South Wales Escape to the Country

Until it was excavated in the 1920s,

the ruins of this circular earthwork had found fame as the alleged site

of King Arthur's Round Table.

But its history actually dates back much further than the Middle Ages.

So what was its purpose, and where am I?

I'll reveal all in just a couple of moments.

Today's house hunt is all about bringing the family together.

-I could see us entertaining in here.

-Yeah.

-See the grandchildren in here.

Yeah, it's good.

But will any of our houses deliver just what they're after?

-I can imagine it in the winter - nice fire, Christmas tree in the corner.

-Yeah.

-Oh, now you're talking, aren't you?

-The kids running around...

-Christmas at Granny and Grandpa's.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Today we're in South Wales in the town of Caerleon

at the impressive ruins of what was once a grand Roman amphitheatre,

thought capable of seating up to 6,000 spectators.

But over millennia, it was lost in time, if you like,

and reclaimed by nature - that was, until around 1926,

when locals removed 30,000 tonnes of soil

and revealed what is today, undoubtedly,

the best-preserved Roman amphitheatre in Britain.

The area of South Wales includes the historic Welsh counties of

Monmouthshire and Glamorgan, as well as the southern section of Powys,

with coastline overlooking the Bristol Channel.

To the north of the region lies the Brecon Beacons mountain range,

where a national park was established in 1957.

Walkers can enjoy around 2,800 rights of way

through the impressive landscape,

formed in the Ice Age by glacial activity.

To the south, the Vale of Glamorgan includes 33 miles

of the South Wales coastline.

At Nash Point, dramatic cliffs are home to what was the last

manned lighthouse in Wales, automated in 1998,

and now open to visitors.

Across the region, intriguing ruins provide evocative reminders

of its diverse history.

Chepstow's castle construction began in 1067,

less than a year after William the Conqueror

was crowned King of England.

This fortification's strategic position, high above the River Wye

in what is now the southeastern corner of Wales,

allowed defenders to bring supplies via the river during the times

of battle and siege.

So from landscapes to seascapes, ruins to restorations,

country escapees would do well to head to the diverse region

of South Wales.

Much like its beautiful landscape,

Welsh property prices vary throughout the country.

The average price for a detached home here in Wales currently stands

at around £207,000.

But here in the south-east, in the ever-popular Monmouthshire,

you can expect to pay an extra £100,000 for a similar property.

Now that's due in part

to its commutable distance to Cardiff and Bristol,

but also its close proximity to the likes of the Wye Valley

and Brecon Beacons, known throughout the world

for their unrivalled beauty.

And it's from across the Atlantic that today's buyers have travelled

in their bid to move here.

Today's house-hunters, Chris and Helen,

have recently returned to Britain

following an adventurous few years' escape,

having left Wales to live in the United States.

I got a job offer in America.

The children had grown up

and either gone to university, or had their own lives.

It was one of those things where I thought, "If we don't take this

"opportunity, will we regret it for the rest of our lives?"

So we took that huge leap, moved to America.

But shortly after acting on that momentous decision, the elder of

their two daughters, Natasha,

gave birth to their first grandchild,

followed three years later by a second.

After trying to maintain family ties long-distance,

the draw of being hands-on grandparents is just too strong.

Yeah, we just want to be grandparents that are around.

The grandchildren are developing their own little personalities now.

It's nice that we're here to be able to see that.

But since returning,

they've been moving from one temporary accommodation to the next.

The latest - a caravan close to Chris's work as a sales director

for a tech company in Northamptonshire.

At the moment, we are living in just holiday accommodation.

We've been moving backwards and forwards.

It would be really nice just to get a base again.

Now that their nomadic lifestyle is wearing thin

and Chris can work from home,

they're looking for a new permanent base that will let them

rebuild those all-important family connections.

If we're going to be back

in the children and grandchildren's' lives,

we really want to be in close proximity,

so I think South Wales is the area for us.

Anywhere around there, really. We're quite open-minded,

cos we like all the area, don't we?

The pretty little market towns with beautiful countryside around

on the edge of the Brecon Beacons.

And as well as setting down roots, it'll be a chance to start

a different way of life.

What I'm most excited about for my move back to the country

is just to enjoy, really, more simple things.

I had a crazy notion of maybe getting some bees and...

-Yeah, you did, didn't you?

-..do some beekeeping.

-He wanted to do that.

-And you even looked at getting some ducks, didn't you?

Oh, yes, yeah, and maybe some chickens.

Maybe start with the ducks and work our way up.

Well, let's not get carried away.

Helen and Chris would like to focus their South Wales property search

within a 45-minute driving radius of their grandchildren near Newport.

So, with that in mind, we're meeting up in the area to find out more

about the type of home they're after.

Welcome to sunny Wales, welcome to tropical Wales.

-Thank you.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Lovely.

It's like this all the time, I hear.

Now, you're currently living in Northamptonshire.

-Yes.

-How's that for you?

You're living in a caravan, aren't you?

Yeah, the novelty's worn off already.

We need something more permanent now.

-Well, you've secured a job.

-Yes.

But I know it's not a job that's prompting the timing.

So how far away from the grandchildren

do you want to be based?

Far enough so that we're not in their hair all the time,

but close enough that if they want to drop the kids round, or,

you know, we can grab them for an evening, then it's pretty close.

So let's talk about the house.

So what does your ideal house look like, Helen?

I'd like something with garden all the way round all the sides.

OK.

Three bedrooms.

Is three bedrooms going to be enough in the long term?

-That's the minimum.

-Oh, right, OK.

-That's the minimum.

I also need some space for a home office,

so either a fourth bedroom for that, potentially,

or if there's a large enough reception room

that could be used as an office.

-I've got you.

-Or even an outside space.

-OK.

Maybe an open-plan kitchen with, you know, like a family area.

-OK.

-But pretty open-minded on the house.

What's most important is the space, really.

I thought, if we had some land, what could we do with it?

And I'm not talking of acres and acres,

but maybe enough to keep some chickens, or ducks,

or even bees.

So in town terms, it seems like land,

but in country terms, it's a good-sized garden.

-Yes, that's right.

-Right, OK.

What about proximity to other things,

amenities, other people?

I'd like to be able to walk to a pub.

Sometimes it's nice to have a little bit of community nearby.

Right, let's talk budget - how much are you looking to spend?

Our budget is £600,000.

OK. So let's start with number one, and we'll go from there.

-Excellent.

-OK.

-Come with me.

Helen and Chris have up to £600,000

to find their dream home.

They would like at least three bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen,

and wraparound gardens.

Chris needs a home office space,

and they'd like to be within walking distance of a pub.

We found three very different properties to show them,

but always with their wish list in mind.

After each viewing, they'll try and guess the price before I reveal it.

Our final offering is the Mystery House,

which could just test how far they're willing to go

to get away from it all.

We are kicking off in the Monmouthshire village of Cross Ash.

Just under nine miles away is the town of Abergavenny,

whose market has played a central role since medieval times.

The restored Victorian market hall stands testament to this

and is a draw for the surrounding communities.

A 15-minute drive away in Cross Ash, and next to farmland,

we find our first house.

First impressions, property number one?

Well, it seems like an older house,

so I should imagine there's some character in there.

It's a lovely spot.

And it's, you know, it's nice and quiet.

-I like the slate roof.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

Two chimneys, so I should imagine there's some nice fireplaces inside.

-Nice big windows.

-Yes.

-And I also spotted a green communications box,

so I should imagine there's decent broadband here.

He's good, isn't he? Tell you what, Poirot.

Can you tell what it might have been before?

Well, there's a post office box I can spot.

Oh, he's good. Straightaway, he's good.

So I'm guessing an old post house.

At some point, it's been a post office.

It's also had a couple of other uses, and I will explain those

as we walk around.

Built around 1850,

this detached Welsh stone house served as the village store

and post office until 2003.

Arranged over three floors,

we're taking the entrance door to the middle floor

where the area that once offered stamps and groceries

now serves up a spacious reception area.

Now, hopefully, you'll be pleasantly surprised

by the dimensions of this room.

It's massive, isn't it?

Yes, it's a great size.

-Big windows letting in lots of light.

-Yeah, lovely.

-It's silent here now.

-It is, yeah.

All you can hear is birds tweeting from the open windows at the back.

Have you ever thought about...? There's a doorway just in the corner of the room.

You've got a really, really nice study.

-OK.

-Ready-made office, straightaway.

-Great.

And probably a little bit bigger than the caravan, Helen.

That's for sure!

You could fit the whole caravan in here, I think.

-And it's a good size.

-Yeah.

I can see us entertaining in here. I can see the grandchildren in here.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that'll do.

-Yeah, it's good.

-So you've got a lower ground floor, as well.

-OK.

-Let me show you that now.

-OK. Great.

So a good response to the very generous proportions

of the middle floor reception room where stairs at the rear lead us

down to the lower floor

where there's a large open-plan kitchen-diner.

Now, the history of this property really starts to reveal itself

when you come downstairs.

Now, one of the reasons why it's such a good size is because

this property's also been a bakery and a butchers.

-Yeah.

-If you look behind you, can you see the hooks there?

-Oh, right.

-So, do you like it?

Would you make any changes?

Yes. It needs some work.

But there's certainly space here, for sure.

I'd like more in the kitchen. I'm not a big fan of islands.

-Oh, you're not?

-No.

I would have to change it, cos it's just not to my taste.

That's fine, that's good.

There is, like, a guest bedroom and a family bathroom,

or a guest bathroom on this level, but the other bedrooms are upstairs.

-OK.

-Where we're headed.

Up on the top floor are four of this property's five bedrooms,

all served by a family bathroom with roll-top bath and separate shower.

There's a guest double with single-aspect sash window,

a further guest bedroom currently used as a single,

and the smallest of the upper floor bedrooms,

currently used as a dressing area,

which leaves bedroom number five as an option

for Chris and Helen's master.

Not huge, admittedly.

-Would our bed fit?

-Yeah, we've got a pretty big American bed.

-Those American beds are big.

-It's six foot wide.

-Six foot wide?

-Yeah.

Yeah, you'll get that in here. You've got five bedrooms,

just a bedroom here, and next door is your dressing room.

OK, yes, that might work.

-OK, yeah.

-And you've still got the spare bedrooms for the kids.

-I want to take you outside now.

-OK.

-Come with me. Start thinking about price, though, all right?

-OK.

Well, they may have had concerns about the size of the bedrooms,

but that shouldn't be the case with the garden.

Amounting to three-quarters of an acre, it features outbuildings,

including a workshop and store.

There's plenty of off-street parking, plus well-stocked

flower beds and mature trees surrounding areas of lawn.

Along with pretty valley views, there's lots of scope here for

keeping their ducks or bees and, of course,

for entertaining the family.

-Lovely, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

-It's absolutely beautiful.

-Stunning, isn't it?

-Yeah. Great views.

You get your hives out of the way, one in the garden.

-Yeah, right in the corner.

-Right in that field there somewhere.

It's better over there.

-So...

-It's a good size.

-It's a lovely garden.

-Really good.

-Yeah, it's nice,

this is just the type of outside space we're looking for.

-Yeah.

-So how much do you think this place is on the market for, then?

-Who wants to go first?

-I'll go first.

-OK.

-550.

-Oh, straight in, Helen. I like that.

I think maybe a little lower - 535.

OK. Not far out, Helen.

This place is on the market for £575,000.

-OK.

-OK. Not surprised.

No, it's a lovely house and, again, the gardens are beautiful.

I think you've got an opportunity now to go back into the house,

have a good look around all the areas,

on your own this time, discuss what you'd do,

and I'll catch you later on, all right?

-OK.

-See you in a mo.

-Thanks.

Coming in £25,000 under budget,

this three-storey former post office provides an open-plan kitchen-diner

and a dedicated study, as well as further options for a home office.

There are five bedrooms and three-quarters of an acre of garden

with countryside views.

I know it's on the lower ground floor, but this could be

a good master with the bathroom next door.

-I think we'd fit our furniture in here.

-Yeah. Nice beams.

I like the beams.

I think the house is lovely.

It's in a great setting.

Good study - I could see myself working from home.

I think the grandchildren would love the living room.

I could see them playing around there.

The house is lovely, great character,

and lots of different nooks and crannies.

It's got a fantastic outlook at the back,

which is where you spend most of your outside time.

Could it work? Is it a possibility?

-Maybe.

-Haven't ruled it out.

-Yeah.

-Good.

-We'll have to think about it.

-Yeah.

-OK, let's move on, next one.

-Thanks.

As part of their new rural lifestyle in Wales,

Chris and Helen want to get involved in some new pastimes,

including beekeeping.

It's something that has a long history in Wales.

In 1546, the first book printed in the Welsh language contained advice

on the best time for relocating beehives.

Five years ago, Catherine Clark swapped life as a lawyer to become

a full-time apiarist in the Llangybi countryside near Usk,

and today, she's kindly agreed to share the benefit of her experience.

Hi, how are you doing? Nice to meet you.

What makes this part of the country so good for the bees?

Well, I think it's a beautiful part of the world,

with all of the natural rolling hills and countryside

and natural forage, so there's plenty of food for the bees.

What kind of bees have you got here,

and what's their main job and function?

-I think there's 20,000 species of bee.

-Gosh.

But the one that we keep generally in Britain is the honeybees,

cos obviously, we are interested in collecting that lovely honey.

-Yeah.

-And their main function for us as humans

is to increase pollination -

really important for fruits and harvests -

but also, it's to collect nectar for their food source for winter...

-Of course.

-..which we share with them.

Are you feeling confident about getting the bee suit on?

No, so I was wondering if Chris could just do it on his own?

-Of course he can. You come with me.

-All right.

If beekeeping is a step too far,

sewing bee-friendly native flowers in the garden helps attract them,

as well as allowing nectar-giving clover to grow in the lawn.

Catherine keeps ten hives,

which, at this time of year, can have up to 50,000 bees each,

all of which need regular inspection to watch for signs

of an impending swarm.

If they do swarm, then half your bees are going to fly away -

if you're not here to catch them, you've lost half your bees.

And you just know that from experience, or...?

You're mainly looking for the start of that queen cell being built

which is a long cell that hangs usually at the bottom of the frame.

So that's the frame, and you can see the honey's in there.

So how do you get the honey out?

You basically slice off the wax cappings,

-which is all the white wax cover.

-OK.

And then you put it in an extractor and it spins all the honey

out of the cells.

And this is the wax that I use for making my skincare,

because it's completely pure,

there's no chemical residue in it at all,

it's called cappings wax.

One of the simplest things to make with the cappings wax is lip balm.

Equal amounts of it are mixed with cocoa butter and sweet almond oil,

all melted in a microwave for around three minutes

before stirring in some honey and vitamin E.

And that looks perfect.

So all that's left to do now is put in the mould.

The honey has natural healing properties,

whilst the beeswax helps to lock in moisture,

making it a great protective cell.

Perhaps you could work as a team and you could look after the bees

so Helen doesn't have to be scared,

and Helen can do the fun bit of extracting and making lots

-of lovely skincare.

-Yeah.

-That sounds good.

-Thanks, Catherine.

-No problem at all.

It looks like this fascinating insight into a new hobby

has piqued their interest.

But now it's time to continue our house hunt

and make a BEELINE for our next property.

Our second offering is in Osbaston,

a suburb of the historic market town of Monmouth.

Besides good amenities,

the centre is home to architecture from across the ages,

from the ruins of the castle - the birthplace of Henry V -

to the 13th-century bridge across the River Monnow,

whose fortified gatehouse was added in the 14th century.

Around a 15-minute walk north from here,

where the town meets countryside, is our next proposition.

This might not be what you were expecting to see.

-No.

-Bungalow - it's an interesting choice.

-Well...

-Is it a bungalow?

-It's not. It was.

-OK.

-OK.

A pretty nifty builder has got hold of it.

Over the past year, he has turned this bungalow into what is now

a four/five bedroom house.

-OK.

-This house has been built for the modern family.

-Right.

-And after your comments at the last place, I actually thought,

maybe they're looking for a family home.

Not just a home for you two, all these rug rats running around.

-Yeah.

-What are your first impressions?

What do you think of how it looks?

-Not what I was expecting.

-It's nice and quiet here, for sure.

-Yeah.

-I think it looks pretty good.

-Yeah.

-Let's look inside.

-Come with me.

-Yeah, open-minded.

Originally built as a two-bedroom bungalow in the 1950s,

the sloping plot to the rear

has allowed for a three-storey extension,

which has been added to the property in recent months.

The front door takes us through into what is now the middle floor,

where a lobby into a central hall leads to a very contemporary

open-plan kitchen-diner and a family room in the new part of the home.

-Big kitchen again.

-Yeah.

Bigger, but more usable, a proper size now, isn't it?

-Proper proportions.

-Yeah, nice space.

We wouldn't need to do anything in here.

-Nice.

-It's a good space. And some...

Little bit of space for entertaining while Helen's cooking,

-I guess.

-I feel it has been done nicely. It wouldn't really be

something I'd choose.

I picked up in the last place you weren't mad keen on islands.

Yeah, that's right, this centre.

-Right.

-Most people like islands, I don't like them.

I think this work surface is good, the island-style surface.

I think you could come to live with that.

-Maybe.

-Come to love it, even.

Really? You suggest Helen might like that and Helen says no, she won't,

she'll rip it out.

OK. Next up, the living room.

Let's get a bit of respite from the open-plan side of the house,

come back into the older bit,

the 1950s bit of the bungalow,

and it's a traditional living room, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Nice bay window again.

Lots of natural light.

-A lovely little sun terrace there.

-French doors are good.

I think Helen is going to be the hardest one to please here.

Yeah, it is very chrome-y.

It's got a lot of chrome. That's just a first impression.

Proportions...

-Yeah.

-Decent size - would this be big enough?

-Yeah, fine.

-This would be good for us.

Yeah, you could still entertain in here, family could come in here

and be comfortable without being cramped.

We have got a lovely double suite on this level.

-OK.

-Really nice bathroom, door off that into a lovely-sized bedroom.

But I figured you'd probably want to go upstairs to bed.

-OK.

-Yeah, usually, yeah.

Follow me, then.

Completing this middle floor is a dedicated study offering Chris

a work-from-home space, whilst the lower ground floor offers

two further guest bedrooms, each suitable for a double bed

with French doors out to the rear garden.

These are both served by a family shower room.

The top floor is completely dedicated

to an impressive fourth bedroom, the master suite.

It's really private, and you get a cracking view on that balcony.

-Yeah, it is lovely.

-It is nice.

Really nice. Still glass and chrome.

Still glass and chrome. We could replace that glass and chrome.

I am not personally making that offer to do it myself, but I get it,

I get what you're saying.

But making the most of this elevated position, I think.

OK. I suppose it's too contemporary.

OK. Right.

For me, it's more about the function and the space,

and this is a great space.

-Let's go out to the garden.

-OK.

Thank you very much.

So honest and mixed reactions to the contemporary interior

of this modern detached home.

Outside there is a single garage and workshop

as well as plenty of parking,

and a good-sized rear garden that slopes down to a small stream -

space enough for Chris to perhaps sneak in a beehive or two.

Now, from here you can see just how big a property it is.

Yeah. Capturing all the light I think,

and that's evident in the house.

So you can see it's bringing a lot of the outside into the house.

-Of course, we've got neighbours here.

-Yes.

Are you a bit too close for comfort for neighbours?

-It's a little suburban almost, isn't it?

-Yeah, estate-y.

OK. Time to guess the price.

-OK. I'll go first.

-That's going to be hard.

Probably go close to the budget, maybe 575?

OK. Helen?

I'm really guessing and I would say 525.

Neither of you are a million miles away.

This house is on the market

for £545,000.

-OK.

-All right, well, look, I think you should go back into the house,

have a good look around on your own, give it a good chance.

-And I'll meet you whenever you're done.

-Thanks.

-OK. Thank you.

Tough one, really. This house gives them everything, with the space

I think - I think the way it's laid out is pretty good for them,

but when it comes down to it,

I think there's one thing that's not working for Helen,

and that's the fact that it's so contemporary.

A generous £55,000 below budget,

this three-storey contemporary home provides open-plan living

in a kitchen-diner and family room as well as four good-sized bedrooms.

There is a dedicated study, and it's walking distance to amenities.

Well, the house is lovely. It's quite contemporary in style.

But I can see that everything is finished to a really high standard.

The countryside here is lovely and there is lots of natural light

in the house, which I really like.

It's a bit too contemporary for me.

I'm looking for something a bit more older style, more rustic,

something maybe I can just put more of myself into.

It's lovely, it would suit lots of people,

but I just don't think it's for me.

That's all we're going to see today.

Sleep well tonight, cos if you thought this was a challenge,

wait till you see the mystery property tomorrow - what am I going

-to show you then? Come on.

-I'm scared.

-Yeah, me too.

We are in South Wales helping Chris and Helen move back to the region

after recently returning from living in America.

They've got £600,000 to find their dream country home,

and so far they have seen two possible options.

But our Mystery House is still to come, which brings on the jitters.

This, I feel, almost seems purpose-built for you two.

I've still got a question mark at the back of my mind, though -

if we can afford it.

Plus I'm wading into deep water to fish the traditional Welsh way.

-So keep that in front of you and we'll go round the back of these fishermen.

-It's a strong current.

Wow.

Well, after yesterday's properties I think, well,

Helen in particular is looking for a much more conventional layout,

something approaching perhaps a standard family home.

And as it's the Mystery House,

I want to go with that and run with it.

What would be a big challenge for you now? What would be something

you'd think, right, "I need to really get my head around this"?

Maybe when the paved road turns into a dirt track.

LAUGHTER

You notice the incline on this road?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Are you challenged yet?

-Are you still OK?

-Yeah, I'm OK. Yeah.

-How about you?

-I'm really curious.

-I'm good.

-See, this is promising now.

-Yeah.

-Still climbing.

-Still climbing.

So, practicalities, they need thinking about, but...

-Yeah.

-I'm just waiting now to see what the house is.

Our Mystery House is located close to the hamlet

of Llangattock in Powys.

The small town of Crickhowell, around a mile and a half away,

provides provisions, pubs and a post office.

It's a short drive back up the hill to the outskirts of Llangattock,

where I'm stopping to show Chris and Helen the lie of the land

across the Usk Valley before revealing today's mystery property.

Now, take a look at that, guys.

It's amazing, stunning.

-Gorgeous, isn't it?

-Yeah, it really is.

-Breathtaking.

-You're back home now, aren't you?

-Wow, yes.

-Yeah, this is real Wales.

-It is.

-Yeah.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it? It's peaceful...

-Yeah.

It's absolutely awesome, isn't it?

You wouldn't need a TV, would you? You'd just look at that all day.

Would you feel a bit too rural? You've got Crickhowell just there.

I mean, you can see the pub,

-but you'll now know it's a bit of a walk.

-That's OK.

-Yeah?

Yeah. I could compromise on that.

-Helen, you look rather excited about this.

-Yeah, I am quite excited.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Itching to see the house now.

That's just... You don't get that very often, that view.

No. No.

Well, the house I want to show you is just a little turn down a track

-just down there.

-OK.

With a much-needed nod of approval for the very rural setting

of our mystery offering, it's time to reveal the house.

Right, then. Take a look at this.

-It's beautiful.

-It's just gorgeous.

Now, what they've done, they've done a really,

really sympathetic job of extension.

The original part of the house, you could see that's 19th century,

and then this new extension, that was finished in 2014.

-Right.

-Oh, wow.

-Gosh.

-Yeah.

-It's done really well.

-Most importantly, amazing views.

-Yeah. Spectacular they are, yeah.

-Not overlooked at all.

-It's so private.

It is private, yeah.

-And that's what you're after, wasn't it?

-Yeah. Oh, it's lovely.

Yeah, looks... Pretty much what we were looking for, I think.

Nice slate roof. Traditional style.

And, like you say, that extension looks...

You know, if you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't spot it, it's just...

No. But that extension gives us the kitchen I think you're after.

-Oh, OK.

-Let's have a look.

-Great.

A porched entrance in the side of the new extension leads

into the open-plan kitchen and multipurpose family room

that I'm hoping will suit Helen down to the ground.

Well, Helen, not an island to be seen.

No. Love it.

-Love it?

-Yeah. Love it.

-Great.

Yeah, it's a great farmhouse kitchen, isn't it?

Yeah, comfy area,

you know, kitchen area. Fantastic view.

Gorgeous view. Look at that. Those doors open now.

Sit there and forget the rest of everything, really.

-It's good, isn't it?

-Yeah. And not too shiny.

No, there's no chrome.

-No.

-You wouldn't know this is an extension,

they've done it so sympathetically.

Wooden windows, there is no plastic UPVC, yeah.

It's great. Really excited to see the rest.

Why don't I show you the living room?

Because it does marry up to this room in terms of proportion,

-so I think you'll like it.

-OK.

Set next to the kitchen to the front of the home is a classic,

well-proportioned living room.

Now this I think you're going to love.

Yeah, I do.

-Yeah, love it.

-This is very traditional, nice floorboards.

And this is obviously the older part of the property now,

the exposed stonework is gorgeous.

Look at the size of that lintel over the fireplace!

It feels cosy and homely.

That's what you get when you come in, it's like a homely feel.

-Yeah.

-And that's what we're looking for.

I can imagine in the winter, it's a nice fire,

Christmas tree in the corner.

-Oh, now you're talking.

-Kids running round.

Christmas at Granny and Grandpa's.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Can't wait to see more.

All right, good. Let me take you upstairs to the master bedroom.

OK.

Our Mystery House is already inspiring Chris and Helen

to picture happy family scenes,

and completing this floor is the first of this home's six bedrooms.

A good-sized guest double with its own shower room

across the lobby. A large hall doubles up

as a study space, with stairs leading to

the remaining accommodation on the upper floor.

There's a twin room to the front of the older part of the house.

With a single bedroom on each side,

both with a single aspect window offering countryside views.

These make use of two family bathrooms,

providing both a shower and a bathtub.

Then, in the newer extension towards the rear,

there's a further guest double

alongside a further shower room,

which leaves us the master to have a look at.

The views keep on coming with this house - look at that.

-Yeah, it's wonderful.

-Double aspect as well.

-Mm-hmm.

-Views out of both windows.

-Good-sized room, too.

-Yeah, fit the bed in.

Yeah, I think we'd fit our bed in here easily.

-And other furniture as well.

-Yeah.

-It's like a TARDIS,

it looks decent-sized from outside,

but you come inside and it's even more space

-than you would think.

-Helen, could you see yourself living here?

-Yeah.

-I hardly finished the sentence then! SHE LAUGHS

-Bang, straightaway.

-Yeah, I love it.

I knew as soon as I saw it, I liked it.

And with all the space you've got here, pick a room for your office.

-Sure.

-If I was you, I would pick the mirror image of this room

right at the far end and have your desk looking out

-onto one of those beautiful hills.

-You'd never do any work.

-Yes, I would.

-If you're going to be working from home,

you don't want to feel like you're getting locked away in a room, do you?

-No.

-You want to look forward to going to your office.

-Yeah, that's right.

-You like this don't you?

-Yeah, we do.

-Yeah, we love it.

All right, let's go back outside and look at that beautiful view again.

Chris and Helen have had differing opinions

about the other houses, but so far,

they seem united on this one.

Outside, the large garden wraps around the property

and offers a timber store and sheds, a generous area of lawn,

plus flagstone paths and terraces,

all enjoying those Usk Valley views towards the Black Mountains.

I'm going to ask you to turn your back on this view for a moment.

-That'll be hard to do.

-Well, yes!

But just to enjoy this part of the garden, as much as anything else.

-It's really nice, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

On reflection, what's going through your mind, then?

Any if, buts or maybes?

-Or anything?

-It's a fantastic house.

-Hm!

-I love it.

-Simple as that.

-Yeah.

-I can't really believe it, to be honest.

-Really?

-No.

-This, I feel, almost seems purpose-built for you two.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it is, it's great.

Still got a question mark at the back of my mind though...

-if we can afford it.

-Yeah.

-Ah!

Yes. How much do you think it is then, if you're worried?

-I think it's over our budget.

-OK.

Maybe...635?

OK. All right.

I think it may even be higher than that.

I'd go 650, I think.

OK, so if I told you it was £599,000,

that'd be good news?

-Are you going to tell me that?

-Yep, that's how much it is.

-Wow.

-Excellent.

-That's really good news.

-That's real food for thought, that is.

-That's a surprise as well.

-Good, I'm glad.

I think you should take some time here now,

because you've reacted so well to this property,

get to know it a bit more,

start divvying up the rooms if you like, and I will meet you...

Tell you what, I wouldn't mind enjoying this view

for a bit longer, so I'll meet you out the front here.

-OK.

-Catch you in a mo.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Bang on budget, our Mystery House

offers open-plan living in the kitchen and family room

plus plenty of accommodation.

If they're prepared to shift on location,

they get the wraparound grounds they wanted

and incredible views.

I think this house is fabulous.

Really just love it.

All of the key blocks that we want are there.

I think this house pretty much ticks all our boxes. Lots of character,

in a great location, great setting. Beautiful views.

We could move in straightaway and live here quite happily.

It just felt very homely and very comfortable.

They've done it so nicely and they've thought about it,

and that's what I love about it. I don't know why they're selling it.

It's lovely!

Well, I think that's a good place to end things now.

Let's take you somewhere to have a bit of a think through

-and we'll catch up after that. How's that?

-Sounds great.

-Yeah.

Let's go.

The River Severn is Britain's longest river,

running 220 miles from the Welsh mountains

out to the Severn Estuary,

the location of the second greatest tidal range in the world.

Here at Black Rock on the south coast of Monmouthshire,

a centuries-old fishing method

known as lave net fishing is still practised.

This method of catching salmon survives

thanks to just eight full-time licenses

and a few very determined locals.

Martin Morgan is a fourth-generation lave net fisherman

who's going to talk me through how it's done.

-Martin.

-Hello, Jonnie, welcome to Blackrock Lave Net Heritage Fishery.

Thank you very much. Cracking day for it.

Beautiful. Perfect for lave net fishing.

How did it all start? I take it's quite an old form of fishing?

Yeah, this is the last traditional method of fishing left on

the Welsh region of the Severn Estuary.

These nets date back to the 1600s.

-Really?

-Certainly, recorded in J Geraint Jenkins' book,

Nets and Coracles, in the 1600s.

Has it changed much, or is this what someone would have been fishing with

-in the 1600s?

-The actual frame of the net is made now as it was then,

from what grows around the estuary.

-OK.

-Willow for the arms of the net.

The reams. Pine for the headboard.

And ash for the rock staff.

So, Martin, this is centuries old,

who taught you to fish with a lave net?

My great-grandfather fished with a lave net,

he was a salmon fisherman, and my uncles actually taught me,

or showed me, how to use the net.

My brother and I were offered licenses,

these licenses were very hard to come by in the village,

and they were called dead man's shoes,

because the old fisherman would hang onto the licenses,

even when they couldn't get down there.

Didn't want to give them up?

Because they always thought, one day, they'd get up in the morning

and feel they could get down there.

I've got a temporary licence, allowing me to join Martin today

on a lave net fish. Opportunities are few,

as in the three-month salmon season,

the strong fortnightly spring tides are necessary for using

this technique. And only on a calm day.

With all of that in our favour, but only a two-hour window before

low tide, it's time to get going.

Now, this is the spot, isn't it, Martin?

-Look at that.

-Yeah, it's fantastic.

-So, now we're fully togged up,

talk me through the process, What do I need to know?

Right, it's important, Jonnie, when we get out there that you

just take things nice and easy. It can be deadly dangerous,

if you don't follow the rules. When you're walking through the water,

you always keep the rock staff in front of you, OK?

-That?

-Which is the handle the net.

-OK.

-Feeling your way, so if you feel

-a gully, a hole in front of you, just move to the one side.

-OK.

Also what you'll find is that the current,

the tide, is trying to wash you away, so this will help you balance.

When you get to your spot, I'll give you a shout and you unwrap the net.

Put your foot behind a rock, to stop yourself getting washed away!

This is starting to sound rather perilous, Martin,

-I have to tell you.

-Well, in short!

-I don't think I am.

-Lower the net down onto the bed of the estuary.

What you'll find, then, is that the net is washed back around your legs

under tension, with the force of the water,

that water running down there is three or four knots probably.

Sometimes the salmon will run into the net hard. No mistake - bang.

-Right.

-Other times, they'll just roll around your legs,

a slight pull on your finger and then, as quick as you can,

lift the headline, hopefully, a salmon in the bag of the net.

You then reach for your knocker.

Well, I've got one of these. I was wondering what this was for.

-The business end?

-Yeah, you dispatch the fish quickly and cleanly.

It's not just standing hoping for the best.

-You're on the hunt now, aren't you?

-That's what we're doing.

We're hunting the salmon. And we're hunting the salmon,

not with some technical net and method of fishing,

with an ancient method of fishing,

much like hunting with a bow and arrow.

'There is an annual quota of just 15 salmon allowed

'between all eight licence holders.

'That may not sound like much, but these are slippery fish to catch,

'so like the centuries of fishermen who have gone before us,

'we're hoping today fortune will favour the bold.'

Keep that in front of you when we go round the back of these fisherman.

There is a strong current.

-Wow.

-We'll unfold the net now.

-Got it?

-Yeah.

And you lower the reams onto the bed of the estuary.

Nice and quietly.

Here will be all right. Yeah. Upright with the net.

So, you're fishing now, Johnny.

You're always looking for something. The sign of a fish.

You got to pick that net up and move, to try to catch the fish.

-That's when the hunt is on?

-That's when the hunt starts. The hunting.

The hunting for a salmon. I mean, there's a tremendous,

tremendous amount of work that goes in to getting that fish.

-Yes.

-I've been out very often, falling asleep on the net,

nothing around, nothing around. There hasn't been anything around

for a week and you're nodding off, to be frank.

-I've had them drop over the headline as I'm picking the net up.

-Oh, no.

It looks like, to coin a phrase, the tide is on the turn now.

Yeah, the water's running back now, Jonnie.

We've got no depth of water. It's just about finished by here now.

Thank you so much and I wish you the very best of luck for the rest

-of the season.

-Thank you, Johnny.

-Cheers, Martin.

-Save a bit for me, won't you?

-I will.

It's time to assess the catch from our property trawl here

in South Wales and I'm hoping it won't be a tale

of the one that got away.

Well, it's fairly clear, isn't it,

that Helen and Chris both favoured the Mystery House.

How they wish to proceed from here...

Well, time to find out.

-You've got my cakes ready for me. Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

Well, this is the part where I normally ask you which of the three

properties is your favourite, but it's pretty clear

-it is the Mystery House.

-Yeah, it's a bit obvious, isn't it?

And before we got there, even in the car,

you were singing a different song, weren't you, Helen?

Yeah, it was just the whole set up was something

I thought, we were going to like this.

You've talked about, oh, you know,

"We'd like to have enough space to have maybe..."

Well, you called it livestock.

-You're certainly talking about having a few chickens.

-Yeah.

And maybe even keeping bees and stuff.

You could do that at this house. Is that now a reality? Are you

-now achieving dreams?

-I'm not sure there's space for the bees.

JONNIE LAUGHS

No, not at all!

You're getting closer to this dream now, aren't you?

Yeah, it will take time to settle in, obviously.

And then we can make a decision, a valuation on, you know, chickens,

ducks, whatever. But I think it's pretty close to our ideal house.

It's clearly your favourite.

I'm chuffed that you enjoyed looking around the place.

How much do you like the Mystery House? What's the next step?

-Well, I think I need to do the drive up to the house.

-Yes.

And do the drive with my daughter, so she is, you know,

because obviously she might have to bring the kids up.

-Of course, yeah.

-So, I think a second viewing...

-Yeah.

-..very soon.

So, all being well, that second viewing goes according to plan...

-Yep.

-You might put an offer in?

-I think so.

-I think so.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-That's brilliant.

-I think, yeah.

-Yeah, I think so.

I can't wait to find out how the second viewing goes,

how we test drive goes, quite literally, up that country lane.

Let us know how you get on, won't you?

-Yeah, we sure will.

-We will, yeah.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I think, during this process, what we all learned was that,

whilst they're on their own, Chris and Helen actually want

a fairly conventional family home. But in choosing the Mystery House,

they got not only that, but a property in a stunning location,

with fantastic views. And I think it is a good idea then,

for this second viewing that Helen does that drive on her own,

up that, I suppose, fairly daunting country lane.

And if she can put her mind at rest,

then I think we'll be hearing some pretty good news fairly soon.

I wish them all the very best of luck.

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