Shropshire Escape to the Country

Back in the early 1800s, this house and these gardens

were the home and natural playground

to a very inquisitive young boy

who, some 200 years later, is known as the father of evolution.

Find out whose origins began here,

and exactly which county I'm in in, just a moment.

It's the good life that's driving today's couple

to find their rural idyll.

Indeed, relaxation is high on the agenda.

A good space.

I'm just a little concerned where my TV's going to go.

But one prophecy really hits the nail on the head.

Steve, I know you wanted to be in bed and watch TV...

That is perfect. That is just like home from home.

Today, I'm in Shropshire, and these are the grounds of Mount House,

in Shrewsbury. This is where a young Charles Darwin was first captivated

by the natural world,

a fascination which in later life led onto his ground-breaking work,

On The Origin Of Species.

These woodlands were the Darwin family's thinking path.

Today they are looked after by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

With this fantastic vantage point over the River Severn,

it certainly is a fantastic point

to reflect on the great beauty of this county.

The landlocked county of Shropshire sits between the West Midlands

and Wales, and borders six other counties.

The undulating landscape of the Shropshire Hills

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

covers around a quarter of the county,

and climbs to its highest point, Brown Clee Hill.

At 540 metres, it provides expansive views over agricultural fields.

Set in the valley here is the small town of Clun,

whose 15th-century bridge arches over the River Clun,

and connects its two halves.

On one side, the robust square tower

of its Norman Grade II-listed church,

typical of many in these border areas,

and would have been used for defence in times of conflict.

On the other side are the imposing ruins of Clun Castle,

which centuries ago protected the region from Welsh attack.

Just outside the Shropshire hills is the medieval market town of Ludlow.

Today it's a gastronomic hub,

and home to around 500 listed buildings,

with many distinctive timber-frame examples.

It's clear to see why poet Sir John Betjeman thought Ludlow to be

the loveliest town in England.

So, with its diverse landscape and rich architectural heritage,

Shropshire is an enticing proposition,

both for visitors and those making a permanent move.

Shropshire's housing market offers comparatively good value,

when you consider that the average price of a detached property here

is just under £277,000.

That's £34,000 less than the national figure.

And with its diverse housing stock and low population density,

it offers a really fertile ground for rural property shoppers.

So what about today's couple?

Which corner of this gorgeous county have they set their hearts on?

Let's find out.

Retired civil servants Elaine and husband Steve from Peterborough

found love second time around

when they got together at work 14 years ago

and married three years later.

I think the main reason we work well as a couple is because we have

respect for each other, we enjoy the same things,

we both laugh at the same things.

Elaine is, well, my wife, but also my best friend.

The couple have lived in their four-bedroom detached house

for the past four years,

but with their children having grown up and flown the nest,

they've decided it's time to move on to pastures new.

I've noticed a big difference in Peterborough

over the last few years.

It's very busy and crowded in Peterborough.

Traffic is very heavy.

Now we feel it's time for a change.

After many visits to Shropshire,

they've got to know the lie of the land,

and have earmarked their preferred area

in which to seek out their forever home.

We prefer the south part, because it's a little bit more scenic.

The north is a little flatter and we prefer the rolling countryside.

We've seen possibly in the last two visits

that we've had over the last few months about 15, 16 properties.

We haven't actually found that perfect place yet.

But when they do find it, they won't be moving alone.

Their numerous koi carp will be joining them.

The fish are definitely coming with us.

All the fish have individual names.

Some of the fish are named after family members...

..who may have departed.

The couple love spending time

tending to and enjoying their garden,

and when they move, their hot tub will definitely be coming with them.

We have had the hot tub now for just under two years.

I do enjoy it, we go in there frequently.

We will spend most of our day out in the garden,

and then, when our bones are weary,

there's nothing nicer than to go in with a glass of wine and relax

and just enjoy the end of the evening.

So, with their house on the market,

and big plans for their new country life,

this couple are raring to go.

I'm looking forward to exploring another county.

And most importantly, just to do some new things with our lives,

we've got a chapter now that's starting,

and I want to make sure that we don't just do the same things,

but we embrace the move and the changes it's going to bring about.

Elaine and Steve have homed in on the southern half of Shropshire,

and are happy to cross borders into Worcestershire or Herefordshire.

Before we start the clock on our property search,

I'm meeting up with them in the county

to hear exactly what they are looking for.

Elaine, Steve, welcome to sunny Shropshire!

Welcome.

So what kind of property are we searching for?

Well, we'd like a character property,

preferably three to four bedrooms.

If it has a study, three bedrooms would be fine.

I would particularly be interested in a barn conversion.

I rather like stone buildings.

I know Steve's got some criteria of what he'd like.

Outside storage is quite important to me because I've got lots of tools

and garden equipment to store.

I also like to get away from the house now and again.

-So a bit of a man cave!

-Yes.

And garden-wise, we would like to make sure that it's sufficient size,

because we're really keen gardeners.

We've said we wouldn't want anything much bigger than half an acre,

which is quite substantial.

We need to have room for a pond.

And we'd also like to make sure

that there's sufficient room for the hot tub,

because that will also be on the move.

A perfect property would be one that does have some kind of

decent view to it, that would be wonderful.

What kind of style internally would you like to see?

We'd like a more open-plan area, if we can.

Or at least large reception rooms.

So that when we have visitors,

there's more room for us to spread out and enjoy each other's company.

I'd love to have a focal point in the lounge, if possible,

like an inglenook fireplace,

or some kind of fireplace that's the central point.

Beams would be wonderful.

And this dream property, in this gorgeous county,

how close to amenities would you like to be?

We'd like a fairly quiet, edge-of-the-village location.

But with something actually happening in the village

and a fairly vibrant community.

How much are you looking to purchase this new property with?

£425,000 would be our top budget.

The only thing I can't guarantee is the weather,

but I can guarantee that we have three fantastic properties

for you to see, packed full with character

which I know is what you're really after.

-Looking forward to it.

-Shall we start our adventure?

-Yes, please.

-Let's get searching.

For their top budget of £425,000,

Elaine and Steve would like

a character property,

with an open-plan living space

and three to four bedrooms.

They want a decent-sized garden

which accommodates a pond and a hot tub,

along with a workshop for Steve.

Location wise, they're hoping to be

close to a vibrant community.

We've sourced a stunning selection of properties for them to view,

but the price tag will only be revealed

once they've completed each tour.

The final visit will be to the Mystery House,

which disguises its age well

and will provide them with other surprises.

Mindful of their request to live in a community,

we're starting our property search in Much Wenlock.

This medieval town is home to just 3,000 residents.

It's had a market charter for 700 years,

and there's still a market held here today

in the 16th-century Guildhall.

There's also a variety of independent shops lining the attractive lanes.

The town is also the birthplace of one Dr William Penny Brookes,

who inspired the modern Olympic Games.

Do you know Much Wenlock at all?

We came here on our first visit, when we first came to Shropshire,

and we had a little look around, noticed how beautiful it is,

just the kind of village that we are looking for.

So, quite excited to be here.

OK, let's have a look.

Our first property is a two-minute rainy walk away.

Very nice. Quirky.

Built in 1661, in the reign of Charles II,

just packed full of original features.

-I love the windows, I love the doors.

-I love the timbers.

Yeah, I like the look of it, very nice.

-You wanted local amenities.

-Fabulous location.

You've got the butcher, the baker up the road.

All we need is the candlestick maker.

-Shall we take a look inside?

-Very much so.

-Definitely.

Not even a good old British downpour can dampen their spirits, as we head

past the Grade II-listed facade and explore its historic interior.

Let's get in out of the rain.

In you come.

-Nice and cosy.

-Very cosy.

I like it. Yes.

-Character.

-Lovely fireplace.

-Fireplaces.

You've got two, you've got your gas burner there

and a multi-fuel burner there.

That's lovely.

Very inviting. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the house.

-Shall we explore more?

-Excellent.

-OK.

Here we are, into your open kitchen-diner.

-I like that.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Do you like the flow of the house?

I know you really want that open-plan living.

I like it very much, I can imagine having family here,

and we can be in the kitchen area

but also can run through into the lounge

but still feel in contact with one another in the two rooms.

And you've also got, alongside the kitchen-diner space,

-you've got a downstairs shower room and loo as well.

-That's excellent.

-Let's head upstairs because there's lots more to see.

-Perfect.

-OK.

A stairway tucked between the kitchen and the living room

leads up to the sleeping quarters

where there's a beautifully fitted family bathroom,

complete with roll-top bath,

for the three bedrooms, all in the eaves.

There's a cosy double at the front of the house,

a single at the back with an open wardrobe,

and next door is another stylish double.

-Lovely.

-Dual aspects.

Lovely and light. Plenty of storage.

Excellent. Very nice. I like the fact it's quite light in here.

Dual aspect, like you say, it's deceptively large.

-Yeah.

-It is quite large.

It's a good space.

I'm just a little bit concerned where my TV is going to go

-for my breakfast TV.

-THEY LAUGH

So this bedroom that we're in at the moment

is the current master bedroom in the property,

but permission has been granted, planning permission,

to extend the bedroom behind us,

and it would become even bigger than this master bedroom

and you could have that en suite, that walk-in wardrobe,

so, the property, although the front facade is Grade II-listed,

has potential for you to extend it

-in the way you would wish at the back.

-That's very interesting,

there's never enough room for Elaine's clothes.

-So that would be...

-So extra wardrobe space could be welcome!

Definitely worth thinking about, yeah.

There's much more up here to see

but I also want to take you out into the garden, which is stunning.

Of course, we've got to talk about price.

THEY LAUGH

So start thinking.

-Let's have a look at the wonderful garden.

-OK.

Outside is set out in different zones,

including two seating areas and a path through the secluded lawn.

There's also a greenhouse, a handy shed and a traditional caravan,

which gives Steve that man space he's after.

There's also a ready-made area for their hot tub.

Elaine, I can hear lots of oohs and aahs

as we were walking through the garden.

It's absolutely perfect, the garden, perfect size,

lovely, the way it's been laid out, like little compartments.

-I'm amazed.

-And space for a pond, for some koi carp to come with you.

Essential.

Shall we talk about price?

Yes, that's a difficult one, actually.

What do you think this property and gorgeous garden

are currently on the market for?

I'm going to guess...

that it would be...

probably 420.

-OK, £420,000.

-£420,000.

Steve, what do you think?

I think it's a little bit lower than that, I think it's £410,000.

This property is currently on the market for...

..£385,000.

Wow, I'm surprised.

-That's good value.

-That is good value.

Now you know about the price, and with that planning permission,

why don't you head back in, have another look around,

-and we'll catch up in a bit.

-Wonderful.

-OK. I'll catch up with you later.

-Thank you.

This stunning 17th-century cottage

is a substantial £40,000 under budget.

It's packed with original character,

and the downstairs living areas have great flow between them.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms,

and outside, they get their garden paradise.

What's more, Steve gets his man cave.

Location-wise, it's a stone's throw from the hub of the community.

This is nice, Steve, it's bright, and...

A little small at the moment, but...

-It is small.

-..if we was to consider an extension,

this would then become the master.

Overall, I like the property very much, it's got lots of plus points.

It's deceptively large, in actual fact,

and the garden is absolutely beautiful.

Really impressed with the property, nice size, bright,

I could visualise myself living here.

Fabulous location.

Garden is amazing.

Really impressed overall with property number one.

Great start, even if a bit wet.

Hi, guys. Come out, the umbrella is ready for you.

Have you had a good look round?

-Yes.

-Seen enough of property one?

-Seen enough.

OK. Great, smiling, I like that. Shall we head off to property two?

-Excellent.

-Come on.

-Lead on.

The ideal English country garden is something

many of us strive to create on home turf.

Visiting public gardens provides great inspiration

on planting throughout the seasons.

One such horticultural highlight is in the village of Albrighton,

and it's owned by rose breeder David Austin.

He's won 22 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show,

and has been breeding roses for over 70 years.

The gardens are home to some 800 rose varieties.

of which 200 English roses have been exclusively created by David

and are sold all over the world.

Gardening enthusiasts Elaine and Steve have come to meet David Austin Jr,

to find out where his father's passion for roses stemmed from.

He was interested in gardening from a young age, he grew up on a farm,

he was given the opportunity to actually create his own garden,

he then got into breeding, the concept of breeding plants,

and he looked around at different plants,

and the rose was the thing that he enjoyed the most.

He wanted to create a new kind of rose.

So, amongst all the many roses that you've got here,

have you got a particular favourite yourself?

Well, I suppose I should say one called Olivia Rose Austin,

it's a beautiful flower, it's got a wonderful fragrance,

a lovely pink colour.

But it's also the name of my daughter. So...

New rose varieties are created here each year,

and David's going to show Elaine and Steve where the magic happens.

It begins with deciding what rose to cross with which rose.

You understand what we call the mother,

the characteristics of the one parent,

and you understand the characteristic of the other parent,

and you're trying to bring those together,

and get the best of both in a new rose.

We're looking here at a rose

that has been hybridised this summer.

This is the mother plant, we have taken pollen from the other parent,

we've applied it by hand with a paintbrush,

and we now see here the hips forming

that will contain the seed for the new rose.

In the autumn, the hips will be harvested and stored

before the seeds are planted in the spring to create new varieties.

We're doing this process in here 60,000 times, by hand,

and we will be producing something like 100,000 seedlings.

Every single one will be different.

Just like you never get two people the same,

you never get two roses the same.

From the tens of thousands of seedlings planted last year,

only two or three varieties will make the grade,

and it takes around nine years

before the roses are actually ready to sell.

Back out in the garden,

senior rosarian Michael Marriott, who designs rose gardens worldwide,

is ready to show Elaine and Steve how to pot a rose

and get the best out of it.

If you get a rose like this,

the most important thing first of all is to make sure it's really wet,

so give it a jolly good watering, or, even better,

soak it in a bucket of water for an hour or something.

And then, when you take the pot off...

There we are. We've got a lovely root system there already.

And you can see it's damp all the way through.

Sometimes you'll buy it and you might find the top humus is wet

and the bottom is dry.

So make sure it's damp all the way through.

Just break up the root ball a little bit.

Don't be too vicious about it.

Um...and then...

..just make sure that the level is right.

You want the bottom of the stems

to just be an inch or two

below the final level.

-So that's about right there.

-OK.

It's then just a matter...

Shall I hold it while you...?

Yeah. It's then a matter of putting the compost in.

Then, a really good watering.

You can put all of that on,

there's a gallon and a half or two gallons in there.

And is it important to just water to the roots like that?

Cos I tend to sprinkle over the top.

Ah, that's a very good point, that is.

When you do water,

try and do it in the morning when the leaves will dry out quickly,

or do it carefully so the leaves don't get wet at all.

That's very interesting, actually.

I look forward to trying this at home.

Good luck with your house-hunting as well.

Thank you very much. Thank you for your time.

Armed with some top gardening advice and inspiration,

it's time to return to our property search.

For our next Shropshire stop, we're off to the hamlet of Noneley.

It's slightly further north in the county, but well worth the journey.

The closest amenities are found just a mile away from Noneley,

in the peaceful village of Loppington.

There are many historic buildings here,

including the 14th-century St Michael and All Angels Church,

which is Grade I-listed.

There's also a village hall, a post office and a dining pub.

A five-minute drive takes us to our impressive second property,

with the style Elaine has said she loves.

So here we are, property number two.

Your barn conversion. Packed full of character.

Double garage for you.

-Very nice.

-Or something I could use for storage or a workshop.

-Yep. Sounds wonderful.

-Sounds interesting.

-I like the brickwork.

-Shall we get in there?

-Yes, please.

This small collection of old barns and a granary

was converted into dwellings in 2007.

The home we are going to explore is one of six in the complex,

and attached on both sides.

Inside has real wow factor.

A large hall leads us into an open-plan kitchen-diner.

I'm amazed.

-I love it.

-It's a wonderful room. I love the fireplace.

So I wanted to have a space where, when our guests come,

I can be still cooking and I can be with everybody.

-And this is it, isn't it?

-It's huge.

A very contemporary interior that mixes with

-the beautiful old features. Just what we want.

-Just right.

The ground floor of this barn conversion is laid out in a T-shape.

Behind the kitchen,

and also leading off the hallway,

is the sitting room.

This was the granary in the property's former life,

and it's where we continue our tour.

A really good space.

So light and bright.

I love the arches to the door frame.

I think there's scope for a bigger TV!

-You're smiling?

-Yes.

Well, I'm glad you like the living space we've seen so far downstairs.

There's also a beautiful office/craft room,

that's separate to the five bedrooms that are in this property.

Let's start exploring those upstairs.

-Sounds wonderful.

-OK!

-Hopefully we don't get lost.

Also on this floor, at the back of the hallway,

there's a laundry room,

and to its left, a double bedroom

with its own en suite.

Then upstairs, four further bedrooms

all fan out from a central landing -

one to the front of the house

and three to the back.

They're serviced by a bright family bathroom.

There's a double bedroom, currently a twin, with its own en suite,

and another double next door.

But we're heading to the largest of them all,

also with its own en suite.

So, through into the main bedroom.

Oh, and a wardrobe space.

-Built-in wardrobe space, storage above that.

-Yeah.

Steve, I know you wanted to be in bed and watch TV.

That is perfect. That is just like home from home.

Yeah. Really, really fabulous.

The blend is just perfect, I think.

Old with new.

It's just perfect.

And gorgeous views out into the garden.

Yes, that's looking fabulous out there.

Well, there is a lot of house to explore and a garden to get into.

Let's decide where we're going to put that hot tub of yours.

And then of course we've got to talk about price.

-OK.

-So let's go out in that garden and take a look.

-OK.

At the back of the house is a slate sun terrace leading onto a large

enclosed lawn, with plenty of space for both hot tub and pond.

So, out into your very private garden,

which is kind of a nice blank canvas, I think,

for you to work with.

It's actually very neat and tidy, a little gem.

How much do you think this little gem is on the market for?

I would actually say it's over our budget,

and I'm going to go in at around 435.

-£435,000?

-£435,000, yeah.

Steve, what do you think?

I'm going to say £425,000.

This property is currently on the market for £415,000.

-Wow! That's... that's really good.

-That is good.

-That's really good.

-I'm pleasantly surprised by that.

-I am.

I didn't think it would come in under budget.

-I was hoping.

-Well, now you know it's under budget,

why don't you have a look around again?

There's a lot of house to explore. I'll catch up with you in a moment.

This beautiful converted barn delivers generously,

and it's still £10,000 under budget.

It offers Elaine and Steve

character, style and open-plan living.

There are five bedrooms here, and as requested,

a substantial garden with plenty of room to accommodate all their needs.

-Wow!

-Your man cave!

This is a fantastic space.

A fantastic place for storage and also a lovely workbench.

This house could definitely be a contender.

It ticks all our boxes, no question.

There's fantastic living space,

great reception areas and a terrific garden.

Plenty of room to place our pond and our beloved hot tub.

It's an amazing house.

I could visualise us living here.

Wonderful space, fantastic outlook.

I can't really say more.

Really, really love it.

Hey, have you had a good look round?

Yes, we've had a really good look round.

-There's a lot of house to take in.

-There certainly is

-and we're still smiling.

-Yes.

At the end of a day that's seen torrential rain

-and a glimmer of sunshine in the end.

-Yes.

Elaine's delighted because she can see

how much extra furniture she can buy to fill that house.

-Great, we're thinking about furniture now?

-Absolutely.

-We're at that stage?

-Yes.

Good, so a good end to day one?

Yes, very good, yes.

Well, more to come -

Mystery House tomorrow as well, and lots to think about.

-Yes, very much so.

-Let's head home.

It's the second day of our tour around Shropshire,

searching out a country pad for Elaine and Steve from Peterborough.

They've got a top budget of £425,000

to buy a three- to four-bedroom character home

with a garden big enough for a pond and hot tub.

We're in with a remotely good chance

of striking gold with our Mystery House.

It surprises me that when something is in such beautiful surroundings,

it lifts your heart so much.

And I'll be finding out how drinking greens can be palatable.

Oh, that is delicious!

Having already seen 15 properties,

it was always going to be tricky to find Elaine and Steve

something that perfectly fit their bill,

but both houses on day one seemed to do that,

even though they were quite different

in both style and location.

So, where does that leave today's Mystery House?

Well, it's in a very tranquil location

with a character that's not quite what it seems.

It's really going to give Elaine and Steve an awful lot to think about.

What do you think the Mystery House might have in store for us today?

I think property number three could be a curveball.

I believe it's going to be one that's going to have a view.

My guess could be that it might have a more contemporary feel to it,

slightly different to what we've looked at,

but with some kind of character.

Steve, what do you think?

I thought it might be perhaps a new-build-type property

but with some character.

But whatever happens, I think it will blow us away

in some particular way that will be completely unexpected.

We're really excited about the Mystery House.

I'll keep them guessing, as we cross the border into Worcestershire

and the hamlet of Orleton.

Two miles away in the village of Stanford Bridge

is the attractive St Mary's Church, built in the 1760s.

It perches high on the bluff, with a bird's eye view over the village.

There's a good community feel here,

with a village hall and a collection of small local shops.

Orleton is five minutes away

and it's where we find our Mystery House,

which is set in a more isolated location

than they might have imagined.

But it's nonetheless beautiful.

I like it. Yeah, very different.

I just like...the general feel of it and where it is.

-I like where it is.

-Yes.

-It's quite remote, but it doesn't feel remote.

Part of the mystery of the Mystery House is this house,

a labour of love,

was rebuilt in the 1970s, so it's not actually listed.

It was stripped back to the bare bones

and lovingly rebuilt, inch by inch, from reclaimed local materials.

-Unbelievable.

-It surprises me

that when something is in such beautiful surroundings,

as this is, even though it's quite remote...

it lifts your heart so much.

I really thought that I wanted to be

somewhere with a little bit more of a buzz about it, but...

this gives me a really good feeling.

-Well, let's get inside.

-OK. Excellent.

To the left of the Mystery House is a large detached garage with power,

an ideal workshop for Steve. Once in the house,

the porch leads us straight into a beamed breakfast room.

Come into your country cottage kitchen.

Very different.

-Very different?

-Very different, yes.

Lots of character, but you know what?

A little smaller than I thought it would be.

But it's very quaint and I think it goes with the property.

You also have more space around the corner of the kitchen there

where all the white goods are, washing machine, etc.

Whoever's done it like this has got it right for this property.

Well, there's much more to explore.

-Let's keep looking.

-Excellent. Thank you.

The kitchen leads to a central hallway

which then flows into a spacious sitting room.

That is very nice. The fireplace is very nice.

-The fireplace is amazing, it's just what I've been looking for.

-Yes.

It's got the character, it's a good size.

Windows all round, so views of the garden.

-Very nice.

-The room feels quite small to me...

But cosy.

Well, let's have a look upstairs,

-then let's see what you think.

-That's wonderful, thank you.

Retracing our steps to the main hallway,

a staircase leads up to the first floor,

where there's a family bathroom

servicing what could be four bedrooms.

There's a potential double and a snug single on one side the house

but we're heading to the landing in the middle.

You may see the partition here.

This study area was actually a fourth bedroom.

-Right.

-So they've removed that

and you've now got three bedrooms in the property

and that office space, which I know you were looking for.

Yeah, I think it would work.

We've got the main bedroom behind us, let's take a look at that.

Excellent.

It's a good size.

I really like the windows like that.

I think they're very unique.

-Fantastic views and surprisingly very light and bright.

-Yeah.

Well, let's step out into the garden and look at your wraparound garden,

mature garden, which hugs this cottage,

and we also have to talk about price of the Mystery House.

OK, thank you.

The outside space is made up of seating areas,

an expansive lawn and pretty borders.

And with the remoteness of our Mystery House,

come the welcome sounds of the countryside.

There's a little stream at the end of your property

and this garden is not overlooked by anyone,

so wherever you want to put the hot tub,

no-one is going to see you at the end of the day

having that nice glass of wine and unwinding.

It's literally grazing fields on either side.

I think the outside of the property,

I'd even refer to them as the grounds,

they are absolutely gorgeous.

The view's amazing.

Now you've had a chance to have a good look around inside

and you've taken in the grounds as well,

what do you think the Mystery House is on the market for?

-Let's talk money.

-I think it's on the market for £375,000.

Elaine, what do you think?

I'm going to guess £385,000.

Well, Elaine, you're closest to the price,

but the mystery property is actually currently on the market

for £450,000,

but the owner is willing to consider offers.

So, with that in mind,

why don't you re-explore the cottage and we'll catch up later.

-There's a lot of talk about.

-OK, thank you.

Granted, this enchanting timber-framed mystery property

is £25,000 over budget,

but the vendor is open to offers.

The spectacular setting, by Steve's own admission,

was completely unexpected.

The charming interior is full of character

and there's the option to have four bedrooms.

Outside, there's a wonderful garden with views

and a double garage provides a workshop space for Steve.

However, one of the challenges could be

not having a community right on their doorstep.

I like this.

This is a terrific space.

A character workshop to go with a character house.

Architecturally, this is a wonderful property

and it's set in a beautiful location with superb views.

But inside, the accommodation is really too small for us,

both downstairs and upstairs.

The gardens were amazing.

Overall, the property is stunning, but on this occasion,

I don't think it would be for us.

You've had a good look around.

-We have, thank you.

-Seen all you need to see of the mystery property?

-Yes, I think so.

-Yes, very much so.

Shall we find somewhere for a cuppa?

Because I have a feeling we've got a lot to talk about.

-OK.

-Good idea.

Shropshire is known for its industrial heritage,

but this largely rural county also has a fertile farming landscape.

Its reputation for fresh local produce is celebrated

at Britain's first food and drink festival,

held in the market town of Ludlow every September.

In the village of Great Chadwell

on Shropshire's border with Staffordshire,

third-generation farmer Philip Maddox has been growing salads

on his 2,500 acre family farm for the past 25 years.

He decided to take his business one step further almost two years ago

and now produces fresh, cold-pressed juice from his crops.

What makes land here in Shropshire so great for farming?

In this area of Shropshire, we have light, loamy soils

which are very fertile, reasonably flat

and we have plenty of irrigation.

How important is local provenance?

I think it's becoming more important generally.

I think our consumers like to know where their produce comes from,

so, yeah, I think it's becoming much more of an issue.

Why did you decide to make the change into juices?

We had a hailstorm across a field of lettuce,

and I looked at what options

we could do with crop which was nutritionally perfect

but visually not, and came across green juice.

What are you currently harvesting on the farm?

On the farm at the moment, well, we're in a field of spinach.

We're also harvesting Little Gem lettuce, romaine lettuce,

iceberg lettuce,

wild rocket, baby leaf red lettuce.

After harvesting, speed is of the essence

to create and bottle the drink.

Ingredients arrive at the juicery

and are washed in natural spring water

before being gently crushed to release the juice.

Next, it passes through the press to extract the most liquid possible.

Because no heat is used in the process,

vitamins, minerals and nutrients are retained.

Next, the liquid is pasteurised to give it a longer shelf life.

Around 15,000 bottles of the farm's Be Fresh juice

is made here each week, and is sold to shops

and supermarkets all around the country.

Product development director Julian Cannings is going to show me

how to create a perfectly nutritious and appetising blend.

So the greens we have today are

the apple, cucumber, spinach, kale,

some lemon and some ginger.

The spinach, did that come from the field I was in this morning?

It did, yes, and the kale as well.

Our other products that you can see here,

the apples come from Herefordshire,

the cucumber from Hertfordshire, the lemon and ginger obviously

we can't grow ourselves in the UK at the moment.

How long does it take from an ingredient to go

from the field or being picked to being in a juice?

It literally can be in the juicery within a few hours.

Wow, that's fast work.

-That's fresh!

-It is indeed, that's VERY fresh!

So what are we going to be making today?

We're going to be making one of our popular green juice recipes.

OK, Julian, where do I start with making the juice?

No problem at all. First of all, take the bottle.

-Yeah.

-If you'd like to take the apple juice.

-So, we start with the apple.

-Yeah.

-Love that colour, it's gorgeous.

About one part of that, I'll tell you when.

OK, I'll just...

Ooh... Steady hand.

-That'll do.

-Ooh!

Little fresh cucumber in there.

-About the same again?

-Yeah, perfect.

OK. I like a bit of spinach in a juice.

Yes, nice and freshening.

-That's a good colour again, look at that.

-Keep going.

-That'll do, fantastic.

-OK.

Next in, it's kale, a dash of lime and a little ginger.

Give that a bit of a shake.

Then the taste test.

-Let's see how well I've done.

-OK.

Wow, look at that, what a great colour!

-Great colour.

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

Oh, that is delicious.

Julian, thank you so much for taking me through the process

-of making a great juice.

-You're very welcome.

It's great to see a local farm

reaping the rewards from diversifying,

and creating produce that's both inventive and commercially viable.

Elaine and Steve have been searching for that rural lifestyle

in Shropshire, but I'm not 100% certain even THEY knew

quite how rural they were willing to go.

We've shown them three stunning properties

in very different settings, and I can't wait to find out

which one is their favourite.

I'm dying to know where we go from here.

What's your next move?

You've shown us three excellent properties,

and each one has brought some star quality to the table.

We're quite torn between two of the properties -

number one and number two.

But on balance, we felt that number two offers us

the kind of space that we would like,

and, subject to looking around the area a bit more,

we would certainly give that one some further consideration.

-And make an offer?

-Oh, yes, definitely.

For us it actually provides the accommodation,

and we could see the lifestyle unfold in that property.

The house, for us, was perfect in every way.

The accommodation met our requirements,

and even the added bonus of an extra bedroom, which is amazing...

I'm so excited for you!

You know, we're even more excited about our move.

We feel more at home now as well, in Shropshire, than ever.

Well, it's been a joy to explore this gorgeous county with you.

I'm glad we found you three gorgeous properties to explore

and, fingers crossed, all being well, moving forward,

one new home to move into.

-Let's hope so.

-I'm inviting myself to the housewarming!

-Well, congratulations...

-Thank you.

..and keep in touch and let us know how it goes.

-And thank you very much. Thank you.

-Thanks very much.

We began our search here in Shropshire

looking for a home for Elaine, Steve and their hot tub,

and I'm pleased to say that we've found a property

that meets all those requirements.

We wish them all the best with their second viewing.

I'll see you next time.

Elaine and Steve did revisit the second property

and put an offer in on it, which sadly wasn't accepted.

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