Shropshire Escape to the Country

Behind me is the rather battered descendent of perhaps the most

significant tree in English history. But where is it?

Find out in a couple of moments.

Today, we are helping a couple who first met in the air

find their feet in the countryside.

We have high hopes with our properties.

Yeah, I could see myself in here, yes. Yeah.

It is not a bad start, is it?

And one house gets their spirits soaring.

-It has got everything, hasn't it?

-More than we could ask for.

-Really lovely.

-Yes. Am I dreaming? Pinch me.

Today, I'm in Shropshire, at Boscobel House,

where in 1651, King Charles II,

when fleeing Cromwell's Roundheads after losing

the Battle of Worcester, hid from his pursuers in a nearby oak tree.

With a £1,000 bounty on the king's head,

the soldiers eagerly searched the surrounding woodland,

never for a moment suspecting that their quarry was

crouching above them, perched on the branches of a tree.

Now, so important was this moment in our history,

the tree actually became a tourist attraction.

And during the 17th and 18th centuries,

people would come and visit and take away branches as souvenirs,

which sadly, led to its demise.

Today, this 200-year-old son of the original oak is all that remains.

But the memory of the Royal Oak still lives on,

adorning many of our pub signs across the country.

The landlocked county of Shropshire

sits in the West Midlands region of England

and is bordered by Cheshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

The striking Shropshire Hills to the south of the county

are designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

At its centre is the Long Mynd, or long mountain,

a rising plateau with undulating heather-covered slopes.

To the east of the hills,

the historic town of Ludlow is a well-known gastro hotspot,

home to a host of eateries and cafes

serving a variety of locally grown produce.

With over 500 listed buildings, Ludlow was described

by poet John Benjamin as the loveliest town in England.

Away from the hills and pretty market towns, the flat and fertile

landscape is shaped by the Severn, the country's longest river.

With such a beautiful and varied geography,

a wealth of historic architecture

and some of the finest home-grown produce the nation has to offer,

Shropshire delivers an authentic taste of country living.

When it comes to houses,

Shropshire really is a heritage hotspot

with nearly 7,000 listed buildings,

yet the average price of a detached house here

comes in at just under £244,000.

That's around £25,000 below the national figure.

Pretty good value then

when you consider we are surrounded by this beautiful rural countryside.

And it is the love of the great outdoors

that is at the heart of our buyers' search.

Let's me them.

Jerry and Mandy live in a four-bedroom bungalow

in the town of Bracknell, in Berkshire.

Married now for two decades,

their romance took off some 30,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

We were cabin crew.

Ended up on the same flight together going to Barbados,

which was a ten-day trip with one shuttle and nothing to do.

So it was lovely. We have been together ever since.

-Trolley dollies together.

-Trolley dollies!

THEY GIGGLE

With two grown-up daughters leaving the family home for university,

they are left with the dog.

So Jerry and Mandy feel the time is right to move from Bracknell,

where they have lived for 20 years.

It is a good area if you need all the facilities.

We are about 50 minutes' train journey to London.

This has been a lovely area for the children to grow up.

-It has provided everything we needed.

-Absolutely.

And good schools, things like that. And now it is just time to move on.

But Jerry, who is Bracknell born and bred, has also seen a change.

I've seen it gradually get a lot busier with traffic

and places being built up, so the countryside is slowly disappearing.

And both our buyers long for outside space

away from the hustle and bustle.

So they have set their sights on one of the most rural

and sparsely populated counties in England.

We have looked in the southern part of Shropshire.

There is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It is generally a lovely, unspoiled county.

Jerry and Mandy eventually left the airline

and started a gardening business together.

But they are now hanging up their gloves for good

and plan to run a holiday business from their new property.

I think our background as cabin crew has also given us

good customer service, so we know the kind of thing people

would like and expect to receive when you buy a holiday.

When he is not helping to run the holiday business,

Jerry will be sprinting around Shropshire, which helps his health.

I suffer from ankylosing spondylitis.

It is a chronic form of arthritis,

so the best thing is exercise along with medication.

I find that running helps me.

Not a lot of people can run with this condition,

so I am very fortunate.

And it is something I've done for a very long time.

And Mandy, who trained as a designer,

hopes to have a more time to master her love of art.

I enjoy painting natural subjects - birds and flowers

and anything to do with wildlife.

There should be a lot of inspiration in the new place we move to,

to take that up again.

But ultimately, this move is about Jerry

and Mandy investing time in each other in the great outdoors.

I think we'll both be a lot more relaxed,

I think, just being out in the countryside.

The girls have grown up here.

They are off on a new path themselves,

with a new life at university

and their careers building.

-So really, it is our opportunity, isn't it?

-Absolutely, yes.

To do something for ourselves for a change.

Our buyers would like us

to concentrate our search in the south of the county, which is

where I am meeting up with them to go over there property wish list.

Well, I thought I'd start off by meeting you somewhere

where it's exactly where you want to be,

-in the middle of this beautiful, lush countryside.

-It is.

Fantastic.

So, what is drawing you here specifically to Shropshire, then?

Well, I think Shropshire is a bit of a hidden gem, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I think you can easily miss it,

and I'm glad people do because it is so quiet and peaceful.

At the heart of this big move here to rural Shropshire,

is the need for a sideline, another enterprise.

We had an idea of a property, possibly a CL site,

-a Certificate Location site for caravans.

-Yeah.

-Because...

When our children were younger, we used to go caravanning a lot.

It is the sort of thing we could do cos we can keep

-the grounds looking nice. And possibly a holiday let.

-Yeah.

-That would be fantastic.

-A cottage would be nice.

Now, talk to me about how much space you need.

-Well, I think...

-Enough to fit at least five caravans.

Five caravans is your limit.

OK, so we're not looking at swathes of land.

-No, no.

-All right, OK.

-Now, you're keen gardeners, I take it you want a garden.

-Oh, we do.

Yeah, absolutely, yes.

Maybe an area around the house would be nice to keep as we like it

and put our own style of plants on.

All we've talked about is the outside space, I imagine a house?

THEY LAUGH

Is that because the outside space is more important?

We do spend most of our time outside, but it is still nice to have

somewhere to come back to, somewhere with some character.

-You know, an older style. We are not into new builds.

-Not new builds, no.

-Open fireplace, that would be lovely.

-All right.

Minimum number of bedrooms?

Well, we've got to have rooms for the girls to come back to,

so three bedrooms minimum.

Do you want to be really rural,

somewhere like this with not many people around you?

-This is super.

-This is fantastic. It is absolutely great.

We wouldn't really like to be on the edge of the town as such.

OK, so let's talk about the final budget, what have you settled on?

-£550,000.

-Yeah.

Well, 550, in my opinion, is a good budget,

especially here in Shropshire.

You are looking... It's not your average house, is it?

Is a good-sized house with either a really good-sized garden or

-potential holiday lets.

-Yeah.

I think, at the moment here, there is some room for negotiation,

so we could perhaps look at stuff a bit above budget?

-Yeah, fine.

-That's a good idea.

Try and make your money work as hard as it possibly can for you. Yeah?

-Ready to go?

-Yeah, ready to go.

-Brilliant.

-Thankfully, it is downhill now.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thank you.

You probably want to go uphill, don't you?

Armed with a budget of £550,000,

Jerry and Mandy would like a characterful,

older property with three bedrooms for

when their undergraduate daughters come home in the holidays.

But our focus should be on the outside space

and the income potential of the property.

They'd like some land for a caravan business or

a separate holiday let,

their own private garden and a rural

or edge-of-village location.

We have arranged house viewings at three sumptuous Shropshire

properties, but I'll leave the all-important price of each

until the end of the tours.

Our final offering, the Mystery House, certainly

delivers on views but might challenge our buyers

in terms of space.

Our first choice is situated in the small Shropshire

village of Great Ryton, just south of Shrewsbury.

Great Ryton's prettiness and proximity to the county capital

is reflected in the house prices,

and local agents refer to this area as a property hotspot.

The popular village has a highly regarded traditional pub

and nearby Condover has a general store and post office.

Both villages are enveloped by beautiful, hilly countryside.

House number one, found in the centre of Great Ryton,

is a converted barn.

-You see, it has got a nice stone drive. Well, a courtyard.

-Right.

-That is the main house.

-Uh-huh.

-It has got a lot of character. It is very attractive.

-Good. Jerry?

-It looks interesting, yes.

-It was converted some 25 years ago.

Parts of this date back at least to the 1700s,

although some of the locals reckon it might go back even further.

Mm-hm.

Let's talk about what it hasn't got straightaway - acres of garden.

-Think not caravans but holiday lets.

-Holiday lets, yeah.

Let's see how the house stacks up first

and we can start talking about the business after that.

-Let's go this way.

-Thank you.

There may not be acres of garden here for caravans,

but there is potential for holiday lets,

with an additional barn in need of some development.

The main house has been tastefully renovated and I am confident

it gives Jerry and Mandy the character they wanted.

You see, you get a nice little reception area.

You can start seeing some of

the real old character of the barn, can't you?

-Let's start with the kitchen.

-Cosy.

-Yeah, it is, it is cosy.

-Character. I like the wood.

-Yeah.

-Big enough?

This is the main kitchen dining area.

-There isn't a separate dining room.

-Uh-huh.

-As yet.

-OK.

-It is quite adequate, really, for size.

-It is quite nice.

It has got a nice homely feel as well.

-Oil-fired range there.

-Right.

-So over there, you've got a utility.

-It's good.

-It's good.

-It is good.

-All right.

Let's see if the living room is even better than good.

-All right.

-Could it be a very good?

Now, I think, size wise, this living room should be pretty OK.

-This is nice, yeah.

-And the fire.

-The fire!

-That's nice.

-I like the beams.

-They are lovely, yes. And it is not too low.

The previous owners had that bit down there as a formal dining area.

-You have got room for a decent sized table.

-You have.

Now, you noticed a set of stairs there.

They go up to a lovely reception room there as well,

a second reception room, or study, or maybe somewhere for you to paint?

-A studio?

-An art room.

-Good.

All right, let's have a look at the bedrooms, which are back this way.

Follow me.

The bedrooms are accessed via a galleried staircase in the hallway

and are nestled in the eaves of the property.

They consist of a single and a small double, both with exposed timbers.

There is also a small family bathroom.

And finally, the master suite.

Righty-ho.

-Your master bedroom.

-It has got that character, hasn't it?

-Yes.

Yeah, and I like the height of the ceiling.

-Yes, a good height, yeah.

-It is en suite.

As any self-respecting master is these days. Now, views...

-Look at that. Stunning, isn't it?

-It is.

-Beautiful.

-Yeah, I could see myself in here. Yes.

-It is not a bad start, is it?

Let's go and have a look at some of the other accommodation where

you might earn a bit of extra money.

-Right.

-Yeah?

-OK.

-Follow me.

With a holiday business in mind,

there is a second separate barn across the courtyard

which offers a sitting room, a good-sized bedroom

as well as a shower room and a kitchen

but might benefit from some modernization.

However, for a more immediate source of income, there is

also an annex adjoining the main house, which has already been done.

So, bolted on to the end, we have got a self-contained letting unit.

-Excellent.

-That's very handy.

-Yeah. It is very nicely done as well.

-It works well, doesn't it?

-Yes.

-So only a one-bedder.

One double bedroom with a bathroom next door.

-Nice space.

-Yes, it is. I'd come and stay here myself.

-You know what, you say that, I think that is the perfect test.

-Yes.

I think this is decent. This to me looks like four-star accommodation.

And that is what you need to be aiming for.

-Especially in this part of the world.

-Yes.

This is a good example of

what the other apartment needs to get up to.

That needs doing up.

It does have planning consent to muck around with it as well.

-Oh, it does?

-Yes.

-Good.

So, two letting units.

You're starting to get a bit of income now, aren't you?

-That's right, yes. That is what we need.

-Yes, that is.

I don't think Mandy

and Jerry would need a caravanning business with two holiday lets

providing a steady income stream, but they also crave outdoor space.

And here the walled courtyard garden, although pretty

and secluded, is a case of what you see is what you get.

Let's talk about this garden.

This is all you are getting garden wise.

It has got potential. THEY LAUGH

-Has it?

-You could just expand on the space that you've got.

It is probably a planting project more than anything.

How much, though, do you think this place is on the market for?

-Hmm.

-Hmm.

I think about 599.

-OK. What do you think, Jerry?

-I think...

585, possibly.

HE SIGHS

Good guesses. You are close, you two.

-This place is on the market for offers around £595,000.

-Right.

It has been on the market for a few months now and the owner is looking

down the barrel of this being for sale through the winter months.

So when I say asking price, that is exactly what it is.

-That is something to bear in mind.

-Yes.

-Right.

I'd like you to have a look around this house.

Definitely want you to look there. See what you could do with it.

And I'll meet you whenever you finish.

-Thank you very much.

-Enjoy it.

-Thank you.

-See you in a mo.

Our first property, a barn conversion,

is over budget by £45,000,

but it is worth Jerry and Mandy negotiating with the owner.

It gives them a potential income stream

in the form of one completed adjoining annex

and a separate barn with planning permission in place for an upgrade.

The main barn is full of character

and has the three bedrooms they wanted

and the attractive walled garden is low maintenance.

-Nice big space.

-It is, yes.

It is not in too bad a state to decorate either.

No, it wouldn't take much at all, would it?

It is a lovely looking property and it has a lovely, warm feeling inside.

Just perhaps the outside space is not quite what we are looking for.

There is no view, which we were hoping,

and that kind of feeling of being able to breathe when you are outside.

Not quite in the countryside enough.

The property is fantastic. No problems with that at all.

It is just the location, I feel.

You are very near to properties like the farm next door to us.

-So, you have had a good look around.

-We have.

-Inside and out.

-Inside and out.

-Yes.

A bit of work to be done next door, but it could be a good holiday let.

-It could certainly be, yes.

-All right.

-Good first house, wasn't it?

-Very good.

-Very good.

-Thank you for showing us that.

-My pleasure. Let's keep going.

Thank you.

Set within the quiet Shropshire countryside is

one of the country's most important military air bases - RAF Cosford.

A centre for training,

the airfield is also home to a museum with a world-class

collection of aircraft, including transport carrier

the Hercules and reconnaissance plane the Nimrod.

The Royal Air Force is close to the hearts of both our buyers.

Mandy's father was in the RAF and Jerry,

before his cabin crew job, served as a tornado engineer.

So we are sending them on a flight of nostalgia to the RAF museum,

where they are meeting curator Al McLean.

So, when did the museum actually open?

The museum here opened in 1979, although the idea for

an RAF museum goes back to the First World War.

There was a collection of training aircraft that had accumulated

at various stations around the Air Force.

Very strange, unusual aircraft.

And it was from that nucleus that the museum collection started.

My father was a Boy Entrant back in the '50s.

He joined when he was 15. And he was here at Cosford.

-What, in the training school actually at Cosford?

-He was, yes.

My word, it comes round, doesn't it?

How do you get the aircraft here?

The Hercules actually flew in, but the majority of them come by road.

For the bigger ones, like the Nimrod,

getting it through the lanes on the back of a low loader

was quite an exciting experience.

A chap rolled out of the pub as it came down the high street,

looked at it and said, "This is better than Carnival!"

THEY LAUGH

As well as exhibiting around 70 examples from aviation history,

the museum also has an active conservation workshop,

where rescued aircraft are preserved and prepared for display.

Current projects include the World War II British bomber,

the Handley Page Hampden.

But the most exciting is the German Luftwaffe's Dornier bomber,

salvaged from a watery grave and the only surviving example of its kind.

It has been through some damage there, I think, at some point,

-hasn't it?

-Ah, well, yes.

This one was actually shot down in the Battle of Britain.

It was actually on the Goodwin Sands, off Ramsgate,

in Kent, under the water, in the Channel for about the last 74 years.

-Amazing.

-Did the aircraft hold together when you lifted it?

Astonishingly, yes, it did.

The propellers dropped off. But apart from that, we got both

engines and, amazingly, some of the fuel lines still held pressure.

There was fuel in them.

Nicknamed the Flying Pencil because of its narrow fuselage,

the Dornier's bombs devastated large parts of London

and Coventry in the early stages of the Battle of Britain.

After it was raised from the seabed,

conservatives set about stabilizing the fragile fuselage and preventing

further corrosion by spraying it with a citric acid solution.

The conservation work relies strongly on the help

from trained volunteers.

Keen to lend their support,

Jerry and Mandy are going to work on some of the smaller

components from the aircraft -

part of the bomb release mechanism and an old fire extinguisher -

but need to protect their clothes from the rust.

They are being guided by volunteer George Hewson,

who is showing them how to remove the sea deposits from the metal.

Use the hammer over there as well.

-Now, the idea is just to tap onto it so it flakes off.

-Yeah.

So I guess this is going to take

many years to get to the end of all the pieces.

Well, I hope not. We are all retired and getting on a bit.

Do you think you will see the end in person?

We are hoping early next year

that there will be enough to open it to the public.

It is meticulous, pain-staking work, but soon this rare German bomber,

salvaged from the sea off Kent and conserved in Shropshire,

will join other aviation giants on display in the RAF Museum.

For our second offering, we are heading southeast

to the hamlet of Neenton.

Protected as a conservation area,

the centre contains many historic buildings,

including the Victorian Church of All Saints.

There is a strong sense of community in Neenton.

And recently, the locals got together to buy and refurbish

the old pub, which closed in 2006

and is due to start serving pints again later this year.

Our second house is situated on a quiet country lane

a short walk from the centre of the hamlet.

We have gone from a converted barn to the farm building itself,

the farmhouse if you like.

-Lovely.

-Built in 1763.

Fantastic. Yeah, a lot of character.

As regards to earning some extra income,

look to the left of the farmhouse, that is an annex.

-Believe it or not, that was built around the 1960s.

-Oh, was that?

With that weatherboarding, I think it fits in really well, doesn't it?

-It does, yes.

-Yes, it does.

-Let's go inside.

-Lovely.

Built during the reign of King George III, this wonderful

18th-century farmhouse has a wealth of character features throughout

and plenty of business options.

We have got a formal dining room through there.

Got some lovely details.

But I wanted to stop here cos I think this is a real...

a real warm, cosy-feeling family room.

-Yes, definitely.

-This is lovely.

-Very nice.

-Super fireplace.

It just feels more cosy, doesn't it?

I just feel like I can lounge out here and be quite happy.

-But nice high-up beams.

-Yeah. Funny enough,

you will see, the ceilings are quite tall,

yet the doorways are quite short.

-Yes.

-So there is still opportunity for head injuries.

-THEY LAUGH

-These are good first reactions.

And I think I'll get even better from you guys in the kitchen.

-So let's have a look.

-Wonderful.

So a very good-sized kitchen for you.

-Ah, yes.

-This is nice.

-That is the old bread oven there.

-Yeah.

-Solid fuel range.

-Mm-hm.

Just through the door, you have got a utility.

And then there is another dining area or breakfast room there,

-looking out the back which is really nice.

-Super.

-Yeah, this is nice.

-Yeah.

-Let us just pop our heads into another room down here

which I think you might like.

Now, Mandy, surely, this is just ready for you, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

-Very good.

-There is so much light.

-Yeah, excellent.

So, we have got a ready-made studio for you here.

Of course, that means you will have to take up painting.

There is nowhere to hide.

-Sorted.

-Let's go and have a look at the bedrooms.

I think you will be equally impressed.

-Let me just squeeze through here.

-Thank you.

Good reactions to the ground-floor tour.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms spread over two floors.

Three of those bedrooms are accessed from the main landing

and include a first-floor room next to a family bathroom.

And then in the second floor attic space, two double bedrooms -

somewhere for the girls to stay when they come home for the holidays.

But the master is accessed from a separate stone

staircase in the kitchen

and is adjacent to another bathroom which serves as its en suite.

Now, the master bedroom, they have kept the timbers exposed.

-And I am glad they have.

-Excellent.

-That's a good size.

-Isn't it?

-I love these floors. Very nice.

-Good.

-A big surprise.

-It is, yeah.

But also a big difference in your reactions to this place

to the first house.

-Yeah.

-I think it is cos you have seen some garden.

-Yes.

-On the way in. It has put you in a good mood.

-Yeah.

Let's go outside and show you

what you've got here because the outside space,

by the size of it, is just as important if not more.

-Yes, it is.

-Let me just squeeze through here.

But also important is the holiday let business,

and this property comes with not one but two annexes.

The first is this weatherboarded 1960s extension,

which has a downstairs living room, a fully functional kitchen

and adjoining garden room, as well as a bedroom and bathroom upstairs.

It lets out for up to £600 a week at peak season.

But separate to the main house,

there is also a one-storey barn which comprises a large lounge,

a double bedroom, a kitchen and a wonderful games room.

This isn't a holiday let at the moment,

but approval has already been granted.

And then the outside space.

The plot amounts to around 4.5 acres and includes a large mature garden

and two paddocks,

plenty of space if Jerry

and Mandy wanted to apply for caravanning rights.

-It has got everything, hasn't it?

-What more can you ask for?

-Really lovely.

-Yes. Am I dreaming? Pinch me.

-Come on then, guess the price.

-Oh, gosh!

-Go on, you go.

I think this has got to be over our budget.

Um... Do you want to go first this time?

OK. Yeah, I also think it will be over budget, so I'll go.

-It has got to be 650.

-Think so?

-I think about 650.

I was going to say 625.

This place, with the 4.5 acres of land,

is on the market for offers over £580,000.

-Oh!

-Goodness.

-I beat you.

-Yes, you did, again.

-Well done.

-Right.

Which I know sends you over budget,

but I defend this tactic in the fact that you've got

not one but two annexes.

Could you justify the extra price with added income?

I think you could, in this case, couldn't you?

Because the house is so lovely.

And you don't need to do anything inside there at all.

Have a look around the house and I will meet up with you

-whenever you're ready. OK?

-OK. Thank you so much.

-All right, see you in a bit.

-Fantastic.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Creeping over budget by £30,000,

this 18th-century farmhouse

gives Jerry and Mandy pretty much

everything they asked for.

Completely refurbished

by the current owners,

there are four bedrooms

in the main house and it comes

with two annexes,

one of which is already

an up-and-running holiday let.

The land is plentiful and could suit

a caravanning business

subject to planning consent.

-Right, yes.

-Everything here.

-Yeah, lovely.

-Just what you need for a holiday.

-Yeah.

The end bits of the place seem lovely.

You've got the farmhouse feel about it,

but you feel you are out in the open a lot more.

A lot more space around you.

I've never seen a place that has been so nicely done out inside.

Quite honestly, I'm very impressed with all the rooms.

And over the moon about it, really.

I think this is a really lovely property.

It is our sort of character.

It has got the business we need, it's got the land we need,

it's got the rooms for the girls to come home to, a nice kitchen for me

and a studio as well.

So really, it has got everything that we have been looking for.

-There is a lot of property to see, isn't there?

-Oh, there is.

-Yes.

-Did you see it all?

-Yes.

-Yeah, it is lovely.

-Who won the snooker?

-THEY LAUGH

-You were long enough.

OK, that is all we are seeing today. Let me take you back.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

It's day two of our property search.

With a budget of £550,000, we are helping Jerry and Mandy

from Bracknell, in Berkshire, find new rural life in Shropshire.

Coming up, is there enough on the table at the Mystery House?

We are used to cooking a full Christmas dinner in a caravan.

-Yeah.

-Put like that, I feel you've got too much space here.

And for last orders,

I find out what is brewing as I help bring home the harvest.

One of those will make a pint of beer.

So, you can see, just in our hands...

I have got a couple of great nights out, haven't I?

We've got a few pints of beer.

Right from the very outset, Mandy and Jerry said this outside space

was most important.

And looking around, it's not hard to see why.

And for today's mystery property, I think it gives them

a real opportunity to breathe in

this beautiful Shropshire countryside.

On top of that, the enterprise element, I think,

is probably the best that I've seen so far.

But in order to get hold of this dream proposition,

if you like, guess what, there is a compromise.

Let's face it, it is the Mystery House.

For our final house, we are

heading towards the border with Wales to the hamlet of Clunton.

Nestled in the Shropshire Hills,

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

the closest small town for amenities is Clunton,

described as one of the quietest places under the sun

in the collection of poems A Shropshire Lad by AE Housman.

Taking its name from the river on whose banks it stands,

the town is connected by a 15th-century stone packhorse bridge

and overlooked by an imposing, if ruinous, Norman castle.

Our Mystery House is a ten-minute drive away from Clunton,

situated higher up in the Shropshire Hills,

in a secluded spot surrounded by farmland.

Our Mystery House certainly delivers on views.

But as for actual space, both inside and out,

Jerry and Mandy will need to give some ground.

Do you remember you said you'd want to move up here to

sort of brief in the Shropshire countryside?

Yes!

Well...

-This is where you do it.

-Ah!

-Absolutely stunning.

-Gosh, yes.

-Absolutely gorgeous.

-You can certainly breathe here.

-You can.

-That's beautiful.

-This is lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

This is really perfect.

These are some of the nicer views I've seen from a house, I must say.

-Oh, yes.

-Now, if you are going to paint, paint that.

So much choice, isn't there?

And you can have your own slice of this panorama

if you bought that house.

Dating back to the 1700s.

-It looks sweet.

-Sweet!

-Yes!

-Very neat.

It is different to what we have seen before,

and I think this is perfect for you two.

-It really does look it.

-It does, yes.

-I want to see inside.

-Well, OK, I'll show you then.

-OK.

-Thank you.

This stunning farmhouse is packed with character.

But our buyers will have to think laterally about the layout inside.

Now, being the Mystery House,

you know there is going to be a compromise.

Let me introduce you to the compromise.

-Ah-ha.

-Squeeze in.

-All right.

It is a lot smaller, isn't it?

Cosy!

Could you live with something this size? Be honest, come on.

-There's only two of us.

-There's only two of us, yeah.

-I'm used to cooking a full Christmas dinner in a caravan.

-Yeah.

Put like that, I feel you've got too much space here.

There is an idea that I had been walking around here,

-I'll talk you through now if you like.

-Yeah, sure.

Let me just squeeze through. Thank you very much.

Now, coming back past the front door,

you've got a ground-floor loo and shower, OK?

Now, at the moment, this is just dining space,

or another reception room.

If in time you did think the kitchen was a bit small

and you didn't want to build on, you could put a kitchen in here.

-You could.

-It's feasible.

-Yes.

-That is quite a good space then, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

And then, that kitchen we've just been in would become

-a really handy utility.

-Yes, it would be.

-Yeah.

Now, reception room, I think you will leave it as is.

It is rather nice. Follow me.

-Righty-ho. Much bigger. Isn't it?

-BOTH:

-It is, yes.

-Nice surprise.

-Yes, it is. The fireplace is gorgeous, isn't it?

You're not going to get a studio like we had before,

-but again, look out every room.

-Every window.

-You've got the views.

-Yeah. Lovely.

-Could you see yourself spending cold winters in this room?

Definitely, yes. Wouldn't be cold with the fire going, would they?

Upstairs, Jerry and Mandy get the three bedrooms they wanted

but not in a conventional arrangement.

Off a large central landing space is one smaller bedroom.

But the second bedroom, a double, leads on to the master.

Now, as you can see, you walk through the second bedroom.

-Now, you have got an en suite there...to the master.

-Nice.

That's a good size. That's unexpected, actually.

I thought it would be really tiny.

Yeah, I like the windows being low down as well. It's nice looking out.

Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room, if you like.

Three-bedroom house.

The second bedroom you walk through to get here.

You can go out that door, but not so nice in the winter.

What do you think?

Oh, for the amount of time that there would be more than us

in the house, then I think that is liveable, isn't it?

Yeah.

So, Jerry and Mandy are not adverse to the upstairs bedroom arrangement.

And as they say, their daughters are only home in the holidays.

The income potential is nicely positioned away from the main house.

It is an up-and-running holiday let with a galleried bedroom

and open-plan living area.

-Completely self-contained.

-Yes.

-Completely finished.

-That's very nice.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Very tastefully done.

People love this place. You know, you read the visitor book

and people come here year on year on year.

Which means, from a business point of view, you have got repeat trade.

-Yes.

-The owner charges around £85 per night.

-Right. That's good.

-That's good, very good.

-Yeah.

If you projected a straight line, the owner reckons

you should be able to get around £15,000 a year in for this place.

With the holiday let cash cow set out to graze,

Jerry and Mandy will be able to concentrate on their garden.

In terms of space, there is less here than at our second house -

only a third of an acre - but the views make it feel much

larger, stretching for 20 miles in some directions.

How would you landscape this garden, then? What would you do with it?

-It is already lovely.

-It is.

-It is a super position, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-So how much do you think it is?

-Ugh.

That is a difficult one.

I will go very close to the first one, I think, at 599.

-OK. Jerry?

-It's a tough one.

I would guess close to you - 585.

-That is almost piggy backing.

-Yes.

-I like it.

This, our Mystery House, is on the market for offers around £499,500.

-Goodness!

-Oh, gosh. Ooph.

-Wow.

Now, according to the owner,

she was advised to put it on at 550, but she thought,

"No, we are keen to sell," which is a good idea, "let's keep it below

"that £500,000 stamp duty threshold,"

-which is important to you.

-That is a good idea.

-Yeah.

Think about how works for you. Walk the grounds, do whatever you want.

-Yep.

-Mm-hm.

-Enjoy the weather, but most of all, enjoy the views.

-Thank you.

-Catch you in a moment.

-Thank you very much.

-Marvellous.

-See you in a bit.

-Thank you.

Below budget by £50,000, our mystery property is

a 300-year-old stone farmhouse

with a separate up-and-running

holiday let. Although the kitchen

in the main house is small,

there are the three bedrooms

Jerry and Mandy wanted.

In terms of outside space, there

is one third of an acre of garden,

but that is more than made up for

by the stunning panoramic views

of the Shropshire countryside.

Definitely got the room to breathe here.

You can just feel that countryside around you.

It is just what we had wanted.

The house is smaller than I thought it might be, but it is workable.

I know we wanted some land, but with all this around you, you don't

really need the land.

But it has the character, it has the business and it has the views.

The price is very generous, I thought, and took me by surprise.

That has really made me think about this property completely, I love it.

Honestly, you can't ask for more.

I suppose you could tell me what all these plants are, couldn't you?

But I don't think we've got time.

-What do you think of this amazing house?

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-So much character. But it is so nicely done.

-Yeah, fabulous.

You were waxing lyrical about property number two yesterday,

so let's find somewhere to have a chinwag

-and we will catch up later on. OK?

-Thank you.

-Let's go.

The valleys of Shropshire are home to one of the key

ingredients of the great British beverage - beer.

The hop is more traditionally associated with

the County of Kent, but today, the hop yards of the West Midlands

produce more than half of the crop grown in the UK.

The hops flower contains an essential oil which is very

bitter in flavour and, when added to beer,

helps to balance out the sweet flavour of the malt.

It is harvest time at one of the key hop-growing farms in the area.

I have come to meet local farmer Mark Andrews. How are you?

-I'm good, thanks, really good.

-Beautiful.

How long have you been growing hops here, on this farm?

-Well, my grandparents moved here in the early '30s.

-Yeah.

But we know there has actually been hops grown on this farm

for at least 250 years.

So now we are here at harvest time.

I can see all the tractors going back and forth.

Talk me through what they are doing.

So, at the moment, they are cutting the vines and they are being

pulled off the wire and into the trailer at the back.

-Right, OK.

-There is a chap at the back picking up

the bits that fall on the floor. And then there is another chap -

cos pieces get left on the wire - and he's cutting those down.

No hop gets left behind.

-Well...

-You want to make the most of everything here.

We've got to get them home.

-Let's give them a hand then, shall we?

-Yeah.

It takes three years for a hop plant to reach full production,

when it is then harvested during a ten-day window in the autumn.

They are pretty adaptable plants but tend to fare better

in soils which are clay and silty and retain water.

These hop vines around five metres tall.

The saying goes,

they need the depth of soil that you can bury an elephant in.

Right, OK!

Have you worked out how much that is worth or its relevance with

the end product?

One of those will make a pint of beer.

So you can see...

I have got a couple of great nights out, haven't I?

We've got a few pints of beer.

There are many different named varieties of hops,

each producing its own distinctive flavour, from the minty

and floral aroma of the venerable Fuggle to the hop being

harvested here - the citrusy classic Cascade.

Once harvested, the hop flowers are cut from the vines and taken to

the oast house, where they're laid out in a kiln and dried

at 60 degrees Celsius.

What are we looking at here? What is essentially used to get this beer?

So we're looking at a hop cone.

So if you open up the cone, you can see that yellow substance there.

-That is the little glands of oil.

-Yeah.

-If you rub it, it is quite sticky.

-Yes, it is.

-Yeah.

And that is the part that gives the flavour to the beer.

They start off at 80% moisture and we are trying to get them

down to 10%.

Once dried, they are baled and then either sold to local

breweries or exported internationally.

In the brewing process, hops are boiled with the sugary liquid

produced from malt, called wort, before the yeast is added.

I have come to one of the Shropshire breweries to sample an ale

produced from the locally grown Cascade hop.

I am meeting brewer Gary Walters.

It was certainly very interesting learning about the process,

but surely the most important thing about this education is the taste.

-Yes.

-So I think we should at least taste it, shouldn't we?

-Yep.

Cheers.

It initially tastes creamy, as you expect from a bitter,

but towards the end, you almost get a different finish.

-It tastes citrusy.

-You get a lovely sweet malt taste to start off.

And again, you get the smoothness of the malt.

-Then you get that nice hop bitter kick.

-Yes.

Which is from the local hops.

It is great to see hop shires doing so well,

and I've certainly enjoyed seeing both ends of the spectrum.

I would normally leave now, but I've never left a pint at

the bar. So let's just have a bit, five minutes, shall we?

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Well, property two yesterday may have got Jerry and Mandy cooing,

but I think it is the Mystery House, or rather its views, that's really

stolen their hearts.

Time to catch up with them both and find out what their plans are.

Well, I have got a fair idea that your favourite property is

the Mystery House.

But how much do you both like it?

-I think we like it a lot, don't we?

-We do, yes.

What, if anything, has changed

since you started looking over these past couple of days?

The land was always not necessarily a priority

but it was something we wanted.

But seeing the last property,

we could maybe forfeit that for that beautiful view.

-Not only that, it was marvellous to make a good income.

-It was.

You loved the second property yesterday afternoon.

-We did.

-There is lots of it.

The second property was lovely.

I mean, the interior was fantastic.

The holiday lets were great. Wonderful.

But I think the Mystery House just had that, as you said,

that breathing, that space around it.

-The views, you couldn't buy.

-No.

-Views, you can't buy.

Although, you can.

-So, when are you going back?

-This weekend.

-Very soon.

Whoa! Excellent news.

Have a look at the surrounding areas to see if there are walks

and trails and things.

Well, whatever you do, when you go back to this property

and have another look, please, let us know what you decide, won't you?

-Definitely.

-We certainly will.

-We will do, yes.

-I wish you the very best of luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Well, I must say, it makes a refreshing change for our buyers

to go for the smallest of all three houses that we've showed them.

But when you think about it, the mystery property gave Jerry

and Mandy exactly the right size accommodation for their needs.

They are downsizing, after all.

I'm sure there was a bit of a compromise to be

made in regards to the size of the kitchen,

but it also had the one thing

that was integral to their entire relocation -

a house in a beautiful rural location.

So it's no surprise then -

they're going back there for a second viewing.

I wish them both the very best of luck.

And to quote Jerry,

"What price do you put on a house with amazing views like that?"

Well, just under £500,000, actually.

See you next time.

Jerry and Mandy returned to our Mystery House for a second viewing.

And I am glad to say, they still love it and intend to make an offer

just as soon as they have exchanged contracts on their Bracknell home.

We are keeping our fingers crossed.

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