Devon Escape to the Country

As recently as the 1920s, horses like Taffy here, were vital

in transporting over 7,000 tonnes of cargo

along an 11-mile route every year.

Find out how they did it and which county we're in just a moment.

Today's buyers can't wait to escape suburbia

and settle down in the countryside.

Our straight-talking couple set the bar high for our properties.

Not as wide as I would like it.

-Smaller than what we've actually got at the moment.

-Right.

Luckily, some rooms do measure up to their expectations.

That's my perfect sized kitchen. It's exactly...

Yeah, that's really nice.

Today we're in Devon and this is the Grand Western Canal in Tiverton.

Completed in 1814,

the canal ran from Tiverton to Taunton, across the border

in Somerset and was designed so that tug boats carrying loads

of up to 30 tonnes could be pulled along by a single horse.

Now, the calm waters meant there's very little resistance and this

incredibly efficient use of horsepower was used successfully

for around 200 years.

Today, it's purely used for leisure purposes

but this barge - called the Tivertonian - and young Taffy here,

are just one of a small handful of horse and barge partnerships

across the whole of the UK.

The county of Devon is set in the southwestern sleeve of England.

With distinctive coastlines totalling 450 miles in length,

the northern shores benefit from rugged cliffs

and golden sandy beaches which look out over the Atlantic.

To the south, lie the popular seaside resorts of Paignton,

Torquay and Brixham, which make up the English Riviera.

Characterised by exotic palms, this area is home

to one of the mildest climates in the country.

Further along the coast is the sheltered harbour of Dartmouth

where the Pilgrim Fathers moored up in the Mayflower

en route to the New World.

Its sailing heritage is still very much in evidence today,

with the Royal Naval College standing proud above the estuary.

Inland, the sweeping hills of Dartmoor National Park

are home to a scattering of attractive villages,

such as Chagford and Lustleigh,

with fine examples of traditional thatched cottages.

Offering both coast and country,

it's easy to see why Devon is an escapee's paradise,

offering real potential to get away from it all.

With so much on offer,

it comes as no surprise that the average price of a detached home

here in Devon is £25,000 more than the national figure,

coming in at just over £307,000.

And there are areas in this county

where prices are even higher than that.

For example, if you want to live near the highly desirable beaches

and seaside towns of the English Riviera on the south coast,

brace yourself to pay up to 20% more than a similar property inland.

So what is it about this beautiful region that has

so attracted today's buyers?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Former property developers Karen and Keith

met on a blind date set up by work colleagues 18.5 years ago.

Up until recently,

their lives have been pretty full-on with work, managing their business.

The idea of retiring as young as we have

was really just to chill out and take things slowly.

They both lived in Rochford near Southend in Essex

for most of their lives

but now they are no longer tied to the area for work, they can't wait

to escape the ever-growing population moving to the town.

Before we had fields behind us and it's always been very, very quiet.

And then three years ago, a developer put in plans for

600 houses and a school as well,

which will just totally change our living, really.

With six children and four grandchildren between them

from previous relationships, also leading their own busy lives,

now is all about investing in their own future.

You've only got one life and you've only got one go at it

so I think you should fit in as much as you can.

We haven't got to worry about anyone else any more. It's just our time.

-Sounds like you care about me.

-I do.

SHE LAUGHS

They've decided to move to Devon because Karen has many happy

memories of spending holidays there as a child.

It's beautiful down there.

You've got the beaches, you've got the countryside

and it's just somewhere I've always wanted to go.

And you like the clotted cream.

I actually don't like clotted cream though!

As self proclaimed socialites,

they're also looking forward to making new friends and pursue

leisure activities which they've never had time to do before now.

We would like to get involved with the community

and I would like to start up a supper club and invite people

round for dinner cos I do like doing dinner party entertaining.

Yeah, I think just joining clubs and stuff.

You know, whatever's going on, whether it's...

I want to join a pensioner's cricket club.

Although they're planning to retire, Keith and Karen are also keen

to maintain their young-at-heart attitude.

Sometimes we'll go out and 1.00 in the morning we're,

"Oh, let's get in the hot tub,"

in the middle of winter, in the rain.

I don't think we've ever acted our age.

-We still keep an element of humour, don't we?

-You have to do.

They currently live in their own separate homes

so even though Karen regularly stays over at Keith's,

a joint venture is definitely at the top of their agenda.

This move will change our lives.

We've never had our own house

so it'd be nice to get our own place and choose it together.

And it'd be nice to live together after all these years.

Despite decades of property development experience,

Karen and Keith are unfamiliar with the housing market in Devon.

They're optimistic about what the county has to offer

and open-minded about location.

I'm catching up with them to get a clearer picture of what

they're hoping for from their new home.

Well, Keith and Karen, welcome to beautiful Devon.

-Very young retirees, I have to say.

-Good moisturiser.

-Is that what it is? That's the answer?

-Yeah.

-I'm liking that.

I need the secret.

What you are hoping to do when you make this move?

I would like to just have more of a community life.

Join in with things and see what's going on.

You know, just get to know people and chill out really.

Basically, just enjoy ourselves, don't we, really?

Now, both of you worked in the property business so why

do need our help with this search? You see, I am feeling the pressure.

We're really hoping that you can find something that we

-haven't seen before.

-What is it, what are we looking for?

-Detached.

-OK.

-Four bedrooms, three or four bedrooms.

Hopefully with a little bit of land, that would be nice.

How much do you want, Keith? How much land?

I'd like to say an acre-plus.

And, Karen, what about the actual style of the property?

I quite like contemporary,

as long as it's really got a nice, big, modern kitchen

cos I do like entertaining.

I do like cooking and that is usually our hub, isn't it?

So it's got to be big enough to accommodate all the children,

the grandchildren and our friends.

What about the geography, the location within the county?

We're open to any location as long as the house is right and,

obviously, it's within walking distance of a community.

-That's it, basically.

-So you'd like right on the edge of a village?

-The edge of the village would be good.

-that would be ideal, yeah.

Remind us then of your budget, How much we've got to spend.

We're looking around the 450,000,

maybe 475 if it's the right property.

And do you think that's a realistic amount?

I mean, Devon is an expensive county

because so many people want to move here.

Do you think realistically you're going to get everything that

-you want for that amount of money?

-We'd like to think so. That's...

We can get a property for that.

I mean, if we've got to extend it a little bit more,

-then not a problem, we can do that.

-OK.

Well, we do have some splendid properties lined up to show you.

-It is a glorious day. I think we have to get started.

-Great.

Follow me.

With a maximum budget of £475,000, our couple are after a modern

four-bedroomed property which has enough sociable living space to

accommodate visiting grandchildren and entertain their friends.

They'd also ideally like an acre of land

and to be on the edge of a village.

We've got a diverse mix of properties in store

which addresses the various elements of their wish list.

After every viewing, I'll be asking them to guess the price.

Our final offering is the Mystery House,

where unconventional living and 20th-century technology

have been thrown into the mix to

challenge their property-buying preconceptions.

The reason I want your help is with Keith, he knows what he wants

and I think this will give him a bit of a broader outlook on properties.

So, Keith, are you less flexible, would that be fair to say?

I know what we want, that's the, you know, what we're looking for.

So are you the one that I might have to convince?

You reckon Karen is going to be easier or is it really...

-Karen's more flexible.

-Is she?

-Yeah.

-I'm more flexible.

Karen's definitely more flexible.

She always says, "Keith's never happy." But, yeah, I am.

If we can find the right property, I would be.

Well, we're not too far from the first one.

Let's see if we can at least get a smile out of you.

With location top of the agenda,

our property search begins in the rural village of Georgeham.

There are more amenities a couple of miles away

in the coastal village of Croyde, which lies within the

North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Facing west, the windswept waters of the Atlantic

and vast sandy beaches attract surfers from far and wide.

Back in Georgeham, there's a local pub surrounded by pretty cottages

and on the edge of the village is house number one.

So our first property here in North Devon. It is a converted barn.

And this is your property.

-Right.

-OK.

-Interesting.

Completely different to what I was expecting

but I can't wait to see inside now.

-Come on, Keith, you're looking at me.

-I know.

-It's attached.

-It is.

-I'm wondering where the acre or two is.

This house has lots of merits.

-Let's dip inside and hopefully all will be revealed.

-Excellent.

Dating back 300 years,

this barn originally belonged to the nearby farm.

It was converted in 2004 by the current owners

and has been tastefully renovated, so hopefully the style and space

will measure up to expectation.

You've got a good hallway which leads to the kitchen.

It's a nice kitchen. Not as wide as I would like it.

It's lovely and modern, which is what I do like.

-Yes, but it is a bit smaller than what we've got at the moment.

-Right.

Patio doors to your garden with that amazing view.

-It's a beautiful view, yeah.

-That is the main area to dine.

-Mm-hm.

The dining area is not big enough.

Cos our table is also at least twice the size of this, the one we've got.

Right. Size is an issue.

Let's see what we make of next door. Do you mind your head.

Cos this is your sitting room.

Really nice lounge but probably a little bit on the small side for us.

-Is it?

-It's a little bit darker

in here than I would like for a lounge, cos I quite like

big windows, plenty of natural sunlight.

A lot of the time it is only going to be the two of you.

Well, it is but the intention of coming down here was to

hopefully meet new friends and with Karen doing her supper club.

-We love entertaining.

-Yeah.

So ideally, are we thinking of inviting, like, 12 people round

-on a Saturday night?

-That would be normal for us.

-Would it really?

-Yes.

-All right. Well, that's good to know. Let's keep going.

-OK.

Also on the ground floor off the sitting-room, there's a small double

bedroom with its own en suite which could be useful for visiting guests.

With a downstairs cupboard, we're heading upstairs

where there are three further bedrooms.

There's a potential double and one single,

as well as a tiled family bathroom.

I am hoping that the proportions up here will get the thumbs up

as we inspect the largest bedroom.

So here's our master bedroom...

-..with its own en suite toilet and sink.

-En suite as well. Lovely.

This is a good size, yeah.

And obviously, the views out there, excellent, yeah.

The balance in living space downstairs, I'm taking it,

-is the priority, isn't it?

-It is.

And upstairs you don't mind the bedrooms being a little bit smaller.

-I think the entertaining area is more important to us.

-OK.

I'll let you explore the upstairs on your own.

Let's head back downstairs, look at the garden.

And also, you've got to start thinking about putting a price

-on our first property.

-OK.

Outside the property and just off the courtyard,

there are two good-sized garages.

The rear garden benefits from a large paved area ideal for outdoor

entertaining and the lawn gently slopes down towards open fields.

This may be slightly smaller than Karen and Keith expected

but perhaps they'll be buoyed by a suggestion I have up my sleeve.

It's a good size but I think we all can agree it's not the acre

-that you'd set your heart on.

-Yes.

What you do have though is the field behind us.

Having spoken to the owners, one option might be to see

-if you could rent the land.

-Mm-hm.

Nice garden but it's going to be too small for us.

We do spend a lot of time in the garden, even in the winter

-cos we've got a hot tub.

-We've got a lot of garden furniture.

What is this about hot tubs? Your eyes lit up there when you said it.

-Is this going to be the first thing that arrives in the garden?

-Oh, yes.

It will be, yeah.

OK, for the first time, our first property,

let's see what price we're going to put on it.

Who wants to go first?

-I would say 425.

-Keith?

Being as it is attached, I'd have probably thought 400.

It has only has just gone on the market about two weeks.

The asking price is £450,000.

-Now, are you shocked by that?

-Yeah.

Being as it is attached, I would've thought that was a bit toppy.

This is only the first house that you've actually seen here in Devon.

I mean, sometimes it is a bit of reality check, what your money

will buy you, certainly in an area like this,

but I think it's worth another look anyway.

-Have a browse and I'll catch up with you later.

-Thank you.

£25,000 under their maximum budget,

this converted barn with a contemporary interior has

four bedrooms and is set in a desirable edge of village location

close to the coast.

Although it hit the mark on style, it seems the space may have fallen

short of their great entertaining ambitions.

I think when I saw it I was a little bit disappointed

because we'd asked for a detached and obviously,

the first thing we noticed is that it was a courtyard setting

and it was an attached building.

I really like the house. I do like the fact that it's contemporary.

My main concern is an entertainment area for the family.

We've got grandchildren and we've got lots of friends that come round

so my priority is the downstairs areas.

It's a very nice house, great location, really well decorated

but unfortunately, a little bit too small for me.

-All right, you two, have you seen enough?

-We have.

-Yes, that's great, thank you.

-OK, that was our first property.

-Not a bad start. More to show you. Shall we?

-Yes.

Hugging the dramatic North Devon coastline and drawing visitors from

far and wide is the picture postcard fishing village of Clovelly.

With cobbled streets and cottages that cascade down to the sea,

it's a perfect snapshot of the county's preserved heritage.

Three families have governed the village since the 13th century

and since 1878, the Hamlyns have owned the estate.

This means that all residents' properties are leasehold.

However, with no holiday lets permitted and tenants required

to spend at least 200 days a year living here,

there's an extremely tightknit community.

Karen and Keith are keen to find out more about the history of the county

so we've arranged for them to meet Clovelly tour guide Jana Edwards

and residents Eli and Noah

whose ancestors were vital to daily life in the village.

What do the donkeys do here in the village?

Historically, they were absolutely crucial for bringing things,

mostly out of the village.

Any heavy objects like fish or coal or limestone, they'd off-load ships

onto the donkeys and take the goods, usually up to the top.

How do people transport their goods nowadays?

People use sleigh-like apparatus

and they slide along the cobbles.

You bring in all your worldly goods when you move into this village

in a sledge.

Everybody has their own personal little sledge

for their own personal shopping.

One of the most influential owners of Clovelly was Christine Hamlyn,

who inherited the estate in 1884 and was passionate about

the restoration and preservation of the village.

Its unique identity still endures today.

There's a lot of different

architectural styles in this village.

A lot of that had to do with Christine Hamlyn.

She would travel somewhere

and she'd find some architectural style she really liked and she'd

come back and she would just apply it to whatever she was restoring.

It's a really nice view from up here

and I can see there's a quay down there.

-Is that still an active quay?

-It's a very active quay.

It's active for different reasons perhaps now than it was.

The harbour breakwater was built to encourage to herring fishing

back in the 16th century, which enabled Clovelly to become

a thriving fishing port.

However, 300 years later when that industry was on the decline,

Christine Hamlyn turned her attention

to encouraging tourism here.

By the late 19th century, boats were ferrying 2-3,000 people

a day across the Bristol Channel from Wales.

Although tourism is now the main industry here,

two fishing families still remain in Clovelly.

Stephen Perham is a sixth generation fisherman

and is the current Harbour Master.

-How long have you been Harbour Master?

-About 12 years.

Just over 12 years now.

My cousin was Harbour Master just before me and my father's

been Harbour Master, my older brother's been Harbour Master

so it has been in the family for quite a few years.

It's an honorary position, you're given it by the estate.

It's a lovely place to live and work, isn't it?

What is your job as Harbour Master?

You get quite a few yachts coming here in the summer,

make sure they're OK. We allocate moorings as well as looking after

the fabric of the harbour wall.

Has tourism impacted on the fishing industry here?

It's a very small fishing industry now.

There's only three or four of us

that fish commercially all year round.

In its heyday there were over 80 fishing boats working from Clovelly,

mainly for the herring. Everybody in the village would have

been associated with the herring in one way or another as well.

Stephen, thanks for meeting us today.

It's been really nice meeting you and it's really nice to see Clovelly

-from this side.

-Yeah, it's lovely, isn't it?

-Thank you for telling us all about it.

-No problem at all.

Karen and Keith seem inspired by their visit to this glorious corner

of Devon so lets hope our properties pique their interests too.

Our second house takes us over the border into Somerset

to the village of Brushford.

Close by is Dulverton -

a historic market town in the heart of the West Country

and a popular base for visitors

as it's located on the southern edge of Exmoor National Park.

Here the River Barle is crossed by its Grade 1-listed bridge

which dates back to medieval times.

The river is a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest

on account of its wildlife.

Dulverton offers a range of amenities catering for its tourists

and the surviving buildings reflect its textile manufacturing heritage.

Situated three miles away and with views over the national park

is our next offering.

So you're standing here thinking, "Well, which is the property?"

-Mm-hm.

-This one is our next house.

-It's nice.

-Yeah?

Very nice. I like that.

So even though it looks like it's brand-new, in actual fact,

this used to be an old stables. What is it that appeals to you?

-Is it the local stone, slate roof?

-The big windows.

KAREN CHUCKLES Ah, yes. Keith?

-I'm keeping an open mind till we've had a look inside.

-OK. All right.

You know what, I'm not going to say any more.

-Let's see

-what you think. Good.

-Shall we start the tour?

-Yes.

-Definitely.

Formerly stable blocks dating back to 1874,

this property was later part of a purpose-built hotel established

to accommodate the influx of Victorian visitors to the area.

It was converted into a home three years ago with modern living

in mind so hopefully they'll be

impressed by the space on offer for entertaining.

-Oh, this is really nice.

-Yes.

-Exactly what I like!

-It's really nice, isn't it?

-It's really nice, yeah.

-So is this what you were thinking of as a sitting room?

-Yes.

-Really nice.

They've tried to keep as many of the features they could

-but still have that contemporary feel that you're after.

-It does.

It wouldn't be a struggle to fit everybody in.

You know, we've got the children running around and it's bright,

it's light, it's nice.

Certainly a fantastic start.

I think you're going to like what's next door.

-The all-important kitchen.

-Wow. That is my perfect sized kitchen.

-It's exactly what we were...

-Yeah, that's really nice.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Really nice. And you've got the bi-fold doors

-there as well so plenty of light in here.

-Plenty of light.

-Beautiful light.

-Huge dining table.

-Ours would fit there.

Number one stop for the supper club, this new hobby that you want?

-Absolutely, yeah. Really nice.

-So far...

-So far so good.

-..so good.

Right, head upstairs.

Also on the ground floor, at the other end of the sitting room,

is a second reception room currently used as a study,

which could be a playroom for the grandchildren.

Making our way upstairs,

the striking double-height stairwell and galleried landing exposes the

original character of the property, which is flooded with natural light.

There are four double bedrooms in total.

Featuring exposed brickwork,

the first is currently being used as a snug with its own en suite.

The second also benefits from an en-suite and the third

is neutrally decorated.

This lies next to the family bathroom, which is also

high spec and contemporary.

I'm hoping the size and decor up here will keep those positive

reactions flowing as we look at where they would sleep.

-So this is your master bedroom, with en suite.

-This is really nice.

-It's a nice size, good size.

-Really good size.

Yeah, even though it's got sloping ceilings, it's a

-really good-size room.

-It's ideal, it isn't?

-And the views.

-Beautiful views again.

-That's not too sad, it is?

-Wake up to that every morning.

-This would be a hard act to follow.

Keith, you said to me in the car you're the hard one to please.

-He nearly broke into a smile then, Karen.

-Did he?

-Yeah, easy.

Don't be silly, don't be silly. I'm going to cut while I'm ahead.

Let's take you outside. Hopefully that will be the icing on the cake.

Outside the property there's a carport and parking for four cars.

At the back, the garden has two large sun terraces

with steps down to an expansive lawn

which looks out over open farmland.

The patio, you could get ten hot tubs on there, should you want to.

-One's enough.

-KAREN AND NICKI LAUGH

And then just over our shoulder on the right,

-that is the national park. Do you like it?

-Really lovely.

-Amazing view, that is.

-That used to be a hotel...

-Mm-hm.

..that has been converted.

That was done in about 2002, so you do have neighbours.

That would be a big concern to me.

-The house is absolutely lovely, the garden is great.

-Garden's perfect.

Don't mind not having an acre because it's so open

but to sit in your garden and be looking up at all them flats,

-I thing that would be a deal breaker for me.

-Right.

Let's see what you think of the actual price of the house,

our converted stable block. How much do you think the asking price is?

-I would have thought 495.

-OK.

-I think it's going to be 500.

-The asking price is...

-It is over your budget. It's £485,000.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

The owners are aware of your top budget of 475 so they'd be happy

to have a conversation with you but obviously,

if that wasn't next door, if perhaps that was a field or a meadow,

you could be looking over £500,000 for that, I think.

-I'd love you to have another look around, just the two of you.

-OK.

-Check out all the bedrooms, the finish, be my guest.

-Thank you.

Nudging just over budget at £485,000,

this 19th-century former stable block provides four bedrooms

and an exceptional quality interior.

Its contemporary style and flow would provide them

with the ideal living spaces

they need in their new home.

Overlooking Exmoor National Park,

this property also gives them

a great location

just outside a village.

-Well, it's a good size room, isn't it?

-It's amazing. Really nice room.

I love the house.

The house is everything that I would want our house to be.

The kitchen area, for what I want to do, I want to entertain and,

you know, do a supper club, it would just suit everything I would like.

I could certainly see myself living in the house

but not where it's positioned.

Being so overlooked would be an issue for me.

You know, that's what we're trying to get away from.

All right.

I thought, there was a good second there when I thought that was it,

-we'd done it, we'd cracked it with this house.

-You are so, so close.

-Just can't get over being overlooked, can you?

-No.

-Unfortunately, it's the people overlooking.

-Yeah, yeah.

Well, I'm not giving up because tomorrow...

we have our Mystery House. We'll see how we get on with that.

-Looking forward to it.

-Yeah.

-Good, come on.

It's the second day of our house hunt in Devon with Keith and Karen

from near Southend in Essex.

Armed with a budget of £475,000,

they'd like a property that will suit their sociable lifestyle.

Coming up, our Mystery House offers a vision of the country dream

that takes their breath away.

-I don't think you could pick a better view, could you?

-No.

That is really lovely.

And I hope I don't lose my marbles as I turn my hand

to creating a glass masterpiece.

I think that's as far away from a circle as you could possibly get.

It's more like a lozenge.

So Karen and Keith, our fun loving couple from Essex

are desperate for a new life here in Devon,

but they haven't done an awful lot of research

so I think yesterday, our first day showing them

around the county, was a little bit of a reality check.

They've got a healthy budget

but they also want quite a lot for their money.

So today with the Mystery House, I'm feeling more confident.

They love entertaining and with this property...

I think it could have all the answers they're looking for.

For our mystery property,

we're heading back into Devon

to the quiet village of Blackborough.

Nearby is the village of Kentisbeare,

set in the lower Culm Valley.

Here, charming whitewashed thatches line the winding country lanes

and right in the centre is a local store with post office and

Grade 2 listed pub. Back in Blackborough,

on the edge of the Blackdown Hills, in the heart of the village,

is our super modern Mystery House.

So our final property is, of course, the Mystery House. And here it is.

-It looks quite big. Hopefully, it will be big inside.

-Different.

It is different, yeah.

This is one of the original kit houses that came over by lorry

from Scandinavia around 1995.

-I'll reserve judgements till we've had a look inside!

-That's usual.

Come on then, be honest. Tell me what's going through your mind

because reserving judgment doesn't

help us for about what you're thinking.

Or is it you've got nothing to say?

-Go on, tell me.

-It's busy round here.

-OK.

-It's hard to judge from the outside.

-OK. All right.

Let's see if the mystery can win you over inside.

-Let's have a look.

-Thank you.

Our 20th-century Mystery House majors on delivering

excellent thermal insulation and energy efficiency

so it's extremely economical to run.

However, it does throw down the gauntlet of upside-down living,

which could challenge their conventional mind-set.

-This is an upside-down house.

-It's nicely open plan.

-Yes, very nice.

Beautiful views. Amazing views.

You've got this wonderful living space maximising that vista.

Yeah, it's a good-size lounge so the space is good.

-Have either of you ever lived in a property that's topsy-turvy?

-No.

Keith's quite a traditionalist. He likes sleeping upstairs.

-I like going up to bed.

-Yeah.

-You're both itching to get out on that balcony, aren't you?

-Yes.

Come on, I think we should.

Built to benefit from its elevated position, on a clear day

views here can stretch as far as Dartmoor 40 miles away.

You know, appreciate we do have neighbours either side but these are

-the type of views that you're seeking.

-The views are amazing.

Absolutely amazing.

-I don't think you could pick a better view, could you?

-No.

It is really lovely.

I'm really glad to see that you've got us a lake

and also probably a couple of acres.

Well, we'll go into that in a bit more detail

when we go into the garden but we're going to continue with the house.

I'm going to take you away from that view.

Keith, if you wouldn't mind leading the way back into the property.

Turn left cos we're going to take a look at the kitchen.

So here we have our kitchen.

As you can see, it's got a dining table in it.

-It's ready for a little bit of love and a refit.

-Yeah.

-I would probably change the layout as well. Wouldn't you?

-Yeah.

It's not very sociable if I'm cooking and we've got people round.

-No.

-And they're sitting through there.

This would probably be too small, wouldn't it?

Well, I'm not going to give up with our Mystery House.

I'm going to take you downstairs

-because that's where the bedrooms are.

-OK.

-Excellent.

Down on the ground floor

there are a total of four bedrooms.

A compact double and a good-sized

single are currently children's rooms.

There's also a further snug single,

a neutrally-decorated family bathroom

and a handy utility room,

but we're heading for the master.

-It's a good-sized bedroom.

-Yes.

-And obviously, excellent views.

That's really lovely.

Sit in bed with your cup of tea looking out there would be perfect.

-Really lovely and bright in here.

-Yeah.

I like that idea of the big windows.

With your own balcony, access to the garden,

good size en suite next door.

What do you think?

I've still got this thing

about privacy and the garden finishes there.

I assume that people go out there to the land and the pond

and you haven't got the privacy.

I do understand what you mean about privacy.

Let's go down into the garden and then you can see it in all its glory

-and make that decision.

-Excellent.

Having explored the quirky interior layout of our Mystery House,

it's time to explore outside.

To the rear of the property there's access to storage beneath the house

and with long reaching views over the Blackdown Hills,

the garden has a decking area -

ideal for entertaining outdoors.

There's also a shepherd's hut,

which might prove to be a hit with the grandchildren.

Karen seems to be embracing the merits of this property more

than Keith but hopefully what's on offer out here will give them

a fresh perspective.

It looks more modern and it looks bigger from here

than it does the front, I think. More character.

-Anything else you've spotted, Keith?

-I've spotted a hot tub.

At last, we've found one!

What is it about hot tubs that you two love so much?

I think where we are, ours is really private and everything.

I can imagine if you sit in that one you could actually wave

at the people in the field and the lake.

Who do think's going to be in that field?

Not at the time of night we're in the hot tub.

-Sadly, you don't own the field.

-No.

But if you wanted to,

there could be a possibility of actually buying it or renting it.

But how much do you think this is on the market for?

I would say 450.

No, I'd say less than that. I would have probably thought 410.

OK. The asking price is £435,000.

-Would that tempt you?

-No.

-Still not.

No, not because of... It's not the money issue, it's just...

-It's just not the house for you.

-It's just not the house for us.

I'm going to send you back in so you can reacquaint yourself

with the property but before you do that, I think you should

take a look in the shepherd hut there.

-That is a keeper. It's such fun. Go and have a look.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

£40,000 under budget, our contemporary Mystery House

is configured so that the four bedrooms and living areas

make the most of those stunning countryside views.

It's also an essential village location.

-Aw, this is really lovely.

-This is different, isn't it?

The grandchildren would love this. They'd think this is their...

It would be ideal, wouldn't it?

-If they stayed the night and a lovely sleepover.

-Yeah.

I was quite surprised at the Mystery House.

It has got a wow factor to it but the kitchen doesn't flow with

the dining room and then the garden, they're all separated.

I don't think it's quite the house for us.

Very nice lounge, absolutely amazing views.

A little disappointed with the lack of garden again.

It has made me realise that probably we need to spend more money

to get what we want.

Well, that's it, you've seen all our properties now, including,

of course, the Mystery House.

I think it's been, well, an interesting few days.

-Very interesting, yeah.

-Yeah.

-Very interesting.

We now need a proper chat, don't we? I want to hear your thoughts.

-OK.

-Come on.

Although Devon is well-known for its striking coastlines, beautiful

rolling hills and national parks, it also has a rich industrial heritage.

One industry that prospered for over 160 years was pottery production,

which took advantage of the natural abundance of clay in the county.

Potteries grew up all over the region

and although the kilns under these chimneys are no longer fired

to create earthenware, traditional skills are still in use.

I've come to meet Andrea Harkin from Teign Valley Glass

to find out more about the ancient art of glass sculpting.

-Andrea, good to meet you.

-Hello there.

Now, when you think of Devon, well, certainly for me, I think

of agriculture, tourism, beautiful countryside, arts and crafts

-but not pottery.

-No.

The Bovey Tracey Pottery Company was based here at around 1843

and it did employ about 300 people.

Unfortunately, in around 1957 it went bankrupt due to changing

markets and so it was left to ruin.

So, how did you find your company here?

Well, we were making glass and toys and games just down the road.

We expanded and we moved to this site in 1990.

The business originally began as a games manufacturer producing

solitaire boards.

However, they quickly moved on to producing their own artisan marbles

so in 1981 they opened their own glassworks.

This is an extraordinary studio. It's like an Aladdin's cave.

Now one thing that has caught my eye is this.

-Now that is like a work of art in itself, isn't it?

-It is.

These are all handmade using traditional techniques that have

been passed down through generations to generations of craftsmen.

This is craftsmanship, isn't it, at its best.

-Every one is an individual piece.

-Yes.

Well, I've fallen in love with this little marble.

How easy would it be for me to recreate something like this?

-You're welcome to have a go.

-Let's see how I get on.

-Andrea, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Coloured glass marbles are thought to date back to

as early as 15th century in Venice.

Glass workers used to gather up remnants off the factory floor

and roll them into little balls to take home for their children.

The Victorians went on to master techniques used for making marbles

that are still used today.

Senior glass-maker Matt Sharpe has been sculpting glass

for 16 years so I'm hoping he thinks I can cut it.

How long would it take you to make something like this?

Probably about six/seven minutes to make one of those.

What's the first step?

We've got to take the gather of glass out the furnace,

-which is over here.

-How hot is it in there?

It's 1,100 degrees.

So, all I'm doing now is putting the rod into the glass,

giving it a few turns, then coming back out.

If you keep turning it all the time. And what we're going do,

we're going to start doing rolling it in the white first.

-Just keep giving it a dusting?

-Yes.

-Enough?

-Yes.

Now we need to go into the grill and warm it up.

And the heat in this furnace, similar or less?

It's a little bit more. This is about 1,250.

I mean, I can feel it on my face.

Now we can come out and add some more colour.

-Keep turning?

-Yes.

-Is that enough?

-Yes, that's lovely.

-OK.

-Back in?

-Yes, back in and melt the colour in again.

-OK.

Next, some more plates of iridescent glass called dichroic

are added to the softened surface.

The glass is then heated again to make it more malleable

so it can be rolled on a metal plate to smooth out irregularities.

Now that looks like an interesting sweet at the moment, doesn't it?

Yes.

'A further layer of clear glass is added to the outside to seal

'the colour inside and it's rolled again.'

And you're just getting used to shaping the glass.

-You can push a little bit harder now.

-It's more like a lozenge.

Tools called jacks are then used to squeeze the centre of the glass

to form the beginning of marble

before it's blasted once more in the furnace.

Now what we do is put it in there and we start spinning

and hopefully it will start to make a round shape. Well done.

This is so difficult and you make it look so easy.

Lots and lots of practice.

But look at that, it's transforming in front of my eyes. The colour.

Brilliant, you're just about there now.

The final part of sculpting a marble is to separate the rounded end

from this rest of the glass.

When we knocked it off, there'll be

a little sharp rough patch on the top.

-That was so delicate.

-We knock it off like that.

And then with our little torch here

we just try and melt that top in

and make it as round as we can.

We've got to have a nice even heat around the marble just to try

and make it back round again.

I'm really pleased with that. Am I able to take it?

No, cos we've got to cool it down now.

We've got to pop it into one of our kilns for about 15/16 hours.

Cos if we don't do that, it will shatter.

Matt, I am delighted with that end result.

I think you helped me far more than you were probably meant to

-but it looks perfect, thank you very much.

-Cheers, thank you.

It's been a fascinating insight into the process of glass-making

and heartening to see skilled sculptors like Matt continuing

to champion Devon's craft heritage.

This has been a tough few days. We have struggled.

Not with Keith and Karen.

No, they've been very complimentary about all the properties

we've shown them, but for what they're after on their budget,

it's proved so hard to find.

Now, interestingly enough, they've made a few comments

and observations, especially after the Mystery House

so I'm keen to hear what their conclusion is.

Karen and Keith, well, we started off with a clean slate.

-Desperate to leave Essex, new life in Devon.

-Mm-hm.

But finding you that perfect property has been,

-well, it's quite elusive for us, hasn't it?

-Yeah, I think so.

It hasn't quite met our criteria as far as size of the buildings

and land, which is what we're looking for.

But we did get very close with our second property

just over the border in Somerset, tantalisingly close.

-Very close.

-Yeah. It was 90% there.

-98% there for me.

-Pretty close.

-The house perfect. You adored the view.

-And then we had a few neighbours next door, didn't we?

-Yeah.

You can like entertaining, you can invite them all over

for your supper clubs.

He likes entertaining, he doesn't like being overlooked.

So, on reflection, now that you've seen some housing stock,

do you think you can get what you want on your budget

in this particular area?

-I think properties are available in that bracket.

-Yeah.

But then we've got to make compromises.

I think if we can adjust it, maybe 50, another £75,000 more,

we will probably get what we're looking for.

For us, it is long-term

so it's worth spending that little bit of extra money.

Is it possible, do you think, to find an extra £75,000?

Yeah, it would be possible, yes.

Hopefully you will find that dream home.

-It is out there, we've given you a taste.

-Mm-hm.

-A little bit more exploring and you might find it.

-I'm sure we will.

-I'm sure we will.

-Let us know though, won't you?

-We certainly will.

-We will.

-Wonderful.

The party house, that's what I'm going to name it.

-Thank you so much. BOTH:

-Thank you.

Well, I think that was a fair assessment of the situation

from Karen and Keith there.

And they've come up with the conclusion that

if they are going to find that beautiful, entertaining party house

that they're so after, with the grounds and the privacy

they crave, they are going to have to dig just that little bit deeper.

In all honesty, I'm delighted that they came to that conclusion,

that I didn't suggest that they had to find more money,

but I think that's the perfect answer.

We wish them all the best and that's it from me from wonderful Devon.

I'll catch you again on Escape To The Country.

After the reality check of what they could get for their money,

Karen and Keith have decided to raise their budget and are

continuing to scour the county

in a bid to find their ideal country home.

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