Hampshire Escape to the Country

I'm stood at the very ground where some of the rules

of modern day cricket were founded.

But what county am I in

and which club played such a huge part in our sporting heritage?

Find out at the end of the over.

Today, a newlywed couple's search for their first joint home

-finds us in a tight spot.

-It's too small.

So now we need a living room big enough

-for pretty much a rugby team.

-Maybe.

Thankfully, later, the rooms measure up to expectations.

-Oh, that's much better.

-You look relieved as much as anything else.

"Oh, yes, thank goodness."

Today, I'm in Hampshire, at the original home of

Hambledon Cricket Club on Broadhalfpenny Down.

Thought to date back to the mid-1700s,

Hambledon became the most powerful cricket club in the country,

taking on the responsibility

for developing the laws of modern day cricket.

It was here that the bowling length and style was standardised,

along with the width of the bat,

plus the middle stump was added here, too.

Later on that century,

responsibility for the laws of cricket was passed on

to Marylebone Cricket Club, or the MCC, at Lord's up in London.

And Hambledon then became a village club.

Today, Hambledon Cricket Club still play just down the road,

but it's great to see, some centuries later,

you can come up here, watch, even enjoy, the fantastic game of cricket

and listen out for that unmistakable sound of leather on willow,

or "How's that?" and this beautiful location.

As one of the southern counties of England, Hampshire has

a coastline looking out over the English Channel and shares borders

with five other counties, including Dorset, Wiltshire and Surrey.

It's an area rich in beautiful countryside with almost half

being made up of the two national parks -

the South Downs and the New Forest,

the former royal hunting ground created for William the Conqueror.

It's now a popular tourist destination,

where picturesque driving routes

offer sightings of wild ponies in Europe's largest surviving

area of ancient pasture woodland.

The county town of Winchester was once the capital city of England.

Set among its medieval streets, the cathedral features

architecture from the 11th to the early 16th century.

The valley of the River Test extends for 40 miles

through rolling chalk hills,

tranquil meadows and a scattering of thatched cottages,

finally meandering out to sea at Southampton.

And it's here that the waters of the Solent also prove a draw

to sailors, who can enjoy the county's rich maritime history

and world-class sailing conditions.

It's not surprising that Hampshire's historic ports,

towns and villages, combined with its natural features,

make this county such a popular country escape.

With all that on offer, it may come as no surprise to learn,

when it comes to buying property here in Hampshire,

it's far from cheap.

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

comes in at an incredible £398,000 -

that's 40% above the national figure.

And the bad news is prices increase further

if you go towards the Test Valley - it's picturesque there -

and if you want to have access into Winchester.

So, for more affordable property,

you need to head towards Southampton or Portsmouth.

Your pound will stretch much further in towns like Waterlooville

and Fareham.

So, what's attracting today's buyers to this beautiful,

if not rather expensive, part of the world? Let's meet them and find out.

Newlyweds Phil and Sadie from Guildford in Surrey

have spent the last two years living in Zurich, Switzerland

for Phil's work. But now they're back home

and ready to begin their property search in the UK.

The couple have been together for 11 years.

So, we met by putting ads

independently in a national newspaper.

My ad was, "The lively, vibrant female from Brighton."

And his was...

"The underwater lover" because I was into scuba-diving at that time!

Phil and Sadie married in 2014

and have four grown-up children between them

from previous relationships.

With the kids no longer at home, and Phil's finance job in Zurich

coming to an end, the couple feel the time is right for a fresh start.

There's a good opportunity for us

to move into a slightly different lifestyle, and the next stage in

our lives, and maybe take up second careers, and take that opportunity.

But the lifestyle they want in the UK has been

influenced by their time abroad.

We both like the outdoors. So, being in Switzerland, you've got

the mountains, the lakes, we both enjoy skiing and we like cycling.

And we want to replicate that as far as we can in England.

Although the couple own a two-bedroom house in Guildford,

they're looking further afield

to fulfil their dream of an outdoor life.

We're looking for something that gives us a little bit more space,

so maybe a bigger garden.

Probably just get away from the really intense

busyness of central Guildford.

And we've chosen Hampshire because it sort of almost replicates

a little bit of the scenery that we've got used to

in Switzerland, the lovely rolling hills.

Sadie has also been offered a part-time job

at Winchester University,

which she'll juggle alongside studying for a PhD in education.

Phil, on the other hand, would like a career change.

I'm quite interested in gardening,

so whether there's something on that front.

I want to do some more studying around gardening.

He's a man that collects gardening tools,

so we have a tool for every single job, including a chainsaw.

When they're not working or studying,

the couple are looking forward to spending more time on their hobbies.

I enjoy baking, cake making, when I get the opportunity.

Well, I want to have a dog and I've already decided what he's called!

So, I'm looking forward to getting a little dog called Henry.

That's my first thing, and I think Phil likes his motorbike.

I wanted to take the bike out to Switzerland,

but that hasn't been possible.

So, coming back here, I think we'll be able to use it more.

After a fast-paced career in finance,

Phil is looking forward to life in a slower gear

while Sadie recognises the significance of the move.

This will be, technically, our first married house together, won't it?

-Which is...which is what's really special about it.

-Definitely.

Phil and Sadie have asked us

to concentrate our search around a 45-minute drive radius

of Winchester for Sadie's new job.

But before we start looking at potential homes,

I'm meeting up with them on Hampshire

soil to find out a little bit more about what they're hoping for.

So, Phil, Sadie, why Hampshire?

Well, it's got the rolling countryside,

lots of outdoor activities and it's also very near to the coast.

I did sailing years and years ago,

and I think it's something we'd like to get back into.

It gives us an opportunity to enjoy the more rural lifestyle.

And, yeah, something we're definitely both looking forward to.

So, let's talk about the house, then. What does it look like?

Detached. Something within its own grounds, maybe.

-So, we want our own space.

-Yes, a little bit of space.

Something with a bit of character that stands out a bit.

The downstairs space is really important,

something that's maybe flexible, so we can entertain.

With a good-sized kitchen. Definitely a good-sized kitchen.

Where do people stay when they come to visit?

Are you going to pack them off to a B&B,

or do you want loads of bedrooms?

-No, we'd like, certainly, four bedrooms.

-Any other rooms?

Your home office, hobby rooms, or music rooms or anything like that?

Certainly a study room would be good,

a nice space to put my books and enjoy my study.

Somewhere where I could paint.

I like doing contemporary art, so I make a lot of mess,

a lot of splashing around with paints.

A lot of people say that is contemporary art.

I'm very proud of it!

What else do we want from this house, then?

I want a reasonable-sized garden.

It doesn't have to be acres and acres,

but, you know, a nice-sized garden. A garage would be good.

I've got a motorbike, which I like to keep out of the elements.

-OK, it's a good-sized house.

-Yes.

Where would you like this house to be situated?

Somewhere within walking distance of a good pub.

-That's country living in my opinion.

-You've got to have that.

It has to come within a budget, so let's talk about that.

Yeah, our budget for the property is 700,000.

That's a good budget.

That's a lot of money, but then we're in Hampshire, which is...

-a pretty pricey place to look for property, isn't it?

-Yes.

It's all about how a property makes you feel.

That moment you walk through the door, the atmosphere, if you like,

so it's up to you guys now.

-You have to tell me what you like and what you don't like.

-OK?

-Ready to go?

-Absolutely. Fantastic.

With their budget of £700,000, our couple are after

a characterful four-bedroom country home with large entertaining areas

and a good-sized kitchen for big family get-togethers.

Sadie would also like a study and art room, whilst Phil hopes for

a decent garden as well as garaging for his much-loved motorbike.

And they'd both like to be walking distance to a pub.

We've lined up three great homes to show them

and I'll be asking them to guess the price of each before I reveal it.

The last one is the Mystery House,

which holds a rather unique combination of features.

But, first, we're heading to property number one.

Our first house is located in the village of Timsbury,

just over a 25-minute-drive from Winchester for Sadie's work

and three miles from the amenities of Romsey.

Part of the Test Valley, the market town of Romsey

has a historic abbey and plenty of shops around its marketplace.

A short drive away in Timsbury is the detached cottage

I want to show them, located right in the middle of the village.

So, our first house is this detached number.

What's your thoughts?

-It's quite a modern house, I think.

-Built in 2002.

You've got elements of the traditional way of building here,

with the flint features, and what have you,

but, essentially, it is a fairly recently built property.

-Two garages.

-Yes, two garages.

-So, we've got the garages, that's good.

Yes. Probably, as an entrance, I'm not sure

whether I think garages are what I would want as a welcoming door.

No, I know what you mean.

It's secondary to what you're looking at, isn't it, really?

Yeah, but it could be very interesting inside, so...

-Come on in, I'll show you.

-Fantastic.

So, some initial reservations to the exterior style of our first house.

However, it is set in a private well-established plot and,

as they'll see, mixes traditional and contemporary features.

The current owners have refurbished the interior to create a modern

family home, which, hopefully, gives them the space they're after.

Now, then, I know you said you wanted an open-plan

-configuration for the kitchen area...

-Yeah.

-Tell me, does this work for you?

-Yes. Nice.

Got a good size to it, hasn't it? And fairly light and airy.

I'm just trying to think whether we could get, sort of,

10 or 12 of us around a table, if this is the only area for dining.

-Well, how about you shifted this into the conservatory area?

-OK.

It's got underfloor heating in there. You can make more of that.

It's a nice, wide, deep conservatory.

And this would be a breakfast area, and that's your dining area.

-Yes, yes, that would work.

-That's a possibility.

As well as using the conservatory space for entertaining the family,

there's also a separate dining room,

and the kitchen benefits from a utility room with space

for the white goods.

As we cross to the other side of the entrance hall, to the right,

there's an office for Sadie to study in,

and, ahead of us, the sitting-room.

Right, then, this is your living room.

Once you've fed and watered your guests, this is where you can relax.

-It's too small.

-Too small?

-Too small.

Too small for a family of, you know, eight, ten, 14 of us.

Hold on, 14 now?

About half an hour ago, you had a few sons and daughters.

Now there's 14 of you.

Those sons and daughters have friends and boyfriends,

-and girlfriends...

-I don't care about them!

-Well, we do.

They're part of the family.

OK. A living room big enough for, pretty much, a rugby team.

OK. Right.

There are some good features in here.

-I mean, the fireplace is nice, you've got the wood burner.

-Yes.

-I like a wood burner.

-I'm getting the fact you want a lot bigger.

Let's go upstairs, see what you think of the bedrooms. Come on.

Clearly, having huge entertaining spaces is vital for Phil and Sadie,

even though they'll be spending most of the time here as they couple.

Upstairs gives them the four bedrooms they asked for.

There's a guest double with built-in wardrobe,

which also has an en suite shower room,

another double-sized room,

and a small single with an attractive window.

They all make use of a family bathroom with a window seat feature,

so that just leaves the master.

OK, so you wanted bright and airy.

-I think it's bright and airy in here.

-Yes, very nice.

-It is, yes.

Maybe, for us, it would be nice to have something a little bit bigger

but it has got all of this area for clothes.

It sounds like you want a slightly bigger house,

I've got to tell you.

With maybe a bit more character.

This is a very safe house, I think. It's very conventional, very safe...

All right, then, Mr and Mrs Danger, let me take you to the garden.

-Come with me.

-OK.

It's clear the size and character of the interior hasn't hit the mark.

Outside, as well as a sweeping driveway to the front,

there's a lawned garden to the rear, which is enclosed and comprises

a patio space for entertaining,

along with well-stocked borders and trees.

It's a very pretty garden,

-a bit on the smaller side than we're looking for.

-OK.

-How much bigger do you think you'd want?

-At least twice the size.

-At least.

-Right. OK.

Your first foray with me looking around properties in Hampshire,

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

I'd go for 650 on this one.

Um... I'd go for...

625?

Right, well, you'd be surprised to hear that this place

is on the market for £699,950.

-Right.

-It underlines how expensive the area is.

Look, you're less than half an hour from Winchester here.

You're close to sailing territory.

But what you should do now is go back in here,

remind yourselves of what does work,

what you'd prefer to see in another house,

but also really get a feel for what you get for your money here,

cos I think that's quite a shock to you as well.

-You guessed quite a lot lower.

-Yep.

-Yes, I did!

LAUGHTER

-I'll catch you later on. See you in a mo.

-OK, thank you.

The price of our first property, at just a whisker below

Phil and Sadie's budget, comes as a bit of a reality check.

As a relatively new build, it's set up as a spacious family home

combining traditional and contemporary features.

The downstairs accommodation includes a large kitchen

and breakfast room with adjoining conservatory,

and there are four bedrooms upstairs.

The garden is manageable and there's a double garage for Phil's bike.

Coming into the kitchen area and the conservatory area,

it was lovely and bright, got some natural plants

in the conservatory, and there's some really nice features,

with the open brick.

That felt, sort of, in a way, a little bit characterful.

In the sitting room, there was a good feature with the fireplace,

a nice wood burner, which is something I quite like.

From that point of view, you know, it's a...it's a nice property.

It's fairly conventional.

It hasn't got the level of character

that I think we're really looking for.

-I think that's kind of...close the door on that one.

-Yup.

You closed the door on that one physically,

and mentally, did I just hear that right?

Well, for me, I think I've learned quite a bit about what you're after.

Has this cemented in your minds what you're after?

Or what we're not after.

I think it's shown what we don't want, quite clearly.

It's a shame cos it's a nice house, but just not for you.

-It is, but not for us.

-Onward and upward.

-Fantastic.

As well as all it has to offer inland, Hampshire's coast is

home to historic ports, attractive moorings and rivers to explore.

This makes it the most popular sailing destination

in the country, and Phil and Sadie are keen to pursue

some nautical interests once they've moved.

To find out more, they're meeting with Brian Hinde,

current Vice Commodore of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club,

who's agreed to show them the ropes.

This is quite a prestigious club, I understand.

We have been around for a long time. We started back in the 1870s

and gained our royal charter 1877,

and we've been active ever since.

-And, to belong to the club, do you have to own a boat?

-Good Lord, no!

Like many of the yacht clubs and sailing clubs,

we are a RYA accredited teaching centre.

The RYA being the official body for yachting in this country.

And we have members who are qualified professional

sailing instructors and you can complete courses with them.

The RYA, or Royal Yachting Association,

is the accrediting body for many sailing courses

and it's wise to pass one before taking to the water.

Brian, a qualified yacht master, is introducing Phil and Sadie

to some simple shore-based skills.

So, if I say to you "warps and fenders",

what does that mean to you? Does that mean anything at all?

-Haven't got a clue.

-Right.

Well, the warps are the lines which are tying the boat up.

-Right.

-Right, OK.

And this is a fender.

And what it does is it's designed to protect the topsides

and to stop them rubbing against the woodwork.

-So, what are you like at knots?

-Not too good.

Not too good either.

My favourite is the slip clove hitch,

which I've put onto this fender here.

So if I show you how that one's done, and then you can have a go,

-you'll then be partly trained crew.

-Experts!

I put the fender in.

-Pull that round.

-Round. Feed that back up.

-Would you like to have a go?

-Let's have a go.

SHE LAUGHS

-Don't know if I've done this right.

-I think that's right, is it?

That one's good. That's it. Good.

With all hitches successfully overcome,

their nautical lesson continues out on the open water,

where Brian is happy to let Sadie take the helm.

Where am I heading to? That big gap in the middle?

Big gap in the middle. Is there anything?

I can't see anything down ahead of us.

Southampton's waters are relatively sheltered from the elements,

but its role as a busy seaport

can still make it a challenge for novices.

We'll look down there first of all, we can see a tug coming up here.

-Yes.

-Ah! Red funnel coming out over there.

-Oh, a ferry as well!

-A ferry as well.

-Oh, my God!

-Busy shipping lane, isn't it?

-And you've got the barge behind you.

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh, it's getting windy as well. Yes.

-You've got to keep your wits about you.

-Sailing in. OK.

It's quite choppy here, isn't it?

Oh, no. No, this is actually very flat and calm.

LAUGHTER

Buoyed by their introduction to sailing,

Phil and Sadie are keener than ever to lay anchor in the area.

We're looking forward to learning a bit more in the future,

-so thank you very much.

-No, thank you for coming.

Good luck with the house search and we hope to see you again sometime.

-Thank you very much.

-Really enjoyed it. It's been a great day.

For our second property,

we're hopping just over the county board into Wiltshire,

around a 35-minute-drive from Winchester

to the village of Redlynch.

Set on the northern boundary of the new Forest National Park,

the village forms part of a parish that features three pretty churches.

And, mindful of their wish to be near a pub,

the King's Head, originally built in the 1700s as a cider house,

is just a short stroll from the detached property

I want to show them.

I think, for this second property, all your misgivings about the lack

of proportions and dimensions of the first house will be

-more than satisfied here.

-Yes.

-OK.

-What do you think, Sadie?

-What's going through your mind?

-I love this.

I like the fact that it's not on one flat level,

so you've got different gradients.

So, for you, Philip, we've got a big double garage with power.

Look, I'm setting myself up for a fall but I am

more than confident that the dimensions and proportions

inside will be suitable for you.

To me, it looks like it's a sort of two-bedroomed bungalow.

Well, you know what? It started life as a two-bed bungalow,

but it's been vastly extended.

-Come with me.

-OK.

-OK.

The property has a TARDIS-like quality inside,

where a hallway leads us into the heart of the home,

a good-sized kitchen and breakfast room.

Now, I'm hoping to hear much better reactions in this kitchen.

-Definitely.

-This is a good-sized kitchen, yeah, very nice.

-Nicely done.

-Very nice.

-And it leads into the dining area as well.

And, look, beautiful view out there -

-right onto the field.

-Perfect.

-Cracking, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-You've just got bags of space.

Yes, and this sort of central working area for communal cooking.

It looks really nice and our table would fit in there.

-It would look perfect there.

-Yes, it would.

The ground floor here also provides a utility space off the kitchen

and a separate dining room leading into a conservatory.

There are also two rooms large enough to be double bedrooms,

one currently used as a study, and an office,

plus a downstairs bathroom.

But it's the very generously proportioned sitting room,

with its own dining area, that I really hope will wow

these great entertainers.

-Now, you wanted big.

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, yes.

-That's much better.

-You look relieved as much as anything else.

"Oh, yes, thank goodness."

Well, it's just that I know we've got three sofas to accommodate.

SHE LAUGHS

-A lot of plus points.

-Definitely.

-So, this is good so far?

-Lovely.

-Very good.

-Let's go upstairs and show you the bedrooms.

-OK.

So, lots of positive signals for the ground floor.

The stairs lead up to the landing, off which is a clean,

bright family bathroom.

There's a double bedroom with two skylight windows,

a smaller double with the skylight looking out over great views,

and the fifth and final bedroom here is the master en suite.

The master, being this end of the building,

-gives you that lovely view again.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

And got the window in the ceiling there, it looks really nice.

Nice, nice and open.

-Yeah, light and airy, it's very nice.

-Yes, it's lovely.

-Good-sized room.

-Yeah.

-These are positive reactions.

Oh, yeah.

Could you make this into a home for you guys? That's the big thing.

-Yeah, that's what we need to think about.

-Yep.

Outside, the thoughtfully planned garden offers

a range of seating areas, with gorgeous countryside views.

There's a paved patio, ideal for alfresco entertaining,

a conservatory and a good-sized lawn with a range of planted beds.

So, I mean, size-wise, this house seems to work.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Location-wise.

-Mm-hm. Very nice.

-Yes, it does.

-Looks like you quite liked the house.

-Yes.

-Mhm.

Well, maybe your guesses of how much this place is on the market for

will reflect what you think about it.

-So who's going first?

-Me.

-All right.

I'm going first. I'm going for 690.

All right. Phil?

I think something very similar as well.

I think it probably comes close to our budget, so I'll go for 700.

Well, good guesses. It's on for £685,000.

-Oh!

-OK.

-So I was very close?

-Yes.

-You were.

It's a good thing to measure on for something that we've found.

-We like the location.

-It's definitely something to think about.

You should go back into the house,

remind yourselves of what you've seen,

-but also, knowing the price, knowing you can afford this place...

-Yeah.

..have a think about what changes you could make to make this special,

-maybe to make this reflect you.

-Yeah.

-All right, and I'll catch you whenever you're done.

-OK, thank you.

-See you tomorrow.

-All right, thank you.

At £15,000 below their budget,

this detached New Forest house

offers everything Phil and Sadie have asked for.

With a total of five potential bedrooms,

there's lots of flexibility for a study, an art room and guests.

The large open-plan kitchen and massive lounge

is ideal for big family gatherings.

Outside, there's lots of potential for Phil

to rekindle his gardening skills,

as well as a well-appointed garage for his beloved motorbike.

Oh, yes, that's really nice.

It would make a nice area for just when you and I are on our own.

I can watch you doing the gardening...

LAUGHTER

-..while I'm sitting having my glass of wine.

-Yeah, you could.

I can see the whole house

would function very well for either Phil and I,

or when we have a whole family

all sitting around the table together...

chatting while we're cooking, and the lounge area works really well.

What I liked in particular, I think, is the kitchen area

and the way it leads into the dining and living area.

The location's...it's fantastic, on the edge of New Forest.

The village, you know, is a nice village.

You've got a pub down the road.

The more I've spent time in this house, the more I like it

and the more I can see it would work very well.

Now, I hope you've given this house some serious consideration.

-We have.

-Definitely.

-We've had a really good look round.

-Yep.

Something to think about tonight, maybe over dinner.

-Yes.

-Tomorrow, we've only got one more.

-OK.

-Let's go.

-All right, thank you.

It's day two of our Hampshire house-hunt,

helping newlyweds Phil and Sadie

escape from Central Guildford in Surrey

for more rural surroundings.

Armed with £700,000, they're seeking a large home to act as a hub

for lots of visiting family and friends.

Coming up, we have the Mystery House to show them,

which could well put a different spin on their expectations.

-It has got a sort of a modern, contemporary feel about it.

-Yeah.

You've still got the tradition.

And I'll be meeting a man who is reviving a great British crop,

right here in Hampshire.

This is a lot stronger flavour than your spearmint.

LAUGHTER That is strong.

I'm going to have fresh breath for the rest of the year.

Well, I think we certainly learned yesterday that, for Sadie and Phil,

they're after a house that really gives them this hub,

this entertainment space.

But for those two properties,

whilst I think they're perfectly good houses,

I think, for them, there was something missing

and it was this character.

Sadie and Phil's idea of character, if you like,

is old world charm, I reckon.

So, for today's Mystery House, we're going to deliver that.

Internally, it's got some of those features

that I think they'll really like.

Externally, well, it's got that kerb appeal.

Some people don't like thatch properties,

some people absolutely love them.

Well, this suits both of those parties.

On the one hand, this property is thatched, on the other...

well, it's not.

For the Mystery House, we're heading back

to the heart of Hampshire,

around a 25-minute-drive northwest of Winchester,

to the historic mill town of Andover.

Andover developed along the banks of the River Anton,

a location which today provides a haven for waterfowl,

but was formerly a centre for water milling.

The Domesday Book of 1086 records six working mills here

and that legacy can still be seen in the buildings,

which have since been converted.

It's also woven into the history of our mystery proposition,

located by a tributary to the main river in a quiet cul-de-sac.

So, for the Mystery Property, we are going to be looking around...

this thatched cottage.

Oh, wow. OK.

-Pretty, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Very pretty house.

-It's beautiful.

-Have you thought about living in a thatched house before?

-We have considered it.

-We wouldn't rule it out.

-You wouldn't rule it out? Good.

Well, you're half thatched. That bit's thatched, that bit isn't.

-So, that's part of the property as well, OK.

-This is a new extension.

-OK.

-Parts of this property are around 300 years old.

-Wow.

So, it's got the character we're looking for, I think.

-Yes, it has the history.

-Yeah.

Want to look inside?

-I think we'd love to look inside.

-Come on.

-Good.

This home is a tale of two halves.

The older property, built for mill workers in the 16th century,

houses the living room, snug and kitchen,

whilst the extension has its own entrance hall

to two further rooms and a shower room.

But we're entering through a porch on the old part of the building,

which leads into a large living area

with original beams and supports.

-You're hit almost by the history of the place.

-Wow, yeah.

-Yeah, it's a tree trunk.

-LAUGHTER

This timber work here,

-I mean, this is hundreds and hundreds of years old.

-Yeah.

-It's got real character.

-It has.

-Some fireplace as well.

-Isn't it just?

-Beautiful.

It's not a bad size, actually.

-That's a good-size room, there.

-Yes, it is.

And, then, you can see your dining area is just there.

-That's probably a snug...

-Yes.

-..or you can do something else with it.

-No, it's nice.

Are you surprised to see this sort of layout, here in this house?

-It has got a sort of a modern, contemporary feel about it.

-Yeah.

You've still got the tradition, as well.

Opening it up has helped it a lot

because, if it wasn't opened up,

it'd probably be a lot darker, actually.

Let's keep walking around, mind your step there.

Let's walk round this way.

So, light, bright, airy.

-Yeah.

-Yes, yes.

-Almost farmhouse, actually, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it? Yeah.

Good dining area you've got there, as well.

Now, Phil, you're the cook.

-Yeah.

-Could you work in here?

It's a bit broken up, with the sink over there.

It feels that the kitchen's very tiny

and this is obviously the area that you would be sitting in.

The kitchen is a bit of an afterthought, isn't it?

It feels like it, yeah.

-Let's see what you think of upstairs, come with me.

-OK.

The old part of the Mystery House

may not offer them their dream kitchen,

but the extended section of the ground floor

does provide an additional reception room,

with French doors out onto the rear garden.

There's also a downstairs shower with WC

and a room to the front that could be Sadie's study or art studio.

A staircase from the living room takes us

upstairs to where there are five bedrooms.

A double with en suite,

another good-sized double with fitted wardrobes,

a smaller double

and a spare bedroom that could make a great study space.

These are all served by a family bathroom

and then there is the master en suite.

So, right in the modern part,

-the new extension now.

-OK.

-And they've managed to open it right up, haven't they?

-Yeah.

-Now, you've got a big walk-in wardrobe there.

-OK.

En suite, there.

Quite light up here as well, actually.

-Yeah, very nice.

-Nice and light and airy. It's been done nicely.

Let's go outside, have a look at the gardens

-and then start thinking about price.

-OK.

-Yes.

-I bet you get nowhere near it.

-It's going to be difficult.

LAUGHTER

The inside of the Mystery House doesn't seem to have won them over,

but there's a lot more they'll like in the third-of-an-acre garden.

A pretty pergola provides a great outlook, whatever the weather,

whilst the gravel drive leading to a garage

should put a smile on Phil's face.

And, to top it all, a secluded decked area at the bottom

of the garden overlooks its very own tranquil oasis.

This is quite a different kind of garden, isn't it?

You've got a small river at the back of it.

-Yeah.

-Very pretty.

-There's an actual spring there.

It just adds to that sort of peace and tranquillity, doesn't it?

-It is, it's very tranquil.

-They've done a lot of work in the garden.

-Pretty garden.

-Very pretty.

-I think it's time to guess the price.

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

Come on, Sadie, hit me with it.

I think it's around 620, well under our budget.

OK.

I think it may be slightly higher than that, actually.

I'll go 640 on it.

Well, you may be pleasantly surprised to hear

that the Mystery House is on the market for offers around £579,950.

-Right.

-Right.

Go back in the house briefly, just remind yourself

-of what you get for your money on the edge of a market town.

-Yes.

-See you in a mo.

-Thank you.

Under budget, our Mystery Property, with five bedrooms, would leave them

a sizable £120,000 in the pot.

Period details include

an open fireplace,

plus a choice of rooms means

Sadie could have her study

and an art room.

Outside, there's a garage for Phil

and, whilst it may not be

the detached home they hoped for,

the beautifully designed garden,

with its own natural water features,

provides plenty of rural seclusion

on their doorstep.

What you really have is a chocolate box type of property.

Roses around the door.

You know, it's got some of the character features

and the period features I think we were hoping to find,

so you've got the lovely fireplace

and I can imagine sitting there

in the winter with a good, roaring fire going.

The kitchen itself, I felt, was a bit...

maybe a little bit dysfunctional in the way it had been set up

and I think you would need to make changes to that

if you were going to take this property on.

The extension part, for me,

doesn't flow with the older part of the building.

The two don't go together.

I feel as if it's almost two very separate properties.

Hello. How are we?

-OK, thank you.

-Yeah, we're good.

-All done?

-Yes.

Well, I'm afraid that's all three properties now.

There's no more. So, what I'd like to do is maybe find you

somewhere to have a sit down

and chat things through, and then we'll catch up after that.

-How's that?

-Sounds like a plan.

-OK, come with me.

There's a long history of farming in Hampshire,

but, as with other parts of the country, the second

half of the 20th century saw the sector go into steep decline

and less than 1.5% of the county's population is now

employed in agriculture.

Despite this, a few brave souls persist.

Hampshire farmer Sir Michael Colman and family

are better known for the eponymous mustard.

His latest mission, though,

is putting English mint back on the map.

So, Michael, I understand I'm talking to the person responsible

for bringing peppermint back to its rightful place here in England.

Yes, well, that's what we've been working at for quite a few years.

Now, going back to the start of the 20th century,

British peppermint was deemed the best in the world.

Why did it decline?

Well, what happened is we've had two World Wars

and this country, it got quite close

to running out of food.

And every acre had to be devoted to growing foodstuffs,

but I don't have to tell you peppermint is a lovely product...

It's a luxury item, isn't it?

..but it isn't actually going to stave off your hunger pangs.

The Greeks and Romans wore garlands of mint at feasts,

but, in wartime Britain, it was an unaffordable luxury.

The popular English mint stock found a new home

on the west coast of America,

where it flourished using efficient growing techniques.

Now, Sir Michael has brought the English variety,

Black Mitcham, back from the US, where his farm manager Ian Margetts

has also had to relearn much of the expertise.

It takes around an acre of crop to produce 23 litres of oil,

but the yield is dependent on the weather

and, so far, this year has not been kind.

This crop, we would expect it to be taller than it is.

-It would normally come up to our waists.

-All right, OK.

We've had a lot of cold weather, we've had a lot of dry weather.

And this particular crop, it cannot chase moisture.

-Moisture has to come to it.

-Right.

We don't irrigate, so we rely on the rain that comes down to feed it.

-Very, very natural process going on.

-Very much so indeed.

The mint may be on the short side, but it still packs a punch.

What's the difference between this

and the mint we grow back at home?

Well, what you're growing in your garden is actually spearmint.

You'll see a totally different shape of leaf,

different colour, much paler,

and also the flavour is totally different.

This is a lot stronger flavour than your spearmint.

LAUGHTER

Very strong.

Goodness me, I'm going to have fresh breath for the rest of the year.

-It's an intense mint flavour.

-It truly is, yeah.

The key to success is extracting the intensely flavoured

oil from the leaves.

And it's here that Ian's trips to the States are really in evidence.

In the early days, I did not know what I was doing.

We had a much smaller plant, we didn't have such shiny equipment,

so we brought it all over from America and installed it here,

and we use it like the Americans do.

The American way is to bring the harvested crop

directly from the fields in trailers called cooker tubs

to this unit, where it's exposed to high pressure steam

at about 167 degrees Celsius.

Oil capsules in the leaves break down into a resulting vapour,

which is carried up to an overhead pipe.

This then cools to around 40 degrees Celsius

and enters a distillation unit,

where the oil naturally floats to the surface,

separating out any water.

It's a highly pure product that's a far cry from the stuff

Ian struggled to make under his own steam.

You started this from scratch. What were your first few batches like?

They weren't particularly good.

We were making this gloop in the bottom of like a beaker

that frankly was unsalable,

so it was a steep learning curve and it's taken me probably

ten years to get where we are now.

So, can I have a taste of that?

You wouldn't want to taste that, Johnny, it is far too powerful. It's pure.

I'll tell you what, I've got a boiled sweet here, try one of those.

It is basically glucose, sugar and our peppermint oil.

-Oh, yeah, that is good.

-Isn't it?

I can taste that same flavour of peppermint from that

plant in this sweet, even though now it's surrounded by sugar.

-The proof of the pudding's in the eating, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

It looks like mint growing has provided a breath of fresh air

to farming in the county.

Well, I'm not convinced we found Sadie and Phil

their new home here in Hampshire, but let's find

out their thoughts on the three properties we've shown them.

But he's still smiling, although I get a sense of mild disappointment.

So, what would you say,

of the three properties we showed you, came the closest?

I think probably the second one.

-Yeah.

-Because it was in a village location,

it had a nice garden,

and it had a lot of floor space downstairs.

Yeah, for me, I saw the best reactions from you there.

But for your taste, Phil, there seemed to be just something missing.

That something that tips you over the edge.

I think what was missing was...

-period features.

-Yeah.

-That's what the house didn't have.

It was modern extensions.

It was and I think that's the bit that we don't want to take on board.

So, what's next for you?

Well, I certainly think, in the next...

today and the next few days, we're going to stay here

and have a little look around the area, maybe go and visit

some of the estate agents and have a chat with them.

And, hopefully, see a few more properties.

Good. I think that's just the right thing to do -

immerse yourself in the area.

I mean, the great thing about these last couple of days is,

hopefully, we've shown you new areas.

I think if you can shrink the house's size,

certainly upstairs, it will probably open up lots more

-choice in this pretty expensive part of the world.

-That's good advice.

Well, I wish you the best of luck.

Hopefully something new will come on the market

and you'll snap it up when it does. Please let us know what you decide,

-whatever it is...

-We will, definitely.

-..and where you move to.

-Absolutely. We'd love to.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well, I've got to say,

when you're surrounded by these beautiful Hampshire views,

it's a real shame that we haven't found Phil and Sadie

a property here. But the positive is that they seem to have really

focused on what's important to them.

I wish them the best of luck for these next couple of days

and I'm sure they'll find what they're after.

Phil and Sadie continued their property search afterwards

and found themselves a detached house on the outskirts

of their initial search area,

which they're in the process of now buying.

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