Dorset Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape to the Country.

This towering monument behind me

was erected to commemorate one of two

of this county's most famous sons,

who coincidentally happened to share the same name.

But, to whom was it built, and where?

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

Today's house hunters are hoping to switch suburban living

for a relaxed life in a rural setting,

and our properties present more than what first meets the eye.

-Oh, wow, that's different.

-Yeah.

And they find it hard to contain their excitement.

-Sold, then.

-Sold, really? Sold?

-Sold.

-Pretty much giddy now.

-We only just started.

Well, today we are in Dorset, and this is the Hardy Monument,

built not as you might think to the Victorian author, Thomas Hardy,

but rather to Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy.

He was the flag captain of HMS Victory in whose arms Nelson

famously died following the Battle of Trafalgar back in 1805.

But Hardy the admiral was a naval hero in his own right,

going on to become the First Sea Lord before his death in 1839.

In 1844, this monument was put up to commemorate his efforts,

and ever since then it's dominated this part of the county.

And if you've never been here before, this is a great place

to start because it gives you a genuinely bird's eye view

of some of the best that Dorset has to offer.

Sitting on the south coast, the West Country county of Dorset is bordered

by Devon to the west and Hampshire to the east.

Although perhaps most famous for its Jurassic coastline,

the sweeping scenery inland is equally impressive.

In the north of the region is the village of Ashmore.

Here, pretty cottages frame a circular pond which is

one of the oldest in the country.

Lying some 200m above sea level,

it's the highest village in the county.

But from one elevated settlement to another,

Shaftesbury is the highest town in Dorset.

Its celebrated Gold Hill may have come into the wider

conscience thanks to an iconic bread advert from the 1970s,

but there's no doubt that the pretty cobbled street,

set against the backdrop of lush countryside,

still resonates today.

Head east, and you can experience the county's centuries old heritage

at Knowlton Rings, where the ruins of a 12th century Norman church

sit on an ancient Neolithic henge that demonstrated the switch

from pagan to Christian worship.

Travel through the region's rural roads,

and you'll find around 1,000 signs known as fingerposts.

Each featuring a six figure map reference,

their design is completely unique to Dorset,

and make a fitting guide through the wealth of historic landmarks

and picturesque villages that this beautiful county has to offer.

Well, house-hunting in Dorset can be an expensive business.

Here, the average price of a detached property is

currently £343,000.

That's a whopping £60,000 above the national figure,

so if you want a little bit more value for money, here's the tip.

Head west away from the border with Hampshire, and away from the coast.

Little villages like Charminster and Charlton Down can offer you

plenty of value for money, but also loads of village charm.

And, what's more, they're within easy distance

of the county town of Dorchester.

So what about today buyers, what's attracted them to a life in Dorset?

Well, let's meet them and find out.

Anita met semi-retired sustainability consultant Robert

in their homeland of South Africa.

They first set eyes on one another at work,

and have now been married for 42 years.

I was at Cape Town University doing a ballet course,

and I joined the bank and Robert was my boss at the time.

Anita is my soul mate.

We pretty much do everything together.

Travelling the world has always featured heavily

in Robert's working life.

After living in Johannesburg and then Belgium,

they chose to put down roots in the UK in 1981.

We've been in Britain so long now, it just feels like home.

I love the people here and it's just a relaxed way of living.

Their base for the last 14 years has been the town of Southborough,

just outside Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

But they no longer need to be within a busy town

that's commutable to London.

-Where we live now is suburban...

-Lots of traffic.

-Nice to get away from some of that now and it's time to...

-Change.

..start exploring and have a bit of a change, I think.

New adventure.

Another catalyst for the move is the departure of Anita

and Robert's 19-year-old son, Christopher.

He's now studying aerospace engineering

at Southampton University.

His leaving has left much of the space in their large

converted coach house surplus to requirements.

Well, we'd like to downsize too

so that we can buy Christopher an apartment.

We've had the opportunity of owning our own home, and I think

that's what we'd like to help Christopher with.

As well as bricks and mortar,

this adventurous pair also own a motorhome,

and have spent nine months exploring much of the country

before deciding on relocating to Dorset.

The county is not only a convenient location for visiting

Christopher at university, but it also offers land

and seascapes reminiscent of familiar far off shores.

The coastline itself and the beaches with beautiful sand

reminded us of the Cape.

But it's also got beautiful scenery, it's the greenery of it...

-It is the greenery, yeah.

-It's the country lanes.

So, now the couple have decided that it's destination Dorset,

they're keen to explore new ventures that the county has to offer,

and also invest more time in their interests.

I'd like to do some voluntary work, either with children with

learning difficulties, or perhaps help in an old age home.

I enjoy photography, I'd like to go on some courses to get better at it.

Their current home is already on the market,

so with Miniature Dachshund Ryan by their sides, it's all systems go

to find a beautiful bolthole in the British countryside.

We'll have more time to do things together.

It means that we can do a lot more relaxing.

-It'll be really exciting, I think.

-Yeah.

Now whilst Robert and Anita love to visit the coast,

they'd prefer their house to be based further inland.

So we're concentrating our search in the north of the county.

We're all meeting up in Dorset to finalise the details of their move.

-Anita, very nice to see you.

-Very nice to meet you.

-Rob, very nice to see you.

-Hello.

Well, guys, how long have you been thinking about this move for?

Well, we've been waiting for Christopher to finish school,

and he's had his first year at university

and we thought this was the right time.

Now, you're releasing a reasonable

amount of equity from your current home and its sale in Tunbridge,

so how much are you going to spend on this move now?

-600?

-£600,000.

I like the way you looked at Robert there just to double check.

£600,000. And what are you looking for?

Three bedrooms, at least. Three receptions.

Three receptions...

I need a home office of some sort,

and a reasonable piece of ground, a garden that Anita can tend to.

-Double garage?

-And I definitely need a garage, I need a man-space.

So we know what you need in terms of the basics, but what about style?

We like modern property, we like old property. We're very open to style.

Obviously in the past you've done some work to your current home,

so would you be prepared to do some work to make your new property

exactly what you wanted it to be?

BOTH: Absolutely. Yeah.

And you need space for Christopher to come back and visit, presumably?

-Well, he will come back and stay with us, won't he?

-Yeah.

-Depends what you buy him with what's left over...

-That's right.

-..he may just want to stay there.

-Might do.

Well, let's see what we can find you.

The weather I hope will be kind to us.

-It's clearing.

-Shall we go?

-Yes.

-Come on then.

So, with a budget of £600,000 our buyers are after a three

bedroom property with a dedicated space for a study, a good sized

garden for green-fingered Anita, and a garage or workshop for Robert,

and all in a location within easy reach of their son

at Southampton University.

We've dug deep to find our buyers a selection of highly desirable

Dorset dwellings, but the price of each won't be revealed until

we've had a good look around first.

And our final contender is the Mystery House,

which could offer a buy one, get one free proposition.

We're beginning our search up in the north of the county,

around 50 miles from Southampton in the village of Kington Magna.

Surrounded by working farmland,

the village is home to a rather novel book exchange.

And perched high on a limestone ridge is the prominent landmark

of All Saints' Church, which claims to have the best

ecclesiastical views in Dorset, overlooking Blackmore Vale.

A gentle saunter from this picture perfect backdrop

is property number one.

Well, this is what we're going to start with.

What do you think to that then, madam?

-Oh, really sweet.

-I like that.

-I like that.

-It is sweet, isn't it?

-I like the stonework on there.

It's been added to over the years. The main bit's about 1750.

-Looks really nice.

-It's very nice.

-Great.

-Can we go in?

-Shall we?

Built in the 18th century, this home began its life as two cottages.

Offering a slice of classic Dorset architecture,

from the outset it clearly seems to have struck a chord with our buyers.

So let's see what they make of the character on the inside.

-Come on in.

-It's so nice. Isn't it sweet?

-It's a great space, isn't it?

-Absolutely. Do we get all the keys?

Well, the keys are fascinating, aren't they?

There are keys everywhere in this house.

Needless to say, there aren't that many doors here.

-So it's quite a rare collection.

-Wow.

-But the inglenook is very nice.

-It is lovely.

-Is this the sort of thing, sort of character-wise?

-Really quirky, lovely.

-I like the character of this. Yes.

But the layout's great fun. You'll see what I mean.

Have a look through here.

As this property has been extended over the years, the ground floor

has an unconventional layout with rooms on different levels.

Off the main living area and accessed off a hallway

is a garden room which could be a home office for Robert.

Also downstairs is the family bathroom as well as a shower room.

But next we're off to explore the kitchen.

-Yeah, nice size.

-It's a great shape.

-It's nice and square which is what...

-Yes.

-..we are always looking for.

-Easy to use.

-Absolutely.

It leads on to the dining room down yet more stairs which again

-goes back up to the main living room.

-Right.

It's whether or not you feel at home in it really.

-I do, I think it's very homely.

-I think it's a nice-sized kitchen.

It's easy to manoeuvre and change things around, if you wanted to...

-Yeah, absolutely.

-..because of the shape. So, yeah, I think it works.

Down through the dining room and back up into the living room,

we're making our way to view the

sleeping accommodation up on the first floor.

It has a total of three bedrooms.

One is a good-sized double, simply decorated

and there's also a spacious single as well as a washroom,

so ample space for when their son comes home.

But for us, though, it's onwards to the master.

And this is by far the biggest of the lot.

-Oh, nice size.

-Nice-sized room.

And you've got loads of built-in storage over there too.

-Important.

-Yeah, very important for Rob's clothes. Ahem.

THEY LAUGH

I'm not getting into that one. I've been there too many times before.

The only thing that takes away from it up here is that

-all of the bathrooms... ALL:

-..are downstairs.

Not a big problem if there's just two of us in the house.

Well, exactly, you know, that's the way to look at it.

And lovely view out over the garden.

Come on, let's go out and have a look.

Well, so far I think they're quietly impressed by this

cottage but I suspect Anita is itching to find out

whether the outside space could also work for them.

To the front of the property there's a single garage

and, to the rear, the garden extends to 2/3 of an acre.

Look at this.

It's much bigger than you can appreciate from the house, really.

-Wow, it's huge.

-It's much bigger.

The large lawn is framed by mature trees and features a pond.

Elevated towards its top end,

it's blessed with far-reaching views across farmland.

-There we go, beautiful.

-Fantastic view, isn't it?

Lovely view out that way.

The garden, I think,

really is a blank canvas to someone like yourself.

-It is, it's a lovely garden.

-It is quite manageable.

I mean, because it only needs mowing, really.

Over there, Rob, just see the top of that grey roof,

that is a dedicated workshop.

-Ah.

-Perfect.

I don't think, in fairness, there's enough room for the motor home.

But there are some storage units up the road.

-Literally about 200 yards up the road.

-That's no problem.

Well, shall we talk about the price then?

-Off you go.

-Five...

Fifty. 550, yeah.

I would say closer to the 575 mark. Or maybe a bit higher.

550 would be good, wouldn't it?

525 would be even better.

-Very much better.

-525 would be very good.

-Very good.

That's it, 525.

Wow, that's good.

Right then, we've got a bit more time here to allow you to explore

the property at your leisure.

-OK.

-Off you go.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

At a very healthy £75,000 below their budget,

this extended three-bedroom period

cottage would leave our couple with

a sizeable amount of spare change to

complete any home improvements.

And with a large garden

overlooking open countryside,

it's located on the edge

of a village.

-Well...

-I think a nice cottagey style,

maybe a round table would work perfectly.

Over here I would love to have a wood burner.

I think that would work perfectly.

I think this property is really sweet and it's very homely

and I could probably live here.

I think the house has a good feel about it.

It's got great outdoor space.

I think that's fantastic, I love the garden.

I definitely think Robert would like this place, yes.

And I think he'd probably like the challenge of doing the kitchen.

I think Anita probably likes some of the quirkiness around the house.

She does like that type of thing.

I think that maybe having the bathrooms downstairs

might be a concern.

Right then, it's time to go. Look at this. BELL RINGS

I quite fancy one of those on my own house actually. That's rather nice.

-Come in.

-Come out!

-Thank you.

-More like.

Excellent, one down, two to go.

-Yeah.

-Happy so far?

-Very happy, thank you.

-Yes, very good start.

-Very good start.

-Good start.

If this were our final house, what would you be thinking, I wonder?

-It depends what the other two were like.

-Indeed!

-No.

But I think this is genuinely one worth considering.

-It definitely is.

-It is.

-Right, lunchtime, come on.

-Lunchtime, thank you.

The Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers

some 44% of the county.

But within this protected terrain lie many dense areas

of woodland including a hazel coppice dating

back to the 1700s, which lies just outside the market town of Wareham.

Here David Partridge, Chairman of the Dorset Coppice Society,

practises a traditional type of fence construction

called hurdle making.

So with their interest in local sustainability,

we've sent Robert and Anita to meet him to learn about his craft.

-Welcome to Dorset.

-Thank you.

-Thanks very much.

-This is my office.

This is the coppice system.

The hazel will regrow after I've cut it down.

And in seven years' time I can use the same hazel again

-to make my hurdles.

-And a hurdle is...

A hurdle is a woven frame panel made out of hazel,

made out of round hazel and split hazel.

And it's quite an old traditional craft.

When do hurdles date back to?

At markets they used to corral the sheep in hurdles

so the basic original hurdle was three foot high by six foot wide.

To maintain the abundance of local materials such as hazel,

coppicing was developed as a traditional method of

woodland management and is thought to be the oldest form of forestry,

dating all the way back to 5,000 BC.

You use fresh, green wood, you cut it

and you still use it before it's dried out so it twists easier.

-So it's more flexible.

-Yeah, yeah.

So it's certainly ensuring that the ancient arts are keeping going...

Well, that's it, yeah. It's all traditional crafts

and if you look at the old thatched cottages, there's one here,

you'll see there's lots of hazel spars go into that.

Look at the top of the cottage.

-Are there any environmental benefits to coppicing?

-Absolutely.

The hazel coppice creates the woodland you can see today.

When it's cut, all the flowers regenerate

and the butterflies come here.

Hazel has been used to weave hurdles for thousands of years

because it's extremely durable and flexible.

So we've got two sorts of hazel.

We've got the thin ones we use for the start of the hurdle at

the bottom and we've got the thicker ones which are the splitting rods.

So we've let these rods pitch so that means

we've left them to settle down.

So we've cut them down and they've been resting for a couple of days.

And we're going to try and split the hazel,

the thicker one, so we can weave it and even twist it on the end.

So we can finish the hurdle.

Once widely used to fence livestock, today handmade hurdles are often

used as a natural alternative to mass-produced purpose-built fencing.

So this is the hurdle.

We've brought the hurdle up with all the different split rods we've used.

And you can see the odd twist.

So we've actually twisted two around the side

and that holds the...

..enzaling, so these are called zales.

And now the next bit is to weave.

-So it's just locking and then just start weaving.

-All right.

-There you go, Anita.

-Is that right?

-OK.

Just push it down a little bit when it's in.

-Yeah, OK, that's it.

-Yeah.

This process is repeated with the next rod.

But this time, weaving the other way around the upright posts or zales.

Rob, do you want to have a go at twisting now? That's it now.

Now turn it round the other way. Roll it round.

-Just ah...

-Ah, with your mallet.

Once freshly cut, the hazel rods can be worked for up

to three months before the wood becomes too dry to be malleable.

Handy for supporting climbing plants or your runner beans,

hurdling principles can also be used to make garden furniture.

I'm going to finish off with a round rod.

And then it's just to weave it through again.

So do you do that all the way to the top and that's it?

Yeah, so just a couple more round rods. And a hurdle maker's knot

on the end - which is the double twist - and then that's it.

And then we just trim the waste off and we're done.

So having had a hands-on insight into how

the conservation of some of Dorset's prime woodland also helps

to sustain a traditional craft, it's now back to the house hunt.

Next we're heading to the sought-after village

of Marnhull which is also around 50 miles from Southampton.

Marnhull features attractive stone cottages

as well as a grander Tudor residence in the form of Nash Court,

presented by Henry VIII to his sixth wife Catherine Parr in 1544.

There is also a small parade of shops and two local pubs.

Our second property is a short stroll away from the village centre.

I do love a house where you can walk to the pub. Or pubs. And you can.

-And you can from here, this is it.

-Oh, wow. Can we afford this one?

-This is beautiful. This is fantastic.

-Absolutely.

And right in front of me is a double garage.

Now, the double garage,

it has been converted behind those double doors

into a fabulous artist's studio.

-Wow.

-You know, it's beautiful.

I'm going to let you explore that on your own at the end of the tour.

And I think you could probably just about fit the motor home in here.

-We could.

-We could probably... Yes, you could.

-Yes, we could.

It's built 1994, so you know, new build but new proportions.

Really fits in with the local area of the village.

-Yeah, what about it, Lisa?

-Come, quickly.

I'll follow you then. Come on!

THEY LAUGH

I've got to try and keep up. Right, I'm going to overtake you.

There we are.

Clearly impressed by the size of this modern chalet-style home,

I wonder if Anita is going to be able to contain her

excitement once we've stepped inside.

Look at this!

'And viewed the living room.'

-Oh, lovely size.

-Beautiful room.

-Beautiful.

-Really nice.

-Lovely size. And a wood burner.

-Yes.

Again, you know, big windows and doors going out to the front garden.

-Really, really nice.

-Very nice.

-Very, very nice.

And of course it's all designed for modern living.

So bags and bags of space downstairs.

And elsewhere as well.

-Sold, then.

-Sold? Really? Sold?

-Sold.

-Pretty much getting there.

-And we only just started.

-I know, well, come on then.

-I saw the garage.

-Well, guys, this is all good news, isn't it?

-Very good.

-It is. Very ,very good.

-Sold. How about that?

Well, we've barely explored this place but

Anita and Robert seem to have already moved in.

Next stop is the kitchen.

-There we go, Anita, what do you think of this, then?

-Oh, very nice.

-Yeah?

-A nice size.

-The dining room, of course, is next-door.

If you wanted to be really creative

you could think about opening that up.

If you want to think about changing it,

-you could do that over a period of time.

-Yeah.

-Would you be quite happy in here, madam?

-Yes, yes, sir.

-Still sold?

Yes, sold.

Adjacent to the kitchen is the utility room and a study

which could be useful for Robert.

But the expansive accommodation on the ground floor doesn't stop here.

I'm keen to show our buyers what could be

their rather generous master suite.

-So, here we are. Five piece bathroom.

-Wow.

And then the main bedroom itself.

-Oh! Really nice size.

-Yeah, perfect size.

And I'm not missing the fact that

we're not upstairs, really, with this one.

No, no. I like a downstairs bedroom.

We quite like the idea of a downstairs bedroom as we get older.

But you have got upstairs, of course, for when Chris comes to stay

-and probably brings his mates back with him.

-Yeah.

-And his washing.

And his washing.

There are three bedrooms in total.

The remaining two are found upstairs and

are currently used as extra living space

served by another five piece family bathroom.

Outside, the carefully manicured gardens wrap around the house

and feature two patios,

some raised borders and mature and manageable planting.

Now, the grounds themselves may not extend to acres

but I'm hoping they'll still be big enough for Anita.

-I love this elevation with these three dormer windows.

-Very pretty.

-Very, very nice, yes.

-So now you've seen it all, madam.

-I know.

Are you still sold on it?

Yes, I'm still sold on it

but I think it's a bit over our price range.

-Shall I say 625?

-625?

I'm going to be optimistic and say 610.

I would chance my luck on this one.

I would be even more optimistic

-and I would say it's on the market for £595,000.

-Really?

-There you go.

-So it's within budget.

-It's within budget. And open to sensible offers.

That is very good. I'm happy. I'm a happy man.

THEY LAUGH

-Are you a happy woman, madam?

-Yes, very happy, definitely sold.

Definitely sold.

Do you remember when we arrived and I pointed out the double garage

-which has been converted into an artist's studio?

-Yes.

Now's your moment, so go and have a look at that

and I will catch up with you a little bit later.

-OK, thank you.

-Off you go.

-Thank you.

Just £5,000 under their maximum budget,

this modern chalet-style property with three bedrooms

seems to have the ideal layout for our couple.

It has a manageable garden

and is located within a highly sought-after village.

-Oh, this is a nice size, isn't it?

-This is the garage.

This is the garage. We'll have to convert it back, I'm afraid.

-There should be plenty of room to put a workbench there.

-Yeah.

-Two cars?

-This will work.

-Great.

Inside, the accommodation is perfect.

The downstairs bedroom is a great idea.

I think Anita will love this house.

Her face said it all as we moved into it.

This is really brilliant.

I think it's just what we're looking for, really.

I mean, I know it's quite a small garden

but I think a small garden would be better for us in the long term.

I hope that Rob likes this house.

And I hope he likes it as much as I do.

I think we could move in tomorrow.

Does it feel like home, then?

-It does!

-It does feel like home, yeah. It does.

-So we have maybe sold it?

-Maybe.

-Well, somebody's very happy.

Do you still want to see the Mystery House tomorrow morning?

I love a mystery.

-You never know what you might be missing, do you?

-I know.

-That's the problem.

-Come on, then.

It's the second day of our property hunt with Anita and Robert

who are looking to leave the commuter town of Southborough

in Kent in favour of rural Dorset.

Coming up, our mystery property could provide them

-with a tempting proposition.

-It's an interesting space.

I haven't seen something like this before.

And I find out about the evolution of a rather mobile part

of our agricultural heritage.

-And are they easy to move?

-They are, yeah.

In here on hard ground you can move it on your own, just one person.

Well, what a week we are having here in Dorset.

Two very strong properties yesterday,

the second of which Rob and Anita declared sold

so you may be thinking we can all take the day off.

But of course we're not going to be letting our buyers sign up to

anything before they've seen our final offering, our Mystery House.

Could it be bigger? Could it be better?

Well, you never know your luck.

But one thing is for sure, it also contains an interesting

option for their son Chris which may in the future save them

quite a lot of money.

So let's see if they like it.

For our final option we're travelling south to the

village of Shroton which, at around 45 miles from Southampton,

is the closest location to our couple's son at university.

Towering 190 metres above the village is Hambledon Hill

which is one of the best preserved Iron Age hill forts in Britain.

Sitting at the foot of this Site of Special Scientific Interest,

the ancient River Iwerne

winds its way through the quaint village centre

but there's also a post office and a pub.

Located just on the edge of the village is our mystery option.

Now as our buyers are hoping to release

equity from their current home to buy their son a property,

I couldn't resist showing them something with the potential

to make this a real possibility,

perhaps a little closer to home than they would have imagined.

-Well, here we are. At long last.

-Mystery House.

-Our Mystery House.

-Here you go.

-Wow, that's different. Very different.

And in fairness to you, it's probably hard

to make sense of it from here

because it really comes to life inside.

It has a certain sort of Georgian feel about it

-but it was only built in 1968.

-Oh, so it's fairly new.

-The key thing is that the top floor is a separate flat.

-Ah.

You see? This is where we're going with the whole Christopher...

The Christopher thing...

..conundrum, or you could just keep it for him

-for when he comes back to visit. BOTH:

-OK.

-Are you opening your mind to the possibility?

-I am. Come on.

All right, come on. HE LAUGHS

This very modern and very different property was designed to

maximise its location, making the most of the surrounding views.

Now, as you can see what is effectively the ground floor

has been elevated by this very elegant staircase.

Now, it may have been a reserved start outside

but I think this is a property that

could really grow on Robert and Anita.

-Disappointing.

-It's not huge.

-No.

-But in terms of a working space...

-Quite manageable.

-Yeah, it's workable.

But this is something which is absolutely unique.

This is the door through to the dining room.

-Oh, wow. That's different.

-Yeah. It's a bit Thunderbirds, isn't it?

This is a Jefferson door.

Crazy, but it allows you, I suppose, to make the best use of the space

the door would ordinarily occupy

but we can go through it.

-Wow.

-Crazy, isn't it?

-Really crazy.

This is really quirky this place, honestly. Come through.

-Yet more elegance for you.

-Very nice.

-And just look at those views.

-Wow.

-That's beautiful.

-Views to die for.

I love this room and I think, you know, with the bay window,

the doors out to the terrace, nice working fireplace.

-Very comfortable. Very nice.

-Cosy.

-Very cosy.

-Could you be happy in here?

-Yes.

Sitting there and looking at the view all day, yes.

Due to the unusual layout of this property,

the bedrooms are located on the ground floor.

The simply styled family bathroom serves two good-sized doubles

and we're making a beeline to the one that could be their master.

There you go.

And it leads through to quite a

-generously proportioned en suite, actually.

-Oh, right.

A corner bath with shower above it and all the rest of it.

And again, a lovely bay window making the best of those views.

-Of those views. And not overlooked at all.

-Not at all.

-No.

In terms of the flow of this one, because it is unusual,

-how does it feel?

-The flow's fine.

-Yes.

-Is it working?

-Sort of.

-Sort of?

-Sort of.

Robert seems to be open-minded to the quirkiness of this house

even if Anita needs a little more convincing.

But I'm hoping what I'm about to show them might present them

with an interesting option for their son.

Outside and to the rear of the property, there's a staircase

leading up to the top floor where we find a self-contained flat.

Featuring a living-cum-sleeping area, a compact kitchen

and a small bathroom,

with a little TLC this has the potential for our couple to

provide their son with his very own pad before he decides where

he'd like to buy.

Now, what do you think Christopher would make of this, then?

Wow, this is a bit amazing.

It's a bit of a time capsule.

It feels very late '60s

but through that door there is an enormous loft space.

It's as big as this again.

It would make a fantastic bedroom which would mean if you knocked all

this out through to the kitchen, you'd have kitchen/living room.

Amazing space.

If this were a flat in West London, it would be 400 grand.

-Absolutely.

-Exactly. Yes.

But it's just on top of your house.

THEY LAUGH

So it's a bonus.

It's an interesting space. I haven't seen something like this before.

-Is it growing on you?

-Sort of.

-Sort of.

-Well, the price may help your decision-making.

-OK.

-Shall we go out and enjoy the views?

-Right.

-Let's do that.

-OK, come on.

Well, our mystery property is still getting muted reactions from Anita

but I've got one last chance to impress her.

Outside, there's a spacious garage and workshop which can also

be accessed directly from the house via an indoor lift.

And to the rear, the good-sized yet low-maintenance lawned garden

has a beautiful view over Hambledon Hill.

-The garden is what you see. But...

-But you've got a garden here.

Look at that! I mean, what a view!

Come on, it's got to be growing, a little bit.

Mm, a little bit.

Robert, help me out here. You can guess first.

It's under budget, so 585.

-585.

-I don't think it's going to be that much.

-540.

-Well, here's the thing.

-You're both wrong.

-Oh, OK.

-Ah, which way?

-A good way. BOTH:

-A good way.

-It's half a million. £500,000.

-£500,000?

So we've just saved you 100 grand.

Now, admittedly you're going to spend some of that on it. But...

the rest of the money that you're going to save from the sale

of your house, you can keep in the bank until you know

-what Christopher's going to do.

-What Christopher's going to do.

-Yeah. It's worth thinking, considering.

-Right then, off you go.

Go and have an explore.

-See what you might do with that £100,000 change.

-OK.

OK, thank you. Right.

And in the meantime, I think I might just enjoy the archaeology.

£100,000 under budget, our mystery property offers two bedrooms,

spacious reception rooms and a self-contained flat

presenting our couple with the potential to make a lovely

country home for themselves and a separate one for their son.

And situated on the edge of a village,

it's also blessed by fabulous historic views.

I'm not sure the Mystery House would really be for us.

I think the Mystery House has a lot of features that I like

but, overall, I don't think it would really work for us.

Some aspects of the house are very nice.

This lovely living room's beautiful.

Overall, the property has fantastic views but we'd have to

spend a lot more money on it than we would be prepared to do.

You're enjoying that view, aren't you?

I could spend all day wandering around up there

but I haven't got time.

-Come on, let's go.

-Thank you.

-Big decision to be had.

It's not just Dorset's stunning coast that has a few tales to tell.

Inland, the rural heart of the county inspired one of the country's

greatest authors, Thomas Hardy, to pen his most famous works.

The agricultural landscape here continues to provoke creative minds.

Today the village of Waterston is home to local entrepreneur

Richard Leigh, for whom a humble shelter for shepherds

has come to play a key role in his 21st-century business.

Now, the shepherd's hut is synonymous with Dorset

as, of course, are sheep and, of course, are Hardy.

There is a very specific connection, though, within all of that,

to where we are now, isn't there?

Yeah, we're looking down on the valley at Waterston, really,

which is where Far From The Madding Crowd was set.

When Hardy wrote the novel, Bathsheba lived in Waterston Manor,

Gabriel Oak lived in a cottage in the field

and Farmer Boldwood lived at Druce Farm.

But what gave you the idea to take up

the mantle of resurrecting these huts?

Well, on the top of the hill,

on the brow of the hill there is an old hut.

I saw it and in the back of my mind I thought,

"Well, if that if that ever came up for sale,

"I might, you know, let's have it and rebuild it."

But it went by on a lorry. It got sold

and I thought, "That's a shame."

It was quite a feature of the area. Everybody knew about it.

So I thought, "Well, let's make a copy."

We made our first one 15 years ago.

That rustic end of it, clearly that appealed to you.

It couldn't be more appropriate, really.

Working in the countryside, making an iconic rural bygone

-but with a contemporary twist.

-I can't wait to see how you make them.

Brilliant, well, I look forward to showing you round.

These huts have been around for hundreds of years.

They were used by shepherds during the lengthy lambing season

when they had to be on hand 24/7 to ensure the safety of their flock.

It's the classic Victorian hut, clad in corrugated iron with

a curved roof, which inspires the huts Richard makes today.

He employs a core team of eight hut makers,

craftsmen who restore original models as well as making new ones.

They look absolutely fabulous. I love the range of colours as well.

This one here is a 14-foot hut

and it's off to the Highlands of Scotland.

And I think that might sort of explain the colour.

It's lacking a big white cross, isn't it, really?

That's what it needs. But this is 14 foot?

That's 14 foot so we base them as near as we can to the originals

which were about 12-foot long, about six-foot-six wide.

We've got an old, original hut down here that we're restoring.

That one in the back there?

Yeah, I mean, that's as typical as they could be, really.

And a shepherd's hut should have its wheels

outside the body of the hut.

And you have a smaller wheel at the steering end so that it can steer.

You can hitch it up to a tractor or originally a horse

and you can steer it and tow it out.

-And are they easy to move?

-They are, yeah.

In here on hard ground you can move it on your own, just one person.

Huts were originally made by blacksmiths at local forges

and Richard still gets his cast-iron wheels

made at a nearby foundry to his own design.

Is this one in any way finished?

It's nearly there, we've just got the 12-volt electrics to do.

There'll be a solar panel on the roof charging a battery

and that will run LED lights inside.

So all the furniture's done.

It's got a bed, a table that drops down to form a bed.

And I love the little wood burner in there. That's beautiful.

Yeah, and again, all fitted to modern standards.

-Now, you do a range of sizes.

-We do.

-I'm dying to know the prices.

-They're from about £15,000 upwards.

Last year, the team made 40 huts and, to date, have created some 300,

each one taking a few hundred hours to complete.

And those classic, simple proportions

have uses that are far and wide.

Many are transformed into luxury glamping retreats or simply used

as an alternative to summer houses, offices and art studios.

What's more, being portable, they're seen as lifelong investments

that you can tow away as and when you move.

-You can stay in a hotel room...

-Yeah.

..or a cottage any day of the week.

This is something that's going to stick in your memory.

It will do, yeah. It's got that kind of romantic sort of feel to it.

The use of these simple huts may have evolved over

the last 150 years or so, but there's no doubting the enduring

charm of their traditional simplicity.

What would be the ultimate hut? Have you made it yet?

It's a bit like being a painter or an artist, isn't it?

You know that the next one's going to be the best one.

Will it ever happen? I don't know.

-It's that search for continual perfection.

-Yeah, it is.

Well, Richard, it's been a real treat. Thank you very much.

And it's delightful to think that, once again,

the British countryside is now going to have

shepherds' huts strewn across it.

Well, it is a cruel law of probability that even on a good

week on Escape To The Country, in general, we only have a one in three

chance of getting it right, if at all.

So have we managed to do it this week for Robert and Anita?

Well, as you can see, they're enjoying a drink.

Let's go and ask them.

-Well, how are you two? BOTH:

-Very well, thank you.

-Hello, for the last time.

-Final time.

-How are we doing?

-Very well, thank you.

-Beautiful sunshine.

We've had beautiful weather, beautiful properties,

but have we managed to find you one that will work?

I think, possibly.

Yeah, I thought so. THEY LAUGH

-Property number two.

-Yes.

-What happened there, Anita?

It was really nice. I really like it. It's lovely.

Liked it?

-You said it was sold.

-Yeah, it was sold.

In fact, we're going for our second viewing today.

-You're going for a second viewing today? BOTH:

-Yes.

-We haven't finished the show yet.

-I'm sorry.

-You can't mess around.

This is working fast.

Are you optimistic about putting in an offer?

A lot depends on what's happening with our house.

Obviously our house is on the market.

We believe we've got some people very interested.

It would be great if they put an offer in

-and we could then move swiftly.

-Forward.

-Wow.

This is all slightly breathtaking, isn't it?

Were you expecting to be in this position at the end of the week?

I sort of had a feeling that might happen.

It was very much love at first sight, though, wasn't it?

Yeah, I think the entrance was very imposing.

It had a nice feel about the house, the front of the house.

We loved the veranda, the walkway

sort of reminded us a bit about Africa.

Yeah, well, guys, I'm delighted.

I'm not going to delay you any longer.

-You've got a viewing to get to.

-We do.

-Well, look, best of luck.

-Let us know how you get on.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

-ALL:

-Cheers.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Dorset really is one of my favourite parts of the UK.

In just a few weeks' time, this wheat crop will have been harvested

and hopefully by then Robert and Anita

will have done their own deal on their new home,

getting them "far from the madding crowd"

and into a new life in the country.

I'll see you next time.

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