Somerset Escape to the Country

This tiny hexagonal fort was part of a formidable defensive frontier

that spanned over 50 miles

and has been described as the Hadrian's Wall of the 20th century.

But where is it, and what was it designed to defend?

Find out in just a few moments.

On today's show, it's a return to a rural setting

for two recent retirees, and their pets.

And our properties are full of surprises.

-Ooh, very nice.

-Oh, yes.

Oh, wow.

I say, it's huge!

Wow, a four-poster, woo-hoo!

Today, I'm in the West Country above Burton Bradstock beach in Dorset.

And you might recognise this brick and concrete construction

behind me as a World War II fortification known as a pill box.

But this is one of literally thousands built

hastily across the south of Britain between 1940 and 1941 as part

of the largest military construction programme in our history.

Now, today, though, these wartime relics, like the one behind me,

can be found peppered across the countryside

in various states of decay.

But they also serve as a poignant monument to a time

when Britain's freedom, and indeed her existence, was under threat,

and her long and enduring battle for survival and eventual victory

was only just beginning.

Dorset sits on the south-west coast of England

and is bordered by four counties, including Wiltshire to the north

with Somerset and Devon to the west.

To the south, the distinctive 95-mile coastline borders

the English Channel, and is made up of long sand and pebble beaches,

white cliffs to rival those at Dover

and rocky outcrops such as Durdle Door.

But it's not just the magnificent shoreline

that this county is known for.

Inland, the coastal landscape gives way to picture-postcard vistas

of rural England at its best, with narrow country lanes,

high hedgerows and pretty villages lined with thatched properties

like at Evershot.

Heading towards the northern border with Somerset,

the scenic beauty of Blackmore Vale was the setting for

the opening passages of Thomas Hardy's Tess Of The D'Urbervilles.

With atmospheric villages and beautiful landscapes,

the Dorset/Somerset border

offers those seeking a rural home the complete package.

But, of course, all this history and beauty comes at a cost,

especially in Dorset, where the average price of a detached house

comes in at around £321,000,

which is around £55,000 above the national average.

But it's worth remembering, included within this figure

is the hugely expensive area of Sandbanks near Poole,

where price tags regularly hit well into their millions.

So, if you want your budget to stretch further,

you're better off heading inland and towards the north of the county,

especially over the border into Somerset.

But what part of this beautiful south-western countryside

are today's buyers looking to find a house?

Let's meet them and find out.

It's a back-to-the-country venture for today's home-hunters

Philip and Diana, who live in the town of Hook in Hampshire.

They've been married for over 40 years and met

when they were just 16 years old.

I was going out with Diana's best friend,

used to go out to the cinema,

and Diana used to come along and chaperone.

He would chase me.

THEY CHUCKLE

He used to meet me off the school bus.

Philip recently retired as a resources administrator

and Diana as a primary school teacher.

They've lived in their current four-bedroomed property since 1987

but over the years they've noticed a change in the neighbourhood.

It is a busy place now.

Like everywhere else, there's going to be a lot of development,

you know, over about 600 houses they're planning.

We are now both 63, both retired,

and we thought that, whilst we've got the motivation,

it was time to think about moving.

And with their two grown-up children now having families of their own,

they feel the time's right to move back to a part of the country they

both know well, having lived in the West Country when they were younger.

I mean, there are far more fields than we ever see here,

and the roads are not so busy and the towns are not so busy.

-Rolling hills.

-And no traffic!

Joining Philip and Diana on the move will be their pets -

Archie, an 11-year-old Scottish terrier,

and Philip's parakeet, Percy.

He thinks I'm his dad, because I fed him, literally, by hand,

and he sits on my shoulder, and chatters away.

Quite a companion and he's, you know...

-Noisy.

-Fills the... the noise of the house.

Having been married for four decades,

Philip and Diana share many interests.

We go to church together.

We go away in our motorhome together.

We go away in our motorhome together,

which is a great pleasure to us.

We both like gardening.

Unfortunately, this garden has got too small for us,

we'd really enjoy having a bigger garden.

-And my wife likes to come fishing with me.

-Yes.

With a book.

THEY CHUCKLE

And when he's finished reeling them in,

Philip will be hitting the roads in his two classic cars,

one of which is this 1934 Austin 7 Special.

I have another car, which is a Wolsely 1500, 1958.

He is affectionately known as Wally,

whereas the other car is known as Willy.

So, with Willy, Wally, Archie and Percy all in tow,

Philip and Diana are looking forward to their new life in the country,

but they're under no illusions that it's a big step.

One of my concerns would be possibly losing contact with people

that we have regular contact with,

but, apart from that, I think if we go into it open-minded,

and flexible, then I think, you know, we should make a go of it.

Philip and Diana aren't set on a particular county

but generally prefer the countryside inland,

along the Dorset/Somerset border,

so we're concentrating our search there.

I'm meeting up with them in north-east Dorset

to talk over their property wish list.

So, here we are

surrounded by beautiful Somerset/Dorset countryside.

Now, why have you chosen this particular corner?

We've lived in this part of the world.

-You've worked here when you lived here before?

-Yes, yes.

Completely different kettle of fish now you've retired,

-how are you enjoying that?

-Oh, we're loving it.

Absolutely loving it, yes.

Well, you're in beautiful countryside now,

cattle just beyond us, is that your dream?

We obviously want a village close by,

within walking distance if possible.

-OK.

-So we can go off to walk and get his paper in the morning and, er...

Get his paper?!

Yeah, yeah, well, that's what it's all about when you retire.

-And the community.

-Yeah.

Let's talk about the house.

-Your classic car, that needs a home first of all.

-Yes.

You need a garage.

-Couple of garages really.

-Couple of garages, right, OK.

You like gardening, I know that.

Yeah, you know, we really like a bigger plot.

You've got grandchildren. How many? Is it five?

Five, we've got grandchildren, yeah.

So they'll be coming to stay.

How many bedrooms do we need?

Well, we say three, we don't want more than three.

The house is really secondary to the garden, and a view, please,

we'd love a view.

-All right.

-And a conservatory.

-And a conservatory, to take in that wonderful view.

-Yes.

So let's talk about budget, what's the final budget here?

Top whack, 460,000.

Well, I know what we're looking for.

It may not all come in one package,

-that's the compromise sometimes.

-OK.

We've got three fantastic properties lined up.

Let's start with the first, this way.

-Excellent, let's go.

-Lovely, thank you.

For a budget of £460,000,

Philip and Diana's perfect property needs to offer what

they have in their current home, but in a countryside setting.

They'd like at least three bedrooms, ideally a conservatory,

a large garden with good views,

and a couple of garages for Philip's classic cars.

We've lined up three excellent rural properties for our buyers to view,

selected with their wish-list in mind.

I'll be asking them to put a price on each at the end of the tour.

Our mystery house gives them another option entirely,

but it's one they'll need to put their own stamp on.

So, Diana, I understand you're really into community,

and you live amongst neighbours now anyway, don't you?

I do.

What sort of things do you hope to get involved in

down here in the countryside?

Well, whatever's going on.

At the moment, I help with a toddler group

and I do a class, Pilates class, and we go to the local church.

-You're people people, aren't you?

-We are people people.

I taught young children

so I like being involved with anything to do with children.

-You just can't give it up, can you?

-No.

Our first property is in Winterborne Stickland,

in the north-east of Dorset.

A village of around 600 people,

it grew up around the church, which was built in the 13th century.

There are several pretty cob and thatch cottages

lining the main street, including an inn.

There's also a village post office.

Stickland remains a working village,

with farming the main industry in the surrounding hills.

Our first house is found on the edge of the village

a mile from the thatched pub.

OK, so our first foray into the local property market

-starts right here.

-Wow.

-Wow is a word I love to hear.

-Yeah, it's quite big.

But don't worry, I know what's going through your head,

you don't have to heat it all. What we...

THEY LAUGH

-What we're looking at, see the downpipe, the black downpipe?

-Yep.

And see this protruding, well, sort of like gable if you like? OK.

-Up to that.

-Mmm-hmm.

-Well, it's different, isn't it? Very different.

-It is.

-Yes, well, you're looking for a different life, aren't you?

-Yeah, we are.

-First impressions?

-Yeah.

-Intrigued, definitely intrigued, yes.

-Yes, very interesting.

-I need to address the car issue.

-OK, yep.

-You've got a double garage.

-Oh, wow.

-Hey, excellent.

-Yeah, it's a good size.

-So, armed with that knowledge...

-Yep.

..let's go inside and see where you'll live, not your cars.

Follow me.

Part of a private development of six dwellings built on an old farmstead,

our first property is only 16 years old, but is constructed using

reclaimed materials including the brick and flint for the walls.

Righty ho, so downstairs we've got...

water closet as soon as you walk in.

Now, tell me what you think of this room.

Is it what you were expecting?

-Oh, that's quite cosy, isn't it?

-Wow, very cosy.

Log burner, I like it, I like it.

How does this compare to the place you've got at home?

It's very different.

Yeah, I thought it would be.

Well, we've got a conservatory on the end of our living room there.

Well, you don't have that conservatory here,

you could easily put one on,

but you do get that sort of sun terrace area there, as you can see.

-OK.

-Very nice.

Just big enough, we don't want anything bigger than this.

Yep, nothing huge.

All right, now, we could have gone straight into the kitchen

-when we went through that door there.

-Oh, right, yes.

But I think it's quite a nice flow to do it this way.

So, let me just show you the other side of it.

Right then. So, a dining kitchen.

-Ooh, very nice.

-Whoa, yes, excellent, that's fantastic.

-Yeah, just about the right size.

-Yeah.

Now, who does the cooking? Is it shared?

-He likes cooking.

-Good, good to hear.

But so far, I mean, these are pretty good reactions.

I think one of the reasons why the kitchen seems of a decent size,

-you get a good utility just through there.

-Oh, right. Oh, OK.

OK, well, you can see the flow to this house now, can't you?

Let me just squeeze past you here, we'll go upstairs to the bedrooms.

Philip and Diana asked for three bedrooms,

and they get potentially five with this house, spread over two floors.

The top floor features a study/bedroom area

and a further double bedroom behind that with an en-suite bathroom,

somewhere for the grandchildren to play and sleep.

The first floor is home to three bedrooms,

including two smaller rooms as well as a fully tiled family bathroom.

This is very much the master.

-Come right in actually, Philip, to see what you've got.

-It's huge.

It's not as light as I'd hoped for,

it is quite dark, even these windows here.

But then again, if you changed the decor...

-Hmm, I suppose it's, you know, the style of the barn, isn't it?

-Yes.

Again, it's en suite.

Let me show you the garden

and then I'll let you run around the whole place on your own.

-OK.

-Is that all right?

-Yep, lovely.

-OK, follow me.

In addition to the double garage,

the outside space includes a large private rear garden

which is mainly lawn and terraced,

with steps leading up to a decked vantage point.

Now, for climbing up the terrace, you're rewarded with this view.

Oh, wow, I can cope with that.

Yeah, very nice.

Now, behind you, beyond the chickens,

-you've got a footpath...

-Oh, right.

-..with fantastic views so your dog Archie's well catered for.

-Yep.

So, how much do you think this house is on the market for?

Well, lovely village, nice little community, lovely views.

-About 450, I think.

-450?

-Mm-hm.

I'm going to go a little bit more, I think. More 455.

This place has just come on the market with another agent,

and they've reduced it down to £465,000.

OK.

-No big surprise?

-No.

-No.

-No.

-No.

-You can see why.

I think you should go back into the house.

-OK.

-Have a think about how you would use that extra space,

and I'll see you whenever you're done, but I might just take in

this view for a couple of minutes. Is that all right?

-OK, sounds excellent.

-Lovely. OK, thanks.

-OK, see you in a bit.

Mind your step on the way down

-and I'll catch you later.

-Yeah, thank you.

£5,000 over budget,

our first property gives Philip and Diana

pretty much everything they asked for and more.

The barn style design offers up five bedrooms -

two more than they needed but somewhere for the grandkids

to stay and play when they come and visit -

a double garage for Philip's classic cars and a large garden with views.

I love the community sort of aspect of it,

and the sort of farmyard atmosphere, you know?

They obviously were farm buildings before,

I love that. I love the living room.

There's probably quite a few more rooms than we expected,

certainly interesting. I'm beginning to warm to it, definitely.

So, have you figured out what to do with all that space?

-Yes, I think so. We'll certainly talk about it.

-We'll spread out.

Spread out? Yeah, quite, maybe buy some more furniture.

-Well, that's the first one done.

-OK, that would be good.

-On to the next.

-Excellent.

-Lovely.

Dorset's heritage coast attracts millions of visitors a year,

who are drawn to natural gems including the limestone arch

of Durdle Door and the sheltered cove at Lulworth.

Perched on a cliff top overlooking Poole harbour,

it's the county's flora that's pulling in the crowds.

The gardens of Compton Acres

are visited by some 60,000 people a year.

Covering ten acres of Dorset countryside,

it features seven distinct garden styles,

including a unique Japanese garden built in the 1920s.

Since our couple are passionate about horticulture,

we've brought them to Compton Acres

to discover its history and see what it would take

to develop and maintain a garden in this part of the world.

They're meeting the gardens' curator, Gerry Clarke.

So Gerry, how did these wonderful gardens come about?

Well, the gardens were first established back in 1914.

Thomas Simpson, who was a local businessman, bought the property

as his seaside residence, and decided to create gardens

which reflected his interest

in horticulture and his worldwide travels.

So, did Simpson construct and design it himself?

Well, he employed a gardener called Middleton,

who was a very accomplished gardener in his own right,

and together they set about designing the gardens.

He employed a number of workmen with the skills necessary to

develop the gardens, and designed a Japanese garden, which is

probably one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan.

The different themed sub-gardens include a formal Italian garden,

complete with Roman villa, and an all-year-round heather garden.

But it's the 1920s Japanese garden

which Compton Acres is probably most famous for.

So, did Simpson use a Japanese gardener?

Well, no, he actually employed a Japanese architect

and together with Middleton, who was the chief gardener here,

they landscaped this whole area and built these fine

Japanese structures. And they were authentic structures.

You'll see many examples of the statuary

that was imported from Japan.

And over here, you get the stepping stones

which link to the other side of the garden here.

So back in the '20s, how much did it all cost?

Well, they spent over £200,000,

which in today's money is about £10 million.

-Wow.

-It was a huge investment in a private garden.

Their budget might be smaller, but Philip and Diana

are keen to develop their own garden,

so they're meeting Compton Acres' gardener, Ian Smith,

to find out about which plants thrive here in Dorset.

You've been inspired by the Japanese garden?

Definitely, definitely.

Because this is all the Japanese type things we have -

acers, pyrus, um, we've got rhododendrons, azaleas.

-OK.

-And also over here, we've got

something a bit more unusual which you might have seen in the gardens.

Oh, wow.

It's called a grevillea - "Canberra Gem". And basically that flowers

from January right up till, like, into the Autumn months.

And again, something like the mugo pine.

Mm, that's unusual, isn't it?

Again, in a pot, that would look

-just stunning in a pot...

-Yes, lovely.

-That's gorgeous.

So, if we had one of these, how easy is it to look after?

Well, they're quite easy. I think most people that buy this,

even though they can grow it in the ground here,

they would normally put this into a pot.

You'd just water it obviously so it doesn't dry out.

But maintenance-wise there's hardly anything to do,

because the climate here is just perfect, you know,

even if we have a wet season. A lot of plants seem to die because

of conditions of cold and wet, whereas here, because the soil is

so sandy as well, it drains freely

so, you know, the plants survive even the cold

because they're not in the wet as well. So it's lovely, yes.

Armed with tips on how to create their own Japanese garden,

our green-fingered couple just need to find their own

West Country plot, so it's back to the hunt to find them a home.

For our second option, we're hopping over the border into Somerset

and heading to the village of Compton Pauncefoot.

The closest amenities are spread across the neighbouring villages

of North and South Cadbury, a three-minute drive away,

and include a shop for Philip to buy his paper, and a pub.

House two is in the smaller village of Compton Pauncefoot.

A community of just 70 inhabitants, the centre point is

the 15th-century parish church, built from local golden hamstone.

Our next offering is almost opposite -

part of a development of six properties

created from former agricultural buildings.

As the last development went down quite well, having a few

neighbours around, we thought we'd stick with that theme for this.

-Right.

-And, yeah, it's another barn conversion.

-Oh.

-Wow.

What do you think of where we are now?

-Well, it's...

-Excellent. Excellent location.

-It's lovely, yeah.

-Quiet?

-Yeah.

-Quiet, yeah

What do you think of how it looks?

From here, fantastic, exceptional.

-Yeah, really good, really good.

-OK.

-Yeah, yeah.

-All right.

-Can't wait to go in.

-Let's do that.

Converted in the late-'90s, our second property is an old granary

and like the village church is also built from hamstone,

which is a feature of this part of southern Somerset.

The interior pays homage to the original fabric of the building,

revealing exposed timbers and vaulted ceilings.

Righty-ho, first impressions, Diana.

Ooh, quite small.

Not too high.

Very light, though.

-Yeah, it is light, but how big's that window.

-Room to...

-Yeah.

-Room to have breakfast?

-Yeah.

Can I make a suggestion?

-Get rid of that.

-Get rid of that,

you've got more than enough reception room.

-All right, OK, OK.

-All right.

-Space later on.

First of all you can see you've got this raised level here.

I think that would make a much better dining area, breakfast area.

Then this is just a kitchen, with a massive gas range.

Lovely.

-Just next door you've got a utility.

-OK.

And just here you can see this is made for a breakfast room or...

-casual dining.

-Yeah, so light, it's fantastic.

But then you've got a huge room just here.

-Oh!

-Follow me.

Amazing room.

Wow, I say, it's huge.

It's not too big, but it is big, and very light.

-..how much light they let in.

-Yeah.

-Oh, you could get a lovely table there.

-Gosh, and the beams.

Now, I know you like to have a fire -

you've got a lovely stove there, haven't you? Wood burner.

-It's a wood burner?

-Yeah.

So is this their main living room?

Yeah, this is...

It's not an upside-down house completely,

but, yeah, this is the only first floor we've got.

The bedrooms are downstairs.

-Oh, right, interesting.

-OK.

You've got that lovely area there -

what would you do with that?

-Oh, I think that's a cosy little area there.

-Chaise longue, maybe.

Oh, chaise longue!

Just being fed grapes by Diana?

I think, you know, the space up here lends itself

-to a nice table, doesn't it?

-Yep.

See, it's opening our minds to the possibilities.

With the dining arrangements covered,

we're turning our attention to the sleeping quarters.

This property has three double bedrooms,

two with full-height windows leading onto an outside terrace.

There's also a large, fully tiled family bathroom

with freestanding bath.

But then, the master - much bigger again.

-Oh!

-Wow, a four-poster! Whoo-hoo!

-I say!

-Yes, it's a good size, a very good size.

-And a whopper of an en-suite next door as well.

-Oh.

-OK.

-Very nice.

-Nice and light.

Look, I mean, this is so far so good.

What's going through your mind at the moment?

Obviously, we're over the border in Somerset.

-Yep.

-But you said you'd look at this whole area, didn't you?

Yep, we did, we did.

I'm thinking what's the garden like? That's what I'm thinking,

cos that could swing...

Yes, well, I tell you what, it could do, actually,

that could be the compromise.

Let's make our way out there,

-and on the way start thinking about price.

-OK.

In addition to the paved terrace,

there's a secluded L-shaped lawn area bordered by a small stream.

And Philip has a garage for his classic cars, as well as a workshop.

Now, the garden, sunny it might be,

-huge it is not.

-This is it, is it?

-This is it.

-Yeah.

Big compromise.

-Your boundary is that lovely little babbling stream there.

-Right.

-And then, well, it just goes round the corner, really.

-OK.

Yeah, no vegetable plot.

Yeah, that's the compromise.

Mmm, cos the view was really the important thing as well.

-The other important factor, wasn't it?

-You do get a view.

-Right.

-It's just there.

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, OK.

-I didn't see that.

-Tiptoes, you can see it.

So how much do you think this place is on the market for, then?

Um, I'm going to go for £425,000.

And I think a little bit more, probably 430.

Philip, you're spot on.

-It's on the market for £425,000.

-OK.

-Mmm-hmm.

-You're not impressed now.

I mean, it was going so well, wasn't it?

Yes.

Yeah, I just think the garden completely killed it for us, really.

-Go back inside, have a good look around...

-Yep.

..and I will see you whenever you're finished, OK?

OK, brilliant, thank you.

Well, it was going so well - it's in such a lovely environment,

but by the sounds of it the garden is a must.

So we'll go from there.

Below budget by £35,000, our second property,

a charming barn conversion,

gives Philip and Diana light and spacious living areas,

the three bedrooms they asked for and a garage for the cars.

But it seems the garden, despite being pretty and secluded,

isn't quite large enough for our buyers.

When I first saw property two,

I thought, "Wow, what a beautiful position, lovely rural area,

"and lovely sandstone colour." It looked lovely.

Well, it's just the disappointing size of the garden.

We just can't compromise on that, really.

It was tastefully done,

and, you know, everything flowed in the house.

Property number two wasn't a property

that we would have thought of looking at.

It didn't tick all the boxes, it ticked quite a lot of the boxes,

but the main box it didn't tick was the size of the garden.

-All finished?

-Yes, thank you.

-Yes.

It's such a shame this garden isn't big enough,

-cos it is lovely, isn't it?

-Lovely outlook.

-Lovely spot.

But I still think we've got one property

that you're considering, hopefully,

so let's head back now and then tomorrow the mystery house.

-Lovely, thank you.

-Look forward to that, excellent.

'It's the second day of our property search

'here in the Dorset/Somerset borders

'and, on a budget of £460,000,

'we're helping retirees Philip and Diana from Hook in Hampshire

'find a rural home in the West Country.

'Coming up, it's back to the drawing board with the mystery house.'

-Yeah.

-All these things that were so important to you,

then suddenly you've forgotten about them.

'And I discover a new way to keep the vampires at bay.'

-You call it black garlic?

-That's right.

Wow, it's jet black, isn't it?

Whilst property number one went down pretty well yesterday,

I'm not convinced we've shown Philip and Diana a house

with a big enough garden to make them want to move down here.

Now, I do remember them both telling me

that if they could pick up the modern house that they live in

and move it down here, they'd be more than happy,

and I think the mystery property fits into that category,

but, of course, being the mystery,

it comes with a couple of compromises.

First of all, Philip,

well, he'll have to go two or three miles by bicycle every morning

to collect his morning paper.

Diana, well, she doesn't yet get a conservatory,

and they'll both need an imagination

when walking around the internals of the property.

But if they're prepared to overlook these...foibles, let's say,

then they'll get their garden,

enough outside space for a very active retirement.

Let's see how we go.

We're staying in Somerset for our third and final property,

which is in the village of North Barrow.

The small country town of Castle Cary, three miles away,

is the main hub for a large part of southern Somerset,

with a wide range of shops and cafes.

The historic centre features a market hall,

which is now a museum and a hotel,

which is one of the oldest buildings in the town,

partially built using stone from a nearby Norman castle

which was demolished in the 12th century.

Our mystery property is a ten-minute drive away,

located in a quiet setting.

It certainly has the land.

The house itself is a bit of a blank canvas,

but gives Philip and Diana the chance to put their stamp on it.

This mystery house,

-we've got more garden than we've seen already.

-Yep.

And it goes on, but what do we think of the house?

Mmm, very nice, actually, yeah.

Yeah, very nice, yep.

-How old's this one, then, is it...?

-Mid-'80s.

-Mid-'80s?

-Yeah, so it's a modern-ish house.

Now, first things first - your morning newspaper, Philip.

That's not a problem.

Oh, it's not a problem now!

-Well...

-Good!

-..I'm sure we can get it somehow.

It's three miles away, in Castle Cary,

but the grandchildren, what's great about this village,

is it's about three miles from the A303,

so you're really well connected by car for visiting,

-but also for your camper van.

-Yep.

Oooh, yes, hadn't entered my head about the camper van.

All these things that were so important to you,

then suddenly you've forgotten about them!

And as you can see, there's plenty of gardens.

-We'll look at that later.

-OK.

Now, what do you like,

in using your imagination, when you look around the house?

Yeah, fairly flexible, yep.

-Yeah?

-Well, the outside area's right.

-It's got to be right inside.

-Good, all right.

-Well, let's go and look inside and see what you think of it.

-OK.

As well as a generously sized garden,

which continues around the other side of the house,

there's a double garage for the two cars

and plenty of parking space for the motorhome.

-Let's start with the living room first of all.

-Oh, yeah.

-Oh, wow.

-Yeah, that's a reasonable size, isn't it?

It is, it's not a bad size at all.

-What have they got in the...?

-Fireplace as well.

-Yeah, it's big enough for us.

-Yeah, definitely.

Now, remember I said you need to use your imagination?

How would you have this room?

Oh, we like cosy. Yeah, but it's adequate, it's a nice size.

-Yeah, it's just a nice size.

-Yep.

Good, all right. Let me take you into the kitchen.

We'll have a quick duck into the dining room on the way through.

-Righty ho.

-So if you come in, just to the right-hand side,

-there is the separate dining room.

-Right.

OK, yeah.

Ground floor loo there and then a fairly compact kitchen.

-Come right in.

-Oh, big enough for me, I think.

Oh, it's not bad.

-But a lovely view of the garden.

-Oh, wow.

Yeah, definitely a wow factor, that.

I really do think this house is crying out for something

-that you said you're after, and that's a conservatory.

-Yeah.

-Either on the dining room, or on the kitchen or maybe both.

-Yes.

Well, you could do it off the dining room, couldn't you?

-Yeah.

-Yes, that would be lovely.

I know you liked the first house,

-but it was almost bordering on too large.

-Too large, yeah.

You seem to both fit in to this house quite well.

-I like it.

-Thank you very much. Can we see more?

We can see more. Let's have a quick look at the master bedroom, OK?

Can I just squeeze past there? Thank you very much. Up we come.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms -

two doubles and two singles,

as well as a family bathroom, all arranged off a central landing.

This is the master.

Not huge, but you get your storage.

-OK. Yeah, that's...

-It's not bad, is it?

-But this is absolutely adequate and, er...

-En suite, yep.

-E -suite.

-Yeah, en suite.

-Golly!

I really like it a lot.

There's huge potential, huge potential.

-Does that excite you, Diana?

-It does.

-It does.

Worries me a bit, because I don't know the price or anything!

No, but if you could afford this sort of house

and afford to do what you'd like to do to it, these cosmetic changes,

is this the sort of thing you had in mind?

-Absolutely, yeah, yeah.

-Definitely, definitely.

-This is good, isn't it?

-It is good.

It's got wow factor in a different way, in as much as that, wow,

yes, we love it, and we can do something with it.

Yeah, this could work for you.

The mystery property has worked its magic on our buyers,

who seem as impressed with the house as they were with the garden,

which extends to over half an acre and is mainly laid to lawn.

So, where would you have your veggie patch, do you think?

Well, I reckon the sun goes thataway,

so it would probably be in that bottom corner of the garden there.

-Garden. Fish pond?

-Fish pond, definitely.

Huge potential for a fish pond here.

Now, you did say you'd love the idea of a view -

now, that hedgerow at the back there,

you drop that down then you get a view over farmland.

-Would be fantastic.

-Yeah, yeah.

Let's talk about the price. Look back at the house.

-I'm going to be bold.

-Go on.

I'm going to say 350.

-Diana?

-I think you're way out.

-Do you?

Yeah, I think it's 450, 440.

It's on the market for offers in the region of

£435,000.

-Oh!

-So...

Why did you guess 350?

I was just being hopeful!

Now it's considerably more than 350,

what do you think of it, Philip?

Happy with that, I think. I think we could run with that, yeah.

I think you should go back into the house,

-really have a think about what you said you were after...

-Yep.

..and align this with all the things you said you wanted.

And then we'll have a chat after that. All right?

OK. Yep, lovely.

-Enjoy it, have a look at that double garage.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

That's kind of what I said, this house gives them

absolutely everything they said they are after.

It's a big move here to the countryside and I think they're starting to realise that.

Looking forward to finding out what they think.

£25,000 below their top budget,

the modern mystery property offers Philip and Diana essentially

the shell of a house they can modify to suit their tastes and needs.

It comes with four bedrooms, one more than they asked for,

a double garage and 0.6 of an acre of land.

There's another little bedroom as well.

-That's bigger...

-You could almost get a double bed in there, couldn't you?

A double bed? I don't know, a single bed.

Certainly a single, a big single.

-It's going to suit us, this, eh?

-It is.

I'm chuffed to bits with this.

Absolutely lovely, you know, room to spread ourselves in the garden,

and that's what we were looking for.

The downside is how much needs doing in the house, but, you know,

you can't have it perfect in every way, can you?

So, you know, it is, as my husband says, liveable in,

and, you know, we'll do it slowly.

Lovely garden, nice, relatively modern house,

the garden's brilliant, room for a veggie patch,

room for flower beds,

I think there's a lot of potential here.

Well, I'm hoping we might have found you a house.

I think you might.

Well, that sounds like you've got something to discuss,

something to think about, let's find you somewhere to do just that

-and we'll catch up later on.

-Brilliant.

-After you.

-Thank you.

Head inland from the rocky Jurassic Coast

and the Dorset landscape gives way to gently rolling hills

and wide valleys all the way up to the Somerset border.

Around three quarters of the Dorset countryside is agricultural.

17 years ago, one local sheep farmer, looking for a more

profitable business, sold up and tried his hand at growing

a crop more closely associated with the cultures of Spain and France.

Today, Mark Botwright's garlic farm near Bridport is going

from strength to strength, producing 900,000 bulbs a year.

He's also found a novel way to preserve the seasonal product

all year round.

I've come to meet Mark to find out more.

Garlic, it's not the traditional plant we'd have here, what,

50 or so years ago, why is it becoming so popular?

Er, I think our taste buds are changing,

I mean, normally you'd just see wheat and barley growing here.

It's a good cash crop, it's something that people like to eat.

Now, you're a traditional farmer by trade,

what made you start thinking, "Let's grow some garlic"?

Well, believe it or not, my wife, Wendy, gave me three bulbs

17 years ago as a birthday present.

We never ate any in the kitchen,

I just kept it back all the time, dried it and replanted it,

and from that, this is what you see after 17 years of hard work.

You are joking!

-This is the product of those three birthday bulbs of garlic?

-Yep.

You seem very passionate about this garlic,

I mean, is this all you do now?

Yep, this is all I do, I live, breathe

and have nightmares about it, everything I do is solely garlic.

Fresh garlic is in season between July and October.

And the dried bulbs have a limited shelf life of a couple of weeks.

Mark wanted to find a way to preserve some of his bulbs

so they could be eaten all year round.

A few years ago, he came across an ancient Korean method

for curing garlic bulbs, by exposing them to heat

and moisture over a 40-day period,

producing what is known as "black garlic", which lasts up to a year.

Now, you call it black garlic?

-That's right.

-It doesn't look particularly black.

No, it just looks like an aged, not very happy garlic, really.

If I found that in my fridge, I'd be thinking about throwing it out.

Yeah, you would do. Let me show you.

-You ready?

-Yep.

Wow, it's jet black, isn't it?

-There you go.

-Like tar!

It's got a real liquorice-y texture,

but a real balsamic, aged balsamic flavour.

Can I have a nibble?

Yeah, you can, there's one here you can try.

Thank you. So already, this looks dry and horrible

-and ready to throw out.

-Yeah.

But this is really moist, mulchy, if you like.

I put it in my mouth and I thought

that's like a liquorice allsort sort of thing,

and now, I'm getting the sort of balsamic vinegar,

and only now do I get the garlic, it comes in stages, doesn't it?

-Yeah, sweet, savoury...

-It's like a Willy Wonka sweet!

It's awesome. I can't get over its sort of

rubbery texture, it's amazing.

This is the nice thing about it, you don't have to actually

chop it up, so you actually put it down,

-and you can make a paste that easily.

-Goodness me!

Black garlic has twice the antioxidants of normal garlic,

is low in fat, rich in natural sugars, making it sweeter in taste

and, unlike its whiter version, leaves no smell or bad breath.

There are a variety of ways it can be used in everyday cooking,

in pastas, roasts and stir fries.

Or simply warmed with butter

and enjoyed on a piece of ciabatta toast, with ricotta cheese,

some scrapes of fresh garlic and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

That is absolutely amazing,

I'm getting a really nice, smoky flavour, and that sweetness

from that garlic as well, that black garlic, oh, my goodness!

As Britain's only black garlic producer,

Mark has finessed the ancient curing process and has his own

special heating hut, which churns out 2,500 bulbs every 40 days.

He now supplies the country's top eateries with British black garlic -

it's a far cry from his days as a struggling sheep farmer.

So, the mystery house seems to be the clear favourite,

and I think that huge garden was certainly the deciding factor.

Time to catch up with Diana and Philip

and find out what they plan to do next.

-So, you've had some time to think?

-Yep.

I'm pretty sure I know your favourite house,

-the mystery property, am I right?

-That's right.

-Definitely.

-Do you want to buy it?

-We would like to buy it, yes,

we need to do a bit of homework first, though. OK.

Go back, have a look at the maps.

We might come back on Saturday if it's at all possible,

have another look around the area.

What is it about the mystery property that's, well,

captured your hearts, if you like?

Well, it's the size of the garden, obviously.

-Yeah.

-Definitely the size of the garden,

-and the garages, and...

-The view.

..the view, and the potential that the house has.

The potential for what?

Well, to make it our home, you know.

First and foremost, that's the most important thing.

Coming away from the place, have you thought about what changes

you might like to make to the mystery property?

Look to knock the wall down in the kitchen and dining room.

Nice big kitchen/diner.

Have a bigger patio door or think about the conservatory.

Yeah, these are all things

that would make it a tremendous family home.

Yeah, and it would be fun doing it.

So, we've got to think long and hard.

So, when is the second viewing? I'm going to push you on this.

-Saturday, hopefully.

-This Saturday?

-Yep.

That's encouraging, you're going to go away and come back?

Good for you. Whatever you decide,

and I hope it will be positive, let us know, won't you?

-Course we will.

-Yep.

-Well done.

-Thank you very much, thank you.

Well, Philip and Diana did go for the sort of house

you'd find in a town

that's actually situated in the countryside,

but I think that's because it gave them so much of what they said they

were after - the modern interiors, the village location, somewhere

to park their motorhome, and most importantly, that massive garden.

So much so, I think the only thing stopping them purchasing that house

is themselves, but then again, it's been so long since they've

bought a house, I can appreciate why they want to have a second viewing.

But when they do that and they look around the locality,

this weekend, I do hope it gives them the confidence

to take the plunge.

See you next time.

If you would like to escape to the country in England,

Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and would like our help,

you can apply online at bbc.co.uk/beonashow.