0:00:02 > 0:00:04Built 100 years ago, this Edwardian property was home
0:00:04 > 0:00:07to one of Britain's greatest industrialists.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Find out who he was and where I am in just a moment.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'Today's house hunter can't wait to leave city lights behind her
0:00:31 > 0:00:35'and settle for the serenity of the countryside.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'Our properties get a good thumbs-up.'
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Imagine waking up to that.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43'But is she really ready for the reality of rural living?'
0:00:43 > 0:00:46It's amazing, very quiet. I'd have to put the radio on.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Today we're in Oxfordshire
0:00:50 > 0:00:55and this is Nuffield Place, on the edge of the Chiltern Hills.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Now, in the 1930s, it was home to William Morris,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01founder of the Morris motor car company.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05His mass-produced cars made William Morris a multi-millionaire,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07but he gave much of his wealth away
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and lived in this relatively modest home.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Now, later on in the show, I'll be stepping inside to find out
0:01:13 > 0:01:17more about this pioneering motor man and his manor.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19But first, let's hit the road
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and see what else this attractive county has to offer.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Situated in southern England,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28landlocked Oxfordshire is bordered by six counties,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35In the south of the county, the chalky Chiltern Hills that dominate
0:01:35 > 0:01:39are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
0:01:39 > 0:01:45covering 324 square miles, across four counties.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Oxfordshire is home, not only to archetypal English meadows and
0:01:48 > 0:01:52fields, but also the world-famous and prestigious Oxford University,
0:01:52 > 0:01:59which attracts over 22,000 students from more than 140 countries.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Just outside of the city, the honey-coloured Cotswold market town
0:02:02 > 0:02:05of Woodstock is popular with tourists who visit the nearby
0:02:05 > 0:02:10splendour of Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11And in the far south-east of the county,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14where the Thames forms the border with Berkshire,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18the riverside town of Henley is famous for its annual Royal Regatta,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22its high street lined with boutique shops and busy restaurants.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Let's not beat about the bush, Oxfordshire is expensive.
0:02:30 > 0:02:36The average price for a detached home here is £443,000.
0:02:36 > 0:02:42Now, that's a whopping £160,000 above the national figure.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Excellent transport connections to London and the Midlands
0:02:45 > 0:02:47make it a popular choice for commuters,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50but it's also the classic beauty of the countryside
0:02:50 > 0:02:52and attractive villages
0:02:52 > 0:02:55that makes property shopping here an expensive affair.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57So what is it about Oxfordshire that has
0:02:57 > 0:03:00so attracted today's buyer to the area?
0:03:00 > 0:03:01Well, let's meet her and find out.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Lynda lives by herself in the city of Edinburgh,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08teaching English to foreign students
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and running a one-room bed and breakfast from her home.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Her daughter Julie, who's a trainee doctor,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16lives just ten doors down, on the same street.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19I moved here about five or six years ago,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22so inevitably we have a very close relationship.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Mum's good fun, definitely. She's very emotional.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27She's certainly very emotional about this move.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Julie's very empathetic.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35She's very focused and effective.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38As a child, and then into later life for her career,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Lynda has travelled and moved extensively.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45However, she's been settled in Edinburgh for the last 15 years, and
0:03:45 > 0:03:48now that her twin daughters, Julie and Fiona, as well as son James,
0:03:48 > 0:03:53are all grown-up, she's ready to up sticks and move to the countryside.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54It's a special place
0:03:54 > 0:03:58but it's a little bit like having a circus on your doorstep sometimes.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59All the time.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Because there's so much going on,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03it's almost becoming a bit more isolating for you and what
0:04:03 > 0:04:07we'd like to do is find somewhere that is a little bit more inclusive.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Lynda is particularly drawn to Oxfordshire
0:04:09 > 0:04:13where she spent her first days in the UK, with her grandmother in Banbury.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16And so the area brings back many memories.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19The first time I came to England from Africa,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22I was able to run on green grass for the first time.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23It made a big impression on me.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27The smell of spring flowers and birds singing,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I just couldn't believe it.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33The landscape is familiar to me and I feel as if I'm going home.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35A year ago, Lynda had a hip replacement
0:04:35 > 0:04:39and so she's been finding her B&B work increasingly demanding.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42And, although she's on the mend, she's keen to give up that
0:04:42 > 0:04:45side of her business so she can immerse herself into local life
0:04:45 > 0:04:49somewhere close to Thame, where Julie's sister, Fiona, lives.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Being part of a community, helping people,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56being helped by people, that's what makes us all tick, isn't it?
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Liking and being liked.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01You're wonderful and you have a lot to offer a small community.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- You do.- I know.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Living up on the second floor,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Lynda hasn't had her own garden for 15 years and, being naturally
0:05:09 > 0:05:12green-fingered, she can't wait to get her hands dirty again.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Every time I say the word, just say the word garden,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I get this rush of emotion to the stomach.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22It's really tangible, when you think about something that you
0:05:22 > 0:05:24haven't had for a long time, that you love.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26And with Julie by her side,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Lynda's confident that their close relationship will help guide
0:05:30 > 0:05:32her through the next chapter of her life.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33I think this move will change your life.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36It's just a house, but actually it's a community,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39it's an environment, it's a way of life.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40I think it'll be great.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I am very keen to see you in the right place.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Oh, yeah - ie, seven hours away from you!
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Lynda is fairly open to living anywhere in Oxfordshire,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02as long as it's within an hour's drive of her other daughter, Fiona,
0:06:02 > 0:06:03who lives in Thame.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05'I'm meeting up with both Lynda
0:06:05 > 0:06:07'and Julie on the attractive village green of Warborough, to
0:06:07 > 0:06:11'pinpoint exactly what Lynda's after from her new home in the country.'
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Well, Lynda and Julie, welcome to Oxfordshire.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16We haven't picked the sunniest of days,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18but it's not going to deter us, is it?
0:06:18 > 0:06:19- No.- No, absolutely.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22So, Lynda, this move is all about you, isn't it?
0:06:22 > 0:06:24And you've brought lovely Julie along,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26your daughter, to help with this search.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27So recently you've actually moved,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30your flat is just about to go through in Edinburgh
0:06:30 > 0:06:32and you've already moved to the county,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- haven't you in the last few days? - Yes.- So you're renting.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Renting a very nice little place.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Goodbye to the splendid apartment in Edinburgh, and hello what?
0:06:40 > 0:06:42What is it exactly you're after?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44What does it look like in your mind?
0:06:44 > 0:06:46It's completely blank, I have no idea.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Let's start with the bedrooms, then.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Two-and-a-half bedrooms.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51And who's the half a bedroom for?
0:06:51 > 0:06:53James, my son. He'll come and go.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55He will, only half a bedroom!
0:06:55 > 0:06:59So, you don't mind something quite small for him, like a boxroom?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01That would be fine. He'll be happy with that.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I need a place for visitors, friends, and also for a student.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08You have them weekly, monthly and they come to stay with you, is that correct?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Yes, it's called an immersion course, so the point is they don't
0:07:11 > 0:07:14have access to their own language, so they have to speak English.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15What about a garden?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I know that I want an established herbaceous border
0:07:18 > 0:07:20or to establish something.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Obviously pretty flowers and some vegetables.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Julie, how important do you think it is for your mum to have
0:07:24 > 0:07:27sort of friends, neighbours, on her doorstep?
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Being in a smaller place,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32my hope for you is that you'll make closer friends and kind of
0:07:32 > 0:07:35get involved in more things than maybe you did in a big city.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36- Local things, yes.- Local things.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Now, remind me of how much we've got to spend here in Oxfordshire.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41What's the budget?
0:07:41 > 0:07:42475,000.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46I was worried about managing your expectations, because
0:07:46 > 0:07:50you're coming from this beautiful, very large, spacious Georgian flat.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55Moving to Oxfordshire, am I allowed to use the D word, down-sizing?
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Yes, why not, sensible.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Yeah, are you happy with that? - Yeah, it's sensible.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00And do you think mentally you're prepared for it?
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I think it could be very cosy.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Moving to Oxfordshire, you know, if you were to look at a property,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08say, in an area like this, you've got this wonderful space,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12you've got the village green behind us, the pub, thatched cottages.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Is this what you've got in mind?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16It could well be. It's got a lot to offer.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- Do you think she'd like something like this, as well? - Yes, I think it's lovely.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21I'd certainly like to come and stay with you.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Well, that's jolly good, because guess what, our first property is
0:08:24 > 0:08:27literally behind that tree, behind that church, house number one.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Shall we go?
0:08:29 > 0:08:30Yeah, of course.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36So, armed with a budget of up to £475,000, Lynda is looking for
0:08:36 > 0:08:38a two- to three-bedroom property
0:08:38 > 0:08:40which can accommodate a live-in student.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Ideally she'd like to have an established garden
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and the location would be within a village
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and no more than an hour's drive from Julie's twin sister, Fiona.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52We've got a range of period properties lined up that
0:08:52 > 0:08:54reflect Oxfordshire's pretty past.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And at the end of the tours, I'll be asking our house hunters
0:08:57 > 0:08:59to guess the price of each.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Our final stop is the mystery house, made to challenge expectations,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06but which may make our buyer reassess what
0:09:06 > 0:09:07she actually wants from a property.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17We're beginning our search south of the county in Warborough.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Regarded as one of the finest village greens in the country,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Warborough Green is nestled within a protected area of conservation.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27This idyllic village setting,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30surrounded by open countryside, also benefits from a tight-knit
0:09:30 > 0:09:34social scene, hosting a plethora of local groups and events
0:09:34 > 0:09:39which could be just the escape from city living that Lynda is after.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Located within the village,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43but hidden down a quiet lane is house number one.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49So how would this work as potentially the first property?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Looks very sweet. It looks well-loved.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- Do you like it, Julie? - I really like it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I like the colours and I like the proportions,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I like the sensitive extension. Really nice.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Well, let's see what you make of the property. Shall we, girls?
0:10:01 > 0:10:02I can't wait.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07This charming character cottage dates back to the mid-18th century
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and spent its former years as a gardener's cottage
0:10:10 > 0:10:12to the neighbouring property on the same lane.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14It was renovated in 1997,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18when the garage was converted into a country kitchen diner.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24So, welcome, and step inside the cottage.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26- Wow.- Oh.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28This looks sweet.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I think it's a lot larger than it appears.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33It does feel bigger inside than I expected from the outside.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36If you had someone coming for dinner, they could just sit down straight away.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I think it already feels like your kitchen.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Well, it's very similar to my kitchen.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42- Is it?- Yeah.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And a large dining table.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I'm thinking potentially you could actually have study in here as well.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Most students are quite happy with the kitchen.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Are they?- Yes.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53And James could fit in it as it's actually quite a high ceiling.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- Oh, right, yes.- Is this your son? - Yes, he's about this high.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- Shall we continue?- Lovely.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01So you've got doors here which, from a practical point of view,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04if you've got a student, quite good cos you can close off the rooms.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08It does lead to this, well, I think, rather lovely sitting room.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Yeah, really sweet.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Definitely, it's gorgeous.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12Got a lovely cosy feel, hasn't it?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15There's a clapboard wall and a stove.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- So far, so good? - So far, so lovely.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- Definitely, really lovely.- Do you think Mum would be happy here?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- I can imagine her here.- Good. - Right.- Absolutely.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24Let's continue.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Also on the ground floor, there's a single bedroom and study
0:11:30 > 0:11:32which could be useful in accommodating a student
0:11:32 > 0:11:34as it comes with its own separate access.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Up on the first floor, there are a further two bedrooms,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41one single and one double, and also a family bathroom.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49So, upstairs, being a cottage, quite steep stairs coming up.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51How did you feel getting up those stairs?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55It's OK. All stairs are stairs and the handrail's there
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- and it's a solid one.- Yes.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- This is the main bedroom. - Lovely light.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Well, let's step back outside, take a look at the garden and also
0:12:04 > 0:12:07really how much you think it's on the market for.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Julie, if you wouldn't mind leading the way, thank you.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16All positive so far, but after 15 years without a garden,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I wonder if this one is going to meet Lynda's expectations?
0:12:22 > 0:12:24So, a very cute cottage,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28which leads us into, I think, an equally desirable garden.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33It's very sweet and again, much-loved and cared for.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34A little bit small for me.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Yes, but if you look at it, they've done it very cleverly
0:12:37 > 0:12:40so that you don't have to do very much in this garden at the moment.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42But if you look at the space you've got,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45you could change it quite a lot. It's a reasonable size.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49That bed there would be perfect for establishing a whopping herbaceous border.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52A whopping herbaceous border. You've also got two sheds.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Two sheds.
0:12:53 > 0:12:54Not just one, two.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Now, what you could perhaps do is take those down
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and get a larger wooden structure and have that for storage.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- Or maybe open-sided. - Also sitting out here.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05For dining.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10Is this the type of garden that actually would work for you?
0:13:10 > 0:13:12I know the dream is perhaps have a little bit larger.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15The thing is, I'm really good on my knees.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I'm not very good at walking,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19but scrabbling about in a flower bed, I can do that.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Just put knee protectors on.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- And you're away!- I'm fine.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26OK, well fair enough. Let's talk about the price, then,
0:13:26 > 0:13:27for our first cottage.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30What do you think it's on the market for?
0:13:30 > 0:13:36This location is lovely and it's probably worth 450,000.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38I think 450's quite conservative.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39So, probably over budget,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42given the area and this is a lovely little cottage and garden.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Give me a price.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45485.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47The asking price is £450,000.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- Oh, my.- Well done.- Thank you.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54That is clever. Well that's a lovely surprise for me as well.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58So, I think a really strong start with our house hunt in Oxfordshire.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01£25,000 under budget,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04this sympathetically extended cottage with three bedrooms
0:14:04 > 0:14:08and a manageable garden is located within a stunning village setting.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12What's more, it's just a 25-minute drive from Lynda's daughter,
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Fiona, in Thame.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Coming into these first two rooms is just beautiful.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18It's a real wow.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20My one-to-one immersion student,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23we could easily have lessons in the kitchen with the natural sunlight.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27There is that whole separate section with a bedroom in it and its
0:14:27 > 0:14:30own little corridor, so that creates a bit of privacy for another person.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33When I saw the garden, to me, that's kind of a city garden.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38A perfect city garden but that's not a country garden in my head.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41I really like the feel of it. I can imagine Mum living in it
0:14:41 > 0:14:45but I can't imagine all of her stuff being here too.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I've already got rid of what, 500 books?
0:14:48 > 0:14:52- You will get rid of the right things if it's the right place.- Yes.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53How are we?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Hello. It's getting sunnier and sunnier.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56I know, it's lovely.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58The sun is shining on us,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01it's trying to convince you to buy this property, isn't it?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03- Yes.- It's a good start. - It's a very good start.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- Yeah, are you happy?- Yes.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- Pleased with what you've seen so far?- Yes.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- That is the best news because I've still got more to show you. - Excellent.- Come on.- Thank you.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Renowned worldwide for academia, Oxfordshire is home to
0:15:25 > 0:15:28the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Stretching across the county, education is paramount
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and the landscape is peppered with schools.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36In the picturesque village of Marcham,
0:15:36 > 0:15:41one institution in particular has been educating since 1948.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44The Denman College is owned by the Women's Institute
0:15:44 > 0:15:48and was bought collectively by the organisation through donations
0:15:48 > 0:15:50to offer a range of courses for members
0:15:50 > 0:15:52as well as the general public.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56We've sent Lynda and Julie to meet chair Ann Harrison, to find out
0:15:56 > 0:16:00about more the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02You're interested in the WI, I hear.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03Of course, yes, I am.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Yes, so do you know much about it?
0:16:05 > 0:16:08It must have been started during the war.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Because it was war-time, they wanted to help the war effort and one
0:16:12 > 0:16:16of the things they could do from rural communities was, of course,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20use the fruit in their gardens and hedgerows and we started making jam.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25So the WIs took on this production and it went right
0:16:25 > 0:16:28through from the First World War and into the second, too.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32The WI actually began its life in Canada,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36inspired by a talk given by Adelaide Hoodless in 1897.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Sadly, she had a lost a child who drank contaminated milk
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and so was determined other mothers did not suffer the same fate
0:16:42 > 0:16:45through ignorance of poor food hygiene.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Today, the WI still fights for issues
0:16:47 > 0:16:50close to their female members' hearts.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53We've campaigned on milk and tried to help dairy farmers
0:16:53 > 0:16:56because of the cost of milk and the cost of producing it.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57We've had organ donation,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01encouraging people to leave instructions what they want.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05We were the people who started off the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07- That's really taking off now.- Yes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10The WI movement came to Britain in 1915
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and is celebrating its centenary.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Here at Denman College, there are 650 courses,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19ranging from cooking to astronomy.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Lynda and Julie are joining a couple of local members to learn how
0:17:22 > 0:17:27to make a silver clay pendant with jewellery designer Melanie Blake.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29You're all going to be designing your own pendant,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32so they're all going to be different at the end
0:17:32 > 0:17:35but they'll be something like this one here.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Invented in Japan just 20 years ago, silver clay is a revolutionary putty
0:17:40 > 0:17:44made from tiny silver particles mixed with an organic binder, which,
0:17:44 > 0:17:49when heated to reduce the moisture content, reveals pure silver.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51It's extremely versatile and easy to work with.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56The ladies are rolling out the putty to form the beginnings of a pendant.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Oh, yours has gone much longer than mine.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59I've got a squashy one.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Just roll it a bit harder. Press it a bit harder, Julie.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Come on, put some wellie into it!
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Just place the texture sheet on top of the clay
0:18:08 > 0:18:10and then just rub it on with our fingers.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Then, when we peel away the texture sheet,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20we should find all that lovely pattern
0:18:20 > 0:18:22is now on the silver clay.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25- Oh.- Oh, wow, yours is good.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27After making a hole in the pendant,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30it's given a blast of hot air with a hairdryer before getting fired
0:18:30 > 0:18:34in a kiln at 800 degrees for eight minutes to dry out.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Once fired, the pendants are plunged into cold water to cool them down.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The only reason that this white surface is not looking silver
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and shiny is just simply because the surface isn't polished
0:18:46 > 0:18:51and we can start this very, very easily, just using the wire brush.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Oh, my goodness.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59It's like discovering gold.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Oh, yes, but it's discovering silver.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Finally, by tying a ribbon through the hole in the pendant,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07the new necklaces are complete.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09You've done really well.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Well, thank you very much, we've had such a lovely afternoon.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14It's nice to have something to take away to remember what we've done.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Our house hunt continues in the village of Launton.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Originally an area steeped in farming and agriculture,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30today the hub of the busy community here centres on the two pubs
0:19:30 > 0:19:31and village hall.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34There's also a local store, post office and farm shop,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38as well as sheep rearing fields, all within a stone's throw,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42giving Lynda everything she needs for country living on her doorstop.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45On the edge of the village is our second property.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It's, to be fair to say,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50quite different from the first house that we showed you.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- The main thing is...- It's on a road. - It is on a road.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55So there's a practical side to being on a road
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and there's a slightly noisier side to being on the road, isn't it?
0:19:58 > 0:20:02- What do you think? - Very nice stone. Nice jasmine growing up the walls.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05From a business point of view, your students can easily get to Oxford.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Yes.- 20 minutes on the bus.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10They also might like the fact that Bicester
0:20:10 > 0:20:14is five minutes in the car down the road, which, as I'm sure as ladies
0:20:14 > 0:20:18you know, high-end retail shopping, one of the biggest in Europe.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20- That's what Fiona said. - It really is.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- So, from a marketing point of view, that's quite an attraction.- Yes.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26- Shall we see what you make of the property?- Oh, yes.- Can't wait.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Although 200 years old, this cottage has been thoroughly
0:20:31 > 0:20:35modernised throughout by the current owners to a very high standard.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39So, step inside.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Wow.- I really like it, don't you?- I love it.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- You both seemed pleasantly surprised as we walked through the door. - It's very nice.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48It is nice, they've done it really well, they've made the most of the space there.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50What do you think about the noise,
0:20:50 > 0:20:51cos it was a little bit noisy outside.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55As soon as you close the door, you can't hear anything. Amazing.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Very quiet. I'd have to put the radio on.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Kitchens are important, we know. How does this one rate and feel?
0:21:04 > 0:21:07It rates highly, and my table would fit.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I mean, it would be, you know, more than that, but it would fit.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12In a slightly different way, but it would work.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16I like that, you two both looked at each other, nodded and smiled.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19That's enough for me, I'm going to move on. Let's go through here.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25There's a good hallway, generous again, slightly deceiving,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29- because...- Wow.- It leads to another large area. Sitting room.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33This is a big room, with a lovely little window under
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- the lintel thing, And look, a little window seat.- Yes, that's nice.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39So, this is your sitting room.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42But the house was extended about 15 years ago
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and you have a very large conservatory with a heated floor.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50- And having this extra head space at this end of the room... - Makes it feel bigger.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53That end feels cosy but it doesn't feel enclosed, it's nice.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55James could stand up here.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57We could just make him have this end of the room.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59- I feel the son is with us at all times.- Yes.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- Because he's going to be coming to stay.- Well, yes.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Very different from where you've currently been living.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09How does it feel to you, Lynda? Does it feel like a home?
0:22:09 > 0:22:11- Perfectly.- It does?- Perfectly.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I was worried that the next one would be much, much more modern
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and this one's just become a little bit more modern
0:22:16 > 0:22:18but without losing the cottagey feel.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21'Also on the ground floor, there's a separate study
0:22:21 > 0:22:24'and a shower room which could be useful for staying students.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30'Then, up on the first floor, there are three good-sized double bedrooms,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34'two of which are currently decorated for young children,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36'and all served by a tiled family bathroom.'
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- Oh, wow.- Let me show you the master bedroom.- Look at that ceiling.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- The space. - (My wardrobe would fit.)
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Oh, we like that.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Every time I hear you mention about your furniture fitting is
0:22:51 > 0:22:52- a good sign.- Excellent.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Excellent, really nice.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56We've seen all the inside, outside now. OK?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- Well, after you.- Thank you. - Let's see what you think.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04'With Lynda and Julie making all the right noises,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07'I get the impression that it's the garden which might just be
0:23:07 > 0:23:09'the decision maker or breaker here.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Again, I'm going to say a modest-sized garden.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20- Do you think this garden is ready for the Lynda touch?- Yes. - Good.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Oh, good, that's a good response. Excellent.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26It's a very good place to start, isn't it?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29- I don't have to mow very much. - No.- It's just such a lovely...
0:23:30 > 0:23:32- I mean, listen to those birds. - Yeah.- Yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And look at the sun at this time of day.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- That's gin and tonic o'clock there. - Yes.- Perfect.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I've now got to ask you what you think it's on the market for.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43470,000.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Yes, let's be hopeful. Let's say it's on budget.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- On budget.- It's meant to be.- Would you be happy if it was on budget?
0:23:51 > 0:23:52I think I don't see why not.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Julie, how much do you think it's on the market for?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57I'm going to say it's on budget. I'm going to say 475.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Because it's just meant to be, it's meant to be.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Let's all cross our fingers.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08How would you feel if I said the asking price was...
0:24:08 > 0:24:09£420,000?
0:24:09 > 0:24:11- What?- Really?
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Yes. How do you feel?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I feel quite scared because I know I'm going to probably make an offer
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and it might not be the right thing, but I can't stop myself.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21We'll have a little think about it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- We'll just have a little think.- It's head...- This is where the head is.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27..head and I think we have the heart here, don't we?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- We do.- Well, I'm enjoying this.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31My business advisor will speak to me.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Please take your business advisor with you,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37have another look around and give me a shout when you're ready.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38We'll do that. Thank you.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45£55,000 below budget, this semidetached cottage comes
0:24:45 > 0:24:48with three bedrooms and an established garden.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49It presents enough space for teaching
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and accommodating Lynda's students and the property is
0:24:52 > 0:24:57situated at the edge of the village, just a 25-minute drive to Thame.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It's so light in here, isn't it?
0:24:59 > 0:25:03I do like this room. It's completely different from being in there.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05You've got your little kind of cosy cottage
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and then you've suddenly got all this light and space.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11This could be the doing things room with my bench and sewing and painting.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13And it's a big space as well.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14You could actually do quite a lot in here.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Teaching, you know,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19you've got an extra kind of summer dining room almost.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22And those doors open onto the garden. I really like it.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Good.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27I think this has got so much of what we want.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Crucially, when you have a student,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- it's nice that he or she can have their own bathroom.- Yes.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35There's a desk area there or they can sit and work in there
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and you can actually exist quite separately.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41OK, so another bedroom.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Oh, sweet, again the high ceiling.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Yes. There's a lot of space in this bedroom.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49The fact that it's literally under budget makes me
0:25:49 > 0:25:51relax hugely about taking this step.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55And actually there's not huge money that needs spending on this place.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56Oh, I could think of something!
0:25:56 > 0:26:01And look how it gets the afternoon sun. Nice little fireplace,
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Yes. Sweet.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Excellent. I love it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I like that smiling face, Lynda, that's a good sign.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10And have you seen enough, both of you?
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- Yes, I think so. - It's been lovely.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Well, that's day one of our house hunt over.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17It's been pretty successful and we've got more to show you tomorrow.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Very exciting.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Good, let's go.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29It's the second day of our property search in Oxfordshire
0:26:29 > 0:26:31with Lynda and her daughter Julie.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Having recently moved from Edinburgh, Lynda has a budget of
0:26:34 > 0:26:40£475,000 and she's itching to find her new home in the countryside.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Coming up, our mystery property offers more than Lynda bargained for.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46- What about a summer house?- Wow.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50And I find out why, despite his millionaire status,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54motoring mogul William Morris kept his feet firmly on the ground.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- He mended his own shoes.- That says it all, doesn't it?- It does.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04With yesterday's second property being such a strong contender,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08I think we can take a little bit of a gamble with our mystery house,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10which may challenge Lynda on character,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14but could offer her more privacy away from her live-in student.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And if this viewing goes well with Lynda and Julie,
0:27:17 > 0:27:19well, then the drinks are going to be on me.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24So, we're on our way now to our mystery house,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27driving through some spectacular villages.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30In your heart of hearts, what are you hoping it might be?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Something I can respond to. I'm really open.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36What if it was a tiny modern house in a huge garden?
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- OK.- What if?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40I would look at the garden first.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Julie, what do you think we've got in store with our mystery house?
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I'm really excited cos I think it'll be quite different from what
0:27:47 > 0:27:50we've seen and I wonder whether we're going to go right to
0:27:50 > 0:27:53the other end and have something that's very old-fashioned or to
0:27:53 > 0:27:55the opposite end of the spectrum and something that's quite modern.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57So I'm really excited
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and I'm excited to see Mum's point of view challenged.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I'm still not, I'm going to be honest,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05entirely clear what it is you're after.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08- Well, that's two of us. - Is that two of us?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11It is too, that makes three of us.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Yeah, I don't think it exists. But that's OK.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Well, let's see if our mystery house gets the closest.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25For our final property we're heading to Charlton-on-Otmoor.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Dominated by the large 13th century church of St Mary,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31the village actually belongs to one of the seven "towns"
0:28:31 > 0:28:35that encircle Otmoor, formerly 400 acres of wetland which were
0:28:35 > 0:28:38drained during the Enclosure Act of 1815.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41The pretty centre here is host to an array of period properties as
0:28:41 > 0:28:46well as a local pub, and our mystery property is just a short walk away.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52So, might be a chilly start to our house hunt here
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- but this is your mystery house. - Oh, wow.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- Oh, right.- That's really pretty. - Isn't it sweet?
0:28:58 > 0:29:01So, any idea, ladies, why it is our mystery house?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05It's got a bar.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07It looks like an old pub sign, doesn't it?
0:29:07 > 0:29:08And you would be right.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13So, it has plenty of character, plenty of charm and perhaps the size
0:29:13 > 0:29:15that we haven't managed to achieve with our previous properties.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Oh, great.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18Shall we step inside?
0:29:18 > 0:29:19Yes, definitely.
0:29:21 > 0:29:22Built in the 17th century,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26this former pub was transformed into a home during the 1980s,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30but the arrangement of the property still reflects its commercial past.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34It's also very spacious, so if Lynda keeps an open mind,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37this could provide her with everything she's hoping for.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41So, of course, the first thing that I do have to mention is,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45there's a perfectly good front door there, but we are in the country.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Everyone likes to use the side door instead.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50So I thought, why not? We'll follow the trend.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Opens up straight into this lovely large reception room,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56- sitting room, dining room.- Pretty.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Yes, plenty of space.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02The bar was here apparently and it's been converted into a family home.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04And it still works, doesn't it?
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Yeah, you can feel the period that it was built in.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10But you could also put your contemporary stamp on it.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Isn't that a scary thought?
0:30:12 > 0:30:13Not at all.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Good.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I like it. I need to know what you think.
0:30:17 > 0:30:18Yeah, I love this room.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20One thing I'd love to point out, though.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22Can you see the brass plaque?
0:30:22 > 0:30:25That's an original pillar, the timber frame, and that was all
0:30:25 > 0:30:28boarded up and when the current owners exposed it because
0:30:28 > 0:30:31they wanted to make it a little bit more open plan, that's been there
0:30:31 > 0:30:36since the 1850s and it's from the landlord, asking the coachmen
0:30:36 > 0:30:40not to harness or saddle their horses until after light has broken.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Oh, right. Oh, that's nice.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45- In the daylight hours, yes. That was under the plaster.- How amazing.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- Yeah. Do we like? - Yes, we do like.- We do like.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Oh, I'm so pleased, cos with the mystery we've got to push you
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and I wondered if this was going to be a step too far.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54I love this room. It's gorgeous.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Previously a public house,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00the layout of the mystery property is rather unique.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Each of the ground floor rooms have a few steps separating them.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Can I introduce you to the saloon bar?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- This was the posh bit. - Oh, right, OK.
0:31:10 > 0:31:11That's the drinking pub
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and I have it on good authority from the owners at the moment,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17that this was the saloon bar, which has been made into a kitchen.
0:31:17 > 0:31:18It's lovely.
0:31:18 > 0:31:19Yes, very nice.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23And then, straight ahead of us, a rather modern conservatory.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27Great space for your hobbies, for your painting.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30It's a second sitting room almost, isn't it?
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- Yes.- We're going to go back down those few stairs
0:31:32 > 0:31:35and then back up a few more, to see the bedrooms.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Great.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- All right.- Thank you.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42'On the first floor there are two bedrooms,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45'one of which is a large double, as well as a bathroom.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48'Then, up in the attic, there's a further double bedroom
0:31:48 > 0:31:51'with an en-suite, but we're heading for the first-floor master.'
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- Oh!- OK?- Yes.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Oh.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57A little sort of dressing room.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Which leads us into the master bedroom, or Lynda's bedroom.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02It's a good size.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Well, yeah, you don't need any more space than the bed,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07if you've got your wardrobe and chest of drawers there.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09- That would work well, wouldn't it? - Yeah.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11So, I think we should go back downstairs to
0:32:11 > 0:32:13the all-important garden, talk money
0:32:13 > 0:32:16and then I'm going to allow you both to come in together, explore and
0:32:16 > 0:32:19then that's when we'll send Julie upstairs to take a look around.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Interesting. Thank you. Super.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Lynda and Julie seem to be quietly taking in the space on offer here,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29but I know Lynda can't wait to see the garden.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33I've been a little bit naughty
0:32:33 > 0:32:35because we know the garden's important.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37But what about a summer house?
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Wow. Barbecue whatever the weather.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42Yeah. That's where James could live.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46No more smelly socks problem.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47Yeah, exactly, there you go.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- You said he's got lots of, what is it - cricket gear, sports equipment? - Yeah, yeah.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53So, what do you both think of the garden?
0:32:53 > 0:32:57It's bigger than you think because of the number of areas that they've got for doing things in.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00It's intersecting. It's amazing the amount of space there is.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02What price are we going to put on our mystery house?
0:33:02 > 0:33:04I'd be inclined to go around 450.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07OK, that's Julie's answer. Lynda?
0:33:07 > 0:33:09450, too!
0:33:09 > 0:33:13You two are joined at the hip in more ways than one, aren't you?
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Well, that's interesting because the asking price is £485,000.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Oh, gosh, OK.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22So we did just mention to the owners that your budget was 475
0:33:22 > 0:33:24and they would look at offers in that region.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26That's very kind of you, thank you.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27Yeah. It does have to work for you.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29I think it's worth another look around.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Definitely. Thank you very much.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Although on the market for £485,000,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38the owners of our mystery house
0:33:38 > 0:33:42would be open to offers at the top of Lynda's budget.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46This quirky, spacious, former pub has three bedrooms, a good-sized
0:33:46 > 0:33:50garden with summerhouse and it's all set within a village location,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53less than half an hour from Lynda's other daughter in Thame.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59OK, so, yeah, it gets a little bit low here
0:33:59 > 0:34:04but it's almost like a kind of mezzanine room,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06but then there's a huge bathroom.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08And there's the en-suite in its own little room with a door.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Yes, that's completely separate.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13And it's about the same length as the bedroom.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16So we've got three bedrooms, we've got something that would be
0:34:16 > 0:34:19suitable as a kind of independent unit for a student.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22There's a bigger garden here than we've seen before.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25The way that you'd end up living in it is that you'd actually use
0:34:25 > 0:34:28two or three rooms and you'd avoid going to certain
0:34:28 > 0:34:31parts of the house because it was a little bit more difficult for you.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34- The house might be wasted on you. - I agree.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36It's not too much for me in terms of size,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38it's because it's on so many levels.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41It's the levels that would get me in the end, I think.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Can't believe that was our final house tour.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45I know.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Did we end on a high?
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Not quite so sure.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52But, you know, it's lovely for somebody else,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54but not really for me.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Well, there you go, there's the answer. But you've got two other houses to consider.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01- Uh-huh.- Yeah. - Shall we go somewhere where you can have a few moments on your own,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04- and then we should have a chat. - That sounds a good idea.- Yeah? - Yeah, lovely.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16It was within the gently rolling hills of the Oxfordshire Chilterns
0:35:16 > 0:35:19that one of the country's leading industrial figures,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21William Morris, set up home.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Although he was born in Worcester,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26the William Morris name is inextricably linked to the county
0:35:26 > 0:35:29through the vehicles he manufactured in Oxford.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31But Morris and his wife, Elizabeth, preferred to live
0:35:31 > 0:35:33away from the confines of the city.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Despite amassing a fortune,
0:35:35 > 0:35:40they chose a relatively modest abode in a village just outside Henley.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44I've come to Nuffield Place to find out more about the man,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47his manor, and how Morris's motor cars changed the world.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51I'm meeting classic car enthusiast Peter Venables.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53So what do we have here in front of us today?
0:35:53 > 0:35:55This is your car, I believe.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01It is. It's a 1925 Morris Cowley and it's called a doctor's coupe.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04You think of William Morris and you instantly think of the car industry.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07But what impact did he have on it at that time?
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Why did he make such a difference?
0:36:09 > 0:36:11He went into mass production.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14He went to America to see how they were doing things there
0:36:14 > 0:36:18and realised that was the way to go and in doing so,
0:36:18 > 0:36:23he went for the bull-nose Morris, and that style of car, shaped
0:36:23 > 0:36:30like a bullet, I think is the front, which lasted from 1913 to 1926.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33He wanted to achieve a car that most people could afford.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35That's right, yes.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37He wanted to achieve a £100 car
0:36:37 > 0:36:40and he did actually achieve that in 1931.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41With which model?
0:36:41 > 0:36:42The first Morris Minor.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44The one that we all know and love.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48When Morris and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Nuffield Manor in 1933, they wanted to put their stamp on the property.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Lord and Lady Nuffield, as they came to be known, furnished it
0:36:55 > 0:37:00with reproductions and customised pieces made in Morris's own factory.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02- Hi.- Hello, Nicky, welcome
0:37:02 > 0:37:05'House Manager Joanna Gamestar is giving me a guided tour.'
0:37:05 > 0:37:08It feels a very comfortable room.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10It doesn't feel too over the top.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11For a multi-millionaire,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14this is not the sitting room I would expect him to have.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15You're quite right.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17It's very modest, considering his great wealth.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21He was one of the richest men in the world, actually, at the time.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23So, no great manor houses or castles for him, which is
0:37:23 > 0:37:26- probably the equivalent of what someone would do today.- That's right.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28It's actually a beautiful family home.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Yes, it's the sort of thing that a doctor or solicitor may have lived in at the time.
0:37:32 > 0:37:33It hasn't changed at all?
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Well, one of the things that Lord Nuffield did was,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39he left his house to Nuffield College in Oxford,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42when he died, and he asked them to preserve it as he had left it.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46We get a snapshot of what life was like in the 1930s.
0:37:46 > 0:37:47We do indeed, yes.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51I mean, one thing that's caught my eye is the signed photo.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- That's a picture of the Queen Mother.- Yes.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56But she was Queen Elizabeth at the time.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59She sent those photographs out to various important people
0:37:59 > 0:38:02and Lord Nuffield, she particularly liked him
0:38:02 > 0:38:04because he gave money to some of her charities.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10It should come as no surprise that the Nuffields' bedroom
0:38:10 > 0:38:13continued their preference for modesty.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15The floor is thought to have been carpeted with
0:38:15 > 0:38:18off-cuts from the Morris factory!
0:38:18 > 0:38:19Talking of wealth,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22I mean, the factory or the factories around the world were doing so well.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Do we have any idea just how successful the factories were?
0:38:26 > 0:38:29The factory was making £2,000 a day in the 1930s.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34Which equates to something like £100,000 a day now.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39So he amassed this vast wealth, millions and millions of pounds.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41It's obvious he didn't spend it on himself
0:38:41 > 0:38:44and his wife obviously was of the same mind.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Where did the money go?
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Well, to start with, he kept feeding it back into the business and
0:38:48 > 0:38:53so the business grew and prospered, but eventually he gave money to
0:38:53 > 0:38:58education, to the distressed areas, lots of huge amounts of money.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00Things like setting up the Nuffield Foundation,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03which still gives away a great deal of money today.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07But at the end of the day, he liked the small pleasures in life,
0:39:07 > 0:39:08- didn't he?- He certainly did.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10He liked his smoking, he liked to walk the dog.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13And he liked to tinker, I believe. Is that true?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16You're right, and there's something very special here that you ought to see.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20Go on. Now, I'm presuming this is a cupboard with clothes in.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22No, you'd be surprised.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26This, in his bedroom, is his tool cupboard.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28That is remarkable.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Here in his bedroom, he could sit and all his tools are out.
0:39:32 > 0:39:33That's right, yes.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37So he obviously liked his binoculars for looking out on to the woodland.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40But we have the conventional stuff that you would see in any shed, don't you, in here?
0:39:40 > 0:39:45That's right, yes. And he's got a shoe last and some stickasoles,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47so he mended his own shoes.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49We know that he did a bit of tinkering with clocks.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- That says it all, doesn't it? - It does, that's right.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Oh, my goodness, and this is exactly as he left it?
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Yes.
0:39:55 > 0:39:56Put it back just as it was.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00It's both his classic cars
0:40:00 > 0:40:04and his charities that are Morris's enduring legacy.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07He was one of the country's leading industrialists,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10as well as one of Britain's greatest philanthropists.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21Well, that's it for our house hunt here in Oxfordshire with Lynda.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Now, we know the mystery house has been completely ruled out
0:40:25 > 0:40:28but what about the other two properties we showed her?
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Well, let's find out, hear what she's got to say.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Well, ladies, Lynda, this is a big move.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40I wonder how we've done for you over the last few days.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Got to ask. Oxfordshire, still the place you want to live?
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Definitely.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46I wonder, out of everything that we've shown you,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48our three properties, have we got close?
0:40:48 > 0:40:50- Definitely, yes.- I think so.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52We like the second house very much.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- Both of you? - Yes, love it.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56What is it about the second property?
0:40:56 > 0:40:58Because it was a period cottage,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00had much more of a contemporary style inside.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03We did notice it is on quite a busy road.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Once the doors and windows are closed, you're not too aware it.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07It was totally quiet.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09And your focus is very much towards
0:41:09 > 0:41:11the back of the house where the garden is.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Two lots of French doors facing the back.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15You feel that you've got that inside-outside living?
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Yeah, and the bedrooms were tall enough.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20The bedrooms were tall and then you've got that winter,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24cosy sitting room with the lower ceiling, which is really sweet.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I'm sold. Sitting here, I'm sold!
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I'm a little bit worried about that step into the conservatory.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31So what do you think the answer is?
0:41:31 > 0:41:35We think we can find a way round that with a mobile half step
0:41:35 > 0:41:38and a post to hang on to.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39I think that's a great idea.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42It's also going to work rather well for
0:41:42 > 0:41:44when you decide to have a live-in student for a couple of weeks.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Yeah, cos he's got his own shower room, which is great,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49cos I don't want a shower room.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51He can have that. And the bathroom was amazing.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54So you're getting excited about this house, both of you very energised.
0:41:54 > 0:41:55You can see you love it.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57So how much do you love it?
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Are we talking second viewing or were you
0:41:59 > 0:42:00thinking of putting in an offer?
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- Definitely second viewing. - That's excellent news.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Yes, and I think that the addition of my sister, if that gets
0:42:06 > 0:42:09the seal of approval, that may push us a little bit further,
0:42:09 > 0:42:10- mightn't it?- Yep.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12I hope the second viewing goes extremely well
0:42:12 > 0:42:15and that your sister loves it as much as you two do.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Fingers crossed, you could be moving in very soon.
0:42:18 > 0:42:19- The very best of luck. - Thank you.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21And keep in touch, won't you?
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- We will.- Thank you very much, Nicki, for all your hard work.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25You're welcome.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It's been a steep learning curve for Lynda.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34It all started off rather vague.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38She wasn't sure what she wanted and, let's be honest, nor were we.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41But I think the last few days has given her a certain clarity
0:42:41 > 0:42:45as to what she wants and what she actually needs.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Well, that's it from Oxfordshire for this week,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51but I'll see you again soon on Escape To the Country.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55If you would like to escape to the country
0:42:55 > 0:42:57in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
0:42:57 > 0:43:03and would like our help, please apply online at: