North Devon Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Today, I'm surrounded by towering rocks -

some 400 million years in the making - in an area the Victorians

affectionately called Little Switzerland.

I haven't left the country, obviously, but where am I?

Stay tuned to find out.

Today, I am helping a corporate couple carve out a new

career in the countryside.

Can you imagine sitting in bed in the morning with a cup of tea,

looking out over that?

It would be fantastic.

And on the search for their dream property,

will my buyers be ruled by their head or their heart?

It's absolutely charming, but my practical side will kick in

-in a minute.

-And when Claire's practical side kicks in,

then we know we've got trouble.

Today, I am in North Devon, on the Exmoor coast,

in the Valley of Rocks,

which is a natural gorge between two ridges of hills.

And the valley is shaped like a bowl, bordered by rock formations

with names like Castle Rock, Ragged Rock

and the Devil's Cheese Ring.

This dramatic geology and natural beauty inspired

great 18th-century romantic poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge

and continues to attract visitors from all over the world.

However, many now come here for a more physically exhilarating

experience, which I'll be trying out later on in the show.

Devon is the fourth largest county in England

and the largest in the South West.

It is sandwiched between the Bristol Channel to the north

and the English Channel to the south. Its dramatic

and varied 300 miles of coastline draws in visitors year after year,

along with vivid countryside made up of elegant, meandering rivers,

steep valleys as well as two national parks

and five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Today, we are focusing on the North Devon District that

accounts for just over a quarter of the county.

North Devon is home to Exmoor National Park.

Named after the River Exe, the county's main river,

it has the longest stretch of naturally wooded coastline

in the British Isles, the highest coastal cliffs

in England, and the second highest tidal range in the world.

For those more interested in water sports than walking,

the 800-metre long sandy stretch of beach at Croyde Bay

is a surfer's paradise, facing west to the high waves of the Atlantic.

The county also boasts an abundance of traditional architecture,

including around 20,000 houses made partly or entirely from cob,

many dating back to the 15th century.

At the moment, the average price of a detached property

here in Devon is creeping

just over £300,000.

That's around 30,000 more

than the national average.

But if you head inland, you do get more for your money.

And if it is the quiet countryside you are after,

then it is the north of the county that is probably your best bet,

as it is home to less than 10% of Devon's population.

And here are two more people hoping to make this part

of the country their home.

Today's house hunters, Nick and Claire,

are from the town of Henley-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire.

They have been married for four years and met at work.

We met at a team meeting.

And we discovered that we had a shared love of cooking.

So we decided to get together and cook a nice dinner.

And it all started from there.

My love of baking, I think, has stemmed from my love of eating cake.

Fortunately, Nick really enjoys eating sweet things, too.

So it is a very symbiotic relationship.

They have always harboured plans, eventually,

to retire to the countryside, but both being made redundant

recently has prompted them to act sooner.

It had been our plan to move to the West Country

and start a holiday letting business.

As we are both currently out of work, we thought,

"Well, let's bring it forward."

It seemed silly to go back into finding new jobs,

so we thought we'd do our big move now.

Knowing the county well, they've decided Devon is the ideal

destination for their home and business.

So, I've had several family holidays as a child in Devon.

-So I do know the area a little bit.

-And also, I grew up in Devon.

And when we have been down together, to have a look around, I think

both Claire and I have really fallen for North Devon.

And the countryside.

To make their lettings business unique,

they want to combine it with a personal passion of theirs

in the hope it appeals to like-minded holiday-makers.

We are both keen cyclists.

One of the things we thought about is trying to attract cyclists.

So we would make sure we have got a small workshop where people

can work on their bikes and pre-plan a few routes and provide route maps.

So, with the business mapped out and a sale agreed on their house,

they are all set.

And like all successful partnerships, they know their roles.

I think my main role will be the handyman.

I think that my main role in the business will be to meet

and greet the guests and to look after their needs

and make sure they are settled into their new holiday homes.

Claire is the more outgoing of the pair of us.

But lovely personality.

Just lovely girl.

Aw! SHE GIGGLES

Nick and Claire have asked us

to focus their search in the rural areas of North Devon.

With the advantage of great beaches on the coast as well

as the green spaces of Exmoor, it is popular with holiday-makers

and could be a great area to start up a lettings business.

Welcome to Devon, Nick and Claire, lovely to meet you both.

So, tell me why this part of Devon?

Firstly, because it is beautiful.

And I grew up in Devon and I just really love the county.

I've brought Claire down a few times

and I think she has fallen in love with it too.

And I understand that time is of the essence.

You've almost sold your home in Oxfordshire.

Yes, we are due to exchange in the next couple of days,

so we are going to be homeless within a couple of weeks.

-So we really better get on with it.

-We really had.

And tell us what you'd like from a home here.

We'd like a character farmhouse, three or four bedrooms,

really lovely kitchen, or the potential to create a lovely

country kitchen, a couple of reception rooms...

I am quite up for having a bit of a project.

Some great potential to build

a lovely little holiday letting business.

I'd prefer to have something to build rather than

necessarily buying an existing, ongoing business.

It would be good to have something which has already got

something going, in terms of some holiday cottages.

But perhaps a bit more work to do.

This doesn't sound very relaxing to me.

You are obviously not coming to chill in the country.

No, unfortunately, we still need to earn a living,

so we are hoping that having five or six cottages, that we

let out on a self-catering basis, will give us

some free time during the week to enjoy this beautiful county.

What things would absolutely put you off a property?

Thatch. We are not particularly keen on thatch,

or I am not particularly keen on thatched roofs.

Generally, modern houses is certainly not Claire's thing.

Or being overlooked or having a lot of neighbours.

Remind us of how much you have to spend, Nick.

If it is something that is a project, then about a million.

If it is a completely up-and-running business,

up to as much as £1.25 million.

I'll always take the top one, so...

It's a great, healthy-sized budget,

but it is not going to be easy to find a ready-made house with

five or six holiday lets, like you mentioned, so I am glad,

Nick, you've said you are prepared to put in a bit of work.

-Are you as well, Claire?

-Oh, absolutely.

-And we make a good team.

-Great.

-Are you ready to see what I have up my sleeve?

-Raring to go.

-Absolutely.

Shall we finish our tea first?

So, Nick and Claire are not only looking for a dream home

for themselves but also a business set-up,

and they are armed with a very substantial budget of £1.25 million.

For the primary accommodation, they'd like a character farmhouse

with three or more bedrooms and a large country kitchen.

But we must steer clear of thatched properties.

They are also looking for some land, either with an existing

holiday let business or the potential to start one up.

They'd like a rural location with good access to the coast

and the countryside.

I have got three character properties lined up for our buyers,

all offering extensive and varied accommodation

as well as inspired ideas for their business set-up.

I won't be revealing the price of each

until they've had a guess themselves.

Our last visit will be to my Mystery House,

where I'll be pushing them

on character and finding out how far they are willing to go to get it.

We're kicking off our Devonshire house hunt

just ten miles from Exmoor National Park

and 15 minutes from the coast, in a rural North Devon location

three miles outside the village of Braunton.

Perfectly positioned in close proximity to both stunning

countryside and the sandy beaches at Croyde and Woolacombe,

Braunton is a popular spot with surfers as well as holiday-makers,

but it also offers good shopping with all the key amenities

for locals. Just five minutes

in the car from the village, into the countryside,

is our first property,

in a breathtaking rural position.

-This is house number one.

-It's lovely!

Yeah, I like the exposed stone on it.

The original barn dates back to the 16th century.

And the reason why I'm saying original barn

is because this isn't a barn conversion.

In fact, it is a new build. I know you didn't want it.

-SHE LAUGHS

-But what the current owner has done,

he's a builder, he knocked it all

down and rebuilt the house with the original stone about 15 years ago.

But the owner has done a great job of keeping

some of the original features of the area.

-So, can you see those holes at the top?

-Hm.

Those are called bee holes.

And they were used to attract pigeons,

that eventually were shot. And there were only a few of them

on the house and the owner put some more on.

-Enough character for you?

-SHE LAUGHS

From the outside, yeah. Definitely.

-You want to get inside.

-Oh, aching to. Can we?

-Yeah, let's go.

I'm glad the idea of a new build doesn't put them off

because the character that has been preserved

and added on the outside is continued on the inside.

First, I'm taking them to the kitchen.

You both said the kitchen was very important.

-So I want your first impressions.

-It's lovely...

-It is a little small.

-I knew there was a but.

I mean, in terms of style, it is exactly what I wanted.

-There is a utility back here.

-OK.

And a loo, so there is more space behind that door.

Let's show you the rest of the house

-and then you can see it in context, yeah?

-Yes, please.

Directly off the kitchen is a huge, light sitting

and dining room with double-height doors and windows, making

the most of the fantastic views of the gardens and countryside.

So this is your living room.

-Wow. Yeah, lovely.

-Yeah. Really nice. Wood fire, wood-burning stove.

And I love the exposed beams, too.

That, actually, is from an old shipyard.

And that feature over there was part of the original front door.

Oh, wow!

-Yeah, no, it's a lovely room.

-Yep.

-Really nice.

Now, you asked for three bedrooms,

and that's what this property has - three double bedrooms.

-One of them is just up the stairs over there.

-OK.

-But let me show you the master, up these stairs.

-Yes, please.

The galleried landing leads to two of the property's

three bedrooms on the first floor -

a roomy double with an en-suite for guests as well as the large

master bedroom.

-Yeah, another lovely room.

-I love this A-frame.

It's beautiful, isn't it? It is a really pretty room. Really pretty.

-En-suite?

-En-suite. In fact, all three bedrooms have an en-suite.

-You've got three bathrooms as well.

-That's perfect.

-And a lovely view.

With a balcony, a Juliet balcony.

Can you imagine sitting in bed in the morning with a cup of tea,

looking out over that? That would be fantastic.

-I don't know if you've noticed the silver sockets near the floor.

-No.

-Those are for the central vacuuming system.

-Oh, wow.

-It is a wow thing.

Plug-in and all the dirt gets sucked into one central point.

That's bizarre! Amazing.

Neither of you have mentioned the other part of your search,

but I know it has been going through your mind.

There aren't the five or six holiday lets that you were ideally

looking for, but there is a cottage that comes with this property.

-OK.

-So do you both want to go

and have a look at that? I'll take in the view here.

-And then I'll meet you in the garden.

-Perfect.

Great, see you in a bit.

As Nick and Claire are looking to start up a new business

from the property, the fact that there is an existing

holiday let should be a real benefit and a good starting point.

The one-bedroom barn conversion is arranged over two floors.

This is sweet.

-It is, isn't it?

-Wood-burning stove, which is great.

-Nice.

-This is sweet.

The property stands in 1.3 acres of garden

with access to a further paddock of around five acres.

There is an additional oak-framed outbuilding with garage and workshop

space that could also be converted as part of the lettings business.

-So, what did you think of the cottage?

-Very sweet, yeah.

-Really lovely.

-Small, but it has been well done.

I think that is the overriding feeling, isn't it?

-It's small for you.

-It is a bit.

There is planning permission to extend the main house,

that's already in place.

But you'd have to ask about additional planning permission,

-of course, for any holiday lets.

-For the cottages, yes.

And we would need more cottages.

What do you think this house is on the market for?

-I'm going to take a wild stab at £700,000.

-OK.

That's close to what I was going to say. I was going to say 695.

-It is on the market for £725,000.

-OK.

Now that you know the price,

-do you want to give the house one last look?

-Yes.

-Yes, we'd like to.

-Good.

-Thank you.

-And I'll see you out the front soon.

-OK.

-See you.

For nearly half a million pounds

under Nick and Claire's

maximum budget, this property

has the character they asked for

with three good-sized bedrooms

and business potential to boot.

It may only have one holiday

cottage, but they could

develop the site further,

subject to planning permission.

And they'd have a substantial

budget to do the work.

It's also in an ideal location to attract holiday-makers

with access to both the countryside and to the coast.

-So these are the other outbuildings, I guess.

-Yep.

You could probably squeeze two floors in here. Just about.

I love the decor. It's got the right number of bedrooms. A lot of land.

But it doesn't have enough outbuildings for what we are

-looking for.

-Location, a real winner.

What lets it down is perhaps the lack of potential for building

our holiday business. Although we could have two letting units,

we really need five or ideally six.

-Still a no?

-I'm afraid so.

-Yes, I think it's not for us.

-Hopefully, better luck with house number two.

-Yes.

Devon is associated with many dairy-based delicacies,

from ice cream to clotted cream and, of course, Devonshire fudge.

Having met through a shared passion for food,

we sent Claire and Nick to meet Andrew Gray at Partridge Farm,

just north of Dartmoor, where he and his wife produce handmade

fudge from their purpose-built fudge kitchen.

Using local organic dairy produce, they supply a range of flavours

to small businesses and sweet-toothed tourists

throughout the county.

What is the definition of fudge?

Well, fudge is possibly something that was created

out of a bit of an accident.

Someone was making some caramel,

it all got a bit too hot and went a bit wrong,

-and someone said, "Oh, fudge!"

-THEY LAUGH

-And then it was born.

-And how long have you been here?

We have been here about three years now.

We moved from South Derbyshire

looking for...

land, space and...

for a new thing to do in our lives.

Despite the simplicity of the ingredients in fudge,

it has a reputation for being difficult to make.

The key is in achieving the right temperature and timing when cooking

to create the perfect flavour and texture.

Andrew is showing Nick and Claire one of his most popular recipes

featuring another delicious traditional Devonshire ingredient.

Welcome to our kitchen.

We are going to be making some Devon clotted cream fudge.

We start with the sugar.

We use an unrefined, golden, granulated,

organic, fair trade sugar.

That is about half of the ingredients, roughly.

-Mostly sugar.

-HE LAUGHS

The sugar is placed in a mixer along with double cream,

clotted cream, butter and condensed milk.

The ingredients are mixed for an hour,

gradually heating to above boiling point.

Three quarters of the way through cooking, the lid can be removed

and the mixture constantly stirred to prevent burning.

The brown mass is been emptied into a copper pot to be beaten.

Why do you use a copper pot?

It's a traditional thing. Copper is a very good conductor of heat,

so it was an even spread of heat.

As it cools, the mixture needs to be worked for around an hour

to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency.

It is still bubbling, isn't it? It's still really, really hot.

It is still hot. At this stage,

it'll still be hotter than boiling water temperature.

Would you like to have a go at mixing some fudge, Claire?

-Oh, yes, I'd love to. Thank you.

-OK.

Cor! This gives you a good workout, doesn't it?

It looks like hard work, yeah.

You can see, it is actually a lot less runny already.

Making fudge is a laborious task.

A batch like this produces 20kg and takes up to four hours to make.

On average, Andrew makes about 140kg a week.

When the mixture no longer sticks,

it is ready to be decanted into trays.

So now we just spread the fudge through the tray.

It is a little bit of a race against time because

if it goes too much, it doesn't move very easily across the tray.

And if you push too hard, then it can just break.

It takes up to 30 minutes

to set until it is firm enough to be able to slice cleanly with

a knife and removed from the tray.

That's it.

Well, thank you, Andrew.

It has been a fascinating day and we have really thoroughly enjoyed it.

Can we please tuck in?

For my next offering, I am taking our buyers 20 minutes

round the coast, towards Exmoor, and four miles

from the seaside resort of Combe Martin

to the hamlet of East Down.

Sheltered in a rocky cove,

the village of Combe Martin's sandy beaches make it

popular for numerous activities, from rock pulling to kayaking.

For tourists, there is a selection of gift

and surf shops as well as places to eat.

A short drive back to East Down,

property number two is perfectly positioned for those

looking for great coastal access but with a more rural outlook.

Lying in a gentle valley, it is approached through an unusual

stone circular moon gate, leading to a private courtyard.

Wow.

-Awesome courtyard.

-Yeah. Some huge set-up, isn't it?

And huge is the key word.

So this is the main farmhouse, a period farmhouse.

It has been thoroughly modernised inside and there

are lots of flexible living options

and business options in there for you.

-So brace yourselves.

-Sounds great.

With an extensive range of outbuildings on site, I'm hoping

this property won't disappoint in terms of business potential.

But first, we need to tackle the main house.

Occupying a massive floor space of over 500 square metres,

the ground floor centres on a large kitchen and dining room

surrounded by two of the property's nine bedrooms

and a number of reception rooms.

-This is the main living room of the property.

-Wow. Impressive.

-A fireplace.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Oh, that's lovely, isn't it?

And there is actually a second reception room.

That has also got a fireplace.

You've got two reception rooms to choose from.

Wow, fantastic.

Now the centre of the house is also a bit wow.

Let me take you straight there.

Directly off the living rooms is the huge kitchen space, complete with

original beams, traditional slate floor

and vaulted gallery area above.

Oh, wow.

This is a really impressive room.

-So, is this big enough?

-Definitely.

Because this is the biggest kitchen I've ever seen.

-Amazing, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's a great room.

-There is a utility just through there.

-Fabulous.

-And a larder.

-Fantastic!

I'm glad you like it because it is confession time now.

No-one actually lives here.

It is only used...

..as a place of business for conferences

and away days of businesses.

-Oh, that's unusual.

-Which means, there isn't really a master bedroom.

-But I will take you to one of the rooms and then reveal the rest.

-OK.

Also downstairs are two office rooms beyond the kitchen area,

which would work as a base for the business,

as well as two substantial double bedrooms, both en-suite.

Upstairs, the remaining seven bedrooms, all roughly

equal in size, are accessed from one long corridor running

the length of the house.

-So, this is one of nine bedrooms.

-Nine!

-Seven of them have en-suites.

Now, you could pick any one of them to be your master bedroom.

Or you could let the whole place out

and live in the two-bedroom cottage across the courtyard.

The other house, I know you didn't like the fact that it was only

one cottage.

Here, there are four or five other outbuildings as well.

-So far, I love it.

-Let's go back out to the courtyard.

I'll point you in the direction of the cottage and outbuildings

and then I'll meet you back outside.

-Excellent.

-Yeah? Let's go.

I must say, I thought Nick and Claire would be

put off by the majority of the accommodation being in the

main house, but they seem to have really taken a shine to this house.

And with various outbuildings,

they seem excited about what this property could offer them.

Outside, the array of outbuildings include a converted barn

used as a conference centre, a large studio space with mezzanine,

a number of traditional stone buildings that could be

converted, as well as a furnished two-bedroom holiday cottage.

-Nice.

-Yeah.

-Another wood burner.

-Yeah, everything you need.

-A little kitchen.

-Kitchen. It is quite small.

But perfectly formed, I think.

And a downstairs bedroom.

-It is perfectly big enough, isn't it?

-Yeah. No en-suite.

Oh, I like this little cottage.

Aside from the business opportunities

this property presents,

there's also some stunning green space for Nick and Claire

to enjoy, including a vegetable garden,

a woodland area and a millpond with working water mill.

I mean, you could make that into a great feature, couldn't you?

-There is so much to this place, isn't there?

-It just never ends.

-Did you see the water wheel?

-We did.

-It's great.

-And this is the millpond that feeds that wheel.

-OK.

So the current owners have restored it, and they say it could

-actually provide enough energy to heat the house over the winter.

-No!

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-That's amazing.

-You found a great one here.

-Do you love it that much?

-Oh, really good.

-Oh, I am so pleased to hear that.

-It's fantastic. I love it.

Is this what you were looking for?

Well, I think it has the potential to be what we are looking for, yeah.

Can you afford it is the big question.

I am so glad it is Claire's turn to go first.

It is Claire's turn to go first.

-I think it is going to be right at the top of our budget.

-Do you think?

-I'm going to say 1.25 million.

-Nick?

Well, clearly there is a bit of money to be spent on it,

so I'm hoping that it is not quite at the top.

So I'm going to guess 1.15 million.

It is currently on the market for 1.2 million.

It was on the market for 1.4, so it has been reduced.

And that is their bottom line, I'm afraid, 1.2.

Wow.

-Exciting.

-We better do some sums.

-I think we better had.

They are so many bits to see, do you want to go

and explore the bits you might not have seen?

-Yes, please.

-And I'll meet you out by the arch.

-Excellent.

-Thank you.

-OK.

This property offers Nick

and Claire countless options for creating a gorgeous

home as well as a business on-site,

but it would require them

to invest their maximum budget.

The nine-bedroom house has a huge

amount of flexible living space,

including a kitchen and dining area

that is exceptional.

Although there is a fair amount

of work to do, the existing holiday

cottage means they could get

the business started and convert

the remaining outbuildings over time.

Wow.

So much potential.

You could have it as a games room.

Or you could convert it into one very big cottage.

Obviously, there is a bit of work to do,

but actually, I quite like the idea that.

It is everything I could have asked for. That kitchen was amazing.

And the gallery was just awesome.

I was completely bowled over by it.

If we can find a way to make it work from a budget perspective,

then definitely, I can see us living here.

-Do we really have to leave now?

-Only for a bit.

Since you love the house so much, the drinks are on you, Nick.

Perfect.

Claire and Nick are ditching their corporate lives to start afresh in

the Devon countryside. With a very generous budget of £1.25 million,

they're after a character cottage with enough land to start

their own enterprise.

Coming up, will the character of the Mystery House be a step too far?

Oh, wow, yeah, these are really steep, aren't they?

And I get a lesson in scaling the local landscape.

This is not easy.

Not that I thought it would be easy, but...

Yesterday, we showed Nick and Claire two extreme properties,

but to be honest, I wasn't expecting such extreme reactions.

House one wasn't for them. And they liked house two immediately.

And so, with the Mystery House,

what we really want to do is test those business ambitions.

So it is the morning after...

The day before. How are you both feeling?

We loved the second property yesterday,

so it was good to finish the day on a high.

-And do you still love it after sleeping on it?

-Yes.

Still a strong contender as of this morning, yeah, definitely.

And our first test will be on location, as our mystery property

is south of Nick and Claire's ideal search area of North Devon.

We are heading to the small farm hamlet of Corscombe,

on the northern tip of Dartmoor,

just over two miles east of the larger town of Okehampton.

In the heart of rural Devon, Okehampton is a lively market town

with a range of shops, cafes and pubs.

Visitors come to see the remains of the largest castle in Devon -

Okehampton Castle.

Now an English Heritage Site,

it sits on a wooded spur above the River Okement.

A short drive into the hills back to historic Corscombe,

our Mystery House occupies an impressive

plot of nearly five acres overlooking a valley.

Although Nick and Claire said they wanted character,

they were adamant they didn't want thatch,

which may rule out our Mystery House from the very start.

But if they stay with me,

I'm hopeful its business credentials will impress our buyers.

-Welcome to the Mystery House.

-It's thatched!

-Yes!

I know it is thatched. I know you said you didn't want thatched.

But I want you to consider this property

because there is so much of what you will like

and have asked for in this property and things that you

haven't even got on your list but I think you'll like

that I want you to consider

-a part-thatched property.

-OK.

We have come a little bit more south than your search area.

We are on the edge of Dartmoor here.

The building is a Grade II listed farmhouse.

Most of it, they think, dates back to around the 16th century.

But there are also some medieval parts to it, too.

-How interesting.

-So are you ready for the grand tour?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, excited.

Part of the impressive holiday let portfolio is this a detached

converted barn, which we will deal with later.

But the whitewashed farmhouse is divided into two sections.

The 16th century thatched part being of cob stone

whilst the newer bit is Victorian.

Across a total area of over 3,000 square feet, the older half

lies at the back of the house and the newer half at the front.

Both are fairly equal in size with their own separate kitchen, cloak

room and reception rooms and are linked by a central passage area.

The accommodation could, of course, be reconfigured to Claire

and Nick's liking.

I'm taking them through the medieval-style passageway

to the older part of the property.

This is what I think would be your main living area.

Cosy, yeah.

Lovely window seats.

They date back to the 17th century.

And the story is...is that the farm workers sort of used to

sit on them, cap in hand at the end of the week,

and wait for their wages.

There are lots of lovely little features like that in here.

And of course, the fireplace that you so love.

-Yeah, I know, it's a beautiful fireplace, isn't it?

-Yeah, lovely.

And just through there, there is a second reception room

I think would make a lovely snug.

At the moment, it is being used as a study,

so you could have it is either.

-I want to go into the kitchen.

-OK.

-Let's go.

-Oh, yes.

Lead the way. Through there.

-So, I know, much smaller than you'd ideally like.

-Yeah.

Small and slightly low beams.

-Yeah.

-But a range. And a utility room.

-And a laundry shed back there.

-LAUGHING: A laundry shed?

-Yes, exactly. Is this too small for you?

-Yes, it is.

Now, I've been showing you just one half of the house.

Maybe I need to let you decide what half of the house you'd

prefer to live in. But before that,

let's show you the old part of the upstairs of this house.

If the character features in this part of the house are too

much for our buyers, they might prefer the light

and airy rooms in the Victorian edition.

It has a second kitchen and two good-sized reception rooms,

complete with high ceilings and character fireplaces.

Upstairs, the property has seven bedrooms in total.

Four in the Victorian part of the house, consisting of three

spacious doubles, one with en-suite as well as a single room.

And the remaining three are in the older part of the house,

two of which are adjoining.

Oh, wow, yeah, these are really steep, aren't they?

So, there are three bedrooms to this part of the house.

I think you'd use this as your master

-because of the dressing room attached.

-Right.

It is certainly filled with character.

It might be a little bit too quirky for us, or maybe for me,

-I don't know.

-It is absolutely charming.

But my practical side will kick in

-in a minute.

-And when Claire's practical side kicks in,

then we know we've got trouble.

Well, what I've done here is saved the practical

side of the house for your guests.

But indeed you may want to live in it yourself.

And the house can be divided. Each would have its separate entrance.

So you would have a three-bedroom semi, which would be yours,

and the four bedroom that you could let out.

-I think this might be quite appealing to guests, actually.

-To tourists.

-Yeah.

-So go and have a look at the Victorian side of the house.

Go and have a look at the holiday cottages,

-and then I will meet you outside.

-Brilliant.

-Great.

-Thank you.

I'll show you the way.

And it looks like I might be making progress with this property,

and they have yet to see the real selling points.

Also on site are two detached cottages

already being used as holiday lets.

The larger has three bedrooms

and the second is an open-plan, one-bedroom converted barn.

Come in. Oh, wow, this is lovely.

-Oh, yeah.

-Lovely kitchen.

-Actually, we can have this one.

-SHE LAUGHS

Yeah, it might suit us better, mightn't it?

-Oh, wow.

-It is beyond luxurious for a one-bedroom holiday place,

-isn't it?

-It is.

Yes, this is pretty much the best cottage for renting, I think,

we've seen.

The outside of this property also benefits from its own pool,

sauna, vegetable patch and wind turbine,

as well as a number of entertaining and woodland areas.

Who would like to guess the price first? You've already had a go each.

I'm going to guess at...

£1,050,000.

-I was going to say 1.1 million.

-OK.

You are both a little bit over, actually.

-It is on for £985,000.

-OK.

So from your budget, you would have £265,000 left over.

Well, do you want to go look at the rest of the land

and then I'll meet you back out by the house?

-Great.

-Lovely, thank you.

-See you soon.

For £265,000 under their maximum budget, this huge,

versatile property would give Claire and Nick a choice of styles

and spaces for their own living quarters within this seven-bedroom

farmhouse, leaving with them with a number of options for the business.

They'd have a pot of money left over to do any work required.

But with two up-and-running holiday lets,

they'd also be able be in a position to get started straightaway.

The plot of just under five acres also means they'd have plenty

of outside space for themselves as well as their guests.

-Fantastic!

-Oh, that is another bonus, isn't it?

And it is a nice little sun trap as well.

I did think it looked very attractive.

And when we found out that certain parts of it were medieval,

that really appealed to me.

Unfortunately, the upstairs, it was not quite right for us.

The letting cottages are lovely.

They are a real plus point to this property. And the land is fantastic.

But neither half of the house quite works for the way that

we would like to live.

Right, now you've seen everything,

I have lots and lots of questions for you both.

-OK.

-Let's get a cup of tea and sit and discuss.

That would be good.

Tourism is one of Devon's largest economies.

With the county attracting nearly six million visitors

a year, it is worth in excess of £2 billion

and accounts for some 12% of employment.

With attractions ranging from historical sites to sandy

beaches and national parks,

visitors can enjoy a vast array of activities, from walking

and hiking to sailing and surfing,

as well as some rather more adventurous pursuits.

One of those is rock climbing.

I am in the Valley of Rocks, on the north coast of Exmoor,

and I am meeting outdoor activity instructor Dan French.

-Hey, Dan.

-OK.

-What an office, this is stunning!

It's not bad at all, is it?

Yeah, I'm quite lucky to have a job which means

I can come and work out here most days.

Now, tell me about the Valley of Rocks.

-Some of the rocks here date back nearly 400 million years.

-Wow.

It was formed all those years ago

with silt and sand and mud layering up.

And over millions of years, it has compacted.

And this is the rock we've got here today.

Now, I understand we are going to get up close

and personal with one of these rocks.

Yeah, we're going to head up to Castle Rock, we're going to go

climbing and then we're going to do an abseil off the top.

-That sounds brilliant. Let's go.

-Let's go!

The Valley of Rocks is a dry valley that runs parallel to the coast

rather than towards the sea.

The breathtaking views from the top are what makes it such

a popular climbing spot, or so I am told.

-So is this the base of our climb?

-This is where we are, yeah.

This is Castle Rock.

And then our abseil is going to come straight down off the top

through there.

-Let's get kitted up.

-It's quite high.

Rock climbing is an enormously exciting sport

but can be extremely dangerous.

First things first, it is important to ensure you have the

correct safety equipment and that it is fitted properly.

Right, so, step into your harness.

You have got two loops there or your leg.

You want to pull it up nice and high so it sits above your hips.

-Right.

-Now, if you tighten your leg loops...

-Ready to go.

-It is like a weird nappy.

THEY LAUGH

Beginners like me should always be supervised

and instructed by an expert.

Although I am climbing by myself,

Dan will be at the top of the rock belaying me

by controlling the friction in the ropes to guide and support me.

Right then, how are you feeling there, ready to go?

Yeah, I am raring to go, but where do I start?

Right, the key thing is, look where you are going, OK?

So don't get your body too close to the rock.

Use your hands, use those feet.

The biggest muscles are in those the legs.

-Looking down, not holding on to the rope.

-That's the first thing to do.

Hands on the rock.

-It's not easy to grip the rock.

-That's it.

Once you find a nice little ledge for those feet, straighten

those legs, and that is how you can push yourself up and get the height.

Here we go.

Are you ready? Three, two, one...

Looking down, placing that foot.

This is not easy.

Not that I thought it would be easy, but...

There we go.

-Go on, you can do it.

-I think I actually almost nearly fell there.

This is it, ready to...

-That's it.

-Tough out.

Fantastic. High five.

But before I get too enamoured with the view,

it's time to work out how to get back down.

According to Dan, the trick is not to look down and just go for it.

I want you to sit yourself back into the harness.

-When you are ready...

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh! That is quite good. Yeah, it is better a bit faster, actually.

I feel like a ninja.

Now, see, you are doing really well there.

There you go.

Fantastic. Well done, brilliant.

-I have abseiled the Valley of Rocks.

-Yes, you have.

Well worth a trip to North Devon.

Well, Nick and Claire have surprised me once again.

They didn't fall for our Mystery House even though it had

more of what they had asked for than the other properties,

especially when it comes to the business they have in mind.

So now it is time to do a little digging

and find out how they think

they are going to make house two work for them.

Right, it has been a busy couple of days

with three very different properties.

I thought, with the Mystery House, we were giving you

more of what you wanted, especially with the business side of things.

You had eight rooms to let there over three properties.

-But actually, you're not so keen on that offering.

-No.

Well, as we said, kind of five to six letting cottages is our target.

And it was a bit of a lack of opportunity perhaps

to get that far in the Mystery House.

-So, are you still considering house number two?

-Yes.

House number two is still something that we will think further about.

-Probably go back and view it again.

-Definitely.

We need to think about whether or not house number two fits the model.

And we will go and do those sums.

And what has been unusual about this search is you are not just

searching for a home,

you are also searching for a fairly substantial business as well.

Is either one a priority?

Which one will you compromise on?

We'll have to compromise on the house in order to get the business.

-Well, good luck with house number two.

-Thank you.

And if that doesn't work out,

I hope you find what you are looking for soon.

Thank you very much.

It's great that they ended up liking a property that they would

have never gone to see themselves.

And they want to make sure that they prioritise their business

needs over the domestic ones

because Nick and Claire aren't escaping to the

country for a quieter life.

Instead, they want to move here and build a business to set them

up for life. We wish them well.

See you next time on Escape To The Country.

After looking into their finances, Claire

and Nick decided against a second visit to property two,

as they felt the work needed would push them over budget.

With their house now sold,

they are currently living in South Devon with Nick's father.

It means they can at least start enjoying the Devon lifestyle

whilst continuing their search.

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