Suffolk Escape to the Country

Built in 1923, this striking folly stands some 70 feet tall

and is known as the House In The Clouds.

But where is it and why was it built?

Find out in just a moment.

Today's buyers are longing to leave suburban living

for a slice of country life they've always dreamt of.

We may have struck lucky with our properties.

I love this house.

I love it.

And their vision might be closer than they imagined.

It's lovely.

-Imagine the whole family in here, gathered around the table.

-Yeah.

Today I'm in Suffolk and behind me is the village of Thorpeness.

Built in the early part of the 20th century,

it was the brainchild of eccentric Scottish barrister

Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie.

He was passionate about Tudor and Jacobean architecture and he wanted

to create a holiday village that, in his view,

harked back to the days of quintessential England.

But there was a problem -

a ginormous water tower that overlooked the entire village.

In Ogilvie's view, it wasn't in keeping with the rest of the houses,

so he wanted to make it so

and what you see today is the result of his modifications.

The tower has been ingeniously disguised as a clapper board house

complete with windows, a pitched roof,

it's even get a chimney stack.

Today though the village no longer requires the water tower,

but you'll be pleased to hear it's been converted into a luxury home

and stands tall testament to the unique vision of Ogilvie himself.

The East Anglian County of Suffolk

is bordered by Norfolk to the north,

Essex to the south

and Cambridgeshire to the west.

Looking out over the North Sea,

the Suffolk Heritage Coast

stretches 50 miles from Felixstowe in the south

to Lowestoft in the north.

Along the way, the ever popular seaside town of Southwold

is recognised for its stunning Georgian architecture

and multi-coloured beach huts.

The pier, originally built in 1900,

was completely refurbished in 2001

and offers some wonderful views back towards the town.

Moving inland towards the heart of the county,

the cluster of historic Suffolk wool towns and villages date back as far

as the 15th century, when the textile trade was big business here.

To the south of the county, Dedham Vale has some of

the county's most serene and stunning landscapes,

which were immortalised by 19th-century artist John Constable.

Some of his most celebrated works,

such as the Hay Wain and Flatford Mill,

were painted in the countryside

around the nearby village of East Bergholt, where he lived.

With a wealth of period properties

in beautiful surrounding countryside,

you'd think that would be reflected in Suffolk's property values,

yet the average cost of a detached house here at the moment

is just under £278,000,

which is around £16,000 below the national figure,

which I think represents pretty good value.

But be warned - towards the south of the county,

where properties are closer to road and rail links back into London,

prices do begin to climb.

So whereabouts in the county are today's buyers looking?

Let's meet them and find out.

Laura met New Zealander Matt seven years ago at a bar in London

whilst he was backpacking around the UK.

She convinced him to settle with her here and they bought a home

in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

I would describe Matt as a typical Kiwi.

He is very outdoorsy and friendly and easy to get along with.

Things have changed substantially since I arrived in the UK.

Now I've got a wonderful wife and two fantastic children,

and I couldn't ask for anything more really.

Aw!

Having lived in Stevenage now for two years,

Laura and Matt are finding that, as their daughters

Sophie, three, and Elizabeth, two, get bigger,

the house is beginning to feel smaller

and the location also no longer suits their needs.

Currently we live quite close to a town

and it can be quite busy and quite crowded.

We'd like to give the kids some space, some freedom,

the ability to be curious and just explore things by themselves without

having to be too controlled by us.

It would be nice to be able to look out of the window and see fields...

..and to have that feeling of space.

And you were quite happy living here until you found out you weren't

the only Kiwi in the village.

HE LAUGHS

And that.

Whilst police officer Laura is currently on a career break,

staying at home to bring up the children,

now is the right time for them to make a move

before the girls start school.

We're happy to escape to Suffolk.

We've been over there a couple of times.

Some beautiful countryside,

beautiful houses and beautiful little villages that we could really

see ourselves settling into and becoming part of the community.

Nice little cosy pubs in the winter and lots of sheep, primarily!

THEY LAUGH

Which is not why I'm attracted to Suffolk at all but, yeah,

we would like to get some land that we potentially could

keep some sheep on in the longer term,

just to give our girls sort of a rural upbringing.

Matt grew up in the New Zealand countryside, close to the sea,

and they're keen for the girls

to experience the same kind of childhood he enjoyed.

Suffolk's got a long coastline

and I'd really like to teach the girls how to sail,

like I was taught when I was younger.

And I'd like to learn how to sail, as well.

Committed to making the move towards Suffolk work,

Matt would like the property to be no more than a 15-minute-drive

from the nearest railway station

so he can still commute to his risk management job in London.

I'm fully prepared for the commute to take a bit longer.

It's a trade-off with lifestyle.

And with rolling fields and sea air on the horizon,

Laura and Matt can't wait to immerse themselves in country life and begin

their search for their dream home.

I'm primarily looking forward to the peace and quiet,

the kids being able to make as much noise as they want to

without annoying any neighbours,

and just having the freedom to do what we want

whenever we want to.

Having visited Suffolk only a handful of times,

Laura and Matt are open to living anywhere in the county,

so this gives us great scope for our property search.

I'm meeting up with them to pinpoint exactly what they're after

in terms of their new home and new life in the countryside.

So welcome, both of you, to a bright but blustery Suffolk.

-Good to be out in the countryside?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

-Yep.

Why have you chosen Suffolk, then?

We were looking to move back to New Zealand at some stage and...

That's called Escape THE Country.

Escape THE Country, absolutely!

And Suffolk is quite similar to New Zealand,

in terms of countryside,

and this is sort of a compromise between the two.

Well, you're still working, so it needs to be commutable.

Well, I've spoken to a few people at my work

that do commute from Suffolk.

-Yep.

-I've had a look at the Sudbury commute as well

and that seems quite reasonable.

Now, schools, they've got to be a factor coming up, haven't they?

That's a key aspect of the property search for us,

is the schools available for the children.

So, let's talk about the house itself, and its environment.

You're from New Zealand, so I imagine you want to be

in the middle of nowhere.

This is where we compromise again.

-Yes.

-I would rather be in the middle of a village.

-Yeah.

-Matt would rather be in the middle of nowhere,

so I think somewhere in-between that would be ideal.

What does it look like, then,

this dream, countryside property, then, Laura?

Ideally four bedrooms, at least.

An annexe would be nice.

Especially if we have people stay from New Zealand that are over here

-for extended periods of time.

-No, that makes perfect sense, yeah,

-like your folks, of course.

-Absolutely, yeah.

OK, style-wise, have you got anything you both like?

We've looked at barn conversions,

we've looked at Victorian properties,

-we'd prefer something with a bit of character.

-Yes.

Now, outside...

-Do you want a big garden?

-Yes.

-How big?

-Well...

-Huge, huge!

Why did I even ask that question?!

Matt would like five acres and I'm a bit more realistic.

Good. I'll go with your answer then, Laura.

Let's talk about budget

-cos I understand you've got two options, haven't you?

-We have.

We have a property in Stevenage at the moment

-and we'd quite like to keep that...

-Right.

-..and rent it out,

or selling it would increase the budget somewhat over here.

So if you keep your property in Stevenage,

how much would you be able to spend her?

-I think 450 is realistic.

-450-500.

OK, and if you sell your property in Stevenage?

550-650.

OK. So how about, then, we look around 450-ish, option one,

and 550-ish, maybe squeezing a bit more out of it,

-for option number two?

-Yes.

-Sounds like a plan.

-Great.

-Let's get going.

-Lovely.

-Fantastic.

-Thanks.

Having a budget in the region of £450,000 and £550,000,

Laura and Matt are looking for a four-bed detached property

with lots of space for their growing girls to explore,

and enough land to appreciate rural living,

but also not too far from a local village.

We've got some gorgeous properties lined up,

which reflect the bountiful architectural heritage

of Suffolk that Laura and Matt love

combined with the space they're longing for.

At the end of the house tours,

I'll be asking them to estimate the price of each.

Our final stop will be the Mystery House,

which provides an alternative option

and may make them reconsider elements of their wish list.

Our house-hunt begins in the hamlet of Creeting St Peter.

Nearby is the town of Needham Market,

which initially grew up around the wool combing industry,

and where there's a butcher, a baker, a post office and two pubs.

The property we're going to visit

is 2.5 miles from this thriving community

and a five-minute drive to a local primary school

for Laura and Matt's girls.

Now someone here mentioned they like the idea of a barn conversion.

Mm.

-There you go. There we are.

-OK.

-Fantastic.

-Interesting.

All this timber-clad building is yours,

from the two-storey building, all the way along here.

-Yes.

-And living accommodation ends right there at the carport.

It's quite extensive, isn't it?

I think it looks quite small from the outside, but I think it's

going to be actually quite big.

DISTANT TRAIN

Now, can you hear that?

That's the train that takes you into London in one hour 26 minutes.

-Oh, OK.

-The station's less than a couple of miles away.

-Oh, really?

-That's Stowmarket.

Yeah. The convenience of the train is quite appealing.

Inside, this could be the house that you fall in love with.

-Yes.

-Really, really could be.

Let's go and find out.

Stylishly converted 12 years ago,

this Grade II listed barn has foundations which date back to 1753

and sits within a development of eight dwellings.

Righto, first off,

I want to point out you've got a utility room just there.

-Brilliant.

-Big tick for you, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

-Now, kitchen.

Ah...

-Well, that's nice.

-I like the kitchen.

-Yeah.

-Island in the middle.

Now they've spent some money on this house,

especially in the kitchen, you can see it.

Shot-blasted granite worktops, state-of-the-art cookers.

Yeah, it's very contemporary,

yet still quite country at the same time.

Yeah. And if you look through those double doorways,

you've got a really good-sized dining room.

-Yes.

-Yeah, liking it.

Through that door, that way, you've got

a living room

and an en suite double bedroom.

-OK.

-Right?

-Right.

HE WHISTLES That's almost like an annexe.

-Yeah.

-Oh, wow.

-So you can go and discover that later on,

but I just want you to know that is there

-whilst we walk through the rest of the house.

-OK.

-Come with me.

Now, I really like this room.

-Oh, yeah.

-I think you will, too.

-Fantastic, yeah.

-It's a good size, isn't it?

-Mm, really nice room.

You like the inside of this house.

I do, I really do.

And, because of that, the outside is growing on me, too.

Good, good, good. Well, it's all about the package, isn't it?

Of course it is. Let's keep looking around.

Let me take you to one of the bedrooms

-cos I think you'll like those as well.

-Yep.

Due to the unique layout of this barn conversion,

on the ground floor there are two double bedrooms and two bathrooms

located at either end of the property.

On the first floor, there are a further three double bedrooms,

one currently used as a library,

one as a study,

and two more bathrooms.

Obviously, this is your master, en suite.

I think you can get all your family this end of the house.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-It's lovely.

-Definitely.

-I love the timber.

And what we love about it is

that it's so separated from the kitchen-dining room,

so if you've got friends over and you're having a party

and it's a little bit noisy, it's not going to disturb...

The little ones sleeping. No, good idea.

-Yeah.

-Don't forget, downstairs there's a double bedroom.

-Yes.

-Great for visiting relatives.

I really, really feel at home here. Do you?

Yeah, I could see myself living here.

I think the layout would suit us really well.

-Yeah.

-Tell you what,

you spied that other bit of garden from the living room.

Let's go out there and also maybe start thinking about price.

Since viewing the inside of the barn,

the property seems to have grown on Laura especially,

but let's see if the landscaped garden here of half an acre

lives up to expectation, too.

This is a really handy bit of garden space here, isn't it?

-Absolutely, yeah.

-Yes. I really like this.

A little bit overgrown at the moment, but you could really

-do something with this space.

-Definitely.

Yeah, nice views of the countryside here.

Compare your thoughts and reactions now to your first reactions

when you stood the other side of that building.

Yeah, well, I was a bit disappointed when we first saw the garden,

but actually I've walked round the house and I've come out here

and there's a lot more garden out here and it's beautiful.

You just keep finding more and more house, don't you,

and more and more garden?

So it's, yeah, it's quite surprising.

OK, then, well, your next problem is to guess the price of this house.

Well, I definitely think it's the top end of our top budget.

-OK.

-But I don't think you'd be so mean as to show us somewhere

that I would fall in love with that we couldn't afford,

so I would say 600,000.

OK.

I'm going to go slightly lower.

I think 580,000.

Good guess. You'll be pleased to hear this place is on the market

for offers around £575,000.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-It's good, isn't it?

That's surprising. Yeah. I was being optimistic with my 580.

-That's really doable.

-Yeah.

-I like that.

-Something to think about?

-Yes.

-Good package, then, isn't it, really?

-Yeah.

-Impressed.

I love this house!

-I love it!

-Well, I love hearing that.

Now, look, I think you should go back into the house,

have a look at all the rooms you haven't yet seen.

Maybe the guest suite, the guest wing, shall we call it?

The other side of the kitchen.

And I'll meet you outside whenever you're done. All right?

-Brilliant.

-See you in a mo.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, this house has really grown on both Laura and Matt,

and I think a lot of that is

of course the size of the accommodation,

but it's been really well done.

At the very top end of their budget, this stunning barn conversion

with four bedrooms and contemporary kitchen

offers the perfect solution for separate guest accommodation,

so there's plenty of room for Laura and Matt to play with.

Space is what we were after and this place definitely delivers that.

Walking round the house, the rooms are all lovely,

it's beautifully decorated.

Wow. This would make a fantastic guest room, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, very impressive.

I love the style. This place has been done very tastefully.

-Another bathroom.

-Oh, wow.

Brilliant.

Possibly where this house falls short

is on the outside space, for me.

If we were to buy this house,

because it is at the top end of our budget,

we would have to sell our house in Stevenage

but I think, for a house like this,

that would be something I'd be willing to do.

So tell me, guys, what was it like spending some time in this house

on your own? Did it grow on you even more?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-Yep.

I really like this house.

It's surprising how you've almost turned a corner.

I know you said it looked quite nice,

but you were uncertain about the area,

but you really seem to have warmed to it.

I have. Yeah, the inside is just fabulous.

I have, too. I liked it to start with,

but seeing the inside just makes it even more...

Well, hopefully, something to sleep now, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Let's go.

-Something to think about.

The Suffolk countryside is home to extensive views

and an undulating terrain,

and below this surface lies land rich in clay.

In Bulmer, on the Suffolk-Essex border,

there's a site dating back to the Middle Ages,

where clay is still being used today

to make decorative terracotta plaques

in the style of the past.

We've sent Laura and Matt,

who are keen to find out about the local area and traditions,

to meet tile and brick-maker Peter Minter,

whose family have been running this brickyard since 1936.

-Good morning.

-Hello.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi, nice to meet you.

-Jolly good.

Yeah. So, Peter, is the clay local clay?

We're sitting on a clay seam.

-This is the north edge of the Thames Estuary, would you believe?

-OK.

And this was all the silts in that estuary.

-It's very, very clean, fine clay.

-Right.

-And that's perfect for making a whole range of things.

-Sure.

What are we going to do today?

Well, I think we'll make some plaques. These are plaques.

This is a carving with a traditional Tudor rose

from the time of the Wars of Roses.

And this is a little stylised rose

and they're carved in wood in reverse, and then moulded,

and we shall see that process.

Peter makes all the plaques

using traditional moulds made out of mahogany,

which enable them to retain their shape.

Rescued by Peter's father after the Second World War,

the mould we're using today is one of many set to be burnt

before he brought them back into use.

We've now coming to the making shop

to try to make a decorative plaque for you.

So, this has been sanded, ready to throw the clay in.

And we're going to roll the clay in sand,

rather as you would use flour with dough,

so that the two will come apart.

And if you have a look here,

here's the start of rolling what is called a warp,

which is the shape that's going to go in there.

So we use a little bit of sand, just literally to roll it in,

and you can roll that like that

and you get each corner just slightly rolled.

And then it will go into that box, we hope, as one piece.

So if you'd like to...have a go.

That's it.

That's lovely.

-And then if you punch from the centre.

-Push it in.

You're going to push it in to each corner with your fist.

That's it.

Really good fun.

And then just fold it in slightly from the edges.

That's perfect.

Then we bow off the surplus clay.

-So, just like that?

-That's it. Just press down and draw along.

-Oh!

-Lovely.

And then roll that back.

That's it.

-Take that.

-That's the start of the next brick,

and then we take a metal...

We call it a strike.

We can just put a little bit of water on there, as well,

and then you can smooth that off with that rod.

Draw it right along the top there. That's perfect.

This has got to go onto a board when you turn it out,

so we put a little sand on there, just like a flour again.

So the next thing is to pick it up.

That's it. That's lovely. Perfect.

You've got a job.

LAUGHTER

That's lovely.

Pick up a board. Lay it on top.

Turn it over.

With a bit of luck, it should...

-Yeah.

-..hopefully, come out.

-Grand.

-Just give a little wiggle.

Slowly, don't... Not too much. Just straight up.

You're so bossy!

Oh, wow.

-How about that?

-Fantastic.

So now we're going to put this to dry

and, during the drying process, it will shrink.

Once the plaques are out of the moulds,

they need to dry out for around three to four weeks

before they can be fired in a coal-burning downdraught kiln.

This is the kiln.

Why do you dry the plaques out before you put them in the kiln?

If you've got moisture present when it heats up,

it will turn to steam and the whole thing will disintegrate.

And you leave it that way for...?

-Three days.

-Three days.

-Yeah.

-The firing and three days cooling.

-OK.

In about a couple of months' time, your plaque should be ready.

-Fantastic.

-Lovely, thank you.

Very nice to have met you and thank you very much for coming.

-No, thank you.

-Thank you for a fantastic day.

-Jolly good.

-Very interesting.

-Thank you, it's been lovely.

Bye-bye.

It's the second day of our property search in Suffolk

with Laura and Matt from Stevenage in Hertfordshire,

who have a budget of between £450,000-£550,000.

They're ready to leave busy suburbia behind

and enjoy the space and freedom country living can provide

for their growing family.

Coming up, they're blown away by what's on offer.

Every time we turn a corner, it just gets better, doesn't it?

Just...space.

'And I take to the water

'in search of one of Suffolk's finest delicacies.'

-Wow!

-That must be 20 years old.

-What are you going to do with that?

-Well, we'll use it for oyster soup.

Oh, lovely.

I think it's fair to say

that Matt and Laura rather like barn conversions,

so we're going to stick with that theme

with the first house we're looking at today.

Then we're off to the Mystery House.

And although the Mystery House is the most rural

of all the locations that Matt and Laura are looking at,

I think it's worth this gamble

because Matt in particular should be laughing here.

It comes with three acres of land,

so plenty for all of his sheep.

But before the mystery property,

our search is taking us to the village of Old Newton.

Close by is the ancient village of Haughley,

the market for which was once

an important and historical hub for the area

until a great fire in the 1500s destroyed much of the village

and brought about the end of the market,

which was then moved to nearby Stowmarket.

Today, there are still a range of amenities

and, one-and-a-half miles away,

just around the corner from the nearest primary school,

our offering can be found in the heart of the community.

Now, you might not guess it quite yet,

but this is actually a barn conversion.

Right.

What do we think?

I really like it.

-I really like it, too.

-You like the position?

-I do.

-Only a ten-minute-drive from Stowmarket,

so good train access back into London.

-I think you're going to like this place.

-OK.

-Great.

Let's go inside.

Formerly a Victorian threshing barn built in 1847,

this property has phenomenal proportions

and certainly isn't shy of space.

Sympathetically converted in 2003,

it's also been refurbished since by the current owners.

So this can be a really nice light reception hall there,

get those blinds taken up,

but take a look at this.

-Oh! Yes, I like that.

-Wow!

THAT is a fireplace.

That is a fireplace.

-That's fantastic.

-That's pretty special.

-Uh-huh.

-What a room.

-Christmas, can you imagine it in this house?

-Yes.

-Look at this, over here...

-Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I'm already decorating the room.

We could have the whole extended family for Christmas here.

We've got stockings over the fireplace.

LAUGHTER

-So...big enough, isn't it?

-Certainly is, yeah.

-OK, let's keep looking around.

-Fantastic.

Just wanted to have a quick peek into here

cos I thought...Christmas dinner.

-Yes.

-Oh, yeah.

-It's cosy in here, isn't it?

-Lovely.

-Imagine the whole family in here, gathered round the table.

-Yeah.

Makes a great, great formal dining room.

-Doesn't it just?

-Yeah.

But you've got space in the kitchen, as well.

Let me show you.

Also on the ground floor, there's a study

which could provide either a playroom for the girls

or a further guest room for family.

Mind your step on the way down here.

Now...

Wow.

This is nice.

Every time you turn a corner, this place just gets better, doesn't it?

Good. I'm glad you said that.

-And bigger.

-Just...space.

Lots and lots of space.

And beyond there you've got a utility room and a downstairs loo.

-Yes.

-Sorted.

SHE LAUGHS Sorted.

-Let's go upstairs.

-OK.

-Come with me.

Up past this vast vaulted hallway on the first floor,

there are four double bedrooms,

two of which benefit from en suites, plus there's a family bathroom.

The master bedroom.

Just keeps delivering, this place, doesn't it?

It does. Wow.

And I'm guessing through that door there there's en suite.

Yeah, I like this bedroom a lot.

-Just the sense of space and light, and...

-Mm.

-It's just...

-The high ceilings.

-Yeah.

-We really like high ceilings, don't we?

-It's exactly what we're looking for.

-Mm-hm.

-Good.

Well, you've reacted really, really well.

I wonder if your prices are going to reflect your reactions.

MATT CHUCKLES Let's go outside and have a chat.

So far, so good.

However, whilst the well-manicured garden here

completely envelops the property, there's only 0.4 of an acre of land,

so I'm hoping that won't dampen their spirits.

Now, then, you can see you've got these different segments

of the garden again, a bit like yesterday afternoon.

-Yes.

-You like it?

-It's really nicely done.

-I really like it.

You've got, like, the play area for the girls

-and then the party, entertainment area for us.

-Exactly.

So... Come on, then.

Tell me how much you think this houses on the market for.

I think you've been a bit mean to us, Jonnie.

I think you've gone right to the top,

if not a little bit over, our budget.

So, I'm thinking around the £610,000 mark.

All right.

I'd say 600.

Definitely top end.

Well, this place is on the market

for offers around £550,000.

-Wow.

-Wow.

No way.

-No way.

-I'm shocked.

It's a good shock. It's on budget.

-That's a lot of house for the money.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

I think the house has absolutely blown us away

and I think, with the quality of the house

and the space that the house offers...

..the compromise on the land is one I could easily make.

But also, I think, because there is a field next-door,

it gives you that sense of space.

Yes, throws the eye, certainly. Good.

Well, look, go back into the house, have a good look around it.

You know what I'm going to ask you to do.

Start comparing this place with what you've seen before now

and I will meet you outside.

-OK?

-OK.

-Great.

-See you in a mo.

-Thank you.

Look, a fantastic house tour, make no mistake about it.

And the fact that Matt's now prepared to maybe consider

buying a place without any land, well, it's great news.

But we've got one more property to see.

Just under the top of their budget, this modern barn conversion

beautifully retains a sense of its heritage.

There are four bedrooms plus more than enough living space

for their growing girls to enjoy, and to accommodate visiting family.

It sits on the edge of a village and is blessed with countryside views.

Walking into the first reception room,

I don't think I've ever been in a room so big in a house in the UK.

It's just amazing.

The living space in this house would so suit our needs as a family.

There's big spaces and plenty of room for us to grow.

This is a perfect little girl bedroom, isn't it?

Isn't it?

When I think about a country property that we would move to,

this pretty much is it. It delivers on everything we're asking for.

Space, a bit of character with the beams.

It's just everything we were looking for.

The house itself is beautiful.

It's got beautiful features, it's beautifully decorated.

It's my dream home.

Now, then, I think it's fair to say we all enjoyed looking round that

-house, didn't we?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Did we potentially look around your new home?

-Yes.

-Whoa! Straight in.

But...yourself?

I think we're both quite keen on the property.

-We are.

-Well, we've got one more property to have a look at,

so let's get on our way.

For our mystery property,

we're visiting the village of Offton.

Close by is the village of Somersham which,

with a good sprinkling of old traditional buildings,

has a tight-knit community who run the village shop.

There's also a local primary school,

which would be handy for Laura and Matt's girls.

From here it's just two-and-a-half miles to our next property,

which has a stunning rural setting.

Now, the Mystery House is this.

OK.

What's going through your mind?

-That my daughter Sophie would absolutely love it.

-Why so?

-It's pink.

-Right, OK, all right.

-Suffolk pink, it is.

-Pink.

-Yes.

-Very traditional.

With lots of pargeting on the facade and the rear as well.

-I think it's very pretty.

-The house looks quite small from the outside.

-Mm.

-Hoping it will be bigger inside.

I'm imagining it's probably got something large that comes with it.

It has indeed. Come with me.

'Steeped in history dating back to the 17th century,'

this Grade II listed cottage spent its former years as a pub,

which closed in 1907.

Lovingly restored by the current owners,

it includes a host of period features.

There's a small pantry through that door there.

-OK.

-Straight into the kitchen.

-Mind your head.

-Yeah!

-It's cosy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Cosy.

-Cosy...

-And small.

-Oh, really?

Come through with me.

Give it a chance.

-OK.

-A lot of history in here, isn't there?

-Yeah.

-I love it, it's very pretty, but...for our family living,

this is too small.

I think I'm going to have to agree with Laura on that one.

It is exceptionally lovely, but I think it's just a little bit...

Not combining both these spaces, no?

-Yeah...

-You've got a separate dining room door.

OK, let's keep an open mind and see the rest of it,

-and see how that pans out.

-Right, do that.

Now this dining room, if you like open fires, you'll be impressed.

-Ahh.

-Look at that.

Wow. That's lovely, you can picture family dinners in here,

nice and cosy in the winter by the fire, can't you?

I think the reception room you'd use is just this way.

OK, so the dedicated adults' room, I think.

Nice and cosy in here, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Whoever's renovated it has done an absolutely fantastic job

of stripping all the wood back and making it look really pretty.

Yeah, beautifully done.

But we're not really talking about it being a home, are we?

-That says everything.

-I don't think it would suit us, as a family,

and a growing family at that.

Well, as you know, the Mystery House is all about a gamble

and compromise sometimes,

so we thought you may be pushed a little bit internally,

as regards to family size, of course.

-Yes.

-But we chose it because it gives you something you haven't yet seen,

and that is lots of outside space.

But before we go out there and have a look around the land...

-Sure.

-..let's have a quick peek at the bedrooms.

On the ground floor there's a further reception room,

which could be a fourth bedroom and a family bathroom.

Upstairs there are three double bedrooms and a shower room.

We're heading for the master.

And...

FLOORBOARD CREAKS A creaky bedroom.

-I love that. Beautiful floorboards.

-They are, aren't they?

-They are.

There'd be no sneaking in at night though, would there?

No, not really, no.

-It is lovely.

-I think it's a beautiful house, absolutely stunning,

I think we both do, but in terms of the space aspect that we're really

craving, hence our move out of the city,

it's not got it.

Maybe this house can give you the space outside, as opposed to inside.

-Yes.

-Come with me.

The land is the real selling point of this country cottage,

with veggie plot and stunning views.

There's over three-and-a-half acres here

and I'm hoping this time

Matt will be happy with his lot.

Now, the man wanted land, satisfied?

-It's a good lump of land, isn't it?

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

Cracking view from up here, isn't it?

I think coming here and seeing

the land and what you get in terms of the house for the price,

and the compromise you have to make between the two,

I'm swayed more towards the house being the focal point

-rather than the land.

-So...

how much do you think it's on the market for?

I'm thinking around the 450,000 mark.

-OK.

-I'd say 500.

Ooh, quite a spread.

-Yeah.

-And it's split the camp

because this place is on the market for offers around £475,000.

-OK.

-I feel like the Mystery House on this occasion has been an exercise

in flushing things out. Maybe you've already a property you like more

and it helps make your mind up.

So, have a quick scoot around on your way out

-and I'll meet you whenever you're ready, OK?

-OK.

See you in a mo.

£75,000 under the top end of Laura and Matt's budget,

this pretty pink cottage offers the character they were after.

A substantial amount of land, that Matt has always dreamt of,

and the village location they hoped for.

However, the property itself just wasn't big enough to accommodate

the needs of their family.

The Mystery House is a beautiful little cottage,

but probably just not right for us.

The house was very lovingly restored,

but the rooms felt very small and the ceilings were low.

We have two young, very energetic children,

who need space to grow and to run,

and I just feel that this cottage would be too small for them

to be able to do that.

It's helped me realise that the land that I was longing for is

possibly not as necessary as what I thought it was.

The best move for us would be to spend the extra money and sell our

house in Stevenage, so that we could perhaps buy a bigger place over here

and get exactly what we want.

So, that's it, no more houses.

-No.

-Maybe we found you something that you already like, hopefully so.

Let me take you somewhere you can have a bit of a chat

-and I'll catch up with you after that, how's that?

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

Just outside the Suffolk Coastal village of Orford

sits the three-mile long Butley Creek,

a small tributary to the River Ore

and a breeding ground for oysters,

which have been farmed here since Roman times.

By the early 20th century, the trade had almost completely died away,

that is until the 1950s, when Richard Pinney,

a Londoner keen to make his own escape to the country,

heard of this rich oyster heritage

and reintroduced oysters to the creek.

Three generations later

and Bill Pinney is still working the oyster beds.

So I've come to meet him,

to find out a little more about this age-old tradition, and, of course,

the delicious Butley oyster itself.

Bill, thanks very much for seeing me this morning.

First of all, how would you describe what you do here?

Well, we're oyster farming.

-Right.

-We buy the oysters as very small seed

and grow them all the way through.

On the river, on the surface to start with,

in small mesh bags. And then when they get big enough,

we put them on the bottom,

where they grow much more slowly but they grow into a better oyster.

-So have you been out yet today?

-Not yet, no. No, now's the time.

-Shall we go?

-Yeah.

-Good man.

Having been introduced to Europe's shores around 40 years ago,

the deep shell oysters here are originally native to Japan.

And with Buckley Creek being tidal, the mixture of freshwater,

salinity and natural plankton

provides optimum conditions for the growth

of around 50,000 of these oysters each year.

So these are ones you're growing, Bill?

Yeah. These are the baby oysters that are getting big enough to go

onto the ground.

I'll show you.

These are very small, these ones.

-So how long have these been in here?

-We've had them for six months.

And when you put them in here, how big would they have been?

Well, they were absolutely tiny, I mean,

they were just like the tip of the oyster there.

They were that small. These ones are getting near the end,

probably in another three or four weeks they'll be big enough to go on

the bottom. Quite close, yeah.

Can we have a go at dredging some that have been there?

Yes, I'll take you onto a bed, where they have been down now for about

-six or eight months, and you'll see the difference in growth.

-Great.

'The oysters in these beds can be harvested all year round

'using traditional methods

'which have barely changed over the last 2,000 years.

'Tied behind the boat,

'the heavy-framed dredge scrapes the oysters of the riverbed

'and catches them in a net-like bag

'before it is then pulled in by hand.'

-I've got a good feeling about this one, Bill.

-Yeah, we'll get a bagful.

Haul it in, then. See what you got.

-Pull it in.

-This side?

-That's right.

Feels heavier.

Here we go, moment of truth.

Here. Wow, yeah, that looks good, you got half a dredge full.

Pull them in.

Look at the size of that. Wow!

This is more than six months old, isn't it?

Yeah, that's probably...

That must be 20 years old, I should think.

That's the size you would normally eat.

-What you going to do with that?

-Well, we'll use it for oyster soup.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-Nice.

After being dredged,

the oysters are washed and purified before they're ready to eat.

And, having worked up an appetite on the water, I'm itching to try one.

But first, I've got to get past that shell.

So how do you open one? Because it looks difficult.

There is a knack. In at that end, yeah?

Under the hinge, have a little wiggle.

A little pressure, keep wriggling till you feel it popping.

Keep going. That's it, you've got it. You've got it.

Right? And then just slide along the top shell and cut the muscle.

Go in that way and you'll feel that top muscle give.

That's it, you've got it.

Plump little oyster in there.

You're now going to cut underneath that muscle.

You slide the knife underneath the muscle there,

and then it's free from the shell.

-That's ready to go.

-How do you prefer to eat them?

Well, most of our oysters are just eaten raw.

So we're going to put little bit of lemon and a sprinkle of red pepper.

So...

Like most fresh things, the simpler the better, isn't it?

Exactly.

-Your fork.

-Thank you, sir.

Mmm!

-That is gorgeous.

-Yeah.

-That is absolutely gorgeous.

Well, I must say, Bill, it's not the quickest form of farming

but it's certainly one of the tastiest. Thank you very, very much.

-It's been fascinating today.

-That's a pleasure.

-Best of luck for the future.

-Thank you.

Well, it's pretty clear that the barn conversion in the village

is Matt and Laura's favourite property.

But after a bit of time to think and consider things,

has it done enough to quash Matt's dream of a property with land and,

indeed, tempt Laura away from her family and friends in Stevenage?

Let's catch up with them and find out.

So, your favourite house?

It's got to be the barn conversion in the village.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

What set it apart?

The lounge was just fantastic with the fireplace.

You couldn't fail to be, sort of, impressed...

-God.

-..when you walked into that space.

And the fact that you walked through the house

-and it just gets better and better.

-Yeah, quite.

-As did your reactions.

-Yeah.

-Now, from my perspective,

this looked like a two-horse race between the semi-timber-clad barn

conversion and the one we saw in the village.

The outside space at the village barn conversion worked much better.

-Yeah.

-Wrapped round the house a bit better.

And the fact that it was right next to fields and had a beautiful vista

over the fields as well, even if we didn't own them.

Now, Matt, for you, one of the big factors was land.

Now, this barn conversion doesn't have a lot of it.

Has the house done enough for you?

I think so. The house blew us away

and that more than makes up for the...

Well, it's still got a reasonable amount of land,

it's still 3.4 of an acre, which is not to be sneezed at.

To sacrifice the wide-open fields that I'd envisaged,

which are admittedly right next-door to the property also...

-Yeah, quite.

-So, yeah, no, it's...

It's a perfect compromise for us.

So, what's the next step for you?

I think we need to take a bigger look at the area.

Just find out what the schools are like.

Maybe look at the house again,

just on another day with a fresh set of eyes.

Yeah, why not? Do let me know what happens next, won't you?

-We will.

-Absolutely.

-Well, good luck. BOTH:

-Thank you.

Well, it's been great showing Matt and Laura round those fantastic

properties, but what I've really enjoyed is seeing them both

compromise on what they individually want in order to get what's best

for their entire family in the long-term

and I think, with that barn conversion,

they are achieving just that.

Now, of course, by their own admission they don't know this part

of Suffolk particularly well,

so I totally understand why they want to come back up here and,

in particular, look around that primary school

for their two young daughters. And, if all that goes well,

then maybe the entire family will be making a more permanent move up here

to Suffolk very soon.

See you next time.

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