North Yorkshire Escape to the Country

Of the thousands of villages across England and Wales, 53 of them,

including the one I'm in today, are known as Thankful Villages.

In a moment, I'll tell you why, and where I am.

Today's search is about family ties

as I'm with a lady returning to her roots to be nearer her parents.

I'm feeling this is a good speechless.

Yeah, it's giving me goose bumps. It's lovely.

But it's not all smooth sailing with my straight-talking buyer.

Deal-breaker.

Today, I'm in North Yorkshire, in the Thankful Village of Scruton.

It's a term which came about in the 1930s and describes a village

such as this, as one that lost no men during the First World War,

and all those who went off to serve king and country came home again.

And it's a gorgeous county to come home to.

North Yorkshire lies in the north of England and is the largest

of the four counties that make up the historic region of Yorkshire.

Dominated by its two beautiful and characterful national parks,

the famous Yorkshire Dales boasts some of the finest limestone scenery

in the UK.

Its fields and pastures

are crisscrossed by distinctive dry-stone walls

that now look a natural part of the scenery.

To the east, the landscape of the Moors

is the wildest of the two parks,

whose expanse of heather moorland provided the atmospheric backdrop

for Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte's only novel.

Dotted throughout the county are market towns and villages,

like historic Helmsley and Thornton-le-Dale,

thought by many to be the prettiest in the national park.

If it's photo opportunities you're after,

the view from Sutton Bank was described by author James Herriot

as the finest in England.

In the mining village of Glaisdale, you'll find Beggar's Bridge,

built in the 1619 by Thomas Ferries,

after he and his sweetheart were stranded from one another

when the waters became too treacherous to cross.

So, be it bridges or even Bronte sisters,

the fascinating Yorkshire landscape has inspired many romantic tales,

both fact and fiction.

If it's space you're after, then North Yorkshire could be for you.

As well as being England's largest county,

40% of it is made up by the two national parks.

And as well as all this gorgeous scenery,

the prices here for houses are pretty attractive, too.

The average price for a detached property is around 281,000 -

that's 18,000 lower than the national figure.

Although, those prices do jump up if you're looking for a postcode

within the national parks.

So what about today's buyer?

Well, she's not so much escaping to the country as returning to it,

having been born and bred here.

Retired sales manager Ann currently lives in the city of Cardiff.

She met friend Shona when she moved to the Welsh capital for work

35 years ago.

My relationship with Shona

is one of mutual likes of shopping

and going to spas.

We never argue. I can't remember ever arguing.

Ann is great company.

She's also a very typical Yorkshire person, I would say -

very forthright in her opinions - which I like.

Buying and selling houses regularly,

Ann has worked her way up the property ladder over the years

to achieve a home she's really proud of.

My present house is a big four-bedroom detached.

I've got a fantastic garden with all my friends who come to visit,

as in my squirrels, and my hedgehog and all the birds that I feed.

It's the perfect house for me at the moment.

Ann is very stylish

and very good interior designer, I would say.

She's redesigned the interior of this house several times.

And it always looks stunning, I think.

Whilst she's enjoyed her years spent in Wales,

Ann has recently felt a pull back to her Yorkshire roots.

My parents are in their late 80s.

My father, in particular, has had a few health issues.

My plan is to actually just be there if they need me,

if they need to do things,

but also to take them for a run out and have them round for lunch

and just do things.

Just, you know, appreciate them while they're still around.

Although the move is predominantly one of practicality,

there are number of things Ann's missed about her home county.

Yorkshire is just a fabulous county, full of beauty, full of history,

and full of Yorkshire people,

who are the friendliest people you can meet, I think.

Her friends have promised to visit regularly and to make sure she

picks the right property, with plenty of space for guests,

Shona's coming along to support her on her search.

I think Ann may have chosen me to help because I'm such

a level-headed, sensible person

and I will give her an honest opinion as well.

I love that part of the world, so it won't be a hardship going to visit.

We might overstay our welcome from time to time.

No, it's fine, it's fine.

Although Ann currently lives in a new-build home,

for her next move, she'd like somewhere she can put own stamp on.

The challenge will be to find somewhere she likes

as much as her a current home in

a location that works for Ann, her parents, and her visiting guests.

There's a lot to consider,

but with a clear goal in sight, Ann isn't fazed.

I think waking up the first day in the new home is going to be

a great feeling, cos it's going to be the start of a new era,

it's going to be the start of my masterplan coming to fruition.

Ann wants to be around 45 minutes

from her parents in Middlesbrough,

so we're concentrating our search

in the centre of the county,

where the villages and towns

have good road access to the north.

I've got the location down,

now I just need to find out what Ann's looking for in a property.

-Ann, Shona, good morning!

-Good morning.

Welcome to North Yorkshire,

-or should that be, welcome home to North Yorkshire?

-Yes, yes.

-When did you leave?

-1978.

Um, went to London, then obviously, on to Wales a few years later.

So, key things about this property?

Key things are, I'd ideally eventually want three bedrooms

cos I'm prepared to do a renovation.

I want a nice...one of these big kitchens,

very similar to my one at home now,

that's kind of like a living-kitchen and a nice garden I can potter

and just do a bit of, you know, a bit of vegetables.

And how important is community in this search?

How rural can we take you?

I would like to be within the edge of a village.

I don't want neighbours on top of me type thing, and very close.

But I don't want to be rural.

And, Shona, Ann looks like a lady who really knows her mind.

Will you know what she wants when you see it, too?

I think I will know what she wants when she sees it.

However, what she's looking for now is something quite different from

anything she's ever lived in before.

I'm used to living in very old properties, doing things with them

and Ann has always lived in something very modern in the past,

but she's looking forward to looking for something a bit more rural

and a bit more...dilapidated.

SHONA LAUGHS Something that needs...

I shouldn't have said anything about that!

-Something that needs bit of work.

-Yeah.

-And what do you not want us to show you?

-Semidetached.

OK!

There's no arguing with that!

Yeah, I definitely...

It has to be detached.

So, is Shona here actually to support me in this search?

-I might need it!

-It's very likely!

Just remind me what your budget is again?

Well, my top budget, absolute top budget is 500,000.

Well, the sun is shining for us. Shall we get this search under way?

-I'd love to.

-Come on then, let's look.

-I'm looking forward to it.

So, with a budget of £500,000,

Ann's hoping to get a three-bedroom property,

with a spacious kitchen and good-sized garden to grow some veg.

She'd like a project,

but any work would have to be factored into the budget.

Last but by no means least, she's after a detached property,

but she doesn't want to be too isolated

so would like to be in or near a village.

We've got three fantastic properties,

all of which are great contenders to become Ann's new Yorkshire home.

I'll be asking the ladies to guess the price of each before I reveal it

and for our final offering, the Mystery House -

we're throwing the wish list to one side and showing Ann a property

she won't be expecting.

Our first stop is the village of Alne.

This peaceful, pretty village is home to a well-regarded pub

and a church.

There's an active community with a number of sporting clubs for locals

and an unusual local shop in the form of a street cart.

Locals leave their money in exchange for fresh local produce.

Once a year in the summer

the village also plays host to a popular street fair.

It's close to the junction of the A19,

which would offer Ann a direct route to her parents in Middlesbrough.

The house we're seeing is on the edge of the village

on an attractive, mature plot.

So here we are, property one.

I like the look of it. I like the look of it, yeah.

-Shona?

-It's certainly got a feel of an older property.

-Yes. Yeah.

My only observation now would be the houses.

-The neighbours are quite close.

-Yeah, overlooking.

But it's very impressive. It's very pretty.

But the look of the house is great.

I'm getting the sense you want to get in there, don't you?

-You're like, "OK, let's just go in," yeah?

-Stop talking.

Come on, come on, let's go and explore!

This detached house was built in 1910 and it's been extended twice

to create a fabulous five-bedroom home.

OK, come on through, ladies, into the sitting room

and if you come down to this end of the room,

you can really get a sense of how big it is.

What do you think?

Yes, I like the size.

Um, unusual with the L-shape.

-Shona, what do you think?

-I think it's a lovely space.

Really lovely living space and the sun floating in through the windows,

-just super, isn't it?

-Mm.

-Now, you mentioned the L-shape of this room.

-Mm.

Well, downstairs you have a study that we passed on the way in...

-Uh-huh.

-..and we also have a study behind you here.

-Oh, right.

-But...

-I don't have to study twice, though, do I?

THEY LAUGH

They've had an architect in, the current owners,

to look at this space.

You could just knock that wall down...

Knock it through, build back and make this bigger..

..And then have a really gorgeous open living-entertaining space.

Yes, yes. I need to see more.

-Would you like to see more?

-Absolutely, let's go.

-OK.

-Kitchen's just behind us. Come this way.

-OK, good.

Ann certainly knows what she's looking for this search and so far,

I'm loving her enthusiasm.

Into your kitchen-breakfast space. What do you think?

It's... I love it. Yeah, I mean, I love the colours,

I like the sink.

It's probably a little bit smaller than I was wanting,

cos I was wanting it more of a kitchen-living,

but as it is, it's a nice kitchen, yes.

Shona, could you see Ann cooking here?

I wouldn't see Ann cooking anywhere.

-That wouldn't be my first thought.

-All the secrets!

But it's a lovely compact kitchen.

I mean, it would be nice for cooking if you did much.

And you can eat in here as well...

-It'll take a microwave!

-THEY LAUGH

-There's lots of natural light, too.

-Yes.

-It's a super space, I think.

-You mentioned bedrooms to me earlier - you wanted three.

-Yes.

-This place has five. Shona, would you lead the way?

-I will.

-All right. Yeah.

-Five.

QUIETLY: So far, so good!

The stairs are at the front of the property off the main entrance hall,

where there's also a useful utility space, WC and a larder.

Upstairs, there are five decent-sized double bedrooms,

which share the use of a family bathroom.

-So this room is currently being used as the master bedroom.

-Right.

-What do you think?

-I think the size is fine, yes.

I think there's obviously a sink over there,

but I think as a master bedroom, it should have an en-suite.

But, as you've said, there's five bedrooms

and I only really want a good three,

then there's two to play with, so it might be just a reconfiguration

that needs doing.

-I can feel the cogs working. You're trying to work out...

-Oh, yeah.

My head is going, "Zzh-zzh," yeah.

Well, it's time to pop outside to the garden and start thinking about

-what this house would be on the market for.

-Right. OK.

-OK.

'Although this house is ready to move into, there's certainly

'enough of a project here for Ann to sink her teeth into.

'Outside, there's a large'

detached garage and a secluded patio just off the kitchen area.

The main garden is to the front of the house,

making the most of the southerly aspect.

So, here we are, back in the garden.

You've got established fruit trees, apple trees.

Shona, do you think this would work for Ann?

I do and there's plenty of room for the vegetables plot or more beds

if she wanted, and she likes her birds.

There's lots of wild birds in this garden, it's lovely.

Ann, I am sensing, there's a little something that's holding you back

-with this one.

-It is.

It's the proximity of all the other properties.

And particularly at the back, I would feel surrounded.

Well, OK. Time to guess the price.

What do you think this property is on the market for?

I would say...420.

OK.

-Shona?

-Oh, I think it'd probably be more than that cos it's

a super location and there's lots of potential in the house itself,

so I'd say about 450.

This property is on the market for 475.

Oh.

Yeah, I mean, I'm not surprised.

Well, now you know the price, time to have another explore, I think.

-OK.

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

-OK, thanks.

Coming in £25,000 under budget,

this extended property has two more bedrooms than Ann asked for

and downstairs it offers plenty of project potential

to reconfigure the layout.

There's a lovely large garden and it's in a great village location,

just 45 minutes' drive to Ann's parents in Middlesbrough.

Yes, I think, you see, what we could do with this,

certainly it would take a double bed, wouldn't it?

-I think it would.

-Yeah.

-It's as big as most doubles.

Yeah, and people coming to stay don't need lots of wardrobe space.

The good points about this house for Ann is that it's got lots

of opportunities to turn it into the property that she's looking for,

so she could reconfigure the downstairs if she wanted to,

to make a larger lounge or relocate the kitchen

if that was important to her.

The house is great and got huge potential but I think

the overlooking houses at the back,

I think would just make it a no-no for me.

Hello, ladies.

-Hi.

-Have you seen enough?

-Yes, thank you.

-Ready for the next property?

-Absolutely.

-On we go.

-OK, good.

On the southern border of the North York Moors

like the ruins of a great medieval fort.

The 900-year-old castle in Helmsley played host to a mighty siege during

the Civil War and today acts as a reminder

of Yorkshire's a rich history.

Although the castle is now at peace,

the market town of Helmsley still finds itself facing conflict today,

albeit of a more peaceful nature.

In 2015, the town fought off challenges from high streets

across the UK to be awarded best market town high street in Britain.

Ann and Shona are paying a visit to another award winner.

Auntie Anne's Bakery stands on a site which has been serving baked

delights to the people of Helmsley for over 70 years.

-Hello.

-Hello, Ann.

This looks like a really lovely traditional Yorkshire bakery.

Yes, it's been here for as long as I can remember from being a child.

-There's always been a bakery.

-And how long have you been here?

About nine years ago, me and my daughter Susan took it over.

Oh, so you've been a professional baker for many years, then?

But when did you start baking?

-As a child?

-I started baking as a child, helping my mum.

-Lovely.

We're local farmers from just five miles away, so I've always, yeah,

I've always done traditional baking.

It's just something I've loved all my life.

-Yeah, I love doing it.

-A natural.

-Yeah.

-If I was going to take something home for my grandchildren,

what would you recommend?

My grandchildren love, actually, the Yorkshire curd pies.

They come here and help bake it and if you'd like to come through,

I'll show you how we make it and you can fill a pie for yourselves,

-if you want.

-Ooh, that'd be fabulous.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you.

Ann prides herself on using traditional time-honoured baking

methods and locally-sourced ingredients.

Her famous Yorkshire curd pies have been named the best

in the North of England.

Traditionally, farmers wives' made Yorkshire curd tarts

using cow's milk containing colostrum, which when heated,

automatically turned into curds.

Nowadays, Ann heats her milk to boiling point before adding

Epsom salts to separate it.

Now, I just sprinkle on the top like that to start with and then,

just gently stir it in.

Oh, it is boiling away, isn't it? My goodness.

-If you look closely can you see...

-Ooh, lumps.

-..as it's curdling,

yeah, that's when it's starting to curdle.

So if we go through, then I'll show you what the next stage is.

OK, follow you.

The process takes half an hour.

The milk is then strained to separate the curds from the whey

and left to cool before mixing with eggs, cream, sugar, and nutmeg.

Ann also likes to add currants.

And this is the secret ingredient.

And then your finished product.

It's a different colour as well.

It's a different colour, because it has a lot of rich ingredients in

-there.

-Something extra.

-She's not going to tell you.

I'm not going to tell you.

Is it this that makes yours better than anybody else's?

It is this that makes it better than anybody else's.

It's a nice, moist...

A lot of people's curd are quite dry, whereas this curd tart,

when it gets baked, it's still quite moist and soft texture.

After filling the pastry shells,

the tarts are cooked for 20 minutes then best served cool

with a nice cup of Yorkshire tea.

-Mmm, that's lovely.

-Is that OK?

The pastry is so crisp. I can't get over it.

-I can understand why you won an award for this.

-Yeah, me too.

-It's delicious.

-Mmm.

-I've not tasted anything like this before.

In the height of summer,

Ann and her team make in excess of 300 tarts a week.

I know how much these ladies love a cup of tea and a chat

but there's no time to soak up the sun.

We've got a house to find.

Next, we're travelling further north to Scruton.

A small rural village,

Scruton has a mix of agricultural buildings and farms,

period cottages and newer developments.

At the heart of the village lies the 18th-century church and local pub.

Despite the peaceful position,

it's got good access to major roads and is just a 15-minute drive

to the town of Northallerton should Ann need to satisfy

her shopping habits.

Our next property is situated just outside the village centre

in a semirural setting.

So here we are. Property number two.

-Barn conversion.

-Yeah, like it.

My only aversion to them is often that they're either very,

very isolated, which I didn't want,

or they are in a courtyard and you know, it's got that neighbour thing

that I didn't really want, but, no, I like the look of it.

The barn conversion could also come with your lovely little paddock

-behind you there.

-Uh-huh.

-A vegetable plot over there, maybe?

That crossed my mind then, yes.

I was just thinking that, the vegetable plot.

Quite a few cabbages in there, Ann.

And then you have so much space out here.

It comes with an integrated garage but that could also be part

-of the living space inside.

-Uh-huh.

-Let's go.

-OK, let's waste no time!

Converted in 2003, this property was originally a cattle barn

in the 1800s and has some lovely original features remaining

which I hope Ann will appreciate.

She did say she was looking for something a bit different

to what she's used to and this is certainly that.

-We're heading into your kitchen space first.

-Right.

So you have a lovely range in this kitchen,

although, according to Shona,

you might not be using that too much with your cooking.

For my extensive cooking, yes.

She can lean on that on a cold winter's day, though.

-That'd be good.

-Have you cooked on a range before?

Yes, yes. Definitely.

-You'll give me some lessons.

-Yes.

-Lots of reasons to come and stay.

-Mm.

She can come and do the cooking!

And you've got enough space to get that sort of breakfast-dining

-experience.

-Yeah.

-This is meeting with your approval.

-Yeah. Definitely. Keep going.

Keep going, all right. OK. Let's waste no time!

Although unfurnished, they seem to like the character of this place

which is good, because there's more to come.

As we move into the rear wing,

we find a bedroom,

bathroom and sitting room.

Into your living space.

You've got a fireplace there. How does this feel to you?

I think I need to put it all into kind of where everything

is planned out, but, yeah, it looks good. I mean, what's there?

Well, this is your guest wing.

-So you've got a lovely wing.

-A wing? I like a wing.

You've got a beautiful, big double bedroom and then a gorgeous,

-big bathroom at the end.

-So how many bedrooms in this one?

-You've got three bedrooms, three bathrooms.

-Oh, right.

Shall we check the rest of the bedrooms?

-I think we need to.

-All right, come on.

I think this property could really work for Ann.

As well as the separate guest wing,

upstairs, there are two further generous-sized bedrooms,

both with their own bathroom -

an ideal set-up for visitors from Wales

or if her parents decide to stay.

-And then through into what could be a new master bedroom.

-Right.

Are you loving those features of the old barn?

Yeah, because it's obviously so plain in the way they've

obviously done it but then keeping those and obviously not

boarding them in or anything like that. It's just, yeah.

Structurally, it's clearly very sound so it's more doing

the personalising it to your taste, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Some structural things.

-And I could do it while live here,

because one of my feelings was, with something I had to convert,

I would have to go into rental for a while and, you know, the stress of

doing that, you know, I keep saying I want to do that but, you know,

can I handle the stress?

-Can the builder handle me having the stress?

-Being so stressed!

-Well, I'm glad you're liking everything you see so far.

-Uh-huh.

-There's still outside space to show you.

-Uh-huh.

There is one little fly in the ointment,

which we're going to tackle head-on.

Let's have a look.

At the back of the property is a lawned, low-maintenance

walled garden which can be accessed

from main living areas of the property.

OK, Ann, Shona, here's our little, little fly in the ointment,

your guest wing is attached at the very end.

Right.

Deal-breaker.

It's such a pity. Such a pity.

Yeah, I absolutely didn't want any neighbours, and certainly, you know,

somebody I can look into their garden and it's such a shame.

-Even with another foot.

-No, no. No.

-And then a nice secluded garden?

No. No, because noise would come over and I mean, all I need is,

you know, whole group of children out and having fun.

-Enjoying themselves.

-Yes.

-Don't like that.

So it's detached, detached with distance...

You know, even a little bit of remoteness, that was kind of,

you know, I was adapting to that.

-That is not my compromise.

-OK.

What's this on the market for?

I'm going to guess 450.

I would say 475.

Shona's on the money on this one. 475.

-Worth considering at that price?

-No. No.

Why don't you take in some more of the property while you're here?

-OK. Thanks.

-Thank you.

This great three-bedroom, three-bathroom barn conversion

offers Ann flexible living space and somewhere she can tailor

to her own taste without the need for doing too much work.

It has a private garden, an option to purchase an additional paddock,

lies close to the village and is 40 minutes from Ann's parents,

but the fact that the bathroom wall in the guest wing is adjoined

to another property seems to make it a no-go, which is a real shame.

I was starting to fall in love with this place, and you know,

even some of the compromises, I was prepared to make them,

and then unfortunately, I discovered I had a neighbour.

I think Ann has learnt a lot from her experience today.

It might not have all quite sunk in yet, what she's learnt,

but I think when she reflects,

she will realise that perhaps her ideal property

doesn't actually exist and she might have to make more compromises

than she'd originally thought.

But I don't want to be the one to tell her!

Ann, Shona, day one is wrapped up.

-Time for a cup of tea.

-Definitely!

-At least!

-Or maybe the bar.

We're in Yorkshire with Ann and her friend Shona.

After 35 years in Cardiff,

Ann's heading back to her home county to be close to her parents.

With a budget of £500,000,

she's looking for a property that she can put her mark on.

Coming up, Ann makes a connection in our Mystery House.

I feel I'm related the owner.

I would do everything the same.

And I visit a local farm to find out the benefits of eating organic.

-Line moves fast, doesn't it?

-It does, it does.

Uh, I really felt for Ann yesterday.

The look on her face when she realised that

that lovely barn conversion was ever so slightly attached,

really said it all, which means,

today's Mystery House has to deliver the goods.

To stand a fighting chance, it needs to give Ann everything

she wants and also push her out of her comfort zone.

After all, it's not called the Mystery House for nothing.

So today, we're going to take her and Shona to a property

with a project, but there's a twist.

It's not Ann's project. She'll find out why very soon.

Ann, what do you think the Mystery House might be today?

After yesterday, I'm probably expecting you're going to have to go

for more of the renovation side of things, and give me a nice project.

-And would that be good news?

-Yes.

Yeah, I'm quite prepared for a lot of things, but you know,

I'll remember these words later on today!

THEY LAUGH

Our mystery offering is in the village of Thornton-le-Clay,

near the county border and the city of York.

Thornton-le-Clay is a quiet village with a population of around 200,

and it's perfectly positioned amongst gentle hills,

just south of the North York Moors,

making it a popular spot with visiting walkers and cyclists.

Strolling past the characterful stone cottages,

passers-by can purchase home-grown produce left for sale by locals.

There's a family-run pub, hosting regular events and live music,

a few doors down from which is our final property.

And here is your Mystery House. What do you think?

It's not as big a mystery as I thought it was going to be.

SHE CHUCKLES

It looks lovely. It's very nice, clean-looking, lovely garden.

So, yeah, looks good.

-Now, this, Ann, is a turnkey house.

-Uh-huh.

Turn up, drop your bags, it's all done.

There is one extra mystery about this property.

There is within the plot another house that has permission

to be built. But I'm going to talk to you a bit more about that...

-That's a project?

-..when we head inside.

-Right.

-Come this way.

-OK.

Built in the 1960s, the current owners have spent in the region

of £120,000 extending and refurbishing this house

to an extremely high standard.

I know Ann wasn't planning on buying a newly modernised property

as she wanted to do the work herself,

but this one is so beautifully presented,

I think it's worth throwing into the mix.

And we come through into your kitchen-diner.

-Oh, fabulous.

-It's amazing.

-Yeah.

-I'm feeling this is a good speechless.

-Yeah.

It's giving me goose bumps. It's lovely. Yeah, this is nice.

-Well, don't cry yet!

-Are you...?

Yeah, well, it was such a bad day yesterday. I just...

Yeah. No, it's lovely. I mean, it's...

It's so like my one at home, you know, in many respects,

-you know, because of the style, but better.

-Even bigger and better.

-Even bigger and better. Yeah.

-Stunning.

-Let's explore your Mystery House.

-OK.

-Let's keep this tour going.

-OK.

Come on, ladies. Into your living space.

Which connects from the kitchen through into your sunroom,

-so very open, fluid living.

-Uh-huh.

Would that work for you?

Yeah, and certainly this furniture is a similar size to mine, so...

-Yeah, it would fit.

-Yeah. But a nice corner unit would actually work,

-wouldn't it?

-OK. OK.

-Yeah.

-Shall we see more?

-Oh, yes. Carry on.

-Come this way.

As we move into the newer part of the house,

the ground floor benefits from the addition of a utility space,

a small double bedroom and what is now the largest of the bedrooms.

And into the main master bedroom.

It's lovely. Lovely colour.

You've got a lovely open space here.

You've got en suite bathroom, you've got a little study area there,

which you could turn into a nice dressing room area for yourself.

Goodness me. It's like a TARDIS.

And there's all those wardrobes.

Built-in wardrobes.

I feel I'm related to the owner!

We seem to have, you know, the same taste.

I would do everything the same.

Originally, you were asking for a property with older character.

Do you think more of a new build is really what is appealing

-to your heart?

-I think probably, yes.

I've had so many new houses and you know,

not had to do a lot to them.

So there was that worry that if I buy an older one,

will it need keep doing and, you know,

will I adapt to it as much as I would to something like this

with the clean living?

And Shona, is this more of what Ann has traditionally lived in,

the houses she's brought before?

This is very much more in the style of Ann's homes that she's had before

and in fact, this is very,

feels to me just like she could just move straight in.

So it's time to head outside, look at the garden,

talk about price and a little more about what makes this

-the Mystery House.

-Right. OK.

-Come this way.

On the first floor, there are two more good-sized double bedrooms,

sharing a smart modern bathroom.

Now, it's time for me to take a deep breath before tackling an issue

that awaits us outside.

Ann, now, you can really take in the house.

The current property comes with this garden up to the fence,

and the original property came with the extra space there,

but the current owners have permission, planning permission,

to build a new property in that corner of the garden.

But for this point,

I just want you to think about the price for this bit of garden

-and the house.

-You can go first today.

I think that it's probably on for 495.

I'm going to say an optimistic 475.

This property is currently on the market for £495,000.

Shona, you are bang on the money.

But I've had a chat with the owners and they would be willing,

further to a little extra negotiation to walk away

from the entire plot.

But that's a conversation you would have to have with them.

Yes, I understand.

Well, now you know the price,

why don't I let you explore the upstairs bedrooms

and I'll catch up with you a bit later. Lots to talk about.

-Lovely.

-Thanks. OK.

-Thank you.

It looks as though this converted dormer bungalow might just

have won Ann over.

It has four bedrooms and a modern open-plan kitchen-diner

she was after.

Its high standard of finish means there's no work needed

but with a neutral decor,

it still gives Ann the chance to make it her own.

There's a lovely lawned garden and the journey to Ann's parents

would take around an hour.

-Oh, this is lovely.

-Mm.

I think what I would do would be to make the whole of this one level

as the master suite.

As soon as I walked through the front door,

I had a feeling that this could really be a house that Ann would

love and that's been reinforced all the way round, actually.

-It's got my name on it.

-It has, yes.

I think the last couple of days have certainly been a bit of

a roller-coaster emotionally.

You know, I was caught between,

"Do I want an old house? Do I want a new house?"

I knew what I didn't want.

And I knew what I did want.

At least, I've found that now.

What do you think of the garden?

I think it's fabulous.

I love the established bushes over there and the fact

-that you've got...

-Hello.

Ann, it sounds like you're moving in already!

-Possibly, yes.

-Lots to talk about.

-Let's go find somewhere to chat.

-OK.

With spring most definitely in the air,

farmers across the country are busy planting crops

for the growing season ahead.

I've come to Home Farm,

to meet third-generation farmer Peter Richardson,

to talk about the wide variety of crops he's currently planting

and to find out what he's going to do with them once

they've been harvested.

Hi, Peter. Good to see you.

What are we planting today?

Just a bit of broccoli today. These are the first of the season.

So we're putting in about 10,000 plants to the acre.

This crop will be ready mid-July.

How many different crops do you grow here?

Oh, somewhere in the region of about 19 to 20.

So it's fairly full-on.

And why do you plant so many different crops,

because that's a little bit unusual?

Well, just basically, we're involved with this Riverford, and basically,

we've got this box scheme.

Most growers will just tend to grow one crop for a big supermarket and

then it will be packed centrally.

The model we use is totally different.

It seems to work. Customers like it.

The 500-acre farm grows in the region of 70 to 80 acres

of veg most years.

In 1996, Peter decided to convert the farm to organic before joining

forces with the Devon-based Riverford team who were looking

to set up a box scheme in Yorkshire.

When you decide as a farmer to go organic,

what does that mean for you?

You've got to think differently.

You've got to work with nature.

You can't fight it.

Your crop rotation is very, very critical.

For instance, if we grew broccoli on the same land year in, year out,

we'd get pest problems and disease problems.

But it's what the market wants

and it's a nice way to do it, to be fair.

Despite using modern machinery,

being organic means that Peter uses traditional farming methods

like crop rotation, which makes for harder work but promotes healthy,

nutrient-rich soil.

They also make their own organic fertiliser

with an anaerobic digester.

So, Peter, what does this do?

Well, basically, it's a process where we make methane,

which creates electric and we also have a by-product of fertiliser

-which we use on the farm.

-And how does that actually happen?

Basically, the big, blue thing over there, that's the feed hopper.

We feed that up with about 18 tonnes of food a day,

and every half hour, it automatically feeds itself,

basically pushes the food into the tank,

whereas the temperature in the tank is about 40-odd degrees.

-A bit cosy!

-Yeah.

And all the bacteria gets to work and it creates the methane which

goes off to the CHB engine and we probably use about 20%

of the electric it produces for the fridges and the rest of it

is exported to the grid.

And when you say food, what are you feeding it with?

Basically, cattle manure, any out-grade veg, and grass silage,

which is basically grass.

-All the leftovers, almost.

-Basically, yes.

As well as producing electricity to power the farm,

the remaining vegetable matter is used as compost and the liquid mass

pumped back out and used as an organic fertiliser,

meaning nothing of the farm goes to waste.

So it sounds like what you're producing here

is the most natural, sustainable way

-to create great fertiliser for the earth.

-Without a doubt, yeah.

Can't beat it, in my opinion.

-And how do these veggies look that you're growing?

-They look fantastic.

-Yeah?

-We're actually just packing a few at the moment.

-Can I give you a hand?

-Of course you can. Please come this way.

In the packing shed, every veg box is packed by hand with a range

of seasonal produce.

Manager Greg Penn is on-site to show me how it works.

Greg, good to see you.

Hi, how are you, Margherita?

I'm good. How can I help today?

Well, we'd like you to pack some broccoli, it that's all right.

-OK.

-I need two heads of broccoli per box.

-Great, OK.

And what can we expect from each box?

What will the customer get?

It's really a range of organic, seasonal produce.

It's all grown for flavour and taste and depending on how,

the sort of time of year,

it depends a little bit on what we're actually growing

and putting on in the boxes.

The line moves fast, doesn't it?

-It does, it does.

-SHE CHUCKLES

The boxes come in a variety of sizes, as does the veg.

Some of it might not look as beautiful as it does

on the supermarket shelves, but the taste certainly isn't compromised.

So, Greg, do you think organic farming is actually changing

the way we're eating as a nation?

Absolutely, because ours is a seasonal box of vegetables,

our customers really have to cook with what we provide them, really.

A lot of families get our veg boxes and they cook with the kids

and they explore our recipes and they have to do a little bit

of research, as to what they might want for tea that night,

depending on what's gone in the veg box that week.

And people get really excited about that, certainly.

Passionate about food again.

Really passionate about food, really passionate about vegetables.

We are real veg nerds and we really want people to embrace that,

you know, really fantastic-quality veg and we believe we do that

in the best way.

Well, I'm going to get going now, but thank you so much for having me

and showing me the ropes.

It's been really lovely to have you and I think it's only fair

-that you grab yourself a veg box on your way out.

-Oh, lovely! OK.

The company has three farms in the UK, between them

delivering to a staggering 47,000 households a week,

which goes to show

there's certainly demand out there for organic produce.

I for one am definitely converted.

Taking Ann to the Mystery House really was a bit of a gamble

but I think it's paid off.

There's only one way to find out.

Ann, Shona. It's been an adventure.

-It has.

-We've had a few ups and downs.

-I hope you'll agree we ended on an up today.

-We did, we did.

Now, usually with a Mystery House,

it's the property that takes people right outside their comfort zone.

-We brought you right back into yours.

-Yes.

And that concerns me a little bit,

that I kind of haven't gone for that adventure

of finding something different.

And probably most people who know me will not be surprised

that I've ended up where, you know,

thinking that the Mystery House is the one, really.

So what happens next?

What are you going to do about the Mystery House?

I like it. I like it a lot.

I think what I would have to do is work out the distance

from my parents.

And Shona, do think the Mystery House is a home

that Ann could be happy in?

I'm sure it's a home she could be happy in.

Just her instantaneous reaction when she walked through the door,

it just told me that she felt she was at home there.

She could move straight in.

Ann, if you find out that commute could be workable

from the Mystery House to your parents,

would you go back and have a chat with the vendor?

I think a bit of negotiating needs to be done, yes.

OK, that is wonderful news.

I'm over the moon to hear that and just thank you so much.

It's been a joy to share your home county of North Yorkshire

with you and show you around a little bit more,

-welcome you back home.

-Thank you very much.

It's been a pleasure meeting you and I've got to also thank Shona

-for helping me out.

-And being my moral support as well.

It's been my pleasure. It really has.

In the Mystery House, Ann described the last couple of days as being

a real roller-coaster of a journey and I know how she feels.

I've been right there with her.

I'm hoping that after a little more investigation into that journey time

between the Mystery House and her mum and dad's and whether

that commute could work for her, we'll be getting a call from Ann

to say that she is now calling North Yorkshire home once again.

We wish her all the best and I will see you next time

on Escape To The Country.

After further research,

Ann decided the Mystery House was a stretch too far from her parents

in Middlesbrough.

She's continuing her search but has altered her criteria.

She's now definitely looking for a modern property.

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