0:00:02 > 0:00:06In 1939, one of the most spectacular and important discoveries in British archaeology
0:00:06 > 0:00:09was found right here in this field.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Find out what it was - and where I am - in just a moment.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Today, a mother makes three when it comes to our couple's new home.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36We're giving your mum a really lovely house.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38- THEY LAUGH - Goodbye!
0:00:40 > 0:00:42So with two ladies to cater for,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44there's only one colour on our minds.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46- It's pink.- It's pink!- We like pink.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- And it's thatched. - And it's thatched.- Oh, yes!
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Today I'm in Suffolk,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57and these are the Anglo-Saxon burial mounds in Sutton Hoo.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59And it was here at the beginning of the Second World War
0:00:59 > 0:01:03that archaeologists excavated one of the mounds and found the remains
0:01:03 > 0:01:07of a 90-foot-long, 1300-year-old wooden ship.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10The wood had decayed but the imprint remained,
0:01:10 > 0:01:16along with one of the finest troves of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20which we believe belonged to one of the earliest monarchs of England.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24So it's no surprise that experts have dubbed this site in Suffolk
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Britain's very own Valley of the Kings.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Our property journey today will take us to the borders of Suffolk and Norfolk,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37found in the east of England, with the North Sea firmly by their side.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Although a large percentage of this region is farmland,
0:01:40 > 0:01:44it's arguably water that the area is most famous for.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48With a combined coastline stretching for almost 150 miles,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52waterways are also a prominent feature inland.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56The Broads National Park mostly lies in Norfolk, and extends to form
0:01:56 > 0:01:59part of the county border with neighbouring Suffolk.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Further south the River Alde twists and turns its way
0:02:02 > 0:02:06across the landscape, en route to the sea at Aldeburgh.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Pastel-coloured 19th-century holiday villas line the seafront
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and there's a long pebbly beach that's a perennial favourite -
0:02:13 > 0:02:15no matter what the weather.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Head upstream from the coast and you'll come to Snape Maltings,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23an arts and cultural centre that plays host to the famous Aldeburgh Festival,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27started by composer Benjamin Britten in 1948.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29And it's a great spot to begin your own journey
0:02:29 > 0:02:33if we've inspired you to explore more of this delightful county.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Until recently, Suffolk was a very good deal for property hunters
0:02:40 > 0:02:43because the average price for a detached house
0:02:43 > 0:02:44stood below the national figure.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48But in the last year across the whole of East Anglia
0:02:48 > 0:02:51there's been a very marked increase in house prices -
0:02:51 > 0:02:55the fastest in the whole of the UK, according to one survey.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00And now in the county the average price stands at £328,000,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04which is £20,000 above the UK average.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09This is in part due to good links on roads and rails back into the capital,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and these are some of the reasons that our house-buyers today
0:03:12 > 0:03:14are moving to this beautiful county.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21Retired project manager Les and accountant Dorothy from Leeds, in West Yorkshire,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24already know what they want from their prospective new life
0:03:24 > 0:03:27in the East Anglian countryside.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32It would just be really nice to be in a bigger garden
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and a nicer house, fewer neighbours
0:03:36 > 0:03:37and a nice country house.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40We had a house when we first got married which was in the country,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43and we moved here because of the children and education.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47So I'm really, I suppose, trying to get back to that, where we started.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Married for more than 40 years, this couple first met down the pub
0:03:51 > 0:03:53after helping out some friends.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57We went out as a foursome to accommodate this growing passion
0:03:57 > 0:03:59between these two people,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04and after about six weeks that passion faded and we carried on.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07There was a very strange conversation one evening when Les said,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10"I know we're not going out, but would you mind going out with me?"
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Which was kind of cute.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15He probably doesn't remember it!
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Having been in their current house for 36 years,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20there's lots they love about where they live -
0:04:20 > 0:04:24particularly for proud born-and-bred Yorkshireman Les.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26It's been the perfect place to bring up children,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29but time has moved on and the children are now prompting the move
0:04:29 > 0:04:34as their expanding family are more than 170 miles away.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38We'd like to pop around for Sunday lunch, go to the pub on quiz night,
0:04:38 > 0:04:39or something like that.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Quality time we get with our children and grandchildren
0:04:42 > 0:04:46is quite limited, so that would be a real plus for me, to be closer to them.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Of course, then there's the grandchildren,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and we have to consider them.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54We have actually promised them a treehouse in the new house
0:04:54 > 0:04:57so we may have to deliver on that.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01And it's going to be the best treehouse you've ever seen!
0:05:01 > 0:05:03As well as bringing them closer to their children,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05there's another important point to the move as Les's mother,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09also called Dorothy, will be joining them.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14She currently lives about seven miles away from us
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and we're looking to...
0:05:16 > 0:05:21In our growing years we recognise the need to be closer together
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and to give ourselves mutual support, and hopefully
0:05:25 > 0:05:28we'll find a place that will accommodate all of our needs.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Once they've found the perfect place for them all,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35keen gardener Dorothy junior is looking forward to experimenting with the local flora.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Things that grow really well here just actually don't like it down there at all,
0:05:39 > 0:05:44so it's a new challenge for me to learn how to grow things
0:05:44 > 0:05:48and what will grow well, and what I can do, and how I can do it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50So it will be really exciting.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53And when it comes to enjoying their new life,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55sports fan Les is the man with a plan.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Sport, of course, has this added benefit.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00It's a great intro to meeting new people.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05The two best places for making new friends are pubs and sports clubs.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08And they're two of my most favourite places to visit,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11so I'll be actively looking for sports clubs, tennis clubs,
0:06:11 > 0:06:16golf clubs, football clubs.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19So, Ipswich Town - watch out!
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Les and Dorothy want to be closer to family in Hertfordshire and London,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30so the Suffolk borders seem a perfect choice that will also
0:06:30 > 0:06:34give them a chance at that country life they're after.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37But before we start our search, we're going to find a good spot
0:06:37 > 0:06:41in the area to talk about exactly what they have in mind.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- Welcome to Suffolk.- Good morning.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Les, are you already missing Yorkshire?- Um...
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- Are you having withdrawal? - No, I've heard it's raining,
0:06:48 > 0:06:49so I'm not missing it at all.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Because this is a big move. You know, you've been in your house...
0:06:52 > 0:06:53- What is it? 30-odd years?- 36 years.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Right, so it's a big move for the both of you,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58particularly because you're a very loyal Yorkshireman.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I am a dyed-in-the-wool Yorkshireman, yes.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02And in terms of the house, what are you looking for?
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Run me through the kind of spec again.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Large garden, quarter of an acre to a third of an acre.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Large country kitchen.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12Dorothy, do you want to chip in?
0:07:12 > 0:07:16I think the only thing I'd add to that is an en-suite bedroom.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I've always wanted an en-suite bedroom.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22And how many bedrooms in total?
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Minimum two.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25More than that would be lovely.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29But you also need to have accommodation for your mum, is that right?
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Oh, yes. I...
0:07:32 > 0:07:35intuitively feel it would be better were it detached from the house,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and that sounds awful, I know.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40But I'm thinking about maintaining our independence.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- And hers.- And hers.- And hers.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44OK, so that does make it a bit more complicated,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47because your budget is... Remind me of your budget?
0:07:47 > 0:07:52500,000, 525 at a real push.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Right, OK, so we always take the highest, so 525.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Don't go over that!
0:07:57 > 0:07:58What about style?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Are you looking for an old property or something new?
0:08:00 > 0:08:05When I started looking I just realised that the modern houses
0:08:05 > 0:08:09don't really work and I even said,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12whatever I do I'm not having a thatched cottage.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15And then I started looking at them thinking, "Oh, they're cute!"
0:08:15 > 0:08:20So, yeah, anything, really - we're open to any style at all.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Well, we've got some lovely properties and they are waiting for us, so shall we get in the car?
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- Let's do it.- Let's. Suffolk will win you over, I can feel it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35With a top budget of £525,000,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Les and Dorothy are looking for a detached property
0:08:38 > 0:08:41with a large country kitchen and at least two bedrooms -
0:08:41 > 0:08:43one of which should have an en-suite.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47They'd also like a large garden for Dorothy to make into a gardener's
0:08:47 > 0:08:51paradise, and there must be somewhere on site for Les's mother
0:08:51 > 0:08:53to live independently.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57We have three promising properties for Les and Dorothy to view,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59but it will only be after they've seen each one
0:08:59 > 0:09:01that its price will be revealed.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05And we'll see who gets the better deal at our Mystery House.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15Our search begins in the village of Bressingham, not far from Thetford Forest Park.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18It's a very picturesque village and even comes complete with
0:09:18 > 0:09:21its own narrow-gauge steam railway.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24There's also a village hall with an active social calendar,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28a Grade I-listed church, believed to date back more than 1,000 years,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32and a village shop that sells home-made local produce.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36And as it happens, our first house is only a stone's throw away.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- Here we have it. House number one. What do you think?- It's pink!
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- It's pink.- We like pink.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- And it's thatched. - And it's thatched.- Oh, yes!
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Yes, Suffolk pink - it's a classic Suffolk house.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54I mean, it's really a classic Suffolk cottage.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- It is.- From the 17th century.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00It's got a great big pitched roof because it's got another room up there.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Oh, wow. Excellent.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03But first impressions, absolutely wonderful.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07- Great. What about you, Dorothy? - It looks enormous.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08I'm lost for words, really.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12- But you're not freaked out by the thatch?- No, I'm coming round to
0:10:12 > 0:10:14understanding how that actually works.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Most people who have them say they're very warm.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- Yeah, tremendously warm, very green, environmentally friendly.- Yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23And this one's actually been done relatively recently,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25maybe ten-odd years ago.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26- Let's have a look inside.- Right.- OK.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32There's no separate annexe with this Grade II-listed timber-framed house
0:10:32 > 0:10:36but it does have a side entrance to the property that I'm keen to show
0:10:36 > 0:10:40our couple first off, so they can start thinking about Les's mother.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41Come on in.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48- Back into the 17th-century. - Oh!- Oh, wow.- Look at that.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49That's quite a snug.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51We were thinking this, with its own entrance,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54this might be a good sort of living space for Dorothy senior.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Yes, actually. It's about the right size.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58OK. Yeah, that would work.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Because through here is what they use as the utility room,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03but it could equally be a shower...
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Well, it is already a bathroom in there.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- This could be a kitchenette. - Excellent. No, no, this is cosy.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10I could see my mother in here.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13- This is what we were thinking about for your mum.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- But let's go and see your living quarters.- OK.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- Mind your head here. That's one of the lintels.- OK.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21I'm only little, so I'm fine.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23So this would be your sitting-room.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- Wow.- It's quite homely.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27And a good size for you guys?
0:11:27 > 0:11:28Oh, I think so, yeah.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Because we've also got a kitchen/dining area at this end.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32- Oh, right.- OK.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38So this end has this dining room
0:11:38 > 0:11:41that flows into, through these...
0:11:41 > 0:11:43desegregated walls, into the kitchen.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47OK, it's not massive, is it?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49- OK.- It's...
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It's... The dining room's wonderful.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53I can see...
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Christmas, I can see fires blazing,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59I can see the family sat around the table.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It's just a tad small in here. It's been ticks everywhere so far.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- It's just kind of half tick for this room.- Half a tick.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- Well, upstairs we have five bedrooms.- Oh, goodness!
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Let's go and look at the master bedroom.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16There are two further floors to this house, as the roof space has been
0:12:16 > 0:12:20converted into a large attic room with a separate bedroom complete
0:12:20 > 0:12:21with its own stairway.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25One storey down, the first floor has three additional bedrooms
0:12:25 > 0:12:29including this good-sized double, a more narrow single,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33and a smaller room currently used as an office.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36The large Jack-and-Jill-style family bathroom can be used to access
0:12:36 > 0:12:39the master, which is our next destination.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44This is what they're using as the master bedroom.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Fireplace here and a little - sadly not an en-suite -
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- but a little airing cupboard there. - Right.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52As often happens in these old buildings,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54upstairs is a little wonky.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59So I don't think there's a true or straight floor anywhere upstairs.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It doesn't feel too wonky.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- I've seen worse. - What are your thoughts?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Uh, OK.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Off the top of my head it looks a little small.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10It's a shame that's not an en-suite.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- Yes, it looks like it is, doesn't it? It's a tease.- It does, yes.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Tempting, but not.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- Let's look outside.- OK.- Yeah.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The house sits in just under half an acre of land,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25with the front facing south.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28There's also a separate garage in matching Suffolk pink,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and out the back there's a large mature garden
0:13:31 > 0:13:34with a variety of fruit trees and a vegetable patch.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Plenty to keep Dorothy's green fingers busy.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40It's a fairly substantial garden.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Is it, sort of, sizeable enough for you?
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Yeah, I think it's workable.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47My only concern is the back is north facing,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49which might be an issue.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I'd have to work out where the sun was going to be.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52There's a shed for you, dear.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56- Yes, a shed.- A whittling shed. - A whittling shed.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57It's very nice. It's beautiful.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59What about the price?
0:13:59 > 0:14:01What do you think this is on the market for?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I would say...
0:14:05 > 0:14:07499.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I think that's optimistic.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I would say top end of budget, at least 510.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Very good. Well, in this case your husband is a better gauge.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19- Really?- It's actually on the market at £500,000.- Wow.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- So, uh, it's a big property. - Yeah.- There's lots of rooms.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I mean, whether it's going to work for you inside,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28- I suggest that you go and have another review of all the rooms.- OK.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31And then we can meet at the front and talk about what happens next.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33- OK. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41Comfortably under Les and Dorothy's budget of £525,000,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45this 17th-century period property comes with five possible bedrooms,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48an attic room, and a generous snug
0:14:48 > 0:14:51that could be converted for Dorothy senior's use,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53as well as a double garage and a large garden.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Oh, wow.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Oh, I know two little boys who'd love this!
0:15:01 > 0:15:05- It's great. What is it? What can I do with it?- Yeah.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- Oh, look, straw.- How interesting.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09That's the roof.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12It's hard not to like this house.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15As soon as you walk up the drive, it's just beautiful.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I think the big plus for me is this is quite spacious
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and it seems very light.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25I think in terms of my mother, the space just won't work here for us,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27which is a great pity
0:15:27 > 0:15:31because the rest of the house is absolutely perfect.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32It's a great first house.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35I'm wondering whether Dorothy senior, Les's mum,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40is going to find it quite convenient living in the same space.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I guess we're about to find out. Hello, everybody.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44- Hello.- Finished?- Yes.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I was just talking about your mum and whether she would fit in here.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51- But we can discuss that in the car because we're heading on to house number two.- OK.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03East Anglia has some of the best farming land in England,
0:16:03 > 0:16:09a fact borne out by increases in the value of prime arable land here in recent years.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And Suffolk's beautiful countryside in particular has a rich
0:16:12 > 0:16:14agricultural heritage.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Cereal crops, sugar beet and oilseed rape may be big business,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21but at the other end of the spectrum smaller producers tending fields
0:16:21 > 0:16:25of colourful flowers for the burgeoning freshly cut market
0:16:25 > 0:16:29are flying the flag for home-grown flora.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33With this in mind we've sent Dorothy and Lesley to meet Francis Boscawen
0:16:33 > 0:16:36at her farm near Dennington.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39So what kind of soil do you have here and what flowers grow well?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41It's quite heavy soil,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- so I have to put in lots of compost to lighten it up.- Yeah, yeah.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48But it means it's really a good fertile soil, so that is a good thing,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and once things are established they do really well.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Things that grow well here,
0:16:53 > 0:16:58well, these roses, the dahlias, all the perennials.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I think the annuals would like a slightly lighter soil.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05How many species do you have here, and what's your favourite?
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Oh, probably 40 different species.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12And at the moment I think the roses are my favourite.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15What would you suggest are the best plants we should grow?
0:17:15 > 0:17:17You could have, like, a cutting garden.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Oh, that would be nice.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- And pick everything, you know, for your house, like I do.- Yeah.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- Just have your own cutting garden.- Excellent.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26And that's easy maintenance, is it?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Well, it's just like growing vegetables really.- Oh, OK.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32- So if you like growing vegetables. - Oh, yes.- I don't know if you do. - No, no, yeah, we do.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Yeah? Just have an extra row on the end.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40The UK's own flower market has become a shadow of its former self,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44at only around 10% of the size it was during its 1970s heyday.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Imported flowers have often been treated in some way
0:17:48 > 0:17:50to help them survive the journey.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53The big advantage of locally grown flowers is that they're as fresh
0:17:53 > 0:17:57as they can possibly be - often picked that very morning.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00These are sweet Williams.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03These are cornflowers, and these are ammi.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06So this species, how difficult is it to get them to grow and flower when
0:18:06 > 0:18:08- you want them to? - Well, these are biennials.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I grow them from seed and I'll sow these seeds now for next year.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14These were grown last year.
0:18:14 > 0:18:15These are annuals.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19So they can either be grown from seed at the beginning of this year,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22or, in fact, these were all grown from last autumn.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23And I've planted them all together
0:18:23 > 0:18:26so that they're all flowering at the same time.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Frances has been growing flowers on her Suffolk plot for four years now,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and her beds stretch across about two acres.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And she has an expert tip when it comes to picking.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42So, if you just cut quite low down on a flowering stem.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Don't worry too much.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45Flowers take water up overnight,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48so cutting the flowers lowdown and early in the morning helps
0:18:48 > 0:18:52with water retention, making the cut flowers last longer.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Largely self-taught, flower arranging has been a passion
0:18:55 > 0:18:58that Frances has long cultivated,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and so with their cut flowers gathered, Dorothy and Les are about
0:19:01 > 0:19:05to get some expert tuition in this ancient art.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11There's records right back to the Egyptians of flower arranging
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and the ancient Chinese dynasties,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and then you get the Dutch masters with the beautiful tulips,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21the sort of still-life paintings of tulips,
0:19:21 > 0:19:26and that style of flower arranging is very popular at the moment.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Do you arrange the flowers from one direction
0:19:29 > 0:19:30or to view them from any direction?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33I think you want to be able to see them all the way around, really.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I think when you're using lovely fresh things like this,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38it just looks very natural.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- They are gorgeous flowers. - You know, it's flowers in a jug
0:19:41 > 0:19:45but it's quite a skill when you're doing an arrangement to also get
0:19:45 > 0:19:47that really natural look.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50It certainly seems like a very creative pastime,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54and I think I can see Les in particular starting to bloom.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Let's hope this continues as we get back to our house-hunt.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Our property adventure continues
0:20:03 > 0:20:06as we make our way to the village of Heckfield Green.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Local legend has it that the nearby country village of Hoxne
0:20:09 > 0:20:14was where King Edmund of East Anglia hid under Goldbrook Bridge
0:20:14 > 0:20:18after his defeat by the Danes in around 870 AD,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20until he was found and taken prisoner for refusing to
0:20:20 > 0:20:25renounce his faith - a scene commemorated at the village hall.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The village also has a charming local shop, a friendly pub,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32and an old phone box that's been converted into a book exchange.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35House number two is a mere five minutes' drive away
0:20:35 > 0:20:37from the village centre.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39There's a pink house over there,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- but it's the white house that we're looking at.- The white house.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46What are your thoughts about the outside?
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Um, it looks quite substantial.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51It's obviously had pieces added on,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54so I'd be interested to see how they've done that.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56It's intriguing, it's nice, it's square.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00I can't tell much more from the outside.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Well, unlike the first house, which had amazing kerb appeal,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06I think this one, you know, perhaps the outside could be spruced up.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09But I think inside, it's going to offer you perhaps more to play with.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- OK.- So, shall we look inside? - Yeah.- Please.- Let's do that.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Despite an external facade that's very different to our first house,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20this corner property is also believed to date back to the 17th-century.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25But I'm sensing Dorothy and Les aren't quite convinced of its charm just yet.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Let's go straight into the kitchen.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I think this is going to be, well, certainly a very different offering.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Oh, yes.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- Now this is a dine-in kitchen. - Is this what you wanted?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- Yeah, it's getting there. - This is a country kitchen.- Yeah?
0:21:40 > 0:21:44It's kind of what you imagine when you think of a dine-in kitchen.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47What's nice is I remember this morning when you were saying
0:21:47 > 0:21:51you'd really like a dine-in kitchen that opens out into a sunroom.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52- Yes.- Aha!- And then into the garden.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- Which is really another sitting-room...- Right.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56..on the back of the house.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- There's a little snug here, and then a more formal sitting-room this way. - Right.- OK.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Passing through the snug area, we arrive in the main living space.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Here we have what they're using as the sitting-room.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12It's nice and light, isn't it?
0:22:12 > 0:22:14I feel that I'm not quite getting what you're feeling
0:22:14 > 0:22:17about this house, whether you like it or you don't like it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Just feels a bit...stark somehow.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22It's a lovely house, it's a nice location,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- but it's just got...a lumpy feel to it.- A lumpy feel!
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- It's a bit like a snail, isn't it? It's sort of goes in a spiral.- Yeah.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32The reason we brought you here is because it just makes
0:22:32 > 0:22:35a lot more sense in terms of the layout, the space.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38We've got an option outside for an annexe...
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- We wondered about that. - ..for Dorothy senior.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45- And upstairs, also, is a much more logical layout.- OK.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47The rest of the ground floor holds the family bathroom,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49with bath and shower,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52as well as this small office space in what used to be
0:22:52 > 0:22:54a second entrance way.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Upstairs we have a large double bedroom,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00and a smaller double with original exposed timber beams,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04as well as a third room currently used for storage.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07But it's the master I want to show our couple next, as it has something
0:23:07 > 0:23:09very high on Dorothy's list.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11There are four bedrooms on this floor.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Well, there's only this floor. Four bedrooms on this floor.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16This is the biggest. And it does have a very nice en suite.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- Oh, good.- Up some steps to the big bath tub.- Excellent.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- It's a nice big room.- Is there... - That's a walk-in wardrobe.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- Oh, good. OK. - Suddenly there's a lot of storage.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27There's a lot of storage, yes, that's fine.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Big, square, roomy. I like this room.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- I think it's very nice. - You're both very quiet and still.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I don't know whether that's just a Yorkshire thing or whether you're
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- just...- No, not at all. I'm just wondering where mum's going to go.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Ah, good point, follow me.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Sitting next to the main house there's a decent-sized outbuilding
0:23:46 > 0:23:49that used to be a double garage, that could be converted into
0:23:49 > 0:23:51a dwelling if Les and Dorothy are up for the challenge -
0:23:51 > 0:23:54with the right planning permission, of course.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- Come on in.- Wow.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02So, this, we were imagining, is your conversion potential.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- Right.- Yeah, I think the footprint's big enough.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11The present owner had a microbrewery in here, so there's plenty of water,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- and drainage, and electricity.- OK.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I mean, is this what you were thinking of when you were talking
0:24:16 > 0:24:18- about a converted outhouse? - Yes, very much so, yeah.
0:24:18 > 0:24:19Yeah, it's got potential.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- Let's step outside and talk about the price.- OK.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Outside the enclosed garden faces south,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30which is good news for Dorothy's horticultural plans.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37From the back here you get a kind of better idea of the layout
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- of the two properties together.- Yes.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Plenty of grass to cut, that's for sure.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Uh, yes, it's not exactly...
0:24:45 > 0:24:48..bursting with flowers.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50- Put our stamp on the garden. That's easy.- Yeah.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52What do you think the price of this one is?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I think...420.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- I would say 480.- OK.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00So, yes, you again, once again more accurate.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05- It's on at 485.- Right.- So £485,000.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07You seem a bit ambivalent about it. You're not jumping for joy.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11I'm more excited about converting the little garage, to be honest.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- I could get quite excited about doing that.- OK, good.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Well, have a wander around, see if you can get excited about the house
0:25:17 > 0:25:19where you're going to live.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- And I'll see you round the front. - OK. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:25:26 > 0:25:32Coming in well under budget at £485,000, this 17th-century property
0:25:32 > 0:25:36comes with four bedrooms, a large country kitchen,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39a good-size garden and a separate outbuilding
0:25:39 > 0:25:41ripe for conversion for Lesley's mother.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45I think the annexe part of it is perfect.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48We could really work with that and make it into a really nice space
0:25:48 > 0:25:50for my mother-in-law.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52But there was just something...
0:25:52 > 0:25:57Didn't get that nice comfy, cosy feeling when I walked through.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58It was like there was something missing
0:25:58 > 0:26:00but I couldn't quite tell you what it was.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04I think we could make my mother's bit really nice.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08But for us, I think there'd be a lot of work involved.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12So, come on, Team Yorkshire, we're all done here.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14- We can pack up our bags, head back to the ranch.- Right.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- Get ready for our Mystery House tomorrow.- Oh, yeah.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Our Suffolk borders odyssey continues,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34as we're helping Les and Dorothy from Leeds, in West Yorkshire,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37find their own little slice of country life
0:26:37 > 0:26:40with a budget of £525,000 -
0:26:40 > 0:26:43not forgetting they need room for Les's mum, too.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Still to come, our Mystery House causes quite a stir.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Excuse me while I take my jaw off the floor.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52- What do you think?- It's ama...
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I'm waiting for the but. There has to be a but!
0:26:55 > 0:27:00And I'll be visiting a Suffolk farm where everyone pitches in.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Hello, kids!
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Oh, yes.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Aw!
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Day two of our property search here in Suffolk, with our quietly spoken
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Yorkshire couple, and it's going to be an interesting Mystery House,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20because, remember, this is not just a property for Les and Dorothy,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22but also for Les's mum.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26And the Mystery House gives Dorothy senior a great annexe,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30but the compromise is will the main house please our couple?
0:27:30 > 0:27:31Let's find out.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38What do you think we might show you for the Mystery House?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I guess it could be a barn conversion.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44It could be a church or a school conversion.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47It could be a big manor house that's divided up into sections.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- But somehow I have a sneaky feeling it's none of those.- Hm!
0:27:58 > 0:28:02For our final property destination we're heading to the small village
0:28:02 > 0:28:06of Mettingham on the southern tip of the beautiful Norfolk Broads.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10The nearby historic market town of Bungay has been holding regular
0:28:10 > 0:28:12weekly markets since 1382 -
0:28:12 > 0:28:17a tradition that continues to this day every Thursday by the Buttercross.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21The town also has its own castle built by the Earl of Suffolk
0:28:21 > 0:28:26in around 1163, and now open to visitors, complete with tearoom and gift shop.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30Our Mystery House is less than ten minutes' drive away.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- Oh!- Ta-da!
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Oh, look at this.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38- Oh, boy.- A little house.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40- Yeah.- Aw.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I think you've rung a few bells there.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45So the mystery is...
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Well, the mystery is that we're given your mum a really lovely house.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- THEY LAUGH - Goodbye!
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- I'm sure she'd be very happy.- As you can see we've got a fantastic annexe
0:28:54 > 0:29:00here, and a fantastic old thatched 500-year-old cottage.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05- Uh-huh.- Lots and lots of outhouses. About an acre of land.- Wow.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- It's a whole kind of package.- Right.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Excuse me while I take my jaw off the floor.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- What do you think? - I'm waiting for the but.
0:29:14 > 0:29:15There has to be a but!
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Well, there isn't really a but in the sense that, unlike the other
0:29:18 > 0:29:20properties, we've always slightly struggled where to put your mum.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- Yeah, I know the feeling. - Here it's sort of even-stevens.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28- Amazing.- So, let's go and look where your mum might live.- OK.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32This property's the oldest house we're showing Les and Dorothy,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34dating back around 500 years.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38It has a thatched roof and the walls are a mixture of cob and brick.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41But we're going to tear up the rule book as we're leaving the main house
0:29:41 > 0:29:45for the time being, and making the annexe our first stop.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50- Here, this is a bit more like it, isn't it?- Oh, wow. This is good.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Yeah, I'm speechless really. It's everything that we would want.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- There's plenty of room. - What we would want. She would want. - She likes space.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59What do you think Dorothy senior will think of this?
0:29:59 > 0:30:03I think she'd love it. I think it's perfect.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06The thing that strikes me is if we'd have sat down and planned something
0:30:06 > 0:30:09and designed it from the ground up, this is more or less what we would have done.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11So this is perfect. Absolutely perfect.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15So the big question is - will the house be perfect for you, too?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- Yes.- Let's go and look.- Yes.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23This annexe was added in 1983 and has a large double bedroom,
0:30:23 > 0:30:28modern shower room, and its own separate garden with pond.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31As we head to the main house I'm hoping our couple will be just as
0:30:31 > 0:30:33impressed by what they find there.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40- So here things get a little bit more tight.- Yeah.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44To me, as a rank amateur, it looks a very nice, cosy kitchen.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49It's not quite the country kitchen I had in mind, but it's very nice.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53- No question about it.- Speaking as the chief cook and bottle-washer -
0:30:53 > 0:30:55and a left-handed cook at that -
0:30:55 > 0:30:59it flows the right way for me, so, yeah, no problem with that.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03I presume the utilities are somewhere else, the washing machine?
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Yes, on the other side of this wall there's a sort of garden room,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09a sort of like conservatory, so this is an addition.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Through that rather lovely arch we're going into the cottage
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- and there the beams are quite low. - Right.- So, mind your heads.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- We're going back in time. - We're going back in time!
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Passing through the rather grand dining room,
0:31:22 > 0:31:24we make our way to the living room.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28So this is the sitting room. Amazingly big ancient beams.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31- Amazing that it's not listed, actually, this building.- Yes.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34But it's not a huge room. But it's got a lot of features.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36It's about as big as our front sitting room.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38It's nice. It's quirky.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Now, upstairs there's only two bedrooms in this property.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- Right. One each.- One each.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46And they are historic.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- OK.- Mind your head.- OK.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- So, lean forward until you see the round mirror.- OK.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Upstairs the smaller bedroom is currently used as a single.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05It has a sloping ceiling and exposed beams mirror the rest of the house.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Immediately next door there's a cosy but modern family bathroom,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12leaving us with only one room left to explore.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15This is what's used as the master bedroom.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- Oh, nice big room. - Yes, I think the bedroom...
0:32:18 > 0:32:20It's certainly bigger than the one we have now.
0:32:20 > 0:32:21So, you've got two bedrooms here.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23I mean, you've mentioned that two would be enough
0:32:23 > 0:32:25- as long as there was one for your mum.- Yes.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28I'm just thinking if we have our kids and the grandkids over,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- somebody's on the sofa.- Well, there are quite a lot of summerhouses.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36So you could actually make those watertight and heated.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- Camping.- They could camp out.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41There's plenty of land. They could certainly camp out.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43That the deal with the Mystery House.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48You've got a historical, quirky 500-year-old cottage
0:32:48 > 0:32:49and a modern, quite spacious annexe.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Yes. It's really interesting.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55It's so different. You need to think about it.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- Well, let's go outside and think about it.- OK.
0:33:00 > 0:33:06This property sits in about one acre of land and is surrounded by rolling countryside.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09The large plot includes several different sheds and outbuildings
0:33:09 > 0:33:14and the garden itself features a selection of fruit trees and shrubs.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18There's also a separate double garage currently used as a workshop.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22- It's really nice, the sun comes out. - It's certainly a sun trap, isn't it?
0:33:22 > 0:33:24So, what are your thoughts about the garden?
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Yeah, it's a nice space.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29I can see lots of things I'd want to do with it.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32There's certainly a scope for a treehouse in one of the trees.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33- For sure.- That's good.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37OK, so how much do you think this is all worth?
0:33:37 > 0:33:41- 510.- I would say...
0:33:41 > 0:33:43505.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Because you've pinched 510.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- I was going to say that. - Oh, I'm sorry!
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Well, in this case you're both wrong because this is actually on the
0:33:50 > 0:33:53market for £475,000.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Whoa! Really?
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- Amazing.- So, have a good wander round.- OK.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01And when you've seen everything you want to, I'll meet you at the gate
0:34:01 > 0:34:04- and we can press on.- OK, lovely. - Thank you.- Thanks.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Good. Very good!
0:34:10 > 0:34:16Again coming in well under budget at £475,000 this thatched cottage comes
0:34:16 > 0:34:20with two bedrooms, two reception rooms, a very large garden,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24and of course that separate annexe perfect for Dorothy senior.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Oh! This is a lovely workshop, isn't it?
0:34:28 > 0:34:31- Isn't it perfect?- I'm afraid you just might lose me for days.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32Good!
0:34:34 > 0:34:37I'm over the moon in terms of the garden.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40I have reservations about the main part of the house.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42I think it would need some development work
0:34:42 > 0:34:46to kind of open it out and to make it feel a bit more airy.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49But then again the price allows that in the budget,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52so there is the possibility of doing that.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It's amazing. I didn't expect anything like this.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57It feels like it's just dropped out of a fairy tale.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01The fact that it's not very big as a main house
0:35:01 > 0:35:05and it only has two bedrooms is a bit of a concern,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09but thinking about part of why we're moving is to be closer
0:35:09 > 0:35:14to our children, so that we don't necessarily have to accommodate
0:35:14 > 0:35:17all of them all the time.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Oh, look at you two. Like a picture in your new home.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23We're in our country cottage.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- Right, it's not yours yet, so let's go and gather our thoughts.- OK.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41The majority of Suffolk farms are medium-to-large enterprises
0:35:41 > 0:35:44covering hundreds of hectares and producing thousands of tonnes
0:35:44 > 0:35:46of crops each year.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49However, not all the farms in this agricultural county are producing
0:35:49 > 0:35:52for the commercial end of the market.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56On 12 acres of lands just outside Ipswich, a new model of farming
0:35:56 > 0:36:00is being pioneered by a group of committed locals.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05The Oak Tree Farm is Suffolk's first community-supported agriculture scheme.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08A not-for-profit social enterprise where volunteers get their
0:36:08 > 0:36:13hands dirty and share the risks and rewards of farming.
0:36:13 > 0:36:19I've come to meet owner and former IT engineer-turned-farmer Joanne Mudhar.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22We're a community-supported agriculture scheme.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26So the way we do community-supported agriculture is our members -
0:36:26 > 0:36:29we have about 50 households who are members of the farm -
0:36:29 > 0:36:34and they come along and we all work together on producing the vegetables
0:36:34 > 0:36:38and then we share out the harvest each week equally between everybody.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42How egalitarian. That's wonderful. Who came up with this idea?
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- Is this your baby? - The farm is my baby.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48I didn't come up with the idea of community-supported agriculture.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51There are actually several schemes around the country and a network,
0:36:51 > 0:36:53the CSA network.
0:36:53 > 0:36:54But the way we do it, yes,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57that was really something that evolved within our community.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02As all good ideas, it started around a pub table about six years ago
0:37:02 > 0:37:04and it's evolved from there.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06- What was the soil like when you moved here?- Absolutely appalling.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- Really?- It was like a child's sandpit.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13There were no earthworms in it. It was literally the colour of sand.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14And as you can see,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16it's now become the colour of sort of milk chocolate.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18We want to make it a dark chocolate colour. That's our aim.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- Is that the goal?- Absolutely.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Members of the scheme sign up for a year
0:37:23 > 0:37:27and pay a weekly amount of about £9, which gets them a vegetable box
0:37:27 > 0:37:30for a commitment of about two hours a week in the summer months,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32and one hour in the winter.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35What do you do with pest control? Because I can see you've got a bit of blackfly.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36We have got a bit of blackfly.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41But what we tend to do is we just leave it and let nature find its equilibrium.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45I've been seeing a lot of ladybird larvae in there,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and so they'll really enjoy the blackfly.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49And the more ladybird larvae we have the better,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51basically, because they'll eat the blackfly.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- Good, so obviously no pesticides. - We don't use any pesticides at all.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56And it's not just humans that work on the farm.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Hello, kids.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03- Oh, yes.- Aw! So we've got the...
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- Are you hungry? - They are hungry ones.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08- Would you like to feed them? - Yes, they sound hungry.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10- Great stuff. There you go.- Good.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13So, what's the thinking behind the pigs?
0:38:13 > 0:38:15- Well, the pigs are really... - Over your backs, girls.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19..our secret weapon against weeds, and they dig our ground for us.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23So when they moved onto this patch of ground about two weeks ago,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25it looked like the patch over there,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28which is just absolutely covered in weeds.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31So they're marvellous. They eat the roots, they absolutely love it,
0:38:31 > 0:38:33they love to dig.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Tell me about your low-carbon strategies.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- Presumably the piggies play their role?- They certainly do.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42By peeing and pooing onto the soil they're adding to
0:38:42 > 0:38:45the organic matter of the soil, the carbon matter of the soil.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49And also our cows, we use a technique called mob grazing
0:38:49 > 0:38:52where we keep them in a relatively small area for a short length of
0:38:52 > 0:38:54time and then move them really regularly.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58And that's a way of encouraging the grass to release carbon into the soil.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02And we encourage our members to lift share, cycle,
0:39:02 > 0:39:06and also take it in turns to collect their vegetables for the neighbours
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and then drop them off, rather than all drive to the farm.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Joanne and her team estimate that the amount of carbon they emit
0:39:12 > 0:39:16through their activities is more than matched by the amount they're
0:39:16 > 0:39:17putting back into the soil,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21which would make them a rare carbon-negative business.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25I'm interested to find out what the attraction of such a set-up is,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28so Joanne introduces me to one of the farm's members, David Dodd.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31So if you were going to sell it to someone who was living nearby in
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Suffolk, what would you say is the top draw of the farm?
0:39:33 > 0:39:40The top draw of the farm is you can come out, be free, and enjoy life.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43- Especially if you're retired. - It's like a supercharged allotment.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Yes, but it's very much a shared allotment.
0:39:46 > 0:39:52I learned a lot of my growing from allotments and I found it got quite competitive.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54It's also an awful lot of work.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56They reckon you need about ten hours a week to do an allotment.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58And this is two hours a week in the summer?
0:39:58 > 0:40:00This is two hours a week in the summer, one hour in winter.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02So it's less of a commitment.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05What do you end up with? What do you get in your weekly veggie box?
0:40:05 > 0:40:09- You get beans and...- Beetroot. - ..and lettuce, and beetroot.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11- Cauliflowers.- Cauliflowers.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14So, basically, if you think of the time of the year,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16the crops that are out at that time, that's what you get in your box.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Yes, completely seasonal.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21We eat with the seasons.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23It seems to be an inspiring scheme,
0:40:23 > 0:40:26and I'm heartened to hear that projects like this are springing up
0:40:26 > 0:40:30all over the UK, with around 65 small community farms
0:40:30 > 0:40:32already up and running.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38I think we might be onto a winner with the Mystery House,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41but let's find Dorothy and Les and see what they're thinking.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51- Hi, guys.- Hi.- How have we done.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Have we managed to win these Yorkshire folk over to Suffolk?
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- Absolutely.- Oh, that's good!
0:40:57 > 0:40:59I didn't expect that. But, yes.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02And how have we done with the houses?
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Two out of three, I think, is pretty good.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07- Two out of three?- Mm. - So, which ones?
0:41:07 > 0:41:09The first one and the last one.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- So tell me about the... - For me, anyway.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14Tell me about the... Because you kind of...
0:41:14 > 0:41:16I thought you'd ruled the first one out.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19The challenge with it is making accommodation for Les's mum.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22But Les did have some fairly clever ideas yesterday
0:41:22 > 0:41:25about what we possibly could do.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27- So I think it's worth looking at again.- Right.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30And the Mystery House, Les?
0:41:30 > 0:41:34The Mystery House really had me scratching my head
0:41:34 > 0:41:37and reassessing my values in terms of what we were looking for.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42It was two big ticks in both of the garden and in terms of my mother.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45And I think the price is quite reasonable,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49and I think that leaves quite a bit in the budget to get an architect in
0:41:49 > 0:41:54and look at the house and say, look, how can we do things?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57So, what happens next? What's the next stage?
0:41:57 > 0:42:00I think, for me, I'd like to go back to see house number one
0:42:00 > 0:42:03and the last house.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Just to have another look around, look at the village,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07look at the surrounding areas.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11It's been a magnificent journey the last three days, and you've given us
0:42:11 > 0:42:12really good food for thought,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15re-evaluate some of the things we've been thinking about.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Well, it's been a great delight and I hope everything sorts out,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and that your mum makes a decision and likes one of our houses.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24But whatever happens, do stay in touch.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- We will.- We will do that, thank you. - Thank you so much.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36I think we did a nifty job transplanting a fiercely proud Yorkshireman down to Suffolk.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41Of course, the acid test will be whether his Yorkshire mother comes willingly, as well.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46But it seems to me that Dorothy junior and Les had a good time
0:42:46 > 0:42:47under our guiding wing.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50So make sure you join us for more good times on the next edition of
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Escape To The Country.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57And if you would like to escape to the country in Northern Ireland,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Scotland, Wales, or England and you need our help,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02why not apply online at...