Cornwall Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Although now a ruin, the building behind me

played a vital role supporting the industries

that once thrived in this part of the country,

so much so that one area nearby was described

as being the wealthiest place in all of Europe.

So, where am I and how did this region make its money?

Find out in just a moment.

Today's buyers are turning their backs

on a tough couple of years

to search for a new family home and business in the country.

But let's get our priorities right.

This is the ultimate man cave.

THEY LAUGH

-Workroom.

-Sorry. Workroom. Workroom.

'And we mustn't forget Mum.'

I don't think we'd ever get Sarah out of that bath.

Where do you put the wine glass?

Today, we're in Cornwall, and this is the Towanroath Engine House,

which formed part of the Wheal Coates tin mine

in St Agnes on Cornwall's northern coast.

Now, during the 19th century, Cornwall was the most important tin-

and copper-producing region in the world,

boasting over 300 mines and employing over 40,000 people.

Copper production in particular made so much money

that in one period of the 19th century,

the nearby parish of Gwennap was hailed as

the richest square mile in the Old World.

Now a listed building, the Engine House was responsible

for keeping water out of the mining shaft 185 metres below.

And although the mine eventually closed in 1913,

the county is still scattered

with reminders of its glorious industrial past.

Coastal Cornwall sits in the southwest of England.

Surrounded mostly by water,

it's bordered by just one other county - Devon.

Ever popular with tourists,

Cornwall reveals over 300 miles of dramatic coastline

ranging from the popular sandy surfing beaches of Newquay

to the rugged cliffs of The Lizard Peninsula -

the most southerly point of the UK.

Here, the sheltered bays offer the perfect protection

for fishing villages like Cadgwith,

from where local fishermen still head out to sea every day.

One of the county's largest towns is Falmouth.

Sitting at the mouth of the River Fal,

it lies on the entrance

to the third deepest natural harbour in the world

and was one of the UK'S most important ports

up until the mid-19th century.

Inland, as well as the scars of the heavy industry

that once thrived here, the county has a varied landscape

featuring rolling hills, farmland and wooded valleys.

With Cornwall offering such a rich variety of countryside,

coastline and industrial heritage,

it's not hard to see why this region is so appealing

to those seeking a new rural life.

Property prices in Cornwall

are pretty much bang on the national average

at around £268,000 for a detached home.

And the good news for house-hunters here

is that prices are still around 10% lower

than they were at their peak in 2008,

although they can vary wildly within the county.

For example, a home in one of Cornwall's

fashionable fishing villages on the north coast

can cost around three times more than a similar property inland.

So, what is it about this part of the country

that has so attracted today's buyers?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

For the last 17 years,

Andrew and Sarah have lived in the town of Tring in Hertfordshire

in a four-bedroom, post-war semi.

We were introduced by a friend on a blind date...in 1993?

-'93, yeah.

-Yes, it's 20 years last year.

-Absolutely.

-And that was it, really.

-Yeah. Sorted. Job done.

Moved in six months later.

-Married within two years, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

Andrew and Sarah's whirlwind romance and marriage led to children -

nine-year-old Katie and Alex, who's 12

and just starting at secondary school.

The couple feel now is the right time

for the family to leave Hertfordshire,

where they've spent most of their lives.

We're not running away from this house. We like this house.

We've made it very much our own place.

What we're trying to do is just find ourselves

a different life out in the country.

They've decided on Cornwall

after spending some memorable holidays in the coastal county.

We've been going down to Cornwall for 20 years.

-Yeah. Together.

-Together.

I went down as a kid a lot on holiday with my family.

I used to go down before I met Sarah almost every year.

We just love the county.

It's a place that we've really fallen in love with.

We've always thought we'd land up retiring down there

but we suddenly had a eureka moment a couple of months ago,

where we thought, actually, let's do it now.

-Let's do it while we can enjoy it.

-Yeah.

It's a chance for us to start a different type of lifestyle,

and we're really looking forward to it.

But their desire for a slower pace of life

has been partly motivated by Andrew's health.

Two years ago, he was signed off sick

from his job as a marketing manager.

We've had a tough couple of years

and it seems like the right time to do it now.

It's a good chance to make a clean break, really.

It was when I was off sick trying to recover,

I actually got into plastic modelling.

It was a great hobby to get into

because it involved a lot of detail work and concentration,

and that was really good for me.

And then, as I got on, I got more advanced into that,

I started to think to myself,

actually, there might actually be a business opportunity here.

So, their hope is to build

a plastic modelling retail business in Cornwall

while Sarah continues working freelance

in her civil service job.

I've been in the corporate world for sort of 25 years.

Sarah's been working in different industries

for a sort of similar amount of time, and been there and done it.

And running a business from home

will allow our buyers to maintain a better work/life balance.

One of the key things for us is to spend time together as a family.

The kids are both into shows -

sort of, you know, am-dram type thing -

and that's a good way of obviously getting to know new people as well.

And of course parents get roped in to helping.

So obviously getting involved with the school as well

would be a great way of us getting to know people

within the community we find ourselves.

With their house in Tring now sold,

Andrew and Sarah are taking charge of their destiny.

Moving to the West Country, moving to Cornwall

will be a dramatic change for the family.

It will be a complete reboot.

And the idea of being able to sort of start afresh

down in that neck of the woods that we love

and build something for us is hugely exciting.

Our buyers would like us to focus our house search

within a reasonable distance of Truro and Falmouth.

I'm meeting up with them in the south of the county,

on the banks of the Helford River.

So, Andrew and Sarah, welcome to Cornwall.

-BOTH: Thank you.

-A big move is on the cards.

Your house has been sold.

-You're ready to make a big change to your lives.

-We are.

I've got to ask, why Cornwall? Why did you pick this county?

It's a lifestyle change.

It's a chance to start in a new part of the country

where we want to bring the kids up and have a good time.

Now, you mentioned the children. Are they keen to move to Cornwall?

Our daughter's very keen.

She's nine, very adaptable, she gets on with things.

Our son, who's coming up to 13, is getting round to it.

-I think he'll love it down here.

-We've had to bribe them with kayaks.

-THEY LAUGH

-A good outdoor sport.

-Absolutely.

I think we're in the perfect location now, aren't we?

-Spot on, yeah.

-What about the property itself?

Well, we want at least three bedrooms

-cos we really don't want them to share.

-That would be a nightmare.

We'd like four if possible so that family can come and stay.

Our current house is sort of very open-plan,

so we'd like the ability to do that if it's not that way now,

cos that's how we work as a family.

-It's worked really well for us.

-How we're used to it.

We'd like a big garden if we could because we've got a big garden now.

Kids love having space.

We've got a dog. We'd love to get chickens.

The other aspect is we'll be starting a business down here,

so we want to have the space to be able to set up the business -

for an office, for a stockroom, a packing area, that sort of thing.

So, we're looking perhaps for existing outbuildings.

That would be great. Or some space perhaps to put up some sheds

where we can start the business.

So, that would be nice too.

-So, for all this that we're looking for...

-Yeah.

..remind me of your budget, again.

It's £350,000 is the budget.

What would be the top, top mark, do you think?

I'd say probably another £20,000 or £30,000 we could probably go up to.

Well, we've got some smashing properties lined up to show you.

-Shall we get started?

-I think we should.

-Follow me.

-Thank you.

Our buyers have a budget of £350,000,

but there could be an extra £30,000 to play with.

They're easy on age and style of property,

but it must have a minimum of three bedrooms.

As for inside space, they're fans of open-plan living

and we must account for Andrew's business ambitions,

so an outbuilding or office.

Sarah wants a decent-size garden,

and they'd like to be located in a village environment

close to schools for their two children.

I'll be taking Andrew and Sarah

to visit three very different Cornish homes.

And once they've had a good look around each house,

its price will be revealed.

And our final property - the Mystery House -

could turn everything on its head.

Exciting times because you're going to be starting up your own business.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, all change.

-All change.

-Exciting.

I've been ill so I've been sort of recovering

over an extended period of time,

and that's been quite a good little bit of therapy.

And do you think the change of lifestyle, you know,

countryside, everything that you're craving, Andrew,

do you think that's going to be good for you in all senses?

Yeah. The idea of working for ourselves,

taking the dog on the beach, picking the kids up,

taking them down in the kayak...

That's the sort of thing I think is going to work

-really well for us as a family.

-Yeah.

Our first property option is in the village of Carnkie,

situated in the heart of the county's former mining region.

Overlooking the village on a beacon is the medieval castle of Carn Brea,

remodelled in the 18th century as a hunting lodge

by a local mining magnate and now operating as a restaurant.

The village is centred on the Methodist church

and a community hall.

One and a half miles away is Four Lanes,

a larger settlement and the location of the closest primary school.

Our first offering is situated on the edge of Carnkie

and is one part of a complex of former farm buildings.

-So, here is our first property in Cornwall.

-Whoo!

-Wow.

Lovely. Absolutely.

-Show me more.

-That's always a good start, isn't it?

I even walked into you, didn't I?

That's how excited I was to show you the house.

-And it is a barn conversion.

-Wow. Fantastic.

Impressed? Surprised?

What's the emotions going through your head?

-Well, I'll tell you what, it's a solid-looking building.

-Yeah.

I love the stone. I like the slate.

The good thing is this area is a proper little community.

-Oh, good.

-They're not holiday homes or holiday lets,

which is something you have to think of

if you're going to move to Cornwall.

The plus is - so popular with tourists.

The downside is - you might have six months without any neighbours,

which can be a little bit lonely.

You know, this place is all year round,

so you don't want it to be deserted or a sort of wasteland, yeah.

-All right, well, let's take a look inside.

-Absolutely.

'Converted in the 1990s,

'the former barn has retained many character features inside.

'The main living area is accessed by a glass reception hall.'

So, let's start off with the living room.

-Fantastic.

-Well, well, well.

Impressive light fitting there for you.

You wouldn't want to be too tall in this room.

-We're OK, then.

-That's not a problem in our family.

Exactly, yes. Might notice at the end,

you've got doors opening up onto a patio.

-Wonderful.

-Good stuff.

What do you think of the actual room?

-It's a nice size, actually, yeah.

-It's long.

-It's not desperately wide, but long and...

-Yeah.

But it's nicely proportioned.

All right, well, it's only a start. I've got more to show you.

-So, if you wouldn't mind leading the way.

-No problem.

'As well as the sitting room,

'the ground floor also offers a small study -

'an office for the business perhaps - and a double bedroom,

'which would make a good option for guests,

'located just beyond the kitchen.'

-So, our kitchen. So, it's very long.

-Yes.

-Quite a good width. Enough for a dining table.

-Yeah.

-It's looking good, isn't it?

-Yeah. Nice units.

Worktops look pretty good nick.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-No, it's looking good.

This looks to me that it would be that sort of mission control,

that sort of hub of the house.

It's the farmhouse kitchen idea,

and that's what we've currently got in Tring.

And put the table in place here and you can see, you know,

the conversations going down the length of the room.

I think it looks not too bad.

'Andrew and Sarah are keeping their cards close to their chest,

'but the tour of our ground floor seems to have gone down well.

'Upstairs, there are three further bedrooms,

'including a double and single for the children,

'both with wooden floors

'and a recently renovated family bathroom.'

-Now, this is the master bedroom.

-OK.

-Behind you is an en suite shower room.

-OK.

However, because the family bathroom is next door,

the current owners have converted the shower space

into another rail for their clothes.

-Ooh, wonderful.

-Useful.

-If you don't want an en suite,

-you could make that a little walk-in wardrobe.

-You could.

-But you do have an additional wardrobe there.

-Oh, OK.

-OK.

So, if the main bathroom's just behind us,

-we don't really need an en suite, to be honest.

-No.

So far, how do you feel about the property?

-It's got a nice feel.

-It's got some potential.

'Not a ringing endorsement,

'but I think this property is growing on our buyers.

'Outside, the main garden extends to the rear from the patio sun terrace

'and includes a decked area with garden shed,

'a large grass lawn and timber workshop with electricity -

'another option for the business.'

So, how would you feel about the business

-being slightly separated from the house?

-No, that's spot on.

-How long a commute, do you reckon?

-That's about acceptable.

-It's a bit tough.

-Yeah? Ten seconds?

-Yeah, that's good.

-Into a covered walkway, you know.

-It's great.

So, what do you think it's on the market for?

-I would go with £335,000.

-OK.

-Andrew?

-I'd go for around £300,000,

because we're inland and a bit further up north.

The asking price is under your budget.

-Wow.

-Right.

-£339,000.

-Ooh, I was close.

-339?

-Ooh, OK.

-OK. Right. It's interesting, to be honest.

OK. All right, well, have another look around.

-Absolutely.

-Take your time, have a good explore

and I'll catch up with you when you're ready.

-Brilliant. Thank you.

-All right, thanks.

-Off you go.

Below budget by £11,000,

our first property is a converted barn

and gives Andrew and Sarah character features

and spacious reception rooms,

one more bedroom than they asked for,

as well as room for the business and it's close to a primary school.

It's a surprising house, actually, because at first I thought,

"Ooh, gosh, like the stone. Like the look of it."

Came in and thought, "Ooh, not so sure.

"Perhaps it's not big enough for us."

But, actually, the more I've looked at it,

I've thought, "Yeah, actually, I could see us living here."

-Oh, wow.

-This is interesting, isn't it?

Oh, this would work really well cos you could have this as a guest room

with a really good sofa bed.

-But you could also have Xbox room.

-Have it as a den.

-Den.

-Yeah.

-Gaming room, you know.

-Yeah, escape room.

-Yeah.

It's not the biggest.

The living room is perhaps a little bit compact,

but the rest of the house

with all the different rooms and the configurations...

Perhaps take a bit out here, put a bit in here.

..I think could work.

Well, I need to check with the boss about what she thinks,

but as far as I'm concerned, this is definitely a contender.

-Hello.

-Hello. How are we feeling?

Yeah, you've challenged us.

You've done exactly what we wanted you to do

and challenged some of our thinking about whether things could work.

Ooh, I'm liking that, and that's only our first property.

-I know.

-Got more to show you.

-Gosh! What else can you show?

-Well, come on, then. Let's see.

-Let's go and have a look.

Just outside Newquay stands the largest building in Cornwall.

At 63,000 square feet,

this huge hangar was once home to the Nimrod,

the RAF'S famous surveillance aircraft.

Today, it preserves and showcases

some of the world's greatest aviation inventions.

The Classic Air Force Museum at RAF St Mawgan

houses over 20 military aircraft,

including relics of the Cold War, such as the Venom

and Britain's first jet fighter, the Meteor.

We sent Sarah and model plane enthusiast Andrew

to experience some life-size versions.

One of the most instantly recognisable

is the Harrier Jump Jet,

so called because it uses directional thrust

to take off and land vertically without the need of a runway.

Is that the ejector seat?

No, the ejector seat would be above your head.

-Oh, would it? Oh, OK.

-Yeah.

With their feet firmly back on the ground,

they're meeting the museum's Harrier expert Ian Raymer.

Don't you find how small the cockpit is?

-You couldn't be much bigger than me.

-Absolutely.

-You've got to be five foot seven or five foot eight.

-Oh, really?

-Absolutely.

-About the right height for me.

There's not much room to move,

-yet there's so many things to do.

-Very little room.

If you were any higher than five foot eight,

-your knee would obscure the vital instruments.

-Oh, no!

The history of this sort of way of flight with vertical take off,

post-Second World War, there was lots of interest in having

-an aircraft that didn't have to use a conventional runway.

-Yeah.

So, if we think about the Cold War,

there was a very good chance that an airfield such as St Mawgan

would have been badly bombed,

would be totally inactive to conventional aircraft.

This particular one -

built in 1969 as a ground attack aircraft,

-so it's for close support of troops on the ground.

-OK.

This early version of the Harrier was sent to keep the peace

during the Belize conflict in the 1980s

and later used for training pilots.

It ended its operational life

at a naval base on The Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall,

where it was left exposed to the elements.

The museum is currently in the middle

of restoring the Harrier to her former glory.

Having dealt with the corrosion caused by the sea air,

Ian's in the process of painting the aircraft.

-This is what we're working on at the moment.

-Oh, wow.

There's a large amount of stencilling

to do on the aircraft, as you can imagine.

So, these, I make myself because you can't find them anywhere,

you can't buy them.

What we thought is because of your background,

you might like to have a little bit of a go

at spraying something on the actual aircraft.

-One-to-one scale?

-One-to-one. Full-size.

-Wow.

-I'm used to, like, these little sheets

-where you spend hours, so...

-Absolutely.

-..that'd be fantastic.

-Here we go. There's the paint.

-Brilliant. Thank you.

-Have a go.

With over 80 individual designs to create and paint,

it's a labour of love

and a chance for Andrew to leave his mark on aviation history.

-Right, moment of truth.

-Wow.

OK. Right, we'll take it off from this side.

Take that off first.

OK, here we go. Really carefully.

-Wow. Look at that.

-Fantastic.

-All your own work. Well done.

Fantastic.

The museum is mainly staffed by volunteers,

so Andrew could well find himself back here

if we manage to find them a home in the county.

And for our next property offering,

we're making a short three-mile trip to the hamlet of Trevarth.

It's a stone throw away from Lanner, an old mining village,

which has a convenience store and a pub.

House number two is found in the middle of the hamlet.

To get the full extent of what's on offer,

we're starting our tour at the back of the property.

-So, our second offering here in Cornwall.

-Gosh!

Interesting. Look at that garden.

It's a grown-up house, this one.

-It is a grown-up house.

-It's a grown-up garden.

-Yeah.

-Well, you wanted a little bit of land.

Oh, it's fantastic. And the treehouse and the trees to climb.

I know a little daughter who might be rather keen on the tree...

It looks as though it might need a bit of therapy but...

She's fine, but what about the two of you?

What do you make of the house?

So far, so good. Yeah. Looks lovely and big.

It's intriguing, yeah.

-I want to see what's inside.

-So, plenty of land.

-Enough space perhaps to put a garage if you wanted to.

-Yes.

-Yes, yes.

-Shall we take a look inside?

-I think we should.

-Sounds great.

'Our second offering dates back 300 years

'and has some quirky features inside.'

-So, do mind your head as you come in.

-Oh, yeah.

It's like a little hobbit door.

-A door for little people.

-Absolutely.

Because this cottage is sort of 300 years old.

-Yeah, it's lovely, isn't it?

-Wow.

-Well, luckily, we're not tall in our family, so...

-No.

OK, don't need to worry.

-So, you walk straight into your kitchen...

-Lovely.

..which, as you can see, is sort of divided up.

It's open-plan, but very much clear that this is the kitchen

and then you've got the dining area and the second half.

Yeah, that works for us.

That's how we've sort of got ours at home, anyway.

I think it'll fail the table test, though.

I don't think our big table would fit there

so might have to treat ourselves to a new one.

Absolutely. We will have to change that.

Early days but a good start, do you think or...?

-Yeah.

-Yes, it's giving us rather than...

It's giving us sort of a cottagey feel, which is what we wanted.

-It's lovely.

-Brilliant.

-OK, all right, well, let's see what else there is.

-Fantastic.

'As well as the kitchen/diner,

'the ground floor also offers a cosy snug -

'a den for the kids perhaps -

'as well as a walk-through study area.'

-I think this is your sitting room.

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, yeah, definitely.

Oh, isn't it lovely?

-So, you have access to your garden - patio doors.

-Wonderful.

-Right.

-So, you can see the huge garden.

-Yeah.

Now, this room is dominated by a huge brick fireplace.

Which is sort of not intending to be original, I don't think.

-I would look at actually taking that out.

-Yeah, I agree.

-Yeah, cos it's quite a lot of space it would gain, isn't it?

-It is.

I like the beam across the top of it.

-That's interesting.

-Yeah, the bressumer beam.

That could go against the wall.

You could keep that and use it for something else.

'Removing the fireplace would certainly boost

'the ground floor space.

'Unlike our first property,

'all the bedrooms in this house are on the first floor.

'There are four in total, including two large singles -

'perfect for the children - and a further guest bedroom.

'There's also a large family bathroom.'

So, upstairs, the quirkiness continues.

-Low ceilings.

-Window seat.

And this is the master bedroom.

-Right.

-I love the window seat.

I always wanted a house with a window seat. It does feel compact.

Obviously, this room here's got a lot of built-in furniture,

which gives you a lot of storage but takes up a lot of space.

I know for a fact that our six-foot bed would not fit in,

so it would be a question of losing some of these lovely cupboards.

'So, out go the wardrobes along with the downstairs fireplace,

'but the fact they're already remodelling the house

'in their heads is encouraging.

'I have one ace up my sleeve which I hope will convince them,

'and it's back outside.'

-So...

-Oh, wow.

-So, what's all this about, then?

-This is your studio-cum-workshop.

Oh, wow. This is fantastic.

-This is the ultimate man cave.

-Workroom.

-Yes.

-Sorry. Workroom. Workroom.

-I am thinking business.

-Yes, I was thinking business.

-Oh, OK.

You're thinking hobbies and play area.

-No, no, business. No, this is great.

-This is exactly what we wanted.

This is so much better than a shed, isn't it?

This could easily be either the sort of storeroom

or the packing room, or it could be the main office

where Sarah and I could have our office space...

It could be both, actually.

..and the packing room. It's a huge space.

What a great asset to have in your garden.

Yeah, for a fledgling business to have a building

that we can use from the get-go is a great advantage.

Absolutely solid, water-tight and just ready to go.

We don't have to do anything to it. Just move in.

-Put some racking in and a desk or two.

-Then we're done.

See, this is an added bonus to our cottage, isn't it?

Oh, it makes a huge difference. Absolutely. It really does.

Our buyers have already had a peek at the garden

which wraps itself around the house and is mainly laid to lawn.

These are grounds. This is not a garden.

It's huge and there's bags of scope.

We've obviously got the fantastic existing building.

There's scope for more garden buildings

if we need them as we grow.

It feels like a real family garden but also a party garden.

You know, a real sort of social garden.

-It's a marquee-sized garden.

-It's sounding really positive, guys.

So, on that theme, got to put a price on it.

I think this is probably £370,000, £380,000.

Which one do you want to go for - £370,000 or £380,000?

-Split the difference - £375,000.

-OK.

I'm hoping it's a little bit less. Um, I'm going to say £365,000.

The asking price is...

-Andrew, you're spot on.

-£375,000?

-£375,000.

-Really?

-Interesting.

-However, the owners are really keen to sell quite quickly.

-OK.

-OK.

So, there is a little bit of a margin there.

I think you could negotiate.

So, why don't you take another look around

and give me a shout when you're ready?

Fantastic. Thank you. Great.

Over their ideal budget by £25,000 but just within their maximum,

our second property is a 300-year-old detached family home

set in large grounds.

The hub of the home is the open-plan kitchen/diner

and the property offers Andrew and Sarah four bedrooms -

one more than they asked for.

A separate studio gives Andrew his business premises

and the house is located on the edge of a village

with a strong community spirit and a primary school.

It's a really, really unusual house.

Very quirky inside, which I really like.

And I really like downstairs.

I like the fact there's a room for the children

to have for their den

but there's a nice sort of family, grown-up space.

Seduced by the grounds. Absolutely amazing grounds.

I'm worried particularly about the upstairs of the house.

The bedrooms are small.

And trying to divvy the bedrooms up between the kids,

us, spare room - that's tricky.

-Have you seen enough?

-Ooh, I think so.

-Had a good explore?

-Mm, yes.

An interesting day house-hunting, I feel.

Yes, I think you've given us a lot to think about.

You two are going to be discussing houses all night, aren't you?

-And guess what.

-Head's spinning.

I've got another house to show you tomorrow.

Let's hit the road.

It's the second day of our property search in Cornwall,

and with a budget of £350,000,

we're helping Andrew, Sarah and family

from Tring in Hertfordshire

find a slice of rural life in the West Country.

Coming up, the Mystery House puts the left in field...

It's quirk with a capital Q. It's just amazing.

..and I strike gold with the county's classic rock.

Extremely hot right now so we'll pop it into some water

-just to cool it down.

-Ooh!

-OK.

Well, I thought yesterday went rather well.

We gave Andrew and Sarah everything they asked for

with our two properties here in Cornwall -

the four bedrooms, the large garden

and the outbuildings with business potential.

But what will happen if we substitute all of that

for a unique house,

one within walking distance to the beach?

It's time for our mystery property.

So, for our final offering,

we're heading towards the north Atlantic coast

and to the seaside village of Porthtowan.

Backed by cliffs and always under the watchful eye of the locals,

the west-facing, sandy beach is ideal for surfing

and its Blue Flag status makes it a popular holiday destination.

Along the beachfront are a variety of cafes,

restaurants and surfing shops.

House number three is located just outside the village

in a rural valley a mile away from the beach.

Andrew and Sarah are sea-lovers and whilst our mystery property

is the closest to the coast we've seen so far,

it will challenge them to rethink some of their other aspirations.

-Welcome to...

-Wow.

-..our Mystery House.

-Goodness me.

-Fantastic.

It's a little bit of a feast on the eye, isn't it?

-It's just amazing, isn't it?

-There's a lot to take in.

It's like a dream home, really, isn't it?

-Look at those fantastic windows.

-This is wacky.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Now, I think, right at the beginning,

you said you like unique houses.

-Quirky.

-Yeah.

-Quirky, unique.

-Yeah.

And that is why it's our Mystery House.

You want a change of lifestyle.

I think what this Mystery House does is it embraces all of that.

-It's a different way of living.

-Okey dokey. Wow.

-Shall we start the tour?

-Oh, I think so.

Our architect-designed Mystery House is only four years old

and is very much the product of the current owner's vision.

Andrew and Sarah would have to use some imagination

to see how it could be made to work for them.

So, this really is an unusual house.

-Fantastic.

-Goodness me.

-How unusual.

This is very much the core of the house. You can just tell.

There's everything going on here.

There's food, there's eating, there's craft, by the look of it.

-There's enough space.

-Yeah.

-Absolutely.

But behind me, you've actually got a utility room as well.

-Yeah.

-Right, that's clever.

But being open-plan, it's all in the one room.

I'd say this is the model we like. This is taking quirk to a new level.

A new mystery level.

There's a bit of design in it, though,

and I'm a bit of a sucker for interesting design.

'Our buyers appear to like it.

'Whether they want to live in our Mystery House remains to be seen.'

Perhaps, not surprisingly,

all the bedrooms in this unusual property are on the ground floor -

three in total, including two decent-sized rooms for the children,

as well as an impressive family bathroom.

We do have a continuing theme with this property,

-and that's the word unusual.

-Wow!

I don't think we'd ever get Sarah out of that bath.

Where do you put the wine glass?

SHE LAUGHS

Let's take a look at the master bedroom,

which literally is next door.

So, all the bedrooms are on the ground floor.

That's a fairly big bed.

I think ours would probably fit with the headboard at the back there,

so that's possible. And there's some quite big furniture in here.

There is. Time has come, though -

and this is the bit that excites me - taking you upstairs.

'With the bedrooms and kitchen taken care of,

'that leaves one last room upstairs

'and I think I'll let Andrew and Sarah decide

'how they'd use this one.'

-Gosh!

-Have you ever seen an upstairs like this before?

-No.

-What's going on here, then?

Wow! My goodness. It's incredible, the way it's done.

-It's...

-Somewhat... What's that? Is that a...?

-It's like a mezzanine sort of...

-It is.

That's my study area up there.

You've actually got another bathroom through there.

-Oh, really? OK.

-OK.

-Yes.

Because if you have anyone to stay on your mezzanine level...

They've got a guest bathroom.

-So, that could be your fourth bedroom.

-Mm.

-You've got a study here.

-Yeah.

And then you've got area for, you know, whatever - music, dining.

This is crazy.

Wow. It's quirk with a capital Q. It's just amazing.

If that wasn't enough, you've got your own balcony.

-Ah, no, that terrace looks fantastic, doesn't it?

-Goodness me.

-Yeah.

-Do you like it?

-I like the design.

The question is whether we want to live in that design.

So we need to sort of keep looking and thinking,

"Yeah, this could work, this could work"

or, "Crikey, that's too strange." But, yeah...

Feels like it would make a fantastic holiday home,

but you've got my mind racing now

as to how we could do things and make it work.

-Well, it's an interesting property, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's stretching you.

-It is definitely.

It's stretching you.

So, we've seen the living accommodation,

but we've also got to discuss the business,

-cos that's equally important.

-We do.

-Let's go back outside and see what our options are.

-OK.

'This being the Mystery House,

'business options are more limited here.

'In terms of outside space,'

there's a parking area we saw as we came in

and the garden slopes up to the side of the property

to form a thin strip of levelled-off land.

But as it stands, there are no outbuildings for an office

or storage space for the modelling business.

The garden is a bit of a climb, but it's worth it.

-It's certainly worth it because look at your property.

-Wow.

So, although we don't have

the business premises here at the moment,

could you visualise putting something on this spot?

I think it's less practical than some we've looked at.

This house offers a different lifestyle,

so it's, as always, another compromise

or a blend of issues.

So, it gets us thinking.

So, let's talk money now, because we are closer to the sea.

-Right.

-How much do you think the Mystery House is on the market for?

I'm going to make a really, really wild guess and say £345,000.

I'd say £350,000.

You are both remarkably close.

In fact, one of you is spot on - Sarah.

-Really?

-£345,000 is the asking price.

-OK.

It's certainly a stunning house for the right family.

-Yes.

-Is it yours? Go and take another look.

-Thank you.

Under budget by £5,000,

our mystery property is a quirky, contemporary home

a mile from the sea.

It offers Andrew and Sarah a modern, open-plan living space,

the three bedrooms they asked for in a coastal village location.

However, it lacks a large garden

and will mean Andrew would have to construct something

for the business.

Mystery House is spectacular. It's completely bonkers.

It's wonderful, quirky.

Beautiful - absolutely beautiful -

with quite a lot of scope to do things perhaps slightly differently.

I really like the kitchen. I love the terrace upstairs.

I'm concerned about the size of the bedrooms

and potentially storage space for things.

The problem for me is where we could run the business from.

There's lots to think about

as to where we would live our lives in the house.

That's the challenge.

Whether we could live here sort of 365 days a year,

I'm not sure.

Right, mystery tour finished.

-Have you seen enough?

-I think so, yeah.

Yeah? And that is all of our three houses.

So, let's go and have a chat

-and find out what your next move might be.

-OK.

-OK.

While our buyers may be moving to Cornwall

for its stunning coastline and lovely countryside,

the county also has a proud industrial past

which has left an indelible mark on its landscape.

Although tin mining flourished here in the 18th and 19th centuries,

by the turn of the 20th century, due to competition from abroad,

it was in decline.

The abundance of tin in the area was a perfect material

for Cornwall's metal workers and jewellers,

firms like family-run business Wearnes Jewellers in Falmouth.

Founded in 1890 by William Wearne,

today, it's William's great-granddaughter Sarah Corbridge

who's keeping the family tradition alive,

and I've come to meet her.

-Hi, Sarah.

-Hi, Nicki.

So, a family-run jewellers business, but obviously the jewellery business

has changed dramatically, I should think,

from when your great-grandparents first opened the shop.

I mean, I'm looking here.

Would this be an example of what they would have sold in those days?

These are some hollowware items.

We manufactured these in the 1930s approximately.

And these were made out of pure Cornish tin,

as you can see from the marks on the bottom of these.

Now, I've never heard of hollowware before.

Is that a type of tin or a type of...?

No, hollowware basically refers to items such as tankards,

-teapots, little trinkets pots, even.

-Now, I like this one.

Well, this is a replica of a tankard that was made by my grandfather.

It was presented to King George VI on his coronation tour to Cornwall.

It really does sum up quite wonderfully

that, you know, the Cornish people are so proud of their heritage,

their mining industry,

that when a member of the royal family comes,

that's what the king is presented with.

'Fast-forward to the present day

'and Sarah is using Cornish tin in a very different way.

'She's created a unique alloy by mixing Cornish tin with gold'

to make a variety of jewellery items in her basement workshop.

Because the Cornish tin mines have now closed,

Sarah has found another way to source local tin.

Now, I was not expecting this. When we were talking tin,

I was expecting, like, a little piece of tin.

-This looks like it's been at the bottom of a sea.

-It's heavy.

-It's really, really heavy as well.

-Yeah. Where's it been?

This has been under the sea since 1863.

A shipwreck called the SS Liverpool

collided off North Wales some years ago

and it was carrying ingots from Cornwall.

It's remarkable.

It's a lovely, lovely historic piece of Cornwall.

We have to clean all of this up

and make sure what we get down to is just the pure tin

before we start mixing it into the gold.

The two metals are mixed together off-site by a specialist company

and returned to Sarah as small grains of the gold and tin blend.

I'm going to try and help make one of Sarah's most popular pieces -

a Celtic cross.

What's the next step?

Well, what we have to do now to form a piece of jewellery

is to melt it down.

So, here, I've got some nine-carat Cornish tin and gold.

What we're going to do now is we're going to take this micro welder here

and I'm going to open the gas for you.

Looks like quite a vicious flame there.

-So, just put it straight in?

-Yeah.

The gas flame heats up the solid metal to its melting point -

around 900 degrees for nine-carat gold.

Turn that off.

Now, that's extremely hot right now so we'll pop it into some water.

-So, I'm going to let you do this. So, it's all yours.

-In there?

Just drop it in there - that's just water -

just to cool it down.

-So, that's a piece of gold.

-Ooh!

-OK.

The cooled molten metal is then taken over

to a milling machine and rolled into a flat sheet.

Grafting intricate jewellery like this is a meticulous process

and involves etching the design with a sharp tool

and cutting out shapes with a piercing saw,

all done by hand.

Sarah gives me a head start.

What I've left you to saw out is this straight line here.

-So, I'm going to get you to sit down...

-Right.

..so that you're at the right eyelevel, really,

with what you're working at.

And I've got you some very funny head magnifiers here

just so that you can see...

..the markings much clearer on there and see where you're sawing.

Oh, that's much... Oh, yes. Now, right...

-OK, so, pick it up.

-So, that's it. You hold that steady.

See if you can just follow that line.

'The jewellery piece is only half an inch long

'and since I only have one shot at getting it right,

'the magnifying goggles will help me guide the saw.'

-Don't think that's too bad, is it, Sarah?

-That's fantastic.

All right. There we go. Hand that to you.

OK, what I'm going to do now is I'm just going to take it away

and give it a polish.

After a quick file of the edges and a polish,

the nine-carat gold and tin Celtic cross

is finished off with a customary ring and chain,

ready to be worn.

-Here you go, Nicki. Your necklace.

-That is quite fabulous.

Cornish tin and gold to take away.

-Thank you.

-You're more than welcome.

Well, Sarah and Andrew have been positive

about all three of our properties,

so I'm not sure what the next step's going to be.

Let's find out.

Well, Andrew and Sarah, you've sold your house in Tring,

the car is practically packed with dog, cats, children, luggage.

Have we found you a new home in Cornwall?

I'm not sure. You found me two possibilities.

You found me a head house and a heart house.

Ooh, that's interesting. OK, let's start with the head house.

Which one? Cos I must admit,

I haven't got any idea where you're going to go next.

Really? Oh, well, my head house is the barn conversion -

house number one.

It gives us the flexibility of space that we were after.

We can change uses of rooms quite easily.

It's got a lovely big garden. It's got space for the business.

And it's at a good price, which is the head bit.

But my heart's in the other house with the garden and the studio.

-Number two.

-Yeah, number two.

-Really?

Yeah, I absolutely love that house.

I love the garden and I love the studio.

The house itself isn't necessarily ideal.

I suppose my concern is, it's top-end of budget

so we wouldn't have much left to do anything else.

So, could we live in it for however long

before we could do something else?

So, that's the dilemma I'm facing.

Ooh, that's interesting. Andrew, what are your thoughts?

Not too dissimilar, to be honest.

House number three, the Mystery House, was fascinating -

we loved it - but it wasn't practical for us.

It wasn't practical for us as a family or the business.

The barn - house number one - I felt very comfortable with

pretty much as soon as I walked in the front door.

My one concern, though, is the location -

where it is in the county,

where it is in relation to the village.

We've obviously got some thinking to do

because you have shaken us up.

You've made us rethink.

I think our initial thoughts are

that we might try a bit of a sneaky, cheeky offer on the second place

-and see what happens.

-Ooh!

-And then take it from there, really.

-But number one, again, could be an offer as well.

-Yeah.

That's fantastic news... Cos I don't want to worry you,

-but you have sold your house.

-I know. I know.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-And we would like to go home with an offer in the bag.

-Yeah.

We would love you to return home with an offer in the bag.

That sounds so promising. My goodness!

Well, all the best. Thank you both so much.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

So, Sarah and Andrew are giving two of our properties another viewing,

and in my book,

that's a pretty successful couple of days house-hunting

here in Cornwall.

However, it does remain to be seen

whether they put an offer in on either of them.

I'll see you again.

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