Wiltshire Escape to the Country

I'm standing in the flight path of a daring aviator,

who took to these skies 1,000 years ago.

Find out more in just a moment.

Today, a green-fingered home-buyer goes in search of the perfect

garden paradise.

-Pond, greenhouse, vegetable garden.

-Oh, this is nice.

This is very nice.

But her property wish list seems to be a movable feast.

Originally, you said,

"Oh, I'm going to live in the kitchen-diner and I'll have one more room."

-Now you want a piano room and a...

-A study.

No, I don't need a piano ROOM, but I need space for a piano.

Today, we are in Wiltshire.

And this is Malmesbury Abbey, where, in the 11th century,

there was a truly amazing attempt at human flight.

A brave, or you could say foolhardy

Benedictine monk by the name of Eilmer, strapped wings onto himself

and jumped off a tower to prove that humans could defy gravity.

He managed to stay in the air for an amazing 15 whole seconds

and travelled 200 metres before crashing to the ground,

breaking both his legs.

So it wasn't a complete success, but it was literally

a ground-breaking moment in Wiltshire's history.

Sitting pretty in the south-west of England,

landlocked Wiltshire is surrounded by six counties,

including Somerset, Gloucestershire and Dorset.

It may not be as recognised as its neighbours,

but it has still got plenty to shout about.

Much of its landscape is farmland, with sweeping 360-degree views

over crop-filled fields, dense woodlands and grazing livestock.

Many of the county's perfectly preserved villages,

like Lacock and Castle Combe in the north-west, are steeped in history,

and visiting them is like stepping back in time.

Stone houses with brick chimneys stand tall along narrow lanes,

wooden beams protrude from whitewashed facades

and ornate windows gaze out from an eclectic mix of buildings

in shades of red and brown.

Together, this blend of beautiful countryside

and magnificent architecture gives Wiltshire a unique look.

So let's meet today's buyer and find out what attracted them

to the rural charms of this county.

Gardening enthusiast Rosie has enlisted

the help of sister-in-law Caz in her search for a new home.

She has decided to wave goodbye to the Victorian house she has lived in

near Clapham Common, in south-west London, for the past eight years.

It's a lovely area. It's very quiet, very green. And I love London.

But it is time for something different. It is time for a change.

Rosie is pleased to have a kindred spirit to help her move

away from the city.

It's really nice for me cos I didn't have a sister.

And so having a lovely sister-in-law is fantastic.

Caz is really good at houses.

-We have a similar taste.

-We have similar taste.

-In houses.

And so I respect her views as well.

It is Rosie's number one hobby that is the driving force

behind her move out of London.

What I'm looking for is a much bigger garden.

I have become a very keen gardener.

And I have done a lot of work on my garden.

And it even has its own website and blog full of video.

And it can come with me wherever I go.

And so the blog will continue with the new garden.

Our buyer isn't leaving the Big Smoke on her own,

so the pair have two others to consider in the move.

I will be moving with my two dogs - Pickle and Lottie.

I hope that they will enjoy it

because they'll have a much bigger lawn, a much bigger garden.

She may be taking her four-legged friends with her,

but sociable Rosie will be moving to a new area

and leaving her many London friends behind her.

-I'm not going to know anybody when I get there.

-No.

You know, this is a new life for me.

So I've got to make new friends, meet new people.

And so I am determined to join lots of clubs.

Although Rosie has lived in London all her adult life,

she was brought up in the country

and is looking forward to moving closer to her roots.

I am looking to move to Wiltshire. Because it is a beautiful county.

It is within striking distance of London.

And it's a little bit closer to my family in Worcestershire

than London is.

Oh, it will be lovely. It means we can see a lot more of her.

So, with her house sold

and the 16,000 followers of her gardening blog

ready to read about her escapades in a new garden,

our buyer is raring to go.

-I think it is time to move on a bit, don't you?

-It's very exciting.

It is very exciting.

Rosie is happy to consider anywhere in Wiltshire, as long as she is

not too remote and ideally on the edge of a village.

So, before we start our search,

I want to chat to Rosie to find out exactly what she is dreaming of.

-Welcome to Wiltshire.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Now, Rosie, it is your house tour, but I'm very conscious

-you are here to give moral support, Caz.

-Yes.

-Where is your speciality?

Is it more the houses or the garden?

-The houses, definitely.

-What are you looking for in the house?

I'd like to have three to four bedrooms,

a very large kitchen-dining room, if possible,

with French doors or the possibility of creating French doors

directly onto this beautiful garden.

So this is so you continue your garden blog,

so you can rush out and film things.

-Yes.

-And four bedrooms? That is quite a lot of bedrooms.

-You mean for one person?

-Yes.

Well, I mean, I have quite a lot of clothes,

-but I have a very large family.

-So I suppose you can come and stay.

Yeah, we're all going to come and stay with Rosie.

Now, tell me about the garden.

What is your sort of daydream of your perfect garden?

Well, it would probably be a third to a quarter of an acre. Not too huge.

What about the location?

Are you looking for something remote or a bit more village-y?

I'm looking for village-y and sort of edge-of-village,

like everybody else.

Because I'm single, I want to be able to join a community.

What else? Any dealbreakers?

Yes, broadband.

The broadband has to be at a sort of reasonable level.

The other thing is that thatched cottages are something

I'm not really interested in, for two reasons -

one is the expense of the thatch, but the other is, they're always

very eaved at the top floor and I have quite a large art collection,

with big paintings. And so, you can't hang them on short walls.

So, thatch is a no-no. Tell me about your budget.

I can stretch to 600,000 if it is sort of ready to walk into.

-Well, we do have some lovely properties.

-How exciting.

And it is a beautiful county and beautiful weather,

-perfect house-viewing weather.

-Indeed.

-So let's not hang around, let's go and view some.

-OK.

-Follow me.

-Perfect.

Rosie has a substantial budget to swap her city pad

for a country dwelling,

but she is expecting her money to stretch quite far.

She wants a three-to-four-bedroom period property

with a large kitchen-diner,

with doors opening onto a well-kept garden.

Good broadband speeds are important to be able to keep up

her gardening blog.

And she'd love to be near a vibrant village,

where she can become a face in the local community.

We've scoured the county and selected three fantastic properties

to help Rosie make the transition out of the capital.

And the house's price tag will only be unwrapped

after she has paid it a visit.

Our last stop will be to the mystery house,

which should both shock and please Rosie in equal measure.

We are beginning our tour of Wiltshire in the south-west of the

county, in the village of Hindon, 19 miles west of the city of Salisbury

and located in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Award-winning Hindon holds the title of Best Kept Village in Wiltshire.

It has a great community feel with many clubs

and two pubs for locals to get to know one another.

Just behind the high street is our first property.

Here we have property number one.

Wow, really cute.

-Very pretty.

-I love the mix of the stones and the brick.

-Mm. It's local stone from the local quarry.

-Yeah.

Originally, this house was 17th century

and actually would have been... Well, it was a thatch.

But luckily for you, they've stripped the thatch off.

Or actually, it was burnt off in the 1700s.

It was two cottages and it has been converted into one.

-Immediate impression is - the garden is quite small.

-Yes.

-This is not all of the garden.

-Good.

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Love to.

The rest of the garden is concealed behind the character cottage,

to be revealed later.

But first, the inside.

And the burning question is, will the kitchen live up to Rosie's

great expectations as the most important room in her house?

-Wow!

-Oh, wow, that's nice.

Gosh! That's amazing.

No, this is wonderful. And look at that size.

I can sit and work there and look out

and go out of the French doors - perfect!

If you come through here,

this will be your sitting area with your French doors.

Wow!

How did you find this? It's amazing.

-This is beautiful.

-It is.

Now, importantly for you, the present owners have told me

they have ten megabytes per second download speeds here.

-Oh, wow.

-Is that good?

-Yes.

Exactly what you need.

Folding doors from the kitchen lead through to the sitting room.

-It used to be a sort of UPVC conservatory.

-Yes.

The present owners have put these beams in and taken it right up

to height and made a sort of permanent building.

-Bless them!

-It's lovely.

-I hate conservatories.

-I mean, I asked for one set of French doors onto a garden.

-You've got...

-This is two.

-Two.

You are already doing 200% better than I expected.

I must say, I'm delighted.

Rosie certainly knows what she likes and what she doesn't

and we already seem to have struck gold in our first house.

I don't want to talk to soon, though.

I just hope she is as happy with the first floor as we walk

through the hallway study and head upstairs.

This end is your private master suite.

Wow.

-Oh.

-Completely separate from the rest of the house

with a door at the bottom so you can be completely private.

-Yes.

-Lovely, big en suite, sort of wet room/bathroom.

Fantastic.

But from a small double bedroom in London, this is somewhat tighter.

Well, let me talk you through the bedrooms.

Because in the guest wing, you have a double and a small single.

And then a very nice bathroom for that wing.

So it is really sort of 2.5, three bedrooms if you are an estate agent.

But there is also planning permission longer-term

above where the log burner is

to take that out a little bit further and up.

Rosie's enthusiasm hasn't carried upstairs,

but I can't wait to show her the garden, which, with the kitchen,

is the most important part of the property for her.

This is the entirety of your garden.

This portion and the bit on the other side.

Where is my greenhouse? Where is my pond?

For a start, you didn't mention a greenhouse

and a pond in your wish list, but go on.

I'm a gardener, I propagate. I need a greenhouse.

-You can create one.

-But it has got to fit on the lawn somewhere.

It is going to be very difficult to plant as many trees and

as many roses and shrubs and things like that as I need in this garden.

The house seemed to score high points.

And the garden, obviously, is a question mark.

The other factor is, of course, the money.

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

-I think about 545.

-Mm-hm.

I would say 465.

-OK. So this is on the market for 595.

-Whoa!

That's a lot for a kitchen.

You can look as cross as you like at me,

but I didn't put it on the market at that price.

I thought it'd be slightly less just because it's not quite so big,

but it is in a lovely spot.

It is in a lovely spot.

It is in a lovely spot, it is a wonderful, wonderful kitchen

that meets the brief totally.

This rather unusual stone and brick cottage is just £5,000

under the top end of our buyer's budget.

And although it doesn't quite give her the amount of land

she'd like to feature in her blog,

the fabulous kitchen is what her dreams are made of.

The property is right in the heart of the village,

where sociable Rosie could become part of the local community.

How are you feeling?

-Disappointed.

-Oh! I hate that.

-Still, we've got more houses to see.

-Yes.

-Come with me.

The diverse county of Wiltshire may be landlocked,

but it has a very important waterway running through it.

The Kennet and Avon Canal stretches for 87 miles,

connecting Bristol - on the River Avon - to Reading, on the Thames.

Opened in 1810, it took 16 years to construct

and was essential as a faster method

than sea to transport goods between cities.

Close to the canal's highest point, near Marlborough,

sits the Crofton Pumping Station, a remarkable feat of engineering

which allows boats to travel to the top of the hill and continue their journey.

I've come to meet the pumping station's chairman, John Willis.

John, it looks like one of those amazing pieces of Victorian wizardry,

with pumps and bells, is it?

-It is. It was built in 1809.

-Wow.

And it houses the oldest working beam engine in the world.

And so the water is basically pumping from this pond here up,

-is that correct?

-That's right.

This is the highest natural point of water.

And it pumps the water from there just up 40 feet

to the summit of the canal.

In the 1950s, the pumping station became redundant,

and after a major restoration project, was reopened in 1972.

At the heart of the operation is the boiler room,

which generates the power to make the pumping possible.

-Wow! Look, they are like works of art.

-It is a work of art.

This is a Lancashire boiler.

It weighs about 22 tonnes.

And it holds 18,000 litres of water.

Wow! And in terms of the coal, how much do you use?

We use about a tonne and a quarter.

The boiler heats water to create steam,

which travels along pipes into the engine room.

-Ooh!

-Come through to the driving platform.

John uses ornate, wrought iron levers to control the valves

which let the steam into the engine, which starts the mechanism.

Now, this is gravity pulling it back up?

That's gravity taking it back up again.

-And I'm controlling how fast it goes back up.

-I see.

The engine is like a giant seesaw.

The steam pushes the piston of one end down,

lifting the pump on the other end of the beam,

drawing the water up 40 feet from the reservoir outside

before pumping it into a channel, leading to the summit of the canal.

It's a quiet...quiet old lady.

ALISTAIR CHUCKLES

-Oh, there you go.

-There we go. It is now running by itself.

-Very simple, elegant piece of early automation.

-Incredible.

Each time a boat passes, it must travel through six locks.

And this handsome beam engine has to work for 10 to 15 minutes

to replace the water at the summit

that has been used to allow the boat to pass.

Wow! And there it is.

So this is the water coming out.

-That is amazing.

-So every stroke, a tonne of water comes out.

Thank you so much for taking time out.

-Thank you very much for coming.

-Thanks, John.

-Thank you.

For our second property, we are travelling

to the west of the county, to the village of Sutton Veny,

just three miles south-east of Warminster

and 20 miles north-east of the cathedral city of Salisbury.

Found in the Wylye Valley,

Sutton Veny is surrounded by farmland and fields,

perfect for a gentle stroll with the dogs.

The village, with its assortment of architectural styles,

is shrouded in history, with the Grade II listed St Leonard's Church

dating back to the 12th century.

A lane, leading from the centre of the village,

takes us to our second property, a house of two parts.

-Is it the whole house?

-It is the whole house.

-Nice lane.

-Lovely lane. Really pretty views onto the fields.

In terms of the house, historically, it is quite interesting

because you've got an older part of the house,

which dates from the 18th century,

and then a second house that was built next to it

as sort of a companion, almost 70 years later, so in the 19th century.

You were disappointed with the garden at the last property,

-so we're going to start with the garden here.

-Lovely.

A perfect garden is crucial to Rosie,

so rather than leaving the best till last,

I want her to get excited straightaway,

which will hopefully stand us in good stead once we step inside.

You wanted some views.

-Mm.

-Oh, a ready-made pond!

-Pond, greenhouse, vegetable garden.

-Oh, this is nice.

-This is very nice.

-This is nice cos you could do lots with this.

-This is more you.

-Yeah.

It is a much better setting.

Is a very peaceful, very pretty setting.

-Good, so shall we have a look inside the house?

-Yeah, love to.

Well, my little plan has worked.

And I think I have got both Rosie and Caz onside.

Now I just need the inside to live up to its outdoor counterpart.

Step in. It's going to be hard to compete with the last kitchen.

-Oh!

-But...

This is what it is.

You've got the utility room.

-Not French doors into the back garden yet, but a stable door.

-Yes.

And then the kitchen here. And if you come through here...

This has really been opened up.

This was the back wall of the property,

and they have knocked this through.

I think it is more you.

-Do you?

-Mm.

-It's not the same wow as the last one.

-It's different.

It's a different wow. But it might be a wow.

I must say, Rosie is a tough cookie.

But she said it, it might be a wow.

Now, moving onto the front of the house, is the sitting room,

featuring striking exposed beams

and an inglenook fireplace as its focal point.

Wow. That is quite a fireplace.

Nice, big window. And a double aspect.

-Is it big enough?

-Um, yes, if it is the sort of front drawing room.

What do you mean, the front drawing room?

-If there is another drawing room.

-I haven't mentioned the piano, have I?

Oh, no. There is not another room, this is your lot.

-Originally, you said, "I'm going to live in the kitchen-diner and I'll have one more room."

-Yes.

-Now you want a piano room and...

-A study.

I don't need a piano ROOM, but I need space for a piano.

And if you remember, you said, "Four bedrooms, that is quite a lot for one person." And I explained why.

-Keep your hair on.

-OK.

-Come with me.

-ROSIE CACKLES

Heading upstairs, a wooden staircase

leads to a galleried landing.

-This originally was a four-bedroom property.

-Right.

But the owners knocked through all the rooms to make two.

So this was originally a bedroom, which they

have turned into a sort of study.

You could reinstate it as a bedroom by putting in a stud wall.

There is another big bedroom there, which is the spare room.

-And then they turned another bedroom into a bathroom.

-OK.

A door from the landing leads to the master bedroom,

overlooking the fields at the front of the property.

I like stripped floorboards. And the fireplace.

Lovely. And it's got beautiful windows throughout the house.

-And lovely window ledges.

-Mm.

It is a very charming room.

There may be less bedrooms than Rosie would like,

but she still seems charmed by what she has seen so far.

She has already fallen for the garden, but I want to take her

outside again to show her the possibilities of this lovely home.

Even though it is in a conservation area,

there is the possibility to pull out the back an extra four metres,

so extend it basically to the end of this sort of little terrace area,

which could give you a very nice sort of, like, sunny sort of

addition to the kitchen.

So, when they built the carport, it's a very finely constructed

green oak construction and it has got very strong joists.

The top part was always designed so it could be boarded over

and turned into living quarters.

Obviously, you'd probably want to put dormers in.

You can see, it has already got the window at the top.

There's the possibility you could convert that into some more space.

It would depend on the price, wouldn't it?

Ah, well, you bring us around to that very issue.

How much do think it is on the market for?

I think it will be about 525.

-Ah-ha.

-I think it is on the market for...

about...

565?

Well, in this case, Caz is completely right.

It's actually on the market for 525.

Which does give you, you know, up to your top budget, another £75,000.

Yeah.

A healthy £75,000 under the top end of Rosie's budget,

this character cottage would give her plenty of change to make

improvements and additions to the home to make it suit her.

It may be smaller than she'd like,

but there's the option to convert the two bedrooms back to three

and it has a garden that would be a sanctuary for her and her dogs.

Perched on the edge of a village, there are

plenty of options for Rosie to have a full and fruitful social life.

-We are done, so shall we have a night off?

-OK.

Another beautiful day of house-hunting here in Wiltshire.

And it was very painful to see Rosie's disappointment yesterday.

The first house - the garden too small.

The second house - the house too small.

And it did make me think, you know, she doesn't want to downsize,

but even though Wiltshire is cheaper than London, I'm not

sure it is half as cheap, so there has to be some compromises.

Although, with the mystery house, we are

doing our best to give her what she wants - a big garden, a big house.

But as always, with a twist.

For our final visit,

we're travelling 7.5 miles north-west of Sutton Veny

to the village of Corseley, just ten minutes' drive

from Warminster and close to the Somerset border.

Corseley is in the shadow of the Longleat Estate,

with stunning views encircling it.

With our mystery house, we are taking a bit of a risk

and going slightly off brief,

showing Rosie this picture-perfect worker's cottage.

Ta-dah!

-You were right, Caz.

-Oh!

-It has got a thatch.

-It's very pretty.

It's got nice views.

-Look at the garden. And this is not all the garden.

-Oh.

-Right up to those trees at the back.

-Ah. Now, that is exciting.

-Yeah!

So, for the mystery house,

we thought we'd bring you to a thatch.

I think this property has only been on the market a week

-and it gives a lot of what you are looking for.

-Great.

-Plus it has got a thatch.

-Yes.

You can see, this is actually quite an unusual thatch in

-the sense that it is a double-height house and then a thatch on top.

-Yes.

-I love it. I love the black and white.

-I do.

I think it is a very pretty shape.

-Well, let's have a look inside.

-OK.

The exterior of this beautiful four-bedroom,

Grade II listed cottage has already won Rosie over,

despite the thatched roof she thought she didn't want.

I just hope she feels the same about the interior, which is

just oozing charm and character.

The front door leads straight into the dining room.

Step inside.

Into the 17th century.

Wow.

-Oh, wow.

-Gosh.

Amazing.

-What are your first impressions?

-I love it.

-Really?

-I do, yeah.

It is a very different offering from the first house, which was immaculately finished.

-Let's explore the sitting room.

-OK.

-Remember, this was the outside wall of the original cottage.

-Right.

This is an extension that they've put on since they have lived here.

Lovely.

-It's very nice.

-It's very nice.

-Thumbs up?

-Yes, looking good so far.

Let's look at the kitchen.

Back through the dining room, a cosy snug leads to the

all-important kitchen, which has windows to the front of the house.

-This is where it gets a bit tighter.

-Yes.

It does, but you could do things.

Yes, as long as one can knock walls down.

If one is allowed to.

Yeah, well, this is the other thing to remember,

this is a listed building, Grade II listed.

-With consent, you can, of course, take out internal walls.

-Yes.

-But you'd have to have an RSJ or something like that.

-Yes.

Even though the kitchen is a bit small, we do have...

-four bedrooms...

-No!

-Yay!

-..in this house.

A door from the snug takes us up to the stairway.

It's through here.

Unlike many thatched cottages, the upstairs rooms in this one

have plenty of wall space for Rosie to hang her artwork.

This is actually quite a small room, it's not the biggest of rooms,

but I wanted to show you, because it does illustrate that it

has flat walls, just to prove

-that not all thatched cottages are eave-y.

-That's true.

And it is nice and sunny. It is nice and bright.

-And it is quirky as well, it's not square.

-No.

-Which is rather nice.

-Yes.

Across the landing is another room with a view to the front...

One overlooking the rear...

And the master bedroom, plus en suite, which is

also at the back of the house.

There is also a family bathroom.

Back downstairs, and Rosie and Caz

had a glimpse of the gardens from the front. But at the back,

they'll get the full picture of this gorgeous cottage's setting.

It's lovely when you can have different parts of the garden,

-isn't it?

-Yeah.

This is one of my favourite bits of the garden

-cos it has got this lovely view.

-Oh, look at that.

I think the views are fantastic.

It is beautifully planted as well.

How much do you think this property with its...

They say it's a third of an acre, I think it is probably a bit more.

Anyway... How much do you think it is on the market for?

It's a tricky one.

I will be consistent and say 565 again.

I would go possibly 615.

Interesting, because this property is actually on the market for...

-£545,000.

-Oh, Rosie!

-Wow.

-So under both your guesses.

-Yours considerably.

-Mine considerably.

And at £55,000 under Rosie's top budget,

she would have plenty of cash spare to make changes to the property

so it suits her and her needs.

It has got just the number of bedrooms she wants,

a fabulous garden

and it sits in the heart of a vibrant village.

Have you had your thinking caps on?

-ROSIE SIGHS Yes.

-That was a big...

That was a positive sigh or a negative sigh?

-It was an "I don't know" sigh.

-That's good. I'll settle for that.

We are going to take you away from here and we're

going to find somewhere quiet where we can talk about all the houses.

-OK.

-On you go.

So, tell me where you are at.

Where have we left you after our week's house-hunting?

I'm not really sure, is the truth.

I definitely wouldn't buy house number one or house number two.

Mm, good. Let's move on to house number three then.

It's tempting because it is so beautifully located

and has such a lovely garden.

I'm concerned, though,

about the costs involved in turning it into

what would be more suitable for me.

I would need to re-jig the whole of the ground floor.

Also, I'm sure I would have to do something about the flat roof.

-And that has got to be thatched.

-Can I bring you in, Caz?

What do you think about what Rosie has just said?

I do think house number three is worth thinking about.

I mean, you couldn't pick a better location. It is in a beautiful spot.

Whereas you can do things inside a property,

but you can't always find a good spot.

What will happen next?

I think it is, as Caz says, it is worth thinking about.

I mean, we've only just seen it.

I loved the garden. I loved the view.

But I didn't fall in love with the house.

Well, in whatever little way we helped, I'm glad that we did.

-And I wish you all the best in your house hunt.

-Thank you very much.

We've had a wonderful time.

Well, when you do find your perfect home,

-make sure you send us the details.

-I will.

Rosie is a force of nature.

I'm not entirely sure whether she didn't just tell us that we

told her nothing new about Wiltshire or

whether we opened her eyes to some new possibilities, ie - a thatch.

In any case, it was a pleasure showing her and you around

the county, so do join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

Not long after we met Rosie,

her perfect country home came onto the market.

It is on the Wiltshire-Dorset border, just south of Hindon,

where she viewed our first house.

And it has got the French windows opening onto the large garden

she dreamed of.

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