South Somerset Escape to the Country

Framed by the churches of St James and St Mary Magdalene,

this historic county's cricket teams have been playing on this very

pitch for the last 134 years.

But where is this slice of quintessentially British

sporting life? Find out in just a moment.

Today's buyers can't wait to make their great escape from the coast

and immerse themselves in rural living.

At times it seems as if our properties over deliver.

It's a bit bigger than I was expecting really.

But then some aspects receive an overwhelming response.

-Wow! That's a surprise.

-Yes, what a surprise!

-I didn't expect that.

What a beautiful vista.

Today, I'm in Somerset

and this is the County Cricket Ground in Taunton.

The origins of cricket go back to the 1600s, with a game called stoball

which used a tree stump as a wicket

and a leather bag filled with quills as a ball.

But by the end of the 19th century, the modern rules had developed.

And in 1875, the Somerset County Cricket Club was formed.

And it's now one of the 18 top clubs in the country.

I'll be coming back to find out more about the history of cricket

later in the show,

but the noble game is not the only thing this county is famous for.

Lying in the south-west of England, Somerset covers

an area of over 1,600 square miles.

And borders the coastal counties of Devon and Dorset.

South Somerset, where we are focusing our search,

is defined by its remote terrain

with broad ridges and steep scarps.

Its limestone and sandstone geology

form the bedrock of much of the local architecture here.

Montacute is a beautifully preserved village full of hamstone

cottages, with the magnificent Montacute House at its heart.

Nearby, the small market town of Somerton in the valley

of the River Cary still retains its 17th century Butter Cross.

Turning to the coast, Burnham-on-Sea is known for its wide sandy beaches.

And inland lie the Somerset levels which stretch to the Mendip Hills.

Here 170,000 acres of wetland

and river systems have been drained over several centuries and have

become a haven for rare wildlife and a fertile ground for farming.

With its windswept beaches, idyllic historic villages,

and dramatic scenery, this diverse county has an enduring appeal.

If you're buying a property here in Somerset, you'll be pleased

to know that prices hang temptingly below the national average.

The average price for a detached house in England

and Wales is £284,000 at the moment.

But if you come shopping

here in Somerset,

you could make a saving of £7,000 on that price.

Although there is price difference,

the further south you go, for example, from the Somerset levels

down towards the Dorset border, prices do go up.

What about our buyers though?

What sort of people want to own a property in this glorious county?

Let's meet them and find out.

Former marketing consultant Les met retired civil servant Jean

when they were out walking as part of an organised group

back in the late '90s.

I would describe Jean as being someone who is very loving,

very caring.

And also up for trying anything. An adventurer.

I would describe Les as the ideas man.

Coming up with all the ideas to fulfil these

adventures that we end up going on.

The couple have spent their whole lives in Chichester, West Sussex.

They have five children between them from previous marriages

who have all now flown the nest.

So Les and Jean feel it's time for a change of lifestyle.

Chichester itself really hasn't got

that village-y feel about it any more.

It's got busier and busier so we want to move from more

of an urban environment to a countryside environment.

And we just feel like we'd like a new playground to play in

in our later years.

Our buyers were all set on moving to France before the arrival

of their new grandson.

But now definitely want to stay in the UK.

They've decided to put down roots in Somerset

after initially researching across the border.

We were looking in Dorset. East Dorset didn't really do it for us.

Then when we crossed the border into South Somerset,

the beautiful hamstone buildings were there. Lovely yellow stone.

And you just look out across the countryside.

We just thought, "This is it. This is fabulous."

They're keen to move away from a coastal location and seek out

the wide open spaces and fine local produce of the countryside.

It will offer us 360 degrees.

Because when you're here, you only have 180 degrees because of the sea.

I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet.

We both love walking. We like cycling as well.

And to try some of the local beers as well,

-that's something to look forward to.

-And ciders.

And ciders. Yes, we do particularly like cider.

Les and Jean spent a year travelling

across Europe in their trusty motorhome.

Before that, Les was particularly taken with exploring

British shores by boat.

You enjoyed the sailing more than me.

Jean enjoyed the leaving and the arriving,

the bit in the middle she wasn't keen on.

The bit in the middle I was a bit frightened of.

And so we found that we'd seen all the coastal areas.

We thought the motorhome would be a great way of travelling round.

To see more inland areas.

Eager to move onto the next chapter in their lives,

our couple are all fired up to find the house of their dreams.

We've already sold our house, luckily.

So the hunt is on quite seriously to find somewhere,

sooner rather than later.

This house that we are going to is going to be our first ever

house that we have chosen together.

So, for us, it's quite a step really. Raring to go.

Les and Jean have been touring around getting to know this

part of the country.

And they are open-minded about where they would like to settle down.

I'm catching up with them

to get a better idea of what their ideal country home looks like.

Good morning. Welcome to slightly damp Somerset. Sorry about the rain.

It's not always like this here and it's meant to clear up a bit later.

-Thank you very much.

-You have already sold your house.

Yes, two weeks ago we moved from our house in West Sussex.

-And we are now based here.

-In your motor home.

-Exactly, yeah.

-That's right, yes.

-Wow.

Because we are new to the area we have no friends or family here.

So we've been out exploring all the different villages

and the countryside in the area. And we like it very much.

Good, that's a good sign.

So tell me exactly what it is you're looking for in terms of the house.

We'd like three bedrooms. Preferably in a village location.

We'd like enough space for the motorhome to be kept

at the house, along with our car. And preferably detached.

When you say a village, what sort of village? What's your dream village?

Our dream village, I suppose it's got a village shop, pub perhaps,

and a village hall where lots of activities go on

so we can join in and become part of the community.

And remind us your budget.

We've got a budget of up to 400,000.

But if a house ticks all the boxes then we could push up to 425,000.

We've got some lovely properties actually.

-So let's get in the car and go see. Follow me. Let's go.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Armed with a maximum budget of £425,000,

Les and Jean's brief is pretty concise.

They are after a three-bed property situated within a village

with access to a local community

and enough space to accommodate their motorhome.

We've a stunning selection of properties lined up which

reflect the Somerset heritage and charm that appeals to them so much.

After viewing each one, I'll then reveal the price tags.

Finally, there is the Mystery House, whose unique heritage might

charm but ultimately challenge our pragmatic couple.

Psychologically, it's quite an important move,

it's like a break with a lot of tradition and...

Yes. As we've both lived there in that area since we were young.

50 years we've been there. But I think we were ready for it though.

Do you have any nerves?

Not really, no.

I think because we went away for that year, um,

travelling in Europe and met so many nice people.

I think also the year away in the van made us

realise we don't need to be tied to that area.

There is a big wide world out there.

So I think those two factors have helped us to decide to make

this large move for us, you know, away from friends and family.

It's exciting really.

In terms of the property, are there any kind of no-nos or anything

that you really won't tolerate?

Road noise really is my bugbear.

I think really, as far as the homeliness of the house,

I think Jean is the driver of that really.

If she's happy then I'm happy.

It's a winning combination.

Our property search starts in the south of the county in Bishopswood.

Located on the edge of the Blackdown Hills,

the is a strong sense of community in this tight-knit village,

where there is a local chapel and a pub.

In nearby Churchinford, there is also a useful community-run shop

which would be an ideal meeting point for getting to know local residents.

Back in Bishopswood, and just a short stroll from the centre,

in a secluded spot, is our first option.

This is it. House number one.

Hey. Yeah, nice.

It's the old mission house. It goes back to the end of the 19th century.

So you see it is attached.

-That slightly yellow outfit is your neighbours.

-Right.

What are your first impressions from the outside?

-It's big. It's good.

-Yes, it's nice.

-It's a good size.

-A lovely front garden as well.

-Yeah.

-Not too big.

-Could you get the campervan here?

-I've got nine paces for the van.

-OK, you can measure that later.

-Nine paces and it will fit.

I was thinking about it. You could perhaps remodel the front garden.

There's a sort of bay but you could open that up

and maybe make space for it.

-Yeah. Let's investigate that and see.

-Let's go in.

-OK.

This former mission house was built in 1889 to house

the pastor of Bishopswood church.

Constructed from local flint,

in recent years the front facade has been rendered.

Come into the front room.

It's a very simple layout in this house.

It's essentially two big rooms downstairs, back and front windows.

It's very light, isn't it?

-In terms of proportion, is this what you were looking for?

-It is, yeah.

This has really excellent proportions.

-Yeah, it's a good size.

-Yes.

-And square which is what we like.

You can always make a lot out of a square room

rather than a long, thin room, I think.

-A log burner. Beautiful.

-I hadn't seen that at first.

-That's what we wanted. Very nice.

-JEAN LAUGHS

We like what we see so far.

-Let's have a look at the kitchen/diner.

-Right.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-Good size. This is a mirror size from next-door.

-Absolutely, yes. But bigger bay window.

-There is a bay window there.

-Such a lot of light coming in.

-Lovely.

-Yes.

This was originally two rooms and the current owners sort of

knocked them through so that the kitchen was part of the dining room.

I don't know whether there is a utility room as well.

-There is a little bit more storage round the corner.

-Yes. Yes.

Really nice to be cooking here and have everybody sitting here

and you can chat with them while you are at it.

-That's great.

-Good.

Upstairs, I'm going to show you the master bedrooms.

-BOTH:

-OK.

On the first floor, there are three double bedrooms and a bathroom.

One particularly spacious room in the eaves of the garage

is accessed through an adjoining room just off the landing.

However, we are exploring the largest bedroom in the main house.

This is a lovely room, I think, the master bedroom.

-Yes, yes, it is. And a nice squarish room as well.

-Again, light as well.

-Windows at either end.

-Lovely views of the countryside and the garden.

-Yes.

-There is an en suite.

This is the one room that they haven't done up.

-It's got a sort of disability bath in it.

-OK.

Is it tugging at your heartstrings, that's the question?

So far, for me, it's not quite ticking enough boxes.

It's a nice house with nice, proportioned rooms.

Maybe it's just the age of the house.

There's aspects of it from a maintenance point of view.

There's things that need to be brought up to a level

-that I would prefer.

-It's a bit bigger than I was expecting really,

I don't know, perhaps a little bit older.

-Yes, it's hard to put your finger on, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yeah.

No, absolutely.

It's just what you feel when you walk in initially, I suppose.

Although it is growing on me because of the lightness,

that is one of the factors that I do like.

I'll let you explore the other rooms upstairs in your own time.

-Let's go and look in the garden.

-OK.

Although Les and Jean have mixed feelings about the interior

of this property, the garden, which is mostly laid to lawn with

maintained flower beds, has views which should lift both their spirits.

-Oh, marvellous!

-That's beautiful.

That's definitely ticks a box. Without a doubt.

What do you think of the garden?

-It's a manageable size. Doesn't look like too much hard work...

-Hmm.

-..to keep.

-Yeah, it's well established.

This is north facing. In the countryside that doesn't really make

much difference cos you've got the sun all over the expanse of the day.

-Mmm.

-But this is a nice place to eat in the evening.

-Yeah.

-Mm, lovely.

-Yeah.

-The back of the house, you can

see the more historic stonework which was all rendered at the front.

I prefer this flint look to it than the rendered front, to be honest.

Yeah. So how much do you think this one is on the market for?

I think I would say 415,000.

I'm going to go for a more conservative 400,000.

Good. You are closer to the mark, actually.

-It's actually on the market for 395.

-OK.

-Oh.

-Right. Not far out then.

Go back inside and have a look around.

-Then I'll catch you out the front and we can press on.

-OK.

-Fine.

-Thank you.

£30,000 under budget, our first property gives them

the three bedrooms they asked for, sits in an ideal

edge of village setting, and benefits from stunning views.

There is also potential space for Les and Jean's motorhome.

Ah-ha! My man cave. It's brilliant.

-It's a nice, big garage.

-I like this.

-I'm sure you will enjoy this.

-Yeah, it's fine with me.

-This must be above the garage then. This is huge, isn't it?

-Ah!

I think this is bigger than the main bedroom.

But what would you do with that...?

-I'm not sure what I'd use it for, to be honest.

-Yeah.

It's a very nice house.

It's got a lot of good design features in there.

I find the bedroom above the garage space with that

sort of anteroom is a bit of an oddity, really.

From my point of view, it's not ringing my bell, as they say.

The lounge is very nice.

And I certainly like the kitchen/diner too.

The garden is to die for, especially the views.

It's quite a large property.

Probably a bit bigger than we were imagining.

I think it's opened my eyes to the fact that

I really want something a bit more cosy, I suppose. Yeah.

-Ready, guys?

-Yes, we are.

-Just pull the door.

-Let's press on to house number two.

-OK.

But before the second property, Les and Jean are getting

acquainted with the south-west's great reputation for food production.

The dairy industry here contributes about £1 billion

annually to the local farming economy.

Artisan-made products use the region's natural resources.

Cheddar cheese, made from local cow's milk, matures

deep inside the caves of the famous gorge from which it gets its name.

The region is less known for its goat population

and the milk they produce to make cheese.

We've arranged for food enthusiasts Les and Jean

to meet Matthew Organ - technical manager of Lubborn Creamery.

First up, they are meeting the resident goat herd.

How many goats do you have here?

On the farm here they have a number of breeds - Saanens,

Anglo-Nubians, Alpines and a number of crosses as well.

-About 1,000 milkers.

-1,000!

How often are the goats milked?

-Twice a day.

-Twice.

Early in the morning and sort of early in the evening.

So how many litres of milk would a goat produce in a year?

A typical goat here would produce about 900L per year.

Is the West Country particularly good for dairy farming?

Yes, it is because the climate allows for the growth

of a lot of the crops that they feed on for the whole of the year.

So what does the feed consist of?

On this particular farm,

it's maize and grass silage supplemented with barley and soya.

-Would you like to see the creamery?

-We'd love to.

-Thank you.

-OK.

The milk from the farm is collected three times a week.

And, together with goat's milk sourced from other local farms,

is delivered directly to the creamery in Chard.

The milk is immediately pasteurised by being heated

to around 70 degrees Celsius to kill harmful bacteria

and retain flavour before beginning the process of becoming cheese.

Welcome to our maturing room here

where the goat's cheese are finishing off their

mould coat development.

They would have been made about nine or ten days ago.

Do you have to do anything special for the mould to start growing?

We add special cultures to the milk to start with

and then we will spray some onto the surface.

It feels a bit chilly in here. What actually is the temperature?

The temperature, once the cheese are on the racks,

is about 13 centigrade.

And we've got quite a humid atmosphere to help

the coats to develop.

How much cheese do you produce a year?

For the 100g goat's cheese, it's about 3.25 million of those.

Lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than its bovine counterpart,

goat's cheese is also popular as it is great for people who

suffer from allergies to dairy products made from cows' milk.

However, given the fact that goats don't produce as much

milk as cows, you can expect to pay around 15% more for the product.

Matthew is taking our couple to sample one of the most popular

goats' cheeses in the UK.

He also has a slightly less conventional recipe

for them to try too.

If you'd like to try a piece.

Thank you.

Lovely, thank you very much.

-Mm.

-Mm.

Mm. Very nice.

Much milder than I thought it might be.

It's lovely and creamy as well.

That tastes really good.

This is also something else that we recommend.

-Oh!

-Wow!

-THEY LAUGH

What are they?

They are goat's cheese chocolate truffles.

-Please try one.

-Oh, lovely. Yes, I'll have this one, thank you.

-Gorgeous! Gorgeous.

-Really nice.

-Mm.

-Mm.

You know that cheese kit I bought you a few months ago?

-Mm.

-You can start making cheese now

and perhaps we can end up with some of these.

I don't think I'll be any competition for you...

-That's a relief!

-..with my cheesemaking kit.

-Thanks for a lovely day. It was superb.

-Pleasure.

Les and Jean certainly enjoyed savouring these Somerset delights.

So let's return to our property search and find out

if our next house whets their appetite too.

To get there we are travelling to West Chinnock.

Lying at the foot of Ham Hill,

this attractive village is set within a conservation area,

where beautiful period buildings are constructed from local hamstone.

A vibrant community thrives here.

And just around the corner from the pub is our next property.

-Right.

-Wow.

-The second property.

-Ah. Here we are.

-Different to the last one.

-Certainly is.

-Different period.

-This is nice.

-Lots of room here on the drive.

That's what I thought, it's perfect for the camper.

-It's a fairly modern property.

-OK.

-But as you can see, it's kind of in a sort of sympathetic stone build.

-Mm.

I think it looks tidy. It looks compact.

-The house to me looks much more together than the last house.

-Mm.

And again, my practical head says it looks like it's easier

maintenance than the other house as well.

I think it's got the potential for a lovely view out, I would imagine.

Yeah, let's go inside.

Built in the early 1970s, this modern stone bungalow provides deceptively

large living areas inside, as they are about to discover.

Come in.

-Here we go.

-That's a surprise!

-Surprise?

-That's it, yeah.

-It's big.

-It's all on one level. You've got a nice L-shaped room.

-Plus the conservatory which they added.

-Does make a very nice room.

They have an open fire there, by the looks of it.

Yeah, it's an open fire. You can put logs on in winter.

-And the sort of bay window which they also added.

-Lovely, isn't it?

Yeah, looking out to the garden.

It lets a lot of light in too.

Yeah. I think this is much more our style than the previous property.

-Mm.

-So, yeah, I'm liking what we see so far.

This feels a bit more homely, this feels like something...?

-Yes, it does.

-I think this is more us really, isn't it?

Great. Let's take a look in the kitchen.

The light, spacious conservatory here has a lovely view over

the garden and can be accessed from both the living room and the kitchen.

It's another surprise really, isn't it? It's quite a pleasant room.

It's a dining kitchen. This is the area we would use

on a day-to-day basis when it's just the two of us here.

Whereas the dining area in there

would be if the family come and visit.

It's a sort of zigzag shape, the kitchen.

It's partly the way they've designed it with the kitchen units.

But you get extra work surfaces. It goes around there into the

conservatory so you can eat there in the summer if you want to.

You could have all the windows open. It's a bungalow.

The bedrooms are all on this floor. But there are plans...

There's a huge loft space up the top.

So there are plans, or have been plans made, to take that up

and have a big master suite with an en suite.

I suppose you get a feel for the house for a while

and then decide whether you need that space or not.

At least it's a good option to have.

Some positive thinking from Les,

who is clearly buoyed by the potential of this property.

Off the main hallway and to the left side of the bungalow

there are the three bedrooms.

Two cosy but light doubles.

And one single, currently used as a playroom.

The four-piece family bathroom is next-door to what could be

the master.

Couldn't decide which room to show you

because there is another room at the front which is maybe slightly bigger.

-But then there is this room. They are not huge bedrooms.

-No.

-No.

I think there is enough room.

-Obviously there is a big wardrobe here.

-Wardrobe fits in there OK.

Got storage here. More wardrobe space.

Right. The back of the house. It's nice and quiet here. Works well.

Good, OK. This is another house you'd need to really explore to make

sense of how everything joins up. But I do want to show you the garden.

So lead the way back out.

With access to outside, there is a home office off the double garage.

The rear garden here offers a large paved area.

Ideal for dining outdoors.

And there is also another bonus at the end of the garden.

-This is a little added extra.

-Wow! That's a surprise.

-What a surprise!

I didn't expect that. What a beautiful vista.

It's great, isn't it?

The raised terrace here really takes advantage of these beautiful

rolling hills and fields.

-You've got the church steeple over there.

-Yeah. Yeah.

-And a little kind of a barbecue area.

-Yes.

-Very good.

Is it too much?

Well, this is the question, isn't it?

We have to consider the fact we have the motorhome

and are sometimes away two, three months.

We have to think about whether it's a little bit too much for us

-to manage. But, yeah...

-We can have a think about it.

If we could put the house here, we'd be in business.

THEY LAUGH

Might be a little more expensive. Will it be in your budget?

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

I think it's going to be around about 400, 420.

-I'll plump for the 410. Somewhere in the middle.

-OK.

I'm going rather lower than you. I think £385,000.

OK. Interestingly, again, both of you have over estimated.

-This is on the market for £375,000.

-Oh, really? Surprising.

-That's cheaper than you thought.

-It is, yeah. I'm surprised.

So that would give you quite a hefty chunk of money to kind of...

-Do what we wanted to.

-Do what you wanted.

-Yeah, think about the loft.

-That's a surprise. Yeah.

-Yeah.

-A nice surprise?

-It is.

-Yeah.

-Always nice to overestimate, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-OK, so go and explore. There is another man cave for you.

-Right.

And, you know, maybe have a look around the garden and see

whether you can make it work for you.

-And I'll see you out front.

-OK. Thanks.

-OK.

Much more satisfying.

It seems like this is more in keeping with what they are looking for.

And even though the garden might be a bit big, it could just work.

£50,000 below their budget,

this generous three-bedroom bungalow situated in the heart of a village

provides gorgeous views over rolling countryside.

There's also more than enough parking space for their motorhome.

-Oh, this is a conservatory here.

-Oh!

-It's lovely and warm in here at the moment.

-Yeah. Good space.

You could sit in here in the winter

and it would be nice and warm if the sun's out.

Yeah, you'd get the sun in the winter.

I'm very impressed with the property.

It's got an awful lot of positives about it.

The parking at the front was ideal.

I've done my pacing out

and the van will fit in there easily along with the car,

so that certainly ticks that box for us no problem,

along with the double garage.

I think it's a contender.

It's a nice house in a lovely village

in a lovely, quiet location.

It has a cosier feel than the previous house.

I think I could see myself living in this village and in this house.

-OK?

-Yes, thank you.

-All done?

-Well, those are your two properties for the day.

-Fine.

-Thank you.

So, now we can rest and get ready for the Mystery House tomorrow.

-Look forward to it.

-OK, great.

It's day two of our house-hunt in Somerset

and with a budget of up to £425,000,

Les and Jean from the Sussex city of Chichester

are on a mission to find their perfect country pad.

Coming up, our mystery property serves up a slice of history

that's off the scale...

-I've never seen anything like it, actually.

-I'm speechless.

..and I find out why Somerset is proud of its County Cricket Club

and try and educate myself about the game.

If you could explain the rules of this to me, then I'd be on board.

Yesterday was interesting, wasn't it? It brought everything into focus

about what Les and Jean are looking for

because I think they don't really want

a period, character property.

They want something a bit more modern,

a bit more sort of lock-up-and-leave and low-maintenance.

HE LAUGHS So, for the Mystery House,

we're taking them to a quite ancient

and probably quite high-maintenance property,

but it's beautiful.

And we never said it was going to be easy with the Mystery House.

So, what do you think we might show you for the Mystery House?

Well, I've been thinking about this and I'm thinking,

bearing in mind the county we're in - Somerset, cider -

maybe it's an old cider barn.

-Oh.

-Very county-specific. Good.

SHE LAUGHS What about you, Les?

Well, on our travels,

I've seen quite a few thatched properties around.

I've got a sneaky suspicion it might be a thatched property.

How would you feel about either of those?

-I wouldn't mind the barn.

-SHE LAUGHS

I think we're curious to see whatever it is, really.

If it's got the wow factor, then we could have our heads turned.

For our mystery property, we're heading to Hinton St George.

This sought-after village,

with its handsome, honey-coloured, limestone cottages and thatches,

is home to a local store, tearoom and award-winning pub.

Up until the 1960s, the whole village was owned by the Poulett family,

whose ancestors served Queen Elizabeth I.

Today, there's an active community here holding weekly events.

On the outskirts of the historic centre

and set within a private estate is our rather magnificent Mystery House.

-LES LAUGHS

-Well...

-Here we are.

-It's amazing.

-LES LAUGHS

-It is something, yes.

-Look at that.

I didn't expect that for one moment.

-You thought it would be a thatched cottage...

-That's right.

-..or a barn conversion.

-Or a barn conversion.

-Nothing like this at all.

-Well, it is a conversion.

It's a sort of stately home conversion.

What we're looking at is essentially the Georgian wing

of a much bigger aristocratic pile,

some parts of which have been demolished.

And you get one very stately slice of this beautiful Georgian property.

-Wow.

-Looking forward to seeing inside.

Yeah, sounds exciting.

-Let's go and look. It's quite a long drive.

-Let's do it.

The Poulett family actually owned

this Grade II listed Georgian mansion until the 1960s

when it was then sold and developed

into eight separate residential dwellings.

However, the historic bones of the house have been well preserved.

The mystery property is split over four floors,

so will this layout and grandeur be a step too far

for our pragmatic couple?

-Ha-ha!

-Goodness!

-SHE CHUCKLES

-Wow!

-SHE LAUGHS

-This is a wow room, isn't it?

-It is. It is a wow room.

-It is impressive.

-Yeah.

-An extraordinary vaulted ceiling.

-Yeah. Yeah.

I've never seen anything like it, actually.

-Yeah, it's amazing.

-I'm speechless.

-SHE LAUGHS

It's certainly different, that's for sure.

HE CHUCKLES Could you imagine living here?

-That's the question.

-I think you could, couldn't you?

-SHE LAUGHS

-I think I could, yes.

Yeah, Jean has fancied this type of concept

of an apartment or a wing in a lot more older stately house,

so I think you could see yourself there.

-I could.

-I don't know if I'm ready for it myself yet...

-Really?

-..but I think Jean might be persuaded.

-What puts you off?

-I just...

I suppose I'm used to the independence

of having my own property with my own drive

and my own garage and my own garden.

I'd maybe need to think about it for a while longer.

It's a very different offering.

That's why we saved it for the Mystery House.

It's very gracious living.

I mean, you can fill it with beautiful furniture.

Lots to explore, then.

We're going to go down again and start with the kitchen,

-which is underneath us.

-OK.

-OK.

In contrast to the grand proportions of the reception rooms,

the charming country kitchen on the lower ground floor

was refurbished by the current owner eight years ago.

Smaller kitchen. Nice and cosy.

And underfloor heating throughout here.

Yes. Enough cupboard space here.

Yeah. Like the colours. Nice, soft colours...

-Nice and light.

-..with the wooden work surfaces.

A little area there to...

Yeah, that's probably where you'd eat most of your breakfasts and things.

It is a cosy, cosy kitchen.

I think it is a really cosy kitchen. I like it.

So, it's not prohibitively small for you?

-No, I don't think so, actually.

-No.

It's a good size, I think, for the two of us.

We've got three stories. Well, four, including this one.

The middle storey is a study - a very nice study - and a washroom.

-And then the three bedrooms are up the top...

-Three bedrooms?

..and some very lovely views.

With a spring in our step,

we're making our way up the impressive staircase

to the top floor.

There are two generous doubles,

one of which is the master with its own en suite.

There's also a good-sized single and a modern family shower room.

This, I think, is one of the most charming rooms.

-It's got amazing views. They all have views on this side.

-Yes, lovely.

It's got a lovely light and airy feel to it, hasn't it?

-This would be the spare bedroom, in a sense.

-Mm.

-Right.

-Yeah, a very good size.

-Certainly for a second bedroom.

-It's a well proportioned room.

-Yes.

-It's very good.

-Good.

I'll let you explore everything in more detail later on, as always,

but let's go and look at the garden and see which space you have.

Jean seems to be quietly impressed by the mystery property,

even if Les might need a little more convincing.

Perhaps the small but perfectly formed garden

might appeal to his practical side.

There's also a sun terrace,

ideally positioned to take full advantage of the vast grounds

and a single garage with parking to the rear of the house.

So, you have your own knot garden.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Is that what it is?

-Yeah.

So, these are like knots of topiary.

-Box-trimmed hedges.

-Box hedges, yeah.

-OK.

And it's really just this little portion.

So, it's a pretty small, easy-maintenance garden,

but all of this space behind is owned by the big house

and maintained by them,

so you don't have to do anything to look after that.

It doesn't belong to you, but you do get to enjoy it.

-Yes. Yeah.

-OK.

-And borrow the view.

-And borrow the view.

This is south-west facing, so you get sun all afternoon here.

-And this is quite private, in a way, isn't it, here...

-It is.

-..with the bushes round?

-I mean, it's a difficult one to price...

Oh, the price. Yes. I'd forgotten about that.

..because it's not really what you've been looking at.

What do you think this would be worth?

-Jean?

-SHE LAUGHS

-No?

-I would say £435,000.

-Ooh. Right.

I'm going to go slightly less at 425.

-Well, in this instance, you are spot-on.

-Ah!

-It is on at 425.

I can see, you know, why it warrants that price

cos it is a delightful property.

Obviously, it's a lot to get your head round

cos it's not what you asked for,

but if you want to go back in and explore,

there's a whole floor that we didn't look at in the middle.

And then I'll meet you at the back and we can go on from there.

-OK.

-OK. Thank you.

Bang on budget at £425,000,

our elegant Georgian mystery apartment with three bedrooms

has fabulous views over the private grounds.

With a manageable garden and motorhome parking,

this offers country house living

in a way Les and Jean could never have expected.

A study.

-That's a good size, isn't it?

-Yeah.

We could get a desk in there and a computer in there.

-Could you do dressmaking in here?

-I think I could, yeah.

-There's enough light?

-There is enough light, yes.

-Yeah.

It's a lovely apartment and that lounge is something to die for.

Beautiful vistas all round the place

and a beautiful, peaceful setting out here

out on the edge of the village.

So, all in all, I think it's a really nice property.

The head is really ruling my heart, I think, on this one

and that takes precedence for us at the moment.

I think it could be a great property.

I don't know if it's for me particularly.

It's maybe something we'll consider at some time in the future.

-So, that's all our three houses done.

-Yeah.

Let's go and find a place where we can discuss them.

To many people,

cricket is synonymous with the English countryside -

picture perfect village greens and the sound of leather on willow.

The sport was first played in southern England

during the 16th century.

Thought to have been a children's game in its infancy,

cricket was very much an English sport.

By the end of the 19th century,

with the expansion of the British Empire,

the game had flourished internationally

and is now played by 120 million people worldwide.

However, I am not one of those people,

so in order to gen up on the history of this popular English sport,

I've come to Somerset County Cricket Club in Taunton,

one of the homes of county cricket.

The first stop is Somerset Cricket Museum

where I'm meeting curator and secretary David Wood.

-Hello, David.

-How nice to see you.

-How very nice.

Thank you for coming to visit us.

What a great museum you have. It's a lovely building.

Well, we are very proud of it. It's at least 500 years old.

It's the last remaining building of Taunton Priory,

which was taken over by Henry VIII in 1537.

I'm afraid you got the presenter who knows least about cricket

and I'm actually most interested

about the history of the cricket club itself.

The cricket club itself was founded in 1875 in Sidmouth.

The one thing I do know - Sidmouth is not in Somerset.

So, how did that happen?

The people who formed the club who were from Somerset

had just played the Gentlemen of Devon and won

and obviously thought that they were on a roll

so they would set up their own county club.

Initially, the club prided themselves

on being the MOST amateur cricket team

in the County Championship.

That is, until a series of successful wins

granted them first-class status in 1891.

So, when were the glory days?

The glory days would have been about 1979 to 1983

when we won five cups in four years.

And at that time, of course, we had our great big three -

Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Ian Botham and Joel Garner.

The one highlight which we are least proud of

is the fact that we've never won the County Championship,

but every year, we strike out hopefully again

and say, "This is going to be the year."

And it will be one day.

Before it became the sport of high society in the 18th century,

crude bats and balls were made from sticks and crooks

in rural communities.

Today, though, with 30 years' experience,

one of the world's most prestigious bat-making companies

is based here at Somerset cricket ground.

Company owner and master bat maker Rob Chambers

is going to give me an insight

into the winning formula behind creating a world-class bat.

So, you're a traditional bat maker. Are you a dying breed?

I'm probably one of only 20 left.

So, talk me through the process. How do you actually make a bat?

This is a segment of an English willow tree.

We source these from Sussex in cleft form.

From this stage, we then machine that material

to a kind of workable size.

Now it's starting to look a bit more like a bat.

The handle is actually made of a cane.

-Cane as in bamboo cane?

-Yeah, that's correct.

-It's very flexible.

-Oh, right.

So, if a cricket bat was made of sort of one piece,

it would actually hurt every time you hit the ball.

-So, it's like a shock absorber?

-Absolutely.

From start to finish, how long is the process?

On average, it's two to three hours.

We're probably producing in the region of 40 to 50 bats a week.

And presumably you're at the top end of the market.

How much does a bat go for?

-Somewhere in the region of £500...

-Oh, really?

..for a fully bespoke cricket bat.

These championship bats marry 21st-century technology

with the finest of traditional materials.

Nowadays, the design of the bats is larger and wider,

which helps propel the ball further

to gain more runs in a shorter space of time.

APPLAUSE

I'm catching up with the club's CEO, Guy Lavender,

to see what the future holds for the club.

This is a longer form of cricket. This is the four-day match.

This is the kind of old school cricket.

This is, in many people's view, proper cricket. Four days.

A great test of cricket skill and ingenuity,

pitting the batsmen against the bowlers.

So, there's lots of other forms of cricket.

20-over cricket is the up-and-coming,

the new kid on the block, really.

Extremely popular.

We're selling out our crowds for T20 every match that we have.

T20 cricket, effectively, the clue is in the title -

20 overs a side.

So, the match lasts for three hours and one side wins.

So, easy to understand, easy to follow.

Do you have international sides playing here?

Really exciting time for the club.

We've got some amazing things going on.

We've been selected as an international venue,

so we've got England playing South Africa here in 2017

and then the men's World Cup

which takes place in England in 2019.

And young players?

Are you involved in furnishing the future in terms of teams?

Yeah, absolutely. We've got a really good age group programme.

We've got talented players coming into the age groups,

really, from under ten onwards.

We've got a really good track record

of producing some of the best talent in the country.

I have to say, you've sold it to me.

-You're a very good salesman for cricket.

-Am I? Good!

After years of like, "Hm, not sure about cricket," I'm on board.

You've got to give it a go. T20, that's where to start.

If you could explain the rules of this to me, then I'd be on board.

-Well, we could sit down for an hour.

-That could take us some time.

-Thanks very much.

-Not at all.

-It's been a real pleasure. Good luck.

-Thanks a lot.

Somerset County Cricket Club's pride

in championing this very English sport is an inspiration.

So much so that even I have been bowled over.

MEN SHOUT

Time to find how we've done here in Somerset

finding a house for three -

for Les, for Jean and their motorhome.

Let's find out.

Hello, guys.

Been a lovely week in Somerset with you two.

-Very nice, yes.

-Yeah, enjoyed it very much.

And also really nice because you are so ready to move.

-You know, you've got your house sold.

-Yes, we have.

-You're living in your motorhome.

-Motorhome, yes.

We can stay in the motorhome for the summer.

I'm a bit concerned if it goes on too long.

When the winter approaches...

We don't want to be there for winter, no.

So, of all the houses that you looked at,

was there one that jumped out at you?

I think the second house was the one that we quite fancied.

That's the one we liked the best.

What did the second house give you in terms of your journey

towards finding a house here in Somerset?

It gave us certainly room for the motorhome,

which is a priority, really.

And it's similar to the type of house we've had

in the sort of modern refinements

that we didn't find in the other houses.

And what happens next? What's the next step?

-Well, I think make arrangements to visit that second house again.

-Yeah.

But it's the first three houses we've seen

since we've been in Somerset,

so I think maybe have a look at one or two other houses as well now

-just to compare, but...

-Yes. Now you're free.

-You have set us on our way, which is great.

-That's great.

It's been a real pleasure

and I hope you find somewhere before the winter,

but also that you get to enjoy Somerset

in your mobile home for a while.

Well, I think we've certainly decided,

from the time we've been out here,

that Somerset's the right place for us.

-Definitely, yes.

-Yes.

-That's a bonus.

-Thank you very much.

-Great.

-My pleasure.

It does show remarkable restraint

that Les and Jean have been here in the county

driving around Somerset villages in their motorhome

not looking at any properties prior to us showing them our three.

I'm hoping that even if they don't go for one of our houses,

it will have inspired them to think differently

and maybe put in some new elements into their house search.

I hope that it's inspired you to join us next time

for more Escape To The Country.

Les and Jean gave the second property a lot of thought,

but finally decided the layout wasn't ideal for them.

However, the good news is that after our Somerset property search,

they had an offer accepted on a house in Lopen

and are set to move into the county very soon.

If you'd like to escape to the country in England, Scotland,

Wales or Northern Ireland and would like our help,

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