Oxfordshire Escape to the Country

Built 100 years ago, this Edwardian property was home

to one of Britain's greatest industrialists.

Find out who he was and where I am in just a moment.

'Today's house hunter can't wait to leave city lights behind her

'and settle for the serenity of the countryside.

'Our properties get a good thumbs-up.'

Imagine waking up to that.

'But is she really ready for the reality of rural living?'

It's amazing, very quiet. I'd have to put the radio on.

Today we're in Oxfordshire

and this is Nuffield Place, on the edge of the Chiltern Hills.

Now, in the 1930s, it was home to William Morris,

founder of the Morris motor car company.

His mass-produced cars made William Morris a multi-millionaire,

but he gave much of his wealth away

and lived in this relatively modest home.

Now, later on in the show, I'll be stepping inside to find out

more about this pioneering motor man and his manor.

But first, let's hit the road

and see what else this attractive county has to offer.

Situated in southern England,

landlocked Oxfordshire is bordered by six counties,

including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire.

In the south of the county, the chalky Chiltern Hills that dominate

are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

covering 324 square miles, across four counties.

Oxfordshire is home, not only to archetypal English meadows and

fields, but also the world-famous and prestigious Oxford University,

which attracts over 22,000 students from more than 140 countries.

Just outside of the city, the honey-coloured Cotswold market town

of Woodstock is popular with tourists who visit the nearby

splendour of Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill.

And in the far south-east of the county,

where the Thames forms the border with Berkshire,

the riverside town of Henley is famous for its annual Royal Regatta,

its high street lined with boutique shops and busy restaurants.

Let's not beat about the bush, Oxfordshire is expensive.

The average price for a detached home here is £443,000.

Now, that's a whopping £160,000 above the national figure.

Excellent transport connections to London and the Midlands

make it a popular choice for commuters,

but it's also the classic beauty of the countryside

and attractive villages

that makes property shopping here an expensive affair.

So what is it about Oxfordshire that has

so attracted today's buyer to the area?

Well, let's meet her and find out.

Lynda lives by herself in the city of Edinburgh,

teaching English to foreign students

and running a one-room bed and breakfast from her home.

Her daughter Julie, who's a trainee doctor,

lives just ten doors down, on the same street.

I moved here about five or six years ago,

so inevitably we have a very close relationship.

Mum's good fun, definitely. She's very emotional.

She's certainly very emotional about this move.

Julie's very empathetic.

She's very focused and effective.

As a child, and then into later life for her career,

Lynda has travelled and moved extensively.

However, she's been settled in Edinburgh for the last 15 years, and

now that her twin daughters, Julie and Fiona, as well as son James,

are all grown-up, she's ready to up sticks and move to the countryside.

It's a special place

but it's a little bit like having a circus on your doorstep sometimes.

All the time.

Because there's so much going on,

it's almost becoming a bit more isolating for you and what

we'd like to do is find somewhere that is a little bit more inclusive.

Lynda is particularly drawn to Oxfordshire

where she spent her first days in the UK, with her grandmother in Banbury.

And so the area brings back many memories.

The first time I came to England from Africa,

I was able to run on green grass for the first time.

It made a big impression on me.

The smell of spring flowers and birds singing,

I just couldn't believe it.

The landscape is familiar to me and I feel as if I'm going home.

A year ago, Lynda had a hip replacement

and so she's been finding her B&B work increasingly demanding.

And, although she's on the mend, she's keen to give up that

side of her business so she can immerse herself into local life

somewhere close to Thame, where Julie's sister, Fiona, lives.

Being part of a community, helping people,

being helped by people, that's what makes us all tick, isn't it?

Liking and being liked.

You're wonderful and you have a lot to offer a small community.

-You do.

-I know.

Living up on the second floor,

Lynda hasn't had her own garden for 15 years and, being naturally

green-fingered, she can't wait to get her hands dirty again.

Every time I say the word, just say the word garden,

I get this rush of emotion to the stomach.

It's really tangible, when you think about something that you

haven't had for a long time, that you love.

And with Julie by her side,

Lynda's confident that their close relationship will help guide

her through the next chapter of her life.

I think this move will change your life.

It's just a house, but actually it's a community,

it's an environment, it's a way of life.

I think it'll be great.

I am very keen to see you in the right place.

Oh, yeah - ie, seven hours away from you!

Lynda is fairly open to living anywhere in Oxfordshire,

as long as it's within an hour's drive of her other daughter, Fiona,

who lives in Thame.

'I'm meeting up with both Lynda

'and Julie on the attractive village green of Warborough, to

'pinpoint exactly what Lynda's after from her new home in the country.'

Well, Lynda and Julie, welcome to Oxfordshire.

We haven't picked the sunniest of days,

but it's not going to deter us, is it?

-No.

-No, absolutely.

So, Lynda, this move is all about you, isn't it?

And you've brought lovely Julie along,

your daughter, to help with this search.

So recently you've actually moved,

your flat is just about to go through in Edinburgh

and you've already moved to the county,

-haven't you in the last few days?

-Yes.

-So you're renting.

Renting a very nice little place.

Goodbye to the splendid apartment in Edinburgh, and hello what?

What is it exactly you're after?

What does it look like in your mind?

It's completely blank, I have no idea.

Let's start with the bedrooms, then.

Two-and-a-half bedrooms.

And who's the half a bedroom for?

James, my son. He'll come and go.

He will, only half a bedroom!

So, you don't mind something quite small for him, like a boxroom?

That would be fine. He'll be happy with that.

I need a place for visitors, friends, and also for a student.

You have them weekly, monthly and they come to stay with you, is that correct?

Yes, it's called an immersion course, so the point is they don't

have access to their own language, so they have to speak English.

What about a garden?

I know that I want an established herbaceous border

or to establish something.

Obviously pretty flowers and some vegetables.

Julie, how important do you think it is for your mum to have

sort of friends, neighbours, on her doorstep?

Being in a smaller place,

my hope for you is that you'll make closer friends and kind of

get involved in more things than maybe you did in a big city.

-Local things, yes.

-Local things.

Now, remind me of how much we've got to spend here in Oxfordshire.

What's the budget?

475,000.

I was worried about managing your expectations, because

you're coming from this beautiful, very large, spacious Georgian flat.

Moving to Oxfordshire, am I allowed to use the D word, down-sizing?

Yes, why not, sensible.

-Yeah, are you happy with that?

-Yeah, it's sensible.

And do you think mentally you're prepared for it?

I think it could be very cosy.

Moving to Oxfordshire, you know, if you were to look at a property,

say, in an area like this, you've got this wonderful space,

you've got the village green behind us, the pub, thatched cottages.

Is this what you've got in mind?

It could well be. It's got a lot to offer.

-Do you think she'd like something like this, as well?

-Yes, I think it's lovely.

I'd certainly like to come and stay with you.

Well, that's jolly good, because guess what, our first property is

literally behind that tree, behind that church, house number one.

Shall we go?

Yeah, of course.

So, armed with a budget of up to £475,000, Lynda is looking for

a two- to three-bedroom property

which can accommodate a live-in student.

Ideally she'd like to have an established garden

and the location would be within a village

and no more than an hour's drive from Julie's twin sister, Fiona.

We've got a range of period properties lined up that

reflect Oxfordshire's pretty past.

And at the end of the tours, I'll be asking our house hunters

to guess the price of each.

Our final stop is the mystery house, made to challenge expectations,

but which may make our buyer reassess what

she actually wants from a property.

We're beginning our search south of the county in Warborough.

Regarded as one of the finest village greens in the country,

Warborough Green is nestled within a protected area of conservation.

This idyllic village setting,

surrounded by open countryside, also benefits from a tight-knit

social scene, hosting a plethora of local groups and events

which could be just the escape from city living that Lynda is after.

Located within the village,

but hidden down a quiet lane is house number one.

So how would this work as potentially the first property?

Looks very sweet. It looks well-loved.

-Do you like it, Julie?

-I really like it.

I like the colours and I like the proportions,

I like the sensitive extension. Really nice.

Well, let's see what you make of the property. Shall we, girls?

I can't wait.

This charming character cottage dates back to the mid-18th century

and spent its former years as a gardener's cottage

to the neighbouring property on the same lane.

It was renovated in 1997,

when the garage was converted into a country kitchen diner.

So, welcome, and step inside the cottage.

-Wow.

-Oh.

This looks sweet.

I think it's a lot larger than it appears.

It does feel bigger inside than I expected from the outside.

If you had someone coming for dinner, they could just sit down straight away.

I think it already feels like your kitchen.

Well, it's very similar to my kitchen.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

And a large dining table.

I'm thinking potentially you could actually have study in here as well.

Most students are quite happy with the kitchen.

-Are they?

-Yes.

And James could fit in it as it's actually quite a high ceiling.

-Oh, right, yes.

-Is this your son?

-Yes, he's about this high.

-Shall we continue?

-Lovely.

So you've got doors here which, from a practical point of view,

if you've got a student, quite good cos you can close off the rooms.

It does lead to this, well, I think, rather lovely sitting room.

Yeah, really sweet.

Definitely, it's gorgeous.

Got a lovely cosy feel, hasn't it?

There's a clapboard wall and a stove.

-So far, so good?

-So far, so lovely.

-Definitely, really lovely.

-Do you think Mum would be happy here?

-I can imagine her here.

-Good.

-Right.

-Absolutely.

Let's continue.

Also on the ground floor, there's a single bedroom and study

which could be useful in accommodating a student

as it comes with its own separate access.

Up on the first floor, there are a further two bedrooms,

one single and one double, and also a family bathroom.

So, upstairs, being a cottage, quite steep stairs coming up.

How did you feel getting up those stairs?

It's OK. All stairs are stairs and the handrail's there

-and it's a solid one.

-Yes.

-This is the main bedroom.

-Lovely light.

Well, let's step back outside, take a look at the garden and also

really how much you think it's on the market for.

Julie, if you wouldn't mind leading the way, thank you.

All positive so far, but after 15 years without a garden,

I wonder if this one is going to meet Lynda's expectations?

So, a very cute cottage,

which leads us into, I think, an equally desirable garden.

It's very sweet and again, much-loved and cared for.

A little bit small for me.

Yes, but if you look at it, they've done it very cleverly

so that you don't have to do very much in this garden at the moment.

But if you look at the space you've got,

you could change it quite a lot. It's a reasonable size.

That bed there would be perfect for establishing a whopping herbaceous border.

A whopping herbaceous border. You've also got two sheds.

Two sheds.

Not just one, two.

Now, what you could perhaps do is take those down

and get a larger wooden structure and have that for storage.

-Or maybe open-sided.

-Also sitting out here.

For dining.

Is this the type of garden that actually would work for you?

I know the dream is perhaps have a little bit larger.

The thing is, I'm really good on my knees.

I'm not very good at walking,

but scrabbling about in a flower bed, I can do that.

Just put knee protectors on.

-And you're away!

-I'm fine.

OK, well fair enough. Let's talk about the price, then,

for our first cottage.

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

This location is lovely and it's probably worth 450,000.

I think 450's quite conservative.

So, probably over budget,

given the area and this is a lovely little cottage and garden.

Give me a price.

485.

The asking price is £450,000.

-Oh, my.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

That is clever. Well that's a lovely surprise for me as well.

So, I think a really strong start with our house hunt in Oxfordshire.

£25,000 under budget,

this sympathetically extended cottage with three bedrooms

and a manageable garden is located within a stunning village setting.

What's more, it's just a 25-minute drive from Lynda's daughter,

Fiona, in Thame.

Coming into these first two rooms is just beautiful.

It's a real wow.

My one-to-one immersion student,

we could easily have lessons in the kitchen with the natural sunlight.

There is that whole separate section with a bedroom in it and its

own little corridor, so that creates a bit of privacy for another person.

When I saw the garden, to me, that's kind of a city garden.

A perfect city garden but that's not a country garden in my head.

I really like the feel of it. I can imagine Mum living in it

but I can't imagine all of her stuff being here too.

I've already got rid of what, 500 books?

-You will get rid of the right things if it's the right place.

-Yes.

How are we?

Hello. It's getting sunnier and sunnier.

I know, it's lovely.

The sun is shining on us,

it's trying to convince you to buy this property, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's a good start.

-It's a very good start.

-Yeah, are you happy?

-Yes.

-Pleased with what you've seen so far?

-Yes.

-That is the best news because I've still got more to show you.

-Excellent.

-Come on.

-Thank you.

Renowned worldwide for academia, Oxfordshire is home to

the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

Stretching across the county, education is paramount

and the landscape is peppered with schools.

In the picturesque village of Marcham,

one institution in particular has been educating since 1948.

The Denman College is owned by the Women's Institute

and was bought collectively by the organisation through donations

to offer a range of courses for members

as well as the general public.

We've sent Lynda and Julie to meet chair Ann Harrison, to find out

about more the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK.

You're interested in the WI, I hear.

Of course, yes, I am.

Yes, so do you know much about it?

It must have been started during the war.

Because it was war-time, they wanted to help the war effort and one

of the things they could do from rural communities was, of course,

use the fruit in their gardens and hedgerows and we started making jam.

So the WIs took on this production and it went right

through from the First World War and into the second, too.

The WI actually began its life in Canada,

inspired by a talk given by Adelaide Hoodless in 1897.

Sadly, she had a lost a child who drank contaminated milk

and so was determined other mothers did not suffer the same fate

through ignorance of poor food hygiene.

Today, the WI still fights for issues

close to their female members' hearts.

We've campaigned on milk and tried to help dairy farmers

because of the cost of milk and the cost of producing it.

We've had organ donation,

encouraging people to leave instructions what they want.

We were the people who started off the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.

-That's really taking off now.

-Yes.

The WI movement came to Britain in 1915

and is celebrating its centenary.

Here at Denman College, there are 650 courses,

ranging from cooking to astronomy.

Lynda and Julie are joining a couple of local members to learn how

to make a silver clay pendant with jewellery designer Melanie Blake.

You're all going to be designing your own pendant,

so they're all going to be different at the end

but they'll be something like this one here.

Invented in Japan just 20 years ago, silver clay is a revolutionary putty

made from tiny silver particles mixed with an organic binder, which,

when heated to reduce the moisture content, reveals pure silver.

It's extremely versatile and easy to work with.

The ladies are rolling out the putty to form the beginnings of a pendant.

Oh, yours has gone much longer than mine.

I've got a squashy one.

Just roll it a bit harder. Press it a bit harder, Julie.

Come on, put some wellie into it!

Just place the texture sheet on top of the clay

and then just rub it on with our fingers.

Then, when we peel away the texture sheet,

we should find all that lovely pattern

is now on the silver clay.

-Oh.

-Oh, wow, yours is good.

After making a hole in the pendant,

it's given a blast of hot air with a hairdryer before getting fired

in a kiln at 800 degrees for eight minutes to dry out.

Once fired, the pendants are plunged into cold water to cool them down.

The only reason that this white surface is not looking silver

and shiny is just simply because the surface isn't polished

and we can start this very, very easily, just using the wire brush.

Oh, my goodness.

It's like discovering gold.

Oh, yes, but it's discovering silver.

Finally, by tying a ribbon through the hole in the pendant,

the new necklaces are complete.

You've done really well.

Well, thank you very much, we've had such a lovely afternoon.

It's nice to have something to take away to remember what we've done.

Our house hunt continues in the village of Launton.

Originally an area steeped in farming and agriculture,

today the hub of the busy community here centres on the two pubs

and village hall.

There's also a local store, post office and farm shop,

as well as sheep rearing fields, all within a stone's throw,

giving Lynda everything she needs for country living on her doorstop.

On the edge of the village is our second property.

It's, to be fair to say,

quite different from the first house that we showed you.

-The main thing is...

-It's on a road.

-It is on a road.

So there's a practical side to being on a road

and there's a slightly noisier side to being on the road, isn't it?

-What do you think?

-Very nice stone. Nice jasmine growing up the walls.

From a business point of view, your students can easily get to Oxford.

-Yes.

-20 minutes on the bus.

They also might like the fact that Bicester

is five minutes in the car down the road, which, as I'm sure as ladies

you know, high-end retail shopping, one of the biggest in Europe.

-That's what Fiona said.

-It really is.

-So, from a marketing point of view, that's quite an attraction.

-Yes.

-Shall we see what you make of the property?

-Oh, yes.

-Can't wait.

Although 200 years old, this cottage has been thoroughly

modernised throughout by the current owners to a very high standard.

So, step inside.

-Wow.

-I really like it, don't you?

-I love it.

-You both seemed pleasantly surprised as we walked through the door.

-It's very nice.

It is nice, they've done it really well, they've made the most of the space there.

What do you think about the noise,

cos it was a little bit noisy outside.

As soon as you close the door, you can't hear anything. Amazing.

Very quiet. I'd have to put the radio on.

Kitchens are important, we know. How does this one rate and feel?

It rates highly, and my table would fit.

I mean, it would be, you know, more than that, but it would fit.

In a slightly different way, but it would work.

I like that, you two both looked at each other, nodded and smiled.

That's enough for me, I'm going to move on. Let's go through here.

There's a good hallway, generous again, slightly deceiving,

-because...

-Wow.

-It leads to another large area. Sitting room.

This is a big room, with a lovely little window under

-the lintel thing, And look, a little window seat.

-Yes, that's nice.

So, this is your sitting room.

But the house was extended about 15 years ago

and you have a very large conservatory with a heated floor.

-And having this extra head space at this end of the room...

-Makes it feel bigger.

That end feels cosy but it doesn't feel enclosed, it's nice.

James could stand up here.

We could just make him have this end of the room.

-I feel the son is with us at all times.

-Yes.

-Because he's going to be coming to stay.

-Well, yes.

Very different from where you've currently been living.

How does it feel to you, Lynda? Does it feel like a home?

-Perfectly.

-It does?

-Perfectly.

I was worried that the next one would be much, much more modern

and this one's just become a little bit more modern

but without losing the cottagey feel.

'Also on the ground floor, there's a separate study

'and a shower room which could be useful for staying students.

'Then, up on the first floor, there are three good-sized double bedrooms,

'two of which are currently decorated for young children,

'and all served by a tiled family bathroom.'

-Oh, wow.

-Let me show you the master bedroom.

-Look at that ceiling.

-The space.

-(My wardrobe would fit.)

Oh, we like that.

Every time I hear you mention about your furniture fitting is

-a good sign.

-Excellent.

Excellent, really nice.

We've seen all the inside, outside now. OK?

-Well, after you.

-Thank you.

-Let's see what you think.

'With Lynda and Julie making all the right noises,

'I get the impression that it's the garden which might just be

'the decision maker or breaker here.'

Again, I'm going to say a modest-sized garden.

-Do you think this garden is ready for the Lynda touch?

-Yes.

-Good.

Oh, good, that's a good response. Excellent.

It's a very good place to start, isn't it?

-I don't have to mow very much.

-No.

-It's just such a lovely...

-I mean, listen to those birds.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

And look at the sun at this time of day.

-That's gin and tonic o'clock there.

-Yes.

-Perfect.

I've now got to ask you what you think it's on the market for.

470,000.

Yes, let's be hopeful. Let's say it's on budget.

-On budget.

-It's meant to be.

-Would you be happy if it was on budget?

I think I don't see why not.

Julie, how much do you think it's on the market for?

I'm going to say it's on budget. I'm going to say 475.

Because it's just meant to be, it's meant to be.

Let's all cross our fingers.

How would you feel if I said the asking price was...

£420,000?

-What?

-Really?

Yes. How do you feel?

I feel quite scared because I know I'm going to probably make an offer

and it might not be the right thing, but I can't stop myself.

We'll have a little think about it.

-We'll just have a little think.

-It's head...

-This is where the head is.

..head and I think we have the heart here, don't we?

-We do.

-Well, I'm enjoying this.

My business advisor will speak to me.

Please take your business advisor with you,

have another look around and give me a shout when you're ready.

We'll do that. Thank you.

£55,000 below budget, this semidetached cottage comes

with three bedrooms and an established garden.

It presents enough space for teaching

and accommodating Lynda's students and the property is

situated at the edge of the village, just a 25-minute drive to Thame.

It's so light in here, isn't it?

I do like this room. It's completely different from being in there.

You've got your little kind of cosy cottage

and then you've suddenly got all this light and space.

This could be the doing things room with my bench and sewing and painting.

And it's a big space as well.

You could actually do quite a lot in here.

Teaching, you know,

you've got an extra kind of summer dining room almost.

And those doors open onto the garden. I really like it.

Good.

I think this has got so much of what we want.

Crucially, when you have a student,

-it's nice that he or she can have their own bathroom.

-Yes.

There's a desk area there or they can sit and work in there

and you can actually exist quite separately.

OK, so another bedroom.

Oh, sweet, again the high ceiling.

Yes. There's a lot of space in this bedroom.

The fact that it's literally under budget makes me

relax hugely about taking this step.

And actually there's not huge money that needs spending on this place.

Oh, I could think of something!

And look how it gets the afternoon sun. Nice little fireplace,

Yes. Sweet.

Excellent. I love it.

I like that smiling face, Lynda, that's a good sign.

And have you seen enough, both of you?

-Yes, I think so.

-It's been lovely.

Well, that's day one of our house hunt over.

It's been pretty successful and we've got more to show you tomorrow.

Very exciting.

Good, let's go.

It's the second day of our property search in Oxfordshire

with Lynda and her daughter Julie.

Having recently moved from Edinburgh, Lynda has a budget of

£475,000 and she's itching to find her new home in the countryside.

Coming up, our mystery property offers more than Lynda bargained for.

-What about a summer house?

-Wow.

And I find out why, despite his millionaire status,

motoring mogul William Morris kept his feet firmly on the ground.

-He mended his own shoes.

-That says it all, doesn't it?

-It does.

With yesterday's second property being such a strong contender,

I think we can take a little bit of a gamble with our mystery house,

which may challenge Lynda on character,

but could offer her more privacy away from her live-in student.

And if this viewing goes well with Lynda and Julie,

well, then the drinks are going to be on me.

So, we're on our way now to our mystery house,

driving through some spectacular villages.

In your heart of hearts, what are you hoping it might be?

Something I can respond to. I'm really open.

What if it was a tiny modern house in a huge garden?

-OK.

-What if?

I would look at the garden first.

Julie, what do you think we've got in store with our mystery house?

I'm really excited cos I think it'll be quite different from what

we've seen and I wonder whether we're going to go right to

the other end and have something that's very old-fashioned or to

the opposite end of the spectrum and something that's quite modern.

So I'm really excited

and I'm excited to see Mum's point of view challenged.

I'm still not, I'm going to be honest,

entirely clear what it is you're after.

-Well, that's two of us.

-Is that two of us?

It is too, that makes three of us.

Yeah, I don't think it exists. But that's OK.

Well, let's see if our mystery house gets the closest.

For our final property we're heading to Charlton-on-Otmoor.

Dominated by the large 13th century church of St Mary,

the village actually belongs to one of the seven "towns"

that encircle Otmoor, formerly 400 acres of wetland which were

drained during the Enclosure Act of 1815.

The pretty centre here is host to an array of period properties as

well as a local pub, and our mystery property is just a short walk away.

So, might be a chilly start to our house hunt here

-but this is your mystery house.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, right.

-That's really pretty.

-Isn't it sweet?

So, any idea, ladies, why it is our mystery house?

It's got a bar.

It looks like an old pub sign, doesn't it?

And you would be right.

So, it has plenty of character, plenty of charm and perhaps the size

that we haven't managed to achieve with our previous properties.

Oh, great.

Shall we step inside?

Yes, definitely.

Built in the 17th century,

this former pub was transformed into a home during the 1980s,

but the arrangement of the property still reflects its commercial past.

It's also very spacious, so if Lynda keeps an open mind,

this could provide her with everything she's hoping for.

So, of course, the first thing that I do have to mention is,

there's a perfectly good front door there, but we are in the country.

Everyone likes to use the side door instead.

So I thought, why not? We'll follow the trend.

Opens up straight into this lovely large reception room,

-sitting room, dining room.

-Pretty.

Yes, plenty of space.

The bar was here apparently and it's been converted into a family home.

And it still works, doesn't it?

Yeah, you can feel the period that it was built in.

But you could also put your contemporary stamp on it.

Isn't that a scary thought?

Not at all.

Good.

I like it. I need to know what you think.

Yeah, I love this room.

One thing I'd love to point out, though.

Can you see the brass plaque?

That's an original pillar, the timber frame, and that was all

boarded up and when the current owners exposed it because

they wanted to make it a little bit more open plan, that's been there

since the 1850s and it's from the landlord, asking the coachmen

not to harness or saddle their horses until after light has broken.

Oh, right. Oh, that's nice.

-In the daylight hours, yes. That was under the plaster.

-How amazing.

-Yeah. Do we like?

-Yes, we do like.

-We do like.

Oh, I'm so pleased, cos with the mystery we've got to push you

and I wondered if this was going to be a step too far.

I love this room. It's gorgeous.

Previously a public house,

the layout of the mystery property is rather unique.

Each of the ground floor rooms have a few steps separating them.

Can I introduce you to the saloon bar?

-This was the posh bit.

-Oh, right, OK.

That's the drinking pub

and I have it on good authority from the owners at the moment,

that this was the saloon bar, which has been made into a kitchen.

It's lovely.

Yes, very nice.

And then, straight ahead of us, a rather modern conservatory.

Great space for your hobbies, for your painting.

It's a second sitting room almost, isn't it?

-Yes.

-We're going to go back down those few stairs

and then back up a few more, to see the bedrooms.

Great.

-All right.

-Thank you.

'On the first floor there are two bedrooms,

'one of which is a large double, as well as a bathroom.

'Then, up in the attic, there's a further double bedroom

'with an en-suite, but we're heading for the first-floor master.'

-Oh!

-OK?

-Yes.

Oh.

A little sort of dressing room.

Which leads us into the master bedroom, or Lynda's bedroom.

It's a good size.

Well, yeah, you don't need any more space than the bed,

if you've got your wardrobe and chest of drawers there.

-That would work well, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

So, I think we should go back downstairs to

the all-important garden, talk money

and then I'm going to allow you both to come in together, explore and

then that's when we'll send Julie upstairs to take a look around.

Interesting. Thank you. Super.

Lynda and Julie seem to be quietly taking in the space on offer here,

but I know Lynda can't wait to see the garden.

I've been a little bit naughty

because we know the garden's important.

But what about a summer house?

Wow. Barbecue whatever the weather.

Yeah. That's where James could live.

No more smelly socks problem.

Yeah, exactly, there you go.

-You said he's got lots of, what is it - cricket gear, sports equipment?

-Yeah, yeah.

So, what do you both think of the garden?

It's bigger than you think because of the number of areas that they've got for doing things in.

It's intersecting. It's amazing the amount of space there is.

What price are we going to put on our mystery house?

I'd be inclined to go around 450.

OK, that's Julie's answer. Lynda?

450, too!

You two are joined at the hip in more ways than one, aren't you?

Well, that's interesting because the asking price is £485,000.

Oh, gosh, OK.

So we did just mention to the owners that your budget was 475

and they would look at offers in that region.

That's very kind of you, thank you.

Yeah. It does have to work for you.

I think it's worth another look around.

Definitely. Thank you very much.

Although on the market for £485,000,

the owners of our mystery house

would be open to offers at the top of Lynda's budget.

This quirky, spacious, former pub has three bedrooms, a good-sized

garden with summerhouse and it's all set within a village location,

less than half an hour from Lynda's other daughter in Thame.

OK, so, yeah, it gets a little bit low here

but it's almost like a kind of mezzanine room,

but then there's a huge bathroom.

And there's the en-suite in its own little room with a door.

Yes, that's completely separate.

And it's about the same length as the bedroom.

So we've got three bedrooms, we've got something that would be

suitable as a kind of independent unit for a student.

There's a bigger garden here than we've seen before.

The way that you'd end up living in it is that you'd actually use

two or three rooms and you'd avoid going to certain

parts of the house because it was a little bit more difficult for you.

-The house might be wasted on you.

-I agree.

It's not too much for me in terms of size,

it's because it's on so many levels.

It's the levels that would get me in the end, I think.

Can't believe that was our final house tour.

I know.

Did we end on a high?

Not quite so sure.

But, you know, it's lovely for somebody else,

but not really for me.

Well, there you go, there's the answer. But you've got two other houses to consider.

-Uh-huh.

-Yeah.

-Shall we go somewhere where you can have a few moments on your own,

-and then we should have a chat.

-That sounds a good idea.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, lovely.

It was within the gently rolling hills of the Oxfordshire Chilterns

that one of the country's leading industrial figures,

William Morris, set up home.

Although he was born in Worcester,

the William Morris name is inextricably linked to the county

through the vehicles he manufactured in Oxford.

But Morris and his wife, Elizabeth, preferred to live

away from the confines of the city.

Despite amassing a fortune,

they chose a relatively modest abode in a village just outside Henley.

I've come to Nuffield Place to find out more about the man,

his manor, and how Morris's motor cars changed the world.

I'm meeting classic car enthusiast Peter Venables.

So what do we have here in front of us today?

This is your car, I believe.

It is. It's a 1925 Morris Cowley and it's called a doctor's coupe.

You think of William Morris and you instantly think of the car industry.

But what impact did he have on it at that time?

Why did he make such a difference?

He went into mass production.

He went to America to see how they were doing things there

and realised that was the way to go and in doing so,

he went for the bull-nose Morris, and that style of car, shaped

like a bullet, I think is the front, which lasted from 1913 to 1926.

He wanted to achieve a car that most people could afford.

That's right, yes.

He wanted to achieve a £100 car

and he did actually achieve that in 1931.

With which model?

The first Morris Minor.

The one that we all know and love.

When Morris and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to

Nuffield Manor in 1933, they wanted to put their stamp on the property.

Lord and Lady Nuffield, as they came to be known, furnished it

with reproductions and customised pieces made in Morris's own factory.

-Hi.

-Hello, Nicky, welcome

'House Manager Joanna Gamestar is giving me a guided tour.'

It feels a very comfortable room.

It doesn't feel too over the top.

For a multi-millionaire,

this is not the sitting room I would expect him to have.

You're quite right.

It's very modest, considering his great wealth.

He was one of the richest men in the world, actually, at the time.

So, no great manor houses or castles for him, which is

-probably the equivalent of what someone would do today.

-That's right.

It's actually a beautiful family home.

Yes, it's the sort of thing that a doctor or solicitor may have lived in at the time.

It hasn't changed at all?

Well, one of the things that Lord Nuffield did was,

he left his house to Nuffield College in Oxford,

when he died, and he asked them to preserve it as he had left it.

We get a snapshot of what life was like in the 1930s.

We do indeed, yes.

I mean, one thing that's caught my eye is the signed photo.

-That's a picture of the Queen Mother.

-Yes.

But she was Queen Elizabeth at the time.

She sent those photographs out to various important people

and Lord Nuffield, she particularly liked him

because he gave money to some of her charities.

It should come as no surprise that the Nuffields' bedroom

continued their preference for modesty.

The floor is thought to have been carpeted with

off-cuts from the Morris factory!

Talking of wealth,

I mean, the factory or the factories around the world were doing so well.

Do we have any idea just how successful the factories were?

The factory was making £2,000 a day in the 1930s.

Which equates to something like £100,000 a day now.

So he amassed this vast wealth, millions and millions of pounds.

It's obvious he didn't spend it on himself

and his wife obviously was of the same mind.

Where did the money go?

Well, to start with, he kept feeding it back into the business and

so the business grew and prospered, but eventually he gave money to

education, to the distressed areas, lots of huge amounts of money.

Things like setting up the Nuffield Foundation,

which still gives away a great deal of money today.

But at the end of the day, he liked the small pleasures in life,

-didn't he?

-He certainly did.

He liked his smoking, he liked to walk the dog.

And he liked to tinker, I believe. Is that true?

You're right, and there's something very special here that you ought to see.

Go on. Now, I'm presuming this is a cupboard with clothes in.

No, you'd be surprised.

This, in his bedroom, is his tool cupboard.

That is remarkable.

Here in his bedroom, he could sit and all his tools are out.

That's right, yes.

So he obviously liked his binoculars for looking out on to the woodland.

But we have the conventional stuff that you would see in any shed, don't you, in here?

That's right, yes. And he's got a shoe last and some stickasoles,

so he mended his own shoes.

We know that he did a bit of tinkering with clocks.

-That says it all, doesn't it?

-It does, that's right.

Oh, my goodness, and this is exactly as he left it?

Yes.

Put it back just as it was.

It's both his classic cars

and his charities that are Morris's enduring legacy.

He was one of the country's leading industrialists,

as well as one of Britain's greatest philanthropists.

Well, that's it for our house hunt here in Oxfordshire with Lynda.

Now, we know the mystery house has been completely ruled out

but what about the other two properties we showed her?

Well, let's find out, hear what she's got to say.

Well, ladies, Lynda, this is a big move.

I wonder how we've done for you over the last few days.

Got to ask. Oxfordshire, still the place you want to live?

Definitely.

I wonder, out of everything that we've shown you,

our three properties, have we got close?

-Definitely, yes.

-I think so.

We like the second house very much.

-Both of you?

-Yes, love it.

What is it about the second property?

Because it was a period cottage,

had much more of a contemporary style inside.

We did notice it is on quite a busy road.

Once the doors and windows are closed, you're not too aware it.

It was totally quiet.

And your focus is very much towards

the back of the house where the garden is.

Two lots of French doors facing the back.

You feel that you've got that inside-outside living?

Yeah, and the bedrooms were tall enough.

The bedrooms were tall and then you've got that winter,

cosy sitting room with the lower ceiling, which is really sweet.

I'm sold. Sitting here, I'm sold!

I'm a little bit worried about that step into the conservatory.

So what do you think the answer is?

We think we can find a way round that with a mobile half step

and a post to hang on to.

I think that's a great idea.

It's also going to work rather well for

when you decide to have a live-in student for a couple of weeks.

Yeah, cos he's got his own shower room, which is great,

cos I don't want a shower room.

He can have that. And the bathroom was amazing.

So you're getting excited about this house, both of you very energised.

You can see you love it.

So how much do you love it?

Are we talking second viewing or were you

thinking of putting in an offer?

-Definitely second viewing.

-That's excellent news.

Yes, and I think that the addition of my sister, if that gets

the seal of approval, that may push us a little bit further,

-mightn't it?

-Yep.

I hope the second viewing goes extremely well

and that your sister loves it as much as you two do.

Fingers crossed, you could be moving in very soon.

-The very best of luck.

-Thank you.

And keep in touch, won't you?

-We will.

-Thank you very much, Nicki, for all your hard work.

You're welcome.

It's been a steep learning curve for Lynda.

It all started off rather vague.

She wasn't sure what she wanted and, let's be honest, nor were we.

But I think the last few days has given her a certain clarity

as to what she wants and what she actually needs.

Well, that's it from Oxfordshire for this week,

but I'll see you again soon on Escape To the Country.

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