Dorset Escape to the Country

Described as one of the most romantic sites in England,

this street with its views of the countryside beyond is

one of the most filmed and photographed in Great Britain.

So where is it? I'll tell you in just a moment.

Today, our homebuyers are planning to make every second count

as they gear up for a move to the country.

Oh! HE LAUGHS

Wow.

And there are plenty of surprises in store for them.

I'm just...

-Yeah, I'm just...

-Speechless.

-Yes, lost for words.

Today, I'm in Dorset, and this is Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, which

overlooks Blackmore Vale in the distance.

Until the last century, this street was a busy market where local

produce and livestock was sold.

In more recent times, though,

it has become the poster town that really evokes old England,

and its image has been used on everything from film sets to

book covers to chocolate boxes.

Even in this rain, looking at Gold Hill, it's easy to see why.

Dorset is situated on the southwest coast of England and is bordered

by the four counties of Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

Over half the region is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

with scenic expanses of undulating green a feature.

Handsome houses sit in dramatic valleys surrounded by gentle hills.

Villages like Briantspuddle near Dorchester are packed with

the charming thatched cottages the area is known for,

bordered by vibrant flowers spilling onto country lanes.

This is classic Thomas Hardy country

and just nine miles from where he was born, so it's clear to see why

he drew inspiration for his novels from the striking Dorset landscape.

Proud to be one of the few counties in England without a single

stretch of motorway running through it,

and coupled with its unspoilt vistas, Dorset is an appealing

choice for those who want to go far from the madding crowd.

If you're thinking of house hunting in one of England's four most

southwesterly counties -

so Dorset, Somerset, Devon or Cornwall -

you'll soon realise that Dorset is the most expensive.

A detached property here will cost you on average £320,000,

that's around £24,000 more than neighbouring Devon

and about £45,000 above the national average.

It's Dorset's coastal properties that are pushing up average

prices across the county as a whole.

So if you're not bothered about sea view,

look north, where your property pound should stretch a little

further, which is great news for today's

couple as that's exactly where they're looking for a new home.

Retired school business manager Lisa

and IT salesman Jim from Totton in Hampshire

met across a curry more than a decade ago.

We've been together for 11 years, and we met in an Indian restaurant.

I was out celebrating my birthday and Lisa was out with a girlfriend.

They married ten months after their spicy encounter,

uniting their two families.

I have a daughter called Jade.

She's 22 and she's just finished a university degree

in Plymouth. And then I've got a stepson, James, who's in the Army.

He drives tanks for a living and absolutely loves it.

And four months ago,

Lisa and Jim added a four-legged friend to their clan.

-We have a dog, we have Shugs...

-Shugs.

..which we got back in May from a rescue centre.

-He's a Rottweiler cross, um...

-Ridgeback.

-Ridgeback.

And he's a big, soft gentleman.

Here's my companion now that I don't work.

When Jim's at work, he's my friend.

A couple of years ago, Lisa and Jim went through a hard time

when Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer.

But happily, she was given the all-clear last year.

She decided to take early retirement and her experience has given them

both the desire to move to the country

in search of a better quality of life.

It changed my outlook on life completely.

Life is for living, you just don't know what's around the corner,

hence why we want to do this move,

hence getting the dog. Life's too short.

You've got to take everything you can when it's given to you.

She's come out the other end.

She's come out the other end extremely healthy

and with a new vigour for life.

Lisa and Jim have decided they'd love to live in an area they've

driven through many times over the years.

What we love about North Dorset is the greenery.

Just the wide open spaces,

the millions of shades of green. It's just beautiful.

And it's a bit more undulating than here.

There's a few more hills for wandering up and down with the dog.

I think it's going to take a lot of the stress out of my life,

definitely.

I'm hoping the move down there,

because it's a small village, there'll be more of a community

and so there'll be a lot more things that I can take part in.

And Lisa and Jim know exactly what they want in their new

country abode.

What we're looking for in the new house would be three bedrooms,

plus a study, a wet room for looking after the dog,

a largish garden so that we can grow vegetables

and also so it's suitable for the dog.

I ideally would like a large kitchen still because we enjoy our cooking.

And I would like an en suite to the bedroom.

-It's got to be country views.

-And somewhere with a bit of character.

Yeah.

Not something that is just cookie cut from the same plan

and just copied and copied and copied.

Although they'll be living their rural dream,

Jim will still be commuting to work in London three days a week.

Yeah, I guess it's going to add an hour each way to my journey,

potentially, so that is something of some concern.

But I think the gains outweigh the extra journey,

so I'm happy to do that.

And while Jim's working hard, Lisa will be enjoying a new hobby.

I've now started to do some painting,

or attempting to do some painting.

That's quite nice because that's quite relaxing.

Actually, I think she's doing a really good job.

She's thrown herself at it and every painting she does,

she gets better and better.

So with their desire to make the most of every day,

Lisa and Jim are ready to grab their new life with both hands.

I think now's the right time.

We've decided that something we would have done eventually anyway,

we're just going to do sooner.

Lisa and Jim have asked us to concentrate our search

in the North Dorset area, close to South Somerset.

But they're happy to consider properties

either side of the border.

They'd like to be between their children, who are in Plymouth

and Tidworth near Salisbury.

Before we start viewing homes for Lisa and Jim to escape to,

I'm meeting them in North Dorset

to make sure we've got their property desires covered.

Jim and Lisa, welcome to Dorset.

It's a little bit misty, but we're hoping it's going to clear up.

Tell us more about where you'd like to live,

because you still need to have access to London, don't you, Jim?

Yeah, I work a lot in London and therefore I've got to

get to a station that's within about two hours of London.

That just makes it the right sort of commute.

We know people who live in London and have an hour's commute,

so two hours doesn't seem that... Not excessive.

-Not that much more.

-No.

So not too rural.

Not stuck out in the middle of nowhere but within easy reach

of a station would be good.

What kind of position are you in with your old house?

-Well, we've just sold the house, so subject to contract...

-Brilliant.

So it's all guns blazing, get ready, find us that house, please.

-You're absolutely ready to move.

-Ready to move.

I'll find you the house, tell me your budget.

-Our budget is 450,000.

-OK, great.

I've got three properties lined up for you.

-And as you're ready to move, let's go.

-OK.

Lisa and Jim's budget should comfortably cover their wish list,

which, luckily, isn't too extensive.

They'd like a character three-bedroom detached house

plus a study

and a room for their dog to wipe his muddy paws is a must.

Lisa would love a large kitchen-diner to cook

and entertain in

and an en suite to their bedroom would be a bonus.

Outside, they'd like a garden

that can be a haven for both of them

to grow vegetables, plus,

for Shugs the dog to run around in.

And finally, Jim needs to be able

to commute into London for work

three days a week.

With their house sold, Jim and Lisa are raring to go.

We'll be introducing them to three contrasting properties.

And after they've toured each one, we'll let them know its cost.

Their third and final stop will be to the Mystery House.

And today, although it will give them something

they really don't want, it will give them so much of what they do want,

I hope they'll think it's a good trade-off.

Lisa, do you feel really eager to move?

Do you kind of have those butterflies

about a move as big as this?

Yeah, I'm really excited about it.

I want to be able to walk out my front door

and I'm in the countryside with the dog.

My only concern is the commute for Jim...

..because I want him to be able to enjoy the move as much as me

and Shugs are going to do.

I think I'll enjoy it.

It'll just be more of a weekend enjoyment for me.

Well, that's why I think you're OK with this move at this time,

-aren't you, Lisa, because you'll have the dog as...

-A companion.

Exactly. A friend around.

I mean, that's one of the reasons why we got him.

Was because when Jim's at work, and Jim tends to work long hours,

it means I've got a companion

and it means I've got something to get up for in the morning -

-take him for his walk and...

-Yeah, it's nice to have that focus.

-It keeps you fit.

-Yes, absolutely.

It's helping bring my fitness back up.

For our first property, we're heading to the village of Marnhull

in the north of the county,

just over seven miles from the town of Shaftesbury.

Marnhull, one of the largest villages in England,

sits in the Blackmore Vale.

As well as a good selection of amenities,

the village has the impressive stone church of St Gregory, which

dates back to the early 12th century.

Plus the village itself and its pub have both played parts

in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess Of The d'Urbervilles,

but with their names changed.

Located on the outskirts of Marnhull is our first house.

This pretty double-fronted cottage.

THEY CHUCKLE

Oh. Oh, that's beautiful.

-Are those tears?

-They are, yeah.

Oh, my God. On the first house!

-It's got loads of character.

-Absolutely plenty of that.

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

-Yeah.

-It's chocolate box.

-That's the word.

-It's a cottage that dates back to the 1680s.

-Oh, wow.

-Wow.

And we have thought about you, Jim.

Obviously, the tears from Lisa says that she's going to buy

the house anyway, but we are very, very close to Gillingham

and so under a two-hour commute to London from there.

-Fantastic.

-Fantastic.

OK. Composed.

-So far, so good.

-Yeah.

I can't wait to see the inside now.

This picture-perfect cottage that has reduced Lisa to tears is

built from local Marnhull stone.

In 1860, it was extended from a single dwelling

to a two-bedroom cottage, with a further extension

around 30 years ago.

We are entering straight into the sitting room

and dining area, which takes up the whole of the oldest

part of the property and is teaming with period features.

Come in.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-This really does have character.

-It does.

Size wise, how does this work for you?

-This is fine.

-This is fine.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

This is absolutely great.

-I like it, actually, that you've almost got two separate areas.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. I like this.

-It's cosy.

-It is.

-It's just really cosy.

I can imagine being sat there with the fire on in the evening.

THEY LAUGH

-She's not always crying, though, is she?

-I do cry a lot.

You wouldn't believe it.

You wouldn't believe how much.

-Yeah, ticking my boxes so far.

-Good.

Let's show you the kitchen and the rest of the downstairs,

-the new addition to this cottage.

-OK. Brilliant.

The kitchen sits behind this large reception room

and is three centuries younger than its neighbour.

This is the former exterior to the cottage, so all this was added.

What do you think about the size?

It's a bit smaller than I'm used to,

but it's beautiful.

-We can make this work easily.

-Could you?

-Yeah.

There is a shed outside that the current owner is

using as a utility, so all the water and everything is in there

and her washing machine and everything is out there

so that's why you don't see any of those.

-I hadn't even thought about them.

-No, I hadn't.

Because there wouldn't be room for that here.

And then this conservatory was added 20 years ago.

So you could use that as your formal dining area if you wanted.

-You really like this house, don't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we do.

I do really like this house.

-It was a real surprise.

-It is, yes.

-It is beautiful.

This character cottage is definitely charming Lisa and Jim,

and the upstairs mirrors the ground floor.

There is a family bathroom with a large corner bath

plus three bedrooms - two bright doubles

and the largest is the master.

It overlooks the front of the property

and comes complete with a sink.

It feels a little bit small.

It's just an observation, it's not really a criticism at all.

I don't like the sink in the room.

I guess you can move the sink easily enough.

I'm still sold on it, though.

-Let's go outside.

-OK.

So it's all good inside as we head outdoors to see what Lisa

and Jim make of the pretty gardens

to the side and back of the cottage.

There's plenty of space for their dog to stretch his legs.

There are also three sheds and a summer house,

which could be that inspirational retreat

that encourages Lisa to pick up her paintbrush.

-Is this enough space for you?

-Oh, plenty, yeah.

-Plenty.

Absolutely, yeah. And it's enclosed as well, which is good for the dog.

-Exactly.

-And I can plant a few fruit trees.

-Yeah, you can.

-Plenty of space for that here.

-Yeah.

A bit quirky. It's got different areas, which I like.

But how much is this house going to cost you?

This is the bit that's going to upset me, I think,

because I think it's going to be over our budget.

I think it's going to be on the market for 465.

-Jim?

-I don't think you'd be that cruel,

so I'm going to say it's inside the budget,

and I'm going to say 439.

It's actually on the market for 425.

Wow!

But does it change your opinion of the house in any way?

-I like it even more.

-THEY LAUGH

Good, good.

Go and have a look at the house and I'll meet you out front.

-All right.

-OK. Thank you.

This period cottage has come in at £25,000 under

Lisa and Jim's budget, leaving them

with a generous amount of change that could go towards

converting one of the sheds into a wet room for their beloved dog.

They wanted character and they have it in spades here,

plus, there's just the number of bedrooms they wanted and

a conservatory.

There are also good train links for

when Jim has to travel to London for work.

So, what do you think?

I think I would make this the master bedroom

and convert the master into a dressing room and casual bedroom.

-Bed-settee, something like that.

-OK.

When I first saw the house, I was very emotional

and Jim was very reserved, and that is normally how we work as a couple.

He's the sensible head and I'm the one that goes with my heart.

It was everything I could think of in the front of the house.

It was just beautiful.

I really love this property, I think it's an incredible place.

It's everything that I think we imagined

that we would want in a property.

I guess I'm just trying to be a little bit more practical.

Just thinking things through

and just making sure that life would work in a place like this.

-Do you love it even more?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-You have to persuade Jim round, though.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-We've got to keep it sensible.

-All right, all right.

-I've got another house to show you.

-Thank you.

Our buyers can't wait to find their country retreat,

and they're hoping to live the good life.

And Jim is keen to have an abundance of fruit trees in his garden.

So to give them a taste of what could lie ahead,

we've arranged for them to visit Dorset Nectar,

an organic orchard farm near Bridport which

produces 200 tonnes of apples a year from its 3,000 trees.

And some of its juicy annual harvest

is turned into 65,000 litres of Dorset cider.

Oliver Strong left South Africa over three decades ago

and has lived in Dorset for ten years.

He is at the helm of the family business.

-How many varieties do you have here?

-We have 11 varieties.

OK, and what variety is this that we're looking at now?

This is a Dabinett.

And there's nothing on it, there's no marks whatsoever.

Not a single spray has been on it. It makes a very, very good cider.

It's renowned for very strong, smooth cider.

-Can I eat it?

-Oh!

It's not meant for eating, but you can try it.

-And hard.

-Hard!

Wow, that's bitter. That's very dry.

The variety of apples Oliver grows here are perfect for cider

because their high tannin content gives the golden drink its

distinct, well-rounded southwest cider flavour.

When we get our new house,

we were thinking of maybe planting some apple trees.

How long before we could expect some fruit?

Cider trees you have to wait a little longer,

so instead of within the two or three years, maybe five years.

But it's well worth it.

With the apples that you have here, can you only make cider from it?

No, apart from making a rich apple juice,

we also, after the cider has gone very hard and dry,

we make a fantastic vinegar.

This is where some of his cider is transformed to vinegar.

Oliver makes around 10,000 litres a year,

and it's sold mainly to health stores around Britain.

What's the difference between cider vinegar and cider?

Cider, of course, has alcohol.

Vinegar actually uses and consumes alcohol.

It makes it acidic into a vinegar.

The cider is poured into oak barrels which

hold 220 litres of the amber nectar.

If you'd like to pour it in to our vinegar barrel.

When the cider is exposed to air in the barrel, it ferments,

turning the alcohol to acetic acid, which is basically vinegar.

The liquid will remain in the barrel for three to five years.

The longer it's in, the stronger the flavour.

And as it develops,

a jellylike substance called mother forms on its surface.

It's the live enzymes in the mother that eat the alcohol

present in the cider.

Do you add anything to it to help with it...?

No, just a lot of love and care!

THEY LAUGH

And what prompted you to make cider vinegar

rather than just making cider?

Well, we're very passionate in vinegar, but we realise

we need to make money first so we made cider and now vinegar.

And we think the vinegar is extremely healthy for you.

We recommend you take it at least three times a day.

-Before a meal.

-What, naturally, on its own?

Oh, absolutely.

Many believe that as well as sprucing up a salad dressing,

cider vinegar also has numerous health benefits and it's thought

it help with ailments such as diabetes, arthritis

and also colds and sore throats.

If you'd like to grab a bottle, I'll show you how it's done.

-OK.

-You just slide it up, put it onto the tray.

Yeah.

-How does it taste?

-Oh, you should try it, try some.

It's very good.

-I think Lisa should try it.

-Oh, thanks.

-There you go.

-Right, OK.

-It's an acquired taste.

-Can I try some?

-Yes.

It's strong.

That's really good.

It's like... It's just like an acidic cider.

-You can still really taste the apples in it.

-Yes, absolutely.

If the taste is too tart, mixing a tablespoon of the vinegar

with water and honey will help it slip down nicely.

-It's been such a great day.

-I'm glad you came.

-Thank you very much, Oliver.

-You take care now.

-Thank you.

For our next property, we are travelling just under ten

miles northwest to the small hamlet of Stowell close to the

Dorset-Somerset border, but it's actually in Somerset.

Two and a half miles south of Stowell

is the village of Milborne Port, also in Somerset.

It has an attractive centre full of character with sandy coloured

stone cottages lining the streets.

And not only does the village offer locals a good selection of shops

and pubs, it also boasts the Grade I listed red brick

and Ham stone Ven House built at the end of the 16th century.

A six-minute drive and we're at our second property -

this handsome home with an interesting past.

-Oh.

-Oh, wow!

Oh. Oh, dear.

-You have a dilemma, don't you?

-Yeah.

It's lovely, again. From the outside, it's beautiful.

Again, it's picture postcard, chocolate box.

-It's not a bad dilemma to have, liking two houses.

-No.

-It's a little bit different from the cottage.

-Yeah.

-This used to be an old schoolhouse.

-Ah.

-Brilliant.

And don't know whether you noticed,

but we have just hopped across the border.

-Have we snuck into Somerset?

-Oh, OK.

-Just, yeah.

That's fine. How far are we from trains?

Not far from a mainline station -

a few minutes' drive - and then two hours into London.

That's taken care of. It's now whether you like the house or not.

I like the outside of the house.

I'm just a bit concerned about the size of the garden.

Well, there's a dog bowl, so...it might be workable.

Shall we go and see if the inside, sizewise, works for you?

Yes, please.

This stone house is thought to be early Victorian.

In the past, it has been used

as both a schoolroom and a village hall.

Once inside, we're heading straight to the largest of the living spaces.

This is one of two reception rooms that the property has,

so this would be your main living room.

It's not hitting me...

Yeah, the outside is saying one thing

and the inside's saying something different.

Yeah, so I guess, for me,

I'm looking for that quaint oldsy-worldsy character.

This looks like a new build inside.

It's been done really nicely.

It just doesn't feel as homely as I was expecting.

-It's one room.

-Yes, exactly.

Let's stay open-minded.

-Let's give the place its chance.

-Oh, yeah. OK.

I'm glad Lisa and Jim are keeping their options

open as we move next door to the kitchen.

So I think the kitchen does have more of a country feel to it

than that living room.

-It's a nice kitchen.

-It is a nice kitchen.

I like what they've done with the colours.

It's nice and bright.

It's got more of a feel to it.

I guess it doesn't...

It doesn't hit me here.

I just don't think it's grabbing me.

Let's see if upstairs grabs you here. Then we can make a decision.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Also on the ground floor, there's a bright dining room,

a contemporary shower room and a utility which could double

up as an area for the dog as it has a door to the outside.

Then as we move up to the first floor,

there's a family bathroom and four bedrooms.

There are two doubles and a single currently in use as a study.

And at the front is the master bedroom

with an en suite shower room.

This with the beam, with the exposed beam...

-Does make a difference.

-Yeah, it really does.

This feels like you're in a schoolhouse because of the beam.

Yes, it definitely feels like an older property.

-Yeah, I don't know.

-You're on the fence.

-Yeah.

At the moment, I'm on the fence.

-You need to have a proper explore, don't you?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Well, let's go outside.

-OK.

We'll discuss things a little bit more

and then you can have your explore.

-OK, brilliant.

-Lead the way.

-Thank you.

The inside of this cottage hasn't elicited the emotions from

Lisa that the first house did, but we're not quite finished yet.

The pretty enclosed garden is to the side of the house

and there's also a detached garage and a shed.

But has Lisa changed her mind about the size of the outside space?

The garden, for me, is still an issue, I feel.

What about the price?

I think this is more expensive than house one.

-So I'm going to go at the 440 mark again.

-OK.

I still think this is more than our budget,

and I'm going to stick at 465.

-OK.

-OK.

-It's actually on the market for £385,000.

-Whoa!

-Whoa!

Does that change your opinion of the house?

-No.

-No.

-Because that's a lot of money.

-It doesn't.

-Really?

The price shocks me because of what it has got,

but it's still lacking something

that... It's not making me feel like I'm at home.

Why don't you both go and have a look at the rest of the house

and I'll meet me at the front in a bit?

-OK.

-OK, thank you.

This Victorian house is £65,000 under Lisa and Jim's budget,

but is the change enough to buy them

the feeling they say

is missing for them here?

The stone house is full

of character on the outside

and it's got one more bedroom

than they asked for, which could

be used as a study for Jim

and it has also got the en suite

they were hoping for. Plus, there

is a utility room which

could be just the thing for the dog

and a pretty garden for him

to run around in, too.

The train journey to London

is around two hours,

which Jim should be happy with.

This house on paper gives us more of what we've asked for,

and it lacks something as well.

And it's an intangible thing that it lacks.

It's something that I wasn't expecting to experience.

This house is a beautiful house,

but, for me, it hasn't got the character

that I'm looking for in a property.

I love the history of it

and I love the fact that it's been restored beautifully.

The style that's been restored to isn't one that appeals to me.

I like how we saw a different side to Jim this afternoon.

Yeah, it was totally different to this morning.

Have the two houses that you've seen given you lots to think about?

It definitely has for me.

Yeah, and I'm starting to realise that maybe gut is more

important than the practicalities, as well.

-Let's go get a drink.

-OK.

It's the second day of our visit to North Dorset, searching out

a country haven for Lisa and Jim from Southampton to call home.

They've got a healthy £450,000 to spend

and they're looking for somewhere that's bursting with character.

Coming up, our Mystery House takes Lisa's breath away.

SHE LAUGHS

That's really amazing.

And I'll be taking the reins of an ancient sport.

-Well done.

-Good boys.

Good boys, good boys.

Yesterday, it was pretty clear how Lisa felt about both houses.

She had her emotions written all over her face.

Jim, however, was trying to play it a little cooler,

wanting to make sure he balanced practicality with gut feeling.

So I wonder how they'll both react to today's Mystery House.

It comes with character and space but also one big compromise -

it is the Mystery House, after all.

For our third and final property, we are journeying just over

seven miles west to the village of Corton Denham.

It's on the Dorset-Somerset border but officially in Somerset.

The ancient village is in a very rural location,

sitting in a valley with hills ebbing and flowing around it.

There's a dining pub and a church and breathtaking scenery.

Just to the north of the village is our Mystery House,

in a farm setting.

It may be deep in the heart of the countryside, but it's also

just under a two-hour train journey to get Jim to work in London.

-Come closer, come closer.

-Oh, the tears are coming!

That is stunning.

That's really amazing.

The mystery is...

that it is attached so...

-I never noticed that!

-THEY LAUGH

The whole thing was a flour mill.

-It's been converted into three separate houses.

-OK.

And this middle section is the one I want to show you.

-It's the kind of terraced house I could live in.

-Yeah!

Yeah. I guess it is a terraced house, yeah. Strictly speaking.

But the views, I mean, are just stunning.

To look at that every day.

We're in a valley, which means you've got views all the way round.

-It is stunning.

-It is just...

Yeah, that scores full marks on character.

Yeah.

This former of stone mill house

was converted to a family home in the 1980s

and is Grade II listed.

It seems to have overwhelmed Lisa and Jim

and I hope they get the feeling they're looking for

inside this property, too.

It may be attached, but it's certainly not lacking in space.

And as we enter the house, a large entrance hall

leads us to the kitchen at the back.

THEY LAUGH

-A good size.

-It's a very good size.

Oh, I'm going again.

-Love the view.

-Oh, this is lovely.

Oh!

Oh, God.

Excuse me.

-And the size is great.

-The size is fantastic.

Size is really good.

Through there is a separate dining room.

Wow. It's a nice size.

-That is good.

-It is.

It feels bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside.

-I don't know why.

-Well, that's because it is!

Normally, I'd take you upstairs at this point to see the bedrooms,

but I'm going to take you downstairs.

Oh, wow.

The house is laid out over four floors, and beneath us

is an open-plan drawing room that takes up the footprint of the entire

lower ground floor,

and it's actually on the same level as the garden.

-Wow.

-THEY LAUGH

-I'm just...

-I'm just... Yeah.

-Speechless.

-Yeah, lost for words.

What would you do with a space like this?

I mean, a man cave would be great,

but I feel guilty by having a man cave this big.

You could have it... Why restrict it to men?

-This could be an office-cum-painting-cum...

-Office?!

-I was thinking more entertaining, parties.

-That's true.

-This is...

This is...

-Straight onto the garden.

-Exactly.

Cocktail reception. Cinema room.

-Games room.

-Yeah.

It just... Yeah, the potential of how we could live here...

It's fair to say that both our buyers are bowled over by this

fabulous mill house.

And moving upstairs, two floors above the drawing room on the first

floor are two large double bedrooms divided by the landing.

We're heading to one of them.

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, wow!

So, this is one of two, really, master bedrooms

you could choose from.

-It's beautiful.

-It's huge.

You've got this size room with an en suite there.

And on the other side of the first floor, pretty much the same thing.

Another room with an en suite.

-That's fantastic.

-I just can't believe how big it is.

It's fantastic, it really is.

And then on the second floor, you have three bedrooms up there

with a family bathroom. Two of them doubles.

-Three more?

-So five altogether.

LISA LAUGHS

It's blown me away.

The Mystery House has blown me away.

I'm speechless. And it doesn't feel attached.

The house just hasn't put a foot wrong,

and I don't think anything is going to change as we head

outside to see what the garden holds for their beloved dog.

It certainly has fabulous views for Lisa and Jim.

There's access to the garden from a utility room.

How's this for a garden? Would Shugs like it?

-Oh, he'd love it.

-He'd love it. Absolutely would love it.

And I could have a vegetable patch here as well.

Plenty of room for that.

It's already got Jim's fruit trees.

-Oh, fantastic.

-Fantastic.

So it goes all the way down to the fence there

so it's the biggest garden we've shown you.

I think definitely.

And you've got a gazebo and a hot tub at the end of the garden.

If that's your style.

-Wow.

-How about that?!

-You can yourselves living here?

-Yeah.

So how much would this house cost you?

I think it's going to be way out of our budget.

I think it's going to be on the market for 525.

I don't think it's that much, but I do think it's over our budget,

so I'm going to say 470.

OK.

It's actually on the market for 450,000.

So I've used your entire budget, but I spoke to the owner

this morning and she said that she is willing to take offers.

-Wow.

-Oh!

I'm going again.

THEY LAUGH

Oh!

-Really?

-Yes.

It is accessible to you.

If you really want this house, you can have this house.

Oh!

SHE SIGHS

Well, there's a whole floor that you haven't seen yet.

-So go in and see that.

-OK.

Make sure you're happy with the rest of the house

and then I'll meet you out the front.

-OK, brilliant. Thank you.

-Thank you.

This beautiful Grade II listed mill house

is bang on Lisa and Jim's budget,

but even better, the owner

is willing to consider less.

It gives them more than they

could have wished for with

five bedrooms and a huge

drawing room perfect for

family get-togethers

and the kitchen-diner in somewhere

Lisa would be happy to spend time.

The enclosed garden is great

for their four-legged friend

and the views would provide Lisa

with the perfect artist's backdrop.

Plus, the commute to London

is just what Jim is looking for.

Did we ever think we'd have that much space?

I never thought there'd be that much space

in a house in our budget, I've got to say.

Not like this, anyway.

I think there's...

-There's just so much potential and possibility with this house.

-Yeah.

We've got a lot of scope.

This house made me so emotional because I just didn't

think in my wildest dreams that we'd ever be able to afford

such a beautiful, large property like this

with the stunning views that it's given to us.

It was just unbelievable.

The fact that this house could be a reality for us is just great.

I never would have thought that something like this

would be within our reach.

The area's beautiful, it just ticks all the boxes,

both emotionally and practically.

-You really do have stunning views here.

-Very much so.

-Right, that's all three houses done.

-Yep.

Let's go and find somewhere to sit and have a proper chat.

OK, brilliant.

The British countryside is the perfect setting for the sight

of horses galloping across the fields.

And Britons certainly are equine lovers,

with up to a million horses and ponies owned in the UK today.

On this 17-acre farm near Dorchester, Tony Munt keeps

five horses and a pony which he partners with carriages to

take part in combined driving,

the oldest equine sport in Europe.

It's similar to the equestrian sport of eventing.

One or more horses pulls a carriage guided by a coachman, or driver.

Hello, Hector, Achilles. Nice to meet you.

What kind of horses are they?

They are Dutch Warmblood.

They've got very strong legs and bone

and they're a very good driving and riding horse.

Tony has a collection of 30 carriages,

some worth as much as £35,000,

which he shows with his horses, competes with

and also hires out for events.

-You get on board and I'll give you a lesson.

-Great.

In the late 19th century, carriage driving was all the rage

with the rich and royalty. And nowadays,

with dozens of clubs all over the country,

anyone can learn to drive a carriage.

Tony himself has been involved in the sport for over 25 years,

so I know I'm in safe hands.

OK, so what is the first move, manoeuvre I need to know?

Just say, "Walk on."

OK. So I just tell them to walk on?

Just tell them to walk on.

-How loudly?

-Quite loud.

Walk on!

-Walk on!

-Very good.

Right, so you just want to pull them over that way.

-This is steering.

-That's it.

Behind us, grooms Geoff and Sue are on hand to assist.

You can actually feel the power, can't you?

Yeah, they are powerful beasts!

This is... The hardest thing to do is actually walking

because they're unbalanced.

When they're trotting, they're more balanced.

Voice commands along with the reins

are used to control these beautiful horses.

Just shorten up your reins a little bit.

When you say shorten up, so...

OK, pull everything right back.

-Right back, yeah.

-Is that to slow them down?

Yeah, that's just to slow them down, and just walk on.

Because I do feel they want to go faster than I'm allowing them to.

They'll give you 100%. They just want to, you know...

-Go full pelt!

-Yeah.

-But I have to be the boss.

-Yes, you've got to be the boss.

That's it, just come on the left-hand side. That's it. Well done.

That's it. Lovely. Good. Well done.

Super.

When you've got them nice and straight,

we could then have a little trot.

Just bring them over a tad. That's it.

Trot!

-Trot, boys.

-Trot, boys.

I need to imitate your voice.

-They listen to you better than they listen to me.

-They do, yes.

Combined driving actually heralds from centuries ago.

As far back as the Old Testament,

kings and their kingdoms were dependent

on skilled chariot drivers in war.

-Good boys, good boys.

-Trot, boys!

I can see the concentration on your face!

-Can you?

-Yes!

Now I've mastered walking and trotting,

Tony is stepping things up a notch by introducing water.

Whoa!

I can't say I'm not a little nervous!

OK.

They're going to favour going towards the bridge,

so just to keep them off the bridge.

Keep them away from the bridge. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

-Are they excited about going in?

-I think they are, yeah.

They're eager to go in, they've seen the water.

-They love going through the water.

-OK.

-Walk on?

-And then ask for them to trot, yeah.

-OK.

-Now trot.

-Trot!

-Trot!

-Trot, boys!

-Trot! Trot! Trot!

-Trot!

-Trot!

The river here is less than two feet deep.

It is a great discipline for the horses to teach them

to travel confidently through the water.

And it also helps keep their legs strong.

Trot, boys!

-Head over this way.

-Trot, boys!

-Walk, boys. Walk on.

-Walk on.

-Trot, boys!

-Good boys. Good boys.

-Walk on, walk on, walk on.

-Trot, boys!

Good boys.

Wow.

Oh, thank you so much, Tony. That was brilliant.

-Very well done.

-I can't believe I got to do that on day one.

That was lovely.

Well, there's no doubt our Mystery House

has won over both Lisa and Jim.

It is perfect for them.

I think the question now isn't so much

what is going to happen next but when.

I cannot wait to find out.

So... Huge smiles on both of your faces.

It's been an emotional couple of days for both of you.

We know you have fallen for the Mystery House big-time.

What happens now?

Well, we're going to get onto the agent today

and we're going to put in an offer.

-Today?

-Today.

-Brilliant news.

Because a house that has you both beaming so much,

you should not let that go.

-No, not at all.

-Why is it THE house?

It just gives us everything that we want.

It gives us the space, it gives the character, it gives us...

The views are just phenomenal from every aspect of the house.

It's just...oozes us.

I love the wheel.

The wheel is just fantastic,

the history of the place, and there's just

so much practical space just to entertain, have friends round.

There's just so much space for that.

You can really make it the heart of your family, that house.

Absolutely, and that's what I can see.

The coming together will be so much more fun, I think, in this house.

When we first arrived there,

I didn't even notice that it was attached.

And I think because of the thick walls

and the way that it's positioned,

it's not going to ever feel like it's attached either.

Yeah, for me, it doesn't feel like a compromise.

It just feels like a great house

and there's something compelling about it.

I'm so thrilled you found THE house.

I'm really happy that our search proved so fruitful.

So keep in touch and I cannot wait for that phone call to say that

"The Mystery House is our official new home."

Thank you very much.

Well, when Jim and Lisa said they'd put in an offer today,

they meant it because a little birdie has told me

that's exactly what they've just done.

And I'm delighted to say their offer has been accepted,

which is fantastic news because they both came here to Dorset

looking to start afresh in a new home,

and it looks like they'll be doing exactly that in our Mystery House.

We wish them well. See you next time.

Everything is going through with the purchase of the mill house,

and Lisa and Jim can't wait to move in.

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