South Cambridgeshire Escape to the Country

400 years ago, this entire landscape for miles

and miles to the coastline was absolutely boggy swampland.

But, this building is part of the story why

now my toes are completely dry.

Find out where I am in just a moment.

On today's show, I have my work cut out

fulfilling our house-hunters' dreams.

Look at that.

A friend commented the other day and said,

"What you're basically looking for is your nan's house."

But I still manage to serve up some properties that impress.

That's huge living space.

-That's incredible.

-That's extraordinary!

Wow.

Today, we're in Cambridgeshire, and this is Stretham Old Engine,

a pump-house built in 1832.

One of 100 examples scattered over the north-east of this county.

They were originally constructed to take

the strain off the 800 existing windmills that had been

pumping water out of the Fenland

since the 17th century in order to turn it into good arable farmland.

This is the only existing example still standing

and it's a wonderful piece of Fenland history

but it's only the beginning of our tour of this historic county.

The county of Cambridgeshire is located in East Anglia,

with eight bordering counties including Lincolnshire to the north,

Suffolk to the east, Essex to the south and Bedfordshire to the west.

The county capital is the city of Cambridge,

whose university founded in 1209 is amongst the very best in the world.

Properties here are sought after

and pricey at 150% over the national average.

You don't have to travel far to experience

a wealth of rural scenery.

Wicken Fen is Britain's oldest nature reserve

taken on by the National Trust in 1899.

Rising up from the Fenland is Ely Cathedral which

dates back to the 11th century. Also in the town of Ely,

is the house of The Lord Protector of England,

Oliver Cromwell, where he lived for ten years.

Houses in this northern Fenland region are much more

affordable at nearly £100,000 lower than the national average.

With cultural centres and wide open countryside,

there's no doubt that Cambridgeshire is an appealing county to escape to.

There's a marked difference of price here with your money

going much further in the north and you having to pay a hefty premium

if you want to be close to Cambridge

or down in the south of Cambridgeshire.

That's not just because of good train links down to London

but also because the villages there regularly top those surveys

asking where is the best quality of life in the UK.

So, let's meet our buyers and see whether they're willing to pay

that premium and stay south or are looking for a bargain in the north.

Today's house-hunters are London-based teachers

Jacqueline and Alistair who met each other through work.

We teach English as a foreign language

and we also train teachers to do that.

We were sent on a training trip.

They needed two trainers to go to Peru and our boss,

we think he was a bit of a matchmaker, he sent us both.

And the rest is history, as they say.

They got hitched two and a half years ago and have spent

a large part of their married life on an incredible journey.

We've just recently come back from a year overseas.

We had a sabbatical from work and we went round the world without flying.

We had 20 days on a container ship going down to Buenos Aires

and then we went over land on assorted buses

right the way through to California.

We took another container ship across to Shanghai and then

from Shanghai back to London on quite a number of different trains, mostly.

It's been a great adventure.

With their travels over, they're now living in Alistair's London flat,

in a development on the Isle of Dogs.

It's a property which is a little compact for their needs.

The flat we live in is actually quite a small one-bedroom flat.

In our kitchen, we can just about cook together but we do end up

kind of choreographing around each other because it is a small kitchen.

I would say this current flat has restricted us

in quite a number of ways.

Partly, we can't actually get all our own things in it

so unfortunately quite a lot of our stuff is in storage at the moment.

So, it'd be lovely to be reunited with that.

An obvious need for living space is

not the only thing driving this move.

I dream of escaping to the country.

Something that we've actually been wanting to do for quite a long time.

Pretty much since we started being together

we realised that we both loved being in the countryside

and going walking and doing things like that.

So, once we were together we started talking about

how we could make that happen.

And the need to continue teaching

has played a huge part in where they plan to move.

We were really looking for a county that would allow us

to still work and have the variety of work that we enjoy at the moment.

And Cambridgeshire is perfect because of Cambridge.

The university as well as all of the schools will give us

the same sort of variety we hope as we have at the moment in London.

But it's not all work.

Alistair is keen to develop his love of yoga

and turn his hand to some new interests.

I'd like to take up gardening and particularly growing vegetables.

The idea of growing your own food is hugely appealing to me

so I'd like to have a go at doing that.

And I'd also like to try my hand at brewing beer, as well.

If we've got enough space to do that, it'd be fantastic.

I don't know if I'd be any good at it.

I just want to have a go and see what I can come up with.

With the flat already on the market,

life in the country can't come soon enough.

We've both lived in London a long time and I know that

when I've been on a train heading off to the countryside

for the weekend as soon as we hit the green fields

it just lifts me and I want that in my life.

I think the move will be a dramatic change for our lives.

It will change where we work, where we live and very much

the sorts of things we do on a daily basis will change as well.

As Alistair and Jacqueline want a slice of the rural life,

but will be working every day in central Cambridge,

we'll be concentrating our search on the villages around

half an hour from the city centre.

I'm meeting our house-hunters at the largest house in Cambridgeshire,

Wimpole Hall.

-Morning, guys.

-Morning.

Sadly, Wimpole Hall is a little bit out of your budget.

-Afraid so, yeah.

-Slightly.

But the right part of the countryside.

So, this is Cambridgeshire.

You're heading to the south. Why the south?

North of Cambridge it suddenly becomes very flat

and Fenlandy, which is beautiful in its own way,

but in terms of somewhere for us to live we atually prefer

the more gentle rolling countryside that you get south of Cambridge.

-Quintessentially English.

-Yes.

Have you primed yourself for actually living in the country?

Because you're both town mice.

We live in London. I wouldn't say we're exactly town mice.

I think we've both had in our heart a long time that we want to

live in the countryside and it's time to make the move.

We spend a lot of our weekends going out of London,

either visiting friends or going walking.

And we decided quite a while ago that actually we'd like to

change our lives so that that becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Now, I don't need to tell you that you have chosen the most

-popular part of Cambridgeshire in terms of property buying.

-Yes.

And the most expensive. So what is your top budget?

£325,000 for the right place.

Obviously, you'd like a bargain

but that's how far you could stretch if you needed to.

It might be that there's quite a pressure on that

because if you want the ideal location and the period property...

We realise that we're asking quite a lot

and we might have to make some kind of compromise.

In terms of the property itself,

what are you looking for in this house?

We'd love a period property.

We'd love a lovely old fireplace with a wood-burning stove or...

-I think it's very important to have a fireplace.

-Yeah, that's essential.

And other period features, I think, maybe creaky floorboards

or a little secret staircase in a cupboard off the dining room or

little windows. Yeah, I need to feel in touch with the past, I think.

And then two or three bedrooms

and a slightly bigger kitchen than we have at the moment.

At the moment, we're having to squeeze round each other.

And some kind of dining space.

In terms of your readiness to move,

what's the situation with the flat in the Isle of Dogs?

Well, we've got it under offer, it's in the solicitor's hands

at the moment so fingers crossed the sale will go through.

-Wow, you are ready.

-Yeah, we are.

-Definitely.

-We've got three lovely properties lined up.

-Fantastic.

There's some things that match,

-some things that might have to be compromised on.

-Sure.

-Tantalising.

-But I'm looking forward to showing them to you.

-Lovely.

-We can't wait.

So, let's head off. Follow me.

For a maximum budget of £325,000,

Alistair and Jacqueline are looking for a period property

with lots of character, two to three bedrooms,

a garden to start cultivating a vegetable patch,

located in a village,

with a reasonable commute to Cambridge city centre.

And we have three promising properties to tempt them with.

And after each house tour, I'll be asking them

to price the house before I reveal it.

One, of course, will be our mystery house which gives our house-hunters

something new to think about.

You've been all the way round the world,

-and you're coming to little old Cambridgeshire.

-Yes.

Are you going to be getting cabin fever here?

I think probably quite the reverse, actually.

We're looking forward to not moving on the whole time.

Being in one place and being able to explore it and get to know

our neighbours and get to know the area much more in depth.

And in terms of the community,

as I know that you're quite big real ale fans.

-Yes.

-Is the pub going to be an important part of all this?

Absolutely.

Hopefully, the village we end up in will have a pub

that we can go and visit quite regularly

and get to know local people through that, as well.

Our first house is in the village of Weston Colville.

Located in the southeastern part of the county,

it's 14 miles from Cambridge city centre and a half-hour commute.

It's a small village with a population of less than 500

and typically English in feel, with a parish church, post office

and cricket club.

There's also a Victorian reading room,

now used for meetings at exercise classes.

And whilst not in the village itself, there is

a pub a mile up the road.

And our first offering is centrally located.

Come in through your own white picket fence.

-Thank you.

-Wonderful.

Here's property number one.

Lovely.

I love it. It's double-fronted, lovely little garden at the front.

-The door with the knocker.

-Yeah, it's fantastic.

It looks lovely.

It's a terraced building. These were farmers' cottages back in the 1860s.

-Yes.

-Lovely period property.

-Yes.

I love the detail above the windows on the ground floor.

Let's look inside.

The period features on the exterior of this three-bedroom

Victorian cottage have struck a chord with both Jacqueline

and Alistair and I think inside won't disappoint either.

-Come on into the warm.

-Wow.

-It's a lot to take in straight off the road.

-It's wonderfully cottagey.

-It's lovely, isn't it? I love the beams.

-Yeah.

-And the fireplace.

-Is that open?

-Yes, it works.

-OK.

-An open, working fireplace.

It's a new floor.

They had some very nice Cambridge white bricks on the floor

which have been recycled elsewhere.

-Right.

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

-It looks very authentic.

-Yeah.

I love this little door. I love these... Yeah, OK. Tick.

-I was wondering if that's what you like, the nooks and crannies.

-Yeah.

Very much so. Yeah.

And even the little archways and the little windows.

And the slightly bowed ceiling is rather nice

as it shows real character.

And this would be a lovely living space, I think.

Yes, it certainly would.

If indeed this is the only living space.

-Oh.

-Oh.

-Come on, then.

You can just say that and do nothing.

-Should we explore a bit further?

-Yes, please.

-Yes. Absolutely.

This house is deceptive, as the current owners have remodelled

and extended the property to create an unexpected rear space.

-Ta-da!

-Oh, my goodness!

Oh, my word.

That's huge living space!

-That's incredible.

-This is extraordinary. Wow.

-And there's a range.

-Oh, yeah.

-And another living room.

-A second living room.

-Isn't it great?

-Is this somebody else's place?

This is way bigger than I expected.

The brickwork there looks really nice

but is that the brickwork has been taken from the living space?

So, the white brick is characteristic of Cambridge

and those were originally on the floor

and they were recycled here and on the inside of the hearth.

-Where the log bin is.

-That's a lovely idea.

-I can't believe we would have this much living space.

-No.

I know, I kind of didn't expect it to be quite as big as this.

It's got a lovely feel to it, hasn't it?

-Let's have a peek upstairs because you wanted bedrooms.

-Yes.

-Got bedrooms.

-There's more?

It seems the spacious downstairs has taken our house-buyers by surprise.

The upstairs is smaller but still has room for three bedrooms.

There are two to the front of the property, a family bathroom,

and then a master suite.

You have three lovely bedrooms.

Gosh. Three.

-Three.

-Wow. OK.

And they're all sort of the same size. None of them are massive.

This one is being used as the master, because it has an en-suite.

-Ah, right.

-We're not big en suite fans

because we'll be living on our own.

I'm just looking at that thinking

-whether you could have a bigger bedroom here.

-Yes.

If you sacrificed the en-suite.

You could have this as the guest room

and use one of the other rooms as your bedroom.

What's interesting for me is I'm really thinking about this place

and would I live here, so it's really making an impression.

That's what we like.

-Good. Well, there's one more thing to see and that's the garden.

-Right.

-OK.

-Let's go and see that.

The house itself has got the character,

space and cottagey feel they're after and outside the good news

continues with a garden that caters for all their needs.

Oh, it's gorgeous.

-It's quite a long garden.

-It is. Great.

-Vegetable patch.

-Yes. I can see it all.

They put in some raised beds in the corner but you could easily do more.

What's nice about this, I think,

is that you do have the variety of a nice sitting area

and also space to do things, but it's not overwhelming

so we won't be having to spend our entire free time doing the garden.

-No.

-Exactly, yes.

It would be quite low-maintenance.

But let's turn back to the house and talk about the price.

-The all-important price.

-Yes.

Crunch time.

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

OK, so, I'm going to be an optimist

and say £310,000.

I think it might be slightly more than that

so I'm going to go for £315,000.

-Right.

-315?

-Mm.

-Fingers crossed.

Well, this is good news for you because this is on the market for...

-£300,000.

-Excellent.

-Oh, fantastic.

-Great.

-OK. That's really good.

So, you haven't seen the bedrooms upstairs.

You haven't really had a chance to root around.

Have a little run around and see what you think

and I'll meet you at the front door.

-OK.

-Wonderful.

-Thank you.

-In you go.

A pretty good result for the first house.

Lovely garden, lovely space indoors.

Pretty good location, and in budget.

Pat on our backs.

Well under their top figure of £325,000,

this characterful Victorian worker's cottage

has period features throughout for Jacqueline,

an unexpectedly large amount of living space, and a garden

which means Alistair can start on his veg-producing plans.

And all this located a half hour's commute from central Cambridge.

OK. I think this would work as a double room for us.

Yeah, its a nice sized room, isn't it?

It's more square and you could get round both sides of the bed

-whether you put it there or there.

-Yeah.

When we arrived at the outside of the property, I thought it was lovely.

It was just the kind of thing I'd hoped that we might find.

It's a bit further out than we'd originally been hoping for

and I think that's going to take a bit of thought to decide whether it's

just a bit too far for us or whether we could actually live with that.

I think the highlight is just the amount of living space.

There's an embarrassment of living space in this cottage.

We couldn't believe it when we came though from the

living room at the front to the living space behind,

at how much there is.

I'm picking up that one fly in the ointment might be

the distance from Cambridge. A bit too far?

Well actually, for the budget,

this is pretty good distance.

-OK, guys. You all done?

-Yep.

So, pull the door behind because we have got another house to visit.

-Great.

-Wonderful.

When Alistair and Jacqueline move to Cambridgeshire they plan to

indulge their passion for ale and start brewing their own beers.

To pick up some pointers from the professionals,

we've sent them to the town of Wisbech where the

brewery of Elgood and Sons has been producing beer for over 130 years.

They're meeting head brewer Alan Pateman.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Welcome to Wisbech. It's nice to meet you.

-Thank you.

-And welcome to North Brink Brewery.

The brewery was built in 1795

and has been brewing beer ever since then.

And we're in the fifth generation of the family running the business.

-Continuously in one family?

-Absolutely.

-Wow. Great.

-Let's go and have a look.

-Thank you, that's brilliant.

The craft beer industry is booming with

over 1,000 breweries in the UK producing over 5,000 unique beers.

Jacqueline and Alistair are getting a peek at the brewery's latest brew.

It's a traditional Belgian-style sour beer, known as lambic,

which has a unique process and one few breweries are able to attempt.

OK, so we're now in the main part of the brewhouse where

all of our brews start life.

It's good that you're here today

because we're brewing our lambic today.

It's something new to us, this is only the third brew that we've done.

It uses two raw materials at this stage. Malted barley.

And unmalted - or raw - wheat.

So, to start our brew off we begin by grinding all this lot up

in a mill to produce grist.

It's that which starts the brew off which

happens in the vessel behind us, the mash tun.

So, if I wanted to brew some beer at home

would I need a mash tun like this?

Not this big. You'd probably need something much smaller scale,

and it's all about the scale with any brewing.

The grist is soaked in hot water

until a sugary solution called wort is created.

It's drained out leaving the spent grain to be dug out by hand.

The solution is pumped to a large copper vessel where

hops are added and the brew is boiled for two to three hours.

So far, so similar to the production of most beers.

It's the next part of the process which sets the lambic brew apart.

OK, so here we are at the cooling trays

where the magic of the lambic brewing really takes off

because this is the crucial element where in a moment we'll cast

the brew, it will be sprayed on to the trays and left to fill the room

with steam and in the process of doing that it will then waft

up into the rafters,

on to the wooden boards that you see up there, which helps to keep the

spontaneous wild yeast alive which will then drop

back down as the wort cools overnight.

This spontaneous ambient fermentation relies on the

steam absorbing natural microbes in the immediate environment.

The rough surface of the oak beams helps cultivate wild yeast.

So as you can see the wort now spraying on to the trays which

gradually will fill up,

-and the whole brew will fill both of those trays.

-Wow.

-And you believe me now about the steam in the room.

-It's very steamy.

So the whole lot will just fill with steam as it comes through then

gradually subside and die down, let it naturally cool down overnight.

-It smells wonderful.

-It's a great smell, isn't it?

-Fantastic.

Because this brewery kept hold of their traditional open

cooling trays when many others got rid of theirs,

they are one of the only breweries able to make lambic beer.

The brew is then barrelled and left to ferment for several months.

Fortunately, the first ever batch created is now ready to be

drunk so it's a chance for Alistair

and Jacqueline to sample this rare tipple.

We're going to try the lambic beer now.

Ladies first.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-Good health.

Quite cidery, in its flavour.

Absolutely gorgeous, I think.

So, Alistair, how do you feel about home-brewing

a true artisanal lambic?

I think it might take quite a while,

I haven't got the 25 years of experience that you have

so if I can get anywhere close to this I'll be absolutely delighted.

Good.

So, with the bar set high for Alistair's brewing ambitions,

it's back to the house search.

To help realise that rural dream.

For our next property, we're heading to Waresley,

on the western edge of Cambridgeshire.

With a commute to the city centre of half an hour.

It's a charming place, not least because of all the

thatched properties throughout the village,

each with their own individual thatched animals.

The church has a chequered history having been partially

destroyed twice by storms, first in the 18th century

and then by the great storm of 1987.

Here's a little preview of the village where you could be living.

OK.

We like the pub.

-The pub is very fine and I know that pubs are important to you.

-Yeah.

So, there's also the village hall where they do yoga.

Oh, fantastic.

-And would you like to live near the pub?

-It would be handy.

I'd be more than happy with that.

That's handy because the house that we're going to show you

is next door to a pub. Follow me.

Look at that.

So, what do you think about the location next to the pub?

-It really is a stagger away, isn't it?

-Five-star.

-It is fantastic.

It's better than we could've hoped for, I think.

Well, this is a thatched property, it's a big thatched property.

-And actually it's not all up for sale.

-Right.

-It is actually a

-semidetached. Right.

These 200-year-old farm workers' cottages have a decorative porch

to the front but the entrance is actually round the side.

Come in here first. This is the kitchen and dining room.

And actually this feels quite modern,

-it doesn't really have the period features of the other parts.

-No.

What do you think about the size of the kitchen,

because obviously, it's a different layout.

It's smallish, I would say,

-but it's not horrendously small.

-If we go into the other part

you'll get to see a bit more of the history of the house.

That would be good, more of a connection.

The kitchen may not have the character they're after,

but I don't think that'll be a problem elsewhere in this cottage.

So, step back 200 years.

Gosh. This is very different from the kitchen, isn't it?

Yeah. Totally different feel.

Lovely proportions in this room, aren't there?

So, is this a bit more in terms of the scale that you're looking for?

-Yeah.

-What I felt about the other place was that the space downstairs

was overwhelming in a way.

It was more than we could possibly have hoped for, which is great,

but we would also be happy with less, I think.

-Is that fair to say?

-I think so.

It is cottagey, it ticks that box. Yeah.

And then round the corner,

you've got a big study area and the staircase.

Next to the living room is the other main living space,

currently used as an office area.

-It's a fantastic study area, isn't it?

-It is.

I could just sit there all day.

I wouldn't want to commute to Cambridge.

I'll just get some work from home and not move!

So even though it's a much smaller property,

-you seem to be more taken by the periodness of it.

-Yeah.

A friend commented the other day and said,

"What you're basically looking for is your nan's house."

And there are lots of things about this property that

although it's a different age,

there are lots of things like curved wood

and not rendered walls and things that remind me

of my nan's house in here.

Just the general feel of it.

-Let's take a peek upstairs.

-Do you want to lead the way?

The only remaining room on the ground floor is a shower room

which could be used by guests.

Upstairs, there's a landing connecting a bathroom to

two double bedrooms. One at the back and one at the front.

-So this is the master bedroom.

-Right.

-It's small but I guess it's just about big enough.

-I think so.

You can get round both sides of the bed.

You know, would you even consider taking the door off

-so that you didn't have that awkward thing?

-Yeah, possibly.

-Because it's only us living here.

-Yeah.

-You could re-hang it so it opens out the other way.

-Yes.

-You're very wise.

-Yes.

Let's go and look outside because that's also slightly quirky.

I'd say Jacqueline's nostalgia has made her fall in love

with this property much more than Alistair.

Let's see if the garden can swing things for him.

-So, the outside layout is quite unusual in this property.

-Yes.

You've got the tail-end of this outside building

and then you have this, which is one of your gardens.

-One.

-Gardens.

-OK.

-Gardens.

-We like a house with gardens.

-We do.

So, this is the bit that's obviously attached to the house.

You've got the patio area,

you've got a little shed there and some terracing at the bottom.

If you take a long walk through these woodlands,

you get to your own little quarter acre of

-what's actually allotment space.

-Yeah, a veggie plot.

-Fantastic, yes.

What do you think the price of this puzzling property is?

I reckon this is probably on the market for 285,000.

I hope it's under budget, as well - £280,000.

Well, you're in the right ballpark, but perhaps a little optimistic.

It's actually on the market for five English pounds short of 290,000.

-OK.

-Oh, OK.

-Interesting.

-Interesting. A lot of food for thought.

Yeah, absolutely. Yes.

For £35,000 under their top budget,

this thatched farm worker's cottage offers two quirky living spaces,

tonnes of period features -

which Jacqueline has completely fallen for -

two compact double bedrooms and a variety of garden spaces

both near the house and across the village.

The biggest positive is not something particularly tangible,

but there's just a general feeling that it's a warm, quirky old house

that somehow reminds me of my nan's house,

and that is the big plus for me.

There's actually a lot of land here,

but the fact that it's not all in one space

and the fact that it actually is so much land

is making me realise that perhaps having a big garden

isn't so important.

So, that's this house all done.

In fact, all our house tours for the day done.

Now it's time to mull it over.

-Yes, I think we need lots of time for that!

-Come with me.

It's the second day of our house hunt with Alistair and Jacqueline,

who are trading city life in London for the rural life of Cambridgeshire

with a budget of £325,000.

Still to come, I've got some impressive features

for our period property junkie.

-It's incredible.

-It's a fantastic fireplace there, isn't it?

One of the best I've ever seen. It's gorgeous.

And I go to meet a farmer who's diversifying

into the most unusual of livestock.

Are they in here? Oh, gosh, yes, they are.

Day two of our property search here in Cambridgeshire

and we have hit a slightly unusual dilemma.

Yesterday, it became clear that Jacqueline and Alistair really

are not that interested in space, which is very unusual on our show.

Jacqueline, particularly, I think would really like

a small, cosy property, preferably close to Cambridge.

We had rather been banking on going further away from Cambridge

and giving them more space, more land, more privacy.

So, the mystery house might be quite a problem.

But we love jeopardy on this show!

In terms of the mystery house,

as you know, it's always a little bit of a curveball.

-What do you think we might show you?

-We've been speculating about this.

There are a number of different options we think might be possible.

One is that it might be quite a lot further away.

Another is that it might be north of Cambridge,

rather than south of Cambridge.

You could possibly show us something that is modern but looks old,

as a real curveball,

knowing how much of a connection with the past I want.

But I think my favourite, I'm backing,

we're going out of the county.

For our mystery house we are indeed taking

the house hunt in a completely different direction,

heading 25 miles north of Cambridge

to the hamlet of Alconbury Western,

where the budget will stretch a bit further.

At the centre of the hamlet is a brook

and its ford crossing, which is home to a number of water birds.

With no church or school, the only public amenity is a pub

which shouldn't be a problem for Alistair and Jacqueline.

The much sought-after rural walks are literally on the doorstep

of our mystery house, which is located by the brook.

Come into the mystery house!

So, you were right in one sense - we are further away from Cambridge.

But wrong in the sense we haven't left Cambridgeshire.

-We're still here.

-OK, right.

-We're up by Huntingdon.

-It's about a 36-minute drive into Cambridge city centre.

-Right, OK.

But, look what you get. This is a detached property.

-Looks extensive.

-It's big, it's old, it's quirky.

-How old is it, in fact?

-Goes back to the 1600s.

-OK.

Though this extension's only 15 years old.

I like all the other cottages around and about.

-And the ford's quite charming, isn't it?

-It is.

It was interesting yesterday that it became apparent that,

actually, space, usually everyone wants space, space, space,

but actually, you're not so interested in space - more cosy.

For me, cosy rooms are lovely,

but there needs to be just enough space because I'm quite tall,

so having to stoop for a low ceilings and that sort of thing,

it's a sort of issue for me, actually,

I don't want too much of that.

-Right.

-So, it'll be interesting to see what this property offers.

It will.

This three-bedroom 17th century house,

which is currently unfurnished,

is full of the sort of character Jacqueline is after.

But there's no getting away from the one period feature

that could be an issue...

Er...I'm having to say, "Mind your head."

I really didn't want to say that, but everything's quite low beams.

-Gosh, it is.

-Wow, that's charming. Look at that.

I mean, they're lovely beams, but on the low side, definitely.

-It's incredible.

-It's a fantastic fireplace, though, isn't it?

One of the best I've ever seen. Gorgeous.

There's some really extraordinary period features.

This period fireplace is one of them.

And is that a little kind of bread often?

-Indeed, little bread oven, too.

-Right.

-I love these.

I can see the underside of the floorboards!

-I've never seen that before. It's incredible.

-Amazing, isn't it?

-Yes, well, it is VERY period.

-Indeed.

-Thank you!

Well, there's not period everywhere, so let's continue.

The 17th-century part of this property houses

the two large and low ceilinged living rooms,

but a spacious L-shaped extension

gives modern day room heights to the rest of the downstairs.

-Finally you can stand up straight.

-Yay!

-This is a good size, isn't it?

-It's a lovely sized kitchen, yeah.

-Love the wooden worktops.

And in terms of the kitchen, this is great, I think,

because it is a big space. We can move around it quite easily.

We can quite easily put a table in here or an island or something...

..without feeling you're inching around. Loads of space, yeah.

I'd love a kitchen like this.

As you came in through that hallway, that would be an ideal dining space.

-Yes, yes.

-And actually, you're spoilt for choice,

because you've actually got another three rooms along here.

Oh, right, OK.

Well, let's go and have a quick peek at these rooms,

-just so you get the layout.

-Yeah.

Beyond the large kitchen in the modern extension

are three further living rooms.

One is currently used as a bedroom. Another is a potential dining room.

And finally, there's a bright sitting-room.

-And then there's this lovely room.

-Ah, like a little garden room.

-Yeah.

-Gosh, this is nice and bright, isn't it?

-Double aspect.

-Nice, big windows.

-French doors.

-Yeah.

So, the unusual thing about this property is that,

while a bit like the first property, is that upstairs,

there's really just two bedrooms.

Three rooms in this wing, and then three big rooms in the other.

We've got wings now!

Let's look at the ones upstairs, because they're very charming.

With no bathrooms upstairs, the final rooms on the ground floor

are a shower room and the property's main bathroom.

Back in the old part of the house are the stairs

to the two first-floor bedrooms.

So it's a little bit wiggly.

-Oh, wow.

-But it's worth the climb, I think.

-Wow. What a room.

-Oh, that little window!

-Yeah. It's adorable, isn't it?

-It is.

-It's charming.

-And what does it overlook?

-It overlooks the river - fantastic.

-The ford as well!

-The ford, yeah.

I'd be tempted to put the bed this side

so you could just lie in bed and watch the ford.

I love the brickwork of the fireplace, the chimney breast.

What's great, of course, is then the chimney breast would heat up...

-Yes.

-..so this would then act as a giant radiator.

-Yeah, absolutely.

That's really good.

And you have another room over the other side which you could

have as your dressing room.

So, this could be your floor, and guests could stay downstairs.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Fantastic.

-Makes sense.

-Let's go into the garden and talk about the price.

-Great.

-OK, lovely.

The land for the property is mostly at the front.

To the side of a large driveway is a picket fence and wooden gate

to an enclosed garden area just big enough for a vegetable patch.

It's not a huge garden, but pretty and private.

Yes, lovely tree screening there.

I love the little kind of gardens over here,

-behind the sleepers as well.

-Yeah.

-And there's this raised pergola area which actually has a hot tub.

-Wow!

I wouldn't say no to a hot tub!

You could have a lot of fun in there, couldn't you?

What is it on the market for, do you think?

I'm going to go quite low. I'm going to say £275,000.

I think probably a bit more than that, maybe - it is quite big -

so maybe 285.

This is actually on the market for 325.

-Oh, really?

-Way off.

-Way off the mark.

-Clearly we don't know this market at all.

-We clearly don't, no.

So, Huntingdonshire, hmm, OK.

Have a little wander around, see what takes your fancy,

and then we'll head off to make some decisions.

OK, lovely. Thank you.

It so interesting, isn't it,

when they guess the prices so off the mark?

It says a lot about what the people think about the house.

For the top end of their budget,

this 17th-century house has all the old beams and fireplaces

to satisfy Jacqueline's connection to the past,

but comes with challenging ceiling heights for Alistair.

There's ample space with three bedrooms and four living rooms,

and outside, there's enough room for a veggie patch.

But located in the more affordable north,

it is a little further out from Cambridge.

No question, this inglenook fireplace is absolutely stunning.

With the seat next to it and the little bread oven,

this is five-star for me.

In terms of the downsides,

I suppose the first one that comes straight to my head is location.

It's way out of our area of search.

I don't really know where I am.

The biggest positive for the mystery property for me

was probably the lovely old period character part of it.

The two main and lovely old rooms were, for me,

almost unusable, I'm afraid to say.

Moving around the main bedroom upstairs

was quite a challenge for me.

So, time, I think, to regroup and discuss all the houses.

-Yes.

-Fantastic.

Let's head away from here and get somewhere out of the wind.

The Cambridge countryside is peppered with

traditional family-run farms - farms like Johnson's,

which for the last 100 years has been producing meat

from cattle, pigs and sheep.

But this farm, unlike most of the region,

is diversifying into a highly unusual type of livestock...

Crocodiles.

I'm meeting fourth-generation farmer Andrew Johnson to find out more.

-Morning, Andrew.

-Morning.

-You've got some beautiful livestock here.

I did notice some rather exotic buffalo -

are they buffalo on the way in?

-That's right, yeah.

-But that's not the most exotic thing you've got.

-You've got crocs?

-Yeah, it seems to be one everyone picks up on.

Unsurprisingly! How long ago did the first crocodiles arrive?

I think ten years today is actually when the first ones turned up.

Presumably, long-term, you want to breed them to sell them as meat?

Yes, that's what we're hoping.

Crocodile meat is white, it flakes, it's very high-protein,

and it's got all the value of a fish.

From an economy point of view, it could turn into a large industry.

-Can we go and see?

-Yeah.

Crocodile meat is high in protein

and lower in cholesterol and fat than chicken

and it's believed there are anti-carcinogenic

and anti-arthritic properties, too.

Keeping crocodiles requires a dangerous wild animal licence

obtained from the district council, who inspect for animal welfare

and safety of enclosures,

As crocodiles can grow up to ten feet long

and have a bite 100 times more powerful than a large dog,

it's a long way from farming cattle.

Are they in here? Oh, gosh, yes, they are. How many are in here?

There's four adults in here - three females and a male.

-And then the two babies, separate in the corner.

-So, how old do they grow?

They should live in captivity well in excess of 100 years

because in the wild, when they eventually die is when they run out of teeth.

They grow about 2,500 teeth in a lifetime.

In captivity, we're feeding them smaller bits of meat

so their teeth last much longer.

Are they quite placid?

Yeah, nine times out of ten they are quite happy to

-get on with their life.

-And that 10th time, what do they do?

-That's when you go a little bit faster.

-I am very impressed.

I'm particularly impressed

that you're going to go in there and feed them.

The crocs are used to Andy being in their enclosure,

but he still takes a safety board to protect his legs.

Come on.

These cold-blooded predators can digest pretty much anything,

making them very cost-effective to feed.

They can also go for many months without eating.

Known as brumation,

they lower their metabolic rate and don't require food -

perhaps one of the reasons they've survived

from their prehistoric ancestors over 65 million years ago.

This is the first time these crocs have been fed in six months.

Not so hungry. Six months and still no appetite.

I bet you're quite close to lying, ain't you? Yes, come on.

Learning how to breed these animals has been Andy's focus,

and in 2011, he became the first British farmer to successfully

breed crocodiles in captivity, when two hatchlings were born.

And now's my opportunity to meet one of these unique critters.

He's making a funny noise. He doesn't like being out.

-He's calling out for his mum.

-He's a bit whippy, isn't he?

-Yeah.

I don't think I'll be holding on to him.

So, what's the future with these chaps?

This is going to be the next generation, presumably?

Yes. This is our proof that we can get them to copulate

and hatch eggs in our environment.

And is the idea that we're all going to be eating croc steaks for dinner?

Yeah. Cod's getting more expensive. Crocodile is very versatile.

It works very well battered for chip shops.

So, you've tasted it. What does it actually taste like?

The nearest thing to say is going to be monkfish.

So do you think the British public will ever

overcome their squeamishness about eating crocodile?

I don't see it being a problem. People aren't afraid of trying anything,

especially when they find out about the health properties and everything else.

You're the future, do you know that?

You're the future... with very sharp teeth.

Yeah.

With his proven breeding record, Andy now hopes to import

50 crocodile babies from Kenya

to start farming for public consumption.

His modern farming venture could make Cambridgeshire

the future croc capital of the UK.

Well, we may have put Alistair and Jacqueline through the mill this week,

but I think it was very useful, particularly the last property.

Even though it wasn't in the location they wanted

it has crystallised their thoughts.

So, let's find them and see where they are right now.

-Hello, guys. We've found a bit of shelter from the wind.

-Yes.

Now, it's been a great week. Lovely looking around the county with you.

We've thoroughly enjoyed it, yes.

I think what's been so interesting was actually the very first one we saw,

I think we're both quite inspired by that.

I think one of the things for me

is there's a winning combination in a property

that has daytime space with lovely light,

like the dining room and the extra room at the back,

and then for the evening, it has some kind of cosy room

that you can go in and put the lamps on and sit by the fire.

And that has that combination, and that's perfect for me.

Your flat will hopefully be sold in a couple of months,

so what's going to happen next? Will you revisit house number one?

I think we probably will.

We talked about this and the property itself is really suitable for us.

Our question mark was always about whether it's just a bit too far out

or what the journey into Cambridge would be like,

and see how exactly long it would take and what it would feel like.

That's it - how long it would take.

So I think maybe even before visiting the property,

we might just go there, cycle to the nearest train station,

get the train into Cambridge and cycle to work.

It seems like you are very enthusiastic about this move.

And wherever you move up, do let us know,

because it would be great to see you settled.

-Thank you.

-Absolutely, yeah. We'll keep you posted.

-Well, best of luck.

-Thank you.

It's been lovely looking around Cambridgeshire.

It's not a county that I've been to very often on the show,

so thank you to Alistair and Jacqueline for bringing us here.

Also, it's been quite interesting showing them around

because unlike most contributors on this show,

they've decided they probably want less space for their money

instead of more.

But the UK is very varied,

as are the property buyers in it, as are you,

so, I hope you join us next time

for more adventures on Escape To The Country.

And there's been good news!

Jacqueline and Alistair decided the commute from the first property

wasn't going to be a problem and put in an offer which has been accepted.

All things being well, they should be out of London

and living in Cambridgeshire in a matter of weeks.

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