Devon Escape to the Country

This extraordinary 18th-century building was inspired

by a Byzantine church in Italy

and is the only 16-sided house in the whole of the country.

But who would build such a place and where?

Let's find out in just a moment.

Today, our house-hunting couple are keen to relive their childhood

memories of the countryside.

And it seems there is only one word to describe our properties.

-Lovely.

-Lovely.

-Lovely.

-That's lovely.

-SHE CHUCKLES

-Wow, this is lovely.

But later on, things step up a notch.

I'm not going to say that word any more.

-What word was that?

-The perfect word.

-The P word.

-Yes.

And the good vibe is contagious.

Ken, I nearly did a little dance then.

-You were both speechless.

-Yeah.

Today, I'm in Devon.

And this is A La Ronde,

the eccentric Georgian home of cousins Jane and Mary Parminter.

They built it to house the massive artefacts and souvenirs

they collected whilst travelling around Europe for ten years.

And as you can see with the design,

there's lots of windows,

allowing the sunlight to flood in throughout the day.

Crammed full of hidden doors and escape routes,

the property has over 470 keys.

And it took four years for the National Trust,

who look after this property,

to match each key with the right lock.

It's certainly an unusual and intriguing building

and hints at the many fascinating sights this county is home to.

Devon sits in the southwest

of England

and borders three other counties,

with the Bristol Channel

to its north

and the English Channel

to its south.

Inland is Dartmoor National Park,

with its deep wooded valleys and a panorama of pastureland,

concealing the largest area of granite in England.

Director Steven Spielberg filmed the epic drama War Horse in the park and

said he had never been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty

before. Also within the park is the ancient village of Horrabridge,

sitting on the banks of the River Walkham.

Here, a 13th-century bridge, one of the oldest in Devon,

arches over the water.

The river is famed for trout and salmon fishing,

which explains the name of one of the two friendly locals.

Further south is the small village of East Budleigh,

decked with archetypal Devon thatched cottages.

Sir Walter Raleigh was born nearby and lends his name

to the 16th-century dining pub here,

and his parents are buried in the All Saints churchyard

within the village.

The neighbouring coastal town of Budleigh Salterton

is part of the World Heritage Jurassic Coast.

Its sheer, red cliff face and two-mile pebble beach also lie

on the route of the 630-mile South West Coast Path.

So, with its unrivalled natural beauty and charming architecture,

Devon is the perfect choice

for escapees yearning for a slice of it all.

The average price of a detached property here in Devon

comes in at around £309,000,

which is £22,000 above the national figure.

Remember, though, this is driven by the high prices in sought-after

South Hams, one of the most expensive areas

in the country for buying property.

The good news is

Devon is a large county with more affordable options.

For a seaside location, head to the North Coast,

in or around Ilfracombe.

If you fancy living more inland, Okehampton and Tavistock

will give you more for your money.

So bearing that in mind,

let's find out where today's buyers want to settle.

Retired sales advisor Lynn and her charity advisor husband Ken

have always been big softies at heart.

-We met at a teddy bear fair, didn't we?

-Yeah, we did.

-About 18 years ago?

-Yeah, I was asked to go along by my friend,

because his wife was going

and he didn't want to be the only male there.

So I went along to back him up, you know.

-And I like teddy bears, anyway. So...

-So that was it.

-That was it.

-The bears were to blame.

-And then...

-Yeah.

-..married 12 years ago now.

Home is a three-bedroom bungalow in Caterham, Surrey,

where they've lived for 12 years.

But after being in the area for around three decades,

they feel it is not the place it once was.

There has been a lot more development.

It used to be more of a village-y atmosphere.

But I think with the development and the extra traffic,

it really has changed a lot.

So with Ken's retirement fast approaching,

they've invested quite a bit of time planning their next move.

We just feel that we want something

a bit more rural, a bit more countrified.

I grew up sort of not far from here

and worked on a farm as a child.

And although Ken has always dreamed of living in the countryside,

it's only recently that this move has become a real possibility.

I had a motorcycle accident 43 years ago

which left me paralysed from the waist down.

And in those days, places weren't so wheelchair accessible.

So this gives us the opportunity now because we can go places.

And I want to see things that I wasn't able to see

because of working, changing my lifestyle because of my accident.

They've decided it's in Devon where they'd love to settle.

Lynn's sister lives in the county

and Lynn also has many happy memories of visiting

her grandmother there.

When she introduced Ken to the area,

it didn't take him long to fall for it too.

Devon, to me, is a lovely childhood.

It is somewhere that I have personally always wanted to live.

I didn't actually think

it would come true at this stage of our lives,

but hopefully it might do now.

It's just everything to me, really.

It's got... Everything that I love about life is in Devon.

And when I drive down there for the first time,

it just had that feeling I was going home.

And I just fell in love with it.

When they make their move,

our couple are looking forward to integrating themselves

into the local community

as well as spending time on their many hobbies.

Ken will get more time to do some wood carving.

I like my garden.

I like needlework, quilting and cross-stitching,

and a little bit of painting.

So, with their home on the market and their cat, Mary,

part of the move, it's clear this is the start of a new adventure.

It is exciting, yeah.

-WHISPERS:

-Scary,

but exciting.

Lynn and Ken are pretty open about where they live in Devon

but don't want to be too far from Lynn's sister

in the south of the county.

And before we start our search,

I'm meeting them to get to the bottom

of their property wish list.

Ken and Lynn, welcome to gorgeous, gorgeous Devon.

Starting off, what does this move mean to the two of you?

A whole new start, really, isn't it?

Everything, really. It's what we've just always wanted to do,

ever since we've been together.

How much research have you managed to do already,

looking for this new property?

We reckon we can write a good... Yeah.

A good guide to Devon at the moment.

-THEY LAUGH

-We are looking for areas that,

as I'm getting older,

are still not going to be too much of a problem for me in a wheelchair.

So what is it you are looking for?

In a property, I think we are... Obviously, everybody wants something

with a little bit of character.

Ideally, single-storey, for obvious reasons.

It's space, because the wheelchair does require space.

Yes, three bedrooms would be really nice.

Two bathrooms.

Because of my disability, I take a long time in the bathroom.

And you'd like a workshop.

-Yeah, a workshop.

-Or a garage or workshop.

Somewhere I can do my wood carving.

And a nice garden, a nice, safe garden.

We've got a cat that we adore.

So, do you want to be near a community,

do want to be quite rural?

Edge of a village would be lovely, with an ACTIVE community.

Let's remind ourselves of how much we've got to spend on this new

-property.

-OK. Well, our budget was sort of 350 to 400.

For the absolute right property that doesn't need too much spent on it,

we could go to 425, but that would be it.

That's the top ceiling.

-That is the top.

-Yeah, that would be the top.

All right. Well, we do have

some rather lovely properties to show you.

-So, shall we finish our tea and then get going?

-Lovely.

-Sounds fabulous.

-Good, here's to the next few days.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

For a top budget of £425,000,

Lynn and Ken want a single-storey

property with character,

space and a well-considered layout.

They'd like three bedrooms,

two bathrooms and a secure garden

for their cat, Mary.

And Ken would like a garage

or workshop so he can continue

his wood carving.

As far as location goes,

they'd ideally like to be on the

edge of a village so they can get

stuck into the local community.

We've chosen three fabulous properties for Lynn and Ken to view.

And it will only be after they have toured each one that I'll reveal the

price. The final visit will be to the Mystery Property,

which with just a little bit of creative thinking,

could provide the perfect home for them.

For our first visit, we're travelling to South Devon,

to Brimley, on the edge of Bovey Tracey.

Perched on the edge of Dartmoor,

the pretty cob- and granite-built market town is known as

the Gateway to the Moor.

The local church is Grade II listed and the neighbouring hall is

the centre of a thriving community.

There's a good selection of local shops and eateries,

including The Cromwell Arms, a reminder of the town's involvement

in a major battle during the English Civil War.

Back in Brimley, residents are served by a post office

and general store.

A short walk away is our first offering, a whitewashed bungalow.

-Wow.

-Lovely.

-Lovely, yeah.

As you noticed, as we came down this little drive,

-you do have quite a large Victorian pile behind us. BOTH:

-Yes.

So, in a way, we're part of the estate

even though you're independent.

This house dates back only to about 1980s.

-OK, OK.

-So it is relatively modern.

-I can't wait to see it.

-Well, if you'd like to come with me,

-let's take a look.

-Fabulous, thank you.

This 30-year-old property is laid out on one level

and has been recently renovated.

We're beginning our tour in the large sitting room to the left

of the front door.

-So you've got quite a nice, wide hallway, which is...

-Lovely.

-..important, isn't it?

-It is.

-This is a lovely, square room, thank goodness.

-It's a nice room.

-We like a square room.

-Do you?

-Yes. And it's nice and light.

-Yep. And looks out onto the garden.

-Lovely.

-Does it feel like a home?

-Yes, it does actually.

-It does.

The kitchen is not quite so square but beautifully done,

-let's see what you think.

-OK, lovely, thank you.

The kitchen also leads off the main entrance hall.

So, we have a brand-new kitchen.

-Wow.

-It's lovely.

-You've also got a small utility room...

-Lovely.

-..with plumbing for washing machine, dryer, and access as well.

-Lovely.

-So this works?

-Yes, perfect for us.

-Yes.

If you wouldn't mind leading the way to the left, we'll take a look at

-the bedrooms and the bathroom.

-OK.

The bungalow is laid out in a T-shape

with the sleeping quarters running along the top of the T.

We're heading to the bathroom,

which serves two of the three bedrooms.

Now, I know it's important that you both have a bathroom.

Cos we were thinking this probably would be your bathroom.

-Yes. Yeah.

-But we're not going to forget Lynn.

-Thank you.

-So we're going down this hallway and see what

-we've got in store for you.

-OK, good, thank you.

-That's great.

Beyond the bathroom are three bedrooms.

There's a double next door.

Along from that is a single.

And that just leaves the room we have earmarked for Lynn and Ken.

So at the end of the hallway, we have our master bedroom.

-Lovely.

-OK.

-It's a nice size.

-With an en suite.

-All right.

-The all-important en suite.

Yes, lovely.

That's lovely. And it is a square bedroom.

Yes, we like square, you've gathered that.

Yeah, it's important.

Is it exciting you, though, as a home?

Because we have talked practical.

-I'm not sure exciting is quite the word.

-OK.

-Not sure, but...

-But we have two heads, Ken and I.

We have our dreamers' heads and we have our practical heads,

-so somewhere in the middle, we have to meet.

-Good team.

-This is good so far.

-This is good.

I'd like to show you the garden next.

There's something else I'm going to mention.

I don't want to give too much away.

-So let's head back outside, shall we?

-Fabulous. Thank you.

The garden is behind the house and totally enclosed,

so it could be perfect for Lynn and Ken's pet cat.

-So from here, it looks a large home, doesn't it?

-It does, it does.

-Yeah.

-And it does have quite a large, generous garden.

-Yes.

If you like it as it is, it is pretty low maintenance.

-You've got the option, do what you want with it.

-Blank canvas.

So you have this rather lovely garden.

And the final part is it does have its own garage.

Good size garage/workshop, should you want it to be.

-Lovely.

-That sounds lovely. That sounds really good for me, yeah.

So we now have to get to the serious bit, don't we?

Where do we think our first property sits?

-Shall I go first?

-Deep breath.

-Yeah, you go first, Lynn.

-385?

-OK.

Yeah, maybe 385, 390.

OK. Well, you are both very close to the asking price.

It has recently come down.

-It is £379,950.

-OK.

-So that is well within our budget.

That is well within our budget.

And allows us a little bit extra to do the modifications.

-For the wheelchair.

-Absolutely. Positive start.

Well, I think you two should go and have another look.

So, I'm going to leave you to it.

-OK, thank you.

-Explore, take your time.

-We will.

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

-Thank you very much.

-That sounds fabulous. Thank you so much.

-We'll go this way.

This recently renovated bungalow comes in at around £45,000 below the

top budget. The property is well laid out and has the space our

buyers are after with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

There is also a pleasant, secure garden

and a garage-cum-workshop for Ken.

First impressions when we came round the drive,

I looked at it and thought it was a very pretty-looking bungalow.

It had a cottage look to it,

which I really liked.

The garden is fantastic.

There's a lot of fors and not that much against,

but a few little things that

we probably need to just chat about,

just to sort of see how we would manage with a couple of issues.

Overall, the property is pretty much what we are looking for, I think.

I love the prettiness of it and I can see how I can perhaps make it

even more so in my own style.

I thought I might find you here.

So, our first property, just outside Bovey Tracey, how are we feeling?

-Very optimistic.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Very good start.

-Good.

-A really good start.

-And we've got more to show you.

-Wow.

-Lovely.

-Shall we hit the road?

-Yes.

-Sounds good. Fabulous, thank you.

Devon's climate,

which is milder and wetter than other regions in England,

helps provide a rich, fertile terrain

which benefits not only farming but horticulture too.

Between Exmoor and Dartmoor, in the county's small market town

of Great Torrington, is Rosemoor Garden.

Once home to the Fifth Earl of Orford,

the house and garden were left to his wife and his daughter,

Lady Anne Palmer, following his death in 1931.

Lady Anne gifted Rosemoor to the Royal Horticultural Society

in 1988.

The garden was developed and, two years later, opened to the public.

It's 65 acres, home to 4,000 plants from all over the world,

attracts 175,000 visitors a year who marvel at the blooms and trees.

Nature lovers Lynn and Ken have come for a guided tour with gardener

Bridget Ibbs.

Welcome to Rosemoor Gardens.

Thank you very much. We've always wanted to be here.

It's just such a lovely day to come and see it.

I know, we're lucky with the sunshine, aren't we?

Fabulous weather, yeah.

What was the garden like when you took it over?

When we first arrived,

apart from Lady Anne's house and a small garden on the other side

of the road, this was all pastureland.

To do the landscaping, it was an incredible job.

They actually had to move,

I think it was, 13,000 tonnes of soil

from the entrance area to level out the formal garden.

-Goodness.

-Wow.

-So it's been an incredible journey for us here

over that time.

The garden changes throughout the year with the seasons.

And in the autumn, it is the colour-blocked hot garden

that's the star, which is where they are headed next.

Why is it actually called a hot garden?

Well, it's called a hot garden because of the amazing colour scheme

here. We have this wonderful, vibrant display of purples,

oranges and yellows.

All these really deep, rich colours.

And you can see that these purple flowers,

they're actually covered in all our honeybees.

-It's absolutely amazing.

-The bees really love that deep purple flower,

so that's a wonderful thing to plant in your garden for the bees.

While the bees are hard at work collecting pollen,

next stop is the kitchen garden, which is also flourishing.

It's absolutely amazing.

I'm so surprised at the size and the beauty of it.

Well, this is a walled kitchen garden, so we're really lucky.

We've got a lovely space to grow in.

So we've got lots of espaliered and trained fruit trees.

Apples and pears and peaches.

We also have a greenhouse with our tomatoes in.

At the moment, we are cropping our runner beans and sweetcorn.

So we grow pretty much everything here that you could grow at home.

Ken enjoys his garden and Bridget has a suggestion to make gardening

more accessible to him.

We've also got raised beds, actually,

which I think are a really good idea,

so you have them at waist height.

And it means that you could do everything,

you can grow everything on your raised bed and garden,

just as you would actually on the ground.

-That sounds perfect.

-Yeah.

At one of the raised beds,

sweet peppers are growing alongside chilli peppers.

This lovely sweet pepper here, actually, this is called redskin.

That's a really tiny one.

But here, this one is called long green buddha.

We've also got chilli peppers here.

That one is called vampire, that deep purple one there.

Oh, yeah, cos...

It takes around six months for the peppers and chillies

to grow from seed before they are ready to pick.

Wow, fabulous.

A nice red pepper.

These raised beds are made of oak,

but they are something that could easily be assembled

using old offcuts of wood if they fancy living the good life

in their new Devonshire home.

The good thing about raised beds as well is, you know,

you've got really good soil in there,

so especially a lot of your root crops really love it.

You'll get really huge carrots from a bed like this,

because they will be able to just easily go down

through that lovely soil.

-Yeah.

-Well, Bridget, thank you so much.

We've had the most wonderful time here.

-Thank you for your time.

-And we've learnt! We've learnt so much.

It's been lovely to meet you both.

-Thank you.

-And good luck with your house hunting.

-Yeah, thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-OK.

For our second property,

we're travelling deeper inland,

near to the border with Somerset,

destined for the village

of Holcombe Rogus.

This tranquil village is home to quaint country cottages,

a mixture of stone-built and pastel-painted facades.

The most notable building here is a privately owned Grade I listed

Tudor manor house, Holcombe Court.

There is a village shop and a post office in the local garage.

There is also a village hall and a traditional 17th-century pub.

And all this, surrounded by a classic Devon backdrop.

Just south of the village is our second property.

It's lovely. It's really lovely.

It is gorgeous, yeah.

Now, this is an unusual cottage, because in actual fact,

it started off life as a house. Built around the 1900s,

we believe it was a thatched house and there was a huge fire and they

managed to salvage the bottom.

So it does have the feeling of a house inside it,

but it is just one storey.

Right. That's interesting.

It's just lovely.

-It is.

-Just what I sort of imagined.

-Shall we take a look?

-Yeah.

-Yes, please.

-Go on then.

-Brilliant, thank you.

Not only did this single-level property gain a new roof,

it has also been recently refurbished

to an extremely high standard.

We are entering from the side of the property via the utility room

and going straight into the kitchen.

-I am just...

-Amazed.

-..in awe of it at the moment.

Yes.

I love it. I wouldn't change a thing.

Other than... Possibly take out the middle bit, if it is freestanding,

which would then make it 100% perfect for us.

See, these are the faces that I wanted.

-I'm feeling it.

-Yeah.

Let's see if I can make you fall in love with the sitting room.

Just through there, please, Lynn.

-So we're going to follow you.

-All right.

-Thanks, Ken.

The sitting room is just next door.

Wow! Wow, this is lovely.

-Wow.

-I said I wouldn't say wow.

-NICKI AND LYNN LAUGH

Listen, I'm at the back, and that is music to my ears.

-I'm loving this.

-This is lovely.

-Absolutely, yeah, amazing. Amazing.

-It is.

I've heard the word wow, amazing, perfect...

If I can get really good on this side of the property, I'll be happy.

-Lovely.

-So will we.

So I'm going to get you to turn around.

-Thank you.

-And we're going to just head up this hallway.

The entire left-hand side of the property comprises

the sleeping quarters,

with a smart bathroom serving three bedrooms.

So if you'd like to poke your head, just have a little peak there

-at the bathroom.

-Wow. That's a bathroom.

-That is a big bathroom.

-Yeah.

-But where are you going to sleep?

-Right.

-Follow me.

-Thank you.

Next door to the bathroom is a small double bedroom.

And at the front of the house is a larger square double.

Next to that is the master.

-Yes, it's lovely.

-Lovely.

Ideally, you did want the two bathrooms.

You might need to give up a bedroom to do that.

-That would be OK.

-Oh, I'm so pleased!

I'm not going to say that word any more.

-What word was that?

-The perfect word.

-The P word.

-Yes.

The best we've ever seen.

Which makes me wonder even if we can even afford it.

-But there we are.

-Let's go back outside,

-and then we will get to that...

-Yep.

-..that bit, I'm afraid,

-the guess the price.

-Yes. No problem. Thank you.

I'm not sure things could get much better here,

but outside it's just as lovely with fabulous views from the enclosed

garden, perfect for Mary, their beloved cat.

So we do have to discuss the garden.

It is quite a large lawn.

-Yeah.

-It's high.

But this could be a fantastic spot to put in a slightly elevated

sort of ramp, shall we say, going up, landscaped into the garden.

-Yes.

-So you have access, full access to it.

-Yeah.

You also get the beautiful garden you want at the same time.

-Exactly.

-Was there one more thing that you wanted, though,

-with this property?

-Yes, there was, actually. Yeah.

-Workshop.

-There is parking on the front.

-Yes, lovely.

-And there is a garage at the side of the property as well.

-I did notice that.

-Garage-cum-workshop?

-Wow. Yep.

-It has all been very positive.

We know you might need to spend a little bit of money.

-Yes, of course.

-The question is,

do you have that money left over in your budget?

Well...

I say it's got to be 410.

I'd go a bit higher, I'd say 420.

I want you both to take a deep breath

because the asking price is...

£339, 950.

-No!

-You're joking!

-(Wow.)

-Yay!

In answer to your question,

we would definitely have some money, enough to do the tweaking.

Ken, I nearly did a little dance then. You were both speechless.

-Yeah.

-Honestly, your faces...

Do you want a second viewing?

-That would be lovely.

-I think so.

-That would be lovely.

-Be my guests.

-Thank you, Nicki, we will.

-Thank YOU.

-Thank you, Nicki, thank you.

-Thank you.

This beautifully refurbished bungalow has rung in at £85,000

below Lynn and Ken's budget.

It's got the character they want and the space and layout

seems to suit them down to the ground.

The property gives them both the scope and the money left over to

turn a bedroom into a second bathroom.

Outside, the garden with its splendid views

could be adapted for Ken.

I loved it. Looked at the kitchen and just thought,

"Lynn must love this."

It's just a real fabulous kitchen.

This has just got everything.

It's the single-storey and it's got character and it looks like a

cottage. Perfect.

You often think... There's always something that you go...

"Yeah, maybe." Er...

But no. With this, I just thought, "OK, I can change that.

"That's adaptable." It just looked like everything could be adapted.

I love it.

Well, what a way to finish our day.

-That was quite a house tour.

-Absolutely amazing.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Thank you. Wonderful.

Yeah, just amazing, amazing.

I think we're going to finish on a high note. And guess what?

I've got one more house to show you tomorrow.

-I'm not sure how you can top this one, but we will wait and see.

-No.

-No.

-We will try. Right, let's go.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

It's day two of our journey around Devon,

looking for a bungalow for Lynn and Ken from Surrey

to live out their rural dream.

And with a top budget of £425,000,

they want somewhere that is accessible for Ken

with a safe garden for their pet cat Mary.

We've still got a challenge to come with our Mystery House.

It is an open book, and you are about to write the next chapter.

Oh, get me today with the Mystery House!

And I'll be seeing what goes underfoot in our rural households.

We actually have a number of carpets being woven for high-profile

clients, one of which happens to be Buckingham Palace.

I'm feeling pretty positive, because yesterday seemed to go so well.

Our first house, on paper, gave them everything they asked for.

Although, I think it didn't quite capture their heart.

But the second, it seemed like a true love affair

with minimum tweaking and maximum impact.

Now, we know our couple love character and they love charm.

And today, with our Mystery House,

they're going to get plenty of both and more besides.

Why? Well, it is called a project.

For our Mystery House,

we're travelling to the village

of Spreyton, located in mid-Devon.

The rural village is just north of Dartmoor

with far-reaching views across the park.

It's full of chocolate-box cottages with whitewash and thatches aplenty.

There is a village shop here and a village hall, the hub of local life.

The pub is named after a supposed forefather of the village,

Uncle Tom Cobley,

who was immortalised in the Devon folk song Widecombe Fair.

He's said to be buried in the church here in an unmarked grave.

Just a minute's walk from the pub is our third and final offering,

the Mystery House.

Oh, that's lovely.

-It's gorgeous.

-Looks lovely as well.

-Yeah.

-Gosh.

They call it a colonial house.

I can see why, actually, standing here.

-Yeah.

-I love it, yeah.

-Very, very nice.

It is an old building, 100 years old, so it is going to need that

creative thought process as we go around.

-OK.

-Good.

-That's good.

-We like that.

-Good. It's an open book,

and you are about to write the next chapter.

Oh, get me today with the Mystery House!

Right, let's take a look.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

This smart whitewashed bungalow was built in 1919 and later extended.

We're entering the property through the side door into the extension.

Straight into our kitchen.

-Wow.

-It's lovely.

-Lovely size kitchen.

-Square.

-Really nice size kitchen.

-Is it calling you, Lynn?

-It is.

It is got a lovely homely feel to this.

-We love the outside of the property.

-Yes, definitely.

-Kitchen...

-has got a big thumbs-up.

-Yes.

-All right, let's continue through.

-Lovely.

-Thank you.

Next door to the kitchen is a half-tiled shower room.

And adjacent to that, a large utility room.

Moving on, a few steps leads us up

into the original part of the bungalow.

-So, we do have those stairs, which we we'll discuss in a minute.

-OK.

-But just come on in here for now.

-What a lovely room.

-Fabulous fireplace.

-The fireplace is gorgeous.

-Lovely room.

-This is absolutely our cup of tea.

It's got that real feel, yes.

-The fly in the ointment are the four steps, aren't they?

-Yes.

-Because this house is on a slightly different level.

-Yes, yeah.

There may be a way round that, which we can have a look at.

Keep an open mind still.

Show you the whole of the property, because you know better than

anybody what is achievable and what is not realistic.

-But it is a fabulous Mystery House, isn't it?

-It is.

-Oh, it is.

On the other side of the hallway is the sitting room, which is

bright, square and airy.

Then continuing down the hallway are three double bedrooms,

all looking out to the front of the property.

There are two doubles, and at the end of the corridor is the master.

Oh. This is a lovely room. Lovely.

Look at the sun coming through, it's gorgeous.

-Lovely, square room.

-It is, gorgeous.

-There is a hidden extra, you might notice. There is an en suite.

-Oh.

-So that could be my bathroom.

-Yeah.

-SHE GIGGLES

It's got everything that you would want.

That we would want.

-Yeah.

-Well, we've still got the back garden to see.

-OK.

-You fell in love with the front.

-I did.

-And then of course, for the final time, guess the price.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-OK.

-Right, let's head back.

-All right, thank you.

Lynn and Ken seem blown away with this property,

and I'm blown away by their reactions.

Let's hope they continue as we move outside to the secure, level garden.

So here is our property, with this beautifully, well-maintained

-and well-loved garden, I think.

-It's lovely,

-you can see that.

-You don't have a garage,

but I must remind you of that huge utility room

at the side of the property, cos that could make

-a fantastic workshop.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

Let's talk about the financial side.

What price are we going to put on it?

-I think 410.

-Yeah, I'd say... Well, I'd say four.

OK.

You've got money to do some work on this property

because the asking price is £350,000.

-No!

-No, you're joking.

THEY CHUCKLE

Uh-oh.

Now, we made just one enquiry,

but to put in a lift to help

with those stairs, it would cost between £7,000 and £15,000.

-OK.

-That's very good.

-Yeah.

I'm guessing you'd like to go and have another look,

-wouldn't you?

-I'd love to, yes.

-Do take your time.

-Lovely. OK.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Our Mystery Property has come in a generous £75,000 under the top

budget, so there is money in the pot to make any practical adjustments.

It has the square rooms they love and need

and just the number of bedrooms they've asked for.

There are also the two requested bathrooms.

And outside, the garden is pretty and secure.

So if Lynn and Ken are willing to accept the challenge of overcoming

the four steps, they might just have found their dream home.

The house is just fabulous.

The steel fence around the front of it looks gorgeous.

My thoughts on the Mystery House... When we first saw it,

I just lost my heart immediately.

At the gate, I knew it was the place for us. It's exactly the style.

The garden, the location... Everything was perfect.

Obviously, the only issue really is the kitchen is on the lower level.

But as Nicki has mentioned, the cost of a stairlift to be installed...

So it's something to think on, something seriously to think on,

because we love it.

I can't fault the house other than four steps.

That's my only fault with the property.

But maybe we can overcome that.

-I think I've had all the emotions today.

-Yes.

-I wasn't quite expecting that, but in a good way.

-It was.

-Yes, definitely.

-So we're going to have to go somewhere.

-I think I should leave you two alone to discuss all the options.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Have a bit of time and then catch up with you and find out

what your next move is going to be.

-Yeah, OK.

-Sounds good?

-Yeah, it does.

-Sounds really good, thank you.

The town of Axminster in the east of Devon has long been

known for carpet manufacturing.

And although the trade has had a bit of a bumpy ride through history,

it's still going strong today.

I've come to meet Josh Dutfield in his family's carpet factory

to learn more about his its beginnings.

Now the commercial director,

he is the grandson of the man who resurrected the industry.

It goes back over two centuries, back to 1755, and that was

the time in which the first ever Axminster carpet was made.

And it's a special type of weave which they named after the town.

And, actually, the first one they paraded throughout the whole

town with church bells, etc, to celebrate the first ever

production of a carpet.

My goodness.

Carpet making in Axminster was born when a local clothmaker named

Thomas Whitty visited London and saw some carpets imported from Turkey.

He was so impressed that he was determined to re-create

the colourful patterns himself.

What Thomas Whitty did exceptionally well

was that he effectively invented a weave

which gave him the ability to make a very high-quality product,

but with a different weave structure which allowed him

to make beautiful designs.

Axminster was chosen because of the wool trade,

and the southwest is synonymous with high-quality wool.

So Thomas Whitty's hard work, coupled with British wool,

created a very successful business.

Unfortunately, it was short-lived, as disaster struck in 1835

when fire swept through the factory.

Just over 100 years later, in 1937, Josh's grandfather,

carpet designer Harry Dutfield, resurrected Axminster carpets

after learning the industry had all but died.

The site where we are now was actually originally

a vegetable patch.

It was my great-grandfather's, grandfather

and the other founding directors

who hand built the many parts of the factory you see today.

Now the factory employs 160 staff

and produces 300,000 square metres of woven carpet a year.

It's still woven in the same way it was done in Whitty's time,

with British wool, including wool from Devon.

The carpets are commissioned for customers from all over the world,

as well as some closer to home.

So here we are producing for a commercial client,

-which is the Great Western Railway.

-I thought it looked familiar.

Yeah, it's one of our local railways to the area.

This carpet must go in situ on a train with all the trolleys

and people walking up and down

and last over eight years.

But I must say, it is

the more high-end clientele that really excites me.

We actually have a number of carpets being woven for high-profile

-clients.

-Go on.

-One of which...

One of which happens to be Buckingham Palace.

Sadly, I can't show you it, but we are royal warrant holders here

-and very lucky to produce carpets.

-For the Queen!

-Absolutely.

You can't show me, Josh, but you can't stop me from looking.

I am going to be keeping my eyes peeled as we walk around.

There are 30 looms here, some like the one

we have just seen that date back as far as the 18th century.

We are heading to one built in the 1960s.

This loom weaves a top-quality product,

and it takes around an hour to produce one square metre of carpet.

This is what I recognise.

This is what you think of when you think of your carpets.

This one is actually

for a high-profile boutique hotel in Paris.

Do you think your grandfather, if he was sitting here today, would be

-proud of you?

-Oh, I would hope so.

I hope he'd be proud of everyone working here.

Once completed, the woven carpets are lightly brushed, then gently

steamed before being sheared to create a smooth and even finish.

So, Josh, what is going on here?

So, here we have one of the final quality inspection areas.

And this is where every single woven carpet is hand-inspected

and hand-repaired.

What you'll see over here is Emma then identifying a potential

repair and effectively hand stitching

back in where the grippers haven't taken the yarn correctly.

-She's so quick, isn't she?

-Oh, it takes an extraordinary

amount of skill both to spot the fault in the first place

and then actually be able to know how to repair it.

Josh, this has been so fascinating.

And I have to say, next time I am in someone's house - which,

let's be honest, is quite often -

I'm going to be looking at the carpet.

I'm going to be checking out the quality under my feet.

Thank you so, so much for the tour.

No problems. It's been an absolute pleasure.

I must admit, I was quietly confident that we had found Ken

and Lynn their dream home with our second property.

We then introduced the Mystery House into the mix.

And guess what, I'm now not so sure.

They seem to adore both those houses,

but is there one in particular that is a favourite,

a favourite enough for them to put an offer on?

Well, I've given them some time to mull things over,

let's see what they've got to say.

So, put me out of my misery,

-how have we done?

-You've done very well, actually.

-Have we?

-Yes.

The second house - which, as you know, we loved - there were

a couple of little issues about the garden, mainly, I think,

and relocation of a second bathroom.

We're going to make a few more

enquiries about the...around the locality - services,

things like that that are in the area

which we don't know anything about.

-Oh, looking very positive, though.

-Yes.

-Possibly.

So, I've put the welcome to your new home card in that pocket,

but in this pocket, I wasn't sure

whether I had another welcome to a new home, a new mystery home.

Hm.

It is just so amazing. It is just... There are just those few...

Which are sort of silly, but are sort of quite important issues.

-I don't think they're silly.

-You know.

-Let's clarify, we're talking about those steps, aren't we?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

That house, actually... I told you at the time.

It did steal my heart.

And I think I would have...

Well, maybe not written the cheque out there and then, but almost,

if I hadn't seen those four steps.

When I saw the steps and I thought, "Oh, there's an upstairs."

And then I noticed that actually the house was on that level,

there was a little bit of a drop in the heart.

It's whether, day-to-day, having to go up and down on a lift...

And only you can really answer that,

whether you could learn to live with it.

And that is such a personal decision. So it sounds like...

-You want to go back and see both of them again?

-We do, actually.

-Yes.

We really would love to hear from you again.

-Yes, we will.

-Yes, you will.

If it is not one of our homes, if it is another, please let us

-know how you get on.

-Yes, we will.

-Thank you both so much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so very, very much.

-It has been such fun.

Yes, it has.

-We've really enjoyed ourselves, so thank you.

-Absolutely loved it,

-thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

It's been such a smashing week with Ken and Lynn.

They genuinely seemed impressed with the quality

and character of the homes we've shown them.

And all of them came in under budget. Now, understandably,

they need to do a little bit more research before they're prepared

to commit to a new home, but we have left them in no doubt that they

can and will find a wonderful place to live here in Devon.

They truly are the most lovely, lovely couple.

And we wish them all the best. I'll see you soon.

Lynn and Ken have since decided that although they loved

two of our properties, neither one was completely right for them.

So their search continues.

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