Welsh Borders Escape to the Country

Welcome to a somewhat misty start to today's Escape To The Country.

Now, behind me is a small glimpse of what is widely regarded

as one of the most important English landscape gardens,

not just in the UK, but also renowned the world over.

So, where have we come to?

Well, join me in just a moment and I'll tell you.

Today, we're helping a couple of newlyweds who hope to kick off

their married life in a new home, with dreams of running a B & B.

-What about this for your guests, then?

-I don't know.

I would quite like it for myself!

But one of our properties leaves them lost for words.

My goodness.

I don't know what to say.

Well, today we are on the Welsh Borders

and these are the beautiful surroundings

of Hawkstone Park Follies in Shropshire.

They are widely regarded as perhaps one of the best examples

of the English landscape garden, dating back to the 18th century.

They contain a fantastic mix of caves, cliffs, follies and woodland.

What sets this place apart is that it bucked the trend of the day

for more classical, symmetrical gardens

and instead embraced an imitative nature.

It was restored 20 years ago and now visitors revel in its surroundings.

From up here, you can see right across the border

to the mountains of Wales.

On a clear day.

The land straddling the length of the border

between England and Wales is traditionally known

as the Welsh Marches and includes parts of Powys on the Welsh side

and Shropshire in England.

This northern section of the Marches is a region of enduring beauty,

characterised by classic, unspoilt, hilly countryside

and striking field patterns.

The Borderlands were fiercely contested for hundreds of years

and contain the highest concentration

of motte-and-bailey castles in the country.

Chirk Castle, a magnificent medieval fortress

completed in the 14th century, is a particularly fine example.

On the English side, the historic town of Ludlow in Shropshire

is a renowned gastro hot spot,

home to a whole host of eateries and cafes.

So, with its mix of scenery and historic architecture,

the Welsh Borders is an escapee's paradise

and somewhere it really is possible to get away from it all.

As well as stunning countryside,

property prices here are also very attractive.

In Shropshire, the average cost of a detached property

is currently £245,000.

That's 32,000 below the national figure.

And it gets even better if you head further west,

over the border into Wales and Powys.

There, the same sort of thing could cost you £80,000 less.

So, time now to meet today's buyers

and find out which side of the border they want to be on.

Steve and Ali, who live near the town of Devizes in Wiltshire,

met each other through an online dating site

just 18 months ago.

A whirlwind romance led to a speedy proposal

and they've been married for just a month.

So, now they want to kick-start this next exciting chapter

in a new country home.

Steve proposed to me when we went to Sri Lanka last year.

It was towards the end of the holiday.

I walked out onto the beach with her in the evening,

held her in my arms and said, "Would you marry me?"

We both lost our partners some years ago.

We're now looking to create a life together

rather than staying in the jobs that we've currently got.

Steve works in IT and Ali in sales,

but the highly pressured corporate world has taken its toll on Steve.

I commute almost three hours, three and a half hours a day,

so our escape is more than just

escaping into a more rural environment.

It's escaping from that whole work environment.

Steve and Ali both have two grown-up children

from their previous relationships,

but they've left home and the couple currently live

in a four-bedroom property that Steve bought before meeting Ali.

I chose this house when I was single,

that the children can come home to.

Since we met, it's obvious that the house doesn't meet our requirements.

We'd like to choose somewhere which is ours.

And they've chosen the Welsh Border country

for their first shared home together.

-It's a lovely area, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

Beautiful area.

And fortunately, it's still within the price bracket that we have.

But Steve and Ali don't just want a new home,

a joint business venture is in the pipeline.

When we were courting, I said to you I'd like to own

a bed and breakfast and you said,

"That's what I'd like to do", didn't you?

Exactly.

We want to get to a point where we can retire

and just look after the B & B and some letting units and have a life.

And when they're not busy with the B & B,

they should have more time for their passions,

which include baking and cake making for Ali,

whereas Steve hopes his modelling will take off.

I took up flying model aircraft about eight years ago

just as something to really de-stress with.

It's become a bit of an obsession. I've got something like 25 aircraft.

It gives me great pleasure picking one of those up,

taking it up onto the hill and throwing it off.

But their rural dream isn't just a flight of fancy.

They're under no illusions that this is a big move,

though it is a chance for the newlyweds

to spend some quality time with each other.

I'm well aware that running a B & B isn't going to be

without its stresses and without its early mornings.

-But it's doing something that we both enjoy.

-Absolutely.

Steve and Ali want to find a property in the northern section

of the English-Welsh border,

but don't mind which country they live in.

So, we'll be looking both in Shropshire

and Wales for their new home.

I'm meeting up with them

in Shropshire to learn more about their planned move.

Well, Steve and Allison, welcome to Escape To The Country.

This is all quite exciting.

-Am I right in saying that you only got married six weeks ago?

-We did.

So, Allison, what are you hoping to achieve with this move?

We are hoping to open an bed and breakfast with some letting units.

We want about three bedrooms and three letting units.

Both of us are giving up our full-time jobs.

-Have you ever done anything like it before?

-I have.

I've run pubs and restaurants, but you haven't, have you, Steve?

-No, I haven't.

-Why have you settled on the northern end

of the Welsh Borders?

We like this area.

The countryside, the hills, there's some lovely country houses.

We feel that there's a lot to draw people to this area.

What would your ideal home look like?

Perhaps an old farmhouse, a rectory.

Perhaps a barn that needs converting,

or some outbuildings that we could turn into letting units.

How much of a project would you take on?

If we started off with three rooms that we could let,

that would give us enough income to start with.

And then, if there were a barn conversion, stable conversion,

something like that, we would do it over time.

And also perhaps a little bit of land, as well.

Ah. What's going to happen on that?

-Well...

-Some animals.

-Yes, yes.

I'd ideally like some pasture and also woodland.

You really are painting a picture of the ideal country life,

I mean, you know, this is all very good.

-It is going to be hard work as well, though.

-It really is.

-Yeah.

B & Bs are not an easy wicket.

How are you going to make your business that little bit different

to all of the others to get that trade?

-I think we're going to go for luxury B & B.

-We are.

We are aiming at the luxury end.

So, Allison, how much are you planning to spend on all this?

750,000.

Three quarters of a million, Steve.

-That's right, yes.

-It's a lot of money.

-Scary, isn't it?

But this is an area where I think

you can get very good value for money.

We've got some really interesting properties to show you.

I hope they will inspire you to create a vision

of what this business could look like. Shall we go?

-Absolutely. Let's do it.

-All right. Drink up.

With a budget of £750,000, Steve and Ali are after a traditional,

older property with character.

In an ideal world they'd like a five-bedroom house,

that would allow them to let out three rooms

as bed and breakfast units,

but with the potential to develop up to three self-catering

holiday lets around it.

Steve would like some land to fulfil his smallholding ambitions

and a bonus would be some private woodland in their grounds.

We've lined up a selection of classic border-country

contenders for our house hunting newlyweds to consider.

But the honeymoon might be over

when I reveal the price at the end of the property tours.

And of course, we've got a Mystery House

that might well challenge Steve and Ali on age,

but it does give them more than they bargained for elsewhere.

Our first offering is situated in the popular Welsh market town

of Llangollen.

An ancient Welsh settlement situated on the banks of the River Dee,

it takes its name from its founding 7th century saint.

Today, it's a thriving tourist centre

and probably best known for hosting the international musical Eisteddfod

every summer, which attracts over 100,000 people.

Located within walking distance of Llangollen,

our first house is set in a quiet, elevated position

overlooking the town.

-Well, we've crossed the border into Wales. There we are, guys.

-Oh, wow.

This is different.

I don't know what to say. It's lovely.

It's certainly going to be big enough,

or it looks like it is from here. The garden looks nice.

That lot there is a six-bedroom property.

-Five of which are en suite.

-Fantastic.

The current owners have lived here 30-odd years,

and they have run it as a B & B in the past,

-hence the en-suite bedrooms.

-Yep, yep.

And to the left, that building there is also with it

and that is a two-bedroom cottage.

My goodness. That's incredible.

Let's see what you think. There's plenty to see.

'There's a lot to take

'in at this handsome, Tudor-style Victorian residence.

'With its separate, two-bedroom holiday let set

'in a separate coach house which earns around £8,000 a year.

'Unfortunately, the let has guests staying in it at the moment,

'so I can't show it to Steve and Ali.

'But the main house, which has its entrance around the corner,

'should keep us busy.'

-What do you think of this then, Allison?

-Oh, that's lovely.

-That's beautiful, isn't it?

-Isn't it?

-What a nicely proportioned room.

The whole room itself could act as a guest wing,

if you like, because it opens up into this, have a look at this end.

Oh!

So, you've got sort of guest sitting room... Come on over, come on over.

-This is the best view, I think, from here.

-Oh, it's lovely.

-Because you can see all of that and all of this.

-Yeah, yeah.

-What a beautiful house.

-What about this for your guests, then?

I don't know.

I would quite like it for myself!

Thought so!

'Ali needn't worry.

'Her and Steve's accommodation is pretty good, as well.

'A door from the guest dining room leads on to another equally

'impressive reception room.'

-There. This is what we think would be your bit.

-Oh, wow!

-Open-mouthed and open-eyed, Allison.

-It's nice. It's nice.

-Yes, that's lovely.

-Yeah.

-That's plenty big enough for us as a living room.

-Yeah.

-Right, come and have a look at the kitchen.

-OK, yeah.

-You'll like this.

-Dying to see the kitchen.

Oh, that's a nice kitchen. That's lovely.

-I think you could spoil your guests.

-I do.

Through that door is a huge utility room-cum-laundry room,

I would suggest. And another little storage area, too.

-And also, you've got a cellar here, as well.

-Seriously?

-Yeah.

If you're into your wine, trust me.

-I am.

-There you go, look.

You've got a wine cellar, too.

There's currently a quarter-size snooker table

-in there at the minute. Like, a pool table.

-Right.

-So, actually, that's how big it is.

-It's lovely. Absolutely lovely.

Now, I did say to you on the outside that we had six bedrooms to explore.

Yes.

-Upstairs might take a little bit of time.

-Oh, dear.

Come and have a look.

'Not surprisingly, our buyers like the space they get

'with this substantial property.

'And the ground floor room arrangement gives them

'privacy from their guests.

'Of the six bedrooms in the property,

'five are on the first floor.

'They're all generous

'and four of those have en-suite bath or shower rooms.

'There's also a family bathroom you could easily get lost in.

'And up on the second floor, there's an attic games room,

'but I'm showing Steve and Ali the largest bedroom on the first floor,

'which I've earmarked as their master.'

-Wow.

-This is yours, although to be perfectly honest, any one of those

en-suite bedrooms would pass as a very comfortable master bedroom.

-I love the ceiling.

-This is lovely. Absolutely amazing.

-Now, you're going to like this...

-Huge proportions.

-..his and hers storage.

-You're kidding?

-Nope.

No, that's his, hers and his.

Or hers, probably.

Well, you take your pick. Bags of built-in storage with this one.

And a really nicely proportioned en suite through there,

-as you would expect.

-OK.

-Yeah.

I think... Yeah, it's still raining.

-Shall we brave it?

-Yes.

-I think so.

Let's have a quick look at the garden, come on.

The sixth bedroom is back downstairs as part of a small,

separate annexe arrangement.

It comes with an en-suite bathroom,

as well as lounge and kitchenette

and provides excellent self-catering letting opportunities,

currently bringing in around £4,000 a year.

Outside, extensive landscape gardens fan out from the back

of the property, with a lovely backdrop of the Berwyn Hills

and Dinas Bran Castle, which today is shrouded in misty rain.

Ah. Well, it's raining a bit more than I thought.

-Can you admire the garden from here?

-I think so, yes.

It is about two acres, all in.

How much is it going to cost you?

Cos this could be the slightly tricky bit.

You go first.

I think it's right up the top end of our budget, the 750.

£750,000?

Three quarters of a million, says your brand-new husband.

And I was going to say that.

-You can agree.

-No.

-It works well.

-That's a good omen for the future, isn't it? OK.

Erm, I'm going to go 775.

This could be yours for...

..£650,000.

-Seriously?

-Really? Gosh.

-That's amazing.

100,000 left over to make any little tweaks that you would want to.

-Gracious. That's...

-Can we buy it?

-I'd love you to buy it.

-It's such a lovely property.

-Well, look.

Go and explore. Rediscover this property.

Try and work out the ground plan, try and cement it into your minds

cos there's a lot to take on with this one.

-And I will catch you later on, somewhere. Off you go.

-Thanks.

£100,000 below budget,

the price of our Tudor-style mansion comes as a pleasant surprise

as it leaves Steve and Ali some of their budget

to put their stamp on it.

Offering separate accommodation from their guests,

there are six bedrooms in the main house.

One of those six is part of an annexe joining the main property

and there's also a separate two-bedroom coach house

across the driveway, unlocking bags of business potential.

The land, seen from where we saw it, looks stunning.

So, very, very impressed with this property.

I really, really like it.

It's got everything that we wanted. Lovely large kitchen with a range.

There's six bedrooms, five with en suite,

so we would be able to let them. All of them, if we wanted to.

-Hey! How we doing?

-Very well.

-Yeah.

Am I standing outside your new home?

-I hope so.

-Well, you can certainly afford it.

-And, wow, what an exciting proposition.

-Yes.

Absolutely stunning property.

Steve and Ali have asked that their new property includes

some private woodland.

They're keen on using wood from their land for fuel.

But more than half of the UK's small woodlands are in decline.

Over the last 20 years, one third have disappeared

due to poor management and countryside development.

Small Woods is an organisation designed to maintain and protect

the 400,000 hectares of small woods in the UK.

To find out more about sustainable woodland management,

they're meeting chief executive Mike Bentley.

What size of woodland should we be looking at

to have something which is sustainable and would help

us with the heating?

-For self-supplier wood fuel?

-Yes, yes.

You don't actually need that large an area, quite surprisingly.

About one hectare of mixed, broadleaf woodland,

you would be able to produce a sustainable yield

of, say, four cubic metres, or four tonnes of firewood per year.

Which would normally be enough to heat a wood fuel stove

in a medium-size cottage.

Assuming that we do get some woodland,

what type of trees should we be looking for?

I would probably advise you to go for a woodland with mixed species.

Right.

There are a couple of nasty pests

and diseases going around at the moment, particularly affecting ash.

-You've obviously heard of ash dieback.

-We have, yes.

Yes, we've seen it in our area.

And also there's a fungus that's affecting larch trees.

So, a woodland that was purely larch or purely ash may be one to avoid.

The most traditional method of woodland management is

coppicing, the ancient practice of cutting a tree off at its stump

to encourage rapid re-growth of buds and shoots.

Opening up the tree canopy to let in light

also promotes greater biodiversity.

The extra light reaching the ground encourages wild flowers

and plants, attracting butterflies and other insects.

As well as benefitting the ecosystem,

coppicing has an added advantage.

You're left with freshly cut wood from which you can create

useful, everyday objects. The practice known as green woodworking

also employs traditional handmade tools.

Steve is going to try his hand at making a spatula

and Ali a rolling pin, using freshly felled ash.

You're going through the middle, there.

OK.

Then stick it in the brace.

-So leave a... Whey!

-Whoa!

-Whoa-ho, well done.

-It went.

-It did.

Well done.

Meanwhile, Ali is shaping her rolling pin,

using an age-old shave horse and a draw knife to create a rounded,

cylindrical shape by continually turning the object.

-It looks really dangerous, I know.

-It does.

-But, in fact, it's not, really.

-No.

I mean, it's really hard to actually bring the knife far enough back

-to cause you any damage.

-OK.

-So just keep going.

-I will.

-Keep turning it and I'll come back and see how you get on.

-OK.

-All right, OK.

-Thank you.

Steve has now drawn the outline of a spatula onto his piece of wood

and begins shaping the utensil with a side axe.

-Yeah, you still got your fingers, then? Yep.

-Absolutely, all five.

Good, good, good. Hey, actually, that's looking good.

He then joins Ali on the shave horse to smooth off the edges.

-So, what we're going to try and do is reduce it even more now.

-OK.

OK, using the draw knife.

Yeah, if you want to know what to do just ask her. She's an expert now.

-OK, so here you go. Have a go.

-OK.

-So, nice, strong...

There we go.

-It's quite satisfying, isn't it?

-Mm.

Ali's rolling pin is also gradually taking shape.

The final step for Steve is to round off the spatula with a knife.

Hey, first attempt, I think you should be proud of that. Very good.

-How about you? How's the rolling pin coming along?

-I think a few more hours yet.

-A few more hours needed.

-Yeah, I think so.

-It's more round than when we started.

-Well, guys, you've done really well. It's your first attempt. They look fantastic.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Yeah, you should be really proud of it.

-It's been really enjoyable.

-Good, that's the main thing.

Well, Steve and Ali now have some handy tips on managing woodland

and working with green wood.

As the day draws to a close, it's a chance for them to reflect

on the property hunt so far.

It's the second day of our B & B property search,

along the English-Welsh border,

with newlyweds, Steve and Ali, from Wiltshire.

With their £750,000 budget,

we're hoping to find them a property that separates their home

from their guests.

Coming up, our Mystery House pulls out all the stops for the business.

I think people would be stunned when they came in here.

And I meet the men of steel,

whose artwork could save lives on our streets.

Well, short, autumn days mean some pretty early starts

here on Escape To The Country

and we've got plenty to fit in

on our final day of house hunting.

Now, yesterday, I thought went really well.

That house in Llangollen I think offered Steve and Allison

a brilliant opportunity.

And if we showed them nothing else, well, maybe our work would be done,

but, of course, we have got more to see.

But building on the theme of yesterday,

we're going to head back into Wales

to try and find them yet more value for money.

And of course, it's Mystery House day.

For our next offering,

we're venturing deeper into Mid Wales, to the hamlet of Penrhos.

This is classic border country,

rolling fields criss-crossed by lines of hedgerows,

with hillside vistas stretching far into the distance.

The nearest neighbour to our next house is a pretty church.

And these spiritual connections are a clue to the property's

former life.

But will it enlighten our buyers?

Oh, you're joking. Look at this.

-Ah!

-Come this way, Allison.

-Chickens!

-Chickens.

We'll keep those.

-Nice bit of planting, lovely views of Mid Wales.

-Yes. Oh.

-And there.

-What is it?

-It's a rectory.

-It's a rectory! Yeah, exactly.

It's the sort of thing that I think is the archetypal country home.

Set within its own plot, as this one is.

Lovely mature gardens, about a couple of acres here.

Oh, that's gorgeous.

It's been renovated extensively over the last 11 years or so

by the current owners.

Young family and they've given it a really fun,

contemporary twist inside.

But as you would expect,

it's pretty cavernous with an interesting range of outbuildings too,

-which could be developed further into more holiday let potential.

-OK.

-That's what we're thinking.

-Lovely.

-Come on.

Built in the late 19th century,

the former vicarage has been remodelled by the current owners,

who've given an old building a stylishly modern twist.

Oh, gosh.

Isn't this fun?

Someone's had some great fun decorating this. Wow.

-Do you see what I mean? It's quite contemporary.

-It is, isn't it?

The red floor is pretty bold.

But you've got the traditional fireplace, which is lovely.

These gorgeous windows, they're original, as are the shutters.

Rather cleverly, they've removed the walls either side of this fireplace

-to let the whole thing flow around it.

-OK.

Have a look at this.

So, removing this wall was a really good idea, I think.

-And it gets you into...

-Gosh.

-Oh, this is nice.

-..this.

-Lovely.

-Yeah, this is a lovely room.

-That's nice.

It's quite an original rethinking of a very traditional building.

As a guest suite of rooms, if you like, for dining and relaxing...

-Plenty of room.

-Works a treat.

-Yeah.

And it gives you that division between the dining end

and something else.

-Come and have a look at the kitchen.

-Thank you.

The striking decor of the old rectory

has made its mark on Steve and Ali.

To the rear of the house, there's also a spacious office.

Somewhere to run the business from.

But next, we're appraising the kitchen.

There.

Oh, wow!

That's great, isn't it?

That's a lovely catering kitchen.

It certainly has that industrial, utilitarian feel to it.

All the stainless steel.

That is really good, I actually like the stainless steel kitchen.

-Allison?

-I like the range. I like the taps.

-I like the window looking out on to that beautiful view.

-Yep.

And it opens up round here, to give you your own dining end, I suppose.

-Or kind of living room if you wanted it.

-Oh, gosh. What a huge room.

-Well, quite a lot of walls have been removed to create this effect.

-Yes.

There's another door to the right which leads back into the hallway.

And next-door to that, a door to a very, very extensive cellar

which is pretty much original.

-I could imagine having a sofa in that part of the room there.

-Yeah.

That would be a nice sort of relaxation area.

-We could actually have that as ours, couldn't we?

-Yes.

-You could have this whole bit.

-Yes, exactly.

So, now we've cleverly divided up the ground floor,

we need to turn our attention to the sleeping arrangements.

Upstairs there are five bedrooms,

including a venerable master suite

with high ceiling and a stylish en-suite wet room.

There are three other bedrooms on the first floor,

including two big guest doubles,

a smaller single and a large family bathroom.

There's a further bedroom on the top floor of the roof space,

serviced by its own bathroom. Ideal for B & B guests.

But I want to show Steve and Ali my plan

for their self-catering holiday visitors,

an outbuilding at the back which could be converted into

at least one letting unit.

There.

Currently used as a studio, formerly a chicken shed.

-A large area, though.

-It's really good.

Those double doors go out to a pretty elaborate

-greenhouse-cum-garden room-cum- conservatory.

-Mm.

Which would make a great addition to a holiday let,

if you were able and minded to do something with this.

-But of course, it's all going to come down to price.

-It is.

-Cos you are going to have to spend some money on this one.

-Yes.

-Yeah, agreed.

-Right.

Come on, let's go out to the garden.

'The house and outbuilding sit in two acres of private grounds

'with a mainly lawned, well-established garden.'

-Lovely view, isn't it?

-Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Looking south there,

over towards the rest of Mid Wales as we get to the difficult bit,

which of course is the price.

What's it on the market for, madam?

640.

Oh! No hesitation there, 640. OK.

I'd go 620.

620.

A bit of optimism is creeping into your price guesses.

I don't blame you for being optimistic.

This was on the market for £750,000.

-But the exciting thing is that it has been reduced to £650,000.

-No.

-So, you weren't far off.

-It's got real potential at that price.

Well, look, guys, go and have a look around.

In particular, have a look upstairs.

Think about those B & B bedrooms for now

and I will come and find you a little bit later on.

-We'll do that.

-OK, thank you.

-Enjoy.

Under budget by £100,000, this former rectory has been beautifully

converted to create a contemporary family home.

The open-plan reception room gives our buyers a space to

accommodate bed and breakfast guests

and there are at least three letting bedrooms in the main house.

There's also potential and money left over to develop

a letting unit in a separate outbuilding.

I was really excited to see that it was an old rectory.

The five bedrooms, I'm not sure whether we would be able

to use it as a bed and breakfast,

but perhaps we would be able to use some of the outbuildings

for the letting purpose.

As far as the location of this house, it's brilliant.

Great views, fantastic grounds, couldn't ask for more.

Looking at it from a business point of view, it doesn't instantly

match our requirements for bed and breakfast

and for the letting units, without some development work.

-Are you tempted?

-I think I could be.

It's certainly an option, yes.

I think you should be. But, we have one more to come.

Mystery House is coming up soon. Come on.

For our final choice, we're heading deeper into Wales,

to the small town of Llanfair Caereinion.

Perched on the banks of the River Banwy,

the charming town has a peaceful feel

with a distinctive architectural style,

hosting a range of shops and pubs.

Nestled into the south-facing hills,

around a mile from the town, is our Mystery House.

Now, Steve and Ali wanted some land.

Our Mystery House has it in spades,

but our buyers also wanted a traditional home

and although this one has a classic Welsh pedigree,

inside it's much more contemporary.

You may well chuckle, cos this is our Mystery House.

Come over here and take it all in.

It's really unusual, isn't it?

Effectively, in the middle was a small, traditional cottage.

It's then been extended either side.

Initially in the 1990s over here,

to create something which is, I guess, a bit more traditional

and then in 2005, this entire wing was added

which, as you can probably tell, has a much more contemporary feel.

-It has five/six bedrooms on offer.

-Right, right.

It has two staircases.

That's very good.

So, what we're thinking is owner's wing over here

and B & B wing...

-Over there.

-..over here.

-OK.

You also get that huge barn up there.

-Oh! We thought that was another house.

-Nope, that's all yours.

-Belonging to somebody else.

-The whole lot sits within...

Wait for it.

-..19 acres.

-Oh!

-And those acres go behind the property up onto the hill.

-Mm-hm.

-Lovely amount of woodland.

-Fantastic.

-Which I know is of interest to you.

-Right.

And then it extends below us here.

So, where do we start with this enormous property?

We have one front door, of course.

We could either go left and look at the owner's accommodation

or we could go right and look at the B & B.

What do you want to do?

-I think the...

-B & B.

-..business side, yeah.

-Yeah.

Let's do the business end first

-and then we will spoil you with your bit. Come on.

-OK.

'The original stone longhouse dates to the 18th century,

'but the addition of the two extensions has more than doubled

'the property's size, giving Steve and Ali lots of options

'for paying guests.

'And the 19 acres of land gives them bags of room

'for a luxury camping business.'

Now, imagine a door there separating you from this,

-this would be guest accommodation.

-What a beautiful room.

-Yes.

-Original fireplace there.

-Yeah, loads and loads of character.

Loads, but come on this way.

-Very funky staircase.

-Oh, that's lovely.

But, now, this anywhere else would be a fabulous family living room,

but this, because of the two wings, could be your guest sitting room.

And a luxury one, at that. Absolutely.

I don't know what to say, it's just so nice.

Come and have a look next door,

because this is really, really interesting.

Now, they've got this set up as a kind of hobby/craft room.

Oh, I love the red.

Have in your minds that this could be given over

to a guest kitchen, which would mean the main kitchen

-would be just for you.

-Right, which is what we wanted, really.

We'd just need to put in a slightly larger kitchen, stove and...

-Exactly. Let's have a look at a guest master, if you like.

-OK.

Come and see this.

Our mystery package is drawing our buyers in

and they've yet to see their own wing of this place.

Upstairs in the contemporary guest quarters,

there are two decent-size bedrooms which are both served

by a sizable shower room.

Now, I'm thinking you could market this as a premium suite

for your guests.

-What a beautiful room.

-Huge, isn't it?

-Fantastic views.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic views from here.

I think people would be stunned when they came in here.

Let's have a look at your bit.

-Let's start with the kitchen, come and look at this.

-OK.

'The main house can be accessed either from the upstairs landing

'or through a small boot room on the ground floor

'and gives our buyers the separation they wanted from the business.'

Now, this sort of boot room-cum-service corridor

connects the guest wing and the guest kitchen, as it might be...

Right.

..with your kitchen.

-Oh, wow!

-Look at the range.

-Look at the range, yes!

-That's beautiful.

That's absolutely amazing.

But you've also got this dining area, too.

Easily more than we need.

We haven't quite finished. Have a look at this.

So, it's a sort of circular route, this.

This is the hallway, there's the front door, imagine a door there

-separating you from the guests.

-Yeah.

-And then this is your living room.

-This is nice.

-You also get this.

-A garden room.

-Oh, that's nice.

-Oh, that's nice.

-You sort of pointed us towards the better end, but this is...

-As nice.

-..as good.

-Yep.

-Yeah.

-This has a very different feel.

-It does.

-That's contemporary, this is more traditional.

-Yes.

-Although, it's effectively a new-build, let's face it.

-Yeah.

There's the other staircase that gets you up to

your accommodation up there.

And that is comprised of three good-sized bedrooms in this wing

of the house alone, including a spacious master

with a washing area and a single room in the eaves,

which leads on to a cosy twin room.

And they all share a family bath and shower room.

'Unlike our other properties,

'there are no outbuildings as such for letting units.

'You'd be hard pushed to do much with the timber-clad barn.

'But, they do have that 19 acres to play with,

'if they wanted to develop a luxury campsite

'and that includes two large paddocks

'and some private woodland.'

I'm just wondering if we can afford it.

Well, let's deal with that.

You went first last time, so let's have your guess, sir.

-Three quarters of a million pounds, you have.

-Yes.

-Is it going to be enough?

-I'm not sure that it is for this.

So...

I'd value it at something like 780.

740.

-740?

-Yes.

Hopefully coming in just under budget.

I have to confess, I think it should be that sort of figure,

but today is your lucky day.

This is on the market

at 675.

Oh, God!

Oh, gosh. What do we do?

Ha-ha-ha! What do you do?! That is a very good question.

I think the first thing you should do is go and explore it

at your leisure.

-We've whizzed round on the tour, but go and spend a bit more time.

-OK.

-Soak it up and I'll find you later on.

-OK.

-Fantastic.

-Thank you.

-Go on, then.

-What a surprise.

Under budget by £75,000,

our Mystery House is an extended Welsh longhouse,

with contemporary additions and finished to a very high standard.

It features a separate, modern guest wing with two bedrooms

as well as three in the main house and the 19 acres of land

give Steve and Ali the option of developing a glamping business.

The Mystery House has taken us both by surprise.

We never expected to find a property of this quality

and of this size at this price.

Really like the Mystery House.

I like it particularly

because we would be able to run a business from here

and also Steve and I would be able to have our own home.

Out you come. There we are. That's it. Our house tours are over.

Now, I've just made a little bet with myself as to which one

of our fabulous properties might be your favourite.

Go on, then.

You can tell me if I'm right a little bit later on.

Come on, let's go.

The Borderland between Wales and England is an area

of unforgettable beauty, blessed with plentiful natural resources.

Thanks to the abundance of coal,

towns like Ironbridge in Shropshire

became important centres of industry.

It was here in the 18th century that cast iron was first produced

on a large scale, by using coal to smelt iron.

The world's first cast-iron bridge is an enduring legacy.

Today, the region's ironworking heritage

is being kept alive and well at the family-run British Ironwork Centre

just outside Oswestry.

It showcases and champions metalwork as an art form.

I've come to meet one of it's founders,

Clive Knowles, in the centre's sculpture garden.

It seems only fitting that the Ironwork Centre should be here.

How did it come about?

Well, it came about approximately 12 years ago now.

And we came across this wonderful 90-acre farm

and the idea was that we would eventually make it

the Mecca of metalworking here on the outskirts of Oswestry.

And that we were going to celebrate

all the different metalworking talents.

Coppersmithing, tinsmithing, blacksmithing, silversmithing.

And we've got all these artists here for the public to come and see.

'The centre's eclectic collection of animal sculptures include

'the familiar from the farmyard, as well as the more exotic.

'Clive is taking me to see a recent commission,

'a giant silverback gorilla made from thousands of spoons.'

Wow. It's bigger than I was expecting.

This is the great British spoon gorilla.

It's made from 40,000 spoons from primary schools all over the country

and all over the world.

It took six months of welding and about a year,

18 months of collecting spoons.

'The gorilla sculpture was crafted by one of the centre's

'resident sculptors, Alfie Bradley, whose current project

'is in the early stages of development.

'An aim of the centre is to create artistic pieces that

'raise awareness of issues affecting the country.

'Alfie is building a statue of an angel made of knives,

'many of them collected by the police,

'which he hopes will help highlight the tragedy of knife crime.'

This is the knife angel.

It'll stand probably 24, 25 feet in the air.

This is just the spine and the wings of the angel.

What, this huge chunk of steel here is the framework, is it, Alfie?

Well, what I'm going to do is,

I'm going to create a frame around the spine.

Then I'm going to weld all these knives sideways, like this.

-Wow. So, they'll almost look like feathers?

-Exactly, yeah.

This is a very different idea to the gorilla.

This is tackling a very challenging and pernicious issue

for us all, isn't it?

This is addressing street violence.

The carrying of weapons.

Every knife taken off the streets of the UK is potentially a life saved.

And we are inviting any of the youths

that are involved in gang violence or street violence

who want to just come here and donate their own knife symbolically

and weld it on themselves, they're being invited here to do that.

And since I'm here at the workshop, Clive and Alfie have given me

the honour of being the first member of the public

to contribute to the sculpture.

I know that you're a big fan of military history,

so I managed to find this in all the pile.

You're joking! That...

I think... It looks military, anyway.

It absolutely is, that is a Second World War bayonet.

I think it's a great choice, thanks, mate. I appreciate that.

-Oh, well, if you put yours right in the middle.

-Like that.

-Here's a pair of gloves that you'll be needing.

-Thank you very much.

-Now, it's a while since I've done any welding.

-Yeah.

You're going to have to judge my work at the end of it.

We will, we'll be very critical.

Everybody got their helmets ready to go? Brilliant. Here. Here we go.

-What do you think, start at the top?

-Yeah.

'With over 100,000 knives needed to complete the sculpture,

'the centre is hoping to reenergise knife amnesties

'and that more weapons will be handed in to the police

'over the next few months.'

-Well, lads, how did we do?

-Well done.

-It's not going anywhere, is it?

-No, it isn't. It isn't.

That's rock solid.

Well, I must confess, I am really, really flattered to have had,

as I say, a small part to play in creating what will be

a beautiful sculpture.

And I think it's rather telling that welding this weapon of war

-that's now being attached to a symbol of peace...

-Mm.

..I think it's quite profound. It's a brilliant idea.

It is profound, yeah.

Alfie's aiming to complete the knife angel by the end of 2015,

when it will go on public show at the Ironworks Centre

and hopefully will tour the rest of the country,

helping to continue the metalworking tradition which originates

from this historic region.

Well, with the budget we've had this week,

trying to decide which is the best property

we've been able to show our buyers has been a pretty difficult task.

I have my favourite and I'm fairly sure that by now

Steven and Allison have theirs,

but are we all thinking the same thing?

Well, let's go and find out.

We've given you some brilliant options, I think.

All of them viable. All very different.

Different prices to boot, as well.

So, which one is it?

Which one is your favourite?

Our favourite is the Mystery House.

-Is it?

-Yes.

-Ah.

Why the Mystery House, then?

Mystery House allows us to take that wonderful property,

let it as B & B for a number of years

and then, potentially, divide it in two

and let half of it as a high-quality holiday let.

-My money was on the house in Llangollen.

-Yes.

The six-bedder with the separate two-bedroom holiday let.

Beautiful house.

-And you were very keen on buying that.

-Yes, very much.

So, what changed?

I think it's a beautiful house, but with the Mystery House,

Steve and I would be able to have our own separate home,

which is very important to both of us.

What about the area?

Well, our intention is to do some research on that,

go back and have a second viewing

and if all goes well then put in an offer.

Good. Well, guys, it's been a lot of fun.

I'm delighted at what we've been able to show you.

I am even more pleased that one of them at least

has captured your hearts and your imagination

and given you a vision for the future.

And thank you very much for your help.

It's been really great, thank you.

Well, let's be honest.

If you are a buyer that's lucky enough to have

three quarters of a million pounds in your back pocket,

you are in a very enviable position.

When we started this house search with Steven and Allison,

they did approach it with some pretty lofty ambitions.

But I'm pleased to say that the property market here

has not let them down. If anything, it's left them spoilt for choice.

And at long last, I think they do now have a vision

as to what their life here and their future may indeed look like.

And as for me, well, I have loved seeing property,

frankly, that is amongst the best that the borders has to offer.

I'll see you next time.

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