Somerset Escape to the Country


Somerset

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This Grade II-listed structure behind me

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holds the unique claim to fame of being the last remaining

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thatched windmill in England.

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So, where is it? Find out in just a moment.

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My house-hunt today has exacting requirements

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from an aviation enthusiast.

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Now, it's a big room.

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-Will you fill it?

-I think we can fill it.

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-I could build the wings in here quite nicely.

-Bruce!

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But can we find what they're both looking for,

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or will it be his flight of fancy?

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It's amazing. Bruce will be building his plane in here,

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-that's the problem.

-I could do that.

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-Could you?

-I could do that, yes.

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Today, we're in Somerset at Stembridge Tower Mill,

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which dates back nearly 200 years

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and was operational right up until 1910.

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Recently, thanks to a £100,000 community grant,

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it's been completely restored to its former glory,

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and as you're about to see,

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this is one of just many highlights this beautiful county has to offer.

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The county of Somerset is found in the south-west of England,

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with the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel off its northern coast.

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Rolling landscapes include the Quantock Hills,

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England's first protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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These reach the coast at Kilve.

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Described as a delightful shore by Romantic poet William Wordsworth,

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today this beautiful seascape

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is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest,

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with cliffs rich in oil-bearing shale and fossils.

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Cheddar Gorge was formed by meltwater floods

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over the past one million years.

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Many of the caves here are scheduled ancient monuments,

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and lay claim to being a historic site for maturing cheese.

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The Somerset Levels are a low-lying wetland area,

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covering 160,000 acres.

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It's a largely agricultural region,

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where willow and teasel are grown commercially,

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and peat continues to be extracted.

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As well as its contrasting natural landscapes,

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it's a county of historic settlements.

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Dunster Castle was built shortly after the Norman conquest,

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when one of William's tenants in chief formed a feudal barony here.

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By the 13th century,

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Dunster was a thriving centre for wool and cloth production,

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and 400 years later, a dedicated building

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for the yarn market was built.

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So with a strong cultural heritage, coast and countryside to enjoy,

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Somerset is an enticing place to beat a retreat to.

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Property prices in Somerset are holding fairly steady,

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which seems to be the case across the south-west,

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with rises of around 6% over the past year.

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The average cost of a detached house in the county comes in at

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just shy of £319,000,

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which is around £13,000 less than the national average.

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So, with value for money, quality of life,

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and good transport links between Bristol and London,

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it's no surprise that it's attracted today's buyers.

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After meeting five years ago, today's buyers,

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Bruce and Kerry from near Canterbury in Kent, got married last year.

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As soon as I saw Bruce,

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there was just something there that I can't quite describe.

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It's still there now, actually!

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We like doing the same things.

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We tend to have the same attitudes about things.

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We don't really argue at all.

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It's very, very strange, but very lovely!

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There's one thing they certainly agree on,

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and that's the need to move from their current home.

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Where we live near Canterbury is probably mostly commuter belt,

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and it really is living on the edge of a rather big city,

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which isn't really countryside for us.

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It's time, really, for us to get on with our own lives now,

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as all our children will be independent

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and doing what they want to do.

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We're looking for a real village feeling,

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becoming involved in the community,

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an area which we feel is properly living in the countryside.

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Kerry is a former teacher and Bruce is a corporate medical director.

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They both feel that finding a new home

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in a more rural part of the country

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is part of their wider plan for retirement.

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We love the countryside and the West Country, we love Devon,

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we love Cornwall, but it's just really too far away

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for our children, so we're looking for the compromise

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so we can live really in the country in the kind of environment we like,

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but not isolate ourselves from the people we want to see, so really,

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Somerset ticks all the boxes for that.

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The hope is that their choice of county will allow their budget

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to fulfil some rather high-flying requirements.

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Most of my hobbies relate to aviation.

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I have a home-built helicopter,

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and I'm currently building another aeroplane,

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and we have a damaged vintage aircraft which I'd like to restore.

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One of my main aims in the new property is to be able to keep

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my helicopter at home, and ideally have an airstrip

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for the fixed-wing aircraft.

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But it's not all about helipads and aircraft hangars.

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At the heart of the move is a new life with each other.

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The house we're looking for now will be our first house together,

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and we want it to be our forever house together.

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It's got to be totally unique, really. It's got to be fantastic.

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I think we'll just be walking our dogs,

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taking in the scenery and just thinking how lucky we are, really.

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Kerry and Bruce are open to living anywhere in Somerset

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with good transport links to London,

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but before I start showing them houses,

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we're meeting in their chosen county

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to hear more about what they expect from the move.

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So, Bruce and Kerry, welcome to Somerset.

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-Thank you.

-Now, it's a beautiful part of the world.

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Why have you chosen this county?

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Well, we want to retire to somewhere

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where we feel we can be on holiday every day, basically.

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Have you retired yet, or is this a long-term plan for retirement?

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-Who's working, who isn't?

-I'm retired, and I am working on Bruce!

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Congratulations!

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I'm trying to scale down, but I'm still working.

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What do you need to be close to,

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transport hubs, train stations, motorways, airports?

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-Internet.

-Internet!

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Well, fantastic, OK.

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So what exactly are you looking for in a house?

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We have two cats and two dogs, so we can't live on a main road

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or where the traffic is busy,

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but at the same time we don't want to be isolated,

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because we want to really engage in village life.

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What about the specifics?

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Bruce, you've got specifics in mind.

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I have specifics. I need a home for a helicopter

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and I need a workshop to build my aeroplane.

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These are not words I normally hear!

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It's a home-built, two-seater helicopter,

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so really an enlarged garage would work.

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It's obviously something that if we don't find a ready-made solution,

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if the footprint is there,

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if there's something I can work on to reconfigure it,

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to work as a heli house, that'll work fine.

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What about the style of house itself?

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In style, we don't mind, as long as it's nice and bright and light,

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but we'd like an annexe.

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Or a house that we could split, and then, looking forward,

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we thought if we had an annexe, we could have a carer live there

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and we could stay in our own home for longer.

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Now what about around the property?

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I suppose you need quite a bit of land for these aircraft.

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You need open approaches, probably two...

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or half an acre is enough.

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That's enough to land a helicopter on.

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The important thing from that perspective

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is being able to make friends with the guys in the village

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so they don't see the helicopter as a nuisance and a threat!

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OK.

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Let's talk budget - how much are you looking to spend on this new house?

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We're thinking somewhere in the region of about £900,000.

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If we found totally the place of our dreams, possibly a little bit more,

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but if you can find it for a lot less, that would be brilliant.

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And are you prepared to maybe make some compromises

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or put in place things that aren't there,

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-such as these buildings, or make amendments?

-Definitely.

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-Yes, definitely.

-All right, let's get started.

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Thanks.

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So, for a budget of £900,000 plus some wiggle room,

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Bruce and Kerry would like a main home for themselves

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with an annexe for guests.

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Bruce needs a home office,

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and a workshop for his aviation projects,

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plus enough outside space to land a helicopter.

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It should be in a quiet location away from a main road,

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but close to village life, and they are happy to take on a project.

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We've got three very different options to show them,

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each with their requirements in mind.

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After every house tour,

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I'll be seeing how close they can get to guessing the asking price.

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Our final property is the mystery offering,

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designed to test their expectations.

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When you first met, did you know he was this into flying, Kerry?

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No!

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When did he break the news that you were going to soon be airborne?

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I can't remember exactly.

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"Come and have a look at my garage."

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You were thinking, "Great, two-seater sport...

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"Oh, my goodness, it's got rotor blades!

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"I'm not going up in that!"

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Our Somerset search is starting out in Kingswood,

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a hamlet just a mile from the village of Stogumber.

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The station here is an immediate stop on the West Somerset Railway,

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now operated as a steam heritage line.

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Other facilities include a shop and post office, as well as a pub,

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whilst the parish church of St Mary's dates from the 13th century,

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and is a Grade I-listed building.

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Just a mile away, in countryside overlooking the Quantock Hills,

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we find our first property.

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Property number one, guys...

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-Yes.

-..is all of this.

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-Wow.

-Wow. There's a lot there.

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A nice-looking house.

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Looks good, yeah.

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There's no big project here for you,

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unless you really don't like it,

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but I'd suggest we just look at another house then.

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-OK!

-Shall we look inside?

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-Yes, please.

-Come with me.

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Built from local sandstone,

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the property is thought to have started life as a mill,

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with parts dating to the 17th century.

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Offering a somewhat sprawling, unconventional layout,

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the front door leads to a flight of stairs and a corridor,

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where we start our tour

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in an impressively proportioned reception room.

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-Oh, wow.

-Lovely. It's very nice.

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-Look how thick the walls are.

-Yes.

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I like the timbers, it's a natural oak colour I like very much.

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Now, it's a big room.

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-Will you fill it?

-I think we can fill it, yeah.

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-I could build the wings in here quite nicely.

-Bruce!

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I like windows on all sides.

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Lots of light, very nice.

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You might have noticed, there was some ground-floor accommodation.

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Now, we're stood on top of what could be

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a completely self-contained annexe.

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With kitchen, living room, bedroom and shower room all on one level.

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Fantastic.

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-But I'll let you loose on all of this later on.

-OK.

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Let me squeeze past you here.

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Thank you very much.

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So, plenty of space for hosting guests

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or even assembling an aircraft.

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Back along the corridor, we find a cloakroom, along with a study,

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and then a characterful country kitchen

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which flows through to a dining room.

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This is an impressive room too.

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It is. I think it's really nice that you can be cooking,

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and having the dining table where you can all talk with each other.

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-Yeah.

-I like this. Beautiful.

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-This is good.

-Yes.

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There's so much to see, I'll whip you round this place.

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-Come with me.

-Let's go.

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The corridor leads to a utility room,

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which provides direct access to the garden,

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whilst opposite the dining room,

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an additional wing houses a cosier feeling reception room,

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plus the first of the main home's four double bedrooms,

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with en suite facilities.

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The rest of the sleeping accommodation

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is found on the floor above.

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Here, a family bathroom sits between two guest doubles,

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one of which has a bay window aspect over the garden.

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And that leaves the largest bedroom, a spacious en suite,

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which could be Bruce and Kerry's.

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Now, master bedroom. Good size, yeah?

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Yes, good size.

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Now, would you use this room as your master?

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Because I think it's still got some decent views, hasn't it?

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Yes, it's nice to have a window on both sides.

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-Lots of light.

-Lots of light.

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If we take to a nap in the afternoon...

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Naps?! You haven't got time for a nap, you're building aeroplanes!

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But where would you be building those aeroplanes?

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I think there's some really good options for you outside.

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-Let me go and show you.

-Brilliant.

-Brilliant.

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Kerry and Bruce seem really taken with this 17th-century

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sandstone home on the inside, but they've said land is important.

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The space outside is perhaps more than they'd bargained for,

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with a substantial 16-acre plot,

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including paddocks, a chicken run, vegetable and fruit-growing,

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as well as ornamental gardens with two ponds,

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and an area of outdoor seating next to the house.

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There's a large outbuilding currently used for stabling,

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but I'm thinking it has aircraft hangar and workshop potential.

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Now, also, you want somewhere to land the helicopter.

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-Yes.

-I don't think it would take too much to probably get a digger

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-up here and terrace it a bit better than that.

-Yeah.

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I think it's lovely. It's much bigger than I was expecting

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in terms of building, and certainly in terms of land,

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but it's very beautiful.

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The setting's lovely.

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We weren't looking for that much land,

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but certainly if there are options to rent it out,

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or lease it out or whatever, then that's a possibility.

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I don't think we should have closed minds to that.

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No. Well, there's a lot to think about, but try, if you can,

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to guess the price.

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Well, I think it'll be all the budget,

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and maybe a little bit more,

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so I'm going to start at...

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-..£920,000.

-OK.

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I would add 25 to that.

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The asking price is £895,000.

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-Wow.

-Gosh.

-OK.

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So I would say go and have a look around this place on your own,

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-and I'll catch you whenever you're done.

-That's brilliant.

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-See you in a bit.

-Thank you so much.

-Off you go.

-Cheers.

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Priced within their budget of £900,000,

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this former 17th-century sandstone mill

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provides four double bedrooms in the main part of the house,

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and an additional one-bedroom annexe.

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There's a sizeable outbuilding

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and it's all set in 16 acres, with countryside views

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and a village community within walking distance.

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So, this is a massive structure.

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-It is, yeah.

-And the walls can just be insulated,

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that's all one really needs to make it good for storage of the aircraft.

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I thought the house was great,

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it had all the elements we're looking for.

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The annexe is perfect.

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I liked the soft stone, I thought it sat nicely into the landscape,

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and I liked the way that the garden is semi-wild, semi-tamed,

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it's not too manicured.

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The land is a lot more than we anticipated.

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We'd need to look at how we're going to manage that.

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Landing zone for the helicopter not ideal,

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but those things we can work around, so overall, great first property.

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Don't tell me you walked all that land in that time!

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-There's a lot of it.

-There is a lot of it, yes.

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Well, that's all we're going to do today,

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there's been so much to look around.

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Why don't you sleep on it?

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-Lots to discuss tonight.

-Lots to discuss.

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-Definitely. Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

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The choice of Somerset could not be better for keen pilot Bruce,

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as the county has strong links to Britain's aviation industry,

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and now boasts the world's largest dedicated helicopter museum.

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Located on the former site of Westland Aircraft Limited,

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in Weston-super-Mare, helicopters were manufactured here for decades.

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We're sending our house-hunters to meet the museum's founder, Elfan ap Rees,

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to find out about the 100-strong collection,

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which includes rare examples from Russia, America,

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France, and Germany, as well as the UK.

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Why is this collection here in Somerset?

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Well, of course Somerset is where the major helicopter industry is,

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and they used to have a factory here at Weston-super-Mare.

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The first helicopter that we had, or I had, was from that factory,

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so there was that combination of there was a factory here,

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there were people here who were interested in helicopters,

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and this land used to belong to the company,

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and we managed to persuade them to let us have it for a peppercorn.

0:17:230:17:26

With 100 to choose from, have you got your favourites?

0:17:260:17:29

Have you got any real highlights of your collection?

0:17:290:17:32

Well, clearly the Queen's flight helicopter is very important.

0:17:320:17:36

The Hind attack helicopter, which the boys like,

0:17:360:17:39

but probably most of all, the world's fastest helicopter,

0:17:390:17:43

which we have here, which is the Westland Lynx.

0:17:430:17:46

This Somerset-built Westland Lynx

0:17:460:17:49

set the helicopter airspeed record at 249 miles per hour

0:17:490:17:52

during an attempt conducted over the Somerset Levels in 1986.

0:17:520:17:56

It's an achievement that still stands today.

0:17:560:17:59

So what is it about this helicopter that makes it go so fast?

0:18:000:18:04

Pure helicopters, all the power has to go through the rotor blades,

0:18:040:18:07

and the problem then is that they start reaching supersonic speed,

0:18:070:18:11

and then you lose control.

0:18:110:18:13

This helicopter has special blades developed

0:18:130:18:16

which allowed it to go faster,

0:18:160:18:18

and that's why it's never been beaten.

0:18:180:18:21

Would you say that that's one of the landmarks

0:18:210:18:23

in aeronautical engineering in the British aerospace industry?

0:18:230:18:26

Absolutely.

0:18:260:18:29

You can't do better than have a world beater,

0:18:290:18:31

and it holds an Engineering Heritage Award as well,

0:18:310:18:34

so it's up with Concorde and the Mallard railway locomotive.

0:18:340:18:39

-Oh, gosh.

-They're icons of British engineering history.

0:18:390:18:43

-Amazing.

-Amazing.

0:18:430:18:45

The museum relies heavily on a team of over 80 dedicated volunteers,

0:18:450:18:49

many of whom are retired airmen, just like Dick Cavill,

0:18:490:18:53

who for the last eight years has helped to restore the collection.

0:18:530:18:56

Some of the aircraft here are certainly one-offs.

0:18:580:19:01

That must really be something special, to be able to work

0:19:010:19:04

on these aircraft.

0:19:040:19:06

It's a privilege in a way, because I find, when I first came here,

0:19:060:19:10

I'd probably flown and worked on what are now museum exhibits,

0:19:100:19:14

and one of them in particular,

0:19:140:19:16

the Wessex, which I remember being pulled out of the Persian Gulf in

0:19:160:19:20

by a Wessex rescue helicopter - it was only an exercise, by the way -

0:19:200:19:25

and I come in here, and there they are as museum exhibits now.

0:19:250:19:29

Dick is currently restoring a Fairey Ultra-light,

0:19:310:19:34

one of only two in existence.

0:19:340:19:36

The other is in a museum in the Midlands,

0:19:360:19:38

and it's photos of this that's helping the team

0:19:380:19:40

know what to aim for.

0:19:400:19:41

As you can see, we've got lots of photographs here, so basically,

0:19:420:19:46

we're reverse-engineering what we see,

0:19:460:19:49

but we're not reversing it physically,

0:19:490:19:50

we're doing it from photographs.

0:19:500:19:52

-Brilliant.

-At the moment, we're working on the seatbelts.

0:19:520:19:56

This, we found, is one of the original buckles,

0:19:560:19:58

so that we can be as original as we can be

0:19:580:20:01

when we build it back into the aircraft.

0:20:010:20:04

The restoration of this 1950s prototype started here in 2011,

0:20:040:20:09

but with lots more work to be done,

0:20:090:20:11

additions to the team are always welcome.

0:20:110:20:14

Thank you so much for making us welcome here today.

0:20:140:20:16

It's been absolutely fascinating.

0:20:160:20:18

-It's been amazing.

-I'm glad you've enjoyed it,

0:20:180:20:20

and once you've moved down here, we're always looking for volunteers!

0:20:200:20:24

I'll get my hands dirty!

0:20:240:20:25

Thank you so much.

0:20:250:20:28

Well, Bruce's flying hobby could certainly take off here,

0:20:280:20:31

but let's see if we can get their move off the ground

0:20:310:20:33

as the search for their country home continues tomorrow.

0:20:330:20:36

I'm in Somerset, helping Kerry and Bruce from near Canterbury in Kent

0:20:420:20:46

make their first joint house purchase with a budget of £900,000.

0:20:460:20:51

There are two more options to see,

0:20:510:20:53

including our mystery house, which could have their search

0:20:530:20:57

reaching new heights.

0:20:570:20:58

-It's amazing! Totally amazing.

-Wow.

0:20:580:21:01

This is just wow!

0:21:010:21:03

Plus, I'm getting an Olympic masterclass

0:21:040:21:07

in a popular country pursuit.

0:21:070:21:09

Pull!

0:21:090:21:11

Frightened the life out of me!

0:21:130:21:14

That is so quick!

0:21:140:21:16

I think Kerry and Bruce were really impressed

0:21:210:21:23

by house number one yesterday, but if anything,

0:21:230:21:25

they may have been a bit daunted by the sheer size and shape

0:21:250:21:28

of the land on offer. So for today's two properties,

0:21:280:21:31

we'll show them houses with maybe more practical land.

0:21:310:21:34

Our second house lies on the rural outskirts of Nether Stowey.

0:21:390:21:43

This large village offers several shops and services,

0:21:430:21:46

and also boasts the former residence of a leading light

0:21:460:21:50

of Romantic poetry, Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

0:21:500:21:53

Other well-known names include 19th-century clockmaker James Coles.

0:21:530:21:58

An example of his work still strikes the time every ten minutes.

0:21:580:22:02

A couple of miles from here, in the surroundings of the Quantock Hills,

0:22:020:22:06

it's time to view our next property.

0:22:060:22:08

Right, then, house number two.

0:22:090:22:13

-She's long, isn't she?

-Very long.

0:22:130:22:15

And look behind you here.

0:22:150:22:17

Yes, absolutely beautiful scenery.

0:22:170:22:19

All of this makes it very easy to bring a helicopter in here.

0:22:200:22:22

Good. Let's go inside, come on.

0:22:220:22:24

OK.

0:22:240:22:25

The rendered half of this home dates back to 1635,

0:22:260:22:29

and started life as a classic long house.

0:22:290:22:32

An extension built from Quantock stone was added in the last decade,

0:22:320:22:36

forming two distinctly different sections.

0:22:360:22:40

We're kicking off in the older part,

0:22:400:22:42

where period rustic character hits us with full force.

0:22:420:22:45

A very traditional old farmhouse kitchen.

0:22:450:22:50

-Yes.

-That it is.

0:22:500:22:52

-Very beautiful.

-You live in an executive home at the moment,

0:22:520:22:55

-don't you?

-Yes.

-This is a long way away from that, isn't it?

0:22:550:22:58

-Yes.

-Probably about 400 years away!

0:22:580:23:02

-Could you get used to it?

-Yeah, I think so.

0:23:020:23:05

-I think so.

-I quite like it, strangely enough.

0:23:050:23:07

Yeah. It's obviously taking a bit of getting used to, isn't it,

0:23:070:23:11

this house? But the history does continue,

0:23:110:23:13

and I think it's something to be enjoyed.

0:23:130:23:16

Come with me, through this beautiful old doorway.

0:23:160:23:18

A tentative response to the period style

0:23:180:23:21

of the four-centuries-old part of the home,

0:23:210:23:24

which continues into a formal dining room.

0:23:240:23:26

The character just hits you everywhere, doesn't it?

0:23:260:23:28

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:23:280:23:29

Loads of character, and I like the aeroplane!

0:23:290:23:33

It's not really what I was expecting,

0:23:340:23:37

so I'm just trying to adjust.

0:23:370:23:39

It is very, very characterful.

0:23:390:23:42

-OK.

-It would take a bit of a change of mindset, I think.

0:23:420:23:47

Well, you know... I can see you thinking, "I wasn't expecting this.

0:23:470:23:51

"Can we make this work?"

0:23:510:23:53

I think you could. Let's keep looking, come with me.

0:23:530:23:55

Now, I, for one, love this room.

0:24:000:24:03

Yes, I really like a square room.

0:24:030:24:04

Do you think that fireplace would be impressive enough?

0:24:040:24:07

It feels very impressive. I like it, yes.

0:24:070:24:10

It also looks like a lot of work, though.

0:24:100:24:14

Houses like this, they do require a lot of work.

0:24:140:24:16

You're used to living in a contemporary house.

0:24:160:24:18

-Yes. Very easy to keep clean.

-A couple of hours' cleaning, bang.

0:24:180:24:21

I lived in a Tudor house once before.

0:24:220:24:24

-Oh, did you?

-With beams and things,

0:24:240:24:26

and I don't know where the dust came from!

0:24:260:24:28

Do you want to go back in to such a period property?

0:24:300:24:33

I'm not sure.

0:24:330:24:35

I like this room very much.

0:24:350:24:37

-This room.

-You do?

-I do, yes.

0:24:370:24:40

I get the sense that the character charm of this former long house

0:24:400:24:42

might be a bit too much for them.

0:24:420:24:45

Completing the ground floor of this older half

0:24:450:24:47

is the first of this home's seven bedrooms,

0:24:470:24:50

currently used as a snug.

0:24:500:24:51

Stairs from the dining room take us up to the rest

0:24:510:24:54

of the sleeping accommodation in this half,

0:24:540:24:57

all served by a family bathroom.

0:24:570:24:58

Next to this is a good-sized double,

0:24:580:25:01

an additional guest double with feature beam,

0:25:010:25:04

and at the far end, there's the room

0:25:040:25:06

that could be Bruce and Kerry's master.

0:25:060:25:08

-Mind your heads!

-OK.

0:25:090:25:11

Right above the living room,

0:25:110:25:13

so pretty much the same proportions, and a similar fireplace.

0:25:130:25:16

Beautiful plasterwork again.

0:25:160:25:17

You can see the craftsmanship,

0:25:170:25:19

and you can see the beams and you can see the detail,

0:25:190:25:21

and it's lovely. It's not what we had in mind at all.

0:25:210:25:24

It is a little bit...

0:25:240:25:26

I guess period doesn't really do much for us.

0:25:260:25:30

Maybe this should be the annexe - I can't believe I'm saying this -

0:25:300:25:34

and you should be looking at the modern part!

0:25:340:25:36

-Let's go and take a look.

-OK.

-Mind your head.

0:25:360:25:39

Well, this historic part of the home is clearly not winning them over,

0:25:390:25:42

so let's see if that modern extension

0:25:420:25:44

can convince them of its potential.

0:25:440:25:46

On the upper floor of the extension are three further bedrooms,

0:25:470:25:50

a single with skylight window

0:25:500:25:53

and two further rooms currently set up with bunk beds,

0:25:530:25:56

all served by another family bathroom.

0:25:560:25:58

On the ground floor, there is a reception hall

0:25:580:26:01

opening into a conservatory, plus a utility and kitchenette.

0:26:010:26:05

There's also a very large modern reception room,

0:26:050:26:08

with not a beam in sight.

0:26:080:26:11

Windows on both sides, loads of light.

0:26:110:26:13

Yeah, lovely.

0:26:130:26:15

So it really is two houses, two quite decent-sized houses.

0:26:150:26:18

If you want it to be.

0:26:180:26:19

Maybe this could actually be where you live full-time.

0:26:190:26:23

You've got such a contrast between the two halves of the house.

0:26:230:26:25

Chalk and cheese, yeah.

0:26:250:26:27

I think we could make it work for us,

0:26:290:26:32

but I think it would probably cost too much.

0:26:320:26:34

Start thinking about prices as we go outside, OK?

0:26:340:26:36

-OK.

-Come with me.

0:26:360:26:38

It's been a tour of two halves,

0:26:380:26:40

but we've ended on a positive with those modern interiors,

0:26:400:26:43

so let's see if what lies outside can build on that.

0:26:430:26:46

There's an attached garage and additional parking,

0:26:470:26:49

plus a one-acre garden with areas of seating,

0:26:490:26:53

but the majority of the land is made up of nine acres of level field,

0:26:530:26:56

which certainly provides the space for landing a helicopter.

0:26:560:26:59

All in all, ten acres.

0:27:010:27:02

Wow! That's a lot of land!

0:27:020:27:05

-It is a lot of land, flat land this time.

-Yes.

0:27:050:27:07

And this is all agricultural?

0:27:070:27:09

All agricultural land, yes.

0:27:090:27:11

OK.

0:27:110:27:12

So, how much do you think this house is on the market for?

0:27:120:27:17

I would probably put it at about...

0:27:170:27:20

Well below our budget, but I'd say about 750.

0:27:200:27:23

Oh, no, I would think it's nearer 850.

0:27:230:27:27

Good guess!

0:27:270:27:30

This house is on the market for offers around £825,000.

0:27:300:27:36

The land is a lot of that price.

0:27:360:27:38

-Yes.

-The owners appreciate that not everybody wants land,

0:27:380:27:41

so they would take off nine acres

0:27:410:27:44

and offer it for £725,000.

0:27:440:27:47

I've enjoyed showing you this house,

0:27:470:27:49

-and I think I've learnt a lot, as you have...

-Yes, definitely.

0:27:490:27:51

..on what you're looking for. Go back into the house,

0:27:510:27:54

have a good look around, and I'll catch you later on.

0:27:540:27:56

-Brilliant, thanks.

-Thank you.

0:27:560:27:58

Below budget, this extended 17th-century

0:28:000:28:03

former Somerset long house provides two homes in one,

0:28:030:28:06

packing in period features in the older half,

0:28:060:28:09

including the farmhouse kitchen.

0:28:090:28:11

There's a total of seven bedrooms and two bathrooms,

0:28:110:28:14

as well as the option of ten acres of land,

0:28:140:28:16

or a reduced asking price for a one-acre plot.

0:28:160:28:20

And it's all in the beautiful surroundings of the Quantock Hills.

0:28:200:28:24

Well, I thought the setting was absolutely beautiful,

0:28:240:28:27

with the hills behind all the way around.

0:28:270:28:30

It had some features which were fantastic, they were lovely.

0:28:300:28:33

I liked upstairs in the old section and downstairs in the new section,

0:28:330:28:37

so diagonally, the house works for me.

0:28:370:28:40

Other people looking at those wonderful old features,

0:28:400:28:43

particularly the plasterwork around the fireplace,

0:28:430:28:46

will think we're crazy not to like it ourselves!

0:28:460:28:48

-So, that's it.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

0:28:510:28:53

The big character features didn't work for you.

0:28:530:28:57

-Sadly, no.

-Sadly, no.

0:28:570:28:59

Where do I go from here? There's only one place we can go

0:28:590:29:01

-and that's the mystery house. Come on.

-OK, let's go.

0:29:010:29:04

Our mystery offering is in the hamlet of East Lydford.

0:29:090:29:12

Lying along the ancient Roman road of the Fosse Way, this is

0:29:120:29:15

one of the historic administrative divisions of Somerset,

0:29:150:29:19

dating from Anglo-Saxon times.

0:29:190:29:21

Quiet country lanes are lined with character properties

0:29:210:29:24

from across the ages,

0:29:240:29:25

whilst amenities include a traditional country pub.

0:29:250:29:28

It's just a short stroll to our final property.

0:29:280:29:32

Now, when it comes to having kerb appeal,

0:29:320:29:36

I think this house has it in spades.

0:29:360:29:40

Yes, it looks beautiful.

0:29:400:29:42

I love this glass here.

0:29:420:29:43

-Yeah.

-It looks really nice.

0:29:430:29:45

Fantastic, clean lines, nice modern features, but good use of timber.

0:29:450:29:50

-And interesting.

-Look at the front door.

0:29:500:29:53

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Do you want to look inside?

0:29:530:29:55

-Yes, please.

-Come on, then.

0:29:550:29:58

Thought to date back to the mid-1800s,

0:29:580:30:00

and once serving as a post office, that's all now literally history,

0:30:000:30:04

because the mystery house has been fully renovated and extended

0:30:040:30:07

over the last eight years to very contemporary standards,

0:30:070:30:10

which I'm hoping will please Bruce and Kerry

0:30:100:30:13

as we start our tour through the entrance hall

0:30:130:30:15

and into the first reception space.

0:30:150:30:17

Let's start with the snug room.

0:30:180:30:20

One thing that doesn't jump out at you is old beams everywhere,

0:30:200:30:23

which probably suits you, doesn't it?

0:30:230:30:26

Very happy with no beams!

0:30:260:30:28

Interesting fireplace, that.

0:30:280:30:30

-It is.

-You like this, don't you?

0:30:300:30:32

-Yes, it's nice.

-There's loads to see, so we'd better get going.

0:30:320:30:35

-Come on.

-OK.

0:30:350:30:36

The snug leads through to a further reception room

0:30:370:30:40

at the rear of the home, and then into a side extension,

0:30:400:30:43

housing a very impressive kitchen diner.

0:30:430:30:46

This won the best domestic extension award from the local council

0:30:460:30:50

and it's easy to see why.

0:30:500:30:52

-It is quite lovely.

-It is amazing, isn't it?

0:30:530:30:55

This is really good.

0:30:550:30:57

We love all the glass, it's brilliant.

0:30:590:31:01

This is a really nice kitchen.

0:31:010:31:02

It's very much to our taste, it's lovely.

0:31:020:31:05

Good, at last, we arrive!

0:31:050:31:07

We arrive in potentially your new home.

0:31:070:31:10

-Your first new home.

-Yes.

0:31:100:31:13

So, that's one half of the ground floor covered.

0:31:130:31:15

In the remaining half, we find a reading room, a cloakroom,

0:31:150:31:19

a great utility area,

0:31:190:31:21

and then space designed to offer the option of a one-bedroom annexe.

0:31:210:31:25

Beautifully decorated throughout,

0:31:250:31:27

there's a living area with kitchenette,

0:31:270:31:29

bathroom, and a bedroom currently used as a home office.

0:31:290:31:32

But the rest of the main house, including six further bedrooms,

0:31:350:31:38

is arranged over two floors.

0:31:380:31:39

On the top storey, the largest of the guest doubles

0:31:410:31:43

provides a view over the garden,

0:31:430:31:45

whilst the smallest one is next door to a family bathroom,

0:31:450:31:50

with a light-filled reception room under the eaves.

0:31:500:31:53

Below this, on the middle floor, are the four remaining bedrooms -

0:31:530:31:57

a double with single aspect, and a larger double with twin windows,

0:31:570:32:01

both served by a family bathroom.

0:32:010:32:04

A further double has en suite facilities.

0:32:040:32:07

Last, but certainly not least, on this middle floor,

0:32:080:32:11

is a spectacular master en suite.

0:32:110:32:13

It is amazing!

0:32:160:32:17

-Totally amazing.

-Wow.

0:32:170:32:19

This is just wow!

0:32:190:32:21

-Look at the view.

-Yes.

0:32:210:32:22

Now, if you look around the corner here,

0:32:220:32:24

you've got a big walk-in shower unit here, a separate bath.

0:32:240:32:27

It's the entire width of the building.

0:32:270:32:29

Yes, it's a lovely room.

0:32:290:32:31

-Excited?

-Yes!

0:32:310:32:34

I'm just wondering where he's going to put his helicopter!

0:32:340:32:36

-Well, let's see if it'll fit! Come with me.

-OK.

0:32:360:32:39

Well, the outside plot reveals just why this is our mystery property.

0:32:420:32:46

It's clear that it's the least remote and smallest plot

0:32:460:32:49

they've seen so far. Planted with several mature trees,

0:32:490:32:53

the question is whether they can make this 1.5-acre garden

0:32:530:32:57

work for the helicopter.

0:32:570:32:59

But before we consider that

0:32:590:33:00

there's something else I want to show them -

0:33:000:33:02

a two-bedroom summerhouse

0:33:020:33:04

that could be turned into a hobby space or guest accommodation.

0:33:040:33:08

So, who out of your family is going to live in here?

0:33:080:33:11

It's unbelievable - another bright, airy, really spacious room,

0:33:120:33:16

full of light, beautiful views from every window.

0:33:160:33:20

It's a complete house.

0:33:200:33:22

It is. It's two bedrooms self-contained on the ground floor.

0:33:220:33:27

-Wow.

-It's amazing.

0:33:270:33:28

Bruce will be building his plane in here, that's the problem.

0:33:280:33:32

Yes. I could do that.

0:33:320:33:34

-Could you?

-I could do that, yeah.

0:33:340:33:35

Now, we do need to talk about flying your helicopters in and out,

0:33:350:33:39

-so let's go back outside.

-OK.

0:33:390:33:41

Well, you tell me, are there spaces here

0:33:470:33:49

where you can land your chopper?

0:33:490:33:50

There's one tree that would need to come down,

0:33:500:33:52

but otherwise there's access to the garden there for the helicopter.

0:33:520:33:56

Excellent. So, how much, then,

0:33:560:33:58

do you think this mystery house is on the market for?

0:33:580:34:00

I'm going to start...

0:34:020:34:03

..with a very optimistic...

0:34:050:34:08

£960,000.

0:34:080:34:11

OK.

0:34:110:34:12

Because I'm a bit of a cheapskate, I'll go for £950,000.

0:34:120:34:17

You do think I'm mean, don't you?

0:34:170:34:19

And, yes, I am a lot of the time,

0:34:190:34:21

but this place is on the market for £877,000.

0:34:210:34:26

-Wow.

-My goodness.

0:34:260:34:28

-We'll take it!

-Done!

0:34:280:34:30

Well, I think you should now go and enjoy this fantastic property.

0:34:330:34:36

Look around everywhere that you haven't yet seen,

0:34:360:34:39

or maybe remind yourselves of the bits you love,

0:34:390:34:41

and I will meet you whenever you're done, all right?

0:34:410:34:43

-Could be a long time!

-You've got the rest of the day, fill your boots!

0:34:430:34:46

Thank you very much.

0:34:460:34:48

Below budget, our 19th-century mystery proposition,

0:34:530:34:56

formerly a post office, offers an award-winning interior

0:34:560:35:00

with that contemporary kitchen diner.

0:35:000:35:02

There are seven bedrooms in the house,

0:35:020:35:04

including the one-bed annexe.

0:35:040:35:06

In addition, there's a two-bedroom summerhouse.

0:35:060:35:10

It's in an edge of village location with 1.5 acres of land.

0:35:100:35:14

All the elements that we're looking for, clean lines, lots of glass,

0:35:160:35:19

nice woodwork.

0:35:190:35:21

Those all came together in this property.

0:35:210:35:22

I was just amazed that you get so much for your money.

0:35:240:35:27

It was really a much lower price than I anticipated,

0:35:270:35:31

because it is just such a quality property.

0:35:310:35:34

I like the location, I absolutely love the house,

0:35:340:35:37

I love the style of the house.

0:35:370:35:39

Bruce and I could move in here

0:35:390:35:40

and I can't see anything I would want to change.

0:35:400:35:43

I'm blown away, really.

0:35:430:35:45

It's wonderful.

0:35:450:35:47

This property certainly gives more than enough space

0:35:470:35:50

for the extended family,

0:35:500:35:51

and my only concern is that they'll want to move in for good!

0:35:510:35:55

They've been here a while, I think they've moved in!

0:35:550:35:58

It's getting late.

0:35:580:35:59

Oh, at last! Can I drag you away from this lovely house?

0:36:010:36:05

-No.

-We wouldn't mind staying!

0:36:060:36:08

Well, there's one way you can stay, that's going via an estate agent,

0:36:080:36:11

but I think we should cool off a little bit

0:36:110:36:13

-and give you some thinking time, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Come on, let's go.

0:36:130:36:16

Countryside shooting in Britain stretches back

0:36:230:36:26

to the development of the shotgun in the 18th century.

0:36:260:36:29

As gun design evolved,

0:36:290:36:30

game shooting for birds, from partridge to pigeons,

0:36:300:36:33

became a popular pastime, especially for wealthy Victorian landowners.

0:36:330:36:39

Alongside this, trap shooting developed

0:36:390:36:41

as a form of target practice,

0:36:410:36:43

and it's now a competitive sport.

0:36:430:36:44

Farmer Ed Ling is a trap shooting Olympian.

0:36:460:36:49

I'm meeting him on his 1,000-acre Somerset holding,

0:36:490:36:52

to find out how his rural childhood

0:36:520:36:55

led to a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

0:36:550:36:58

-Ed, how are you?

-I'm good, thanks.

0:37:000:37:03

Rio must feel like a million miles away from here,

0:37:030:37:06

but this is your life, isn't it?

0:37:060:37:07

And obviously you love this farm, don't you?

0:37:070:37:10

Yeah, farming is my life, shooting is my life,

0:37:100:37:12

and I'm really lucky to be able to do both, I think.

0:37:120:37:15

So, how did you first come about shooting?

0:37:150:37:17

Well, Dad always shot from a young age, and as I got older,

0:37:170:37:22

we had a manual clay trap in the back of the farmyard,

0:37:220:37:25

started throwing a few clays about, and I enjoyed it,

0:37:250:37:27

and it basically grew from there.

0:37:270:37:29

Ed also met his wife, Abbey, a five times British champion,

0:37:310:37:34

through their shared interest in the sport.

0:37:340:37:37

Abbey, hi. Nice to meet you.

0:37:370:37:38

Nice to meet you too. How are you doing?

0:37:380:37:40

Very good, thank you very much.

0:37:400:37:42

They now have an Olympic-standard practice range on the farm,

0:37:420:37:45

where as well as training themselves, they teach others.

0:37:450:37:48

This is a wonderful example of rural diversification, isn't it?

0:37:480:37:51

You've set up a training facility here, and a school now,

0:37:510:37:54

-haven't you, Abbey?

-Yeah, that's right,

0:37:540:37:56

we run it for ladies, youngsters, experienced shooters already

0:37:560:38:00

that want to shoot the Olympic discipline.

0:38:000:38:02

We try and encourage it as much as possible,

0:38:020:38:04

because it's not just something that is available every day

0:38:040:38:06

to the members of the public.

0:38:060:38:08

It's actually a sport where it doesn't matter

0:38:080:38:10

if you're male, female, older, younger.

0:38:100:38:12

As long as you put the lead shot in the right place

0:38:120:38:15

and you break that target, your score is on the board.

0:38:150:38:18

And who better than an Olympic medallist

0:38:190:38:21

to demonstrate putting the lead shot in the right place?

0:38:210:38:25

Pull!

0:38:250:38:26

Frightened the life out of me!

0:38:280:38:30

That is so quick!

0:38:300:38:31

Clay discs are fired anywhere within a 45-degree angle of the ground.

0:38:320:38:36

Pull.

0:38:360:38:38

And there's just 0.5 to 0.7 of a second to react.

0:38:380:38:42

That was so quick!

0:38:460:38:48

I didn't even see it come out of the trap.

0:38:480:38:50

I've got to say, Ed, that was fantastic.

0:38:500:38:53

That was so impressive.

0:38:530:38:54

I can't believe just how quick you have to react.

0:38:540:38:56

Yeah, it's pretty quick, but let's see how you fare now.

0:38:560:38:59

No pressure, then(!)

0:38:590:39:00

We're going to just walk to this corner.

0:39:000:39:02

-OK, ready?

-Yes, Abbey, let's go.

0:39:020:39:04

-So, are you right-handed or left-handed?

-Right-handed.

0:39:040:39:06

OK, so the stance is your left leg needs to be slightly forwards

0:39:060:39:09

-with a little bit of weight on that front leg, OK?

-Yeah.

0:39:090:39:12

That little red bead on the end of the gun,

0:39:120:39:15

you're going to move the gun up to the clay.

0:39:150:39:17

As it reaches the clay, I'm going to say the word, "Now,"

0:39:170:39:19

-you're going to pull the trigger. OK, ready?

-Yeah.

0:39:190:39:22

OK. So, you're going to pop it into your shoulder, take hold of the gun.

0:39:220:39:26

That's it. Head nice and down on top of here,

0:39:260:39:29

finger just to touch the trigger, that's it. OK, gun's ready to go.

0:39:290:39:32

Starting about here, when you see the clay,

0:39:320:39:35

move up to it and then pull the trigger.

0:39:350:39:37

Here we go, up to it, there.

0:39:370:39:39

-Oh, yes!

-There you go.

0:39:410:39:42

I think it's a fantastic way of coming to the countryside

0:39:420:39:45

and doing a completely different sport,

0:39:450:39:47

and as you say, all walks of life coming, having a go at it,

0:39:470:39:49

I think it's a great idea.

0:39:490:39:51

So, Ed, how'd I get on?

0:39:510:39:52

Not bad, very good.

0:39:520:39:53

-Really?

-I can see you perhaps getting one of these one day.

0:39:530:39:56

-Oh, you've got it, have you? Fantastic!

-There we go.

0:39:560:39:59

It's as heavy as I'd hoped it would be!

0:40:010:40:03

Wow, an Olympic bronze medal.

0:40:030:40:06

That is sensational.

0:40:060:40:07

Well, I think I've got some honing to do to get reactions

0:40:090:40:12

to rival Ed and Abbey, but let's see if we've hit the target

0:40:120:40:15

of a house for Bruce and Kerry here in the Somerset countryside.

0:40:150:40:18

Well, the mystery house is clearly the runaway winner,

0:40:230:40:26

but remember, for Kerry and Bruce,

0:40:260:40:28

it'll be the first home they buy together,

0:40:280:40:31

so let's find out what they want to do.

0:40:310:40:33

Well, you've had a bit of time, I think, not to make your mind up,

0:40:390:40:42

but to maybe cool off, haven't you?

0:40:420:40:45

But I think we know what your favourite house is, don't we?

0:40:450:40:48

What do you like so much about the mystery house, on reflection?

0:40:480:40:51

Clean lines, lots of glass, the craftsmanship.

0:40:510:40:55

You seem to have the knack of giving us much more than we expected

0:40:550:40:59

and asked for. For now, I couldn't imagine living anywhere

0:40:590:41:03

more wonderful than that, really.

0:41:030:41:05

Is it where we still want to be when we're 80?

0:41:050:41:09

-Good point.

-And that's what we need to just think about.

0:41:090:41:14

I think we need to go back to the village,

0:41:140:41:16

spend more time in the village,

0:41:160:41:18

look around, talk to the people,

0:41:180:41:20

spend more time in the pub, maybe.

0:41:200:41:22

Yes!

0:41:220:41:23

I am overqualified in that to some extent,

0:41:230:41:25

but I think that is your next step, actually,

0:41:250:41:27

because we've spent a bit of time in the mystery house,

0:41:270:41:29

and you liked it.

0:41:290:41:31

Yes. There's nothing we didn't like it about it at all, really.

0:41:310:41:34

So, when do you think you might want to go back?

0:41:340:41:36

I think we might wander about a bit tomorrow morning.

0:41:360:41:40

Oh, great! Things happen quick with you two, don't they?

0:41:400:41:43

Wow. You don't hang around, do you?

0:41:430:41:44

We're also the kind of people that when we make a decision,

0:41:440:41:47

-we make a decision.

-Yes.

0:41:470:41:49

The ball is in your court, just let us know what you decide.

0:41:490:41:52

-Certainly will.

-We will.

0:41:520:41:54

-Good luck.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

0:41:540:41:56

It's great when our house-buyers have a firm favourite,

0:41:590:42:01

as it really gives them something to focus on.

0:42:010:42:03

And for the mystery property, for Kerry and Bruce,

0:42:030:42:06

it gave them everything they're after -

0:42:060:42:08

those clean lines inside the house,

0:42:080:42:10

the flat, practical land for Bruce's helicopter,

0:42:100:42:13

but I think most importantly, and which is why it's the favourite,

0:42:130:42:16

it had the edge-of-village location,

0:42:160:42:19

and a wonderful spot it was, with that nice pub just down the road.

0:42:190:42:23

And I think that's exactly where they should head -

0:42:230:42:25

go to the pub, meet some locals, chat it through with them.

0:42:250:42:28

Maybe that will help them decide.

0:42:280:42:30

I'm not sure which way this is going to go,

0:42:300:42:32

but I do wish them both the very best of luck.

0:42:320:42:35

See you next time.

0:42:350:42:36

As planned, Bruce and Kerry did go back to the village

0:42:370:42:40

of the mystery property, but on reflection,

0:42:400:42:43

they decided the house was just too big for them in the long term.

0:42:430:42:46

If you'd like to escape to the country in England, Wales,

0:42:470:42:50

Scotland or Northern Ireland, and need our help, you can apply online.

0:42:500:42:54

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