Wiltshire Escape to the Country

This grand Grade I listed manor house was home to the same family

for more than five centuries, spawning a line

that would go on to change the very fabric of English history.

So, where exactly am I?

Find out in just a moment.

Today's house-hunters are looking to return to childhood roots

to raise their family.

We surprise them with the scale of one of our properties.

It's amazing.

It's huge! Isn't it?

Is it the whole thing? It looks like it's two, I think.

'Either way, it seems to be having the desired effect.'

I'm starting to feel slightly excited.

-Yeah, so are we.

-All three of us, that's good.

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Today, we're in Wiltshire, and this is Lydiard Park -

home to the St John family for more than 500 years,

following the marriage of Oliver St John

to one Margaret Beauchamp early in the 15th century.

Now, Margaret inherited this magnificent house, but she was also

to become the great-grandmother of King Henry VIII,

the man who famously rejected the Roman Catholic faith,

altering the course of English history for ever.

Today, this beautifully restored house and garden

is open to the public

and remain just one of the gems in this county's rich heritage.

Lying in the south of England,

Wiltshire is surrounded by six other counties, including Dorset,

Somerset and Hampshire.

Its rich and varied countryside

showcases both classic rural landscapes

and international heritage sites alike,

including the Neolithic stone circles at Avebury,

as well as Stonehenge, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Little is known about

how this iconic prehistoric monument was created,

but it's this fascinating mystique

that makes it one of the most visited sites in the country.

The county's rolling hills give way to downland at Salisbury Plain,

which spreads across 300 square miles and whose grassland is home to

unique flora and fauna.

Built mainly on chalk,

Wiltshire is home to three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and set

within this backdrop is the cathedral city of Salisbury.

Described as "the city in the country",

its 13th century cathedral is a leading example

of English Gothic architecture.

The county's impressive array of historic marvels explains

Wiltshire's enduring appeal for visitors,

as well as those seeking a more permanent rural escape.

The average price of a detached property in Wiltshire

is just over £318,000, around £36,000 above the national figure.

Now, that may sound expensive,

but there are still bargains to be had if you know where to look.

Market towns like Devizes in the centre of the county

or Warminster in the southwest can offer better value for money

than the popular villages in the commuter bubble,

close to the Hampshire border, towards the east.

So, what is it about Wiltshire that has so attracted today's buyers?

Let's meet them and find out.

Louisa and Chris met after an introduction from a mutual friend,

and love quickly blossomed.

We met in freshers' week at university, at Oxford Brookes.

I think we were introduced through Chris living with a friend of mine.

I went down to see him in halls.

Yeah, who turned out to be my best man at our wedding.

He introduced us. Yeah, went on from there.

After leaving university,

they tied the knot and moved to the leafy suburbs of the capital.

But the appeal of suburban life is starting to fade for them,

and so the time feels right for a change.

So, we currently live in a cottage in East Molesey, two-bed.

And it's been great as a starter home.

We had our little girl here, who's now two.

But we've kind of outgrown it.

It's been brilliant, but we need to move on to the next thing now.

But with this next move,

they will still need to consider Chris's work in terms of location.

Currently, I work in construction.

I have been for about seven years.

My head office is based at Guildford.

So, we're looking to, at the moment, still maintain that set-up.

I would commute to work and then the rest of the week I'll be travelling

back to wherever our new humble abode will be.

Becoming parents has completely changed their lives.

And now much of their attention and time is focused

on a certain little person.

Evie is our two-year-old daughter, who only turned two very recently,

and is very much a troublemaker, a very excitable young lady.

She's definitely the focus of our lives.

-A lot of energy.

-Yes.

Since she was born,

she's been the person everything revolves around now.

So life's geared up for her, keeps us very busy.

That's why moving to the country, for her especially,

it's going to be amazing.

And after leaving the city,

Louisa and Chris planned to return to their roots.

So, we're looking to move back to the West Country,

which is where Louise's parents are from.

She grew up there for about 25 years.

And I went to school in Wiltshire, so that part of the world

is somewhere that's quite close to our hearts.

So, we're looking to move back to

in and around the Bradford-on-Avon region.

And be not too far from Bath.

And perhaps Evie will also have a new brother or sister to play with

once they all relocate west.

When we are down in Bath, the surrounding area,

we want to extend the family.

We haven't got enough room here, so when we are in a new location,

a bigger house, that's definitely something that we...

Absolutely. With dogs?

With dogs. And babies!

Oh, yeah. And more babies, that's it.

Since we've come from uni,

it's really been a case of just quite rapidly

moving out of places and moving further out of London.

So this is sort of the big move back

to a long-term settlement plan, I think.

When our buyers move to Wiltshire,

they're hoping to settle within striking distance of Bath,

to be close to friends and family

and also near good commuter routes for Chris.

So, we're concentrating our search

on the villages found to the west of the county,

and we're all meeting up so I can get a better understanding

of exactly what they're after.

Well, Louisa and Chris, welcome to wonderful Wiltshire.

We're just on the edge of the West Country here. Why Wiltshire?

Why do you two want to move?

I think it's been a while coming,

since we've been in London for about six years now.

We're looking to make the move back for our family.

So, just sort of back to our roots, really.

I think it's now because Evie, she's two,

she's going to be starting school in a few years.

We want to come back, be settled before she starts school.

So, you've obviously thought long and hard about this move.

What does the perfect property look like in your minds?

I think key is probably going to be space.

Moving out of London, we're looking to maximise

what we can get for our money in terms of space.

It's quite cramped at the moment, with the little one.

So, yeah, looking for more bedrooms.

How many bedrooms?

Probably four bedrooms.

-Ideally four?

-Yeah.

And then, I think, one of the key things for us

is going to be a big kitchen.

At the heart of the home.

Yeah, a big area where you can eat,

cook, and kids can play, that kind of thing.

That's the idea.

So, four bedrooms, a good-sized kitchen.

What else are you after?

I think we want a good garden.

We don't feel like we need anything enormous.

Gardening is not your - or my - favourite thing.

What about location?

Do you want to be in the community? Would you like to be more rural?

I think for us, we definitely want a few local shops nearby,

just so you can pop out get some milk, newspaper, that kind of thing.

And the big thing about location is schools.

I'm a primary school teacher,

so at some point I'd like to go back to work.

A local primary school, for a little girl, hopefully maybe me,

would be perfect for us.

Well, let's look at money, then.

Remind us what we've got to spend here in Wiltshire.

We've got a maximum budget of 575.

£575,000.

Do you think that's a realistic budget for what you're after?

I think it is, yes. I think it's pretty realistic.

I will let you know, it is a very popular county,

because of where it is, the countryside,

and also relatively close to London as well.

But, having said that, we do have some splendid properties lined up to

show you. And, of course, one is going to be the Mystery House.

-Shall we get started?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

With £575,000 to spend,

Louisa and Chris have a healthy budget for their country property.

Central to their search is finding enough space

for them to grow as a family.

So, a generous kitchen is important, as are enough bedrooms.

Besides a manageable garden, they need access to good schools,

commuter links for Chris and to be close to family in Bath.

And we've got some great Wiltshire properties to tempt our couple

away from the city.

But I won't be revealing the prices until the end of each tour.

Then, to finish up, we will reveal our Mystery House,

which should really challenge their preconceptions

of what that preferred country home should be.

We're kicking off our Wiltshire property search in the village

of Winterslow, 20 minutes from the cathedral city of Salisbury.

Originally three separate settlements called West,

Middle and East Winterslow,

they now collectively form the parish of Winterslow.

Here, modern properties mix with thatched country cottages,

and local residents are well catered for, with a village shop providing

essentials, along with four churches,

a village hall, a primary school and two pubs.

And just to the north of the village,

located in a private courtyard, is the house we've lined up.

Let me introduce you to our very first property.

Wow. It's amazing.

It's huge! Isn't it?

Is it the whole thing? It looks like it's two, really.

I hate to disappoint you.

-I was going to say, it's enormous!

-Yeah.

-It's actually three properties.

-OK.

It's an old granary. It's about 100 years old.

It's not listed. This part, this is our house.

This is the one we're going to be looking at.

First impressions, what do we think?

I think it's beautiful.

Yeah, it's really sweet. Very cute.

-Welcoming?

-Yeah.

-It does look very welcoming. Definitely.

Well, that's a strong start.

Let's see what you make inside.

Come on.

'Dating back to the 1800s, this old granary was converted in 2002.'

Its historic external aesthetic seems to have won our couple over.

So, I'm hoping the inside will have the same effect.

We're starting tour with the most important room

in the house for Louise and Chris.

I thought we'd start the tour coming through the side door,

and it brings us straight into the kitchen.

Yeah, I love it. When I first came in,

the first thing I noticed was the range.

That's great. Great bit of kit.

Very country, very homely.

It is, yeah. Very nice.

What about the actual kitchen itself?

Really like the style.

Yeah, it's really nice. Very country.

It's been done very, very nicely.

Potentially, for me, maybe a dash more in terms of being what we're

looking for in terms of an overall family kitchen.

Is it the kitchen itself? Because, to me, this is a good-sized kitchen.

Are you thinking perhaps a family room on top of it?

Yeah, possibly, on the kitchen itself, we are needing more space.

But having a room attached,

that's sort of then utilised by everyone

so everyone's in one big space, really. Possibly it's lacking that.

This is only the first room.

Let's continue and see what you make of the others.

'Down a small flight of stairs, we find the next room.'

So, next up is...

Well, I was going to call it the sitting room.

I'm actually going to rename it the family room.

-Yeah, definitely. It's beautiful.

-Very homely.

Good. I mean, that's important, isn't it?

It's the first house that you've seen.

And as you walk through the door, you want it to feel like a home.

I know that is a priority for you.

Definitely. It does, it feels cosy and it feels warm, and just lovely.

Really nicely done.

So, so far, so good.

Yes, absolutely.

Let's hope it continues upstairs.

Also on the ground floor is a dining room with doors leading outside,

a compact study and a utility room.

Then upstairs we find four good-sized double bedrooms

and a tiled bathroom.

We're showing Louisa and Chris the largest of the rooms.

So, you've got a good-sized landing.

This would be the master.

-That's nice.

-Good size.

Lovely size. I love the really high ceilings.

That's the wonderful thing.

-This is the master because it has an en-suite.

-Brilliant.

-You don't have one of those at home, do you?

-No.

Oh!

You're never going to go back! You're never, ever going to go back.

So, this is a house with the four bedrooms that you've asked for, but,

in actual fact, you could grow into it as well, if you wanted to.

Absolutely. And that's what we're looking for.

This is our house that we want to be in,

in our next house, for a good time.

'So far, our buyers seem more than happy with the house,

'and I'm hoping those smiles will continue

'as we move outside into the garden.'

So, you've got this patio paved area

which leads to a very long and secure garden.

-And then just look at that view.

-I know. It's amazing.

Come on, let's try and put a figure on our very first property.

Ladies first.

525?

I'm going to say slightly over our budget.

I'm going to say about 585.

The asking price is right on your budget.

£575,000.

Way below. I completely got that wrong.

Why don't you take another look at our first property on your own?

This is certainly a house you can grow into, that's for sure.

Yeah, there's a lot of possibility, isn't there?

A lot of potential there.

Great. Be my guest.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Bang on budget, this converted

granary provides everything

Louisa and Chris asked for

in their country property.

With four bedrooms

and two reception rooms,

there's plenty of space

to accommodate an expanding family.

And what's more,

it is ideally located

to some great commuter links for Chris.

I think my initial reaction, when I saw the property,

was, yes, a bit of surprise.

It was really nice. The courtyard area was lovely.

A really nice area, that enclosed the various houses around.

I really like the timber cladding as well.

I thought it was nice to see a converted barn,

which wasn't something that I was expecting to see.

That was very nice.

There's many things I like about this property,

because it feels so homely and cosy. I love the high ceilings, the beams.

The garden's beautiful,

really nice size, safe, very child-friendly.

And just generally, the feel of the place, I think it's lovely.

Really nice.

Are you happy? Have you seen enough?

-Yeah, I think so. Very happy.

-Had a good browse around.

Good. Hard to believe a former granary, isn't it?

I know, it's been done so beautifully.

Massive transformation.

And that's only our first property, because we do have more to show you.

-Excited.

-Let's make a move.

It's fair to say that the landscapes of Wiltshire are steeped in history

and the county offers more byways than anywhere else in the UK.

So, what better way to explore the countryside than by bike?

Chris and Louisa are meeting with David Evans of Heritage Cycle Tours,

who's guiding them on an expedition to learn a little bit more about

Wiltshire's most famous landmarks.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Dave.

-Hi, Louisa.

-Chris.

-Hi, Chris, nice to meet you.

Welcome to sunny Old Sarum.

Old Sarum the original place for Salisbury.

Sarum being the old English name for Salisbury.

William the Conqueror decided he liked it so much that he'd build

a castle, a motte-and-bailey castle here,

which is what we can see the ruins of behind us.

And also a cathedral. That was the original Salisbury Cathedral.

It was up here, 400-and-something years.

So, why did Salisbury Cathedral move down into the valley?

There are two reasons. I believe the bishop fell out with the Crown.

It was also very crowded up here. I think something like

3,000 or 4,000 people lived up here in the village

and it was really cramped.

OK, guys. So, now you've seen Old Sarum,

it's time to press on and it's all downhill from here.

-Shall we go?

-Brilliant.

-Yes, please.

This way, to the right.

Winding north of Salisbury along the Avon Valley,

this cycle route passes through some of Wiltshire's most fascinating

scenery. Scattered throughout the landscape

are a number of ancient man-made mounds.

Right. Are you OK?

-How's it going?

-Yeah, good.

-You enjoying this?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

We've just arrived in a place called Wilsford-cum-Lake

which is the kind of greater area of Stonehenge.

We're going to see a lot of these mounds.

They're burial mounds, and they're called barrows.

So, what group of people were actually buried in the barrows?

It was English folk, we think.

But there is evidence that several of the people that are buried around

here, a lot of people buried come from further afield.

They found people from the Alps,

people from Spain, from the Mediterranean.

So, it was probably quite a well-known site

for people around Europe.

And why are the mounds so big?

So, it's possible that the significance of the size

of the barrows was to actually show people

that these very important people are sitting here on the hillside.

When they would have been made, they wouldn't have had turf on them.

They would have been white.

So they would have been quite visible to people in the area.

Time to get back in the saddle and continue the tour.

Wiltshire has the highest concentration

of prehistoric sites in Europe, so there's plenty to see.

And the final stop of the excursion is at

the county's most celebrated landmark.

-This is the last stop on the tour.

-OK.

This is Stonehenge and its surrounding landscape.

What you see now is actually the last version of Stonehenge.

They had three attempts at building it.

So, do you think they're used manual labour

to actually get the stones up?

There are two major theories.

One of them would be they dug holes to puts the stones into the hole,

to get it upright, and then built an earth bank alongside it,

to put the link along.

The other one is that they used timber structures, like A-frames,

tied together with ropes, and then pulled the stone on top.

So, do you have any idea about how long it took them to complete it?

If you don't know how they constructed it,

it's very difficult to determine how long it would take.

It certainly must have taken them years, I would have thought.

Well, have you enjoyed your tour? Has it been fun?

Yeah, it's been great. Learned lots.

-Well, I think you've earned yourself a cup of tea, don't you?

-Yes, please.

-Shall we go and get one?

-Thank you. Cheers.

That's it for our couple's historic sightseeing tour,

and with the day drawing to a close, it's time to head home.

It's the second day of our property search in the Wiltshire countryside,

and we're on the hunt for a family home

for Louisa and Chris from Greater London,

who have a budget of £575,000.

But what will I be revealing to them as our Mystery House?

A little bit of a surprise round the corner.

Yeah, I think so. Definitely.

It's like a giant ship.

THEY LAUGH

And I'll also be discovering the classic British artwork

that adorns towns and villages across the country.

So, as I walked through the door,

in a way it's like coming to a mini art gallery.

So, it's the second day of our house-hunt here in Wiltshire

with Louisa and Chris.

Two more properties to show them.

Let's see how we get on.

The first one is in a family-friendly village.

But the last house that I have up my sleeve, it is, of course,

our mystery property.

Now, they're very aware of the family,

they want to be near a community.

And with this house, I'm hoping it's got everything that they want.

It might need just a little bit of work along the way.

Let's see how we get on.

The next house in our Wiltshire property search

lies just under an hour from Bath in the village of Hilmarton.

Hilmarton is a classic English village,

featuring honey-coloured limestone properties

alongside picture-postcard thatched cottages.

Its Grade I listed church dates back to the 12th century

and apparently owns one of only 200 original King James Bibles

that still exist today.

Our next offering brings us to the present day,

and for this one, I've got high hopes.

So, we're going to show you

-a little bit more of a modern property for our next house.

-OK.

-I like it.

-Yeah?

Yeah.

What works for you, Chris?

I like the wooden porch.

It's a nice feature.

Maybe, for me, not as pretty as perhaps I'd like.

It's a bit dark. The front is a bit dark for me.

We obviously have completely different tastes!

Well, it's quite brown.

Also, there isn't any shrubbery, there isn't any greenery here.

It's a practical home, isn't it?

Low-maintenance, isn't it? What we like!

Yes, that's what I like!

-So, shall we step inside?

-Yeah, absolutely.

'Externally, this property may not have made

'a great impression on Louisa.

'However, Chris seems more than happy with its kerb appeal.

'Although the camp is divided,

'I'm confident the sheer space this house offers internally

'will impress them both.'

So, off the hallway, we have our sitting-room.

Very spacious.

Yeah, it's nice. Big, nice windows.

This is kind of our taste, isn't it?

Quite clean and bright, and fresh.

Absolutely, yeah. It's a massive room, isn't it?

Huge. Really nice.

So, a strong start, do we think, to the tour?

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

Just off the hallway, there is a downstairs cloakroom.

An awful lot more to show you, in actual fact.

Louisa seems happier with the house, which is great.

Let's hope the property keeps up the good work

with what's on offer the kitchen.

See, I think this house is deceiving.

Yeah, it is. It kind of feels a lot...

Yeah, it's confusing.

-There's a lot more space than I thought there would be.

-It's nice.

In your mind, you think this is the kitchen, and that'll be it.

It's a good-sized kitchen, fully integrated,

plenty of space.

And then you realise, in actual fact,

because it's been extended relatively recently,

to the left you've got a laundry and utility room

and then you've got that massive dining room at the back.

That's brilliant.

Huge doors, opens out onto the garden.

That's nice, isn't it?

It's lovely I love it. And again, bright, airy, clean.

Just...to our tastes.

To our tastes?

Yeah, I do like it.

If you can get over the outside of this property,

as you walk through the door, both of you are united.

-Yeah.

-Definitely, it's lovely.

-I'm starting to feel slightly excited.

-Yeah, so are we.

Yay! All three of us! That's good.

Well, let's hope it continues upstairs.

The scale of this house has won our couple over.

And so far, each and every room has delivered.

As we move upstairs,

I'm hoping the magic continues in the largest of the bedrooms.

So upstairs, the staircase splits into two.

So you've got bedrooms on one side, if you like,

and these bedrooms on the other.

This is the master.

-It's a really nice size, isn't it?

-Good size. Yeah, it's big.

So how many bedrooms has this house got?

-Three double bedrooms, which are all en-suite.

-Oh, wow!

The nursery, plus an additional double bedroom

so you've got five in total.

-My goodness.

-Really?

-Sure this is in our budget?!

NIKKI LAUGHS

Starting to doubt it!

It's impressive, isn't it?

Yeah, definitely. I think everything, well, personally,

has been impressive so far.

There's a little touch to this room

that you can explore on your own a bit later on,

because there's also a dressing room of a generous size...

-Oh, really? Nice!

-..and a wonderful en-suite bathroom.

-Really?

-Fantastic.

-Yeah. With the master.

It's been done beautifully. It really has.

I don't know why would they want to move!

-So, got one more thing up my sleeve to show you.

-OK.

-OK.

A little bit different outside.

-All right.

-Let's see what you think.

With five bedrooms, there's ample room here

to accommodate our couple's growing family.

But I've a feeling that the garden may once again split opinion.

So we have a spacious house

but it has an additional pool in the garden.

Yes. Wasn't expecting that.

-Definitely not.

-Bit of a surprise.

-Absolutely.

Yeah. Not often I can offer people a pool!

You've got quite a large garden here.

Most of it, as you can see, is paved.

But we also have an additional garden

-on the other side of the house.

-OK.

-It's divided up.

Yeah, brilliant.

Can you see yourself using the pool?

-Definitely.

-Yeah?

-I can.

I think personally,

I would have a think about filling it in, maybe.

-Kids would love the pool, though.

-It'd be amazing!

-Do you know what I'd do?

-We'd only use it, like, three weeks of the year.

-You know what I would do, personally? I'd keep it for a year and see...

-If you use it.

Because if Evie loves it, then it'll change your opinion.

Breaking the ice out just to make a point.

-Christmas Day!

-I want to go swimming!

-It would be fair to say that you both like this property.

-Yeah.

-You're going to have to put a price on it now.

-Yeah.

I would say 585, 590.

OK.

I'm going to say lower. 560?

OK. Wow! Chris, you're very good at this.

-Really?

-Because the asking price is £562,000.

Amazing. Wow! OK.

-Have a think.

-Yeah, definitely.

Have another look around,

because I think this could be the family home you're looking for.

Saying that, fingers crossed.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Surprisingly, this expansive

five-bedroom detached house falls

£13,000 below Louisa

and Chris's budget

yet it provides them with everything

they wanted in a home and more.

With five bedrooms,

the property delivers on space

and is also ideally located

within a lively village

as well as close

to good commuter links.

Wow! Look at this.

-His and hers sink.

-Yeah, brilliant.

-Love the bath.

-White room. White room.

-Really nice.

It's big, isn't it?

-Yeah. Lovely.

-Yeah, great.

When I first saw the house,

my reaction was, it was definitely positive,

not negative in any way.

To be honest, from room to room, I was just really, really impressed.

Probably the only thing I can think negative,

for me, perhaps the swimming pool would need a slight think about,

just in terms of children's safety and just whether we'd use it.

I think if we were to stay there,

I think we definitely would use the pool.

I think, throughout the various summers, you get long periods

of hot weather and I think you'd definitely get a lot

of use out of it from the family and friends.

How are we feeling?

-Excited.

-Yeah?

-Excited. Yeah.

Yeah, definitely. It's a good property.

It's given us lots to think about.

You seem to be in agreement with this one.

-I think the first one that we're in agreement.

-Yeah, absolutely.

We're going to leave on a high note. Come on, then.

The final stop on our property journey is, of course,

the Mystery House which takes us back down to the south of the county

to the village of Codford, a 40-minute drive from Bath.

Codford has strong links

with Australian and New Zealand Anzac soldiers

as it was during the First World War

that the village became

a staging camp for Allied troops,

a legacy kept alive by the Anzac badge

which is carved into the chalky hillside above Codford.

The nearby Anzac War Cemetery is the second-largest in the UK.

To the west of the village, up a private road,

we find our Mystery House.

Wow!

CHRIS LAUGHS

-It's a converted stables.

-Yeah.

A little bit of a surprise as we round the corner.

Yeah, I think so. Definitely.

It's like a giant ship.

THEY LAUGH

-No, it's pretty. It is.

-It's very pretty.

It's aesthetically pleasing, for sure.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, definitely.

Any idea why it's our Mystery House?

-Erm...

-Stables?

Made for a horse. Yeah.

Give it away a little bit.

The clue is in the four legs, isn't it?

-It does need a little bit of work doing inside.

-OK.

So perhaps a little bit more of a project

then we'd looked at in the past.

Yeah. And it has land.

-We hadn't really talked about Evie's passion for horses...

-No.

-..and horse riding.

-Yeah.

-Should you want to...

-Yeah.

..when she is a little bit older, you could have your own pony.

So on first impressions, what's going through your minds?

It's really pretty. Lovely. Lovely looking.

-Chris?

-Yeah, it's very quaint, very cute.

I'm not sure if a bungalow is exactly my thing.

But wait and see.

-Have a look inside, yeah.

-Well, the good news is there is an upstairs.

-Ah.

-OK.

-So let's take a look and all will be revealed.

-OK.

'The property dates back almost 200 years and was originally a stable

'block for the local manor house.'

'As we move inside,

'I'm hoping our couple will appreciate its unique character

'combined with its generous proportions.'

Let's start our Mystery House tour with our kitchen,

or should I say country kitchen.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Absolutely. Very nice country kitchen, isn't it?

It does feel... Screams country.

-With the range.

-That's huge.

-No, it is a nice kitchen.

-A very homely feel to it.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-Hasn't quite got the wow factor that we've had in

previous properties, has it?

The way it's been done, I think, yes, but perhaps the size,

-not so much.

-Yeah. I think it's probably...mmm...

Yeah, probably one of the nicest ones we've seen,

but just in terms of size,

-it probably doesn't quite tick that box.

-Yeah, I agree.

OK, well, let's continue, cos you might like what's next door.

Great.

Although the dimensions of the kitchen don't seem to be hitting

the mark, I'm certain the sitting room will more than make up for it.

THEY LAUGH

-Now what is this?

-Wow.

-A ginormous room.

-I think this is the biggest room I've ever seen.

The largest sitting room you will ever see.

-Yeah.

-Crikey.

That is... You almost think it's kind of too big!

THEY LAUGH

What sort of sense are you getting from this house?

It is the mystery.

Silence, well, I think that says it all, in a way.

It's nice. It's...

For me, it's perhaps not as nice as some of the other things we've seen.

I didn't walk in and go, "Wow."

So I think we've got a question mark for the downstairs, haven't we?

-Yeah.

-Let's see if we fare any better upstairs.

This converted barn also has a spacious utility room as well as two

double bedrooms down on the ground floor,

both of which are served by a bathroom.

There are two flights of stairs in the property,

each leading to a first-floor bedroom.

On one side is a double with exposed beams

and on the other is the master.

Now, the upstairs of the stable block is... It's unusual.

I'm not going to lie.

The way it's set up, there's two staircases.

-Yeah.

-You're on one side, there's a further bedroom on the other side.

So Evie would be... You'd have to go down and then back up.

-Yeah.

-This is the master bedroom...

-OK.

-..with walk-in wardrobe.

You've got a huge en-suite, which is always lovely to have.

-Absolutely.

-What do you think?

What's your gut feel as you come up here?

-It doesn't seem particularly practical, in terms of...

-No.

You know, for what we want to use it for, in terms of a family home,

doesn't seem that it would probably

sort of fit in with how we'd kind of live, I think.

Well, let's see, cos I've still got one more thing to show you,

-which is outside.

-OK.

-And then we can talk money as well.

-Sure.

-A price. Thank you.

Sadly, this unique home doesn't seem to be working for Chris and Louisa.

But maybe over an acre of land will swing it.

I think, when it comes to country living,

the Mystery House has to win.

Not only are you looking at wide-open fields with woodland

at the back, but you have your own paddock.

-Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?

-Amazing, it really is.

-Rather fantastic.

-I don't want to scare you too much,

cos you don't have to have a horse or pony.

THEY LAUGH Evie, when she's a bit older

-might...

-She might demand one.

-Yeah, she might twist your arm.

So for the final time,

we've got to try and put a price on the Mystery House with the land.

-What are you thinking?

-I'm going to go for definitely the top end of our

budget, so 575, 580.

Which one?

Er...575.

-OK.

-I think it's going to be a little lower than that.

So I'm going to say around the 560 mark again.

The asking price is £575,000,

-so right on your budget, and Louisa on the money.

-One for me.

Well, I guess for the final time, I'm going to send you two off.

-All right.

-Think of poor Evie!

We know she loves her horses.

-She might not!

-I'll meet you round the front when you're ready.

-All right, great.

-Thank you.

Right on budget, our Mystery House

on paper offers everything Louisa

and Chris were looking for

in their country home.

It blends character and space,

has four double bedrooms,

large living areas and outside

there's plenty to entertain

their daughter Evie.

It's also 45 minutes from Bath, but

I'm just not sure it's a winner for

our couple.

The style on the outside of the building was quite unique.

It was really nice, sort of very pretty and obviously old

200-year-old barn that had been converted so, yeah, no,

it was very beautiful and it had a lot of land as well to go with it,

so it was a very nice-looking property.

So, when I came into the house, I was slightly taken aback.

I thought it was going to be slightly more modern, perhaps,

so my first impression was slightly, "Oh, hang on a second, you know,

"what have we got here?" Kind of intriguing, but maybe not quite what

I was expecting.

All right? So that's it.

That's our final property.

Tour of the Mystery House over.

Let's go somewhere quiet and we can have a proper chat,

find out what your next move is going to be.

-OK.

-Let's do it.

There is nothing quite as British as the traditional country pub and,

like most counties, the villages of Wiltshire are full of them.

It was the Romans who introduced the idea of a pub sign to Britain,

and these colourful and descriptive works of art were often used as an

early form of marketing.

Today, the art of traditional signmaking is a dwindling one,

so I've come to a sign-writing workshop at a brewery in Devizes

to meet pictorial artist Dave Young.

He's been painting pub and inn signs for over 20 years

and has agreed to take me through the history of the pub sign

and also give me an insight to his unique craft.

-Hi, Dave.

-Hi, Nikki.

-Good to meet you.

-Welcome to the sign shop.

Well, thank you. I mean, you're calling it a sign shop, but for me,

as I walked through the door, in a way, it's like coming into

a mini art gallery.

As you drive along country roads and in towns and villages throughout the

UK, we see these signs and, in a way,

would it be fair to say we take them for granted?

But how did it all start?

It's a tradition that the British took on cos, obviously,

a lot of the population were illiterate in those days,

couldn't read or write, so a visual image, you know, basically,

"We sell beer, we give accommodation,"

was obviously very useful to the population of the time.

Was ever there a law passed that you had to have a sign on a public

-house?

-I think it was 1393,

King Richard II brought in an act whereby every inn had to display

a sign outside. I think it was mainly for tax purposes, really.

Well, I've got a wonderful opportunity of getting up close

and personal with some of your artwork.

-Can I have a bit of a tour?

-Yeah, no problem.

-OK.

Pubs have a vast range of names and their origins are influenced by many

different themes, including myths, legends, local trades,

politics and religion,

which are also featured in the imagery of each sign.

So, Dave, so many different names and titles of pubs and inns.

Quite a few I recognise, but what's the most popular in the UK?

I think The Red Lion is the most popular, actually.

James I of England, who was James VI of Scotland,

when he acceded to the throne,

he basically wanted the population to know he was the boss,

so all the establishments and mainly the pubs had to

show a sign of allegiance to him, and that was the red lion.

Any chance you've got a sign which is work in progress that I could

-have a go at?

-Yes, certainly have.

-If you'd like to come this way.

-Thank you.

The signs are made from external marine ply,

using durable exterior-grade oil paints.

They have a shelf life of around 10-12 years before they need to be

replaced or restored and, of course,

the artwork has to be duplicated perfectly onto both sides.

Now, this sign looks far more imposing, more regal, if you like.

This is beautiful, but this isn't the only thing

that you're working on at the moment, is it?

No, that's right, Nikki. At the moment,

I'm working on a sign for the Chelsea Flower Show.

Ah, now, the famous RHS.

This is basically a mock-up sign.

And what's the whole idea behind it?

I think it's mainly like a play on words, but it's obviously

the hop cycle, which is to do with the brewing process,

and I think they're having a garden there

with various different hops that they're growing.

So, what part can I have a go at?

-You can have a little go at the eyes, perhaps.

-Yeah?

Excellent, right, well, I'd better take my coat off

while you mix the paints.

There are over 50,000 pubs in the UK and the modern tradition is to

replace the old classics with more quirky and striking titles

such as The Goat and Tricycle or The Hairy Lemon.

So this is keeping your hand steady.

That's right, yes.

I must admit, I'll be feeling the pressure when I have to do

my bit as well.

So after a quick tutorial from the expert, it's my turn.

And how long would it take in total?

Erm. Round about two weeks, really, altogether.

And do you ever have a preferred side?

I do usually at the end of it.

You know, one I'll prefer and one I'll take photographs of.

-Yeah.

-But they are usually pretty identical, really.

'For a novice, I like to think I'm doing OK.'

Yeah, that looks fine, doesn't it?

That's not too bad. Now yours is sort of...

Mine's round and yours is more oval.

I think the bunny looks like he's been sampling the brew.

SHE LAUGHS

If you need an apprentice, you know where I am!

-Start Monday morning!

-SHE LAUGHS

-Thanks very much.

-Cheers.

Well, we've travelled the length and breadth of Wiltshire trying to find

Chris and Louisa that perfect family home but have we been successful?

I'm not sure. Let's find out.

Well, you two.

We have travelled. We've seen a lot of Wiltshire over the last few days,

-haven't we?

-We definitely have.

-Yeah.

-So, tell me,

is there one property out of everything that we've shown you that

has got close or perhaps even hit the mark?

-Yes.

-I think it's the house with the pool.

-The swimming pool house.

-But not to put too much emphasis on the pool.

I don't think that was probably

the primary factor in the house, we just think...

I mean, inside it had five bedrooms, you know, which is brilliant.

-It's more than we were looking for.

-Loads of space.

You know, lots of living room space downstairs and then the core areas,

the big kitchen/dining room area.

That's a massive plus, really, cos that's what we're looking for

in terms of a place to spend a lot of time as a family.

And did you like the location? Cos I know that is really important for

you, this move to the country.

It hit the mark in terms of it's definitely rural,

but we'd need to do definitely some more research

in terms of how far would it be to work,

to getting towards Guildford.

-Second viewing?

-Yeah.

Yeah, I think so, yeah. I think that would be the case, yeah.

Just to reaffirm in our minds, you know, what it was.

And will Evie-Grace be with you when you have that second viewing?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, no, I'd want her to see it.

-On reins!

-Even though I don't

think she'll have much of an input, but I think, you know,

-see if she gets excited by it.

-She'd love it.

-I think so.

I wonder which bedroom she's going to pick.

-The swimming pool?

-She's got a lot to choose from, hasn't she?

-Five bedrooms.

-But whatever happens, keep in touch,

but thank you so much.

We've really enjoyed showing you Wiltshire.

-Yeah, thank you very much. Fantastic.

-Thank you for helping us.

It's been a great experience.

Well, that's it, the end of our week

here in beautiful Wiltshire with Chris and Louisa.

And I must admit there were times as we were going around our properties

I did have my doubts, but it seemed at the end, we got really,

really close, so I hope over the next few months

everything works out and they can make this wonderful county their new

home. I'll see you again soon on Escape To The Country.

Chris and Louisa returned to the house with the pool

and decided to put in an offer.

I'm happy to say it was accepted and we wish them all the very

best for their new life in Wiltshire.

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