North Dorset Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Today we are in a county that is home to this leafy

and rather humble green vegetable, the cabbage,

and, let's be honest, you either love them or you hate them.

But where in the UK do you think they were first grown?

Well, join us in just a moment and I'll tell you.

On today's show we are hoping to find a rural retirement

pad for a city boy and a country girl,

and our properties offer them cosy character in abundance.

-Oh, this is outstanding!

-This is lovely.

Can imagine it, the snow outside, the fire burning,

just being really curled up in here.

Well, today we are in Dorset

and this is the beautiful church in the village of Wimborne St Giles,

and this rather elaborate structure

is the tomb of Sir Anthony Ashley.

He was a late 16th century civil servant,

a man who picked up his knighthood thanks to his involvement

in the capture of Cadiz during the Anglo Spanish war back in 1596,

but he's not remembered simply for his service to his country.

He is the man that introduced all of us to the humble cabbage.

He discovered it growing in Holland, brought it over

and started producing the plant here on his estate in Dorset.

Now, the tomb is beautiful.

That's an effigy of Sir Anthony, and this his wife, but at their feet

is this polyhedron, said to represent the humble cabbage itself.

Now, many of us regard the cabbage as a vegetable

that is classically British. And, as you can see,

it is a story that is very much rooted in this beautiful county.

Dorset sits in the south-west of England

and shares its borders with four counties, including Wiltshire and

Hampshire, while the southern edge of the county skirts

the English Channel.

Dorset's distinctive landscape is as varied as it is beautiful,

featuring elevated chalky downs and low-lying valleys.

The undulating terrain is blessed with a multitude of attractive

age-old villages,

which are characterised by classic thatched cottages.

Together with Devon, Dorset has the highest number of listed

thatched buildings in the country.

Towards the northern border with Somerset,

the scenic beauty of Blackmore Vale inspired Dorset's most

famous son, Thomas Hardy, to write the novel Tess Of The D'Urbervilles,

using the distinctive village of Marnhull

as the setting for the work's opening chapters.

Meandering its way through the heart of Hardy country,

the River Stour flows for 64 miles.

For centuries it has powered the historic mill at Sturminster Newton,

which dates to the 16th century.

With charm and unspoiled beauty, it's no surprise visitors

and house-buyers are drawn to this lovely part of the

British countryside.

Now it probably comes as no great surprise that life in such

an impressive setting doesn't come cheap.

The cost of your average detached property here in Dorset's is currently running

at just under £326,000 -

that's some 57,000 above the national figure.

And as well as having some of the country's most impressive

scenery, the geology here in Dorset has also created some

wonderful building materials that really do give the architecture down

here a very iconic feel.

So, will today's buyers fancy, for example, a classic timber-frame

thatch, a Georgian rectory or indeed a red brick farmhouse?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Michael and Jenny currently live in a four-bedroom detached

house on a private estate in the London suburb of Woodford Green.

They met 14 years ago when Jenny was the girl next door.

We met because we bought houses next door to one another.

Shortly after I moved into the new house,

I had a medical problem and I had to have quite a serious operation

and Michael was great because he supported me

all the way through that.

-And then we got together, didn't we?

-We did.

You took me skiing because I had never skied before,

and he proposed to me on the slopes.

Because we were quite...both first timers

and quite late in life to get married, but it works well.

The couple have recently retired.

Jenny was a project manager for a busy IT firm in the city

and Michael ran a clothing manufacturing company.

With no work ties, they are free to leave Woodford Green,

an area Michael has lived in all his life.

Woodford Green is a really nice place to live.

There's lots of green space, there's lots of small shops and restaurants,

but it is getting busier and busier,

so that the village feel that was in Woodford Green

is gradually...

becoming eroded by the traffic and the buildings.

And a rural setting will allow the couple's beloved dog Palmer more space.

Palmer changed our lives, basically. He is our main hobby.

We were very lucky.

Also joining them on the journey are Jenny's elderly parents so, in

addition to the house, we'll need to find a property with an annexe.

They are now in their 80s, they live in rule Norfolk,

they have looked after me all my life,

and this move to the country gives me

the opportunity to return that kindness and look after them.

Once they are finally settled, and with more time on their hands,

Jenny hopes to improve her cooking skills

and Michael plans on spending more time in the garden.

And they are one step closer to their rural dream as the money

is already in the bank,

thanks to the sale of one of Michael's factory sites.

What the move will give us is what we've got now but more.

Just really allowing us to enjoy

the time that we are not working.

Yes, I think that says it all, really.

Jenny and Michael would like us to concentrate our search

in the northern part of the county,

away from the busier coastal areas,

so I'm meeting up with them to go over their property wish list.

-Well, guys, welcome to Dorset.

-BOTH: Thank you very much.

But a big move for you, sir.

A much bigger move for me because I've lived in London

all my life and only moved within three miles from where I was born.

-Wow!

-Whereas Jenny came from the depths of Norfolk.

She is desperate to get back to the country.

So the country girl is dragging the city boy.

-I'm trying very hard to, yes.

-Here we are in Dorset.

You grew up in Norfolk, why aren't we in Norfolk?

I think because with Norfolk, for Michael, it would be too much,

really too much of a change from he's used to.

Norfolk is very, very rural. Dorset we love.

We love the mixture of the countryside.

We've got friends down here as well,

so I think I'm easing him into it that way.

Well, it's not just you who is moving.

No, we would like to bring my parents,

who actually still live in Norfolk.

We'd like a little annexe for them and they are quite happy to come.

Let's just talk about the property that you ideally want.

We'd like a property with three good-sized bedrooms

and, downstairs, what we want is entertainment space.

So downstairs, we'd like a big kitchen, kitchen/diner,

a large lounge, a utility room

because we have a dog, and we would love a conservatory garden room.

And stylistically, what's your dream, Jenny?

It's nice to have a bit of character,

but I don't mind some that are contemporary.

What I'm probably not so keen on, is something with low ceilings

and small windows, the archetypal cottage.

What are the real no-nos?

Thatch, we're a bit concerned about.

-Jenny's father would have a fit if we bought a thatch.

-Why?

-We're...

What's his worry?

He's always been worried about the maintenance and about them

catching fire and things like this.

Well, let's talk about your parents

-because they are going to want some space.

-They are.

They're going to need two bedrooms, a sitting room,

a kitchen and a shower room as a minimum.

Whether we have to build on to something or

we get something ready-made, that's fine.

It's interesting that you said you might want to build onto it.

How much of a project would you take on, do you think,

to make this work?

I think a reasonable one.

We haven't got big experience of knocking a house down

and rebuilding it, but if it was changing a garage into a usable

room or adding another room onto something that existed there...

-Just remind us of the budget.

-A maximum of £700,000.

-Wow!

Whether we can find something for that, in Dorset.

-Well, it's not the cheapest county.

-We do realise that, yes.

But I'm quite optimistic.

There's a wonderful housing stock here, set in fantastic landscape.

We've got three properties to show you, including our mystery house,

-so let's go.

-Let's get cracking.

For a maximum budget of £700,000, Michael and Jenny would like us

to find them a characterful house with three bedrooms.

It should have good entertaining space, ideally a kitchen/diner

so they can host friends,

a utility room which would also serve as a home for their dog

and a two-bedroom self-contained annexe for Jenny's elderly parents.

We've lined up a selection of stunning Dorset

properties for Jenny and Michael to contemplate as their new home,

but they won't know the price of each contender

until the end of the tour.

And I'm hoping the mystery house, designed to challenge them,

isn't the final straw.

Our search begins in the village of Dewlish,

around ten miles from the county town of Dorchester.

Located in the heart of Thomas Hardy country,

Dewlish sits in a valley on the Dorset Downs

and features pretty carbon thatched cottages, a well-regarded pub

and a beautiful old village hall built from brick and flint.

On the outskirts of the village,

in a secluded spot on the banks of a small stream, is our first house.

Come over here because I think this is really where you get

the best idea of what is on offer. What do you think of that then?

-Wow.

-Interesting.

-That is really interesting.

-Isn't it?

-The garden is beautiful.

-The garden is stunning, full of water features.

There's a lake down there, which Palmer is going to be in.

-All of the time.

-I hope it's got a utility room to dry him off.

Exactly. That is the main property we're going to deal with first,

which also comes with that one over there,

which is a completely separate annexe.

Absolutely ideal. That's what they wanted, to be separate, but close.

This would be your bit, I think,

although you could fight over it, actually. You can decide.

-I probably would.

-That's really interesting.

-Come and have a look.

I can't wait to get inside.

Dating to 1800, the main house was originally three

separate cottages with the walls built from traditional cob,

but it's also been added to in the last 50 years.

-We'll start the tour in here.

-Right.

-The fireplace.

-That is stunning.

This is just one of your reception rooms.

There's another one through there, which is a lot lighter,

with some lovely double doors out of the garden.

There's another wood burner in there.

You have got his and hers, if you want.

Being retired, you want a bit of your own space now and again.

To have two rooms would be excellent.

-This would be lovely in winter.

-A cosy snug in winter.

You can just imagine the snow outside, the fire burning,

just being really curled up in here.

It also leads on to the kitchen/diner,

which I'm hoping is going to be big enough for you.

-OK.

-Let's have a look.

-There we are, Jenny.

-This is outstanding.

-This is lovely.

-What a lovely space. Loads of space to work.

-Yeah.

-Friends round for dinner. It's ideal.

-And a decent oven.

-Yeah.

As you can see, you've got the dining end there,

those lovely windows,

but it all flows round through that arched doorway

and down that little flight of steps into the second reception room.

-Lovely.

-And it's so light.

-Look at this - doggy friendly floor.

-Yeah.

-Exactly.

-Very much so.

-I'm really pleased with this.

What do you think the folks would make of it?

My mum would love this kitchen.

She could come here and make jams and cakes and teach me

how to do that, as well,

while Michael is in the garden

with dad learning how to grow the vegetables.

With the grown-up's duties taken care of,

there's also a separate utility room

for the dog to dry off in after a paddle in the brook,

as well as a downstairs wet room with shower and bath.

The upstairs is accessed via the second cosy reception space.

At the top of the stairs, the landing leads onto three bedrooms,

including a double guest room and smaller twin.

-And, finally, this is yours.

-That's a really good size.

It's got good storage by the looks of it. It's lovely and light.

Now, it's technically ensuite, one would say,

because you can get to the shower through those doors.

-That shower room itself is a Jack and Jill arrangement.

-Right.

That is what really defines this as the master bedroom.

-It's a lovely room.

-And it overlooks the garden by the looks of it.

Absolutely. So, what about mum and dad?

-I'd forgotten about that.

-The annexe, yeah.

You won't forget about it once you've seen it, I can assure you.

I think it's fair to say that mum and dad will be more than happy

with their separate living quarters, and they're just a short stroll

from the main house in a modern, recently remodelled annexe.

There. Come and look at this, guys. I mean, it's huge.

It certainly is huge.

You've got two further reception rooms through there,

one of which is enormous, the other is smaller

-but also has a gas/log effect burner in it.

-Right.

And then, through here, you've got bedroom with separate loo

and wash basin and then in there, downstairs shower room.

-It's all on one level.

-That is ideal for them.

-Ideal.

-Really is ideal.

-Ideal.

-Shall we go and explore the garden?

Definitely. I'm dying to see the garden.

We'll explore the price, as well, while we're at it.

The land that comes with the property is exceptional -

an acre and a half of beautifully landscaped garden with that

stunning brook and stream.

There's also a patio, a real sun trap, various pretty features

and finally a large outbuilding, a man cave for Michael, perhaps.

We do get to see some fabulous gardens when we're house-hunting,

but this is one of the best.

-Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

-The stream, the pond, the space.

And the sound of running water...

And that is all you can hear, actually, isn't it?

What do you think it's on the market for?

I reckon it'll be over our budget and I'd say 710.

710. Jenny?

One and a half acres, but I'm going to be optimistic

and I'm going to say 695.

How optimistic are you feeling?

The sun is shining and I feel really optimistic.

Then let's make your day because property one could be yours

for £650,000.

-Joking!

-Good God!

-That is amazing.

-That is incredible.

-Yeah.

I would like you to spend a little more time exploring the annexe -

just make sure it's going to be right for mum and dad.

-Yes.

-I'll catch up with you a little bit later on.

-OK.

-Off you go.

-See you later.

-Or maybe you'll find me.

Who knows, in this rambling property.

As you can appreciate, since this was built back in the 1800s,

it has been bought and sold many times.

But when it was sold just after the War, it went for just £7,000. Wow!

How times have changed.

£50,000 below their top budget, this delightful detached period

cottage has a large kitchen diner in which to entertain,

the three bedrooms they've asked for and a large utility room for Palmer.

The separate modern annexe has more than enough space for Jenny's

parents and it's all set in a peaceful rural setting

overlooking a brook.

I have been absolutely amazed at this house.

Not only has it got all the space that Michael

and I need inside the house with that lovely kitchen,

which I would be perfectly happy to live in myself,

-it's got the perfect annexe for my parents.

-It's very rural.

I just have to check out how isolated it is -

doctors and things for my in-laws - and it would be a big step,

but I think it might be quite exciting.

When we see a house, we usually get a very good feeling

whether this house is going to work for us or not.

When we walked into this house, I think it was 90% there.

When we walked out of the house, it was much closer to 100%.

I could see us living here.

You know, gardens like this do, of course,

take an awful lot of work, but my goodness me, are they worth it?

And they can certainly help sell a property, can't they?

They certainly can. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

-Right, then, we've got two more to show you. Do we need to?

-Well...

You've got to come up with better, but I don't think you will do.

-Let's get going.

-It would be hard to beat this one.

-Come on.

With three quarters of Dorset's land given over to agriculture,

it's no surprise that the fastest growing superfood in Britain

is grown here - the blueberry.

Packed with vitamin C, antioxidants and fibre, the blueberry is

native to North America and only arrived in the UK in 1949.

One of the early pioneers of the British blueberry

was David Trehane Senior,

who started commercially planting them at is his Wimborne farm

in the late 1950s.

Today, it's David's son Jeremy

who's carrying on the family tradition.

We've sent self-declared foodies Jenny and Michael to find out

why Dorset has become the adopted home of the blueberry.

Hello, pleased to meet you.

Welcome to the oldest blueberry farm in England.

When did you first start growing blueberries here?

It was very interesting because there was an offer of free

blueberry plants from a farm in Canada after the War - 1949.

Anybody in this country who wanted to give them a try,

-80 plants and my father took up the offer.

-Why did he think to do that?

-What is it about this area?

-What it is, we're on the right soil.

Blueberries love acid soil, sandy soil...and my father knew that.

He was a plantsman and so he thought, right, there could be

commercial potential in this and, lo and behold, there was.

English-grown blueberries are our speciality and the Dorset blues,

which we've got, command a very high price.

One of the reasons the home-grown Dorset blueberries are pricier

is that they are picked and packed entirely by hand

on Jeremy's family farm.

And with 35 acres of plantation producing 30 tonnes

of blueberries every year, Jeremy is taking advantage

of a couple of extra helpers.

The skill of this particular job,

let's start here, is to use your hand, more or less as a cup,

and your thumb and your finger just to ease the berries off.

-You've got it.

-Roll them off?

Just roll, exactly, you're rolling them off.

If we wanted to grow them ourselves in our garden...

In terms of growing them in your garden,

your soil has got to be right.

Another key is never to fork or hoe around them.

If you've forking and digging, you're constantly damaging those.

As well as packing a powerful nutritional punch,

the blueberry is also a surprisingly versatile ingredient.

Although they're normally associated with deserts

and cakes, blueberries can also be used in savoury dishes.

Jeremy's wife Sandra has been

collecting blueberry recipes for years.

And after a hard day's picking, Jenny and Michael are rewarded

with the fruits of their labour.

I'm going to just show you a really nice little starter,

which you can have for your dinner parties.

We've got the Parma ham here

and then I just perhaps roll a couple of pieces up on a plate.

I love Parma ham and I wouldn't have thought it goes with blueberries.

-No, I wouldn't.

-No, and with melon as well. It's all about colour.

This is the great thing about blueberries

because there is no other blue fruit.

-Would you like to have a little sample of that?

-Yes.

-We'd love to, thank you.

-See how it mixes with meat.

I might as well have a go as well.

That goes so well together.

I love Parma ham and now I love blueberries. Delicious.

Absolutely delicious.

With Sandra's savoury recipe fresh in their minds, Jenny and Michael

will be able to host their own blueberry inspired dinner parties.

But first we need to find them a home,

so it's back to the business of property shopping.

For our second property offer, we're travelling north-west towards

the border with Somerset and the village of Thornford.

The village centre, with its attractive array of thatched

cottages, was designated a conservation area in the 1990s.

There are a number of listed buildings.

The most recent listing wasn't a house,

but a classic red phone box tucked away just behind the grand

clock tower built to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

One of the village's most impressive residences is Thornford House

and our second offering was, at one time, its coach house and stables.

-So, what do you think, guys?

-Very, very pretty.

-Very attractive house.

-That's very impressive, isn't it?

-It is.

-There, you can

see these two great sets of doors, which would have contained coaches,

built in 1856 and then rebuilt in 1956.

So, it's relatively new then, in that sense.

Well, it's all relative, Jenny, yes.

It is essentially a property of two halves.

You've got that bit there, which is the main family house,

which will be your bit,

and then this currently comprises a two-bedroom annexe.

Oh, brilliant.

This is one that does require a bit of updating,

but it would allow you to create something

that is very much your own.

And the advantage with this one

is that it's right in the heart of Thornford itself and, in particular,

-for your parents, I'm thinking, it means they're not stranded.

-No.

-So, let's see what you think of it.

-OK.

-Love to.

Less isolated than our first property,

the village location of our second has obvious plus points,

but I'm keen to see whether the house lives up to expectations.

OK, let's start in here, then.

-It's a reasonable-sized room.

-It IS a reasonable-sized room.

-Right, look at the views.

-The views, they're lovely.

Just the decoration needs doing, but that's...

-Decoration's easy to do.

-Well, it is.

Is the field part of the house or is that owned by somebody else?

-It isn't.

-It isn't.

-But the good news...

is that the view comes free.

-Go on, let's go next-door.

-OK.

-Let's go.

-So next-door we've got the dining room.

-A good square room.

And, again, it's dated but that's something that you could do,

-it's a good square room.

-Yeah.

-And views, again, of the field.

-It's great. Now, the kitchen is through here.

-Right.

-Not as big as property one's kitchen, it has to be said.

-No.

It's a shame, the size of the kitchen.

Especially with the dog and wanting another,

a big lab and maybe another.

JULES LAUGHS

-Yeah.

-Then they'll have to live outside.

-Yeah.

No, you can't have that.

I suppose what everybody wants is, you know, a large kitchen

-when they come to the country.

-You could look at opening all this up...

..and having a kitchen-diner.

-No.

-No?

-Then you've only got one room.

-That's true.

-But it's not a dealbreaker.

Depends what the rest of the house is like and what the annexe is like.

Indeed it does. Come on, let's explore.

Well, Jenny can see the potential of our second property,

but I fear Michael may need some convincing.

Upstairs, there are the three bedrooms they asked for -

two good-sized singles, as well as a family bathroom with

an interesting bath and shower arrangement.

-And this is currently the master.

-Well...

-This is a nice, light room.

-Yeah, and it's a big room, actually.

-It is.

I mean, if you wanted it to be en suite, making use of the bathroom

that's next-door, you could put a door in here

-and open it all up that way.

-Oh, that's true.

That's true. A lot of work.

-But, once it's all done, you do get the home you're after.

-Yup.

That's very true.

So the main house could do with some alteration to make it

work for our buyers.

The annexe, too, might also benefit from a few modifications,

although it does have the two bedrooms Jenny wanted for her

mum and dad, both with their own washbasins.

But what will our buyers make of it?

So, as you can see, Mum and Dad would get their own front door.

This is currently the main sort of living area for the annexe.

Let's think about next-door because you've got, really,

-the void of the coach house.

-Yup.

There's two great big sets of double doors, which would give you,

-effectively, three times this amount of space...

-Right.

-..if you punched it through that way.

-Yeah.

-So this would be a good size for a kitchen.

-Yeah.

-I mean, it does have a kitchen.

-Oh, it has?

It's very small, it's through there.

It's more of a sort of kitchenette, really, and a bathroom as well.

-Right.

-But, absolutely, you could free up

the kitchen that's through there.

They'd end up with a better living space than we'd have next-door.

Well, there is that danger, there is that danger.

-So maybe you do it for you and they have what's existing.

-Yes.

It's an idea.

OK, let's pop outside and enjoy this glorious sunshine and...

Have a look at the garden.

Have a look at the garden and we'll talk about the price as well.

-Right.

-OK.

As well as the courtyard area at the front of the old coach house,

the rest of the garden extends to the rear,

bordered by an attractive wall.

It's mainly lawn with a log shed for storage.

Let's consider the price, then. What is property two worth, madam?

I think it's on the market for...

-580.

-Oh, 580.

So I'd say 590

because of the work that needs doing on it.

You've both been a bit optimistic.

Property two is on the market at 650.

Same as the first property.

Exactly the same as the first one and, I think,

if nothing else, it gives you an interesting

point of comparison between something which is more rural

and something which is

-in the centre of a village with all the amenities that go with it.

-Yup.

Under their top budget by £50,000,

our second property is an old 19th-century coach house.

It offers Jenny and Michael the entertaining space they were after,

with two reception rooms, although the kitchen is on the small side.

There are three bedrooms in the main house and two in

the self-contained annexe and the property benefits

from a central-village location.

House two provides Michael and myself with a challenge.

A challenge that I think is a challenge too far for us.

Outside, the house is charming, inside the house,

though, overall, it's too small for us

and we would need to be involved in a considerable rebuild

to actually create, in the house, the kind of space that we need

both for myself and for my parents.

I'm a bit daunted about the amount of work it would need to

bring it up for us to live in it, so I don't think it would work for us.

Well, I've had a good day and I think property number one has

-definitely given you something to think about.

-It has.

It definitely has.

But then, yeah, property two has also given us food for thought

about what we'd compromise on, so that's really useful.

-And we've got one more to come tomorrow.

-We have.

-Our Mystery House.

-Now, have you tried the local beer yet?

-No.

-Right, then, come on, it's my shout.

-OK.

It's the second day of our property search here in Dorset

and, with a top budget of £700,000, we're helping Jenny and Michael

from the London suburb of Woodford Green

find rural peace in the West Country.

Coming up, the Mystery House

gets our buyers thinking about the future.

I can see a Christmas tree at Christmas... I'm really excited.

I can see...

I can see the dog curled up there.

And I show how living under

a bed of straw needn't break the camel's back.

Well, as is customary at this stage in a house-hunt,

our buyers have been left to consider

the pros and cons of our first two properties

and we've certainly given them plenty to think about.

The first offered them that Holy Grail of

two homes for the price of one but, of course, it was a little isolated.

So, for property two, well, we went for community.

A lovely house in the heart of a village, which I think could be

really important, in particular for Jenny's parents,

but it didn't offer them all the space they were after.

So, for our final offering, our Mystery House,

I think we need to combine the best of both worlds.

Our Mystery House is a real gem,

but I'm pretty sure it will also give them plenty to think about.

For our final offering,

we're on our way to the village of Frampton in the west of the county.

Amenities are found three miles up the road in Maiden Newton,

a thriving village located on the banks of the River Frome.

Although many of the buildings in the centre of the village

date to the 17th century,

the arrival of the Great Western Railway in the mid-1800s

saw the village expand and today there are numerous shops

and businesses, including a well-regarded French restaurant.

House number three is located on the edge of the smaller village

of Frampton, a six-mile drive away.

At the start of our house search,

Michael and Jenny were very clear they didn't want a thatched property

because of the maintenance costs,

but I'm hoping our mystery option will convince them otherwise.

Right, guys, come on in.

-Oh, wow, wow, wow.

-That is so pretty.

-Isn't it?

-It's a thatch!

-Yes, it's a thatch.

-I don't care, it's beautiful.

-It's absolutely...absolutely...

-Beautiful.

-Two pheasants on the roof.

-Yeah, lovely that, isn't it?

And the thatch itself is relatively new, it was done in 2003.

-It's water reed, so it's the longest lasting.

-It looks beautiful.

Because it doesn't look that old.

Well, it has been renovated to a very,

very high standard over the last decade or so.

Now, the bit that should interest you is that bit,

that is the main house, all of it.

-All of it?

-The whole thing.

But the bit that's of interest, I think, to your parents,

Jenny, is that annexe there.

Now, it's only one-bedroom,

but it also comes with a double garage up there,

which you could potentially think about doing something else with

because the exciting thing about this property,

-unusually, is that it's not listed.

-It isn't?

-It's not?

-No.

That is brilliant. I just can't wait to get inside, to be quite honest.

Right, then, let's get inside, come on.

So, our mystery house is a classic Dorset thatch and even

the strongest sceptic can't help but be captivated by its exterior.

Now, this isn't the front door, obviously,

but it's the best way to start, I think, the tour of this place.

Garden room and then this is your kitchen.

-Oh!

-Oh, wow!

-Come on in.

That...is...unbelievable.

-Stunning.

-I would be so happy in this kitchen.

The vaulted ceilings, the beams, it's got the right amount of room

-to work with, the table in the middle that people can sit at.

-Yeah.

Well, obviously, with the vaulted ceiling it can be quite dark,

but that really makes a difference,

and through here you've got the utility room.

-I just can't wait to see the rest now.

-Come on, then.

There's a small room in here, which they've got as a sewing room

-but you could have as a study.

-OK.

And then the whole thing kind of drifts through

into your main living room.

-This is beautiful.

-And look at that fireplace.

-Yeah.

-Woodburner in there.

-Yup.

-This is country living.

It's smaller than I was expecting, but it doesn't really bother me.

-And, also, it's light.

-It is.

-I could see a Christmas tree at Christmas.

A shorter one than normal.

I can cope with that, Michael.

-Oh, I'm really excited.

-I can see...

-I can see the dog curled up there.

-Brilliant.

Well, the main living space gets the thumbs up,

but the bedroom arrangement is a little unconventional.

There are three bedrooms in the cottage, two of which are upstairs.

They're both good-sized doubles

and they're serviced by the main family bathroom.

But the master suite is back down on the ground floor,

just off the main living room. Huge bath and shower room there.

-It's massive.

-That is big.

And then the bedroom itself is up this little flight of steps

-with loads of storage.

-Oh, again, that's really pretty.

It is really pretty.

Huge bed in here as well. Loads of storage, even enough for my shoes.

-Yeah.

-Hardly Imelda Marcos!

-I'm a typical woman - loads of shoes.

-Yeah. Happy?

-Yeah.

-I'm very happy.

Dying to see more.

Well, let's go and look at the annexe and think about

Mum and Dad cos you've forgotten all about them, haven't you?

Er, yes, I have, really.

The annexe is just a short stroll from the main house

and comes with its own private courtyard garden.

At the moment, it only has one bedroom and Jenny wanted two

for her parents, but it's worth our buyers considering converting

the double garage it backs onto, should they need more space.

Now, what would your parents make of this, then, Jenny?

-I think they'd like this.

-I think it'd be superb.

A little kitchen - Mum would definitely like that.

This barn was only done last year,

so it is absolutely brand-new.

They've obviously considered it, really, as a holiday let,

that's why it's got the layout it has.

So it will need a little bit of thought, I suspect,

to kind of turn it into more of a permanent home for your parents.

-It's only got the one bedroom, which is...

-Right.

-..on the mezzanine floor, really.

-It's compromise, isn't it?

-Mm.

-You can't have everything you want.

-Well...

Doing something with the garage would definitely be the way

-that I would start thinking.

-Yeah.

Let's finish up outside in the garden

and you might want to start considering what it's worth.

Who knows? It's the mystery house. It's always a challenge.

It's going to be a difficult one.

The south-facing garden continues upwards from where we began

the house tour and is mainly laid to lawn with the added

bonus of a summer house with a hot tub inside.

Come up here to the top terrace cos I think this is where you

get a beautiful view of this stunning property.

-But, of course, it's all going to depend on the price.

-I know.

-Michael?

-That's going to be very difficult. I'd say 690.

-690.

I wouldn't be that optimistic. I think it's slightly over our budget.

-I would say 710.

-710 and 690.

Well, let's make it simple for you. It is under budget,

that's the good news, but only just.

-It's on at 695,000.

-Right.

But your instincts are absolutely right.

I'm surprised it's under budget...even if

it's only by that small amount.

-I am surprised.

-I'm not because of the size of it.

I mean, it's beautiful but it's not a big house.

-But it is in a village and it's so pretty.

-And it is, you know...

You see, you're talking yourselves into it as we speak.

I don't think I need much talking.

Well, it's all yours. Go and have a look.

-I will catch up with you later.

-Thank you very much.

-Off you go.

Under budget by just £5,000,

on paper our mystery property may not have been an obvious contender,

but this characterful thatched cottage seems to have won them over.

It gives Michael and Jenny a huge high-vaulted kitchen/diner,

three good bedrooms and a modern self-contained annexe

that could be extended, subject to planning permission.

It could've been an absolute disaster

because it incorporated everything that I said I didn't want -

the thatching, the cute cottage, the chocolate-box lid -

but I'm totally and utterly bowled over.

The annexe is slightly small for both my parents

but, because the garage is alongside, I'm sure we can find a way to

make the annexe larger by utilising the garage space.

The thatch doesn't bother me at all.

It's the quality, the fixtures and fittings, the wiring,

everything is superb.

I'm a bit concerned about sleeping downstairs but...

I absolutely love it.

I think our classic Dorset thatch has gone down rather well, hasn't it?

It's gone down very well indeed.

JULES LAUGHS

You see, I thought it would.

But we have given you three to think about, so...

Let's go and considers the options, shall we?

Definitely food for thought.

Nothing evokes the picture-postcard image

of the classic English village more than the thatched cottage.

Often used as a roof covering on workers' cottages,

thatch is now a modern-day status symbol,

inspiring many to give up city life and live the country dream.

But, like Michael and Jenny,

some prospective buyers are wary of thatch.

However, if looked after and managed properly,

the costs and risks of this age-old roofing material can be reduced.

The Thatching Advisory Service is a company that consults on

fire and safety prevention in the industry.

I'm meeting its director, Rob Norcott.

Now, Rob, we show many people thatched properties all over

the UK and some absolutely love them and some absolutely hate them,

but I think a lot of that suspicion

is based on a kind of ignorance of how thatch actually behaves.

And, for many people, the obvious question is - are they a fire risk?

In most cases,

fire risks predominantly are in relation to chimneys,

so it's what appliances are there, what the make-up of the chimney is.

So having your flue checked out, if you've got a woodburner,

-would be the first thing to do, presumably.

-Absolutely key.

Now, many people will also be suspicious of whether or not

they are watertight.

I mean, we've got this lovely old building behind us

here with a typical slate roof,

which is absolutely bomb proof in terms of water usually.

But, for many people,

they'll consider that thatch is a damp proposition, is that true?

No, it's very much the opposite, actually.

Due to the thickness of the thatch, you know, even a single coat

of thatching is approximately sort of a foot, 300mm thick.

The actual amount of dampness will only go in a maximum,

normally, around about two, three inches.

On average, it costs around £30,000 to rethatch a property like this.

It's less painful, of course,

if you spend a few hundred pounds each year on replacing small

patches rather than waiting until the whole roof needs redoing.

That means the relationship with your local thatcher is key,

such as skilled craftsman Edward Taylor.

I'm interrupting your busy day. Good to see you.

Hi, Jules, how are you doing?

Now, we talk about it being a time-honoured tradition,

it really is.

But you're a very young man, how long have you been thatching for?

-I've been thatching about 16 years now.

-Still learning?

All the time. Every roof is different.

Every craftsman tells me that.

And what materials are you putting on this particular roof?

-On this roof we're putting combed wheat on.

-And what's this here?

This is a bundle of water reed, which we were using for ridge rolls

and just for generally packing out the roof underneath the wheat.

In terms of durability and lifespan,

harder-wearing water reed is often the best option

and can last up to 50 years before it needs to be replaced.

Now, with this roof, it's an extension to an existing property.

Can we get up there and have a closer look,

and see how it all combines the old and the new?

That's right, come on up.

Although thatchers like Edward still follow traditional

methods handed down to them, modern building materials,

unavailable to their predecessors,

can help protect the property further.

This roof has been fitted with a fire-board system,

which buys valuable time should the worst happen

but also helps reduce insurance premiums.

A breathable, waterproof membrane

also adds further protection from the rain.

I suppose the obvious thing to notice, first of all,

is the blue of the modern, breathable membrane.

That's right. We have the fire board on,

then we have the membrane at the top, it just keeps everything watertight.

With half the roof still to complete,

I'm keen to try my hand at this traditional British craft.

-Just pick one up and lay it on your arm.

-Like that?

-That's right, yeah.

-You've got it.

-How about that?

Now, if you'd like to come along and just pitch

-the straw down against the roof.

-So, what? Sort of drop it?

-That's right, just drop it against the roof.

-Just to level it up?

That's right. Yeah, that's all you're doing.

And then you just sort of bed it in, do you?

That's right, and then push that up together against your course there.

And we have our spar right there.

-And then...?

-That's the one.

So how long is this one going to take you to finish, Edward?

Well, this roof will probably take me another three weeks to finish.

-If it stays sunny.

-Yeah, let's hope so.

Well, thank you very much for

interrupting your day to show me around.

-Best of luck.

-No problem. Cheers, mate. Thank you, Jules.

Well, as you can tell, we've had a pretty busy week here in Dorset.

Three properties, as ever, into which we've had to try

and fit two very distinct families. But have we managed to do it?

Well, I've got a funny feeling a decision on the future for

Michael and Jenny and, of course, Jenny's parents, is in the offing.

Well, Jenny and Michael, you set us quite a challenge this week -

a property that would allow you and your mum and dad

to have a whole new life.

-Property one set the bar pretty high, didn't it?

-It certainly did.

The annexe was stunning and vast,

and we know we'd never find an annexe as good as that again.

-Beautiful garden.

-So what happens with that one?

-Is it still on the list?

-It is still on the list.

I'm worried about the maintenance,

the water and the natural spring and being a bit out of the village.

But we need to go back there, which we will do,

and see the village properly.

-Wow, so a second visit on property number one.

-Definitely.

We were clearly off to a flying start with that one. Property two...

Very much in the heart of a village,

but it did need a little more imagination, didn't it, Jenny?

It definitely needed more imagination.

It needed quite a bit of work to make it work for us

and I think that was just a step too far.

So, for our mystery house, we tried to combine the best of both worlds.

I loved the main house. I could see myself living there,

so pretty from the outside.

When I said, "Don't want thatch, don't want a cottage,

"don't want low beams",

all that went out of the window once I was in the house and saw it.

So, is there a second viewing in the offing for our Mystery House?

Without doubt, yes.

If I had to make you choose between two sets of keys,

this is property one

and this is the mystery house, which one would you pick?

Provided we could do work on the annexe, it would be property three.

If we couldn't do work on the annexe, it would be property one.

If you are able to make an offer...do let us know.

My hunch is that it will probably also be on the mystery house.

Go and have a look and let us know how you get on.

It's been a real pleasure.

We certainly will and thank you very much - it's been great fun.

Thank you very much.

You know, when we select our properties for our buyers,

there really is no telling how they're going to react but on this

occasion, we really have left Jenny and Michael spoilt for choice.

In terms of our mystery house, well,

everything they thought they didn't want, well,

it now turns out it's everything they now think they do want.

It just goes to prove that, when it comes to house-hunting,

there's very little that's predictable about property.

I'll see you next time.

In the end, Michael and Jenny decided our first property was

too isolated, but they did go back

to the mystery house for a second viewing.

They were about to make an offer but, unfortunately, missed out.

They have since found another property they like.

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