Gloucestershire Escape to the Country

Soaring to a height of 148 feet,

this is the tallest Norman church tower in existence.

But where is it? Find out in just a moment.

Today's couple have spent the majority of their married life

living overseas and have decided it's time to come home.

So it's all hands on deck to try and find the perfect house.

-It's certainly got the factor that you wanted.

-It has.

-Quirky.

-Quirky!

'And we don't disappoint with the selection on offer.'

-It's cute.

-Cute. Is that good or bad?

-That's very good.

-Good.

-That's very good.

Today we're in Gloucestershire and this is Tewkesbury Abbey,

which began life as a Benedictine monastery at the beginning

of the 12th century and then was nearly pulled to the ground

during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539.

In fact, it was only saved by the generosity of the people

of Tewkesbury who clubbed together

and paid the crown the princely sum of £453,

which was a fortune considering that the annual wage was

just £13 back then.

But civic generosity and ecclesiastical magnificence

are not the only things that stand out in Gloucestershire.

Lying in a region which was once the wealthiest in Roman Britain,

the historic county of Gloucestershire

borders Oxfordshire to the east and Wales to the west.

The county's landscape covers more than 1,000 square miles of diverse

terrain and more than half of Gloucestershire has been recognised

as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

One of these areas is the magnificent Wye Valley

on the border between England and Wales, where the River Wye

makes its way through the picturesque village of Symonds Yat.

The ancient Forest of Dean used to be a royal hunting reserve

and was designated a National Forest Park in 1938,

providing Gloucestershire with 27,000 acres of accessible woodland.

It's thought to have inspired authors such as Tolkien

and JK Rowling, who had been drawn to its mystical beauty.

Head east and you'll pass through the undulating hills, valleys

and countryside of the idyllic Cotswolds.

The area is renowned for its honey-coloured limestone villages

such as Northleach, with market towns being among some of the most

desirable places to buy property in the UK.

It's no wonder then that this county is popular with buyers looking

to trade their busy city lives in exchange for some rural peace.

Unsurprisingly, you do have to pay a premium for all this

Gloucestershire gorgeousness.

The average price for a detached house here in the county

is £313,000, which is 10% above the national figure.

Of course, there is regional shading.

Over in the west around the Forest of Dean,

that's where you get the most value for your money.

And over in the east into the ever popular Cotswolds,

there you can pay double the county figure for the same property.

So which corner of Gloucestershire is luring our buyers today?

Let's meet them and find out.

Husband and wife Julie and Guy are temporarily renting

a Cotswold cottage for their house-hunting in Gloucestershire.

They've been married for over three decades and were introduced

by a mutual friend whilst working in the hotel industry.

Julie and I met on a boat on the Thames which was moored just

opposite the Savoy, where I used to work as a chef.

And funnily enough, the boat sank a few years later and we broke up.

When the boat was put back again, we got back together again.

There's still a boat outside the Savoy floating.

Well, it's made 31 years

so hopefully it will go on for a few more years yet!

Not long after they eventually tied the knot, our couple began

an adventurous expat existence still involved in the tourist business.

They have lived in countries such as Bahrain, Kenya

and for the past four years, Abu Dhabi.

You get to the point in expat life where your friends that you've known

when you've been living abroad have moved back.

So most of our friends now have moved back.

And that, coupled with the fact that our family are here,

you know, it's time for us to move back and, you know,

retire gracefully over here.

Julie and Guy have three children

and recently celebrated the arrival of their first grandchild.

Our beautiful granddaughter Aeida is a huge pull for us to come back.

For me, I really want to spend as much time around her

and future grandchildren as well.

In their childhoods, Julie was a farmer's daughter who grew up

in Hampshire and Guy went to boarding school in Somerset.

And now they're planning to start

-afresh in the green and pleasant pastures of Gloucestershire.

-Peace.

One of the things of this wonderful cottage that we rented

is that it's so quiet.

Just listing to the blackbirds in the evening, it's just so beautiful.

Missed that.

The couple want to be close to the Cotswolds - an area that would

make the perfect base for them to retire to

and pursue their interests.

Generally, I think we will be enjoying the culture

and also the history of the UK, which I find fascinating.

For me, it's time. I want to set up my own place

and have a lovely garden.

Over the years, Guy and Julie have rented homes in the various

countries they've lived in.

The couple did invest in a London property

when they were first married, which they recently sold,

so now they're in a financial position to plan ahead.

It's the next phase of our life and it really is the future.

The possibility to settle in to our own house with our own things.

To be able to have family who come down for the weekend

or for Christmas.

Yeah, I think we think it's time to come home,

that's a no-brainer, isn't it?

That's absolutely right.

Guy and Julie love the theatre and festivals

so in an ideal world they would like to be within half an hour's drive

of cultural connections in Cheltenham, Gloucester or Stroud

but based somewhere rural enough for the lifestyle they want.

Before we start, I'm meeting up with them

in a rather picturesque spot within the county to get a fuller

picture of what it is they're after.

A very warm welcome to the Gloucestershire countryside.

It's not quite as warm as Abu Dhabi.

It's definitely not as warm as Abu Dhabi, which is about 45 degrees

at the moment.

-Ooh!

-That's only a midday.

-Only midday!

Is it nice to come back? Is this what you've been dreaming of?

Yes. It's fantastic.

I mean, just look around at the countryside here is amazing,

hear the birdsong and see the vibrant colours,

it's just so beautiful.

And tell me about the house that you're looking for.

What sort of spec is it going to have?

We'd love, I think, four bedrooms, a nice family kitchen and a garden.

A good garden, not huge but I love gardening and I love flowers so

-that's quite important for me as well.

-And what about the location?

-Where do you want to live?

-Probably just outside a village.

We'd like to be near major city, town that has got theatres

cos we both love theatre so that's quite important to us.

What about the architectural style of the house and the age?

I don't mind if it's quirky but inside I'd like the balance

between old and modern, so nice sort of modern finishes.

-And it's got lots of wisteria on the wall.

-Right, OK.

And this, in some ways, really is our dream property

because we've always lived in other people's houses.

We've always had to rent by nature of the job.

-So, we've moved house, is it 11 times?

-Yes.

I think this will be the 12th.

-BOTH:

-And we want this to be the last.

I can understand that. Well, remind me again of your budget.

It's between 500 and 700.

OK. And when was the last time you bought property in the UK?

-27 years ago.

-Gosh, 1987.

So have you been keeping an eye on the prices?

-Do you know how much things cost these days?

-We do roughly, yes.

We've got a rough idea. I think top end will be 700,000.

We're ready to show you some houses. We've got some lovely houses.

-Actually, your budget is very healthy round here.

-Good.

So the only thing is you have to like them.

-So come with me and see if you do.

-Great.

With a maximum budget of £700,000, our couple want a characterful

property with a modern finish.

Preferably, it should have four bedrooms and a large kitchen

to accommodate visiting family.

As well as a manageable garden

with colourful country views.

We've selected some real gems to tempt both our buyers

but neither of them will find out how much each property

is on the market for until they've completed their tour.

Finally, we'll be powering our way towards the Mystery House,

which might turn our couple's heads and grind out a fantastic result.

What is the timescale if we find you somewhere and you fall in love?

We're seeing it as a phased move.

We'd like to get the house and do it up, furnish it, etc.

-Probably between a year to two years, I would say.

-OK.

So a sort of staggered return.

If we find it sooner than later,

-it will be a great base for me to come back...

-Right.

..to visit family while Guy is still earning our salary.

We're starting the house-hunt in the village of Ashleworth,

which is within a 30-minute drive of the large town of Cheltenham

as well as the city of Gloucester.

Ashleworth is a quaint civil parish surrounded by wonderful countryside

and located on the banks of the River Severn.

History-loving Guy may be interested to know that the village is

mentioned in the Domesday Book and was held by the

Earls of Berkeley after the Norman conquest.

Today, amenities include a post office and some award-winning pubs.

The property we've lined up is a short walk from the village centre

and I'm confident it has the character our couple

are looking for.

-Here's our first offering.

-Wow. Very attractive.

-It looks very old. I'm thinking it's probably listed.

-Well, it is old.

It's a set of two Tudor cottages.

Actually, the first front half with

a barn at the back that's been incorporated.

And then some 20th-century additions here at the front and the very back.

-But it's not listed.

-Is it not? OK. It looks great.

-It's certainly different, isn't it?

-Is it what you imagined?

-Yes.

I've always wanted something that's full of character.

-And that certainly looks like it is.

-It's got character.

I was thinking more Cotswold brick, that sort of thing

-so very different to what I was thinking.

-Hmm.

I'm open-minded because it's a really attractive looking cottage

-and that could be very nice.

-We're intrigued about the inside.

Good. Let's go inside, then.

'Guy and Julie like quirky older properties but

'with the modern finish.

'And over the past seven years

'the current owners have renovated throughout.

'We're passing through the entrance hall straight to the heart

'of the house that could be perfect for family gatherings.'

Mind your head.

-Ah!

-It's just all right. It's just all right.

-Lovely.

-Beautiful kitchen.

-A Tudor kitchen.

A Tudor kitchen. Then you have a lovely sunroom here.

-Gosh, that's lovely to be able to sit out there.

-Hmm.

-This is beautifully done, isn't it?

-It's a gorgeous kitchen.

And lots and lots and lots of storage.

Underfloor heating also, which is a really nice touch.

-And beautiful flagstones as well.

-Yeah.

And that island is gorgeous,

the way they've done that with the timbers.

Really, really nice, eh?

This is exactly the sort of kitchen that I would be really happy with.

It's gorgeous. Yeah, I mean, great.

-It's better than we imagined.

-Yes, it is.

-And a range.

-Yes.

A range. Always fancied cooking on one of those.

In this wing of the house the

rest of the ground floor comprises

a handy utility room,

a study with garden views,

a family bathroom and

a sitting room.

This is a cosy living room with an open fire

and aspect to the front of the property,

but I want to take them to the other downstairs area.

The cottage has been extended

into an old outbuilding

connected by the original

entrance hall.

In this part of the house,

there's a ground-floor bedroom

and even more living space.

Well, it's a really useful space, isn't it, to have.

And you could probably convert this into a sitting room.

It would have that potential, wouldn't it?

-I see it as a nice comfortable sitting room-cum-dining.

-Yeah.

And very different. It's certainly got the factor that you wanted.

-It has.

-Quirky.

-Quirky!

-It's definitely quirky.

The quirky look. It is, it's very different.

-Shall we have a look upstairs?

-Yes. Great.

'There are two levels on the first floor.

'The lower part has a shower room that is shared by two doubles,

'both presented as twin bedrooms, which could be handy in the future

'for accommodating more grandchildren.

'Then at the end of a corridor is a small staircase leading up to

'a space that could be perfect for Guy and Julie.'

This is the master bedroom.

It's very attractive again, isn't it?

Really, this bit's nice too.

You've got some walk-in wardrobes here and then a clever en suite.

-Oh, I say!

-A shower room.

-Fantastic.

For us it would be perfect to have a master bedroom with en suite.

It's got a very beautiful view over to what they call Caterpillar Hill.

It's a nice outlook from just looking outside onto

the grass and the field there.

-Quite different.

-It is. And I love the colours they've used as well.

It's just so tastefully done. It's beautiful.

It's gorgeous. I love this room particularly. It's really nice.

This detached property has a south-facing terrace to one side,

with sensational views over the local countryside.

At the back is a garden laid to lawn with mature shrubs and borders,

as well as walnut and fruit trees.

-Is this about the right size?

-Yes, it is.

-It's perfect.

It's perfect and it's nice and secluded.

I think this side is very nicely done.

I think the other side would need a little bit of work.

-The front of the house, yes.

-Just to brighten it up a bit.

I'd probably put a few flowerbeds in to put my own mark on it.

The big question is, how much is it on the market for?

What do you think the market value for this one is?

I would say for this house, would be on the market for £600,000.

-Yeah, I think it's going to be more than that. I think it's 650.

-650?

You're very determined, I like it. Straight in there with the figures.

-It's actually midway between the two. It's on at 615.

-615, uh-huh.

So a bit lower than you thought.

That leaves money to do it up a bit more.

A little bit left to spend.

So go back inside and explore

because we kind of whizzed round it, just to get your bearings

a bit inside and have a little root around.

And I'll see you out the front and we can go on to the next house.

-Excellent, thanks.

-Thank you.

-Head on in.

Very good first house.

I would sort of thinking that coming from Abu Dhabi

they'd be guessing like it was £150,000, like 1987 prices

but they're very professional so that's good.

I wonder whether if they've fallen in love with it,

that's the real question, here.

£85,000 under Guy and Julie's top budget,

the property fulfils a lot of their requirements.

It's an interesting mix of character and mod cons

with enough bedrooms and living space

to accommodate their family,

as well as a manageable garden in a rural setting,

which is less than 25-minute drive to Cheltenham.

The inside of the property is quite quirky.

It's definitely something that I wanted. The kitchen is fabulous.

So really spacious actually for twins, for twin beds. A good space.

You've got nice views outside. Look at that. That's gorgeous, look.

-That's an incredible view.

-Wow.

What a beautiful view.

It's a very good start

and certainly the sort of thing that we're looking for.

So, marks out of ten? Seven.

-Think you'd be right to brighten the front up here.

-Yeah.

-It's a bit of a car park at the moment, isn't it?

-It is.

It's sort of not really a garage area and it's not really a garden

so it needs a lot more pots and...

-You do need some projects.

-Yes, absolutely.

-This property certainly has legs.

-It has.

-Good.

It's been beautifully restored.

Good, so have we and we've got to

use them to get to the next property, so follow me.

In midwest Gloucestershire near the banks of the River Severn

is Westbury Court - one of the only remaining examples of a Dutch garden

to be found in the UK.

Guy and Judy have limited outside space in their Abu Dhabi townhouse

and so look forward to having their own dedicated garden to tend to.

They've come to meet head gardener Jerry Green

to get a little inspiration.

-Hi.

-Hello, I'm Jerry.

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

For over 300 years, Westbury Court belonged to the Colchester family,

who were landed gentry,

and the garden was designed by Maynard Colchester I in 1696.

What's the story of the Dutch inspiration?

In the late 1600s, we had a king and queen called William and Mary

that moved over from the Netherlands, Hampton Court,

and laid out a beautiful garden there

and all the minor royals and ladies and gents of the country

decided because they supported them,

they would redesign their gardens in the Dutch style.

What makes a Dutch garden Dutch?

It was what the English thought a Dutch garden should look like.

For example, we've got two canals in the garden.

They would never have that in Holland.

They're too short of land really.

They would have water features like pools and fountains but this

was how the English thought a Dutch garden should look like.

But it's mainly the utilitarianism of the garden.

It's got to be mixed with fruit, flowers, vegetables and meat.

The fish in the canals were to be eaten, we have a vegetable garden

mixed in with the fruit and flowers so it's the whole thing as one.

In the 1960s, the Colchester family sold Westbury Court Manor

to developers.

The plan was to build new houses on the site

and the garden became neglected.

Thankfully, in 1967, the local council and National Trust

joined forces and purchased the land.

The trust quickly set about a restoration project

and used an engraving from 1712 by Dutch artist Johannes Kip

to keep it as authentic as possible.

Well, these are our vegetable plots showing what was available

and grown in the 1700s.

Here we have asparagus, there is artichokes, globe artichokes

and a very near relative called a cardoon.

But all these were only sort of grown by the wealthy.

A poor man could use the land that this takes up to feed

his whole family for the year.

Whereas artichokes, asparagus and cardoons

only have about a five or six week period that you can crop them

so it locks up a lot of useful land for very small return.

During the 17th century, it was widely believed that it was

man who controlled nature

and this was particularly symbolised in the use of topiary - which was

the practice of clipping trees and shrubs into ornamental shapes.

Jerry has 225 pieces that need attention

and he's enlisted the help of our couple today.

You can use the shears on both sides.

Turning them upside down you can go round a curve much easier

than if they're that way on the flat.

You just follow the line of growth from last year.

You can see last year's growth is a bit darker so you know when to stop.

-Yeah.

-Julie, do you want to tackle the top?

-Yeah, I'll have a go.

-That looks like a bit of a challenge there.

-This is not a good idea.

-It's probably best to do it this way up, isn't it?

-Yes.

-OK.

-Get the curve on it.

To structure the shapes,

Jerry uses canes that also help provide a guide to work to.

-How does that look?

-That's looking really good.

SHE CHUCKLES

Here you are, Guy, you need the practice.

-What you mean, when we have our own?

-Exactly.

It usually takes a couple of years for the shapes and shrubs

to establish, at which point Jerry removes the canes.

Yes, not too bad for a beginner.

If I have my glasses on I'd probably be able to do it better.

-There you go. What do you think of that?

-Well done.

Well, hopefully this visit has shaped Julie and Guy's ideas

for their new garden.

But now it's time to get back to the house-hunt

and find them a property that's a cut above the rest.

For our next stop, we're heading to an archetypal Cotswolds village

called Bussage,

which is just a 10-minute drive from the town of Stroud.

It's located on the fringes of Frith Wood

and is full of the honey-coloured Cotswold limestone buildings

that Guy particularly likes.

The area should strike a chord with Julie too,

as there are many livestock paddocks here

which may remind her of her rural upbringing.

Amenities in Bussage include a public house and a village hall.

The historic church is a local landmark

and was consecrated in 1846 after being founded by Thomas Keble,

a well-known 19th-century Gloucestershire clergyman.

I've got a good feeling about the next house we're going to see

as I think it may have the wow factor

our couple are looking for.

We're approaching this attractive house via a gravelled driveway

that runs down the side of the property.

As you can see, Guy, I've managed to find you a Cotswolds stone cottage.

-Impressive.

-It is. It's gorgeous,

and I love the look of it from the outside.

-It's the cottage feel...

-It is, and that's exactly what I wanted.

It's super.

So, this is 1830s,

so it's, like, right at the beginning of the Victorian period,

-end of the Georgian period.

-Mm-hm.

It's a quarryman's cottage originally, cos this was a quarry.

-Just in the middle there, you see the stone starts to change.

-Yep.

So, that is actually only 30 years old, this extension.

It was originally a one-up, one-down cottage.

So, is this more in keeping of what you imagined?

Yes, it is. It looks fabulous.

It's very much the sort of outside look that I'd hoped for.

-That's a...is that of a Virginia creeper there?

-It is.

-But if you look...

-Is there a bit of wisteria?

-Exactly.

-Woven...

-Exactly what I was going...

-Wisteria!

-Where is it?

-You see those, like, slightly...?

-Those bits at the bottom.

-Yes, the other leaf.

-Yeah.

-That's wisteria. Done deal.

Do you need to go inside or shall we just sign the cheque now?

-Yeah, let's just go for it now.

-THEY CHUCKLE

Oh, go on, let's have a look.

Once again, this home has been tastefully renovated

and incorporates old period features with a slick, modern finish.

We're entering through the double doors of the old cottage

and making our way across

the original exposed floorboards of the entrance hall

to an important space for Guy and Julie.

Step in...to a super-duper country kitchen.

-Wow.

-Oh, hey. Super.

Love the colour too.

-And another range.

-And another range.

That looks like a proper old-fashioned one, doesn't it?

But what's good is that you also have a regular hob

-and a conventional oven as well.

-And a conventional oven.

I think it's perfect. I mean, the size is good...

-And the right colours.

-The right colours.

I love the layout.

Yeah, it's suites my taste completely, actually.

Really nice.

I'd like to show you the sitting room,

-which is very charming.

-Great.

'Off the kitchen is the original dining room,

'which at the moment is being used as a playroom.

'Adjacent to this is a handy cloakroom,

'and as I'm leading them to the sitting room,

'I'm interested to know if they think this cottage provides

'enough space for all the family.'

You've got one, two, three, four, five.

You'd get five or six to seat.

It's fine for a sitting room.

And it's decorated in a way...

Probably we would look at similar sort of decorations.

Yes, very much, again, to our taste.

-Again, it's very tasteful.

-It's lovely.

It'd be a great place at Christmas, wouldn't it?

It's got that lovely feel.

Cottage-y and lots of nice decorations.

Well, I can see that kitchen

-working for Christmas, definitely.

-Yeah, I know.

Well, talking of Christmas guests,

you'd have to put them to bed somewhere,

and this house has five bedrooms.

-Oh, wow.

-Ah!

'I thought the number of bedrooms might get a positive response,

'so we're heading upstairs to take a look.

'There are currently three that have been kitted out for children -

'a compact single and two decent doubles

'that would be great for any grandchildren.

'They all share a family bathroom,

'but on top of this,

'there is also a tastefully decorated en suite guest bedroom,

'and lastly, the one I'm showing them.'

So, this is being used as the master bedroom.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Lovely.

-What a beautiful room.

I love the wallpaper in here.

Just fits perfectly with it.

-I mean, the curtains matching, it just...

-And...

Yeah, and that view. Oh, my. It's so pretty.

I mean, it's not a conventional view,

-but it's just really different...

-Yeah.

-..and very attractive.

-The thing about this house is that it's in a quarry.

-Yes.

So, actually, you don't get any commanding views of the landscape.

No, but they're different.

-But that is balanced by privacy.

-Yes.

-Quite.

-So I think it's...it's worth it.

-Yeah.

And then you've got a little en suite shower room as well.

-They really have used the space...

-They really have.

-..exceptionally well.

-Yes.

Surprising, cos from the outside,

you don't expect it to be as big inside.

-Very nice. Yeah.

-It's cute.

Cute? Is that good or bad?

-That's very good.

-That's very good.

-Excellent.

-It's exceptionally good.

-Great.

But let's go out into the garden and talk about price.

Despite its perceived cuteness,

this house comes with over a third of an acre of outside space

which includes a garage, mature plants and established trees

and a large lawn which is enclosed by a Cotswold stone wall

that gives it a sense of privacy.

So, what do you think it's on the market for?

I think it's the high-end of our budget,

so I would say probably £705,000.

I think it might even be slightly more than that.

-It's probably 710, something like that.

-OK.

In this instance, you're both a little pessimistic.

This is on the market just under your top budget,

so this is on at 695.

-Ah! Ah.

-That is perfect.

-That is... Yes.

-OK, where do we sign?

-Very encouraging.

THEY LAUGH That's what we love to hear.

Go and explore inside, and then I'll meet you out the front.

-Will do.

-Perfect. Thanks.

-Thank you.

Ching!

At £5,000 under budget,

I thought this house, with an interesting mix of

period features and a contemporary finish

would excite Julie and Guy,

and I wasn't wrong.

They really liked the spacious kitchen,

five bedrooms for accommodating visiting family

and the secluded quarry garden.

The bonus is that Stroud and its cultural hot spots

are just a 10-minute drive away.

It's a fascinating property because it looks like it's a tiny cottage,

and it's actually quite a large cottage once you get inside.

There's no views, which is something that we would've preferred,

but, actually, what you've got is an area which is totally protected

and very little possibility of people overlooking your property.

It's quite a plus, I think.

Ah!

-Ah! So, this is...

-So, this is...

-..the old dining room.

Ah. It's really nice.

-This could easily be made into a dining room again.

-Mm.

And lovely looking out at that wall outside.

Very pretty.

It really is very nice.

I think that we'll have to think very carefully about this one.

It'd certainly be the sort of place I could see us living in

and the family coming to visit.

Do you know, there's quite a big wisteria under here.

It's being rather smothered by this the Virginia creeper.

You know, I think you could actually restore this wisteria

in quite a nice way

cos it's got this Virginia creeper growing over it.

-That could be your life's work.

-Yes, it could,

cos if I could get wisteria all over the front,

yes, that would be a dream come true.

-It would just finish off the whole job.

-It would.

That's what we like to hear.

But don't give up on the Mystery House -

-we've still got that to see tomorrow.

-Great.

Dawn has broken on day two of

our property search in Gloucestershire.

With a maximum budget of £700,000,

married couple Guy and Julie have decided to leave

their expat life of 30 years behind

and return to the UK to be closer to their growing family.

Still to come, we've got a Mystery House

that certainly delivers on character...

-Do think it cracks nuts?

-THEY CHUCKLE

Yes...

..and I waddle my way to a nature reserve

whose residents may melt my heart.

These are the maximum cuteness here.

We're all very excited this morning

because last night we overheard Guy and Julie talking about

how they must go to the estate agent

and put an offer in the house they saw yesterday afternoon

before it gets snapped up

which is a very positive sign,

particularly cos we all thought that

they might like the Mystery House most.

Well, they haven't seen it yet,

but whatever it is, this is not a run-of-the-mill property.

Or maybe it is a run-of-the-mill property.

Whichever one it may be,

what is for certain is the location of our Mystery House.

It lies in a village called Boddington,

which is around five miles from the town of Cheltenham.

Boddington is a small, peaceful village

with a local pub and plenty of cattle grazing

on the surrounding farmland.

I imagine it's the type of place

that might make Julie feel like she's coming home.

We're offering up something different with our Mystery House

and pitching it towards Guy's passion for history -

an old mill that dates back five centuries

and has been developed over the years

into a very interesting residence.

-Here's the mystery.

-A millhouse.

-Indeed.

So, the original Tudor millhouse

is sort of hidden inside this Victorian shell.

And so you can see all this brickwork

and the slate and everything goes back to about 150, 200 years,

but the actual kind of mill inside is Tudor.

What's that wheel? Is that some...?

So, these are the workings. The workings of the original mill

are kind of scattered through the house - you'll see inside.

But the actual mill was closed down sort of around the war,

but then was left derelict for about 40, 50 years.

It was remodelled in the 1980s.

-Fascinating.

-Mm. It's a nice-coloured brick too, that.

-Well, you've hit the nail on the head.

-Yeah.

-So, a thumbs up from the outside?

-I think so. So far, yeah.

-Mm-hm. Interested?

-It looks very interesting.

Let's go in.

The property's spread over three floors.

We're accessing it via steps that led down to the front door

and into an entrance hall.

On this lower ground floor there is a study and a spacious drawing room.

Come on through into a little slice of...

-Oh, my goodness.

-..history. THEY CHUCKLE

-Amazing.

-The working... Well, the wheel that was.

-Do you think it cracks nuts?

-THEY CHUCKLE

-Yeah...

-It's a very interesting and unusual room,

-and it'll always be a talking point.

-Mm.

You will never be short of conversation

when you invite people round for dinner.

Is it the sort of place you could imagine living, though?

-Not sure.

-Not sure yet.

-We'll see how it opens up as we go through.

-Yeah.

-I think we need to see more of the property.

-Yeah.

-Let's continue upstairs then.

-Yeah.

'Steps take us up to the dining area,

'which is actually on the ground level,

'but we're continuing up to the first floor.'

There's a lovely seating area here which is probably more

-where you'd spend most of your time.

-That's nice. Yes.

And then the kitchen adjoining.

Gosh. Yes.

-"Gosh."

-Well, it's quite a small kitchen, isn't it? Yes.

But functional. I mean, it's got everything in here.

I see it as a perfect restaurant.

-A restaurant!

-Yeah.

Where will you live? THEY CHUCKLE

Well, we could live nearby and have this as a restaurant -

make a fortune.

We'll see if you can turn the bedrooms into dining rooms too.

Sadly, this unusual historic home

is struggling to win over Julie and Guy,

but we're not grinding to a halt just yet

as I want them to see the first floor.

Here there's a family bathroom

with a rather unique period feature toilet

and two bedrooms.

One is dual aspect and being used as a twin

and the other one is the en-suite master.

This is the main bedroom.

-Wow.

-Amazing bath.

-Nice bath.

-Very nice bedroom.

-It is. It's very nice indeed.

But quite a muted response from the two of you.

Yeah, it's...just not quite the sort of family feel.

I don't know. It's a bit sort of...

It's quite different, isn't it?

I'm quite shocked, really.

It's...it's...it's something so far removed from what I would go for,

what I would choose in a family home.

-Guy?

-I'm speechless.

-I'm trying to think of something to say.

-THEY CHUCKLE

-I'm speechless.

-It just doesn't match.

-Right.

Let's go into the garden, and I'll be interested to hear

-how much you think this property's worth.

-Yes.

Yes, that will be a difficult one, I think.

This detached property sits on a plot

that is roughly a third of an acre and is mostly laid to lawn.

The original millpond, which makes a wonderful habitat for wildlife,

sits in a corner surrounded by reeds.

Purely academically, then,

what do you think this is on the market for?

I would say £515,000.

I think I'd go the same way as Julie. 500,000.

This is actually the most expensive property we're showing you.

-Oh.

-This is on at £699,500.

-Oh, gosh. Goodness.

-Amazing.

There must be some secret bedrooms we've not seen.

THEY CHUCKLE Yes.

Nonetheless, why don't you have a nose around inside,

and I'll come and catch up with you later on.

-Great.

-OK. Thanks.

-Thank you.

That is quite a...underestimate.

£200,000 - I think that's probably

the biggest I've ever had on the show.

Erm... Hm...

I guess it's a sign that they didn't really like it.

Our Mystery House was always going to be a gamble

but I think it was worth showing

history-loving Guy and Julie this old mill

as it's on the market for £500 less than the top end of their budget.

It offers age, character,

a manageable garden with an old millpond,

and it's just a 15-minute drive from Cheltenham.

It's a fascinating property.

It's full of history, full of character.

Ah. Well, quite a nice-sized room again, actually, isn't it?

They're large single beds, aren't they?

-It'll keep two kids apart perfectly.

-Yes, it will.

It's in a beautiful setting

which I think is, for me, it's one of the strongest features.

It's just it's not really the family house I was hoping for.

Well, one thing I've learnt working on the show

that I can't sell you all the houses that I show you,

-so, erm, this one's maybe not a winner.

-No.

-Well, it's not for us, but I think somebody will really love it.

-Good.

Let's find somewhere to talk about all the houses we've seen

and see what happens next.

Not far from the Severn Estuary in the south-west of the county

is the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge Centre.

The nature reserve is home to

over 800 acres of internationally protected wetlands

that act as a haven for around 100 different species of waterfowl.

There is a scientific programme in place

that aims to breed mostly non-native and endangered species

that migrate to Britain but fail to reproduce here.

I'm heading to an aviary

where duckling expert Phoebe Young is going to tell me more.

This is one of our three breeding aviaries

specifically set up to incorporate different species

breeding all alongside one another,

and these birds have been brought here

specifically because they're in the prime of their life,

and hopefully, they're very heavily in love with their other half.

So, this is a sort of love pond, I mean, in the sense that

you're trying to get them to breed with each other.

Yes, that is the aim.

How many of those actually breed in situ here

and how many do you have to look after?

It's based on the quality of the parenting,

but as a general rule,

the geese, the swans, and the flamingos are excellent parents

because they're monogamous parents that pair for life,

and so they work together 100% of the year

to look after their offspring.

So when they're defending the nest,

the female has some backup, and that's a really lovely thing.

Some of these other species, however,

that have come from very tropical parts of the world,

we simply can't provide them with a natural habitat.

So, unfortunately, when we know that there'll be a 100% loss

if we do it naturally with a parent,

we do feel the responsibility to take those eggs into captivity

and to hand-rear them securely.

Doing the hand-rearing method,

we can almost guarantee a 90% to 95% success rate for a fertile egg.

-For more ducks.

-Yeah.

So, this is a good time to see

the eggs in sort of near hatching stage.

-This is prime time, yeah.

-Ah.

-So can we go and have a look?

-We can. Of course. OK.

-Great.

The staff at Slimbridge can handle up to 3,000 eggs a year.

Phoebe's taking me to the centre's incubation room

where the heat and humidity each egg needs in order to hatch

are artificially controlled.

Phoebe, this is a change of...er...location

from all that lovely wetland.

Now we're in a quite scientific space.

This is where we do all of our in-house incubating

where a parent is unable to do so.

These allow us to be more precise

and do a really good job with some of the species

that are unable to breed here naturally in the Severn Valley.

So, what can we actually see or hear in the incubator?

-What's going on?

-An awful lot.

-I'm going to dim the lights now, if that's OK...

-Exciting.

..down to completely pitch-black

so that we can age and assess the contents

and hopefully see something that's coming up to hatch.

-Right.

-So...

In order to observe the progress of the embryos,

Phoebe uses an illumination technique called candling

which provides instant results.

It's a lovely egg.

-Is that his little beak?

-I don't know.

I think he's possibly a little early,

-but it's definitely his little torso.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

So, shall we have another look at a couple more?

So...I wonder what these ones are doing.

Oh, my gosh. We've actually got one ready to hatch,

and he's actually got one foot up in the incubating space as well,

and that's his little beak.

At this stage, an egg that's close to hatching

is moved to larger incubators

to prepare for life outside the shell.

If an egg is just coming up to hatch

and it looks like it's a little bit arid,

we'll pop it into this airspace incubator.

In here we have a very high humidity,

and it will allow them to moisten up just in advance of hatching.

And once they do pop up into the airspace,

they'll come straight into one of these hatches

according to the size that they are.

So, I'm going to lift the lid off and over to the side,

and we'll have a little look.

-So...

-Aw!

-..there he is.

-So, I'm going to lift him up and make him safe in my palm.

-Oh...

-So, there he is.

-Oh!

So, this, to me, looks to be a little Mandarin duck,

but we never see them like this.

So, you can still see he's very moist indeed,

but he's desperately trying to fluff up.

Once hatched, the birds are moved to heated coops

where different breeds huddle up together for solidarity

and are hand-reared by the staff.

SHE GIGGLES These are the maximum cuteness here.

'The majority of ducklings come from captive stock,

'and the centre will not introduce them back to the wild

'because their chances of survival would be too low.'

What about people who'll be watching at home -

is there any sort of useful information,

for example, if they found a stray duckling or an egg or...?

We would often encourage, you know, to be wary

and to leave and not touch the bird as long as possible.

So, contact a relevant authority like ourselves or the RSPCA

before acting, and get some advice in advance.

Well, thanks to the breeding programme

and dedicated team at Slimbridge,

the Gloucestershire landscape is safeguarding

the future of exotic birds and endangered species

from around the world.

The English countryside and this beautiful summery weather

has really been playing to our strong points with the properties,

though I do think that the house in the quarry is a clear contender.

So all that remains to see is what happens next

with our lovely couple from Abu Dhabi.

Will they buy? Let's find out.

Abu Dhabi to Gloucestershire. How have we done?

Have we been successful in house-hunting for you?

-I think you may well have been.

-Excellent news.

We've had a fantastic few days getting to know the area,

and the house that we saw in the quarry was almost perfect.

So I think that we may go a bit further with that one.

Absolutely.

It had almost everything right -

the garden was the right size,

the kitchen was exactly what I was hoping to find

and a nice selection of bedrooms.

Often you get 85% of what you want or 75% of what you want -

this had 95%.

So what happens next?

When you say, "Go a bit further," what do you actually mean?

We're going to go and see the estate agent in about half an hour.

-Really?

-Try and have a look at the house again...

and put an offer in.

-Wow! That is fantastic.

-Yeah.

I think we want to just have a little bit of a look

around the area as well.

We'll try and do that this afternoon,

and if we think it's right,

we'd prefer to strike while the iron's hot

rather than wait and see somebody snap up

something that we've actually found is almost perfect.

-Sure.

-Mm.

-So, that kind of sets in motion

a whole kind of grand return to the UK -

how do you feel about that?

Well, I'm very excited about that.

It's something I've been looking forward to for a very long time,

so, yeah, that can't come soon enough.

Hmm. Yes, it's true, actually.

As we've been going around, I've seen you face light up

-when you see the flowers...

-I know.

-..and the English gardens.

-Yeah.

Well, we sincerely wish you all the best,

and it's just wonderful if you move back, and into that property.

It really would. I know. I really hope so.

Fingers crossed that it comes off. Thank you.

It suddenly occurs to me that, actually,

I don't know what the landscape in Abu Dhabi looks like -

desert, palm trees and skyscrapers, I assume.

But it's definitely not like this, so I think we did a good thing -

getting Guy and Julie back into this beautiful corner of England.

And I really hope they buy that house,

cos it fitted them hand in glove,

and I also hope that you join us next time

for another equally successful Escape To The Country.

Guy and Julie went for that second viewing and made an offer,

but couldn't negotiate a price that worked for both parties,

so their house-hunt continues.

If you'd like to escape to the country

in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland,

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