Devon Escape to the Country

200 years ago, this secluded cove was inaccessible by land,

until a group of entrepreneurs came up with an ingenious plan

to turn a remote beach into a popular seaside spot.

Find out how, and where I am, in just a moment.

Today's dog-loving duo have a keen eye for detail

as they explore our country properties.

My knitting bag could sit just right over there.

-If you've picked out a place for your knitting bag...

-It's near the fire.

Their wish list presents its challenges,

but also some positive reactions.

-Wow, yeah.

-I got a bigger "wow" from Colin

for this part than the main house.

Today, I'm in Devon

and these are the Tunnels Beaches on the northern coast.

In the early 19th century, coalminers from Wales

were brought in to tunnel through these cliffs.

In doing so, they opened up this natural gem to the growing trend

of the Victorian seaside holiday and the town of Ilfracombe,

on the other side of these rocks, prospered as a resort.

Later on, I'll be exploring those tunnels and the beaches they lead to.

But first, let's shine a light on what else

this picturesque county has to offer.

Forming part of England's South West Peninsula,

Devon's north coast is separated from Wales by the Bristol Channel.

It's bordered by three counties, including Cornwall.

The north of the county is dominated by a glorious stretch of coastline,

where dramatic cliffs rear up from its unspoiled beaches.

The seaside village of Westward Ho! near Bideford

proudly holds Blue Flag status for its beach

and attracts plenty of visitors,

including those drawn to the excellent Atlantic surf.

Exmoor National Park, shared with neighbouring Somerset,

runs from the coast and inland

through an undulating farming landscape

of fields and grazing livestock.

Fishing used to sustain villages such as Clovelly.

These days, its traditional whitewashed cottages

and steep cobbled streets are impeccably preserved

and serve as a reminder of the county's coastal heritage.

So with its fusion of countryside panoramas

and tranquil shoreline, Devon is certainly rich pickings

for a life away from the hectic pace of urban living.

Devon's enduring popularity is reflected in its house prices.

The average cost of a detached home in this county

is just shy of £305,000.

That's £21,000 above the national average.

Coastal properties are obviously more pricey, but as a general rule,

the northern areas of Devon are less expensive than the south.

So what is it about this diverse county that's so appealing

to our buyers today? Let's meet them.

A chance meeting brought former nurse Claire and retired firefighter Colin

together 22 years ago, while Claire was hanging out her washing.

We met many years ago.

My sister-in-law's sister lived upstairs from Claire

and I saw her one day, and thought it would be nice to ask her out.

-Which he did.

-And then it went from there.

-Yeah.

When they met, Claire was in the process of house-hunting.

I found this house in January 1993

because I was looking for a property that would house my disabled son,

and give him all the facilities that he needed at home.

They moved in with Claire's son Jamie the following year,

and they married three years later and had a daughter together.

Colin also has a son and daughter from a previous relationship.

However, they now live by themselves in the five-bedroom detached house

in Bexley in Kent, just outside London.

Bexley doesn't seem to offer us the quietness any more.

It's just so busy all the time

and we just feel as though it's time for us

to move somewhere quieter now. The children have grown up,

so we'd like to be able to just move away and do our own thing now.

Having enjoyed many happy holidays in Devon,

they've decided it's where they want to call home.

Like the scenery. Open spaces.

It's much more relaxed and stress-free way of life

down in Devon. So once we get down there,

we can just take our time, at the pace that Devon does.

-Mm.

-And it'll be great.

And after a happy partnership spanning over two decades,

they can't wait to choose their first property together.

For me, the most exciting part is going to be finding that house,

just to have one that we have bought together

because we both like it, not because it's what we need.

Yeah, which this house was.

None of the children will be making the move south,

but Claire and Colin won't be relocating on their own.

The dogs will definitely be coming with us.

They're a big part of our lives now.

As far as we're concerned, they're part of the family.

Our dogs are Archibald, and he's a Golden Cocker Spaniel,

and we have Missy-Moo, who's a Pomeranian.

So they'll definitely be kept busy with dog walks

and they've got other plans to while away their retirement, too.

We bought a touring caravan a couple of years ago

and we think it's something that we really enjoy doing,

so much so we'd like to try and make it into a small business.

-Just a small site, no more than five caravans.

-Yeah.

We don't want to make a fortune.

We want a reason to get up in the morning and go and do something,

and meet some really nice people. We've never run a business before,

-but I feel it's something we would like to do.

-Yeah.

-We can do it together.

-But it's not going to be all about work.

I'd like to get my sewing machine out

and do some more sewing, quilting.

-The other thing I'd like to do would be grow some vegetables.

-Yeah.

Their house is already sold,

so the pressure's on to find them a Devon pad to call home.

-It's just a nice place to be, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

We find that we relax quite a lot when we go to Devon.

And if that's how we'll be when we live there,

-it can only be beneficial, can't it?

-That's right.

I think that's why we've decided to move to Devon,

or that we'd like to move to Devon,

is because we only have happy memories there.

Claire and Colin have decided it's the north of Devon

where they'd like to make their escape to,

so that's where we're concentrating our search.

But before we get our house-hunt underway,

I'm meeting them in the county to hear more about the criteria

for their perfect property.

Colin and Claire, welcome to a gloriously sunny Devon.

Tell us why you want to make this your home.

I think the scenery says it all, really.

It's just so nice. It's a slower pace of life.

-It's just a nice place to...

-Better quality of life, I think.

And what are you looking for from a property?

We'd like a minimum of three bedrooms.

We don't mind if it's an old property or a new property,

as long as it's got some character.

Reasonable-size kitchen, but we can work with that.

I'd like an en suite, but it's not a deal-breaker.

-You know, it's really flexible.

-That's good to hear.

Ideally, we'd like a bit of land on the side

so we can open a small touring caravan site,

just for five caravans,

and ideally we'd like a holiday let as well.

-And you're dog owners too.

-We are. Got two dogs.

-And how many properties have you already seen?

-Just five.

-Quite a few online.

-And what's been the problem generally for you?

Generally it's nearness of neighbours

because we wouldn't like to upset the neighbours with the dogs

or caravans coming in and out.

So you can't be too close to neighbours.

What are you looking for in terms of location, then?

Ideally we'd like edge of village,

so when guests do come and stay onsite,

they can walk into the local village and have a pub meal,

a couple of drinks, and then walk back again afterwards.

That would be the ideal sort of location.

So you don't want to be too isolated?

I don't think it would matter too much

because the sort of location we're hoping to provide,

if it's out in the country, the people that want that

are the people who will come.

And if they want a pub lunch, they'll drive.

So, you know, it's flexible.

-Flexible is the keyword.

-Flexible!

How flexible is your budget, though?

Our budget is 575,000.

OK, decent-size budget.

But you want a property, land and possible annexes.

So it's not going to be that easy, but we will do our very best.

-Thank you.

-We've got a few lined up for you.

-Great.

-Let's go.

Claire and Colin's budget of £575,000 is generous for North Devon

and it should give them most of the demands on their wish list.

They're looking for a house with character, three bedrooms

and a reasonable-sized kitchen, but age isn't important.

Although they would rather not have near neighbours,

they would like to be on the edge of a village.

As they're planning to run a small caravan site,

land to accommodate that is important,

as well as space for their two dogs to run around in.

What's more, a holiday let would be a bonus.

And the good news is Claire and Colin are fairly flexible,

which is a great starting point for our search.

Putting all their requirements into the pot,

we've come up with a fabulous range of properties

and that vital price tag will only be revealed

after the house has been viewed.

The last stop will be to the Mystery House,

which could involve a short break, but not for Claire and Colin.

Our first house takes us to the village of Paracombe,

located on the west side of Exmoor National Park

and around half an hour from Barnstaple.

Paracombe is a pretty village with the River Heddon running through it.

There's a traditional dining pub on offer,

plus a post office and a pottery.

A two-minute drive from the village centre is our first property,

located in a beautiful rural setting with spectacular views.

This is the farmhouse I want to show you.

It's built of stone, slate roofs.

Obviously it's been rendered, which I think makes it look quite pretty.

Yeah. Clean and tidy. Also keeps the rain out.

Did you notice we're inside Exmoor National Park?

-Wasn't quite aware of that.

-Fabulous views.

This is the real selling point, I think, of the house, is the setting.

Look at those views. This is why you want to live in Devon.

-Yes, it is.

-It is.

-And the quiet!

-I know! It's so peaceful, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Looks very nice.

-We're off to a good start, then.

-We are.

-Let's go inside.

Parts of this impressive property date back 100 years,

though the house was refurbished 27 years ago

before the current owners moved in.

Although the farmhouse is only a fraction of what's on offer here,

that's what we are exploring first.

I wanted to start with the living room because of the views.

-Yeah.

-Triple aspect.

-Fabulous.

-Really good.

-Wouldn't need a telly.

-THEY LAUGH

Nice size. Square-ish, I like that.

This is where you'd spend most of your time downstairs.

-Yes.

-And for beams, they're high ceilings.

-It's always been one of my concerns, low beams.

-You are a tall man.

-Doesn't feel claustrophobic in here, does it?

-No, not at all.

-Could you see yourself sitting in here?

-Yes.

My knitting bag could sit just right over there.

If you've picked out a place for your knitting bag...

-It's near the fire.

-THEY LAUGH

-Are you eager to see the rest of the house?

-Yes, please.

If you lead us through the hallway into the kitchen, Colin.

Next to the living room is a dining area, and next to that,

running from the front to the back of the house, is the kitchen diner.

It's a really nice-sized kitchen. Nice range cooker.

I like the idea of having the space to put a table in the kitchen.

-With...

-A view.

-..lovely views, exactly. Let's head upstairs.

-OK.

Also on the ground floor, with access through the kitchen,

is a huge 20-square-foot garage.

If they converted this into another room,

it would almost double the size of the ground floor living quarters.

Moving upstairs, there's a bright family shower room

and four bedrooms, comprising a single,

two sunny doubles

and, overlooking the garden, there's the master.

And this comes with the en suite that you said you'd quite like.

-Ooh.

-A very good-sized en suite as well.

Yes, that was always going to be an added bonus. I've always wanted one.

-And you'd wake up to those views.

-And the stars at night.

-Plenty of storage as well.

-Yep. It's good.

So you've seen most of the inside of the house,

but you're both not giving too much away.

Are you being polite? Are you not getting that feeling?

-Cos you seem to like most of the house.

-Yes.

-We like the house.

I'm not getting the feeling at the moment that this is me.

-Are you not?

-Can you put your finger on why?

-No, I can't at the moment.

-Do you feel the same way, Claire?

I like the house. I like the sizes of the rooms,

-but it's the whole package. Let's have a look outside.

-OK.

Well, there's plenty more to see outdoors,

all sitting comfortably in around 13 acres of land.

There's an equestrian yard with two stables underneath a hayloft,

a workshop and further outbuildings,

all waiting to be put into action.

Do you think this could be adapted for caravans?

-So knocking this shed down and this space.

-Potentially, yes.

And the draw for you guys is that you would be inside the national park,

-so the draw for your customers...

-Would be for the same thing, yeah.

Should we talk about the price? Would that help you?

-Possibly. Quite possibly.

-THEY LAUGH

Who'd like to go first? How much is this property

and the land that comes with it on the market for?

-475.

-Ooh, I think that's too low.

-I know it's a lot of land.

-So what would you say it is?

It's got to be over 500. It's got to be 550.

We've used up your budget. It's on the market for 575.

On the max. Yeah, I was just being hopeful.

-Delusional!

-Bit cheeky, really. Yeah.

-THEY LAUGH

Well, have another look around and I'll meet you at the front door.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you.

This fabulous farmhouse is bang on Claire and Colin's budget

and, on paper, delivers the elements on their wish list.

It provides them with the character features they're after,

plus living space and a good-sized kitchen.

There's one more bedroom than they asked for, along with endless options

for hobby rooms, guests and even a holiday let with that large garage.

And not only would their pet dogs have a field day

running around the land, but with a little thought,

it gives them options for their caravan park.

One of the downsides of this house is it doesn't have a holiday let.

The garage probably would lend itself to a holiday let,

but it's whether we could juggle the finances enough

to be able to do it that way.

I like the farmhouse.

It's got a lot of character to it. The more I saw of the house,

the more I could see us living in this house.

The amount of land isn't too much.

The only concern is the fall of the land.

You'd need to have it at a minimum level

to be able to put caravans on it.

Is it out of the picture?

Not entirely, no.

But you'd prefer somewhere with flatter land.

-A little bit flatter, yes.

-Right. On to the next house, then.

-OK.

Around two million people in the UK take caravan holidays each year

and, as keen caravanners, Claire and Colin are looking forward to

turning their passion into a new business, which will keep them active

and provide them with a useful income to help fund their retirement.

They want to run a CL, a Certified Location,

which is a small caravan site attached to a house or farm

with no more than five visiting caravans.

Like our couple, the owners who stay here

would all be members of the Caravan Club.

They've come to meet Louise and Greg Holmes,

who run one of the 2,500 CLs in the UK,

to find out what running such a site really entails.

We recently moved to the area,

and we were looking to set up a CL as well,

and we were fortunate enough to find a house here with a CL already made.

-Oh, that's very fortunate.

-Perhaps you'd like to come and take a look.

-We'd love to, please.

-Thank you.

Not only did Louise and Greg buy an existing site,

but they also inherited an award-winning one.

It was recently crowned Caravan Club's

Certified Location Of The Year, so it came with a ready-made reputation,

but it still takes some hard graft to maintain it to such a good standard.

What's the criteria for setting up a CL?

You'd be looking at a 12-foot-wide entrance to allow safe access

for the caravans. Fresh water for drinking water purposes.

You'd be looking at waste management for the chemical disposal,

so the grey water waste, washing-up water, for example.

So if we're starting a new CL, how can we expand the business?

-LOUISE:

-Having spotless facilities,

cleanliness in the toilet facilities,

-if that's what you have.

-Yes.

Making sure the grass is kept nice and that can be two,

three times a week at least in the summer season.

And being around and chatting to people.

You know, they're having their holidays.

They want to feel like they're really important

and they're getting their expectations met.

Caravanners who visit a CL are allowed to stay

for a maximum of 28 days at a time,

so with around a million Caravan Club members in the UK,

there's never a shortage of visitors, especially

if you're prepared to go that extra mile when looking after your guests.

Louise and Greg are expecting to welcome

over 250 caravanners this season.

What sort of turnover could we expect to get from a CL?

You'd be looking at about £12,000 a year if you're fully booked.

We also have a B&B here, which increases our turnover.

How labour-intensive do you find the actual running of the business?

It's not too bad.

The grass takes a couple of hours, to get round all of the grass.

I work full-time during the day, so I do evenings and weekends,

maintenance, fixing fences, weeding.

Perhaps you'd like to have a go over the grass with the tractor we have?

-LAUGHTER

-Yeah, that'd be good.

-Sounds like fun.

The minimum for a Certified Location is half an acre.

This caravan site is just under two and a half acres,

which takes up around a third of the land.

An extra bonus here is that four-legged friends

are as welcome as two-legged ones.

Caravans are thought to date back to the 15th century

and were at first simply trailers to transport goods.

Towards the end of the 19th century, they evolved into portable homes

and were seen as a luxury for the wealthy.

Now caravanning is hugely popular and it's on the increase.

Today, more and more people are choosing to holiday at home,

with sales of touring caravans growing by about 10% a year

and motor homes double that.

So, Colin, if you'd like to take a seat

-and I'll run through the controls with you.

-OK, thank you.

Colin's hopping on to master

one of the more crucial roles of his retirement.

You've got two orange pedals, forward and reverse.

If you want to start it, you turn the key this way

and the engine should fire up.

While Colin mows, Louise is going to show Claire the shower block,

considered a luxury and not something that has to be provided.

-How many times a day do you clean the hut?

-Every day.

It has to be absolutely spotless for our guests

cos that's what they want. You start with the sink and the loo

and the shower and the floor

but, you know, you do get quicker at it the more you do it.

Right, then.

-I'll leave you to it.

-Thanks very much.

-And I'll see you at the house in a bit.

-All right, then. Bye.

While Louise has half an hour to put her feet up,

Claire's getting some work experience herself.

And after rolling up their sleeves,

Louise and Greg want to know how Claire and Colin got on.

So is running a CL for you? Do you feel inspired to do it?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Yeah, I think it's something

-we're going to do, definitely.

-Excellent.

It's day two of our property hunt in Devon, looking for a new house

with land for Claire and Colin from Bexley in Kent

to set up a small caravan site.

With a budget of £575,000 to spend,

this will be the very first home they'll have bought together.

Coming up, reactions to the Mystery House require me to dig deeper.

It's nice. I like it.

-But you always like the houses.

-I know, I know.

And I'll be discovering the hidden treasures

at the end of some historic tunnels.

It must have been quite daunting for some people, to have come through

somewhere like this, very dark, and wondering where it was going to lead.

It's become clear that Colin and Claire are more particular about

the business side of things than they are about actually finding a home.

Well, we've got two properties coming up today.

Later on, we'll head to the Mystery House,

where we really have gone big on business.

But first, I'm going to show them a house

that has an enterprise already up and running.

We're travelling to the small market town of North Tawton,

which is just over 26 miles south of Barnstaple

and lies north of Dartmoor National Park.

The centre has a host of local shops, along with a town hall

and the distinctive Church of St Peter.

Just a short walk from the centre is this attractive thatched cottage.

-Very pretty.

-Very pretty.

-Quaint.

-So the actual house is the middle part here.

-The pink house is a neighbour.

-Right.

And the bit on the end is a holiday let that comes with this property.

-Oh, right, OK.

-So what you have with this is a ready-made holiday let.

-Income straight away.

-Ready to go.

-Good.

-That's a couple of boxes ticked.

-Exactly.

How do you feel about the fact that this property is semidetached?

-I don't think you'll like that.

-No, not too keen on that,

but I will keep an open mind.

What I would say is, the holiday let at the end

didn't used to belong to the previous owners of this house,

but when that came up, they then bought it.

So an opportunity like that could one day come up with this.

You know, it wouldn't have to be a semidetached forever.

-It's an option.

-If you liked it.

-Should we go in?

-Yes, please.

-Yes, please.

This Grade 2 listed cottage exudes character

and still retains some of its original 16th-century features.

The front door leads to a long, beamed hallway, which takes us

to a bright 1980s extension at the other end of the house.

This is the original door.

THEY LAUGH Hello, there.

-Wow.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah. I wasn't expecting this.

And look at the views. This is why I wanted to bring you

-straight into the kitchen-diner.

-Yeah, that would draw you through

-from the front door, wouldn't it?

-Well, it really does

because you can see that view as you come in through the font door.

That's where your eyes are drawn.

Would this space do for the family as a kitchen-diner?

-Yeah.

-I think so.

-Yeah, nice-sized dining room here.

-Yeah.

-The kitchen looks very usable.

-Happy so far?

-Yeah.

OK, on to the living room.

This can be accessed from the kitchen or the hall.

So in the living room, we're back in the original part of the cottage.

Here you've got the beams.

-They fit in with the cottage.

-They really do.

-They fit with the house, yeah.

-Fireplace.

-Yeah, that's great.

Yeah, lovely fireplace.

-And you can go through into the kitchen from there as well.

-OK.

-Round about.

-So it's a double entrance. Exactly, the house flows.

-Yeah. Very cosy.

-Nice window seats as well.

How are you feeling so far?

I'm liking what I'm seeing inside.

-I'm still undecided about the neighbours.

-OK.

What I want to now do is show you that all-important holiday let.

-Let's go next door.

-OK.

On this floor, there's also a double bedroom and a store room,

and upstairs there's a family bathroom set into the eaves,

a large landing currently in use as a bedroom,

and two further doubles.

With the house covered, it's time to explore the holiday let

and the land on offer.

We're starting of in the taddie barn and it's a far cry

from its old life storing taddies - that's Devon speak for potatoes.

So, as you saw coming in, it's a two-storey let.

-Nice kitchen into...

-Wow, yeah.

It's a lot bigger than you think it's going to be, isn't it?

-I got a bigger "wow" from Colin for this part than the main house.

-Yeah.

So one of my suggestions is,

you two could live here and let out that.

-It's another option.

-It's a definite option.

-It's definitely got the wow factor in here.

-Yes, it has.

-This is really nice.

-I mean, this used to be a potato barn.

I know. I could live in a potato barn.

THEY LAUGH You absolutely could.

Let's go and see the outside space, and then we will discuss the price.

Also on the ground floor is a smart bathroom,

and upstairs there's a double bedroom and an L-shaped single,

one room either side of the landing.

Outside is just as delightful as inside.

There are beautiful views, a ready-made vegetable garden,

and a paddock extending to just over an acre.

-There's space outside.

-Mm.

Could you turn this land into the caravan park that you would like?

I think it would be difficult. The sloping ground -

I think it would take a fair bit of work to terrace it.

With the holiday let,

if the price was right on the house,

-you wouldn't need to do the caravan bit.

-No.

And this could just be the view

for us and any potential holidayers.

You might be willing to let the caravan business go?

-Possibly, yeah. We're open.

-Yeah.

OK. Shall we talk about the price?

I haven't got a clue.

540.

-555.

-You're both way out.

It's actually on the market for £375,000.

-SHE GASPS

-Oh, wow.

That's really something to think about now.

Go back in to the main house, have a look around, have a chat.

-Will do.

-Mm-hm.

-Thank you.

-I'll meet you on the other side.

-You will.

-OK.

This thatched farmhouse is a staggering £200,000 under

Claire and Colin's budget, which would leave them

all the cash they'd need to get their business ventures underway.

The size and character fits the bill, and even the sticking point

of the attached neighbours could come good over time.

The holiday home is ready to let

and there's well over an acre of land for the dogs to run around in.

What's more, the edge of village location

means amenities are just a short stroll away.

I was pleasantly surprised with this house.

The size of it, the holiday annexe attached to it.

The only concern I do have is the semidetached status of the house.

Although possibly the people could be moving at some point

in the future, which may make it possible to buy,

and have it as one large detached house.

Steps everywhere.

-It's a good size.

-It is, isn't it?

-Cupboard as well -

-that's always useful.

-It's really different.

-Yeah. I like it.

The caravan side of things are not quite as important

because there is an immediate income.

But with the money that's being saved on the overall purchase price,

the potential is there for us to try and expand

into the caravan side of things.

When we found out the price, well, it was flooring, I think.

Any doubts that we were having, they became less significant,

so it is going to be up for serious consideration.

-Nice to see two smiling faces.

-Yeah.

-And we've still got the Mystery House to go.

-We do.

-Come on.

For our Mystery Property, we're journeying

to the hamlet of Oakfordbridge, around two and a half miles from

the village of Bampton, which sits just south of Exmoor National Park.

Bampton centre provides residents with an array of useful local shops.

A seven-minute drive and we're in Oakfordbridge

at our attractive mystery property, thought to date back to the 1700s.

It's built from stone from the local quarry

and topped with a traditional pantile roof.

Welcome to the Mystery House - or should I say hotel?

-OK.

-SHE LAUGHS

It's an eight-bedroom house

and the current owners let out five of the rooms

in more or less a B&B style, but sometimes they do do dinner.

And part of the deal is the house that you can see next door.

That's a two-bedroom holiday let

-that's self-catering.

-OK.

-Really wasn't expecting that.

I know that you've been wanting a holiday let business

-and the business side of things is important to you.

-Yeah.

I don't know whether you've ever considered the B&B option.

-We have considered it.

-Let's go and see inside.

Our characterful Mystery Property started life around 250 years ago

as a storage barn for bark used in the tanning industry.

It became a home during the 19th century

and it's been a guesthouse for the past 60 years or so.

So this is the guest drawing room.

-Pleasant.

-It's nice and light.

-Homely.

-Yeah.

-This is all a bit unknown to you both, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-Yeah.

It's nice. I like it.

-But you always like the houses.

-I know, I know.

-It's very traditional.

-You like it?

-Yeah, so far.

Shall I show you one of the rooms?

-Yes, please.

-So you can really start to get a feel for the business.

On this floor, there's also a fully kitted-out catering kitchen,

a storage area, a utility room

and a guest dining room with character roof beams.

All of the guest accommodation is upstairs,

with bedrooms spread over two floors.

So on this floor, there are six bedrooms.

The owner uses that one as a study, so they let out five,

and each one of the five bedrooms has its own bathroom.

Also on this expansive floor is a sunny double

with a feature brick wall and an en suite,

along with a further four doubles, also with adjoining bathrooms.

But I've saved the best for last.

This is my favourite room that they let out.

The biggest at the end.

-That's a nice room.

-It's impressive.

-Very light.

-Triple aspect.

-Impressive size for a bedroom.

And then, on the floor above,

the owners are actually staying there and using the two bedrooms

and a little kitchenette that they've got up there at the moment.

But could you imagine, having seen parts of the hotel now,

-living in a hotel?

-Yeah, it's definitely an option.

Yeah. Once we've seen the rest of it, you know,

we might think of other options, of ways we could work the property.

Well, let's go and see the holiday let part

because I think then you have the full picture of what's on offer.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Let's go.

The neighbouring holiday let is accessed through a side door.

So the kitchen's just through there.

And then we come in to the main living room of the property.

So you could let that whole place out,

if you didn't want to live with your guests.

-Yeah.

-Cos this is detached, but very close to your business,

if you'd be happy in a property this size.

It's definitely worth thinking about.

That would work, wouldn't it?

-OK, let's go outside and talk money.

-OK.

-OK.

This holiday cottage is all on one floor,

with two double bedrooms and a shared bathroom.

Moving outside, there's around an acre and a half of land,

including terraced gardens and mature woodland.

Here there's access to the self-contained apartment

at the back of the main house

and car parking, including a double garage, just opposite.

I know, because it's been a little overwhelming,

I'm not going to ask too many questions at the moment.

I think let's talk about the price first,

so then you can really put things in context

and see whether it's something you can consider.

How much is the Mystery Property on the market for?

-600,000.

-599.

It's on the market for £595,000.

-OK.

-So it is over budget.

The good news is...they would accept an offer closer to your budget.

-Would they?

-Mm.

That's handy to know going in, isn't it?

-It's definitely food for thought.

-Yes.

The thing about this Mystery Property, though,

is your caravan dream would have to be put to bed.

Are you OK with that?

If it's the right one, yes, we are.

-If this would work for us, that's not a problem.

-Mm-hm.

Have another look around,

-have a chat, and then I'll meet you at the front.

-OK.

-OK.

Granted, our historic Mystery Property

is £20,000 over Claire and Colin's budget,

but it sounds like the vendor would be willing to come down in price.

It's full of character and bedrooms,

and comes with two enticing business opportunities.

The hotel and the holiday let

currently bring in around £50,000 a year combined.

As the Mystery Property generates such a great income,

the land can be dedicated to their beloved pets

and Claire's much-wanted vegetable garden.

-Nice bright rooms.

-Yeah, very bright. Nice size as well.

When we first saw the Mystery House, this wasn't what I was expecting.

We'd had a chat, Colin and I,

about what you may throw into the mix.

-Hotel wasn't mentioned.

-SHE LAUGHS

The caravan side of the business

would have been a nice thing to have,

but running a hotel is still hospitality-based

and that's the thing we would probably enjoy.

Your minds must be buzzing, I know, and I've got so many questions,

so let's go and get a cup of tea.

Devon's beautiful beaches are a magnet for holiday-makers

and Ilfracombe on the North Devon coast,

overlooking the Bristol Channel,

is one of the main bases for tourists.

But 200 years ago, the town's visitors weren't able to enjoy

what's on offer here as they do today

because the archetypal British seaside holiday

was still in its infancy.

I've come to one of its famous tunnel beaches,

the ladies' beach, to meet Sara Hodson,

manager of Ilfracombe Museum,

to find out what a trip to the seaside was like two centuries ago.

Sara, the views from this beach - they're just spectacular -

-and it's so peaceful here.

-Yes.

It's hard to imagine that, just behind these cliffs,

is quite a bustling seaside town.

Yes, it is a busy town, but it hasn't always been busy.

It was a small fishing port, but it became very popular

with the wealthy and the fashionable,

partly because of these beaches and the tunnels that were created here

for them to come and take the waters,

and Ilfracombe became popular because of that.

Until the early 19th century,

the town was separated from beautiful coves like this one

by the high cliffs and rugged rocks,

making the crystal clear waters inaccessible.

Then, in 1823, everything changed

when the tunnels were built into the rock

to provide direct access from the town to the sea.

-Must have been a lot of work.

-Yes, a lot of very hard work.

And you can see all the marks on the tunnels with their pickaxes.

But they had a vision that they really wanted to create a place

for, as I say, the fashionable and the wealthy to come.

The story is that Welsh miners built the tunnels.

We don't know any more details than that.

It took two years to carve out six tunnels

so that the townsfolk could be linked to the shoreline.

Then, in 1836, the bathhouse was built,

meaning visitors could bathe inside in both cold and heated seawater,

allowing for a complete spa experience.

In Georgian times, it may have been only the wealthy

that could visit Ilfracombe,

but in Victorian times, taking a dip here became fashionable

for the masses as the railway arrived in the town in 1874,

making it more affordable to take a trip to the coast.

So what rock were the miners dealing with here?

It's a type of slate and you can see

that there are other types of rock mixed in with it as well.

-Yeah, it's really layered, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You can see here there are some marks actually still left

in the wall of the tunnel from the pickaxes of the men

that worked cutting all this through.

Just the experience of walking through the tunnel,

that would have added to the anticipation

-of getting down to the beach.

-Yeah, it must have been quite eerie

and quite daunting for some people to have come through

somewhere like this, very dark,

and wondering where it was going to lead.

The main tunnel leads to the men's beach,

then further tunnels lead to the ladies' beach.

These unspoilt beaches may have kept their names,

but 21st-century swimming isn't segregated.

Paint a picture of what it would have been like here in the 1830s.

In the early days of bathing, the ladies,

they wouldn't have actually swum in the water.

They would have taken the waters

by going down in their bathing machines.

What did these bathing machines look like?

They were really like a wheeled shed

that was pulled down by a horse or a pony,

down to the water's edge,

so that they could get into the water

without being seen by anyone else.

Whereas the gentleman were a lot freer in what they could do.

Over on this side, they could have swum round

and engaged in sporting activities,

but for the ladies, it was very genteel,

and certainly no swimming in the early days.

Boulders and lime mortar were used to construct tidal pools

to hold back the rough seas and create a calmer,

more refined bathing experience for swimmers.

Here, for instance, we've got a photograph

of the men's bathing beach.

And then you've got a photograph here that shows

what people would have worn on the beach.

Oh, gosh! Full Victorian dress.

Absolutely. Certainly not showing any flesh.

No chance of getting the sun.

So at the beginning there was this segregated bathing and swimming.

When did it all mix?

We think in 1905 they began mixed bathing here.

There are several photographs of men and women in the pool together,

which was a great sort of advance at the time.

What effect did the building of the tunnels have on the town?

Without the Tunnels Beaches, without the hot and cold water baths,

there wouldn't have been that important element

of the spa town that Ilfracombe wanted to be.

It was an important stage in Ilfracombe's growth

and eventually it became the second most popular destination

in the whole of Devon for seaside resorts.

So it was really the start of the building up of this area.

-Yes, it was. Yes.

-Sara, thank you. It's been lovely.

-Thank you.

Claire and Colin have now seen all our properties,

which offer different living and business opportunities,

but did any of them hit the spot?

So, Colin and Claire, when we first met,

you were looking for a house,

space for caravans and possibly holiday lets.

-Yep.

-What is your thinking now?

We're thinking of expanding our search into a larger area and...

-Focus more on the holiday let.

-Yeah, I think so.

What made you focus more on the holiday let rather than the caravans?

I think the difficulty of finding level enough land in Devon.

Out of the houses that we've shown you,

it's the cottage with the annexe

that fits the bill the most. Is that right?

-Yeah, I'd say that's correct.

-The semidetached.

-That's right, yeah.

-But, Colin, you don't want neighbours.

-No, that's right.

-I don't want to be attached to them.

-You've started thinking

beyond where we were a couple of days ago,

-is that where you are, really?

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah, definitely.

So in a way that focus has really shifted, hasn't it?

It's still something that we would like to have,

but if we were to find a property that only had a holiday let

and didn't have an appropriate amount of land,

and it was in the right place,

then it wouldn't be a deal-breaker that we couldn't have caravans.

-None of the houses that we showed you quite hit the mark, did they?

-No.

-No.

That's right. We've waited a long time to buy a house together,

so we want to do it right.

We don't want to rush and buy the wrong house and then regret it.

-Well, it sounds like we've helped you in some way.

-You have.

You have. It's been wonderful, thank you.

-Good luck with the search. I hope it doesn't take too long.

-So do we.

-And let us know when you've found the wow house.

-We will.

-We will.

Although Colin and Claire aren't keen on the properties

we've shown them, I'm pleased we were able to open their eyes

to the opportunities here in Devon.

It's great to hear they're now widening their search as a result

and we wish them all the best.

See you next time on Escape To The Country.

Claire and Colin have now had an offer accepted on a bungalow

with a caravan site in North Devon

and are living in their caravan nearby until they move in.

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