Sussex Escape to the Country

Behind me is the Jacobean home to Britain's first-ever winner

of the Nobel Prize for literature.

After a childhood in India, then later America,

he eventually found solace in this beautiful part of the country.

So, which globetrotting author am I referring to,

and where exactly am I?

Find out in just a moment.

Today, a high-flying pair are heading south

in pursuit of a country pad and more.

This would be ours, and the guests would be elsewhere.

This is our space to enjoy.

Let's see how nice the rest of it is before we give it up.

LAUGHTER

And we've got plenty of mouthwatering surprises to serve up on the menu.

Eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms,

bubble and squeak, black pudding.

-You forgot the blueberry pancakes.

-Oh, that's in the oven, my friend.

Today, I'm in Sussex, and this is Bateman's,

home to poet and author Rudyard Kipling,

perhaps best remembered for The Jungle Book

and his Just So Stories.

Kipling moved to this house, down the road from Burwash, in 1902

at the age of 37,

at the height of his fame.

He saw Bateman's and the Sussex countryside

as a place of respite from his new-found celebrity.

One of his favourite pastimes was being chauffeur-driven around

the lanes of his beloved Sussex

in his Rolls-Royce Phantom,

taking in the sights and drawing upon them

as places in his stories and poems.

And I must say, even today,

as you drive around this beautiful county

it's quite easy to see how it was such an inspiration.

The counties of East and West Sussex

are situated in the South of England,

and are bordered by three other counties,

with the southernmost edge running along the English Channel.

Stretching from the holiday resorts of Camber Sands in the East

to Chichester in the West,

the region's coast couldn't be more diverse.

From Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain

rearing up to 530 feet with its vertical drop to the sea,

to pretty coastal towns such as Rye,

a port in Norman times.

Away from the water, Rye's beautifully preserved

narrow cobbled streets from the Medieval, Tudor and Georgian periods

tell a story of the town's maritime past.

In more recent times, the town has been associated with the arts,

where writers such as HG Wells and Henry James once called home.

Moving inland is Britain's newest national park,

the South Downs, straddling both East and West Sussex.

It only gained its protected status in 2011.

Here country residences sit alongside crop-filled fields,

while sheep graze in pasture that rolls away towards the sea.

So, whether it's the beauty of the rural landscape that appeals,

the stunning coastline,

or the classically British towns and villages,

Sussex is a place that manages to offer a slice of it all.

As it stands, the average price of a detached house in East Sussex

comes in at just under £360,000.

But over in West Sussex, that figure jumps to nearly £430,000,

a huge £150,000 above the national average.

Why? Well, there's a huge array of historic property,

especially around the town of Chichester.

Plus, direct trains will hit London in under an hour.

These two factors mean that the price will always be at a premium.

But be warned, that's not to say

East Sussex doesn't have its hotspots,

especially around the towns of Rye and Lewes.

So, where in Sussex as a whole are today's buyers looking to move?

Let's meet them and find out.

-I'm Paul.

-I'm Tony.

Together we're Tony and Paul.

LAUGHTER

Tony and Paul are recent retired university lecturers from Glasgow.

But they had 4,000 miles between them when they first met.

We met in Manchester at a social gathering, 12 years ago.

And at the time I was living in the US

and we had a long-distance relationship.

Back then Tony was a flight attendant on transatlantic flights,

but after four years of commuting

he decided to make Glasgow his home to be with Paul.

We got married on the very first day that was legal in Scotland,

in December 16th of 2014.

We're living in a terrace house, built in about 1908.

We've done extensive stuff since Tony has been here.

That kitchen had to go.

So, the month before I moved in,

we had the kitchen and the bathroom torn out

and redone to my design

so I could work in it.

The couple have had a great seven years in the Scottish city,

but it couldn't be further away from Tony's old life across the pond.

I've enjoyed living in Glasgow.

I enjoy the city. I enjoy the people.

The climate...

is horrendous.

I was born in Florida,

and lived most of my life in the South of the US.

So, coming to a place

where you have the heat on and fire on in June

is quite an adjustment.

So, with their working days behind them,

Paul and Tony have decided they'd like to say farewell

to the wetter weather and their Scottish house

in the hope they'll spend their retirement in warmer climes

close to the sea in Sussex.

I know the south coast because my mother lived there.

And visiting her, coming from here, it's always sunny.

And being retired, I expect to spend more time outside.

And it'll be really nice to get into some gardening

and be able to entertain in the garden.

We're very social, so we like to have friends around.

So, having a space that's welcoming and warm

to accommodate people is a must.

With more socialising and coastal walks together,

as well as cooking and gardening high on the agenda,

Tony also had grand plans to do a bit of work when they move,

making a small income from home.

I've had experience with B&Bs, helping my cousins

with their five-star B&B in the US.

So, I saw what they did and how they did it,

and what worked and what didn't.

Also, I've taught hospitality management for the past six years.

So, I think I'm ready to go it on my own.

But most of all, this committed couple

are just looking forward to a new and relaxed life.

We want to move to a place where we're happy,

where we can be together

and enjoy the things that we both like to do,

separately and together, while we still can.

So with their home sold and work ties to Glasgow no more,

Paul and Tony are more than ready

for the next stage in their life together,

and the first house they've bought together.

Every move is a different lifestyle. Every move is a change.

So I'm prepared that it's going to be different.

It's a challenge,

and if you don't challenge yourself you just stagnate.

Paul and Tony have asked us to focus their search close to the coast

between the towns of Hastings in East Sussex

and Chichester in West Sussex.

Before we get out of the starting blocks in search of a sunny home,

I'm meeting them in the county

to make sure I know exactly what it is they're looking for.

So, here we are in Sussex, gentlemen. Good flight down from Glasgow?

-Yes.

-Good.

This is your retirement you're looking down the barrel of?

I'm just very recently retired.

He's much older than me, so he's been retired for some time.

So, what are you going to do?

Well, I'm hoping to do some B&B

to keep from annoying him all the time.

So I'll have something to keep me busy.

How low-key can we make this B&B business?

Pretty low-key.

I think the thing is,

it would be nice to have some money from a B&B

which was also an occupation that we enjoyed.

It really is going to be a part-time thing.

What about the property itself,

what does it look like in your mind's eye?

I'm quite open to any suggestions.

I'm more concerned about how the house feels

and how the rooms flow into each other.

I think that's far more important than style.

I like the idea of a very old place,

and there are some of those around here.

I want a garden.

You want to grow things in your garden?

Yes, and we want to have flowers.

We want to have a tiny bit of vegetables.

But not so big that you need a ride-on mower.

He would be treacherous on a ride-on mower.

-Oh, right, OK.

-Well, yeah.

How many bedrooms do you want?

I would say three bedrooms and a study, or four bedrooms.

What about the location for your property?

Do you want to be close to a community or do you want to just see that?

Well, I think we want to be at the edge of a village, certainly.

-I don't think we want a house in the middle of a field...

-OK.

..with only fields around.

How much money you looking to spend?

£600,000.

But we're willing to take on a bit of a project.

Well, I got a good idea of what you're looking for.

Let's get started. Come with me.

For their budget of £600,000,

Paul and Tony are hoping for a 2-in-1

with their plans for a home and a B&B.

They're open to the style of property they'd have,

but they'd like the rooms to have a good flow.

Tony would love a great kitchen,

and Paul wants a garden they can entertain in.

They'd like four bedrooms, or three plus a study.

And location-wise, they prefer to be

on the edge of a village.

We've chosen a tempting trio of properties for Paul and Tony to view.

But they'll only be furnished with the price of each

after they've toured it.

The final visit to the mystery house

will definitely give them something to think about,

as it a veers slightly off-piste from requirements

but still manages to have so much to offer.

To kick off our search, we're starting in East Sussex

in the village of Ninfield,

just over four miles from the seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea.

There's an expansive pebbled beach here

overlooked by a charming promenade, perfect for a seaside stroll.

Ten minutes away, the village of Ninfield

is served by a good selection of amenities,

including a store and post office,

traditional dining pubs,

a village green,

and a library housed in an attractive red-brick Edwardian building.

On the outskirts of the village

is this single-storey classic Sussex brick-and-flint cottage,

thought to date back to the 1800s,

with an extension built just three years ago.

What's your first impression?

What's the sort of vibe you get when you first see this place?

I like the house, I like the look of it from the outside.

It looks very cottagey, cos of the style of the garden with the steps.

Well, the house itself is.

Now, Tony, what's going through your mind?

It's all one level, which is not a bad thing at all.

-He's not getting any younger. So...

-Hey!

I like the flint on the outside and the tile.

-So, first impressions sound pretty good.

-Pretty good.

Let's look inside.

We're beginning our tour to the left of the front door

in the breakfast room, which flows into the kitchen.

OK, so, you've got these sort of cottagey proportions

when you first walk in, haven't you?

But...

keep coming with me and...

-Oh, wow!

-You're rewarded, aren't you?

-Yes, actually.

-Boy, it really opens up, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-My initial impression is this would be ours...

-Yeah.

-And the guests would be elsewhere.

So, this is our private space. This is our space to enjoy.

Let's see how nice the rest of it is before we give it up.

LAUGHTER

-Let me show you that living room.

-OK.

The recent extension enlarged the kitchen

and created the family room behind it,

and includes a fabulous conservatory

with a splendid outlook over the garden.

Next door to the family room, and also at the back of the property,

is a large lounge-diner.

Now, then.

-Look at this.

-Oh, yes.

It's picturesque, isn't it?

Yeah, see, I think this would be... For B&B this would be perfect.

It's a lounge for the guests,

a sit-down-and-eat-for-breakfast area for the guests.

And it's separate, so they don't feel like they're underfoot,

but it's also convenient.

Since we're actually thinking about doing the B&B

as not the main core of our life,

then even if they had this space and this was where the guests were,

we would be here a lot.

Let's go and take a look at the bedrooms.

Oh, yeah, bedrooms.

You've got to sleep somewhere.

Now, let's start with what I think would be your master bedroom.

Yes, it is very nice.

-Big enough?

-Yes.

Oh, definitely.

So this, I think, would remain your bedroom.

OK?

-Let's keep walking through.

-OK.

So, that's the fourth bedroom or study, OK.

Now, you've got a really nice family bathroom in here.

-Oh, yes!

-I love the 1920s look of it.

Yeah.

A double bedroom here.

Separate access to outside, there.

-Oh, that's good.

-That's a good idea.

And then you've got yet another bedroom here.

That looks exactly the same size as the other one - well, nearly.

As a guest you'd be pretty happy with this place?

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

-With the view, with the storage. Certainly.

-Yeah.

So, let's go outside and have a look at the garden.

That's right up your street.

That's what I want to have a look at.

Outside, there's a patio leading to a large, well-maintained garden,

where the cottage's solar panels are visible.

They save around £1,000 on energy costs each year -

a handy saving, as the cash could be ploughed back

into the marvellous half-acre garden.

Now, then, Paul. Green-fingered Paul.

-You look behind you, you can see some raised beds.

-Yeah.

Just beyond those conifers.

This is absolutely a perfect size of garden.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-You look over there...

that small building there with the flint detail on the wall.

Yes.

That's a double garage, with a man cave at the back of it.

That has previously held planning consent...

-Really?

-For conversion to residential accommodation.

-Two-bedroom residential accommodation.

-Wow!

Oh, that would be great!

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

I'm... going to take a stab

at 565 with my fingers crossed.

I think it's 580.

The estate agent is asking for

between £575,000 and £625,000.

Go back into the house, refresh your memories,

and I'll meet you whenever you're done.

-Thank you so much.

-See you in a moment.

If Paul and Tony manage to get this 19th century property

for the bottom end of the guide price

they'd still have £25,000

to help transform it into the B&B

that Tony's got his heart set on.

Two generous-sized reception areas

would allow privacy for and from guests.

Plus, there are just the number of bedrooms they want,

with the option to create even more rooms in the garage.

And the outside space

is just what gardening-loving Paul is hoping for.

It's nice to find something that has age and character

and is all one level.

I like the house, I really do.

It's cute without being cutesy.

It's period without being restrictive.

I can stand up in most of the rooms

and walk through most of the doorways.

It's all got potential.

Liveability for us, if it were just for us,

would be pretty close to spot-on.

However, to make it into a B&B with en-suite bathrooms,

that would take some thought and some work

and, of course, a bit of money.

So, we'd have to really figure that in

before we decided to go with this one.

So, gentlemen, how much would you pay per night

to stay in a room in this place?

I think £50, £55 a night.

-I'd like to stay here.

-Good. That's it, isn't it?

If you'd like to stay here, hopefully other people would mirror that.

OK, on to the next one.

Both East and West Sussex are home to some stunning countryside,

including the classic scenery of the South Downs to the West.

And it's in the South Downs National Park

that the RSPB has a home at Pulborough Brooks,

a 618-acre nature reserve

dedicated to the conservation of natural wildlife in the county.

Nature-lovers Paul and Tony

are keen to create a garden paradise in their new home,

and have come to meet Anna Allum, the visitor experience manager here,

to find out about getting closer to nature.

We're just wondering what sort of wildlife do you have here?

What sort of special wildlife do you have?

Well, it's a fantastic site for lots of different kinds of wildlife.

So the RSPB are probably best known for their work with birds,

but actually we're giving all sorts of nature a home here.

This time of year it's things like the insects that take centre stage,

so butterflies, dragonflies, moths and things like that.

Is it something special about this county that draws them here?

Well, it's a really diverse county.

We're located in one of the best areas for wildlife

in the entire country.

That's because you've got so many different kinds of habitat

in a really small area.

Do you mainly do conservation work here

or are there other things that you do here as well?

We have a big education programme here,

so lots of school parties come and visit.

We do lots of events, so lots of families come and visit.

We do evening walks, where we go listen

for nightingales and bats and nightjars and things.

And summertime ones, where we go looking for insects.

That's what we're going to do with you today.

We're going to try doing a big butterfly count.

Enjoy the sunny weather and all the butterflies that are enjoying the flowers.

-We can talk a bit about that, but if you're ready to go, let's get started.

-Fantastic.

-Sure.

A butterfly count is simply counting and recording

how many butterflies are spotted in a 15-minute period.

The Big Butterfly Count was started in Sussex five years ago

and is the world's biggest survey of butterflies.

Last year, over 44,000 people took part,

counting almost 560,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths

across the UK, and then logging their findings online.

Butterflies are actually a really important species.

So, like bumblebees and honeybees, they're good pollinators

of all of our plants and things.

So knowing what's happening with them is important for that.

Also, being the RSPB and being keen on our birds,

butterflies and moths provide lots of caterpillars

for those young, hungry birds.

Making sure the butterfly population is doing well

helps all sorts of wildlife.

Anna's taking Paul and Tony to a prime area for butterfly-spotting.

So, I've brought you here to this meadow.

I thought it'd be a great place for us to do a big butterfly count,

because you've got lots of different wild flowers up here. It should be a nice spot.

Are there any endangered or rare ones that we might run across?

About three quarters of the UK's butterfly populations

are actually in decline.

So, actually quite a few of them are struggling.

I wouldn't expect any rare ones particularly in this habitat.

OK, so we've got everything we need.

We've got our charts. We've got our nets.

-Let's get started.

-Let's go!

With their butterfly-counting gear at the ready,

it's time to try and gently catch

any of the delicate insects they spot,

before identifying them on a chart,

making a note of what they've caught and letting it go.

You can have a swish if you see one coming past.

But you don't want to be bashing around with them.

-We don't want to harm any of them.

-No.

-Do they go on siesta?

-Yeah?

-LAUGHTER

It's one there. You get that, I think.

No, it got away.

That's a dark-brown one, what would that be?

I think that was a Ringlet.

Ringlet. There it is.

-I got one!

-Well done!

Can you identify this for us?

Let's see if we can have a look before it flies off.

There we go.

-Did you see it?

-Yeah.

It looked like a Meadow Brown.

I think we can be safe and put it down as the Meadow Brown, yeah.

As you can see, it can be quite tricky catching them with the net.

-Very difficult to get.

-They're quite speedy.

You don't have to have a net to do the Big Butterfly Count,

we've seen quite a few flying around

-and it's been easier to spot them flying than to catch them.

-Yes.

So, after their intimate brush with nature,

Paul and Tony are now completely clued up

on how to spot these beautiful and fragile creatures

in their new rural retreat.

But first, we've got to help them find it.

For our second property, we are staying in East Essex

and travelling 10 miles west,

just outside of the town of Hailsham,

which is less than 20 minutes' drive from the coast.

This historic market town has its roots in the 13th century,

and is centred on the attractive St Mary's Church

and the market square.

There's a true blend of old meets new,

with modern shopping precincts sitting alongside historic buildings

housing a good mix of shops and eateries.

The residential streets are peaceful and leafy

and the town is enveloped by beautiful Sussex countryside.

Just a few minutes from the centre of town

is our next offering.

Now, for option number two,

we're looking around an up-and-running B&B. All right?

First impressions?

Very nice.

We want somewhere we can live,

and make a bit of money on the side, as they say.

Well, this could be that. Come with me.

This detached house was built in 1938,

supposedly for the nephew of the lord of the manor nearby.

It's now in its fifth year running as a B&B.

We're going inside and heading for the guests' breakfast room,

which runs from the front to the back of the property,

with a conservatory behind it overlooking the garden.

-It's big enough!

-It's big!

First impressions - I want to walk towards that window,

-which, I suppose, is a good thing.

-Yeah.

There's a nice brick fireplace -

it's OK.

-"OK" isn't necessarily a home...

-Yeah, it's not singing and dancing

in this room, but maybe I write my own music, as it were.

Well, there's nothing sweeter than the sound of cash in a till.

LAUGHTER

And that's maybe what this place can give to you.

-Let's keep walking around.

-OK.

And happy customers are usually well fed ones.

So, we're going to where cook of the pair, Tony,

would prepare the guests' grub.

Now, the kitchen is by no means open-plan,

-but it is a chef's...

-No.

-..paradise! Look at that!

-Yes, it's got lots of bits.

Eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms,

bubble and squeak, black pudding!

You forgot the blueberry pancakes.

Oh, that's in the oven, my friend.

Could you work in this environment?

It's definitely a workable kitchen. Yes, definitely workable.

It sounds to me like you're starting to get your head around

the fact that the business element is more than catered for here.

But we need to remind ourselves that you need a home,

and what I like about this place is your accommodation is very private.

-And it's this way.

-Oh, OK.

Next to the kitchen is a utility room

and, next to that, at the back of the house,

is another sitting room,

again with double doors to the garden.

It's a nice, cosy space.

For the way that we live...

This is OK.

-This would be a nice-size sanctuary.

-Would it?

-Yeah.

You've got a really nice modern shower room and loo next door

and a lovely double bedroom.

I'm keen on showing you where the money's at.

-Come with me.

-OK, after you.

As it stands, this property has five bedrooms.

There's another one down here,

originally a separate dining room, also served by a smart bathroom.

When the owner started her B&B business,

she made £2,000 in her first year.

And by year three, she was bringing in £25,000.

So, if Paul and Tony are up for it,

they could have a rather nice little earner

along with their new home.

Upstairs are three double bedrooms.

A sunny one in use as a twin with an outlook to the side.

And there's another rather plush one at the front.

These two rooms have a shared bathroom between them.

But we're heading to the third bedroom,

that spans the depth of the house.

This is your biggest room, and it's en suite.

Right. It's a very nice size of a room.

-It's a room you could spend time in.

-Yeah.

What I like is the business element is up here -

we're down there.

-Let's go out to the garden.

-I really want to do that.

I know you're keen on that, and that will give you a break

-from talking all this business about bed-and-breakfast.

-Absolutely.

-Come on then, let's go.

-There we go.

Outside there's a garage at the front.

And then, at the back,

the perfectly manicured gardens extend to around half an acre,

surrounded by pretty flower beds and majestic mature trees.

There's also a patio to the side,

which the owner's sitting room opens onto.

The garden is really a sculptural masterpiece, I must say.

I don't know how she keeps it in this order.

I'm sort of fearfully thinking about doing it myself.

-She's got a gardener.

-Ah, very sensible.

You've had a look around.

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

I'm going to say it's probably a bit over our budget.

I'm going to say 615.

OK. Paul?

I don't think it's as much as that.

I would say 580.

Asking price...

is £600,000.

BOTH: OK.

It's been on the market quite some time.

At the same price.

We fit the profile of the people who might buy it.

Which might put us in a strong bargaining position.

Something to think about, but I think now is the time

to go back into the house

and really consider, "Could it be a home?"

All right, I'll meet you when you're done.

Thank you very much.

This house couldn't be more suited

to what Paul and Tony want for their new life.

And at £600,000,

it still manages to fall

right on the nose of their budget.

It's got all the space they need

in a home and a B&B,

with the potential for no less than five bedrooms.

Outside is not only perfect to keep Paul busy gardening,

but would also suit their entertaining aspirations too.

It's a very nice house and the garden is wonderful.

Walking up to the property gave a wonderful impression.

It's settled very nicely in the setting here.

It's a really nice experience to walk around outside.

The inside...

while very much a clean slate,

had some drawbacks.

For me the big question mark was the kitchen.

I'm not sure that the kitchen in its present state

would be usable to cater for a number of people.

The fact that this is, obviously, a successful B&B

and a nice house

is a bit of a trade-off

to a beautiful house and a possible B&B.

So, I was thinking...

that you've got one house each today.

I think that's a fair assessment.

So, tonight, over dinner, it's all about an arm wrestle

about who gets their own way,

-ahead of the mystery property tomorrow, yeah?

-Yes.

-Well, I always let him have my way.

-Good man!

It's day two of our Sussex search

for a country home where Paul and Tony from Glasgow

can spend their retirement.

They've got £600,000 to spend on a property,

which Tony is hoping will come with B&B potential,

even though that's not at the top of Paul's wish list.

We've still got a visit to the mystery house to come,

which will require the pair to employ some creative thinking.

Have the cattle moved out?

-Yes, thank you.

-The cattle have been converted. Right.

And I'll be learning how an ancient battle technique

is enjoyed as a sport today.

Clearly what we saw yesterday

is that Paul and Tony do want different things

when it comes to this new property down here in Sussex.

So, today we're going to take a gamble with the mystery property,

and that is moving this business element out of the equation.

But in doing so, it'll allow us to show Paul and Tony

a really nice countryside property in a fantastic rural location.

But there's the other gamble -

the location of the mystery house may well be to rural.

We won't find out until we show them.

For our mystery house,

we're journeying some 40 miles west into West Sussex

and to the hamlet of Bilsham,

which is just south of the village of the Yapton.

Yapton has its own local hall and a number of knapped-flint buildings,

including the parish church, which dates back to the 13th century.

Nearby is the attractive coastal village of Middleton-on-Sea.

Here there's a farm shop, a selection of restaurants,

and all the essentials, as well as local artisan traders.

Then, there's the beautiful stretch of sandy beach,

ideal for bathing and coastal walks.

A three-minute drive and we're in Bilsham

at our third and final property -

the mystery house.

This striking former barn.

Now, for our mystery house we are going along the conversion route.

-Indeed.

-What say you?

-Have the cattle moved out?

-Yes, thank you.

The cattle have been converted.

-The setting's wonderful.

-It is lovely, it really is.

-Quiet.

-The occasional sheep vocalising.

-Yes!

First impression's quite good.

I'm withholding judgments.

-Let's have a look inside.

-OK.

This brick and flint converted barn

was built over 200 years ago to house livestock.

It became a residential property in 1970,

and today the current owners have already moved out.

It sets out in an L shape,

and we're entering through the front door into the hallway,

which leads to an ultramodern kitchen-diner.

OK.

Now, let's start in Tony's room.

Yes, yes. A nice layout, very open.

Good work surfaces. Yeah, good start.

The kitchen is huge.

If this was the heart of the home, it certainly would be a big heart.

And it just has to be that, just a kitchen-diner.

You've got a fantastic living room through there.

-So let me show you.

-OK.

I know you talked about a flow, but I also like the fact

your living room can be made completely separate

from the smells of burning next-door. LAUGHTER

-I like the living room.

-Nicely proportioned.

-Right shape.

It lends itself to entertaining and to relaxing.

As you can tell, with this mystery house

-the business element has taken very much a back seat.

-Right.

I'm trying to be your best mate today.

Well, except that I want to keep him out of my way, you know.

Well that's why the kitchen is separate to here.

The home may be the star here rather than the business opportunity,

but the mystery house is designed to challenge.

And with some compromises,

there could still be options to welcome paying guests.

On the other side of the kitchen is a small utility room.

Beyond that lies a neutral family bathroom

and a bright hallway leading to three bedrooms.

There's a small one at the front, a larger double with dual aspect,

then at the back there's the master with its own en-suite shower room.

-That's nice.

-A nice-size room. It's not cavernous, good storage.

-Look at the sunlight.

-I think it's really nice.

-Private.

-It's very nice.

-Yes, it works.

Good. Let's go out to the garden.

-I think that is equally attractive. Come with me.

-OK.

Outside, there's a generous lawn

fully enclosed by a high brick-built wall.

Now, garden-wise, for a fairly recent barn-conversion development,

you get loads here.

Easy to do something with, it's big enough to do something with.

Some lovely history here. There used to be a structure here -

these old pillars the remains of the support there.

And these were cattle sheds,

and so there'd be a dairy here as well,

-so they were milked nearby

-Right, right.

Before I ask you to guess the price, I will say one thing -

we've been in East Sussex, we are now in West Sussex.

More expensive.

With that in mind...

How much is this house?

Well, I'm going to be hopeful and say it's not too much over budget.

And say...

610?

-OK.

-I think 625.

Well, your guess is a lot closer to the original asking price,

but it's now been reduced

to offers around £597,500.

-OK.

-See, there or thereabouts.

Are you prepared to put that business element to one side

in order to get a home that you really rather like, from where I'm standing?

-I'll catch you later on.

-OK.

-Thanks very much.

This beautifully converted 19th-century barn

has managed to come in £2,500 under

Paul and Tony's budget.

The contemporary interior

is finished to a very high standard.

Although there aren't

the number of bedrooms they hope for,

there's still scope to provide B&B

if they're willing to share

their living space.

Outside, the walled garden

has great potential.

And although the location is rural,

it's not too far from amenities

or the sea.

This house scores really well on the garden,

and the public areas can be transformed to anything we want.

The B&B possibility is pretty much nil.

In terms of bedrooms,

uh, never mind opening a B&B,

just thinking about, you know, having friends come to stay,

if it had one more bedroom,

just one more bedroom would be really good.

The big advantage of this is there's certainly nothing to undo,

and it's open to anything we want to do.

Now, then.

I'm sorry there's no B&B opportunity here for you,

but it was well worth coming here, wasn't it?

-Very well worth it.

-It's a very interesting, nice house.

I was hoping we would have the opportunity to see a barn conversion.

-Well...

-There we go.

-There you are.

Let's find you somewhere to sit down and have a bit of a chat, shall we?

We need to do that.

In the heart of West Sussex lies Arundel Castle.

Founded back in the late 11th century by Norman lord Roger de Montgomerie.

Today, this magnificent medieval edifice

is home to the Duke of Norfolk.

The stately home receives 160,000 people every year,

who visit it's interior and gardens.

But it also plays host annually to the largest re-enactment

of a medieval jousting tournament of its kind in the country,

and attracts participants from around the globe

in a show of skill and bravery.

To find out more about the thrills and spills of this ancient art,

I've come to meet Kate Vigurs,

a historical interpreter who comperes the joust here.

This is a tournament, right?

Yep, this is an international medieval tournament.

This is absolutely competitive.

Some people play football, some people play rugby -

these guys joust.

So, how did jousting first come about?

This is centuries old, isn't it?

It is. It started in the Middle Ages as a practice for battle, really.

You needed to get the horse used to battle, men would be in armour.

And it just derived, really, as a way of preparing the horse

and the man for battle.

Now, who was taking part in these jousts?

Normally knights.

It's men at arms, um, people who are wealthy.

You won't get commoners being able to joust.

It's called the sport of kings for a reason.

Why did it die out, then?

It died out as armour died out, really.

Warfare moved on, the invention of the gun meant that armour

started to die away and jousting just started to peter out.

But when jousting, in its first incarnation, was alive,

it was some of the more unlucky participants who died.

There are two types of jousts.

There's a joust a l'outrance, which is a joust to the finish,

and the idea would be to finish off your opponent, to kill them,

or to maim them in some way.

The joust we replicate is the joust a plaisance,

a joust of peace.

So the idea is lances will shatter on impact.

The men will rock back in their saddles,

but the idea is that they get to the other end pretty much unharmed.

Well, that's good to hear.

The tournament here at Arundel Castle is now in its ninth year

and this week there will be eight knights competing,

all wearing historically accurate suits of armour

from the Middle Ages.

Kevin Leg is a master armourer,

and he's responsible for repairing armour damaged during the tournament.

When you're not doing running repairs,

you're obviously making stuff.

I'm making new armour.

Right, OK. Anything I can get involved in?

-I'm working on a helmet here.

-That's a helmet?

It will be, it will be in the end.

It needs heating up, ready for me to start hammering.

If you want to get on the bellows, that'll be great.

-Look at the heat coming out of that!

-Yeah, it certainly gets up to a high temperature.

The fire there can burn up to 2,000 degrees centigrade.

If you want to grab that, we'll move across on to the stake.

-You want the metal over the hot bit.

-There it goes.

Hot bit towards the stake.

And if I grab it, then...

And away we go.

HAMMERING CONTINUES

So, how long will it take you

to turn that into one of these beautiful-looking helmets?

One of these helmets is going to take at least 30 hours of hammering.

-30 hours!

-30 hours.

Well, listen, it sounds like you've got enough to be getting on with.

I'm going to go and check out the jousting.

-Cheers, Kevin.

-Take care.

This year the English team, Arundel Castle's home team,

has opponents from countries as far-flung

as America, Canada, Poland and more.

And even the rain is not going to put them off.

Are you ready to see some jousting?

-CHEERING Yes!

-We need all the impressments we can get.

It may be wet, but I've got a ringside spot under cover.

And Stacy Van Dolah-Evans, who's the joust master,

is on call to explain the action to me.

CHEERING

Come on, England!

Each knight has a lance

and, though they may not be designed to maim nowadays,

I'm not sure I'd fancy it,

even though each one only weighs about the same as a bag of sugar.

You'll know about that, wouldn't you?

The idea is to shatter the lance on your opponent

in certain locations.

You hit the shield, you get three points,

or the head, you get three points.

You hit the body, you get two points.

You get the arm, you get one point.

Each joust is between two knights from opposing countries

and everything is watched by the eagle eye of the marshal.

Now they're going to charge the wooden barrier there.

Get in!

If the coronel, the rubber tip of the lance,

strikes the opponent's shield,

our English jouster will get his full three points.

So, he's absolutely smashed his own lance, which is good?

-That means he's getting more points.

-Yes.

Oh, I like that one!

Well, it's certainly an exciting sport,

even as a spectator.

And as the winner is announced,

I wonder if England will come out on top.

They're hoping to regain their title after losing out last year.

And your winner, ladies and gentlemen -

for England, Darth Rimmer with 16 points.

-Come on, England!

-Come on, Darth!

I tell you what, I've absolutely loved this, but I'm going to leave you to it.

I'm going to go and try to find someone selling mead.

-OK, have a good one.

-Thanks, mate.

Normally, I have an inkling

of where our buyers' thoughts are at this juncture.

But when you've got a couple that want slightly different things,

and where we've offered three properties all quite different,

I have no clue what I'm about to hear.

Well, gentlemen,

are we any closer to a decision, do you think?

They all three have resonance with me,

for completely different reasons.

I was in fear of just this answer.

This is what I was worried about.

The first house was my favourite, I think. I like that very much.

-Yeah.

-The core of it has got a medieval bit of wood.

And it was usable shape, a great garden.

You also have views over the fields to the hills.

Very, very nice.

We definitely want to go back and look at the first house.

Again, certainly.

And we definitely want to go back and look at the mystery house,

and have a discussion with the owner

-about the possibility of extending.

-Right.

We'll check with her to see what the possibilities are.

If that's a possibility, then it will be worth having a discussion.

But if that can't happen, it's definitely not for us.

Fine, fine.

Whether or not they can...

..upgrade themselves from just second-viewing fodder

to a potential new home, we'll wait and find out.

But do, please, tell us. I am dying to hear what you do next.

-We certainly will.

-Thanks, we certainly will.

-Wish you the very best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

Whilst it's great to hear that Tony and Paul are going back

for second viewings on two houses,

they are looking at two very different properties.

The first house is a lovely property with potential for the B&B,

the mystery house is just a home.

And being so different, I think they're going to

struggle to come to a decision.

Maybe this second viewing will flush that out,

but if not I think they need to go back to the drawing board

and decide exactly what kind of property they're after.

Whatever they decide, I'm sure, like me,

you wish them both the very best of luck.

Well, Tony and Paul only ended up revisiting house number one,

and, after viewing a further 33 properties

it was still the first house that shone out above the rest.

And I'm delighted to report that they have had their offer on it accepted.

We wish them every happiness in the Sussex countryside.

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