Lancashire Escape to the Country

This impressive 16th century hilltop manor house

has had many royal connections over the years, but its most enduring

claim to fame involves one particular king

and the quality of his dinner.

Intrigued?

Find out where I am and who he was in just a moment.

Today, it's family prompting our couple's country move

away from town life. Assuming, of course, our properties shape up.

I guess it's a little bit narrow and long as opposed to square.

So, it's all about thinking outside the box.

-Very square!

-It's a very square kitchen.

Yes. It's perfectly square!

Today, I'm in Lancashire and this is the Grade I listed Hoghton Tower -

the ancestral home of the De Hoghton family since the 12th century.

But it was one day in 1617 that really put this place on the map,

when, en route back to London from Scotland, King James I, with his

entourage, spent the night here.

A grand banquet was held in his honour,

and legend has it that the king enjoyed his dinner so much

that he decided to knight the loin of beef,

giving rise to the term "sirloin".

The validity of that claim has been questioned over the years,

but we do know this was a popular destination, not just with royalty,

but with literary greats like Dickens and Shakespeare.

And if their dinner wasn't worthy of a knighthood,

well, they could always console themselves with the views instead.

With its western fringes flanked by the Irish Sea,

Lancashire lies in the north-west of England,

covering more than 1,100 square miles,

this rural county is one of the largest shires,

with a stunning coastline,

famous for its seaside towns and beaches.

In the north, Morecambe bay is the second biggest bay in Britain,

whose pretty town features an award-winning promenade,

which is a popular destination for seaside fun.

Head east and inland and you'll find the Forest of Bowland -

an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This dramatic landscape is made up of open moorland and sweeping fells,

interwoven with a network of dry-stone walls.

Villages found here include Downham -

that proudly trumpets its lack of TV aerials,

yellow road markings or indeed any signs of the modern age -

and instead revels in its old-world charm,

presenting an idyllic rural portrait of Lancashire life.

Despite being home to the UK's very first motorway,

and having the cities of Manchester and Liverpool on its doorstep,

a redrawing of Lancashire's boundaries in the early 1970s meant

that its size and its population was reduced to such an extent,

that today 80% of the county is classified as being rural.

Now, beautiful countryside isn't all that it has to offer.

When it comes to house prices, Lancashire is one of the most

affordable counties in the whole of England.

The average cost of a detached house here is £205,000.

That's £96,000, or around 30% below the national average,

which is great news for anyone wanting to move here,

including, of course, today's buyers.

IT project manager Richard and nurse Rachel,

from the Gloucestershire town of Cheltenham

are both recently retired

and are already looking forward to their new adventure.

I think the first time that we wake up in a new place, in Lancashire,

will be like waking up on holiday.

And it's an experience you don't have very often,

but I think it's a really nice experience.

You look out of the door and you think, "This is new.

-"This is different."

-I think that's a good way of putting it, actually.

Waking up and thinking, "Oh, I'm on holiday... Oh, no, I'm not!

"This is actually my house."

Richard and I first met at school.

He was in the upper sixth and I was in the lower sixth.

And we started going out from then, really.

We went off and did our training and then were married in 1982.

Richard and Rachel's current home is on one of the main roads into town,

so they're keen to move away from the traffic noise to somewhere that

offers a little more peace and quiet.

We've lived in this house for 22 years.

We moved down here just after we got married,

so we've been in Cheltenham,

or very close to Cheltenham, for 34 years now.

The house we live in now, it was built in 1938,

which means that proportions are a little bit larger,

so it's got quite a decent size garden for being close to town.

Having a town on their doorstep

served them well when their children were young.

But with one daughter now in Scotland and their other children

based near Manchester,

the family is far more spread out than it used to be.

We want to move to Lancashire

to be closer to our children and our grandchildren.

We always wanted to move closer to the sea and there's a good,

long coast in Lancashire.

There's quite a lot of rural parts of the county, as well.

Moving away from the family home is

always going to be sort of tinged with a little bit of sadness.

It'll be sad to sort of not see friends, um...

as often as we do.

But I think good friends will still come and see you anyway.

Leaving the family home behind is a big step,

but Richard and Rachel are determined to make the most of their

new life in the country,

by spending more time doing the things they love.

I paint landscapes in water colours,

acrylics, which I really enjoy.

It's relaxing.

It makes you stop what you're doing.

It makes you concentrate and, yeah, it's quite therapeutic.

I am really interested in gardening.

And I think that really goes hand in hand with my interest in

conservation, so the idea being that you can have a garden

which wildlife will use as well.

And plans are already afoot to make the most of country life.

Richard's got this idea that he's going to persuade me to walk

coast-to-coast, but I'm not sure my bunions will be up for that, really.

But I could be persuaded to do it in stints, I guess.

The beauty of this plan is that Rachel bought me the guidebook to

-walk it, you see.

-It's true. I did actually buy him the guidebook,

so I've only got myself to blame, really!

Richard and Rachel have family in Dumfries and Manchester,

so Lancashire's position between the two is ideal.

They're also keen to be near the coast,

so we're concentrating our search in the west of the county.

It's been around 20 years since they last looked for a new home.

So, before we start,

I'm meeting up with them to find out a bit more about exactly

what they're after from their dream property.

Hello, there.

Welcome to Lancashire. Now, this is my home county.

I know what a fantastic place it is. So, talk me through what you're

looking for in the house that you'd like to live in here.

Well, we'd like a detached, three-bedrooms,

somewhere with some land.

I do like the idea of having some land,

because a future sort of thought might be having some animals.

What about location, then? Are we thinking more rural countryside?

Close to the coast? Do you have any firm ideas on that?

Well, not...

Oh, go on!

Now, that was a look!

I love the sea.

I love being able to see the sea. I love being able to be close to it.

But with the sea views, sometimes you don't necessarily get the land.

I think Richard would probably say he would be happier with it being

perhaps a little bit more rural. I don't know.

Yeah, I like hills.

So how can you get hills and sea? That's where we're trying to...

OK, that's quite a big ask for me.

OK! I'm not sure if I can pull that one off!

Are you looking for any kind of investment potential?

Holiday let? Anything specific from the property?

Nothing specific,

but we have thought about if an annexe came with a building,

with a house, you know, that would be quite interesting.

It's something that might, if it was in the right place,

might be something we could generate some income from.

So kind of on the wish list, but it's not a deal breaker?

No, it's certainly not.

Right, let's get to the part where we talk about budget.

Remind me what we're working with for this search?

£600,000 would be our top budget.

Well, it's just as well that I do know this county very well and

we have some fantastic properties to show you.

-Great!

-Thank you.

-Ready?

-Yes.

-Let's go.

For a top budget of £600,000,

Rachel and Richard want a detached home with at least three bedrooms

and ideally an annexe.

They'd also like around an acre of land

and if the house can be near the sea,

well, that would be perfect,

for at least one half of the couple!

We've got a good variety of properties

for Rachel and Richard to view,

but it will only be after they've seen each one that its price will be

revealed and our Mystery House may bring the sea lapping to their door.

So, how many houses have you guys seen up here in Lancashire?

We haven't looked inside any at all.

So, all that we've seen are properties that we've seen sort of

as we've driven by.

Well, are you excited about getting stuck in and looking at some places?

-Very excited.

-Very much.

We're starting our search towards the centre of the county

in the village of Goosnargh, not far from the Forest of Bowland,

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

It's a large place for a village,

with a pleasant green,

sitting next to a modern village hall.

There's a wide variety of local shops, including a village store,

post office, pharmacy and a 14th century medieval church

as well as several pubs.

Towards the end of the village,

our first house lies across a rather magnificent lawn.

So, this is what I've brought you to see.

-What do you think?

-It looks nice. It looks lovely. It really

-looks nice, actually.

-It looks really nice.

I like the stone. And it's attractive looking.

-Definitely.

-We've got smiles. That's a good start!

It was converted in the '80s, it's nestled in an acre of land.

-It's a lovely setting.

-It's peaceful, isn't it?

Now, what might not be too obvious

-initially is that this is an adjoined property.

-Oh, right.

It's attached at the back to the former gamekeeper's cottage.

Oh, right. OK.

What do you think about that? How does that feel?

That's fine. Like it.

It looks a lovely house, actually.

Let's go over the threshold. Let's not put it off any longer. Come on!

Despite appearances,

this stone-built attached property is believed to be a

former farm building, with roots in the early 19th century.

It was converted into a home in the 1980s. I'm hoping Richard and Rachel

will be just as impressed with the inside.

So, it comes straight through

-the little entrance hall into this really cosy kitchen.

-This is lovely.

It is cosy, isn't it? And lovely and warm.

That's because of this range.

-Oh, gosh! There's a range.

-Pumping out lots of heat.

It's a real country feel in the kitchen.

-It is.

-Wooden painted units.

You've got the range. You've got all the character this old farmhouse

-offers.

-I mean, it's not at all

what I was expecting in my head because I was thinking

about my perfect place having a much squarer,

open-plan kitchen.

But when you come in here, it's in keeping with the house

and it's a nice, it's a lovely kitchen.

-It's cosy, isn't it?

-Nice size and...yes.

Well, that's off to a good start. So, let's go through here.

Let's explore into the living room

-and just see what else it has to offer downstairs.

-OK.

We come through another of these lovely doors...

into this room.

Just a little fireplace. Nothing too grand(!)

Yes. That's nice.

Yes, it's a reasonable size room.

I guess it's a little bit sort of narrow and long,

-as opposed to sort of square.

-The two of you, I have to say,

seem a little reticent.

I think I'm a bit concerned about...

there not being enough natural light.

-Richard, what do you think?

-I think the same.

I think you lose the light from that angle,

obviously, because we're adjoined there.

So, if you could make this room more part of out there, it might make a

difference? Well, that's great that you're thinking like that.

Good that you're thinking about solutions and seeing the potential.

Yeah.

The far end of the living room gives way to a south-facing sun room,

that overlooks the garden

and also provides access back into the kitchen.

There is more to see on the ground floor,

but I'm saving that until later.

Heading up the staircase in this part of the house,

we find four bedrooms, two of which are linked,

and a further single that could accommodate a double bed,

as well as a well-appointed family bathroom with roll-top bath.

Next, we're heading to the largest bedroom.

This is the master bedroom.

-Right.

-It's very pretty, isn't it?

-It is. I mean, it's quite small,

but I actually,

I haven't got a problem with small bedrooms, because I would sort of

sacrifice bedroom size, if it was something we wanted.

You may get a feeling you haven't quite seen all of it.

There is a very good size attached annexe as well.

It's currently blocked off from the house.

-Right.

-But you could reopen the doors

-and you could incorporate it into the house if you wanted.

-Gosh!

-Yes.

-Shall we go and explore that?

-That would be good.

-Definitely.

-Back downstairs and back outside.

So, let me squeeze through and follow on.

Back downstairs and outside, through its own separate entrance,

the ground floor of the annexe has a decent size kitchen with adjoining

bathroom. We're making a short stop in the living room.

A good size living space, with a nice fire place.

Off through that door is the

staircase that leads to the upstairs,

where you've got one good-sized bedroom and another bathroom.

-Yeah.

-That's unusual and, yes, interesting.

There's quite a bit to...

to think about with this, isn't there?

You could certainly, you know, with the right planning permission,

you know, with the right building regulations,

you could perhaps open up in here.

-Yes.

-So, there's definitely potential.

-Yes.

-So, let's go and take more of a look outside

and then I'm going to need you to guess the price. OK?

Outside, there's a separate workshop and the total plot comes to around

an acre of land, providing a good size garden, with scope for Rachel

to keep some of the animals she's so keen on acquiring.

So, back into the garden, which is huge, isn't it?

I think that stream running through it is really pretty.

-Really pretty.

-Could really make that into a feature.

Yes, you could do a lot with this garden, couldn't you?

Let's guess the price.

Oh, gosh! I would say £500,000.

-OK. Richard?

-I'd say a bit higher, £520,000.

You are way under, actually.

It's on the market for £600,000.

Right. OK. OK. That's interesting.

-Yeah.

-It is a lot of house. There's a lot of land.

-Yes.

And you have got that completely self-contained...

-annexe.

-Yes, that's food for thought, isn't it?

-It is.

-Why don't you go back in,

take another look and come and find me when you're ready?

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Sitting right at the top of Richard and Rachel's budget,

this attached property is full of appealing stone-built character and

comes with four bedrooms, a separate workshop and a two-storey annexe,

all set in approximately one acre of land.

Most things are pretty good. You know, the sort of nice garden,

nice big area, and I like the outbuildings.

The added surprise of the annexe

means that that's given us something to

think about, because it's quite... it's more than an annexe, really.

It's like two houses in one.

And I'm not sure that's what we were really sort of thinking about

or going for.

So, first property tour in over 20 years!

Are you glad it's over with?

No, it was really enjoyable. I'm glad we saw this house.

Definitely. It was interesting...

and has given us something to definitely think about.

So you've got the bug. Perfect! Because we've more to show you.

-Lovely!

-Brilliant!

With 76 miles of coastline on its western border, it's no wonder

Lancashire is renowned for its array of beaches and coastal resorts.

The Fylde peninsula is an area that covers about 30 miles of this

coastline, famous for extensive stretches of wide, sandy shore.

But the sand dunes at the heart of these beaches are currently under

threat and disappearing at an alarming rate.

As our couple have an interest in conservation,

we've sent them to meet Fylde sand dunes officer Amy Bradshaw

and senior coast and countryside officer Geoff Willis

to find out if there's any way to reverse this trend.

So, what's going wrong with the sand dunes?

-What's the threat?

-Well, over the last 150 years or so,

over 80% of Lancashire's sand dunes have been lost,

and that's mainly due to the urban development of the towns along the

coast. So what we're trying to do is protect and restore the sand dunes

and essentially grow them back towards the sea,

because first and foremost, they are important as a soft sea defence.

They provide a barrier between land and sea and act as a buffer during

high tide and storm conditions.

But they're not only important as a sea defence,

they're also really important for wildlife and recreation.

We have many rare species that exist here on the sand dunes,

many of which are incapable of surviving in any other habitat.

So, what's the project done so far?

Well, over the past few years, through volunteer programmes and the

council and other partners,

we're extending the dunes outwards to create that buffer zone.

We're trying to create dunes basically with chestnut paling

fencing. We bury Christmas trees, we plant marram grass.

Most of this is done by volunteers.

We've built out roughly 30 to 40 metres so far, which is quite

a thing to do.

We're hoping to go out more than that yet over the next few years.

You say volunteers - is this

something that we could volunteer for now?

We happen to have a group of volunteers out on the dunes now,

led by one of my colleagues, Hillary.

I'm sure she'd welcome you and give you all the information you'd need.

-Great. Thank you.

-Pleasure.

GINNY: Dunes develop when wind-blown sand becomes trapped by grasses.

But when these specialised dune- building grasses start disappearing,

new ways to encourage their growth have to be found.

Local volunteer Hillary Salkeld has a plan involving old,

discarded Christmas trees.

Just after Christmas, nobody wants their Christmas trees,

so we collected a lot. About 1,000 we collected,

and then we plant them in all the bare areas of

the sand. So that helps the sand accumulate. The wind comes in,

the Christmas trees slow the winds down and hopefully

-the sand will get deposited.

-Yeah.

-Would you like to help today, then?

-That would be great.

-Yes.

It looks like Hillary's got plenty of work for our couple to get stuck

-in to!

-You can just take this tree.

-You want to have this one as well?

-OK.

Being a dedicated volunteer can often mean working

even when the weather starts to turn.

Poke him in the ground, anyway. Yeah. That's fine.

Make a slot, put the marram grass in and then...

cover it again.

Usually planted in the spring, by midsummer the grass is

established enough to begin trapping sand in the

autumn when the strong winds arrive. And it's certainly good to see that

Richard and Rachel seem to be enjoying

putting down roots in this county.

But for now, it's time to turn our attention to our property search.

Our Lancashire house-hunt continues as we head to the village of Little

Eccleston, which lies on the flat coastal plain of the Fylde.

Found near the banks of the River Wyre,

the nearby village of Great Eccleston has a variety of small,

independent businesses, including an artisan baker,

a fruit and vegetable shop and a family butcher's,

and our second property is less than a five-minute drive away.

So, I've brought you to see a four-bedroomed barn conversion.

-Great!

-The original barn's about 100 years old,

-and it's been converted into three properties.

-Right.

-And the one that

we're looking at is the one right there in the centre.

OK!

That was quite an unenthusiastic "OK", if I may say so, Rachel!

I can't work out the configuration - so it's that one?

It's the door there in the centre.

So, there's a property off to the left,

one off to the right and a centre one.

-Right.

-The courtyard is shared between the properties,

and you're set up a very pretty country lane.

-Yes. Yeah.

-Still not very enthusiastic!

THEY LAUGH

-This is one of those houses that you need to see inside.

-OK. OK. Yes.

-I'll take your word for it.

-I think we'd like to do that.

-Would you?

-Yes.

-Are you sure?

-I want to see inside.

-Come on, let's take a look.

-Thank you.

'Believed to be around 100 years old,

'this brick-built former barn was converted around 13 years ago.

'Our property's position in the

centre of the building means there's no getting

'away from those nearby neighbours,

'but perhaps the inside can win our couple over.'

Let's see if this brings a smile to your face, shall we, Rachel?

This is a nice, open, light space, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-And the wood's lovely.

-This is nice.

-Good. Well,

let's move straight through into the living room,

which again is a really nice space.

Nice and cosy. You know what? It's quite square!

THEY LAUGH

Here we go - the square living room.

Yes. This is a nice size, isn't it?

You can get out to the garden through those doors.

So, have your impressions changed,

Richard, from moving outside to inside the

-house?

-Yes. I mean, it's better inside than outside, I think.

-Well, from that aspect, anyway.

-I know you've got a picture of how

-you'd like the kitchen to look in mind, haven't you?

-Yes.

-I have a bit.

-I think we might have cracked it. I think!

'The ground floor of this house has its own cloakroom as well as

'a good-sized dining room, that you

'pass on your way to a perfectly proportioned

'kitchen, which should be ideal for Rachel.'

This is lovely.

This is very square.

It's a very square kitchen.

Yes. It's perfectly square.

And what I like here, as well,

is you've got a great-size walk-in pantry and a utility room, as well.

And then doors straight out onto the garden.

-Yes.

-This is how I would have imagined a kitchen.

I like this.

-Enough to want to go upstairs?

-Definitely. Definitely.

-Good, because we've got four bedrooms to explore.

-Good.

-Lovely.

'Upstairs, the two smallest bedrooms are currently used as singles and

'there's a large double at the end of the hall.

'These bedrooms are served by a modern family bathroom,

'but we're heading straight to the master.'

So, this is one of four good-sized bedrooms.

-Oh, yes!

-And you've got a fantastic ceiling height in here.

-I like the lights.

-This is lovely, isn't it?

Just off to the side here, we've got an en-suite

that was done just a couple of years ago, at the back there.

This is nice. I like it.

You're definitely smiling more now than when I showed it to you from

-outside.

-Yes.

-How are you feeling at this point?

I mean, you can't tell from outside, can you?

-You had to come in and...

-I agree.

-..and look at it.

-Yes.

Are you keen to take a look at the gardens?

-We need to see the back, yes.

-Definitely. Yes.

It's time to put your thinking caps on and start thinking about

-the price.

-Yes.

'At the back of the house there's a large garden with rear access to a

'separate double garage and office space,

'which, with the right permissions, could have potential as an annexe,

'but I have one more thing to tell our couple before we talk money.'

So, here we are in the garden.

Now, I know the garden is important to both of you.

So, you have this section here that's mostly laid to lawn.

And then you will have noticed, I'm sure,

the gates leading onto the paddock.

-Yes.

-The paddock isn't all yours, but half of it is.

-Right.

-So if you take an invisible line roughly from that point there

-over to the shed...

-OK.

-..that's your share.

And if you wanted to do so, the owners said there would be no

problems with putting a fence across, you know,

if you wanted to keep animals in there.

-Yes.

-Is this what you had in mind for a garden,

or is it smaller than you were expecting?

No. This is a nice-size garden.

So, you know what's coming. How much is this house on the market for?

My best estimate, I should think, is

520,000.

-Go on, Rachel.

-Right. I was going to go a little bit more than that.

530.

Good guesses from both of you.

You're both wrong again.

Drinks are on you, definitely, this evening.

You're both over, actually.

-Oh, right.

-It's on the market for just under £500,000.

-OK.

-Right.

-Yeah.

-Is that...? A little smile there.

Yes. That's interesting.

-Yeah.

-That's a good price, actually, isn't it?

-To discuss.

-Definitely.

Why don't you go and do exactly that,

discuss a little bit now you know the price and come and find me when

-you've seen enough?

-OK. Lovely.

-Thank you.

Coming in at £100,000 below budget,

our second property has four bedrooms, two reception rooms,

an outbuilding comprising a double garage and office,

a large garden and a share of a paddock,

which could be useful for any future four-legged additions to the family.

The countryside's beautiful.

-Land all around, country all around.

-Yeah.

My first impressions of the house, actually,

weren't brilliant, I don't think.

I thought it looked smallish and sort of cramped, maybe.

My opinion did change,

because the house started to open up.

I was surprised at how much I liked it,

because I thought it was going be dark and a bit pokey, and it

definitely wasn't that as soon as we walked in.

And every room is light and bright and airy and spacious.

If this was a detached property and was just the same everywhere,

then it would be ideal, I think.

I think you two are warming up to this house-hunting lark, aren't you?

-Definitely.

-We are.

-Are you ready for the Mystery House tomorrow?

-Very excited.

-Definitely.

-Ready for a glass of wine now?

Yeah. Looking forward to that, as well.

'Our love affair with Lancashire continues,

'as we're helping Rachel and Richard from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire

'find their dream country home with a budget of £600,000.

'And still to come, we're experiencing deja vu

'at our Mystery House.'

Is this similar to your previous home in Cheltenham?

-It is.

-Is it feeling familiar?

I think it is. We know what we're dealing with with houses like this.

'And I'll be finding out the secrets behind one of the icons of the

'British seaside, where speed is of the essence.'

-It's the centrifugal force.

-Oh, yeah!

It's the second day of our house-hunt here in Lancashire, and I

wonder how Rachel and Richard are feeling now they've had an evening

to reflect, because, to be honest,

I couldn't really read either of them yesterday.

They have very good poker faces.

And it must be really exciting house-hunting again after 20 years

but also quite a daunting prospect,

and I think our Mystery House could well hit the mark,

because it offers them something that could feel familiar.

'The seaside town of Lytham St Annes is the last property stop on our

'Lancashire journey, and I'm hoping the miles of sandy beach will really

'appeal to Rachel in particular. A wide promenade features perhaps

'the town's most famous son in the nearby

'sunken garden, the late comedian Les Dawson.

'And we're not going far, as today's final offering is just a few minutes

'from the beach.'

So, this is the Mystery House,

because mainly it's not in a rural location.

-What do you think?

-I like it. I like the shape of it.

Yeah, it's an attractive house, definitely.

-It's very nice.

-Would you like to go and have a look inside?

-Definitely.

-Absolutely, yes.

-OK, that's good stuff.

I'm glad you're smiling. Come on.

'This 1920s detached house would give Richard and Rachel very easy

'access to the local community

'thanks to its location not far from the sea. But that proximity to the

'town centre might be reminding them of home,

'so I'm keen to see what they think once we get inside.'

So, we come through this area that's just currently used as a snug,

a little reading area, into the kitchen.

Lovely double doors overlooking the garden. Nice and light and bright.

-Yes.

-It is. I like the light wood.

Yeah, that is nice. It's nice that those doors go out into the garden.

A little bit on the small side, isn't it?

It's perfectly fine, but it's...

-It's bigger than what we're used to.

-It's bigger than what we're used to.

Let's keep expanding your

house-hunting experience and let's go off and

-explore the living room.

-Brilliant.

'Downstairs, there's an impressive

'home office where the garage used to be

'as well as a formal dining room.'

Just like the kitchen, it's really nice and bright and light.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

At first, when I approached it, I thought it looked small.

But the conservatory completely opens it out.

-It's part of it.

-It is. Yeah, it is. Yes.

-That's...

-And it's got wide doors on that, as well.

-Yeah, it's...

-It's a square.

-Is this similar to your previous home in Cheltenham?

-It is.

-Is it feeling familiar?

-I think it is, actually.

Yes. That is some of it.

We kind of know what we're dealing with with houses like this!

There's nothing wrong with liking something that feels familiar,

something that you know. You know, change is great, but equally...

going for something that makes you feel comfortable,

-nothing wrong with that.

-Yes.

-I'm glad that it's having, you know,

a good impact on you, that it's feeling familiar.

-Yes.

-Upstairs is really strong in this house. It's got four really

-good-sized bedrooms, so let's go and take a look.

-OK.

-Yeah.

'The upper floor of the house has two good-sized double bedrooms with

'built-in storage and a cosy single,

'all served by a modern family bathroom with separate shower.

'Lastly, we're checking out the master.'

So into the master bedroom, with its own en suite, which was only done

two years ago, so it's done to a really high standard.

-That's nice, isn't it?

-I like this cupboard.

-Lots of storage.

-You're not short of wardrobe space!

-I've got my eye on that wardrobe!

That's impressive. No, this is a lovely bedroom.

Yeah. This is absolutely great.

And the en-suite is an added bonus, as well.

It's easy to imagine yourself being in a fairly neutral house, isn't it?

-Yes.

-You could imagine putting your own stamp on it more and you can

-imagine your own things.

-Yes. Of course, we want to see outside.

OK.

-Yeah.

-Let's go and do that, because we are in Lancashire and it could well

rain at any minute. So, the rain's not happening at the moment.

Let's go out to the garden and then of course you're going to need to

-guess the price.

-Yeah.

-OK.

'Being the Mystery House, it's the land that's the compromise here.

'But the generous enclosed back garden could be perfect for their small

'dog. That's when they're not at the nearby beach.'

What did I say about the Lancashire weather?

-You did! You did!

-I'm afraid the rain's beaten us.

So I think we should view the garden from the warmth and the dryness of

-the conservatory. How about you?

-I think you're right. The wind's got up.

What do you think about the size, Richard?

It's smaller than we thought we would like.

But it's quite a private garden.

Actually, there's lots of shrubs here,

so, actually, there's a lot more space than you can actually see.

Well, you've seen everything now. That's the Mystery House.

So, what do you think it's on the market for?

-Ah!

-I'll go first.

OK, OK.

I think about 590.

Right. I'm going to say 550.

OK. It's actually on the market for quite a lot under your budget.

It's on the market for £498,950.

Gosh! Right. That's a surprise, actually.

-Yes, it is.

-That's a real surprise.

Good! Well, that's a very positive reaction.

Why don't you go now, with that in mind, and take a look around?

-Thanks.

-Brilliant.

Well, that's an absolutely brilliant reaction to our Mystery House.

I did suspect that the familiarity this offered may appeal, and I think it has.

Our Mystery House again comes in at around £100,000 below budget

and offers four bedrooms,

three reception rooms and an impressive conservatory.

There's also the converted office and mature private garden to the

rear, and all this just a stone's throw from the beach.

It's a good space, isn't it?

It's good being sort of separate from the main house.

It is. It is. It feels quite warm, as well.

-There's a heater.

-The only thing is there's not a garage in this house,

so you might have to end up putting your tools and your

-garden stuff in here.

-I'd have to get a shed.

-Might have to spoil it!

The location is good, from my point of view, because it's really close

to the sea, so I can, you know... I would just be able to walk onto

that pier and walk onto the sands with

the dog, and that would be lovely. That would be really nice.

The house is quite familiar to me, in a way.

Downstairs, I think the configuration is slightly different

from what we're looking for. However,

there may be some way of actually altering it to perhaps extend the

kitchen in some way, perhaps connect to the dining room.

I don't know. We need to think about that.

When we heard the price, I'm thinking, "Gosh,

"that's really surprising," because I didn't think it would be below

500,000.

Just reminiscing about wet days out on the beach here when I was a little girl.

THEY LAUGH

And I think this is the perfect weather for us to go and have a chat and

-find out what your thoughts are. Are you ready for that?

-Yes.

-Good.

-That's fine.

'The coastal resort of Blackpool has become synonymous with the traditional

'British seaside holiday.

'Ever since the arrival of the railway in 1846,

'the wholesome, family-friendly appeal and fresh air tempted scores of

'workers from Britain's booming industrial cities.

'And, of course, one of the foundations of any seaside holiday must be the

'humble stick of rock.

'Believed to have originated in the Victorian era,

'it was when the idea of lettering was added that it really took off,

'as it meant that each resort could have its own personalised version with

'the name running right through it.

'To find out more about this popular seaside souvenir,

'I've come to meet Ian Atkinson,

'the man responsible for producing around 300 tonnes of the stuff every year.'

I grew up around here, and my childhood was filled with day trips to the

seaside towns, and no visit would have been complete without taking home a

-stick of Blackpool rock.

-Right!

So, what's a typical piece of Blackpool rock, then?

What's unique about the rock from Blackpool?

The traditional rock is pink mint rock, yeah,

and still today that is probably, I don't know...

50% of our sales is the traditional rock.

But things have moved on. I mean, we now make different flavours.

We try and keep it fresh as much as we can.

It's great to see that it endures still today.

Is it as popular as it ever was?

I think it is. You can't visit the seaside and not buy a bar of rock.

Certainly, our customers, we have regular customers

come back year in, year out, and they buy large

-quantities of rock.

-The thing that always fascinated me as a child,

as I'm sure just fascinates everyone,

is "how do you get the letters inside?"

I used to stare at it for ages and try and figure it out.

Why don't we go downstairs and you can try it, and I'll show you how to

-do it?

-Thank you.

'Suitably kitted out, it's off to the factory floor.

'The sugar mixture reaches a temperature of around 150 degrees Celsius but cools

'quickly when poured out,

'thanks to special tables that have cold water piped underneath them to

'speed the cooling process.'

-That's toasty warm.

-Very toasty warm.

'Next, dyes are added to get the right colours.'

We're going to make Escape To The Country rock.

-Fantastic.

-And it's going to be the traditional pink mint rock, OK?

So it will be pink on the outside, white through the centre?

Yeah. And in black we're going to write Escape To The Country.

Fantastic, that's absolutely brilliant.

'It takes a long time to train to make rock like this.

'It's all about teamwork and timing.

'As the rock gets cooler, it gets harder.

'When it comes to the art of embedding letters into the rock,

'modern machines haven't been able to master the tricky process.

'But father and son duo David and Anthony French are going to reveal the

'tricks of the trade.'

-So, right, what's the secret?

-We've just made all the letters.

They're all made individually.

-Right.

-Then they're joined together just in different shapes,

so more of a visual thing, really,

so if you just watch what we're doing now...

So, you're basically taking the two different colours...

-Yes.

-..and making the black look like the letter by...

The black is the letter and all inside is going to be white.

-OK.

-So the black letters will just stand out,

we're just making them different textures altogether now.

So, the C... Do I start with the white or start with the black?

Start with the black. There's the black there. You want to spread that out a bit.

-OK. Gosh, it's really warm, isn't it, still?

-Put a bit of pressure on it.

-Right.

-You just need a wet cloth, and wet that across there.

OK. Just across that?

Yeah. Then you're going to put that inside it.

OK. Oh, I get you, I get you, I get you.

-Then we turn that over.

-So that's going to curl round the

-white and make the shape of a C.

-Turn it completely over.

-That's it.

-I see.

-You can tell I'm a cake maker, can't you?

-Yeah!

'A skilled worker must be able to make all their letters within about 40

'minutes before the rock becomes too hard to work.'

That's the shape of the E.

-Yeah, that's the E, yeah, yeah.

-Fantastic!

We've made all the letters, we're going to spell the words out now,

put them in the right order.

'Once the letters are all complete,

'they're pieced together in a horizontal line.'

"Escape"!

'The rows of letters are then sandwiched around a thick centre of white

'rock before being wrapped with another layer and finally covered in the

'outer casing.'

-Why do you spin it?

-Just push it outwards as you're spinning.

-It'll stretch.

-It's the centrifugal force.

-Oh, yeah!

'The fully assembled rock is placed inside the batch roller to begin the

'process of rolling it down to size.

'This causes the rock to lengthen in long strips, and then the last stages

'are finished off by hand.

'And finally, the rock is cut into pieces ready to be sold to the public.'

Look at that, "Escape Country".

Honestly, if you'd told me when I was a little girl here eating sticks

of this that I'd be making it, I'd never have believed you.

Well, we've gone from the countryside to the coast to find a new Lancashire home

for Rachel and Richard to escape to.

Have any of the three properties we've shown them hit the mark?

I'm about to find out.

Rachel, Richard, how are you feeling after your first house-hunting

experience for over 20 years?

It's been very enjoyable. I've really, really enjoyed it.

It's been interesting to see different properties. Great.

We showed you three quite contrasting properties.

What do you think about them? Is there a "what next" with any of those

-three?

-I don't think, unfortunately,

any of them quite fit the remit of what we've got in our heads.

Each one has got something that is really great, and all three of them are

really lovely houses, but I think it's not quite...

We're not quite there yet.

What would you take from each of the three houses, then, Richard,

if you could, if you could wave that magic wand? What would it be?

I think I'd take the looks of the first one and the internals of the

second one. The third one, I'm not sure, to be honest,

because it's so similar to our last house.

Have you learnt anything from the search with us? Have we, you know,

discovered any new areas, have you

perhaps refocused on what it is you're looking for?

I think certainly from the area point of view we hadn't looked in sort of

the centre of the Fylde peninsula,

and that's really opened up, you know...

There's two more villages now that

we sort of passed by or hadn't looked at.

And are you still holding out for

your detached house with land with sea views?

In the back of my mind, it's still there.

However, I realise that I may have to cut back on one of those things

at least, yes, yeah.

And we've got to decide how quick that's going to be, really.

We're really glad that we've sort of kick-started you again.

I mean, all that remains for me to say is happy house-hunting.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.

Well, it's the end of our search here in Lancashire, and whilst

Rachel and Richard haven't managed to find themselves the

property of their dreams, we've been able to open their eyes

to some lovely villages that they may not have considered, and we've

set them off on their house-hunting

adventure in my beautiful home county.

Join me next time on Escape To The Country.

If you'd like to escape to the

country in Northern Ireland, Scotland,

Wales or England and need our help, you can apply online at...