West Yorkshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape to the Country.

We do love exploring canals on this show

and if you're familiar with any part of the canal network,

you'll know that the tried and tested way

of getting a boat from a higher level of water to a lower one

is to use the engineering marvel that is a lock -

but what do you do if you have a tackle a rise of some 60 feet?

Well, the answer here was to build five in a row...

but where is here?

Well, join me in just a moment and I'll tell you.

On today's house-hunt, our buyers are searching

for a very specific space...

I don't think there's a room for the model railway.

..but with a top selection of properties lined up...

-Cheers! BOTH:

-Cheers!

I'm confident we'll find something to whet their appetites.

-Oh!

-Wow!

-I like!

A "wow!" You see!

Look, we impressed you at the beginning, mate,

and it was the right thing to do!

Well, today we're in West Yorkshire,

and this series of locks

are known as the as the Bingley Five Rise Locks

on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

Built back in 1774,

they're known as staircase locks,

because each one opens directly onto the other.

Now, they're not the only staircase locks in Britain,

but with a gradient of one in five,

they are by far the steepest

and they're just part of a landscape that's packed full of riches

from one of my favourite periods

in British history, the Industrial Revolution.

West Yorkshire is one of four counties making up

the region of Yorkshire.

This land-locked county has long been known for its industrial past,

signs of the wool and cloth industries remain visible

in the rows of weavers' cottages and workers' houses

built on ridges and overlooking the towering chimneys of mills

in the valleys.

The area's varied landscapes are vividly described

in the work of the Bronte sisters -

arguably West Yorkshire's most renowned literary exports.

Their childhood home, the Parsonage, in Haworth,

has been open to visitors for over 75 years.

Nine miles away,

the market town of Hebden Bridge

was built around water-powered weaving mills in the 19th century,

but today is better known for its artistic identity,

where streets are lined with artisan shops, galleries and cafes.

West Yorkshire is also a county of excellent walking opportunities.

Visitors head to Ilkley Moor

to enjoy its abundance of striking carved rocks,

also popular for rock climbing.

They're thought to date back as far as the late Neolithic or Bronze Age.

Offering a captivating mix of outdoor pursuits,

industrial heritage, pretty Pennine villages and literary landmarks,

there's definitely no shortage of things to explore

in West Yorkshire.

You know, it's often a curious thing how house prices can vary

so dramatically between one neighbouring county and another -

and, here in Yorkshire, I think the numbers prove the point.

In North Yorkshire, the average price of a detached property

is currently £282,000 -

but in West Yorkshire, well,

you could get the same thing for £67,000 less.

Doubtless the draw of the North York Moors and the national parks

have helped up the figures up there, but nonetheless,

West Yorkshire is not short on beautiful scenery either.

So, let's meet today's buyers

and find out why they want a slice of it.

Graeme and Denise have been married for eight years.

They first met through their local amateur dramatics company

and have been making each other laugh ever since.

What I love most about Denise is her sense of humour,

the sense of humour that is on the same wavelength as mine.

The most romantic thing that Graeme's ever done

is when he proposed,

which was on top of haystacks in the Lake District.

He'd taken up there a ring,

he'd taken up half a bottle of champagne.

He'd taken up glasses.

-It was a smaller bottle of champagne.

-Yeah.

-No, it wasn't...!

-Not half a bottle!

No, just a small bottle because of carrying it up a mountain.

Ten years ago, they bought their first home together,

a five-bedroomed new build in Peterborough.

Close to family, Denise's work, and within commuting distance for London

for railway project manager Graeme.

The town's been a practical base for them both,

but now they're looking to live out their retirement

somewhere more idyllic.

Whenever we drive up to Yorkshire,

as soon as we leave the main road

and we're in amongst dry stone walls and hills,

there's a feeling comes over us, isn't there?

-Just a... Whew! Just that...

-Yeah.

-A real nice feeling, isn't it?

And, it's... And I guess that touches the heart.

Both keen walkers, they're drawn to the varied landscapes,

hills and mountains of Yorkshire's National Parks -

but, for Graeme, there's an even deeper pull.

For me, it's a roots thing.

I come from Yorkshire

and we used to go into the Dales regularly as a child.

The countryside lifestyle means that we can get into the scenery

and drink it in. I'm interested in photography,

so, for me, photographing landscape

is going to be a great opportunity for me.

And when it comes to buying the right property,

the couple have a number of indoor hobbies to consider, too.

Having retired from the railway industry,

I have always hankered after building a model railway.

So, I've built up quite a collection.

I've got to get on and build it now.

I'm usually in another room, reading my book,

or I might be in the kitchen doing some cooking.

So, with their house under offer, the wheels are certainly in motion.

What's more, Graeme and Denise are hoping their forthcoming move

won't be as stressful as their last.

On the day of exchange, the couple that were selling pulled out,

which meant that we were homeless.

We have some very good friends who were holidaying in France.

We lived in their house for a month

and in that month we found this house and moved in.

And it was fate.

This time we're hoping for a much easier purchase.

We don't want any of the disasters that we had last time!

Our couple are open to looking anywhere

in the West Yorkshire countryside,

with great walking opportunities nearby,

which gives us great scope for the search.

All I need to know are the exact requirements for their dream home.

Well, welcome back to West Yorkshire, mate.

How does it feel to be back on your old patch?

It feels absolutely great. It feels like coming home.

And how do you feel about being up here?

I'm very happy about being up here.

-I love it up here.

-I gather you've just sold your house?

Yeah, really good news.

-Daunting?

-Yes.

Yes, of course!

So, give us a picture, then, of the sort of thing you're imagining.

A rural location would be lovely.

-Not isolated.

-Yeah.

A character property is fine,

but I'd like it nice... modern inside.

Modern inside. So we've got an idea of broad style,

but what does it need to have?

What components are you particularly looking for, Denise?

At least four bedrooms and a nice kitchen.

I have an ambition to build a model railway,

so what we would like, additionally to the four bedrooms,

is a railway room.

Somewhere big enough for me to build the model.

OK, so something with a bit of character about it.

You don't obviously want a project?

-No.

-No.

-Now you've sold, what's the budget for this new move?

Our maximum budget, if everything has been done, would be £500,000.

I'm pretty optimistic as to what the property market can offer you.

The one thing I'm not too sure about is the weather today, hence these -

but you're good to go and so am I.

Come on. Let's see what we can find you.

Half a million!

Graeme and Denise are hoping their budget of £500,000

will get them a property with a modern interior

and at least four bedrooms.

Denise would like a good-sized kitchen

and Graeme needs a separate hobby room for his model railway -

and they'd like a balance of a rural location

that's close to a community.

We've got three great characterful properties ready to tempt them with

all in idyllic countryside settings.

At each one I'll be asking them to guess the asking price,

before I reveal it at the end of the tours.

Our last stop will be our Mystery House.

A unique property,

which I hope will engineer a good response from Graeme and Denise.

-So, you've got four children between you.

-Yes.

How many grandchildren?

-Seven.

-Seven!

-Yes.

-How do they feel about you moving away from a familiar home?

They're behind us all the way.

It will them an opportunity for some quality time with us

when they do come and stay.

-No wonder you need four bedrooms, Denise!

-Yes.

It will be like running a B&B, won't it?

I think it will be, yes.

Our search begins in the village of Eldwick, in the north of the county.

With scenic countryside

and endless walking opportunities on its doorstep,

this location offers a rural lifestyle

with all the conveniences of village life.

There's a post office, a number of shops,

a hairdressers and, of course, a public house.

There's also an active community, with a number of local clubs,

societies and events, including an annual beer festival.

A five-minute walk from the shops,

our first house is perched on the banks of the Eldwick Beck,

at the edge of the village.

So, this is where it begins to really reveal itself.

-It's lovely.

-There you are!

-What do you think of that, then?

-That's lovely.

-Yeah.

What you've got here, Graeme

are two former mill workers' cottages,

but, obviously, in more recent times it's been converted into one,

I think, very spacious family home.

From this position, it doesn't look very big.

Ah! Probably what you're struggling with

is the fact it's set into this hillside -

but I think you'll find on the inside it does open up

to reveal quite a spacious property

that has a number of things going for it,

which I hope you'll pick up on.

-Lovely.

-Come on! Let's have a look.

This stone-built cottage dates back to the early 1800s,

but benefits from some recent additions and improvements.

The ground floor flows from room to room,

without the use of a central hallway,

with an entrance that leads directly into the living room.

This is what greets you.

This lovely fireplace.

It's lovely. Nice and cosy.

Is this the sort of thing that you would find welcoming, Graeme?

Yeah. Absolutely.

Probably a little bit smaller than we've currently got,

don't you think, as a lounge?

Maybe. But it's...

It hasn't got as many doors out of it. So...

-I like it.

-Yeah? OK.

So it's very much geared up to draw you this way,

which it does quite nicely.

You've got this area here, this little snug,

and then through into here and the kitchen,

through this rather ornate sort of screen arrangement.

-I love that.

-Yes, that's very nice.

Yes. I like the kitchen as well.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

I do find this really attractive.

Yes, I do. It's lovely.

However, if I'm being brutality honest,

I think it interrupts what you would do with that space through there.

Because I would love to see this as a more open kitchen/diner.

-BOTH:

-Yes.

Practically speaking, it is a better use of that space, isn't it?

There's also a separate sort of utility-cum-glory hole

just through a little door here. Very much a sort of walk-in larder.

I mean, they've got another separate dining room through here.

It's tempting to think that might rattle to the sound of trains

clinking over tracks, possibly.

-OK.

-However, I think there are some other options.

-OK.

-Upstairs.

-OK.

Right. Off you go.

Through that door, mate. Let's see what we've got up here.

Upstairs, there are four good-sized bedrooms.

Two singles and two doubles,

so plenty of space for the family to stay.

As well as options to house Graeme's model railway.

There's also a modern family bathroom

and a separate shower room.

So, this being the biggest, not surprisingly,

-is the master.

-Yes.

That's lovely. Really good size, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's nicely presented, as well, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I like it. I think it's a very cosy, amenable building, actually.

-Yes.

-Yes. I think cosy is the operative word there.

Has it grown on you, Graeme?

Because I have a feeling this one had a bit of work to do.

Certainly the decor.

The presentation is superb.

Size is probably the thing for me, because I like space,

and that's the thing that this doesn't have in spades, as it were.

It's a life on the railway, he's used to these big, open spaces.

Come on, let's go back outside to the garden.

Despite its four bedrooms, generous living spaces and beautiful finish,

I suspect this house isn't quite living up to the dream for Graeme -

but heading outside,

the property is surrounded by well-maintained gardens

and there's a small patio with seating area.

So, pretty much back where we started.

I think you and I think it's a nice, cosy little number, don't we?

Yes. It's cosy, it's got a nice comforting feel about it.

I still like it.

Well, let's see if the price has an effect on that.

Who's going to go first, then?

-You go first.

-I think it's about...

-£465,000 I'm going to go for.

-£465,000.

OK, I was thinking slightly less than that.

So I'll say £450,000.

£450,000.

You're both wrong, I am afraid.

It's on at £495,000.

Wow!

Irrespective of its price,

is this a property that you think you could be happy in?

I could be, yes.

There you go!

Maybe that tells me all I need to know, Graeme.

Well, look, have a wander around.

Explore it at your leisure and I'll come and find you a bit later on.

-Go on.

-Thanks.

-Off you go!

Coming in just under budget,

this superb detached character property

has the four bedrooms Graeme and Denise asked for,

one of which Graeme could use for his model railway

and a kitchen with the potential to be opened up into the next room.

It's in a great location on the edge of a village

in the middle of the Yorkshire countryside.

I think this would make an ideal study for us

rather than a dining room.

Yeah, I'd agree.

I think Graeme will be thinking that this place is too small for us.

He does like space, and I don't think it will be the one for him.

I think I probably would not see myself living here.

It hasn't given me that...

..wow factor when I first walked in.

Well, madam, perfect timing!

-All done?

-Yes, thank you.

Right, the weather is changing,

I hate to say it, we may well need these, I suspect, later on.

I think a good start and a good insight into what you're after.

Yeah - and also an indication of what we get for our money.

Well, isn't that the battle?

Come on, let's keep fighting!

Much of Yorkshire's landscape

is etched with farmland and fields given over to agriculture.

The farming industry makes an important contribution

to the region's economy,

with milk from its cattle bringing in over £200 million a year.

One family dairy farm in Denby Dale

had decided to do something a little different

with the milk from its Friesian cows,

producing a local delicacy

which should be of interest to keen cook, Denise.

We're sending her and Graeme to meet Louise Holmes,

who runs the farm with her husband.

-Hello.

-Has there always been a farm here?

Yes, since the 1960s,

it was started by my husband's grandad

and then passed on to his father and on to my husband.

And has it always been a dairy farm?

It has, but in 2007 we diversified into making ice cream.

We both wanted to do something a little bit different.

We had a surplus of cream on the farm,

so we wanted to find something that we could use it for,

and ice cream was both of our passions,

and it allowed us to be more adventurous

with what we were producing here.

What makes your ice cream so special?

Well, it's all made here on the farm.

It's made from the milk from these cows that you see behind you here,

and it's made to ice cream within 24 to 48 hours of them being milked.

So it's as fresh as you can get it.

So, come on, let's go and make some ice cream.

Yes, please.

The 250-acre farm is home to 110 cows

that produce a total of 800,000 litres of milk a year.

10% of it goes into the production of their award-winning ice cream,

which is sold across the region and in the farm's own ice cream parlour.

I really enjoy making puddings, Louise,

but I have to say, I've never made ice cream - so, what's the process?

Well, it's quite simple, really.

It's a bit like making a cake in reverse.

So lots of milk, a bit of cream.

It goes into a big pasteuriser,

and then we put that pasteuriser on to heat,

so it starts to heat it towards 85 degrees centigrade,

so, very hot.

As it's halfway through the process of heating up, we add our sugars.

And then the machine chills it as fast as possible,

down to four degrees.

And that then sits in the pasteuriser overnight,

which is called ageing.

The next day, we come and use that mix to make our ice cream.

Along with all the old favourites,

they also produce some more unusual flavours,

which are specialities of the local area,

including a recipe that has its roots

just half an hour's drive away in the market town of Pontefract.

Today, we're going to make Pontefract cake ice cream.

What other flavours do you do here?

We make all sorts of flavours.

We have experimented with things like black garlic,

which is really rather quite nice.

It doesn't sound wonderful, but it is.

And then we do a most unusual flavour for Yorkshire, though,

-which is our Yorkshire pudding gravy and raspberry vinegar flavour.

-Ugh!

I know! I can see from your reaction, you love it!

So, is the flavour popular?

It's a bit of a love-hate flavour,

because, obviously, gravy's really quite salty when you taste it,

but with the sweetness of the ice cream, love it or hate it.

As well as the hand-cut Pontefract cake pieces,

Louise also uses a liquorice paste,

which she adds to the ice cream base mix

for a more intense flavour before it's churned in the batch freezer.

So we are ready to add our Pontefract cakes

that we cut up so nicely earlier on.

So, if you want to try some ice cream,

see what you think of it.

Oh, it's lovely! I mean, I don't like liquorice, but I have to say,

honestly, it's subtle and it's so smooth and creamy, it's gorgeous.

It will be even better after you've tasted it with these in it.

Business is steadily growing,

and now Louise and her husband produce

around 33,000 litres of ice cream a year.

In the midst of a struggling UK dairy industry,

success has come at the right time,

and their ice cream production has proved a great way

of adding value to the milk from their cows.

It's lovely! I just had a chip of the Pontefract cake,

and it really sets it off.

See, it's worth all that cutting upstairs, isn't it?

Good luck with the house-hunting,

and I'm hoping you become a regular here.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-It's been really enjoyable.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

So, with bellies full of delicious ice cream,

I'm glad Graeme and Denise have found something in West Yorkshire

to their taste. Let's hope they like our next property just as much.

Our next stop is near the village of Harden,

just three miles from our first house.

Nestled in a valley amidst woodland and farmland,

the village is a favoured base

for both commuters to nearby Bradford and Leeds,

as well as those exploring the local landscape,

with footpaths up to the surrounding moorland.

Locals are well served by a school, a popular pub and a number of shops,

including a post office and a butcher's.

The property we're here to see is just a two-minute drive away,

in a hamlet called Ryecroft,

a conservation area made up of local stone cottages

and agricultural buildings,

which still look attractive even in the predicted downpour.

Right, then, you two, this is...

..our next offering. What do you think of that?

Oh, wow! I think that looks lovely!

-Looks impressive.

-It does.

-Yeah.

So, Denise, I think this has rather tickled your fancy,

-hasn't it?

-It certainly has.

Now, when we go through the door, you have a choice,

we can either go into the kitchen or the living room first.

-What would you prefer?

-Kitchen, please.

Right, OK. Kitchen it is.

Come on then.

This Grade II Listed stone barn was originally a cow shed

owned by the hamlet's most prominent family

from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Converted over ten years ago,

I'm confident it will deliver not only on character, but also space,

which should keep Graeme happy, too.

Oh, yes! Oh, yes!

-Very nice!

-As you can see, the island here,

nicely sort of separates these two zones.

I mean you could, I suppose, have this as a dining end,

but there is also space for that next door -

but have a drink of this,

because it also comes with its own spring.

So, try this.

-Cheers! BOTH:

-Cheers.

-Lovely!

-Oh, that's...

-Yes, very nice.

-Isn't it? Very sweet.

-Oh!

-It's run through a UV filter in here.

It's all in there.

So, you've got your own free mineral water...

..bottled at source. Come and have a look at the living room,

that's through across the hall way.

At the back of the property, just off the kitchen,

is a useful utility room, and on the other side of the house

is a wonderful dual aspect living room.

-There!

-Oh, very nice.

Plenty of room, isn't there?

And you can see why they've not put the dining table next door.

Because you've got plenty of space in here.

Is this working its magic more on you, Graeme?

It is.

This gives me a greater sense of space.

-Yeah.

-Good! Excellent.

-Because you really like it, don't you?

-I do.

-Yay, you see?

Right, let's have a look upstairs.

There's a little treat for you.

Think railways!

Upstairs, it offers up all the space they requested,

with two generous double bedrooms and a smaller single,

all with exposed beams.

There's also a stylish family bathroom,

as well as a vast master bedroom.

Now, again, this is not short on space.

It certainly isn't.

That is a big room.

-It's huge, isn't it?

-It is.

An unusual shape.

It also has a shower en suite here...

-Very nice.

-..which is great. Is there anything you'd change?

I think I'd zizz it up a little bit

with a bit of colour here and there.

-In the furnishings.

-In the furnishings.

Yes. Just to make it more of our own.

Yeah. Now, I did promise you a little treat.

Through this door.

See if my thinking is on your wavelength.

Now, Graeme, ha-ha,

the current owners are using this mezzanine space as their office -

but would it not be fun to try and think of a way

of getting the railway

so that it could run out here

through some elaborate sort of bridge system.

Yeah, I mean,

I'm just wondering whether it would be big enough,

but it's a possibility, isn't it?

It also, I suppose, taps into your drama roots, doesn't it?

A balcony, a play,

a Romeo... Right, let's leave it there.

Come on, let's go outside and talk about the price,

altogether far more serious issue.

I'm slightly concerned Graeme seems to have tunnel vision

when it comes to housing his model railway.

If it's more space he needs,

then perhaps he'd be better off creating something outside.

I think we'd all agree, it's a really interesting property.

Yes, I don't think there's a room for the model railway.

But, I mean, what about the model railway in a bespoke shed.

-Out here?

-Out here.

Yeah. I mean, that's a possibility.

OK, so, let's talk about the price, then.

Come on, then, Graeme?

OK, me to go first.

-I'm going to say £475,000.

-£475,000?

I was thinking £450,000.

This is interesting,

because it's a direct comparison with property number one.

It's also on the market for £495,000.

It is surprising, actually...

-Yes.

-..how steep the property market can be.

I'm going to give the house one more shot.

It can do its best. Off you go,

have a wander around, and I'll come and find you a little bit later on.

-OK. Thank you.

-In fact, it won't be that long, it's pouring with rain!

This characterful barn conversion certainly delivers on space,

with four bedrooms,

a great-sized kitchen for keen cook Denise,

and if Graeme's model railway doesn't fit on the mezzanine level,

he could custom-build a shed for it in the garden.

What I like about this property,

I like the kitchen and the area to the side of it.

I love the size of the lounge.

That mezzanine area is really nice.

This property has more space than the first house we saw.

The problem for me is my need for this, for my model railway

and the room that had been considered

would be possible for the model railway,

I didn't see as being big enough.

What I've taken away from today

is that maybe we're not looking in the right area for our budget.

The properties have been a lot more expensive

than, certainly, both of us anticipated.

So maybe we have to have a rethink.

So, that's it. Day one of house-hunting is over -

and I can offer you another choice,

Yorkshire tea, Yorkshire beer?

-That's a hard decision!

-It's not that hard, is it?

Come on!

Retired railway manager Graeme

dreams of returning to his roots in West Yorkshire,

taking wife Denise with him.

With a budget of £500,000,

they're hoping to swap their new-build Peterborough home

of ten years for a picture-perfect pad in the Yorkshire countryside.

Coming up, it looks like our Mystery House

is on the right track for Graeme...

I like simple.

THEY LAUGH

What does that tell us?

..and I try to look the part on my visit

to one of Yorkshire's last remaining wool mills.

-Yeah! That's the business.

-That's terrific.

And do you know what? It's so light, I don't even know I'm wearing it.

Well, the brochures will tell you

that the sun always shines in Yorkshire...

but not today. Not on our final day of house-hunting here

with Graeme and with Denise.

So far, we've seen two properties, but we've struggled for space,

particularly for Graeme's train set.

So what can we come up with on our final day?

Well, it is, of course, time to reveal our Mystery House.

This has everything they are looking for,

but I suspect it's not quite where they might have expected to find it.

Our Mystery House takes us to Todmorden,

in the west of the county,

near the Lancashire border.

The small market town has a big industrial history,

and is known for a prosperous cotton and textile trade.

Walsden Water, a tributary of the river Calder,

runs through the town and represents the historic boundary

between Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Straddling the water, the town hall was once situated in both counties,

until the administrative county border was altered in 1888,

placing the whole town firmly in Yorkshire.

Today, there's a diverse range of shops and restaurants,

including a toy and model museum,

which might be of interest to model train collector, Graeme.

The house we're seeing is in a quiet rural spot,

just over a mile from the centre of town.

Well, there we are then, madam, and sir, that is our Mystery House.

-What do you think of that?

-Very interesting.

Yeah. Different.

-Certainly different.

-Well, sort of different.

This is yet another barn, but this one is considerably older.

This one dates to 1666.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Is this the sort of aspect you were really looking for?

Yes. Yes, it is.

I know it's rural, but it's not isolated.

There are other properties around.

-That's fine for me.

-Yeah.

The other great thing that this property comes with

is this garage structure here, Graeme.

Now you can see, on the left there's garaging itself.

On the right, this is currently a music studio,

but I'm thinking it's the perfect railway room.

Yeah, OK.

-That's got potential.

-So, here's my plan -

-we go in there first...

-Yeah.

-..and then we go into the main property.

-What do you think of that?

-Good idea.

-Sounds good.

Right, let's do railways.

One reason why we've selected this Grade II Listed barn

as our Mystery House

is because it's by far the most rural of the properties

we've found for Graeme and Denise,

although I'm happy to say, that doesn't seem to have put them off.

Now, then Graeme, come on,

don't say we don't care, or we haven't listened!

That's a good size.

A good size! It's fantastic.

There's a smile on his face.

-Look at it!

-Yeah, this works.

I think we can safely say we've ticked off the railway box, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Right then, let's get on with the main event,

-which is your Mystery House.

-OK.

Follow me.

So, the outbuilding's got the green light from Graeme.

Now it's time for me to get Denise on board, too.

I think this is the obvious place to start...

..Denise.

That's more like it.

-Yeah?

-Yes. Definitely.

-Nice, isn't it?

-Very nice.

Listen to him! We've got the railway all sorted, mate.

"I don't care now.

"The kitchen's perfectly good. Have what you like, Denise."

-That is lovely.

-Good!

Yeah, yeah, positive feeling.

Yes! Excellent! So glad we did the railway thing first.

Right, come and look at the living room.

As we head on, at the back of the hall way,

there's also a useful study area.

-So...

-Ah, yes. Again, this is much better.

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

-Very nice.

-It's very simple.

I think you can come in here, redecorate, make it your own,

within, you know, a few days, really.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

Yeah. I mean, I like simple.

THEY LAUGH

What does that tell us?

But I take your point.

I do take your point.

-Simple is good. It works for me.

-Yes, it is.

-Plain and simple's good.

-Yeah.

Right, then!

Come on, let's go upstairs.

Heading upstairs,

the double-height entrance hall

creates a superb light galleried landing,

leading to three well-presented double bedrooms,

offering plenty of room to accommodate visiting family

and a large bathroom, as well as the master en suite.

There we are. Finally.

Yours. Wow!

-I like.

-A wow!

-Yeah.

-You see, look, we impressed you at the beginning, mate,

and it was the right thing to do.

-I like this.

-I do.

-It's very nice.

You've got a very nice en suite around the corner there,

and then this spiral leads up to a mezzinine

which they're using as a little media room at the moment.

-Right.

-It's rather nice, actually.

The skylight gives the room so much light, as well.

It's lovely.

-I like it very much.

-Ah!

Right, then! So we've pleased you and we've pleased you.

Let's see what the price does to that equation.

Outside, the main garden lies to the front of the property,

and so makes the most of the ordinarily lovely views.

Now then, it is still pouring...

..and my suggestion is that we don't bother getting wet again.

I think you can see what the garden has to offer from here.

-Happy with the house?

-Yes.

Happy with the railway thing?

-Absolutely.

-Good!

Happiness all round, then. So what's it on the market for?

I think this property is worth £490,000.

£490,000.

-Yeah. Graeme?

-I'm going to say top of our budget, £500,000.

You are pretty much spot on, Graeme.

-This is on the market for £499,950.

-Right.

-What do you think of the price?

-I think it reflects the property.

Good! That's the right answer.

So, go and have a wander around,

and I will catch up with you a little bit later on.

Off you go.

-OK.

-OK.

Well, I think that's all turned out rather well, you know?

This 17th century converted barn

would give Graeme and Denise all the space they were hoping for.

There are four generous bedrooms and a large kitchen,

as well as a designated outbuilding

for Graeme's all-important model railway -

and it's all set in a rural location,

with magnificent countryside views.

I really like this house.

I love the layout.

It's a lovely property in a stunning location.

I feel very comfortable in this house.

It's warm and inviting.

And the mystery property has delivered

when we were about to give up hope.

So, I think that was well worth you seeing.

Yes, it was.

And I think, overall,

we've given you plenty to consider this week

in terms of the properties we've been able to find you

for your £500,000.

-Are you going to spend it?

-We may well do.

-Ah!

Well, let's get you somewhere where you can mull it all over,

-and we'll see what happens next. Come on.

-Yeah.

With evidence of Yorkshire's heritage

in the milling and weaving industries all around,

I'm taking some time out to visit one of the few,

so-called vertical wool mills still left in Britain,

meaning they complete all the processes on one site,

from raw materials through to fabric finishing.

Abraham Moon & Sons was founded in 1837,

supplying fabric to the Leeds market throughout the 1800s,

and, today, supplies many of the world's major fashion houses.

I'm meeting manager director, John Walsh,

to learn more about the history of the company,

its founder, and the materials they produce for the modern-day market.

-Hello, John.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-Very nice to see you.

Tell us a bit more about Abraham Moon.

I gather he set up shop back in 1837.

He started out as a merchant.

But in the 1860s, he decided to set up a mill on this site.

The reason for this site

was that the railway would have just arrived

and also we have our own artesian well,

a source of natural water,

and that is obviously crucial for the dyeing

and the finishing of the fabrics.

Quite why he changed from being a merchant to a manufacturer,

we don't know. But he must have been quite an entrepreneur to do that.

It's a major step, and it needs serious finance.

He obviously understood the process very well.

But tell us bit more about the process that you employ today?

We buy in wool.

We bring it in and dye it to constituent colours

and then we blend,

and that's part of our great secret and success,

is that our yarns are tweed, heathered yarns

made of multicoloured blends.

We dye four, five, six, even seven colours in every single blend,

and spin that into yarn.

So your fabric has a wonderful depth to it.

I mean, this, presumably, is some of your fabric that you're wearing.

-It is.

-I mean, is this what we end up with from this particular bin?

It is - and the human eye, perhaps, from a distance,

would see that as a solid colour.

But when you get up close and personal,

you can see the vibrancy of the yarn.

See how many colours there are in there.

So these are now ready to be spun into fabrics

-that will go all over the world?

-That's right.

-That's the plan.

-Right, let's have a look at your weaving process.

Although the industry has, of course,

continued to move forward with better machinery

and greater efficiency,

the processes themselves are not so different

to those used 100 years ago.

Despite increased competition in recent years

from cheaper man-made fabrics,

Moon's have maintained a focus on quality.

Today, their product is more sought-after than ever -

and two-thirds of their output is exported.

John, this is obviously the noisiest part of the factory.

It is indeed. We have 32 looms on this site.

So they do make a little bit of noise. Yes.

So at any one time you can be producing 32 different patterns?

-That's right.

-You're obviously dealing in a global market now.

How much of your product goes for clothing,

and how much of it goes for other textiles - say, upholstery?

It's about half and half.

We sell from a range,

but we also make a lot of bespoke products

and that's part of our USP.

I gather that some of your products

still goes to support a really famous local product?

Yes, indeed.

Let's go up to our showroom and meet Rhian.

Right, which way? That way?

In Victorian times, a man wouldn't be seen without a hat on his head.

An upper class gent would have donned a top hat,

a middle-class chap a bowler hat,

and a working-class bloke would have worn a flat cap.

In recent times, these hats have fallen out of fashion,

except for one. I'm meeting designer and entrepreneur

Rhian Kempadoo Millar in the showroom upstairs.

-Hi, Rhian. Nice to see you.

-Nice to meet you.

You're looking very resplendent...

-Thank you.

-..in your very fine Yorkshire cap.

And look at this lot. A real taste of the county.

How did it all begin for you?

Well, I used to wear hats, particularly flat caps,

when I was a girl.

And when I was studying millinery at college,

I started making my own flat caps.

They are such a good all-rounder.

You can see how the design has lasted so long.

-Yeah.

-But now you're giving it a new lease of life.

Yeah. I just thought we'd take the flat cap

so you can go out for the dog walk,

or you could wear something on the catwalk, like this.

-Could I?

-Just put a twist on the flat cap.

But, you know, very clever, and, again, clearly a flat cap.

Now I love wearing hats.

Can you suggest something here out of your collection

-that would suit me?

-You could try this one.

-Yeah?

-A bit more traditional.

-A little bit more traditional.

-There you go. That's the business.

-It's terrific.

Do you know what? It's so light, I don't even know I'm wearing it.

But it will keep me nice and dry and warm.

Rhian, thank you very much.

-Best of luck.

-Nice to meet you. Bye.

-Cheers. Bye-bye.

I love what Rhian is doing here.

While the team at Moon's

are producing their cloth in the time-honoured way,

she's taking it forward to a different market,

a different generation, and with new, innovative twists.

I only wish I'd had my new flat cap

at the start of our rather rainy search here in West Yorkshire.

Well, my favourite part of any Escape To The Country

has now arrived.

It is, of course, that moment when we find out

if we've been successful in our house search for our buyers.

We've certainly given, I think,

Graeme and Denise plenty to think about

and some really good options at the right sort of price -

but have we managed to find them anything they're going to buy?

Well, let's go and ask them.

Well, guys, here we are.

It's the end of the process.

And has it helped you evaluate

what the property market here can give you?

Absolutely. I think that's the most we've got out of the last few days,

what our expectations,

or how unrealistic our expectations probably were for the area.

The trick was trying to find you something

that offered you enough space.

So, we put all of our eggs into our final basket, our Mystery House.

That was quite exciting.

I thought, "Aha."

It was rural, which is what we wanted,

but I certainly didn't want to be in an isolated position,

and it wasn't that, just a few miles away from Todmorden.

So you were very pleased with the room sizes,

once we'd established there was somewhere for the railway

in the outbuilding.

What happens next?

What we want to do is to go back,

research the area more,

because it's not somewhere that we are familiar with.

Do you think it's one that you might move to?

There's certainly a good possibility that we would make an offer on it.

-Yes.

-How interesting.

Guys, it's been an absolute pleasure.

I am thrilled that we've managed to get there at long last,

even if it was with our final roll of the dice, with our Mystery House.

-But it is often the way.

-Yeah.

Lovely, and thank you very much for all your help.

-Thank you.

-Our pleasure.

Denise and Graeme's Escape To The Country is now,

I hope, well under way -

and while they start attending to all the details they'll need to sort

in order to make their new life happen,

I've got a little job of my own,

to break in my first...

..and rather lovely Yorkshire cap -

and on a day like this, typical Yorkshire weather,

it's just what you need. I'll see you next time.

Denise and Graeme decided to extend their search area,

and have since had an offer accepted

on a property on the West Coast of Cumbria.

We wish them all the best with their move.

If you'd like to Escape To The Country

in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England and need our help,

then please apply online at...