Derbyshire Escape to the Country

This charming village behind me may be full of life today,

but a poignant story

of self-sacrifice is written into its history.

Find out exactly what happened and where I am in just a moment.

On today's show, I help a couple

looking for a rural escape somewhere with

a strong village community.

But it seems that size is going to be a struggle.

Interesting, to say the least.

-Yeah.

-Looks a bit small on the front.

But it's fortunate some houses in our line-up do measure up.

Oh, this is big.

-This is big.

-This is much...

I thought it would be low roofs.

Wow, that's fantastic.

Today, I'm in Derbyshire, and this is the village of Eyam,

where in 1665, a cloth-bound package infected with the bubonic plague

arrived from London.

Once the disease had started to claim the lives of the villagers,

the entire community made an extraordinary decision,

to quarantine themselves to stop the disease from spreading.

Around 260 people lost their lives as a result,

affecting over 70 families.

Today, Eyam still remembers the courage of its ancestors

and the industries that contributed to the revival

of this beautiful village.

Derbyshire is located at the heart

of Britain and shares its borders with seven other counties,

with Nottinghamshire to the east and Staffordshire to the west.

A county of striking and varied landscapes,

its windswept moors give way to

exposed limestone dales, where miles

of dry-stone walls snake through lush fields and wooded valleys.

And the crowning glory is

undoubtedly the Peak District National Park,

which lies predominantly in Derbyshire.

Ancient towns like Ashbourne provide gateways to the region,

attracting house-hunters and visitors alike,

who come to admire its many Georgian buildings,

historic almshouses and the main attraction,

the 14th-century St Oswald's Parish Church, featuring a 212-foot spire.

The region is also peppered with picturesque villages, like Thorpe,

home to a stout Norman church dating back to the 12th century,

and pretty residential properties made from stone.

When it comes to industry,

look no further than the World Heritage Site

of the Derwent Valley Mills.

Home to Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mill,

a cotton factory which became famous in 1769, when Arkwright

successfully harnessed the power of the river to run it.

Today, his legacy lives on,

as the mill houses one of the

finest collections of working textile machines

in the UK, now open to the public.

So, with industrial history, architecture, and wonderful scenery,

it's no wonder Derbyshire remains popular with those looking for their

ideal rural home.

Derbyshire can be great value for money

with the average detached house price coming in at an impressive

26% below the national figure.

Having said that,

proximity to the Peak District can

inflate prices in historic market towns

such as Bakewell and Ashbourne, with their very attractive housing stock.

However, further from the National Park,

Wirksworth is a fine example of a town

where you'll get that little bit more for your money.

Mindful of this, let's meet today's

buyers and find out what has attracted to them to this county.

Research scientist David and his wife Sarah,

an occupational therapist, currently live in Dartford in Kent.

Their first encounter was some three

decades ago in the Cumbrian countryside.

We first met in the Lake District

in a church up there I had been going to for several years.

I went along to this church one Sunday morning

and we were introduced.

We didn't fall in love at first sight

but gradually over the years we did.

We've been together for 29 years.

A long time but,

a great time.

Together they have three children

who are now grown up and the youngest is

about to leave for university.

After years of moving around for David's work,

they've decided the time is right

for both of them to take early retirement,

leave their busy local area

and head back to somewhere more peaceful again.

It's a lot sort of busier and

sort of faster, life down here.

Probably time for looking for a change

and something a little bit quieter.

Well, we're thinking of moving to Derbyshire

which is sort of central to the country.

And it's a beautiful area.

And then it will have the Peak District on the sort of doorstep,

which is a place we haven't really explored before.

-No.

-We like the outdoors and we want to go and explore it.

Alongside a busy job, David is also a churchwarden.

They both attend regularly,

so a local church and a new community will be

important considerations for their next move.

As will a space for their hobbies.

Sarah would like more time to enjoy

cooking and knitting, whilst David would like somewhere

to continue his hobby of model-making.

I've got marquetry,

sort of making pictures out of wood veneers,

and also model-making with wood as well.

Moving will mean leaving their four-bedroom chalet bungalow,

where they've lived for 16 years.

But whilst it has served them well, the plot no longer suits Sarah.

We've a lovely garden, about one third of an acre

on different levels,

which is becoming more difficult for me

because I have arthritis in one of my hips,

and David's having to do all the gardening really now.

Working as well as doing all the garden is quite a lot for him to do.

Saying goodbye to the family home

will be an emotional upheaval but

the benefits of more free time and a

brand-new location will far outweigh this.

I think I'm excited that we will be doing something together.

We haven't done that for a very long time.

-Yeah.

-I'm excited about that.

Now is the time for ourselves to enjoy

and having that time together to do whatever we want.

For David and Sarah's move to Derbyshire,

they're hoping to find a country home

somewhere between the towns of Derby and Bakewell.

So we are concentrating the search in this area.

And I'm meeting up with them in the county to find out more about their

property wish list.

Well, Sarah and David, welcome to Derbyshire.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

-With three grown-up

-children that have left home...

-They have.

..this is the next chapter, isn't it?

It's just about the two of you, for most of the time.

The house really that we're in at the moment

is too big now that it's just the two of us.

So talk us through what you'd like for your next property.

Well, I think we'd like a detached house.

Ideally at least three bedrooms so

when the family come, they can come and stay.

Flat garden so that Sarah can do more gardening

and not be bothered too much about her hip.

We do know, don't we, that Derbyshire is very hilly.

It is, but as long as the house itself is on the flat.

-I think that's the important thing.

-OK.

-We'd love a social kitchen.

For the moment we've got a kitchen and other people have to sit in a

different room. Can't really talk to them while you're cooking.

So we'd love a social kitchen when the family are home.

We do own a caravan and it would be

lovely to have room on the property to keep it.

Or perhaps be able to store it but nearer.

So you're both pretty flexible when

it comes to location, but I'm guessing

you want to be close to a community, the edge of a village.

Church is very important to us so to be able to be a member of a local

church involved in the community is...

-That would be great...

-It would be great for us.

It does sound wonderful.

Let's remind ourselves of how much you've got to spend with this

-move to Derbyshire.

-Right, we've got £380,000.

Well, we do have some splendid properties to show you.

You don't know the county very well so I think it's going to be an

interesting few days but an exciting one.

Good budget. Let's see how we get on. Let's go.

With a budget of £380,000,

David and Sarah are looking for a detached home with three bedrooms.

They'd like a large kitchen diner as

the hub of the house and an even accessible garden.

A place to park their caravan close by will be important to them,

as will a strong village community

and a local church.

We found three fantastic properties for them to look at and at each one,

I'll be asking them to guess the price at the end of the tour.

Our final stop to the Mystery House

will certainly give them a new outlook to consider.

So taking this lovely early retirement,

it does give you so many options, doesn't it?

It does, yeah.

One of the things I want to do is to

sort of look at doing something voluntary.

Cos it's important for our faith to do things for other people.

To be able to give back something is important for us.

I think this will be a very

different way of life, perhaps slower.

But doing more things together.

We're starting off our tour within their search area in a small village

called Fritchley.

Set within lush and endless scenery,

Crich is the nearest town to

Fritchley, lying just a short three-minute drive away.

A former market town,

Crich has all the amenities you could ask for,

a thriving community and no less than three churches.

A further Congregational Church can be found back in the centre of

Fritchley, which also hosts other

community events that Sarah and David might enjoy.

And just a short walk away from it,

we come to the first house in our selection.

Well, this is it, our first property.

I'm going to get you to turn round.

-Wow.

-It's this wonderful old cottage.

Interesting. It is old.

-Yeah.

-And it's got an archway, I love archways.

So first impressions?

-Interesting.

-Yeah?

To say the least. Yeah, not quite sure really.

Bit hard to say. Looks a bit small on the front.

It does look a bit small but...

I'm really intrigued.

It does have a certain charm, doesn't it?

-Definitely.

-Let's step inside, see what you make of it.

-OK.

Originally starting life as two cottages and now knocked into one,

this property dates back some 400 years.

It is semidetached and may appear to compact

from the front but there is a new extension to the rear

which really has added to the space inside.

We're starting off with the kitchen.

So, step inside.

Oh, lovely kitchen.

It's beautiful. Lovely table,

I can see the family round that, can't you?

-Yeah.

-And the range.

-It is a country kitchen, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yeah, it is.

-Lots of wood, lots of character, lots of charm.

A reasonable size as well.

Yeah. Now this is the oldest part of the house.

You can see just by the thickness of those walls.

I was going to say how thick the walls are.

-Yeah.

-There's a bit more room over there as well.

-That's the extension.

-Right.

-So you've got a big utility room.

-OK.

-With underfloor heating.

-OK.

-Very nice.

And then beyond that you've actually

-got a downstairs cloakroom with a shower.

-Oh, useful.

Initial reactions outside were...

Might be on the small side.

What do we think as we step in?

This is bigger than I expected it was going to be.

Good. Well I'm hoping you're going

to be equally impressed with what's next door.

Let's have a look.

So this is your sitting room.

What a lovely floor.

All reclaimed from a local pub.

It was going to be thrown out so the owners found it, brought it in here.

-What fun.

-I know - it's beautiful, isn't it?

-Very cosy.

-Nice big fire.

-Yeah.

-Wood burner.

Yeah, it's cosy, it's small.

Is the character a little bit off-putting, this charm that it has?

I'd love to holiday here.

Not sure all the time.

So if this side is old,

let me show you what's next door because that might change your mind.

Just through here.

This side, this is far more contemporary.

Wow. Look at this. Beautiful.

Nice and light, very light.

And that would be more room for the family to spill out into relaxing.

-Summer or winter.

-Exactly.

-Beautiful.

-To the side of us you've got the garage.

There's no room there for the caravan.

However, the owners keep their caravan at a local farm.

-Oh, OK.

-In actual fact there are two caravan parks, one three miles away,

one five miles away if you wanted to look at something more permanent.

-That would be amazing.

-That's useful.

-Good options.

-That would be a lot better than what we've got now.

-I take it that we are loving this room?

-Definitely. Lovely. Beautiful.

-Let's head upstairs and see what you make of that.

-OK.

It's a great start to the first property, and the modern extension

has really helped boost the space downstairs.

I just hope the four bedrooms upstairs will also appeal.

Two are neutrally decorated,

large enough for doubles and another

smaller bedroom is set up as a study.

There is also the family bathroom

and last to see is the final bedroom.

So, let me show you the master bedroom.

-Right.

-OK.

-Nice and bright.

Slightly small but lovely.

I love the window. It's lovely to

see that depth of the wall looking out.

-Yes.

-And then it's all countryside.

We really are in the heart of it here, aren't we?

So overall, not a bad reaction to upstairs.

-Definitely.

-And I think it's time to head outside, see what's there.

-OK, great.

-That would be lovely.

Once out in the garden, it will be

time for them to guess the price and I just hope they can see

the value in this charming cottage.

They may be feeling the squeeze

upstairs but the outlook of the garden could make up for it.

See, this is why you want to move, isn't it?

-Those country views.

-Beautiful views.

-Amazing.

-Lovely.

So we do have a flat garden here.

-Yes.

-Although, Sarah, there are some quite steep steps to get up here but

I'm thinking that would be worth

landscaping and you could just soften it.

Yes, you could. This is lovely and flat.

And if the lawnmower was in the shed, that would be fine.

I can put my feet up.

So, I wonder what's going through your mind now.

And how good you are going to be at guessing the price.

I'm no good at these things, so I'll go first.

I think it's on the market for 360,000.

-OK.

-Pounds.

Not knowing the area really, 370,000.

OK, you're both under the asking price.

It's actually on the market for £379,950.

-Oh, right. OK.

-So I can give you £50 change from your top budget.

You've done well. Lovely first property.

All right. Well have another look around on your own this time and

I'll catch up with you when you ready.

Lovely. Thanks very much.

Thank you.

On the market for just under £380,000,

the space in this semidetached

character cottage is really deceptive.

For it comes with four bedrooms, a modern extension,

a lovely country kitchen- breakfast room for Sarah

as well as options for David's modelling.

And whilst it doesn't have a huge garden,

there is a thriving church community right on the doorstep.

Initial thoughts for this house,

bigger than it looked from the outside.

And for just the two of us,

there's plenty of space around.

A little bit concerned probably

about the sort of parking space at the front.

Quite small.

And the garden, probably a little

bit on the smaller side than we were expecting.

What really works for me is the kitchen.

A lovely farm kitchen and I can

imagine the family sitting around chatting

whilst teas, coffees, meals are being prepared.

Really lovely, lovely warm...

That's what we were looking for.

Well, that's our first house tour done.

-Lovely.

-Charming cottage.

-Beautiful.

-Good start, I think?

-Very good start.

-Yeah. Very good.

-Thank you.

-Right, let's keep going.

-Right.

Derbyshire's deep clay enriched soil

holds the history of its industrial past

in pottery making.

200 years ago and in its prime,

there were 69 different potteries at work in the area,

only a few of which are still in business.

And it's to one of the most well-known, Denby Pottery,

that David and Sarah have come today.

To understand more about the heritage of the county,

they're meeting company historian Linda Salt.

How was the Denby Potteries established and how long ago?

In 1806, as you can imagine the

Industrial Revolution was well underway,

people needed roads to take the

goods to market and the road builders were busy.

They got as far as Denby and they discovered this magnificent,

enormous seam of clay.

The local potter, William Bourne,

was called to have a look at the seam of clay.

He recognised its attributes straightaway.

In 1809, he put his youngest son, Joseph,

on the site of the clay bed to get underway with the pottery.

What were they making?

Stoneware. Bottles and jars -

to basically hold liquid commodities of the day.

Glass was around but it was very expensive.

So everything basically contained in a fluid came in a ceramic bottle.

If we look just behind us,

the bottles also included hot water bottles.

Oh.

And there were the more functional-looking ones.

But they were some interesting shapes.

-Oh, wow.

-And it was intended for gentlemen.

-For in the bed to keep it warm.

-Yes.

The brand is traditionally known for its brown salt glaze,

an effect achieved by throwing salt into the kilns.

When the salt vapours combine with the clay,

it creates a shiny brown coating.

After the Second World War,

the company moved on to tableware

and whilst the glazing methods moved on,

some of the original processes are still done today.

In the factory, Sarah and David are meeting head of manufacturing,

Dean Barlow, and dipper Joe Pearson.

-Hello, guys.

-Hello there.

-Joe's dipping a teapot.

So basically you've got to cover

your thumb over the spout, otherwise the glaze flows into

the inside and you've got the wrong glaze inside.

-Yeah.

-And then you've got to dip it,

get the top of the handle to the top of the spout without going inside.

And you've got to do it fairly

quickly, otherwise the glaze becomes too thick

and it will run off the pot when it's fired.

-OK.

-If you want to have a go so...

These biscuit-fired teapots are

still porous and, when dipped, soak up the water

from the solution leaving just the glaze on the surface of the pot.

Then they're dried before a final firing.

-Very good.

-So you've missed the top of the handle slightly.

With 25 pairs of hands involved in the process,

over 150,000 pieces are made each week.

Using skilled craftsmanship, they are still

made from the original seam of Derbyshire clay discovered

all those years ago.

Once the pots are fired, finishing touches

are applied before a final check is made.

Every single piece is hand inspected.

So they look around the outside of the piece,

they check for any visible flaws and then every piece is tapped to make

sure that it's not got any internal cracks.

-Right.

-And you get a dull thud rather than that nice ring.

Oh. OK.

From the potted history to the

complex skills involved in making them,

the legacy of these ceramic pieces lives on.

But for now, we're turning our

attention back to the business of house-hunting.

For our next property, we are staying right in the

centre of their search area, this time in the village of Middleton.

This pretty farming hamlet grew up alongside the nearby market town of

Wirksworth, where there was a

prosperous lead mining industry in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Today, its period limestone buildings

and picturesque alleyways play host to many cafes and shops.

In the centre sits the grand

St Mary's Church, which dates back to the seventh century

and is associated with the Methodist church back in Middleton.

Again just a short stroll away from the church lies our next house.

Let me introduce our second property.

-That's nice.

-Bigger.

-Nice front garden.

-Really nice.

Lovely front garden.

-Pond.

-Yes.

-We've learned something on that first property,

never judge it by the front door.

-By the outside, yeah.

-Yes.

It's nice, I like it.

Makes it look bigger because you've got space in front.

-Yeah.

-Which I like.

-Right, I think we should

start having a look around our second property, don't you?

-Definitely.

-Yeah, sure.

Approached by a flagstone pathway,

this symmetrical cottage was built

in the 1760s with an added 100-year-old

extension at the back that perfectly blends the old and new together.

We are starting off in the original sitting-room.

Let's start off with...

Well, I'm going to say the first reception room.

OK, lovely open fire.

Yeah. Lovely big window.

Look at that stone sill.

-That's amazing.

-Fun.

-Yeah.

-Lovely.

-Got character, which is nice...

-And the deep...

-Little recesses.

Lovely having a bookcase in...

Set in the wall. I have lots of books, don't I?

Yeah. Too many.

So you've got this reception room and then you've got another one

-the other side of the hallway.

-Yes, OK.

Leaving behind two of the three

receptions in the oldest part of the house, a small doorway brings you to

the more modern extension at the back

and straight into the kitchen diner.

-Wow, what lovely kitchen.

-This is nice, nice and open.

-Yeah.

-Lots of room.

Now somebody wanted a large kitchen, I seem to remember.

-I do, yes.

-Yes.

-And?

-And a massive range.

I love it. It's a little bit more quirky

and different than I expected and lovely.

I really like it.

Yeah, lot bigger than I expected. I didn't expect a kitchen this size.

See, I think you want quite a large house in actual, fact.

I think we probably do, don't we?

I think for when the family come, we're all together.

And even for church events, meals and meetings and things.

Yeah, inviting people round.

So you've all this space here,

remember you've got three reception rooms.

The third one is just behind us next door and that leads also into a

utility room and downstairs cloakroom.

-Wow.

-OK.

-That's a lot downstairs, isn't it?

-That's good, yeah.

-See, you do want a big house, don't you?

-You do.

-Looks like it.

-Probably bigger than we thought.

-I think so.

-I think so. Well, let's see what you make of upstairs, shall we?

-OK.

Reconfigured to maximise space,

this downstairs extension has made a real impact and the four upstairs

bedrooms benefit as well.

One is a bright blue double with a washbasin.

A smaller double is presented with a single bed.

And another double is set up as a study.

Then, next to the family bathroom,

we come to the largest of the bedrooms.

-Oh, this is big.

-This is big.

-This is much larger...

I thought it would be low roofs and small rooms up here.

Wow, that's fantastic.

So, master bedroom, wonderful.

-Yeah.

-Lovely, fantastic.

-We've always...

-And wardrobes, look - fitted wardrobes.

That's even bigger than it even looks.

Yep. It's huge as it is.

Let's take a look at the garden because it is unusual.

And we're going to have to talk about that price as well.

-Yeah.

-Let's see how we get on.

-OK.

As well as a patch at the front,

the garden also spreads out to the side of the property

where pockets of lawn and flowerbeds sit alongside a number

of sheds as well as a large veggie plot.

So you've got that wonderful front garden.

This is yours.

Now, the beloved caravan could live here.

However, there are areas around here that actually currently rent out

spaces for caravans and extra cars.

-Lovely.

-Now what about you, Dave?

I sense a little bit of reticence.

I think although there's three reception rooms downstairs,

they're a bit on the small side, each of them.

If we have visitors and friends coming around

to stay and things, it...

Sort of end up in different rooms.

What do we think it's on the market for?

You go first this time.

I think it's probably over budget and I'm going to say 395.

OK. I was going to go for £400,000.

Oh, you're very close, aren't you?

I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised,

because the asking price is £364,950.

-Really?!

-£15,000 under budget.

I can't enlarge those reception rooms

but I'm going to send you back.

I want you to have another look at them now.

-OK, yep.

-Tell him the kitchen outweighs those reception rooms.

-Go on.

-I will.

-Everyone lives in the kitchen.

On the market just shy of £365,000,

this detached home gives our buyers four bedrooms,

one an impressive master.

Whilst the receptions aren't vast, there are three of them,

topped off with a great kitchen diner.

The property also boasts a level cottage garden and there are

opportunities to keep the caravan close by.

My impression of this house when we got inside,

the layout is bigger than you'd

expect and the bedrooms upstairs and the heights of the rooms...

I was just amazed. I love the kitchen.

That probably does feel like the hub - the middle of the building.

A nice big kitchen with plenty

of room for the social aspect of it as well.

Nice big main bedroom, which I like.

The outside works well. Perhaps the downside being, for me anyway,

although there are three reception rooms, they are on the small side.

This really is a splendid garden - just looking at it.

It is, with the sunshine and everything.

Even bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside.

I wonder if you've convinced him.

You're going to have to sleep on this one, Dave.

-I think so, yeah.

-Positive vibes for those reception rooms.

Guess what? That's it.

-Oh, OK.

-But I do have one more house to show you tomorrow.

-Looking forward to it.

-Good.

-Yes.

-Let's go.

-Thank you.

It's the start of our second day with David and Sarah,

from the town of Dartford in Kent,

who have a budget of £380,000 to spend on a rural idyll,

near a village with a church and strong community.

Still to come... At the mystery house,

a different taste in styles become apparent.

A little bit olde-worlde for me.

-You're learning things about him, aren't you?

-I love it!

And I get a real taste for the county.

Can't go wrong with that.

Well, it's been a fair start to our house search

but there is still room for improvement.

Clearly Dave and Sarah want to live in the heart of a

community with a good church nearby.

I wonder how they're going to feel if we slightly remove them from that

but show them a delightful Mystery House with views to match.

Our Mystery House is the most

northerly location, in Lower Lumsdale.

On the fringes of the Peak District,

it's just a five-minute drive away of the county town of Matlock.

A former spa town,

its vibrant centre is now full of

all the amenities and luxuries you might need,

plus a number of churches.

Nearby in the village of Tansley,

two further churches can be found -

both beautifully built from locally quarried stone.

Here there's also an active village hall

with a number of community events

that might suit our couple.

And it's just a short drive away

from the action in a truly rural

setting where we find the mystery package.

So a new day, our final property.

It's got to be the Mystery House, hasn't it?

-Here she is.

-Beautiful.

-Lovely.

-Any idea what this used to be?

Some sort of farm building?

It's actually a stable block to the big mill house.

It begs the question, why have we picked this?

It's the location.

This location is probably a bit further out than the other two.

You do have a village quite close by but we are a little bit more remote.

The way we came in - that's your entrance

and you also have an alternative

private entrance at the side.

I think we should start the tour of the house first.

Yes, what a good idea.

Come on.

Whilst our Mystery House is semi-detached

and takes us out of a central village location,

this character conversion, dating back to the 1800s,

has an ideal layout.

It was sympathetically extended in the 1990s

to provide well-proportioned rooms

without losing any of its original charm.

Right, as you walk through, you've got a small hallway.

-Right.

-It leads straight into

-our sitting room.

-Beautiful fire.

-It's really nice.

-This is where they would have been stabled.

You'd have had three horses along,

they'd have been tethered up against that wall.

-Right.

-That's why the ceilings are so high.

Again, the original beams have been painted white.

-I like that.

-A lot of character in it.

This is your sitting room and then

they've added this wonderful sunroom/conservatory.

A strong start, hasn't it?

-Very much so.

-Let's see what you make of the kitchen next door.

OK.

That's beautifully done, isn't it?

A place to sit, social kitchen.

Beautiful. Lovely and light, lot of windows.

We're used to lot of windows in our kitchen at home, aren't we?

Beautiful view overlooking the garden.

You don't have a separate dining room.

It's all rather integrated here.

Dave, does it work for you or would you change anything?

The layout's good.

I'm not so sure about the finish to the kitchen units.

It looks a little bit olde-worlde for me.

More cottagey, not quite the sort of thing for me, anyway.

You're learning things about him, aren't you?

-I love it!

-Perhaps you'll be changing

this kitchen to suit your needs.

-Possibly.

-We'll see, we'll see.

It hasn't worked its magic on you.

Let's see if the rest of the property does.

With differing tastes becoming ever more apparent,

I hope the three upstairs rooms give them a meeting of minds.

The first is a beamed country style bedroom.

The second, a comfortable single.

There is a heritage suite in the family bathroom

and then we come to the last room.

-Pretty!

-You've got this wonderful master bedroom.

This is the main bedroom but you've also got this little dressing area -

-this vanity area.

-Beautiful.

-Nice and light and lots of light coming in.

-Beautifully done.

And they've kept the wooden beams.

You've also got an en suite.

-Yeah!

-This is a beautiful room.

-It's got character and...

-You like what you see so far up here?

Lovely.

Well, let's head outside.

Dave, if you wouldn't mind leading the way for me.

Thank you.

With both parties warming to the mystery property,

I feel encouraged to show them the garden.

With just a few shallow steps,

it takes full advantage of its rural position,

benefiting from beautiful far-reaching views.

And here you can really appreciate the stable cottage.

-Yeah.

-They've laid it out beautifully.

Roses, different places to sit.

It's full of character.

You've got your summerhouse.

We're trying to be mindful of your hip.

Would this be OK for you?

It would. I could do little bits at a time.

What else have I got to mention?

-The caravan.

-The beloved caravan.

The good news is, there's a farm about a mile away and two campsites.

-Oh, OK.

-Two miles away.

Plenty of options.

-OK.

-Let's see what you make of the price.

I'll let you know it's only just gone on, by a week.

-OK.

-I'm thinking it's over budget because of its location.

I think it's £410,000.

I'm thinking probably a bit less than that.

£399,050.

The asking price for this property is...

I'm being mean. £320,000.

-Really?

-Wow! That's a lot less than the others.

I'm really surprised.

For the final time,

I'm going to send you two off to have a look together on your own.

-Please do. I'll catch up with you later.

-Thank you.

Now, it's not often you can show someone such a splendid property in

a prime location £60,000 under their budget.

I'm going to leave them on their own and see if Sarah can convince Dave

that this could be their future home.

Considerably under budget,

the Mystery House has just come on the market for £320,000.

A former stable block, it has a large and light kitchen/diner.

There are three bedrooms and a sunroom.

Whilst it may be more rural and a short drive from the local village,

it does come with spectacular, uninterrupted views.

I have to say, I think I've slightly

fallen in love with the Mystery House probably over

the other two houses that we've seen.

This living room is so warm and welcoming and lovely and bright.

The kitchen is very much to my taste.

It's country, comfortable and I'd love to be in that kitchen.

What I really like is the master bedroom.

It's a good size and lots of light in it.

Also the views from the

windows upstairs across the valley are amazing.

It would be great to wake up to those every morning.

Hello. Happy?

Yes, very happy. A beautiful house.

Considering you didn't know this county very well,

we've certainly done some miles, haven't we?

-We have.

-Three properties, varying degrees of enthusiasm for them.

I think you two need some time on your own and then we'll have a chat.

Come on.

With miles of meadows of lush green grass,

livestock flourished in Derbyshire

and from their plentiful supply of milk,

its cheese industry thrived.

Many villages like Hartington have a long tradition in cheesemaking.

The original factory, dating back to 1875,

became renowned when George V

granted it a royal warrant to supply blue Stilton to court.

But due to closures,

cheese production was set to cease in the village until five dedicated

locals clubbed together and took up the cause.

They converted rural barns into a

creamery and kept Hartington Stilton firmly on the map.

I've come to meet one of the founders,

Alan Salt, to find out about the present-day production.

I'm looking forward to hearing about

your new business tucked away behind this farm.

-Let's go through.

-Thank you.

What's going on in here?

This is curd.

How do we get curd?

This was milk... This time yesterday this would be liquid milk and we've

converted it into curd.

We're preserving the milk, we've got to get the solids out of the milk.

This is the fat and protein and

that's what we're going to make the cheese with.

This liquid here - is this what you're trying to drain away?

That's mostly water. We don't need all that.

What we actually producing here?

We're making blue Stilton cheese.

Stilton is a protected product and

we can only make it in Nottinghamshire,

Leicestershire and Derbyshire.

Derbyshire, and this area of Hartington,

is renowned for its cheese production.

There's a long history of cheesemaking in Derbyshire and we

are unfortunately the last one, but we're keeping it going.

You say you're the last one, but it did stop at one point, didn't it?

Yes, the oldest cheese factory in the country was three miles away.

That closed down in 2009, leaving no cheesemaking in Derbyshire.

It's incredible to think, though, if Derbyshire is one of the few

counties not only in this country but the whole world, that can

-produce something as fine as Stilton and they stop producing it.

-Yep.

You've turned it around and proved there is a huge market.

We've turned it around and there is

a niche for artisan cheese made on a small scale.

The process continues by breaking up the curd to release the

excess whey from the milk.

Next, salt and a mould culture is added.

It's finely milled and packed into that cylindrical moulds and left to

settle for three days before the next process can begin.

Now I'm going to show you one of the other stages in the cheesemaking

process, putting the crust on the cheese.

This is the binding process.

That's the cheese and I'm going to take this plastic mould off

that makes the cheese shape.

You called it a blue Stilton.

I can't see any blue at the moment.

The mould seeds are in there to make it go blue later

but we don't want it to go blue now - it is too soon.

I'm going to seal up the cheese.

-Yes.

-Get a bit of a cheese and put it on...

and put it back on the next bit.

Just fill the holes in.

In a way, it's like sealing the sides.

-Do you want to have a go?

-I'd love to.

Thank you. This is the crust that we recognise.

That will dry out and form the crust that everyone recognises is on a

piece of Stilton. That's pretty good

for your first time you've ever done it.

-This all has to be done by hand.

-All done by hand, yeah.

Whilst I'm getting the hang of the binding process,

it will take weeks of storage before it's ready for eating.

So to get a taste,

I'm parting company with Alan and heading to the centre of Hartington.

At The Old Cheese Shop, I'm meeting

another of the Creamery's owners, Claire Milner.

-Hi, Claire.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Welcome to The Cheese Shop.

-When you say, "cheese shop",

I wasn't expecting so many different varieties of cheese!

You can see my eyes have just lit up, haven't they?

Do you want to try some now?

I would love to, but will mine taste like this?

It should do in about eight weeks' time, yes.

That is delicious!

It's not overpowering.

It's got a subtle taste, doesn't it?

Who needs crackers?

Get straight to the cheese.

That flavour is incredible.

It's quite sweet, isn't it?

It doesn't leave the bitter taste in your mouth afterwards.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you. It's been a pleasure.

You can't go wrong with that.

Although these crumbs mark the end of my tour,

they signify a remarkable revival led by a passionate local group,

championing delicious Derbyshire cheese for generations to come.

Well, I'm feeling pretty confident that we've shown David and Sarah

the merits of living in glorious Derbyshire,

but have we found them their perfect property?

Let's find out.

Sarah and Dave. Derbyshire, do you still want to live here?

You've definitely sold Derbyshire to me.

Yes, I think it's a really nice countryside and really nice area.

-It's won you over.

-It has.

I wonder if our houses do the same because...

Very interesting before we the talk about the houses,

watching the relationship as we go through.

It would be fair to say, Sarah, that you've loved some of the properties,

-haven't you?

-Yes, I have.

Certainly the second house, the Georgian building,

had lots of room and the bedroom

there and the garden was just really for us.

The Mystery House had all those lovely elements of warmth and

comfort and I felt very at home there,

really in the kitchen and the living room.

I thought that you two would be quite united looking around.

The same ideas and demands of a property but in actually fact,

your views are quite different.

Has it surprised you?

It has, yes, it surprised me.

Perhaps seeing the different things that we like, it has surprised me.

Like all things, we accept there is going to be compromises.

It's just deciding what is best for this stage in our lives.

We need to think a bit further about what we want from a home

and what we're looking for.

Have any of our three properties that we've shown you

got close at all?

Probably the third house is probably the one that's closest.

-Is it?

-Whether it's close enough is the next question.

It's got lovely views but it's the little things we need to think about

and make sure it's right.

There were churches nearby that looked hopeful -

in the village and the town nearby.

What is the next logical step for you both?

I think the area of Derbyshire...

For me, it's confirmed this is the right place to be looking.

-That's super.

-Yes, we've agreed on that.

It's getting that match.

Derbyshire is a truly beautiful county, isn't it?

I'm going to be honest,

I'm slightly frustrated because I thought we might have done it!

I'm sorry, we haven't quite joined up some dots,

-but it is a process, isn't it?

-It is.

We've got you that little bit closer.

We wish you all the best.

It's been such a wonderful few days.

Thank you very much. We've really, really enjoyed it.

Yes, we have. It's been great.

Although we didn't find David and Sarah their perfect property,

it hasn't been a wasted exercise.

We've cemented their desire to move to this gorgeous county and,

with a little bit more research into the local communities,

I'm sure they'll be making Derbyshire their new home.

We wish them all the very best.

See you soon.

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