Norfolk Escape to the Country

Born in this rural county,

the man who commissioned this fine country house

was hailed as Britain's first Prime Minister.

Find out if your knowledge of politicians is up to scratch

and where I am in just a moment.

Today, a country-loving couple are ready to plant roots

in classically British countryside.

Shall I say magnificent first or will you say it first?

-It's super.

-Um, well done.

And the outlook is inspirational.

I wouldn't mind waking up in the morning to look at that view.

Today, I'm in Norfolk

and this magnificent building behind me is Houghton Hall.

It was built by Sir Robert Walpole in the 1720s and '30s while he was

Prime Minister, a post he held for an impressive 21 years.

His ambitions were huge and he employed a vast array of architects,

with the final bill cost coming to over £200,000,

putting it at the time on a par with Blenheim Palace.

Sadly, he only got to live here for a few years before he passed away.

Today it remains one of Britain's finest Palladian buildings

and an architectural gem in this beautiful landscape.

Sitting to the east of England,

Norfolk, the largest county in East Anglia,

shares its borders with three other counties,

whilst its northern and eastern edges stretch along the North Sea.

The region is known for its sprawling, level landscapes

and vast skies.

Largely agricultural, much of the land is arable,

where fields are filled with crops like wheat and sugar beet.

A familiar sight on the Norfolk horizon are elegant windmills,

historically used for grinding and drainage.

Many are now privately owned, but a number are open to visitors.

Ecclesiastical architecture is another statement in the county

and it's home to the highest concentration of medieval churches

in the world.

Water is also a feature here, particularly the Norfolk broads.

A network of rivers and lakes form a tranquil setting

amongst the surrounding farmland.

So whether it is as one of 30 million tourists who visit each year

or as an escapee in search of a rural home,

Norfolk is a great choice to enjoy the very best of Britain.

When it comes to buying property,

Norfolk offers great value for money,

with the average cost of a detached house here costing £235,000.

That's an impressive £47,000 below the national average.

However, if you want to live on the North Coast in places like

Wells-next-the-Sea or Thornham, you will pay a premium of up to 60%.

But you do get more for your money inland,

so the villages around the market towns of Dereham or Swaffham

are well worth exploring.

So let's meet today's buyers

and find out why they want to move to Norfolk.

Retired sales and marketing director Peter

and retired accounting manager Diane have spent 44 years

living as expats all over the world.

But when they met almost half a century ago,

it was in the north of England.

We met in Newcastle.

Peter moved up from the south,

I already lived in the north

and he joined the company I was working for.

I have a memory of standing one day in front of a notice board,

and there was this stunning bird looking at the notice board as well.

Somehow a conversation started

and it hasn't stopped.

That was 1967.

They wed ten years later and they are still love's young dream.

She was and remains knock-down drop-dead gorgeous.

Um...

She's...

She laughs at my jokes and she's a great companion.

Peter is charming, he has always been charming.

He's very clever, he is too serious at times,

but his great sense of humour saves him and after that,

he's a great husband and fantastic father.

This loving pair's grown-up daughter Nicola lives in San Francisco,

but they've been renting a house outside Cambridge since last year.

After 30 years living in Spain,

they've settled back in Britain

and are ready to find their very own English country pad.

There are certain things you want to do - hang your pictures,

perhaps put up the odd shelf and it's rented, it's not mine.

I would love to buy more furniture of the English type.

I don't have room to put it all,

because we still have a lot in storage.

Diane and Peter love British rural scenery and have decided

that Norfolk's where they'd like to settle,

still within reach of the life they've created in Cambridge,

where Peter is teaching marketing and studying for a PhD.

I was brought up in beautiful countryside around Berkshire

and Oxfordshire and I felt the pull of that.

And looking for a house around this area is just great.

You have the sea, you have lovely countryside,

which I know people say it's flat - I like flat.

The trees come up to jump at you.

I love trees.

It's just genuinely beautiful, beautiful countryside.

I think we're very lucky to be here.

A driving factor in their move to Norfolk

-is to make the most of the great outdoors.

-East Anglia's beautiful,

it really is lovely and I want to explore it more

and get my paints out of storage, things like that.

You know, walk to the pub, we want to do that, we like doing that.

We very much like walking to the pub.

Yes. I play lots of golf, I enjoy that.

Peter enjoys walking,

he has an allotment here, which he couldn't have in Spain.

It's a different type of climate.

So in a strong position as cash buyers,

they can't wait to get off the starting blocks

and begin the search for their Norfolk country home.

This move is going to give me a feeling

of having roots in the ground and the feeling of permanence

will be very, very pleasant indeed.

It hasn't been home for a long, long time, but the feeling is there.

There's just something.

I belong here, and it's going to work and we're going to find a home.

And that's great.

Diane and Peter are drawn to the country villages

in the heart of Norfolk,

but are happy to consider anywhere within the region

that's no more than an hour and a half's drive from Cambridge.

And before we hit the Norfolk roads,

I'm meeting them in the county

to get up to speed with their property wish list.

Well, welcome to Norfolk, both of you.

Let's talk about the house.

What are you both looking for?

For me, open-plan would be lovely.

That would be a great deal, I like that, yes.

And definitely two bathrooms.

And what about bedrooms?

Three bedrooms minimum.

One for a guest, one for us.

-Perhaps four.

-Perhaps four,

or two bedrooms and two small offices

where we can get away from each other for a while.

She can do her thing in her office, I can do my thing in mine.

Let's just talk about what the house looks like,

what are you hoping to see?

Character. Yes.

What about a garden? Are you keen gardeners?

Do you want lots of land, not much land?

That's probably more my obsession than Diane's.

I would like a small area to grow some potatoes, grow some beans.

OK, so what about the surrounding area?

I think definitely within a walking distance of a village, yes?

The idea of a pub we can walk to is very attractive.

-Yes.

-You're really smiling now!

Have you got a twinkle in your eye?

We like that. We both like that.

We both like it. We've had years of tapas bars,

which are absolutely fantastic.

But it's English beer for you, isn't it?

-English beer.

-Yes.

-I've got a good idea of what the two of you

were hoping to find, so let's talk about budget.

Remind me how much we're working with.

The budget for this house is £425,000.

I'm really hopeful that we can help you find a combination

that you're looking for of open-plan and character,

and we've got some really interesting properties to show you.

-That's good.

-Raring to go?

-Raring to go.

-Very excited, yes!

Thank you.

Our couple's budget of £425,000 is generous for the area,

which is a positive start.

After half a lifetime abroad,

they want to come home to a spacious property with character

and an open-plan layout, offering an all-in-one kitchen,

dining and living area.

Diane would love a room to paint in and Peter a study,

so they need three-four bedrooms and two bathrooms is a must.

Outside, they're after a manageable garden

and they'd both like to be near a village

with a friendly local high on the list of requirements.

We've gathered a fantastic range of properties,

but their price tags will only be disclosed

after each one has been toured.

And a final visit to the Mystery House

might put our buyers on the back foot

when they first see it, but hopefully,

it'll be a proposition they'll quickly warm to.

We're kicking off our tour of Norfolk

just south-west of the centre of the county

in the village of Carbrooke,

which is an hour away from Cambridge

and less than two miles from the market town of Watton.

The high street in Watton has a good assortment of shops

along with a weekly market selling freshly grown produce.

The town is also home to St Mary's Church,

with its distinctive round tower,

one of only around half a dozen remaining in East Anglia.

Back in Carbrooke, there's just a village hall,

a 12th century church and a primary school.

And our first property is found on the edge of the village.

What are your initial thoughts?

Well, my first view of it, it looks really interesting.

-Yes.

-You're speechless, Peter?

I was waiting for number one to speak first.

-It's attractive.

-I was chatting to the owner

and she said it's a really lovely community, friendly.

The village hall runs a bar on Friday nights.

-Wow.

-Five minutes' walk away!

Volunteers step forward now, yes.

And also it's ten minutes from a golf course and the golf club.

Now you've rang my bell.

Your eyes just lit up then.

In fact, already the house looks more attractive.

Would you like to come and have a look?

I'd love to, yes, very much.

Extended 15 years ago,

this decorative cottage dates back over 200 years

and was originally a two-up two-down,

built from Norfolk clay lump.

So we're straight into this very pretty sitting room

with lots of original features, lots of character.

Lovely fireplace.

Good, square room.

And the good news here is this isn't the main room in the house.

This is a little bonus room, actually,

because the main living space is right through here.

Ooh. It gets better by the minute.

Across the hallway with enough room for a desk is a large sitting room

with access to the garden.

This is all the new extension.

It's a fantastic size.

Shall I say magnificent first or will you say it first?

-It's super.

-Well done!

This surprises me.

Off to the left just there is a really big dining room

and there's a lovely, light, spacious conservatory,

which could be a nice light place to work and to paint.

And I know the kitchen is important to you.

It is not part of the living space, but it's still...

I think it's impressive. And I'm hoping those smiles will continue.

A very promising start and there is still lots more to see.

Back off that spacious hallway,

we find a boot room, a separate utility,

a cloakroom and, finally, the kitchen.

It's pretty perfect.

I know my wish list is open-plan, but this is so perfect.

It's delightfully done.

So I'm having to get my head around the fact

it's not as big as I thought I wanted.

I'm totally confused, let's put it like that.

It's not perfect as a big kitchen-diner,

but is pretty perfect as a big kitchen

with a little dining area in it.

I think the hardest thing with a house search

is deciding what compromises you're going to make,

and there are always going to be compromises.

But there are no compromises upstairs

as far as the desired bathrooms and bedrooms are concerned.

A galleried landing leads to a family bathroom

and four double bedrooms.

All the rooms are light, bright and have plenty of space.

We're visiting the largest of the four bedrooms,

with a beautiful view out to the garden and beyond.

So this is the master bedroom.

So, a lovely light, bright room.

This is stunning. This is a great space and look,

every woman's dream behind us, storage!

I need you to just go and pop your head in the bathrooms.

Go, go and quickly have a look for me,

because I know how important they are.

-Very important, yes.

-So I think for an en-suite,

that is pretty impressive.

Oh, it is impressive.

It's got everything, look at the shower.

I could be quite happy in here.

Well, don't be too happy! Come back to me, come on.

-OK.

-You can't run yourself a bath yet!

No, not yet.

All that remains to be seen now is outside,

so why don't we go and find out if there's enough space

for those vegetables you fancy growing?

Brilliant.

The conservatory leads on to a patio

which wraps around the side of the house

and joins a lawn bordered by trees with views right across the fields.

There's also a garage with a sheltered seating area.

Nothing too large, it's definitely manageable.

This is a good-sized garden, it's not too big,

it's not too small and there is some work to be done on borders,

a place to put one or two potatoes.

It's pretty much my scene.

Well, you've seen the house and the outside

and I've seen smiles on both your faces,

but I'd really like to know what's going on in here.

So what do you think this house is on the market for?

425, top.

I would say to might be a little over our top budget,

so, say, £427,000.

OK. Well,

the lady is right.

Spot on. It's on the market for £425,000.

Is definitely a pull, isn't it?

It's a strong tug in the right direction.

I think with the prize in mind,

it's time for you to go back in and have a look.

Imagine yourselves in it, if you want to do,

and I'll come and find you in a few minutes.

-Good.

-Will do.

This cottage is bang on the nose of Diane's and Peter's budget,

bringing their English country dream one step closer.

It has a good selection of living spaces downstairs

and although there isn't

the open-plan kitchen-living room they wanted,

what is on offer has taken them pleasantly by surprise.

They get the four bedrooms they've asked for,

meaning plenty of room for visitors,

including their daughter from America.

There's also the compulsory two bathrooms

and the garden seems to be ideal

for their horticultural ambitions.

Ooh. Wow.

It's a film set.

It's a real pretty dining room, isn't it?

It's very beautiful.

From the very first moment I saw this house, it was very attractive,

very appealing. At first, it seems it might be small,

but you very quickly discover that it's not, it's very spacious.

The first impression was lovely, welcoming, stunning.

As we walked through the house, it just got better and better.

I really like the kitchen, it's just not open-plan,

which is what I wanted and I'm stuck.

I really can't decide whether the kitchen is so beautiful

I'll get over it and just get on with it.

-Hello, there.

-Hi.

-Have you seen enough?

-Never enough.

It's a beautiful house, I could go round again and again.

That's a great reaction for a first house.

Are you united in this opinion, Peter?

-I am.

-A united front and onwards to the second.

Fantastic.

In south-west Norfolk lies an area known as the Brecks,

made up of heathland and vast forests.

It boasts the best climate in Britain,

with low rainfall and hot summers.

To the north of the Brecks in the town of Swaffham

is the Green Britain Centre,

which makes the most of the temperate climate here

and teaches people to live more sustainably.

There are almost 12 acres devoted to organic fruit and veg

and supporting native flora and fauna.

It has its own wind turbine designed

by British architect Sir Norman Foster.

At just over 100 metres high,

it's the only one in the world

which houses a public observation platform.

Diane and Peter are keen to grow their own produce when they move

and they've come to chat

to horticulturalist and manager Paul Woodmin

to find out about living off the land.

They're meeting in the rather special orchard.

Paul, what makes this orchard different?

Well, this was planted really to celebrate some of the heritage

that Norfolk has had with apple-growing in the past.

We've got 60 different varieties of mainly apple,

there are some pears in here and we've actually got a medlar,

so there are varieties that would have been common in this area

200 years to 100 years ago.

Have you any suggestions as to the type of apple

-we should put in our garden?

-It all depends on your taste.

But I'd go for a good eater and a good cooking apple.

What is important is you need to make sure

they are in the same pollination group

and one thing that will help with that

is perhaps planting a crab apple.

In order to produce fruit,

apple blossom must be fertilised by the pollen from the flower

of a compatible but different variety of tree.

Crab apples usually successful pollinate

many other varieties of apple.

I'm a bit of a veg man, Paul.

My dream house has got something of a vegetable plot.

Do you have anything like that hidden around here?

We certainly do, if you follow me, we'll go and take a look.

-OK. Fine.

-Mind your head.

Paul's taking Diane and Peter to the organic garden,

where a variety of crops are growing including mixed lettuce,

carrots and onions without the use of pesticides,

herbicides or artificial fertilisers.

Is there any particular tip you can give

for growing potatoes organically,

because I don't do a very good job of it at the moment.

OK, well, potatoes, it's about the timing, really.

So it's getting them in as early as we can,

after the frosts have passed.

Spacing is also very important -

it's good to encourage a lot of ventilation around the plants,

otherwise you can be encouraging a fungal infection called blight.

It's a little bit outside the potato-planting season now,

but we got some lettuce which we plant in succession.

I wonder if you'd give us a hand planting some lettuces?

-Lettuce is good.

-Well, I will.

OK. Thanks, Di. Follow me.

At the raised bed,

Paul has tasked Diane with weeding

before the lettuce seeds are planted.

Just try and get as deep as you can,

there's some long tap roots in there.

This is very long, this one.

Peter's giving the job of raking the earth to prepare the seed bed.

-Oh, yes.

-OK.

-That'll about do us.

-Next, a string line is placed in the bed.

This will just give us a good guide

of where we are going to be planting our seeds. Fantastic.

If you just use the edge of the trowel,

follow it down the string line, through the soil,

we need the trench round about a centimetre deep.

-Like this?

-Fantastic.

Now, next is the seeds.

You want to sprinkle them down the length of that string

quite sparsely.

-OK.

-That's it. Now, just with your hand,

put about a centimetre of soil on top of the seeds.

Just push it on, nice and gently.

-Just push it on?

-That's fine.

Finally, a sprinkling of water and in three to four weeks' time,

the lettuces will be ready.

And if they've found themselves a Norfolk home by then,

they can come back to reap the rewards of their hard work.

Thank you, this has been absolutely great,

I've enjoyed every minute of it.

It's been my pleasure.

For our second property visit,

we're heading to the village of Thompson

which is an hour's drive from Cambridge

and just over 12-and-a-half miles

from the market town of Thetford.

Here, there's a golf club for Diane,

less than 20 minutes' drive from Thompson,

a small village surrounded by fields

with a strong community at its heart.

There's a village hall and St Martin's Church,

part of which has its roots in the 14th century.

Thompson's also home to a number of properties

that reflect the county's traditional architecture,

including a pub dating back to the 1600s

that's just a five-minute stroll

from our second offering, a home that's unusual on the outside,

and even more so beyond the front door.

It's an 18th century grade II listed barn conversion.

It was converted in 2006 and it's been really sympathetically done.

I love the roof. That sounds mad, but the roof is fantastic.

Actually, it just all looks great.

-Really lovely.

-It's spectacular and it's very different.

You're keen to see inside?

-I'd love to.

-Me too.

This fabulous barn conversion from the 1700s

has many interesting works.

The chimney is made of bricks from the original floor

and the barn's ironwork has been crafted by the local blacksmith.

The owners have already moved out, meaning a slightly sparse interior,

but as soon as you step inside,

it still manages to take your breath away.

Oh! Here we go, here we go.

Is that a positive "Here we go, here we go?"

Everything in one room.

I think this is open-plan.

I think it is open-plan, yes.

This is such a complete surprise.

I never been inside a barn conversion,

simply because the outside has said "no" to me.

But the outside here said yes.

I'm thinking to myself, if we are to decide that we like open-plan,

this is the test of whether we mean what we say.

You've talked about, you know, that three-in-one living,

and you absolutely have that here.

You have your kitchen area, your dining area, a seating area.

You've got flexibility.

Let's step further into this room

just to get a sense of the scale of it all, really.

A well thought-out kitchen with a central island.

The kitchen is good, it's very good.

The open-plan kitchen and living area in this barn

has almost 900 square feet of floor space,

with the mezzanine level above giving another 300,

so hopefully, it offers buyers the kind of lifestyle they've envisaged.

So here we are, up on the mezzanine.

And it gives you a fantastic idea of the scale

-and the height of this building.

-So what would we do with this space?

I think it's probably mine.

Well, I was thinking a study.

A study area.

-Yes, a study area.

-I was thinking more a painting area.

I can see the light falling in from these two windows.

It's very different from anything

that I conceived in my mind - when we talked of open-plan, for example,

I was not thinking of vertically open so much as horizontally open.

I think without we need to explore the rest,

cos you'll be happy to hear that the bedrooms aren't open-plan,

nor are the bathrooms.

They're bit more of a traditional layout.

-Right.

-So I think they'll feel a bit more familiar.

At the bottom of the mezzanine staircase,

you will find three guest bedrooms

all served by a bright family bathroom.

There is a generous beamed double with garden views

and another large double with exposed wall timbers,

beyond which is the smallest bedroom.

Across on the other side of the main living space,

we pass a utility room,

ideal for hiding away the white goods,

then it's on to the fourth and final bedroom.

How many more original features do you want?

It is a big bedroom.

Of course, you've mentioned you'd like two bathrooms - there are two.

This one's got an en-suite.

It has a little added bonus -

it's got a sauna!

Oh, my goodness!

Well, that takes care of Sunday.

The views make this bedroom.

I wouldn't mind waking up in the morning to look at that view.

Well, why don't we head outside

and just take in that view a little bit more

and I need you to start thinking as well

-about what you think this property might be on the market for.

-Oh.

Double doors from the seating area at the back of the barn take us out

into the garden, which has a patio

and a small but neat lawn which enjoys wonderful views

across the fields that belong to a neighbouring farmer.

It's more than wonderful, isn't it?

-Truly lovely.

-Now, this is the garden.

What you see is what you get. It's fairly compact.

This garden is smaller than I would have wanted.

Not a lot of room for my potatoes and fruit trees and beans

but it is a staggeringly beautiful East Anglian view

and maybe something has to give.

OK, what do you think this property is on the market for?

-It's time to guess.

-It's very difficult.

I don't know anything about barn conversions,

but my price would be 390.

OK. And for you, Peter?

I'd go a bit lower than that.

365,000 would be my price.

OK, that's interesting. You are both off the mark, I'm afraid.

It's actually on the market for £400,000.

That seems a little bit high.

Why don't you go off and explore?

I know you haven't seen many barn conversions,

so go and take another look around.

See what you think and I'll come and find you in a few minutes.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Lovely.

This spectacular barn conversion is full of character

and it's on the market for £25,000 below budget.

However, I sense open-plan on this scale

has been a real test for our couple.

At the heart of the home is the requested kitchen and living area

with the mezzanine level given the option of an office or art room.

There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

OK, the garden may be smaller than anticipated,

but it does come with those great views.

Coming through the door into this converted barn

is a dramatic experience

and an exciting experience.

You have this great sense of space, character.

It is beautifully converted,

but I think it would need a bit of modification

to make it feel, shall I say, cosier?

The downside was the garden size.

I thought that was just a little bit too small for a house of this size.

You walk through this enormous room,

there's a window over there with a view to die for, for miles.

You open the door and you basically have

a very small garden to walk into.

This property is a contender

but with some reservations that I would need to think about it.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Well, that has put open-plan living to the test, hasn't it?

It really has, yes.

That was a wonderful example of open-plan living.

-It truly was.

-Last of today's properties.

Have we given you much to think about this evening?

Masses for me to think about.

Plenty to think about.

-We'll be thinking.

-OK, let's go and do some thinking, then.

It's the second day of our visit to Norfolk, where we've got £425,000

to spend on a country home for Diane and Peter from Cambridgeshire

who moved back to the UK from Barcelona last year.

We've still got to come face-to-face with a surprising Mystery House.

Oh, OK.

This is probably the most positive feature of the house, for me.

And I'll be finding out about the colourful history

of an ancient crop.

This is where the magic really starts.

Look at all those different shades of blue coming out.

Yesterday's search went well and I found it fascinating that the house

that really seemed to spark Diane and Peter's imagination

wasn't the open-plan house that I thought they'd love.

I'm feeling confident about today and our Mystery House.

I don't think it's a house that they would have considered looking at,

but I think it could offer them that open, relaxed way of living

that they seem to crave.

For our Mystery House,

we're travelling to the village of Great Ellingham,

which is just about an hour's drive away from Cambridge.

The village has a store and post office,

a church and a gastropub

and the narrow lanes are lined with pretty homes

typical of those found in the Norfolk countryside.

Around a mile outside the village, in a beautiful rural setting,

we're at our last stop and after 44 years living abroad,

I wonder if Diane and Peter are ready to consider

a slightly different way of English country life

to the one they've been planning.

So, any guesses as to why it's the Mystery House?

-Because it's new.

-I think it's because that is a new build.

Absolutely. It was built in 2006.

It is one of only six on a very small development

-with very spectacular view.

-That's true, yes.

I'm thinking this is a new build, this is going to be clean,

easy to run and, actually, the lines are good.

I have something of a prejudice against new buildings.

This could be the exception.

We got a mixed reaction from you both to the outside

so let's see if we can reunite you when we look inside.

-OK.

-Let's go.

This handsome redbrick home has been built in the style

of a manor house barn, which does give it plenty of charm,

even though it might not have the character that comes with age.

Right, then. We come straight into this great-sized entrance hall.

We've got a study, dining room,

good storage cupboard for all your coats

and, of course, it takes advantage of that lovely view.

It is an impressive entrance hall, isn't it? Yes.

All the rooms are off the hall,

which we are crossing to get to the kitchen

and I'm hoping it's just what they've been waiting for

as there is room to cook, eat and relax.

I like it. I'm wanting to say a better word than like,

but I have to take it in first

because you've actually given me something that I've been asking for.

I think it's a little small.

-Right.

-That's my first reaction.

OK. That's a fair reaction.

I have some suggestions for you.

We've got a good-sized utility room over there

which has got everything you need. There is, behind this wall,

you get through to the garage, the second utility space

and also a downstairs bathroom.

You could take this section of wall out to extend that way

and have a much larger space in here

to give you much more of that big open space that you after.

I have no problems with the odd wall coming down.

There's definitely potential for that in here

and I think we should go and take a look at the sitting room.

Good idea. I'd like that.

The sitting room is at the back of the house

with windows on three sides

and doors to the garden which allows the light to flood in.

Our Mystery House may be modern but it is delivering on so many levels.

I couldn't fault this one.

You're going to think it's too small.

It's not too small as a sitting room.

It's full of light, looks out onto a pretty garden space.

-It's very appealing.

-OK, well, there is still plenty to show you upstairs

-so let's go and take a look.

-Thank you.

I'm sensing uncertainty from Peter but quiet positivity from Diane.

Maybe the bedrooms will help them make up their minds.

On the first floor there are four on offer,

one in each corner of the house.

There's a double with its own shower room

and beautiful views over fields,

another double at the back which is used as an exercise room and study

and a smaller bedroom used for storage.

There's also a bright family bathroom,

but we're headed to the largest of the four,

complete with a well fitted shower room.

Oh, OK.

The master bedroom is in a brilliant position,

just where you would want it to be,

cos it takes advantage of that incredible view.

That's what I was looking for out front,

hoping these windows would be in prime bed position and they are.

This is probably the most positive feature of the house, for me.

Let's go and see how you feel about the garden,

because that's the last thing yet and of course then

you're going to have to guess the price,

-so start giving that some thought.

-The garden is important.

The garden is important.

Back downstairs, the utility room has access out

to the beautifully landscaped garden which has a Mediterranean look,

so perhaps somewhere Diane and Peter will feel right at home.

There is a terrace hugging the house,

a lawn framed by shrubs and hedges,

as well as various places for relaxation

and shade.

It's delightful, really delightful.

Pretty garden, very pretty.

Bit short of potatoes but you could probably work on that, I suspect.

There are some fantastic raised beds

that have got lovely planting in,

but they could make brilliant raised beds

for growing your potatoes and your artichokes.

-Very true.

-Finally, we've come outside the house

and we have you both in agreement that the garden...

-The garden is good.

-..the garden works.

-Yes.

-I'm intrigued to discover what you think this property

-is on the market for.

-I would guess it's on the market for 440.

-Peter?

-She's a bit above budget.

I'd come down a bit, but at the top end of our budget.

About 420,000.

OK, well, it's on the market over budget.

It's £445,000.

However, we have had a chat with the owner

and she said that there is some manoeuvre there on the price.

That sounds very encouraging to me.

Why don't you go in, take some time, look around, explore more?

-OK.

-Will do, thank you.

-Thank you.

Our modern Mystery House may be £20,000 over budget

but I'm confident they could strike a deal

and if Peter can learn to love a younger property,

this could be the one that gives them space and open-plan living

as well as a garden to grow potatoes in.

The kitchen is already multipurpose

with a potential to increase its size

and with four bedrooms, they have options for a study and art room.

The views from the house are delightful

and the garden has been beautifully designed.

Another view. Look at that.

Isn't that lovely? And what a great room.

-Pretty room.

-Yes.

-A lot of character.

A bit of character in this one.

When I walked into the inside of the Mystery House,

it was beautifully light, good, square rooms,

well decorated, very appealing.

I could definitely live in it.

There would be no problem with that.

It has a lot of character, it has a lot of charm.

That doesn't mean that I love all modern houses,

but I could probably come to love this one.

-Have you seen enough?

-I've seen enough.

-Have you seen enough?

-I think I've seen enough.

-Ready to think.

-Well, you've seen all three properties now.

Are you ready for a chat about your thoughts?

A discussion is necessary, yes.

-Ready to go.

-I'm intrigued.

Come on, let's go.

The Norfolk landscape is defined by its agriculture

with arable crops like wheat a familiar sight.

But hundreds of years ago,

it was a flowering plant called woad that was everywhere,

used to produce an indigo blue pigment to dye cloth.

Ian Howard used to grow the usual Norfolk crops on his family farm

until 15 years ago, when he decided to diversify

and experiment with growing the ancient crop himself.

He now produces 40 tonnes a year.

-Hello, Ian.

-Hello there.

-How are you doing?

-I'm all right.

Good. So this is the woad.

-This is woad.

-What kind of crop is it?

This is a brassica crop.

It's part of the mustard family and it produces woad.

The brassica family also includes broccoli,

cabbage and cauliflower, but woad is not edible.

It's very green and I can see bits of yellow but I can't see much blue.

We have a few leaves here for you.

That's how it looks in its first year.

This will be as we would cut it

and we take this leaf to the dye house

and it will be able to extract the blue dye from that.

What kind of yield will you get from the crop?

We would like to think we could get a tonne per acre

and from that we'd like to think that from a ton of leaf,

we could get a kilo of pigment.

The woad is planted in April and by mid-summer,

when the leaves are about six inches long,

it's ready for its first harvest.

Ian harvests the leaves to produce a natural dye,

but the seeds from the flowers are also put to good use.

Oil is extracted from the seeds to great organic bathing products,

but I'm interested to see how the leaves are transformed

into that precious dye.

So this is where all the alchemy...?

This is where it is all done.

So how do you turn the green leaf into the blue dye?

With a process of hot water and cold water and adding lime to it.

When we've done all that, we can then pump it round in the air,

it oxidises and we'll produce a sludge.

We dry it outside in the sun.

If not, we put it into an oven and we bake it

and it will come out like this cake.

We will then grind this cake down to a powder which is this,

like that. With that, we can then colour.

How much crop would you have had to have had to grow

to get that much powder to dye with?

I would suggest that we need nearly an acre of leaf.

-Wow, it is incredibly intensive, isn't it?

-That's right.

In the past, it was woad that provided colour to military

and police uniforms until synthetic dyes came along

which led to the last woad mill in Britain closing in the 1930s.

But Ian has resurrected this fabulous crop

and now a new raft of textile manufacturers and fashion designers

are using his natural indigo pigment

for their designs.

Today, we're going to fashion my very own woad-dyed scarf

in a pattern created by yours truly.

OK, Chef, tell me the recipe.

Three, two, one is the recipe.

So that is three teaspoons of bicarb of soda

stirred into about half a litre of hot water

before two teaspoons of woad pigment are added.

Then the mixture goes into a bowl.

So it has got a really green tinge to it, hasn't it?

At the moment, it has.

In goes more water to make around five litres

and the final ingredient is one teaspoon of colour run remover,

a chemical which takes the air out

of the liquid and makes the woad soluble.

This is where the magic really starts.

One twisted silk scarf is wrapped around a pipe

with another packed tightly inside it.

This will create a pattern in the silk like tie-dye.

Put it in and most probably you will have to hold it in

-with that.

-After ten minutes in the liquid,

my scarf is ready to come out

and as soon as the oxygen in the air hits it,

it oxidises and sends the silk on the journey to its final colour.

Well, it's still looking very green.

-So what next?

-What we'll do is we'll put it in some cold water.

And it's the oxygen in the water

that will help speed up the colour transformation from green to blue.

Take it off the roll and it will finish up something like this.

Oh, that's beautiful.

It's an amazing process, isn't it?

It goes from the soil onto a silk scarf.

Absolutely incredible.

Field to fashion. How's that?

Ian, thank you, it's been fantastic.

No problem.

That's our property search over

and I have a feeling that one of the houses could well be a contender

for the home that Peter and Diane are hoping to find here in Norfolk,

so let's find out.

Our search is over.

You've seen all three houses.

What are your thoughts on them?

Do you have a favourite?

Number one and the Mystery House are good contenders.

Peter, what about you?

Are you in agreement with Diane on the two properties?

I think on balance I would say I preferred number one

but the Mystery House is very liveable in proposition.

It is intriguing to me that the two properties

that have appealed to you most,

they offered a nice flow to the living space

but they didn't offer that kitchen-living-dining.

No, but the first property,

I think there is a possible chance

we could knock down a wall and extend.

What do you think you have learned from our search here in Norfolk?

With just a reasonable amount of compromise,

I think we can find what we're looking for.

So, is there a "what next?" with either property number one

-or the Mystery House?

-They both need a second look

and an exploration of the area.

The Mystery House has the views.

It is winning on that.

I'm absolutely thrilled that out of the three properties,

we've managed to find two

that have sparked enough interest in you for you to go back

and to explore them again.

We wish you well and lots of luck with wherever it is that you end up.

I'm sure you're going to be really happy here.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

When I first met Peter and Diane,

it was clear that they had very strong ideas

about what they were looking for from their home here in Norfolk

and who can blame them for that?

But as I spent time with them,

I've been impressed to discover

that they are a couple who are prepared to compromise

and whilst they don't want to give up on that dream

of open-plan living, I think our time with them

has shown them that they may need

to make the changes to a house themselves in order to get there.

We wish them lots of luck with their move here to Norfolk

and I'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.

Diane and Peter revisited both house one and the Mystery House,

but have since decided that they'd like to live even closer

to Cambridge than they first thought,

so their house hunt continues.

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