County Durham Escape to the Country

This impressive structure is the oldest

single span railway bridge in the world.

It's also a symbol of this area's very impressive industrial heritage.

Find out where I am in just a moment.

This week, I'm helping a father and daughter-in-law duo

looking for a sizeable rural home to suit three generations.

-I think there's enough space here.

-Should be.

-Only just!

But after a shaky start,

it looks like I might have found a plot to please them.

That something special makes it a very nice property.

Today I'm in County Durham.

This is Causey Arch, which was built in 1725

by a consortium of mine owners

who wanted to transport the coal over the burn here.

At the time, it was the largest single span bridge in Britain

and at its peak, it was seeing more than 900 horse-drawn carts

crossing back and forth every single day.

Then, after about ten years,

the bridge and the collieries nearby went into decline

and it was 200 years later in the 1980s

that it was restored, as a symbol of this area's

rich industrial heritage.

County Durham in the north-east of England borders north Yorkshire,

Cumbria and Northumberland to the North.

The region boasts some of the most breathtaking countryside

and dramatic coastlines in Britain,

including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

and the famous Durham Dales,

encompassing the valleys of Teesdale and Weardale.

The rolling farmland

and rugged moorland is broken up by meandering rivers

and is scattered with picturesque villages and market towns.

The county takes its name from the city of Durham,

which offers an appealing mix of history and contemporary culture.

The old English university city's winding cobbled streets

are crowned with the dramatic cathedral

and Castle World Heritage Site,

which makes for a stunning city setting.

Venture further inland to the forest of Teesdale

and you will find the famous High Force Waterfall,

which drops 70 feet into a plunge pool below.

It's one of the most spectacular falls in England.

If I were standing in a beautiful village like this one

in the south-east or south-west of England,

I'd be telling you now to brace yourself for some staggering prices.

Here, in County Durham, it's a different picture.

It's refreshingly affordable.

The average price for a detached house here is £146,000,

which is a delicious £124,000 less than the national figure.

Even in the North East as a whole,

it's still a great place to be buying

because it's 35% cheaper than neighbouring Northumberland.

But is it the place for our buyers today?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Today's house-hunters hail from the city of Sunderland

and are a father and daughter-in-law team, Doug and Anne.

Anne is married to Doug's son, Jeremy,

and has three children, Alex, Christina, and Jonathan.

They first met 15 years ago.

We enjoy each other's company because we like the same things.

I love the way he doesn't let the grass grow under his feet.

He's just my type of person because we do lunch together a lot

and go for coffees.

Then we'll suddenly think of an idea and then, the next thing,

we're doing it. And that's what great about him.

He's dynamic and just good company.

I'll give her the 20 quid later!

It was one day 18 months ago that the pair came up with

the brainwave of selling their separate homes in order to buy

one big property to fit the whole family.

Doug will be joining Anne, Jeremy and the children,

as well as Anne's mother, Eileen.

My idea is to have everybody around, not living in each other's pockets,

but just a stone's throw away so we can be there if we're needed.

Anne and her husband have lived in their five-bedroom home in Seaburn,

just outside the city centre, since getting married 14 years ago.

With their children fast growing up,

Anne feels it's time for a change of scenery and pace.

I do have a natural pull to the country.

When I visit the country, I have often thought how much

I would love to be part of that life on a permanent basis.

With Christina loving horses, she rides and helps out

at the local stables, and it would be nice if she could have her own,

if we had the space.

Currently just a five-minute drive away,

Doug is keen to remain close to his only son and grandchildren

and despite being 76, he's up for a new adventure.

I'm at a stage in my life where

I'm prepared to look at anything and everything.

I'm also at an age where one's contemporaries

are popping their clogs!

So, with that in mind, you think, well, go for it, do it now.

Armed with a long wish list and seven people to consider,

the pair have a lot of responsibility

resting on their shoulders to find the perfect extended family home.

I know my mum would definitely be happy

with whatever I would like because the bottom line is,

I've reassured the family that I have everybody's interests at heart

and of course, Doug's coming along with me anyway,

so it's going to be a joint enterprise.

But I think I'll have the last say!

Well, yes, that's right.

Anne thinks she's going to have the last say!

The family want to be within an hour of Sunderland

for Anne and Jeremy's work and Doug's social commitments.

They're otherwise open-minded

so we're looking all over County Durham.

I'm catching up with Anne and Doug

to talk through the details of their proposed move.

-Welcome to County Durham.

-Thank you.

It's not such a journey from Sunderland?

-No, no.

-Beautiful countryside.

-That's what we like about it.

Let's go through what you're looking for.

Let's start with you, Doug.

What would you like to get out of the move?

I would like separate accommodation,

either a cottage or something where perhaps,

we may have to do some work on, to create that separate accommodation.

Anne, your mum is coming too, is she going to want a separate house too?

I'm afraid so, yes. If possible.

I think Anne's mother is as adamant as I am

about the accommodation being separate.

Would Eileen be prepared to be in the house if push came to shove?

I think it would be preferable if she had her own wing, as it were,

or I think she would prefer a self-contained annexe if possible.

How much land are you looking for?

Just a couple of acres, really just maybe a nice garden.

You also want some horses, for your middle daughter, isn't it?

My middle daughter who likes to ride, yes,

and she yearns for her own horse.

How realistic do you think your search is?

Oh, well, we know we're asking a lot, but I'm sure you can do it.

Oh, trust, blind faith. I like that!

What about your house,

how many rooms do you want in the house for you and your family?

Probably a minimum of five. Or six.

At least a couple of bathrooms if possible. We just need space.

-That's what it's all about.

-Sure.

What about location, are you keen to be way out in the countryside

or more in a community?

It would be superb to be within a community,

within a village or a hamlet as long as it was within commuting distance.

Remind me again of your budget, Doug?

How much are you going to spend on this mammoth project?

The budget would be about £700,000.

Of course, there is a little bit of flexibility in that.

-How easy is it going to be to please both of you?

-Yes.

Are you good at compromising?

-We are, we like the same things, actually, don't we?

-Yes.

Yes, I think it will all fit into place.

I think I've reached an age where I tend to compromise

more than I ever did in the past.

That's a very good mind-set for when you are house-hunting.

So we've got three beautiful properties lined up.

They are going to require a little bit of head scratching and,

"how is this going to work for us?" So, put on your compromise hats.

-Let's go and look at them.

-Right.

For a joint maximum budget of £700,000,

Anne and Doug are hoping to find their family a main property

with five or more bedrooms,

a separate cottage or annexe for Doug,

and either a second annexe or an extra bedroom in the main house

for Anne's mother, Eileen.

Outside, they're after two acres of land and a paddock for a horse.

We've found them three unique properties,

all of which could suit the family set-up.

After each tour, I'll be asking them to guess the property price.

The final offering will be our mystery house,

designed to really test their appetite for a challenge.

We're starting our search five miles south of Durham city

in the sought-after Tudhoe Village.

This conservation village centres on an attractive village green,

surrounded by character properties of various ages and styles,

including a local pub dating back 280 years.

Our first house lies on a quiet corner of the village green,

adjacent to open countryside.

Here we go. House number one.

-All for sale.

-The whole lot?

As you see, it's a single-level dwelling.

We've got a lovely annexe which is actually the oldest part,

it dates back to the 1700s. The whole thing is a conversion.

The present owner took it back to the foundations

and built it up again.

And then we would have to convert this.

That's the job that you'd have at hand,

to give Eileen a separate building.

Yes, the footprint's there. I think it's very smart.

Doug, what are your first impressions?

I think the annexe looks good.

The house, probably...

We are flexible, but it does seem to me quite modern.

-Yes.

-Let's have a look inside.

-Lovely.

A mixed reaction to the outside,

but I am hoping they'll like what's to come.

Come into the main heart of the house.

This is the sitting room.

-Lovely room.

-Nice size. I like the French doors leading onto the patio.

-Mm-hmm.

-Both sides.

-Both sides, yes. So, very nice.

Very spacious, nice-sized room.

So, through those, there's a snug, and over here's the kitchen.

Recently converted, this property has a modern feel.

The work has been done to a high standard,

so the family could move straight in without any further effort.

Nice double doors into the kitchen-dining room.

-Yes.

-Lots of wood here.

All these bespoke wooden units.

-I think this kitchen is lovely.

-Yes?

-Yes.

What about the dining area, because it's not a massive table

-and there's a lot of you?

-It's big enough.

-Will you all be eating at the same time?

-Not necessarily, no.

Through there, you've got a nice utility room

-and there's a study which would have to be another bedroom.

-Right.

-So this is where we have to start thinking with our...

-Right.

-Right.

If you wanted all your family in this bit,

-that would have to become another bedroom.

-Right.

-Ah-ha.

-OK?

-Good, yes.

-I can see all this sort of going on in your head.

I want to know what it is.

-But tell me in your own good time.

-OK.

Back through the lounge on the other side of the property

are two good-sized double bedrooms,

the family bathroom and a separate toilet,

as well as the master bedroom with an en-suite.

-Well, Anne, this would be yours and Jeremy's room.

-Yes.

-The dressing room's nice.

-Yes and en suite.

-Nice big room.

-Yes.

-Smaller than our existing room.

-Right.

However, we have our wardrobes in the existing room.

So, that's a nice touch, that you don't have now.

I'm conscious that we haven't shown you

-where you're going to live.

-Yes.

-And that's obviously very important.

And there is actually very spacious, so you're all right.

-So let's go and look.

-I am all right, Jack.

ANNE LAUGHS

Jokes aside, I'm sensing Anne wasn't overly impressed

with the size of the master bedroom.

One area I'm confident will deliver on their desire for space

is the detached annexe.

So this is the annexe for you, Doug.

-Oh!

-It's LOVELY.

Oh, it looks as though it's been very well done.

-Very nice.

-And you have two rooms, really.

This could... It's being used as a bedroom,

-but it could be a, sort of, sitting room or study.

-Yes.

And through there you've got a big bedroom with an en-suite

-and quite a lot of storage.

-Oh, very good.

It looks ideal. First impressions are very good.

Well, that's good, one happy customer.

I appreciate you'd like to look around,

but you can come back and have a look in here.

-I want to show you the garden, the outside space.

-Lovely.

-Good, good.

Outside, the annexe has its own small garden area

off the central courtyard.

To give Eileen her own space, they'd need to convert the garage,

currently used as a workshop.

Beyond the main house, there's a larger garden

backing onto open fields.

-Oh, so green.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-So, this purple hedge is the end of your property.

-Right.

-I'm afraid there isn't a paddock or a stable block.

-Right.

-Yes.

Um, but...it does have a lot going for it.

It is a large garden.

Yes, it's a beautiful garden.

It's whether it's large enough for you guys.

I thought this was going to be the garden

and I thought, perfect size for the garden.

-And you also thought there was going to be a paddock?

-I did, yes.

-I'm sure there are paddocks nearby...

-Yes.

-..and stables nearby.

-Yes, yes, OK.

-But it wouldn't be in your plot.

-Of course.

OK, well we need to find out how much it's on the market for.

So what do you think the price of this property is?

I would think it's probably on the market for about 670.

I think slightly less.

I think 600,000.

OK, so THIS property...

-is on the market for £695,000.

-Oh!

-It's right at the top of your budget.

-Right.

-Right.

And that's a lot to do about where it is, I think.

It does... To me, it seems expensive.

Why don't you have an explore? There is lots of rooms you haven't seen

and I'll come and find you when you're done.

-OK, thank you.

-Good, thank you.

For £5,000 short of their maximum budget,

these converted farm buildings offer the family a main house

with three bedrooms and a study to be converted as a fourth.

There's a separate two-bedroom annexe that could suit Doug

and a large garage that could be converted

to give Eileen her own space, too.

Unfortunately, there's no paddock here,

but the gardens are a good size and the property is within easy

commuting distance of Sunderland.

-This is a nice room.

-It's lovely.

It's a shame because this is a lovely study,

but it would have to be converted into a bedroom

to make a fourth bedroom.

-You could easily make this a double bedroom.

-Yes, yes.

-So it's doable, definitely doable.

-Uh-huh. Yes.

I think the layout of the house is perfect.

And it would be perfect for a slightly smaller family.

As far as I'm concerned, the annexe is perfect.

And were I to be buying it tomorrow for myself, I wouldn't hesitate.

Space outside is fine, space in the annexe is fine.

Space in the house, big question mark.

The only reservation that I have

is the lack of the paddock and the stables.

I'm a little gutted that they don't exist.

Here you go, guys. Have you had another good look around?

BOTH: Yes, we have, thank you.

-Got all your information?

-We have, yes.

-Well, we've got another house to do it all again.

-Good, well.

-Good stuff.

-Let's see.

-Thank you.

Anne was born in County Durham before moving to Sunderland

at the age of four.

She's keen to discover more about the heritage of her home soil,

so we've arranged for her and Doug

to visit the world-famous Beamish Museum.

Open since 1971, the recreated Edwardian town and pit village

give visitors the chance to step back in time.

Anne and Doug are meeting Jonathan Kindleysides,

the keeper of industry, who's showing them around the pit village.

Most things that you see in Beamish have been dismantled brick by brick

or stone by stone and brought here.

These came from a nearby village called Hetton-le-Hole.

So these are the houses where the miners would have lived.

And it was a tied house, so they would have had a job

and a house with the job. Also, the gardens that we are in today.

And these houses would be built when?

These date from the 1850s.

I have a particular interest because my grandfather

and great-grandfather were miners.

So, on a day-to-day basis, how would they have lived?

Well, actually, miners were often seen as being quite poor,

living in poor conditions.

But, as you can see from these houses and the gardens,

it's all quite neat and tidy.

Earning around 30 to 35 shillings a week,

a miner's wage was twice that of a farm labourer.

Along with the supply of a rent-free house and a coal allowance,

miners were considered well off.

So once the coal was mined, how did it get moved?

The vast majority was taken away by train.

Most of it was industrial for steam locomotives,

for generating electricity, for factories.

In the early days, coal was mined with the help of horsepower,

but the ponies were slow and their feed became expensive.

So in the early 1800s,

collieries looked for new ways to transport the coal.

It was a local engineer, George Stephenson,

who would be amongst the pioneers of steam engine design.

His locomotives were some of the first to take to Britain's tracks.

Today, Beamish has three replica locomotives on site,

including Stephenson's Locomotion No.1.

Engine driver, Mark Bunker, is giving Anne and Doug a closer look.

Now the early engines

-are capable of pulling up to about 40 tonnes at a time.

-Wow.

So, of course, it replaces a lot of men and horses in one go.

What sort of speed would this be travelling?

Well, on the Stockton and Darlington line, they had a 10mph speed limit.

But it's not because the engine can't go faster,

it's because of the track technology that they use as well.

But in a lot of early days,

the engines only move between 5 and 10mph.

Is there any chance we are going to have a ride?

Yes. You can have a ride on the train,

if you just make your way around to the other side.

-Thank you, very much.

-Great.

-It was a pleasure meeting you.

-Bye.

After a journey into the county's past,

it's time to get back to the house search and find out

what County Durham could offer Anne, Doug and their family

in the future.

For our next property,

we're heading towards the market town of Bishop Auckland,

12 miles from Darlington.

The town grew rapidly in the 19th century,

but was of historical significance much earlier.

Home to the magnificent Auckland Castle,

it's been the principal residence of the Bishops of Durham

since the 12th century.

Today, it's a shopper's delight with over 200 outlets to choose from

and a variety of cosy cafes.

Six miles south-west in the small village of Evenwood Gate,

we find our second property in a rural setting

half a mile from the main road.

What are your first thoughts?

I'm getting this lovely feeling of lots of space.

-Yes.

-I can breathe.

This is an old Durham longhouse,

dating back to 1630.

Oh, lovely.

And you can see the period, the lovely mullioned windows

-that were boxed up between the window taxes.

-Oh, yes.

-Yes.

It is a much more historic offering

and I think it gives you a lot more of what you're looking for.

It looks more right than the other one, to me.

-But I warn you there will be compromises.

-Yes.

-Yes, well.

Nothing in life's perfect, is it?

-Except me!

-Ha-ha!

Let's go.

Doug may not be expecting to be blown away,

but I have got a good feeling about this farmhouse.

The downstairs is laid out

in an L shape

with a separate annexe to the

rear of the property

and a number of reception rooms

along the front.

So this house has one...

TWO sitting rooms.

-Big size.

-It is, lovely.

-Perfect.

-Oh, ha-ha!

Yes, it's exactly what I hoped for.

Love the inglenook fireplace.

I love the sash windows, as well,

kept it within the character.

Not only does this house have two sitting rooms,

it actually has two dining rooms, which is a first on the show.

-Yes, well.

-Lovely.

-We could easily make use of that.

-Yes, I'm sure we can.

-This is dining room number one.

-Yes.

And then through the kitchen, dining room number two.

Wow.

-I think there's enough space here.

-There should be! Good Lord!

Only just!

But this dining room is wonderful.

Lovely. Lovely kitchen.

Lovely kitchen as well. I mean, it's super.

The real issue, of course, is bedrooms,

and here you are going to have to think creatively.

-I'm just warning you.

-I'm happy to.

Despite the abundance of space downstairs,

the upstairs might be a bit of a squeeze.

There are three double bedrooms for the children,

a single bedroom, currently used as a study,

as well as a family bathroom.

At the far end, there is a light and spacious master bedroom.

Here we have the master suite.

This is a lovely room, isn't it?

Absolutely delightful.

You've got an en-suite and a sort of walk-in wardrobe affair here.

Similar to the last property but much bigger.

-This is a huge bedroom.

-The windows are lovely.

You and the family are sorted.

-We might have somewhere for you lined up.

-Right, OK.

We need to think creatively and find a solution,

which is always possible,

-to find somewhere lovely for Eileen to stay.

-That would be nice.

-That's our project.

-Good.

Get your thinking caps on. We shall explore the annexe.

Wonderful.

We might not have found a solution for Eileen yet

but first things first, I need to show Doug the annexe.

Currently used as a holiday let, it has its own entrance

and should give him the independent living he's after.

Doug, come and look at your home to be.

Wow.

This is a sort of sitting room area, you've got your bedroom in there,

and a sort of galley kitchen here.

And a bathroom here.

-More compact.

-It is nice. Ideal.

-Is it?

-Absolutely spot on.

One of the other things you need to see is the land.

-Yes.

-Let's do that.

The property sits on an impressive plot of over three and a half acres

and includes an outbuilding providing useful storage,

a patio area and a huge lawned garden.

It's also got the paddocks they were looking for

and comes complete with its own stream.

-You have your three acres, including two paddocks.

-Yes.

And then you also have your own stretch of river.

Including a little bar.

That's something special, makes it a very nice property.

How much do you think this property is going to set you back?

I would say about 700.

-What about you?

-675.

-675.

-Yes.

This three-acre plot with the house and the annexe

and the river is on the market for...

£575,000.

Wow!

I nearly said 600 but I didn't want to be wrong again!

You would have been right.

Which gives you like £100,000 to think seriously about...

you'd have to build something for Eileen.

At that price, you would be able to afford, no bother.

And this is not a listed building, it's not a conservation area,

so planning, particularly if it's a relative coming to live with you,

they're quite keen to support that.

The third property that we're going to see will have to be something

to beat this, without a doubt.

You've thrown down a gauntlet.

Yes.

-If you could make your way back into the house.

-Thank you very much.

We'll have a look, shall we?

-I'm going to sit and watch the fish.

-Lovely. Thank you.

For a significant £125,000 under their maximum budget,

this property works hard to give the family

practically everything they're after.

With five bedrooms, four reception rooms and an annexe,

all it's missing is a separate space for Eileen.

But with a sizeable plot and coming in well under budget,

they could easily build her what she wants.

-It's a pleasant bedroom, isn't it?

-It's a nice bedroom.

It's lovely how it's not too high up.

-It's got the beautiful view.

-Lovely views.

I think the inside of the property is exactly what I was looking for.

It has interesting features.

The double dining room and it just gives you so much space.

Bearing in mind the price of the property, we will have scope

to be able to carry out the renovations that is required.

The annexe more than meets the bill.

It's not as good accommodation as I live in now.

It's a property I feel I could happily live on.

-Are you guys done?

-Yes, lovely. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Not found any downsides while I wasn't looking?

No, couldn't think of any.

Good. Let's draw a line under today and get ready for tomorrow.

That's excellent.

Father and daughter-in-law duo Doug and Anne are looking to move

their extended family of seven from their coastal homes

in Seaburn, Sunderland, to the wilds of rural County Durham.

With a generous budget of £700,000,

they're hoping to find a dream home to suit three generations.

Coming up, will our buyers be bowled over by the original features

at our mystery house?

And that's the only listed part of the property.

That's a Grade II listed toilet.

And I get a taste of the local tipple.

I mean, it's quite strong but it does have lots of taste to it.

I may have been a little hasty in saying the sun always shines

in County Durham, but this morning we've brought Doug and Anne

into the interior of the county,

where the landscape is very striking and very beautiful

and very sparsely populated.

We're playing the remote card with the mystery house

and also throwing down the gauntlet about building

because they are going to need to build those annexes,

but that's what the mystery house is about -

a challenge.

Heading inland to the heart of the Durham Dales,

our mystery property is in Upper Weardale,

in the traditional Dales village of St John's Chapel.

A popular tourist spot for walkers and cyclists,

visitors come to the area to explore its famous scenic routes

including the highest road in the UK.

The village itself has a strong community feel with two pubs

and a number of shops and cafes.

A mile from the village, our mystery property occupies

a secluded position with fantastic views of the Dales.

-The mystery house.

-Looks very nice.

-It's lovely.

One of the reasons we really wanted to bring you here is this

is a house with a huge plot of land. It comes with 13 acres.

Wow.

It's a big offering that gives you potential to do things

that the other properties perhaps couldn't.

The house is very big, so it could accommodate everybody in the house.

It means you would have to build or convert to even give you

an annexe, so it's a bit more work,

so in that sense it's a bit more of a challenge.

-That's good.

-We don't mind challenges.

Good. We like to hear that.

What do you think of the actual house?

Because it was completely rebuilt from a shell

in the last three or four years.

I like the old and the new mixed. I like that look and I always have.

Obviously, we would like to see inside.

Because it's you, I'll let you.

Right. Go ahead, then.

Originally built in the late 1800s,

this farmhouse is an impressive modern conversion.

Across three floors, it offers a generous seven bedrooms

and substantial living space.

-This is the main sitting room.

-Very nice.

I think it's lovely, lovely and comfortable.

-Can you imagine your family fitting in?

-I think so.

-I think they'd fit in quite easily.

-Let's look at the kitchen.

Accessed from both the main sitting room and another lounge,

the family kitchen is spacious and bright

and runs the length of both rooms.

-This is a lovely room, I think.

-Wonderful.

I was talking to the owner,

originally the windows were a bit lower

so she had the sills dropped down so you could have more of a view.

What a good idea.

I think it's really nice and I could see myself in here.

I wanted to show you upstairs

-because you have seven bedrooms in this house.

-Lovely.

Also on the ground floor,

there is a stunning beamed room used as a study.

Heading up to the first floor are five of the seven bedrooms,

all good-sized doubles.

None are ensuite but there is a family bathroom

and a separate shower room.

To be honest, I could have shown you any of the bedrooms -

they're all really nice sizes.

This is being used as the master

because it has a walk-in wardrobe over the staircase.

-Lovely.

-We haven't had a house that had seven bedrooms for quite

some time, so when push came to shove, when you were building,

you could have everybody in the house.

While we were building, yes.

Actually, upstairs, the sort of attic space

has been turned into a suite of three rooms,

one of which is the laundry/boiler room,

so you could turn that upstairs into a living area for you.

I'll let you explore all the bedrooms at your leisure

but let's go outside and look at the footprint of those houses.

Outside is where this property's real potential lies -

with a garage, a number of outbuildings

and a vast plot of land, the family could build separate accommodation

for Doug and Eileen.

It really is a stunning view and this is your field.

This and the field beyond it is your field,

so it's ten acres of hayfields

and this little stone building here is the old privy,

and that's the only listed part of the property.

It's a Grade II listed toilet.

Right!

You've got that outbuilding up there,

so in terms of development potential,

that's an obvious starting place

because it's quite a big stone structure.

But you can see they've already put the footings down

for a giant... This was going to be a barn for the hay,

so they got that passed no problems, and they were suggesting

if you went with the same architect with some plans for a dwelling,

-you can probably get that through as well.

-Right.

But that's all subject to planning so we can't promise that.

-And that is a huge footprint.

-It is.

As you say, loads and loads of potential.

It's an exciting prospect, isn't it?

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

600,000.

-My guess is 500,000.

-500,000?

-Yes.

OK, so, that's a bit of a wild card because this is on the market...

for actually 650,000.

Oh, right.

So a little wide of the mark, there.

Because of our budget, and having to build,

if you like, a residence for two people, separate residences,

it's not going to leave us a lot of money to play with.

The owners might be open to negotiations.

Of course, that's true.

Have a wander around, particularly upstairs

-because there's lots of bedrooms you haven't seen.

-Yes.

Oh, it was always going to be quite a hard sell because of all

the building necessary and the price, but this is an amazing spot.

At £50,000 under their top budget,

this property and its lovely location

could give Anne and Doug the rural family lifestyle

they've been discussing for so long.

This substantial three-floor conversion with seven bedrooms

should have more than enough space for the family.

The 13 acres of land would keep the kids busy,

and there are paddocks for a horse and a number of outbuildings,

meaning, subject to planning permission, they could give

Doug and Eileen purpose-built separate annexes,

but whether it's too rural, only they can decide.

-Yes, this is a nice bedroom.

-Nice and spacious.

-It all seems to be double bedrooms.

-Nice and bright as well.

Very good, nice.

Again, lovely views.

What I like about this house is the space,

the little nooks and crannies,

and the fact that it is so versatile as well.

I think the look of the property is really attractive.

Coming down that drive and seeing the house,

it makes a very attractive setting.

It's an ideal setting for me, personally,

but I'm not the only one in the equation.

I could see myself settling in a place like this,

as rural as this is.

The only reservation that I have would be,

would the children adapt as well?

Would they about as easily as I could?

-So have you had a good look around?

-Yes. Very good.

Hold your thoughts because we are going to find

a nice County Durham pub,

and that's where we'll have our final discussion.

County Durham is known as one of the earliest and largest

mining areas in the country.

Its mineral-rich shallow seams with close proximity

to the coast meant coal could be dug

and quickly shipped around the country.

Since the mine closures in the 1980s,

the county, and in particular the ex-colliery villages, have welcomed

the addition of new industry and entrepreneurship.

A new business on the outskirts of Durham City hoping to help

with the revival is Durham Distillery.

I've come to meet owner John Chadwick to find out more

about this craft industry.

So this is a juniper wood. I've never been in a juniper wood before.

Yeah, so we're in the biggest juniper wood in England.

Obviously, essential for gin, and I'm quite intrigued

because I don't associate gin with County Durham.

No. We are the first legal distillery in Durham

since Henry VIII.

So how did the idea come around?

I was in America and I came across a whole load of really beautiful

little micro distilleries mainly on the East Coast.

And then the moment we said Durham gin,

it was such a lovely concept, we kind of thought we had to do it.

In 2012, it was reported that a fungus infection was found

to be present on juniper bushes in Northern Britain.

Already a declining supply, it became a protected species.

Due to the volumes needed at the distillery,

John imports his juniper from Europe.

Look, here's a little tiny juniper tree.

But with a small supply of the local strain, his plan is to regrow it

with the aim of becoming self-sufficient within five years.

So what's the basic of a gin?

By law, it must be juniper.

I think you would want to have a balance

of some nice very English flavours,

so we use things like elderflower, celery and Angelica.

And you'd want to balance that with some slightly, sort of,

more exotic flavours,

so we use pink pepper and a bit of coriander and cardamom.

When you set out to make a craft distillery,

what sort of proportions are you thinking?

How many bottles are you aiming to make?

If we can sell 10,000 bottles this year, that would be fantastic.

Compared to a commercial distillery that produces

thousands of bottles a day, this is a small operation.

Each batch of just a few hundred bottles at a time

takes several days.

At the forefront of what they do here

are the craft techniques and skill of the distiller, Jessica Tomlinson.

At 25, Jessica is the youngest female distiller in the country.

-This is your baby.

-It is, yes.

A 400-litre copper pot still.

It was handmade for us in Portugal and Spain so it's bespoke to us.

So just talk me through it, cos the basic science eludes me.

So into our main still here we put grain neutral spirit,

which is just ethanol,

mineral water, which is from Durham itself,

and a selection of botanicals.

We've got the hand-crushed junipers in there.

-The juniper goes in there.

-It does, yeah.

And we cold macerate that overnight,

so that means all of those oils are infused into the ethanol overnight,

and then in the morning we add another selection of botanicals

into there and close that up,

and once we turn the boiler on, it all heats up.

During the distillation process, the ethanol separates from the water

and infuses with the botanical oils.

Over several hours, the liquid starts to evaporate.

The vapour then passes through a copper tube, called a Lyne arm,

and into what is known as the gin basket,

containing a third and final set of botanicals.

The hot vapours just pass over those.

Yes. And then we pass down here and in to our worm tub.

-Worm tub?

-Worm tub, yeah.

As the hot vapour hits the cold metal, it condenses and passes

all the way down through here

and then comes up through the parrot spout.

Some great words! So this is where the finished product comes out.

It does, yes, and we collect that from there.

And presumably that's super strong.

It is. It's roughly, kind of, 75 to 80%.

And then you dilute it before you sell it?

We dilute it down with water, yeah, to the legal 40%.

Have you got any of the good stuff?

We do, yeah.

Yeah.

It definitely has... I wouldn't typically drink neat gin.

Especially given how early in the morning it is.

We always say try it like that

and you can see what your gin's actually like.

It's quite strong but it does have lots of taste to it.

Brilliant. Well, all the best and congratulations.

-I hope it's going to be a long career in distilling ahead of you.

-Thank you.

Well, that went down well, and I'm hoping my property offerings

will have done the same with our buyers.

I have to confess, it's been quite a struggle this week fulfilling

Doug and Anne's rather exacting wish list, but I think we did

rather well, although I'm still kind of in the dark as to which

of the last two houses - the house we saw yesterday afternoon

or the mystery house - they like the best.

So let's go and find out.

Thank you so much for bringing us to this lovely part of the world.

I don't think we've ever been here before,

but I was wondering, how did we do? Was it a good trip for you?

Certainly, it's given me a great deal of food for thought.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

Is that you being diplomatic that

we haven't found you the house you want?

I don't think we're naive enough, or certainly I'm not,

to believe that there is a perfect property out there.

There will be a part-perfect property, which we think we've seen,

and we'll have to put a lot of work effort

to make that property perfect.

Which one are we talking about? Which is the part-perfect property?

Well, perhaps Anne and I are a bit at odds here.

-What's your part-perfect?

-Mine was the last one.

And yours?

I'm thinking property two is slightly less remote,

but I can see Doug's point regarding property three.

I think it does have huge potential.

I very much value my husband's opinion too and I have

every intention of arranging to go back to both properties.

That's good.

As far as the mystery property was concerned, I think

that perhaps we should go back to the architect, as you suggested,

and perhaps talk about a couple of options.

You mentioned bringing your husband, Jeremy, to see the house,

but will you bring Eileen as well?

I think at this stage I would do the research myself with Jeremy

and Doug, and perhaps the next stage

would be bringing the children and my mum.

Another thing that seemed to happen as we were going through the week

was you became aware of the issue of location,

whether being right out in the countryside was going to be good

particularly for your kids?

Yes, it suddenly did hit me

that it was going to be an incredible lifestyle change,

and so I do have to give that a little bit more thought.

So you did give us a very tall order.

Did we measure up in any shape?

Yes, it's been excellent

and I'm a lot more knowledgeable about the marketplace

and, as Anne said, we will follow it up.

-Very good.

-Thank you.

It's been a great pleasure and thanks again for bringing us

to this lovely county.

-Good.

-Pleasure.

I think we did a pretty good job here in County Durham

because Doug and Anne are keen to revisit not one but two

of our properties.

So claps for us and claps for you for watching and do join us

next time for another challenge on Escape To The Country.

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