0:00:02 > 0:00:05This grand edifice behind me could be mistaken for one of our country's
0:00:05 > 0:00:09magnificent cathedrals. But it's actually a parish church, which in
0:00:09 > 0:00:12the 15th century served a town of just 400 people.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Find out why it's so big,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and indeed where I am in just a few moments.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38On today's show we're helping two golf fanatics
0:00:38 > 0:00:40find a slice of rural heaven.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44But will any of our properties be up to par?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46At one house we land in the rough.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Not a huge bedroom, admittedly.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50No. Bit small, isn't it?
0:00:50 > 0:00:52But then we get back on the fairway.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Wow.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It's a lovely room, isn't it?
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Today I'm in the town of Northleach in the Cotswolds,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and this is the Church of St Peter and St Paul.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It's one of a series of impressive wool churches,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09so called as they were built on the proceeds of the wool trade.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Now, back in the 15th century, the golden fleece was big business.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16And wealthy wool merchants would plough their profits
0:01:16 > 0:01:18back into local communities,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22bequeathing huge amounts of money to their local churches.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Many, like the one here at Northleach, were extended
0:01:24 > 0:01:28or rebuilt to reflect the status of their wealthy parishioners.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32And it's the legacy of this medieval wool trade that today gives
0:01:32 > 0:01:35the whole of the Cotswolds its unique charm and character.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38The Cotswolds refer to a range of hills
0:01:38 > 0:01:41which lie between Bristol and Oxford and is
0:01:41 > 0:01:44the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Covering six counties, around 80% is agricultural land
0:01:48 > 0:01:51with sheep and arable farming the main activities.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54The area sits on a bedrock of Jurassic limestone,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57producing a rare grassland habitat which is quarried
0:01:57 > 0:02:00for the famous honey-coloured Cotswold stone.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Many of the wonderfully preserved towns and villages developed
0:02:04 > 0:02:08when the wool trade was at its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and have changed little in the last 300 years.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Today tourism drives the region, worth £1 billion a year
0:02:15 > 0:02:20to the Cotswold economy, with 20,000 jobs depending on it.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23One of the most visited towns is Bourton on the Water,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27known as the Venice of the Cotswolds and has over 100 listed buildings.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33According to a recent survey, house prices here in the Cotswolds
0:02:33 > 0:02:37are around 18 times the average salary for the area.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40This is due in part to the growing demand for second homes here
0:02:40 > 0:02:43which account for around 4% of all the property.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Now as you may expect, prices vary greatly across the region,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48but generally speaking,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51your budget will stretch further the further west or south you go,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54especially if you can look for houses
0:02:54 > 0:02:56just south of the M4 corridor.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59What's attracting today's buyers to this expensive
0:02:59 > 0:03:02if not very beautiful part of the world?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Let's meet them and find out.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Married couple David and Jane met at university nearly 40 years ago and
0:03:08 > 0:03:12they've lived in the London suburb of Mill Hill since graduating.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Home is currently this four-bedroom detached property
0:03:15 > 0:03:17that they own outright.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21But having both recently retired, they're now seeking a change.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26It's a good time to move now because I've retired last July
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and it's taken us six months to sort out what retirement is like
0:03:30 > 0:03:35and now we've decided that London is too busy and time to go
0:03:35 > 0:03:39and find somewhere a bit quieter, bit of a more laid back lifestyle.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Jane ran her own successful IT business
0:03:42 > 0:03:46and David was a history teacher at a nearby school for many years.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50We don't tolerate the traffic around here.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Whenever we want to go anywhere you just have to pick your time
0:03:53 > 0:03:56to make sure you're not in a traffic jam.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59As well as being closer to David's home country of Wales and Jane's
0:03:59 > 0:04:03mother in Somerset, the Cotswolds offer them the best of both worlds.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08We want to move to the Cotswolds because it's beautiful.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12We love the valleys, we love the undulations, we love the fact that
0:04:12 > 0:04:15it's very, very countryside
0:04:15 > 0:04:20and it's convenient for everything in England and Wales.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Although they've now retired,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26they don't plan to put their feet up just yet.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27For a long time I was a rugby player
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and I coached a lot of rugby, up till about five years ago.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35In the meantime I took up golf and then Jane did too.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38She took it up and got a lot better than I did.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40But we play a lot of golf,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44we go on golf holidays and moving to the country, hopefully we'll
0:04:44 > 0:04:48find a golf course nearby that we can continue doing that.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52We both like all sports, whether it be watching or playing.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And when they're not competing or spectating,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58David will find the time to indulge in his other big passions.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02With my background of history, I'd like to do a bit more doing
0:05:02 > 0:05:06that in the countryside and find out more about local history.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09But also have time for me to do a bit more cooking.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I've always liked eating and I'd like to do a little bit more cooking
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and maybe do a course in some sort of cookery
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and things like that, now that I've got the time.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- I'll support that.- Yeah.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Over the years they've built up many friends in Mill Hill
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and their biggest fear is starting all over again.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32We've been in London a long time,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and it's going to be difficult
0:05:35 > 0:05:38to move out but all through my life I've set myself challenges.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40It would be very easy to stay around here
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and just carry on but we want to do something new, something different,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47something enjoyable, which we think it will be.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51David and Jane would like us to concentrate our property search
0:05:51 > 0:05:53in the central belt of the Cotswolds
0:05:53 > 0:05:56close to the Gloucestershire market town of Stroud.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I'm meeting them in the county to learn more
0:05:58 > 0:06:01about their proposed rural move.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03So welcome, both of you, to the beautiful Cotswolds.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07This is a very different life you're setting yourself up for,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09isn't it, Jane?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Very different, and we can't wait to get going on it, really.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So after such a long time in the same place, same house,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19is it going to be difficult to cut those ties with your friends?
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Yeah, I think so. Walking around Mill Hill, all the old boys that
0:06:23 > 0:06:27I taught are there and all my friends I've made over 30 years, that's
0:06:27 > 0:06:31who I go and drink coffee with and I know there's always somebody around.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- Drink coffee with? Come on. - I do, yes. In the mornings.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Now, anybody moving up to the Cotswolds, most people have the
0:06:39 > 0:06:43desire to live in a house built out of this beautiful Cotswold stone.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I imagine you're no different.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46- Absolutely.- Yeah.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48So, character house?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Yes, but all the nooks and crannies, we don't go for that.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54We don't want the low cottage feel.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57We want the... Space, is important. It's got to be light and airy.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Let's talk about the house itself. How many bedrooms?
0:07:01 > 0:07:02Three.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- Three minimum?- Minimum, yes.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07But the space downstairs is more important to us than upstairs.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08That makes sense.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10I would like a garden to sit out in.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Be able to have the sunshine, but we don't want much work in the garden.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16- No.- No, we don't want that at all.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- Now, golf plays a big part in both your lives.- Yes.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23So I imagine proximity to a golf club is at the top of the list,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25especially for you, Jane.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Yes, absolutely.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29At the moment we're only five minutes away from our club
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and that's great.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32It's really convenient.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36So we don't want to be commuting 40, 45 minutes into a golf club.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Let's talk budget. What are we looking at?
0:07:39 > 0:07:41We're looking at about £500,000.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43OK. About...?
0:07:44 > 0:07:48- Up to.- It's not London, but houses are selling fairly quickly up here.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49We've only got three chances
0:07:49 > 0:07:53but I think we've got three crackers to show you, so let's start.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Let's go.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59For a maximum budget of £500,000, David and Jane are after
0:07:59 > 0:08:02a character property with a minimum of three bedrooms.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06However the downstairs space is more important to them and they'd
0:08:06 > 0:08:09like three reception rooms as well as a south-facing garden.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Finally, they'd like to be close to a golf club,
0:08:13 > 0:08:14not too far from amenities.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19We've lined up three characterful Cotswold properties
0:08:19 > 0:08:21to show our buyers, but they'll have to wait
0:08:21 > 0:08:24until the end of each tour before I reveal the price.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Our third house, the mystery property,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29could leave our buyers brewing with excitement.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35So do you think you have differing opinions on the house itself?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38No, I don't think we do. We've been very lucky so far.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41In all the houses we've bought since we've been married,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43as soon as we walked into the house we've said,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45"Yes, this is for us." And we've both agreed.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48What's made you say no? What's made you write places off?
0:08:48 > 0:08:51As you say, it's so difficult. I couldn't tell you.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53In one place it was the size of the bath.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Sorry, what?
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Could you not buy a new bath?
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- No. No projects. No DIY.- That's not a project. That's called a new bath.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03No, it wouldn't fit in.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Our first property is found in a hamlet named The Vatch, two miles
0:09:08 > 0:09:11north of Stroud and a 20-minute drive from the nearest golf club.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14The neighbouring village of Slad is famous for being the home
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and final resting place of author Laurie Lee.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21He wrote the novel Cider With Rosie in the 1950s
0:09:21 > 0:09:23in his house in the village.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25The pub he frequented has changed little,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and has become a place of pilgrimage for many of his fans.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31As has the church where Laurie Lee is buried.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Our first house, a period semi-detached property is situated
0:09:35 > 0:09:38on the hillside overlooking the scenic Slad valley.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44The first property is often a bit of a learning curve for us all.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Well, me, normally. Here it is. What do we think?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49It looks quite small. Is it two or one?
0:09:49 > 0:09:53It's semi-detached. We're looking at the right-hand side.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55What's going through your mind? Jane?
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Nice to look out over fields. Great aspect.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It does look quite small but obviously it goes up into the roof.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- Yeah, that's one of your guest bedroom, if you like.- Oh, right.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- So, let's see if you like it.- Good.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09David and Jane seem a little reticent
0:10:09 > 0:10:13and were perhaps expecting something bigger for their budget.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16But I'm confident the interior of this deceptively large,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20period Cotswold stone cottage will lift their spirits.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25In we come. Let's have a quick pause here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Now, kitchen.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28- Ah.- Nice.- Yeah.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Yeah.- Perfect size for you. - Absolutely.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Having in this little area here, to sit in
0:10:34 > 0:10:37while you're still working in the kitchen.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40It's got a slight bohemian style to it.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43The person who lives here moved out of London, bought this house
0:10:43 > 0:10:47in the countryside and has done it up over the last three years.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51So what you see is new flooring, new electrics, new pretty much
0:10:51 > 0:10:54everything but it doesn't feel necessarily brand-new,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56which I quite like.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57It's lovely.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Now, behind you, that oak-panel wall is a utility room with a
0:11:00 > 0:11:04wash-hand basin and all the white goods which again helps get all that
0:11:04 > 0:11:07normal modern stuff out of the way of this nice kitchen, doesn't it?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- Yeah. Out of the way, leaving space. - Let's keep looking round.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13- It's really good.- OK. - Just mind your head here.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Talking to Jane, not you.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Now, you said you wanted to have a house where you could
0:11:20 > 0:11:24sit in the living room maybe and look out at views, nice and sunny.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Is this the sort of place you had in mind?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28It's very light in here, isn't it?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I thought it would be darker back here
0:11:30 > 0:11:33with just that window on the side. But no, it's very light.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37- It is bigger than it looks outside as well.- Good.- More space.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I think what the owner's done is made a few touches that have
0:11:40 > 0:11:43made it just a lot more user friendly, if you like.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47They've raised the fireplace there which gives the fire a better draw,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50but also, you get to see the features of the house a lot more,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- straightaway, when you walk in, don't you?- Yeah, very much.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56You get the whole two rooms in one. It's very nice.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Better reactions to the ground floor living space.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Upstairs there are three bedrooms spread over two floors.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06The first floor features two doubles, one of which
0:12:06 > 0:12:09overlooks the front of the house and has a small study area.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12There's also a family bathroom but after our chat in the car,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I'm keen to see if the bath is up to scratch.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Now I just want to quickly duck into this bathroom
0:12:19 > 0:12:23because I understand it's been a sticking point in the past.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- No, that's big enough. - Yeah?- Yeah.- Definitely.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Bath for you, Jane, and shower for you, David.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Yes.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Actually I'm going down a road I don't want to go down.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- Let's keep going. Come on. - We've been down these...
0:12:35 > 0:12:37No, no, I don't want to know.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40There's a third bedroom up in the eaves of the house with a cosy
0:12:40 > 0:12:43space for a bed overlooking the hills behind.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45But we're staying on the first floor
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and what would probably be David and Jane's bedroom.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55So, not a huge bedroom, admittedly.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- No. Bit small, isn't it? - Nice view to wake up to, though.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01Yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04But it's a bit too small for what I'd like for a main bedroom.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I mean downstairs has been knocked about a bit.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Upstairs, it does have more cottagey dimensions
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- or proportions, doesn't it? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- OK, let's go out to the garden and talk about price.- OK.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22The south facing gardens are mainly to the front and side of the
0:13:22 > 0:13:26property and offer a variety of lawn areas and a sheltered terrace.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- So, back outside. Now, you did say you don't want a big garden.- Yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35You also said you didn't want a big upstairs but that's probably
0:13:35 > 0:13:38a bit too small so what do you think of this garden? Is it too small
0:13:38 > 0:13:40or is this what you had in mind?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42This I the size I had in mind, this is fine.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43- Good.- Yeah.- OK.- Absolutely.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46So after our brief look around this house,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49how much do you think it's on the market for?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52I think, semi-detached, I would say 350.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55399.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Right.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59This is on the market
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- for offers around £450,000. - Ah.- Right.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- But you're paying for the proximity to Stroud.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And the rural position which some people will absolutely love.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And this is close to Slad and it's Laurie Lee and that sort of...
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- You've got it.- ..area. Yep.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- So, something to get your head around.- Mm, definitely.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19You haven't seen all of the house.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I know it's not huge but why don't you go back inside,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24have a good butcher's around the areas you haven't yet seen,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27and I'll meet you back out here and we'll go off to the next house.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- Great.- See you in a mo'.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33The price of our first property comes as a bit of a shock
0:14:33 > 0:14:36to David and Jane, even though it's £50,000 under budget.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Situated in a sought-after location,
0:14:38 > 0:14:43the period cottage offers our buyers the downstairs space they're after,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46three bedrooms, and it's 20 minutes from the nearest golf club.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- Gosh, this is bright.- Beams.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55How do you get underneath there?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Limbo.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I think the house is great, it's lovely.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02The decor's fantastic, the views are good, it's got the right aspect
0:15:02 > 0:15:05but the proportions are just a bit too small.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It would be useful to have another room downstairs.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It's got a nice feel to it.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15The kitchen's a good space and the views out the windows are fantastic.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22- All done?- All done.- How'd you find it?- OK.- OK?- Yes.- Bit small.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- Something a bit bigger next? Yes, please.- OK. Let's go and find it.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35One of the Cotswolds' most distinctive features
0:15:35 > 0:15:37is its stone which colours the landscape in the attractive,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40well-preserved villages and market towns.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43The golden limestone has been quarried here
0:15:43 > 0:15:46since Roman times and is still used as a building material.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Given David's passion for history,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and their dream of finding their own honey-coloured property,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54we've arranged for our couple to meet stonemason
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and sculptor Simon Britten to find our more about the geology
0:15:57 > 0:15:59of the locally quarried stone.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- Hi, Simon. David.- Hi, David. Nice to meet you.- Hi, Jane.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Jane. Welcome to Veizey's Quarry.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13This is a typical limestone quarry that you find in the Cotswolds.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17How much stone comes out of here per day, or per week?
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It's about a 40 acre site.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Average about 150 tonnes of stone is taken out a week.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So what's so special about the stone?
0:16:26 > 0:16:28It's a very good building stone.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31It has a good density and a good structure in the stone.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33When they go together, it makes a good strong building,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36as you can judge by the age of some of the towns and things.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- Yes.- Hundreds and hundreds of years.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Cotswold stone is an oolitic limestone made up of small grains
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and formed 160 million years ago in shallow tropical waters
0:16:47 > 0:16:50when Britain had a climate much like Bermuda today.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So this was an ocean?
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Millions of years ago, we're actually in an ocean
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and that is why you find so many
0:17:01 > 0:17:04fossils, this shell in here, particularly.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06So if you imagine that little shell's there.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09He's died, he's just been washed backwards and forwards
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and gradually he's been set into the stone and fossilised.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Because the stone is made up of small grains,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19it means it can be easily cut in any direction without shattering.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22So as well as being a good material for building,
0:17:22 > 0:17:23it's also great for sculpting.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Over at Simon's workshop,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29David and Jane are being introduced to stone carving.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32The first step is to chisel a chamfered edge.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36The mallet and chisel.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41This is traditional. This is all the way back to the pyramids, this is.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- Now, you're right-handed?- Yes.- OK.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Mallet in the right hand, chisel in the left hand.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47Held like that.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50OK? So we just take the first part off.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Don't go straight down to the line.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55You're just going to take some waste off the top first.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56And then it's just a quick...
0:17:58 > 0:17:59..knock in with the chisel.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02That's it.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10So you never work off the end of a piece of stone
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- because you risk breaking the piece of stone away at the end.- OK.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18So the process of the strikes, each time go back, place the chisel back
0:18:18 > 0:18:22and keep the angle of the chisel, the pitch of the chisel the same.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32It's quite soft, isn't it? It chips away quite easily.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37It doesn't take much pressure to get it off once you get the angle right.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Such is the distinctive appeal of the golden stone that a large
0:18:40 > 0:18:44proportion of the locally quarried material is exported
0:18:44 > 0:18:48internationally to countries such as Japan and the US.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51In the UK you can see examples of the stonework in famous
0:18:51 > 0:18:54buildings like St Paul's Cathedral, and the university
0:18:54 > 0:18:57buildings of oxford as well as in the Cotswolds itself.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Many of the old houses, they don't have a foundation.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06In lots of the Cotswolds you only have to go down a foot,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09and you'll find this when gardening in the Cotswolds,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11you only have to go down a foot and you're on to the rock.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- Right.- Just there. So the houses were built straight onto the rock.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Thanks, Simon. That's very interesting.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- Thank you very much, Simon. - Thank you, David. Thank you, Jane.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28For our second property,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31we're travelling 27 miles to the southern tip of the Cotswolds
0:19:31 > 0:19:35and the hamlet of Nettleton Shrub in the county of Wiltshire.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39It's a five minute drive from the heritage village of Castle Combe,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42which is often ranked as one of the prettiest in Britain.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It's also where you'll find the nearest golf club.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Nettleton village itself has a community shop
0:19:47 > 0:19:49and Post Office, as well as a pub.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Our second offering is found on a quiet village lane in a rural
0:19:54 > 0:19:57setting around a mile from the village centre.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00So, property number two is a bigger affair.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02- That's good news.- What do we think?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- Really nice.- It looks really nice.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Now, do you know where you are? - Yes.- Good.- Castle Combe.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Exactly, so you're just over the motorway, which makes property
0:20:11 > 0:20:15- a little bit more affordable yet we are still within the Cotswolds.- Yep.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Very nice, a few houses around it and countryside.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21I think it's great. And quite close to the village.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- We came through a nice village. - Good news. Let's go inside.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31A more upbeat reaction to our second property, a stone cottage
0:20:31 > 0:20:34which the current owners have completely remodelled inside.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37So just as you come in there's a downstairs cloakroom.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- Now, kitchen-wise, very different to the first place, isn't it?- Very.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47A lot more cupboards, a lot more work space. Nice size.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- Room for a table.- I really like it.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Now the owners have been here some 21 years
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and they've done the place from top to bottom.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Everything you see has been put in.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00This is the old part of the building.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02It would've been a worker's cottage for someone that
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- worked on the Castle Combe estate.- OK.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08The first house, the configuration wasn't quite right for you
0:21:08 > 0:21:10and I think you're going to find this place...
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Each room is some 20%, 25% bigger
0:21:12 > 0:21:16and I think that's going to give you that optimum sized space.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Yes. Sounds like it.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20So, I think your entertainment's going to take place through here.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Just mind the step.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- Wow.- Light-filled rooms, you said you wanted.- Yes.- Perfect.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- Much more formal dining area, if you like.- Yeah.- It's nice.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And then, I think this is a bit of a winter room.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35You'll have the sun room there which would be beautiful.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Absolutely, yeah.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41- Yes, very light and airy. - Very nicely done, isn't it?
0:21:41 > 0:21:45- Nice beams.- So is this the old house? Or is this an extension?
0:21:45 > 0:21:46The very old part is there.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50The extension that was completed back in 2004 starts at that wall
0:21:50 > 0:21:52and it's a green extension.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55You can see those lovely timber joints there.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Funny thing though,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01it's quite traditional to a lot of people that work with wood,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04the joints, the last peg that you put into a beam is supposed
0:22:04 > 0:22:06to be knocked in by a maiden.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Ooh.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And so, the owners of this house got their niece to come up
0:22:11 > 0:22:12from London and knock it in.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16They've observed tradition and hopefully good luck will follow.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17So, good reactions so far.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19There's some interesting bits and bobs
0:22:19 > 0:22:22just through there which we'll look at later on.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Let me first show you the master bedroom just up here.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30There are three bedrooms in the original part of the house.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Two of those are doubles and overlook the back of the property.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37There's also a fully tiled family bathroom.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41The largest bedroom is dual-aspect with views over the front.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42This is your master.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- Much bigger than the last one.- Yes. - Yeah. Room to move about in this one.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- Is it big enough? - Yes, definitely.- Yes.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Great. Let me show you the other end of the house which I think gives
0:22:55 > 0:22:57this place a pretty different kind of option.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- OK.- After you.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03As well as the bedrooms in the older wing of the house,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06there's a further room upstairs in the modern extension, which is
0:23:06 > 0:23:08accessed via the garden room.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13So this is an added extra, I think.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- Yes, yep.- Ooh.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Yes.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21You could have it as a guest room
0:23:21 > 0:23:23because it's great to have separation.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- That's an en-suite shower room. - Oh, right.- But...
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- What a lovely library, or... - Study.- Study, yeah.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33And south-facing, with that lovely glass gable.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Is this the sort of place you think you'd go for, so far?
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Oh, definitely, yes. It's got the three bedrooms. This is extra.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- And the living space. Yeah. - Mm.- It's got it all.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Below the office there's a garage
0:23:48 > 0:23:50with plenty of space to store the golf clubs.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Outside, the garden is compact
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and low-maintenance with views over open countryside.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59On the surface David and Jane appear to like our second property
0:23:59 > 0:24:02but I have a feeling something is holding them back.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04The price guess is often a true reflection
0:24:04 > 0:24:06of how people really feel.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So, how much do you think this house is on the market for?
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I was pretty way out on the last one.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Now we're down in Wiltshire and it's just...
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- Come down a bit.- I'll go first, then. - OK, you go first.- 425.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29- OK.- Right.- I'll go 400. I'll go below you again.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30You're getting worse at this game.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35- This place is on the market for offers around £495,000.- OK.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37We're still within the Cotswolds.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42- It's a three to four bedroom detached house...- Yeah, true.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45..with a proper village nearby with a shop and a pub.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49- OK.- It's all right. It's a good price.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- I think that's a fair price for it.- Yeah.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54OK, look, I think one of the big things for you guys is
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- what are you going to do with that room?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- Let's go and see.- Yeah?- OK. Thanks.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01See you in a mo'.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Well, on paper, this, I think, gives them just what they're after.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09It gives them the number of bedrooms,
0:25:09 > 0:25:13enough entertaining space, storage for all the golf clubs,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17but low maintenance and a southern-aspect garden.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Their guesses on the price, however, leave me a little bit concerned.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Just £5,000 under budget, our second property,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29an extended stone cottage, offers up three bedrooms,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32a large reception area and it's just five minutes' drive
0:25:32 > 0:25:35from the golf club and the busy village.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40The kitchen is a great size and you can still get a small table in it,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and then the living space,
0:25:42 > 0:25:47with the way it flows through to the sun room is brilliant.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52And then there's this sun room upstairs which we'd need to
0:25:52 > 0:25:56argue over who uses it, really, because both of us think it's great.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00It's a lovely old cottage. It's been done up to a very high standard.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02It's very light and airy and it's got a lovely feel to it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Very kind of homely and I like it very much indeed.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09The thinking point, really, is exactly where it is
0:26:09 > 0:26:12because I don't know this area as well as I know the more
0:26:12 > 0:26:14northern parts of the Cotswolds.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16But that's not a negative, necessarily.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18It's just something that I think David
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and I need to just talk about and see what's around here.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Now then, have you come to a solution,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29or fought over who uses that first floor sun room?
0:26:29 > 0:26:31- No decision yet. - No. Decision pending.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Well, it's good that it's still a decision, I suppose.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- Give you something to talk about over dinner.- Yes.- Let's go.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53It's the second day of our property search
0:26:53 > 0:26:57and on a budget of £500,000, we're helping David and Jane swap
0:26:57 > 0:27:01the sounds of the London suburbs for the peace of the Cotswolds.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Coming up, the mystery house puts on a show.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Oh, so what's behind the curtain then?
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- Any ideas?- A stage or something like that?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11And I meet the bovine lawnmowers
0:27:11 > 0:27:13restoring a precious Cotswold habitat.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18On reflection I think yesterday's property number two,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20we got everything pretty much spot on.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22It's certainly what they asked for.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25But I'm not convinced it's a house that David and Jane
0:27:25 > 0:27:28want to move to and maybe that's because they're getting
0:27:28 > 0:27:32cold feet about moving from London to a much more rural location.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36So in order to remedy that, today's mystery house is slap bang
0:27:36 > 0:27:38in the heart of a village.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41But as you might expect it does come with a couple of compromises.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Firstly, it's just outside their ideal search area,
0:27:45 > 0:27:50and it's also close to a river and after recent events in this country
0:27:50 > 0:27:52that could well put some people off.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56What would you love it to be?
0:27:56 > 0:28:00I think probably a bit closer to a bigger village or a town
0:28:00 > 0:28:02than the ones yesterday.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Just so that we've got...
0:28:05 > 0:28:07It's not such a big step to move away from the city.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11- This is Escape To The Country, you know that, right?- I know.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14For our mystery house we're heading north back into Gloucestershire
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and to Frampton-on-Severn, which as the name implies,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19sits on the River Severn's eastern bank.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Welcome, both of you, to Frampton-on-Severn.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Have you been here before?
0:28:27 > 0:28:28No, not at all.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31- Do you know anything about it? - Nothing at all.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33This village holds the accolade
0:28:33 > 0:28:36of the longest village green in England.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38All the way up there into the heart of the village.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Some 22 acres in total.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Now, the village itself has your Post Office and store,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46two pubs, coffee shop.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48It's almost like London, isn't it?
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- It's like being home.- Yes. What's going through your minds? Tell me.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Concerns, or...?
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Well, we thought when we came across the M5 that we're in an area
0:28:56 > 0:28:57- we hadn't looked at at all.- No.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01But now we're here, it's really nice, there's a nice feel to it.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05Now, this is a part of the world, it's Frampton-on-Severn.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08- So might we need a boat? - You don't need a boat.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12- Are we on the flood plains? - Well, it's a good point you make.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Areas around here have flooded in the past
0:29:15 > 0:29:17but there is a canal in between this village
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- and the Severn which actually serves as a flood defence.- Right.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21The mystery property,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24the first thing it's pushing you on is location.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25Definitely, yeah.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27It's further away from London.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29- But it's closer to Wales.- Yeah.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- Closer to your parents. - That's certainly true.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35- I'm a half-full man. - Definitely.- Absolutely.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38- Come with me, let's see what you think of it.- OK.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Well, the location hasn't put them off, even though
0:29:40 > 0:29:43the nearest golf club is a 20-minute drive away.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46The house itself is located just beyond the village green,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49a stone's throw from the Gloucester and Sharpness canal,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and has an industrial heritage of its own.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54- Right then.- Ah.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59This is the mystery house, the mystery malt house.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02- Malt house?- Yeah.- Right. Nice court out here, isn't it?
0:30:02 > 0:30:06- This is your outside space. - Oh, really?- The only outside space.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08- Oh, OK.- South-facing.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Now, you don't get much less maintenance than this, do you?
0:30:10 > 0:30:12- Absolutely not. - Even we could do this.- Yeah?
0:30:12 > 0:30:14- Put some pots on this, it'd be fine.- Perfect.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17I love the fact you like it small. Now...
0:30:18 > 0:30:24- Reports of this building date back as far as 1724.- Right.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- It's good history then.- Yeah, it is. I cannot wait to show you.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31- It looks huge.- All right, let's go inside.- Let's go.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33'As well as the lack of garden, this historical gem is
0:30:33 > 0:30:37'grade-two listed, and has an unusual layout inside.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41'I just hope that David and Jane don't mind upside-down living.'
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Come on in.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Wow.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47Ooh.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Oof. Oh.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51THEY CHUCKLE
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Quite some entrance hall, isn't it?
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Oh, so what's behind the curtain, then?
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Yeah, it does beg a question as soon as you walk in, doesn't it?
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- Any ideas?- A stage or something like that?
0:31:00 > 0:31:01Pretty good guess.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05I think I'll show you before I get myself into hot water. Come with me.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08'Not a stage as such but the master bedroom.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13- Right.- Ooh.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18- Oh, wow.- I wasn't expecting that to be a bedroom.- A bedroom.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20- A big bedroom.- Huge, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25- This is currently being used as a holiday let.- OK.- Right.
0:31:25 > 0:31:26Now, it's grade-two listed
0:31:26 > 0:31:28but because it's an historic building,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30it came with a few stipulations,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32and one of those at the time, ten years ago,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35when it was converted, was they couldn't put a partition
0:31:35 > 0:31:38in between this room and the entrance hall, hence the curtain.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Right.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43Now, I think it works absolutely fine, that curtain's so heavy.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46If you so desired, I personally think you could certainly
0:31:46 > 0:31:48entertain putting glass through there.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51But as it is, I think it works absolutely fine, but it's up to you.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55- It's certainly different, isn't it? - Yeah.- Something to get used to.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57It's not normal but there you are. Needs must, sometimes.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01It's almost as thick as some walls anyway, isn't it?
0:32:01 > 0:32:03I've seen thinner walls.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06As well as the master bedroom, the ground floor also features
0:32:06 > 0:32:08an additional guest bedroom with en-suite.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13And one of the most impressive family bathrooms I've ever seen.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17This fabulous brick-vaulted room would've contained
0:32:17 > 0:32:18the kiln for the malting.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Now I just want to pause here momentarily, minding my head.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Good idea.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30Now, you mentioned you wanted different areas,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32almost like break-out rooms.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34I thought this was right up your street.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Lovely little reading room, with that light coming in.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37That's really good.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39And just through there, you see the canal
0:32:39 > 0:32:41and then the Severn beyond there as well.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Yep. Very nice.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Now, that's the canal that serves as a form of
0:32:45 > 0:32:49flood defence from the Severn that obviously flows beyond it.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55- So do you think you'd use this? - Yes. Yeah, very much so.
0:32:55 > 0:32:56Read the paper down here.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00David and Jane could also use this mezzanine floor as another
0:33:00 > 0:33:02sleeping area for guests,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05as there are only two bedrooms in this property as it stands.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07There is one other bedroom option,
0:33:07 > 0:33:12a TV room with a see-through viewing platform of the malting kiln below.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15It's on the first floor, which is where were heading now.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Now, what do you make of this?
0:33:19 > 0:33:21- Very nice.- Wow.- My word.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23That's a lovely room, isn't it?
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Yes.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30- Kitchen, dining, living, all in one but divided.- Yeah.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34- Separate reception areas, aren't there?- Definitely.
0:33:35 > 0:33:36It's very nice.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38You've got no problem with it being open-plan?
0:33:38 > 0:33:39No. The beams are lovely.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- The skylight... Plenty of light in here, isn't there?- Yeah.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Now, I know you love entertaining.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- Look at this - this is a king's feast, isn't it?- Yes.
0:33:49 > 0:33:50Seats a lot of people.
0:33:50 > 0:33:55And then, this is true entertaining, people are sat down at the table...
0:33:55 > 0:33:56That's a nice size, not too big,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00but a lot of work spaces for you to prepare your food. It's really nice.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02I think it's great and it's...
0:34:02 > 0:34:07I love the house, it's whether I see myself living here day to day.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13At the moment, there isn't a great deal of storage space in this house.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17However, the current owners have sought planning permission to build
0:34:17 > 0:34:20a garage on the gravel driveway, so that's something to bear in mind.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22So...
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Lovely house.
0:34:25 > 0:34:26- Different, isn't it?- Very different.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Your reactions have been quite different.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31I can see you falling in love with the place but then the
0:34:31 > 0:34:34practicalities going through your mind especially, Jane.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- Yes.- So how much do you think this house is on the market for?
0:34:37 > 0:34:39- I'm going first today.- OK.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40530.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- OK.- Yeah, I was thinking round that mark, I'll go down to 525.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50This place is on the market for offers around
0:34:50 > 0:34:52£499,950.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55- OK.- Yes, well, there we are.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58- You guessed over, which is good.- Yeah.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00There's also a couple of rooms you haven't yet seen
0:35:00 > 0:35:04but I think you need to spend a lot of time here now, discussing
0:35:04 > 0:35:07what works, how it could work maybe in the future.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09- Yeah.- See you in a mo.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Just under budget, our mystery property is
0:35:11 > 0:35:13an 18th century malt house.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15While the layout is unconventional,
0:35:15 > 0:35:16it does give David and Jane
0:35:16 > 0:35:18the huge reception area they wanted.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20But only two bedrooms.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22It's located in the centre
0:35:22 > 0:35:23of a thriving village
0:35:23 > 0:35:24although the golf club is
0:35:24 > 0:35:26a 20-minute drive away.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29This house is just amazing.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Very different to anything we would've looked at.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Great big rooms, which is what we wanted.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Upside-down, I don't see that as necessarily a problem.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41I can see it'd be great to come and stay here
0:35:41 > 0:35:44but the practicalities of day-to-day living I'm not sure,
0:35:44 > 0:35:48I just still need to get my thoughts together on that.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Jane's less keen on this house because of the practicalities
0:35:51 > 0:35:56but for me it's the sort of house that I've been dreaming of for years.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58We've always agreed on houses
0:35:58 > 0:36:01but I think this is an area we might just differ.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05- Still smiling. - Still smiling.- Very much so.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- I was worried this house would get you falling out.- Not quite.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- It has split the camp though, hasn't it?- It definitely has, yes.- Yes.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Well, I think now's a good time to find somewhere for you guys
0:36:13 > 0:36:16to have a chat and then we'll meet up and talk everything through.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17- Yeah.- Let's go.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26The hard limestone slopes of the Cotswolds make up the largest
0:36:26 > 0:36:31Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the country, at 800 square miles.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34In the 1930s, nearly half the region was covered
0:36:34 > 0:36:36in flower-rich grassland.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Today, much of this precious habitat has gone.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Flatter grassland has been converted
0:36:40 > 0:36:42to more commercially viable arable land.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45The little that's left is
0:36:45 > 0:36:49so rare it's being restored with the help of a herd of cows.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51I've come to one of these cattle-managed sites at
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Crickley Hill Country Park to chew the cud with
0:36:54 > 0:36:56National Trust ranger Matt Stanway.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Well, Matt, I've got to say what an amazing part of the world this
0:37:01 > 0:37:04is to be working, and farming.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06How untouched is some of this land, then?
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Because it's such steep slopes, what's left here -
0:37:09 > 0:37:11- we're right on the Cotswold escarpment...- Yeah.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13It's high up and it drops away down to the Severn Vale
0:37:13 > 0:37:15and we can see that arable land down there.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18This is the type of land which has never really been
0:37:18 > 0:37:22touched by the plough, so it's land which for centuries it's been
0:37:22 > 0:37:25left untouched as grassland,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27and it's been grazed, traditionally, by the cattle or sheep.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- Traditionally, the Cotswolds was always sheep farming...- Yep.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34..but for this type of land, the cattle are equally as good,
0:37:34 > 0:37:36if not better, because the cattle are less selective,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- so we've got short turf and long turf.- You can see that.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43And that gives a variety of habitat life for... For, say, the insects -
0:37:43 > 0:37:46during the winter, they can hide in amongst the base of the stems
0:37:46 > 0:37:49here, and then we've got the very short turf, which means it
0:37:49 > 0:37:51gets very warm when the sun comes out,
0:37:51 > 0:37:55and that attracts certain types of insect life to those type of areas.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58As well as supporting the insect population,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01the limestone grassland is also home to a rich variety
0:38:01 > 0:38:04of flower species, including the purple orchid.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Hard to imagine it now,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09but in the summer this field is a carpet of flowers.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Matt's taking me to a site with no munching cattle,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15and the difference is immediately clear to see.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19So, Matt, this hasn't been grazed on for how long?
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Decades.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24There's pictures of here in the 1930s, this bit of land,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27and it was grazed as tight as anything.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31- The grass looked like a lawn mower had gone over it.- Really?- Yeah.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34But then you've got trees here. That's a silver birch, isn't it?
0:38:34 > 0:38:36That's grown up, what, in the last 50 years or so?
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Yeah, all the natural environment wants to do is to convert
0:38:40 > 0:38:42back from grassland to woodland.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43- Right.- It's a natural process,
0:38:43 > 0:38:48and what we're involved in is trying to halt that succession.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51So what's wrong with just letting nature take its course
0:38:51 > 0:38:52and having woodland?
0:38:52 > 0:38:54- There's nothing wrong in woodland...- Yeah.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57..but the problem is here is that what's left of this grassland
0:38:57 > 0:39:03is so precious, there's so little of it left, that it's that which
0:39:03 > 0:39:04we need to preserve.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06That's the priority.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Rather than introduce local cattle to the Cotswold grassland sites,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Matt is using a breed more suited to the slopes of Scotland.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16I don't think I've ever seen cattle with those colours before.
0:39:16 > 0:39:17Where are they from?
0:39:17 > 0:39:20They're called Belted Galloways, they're a breed that
0:39:20 > 0:39:24originate from Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- So why did you choose this breed, then?- Several reasons.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29One, because they're an upland hill breed,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32they're tough and hardy, they can live outside all winter.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35They have got short legs, they're stocky,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- so they can cope with these steep slopes...- Yeah, quite.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40..of which we're on one of them. And also their distinctiveness.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Obviously you noticed their belt, their big white belt.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- Fantastic colouring.- They do stand out, they really do.- Yeah.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Some people used to call them humbugs and things like that.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51I see you've got some recent additions. How old are those calves?
0:39:51 > 0:39:52- They're just a week old. - Is that all?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Yeah, just a couple of heifers.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56So we've got 20 cows calving each year.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59I wish you the best of luck with all the calving you're going to have
0:39:59 > 0:40:00over the next couple of days.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- And I'll pop by next time I'm down. - Great stuff.- Thanks very much.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05- Thanks, Johnny.- See you again. - Bye-bye, now.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Some of the cows are sold for beef, which helps finance
0:40:08 > 0:40:10the grazing project.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13It's a fascinating, self-sufficient model of land management
0:40:13 > 0:40:16in the heart of the Cotswold hills.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Now, with house number two giving David and Jane
0:40:22 > 0:40:24pretty much to the letter what they told me they're after,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27and today's mystery house potentially splitting the camp
0:40:27 > 0:40:30between head and heart, let's find out what their plans are.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- So, an interesting couple of days. - Mm, very.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Three houses. What's your favourite?
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I think the second house we saw is our favourite,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45although the third one was very attractive and very lovely.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49I think, on reflection, Jane was right that the difficulties
0:40:49 > 0:40:53and the practicalities of it would make it difficult to live in.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56- But the second one was lovely.- You've talked him down, have you, Jane?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- Head over heart...- Yeah. - ..has made the decision.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01I think that that really isn't a house that you
0:41:01 > 0:41:06can live in on a day-to-day basis, day in, day out, year in, year out.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08It's beautiful, absolutely stunning.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12- But we don't think it's practical for us.- Too quirky, really.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14You're moving out of London.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16We've shown you three rural properties.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18The last one, the mystery house, was in a village,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20but the second house is rural, still.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24It's in a scattering of houses within a village, if you like.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Big leap for you. How do you feel about it now?
0:41:26 > 0:41:29It's made us realise that we are social animals
0:41:29 > 0:41:34and we need to be closer to activities and so on.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37So whilst the second property is your favourite,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41it doesn't sound like you're going to pursue it.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43No, I'd say that's probably true.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Maybe because of what you don't need,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47you don't need a big sprawling house,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50you certainly don't need or want the outside space,
0:41:50 > 0:41:54that lends itself, in my opinion, to maybe a lovely country town,
0:41:54 > 0:41:56a market town, perhaps.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Yes, I think that's definitely brought that into focus for us.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- You kind of want the halfway, don't you?- Mm.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Out of London but you still want chimney pots and people
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- and things to do around you, don't you?- And activities.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08Lots of different activities.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Well, it's going to be a very active retirement for you, isn't it?
0:42:11 > 0:42:13- Yes.- And that fully starts once you've found a house,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15so I wish you both the very best of luck.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16BOTH: Thank you.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Well, let's face it. An escape to the country in its truest form
0:42:25 > 0:42:27isn't always for everyone.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29And it certainly seems like the big city of London
0:42:29 > 0:42:31has its claws in David and Jane,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33but I think these past couple of days has been
0:42:33 > 0:42:35a bit of a journey for both of them.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38I think they've come to realise that whilst a truly rural
0:42:38 > 0:42:39environment isn't for them,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43maybe a smaller step to perhaps a market town
0:42:43 > 0:42:45somewhere in the Cotswolds would be the ideal move,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and let's face it, this beautiful region certainly has
0:42:48 > 0:42:51plenty of these beautiful towns to choose from.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53See you next time.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56If you'd like to escape to the country in either England,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland and would like our help,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01you can apply online, at...