Devon Escape to the Country

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

But where exactly am I?

The mystery will be solved in just a few moments.

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

with one heck of a list of demands,

but I still managed to serve up some belters.

-Lovely.

-Yep.

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

I think we could be.

And whilst delivering things they do want,

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

-Wow, what a surprise!

-Most unexpected.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

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

which was the inspiration for two

of Agatha Christie's famous murder-mystery novels.

Now the island itself is connected to the mainland

via strange beach phenomenon known as a tombolo,

which occurs when two opposing currents meet

and form this wave-shaped spit.

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

but you can still get there with your feet dry

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

And once on the island,

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

on this beautiful and spectacular Devonshire coastline.

The ever popular southwestern county of Devon

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

The north of the county borders the Atlantic Ocean

and offers a spectacular rugged coastline

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

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

of the English Channel.

There are a number of attractive small towns and fishing villages

dotted along the coast such as Salcombe,

a popular sailing destination.

The River Dart winds its way through the rolling Devon countryside

from Dartmoor to the sea.

Along the way,

the river passes through the historic market town of Totnes,

before heading to Dartmouth with its narrow streets and busy harbour.

Inland are rolling hillsides

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

With the small historic villages nestled along its valleys,

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

At the moment,

the average price of a detached house here in Devon

comes in at just over £293,000,

which is around £26,000 above the national figure,

so prices do fall on the slightly higher side here.

But when you consider that Devon as a county

has some of the most beautiful countryside

and coastline in the country,

plus a wealth of historic homes to choose from,

it's not hard to see why.

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

Vicki and her mother, Rosemary,

live in Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire

and will be house hunting on behalf of their whole family

as they all plan to move to Devon together.

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

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

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

I think it was probably prompted by my mum and dad to begin with.

They wanted a bit of a last adventure.

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

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

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

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

We're probably ready for an adventure as well.

A bit of a change of lifestyle.

Rosemary and Ray are retired, but for Vicki,

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

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

It will be a big change for me work wise.

I will be leaving my current job.

I've worked there 15 years

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

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

holiday lets, or you know, something like that.

You know, it would be really exciting.

And another important person to consider in the move

is Chris' son, Ethan.

Ray and I have always been involved in looking after Ethan.

He's more like a little son than a grandson.

I think for Ethan it will be nice for him

while he's still got some of his childhood,

it would be nice for him to make the most

of having that outdoor lifestyle.

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

in one big family home.

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

is when we go on holiday, and it's just for two weeks.

But, I think we all get on well.

To be living all as a family again,

I think we'll probably have a few hiccups along the way,

but as long as we do have that bit of space, individual space,

I'm sure we'll get on absolutely fine.

So with five family members to consider,

just choosing the county has taken a while.

I think we've really settled on Devon rather than possibly Dorset.

I think we'll find more of what we're looking for within our budget.

Their properties are on the market

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

I feel really excited about the prospect of moving.

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

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

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

a new life.

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

so we're concentrating our search on villages and towns

between Exeter and the Dorset border.

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

for this big family move.

-Morning, ladies.

-Morning.

-Morning.

We're looking for something quite different today.

-You're moving en masse.

-Yep.

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

-Yes.

-Your son, your brother, Chris.

-Yep.

-And his...

-His son Ethan.

-Ethan.

-Yep.

Let's start with you and Ray.

Specifically, what would you really love?

A large house with lots of space.

Lots of airy and lots of nice views, I think.

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

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

He'd quite like some animals in the future,

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

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

Honestly...this isn't easy.

-Land...

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

What are five must haves for all of you, do you think, Vicki?

For me, bedroom and living room would be great.

I don't mind sharing the kitchen.

I think the garden and the views would be the priority.

So, let's talk about finances.

How much are you looking to spend?

So we've got a bit of a sliding scale.

So if we start at the top end, if there was something

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

OK.

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

If it was just something that was just a big house

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

But with an acre as a minimum.

Right, you're putting this in late, aren't you? With a acre minimum.

Right, so with an acre minimum and just a big house...

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

-Kind of depends on...

-The potential.

-The potential of somewhere.

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

-Yep.

-With some land.

-Yes.

And then, if there's opportunities along the way

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

-Yes.

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

-Yep, OK.

-Lovely.

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

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

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

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

and a holiday letting option.

Whilst Rosemary is happy with one acre of land,

son Chris ideally wants three to start keeping some livestock.

And rural views are definitely on the list.

We worked hard to find three strong options

which cater for their many requests,

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

until after each house tour.

The final offering is a mystery house

which guarantees for some big decisions this week.

Now, Rosemary, I understand you've been looking in this part of Devon

for six months, but you've been looking all over

Yes, we looked in North Devon for six months

and also did consider Suffolk at one time.

-So...that sounds like about a year of shopping for a property.

-Yep.

Probably nearer 15 months, I think.

Yeah, cos I think when you've looked for so long,

you lose sight of some of what you want.

So I think definitely having someone else's point of view

to challenge us is going to be really helpful.

So are you prepared for me to challenge you then, Rosemary?

Oh, yes. Very much.

Wow, I wasn't expecting such a positive answer. Well, OK.

Let's see what we've got with the first house.

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

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

and 25 minutes from the coast.

Honiton is a busy market town which offers the family

a practical mix of shops and facilities.

Historically, it was the centre of lacemaking

and Queen Victoria's 1840 wedding dress was made from Honiton lace.

Just a mile from the centre of town,

the surroundings quickly become very rural

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

So, ladies...

-This is house number one.

-All right.

-OK.

-It looks very nice.

-Yeah.

-Yes. Lovely surroundings.

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

Some of the barns were converted with more modern extensions

and restorations at the far gable end.

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

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

-The views.

-Accessibility.

This is all very positive so far.

-Yep, so far so good.

-Yes, so far. Can we...

-Itching to get in.

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

Come on.

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

but it's had more recent additions

and conversions to turn it into a sizable and adaptable property

with five bedrooms and three living rooms.

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

-Yes.

-Very nice.

-Now you told me that you didn't need separate kitchens.

-No.

You said you quite like the idea of all sitting together as a family.

-Yeah.

-Which according to current owners,

-that's exactly what they do here.

-Yes. It's really nice.

-Very nice kitchen.

-Yeah, it's got loads of character.

-It's very nice.

-So far?

-Lovely.

-Yep.

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

I think we could be. Follow me.

-OK, so, another reception room.

-That's nice.

-Another nice room.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-It's a lovely room. Yes.

This is good. I'm just waiting to get the flavour of everything.

-Yeah.

-Keep going.

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

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

-Lovely view out the windows.

I quite like how you come down from the other bit

if you did want to do something different with that.

Actually, you've almost separated.

I quite like it. A natural separation of the areas.

-This could be completely separate.

-Yes.

-You've got a wet room there.

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

Oh, right.

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

-So, I could live here.

-Yes.

-Hm... What about Dad and I?

-Or you and Dad could live here.

-Yes.

Now, I've already mentioned there's two further sitting rooms

at the far end of the house.

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

-OK.

-Then will come back down the other one.

-Right.

-Follow me.

Passing through the kitchen and dining room,

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

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

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

-Right.

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

-Yeah, nice high ceiling.

-Could be more than a bedroom.

-A bit like a suite.

-Yes, definitely.

-This is definitely the master suite.

-Yes.

But, there are... It's a great house.

There are other en suites as well.

There's so much of this house to have a look at.

We'll have a whiz through.

Have a quick look in the en-suite, all right, now,

and we'll keep walking through afterwards.

-Oh, yes. This is nice as well.

-It's big, isn't it?

-This matches the bedroom.

-Yeah.

-Very, very nice.

Can see us falling out over this room,

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

as quick as possible.

This suite is just the first of five double bedrooms.

-The second bedroom - good size, double.

-Yes.

-OK.

We've got another one just up here.

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

Then you've got two other double bedrooms,

both of which are en-suite.

-Goodness.

-Right, OK.

-What haven't I ticked yet?

-The garden.

-The garden?

-Yes.

-Follow me.

-Start thinking about price.

-Oh.

Coming down the principle staircase

takes you to the other end of the house

and the final two living rooms.

You've got a really lovely sized living room

and a snug through there.

Downstairs loo there. Let's go back out through the back door.

The house is set in just under an acre

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

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

So, outbuilding wise, you get that block there

-which is currently split into about four stables.

-Yeah, OK.

No planning consent yet

-but something to think about for the future.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yes.

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

Oh! Chickens.

-And sheep.

-Yes. What do we think, all in all?

-I think it's...

a very definite possibility.

You're going to have to do quite well to beat this.

-Yes.

-Given this is house number one.

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

I reckon about £780,000.

I think it might be a little bit less than £780,000. £775,000?

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

-Oh.

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

-No.

If I was showing you this house and only this house,

-I'd be saying to you, "Why don't you buy it?"

-Yes.

-Yes, I can...

-I think we might.

-Well, I'm glad you said that.

Now I want you to go and have a look and I will meet you...

I'll tell you what,

if the sun's still shining, I'm going to be on that sundeck.

-On the sundeck.

-All right? I'll see you in a bit.

-Lovely.

-Thanks.

-Thank you.

So the bottom end of their budget range,

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

offering great flexibility for the family with plenty of bedrooms

and reception rooms, and a large family kitchen.

There is the potential for Vicki

to look into holiday rentals

with the stables.

However, the gardens and paddock

offer just under an acre of land

which may fall short of brother Chris' hopes.

Great first impressions when we went inside.

I think the kitchen was definitely a winner. The living room...

Well, one of the three living rooms,

in the end I think we might be fighting over those slightly.

But just the fact that there is the three reception rooms,

we could almost have one each.

I think there's going to be a fight over the master bedroom,

but there's such a lot of scope.

I think it's going to have to be for a family discussion.

Amazing start. I'm beginning to wonder

why we haven't found it ourselves.

But, yeah, really, really positive start to the day.

-Well, this is absolutely glorious here.

-Yep.

-So this gone down very well, hasn't it?

-Certainly has.

-Let's go to the next place.

-OK.

It's hard to come to Devon

and ignore one of its most famous traditions - the cream tea.

A recent report claimed this delicacy contributes £85 million

to the county economy.

As Vicki has ideas about setting up a baking business,

we're sending her and her mother, Rosemary,

to Topsham to meet cream tea expert, Heather Nee,

and find out how Devon's Tavistock Abbey

is credited with the origin of this famous treat.

How did the cream tea come about?

Well, there's a story that says the monks devised this dish

for the workers who were left to renovate the abbey

after it had been raided by the Vikings.

They wanted to look after the workers,

so they served them the cream and jam on bread.

The Cornish would probably like to say that they invented them

but we in Devonshire can say that it started there.

There is much debate over who invented the cream tea,

but Devon has been running a campaign

to get European protected status on its version.

Both varieties, however, involve one essential ingredient -

clotted cream.

When I was a child, my mum would have gone out to each churn,

we had churns in those days, and take a cup off the top of the milk.

I haven't got a cow out the back

so I've bought some double cream from a farm...

Devonshire farm, of course.

We're going to make it in here.

Then we're going to put this in here. It's very thick.

Then leave it to cook for two to three hours

on a very, very slow heat. Mustn't let it boil.

The cream is cooked over water in a bain-marie

before being placed in a fridge overnight.

-And how much actual clotted cream might you get?

-We'll see.

I've made one yesterday so I could show you.

That's it. You see it's got lovely...

It's got this lovely thick crust

and then we'll have it on our scones afterwards.

The scones are made from a base of flour, sugar, and butter.

Whipped eggs and milk are then added

and the mixture is rolled out and thick scones cut out.

Right, let's pop them in the oven.

Temperature 200, and I cook them for 12 minutes,

turn them around, and put them in again for another 12 minutes.

A recent scientific survey by Sheffield University

claimed the ultimate cream tea

would have exactly half its weight in scone,

a quarter in cream, and a quarter in jam.

But whether it's cream or jam first is what causes the most debate

between Devon and Cornwall camps.

-And there's your cream tea for you to enjoy.

-Lovely. Thank you.

So how do you make a Devonshire cream tea?

In Devon we have a really big dollop of cream each.

Wow.

-Goodness. And this is the Devonshire way?

-Yes.

-Put the jam on top?

Yep, jam on the top.

-And then you enjoy.

-Thank you.

Mm!

-Best scones...

-It's delicious.

-They are.

So what's the difference with the Cornish version? How do we do that?

You put jam on first and then the cream.

I mean, I think the Devonshire way of doing things is the proper job.

-I think we can vouch for that.

-Yes.

With the basics learnt, it's time to get back to the house hunt

and find a place where Vicki and Rosemary

can base their new Devonshire ventures.

For our second poverty,

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

located in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Containing many classic thatch properties,

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

There was a notable abbey built in the 13th century,

but following the dissolution of the monasteries

it was demolished and a current parish church is built on the site.

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

Now then, let's step back a bit.

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

-Lovely.

-Very impressive.

-Yes, very nice again.

-Yeah, good first impressions.

-Yes.

I like the stone, like the windows.

Lots of character.

I think there is as much,

if not perhaps more character in this house than the first house.

-Yeah.

-But it's a very different layout.

A certainly different feel inside.

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

-So, want to go inside?

-Yes, please!

-Please.

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

Built from mellow local flintstone,

it's full of character

including a number of original beer stone mullioned windows.

-Nice wide door. Look at this entrance room.

-Wow.

-Wowee.

-Some entrance hall.

-It certainly is.

-So let's start in living room.

-OK.

-What do you think?

-Nice cosy room.

-Yeah.

Just a little bit on the dark side.

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

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

-Yeah.

-OK?

This is an open fire?

That is an open fire, but that is no ordinary open fire.

That is from an abbey.

Oh, right.

When Dunkeswell Abbey was ruined,

loads of the local farmers went up there and helped themselves.

And what you see throughout this house are parts of the abbey

brought back to life in this home.

-Yeah.

-Oh, right.

-Nice bit of history to it.

-Cosy room, I think.

-Yeah, I like it.

Yeah, you can imagine it with the fire on.

Now, before we curl up with a book, there's some cooking to be done.

-Right.

-Let me show you one of the kitchens.

-One of the kitchens?

So, the kitchen.

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

-Yes.

-Not as big as the other one.

-No.

-No. Nice view, though.

-Yeah.

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

It is a little bit on the small side.

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

-Yeah.

Perhaps it just need to think about how we do live in it.

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

-and follow me into the dining room.

-OK.

So now when you see this...

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

-Yes.

-Yes.

-It puts a different complexion on it completely.

-And this is really...

-Yeah, I love the fireplace.

Love the fireplace as well.

I think it would be something

that we'd sort of have to almost adapt to and learn to live in

because it's so different to our houses at the moment.

It's like a whole different style.

Are we getting used to this house now?

There's loads of bedrooms to look at,

but I want to show you one particularly special one.

-Follow me.

-OK.

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

there's a family room to the rear,

a large utility room which could be converted

into a professional baking kitchen for Vicki,

and another space currently used as an office.

Upstairs, we begin the tour of the six bedrooms.

-What do you think of this?

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-I take it this is the master suite.

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

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

Yes, and I like the light coming in.

Now that is a glorious en suite with a lovely roll-top bath

and separate basin, what have you.

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

a double en-suite bedroom there.

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

Another double bedroom beyond that.

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

what could be a dressing room,

and a bathroom to service just that master suite.

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

-No.

Yeah, there's plenty to share out

and I don't think anybody's going to be getting a raw deal, are they?

No. But through here is something quite special. OK.

-So...

-Wow, what a surprise!

-Ah, the second kitchen.

Wow.

-Most unexpected.

-Isn't it?

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

-This has been a self-catering holiday apartment.

-Yes.

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

What do you think, Rosemary? Could you adapt to this house?

I couldn't at first, but now I've seen more of it... Possibly, yes.

-This one's a grower.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-When the first one was a shower.

-Yes.

OK, let's go outside and talk about the land

and talk about everything else that comes with it.

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

-Thank you.

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

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

But there's also some business potential for Vicky.

Those barns have previously had planning consent

for two two-bedroom self-contained holiday cottages.

Right, OK.

That's interesting.

You're going to have to refurbish them,

but that's something to think about for the future.

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

I think it's near the top end of our budget.

-£875,000?

-OK. Vicki?

I was going to say £850,000.

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

-Oh.

-Oh, that is a surprise.

-It is a surprise.

Well, this is the last thing we're looking at today

so take as much time as you'd like

-and I'll catch you whenever you're finished.

-OK then.

-Great. Thank you.

Enjoy, ladies.

For £135,000 under their top budget,

this is a huge renovated 17th-century farmhouse

with no fewer than six bedrooms, five reception rooms,

and all full of period charm.

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

as well as convert barns into holiday properties.

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

but maybe not what brother Chris was hoping for.

Wow, this is what you call a bathroom.

I don't think I've actually ever seen a bathroom like this

other than in a hotel brochure.

Definitely the first impression of the house is amazing.

It's a really pretty house.

It's definitely a drive up and a wow house.

I think I was just a little bit disappointed

as we went into the lounge.

As we went upstairs, everything improved, I think.

You know, the sitting area, and the separate kitchen,

and that lovely en suite.

That was something else.

-So, pretty good day then?

-It has. It really has been.

Yes, it's been a good day.

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

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

-And hopefully got a bit to think about.

-Certainly have.

-Yep, definitely.

-Those barns are something else.

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

It's the second day of our house hunt

with mother and daughter team, Rosemary and Vicki.

They're swapping houses in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

for one large family home in Devon

with an extremely healthy maximum budget of £910,000.

Coming up, might the search for the dream home be over?

I can imagine myself living here.

-Yes, I can see myself living here as well.

-Brilliant. Good news.

And I inspect one of the most extensive leaky roof repair jobs

I've ever encountered.

I think Vicki and Rosemary seemed generally surprised

on the quality of houses we showed them yesterday.

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

of their property search.

So, for today's mystery house, we're going to be showing them

something with a bit of enterprise.

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

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

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

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

For the mystery house, we're travelling further east

to the village of Musbury,

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

A small village with just 500 residents,

the centre is a designated conservation area.

The River Axe runs through the west of the village

and it lies in the East Devon Way,

a 40 mile walking route through the Axe Valley.

Located along this Valley in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

and with views to die for is our mystery house.

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

for your first impressions.

-Yep. It's a good first impression.

-Very nice. Love the stone.

-You've seen what's over there?

-Yep.

-It's a farm.

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

-BOTH:

-No!

-Definitely not.

-No.

This is the mystery house.

We have thought about the other members of your family here as well.

Chris, your son, your brother, he's got an idea of land.

-Yep.

-How much do you think he wants?

-I think he would quite like three acres.

-OK.

-He's got that. I'll say exactly how much he has got later on.

-OK.

-OK.

First off, the building. What do you see?

Pretty stone farmhouse. Looks quite large.

-It's semidetached.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-OK?

-Right?

-To get back...

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

THEY LAUGH

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

I can't wait to get inside.

It may be attached

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

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

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

-we have in this house.

-Right.

-It's very cosy.

-Another nice fireplace.

-Yes.

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

-I like it, actually.

-I think Mum has different ideas over this.

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

I'm not sure about main lounges.

The good thing about this house is that you could have

one of the reception rooms with a carpet in,

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

There are two further living rooms,

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

reception room - currently a dining room.

Wow!

-It's super.

-Yeah.

-Lovely dining room.

-That's what you call a dining room.

-Yes.

-So, four reception rooms.

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

-It could be.

Pretty much, isn't it?

I can imagine myself living here more than I can the second house.

I think I could probably make this more my style.

-Yes, I could see myself living here as well.

-Brilliant. Good news.

The last room downstairs is the all-important kitchen.

-A proper farmhouse kitchen for you to argue over.

-Yes, definitely.

-Definitely.

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

-Yes.

-I take it you could live with this?

-BOTH: Yes. Definitely.

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

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

-Yes, it's what we wanted.

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

-Yes.

-Very nice.

-So far so good.

-Don't say it accusingly.

Vicky might be unsure about the good news continuing upstairs,

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

There are four good-sized bedrooms,

one of which has an en-suite bathroom,

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

-This is the master bedroom.

-Right.

-Wow, nice and light. Lovely views.

-Views over your own land.

-Of your own land!

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

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

-Oh!

-No, you don't.

-Absolutely.

-Interesting feature in the corner.

-A sauna.

THEY LAUGH

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

-No.

Let's go back into the bedroom

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

This is obviously the master suite.

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

One up, one down.

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

-Right.

That's very attractive.

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

of a self catering flat.

But there is also huge potential outside as it is currently

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

-Chris, he reckoned he wanted some land.

-Yes.

-You've got over 37 acres.

THEY LAUGH

-OK.

-I think our budget has been blown.

-Yeah.

We will come to that later. Obviously all these farm buildings

go right up to the top of those trees.

-Goodness!

-Follow it round. See that copse of trees there?

-Yes.

Including that copse, just a bit beyond, straight down,

follow that hedge line down, and just beyond there is a road.

-That's the road we approached this farm on.

-Right.

-The few fields beyond and then back.

-OK.

Just a small parcel of land then.

It's basically...it's a perfect smallholding.

What do you think Chris would say if he saw all this?

He'd be here tomorrow.

How much do you think it is?

It's certainly surpassed the budget, I think.

-Yes. How mean have you been?

-Go on, have a guess.

-I'd go 950.

-OK.

-No, I'd go more than that.

-990. Even 995.

-OK.

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

-OK. I like the word "offers."

-Yeah.

-I'm scared.

-That doesn't surprise me.

It's a proper mystery house

when it gets people out of their comfort zone.

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

This is your opportunity to go and discover everything here.

It's going to be a long few hours.

-I will meet you whenever you're finished.

-OK.

-OK then.

-We'll do a bit of exploring.

-Thank you.

-See you in a bit.

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

This 18th-century farmhouse has enough bedrooms

and reception rooms to give everyone the space they need.

There is a separate holiday annexe,

ready to go for immediate bookings.

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

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

Really nice. Loved the stone and the brickwork, everything about it.

A real country house.

The views and the land, they are beautiful. Really, really are.

My husband and son, they would be here tomorrow for the land alone.

The house is a really good size.

Obviously there are a lot of us to fit in.

I think downstairs probably feels like it works better than upstairs.

I think upstairs needs a little bit of thinking about.

Again, it had one amazing master suite, which I have my eye on.

But there will be arguments over that.

An absolutely wonderful mystery house.

I don't think we could have asked for anything more.

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

-BOTH: No.

-But we discovered it.

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

and then we'll chat through everything after that.

-OK.

-Let's go.

On the edge of Dartmoor stands a building with illustrious claim

to be the last castle to be built in England.

Finished just 80 years ago,

Castle Drogo was the brainchild of Julius Drewe -

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

He commissioned great British architect Edwin Lutyens,

most famous for his role in designing government buildings

of New Delhi in India and the Cenotaph in London.

Built entirely of granite, Castle Drogo has battlements,

turrets and mullioned windows.

But also flat roofs and no external guttering.

Within a year of completion, it started to leak.

Today an extensive repair job is under way

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

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

-It's built to look like a castle.

-Yeah.

-But it's actually a country house.

-How old is it?

It was started in 1911 and finished in 1930,

cos it was interrupted by the First World War.

What's all this building work going on then?

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

Some of it is just down to age and exposure,

being right on the side of Dartmoor.

The windows are particularly prone to the lashing

they get from the weather.

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

The windows have been taken out and refurbished.

-And all the pointing gets replaced.

-That's no small job.

-Can we take a closer look?

-Yeah, sure.

-Lead the way.

Gifted to the National Trust in 1974,

the restoration of Castle Drogo

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

With exposure to the brutal weather being the major concern,

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

So even when you're here

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

What sort of size are we looking at?

The roof is approximately two football pitches.

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

-isn't there?

-It would be simple if it was just two

flat football pitches. But there are 28 different roofs.

Is this failure in the roof down to the people that built it

or is there something else there?

No. It was a misunderstanding with the material.

It was early adoption of asphalt as a roofing material.

The problem is, this site is so exposed.

Back in February we were getting 80-mile-an-hour winds.

If you have something like that and you had a tiled,

lead-pitched roof or anything else, it would just peel it off.

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

-This stuff.

-That's very different that there.

-Very different.

Very different.

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

And it's not just the roof.

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

and donations, includes mending the leaky windows and walls.

Being a Grade I listed property,

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

The windows were a major problem here as well

due to the what, the location of this site?

Pretty much, yeah. The exposure.

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

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

These are all the original planes from this window

and if all gone back into the same location.

-These are the first two, out of 913.

-LAUGHING:

-No!

Something like 450 have been taken out so far.

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

I can hear a loan power tool...

THEY LAUGH

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

Basically drilling a masonry bit into the mortar.

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

-64km of joints.

-64km of pointing.

-Yep.

-911 remaining windows to be replaced.

-Yep.

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

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

-I wish the best of luck to you.

-Thank you very much.

Really interesting.

With Rosemary and Vicky liking aspects of all three houses,

I've no idea which property, if any, is coming out on top at the moment.

Let's meet up with them and find out.

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

What's your current thought?

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

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

that feel like they're in the running.

-House number one.

-Yep?

-Definite possibility.

-Mm-hmm.

-And house number three.

-The mystery house!

-Yes.

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

House number one and the mystery house.

House number one, it's the safe option.

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

House number three is a completely different proposition.

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

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

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

If we sold some of the land possibly on the mystery house then...

I think we would probably all go for that one.

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

I wish you both the very best of luck.

Whatever happens, please let us know.

-We certainly will.

-Thank you.

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

have struggled to find the right house for them.

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

wants something slightly different from the same property.

I think we're at least halfway there with Rosemary

and Vicky opting for house number one.

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

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

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

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

letting accommodations, along with all of that land,

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

I'm certainly looking forward to finding out.

See you next time.

Rosemary and Vicky went for second viewings on our first house

and the mystery house but decided the land

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

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

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