bedroom.

-A bit like a suite.

-Yes, definitely.

Can see us falling out over this room,

so I'm going to get us out of the theatre of conflict

as quick as possible.

This suite is just the first of five double bedrooms.

-The second bedroom - good size, double.

-Yes.

-OK.

We've got another one just up here.

Now, both of these bedrooms are served by this family bathroom here.

Then you've got two other double bedrooms,

both of which are en-suite.

-Goodness.

-Right, OK.

-What haven't I ticked yet?

-The garden.

-The garden?

-Yes.

-Follow me.

The house is set in just under an acre

which incorporates a garden, a raised deck, a small paddock,

and a building which could be a future option for holiday letting.

So, outbuilding-wise, you get that block there.

No planning consent yet

-but something to think about for the future.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yes.

Now, obviously this garden bit here and then beyonds, well...

Oh! Chickens.

-And sheep.

-Yes.

-What do we think, all in all?

-I think it's...

a very definite possibility.

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

About £780,000?

£775,000?

Well done. It's on the market for a guide price of £750,000.

-Oh.

-Right, OK. That's not bad news.

-No.

So, at the bottom end of their budget range,

this is a fully restored and converted 17th-century farmhouse

offering great flexibility for the family with plenty of bedrooms

and reception rooms, and a large family kitchen.

There is the potential for Vicki

to look into holiday rentals with the stables.

However, the gardens and paddock

offer just under an acre of land

which may fall short of brother Chris' hopes.

-This has gone down very well, hasn't it?

-Certainly has.

-Let's go to the next place.

-OK.

On the edge of Dartmoor stands a building with illustrious claim

to be the last castle to be built in England.

Finished just 80 years ago,

Castle Drogo was the brainchild of Julius Drewe -

a retail tycoon who wanted to create an authentic-looking castle.

He commissioned great British architect Edwin Lutyens,

most famous for his role in designing government buildings

of New Delhi in India and the Cenotaph in London.

Built entirely of granite, Castle Drogo has battlements,

turrets and mullioned windows.

But also flat roofs and no external guttering.

Within a year of completion, it started to leak.

Today an extensive repair job is under way

and I'm meeting project manager, Tim Camborne, to find out more.

So, Tim, this, on first inspection, looks like a castle. Is it?

-It's built to look like a castle.

-Yeah.

-But it's actually a country house.

-How old is it?

It was started in 1911 and finished in 1930,

cos it was interrupted by the First World War.

What's all this building work going on then?

The problem is, it leaks through the roof, the walls and windows.

Some of it is just down to age and exposure,

being right on the side of Dartmoor.

The windows are particularly prone to the lashing

they get from the weather.

We are tackling all those elements. So the roof has been done.

The windows have been taken out and refurbished.

-And all the pointing gets replaced.

-That's no small job.

-Can we take a closer look?

-Yeah, sure.

-Lead the way.

Gifted to the National Trust in 1974,

the restoration of Castle Drogo

is one of the largest projects the Trust has ever undertaken.

With exposure to the brutal weather being the major concern,

it's all being done under an enormous temporary shell.

So even when you're here

you start to appreciate the sheer scale of the job you've got.

What sort of size are we looking at?

The roof is approximately two football pitches.

That doesn't sound that big but there is more to it than that,

-isn't there?

-It would be simple if it was just two

flat football pitches. But there are 28 different roofs.

'With the roof stripped back, a new modern membrane will be laid.'

-This stuff.

-That's very different that there.

-Very different.

Very different.

This is the top two layers and they get hot-bonded together.

And it's not just the roof.

The £11 million weatherproofing job, funded in part by lottery money

and donations, includes mending the leaky windows and walls.

Being a Grade I listed property,

all the work must be carried out as sympathetically as possible.

The windows were a major problem here as well,

due to the what, the location of this site?

Pretty much, yeah. The exposure.

The lead cames - the bits that hold the glass together -

they started to break down. What we do is keep all the original glass.

These are all the original planes from this window

and if all gone back into the same location.

-These are the first two, out of 913.

-LAUGHING:

-No!

Something like 450 have been taken out so far.

They're currently being prepared off-site and they'll come back.

I can hear a lone power tool...

THEY LAUGH

I've done that job and it's a horrible job.

Basically drilling a masonry bit into the mortar.

How much mortar is going to need to be removed from here?

-64km of joints.

-64km of pointing.

-Yep.

-911 remaining windows to be replaced.

-Yep.

And two football pitches of roofs. All to be done when?

Hopefully to finish in the winter of 2016-2017, that's the plan.

-I wish you the best of luck, Tim.

-Thank you very much.

Really interesting.

For our second property,

we're off a little further inland to the village of Dunkeswell,

located in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Containing many classic thatch properties,

it's a small picturesque village with an active local community.

Up a country lane and overlooking the village is our second property.

Now then, let's step back a bit.

-We get the best view, I think, from this lawn.

-Lovely.

-Very impressive.

Yes, very nice again.

I like the stone, like the windows.

17th-century, but there's part of this building obviously a lot older.

-So, want to go inside?

-Yes, please!

-Please.

This renovated 17th-century farmhouse is Grade II listed.

Built from mellow local flintstone,

it's full of character

including a number of original beer stone mullioned windows.

-Nice wide door. Look at this entrance hall.

-Wow.

-Wowee!

-Some entrance hall.

-It certainly is.

-So let's start in living room.

-OK.

-What do you think?

-Nice, cosy room.

-Yeah.

Just a little bit on the dark side.

There's not a great deal of artificial light in this house

and I think that's one thing you might want to look into.

-Right.

-Let me show you one of the kitchens.

-One of the kitchens?

So, the kitchen.

-Very much a farmhouse kitchen, isn't it?

-Yes.

I think as a family kitchen it's not what we had imagined.

It is a little bit on the small side.

Yeah, it's just the way it's laid out.

Take a picture in your mind's eye of this,

-and follow me into the dining room.

-OK.

So now when you see this...

-Does it make you feel any differently about the kitchen?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-It puts a different complexion on it completely.

-And this is really...

-Yeah, I love the fireplace.

Love the fireplace as well.

There's loads of bedrooms to look at,

but I want to show you one particularly special one.

-Follow me.

-OK.

Also on the ground floor, as well as a front reception room,

there's a family room to the rear,

a large utility room which could be converted

into a professional baking kitchen for Vicki,

and another space currently used as an office.

Upstairs, we begin the tour of the six bedrooms.

-What do you think of this?

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-I take it this is the master suite.

-It... Well, yes. Or is it?

Cos there's a few...a few different options.

Yes, and I like the light coming in.

Now, that is a glorious en suite.

On this floor, you've got a lot of accommodation. You've got...

a double en-suite bedroom there.

You've got another double bedroom with a bathroom opposite.

Another double bedroom beyond that.

Then, beyond that, you've got a double bedroom,

what could be a dressing room,

and a bathroom to service just that master suite.

-So there'd be no more fighting over the master suite, then.

-No.

And I don't think anybody would be getting a raw deal, are they?

-No. But through here is something quite special.

-OK.

-So...

-Wow, what a surprise!

-Ah, the second kitchen.

Wow.

-Most unexpected.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah, I wasn't expecting that at all.

-This has been a self-catering holiday apartment.

-Yes, it's all pretty much ready to go.

Let's go outside and talk about the land

and talk about everything else that comes with it.

-The whole package, if you like. OK, lead the way.

-Thank you.

The property is set in just under an acre which surrounds the house.

There's a lawn garden and a parcel of land at the back.

But there's also some business potential for Vicki.

Those barns have previously had planning consent

for two two-bedroom self-contained holiday cottages.

Right, OK.

That's interesting.

We haven't talked price yet. So let's discuss that.

-£875,000?

-OK. Vicki?

I was going to say £850,000.

-The guide price for this is £775,000.

-Oh.

-Oh, that is a surprise.

-It is a surprise.

For £135,000 under their top budget,

this is a huge renovated 17th-century farmhouse

with no fewer than six bedrooms, five reception rooms,

and all full of period charm.

There's the option to let out a self-contained apartment

as well as convert the barns into holiday properties.

There's just under an acre of land which is what Rosemary asked for,

but maybe not what brother Chris was hoping for.

-So, pretty good day, then?

-It has. It really has been.

Yeah, it's been a good day.

Quite a bit of land at the back of this house, isn't there?

Yeah, it's quite a lot to look at.

-And hopefully got a bit to think about.

-Certainly have.

-Yep, definitely.

-Those barns are something else.

Good, I'm glad you like it. Let's go back.

I think Vicki and Rosemary seemed genuinely surprised

on the quality of houses we showed them yesterday.

But I think that's because we centred on the home aspect

of their property search.

So, for today's mystery house, we're going to be showing them something with a bit of enterprise.

Now, it's got a B&B element to it, some self-catering accommodation,

but I keep hearing about Chris, Rosemary's son and Vicki's brother.

He wants a rural business, maybe with a bit of land.

He might like this cos it's essentially a working farm.

For the mystery house, we're travelling further east

to the village of Musbury,

close to the Dorset border and just five minutes from the coast.

The River Axe runs through the west of the village

and it lies in the East Devon Way,

a 40-mile walking route through the Axe Valley.

Located along this Valley in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

and with views to die for, is our mystery house.

So, best spot to look at the house from, I think, is here

for your first impressions.

Very nice. Love the stone.

-You've seen what's over there?

-Yep.

-It's a farm.

Do you want to get back in the car and go home?

-BOTH:

-No!

-Definitely not.

-No.

First off, the building. What do you see?

Pretty stone farmhouse. Looks quite large.

-It's semidetached.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-OK?

-Right?

-To get you back on...

Look, you've got a bit quiet about that, haven't you?

THEY LAUGH

Well... Just, no, I'm reserving my judgment.

I can't wait to get inside.

It may be attached

but this 18th-century farmhouse offers masses of living and

sleeping accommodation, as well as a separate annexe for holiday lets.

Let's start off with one of the many reception rooms

-we have in this house.

-Right.

-It's very cosy.

-Another nice fireplace.

-Yes.

-What do you think of this floor? These lovely flags?

-I like it, actually.

-I think Mum has different ideas over this.

Hall, kitchens, utility rooms - I'm just not sure.

I'm not sure about main lounges.

The good thing about this house is that you could have

one of the reception rooms with a carpet in,

another reception room with stone, and you've still got a couple spare.

There are two further living rooms,

one of which is used as an office, and then the final downstairs

reception room - currently a dining room.

Wow!

-It's super.

-Yeah.

-Lovely dining room.

-That's what you call a dining room.

-Yes.

-So, four reception rooms.

-Who gets what? Is it one for each member of the family?

-It could be.

Pretty much, isn't it?

The last room downstairs is the all-important kitchen.

-A proper farmhouse kitchen for you to argue over.

-Yes, definitely.

-Definitely.

-This is a real farmhouse kitchen, isn't it?

-Yes.

There's still plenty of room for eating in here, isn't there?

-Yes, it's a proper family kitchen, isn't it?

-Yes, it's what we wanted.

-This has gone down pretty well, hasn't it?

-Yes.

-Very nice.

-So far, so good.

-Don't say it accusingly.

Vicki might be unsure about the good news continuing upstairs,

but I think she'll remain happy when she sees what's on offer.

There are four good-sized bedrooms,

one of which has an en-suite bathroom,

and on top of that, there's still the main suite.

-This is the master bedroom.

-Right.

-Wow, nice and light. Lovely views.

Views over your own land.

I just want to show you this room. It's amazing. Follow me.

As en-suites go, you don't get much better than this.

-Oh!

-No, you don't.

-Absolutely.

-Interesting feature in the corner.

-A sauna.

THEY LAUGH

-I've not seen one of these before in an en-suite.

-No.

Let's go back into the bedroom

and have a quick chat about what we've got here.

This is obviously the master suite.

Then, at the far end, you've got self-catering accommodation.

One up, one down.

-And that can get anything up to £600 per week in the peak season.

-Right.

That's very attractive.

So the house offers ready-to-go-income in the form

of a self-catering flat.

But there is also huge potential outside as it is currently

a working farm. And the land it comes with is considerable.

-Chris, he reckoned he wanted some land.

-Yes.

-You've got over 37 acres.

THEY LAUGH

Just a small parcel of land, then(!)

It's a perfect smallholding.

How much do you think it is?

It's certainly surpassed the budget, I think.

-I'd go 950.

-OK.

-No, I'd go more than that.

-990. Even 995.

-OK.

Well, the asking price for this property is offers around £935,000.

-OK. I like the word "offers."

-Yeah.

-I'm scared.

-That doesn't surprise me.

It's a proper mystery house

when it gets people out of their comfort zone.

It has given everything you've asked for and more.

This is your opportunity to go and discover everything here.

It's going to be a long few hours.

It's over the £910,000 budget but open to offers.

This 18th-century farmhouse has enough bedrooms

and reception rooms to give everyone the space they need.

There is a separate holiday annexe,

ready to go for immediate bookings.

And where this property really comes into its own is the 37 acres

of farmland for Chris to fulfil his dreams of keeping livestock.

Ladies, I've just realised that I didn't mention the pool, did I?

-BOTH: No.

-But we discovered it.

Why don't we find somewhere to have a bit of a discussion

and then we'll chat through everything after that?

-OK.

-Let's go.

So, ladies, after a bit of a time, are you close to a decision?

What's your current thoughts?

I don't think we've quite come to a decision.

I think, you know, there's definitely two houses

that feel like they're in the running.

-House number one. Definite possibility.

-Mm-hmm.

-And house number three.

-The mystery house!

-Yes.

They are two very different houses, aren't they?

House number one and the mystery house.

House number one is the safe option.

It's a bit of a project if you wanted to do something.

House number three is a completely different proposition.

What do you think your brother, Chris, would prefer?

I think, for him, the clear winner would be the mystery house.

It gives the land and the lifestyle I think he's really after.

If we sold some of the land possibly on the mystery house,

I think we would probably all go for that one.

Well, good. Let's hope it gets to the next stage.

I wish you both the very best of luck.

-Whatever happens, please let us know.

-We certainly will.

-Thank you.

It's not hard to see how a family of four adults

have struggled to find the right house for them.

Bearing in mind, well, each and every one of them

wants something slightly different from the same property.

I think we're at least halfway there with Rosemary

and Vicki opting for house number one.

The home itself seemed ideally suited for such a large family.

But I also hope, whilst they're down here in Devon, they at least

heed my advice and go for a second viewing at the mystery house.

When the other members of the family see the up-and-running

letting accommodation, along with all of that land,

well, you never know, it may well just work its charms.

I'm certainly looking forward to finding out.

See you next time.

Rosemary and Vicki went for second viewings on our first house

and the mystery house but decided the land

was not enough at the first and too much at the other.

Their search for a perfect package to suit the whole family continues.

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