Monmouthshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country. Now, by way of a tease

as to where we are for today's show, what do you think of this?

This rather fetching hat.

It's thought to be one of the earliest examples of

army issue uniform, but for whom was it made and where was it invented?

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

Today, a pair of globetrotting expats are travelling

over 4,500 miles in search of a very British country retreat.

Oh, wow.

It's a shed with a difference.

-It's a posh shed, isn't it?

-It's a really posh shed.

'And they've brought the good weather with them.'

Look, even the sun's coming out! It's all meant to be.

-You can't say any better than that.

-It's all meant to be.

-You can't.

Well, today, we are in the Welsh county of Monmouthshire,

and this is otherwise known as the Monmouth cap. It's believed

these were worn in large numbers by legendary Welsh longbowmen,

to protect them from the elements whilst out on campaign.

Now, if you remember anything at all about your medieval history,

you may recall that Henry V was born in Monmouth.

He, of course, scored a spectacular victory against the French,

at Agincourt, back in 1415, a victory helped in no small part

by a strong contingent of Welsh archers.

Now, the story of the Welsh longbow is a long and illustrious on.

Later on in the programme,

I'll be finding out a little more of the history of this

extraordinary, yet simple weapon, and trying my hand at some archery.

The County of Monmouthshire is located in south-east Wales

and borders the English counties of Herefordshire

and Gloucestershire to the east, and four Welsh counties to the west.

The region is one of huge geographical diversity,

where agricultural land falls in peaks and troughs.

Dotted around Monmouthshire are historic towns

and villages like Usk in the south, with its Norman castle

and a prison, built in 1842.

And the border town of Monmouth, birthplace of King Henry V,

is an excellent centre for shopping, dining out and culture.

So, with its blend of splendid landscapes

and buildings steeped in history,

many bearing battle scars from long-fought wars,

Monmouthshire is a rich and vibrant place

for escapees looking for somewhere rather special.

Well, there is no easy way of saying this -

when it comes to house prices,

Monmouthshire is the third most expensive county in Wales.

Currently, the average price of a detached property here

is around about £258,000. but when you compare it to prices

across England AND Wales,

well, happily, it's 9% below the national figure,

which means you get beautiful border country

with excellent transport links to the rest of the UK.

So, why have today's buyers elected to make this place their new home?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Civil servants Jane and Andrew met at work 19 years ago,

and were married four years later.

They're currently in the UK for just one week,

staying in a hotel whilst house-hunting for a new family home.

Because, for the past 12 years, they've been living the expat life,

but now they're ready to come back home with their young family.

We've got two girls, Amelia and Katie,

and a rescue dog, and we live in a compound in Abu Dhabi

in the middle of the city, in a walled compound

-with about 150 houses?

-Yeah.

-Something like that.

We have a small garden and it's not really grass.

It's concrete and tiles, and things like that.

So, it's, er... not the most comfortable...

-No.

-..outside space, is it, really?

The house is modern. It's probably about ten years old.

Quite spacious, but very different to the sort of house

that we're looking for in the UK.

And it's rural Monmouthshire in south Wales

they've set their sights on.

I was brought up in South Wales, in Cwmbran.

My mum is still there and we're looking to move, um,

on to the Welsh borders, because it's a beautiful part of the world.

We're hoping to find somewhere in Monmouth,

or in the area around Monmouth.

It's a beautiful part of the world.

It's really historic and I think it's good value for money, as well.

When they do find their dream home,

Jane and Andrew can't wait to put their stamp on it.

We've lived in four different countries

and the houses have been very nice, but they've not been our houses,

whereas now, we get to choose, not only our own house,

but our own furniture, which is going to be really exciting.

And when they move home, Andrew will continue working,

but Jane is hoping to take on a new project for herself.

One of the things that we're hoping to be able to do is

to run a kind of self-catering, holiday let business.

So, that's self-employment for the first time.

So, the whole thing is a big change.

It's a lifestyle that we've never really had, so it's quite exciting.

So, the race is on to find their new country home.

We've been back in the UK for about three days.

The priority is to do the house-hunting.

We've got a week and, hopefully at the end of the week,

we'll have a house. That's the plan.

Jane and Andrew need to find somewhere within the catchment area

of a school in Monmouth itself.

So, that's where we're concentrating our search.

But before the clock starts on our whirlwind trip around the county,

I'm meeting them to get the lowdown.

-Well, hello.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-Very nice to see you.

-Jane, Andrew, welcome to Escape To The Country.

-Thank you.

And to Monmouthshire!

So, you've decided to make the big move back home.

Now, give us an idea of the kind of property

you've been dreaming about, Jane?

Something with some character, because a lot of what we've lived in

has been lovely, don't get me wrong, but not my forever home.

So, just remind us of your budget.

Either up to 400,000, or if...

One thing we're interested in is maybe the potential

for a self-catering holiday let on the property

and, in which case, it would be up to 450.

How important is the holiday let in terms of the viability

of this move, of the income it might bring in?

Well, ideally, I would like not to carry on working...

in the job I'm doing at the moment.

So, it would be an income for that.

It's not crucial, because, obviously,

I can carry on working, but ideally,

I'd like to be able not to do that and to have my own business,

it would be my business and we'd be able to

have that second income from that.

And I know that your mum may come and live with you in the future?

Well, yes, if she'd like to.

I mean, the holiday let has two kind of objectives.

One, for an income, and also for Mum when and if she feels

that she wants to leave her house and move in with us.

So, in terms of the spec,

the basic spec of what we're after, in terms of bedrooms

and reception rooms and all the rest of it, what's in your mind?

Three or four bedrooms and just a nice living space, really.

With character. That's really important.

The amount of land, not really critical. A garden.

Extra land, fine, but it's by no means a deal-breaker.

And it needs to be in the catchment area for Monmouth School.

Good. Well, we've got some really interesting properties

-lined up for you this week.

-Fantastic.

It isn't 45 degrees out there, I'm afraid,

as you're probably used to.

It's somewhat less than that and it's a little bit grey and drizzly.

Don't let it put you off. You know what it's like here!

-Yeah.

-The girls are in for a shock, though!

BOTH: They are! THEY LAUGH

Good, right, then, let's see what we can find you, come on.

Jane and Andrew's maximum budget of £450,000

is a healthy one for the region.

So I'm hopeful we might get them

fixed before they have to fly back to the Middle East.

They're looking for a country pad with character

and 3-4 bedrooms and the potential for a holiday let would be

ideal to keep Jane occupied, plus any extra income generated,

would really help if the house is at the top end of their budget.

They'd also love a good outdoor space and a house in the

catchment area for their preferred school in Monmouth is a must.

We've gathered a fantastic range of properties

to make Jane and Andrew's voyage across the world a worthwhile one.

And the price tag of each house

will only be revealed after the home has been toured.

Our last stop, our Mystery House,

will give them a little shock at first, but once they see

what's on offer, it should be an easy shock to swallow.

We're starting our search in the rural hamlet of Brynderi.

It's ten miles from Monmouth

and just under 5½ miles from the village of Grosmont.

Grosmont, close to the English border,

is steeped in history with its Norman church and castle,

plus there's stunning scenery all around.

It has a small selection of amenities,

including the Angel Inn pub,

which, until a few years ago, was owned by a group of local residents.

Just under a 15-minute drive away, and we're in Brynderi.

Here we find rolling fields and our first house, which sits

in the shadow of the historic White Castle and the Black Mountains.

-Not bad.

-It's really pretty.

-It's a classic country cottage.

-It is.

As you can probably tell, the only thing it's lacking, really,

are some roses around the door. It's a really lovely spot.

-It has been extended, as you can probably tell...

-Mm-hm.

..in more recent times, giving you quite a useful addition to the

-kitchen area, giving you a kind of kitchen-diner.

-Lovely.

And in terms of views, I mean...

It's not desert, it's green and beautiful.

It's certainly different to Abu Dhabi, isn't it?

-Very.

-THEY LAUGH

-Wetter.

-A bit wetter, but that's all part of...

-Part of the experience!

Exactly, yeah! What do you think the girls would make of this one?

Oh, they'd love it, I think. Yeah. Very pretty.

Good, right then, well, let's get out of the weather

before it rains again, come on. SHE LAUGHS

This character cottage dates back to the mid-1800s

and was originally a one-up one-down.

We're starting off our tour in its country kitchen.

Oh, nice and warm in here. In you come.

Grab the door, Andrew.

There we are. That's what greets you.

-That's lovely, isn't it?

-It's a lovely kitchen.

There is one thing missing in here. Any ideas?

-A cooker?

-The cooker! Yeah, exactly. THEY LAUGH

That's through here.

There it is.

Lovely oil-fired range for you

-and lovely views out there towards the Black Mountains.

-Beautiful.

Well, you've got this room of course and the kitchen,

but also two further reception rooms through here,

including the living room and a really nice little snug.

Have a look at this.

'And I'm pretty sure you don't get many of these in Abu Dhabi.'

-Nice and cosy.

-Lovely. Very nice.

-I like that.

-What a lovely room.

-It's got a real cottagey feel, but it's light.

-That's the thing.

Yes, it is light, isn't it?

Now, those double doors, they lead onto an additional snug... Oh, OK.

-..so you could have a kind of girl's room.

-Yeah.

Now, you wanted three bedrooms.

Let's have a look upstairs and see what we've got for you.

'The stairway, sandwiched between the sitting room

'and the snug, leads to a long, narrow landing

'and to the three bedrooms Jane and Andrew have requested.'

Now you've got a single there.

-A sweet little child's room at the moment in there.

-Oh, yeah.

The family bathroom is this one.

OK.

'And, at the end of the hallway above the kitchen,

'is the triple-aspect master.'

-What do you think?

-Yeah, it's really pretty, isn't it? I love it.

-And I love the way it's decorated.

-It's pretty.

-I love this room.

-The views across there.

-Stunning.

-Amazing.

-Just gorgeous.

-It's got curtains but to be honest, you don't really need them.

-No.

-You're not going to be overlooked, are you?

-You're not.

No, only by the cows and the sheep!

LAUGHTER

'Well, this charming cottage does seem to be charming both Jane

'and Andrew, but as we leave the sleeping quarters, there's more.

'At the bottom of the garden is a one-bedroom studio,

'which could provide a useful business opportunity.'

Now... Ha-ha! ..talk about the shed at the end of the garden!

-SHE LAUGHS:

-Oh, wow!

It has a shower room in there with a loo and all the rest of it.

-Fantastic.

-A crazy little mezzanine up there.

-I suppose, ideal if you've got young kids who are...

-Certainly!

-..visiting and, of course, plenty of space for all of that.

-Yeah.

-It's good. It's really quirky.

-It's amazing.

-I like it.

It's a great extra... holiday let potential?

Yeah, it could have, but as an extra bedroom, this really fits the bill.

So, shall we test your in-depth knowledge of the property market

-and get you to guess the price?

-Oh, my goodness!

Come on, let's go outside, you might need some fresh air for that!

Right, then, it's really tough on you, actually, isn't it?

-It's really hard.

-To be fair, all the way from Abu Dhabi

to pitch you into the pricing of this one here in Monmouthshire,

but go on, you go first, what do you think this is on the market for?

Well, as you've given us nearly everything we wanted, I would say

it's at the top end of our budget, so I'm going to say 440.

440? Yeah.

-I'm going to go 415.

-415? Straight in there, no nonsense.

-This could be yours for 375.

-Wow!

-Wow!

-What do you think about that?

-That's pretty good.

-Yeah?

-Impressive.

-That's really good.

Look, even the sun's coming out. You see, it's all meant to be!

You can't say any better than that.

-It's all meant to be.

-That's wonderful.

Right, off you go, have a wander round.

-Thank you.

-I'll catch up with you a little bit later.

Not only does this cottage deliver on all fronts,

it also leaves Jane and Andrew a cool £75,000 to spare.

There's all the character they want here,

with a lovely living space and just the right amount of bedrooms.

The garden studio offers the potential for a holiday let

and it's all set in a stunning location

that's in the right catchment area for the school in Monmouth.

I like the house, I really do.

It's an amazing setting, it's beautiful.

I love the downstairs space and the posh shed.

I think this is really pretty.

It's in a perfect location, the views are beautiful.

My only concern would be the amount of storage space, in particular

upstairs, but I think that that could be rectified

with a little bit of imagination.

-Nice, isn't it?

-It is.

-It is, it's lovely. It's really nice.

I think a really good start. And this is just such a pretty view

to keep with you in your memories, as we continue our house search.

-Yes.

-It is.

-But a really nice one to begin with.

It is, I mean, this is number one, it's great.

-Who's hungry?

-Me.

-Come on.

To the west of Monmouthshire

lies the Blaenavon World Heritage site, where the footprint

of Wales' industrial landscape is still visible in its valleys.

At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution,

during the 19th century, the Blaenavon Ironworks was

one of the largest producers of iron and steel in the world.

The local colliery provided the coal to produce iron and steel,

but in 1980, it was closed, as it had become

uneconomical to continue mining.

The mine is named Big Pit and is now preserved as a museum.

History enthusiasts Jane and Andrew

have come to meet Ceri Thompson, ex-miner and curator of the museum,

to get an insight's into the industrial heritage of Wales.

It's hard to imagine now the early industrialist's coming up here,

transporting their big machinery up here,

transporting workers up here, you know.

And, of course, people working in the ironworks,

it's quite dangerous.

With hot molten metals around the place, all the work going on.

And then with the coal mines, of course,

you're actually working underground.

For a start, working in the dark is a danger on its own,

that's without the roof falling in,

the dangers of gases, which cause explosions, of course.

So, it's not a very pleasant place to work.

How many men would have worked here at the height of production?

By 1980, when the pit shut down,

there was about 300 men working here, by the time it closed down.

But, in the century before that, of course, there was

up to 1,000 men just working in this one pit alone.

To get a better understanding of what life as a coal miner might

have been like, Jane and Andrew are going down into the old mine itself.

En route,

they're meeting electrician Richard Philip's in the old lamp room,

to find out how our feathered friends

and a clever invention helped overcome the real dangers the miners

faced each and every day, in the darkness of the pit.

This is a lamp room, this is where

the miners would have picked up their lamps to go underground.

Here, we've got the miner's safety lamp.

Which was a piece of engineering that was developed

into coal mining and saved thousands and thousands of lives.

Deep in the mines, there was the danger that methane gas,

found in coal, could escape into the air and, if it did,

when it met the naked flames of the miners' oil lamps or candles,

it could cause potentially lethal explosions.

But, over 200 years ago, Cornish entrepreneur Humphry Davy

came up with the solution known today as the Davy lamp.

They put in a gauze over the top of the frame, it would

keep the flame alight, cos it allows oxygen to pass in,

but it prevents the methane igniting the gas.

This was the gauze.

If we hold the gauze directly over the frame, as you can see,

the flame doesn't pass through the gauze.

But even though the addition of the gauze was a life-saver,

it wasn't popular, as it reduced the lamp's light by a quarter.

It wasn't until about 30 years later that somebody

came up with the idea of separating the flame with a glass.

But it's probably the most important invention

ever to come into coal mining.

But there was also another more unusual tactic

employed to keep the miners safe.

-You can probably hear the canaries in the background.

-Yes.

The canaries were used underground, because, after we have an explosion,

we have carbon monoxide given off.

The canaries would go underground with the safety teams after

the explosion. They could detect the carbon monoxide.

The way they detected carbon monoxide is that

they breathe quicker than us.

Less than half a percent of carbon monoxide in the area underground

will kill you in less than 15 minutes.

If the canaries appeared distressed, it was a sign the gas was present.

So, the miners would retreat and ventilate the area,

to clear the gas.

Now, it's Jane and Andrew's turn to get kitted out and go underground.

Paul Green is going to be their guide.

He was a miner for 22 years. He started in 1972,

when he was just a teenager.

The cage will take them down to the pit bottom.

The shaft we're going down is 90 metres deep, 300 feet.

90 metres is very shallow for a mine in Wales.

The cage is descending at a speed of just two metres per second,

but when it was a working mine, it would travel at double that speed.

And the sound of the men at work would be deafening.

Today, though, it's eerily silent.

Watch your step, guys.

This is what we call a stall area, guys.

A man and boy would work together, father and son.

You see the coal in the background there?

Their job would be to take the coal off and load the drams.

It was the boy's job to load the dram.

Coal was traditionally extracted by hand and then, of course,

as mechanisation and time went on, it all came to big machinery.

Big coal cutters and machinery taking it away.

And what about your mining experiences?

At that time, in the 1970s, every village within Wales

had a coal mine. It was well paid.

So, I started as a 15-year-old and my first wage was £11.50.

And I had to pay £6 board and lodge.

So, I didn't have a lot left out of it.

If the mines hadn't closed, I'll be truthful,

I would still be working in them.

And you'd probably go to 80% or 90% of the miners

and they would say exactly the same.

OK, guys, shall we make our way back to the surface?

-Great.

-Yeah.

-Follow me along.

It was clearly a harsh life underground,

hidden from life above on the surface.

It's the second day of our jaunt around Monmouthshire in Wales,

where Jane and Andrew, who've been living in Abu Dhabi, have up

to £450,000 to spend on their first home in Britain for 12 years.

And there's still our mystery house to come.

-But this is the main event.

-Oh, lovely.

-Wow.

And I'll be testing my aim, when I'm handed a very Welsh bow and arrow.

So, I'm really going to have to put some effort into this, aren't I?

Absolutely smash it.

Oh, keeping the arrow on the thing is a trick, isn't it?

Well, our final day of house-hunting has, thankfully started,

with clearer skies. Which is just as well,

because we've got plenty left to show Jane and Andrew.

Now, over breakfast, they let slip that their daughters have

an ambition to keep alpacas. Talk about moving the goalposts.

But, hey, no-one ever said that house-hunting was going to be easy.

Now, coming up, we will, at the end of the day,

be revealing our mystery house.

To find that, we are going to have to head into another country.

But first, our penultimate property.

I think it's got bags of character and bags of space, plenty of room

for a family whose collection of animals might just keep growing.

Our next visit takes us to the hamlet of Kingcoed.

It's just over ten miles from Monmouth

and under two and a half miles from the village of Raglan.

Here, along with attractive stone cottages,

are all the necessary amenities, including a post office, chemist,

family butchers, as well as a choice of pubs.

There is also the spectacular 15th-century Raglan Castle,

which was originally built for show, not battle

and has featured in a magical TV drama.

A five-minute drive takes us to the rural beauty of Kingcoed,

with its endless views and our next property -

this L-shaped, whitewashed cottage,

that's hiding a bit of a surprise on the inside.

-There you go, what about that one?

-Oh, it's beautiful.

-I like it.

-Really pretty.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

You probably can see that little carved stone on the wall.

1812, that's when this part of the property dates from.

We think it was probably a barn originally.

But then, through the '60s and '70s, it's been extended into this

L-shape, to create a really substantial family home.

-It's lovely.

-Now, the thing that is

unusual about it is that, it's completely unfurnished.

So, let's get our thinking caps on, use some imagination, let's see

what you might do that with this one and how you might occupy it.

-Lovely.

-OK.

'This 19th-century cottage might be a blank canvas,

'but its age means its period character is

'there to see as soon as you walk through the door,

'married beautifully with a contemporary style.'

Right, then.

I think we'll start in here, which is the kitchen.

-There we go.

-Oh, wow.

Nice little kitchen.

We're getting these little cottagey details, you know,

the beams are exposed, which is quite nice.

You've got these double-glazed, but leaded-look windows,

which break up these panes, which is quite nice.

-Yes, excellent.

-Yes.

OK, let's go through to this living room.

You've got a couple to choose from, but we'll start with this one.

And it's going to need some creative thinking to imagine it as

a cosy family room or perhaps a dining room.

Yeah, it's a nice-sized room.

So, I think this could be a nice intimate space, actually.

I think so, yeah.

The other living area is across the hallway from the living room,

in the original part of the house.

Again, I think a very similar size to next door,

but this, to me, feels much more like your family living room space.

Yes, definitely.

And you've got the decking there

and the French windows, it's really nice.

You have. Normally I'd be taking you upstairs now, but I'll treat you.

Have a look, cos it's worth exploring, whilst we're down here.

Let's go out and give you a real feel for it.

-There we are.

-Wow. It's beautiful. The views are amazing.

-It's lovely.

-Look at this, bright sunshine to greet us.

It's fabulous.

-I do want to take you upstairs and show you the bedrooms.

-OK.

-You wanted three, we've got you four.

-Fantastic.

Up on the first floor, there is also a modern family bathroom,

as well as a compact shower room.

The sleeping quarters consist of a large,

square, double bedroom overlooking the garden, a smaller double,

also at the back of the house, and next to it, a dual-aspect room.

But we're headed to the best of the bunch.

So, no surprise, this is the one we've earmarked for a you.

-Oh, it's beautiful.

-Yes.

-It's beautiful.

-That's got that real cottagey feel, hasn't it?

-Oh, isn't that lovely?

-The beams are great.

-Yeah, really sweet.

-Really beautiful.

-And you've got that.

-Oh, yeah.

-Put your heads round the corner.

Well, to have an en-suite in a property like this is great,

-isn't it?

-It's unusual.

-It really is, yeah.

OK, well, we teased you with the garden before.

Come on, let's go back outside and enjoy the weather.

Now, our buyers have already had a sneak preview of

the outside space, but to really appreciate this house,

you need to see it from the bottom of the garden.

This is gorgeous, especially in the sunlight.

I love this view of the property.

Sitting up there in a very elevated position,

-it really sets it off a treat.

-It does.

So, we've pretty much seen it all.

There is one part we haven't seen and that is through that gate,

what we're describing as a bit of a paddock.

It's a bit overgrown at the moment,

but it might give you space for creating your animal kingdom

that I suspect might be coming, if your daughters get their way

-and they get their alpacas.

-Yes.

So, when we're done here, I'm going to send you off down there

-and you can explore that on your own.

-OK.

But, suffice to say, I think we've seen pretty much all of it.

Certainly enough to give you an idea of what it might be worth.

-Yes.

-Who's going to guess first? Andrew.

-435.

-435, yeah.

I think it's a little bit more than that, I would say it's 445.

445? This is on the market for £399,000.

-Wow.

-You're joking?

-I'm not.

-That's amazing.

HE LAUGHS

That's an incredible price. I'm really surprised.

And you don't need to worry about any kind of business angle,

because, at that price, I don't think you need to

worry about holiday lets or B&B and all the rest of it.

-No, no.

-You've got plenty of room here, plenty of room for Mum,

if she wants to come, with that fourth bedroom.

-Yes, absolutely.

-A serious contender, I think.

-Yeah.

Now, the paddock is a bit of bonus.

-Go and have a look at it, see what you might do with it.

-Right.

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

-Lovely.

-Great, thank you.

-Thank you.

-Off you go.

This lovely, rural cottage seems to have the perfect combination

of both character and space, plus it comes in at

£51,000 under Jane and Andrew's budget.

The downstairs living area is great for a young family

and upstairs is, too.

And the garden, with its views, is superb,

featuring a bonus paddock, which could become home to a

herd of alpacas, if our buyers let their daughters' dreams come true.

-What a beautiful little bit of space.

-Beautiful.

As soon as we walked round the corner, I loved the house.

It's exactly what we looking for.

And it's perfect, it's got the cottagey feel,

but it's got the space inside.

I was impressed when I walked in and my only worry, really,

was what the price would be, would it be too high?

But now I've heard what the price is,

we're going to have to give it some really serious thought, I think.

Isn't this lovely? Early summer in Monmouthshire.

You know, showing a house that's empty can be a bit of a gamble,

but, today, I think it's all gone rather well, hasn't it?

-It has, it's amazing.

-Definitely.

Well, hold that thought, because we have one more to show you.

Come on.

Yes, our final trip to the mystery house has taken us a whisker

over the Welsh border into England

and the village of Newland, in Gloucestershire.

Which is still only around four miles from the school in Monmouth.

Newland is a pretty village, surrounded by hills

and stunning scenery and an eclectic mix of architecture,

including grand houses, stone cottages and old arms houses.

Just outside Newland, with far-reaching views,

we find our mystery house.

And if Jane and Andrew engaged some flexible thinking,

they might find exactly what they're looking for right here.

Well, finally, the waiting is over. Here we are,

at our mystery house location.

Well, kind of, mystery complex, I should say.

What we've got you is this extraordinary

development of eight properties,

built around an old series of existing,

beautiful farm buildings.

That's what I want you to think about. All of that.

-Wow.

-That's quite something.

Now, why is it our mystery house? We know that you are used to

living in complexes around the world.

The good news about this one is that it's in Britain,

but also, of course, it's single-storey.

We are in England, of course, and I know you'll be thinking,

"Oh, schools! What about the catchment area?"

Monmouth itself is only four miles away.

It is technically outside of the catchment,

but there are children who live here who go to the comprehensive

that you're thinking about.

OK, well, that's good news.

What I am keen to do, though, is to show you a building that I think

-is a really lovely family home.

-OK.

-Shall we have a look?

-Yes, let's.

-Let me show you around.

The original barn is around 300 years old,

made from local stone, with a slate roof.

But all the fixtures and fittings are contemporary and top-notch,

making our mystery house well worth the trip over the border.

We're going straight into an L-shaped entrance hall.

-There we are. Look at this.

-Lovely.

-You get the idea, don't you?

-You certainly do.

Now, this central corridor really is the spine of the building

and you've got bedrooms and bathrooms leading off of it.

-But this is the main event.

-Oh, lovely.

-Wow.

-Very nice, yeah.

-It's impressive.

The thing with this building, it's all orientated,

not that way to the drive, but this way.

The kitchen really makes use of the views. There you go.

Oh, that's beautiful. Yeah, there's the view.

It's got the view and what a great kitchen.

A great kitchen.

It's also got really generous utility room through there,

-with another door out.

-OK.

-I mean, that view out the back,

-you wouldn't think you were in a complex.

-Absolutely.

-No.

-You must think you were just on your own.

-Yes, definitely.

A location just with one cottage. So, that's quite impressive.

Right, then, let's explore. Come with me, down the corridor.

'Next to the entrance hall is a neutral family bathroom and

'next to that is a bright, square, double bedroom, currently used

'as a den, overlooking the courtyard at the front of the property.

'Opposite is another double with doors to the garden.

'And on the other side of the hall is a cosy double,

'with stairs to a mezzanine office above. Then, tucked into

'the back left-hand corner of the house, is the master.'

So, this is your bit.

Lovely.

I've just seen the bathroom.

That did take your breath away, didn't it?

-Yeah, go and have a look. It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-You like that?

It's really generous, this one.

-Yes, it definitely is.

-A wonderful bathroom.

And you've got those two door, which open out onto the terrace.

It works, doesn't it?

It does, it works very, very well. It's a lovely bedroom.

Right, well, let's make use of those doors and explore the garden.

Come and look at this.

'Outside, although there's no income potential,

'what you do get is a spectacular, south-facing garden,

'complete with a pretty pond.

'I think it's fair to say our English mystery house is

'working very hard to impress.'

-Hmm, beautiful.

-So, final guess of the week, madam?

-I would say 410.

410?

I'm going to go for 425.

Oh! Very close.

Not bad at all.

This is currently on the market at £429,000.

429.

Now, I have spoken to the owners.

They are moving to France and they are really keen to go.

It has been on the market a while

and they are open to some sensible offers.

I think, provided it begins with a four,

-it would be a conversation you could have.

-OK, that's interesting.

-Yeah, I think the girls would love it.

-OK.

-OK.

-You can tell me if I'm right later on. Off you go.

-Thank you.

Our mystery house straddles three centuries

and has a perfect blend of character and cutting-edge style to prove it.

Yet, it's still £29,000 under Jane and Andrew's budget.

It may be single-storey, but it's spacious, with four

good-sized bedrooms giving plenty of options for visitors and Jane's mum.

The garden and the views are fantastic.

And, although it's not in the official catchment area

for the school in Monmouth, a place there isn't out of the question.

So, Jane and Andrew could have a lot to write home about here.

-Oh, wow. Look at this.

-Oh, I like it.

-Oh, that's fabulous.

-I like the house.

I wasn't so impressed when we were on the outside.

I guess, because it's part of a complex.

And I thought, "Oh, I don't really know

"if I want to be in that close a proximity to my neighbours."

But, inside, it's really impressive and at the back as well, the garden.

I really like the garden and the view.

Once we got inside, I thought it was beautiful.

I love the kitchen.

I love the way it looks out over the garden at the back.

You forget that you are in a complex when you look outside.

Being over the border into England isn't a problem in itself.

I'm English, so I'm quite happy to live in England.

We're still close to Jane's family

and we're really in the same neighbourhood.

So, that's not an issue, it's just the school place risk.

It's something we'd have to think about very carefully.

-It all rather lovely, isn't it?

-It is, very nice.

-Well, I think we spoiled you this week.

-You have. Too much choice.

Yes, there's definitely some potential in the offing,

-isn't there? This is a move you've really got to make soon.

-Yes.

-To get back from Abu Dhabi.

-Yes.

Right, then, let's have a nice old-fashioned pint of beer.

Monmouthshire has been known for its skilled archers

for hundreds of years. They were instrumental

in many of Wales' and England's greatest military victories,

including the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

So awe-inspiring were the Welsh bowmen,

that the English Army replaced their crossbows with longbows.

Jeremy Spencer makes period military longbows with historic materials.

I've come to meet him at Wye Valley Archery.

Look, I've remembered my cap.

A very simple affair, but it's a great way into a fascinating story.

The Monmouth cap and Welsh archers.

What is it about this part of the world

that really lends itself to the history of archery?

The thing about Monmouth is its history goes back in archery

-a long, long time.

-But how did originate?

I mean, presumably, it was just an everyday hunting tool.

Absolutely. There's nothing particularly special about it.

It's just a bent stick.

The special thing about it is, being brought up in the bow,

when you shoot a bow, you master it.

You're given a larger bow by your father and you get bigger

and stronger. You can't do that sort of thing overnight.

Now, aside from the bow, of course, the key bit is the arrow.

Absolutely. It's very interesting to look at the history of arrows,

because they echo the history of armour.

You can look at an arrowhead

and it will date the period it comes from.

'Arrows were the bullets of their day.

'But almost works of art in their own right.

'Jeremy is going to show me some he's crafted himself.'

Fantastic. They are beautiful things, aren't they?

I know they're weapons of war, but there is something

beautiful about the way they're made and that kind of artisanship.

Yeah, they have a certain aesthetic, don't they?

That one doesn't look as if it's going to do an awful lot of damage.

Granted, it looks quite friendly, but, believe me, it's not.

It would be like getting hit by a rubber bullet,

but it is actually a practice head.

Something you'd be allowed to shoot in the forest.

If you shot something like this, which is a hunting arrowhead,

you're only up to one thing. And that could lose you your hand.

If you look at something like this, a fairly early arrowhead,

that's a needle bodkin.

That would find its way through a mail link, even before it

meets any resistance.

'Arrowheads were typically made from iron, and chain mail was armour

'designed to try to protect the body against sharp weapons, like this.

'At the other end of the arrow are the fletches,

'the feathers which stabilise it in flight.

'And, on this one, they're from a swan.'

So, what we'll do is...

With your medieval scissors.

With my medieval scissors, we'll cut that down.

-Gosh, it's like silk, isn't it?

-It is, it's lovely.

-Amazing.

-You've got to do it confidently.

So, something like that.

I think you should have a go, try it out yourself.

Who'd have thought it?

I never appreciated the value of a swan feather.

Next time I'm wandering along the river bank

and I see some, I might pick a couple up.

Of course, you only get two decent ones per wing as well.

-Is that right?

-Yeah.

-I'm not sure I've gone straight enough there.

No, that was pretty good.

-There we are. How's that?

-Great, great.

-OK.

'The fletches, fastened with glue,

'are then secured by binding them with silk.'

I do love making things.

It is lovely to just get a hand on something that really is

-a time-honoured tradition.

-Sure.

Well, I could be here all day, to be perfectly honest.

What I'm really keen to do, though, is to see just how effective

-these arrows are against some targets.

-Sure.

We've got a rig up for you, if you'd like to see it.

And I think we should get you to wear your Monmouth cap

and get you to have a go.

Absolutely, I've been carrying this thing around all day.

-Right, there we go.

-Much better.

It's a good look for you. Come on. Let's go and have a go.

Ah, I see. A French knight over there.

We've got monsieur there. He's wearing plate armour.

So, we've got some beautifully fletched arrows

-that you made earlier.

-Sure.

-What's on the end of these?

-Oh, look at that.

-Bodkin points.

With got machined bodkin and we've got handmade bodkins as well,

made by a master arrowsmith.

'Bodkin points are military arrowheads

'designed to penetrate armour.

'In the hands of a professional longbowman, one of these can

'travel at around 120mph, with up to 12 arrows shot a minute.'

Right, let's give it a go.

-You hit it.

-Absolutely.

-Didn't quite go through, though.

Well, actually, if we look at that, it's gone in and bounced out.

If we go over and look at that, you'll see it probably got

about that much penetration, which is potentially lethal.

I'm not sure I'm even going to hit the target,

so I don't know why I'm laughing at you.

You've got to make sure that, if you hold the bow there,

we get the cock feather sticking out, otherwise you have a cock-up.

-So, hence the phrase.

-Ah! I love these old phrases.

There's loads of them.

So, I'm really going to have to put some effort into this, aren't I?

Absolutely smash it.

Keeping the arrow on the thing is a trick, isn't it?

THEY LAUGH

Bravo, very good.

What are the chances of that? I've only just clipped it.

I think our knight would've kept coming.

I think so, I think so.

-Jeremy, it's been an absolute pleasure.

-You're very welcome.

-Thanks very much, mate.

-Brilliant. Thank you.

Now, that wasn't as easy as it looks.

But I wonder if finding a house in Monmouthshire was easier or

harder than our buyers thought it would be.

Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure

how successful our house-hunting has been this week,

but I did promise Andrew a pint.

So, this is the perfect place to find out.

-Ah, how are you?

-Yeah, good thanks.

-Is that from me?

-It is.

-Yeah.

-Well, guys, it's been quite a week, this, hasn't it?

-It's been great.

Have we whetted your appetite for life here, Andrew?

You definitely have.

I didn't know this area particularly well. It's amazing.

I'm really looking forward to coming and living here.

We've got to get a house here, definitely.

Well, have we managed to get you one?

-That's the million-dollar question.

-Well, there are certainly

some serious contenders between the two cottages that we've seen.

-Number one was gorgeous, wasn't it?

-Absolutely beautiful.

-What a spot.

-The views were amazing.

-Mm-hm. And the other little white cottage,

with that very sweet garden dropping away below and the views beyond.

With potential room for, dare I say it, these alpacas. Who knows?

-Yes.

-Oh, dear.

-Yes, you've got to be careful what you wish for.

-We have, indeed.

No, the girls would be delighted with that one, I'm sure.

It's not really a definite, is it?

Two contenders, clearly, you've got to go back soon, of course.

That's going to make further investigation a little harder

than it might be, if you were based here in the UK.

Well, I am home in a few weeks.

So, we can have a good conversation about it.

And, hopefully, if they're still on the market,

I can go back and have a look.

Well, you've got a lot to think about. All that remains for me to do

is to wish you a very safe trip back to the sun.

Although, let's face it, it hasn't turned out that badly today,

-has it?

-Not bad at all.

-It's very nice.

-But, cheers. Cheers to you.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

-Best of luck.

You know, on a day like this,

with views like that, the merits of living in this beautiful

border region I think really speak for themselves.

Andrew and Jane are now packing up,

heading off to the airport, ready to fly back to Abu Dhabi.

We have given them plenty to consider.

Now, of course, they've got a nice long plane ride on which to do so.

But there is a danger that everything we've shown them,

over the last few days, could, in the weeks to come,

become nothing more than a distant memory.

But, having immersed themselves in this glorious countryside,

somehow, I don't think it will. I'll see you next time.

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