Cornwall Escape to the Country

Welcome to today's Escape To The Country.

Now this is just a tiny part of what is the longest foot path

anywhere in the UK, but it started out life as a patrol route.

So where are we?

Well, join me in just a few moments and I'll tell you.

On today's show, we're helping a recently retired couple

who are partial to modern interiors.

-You like contemporary.

-Yeah.

-This is contemporary with a vengeance.

-Certainly is, isn't it?

And when it comes to sizing up properties,

they are spookily in sync.

-It is quite...

-BOTH:

-Unique.

Ah, what I said. We said that word together.

Well, today we are in Cornwall.

I'm standing on just a tiny fraction of the South West Coast Path.

It runs for some 630 miles.

It begins up in Somerset near Minehead,

then runs all the way around the 300 miles of the Cornish coast

before finally ending up at Poole, in Dorset.

Now, up until 1930, it was used by the coastguard

looking for smugglers stashing contraband

down there in the coves and caves.

But, of course, today it's popular with walkers and ramblers.

As you can see, it does afford, I think,

some of the most spectacular views of this dramatic coastline.

Stretching out into the Atlantic Ocean,

Cornwall is bordered by Devon to the east

and is Britain's westernmost county.

Here the sea is a constant theme.

The spectacular, deeply indented coastline

is close to 300 miles long.

With wave-pounded granite cliffs

and pristine villages wedged between craggy headlands.

With its own language and rich Celtic heritage,

the county has a unique and distinctive culture.

In April 2014, the Cornish people were formally declared

a national minority by the government,

joining the Scots, Welsh, and Irish.

The independent spirit here combined with exceptional scenic beauty

is what gives this county such an enduring appeal.

But what is it about this gorgeous county

that's attracted today's couple?

Well, time now to meet them and find out.

Carol and Keith, who met when Carol took a job as branch manager

of Keith's insurance company in 1984,

have been living in their five-bedroom home

in the town of Fleet, Hampshire for the last six years.

But since they sold the business three years ago,

they're ready to find a more rural home

where they can really enjoy their retirement.

The area we currently live in

is becoming more and more built up as time goes by.

We started to look about 18 months, two years ago for another property.

Principally in Cornwall

because that's where my daughter and family moved to.

Apart from the fact that I've loved Cornwall since I was a child

and I've always wanted to live in Cornwall in the country.

It's always been a dream of mine.

Tied in with Keith and Carol's quest for a country life

is a passion for horses.

Ellie, their much-loved horse-mad granddaughter in Cornwall,

is hoping her grandparents' new home

might conveniently come with a paddock where she can keep her pony.

But this is no hardship for Keith

who shares his granddaughter's equine interests.

I've been volunteering for Riding for the Disabled

for two or three years, I suppose.

I started doing it... A, because I like horses

and B, because I suppose when you retire

you think you ought to do something voluntary.

While Carol is also an animal lover and will enjoy helping out

with the horses, she'll be equally happy to occupy herself indoors.

I'm looking forward to a new start with the move.

Something to build on. I like looking after the home, really.

I'm a home-builder, I suppose.

-Carol gets a huge kick out of making a home.

-Mm.

-And she's good at it.

OK.

Carol and Keith would like to be within easy driving distance

of their family who live in Probus,

so we're focusing our search within an hour's drive of the village.

I'm catching up with them

to learn more about what they're looking for in the new home.

Well, Carol, Keith, welcome to Cornwall.

You are retired, but you're young and funky at heart,

-aren't you? You're into modern, open plan and all of that.

-Yes.

Oh, I love it. Yes, I love modern bathrooms, modern kitchens...

-It's motivated in part, this move, by family down here.

-It is.

My daughter lives down here with her family.

This also brings us on to the granddaughter and horses.

Her mother has said the only way she'll be able to have a horse

is if Nanny and Grandad keep it and look after it.

At their expense, admittedly.

-Because they don't want the tie.

-Yep.

So, whilst it's not something that has to be on the agenda,

if it so happened that we had the space then I guess

we would end up having horses.

And how many bedrooms do you need, Keith,

because you've got obviously family still in Hampshire

who are going to come and visit.

We tend to look for a minimum four bedrooms, not necessarily

because we need four bedrooms, but we do like large houses.

I know that there are only the two of us but we like space.

We talked about this modern feel,

-but you do kind of like the idea of a barn conversion.

-Yes.

That fits in, I think, for me

because barn conversions can look very attractive outside,

and for Carol because of the very open,

normally the very open interiors, high ceilings, and that suits her.

Many people also want quite lavish garden,

and vegetables and the rest of it, but that's not on your list, Carol.

No, it isn't.

I had our garden redone to make it easily maintainable.

Now you've given us £850,000 to spend,

which is a very generous budget here.

You want a big house, Keith.

We should certainly get you that for the money.

-We've got three to show you, including our mystery house.

-Lovely.

-Who knows? Drink up your tea and we'll get going.

-OK.

-Thank you.

With a very healthy budget of £850,000,

Carol and Keith would like a spacious home

with a modern, open-plan interior

that includes a large kitchen/diner and four bedrooms.

Outside, Carol is keen on a low-maintenance garden

while Keith would be tempted by a pony paddock.

And they're hoping to be within an hour's drive

of their family in Probus.

We have a fine selection of houses lined up to tempt them with,

but I won't reveal the prices until the end of each house tour.

One, of course, will be our mystery house,

which should more than meet their modern living requirements.

We're starting our search 15 miles west of Probus

in the village of St Agnes on the north coast.

This popular but unspoilt settlement

situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

has a creative local community

that supports a nice selection of independent shops and businesses.

An easy walk from the village centre

at the end of a quiet no through lane is our first property.

-What do you think?

-It's quite pretty, isn't it?

-Yeah?

-It's gorgeous.

-I think it's very funky.

-Really?

-I think it's very you.

-Really?

-Let's see if I'm right. Come on.

-Good.

The house was built in 1993, so it's a similar vintage

to Keith and Carol's current home.

But over the last two years, the owners here have done

some quite major renovations,

including adding a two-storey annexe.

-What do you reckon?

-Wow, this is a big room, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Is this the sort of funky, open-plan feel that you had in mind?

-Oh, yes.

-Yes, very much so.

-You like a large living room, don't you?

-I do.

-That's nice.

-I mean, the space in here is fabulous.

You could arrange this in any way you'd like.

Obviously, it's focused on that gorgeous,

-very contemporary wood burner there.

-Mm-hm.

-I think this is a great start.

-Mm-hm. Yes, I agree.

Well, let's explore further. Come and look at this.

This is your kitchen/diner.

-There.

-My goodness. Wow, that is big, isn't it?

Come through to the middle.

It's probably the best place to really see it.

-You talked about having a large sort of family room, family space.

-I did.

I think this is sort of it, really.

I mean, it's a big house this, but...it's cosy.

We like size and space and airiness and this has got it.

It's got even more size through here.

This room is really interesting.

This was the garage up until a couple of years ago.

What they've created is a really lovely one-bedroom annexe

because up there you got the bedroom and bathroom to go with it.

This could be for your guests.

You've also got this kitchen unit behind me.

-It's totally self-contained.

-Totally self-contained.

I'm just thinking if the family do come down for a long period of time,

-they can have the run of it.

-Absolutely.

Yes, and you're not in each other's way, are you?

So that's your guests taken care of.

Let's go back to the hallway and go up the main staircase

and there you've got another five bedrooms to play with.

Goodness.

-Including your master.

-This is a big house.

Upstairs in the original part of the house, there's a family bathroom

and those five bedrooms I mentioned, which are all of a decent size.

The biggest is the master.

-Oh, I like the size of that.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, just right.

-Perfect size for you.

-Yes.

It's got a very generous dressing area through there

and a really nice en suite behind that wall and mirror.

Yeah, that's a nice size.

Your seven foot wide bed will actually fit in here.

I think so, yeah.

-How wide?

-Seven foot.

-So it's a helipad, really.

Well, Keith and Carol's response to this modern roomy home

hasn't quite been as enthusiastic as I'd expected.

But I'm hoping the outside space will win them over.

There's a timber-decked area that wraps itself

around the back of the house providing a wonderfully sheltered

suntrap perfect for outdoor entertaining.

And beyond that is a really large lawn, lined with mature trees.

But it doesn't end there.

So, how much land is there?

Where does it end?

Well, we've got the garden behind us which you could do quite a lot with,

but you do get also get this paddock which is bounded by

these very mature hedges you can see in front of us on the three sides.

-Oh, you could play out there forever.

-Yeah.

So, how much is property number one on the market for?

-I'm going for £799,950.

-Very specific there. Keith?

I'm going to go a wee bit lower than that and say £775,000.

You're not far off, actually. It does begin with a seven.

-It's £795,000.

-Wow.

-You were closest.

-How do we feel about that?

-Um...

-It's below budget.

-It is below budget.

-Well below budget.

-We could do what we want to do with it, I think.

-Absolutely.

£55,000 below their maximum budget,

the stylishly renovated home definitely offers

the modern look and space Keith and Carol are after,

including a large kitchen/diner

five bedrooms, and that generous self-contained annexe.

And what's more, outside there are more than three acres of land

including a two-acre pony paddock for Keith.

Now, I think this was a great start.

-I can see it's got you thinking.

-Yes.

-But I suspect we've still got some way to go.

-You are very perceptive.

-Well, we've been doing this a little while.

-Very perceptive.

-I'm also pretty sure we could do with some lunch. Come on.

-OK.

Cornwall's rich coastline

offers one of Britain's finest marine environments,

and among the varied wildlife found around its shores is the grey seal.

Providing rescue and rehabilitation for these charismatic creatures

is the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

I'm meeting up with Jess Grove,

one of the centre's animal care assistants.

So, over 50 years, seals have been coming here

to get put back together again.

Give us an idea of the numbers that you deal with.

Each year we rescue between 40-60.

We have a really high success rate.

We try and release every one that we rescue over the winter

but occasionally we do have to keep one or two of them back.

-Let's go and see some seals, shall we?

-Yes, definitely. Let's go.

The sanctuary is a lifeline for seals found struggling to survive,

whether due to malnutrition, infection or injury.

Many of the casualties are pups

who've been separated from their mothers.

The seals receive medical treatment

and stay an average of three months to build condition.

After that, they are ready to be released back into the wild,

as close as possible to the location where they were first found.

Ah.

So, this is our convalescence pool.

And it's just been cleaned this morning, that's why it's empty.

So, in here we've got about 33 pups at the moment.

And you can see the guys there.

They're just checking everyone's all happy and healthy,

that they're all a good weight

and we don't have to keep an eye on anyone.

Grey seals are relatively rare, numbering 350,000 worldwide.

But close to half of that population is found in the UK,

where their numbers are stable,

thanks in part to the work of organisations like this one.

Now, they do look quite cute, it has to be said.

And many people might be tempted, if they saw a seal on a beach,

to wander up and try and pet it.

We should be absolutely clear that's a real no-no.

Yeah, definitely.

As a pup, you might disturb it from its mother,

causing it to be abandoned.

With an older seal, they do have a very sharp bite on them,

and often, if they're hauled out on a beach, they just want some sleep,

so do give them a bit of space.

The very few seals

that are diagnosed as unable to survive in the wild

become permanent, well-cared-for residents.

Like these guys,

who are the only common seals living at the sanctuary.

Hello. And who are you?

That's it. Tap your foot on the floor,

-she'll come target it with her nose.

-Just like that?

-Yes.

-Luna!

-HE LAUGHS

-What's that? Go on. Go on, then.

-Good girl. That's it.

-And you can give her a fish as well.

-That's incredible.

You can't be unhappy around them, they're too funny.

-Jess, it's been a real pleasure. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Continuing our search, we're heading 30 miles north

to the hamlet of Trenio,

three quarters of an hour's drive from the family in Probus.

And just over a mile away is the atmospheric fishing port of Padstow.

As one of the few safe harbours along Cornwall's rugged north coast,

it's provided a haven for seafarers and fishermen for centuries.

In more recent years,

the town's become a Mecca for foodies who flock

to the first-class restaurants that continue to spring up

in its beautifully age-worn narrow streets.

So plenty of dining out options for Keith and Carol

because our second offering is just a few minutes' drive from the town.

-There.

-That looks huge.

-That looks interesting.

Well, we've taken you at your word

when you said you quite like the idea of a barn conversion.

It's a typic... What I think of as a typical country home.

-It's beautiful.

-Yeah.

-Now, I know you want a low-maintenance garden.

-Yes.

-This is kind of most of it.

-It is. And it's actually great.

This would be covered in pots.

So this is one where if you're interested in riding, Keith,

it's down the road.

And there's a stables a mile away.

With livery and all the rest of it.

Or, maybe you could just take the kids riding...

and save yourself all the hassle of having all those acres.

-That would be perfect.

-Well, let's see what you think.

Let's have a look. Come with me.

The property, which is made of local Cornish stone,

was originally two separate barns.

In 2006, the buildings were linked to create one very large home.

Let's start in here.

Come in and enjoy the space.

What a lovely room.

That's very pretty. Very pretty.

That's a working fire, not a gas look-alike.

-It's got a lovely feel to it, doesn't it?

-Yep.

Good. Let's continue through here and have a look at the dining room.

'Well, I'm delighted by Carol and Keith's

'response to the house so far.

'Continuing through from the living room,

'there's an attractive dining room

'with double doors that give it plenty of light.

'Beyond that, there's a room

'I'm particularly eager to show them.'

-Come and look at this.

-This is, I think, extraordinary. Oh, wow.

THEY LAUGH

-Oh, that is...

-Oh, that is beautiful.

-Yeah?

-Truly, truly impressive.

-Yes.

Lovely range there.

-But the striking feature is, of course, the curve.

-Yes.

Stunning.

BOTH: Unique.

Oh, she said what I said. We said the word together.

It is unique. It is gorgeous.

-It really is gorgeous.

-Let's continue. Let's do the curve.

-Look at this sweeping arc. It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-It is.

This curvaceous kitchen is the point at which the second barn

was linked to the rest of the house, adding a whole lot more space,

including a reception room and two en-suite double bedrooms.

On the floor above, there's a storage room and a third bedroom.

So, we're now into... I'm going to call it cottage.

I mean, it's ludicrous to call it an annexe.

Leading off of it you've got these en-suite bedrooms.

-Yes.

-Lovely.

Well, Keith and Carol said they loved space

and they've got plenty here for visiting friends and family.

And back in the original part of the property,

there are still more rooms to explore.

So up here we start with a kind of study/landing area.

You could have it as just another little, private sitting room.

It leads on to your master suite.

-Which is here.

-That's nice, isn't it?

-Delightfully pretty again.

-Yeah?

Another pretty one. Yeah.

Through there you've got bathroom only.

No shower in it at the moment, but it wouldn't be a huge effort

to make that into a shower over the bath.

Then that leads onto another bedroom which is again en suite.

It's got a lovely feel, the whole house.

All the rooms are very comfortable, very cosy.

So, I wonder how much it's worth.

Shall we go outside and consider?

-Why not?

-Yes.

-Let's hope it's good news, eh? Come this way.

Despite being less modern and less open-plan

than the first property we showed them,

Carol and Keith seem really taken with this one.

It doesn't have as much land as our first house

or a pony paddock for Keith,

but the approximately quarter of an acre of grounds

are made up of attractive paved areas and beds of mature shrubs

which offer Carol that low-maintenance

outdoor space she's hoping for.

You guessed first last time, so, Keith, you've got £850,000 to spend.

Will it do it here?

-I'd say about 800.

-800, yeah.

I'm going to say 845.

It isn't 845.

This could be yours for £825,000.

-I'm surprised.

-It's taken you a bit by surprise, hasn't it?

It has, actually, because it is a beautiful house.

£25,000 under their maximum budget,

this immaculately-renovated stone property

is made up of not one, but two converted barns,

which Keith and Carol are keen on.

There are five bedrooms and that beautifully crafted curved kitchen.

It doesn't come with land for a pony,

but it does have a generous paved area

with an easy-to-care-for garden for Carol.

What a day. A day of two halves, really.

We started with something new and we've ended with something old

and, who knows?

Maybe we've cracked it.

Maybe we have.

-We could do. It's a lovely house.

-Yes.

But there is one more to come. Mystery house tomorrow morning.

-That should be interesting.

-Come on, let's go and have supper.

Well, as we head out on our final day of house hunting

here in Cornwall with Keith and Carol,

I'm beginning to wonder if my understanding of modern, open-plan,

is really the same as theirs.

Property one yesterday fulfilled all of their criteria and more

whilst property two, being far more traditional,

seemed to get more of a response.

But they were very clear about their brief.

So, taking them at their word,

our marvellously-modern mystery house could really test them.

In fact, it's so exceptional,

it's very 21st century.

Journeying 15 miles up the north coast we reach Port Isaac,

three quarters of an hour's drive from the family in Probus,

and the final stop on our search.

Tucked away in a steep-sided cove,

this quintessentially Cornish fishing village

is famed for its crab and lobster catch,

its welcoming pubs and beautiful, old whitewashed cottages.

On the outskirts of the village

occupying a gorgeous hilltop setting

is our one-of-a-kind mystery house.

This is very exciting.

Come over here. Take it all in.

What do you think of that, madam?

Wow, it looks very light.

It must be light, look at the windows.

It is fantastically efficient as a new-build.

Very eco-friendly.

Overlooking Port Isaac.

That's fantastic.

Wait till you see inside. It's crazy, this.

Clad in distinctive red cedar,

this standout home was built just over ten years ago

and was designed by award-winning architects.

What about this, then?

My goodness.

Yes, my goodness indeed.

That is a surprise.

-It's a lot to take in in one go, isn't it?

-You like contemporary.

-Yeah.

-This is contemporary with a vengeance.

Certainly is, isn't it?

It doesn't come much more open-plan than this.

-You know, the kitchen-diner is enormous.

-Yes, yeah.

It is huge, isn't it?

It is very unusual.

-Isn't it just?

-I've never seen anything like this, never.

-But I get the feeling it's quite pleasing, Keith.

-I...

I've heard you use the word funky,

and that is a great description of what I'm seeing.

THEY LAUGH It really is.

The central living space has certainly made an impact,

and I'm pretty sure the sitting room next door will impress, too...

..with its excellent views out to Port Isaac.

There's the wood burner. Nice, traditional feel to that, actually.

-Providing a nice focus, I think.

-Yes, I like the slate hearth.

For the room, yeah. Very simple, very functional.

I just can't take my eyes off of that view through those French doors.

That is just...amazing.

Well, the view is even better upstairs.

Also on the ground floor just off the kitchen area

there's a utility room,

and next to that is a study.

Upstairs, the wonderfully unique,

slightly curved gallery

leads us to the first of three bedrooms.

There.

Even more views for you.

Oh, wow. Look at that, Keith.

-Just gets better, doesn't it?

-Yes.

This is currently the master bedroom.

The bathroom is right next door.

Although the bedroom's not that big,

you're borrowing the size from out there.

It's a very good point to make.

What's going through your mind here, Carol?

I'm not sure if the bedroom is quite big enough for me.

I mean, there is a bigger double at the other end,

so you might be able to kind of think about

putting yourself at the other end. You can have a look a bit later on.

Do you lose to view at the other end?

Well, you do. That's why it's here.

Let's take a glance at the rest of it,

-and then we'll go outside and talk about the price.

-OK.

They love the view,

but it seems perhaps the room isn't quite big enough

to accommodate that 7ft bed.

In-between the two larger bedrooms at either end of the house

is a third, smaller room.

Heading outside, the property sits on around a fifth of an acre.

And, to make the most of its fabulous elevated position,

the deck we enter from spans the full length of the house

and the hot tub comes with it.

Well, the weather really has created -

I think - the final scene for us here at this property.

As a scene, it couldn't be bettered. You couldn't make it up.

Let's think about the money then, our final price guess of the week.

-You can go first then.

-OK.

I think, because of the view, it will demand a higher rate,

and I'm guessing at...850.

Well, this is a difficult one

because it's unique.

860, 875?

This is on the market for £800,000.

I'm amazed.

That's lower than I would have expected for something like this,

despite the size.

It is the smallest property we've shown you, obviously,

-but I think, as a mystery house, it's worked really well.

-Yes.

I think actually, if I'm honest, Keith,

-you're more into this than you are, Carol.

-I think so.

It's something a lot of people would only ever dream about.

Below their maximum budget by £50,000,

our very contemporary mystery house certainly has the open-plan living

Keith and Carol said they were after

with its huge double-height kitchen-dining space.

It only has three of the four bedrooms they were hoping for,

but it does have those terrific views.

I think you've got a lot of thinking to be getting on with

because I suspect there is a decision to be made soon.

-I think so.

-You're right, yeah.

-Come on, then. Let's go and think.

-OK.

You know, I think we've spoilt you this week.

Here we are, finishing up in a nice little cafe, overlooking the coast.

-It's all rather lovely, isn't it?

-It is lovely.

But how are you feeling, most importantly?

I think I'm slightly confused,

because I actually think I rather like the second property.

The rooms were separate...

They flowed beautifully.

What happens next, then?

I have got reservations on the fact that there's very little land,

so I think I need to consider

whether I can forget the style of living

that I was considering having, namely with the land,

and living more with the house itself

and the opportunities for activities in the area.

Only being a mile from Padstow,

the thought of sailing or boating comes to mind.

See, I think you've got so many things to tempt you with

in and around here that, quite frankly,

having a few acres to look after

almost might be a bit of a burden actually.

-Could be too much.

-You have got a point.

We would certainly like to go back and have another look,

and to have another look perhaps around the immediate area.

Guys, it's been a real pleasure.

-Let us know how you get on.

-We will.

-We will, obviously.

Thank you very much. It's been enormous fun.

Now, as with any property hunt, our buyers can challenge us

with a potentially limitless number of requirements.

But making sense of them, well, that is the trick.

And I think this week with Keith and Carol,

there's been a case in point.

We started out trying to follow a very specific wish list

but, as it is, with property number two,

they've ended up with something they really weren't expecting.

Once again, the Cornish property market has not disappointed us.

Now all I've got to do is go home.

So remember that coastal path we started the show with?

Well, I think I'll try that.

Should only take me a couple of weeks.

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