Oxfordshire Escape to the Country

Most of us like to spend a couple of hundred,

maybe even a couple of thousand pounds sprucing up our homes,

perhaps giving the walls a lick of paint from time to time.

But the walls of this church have recently received

a £1 million overhaul.

Find out why and where I am in just a couple of moments.

Today, one half of our couple may still need some convincing

when it comes to country life.

Um, OK...

You know me and beams. There's lots of them.

It's a nice room, but not what I imagined, really.

But things start to change pretty quickly.

SHE LAUGHS

-It's huge. I really love the balcony.

-I thought...

Thank you, Jonnie.

Whoa! Love it.

When are we moving in?

Today, we're in Oxfordshire.

And this is the Grade I listed St Mary's Church in Chalgrove,

which features a unique set of paintings,

thought to date back to around 1320.

Now, the images depicted in the story of Jesus Christ,

the Virgin Mary and The Day Of Judgment

were actually limewashed over during the Reformation

and weren't discovered until later on in the mid-19th century.

But it wasn't until a year ago when a major £1 million project

to conserve and restore the entire church got underway,

faithfully restoring these beautiful images to their former glory.

Oxfordshire is a landlocked county near the centre of southern England.

Although arguably most famous for the renowned seat of learning

that is Oxford University, the area is also home

to a beautiful tapestry of landscape, thanks to three

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty that encroach upon its borders.

These include the rolling hills of the Cotswolds in the west

and the glorious countryside of the Chilterns in the east.

Sandwiched between the two

lies the medieval market town of Abingdon,

which the River Thames flows through on its way to London.

St Helen's Wharf was one of the principal trading wharfs

on this part of the river - and the nearby medieval houses

belonged to the successful merchants and businessmen of the day.

Further south, the Uffington White Horse

is a 3,000-year-old chalk figure cut into the landscape

that watches over the village of the same name.

The village church is worth a visit,

known locally as the Cathedral of the Vale.

All this means that Oxfordshire has plenty to offer both visitors

and those with a more permanent stay in mind.

When it comes to buying properties in Oxfordshire, well,

I can tell you, it is not cheap.

The average price for a detached house in this county comes in

at around £523,000.

That's well over £200,000 above the national figure.

And South Oxfordshire's Vale of White Horse can be expecting

even more new buyers to the area in the near future,

with plans in place to create 20,000 new homes for 20,000 new jobs

in the science and technology sectors.

So, great prospects, beautiful houses, in gorgeous countryside.

Looks like today's buyers could be facing some stiff competition.

Security consultant Chris and writer and graphic designer Aileen

from Wimbledon in London have been married for about ten years,

but thanks to Chris' job

have rarely been under the same roof for long.

We've been apart a long time.

He works abroad, he's been working abroad for quite a few years.

So when he comes back, it's, you know, we're trying to cram in

a lot of that time that he's away into a short space of time.

And we have a lot of fun doing it.

They first met over food, when Chris found out about

Aileen's culinary skills.

I heard that there was some free food going at the local church,

and unfortunately, not enough noodles had been made.

I did start to complain, and unfortunately for me,

the lady behind me, who now turns out to be my wife,

confessed that she was the one who made them.

And that's where it all began.

Living in South London has been a lot of fun, but country-born Chris

is keen to return to a more rural lifestyle,

and Aileen always said they could move

as soon as he stopped working abroad.

I did promise him that if ever he came back for good,

that we would move to the country.

And Oxfordshire was one of the places I absolutely adore and love.

And they already know what they're most looking forward to.

I would love that I will wake up in the morning and hear birdsong

in the back, and my chickens, you know, clucking away.

I want to be able to look out of my window and see

a frost-laden grass and tree landscape before me,

rather than a pile of cars outside with frost on the windows.

But city girl Aileen is going to find it hard to leave

her beloved London behind.

I always say I'm a city slicker, not a country bumpkin.

So, I just think, erm...

I always think, you know, London is, like, perfect,

it's been perfect for me for such a long time,

so this will be a big change for me,

moving to the country, and I don't mind it,

because I really want to have chickens, as well.

You can't do that in London.

The only thing I think is

I'll probably miss, erm, the big sales in London.

-AILEEN LAUGHS

-All those things.

One thing that won't change is Aileen's love of entertaining

-and opening their home to everyone she meets.

-I am a social creature.

There's nothing more I love than having this house full of people.

I love cooking, I love entertaining, I love...

I love the hubbub of, you know, people around,

because I just think, this is life, isn't it, really? Why be a hermit?

I think that's one of the reasons why I want to move out of London,

is that I'll have Aileen to myself

instead of having to share her with everybody else.

You still have to share me with everybody else!

But I think it'll be different, and that's what I want,

-to have Aileen for myself a little bit.

-Oh...

Mmm...

Chris grew up in Oxfordshire,

and since it's not too far from London for Aileen,

it seems like the perfect place for our couple.

But before we go any further, we're all meeting up,

including a freshly-shaven Chris,

to find out what they're both hoping for in their new home.

Chris and Aileen,

-welcome to a rather damp start to an Oxfordshire day.

-Yes.

Now, a little birdie tells me, Aileen,

that you're here almost kicking and screaming.

-You can't get London out your blood?

-Mmm...

I'm a city slicker, I'm afraid.

So, what kind of property is going to...

convince you that Oxfordshire's the place for you to come and live?

What environment would you like to live in?

Village location, preferably, so we can still get, you know,

stuck into the community and, you know, get involved in things.

Let's talk about the wish list.

What kind of house are we looking for?

-We want a detached house, three to four bedrooms.

-OK.

And a bit of ground to give that extra bit of isolation.

How big does this garden need to be?

Um...

-I think half an acre should do the trick.

-Half an acre?

Do you know what half an acre looks like?

Well, I don't actually know,

-you know, size-wise, what that means...

-You see what I mean?!

Half an acre... OK, you mow half an acre every week.

He'll mow half an acre every week!

One of the things I've always told Aileen is I want to have

-one of those lawnmowers you have to sit on to mow it.

-Right.

And I think that will meet the bill,

unless she fills it up with plants and trees and stuff.

OK, talk me through the must-haves. What must you have with this house?

For me, erm, a nice big kitchen.

I love entertaining, I love having friends over, family over...

-So, entertaining space, definitely.

-Yeah.

You want three to four bedrooms.

So what about renting a couple of rooms out?

Have you thought about doing something different in your lives?

We did think about, you know,

maybe do a B&B, that we can get some income out of it.

You never know, sometimes there's an old barn or there might be

an old annexe you might be able to do something with.

-Style of property?

-Beams are the big bugbear of Aileen.

-Really?

Well, I don't mind in one room, perhaps.

If it's an older part of the house or something,

-but not in every single room.

-OK.

-That would really just kill me.

Let's talk budget.

How much are you looking to spend here in Oxfordshire?

Between 700,000 and 900,000, something like that.

We'll go down the middle line, about 800,000.

Why have you got such a broad range?

Because we're not sure, when the house we're going to sell,

what we're going to do from a case of investing the rest of the money

-that we may or may not make from it.

-It's a big range, but then...

-I might find you something that...

-Is less perfect?

Not necessarily less, but requires a bit of work to be done on it.

-So we've got that buffer zone.

-Yeah, yeah.

-No problem.

OK. Well, look, we've got three very different properties,

and hopefully one of these properties is going to

-convince you that Oxfordshire's the place to come to.

-Perfect.

-Ready to get started?

-Yes.

-Shall we go?

-Let's go.

With a budget range of £700,000 to £900,000,

Chris and Aileen are looking for a detached property,

with a large kitchen and plenty of space for entertaining.

There should be a minimum of three bedrooms

and around half an acre of garden.

Also, some extra income would be welcome, so if there's space

for some sort of B&B potential, that would be perfect.

We have three handsome homes for Chris and Aileen to view,

but it'll only be after they've seen each one

that its price will be revealed.

And we'll see if the Mystery House can make all their dreams come true.

Our first stop today is the small village of Longcot,

not far from the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The nearby town of Farringdon is a mere ten minute drive away

and has a good selection of local amenities, while Longcot itself

has an award-winning pub and a local church.

Our first house is in the heart of the village,

overlooking the village green.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-It's huge, look at the size of it.

Doesn't give a lot away.

Some of it looks older because it is built in the 17th century.

And having it all rendered, which they did in the 1920s...

-Mm-hm?

-..it takes the age off it.

-Mm.

-I think it looks good. It's very big.

It looks as though it's been extended.

-Yeah, this bit to the left-hand side...

-Right.

Around 20 years ago.

-I like the flagpole.

-AILEEN LAUGHS

-Well, yes.

-I can put my Malaysian flag up there, yay!

They do, actually. The current owner has a whole set of flags,

-and they run flags up there, according on what's going on in the nation at that time.

-Fantastic.

-Love it already.

-Keen to look inside?

-Definitely.

-Yes.

-Good, come with me.

-Definitely.

This detached property has a shared driveway, but does have its own

double garage to the side, as well as space for two cars at the front.

I'm hoping that Aileen will be impressed

with what I'm about to show her on the inside.

Let's start off with the most important room in the house.

-Whoa!

-Wow.

-Love it. When are we moving in?

-This is my kind of kitchen.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

This is a place where I'll be cooking and chatting with friends,

-and him even sometimes...

-He's allowed in, is he?

-Sometimes.

-I don't like to come in here.

-No.

-He can do the washing up.

-You know, there's a double sink.

-Well, that's out there. You can banish him to do the...

Perfect, perfect.

To let you know, you've got separate dining areas elsewhere

throughout the house, so you can...

There's a massive breakfast bar there.

-Mm, mm.

-It sounds a bit... You'd probably use that

if you're always having people hanging around in your kitchen.

We often have friends and people coming around

and going to get themselves a cup of tea, I don't even have to tell them,

they'll just go get the cup of tea,

they make themselves at home so much.

So, so far, we're liking it.

-We're liking it.

-Let's keep looking around.

This extensive house also has a good-sized study and a comfortable

shower room on this floor, as well as a large garden room, but we're

heading through the dining room to check out the main living area.

-Wow! Oh, this is so cosy.

-Wow.

Now, this is the 17th-century part of the building.

The old bit that you saw from when you stood in the front of the green.

-So that would've been the old front door.

-Yeah.

-Would've been fairly modest.

-Yeah.

-Mm.

But now, I mean, these are structural,

but they're lovely, aren't they? These timbers and beans?

-Beautiful wood.

-Yeah.

-And they're not too low, as well.

-No...

I know you said you didn't want these old beamed cottages,

-but this is all right, isn't it?

-This is all right.

-It's not, beam, beam, beam, beam, all the way through...

-No.

..so it's absolutely... Yeah, this is, this is doable.

Chris, are you surprised at how Aileen is reacting

-to this old property?

-Yeah, I am surprising myself.

-You're surprised?

I'm surprised, as well. Twice as surprised that you're surprised.

So far, so good.

Heading upstairs, we find a large guest double

with en suite bathroom, a second double bedroom and a smaller room,

currently used as a single, with built-in wardrobes.

There's also a family bathroom with twin sinks.

But I'm keen to show Chris and Aileen where they'd be sleeping.

-You're now into your master suite.

-Ooh!

A huge en suite with a separate shower.

-AILEEN LAUGHS

-It's huge.

And there's bags of storage here, as well.

-It's huge.

-Oh, storage room.

-Oh!

-My own balcony! You have to bring me a cup of tea in the mornings.

-OK.

I have a little bell I can ring

and you can just bring the things up for me.

I'm starting to feel sorry for Chris now...

-No, don't be!

-AILEEN LAUGHS

So far, though, you do seem to be really enjoying

coming around this house.

-I really love the balcony.

-I thought you might.

-Thank you, Jonnie.

-JONNIE AND AILEEN LAUGH

-So, let's get to the garden.

-OK.

-Start thinking about price.

-Right.

Outside, the mature garden faces south and has a pretty

decking area that could be ideal for Aileen's love of entertaining.

Although I'm not sure it's quite big enough for Chris' ride-on mower.

Now, I know you're not great on sizes of gardens yet.

-It is not half an acre of garden.

-OK.

You probably guessed that. What do we think, though?

-I think, er, it's obviously smaller than what I had in mind.

-OK.

But having said that, it has a lot of attractions to it,

because it's, er, it's well laid out and ornamental...

-Mature, as well, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, mature is a good word, yeah.

OK, time to guess the price.

Let's have a look at how much this place might be,

based on what you've seen.

OK, I'm just going to play Mr Boring and go for the median

-of what we said and say 800,000.

-All right.

-OK.

I was thinking 750, 765, something like that.

All right, you're closer.

This is on the market for offers in excess...

-Mm?

-..of £700,000.

-Ooh!

-Really?

-Mm.

-Really?

-Wow.

-Now, I've kept a bit of information back,

-because I wanted to show you this as it is.

-Right.

-OK.

-Behind that fence...

-Mm-hm?

-Mm-hm?

..there is a small, detached, one-bedroom bungalow.

-AILEEN GASPS

-Oh...

-With a small garden.

-Right.

-OK.

-That is available via separate negotiation.

According to the owner, they'd look at offers of around £150,000 for that.

-OK.

-OK.

-It needs some work,

but I thought, as you'd hinted at the fact you'd like to entertain,

the ideas of maybe a bit of a business,

or something along the side,

that might be something you would be interested in. So...

-OK.

-..then you're into £850,000 plus.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It needs doing up.

-Mm-hm.

-OK.

-It's an interesting proposition,

because then it puts a new take on the whole idea of business

opportunity, or an income-generating opportunity, as well.

Well, something for you to think about.

I want you to go around this property on your own now and then I'll meet you when you're done.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-All right? See you in a bit.

Sitting towards the lower end of Chris and Aileen's budget range,

this detached first property has four bedrooms,

a large kitchen

and a good-sized garden.

Plus, there's the option to purchase the bungalow next door

by separate negotiation,

if they do indeed want some income potential.

I think this house is very nice.

It's, er, slightly different to my expectations.

It's really interesting, the layout.

I'm not sure about the garden, though.

It's not the size that I'm looking for, really.

The extra house, little bungalow at the back, is an amazing opportunity.

It is something that I think we'd both be interested in investigating,

because if it comes off, I think it would be a very good deal.

-So, you've seen enough here.

-Yes.

-Ready for the next one?

-Yes, please.

-Definitely.

-Come on, then.

In the heart of the North Oxfordshire countryside,

just outside Banbury, Broughton Castle sits surrounded

by well-manicured lawns and a moat.

Constructed from local Hornton ironstone, the original

medieval manor house was built in 1306 by Sir John de Broughton.

However, it was only with the later addition of crenelated

battlement walls to the gatehouse that the manor was officially

transformed into a castle.

The castle has been in the same family since the late 14th century

and is currently owned by the 21st Lord and Lady Say and Sele.

The family name is actually Fiennes,

and their son Martin now runs things day-to-day.

Keen to explore more of the county's heritage,

Chris and Aileen have come to meet him.

Right, so come on in.

-This is the Great Hall.

-Wow. What an incredible room.

This is the centre of the medieval manor house and the nice thing

about this room is it really shows all the different dates

of the house, so imagine shutters on the windows instead of glass,

and a big fire in the middle, and a wooden ceiling.

This ceiling here is much later, it's 1760,

-but it's basically a 1300 mediaeval hall.

-This is a fantastic place.

Who was Sir John de Broughton and how did he make his money?

He was a knight of Edward I.

You know, late 13th century, early 14th century.

Wealth was effectively created from the leading soldiers

of the time, and I guess he was one of those.

He lived here in this medieval manor house,

sold it to a chap called William of Wykeham,

who was effectively the Prime Minister of England,

the Chancellor of England, and his family are still here.

I'm descended from his sister.

The castle was a rebel household during the time of

the English Civil War, as the 8th Lord of Say and Sele

was a prominent Parliamentarian.

The castle was at one point besieged, before eventually

falling into Royalist hands, until the war was over.

Years later, the castle was leased to Lady Gordon-Lennox, a woman

whose influence can still be felt in the magnificent formal gardens.

Why is this place called the Ladies' Garden?

In the 19th century,

two of my ancestors managed to go pretty well bankrupt

and ended up letting the house to a family from 1885 for about 25 years.

And the lady who lived here then, Lady Gordon-Lennox,

she was a fantastic gardener, and she designed,

did the layout of this garden, in about 1896, so it's her garden.

Who's responsible for the garden now and have they kept it in

the same layout as when it was created in the 19th century?

Yes, I think it's exactly the same layout as the 1896 one.

I mean, originally, when Lady Gordon-Lennox designed the garden,

she had 14 gardens.

And now we've just got one, got a fantastic gardener called Chris,

and also my mother helps with the sort of creative design.

She's like the creative director.

Yeah. What's it like living in a place like this?

Very cold in the winter. Even in the summer, actually.

But it's wonderful. It's fantastic, it's a real privilege.

Of course, no visit to a castle is complete without

a tour of the battlements, so Martin's kindly agreed to show

Chris and Aileen the imposing walls up close.

It's a bit of a cheat, the castle. It's not really a castle,

it's a fortified manor house.

In 1406, Thomas Wykeham got a licence to crenelate,

so if you put a certain amount of battlements,

a gatehouse and a moat, you could call your house a castle.

So it's really more for sort of social standing

than defensive purposes. It's not a proper castle.

But, you know, it was a warlike time, the early 15th century,

so it may have had some function.

-Has the castle ever actually been attacked?

-Yes.

October 1642, after the Battle of Edgehill,

which was seven miles from here, the Royalist forces came here,

we know there were seven cannon lined out on the top of the park,

and I suspect a certain amount of damage was done.

I think about 20 people were killed in a sort of skirmish,

and then, because it's not really a defensive castle,

the keys were handed over and the house was in Royalist hands,

probably till 1644, and then given back to the family.

Today, the castle is, above all else, a family home,

and the best way to appreciate its full splendour

is to take a punt on the moat.

And what could be more Oxfordshire than that?

Our house-hunt continues in the small village of Curbridge.

Here, the local pub hosts a quiz night every week,

as well as offering regular wine tasting sessions.

Nearby, the larger village of Ducklington is believed to take

its name from a group of residents found near the village pond.

There's also a medieval church that forms the heart of the local

community, playing host to a busy social calendar all year round.

And our second property is a short drive from the village centre.

-Wow.

-Now, set back from the road a little bit...

-I heard a "wow", that sounds good.

-Oh, this is beautiful.

-It's stunning, isn't it?

-Is it quite old?

-Parts of it date back to around 1750.

-OK.

-Really?

-Mm-hm.

-Wow.

Other parts of it are pretty new...

-Yeah, you can see...

-..which give you the modern features I think you'll like.

-OK.

-OK.

-So, happy so far?

-Yeah.

-Come with me.

-OK. Thank you.

This detached period property is made from local Cotswold stone.

The gravel driveway gives way to a substantial three-berth carport.

We're heading inside to the living room.

Now, I don't think you'd use that entrance every day.

-But I want you to feel what your guests feel as you...

-Oh, wow!

-Stunning, isn't it? It's beautiful.

-I love it.

-It's got...

-What about these beams, though? You...

-I don't mind them.

I think it's very impressive.

I mean, I like the wooden floors, we have some large rugs ourselves, so

it would be nice to be able to lay those down and show them, as well.

This is a nice place where people can come in and just be part

of the fabric of the house and just chill in here.

I think, as well, when you move out of London...

-Oh, yes?

-Not if...

-Oh, yes?

You want people to think, I get it, I get why they've moved.

-They've moved for this reason.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

And so I think, as you walk round this house, you might be able to

justify that move in each and every room, for different reasons.

-Mm.

-OK.

-Come with me.

-OK, let's go.

Making our way through the large formal dining room, we come to

a modern garden room extension, complete with underfloor heating.

And from here, we arrive at the kitchen.

-Now, look at this.

-Oh!

-You're going to like this, aren't you?

-And an eating place, properly.

-Wow. This is grand.

-A breakfast kitchen.

-Yeah. Grand.

-Ah, this is more like it. This really...

-This is your room, you'll probably live in here, won't you?

-Yeah.

-I think this, for you, is probably the best room in the house.

-Yes.

I will spend a lot of time in here.

-And with proper dining table and chairs...

-Yeah.

..I wouldn't ever have to leave there,

I'd just plug my laptop here and work from the desk over here.

That's me sorted. It's home, it would just be home.

It would be just perfect.

-This is music to your ears, though, isn't it?

-It is.

-You've long harboured designs to move out to Oxfordshire.

-He has.

But then, when you come and see it, the manifestation of what you

-can get out here in Oxfordshire, it's good news, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Mm.

Mm. You've done good, Jonnie.

The ground floor also has a small study

that could be an ideal sanctuary for Chris.

There are two more floors. The roof space of the original part

has been converted into an attic room

that could make a small bedroom.

On the first floor, in the eaves above the kitchen,

there's a guest bedroom, as well as two other characterful doubles,

all served by a modern family bathroom.

As we make our way to the master, I'd be interested to see if

it measures up to Aileen's expectations.

-Now, look at this wonderful room.

-Wow.

-Oh.

It's beautifully decorated, isn't it?

-Wasn't what I was expecting to see.

-No.

-You've got a huge en suite.

-Separate bath and shower.

-OK.

-This is definitely a master suite.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's a nice room, but not what I imagined, really.

I don't know what I expected, I wanted the room, I guess,

as a room, not having a dressing area there as well, I suppose.

I don't really know, I don't know what I was expecting, but...

It's only like, it's only like a room with more storage in it.

-You don't have to use this as your dressing room.

-True, also.

-I think it's beautiful.

-Right, well, you know what's here,

-you can have a good look around this place later on, obviously.

-OK.

-Let's go outside and start thinking about price.

-OK.

-Oh, no.

-Oh, yes.

Aileen doesn't seem as impressed as she was with the kitchen,

but let's see what she thinks of the outside.

The well-maintained garden has a patio area,

perfect for entertaining on warm summer evenings,

and there's a feeling of open space that I hope will appeal to Chris.

-Wonderful open aspect to the back.

-Beautiful.

-But look at the rear of the property.

-Wow.

Now, that's something.

It's beautiful, isn't it? Beautiful.

-We're south-westerly facing, so you get a load of sun.

-OK.

These, ripe for a bit of veggie planting, aren't they?

I saw. It's a nice square area, which is easy to maintain as well.

-It looks very good.

-They've done a brilliant job with it.

Now is the tricky bit. SHE GASPS

You've got to try and value it. Chris?

I'm going to go for about 875,000.

OK, Aileen?

-I think around £850,000.

-Well, good guesses, actually.

-It's on the market for offers around £895,000.

-OK.

-OK.

Now is the chance for you to have a look around this place.

Get a sense of what it's like to have all this extra space in

the countryside. All right?

-OK.

-I'll catch you later.

-Thanks.

Right at the top end of their budget at £895,000,

this detached village home has five possible bedrooms,

a roomy modern kitchen, four reception rooms and

a large garden with views out over neighbouring farmland.

Oh! This is nice and neat.

-The guest bedroom, I guess.

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

-Very nicely decorated.

-It is nice and compact, isn't it?

It is a very nice house. I think I like its location,

in particular.

I like the way that it backs onto open fields with woods and open

ground behind it. I think Aileen likes it. I don't think

she wants to admit it to herself.

Wow, look at this.

Oh, this is the single room. It is a big single room.

I like the exposed brickwork.

Look, they've even made the plaster to sort of match.

I like the way they have blended that in, to keep that feature.

This house has ticked all the boxes.

It is so light and airy, and everything will fit,

all our stuff will fit in this house so nicely.

Definitely changing my attitude about moving from smoggy London

into the rural climes of Oxfordshire,

which is absolutely beautiful around here.

It is.

Well, you were long enough, which I always think is good news.

-Did you enjoy walking around there?

-Oh, perfect.

-It was fantastic.

-Perfect. I'll remind you of that word...

Yes, I know!

-..this time tomorrow. Something to think about?

-Yes. For sure.

Thank you.

Our Oxfordshire property safari continues as we are helping

Chris and Aileen from Wimbledon in South London

find a new home in the country with a budget of

up to £900,000. Still to come,

our Mystery House just keeps on giving.

Oh, this is what I'm talking about!

-Fantastic.

-That is such a good space.

And I'll be learning the secrets behind a good barbecue.

One of my favourite ways to get the flavour of the coal straight

into the food is to literally put it straight on the coal.

-Oh! Really?

-Yeah.

I'm not sure you can ask for better reactions than we saw from, well,

Aileen in particular in property number two, but on reflection,

I do wonder whether or not she's waiting for that thunderbolt moment.

Sometimes it comes from a completely unexpected corner,

and today, that's what the Mystery Property is all about.

Sure, it's got its foibles, and I think Aileen in particular

might struggle to see through some of them,

but if she can, then she will be rewarded with a property

that will be, well,

a doorway to a completely new lifestyle and adventure.

Let's see how we go.

As journey's end draws near,

we're crossing over the county border into Wiltshire and

making our way to the market town of Highworth,

on the edge of the Cotswolds.

This historic town is an eclectic mix of old and new, with buildings

that date back as far as the 16th and 17th centuries.

St Michael and All Angels Church in the centre of town

has seen 1,000 years of history unfold and notably bears the scars

of cannon fire from the Civil War.

Just outside town, our Mystery House is a short two-minute drive away.

Now, what do we think of this?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Wow. This is unexpected.

-Oh, my! Chocolate box.

-Yeah.

Oh, wow.

-This house is almost a cliche.

-Yeah.

But, when we saw it, we thought, "This could be it."

Not just because of the beauty of its facade,

-but what it gives you the more you walk through.

-OK.

-OK.

-So you like the look of it?

-Yes.

-I think it's beautiful.

-I don't know if it's for me.

-Why not?

-Thatched roof... Mm.

But I'm waiting to be, yeah, surprised.

Thatch roofs, they take a bit more in maintenance costs than

your normal slate or tile roof, but we've been assured

-this has got at least ten years left to run.

-OK.

-Oh, good.

The main thatch, as it is.

-The ridge normally needs replaced more frequently.

-OK.

But modern methods of thatching and modern insurers,

or more recent players in the insurance game,

-means that this kind of property is much more accessible...

-OK.

-..to townies. Like yourselves.

-Yeah.

-Let's go inside.

-OK.

-Thank you.

With a sweeping gravelled driveway, this property comes with

a double garage and plenty of room for parking.

Entering the property, our first stop is the living room.

-In we come.

-Oh!

-Wow.

-Love this, then, do you, Chris?

This is a very comfortable room.

I've already got...

We've got a corner suite, I've already got it in this corner.

-Have you now?

-Yeah.

Um, OK... You know me and beams.

-But they're not low, are they?

-No, true. But there's lots of them.

I think it adds character to the straight lines.

-It doesn't make it clinical, does it?

-No.

-But you like it so far?

-This part...

-Chris does.

-Yeah, yeah.

I can see the cleaner lines elsewhere, so maybe,

if this is the only room, I can deal with that.

-Come on, then, let's have a look.

-OK, cool.

Now then, at the back of the property...

SHE GASPS

-I've got my tractor lawnmower already bought now.

-Oh, wow!

I can't wait to show you out there, because you've got

an amazing asset there that I think could be more of.

-OK.

-In the meantime, though, kitchen.

-You do a lot of cooking, I know.

-Yes.

Um, yes. This is a bit small for my liking, but it's workable.

-It's not as big as the other properties.

-No.

-But I think we wanted to downsize.

-That's true, actually.

-We don't want a huge property, cos there's only two of us.

-Yeah.

Next door to the kitchen is a large conservatory that could be

a great space for entertaining friends, or if she prefers,

Aileen could always try the formal dining room.

This floor also has a neat utility room that is used to access

a downstairs shower room.

There's also double guest bedroom complete with its own bathroom.

Upstairs isn't quite as expansive,

but there's a good-sized master with exposed beams

as well as a decent sized double bedroom with two smaller single

rooms, one of which is currently used as a dressing room.

The whole floor is served by a whitewashed family bathroom.

That leaves with us with the moment Chris and Aileen have been looking

forward to ever since their first glimpse out of the kitchen window.

It is time to talk garden.

Come on, then. You wanted space.

-AILEEN CHUCKLES You've got it.

-Cor!

This is what I'm talking about!

What did you say, you wanted at least half an acre?

How big do you think this is?

Half an acre.

And then some.

-Plot size, the entire plot size, you've got about 1.5 acres.

-Oh!

-OK. Fantastic.

-That is such a good space.

-It really is, isn't it?

Yeah.

Now, before we start thinking about how much all this is going to

cost you, I want to show you another reason why we brought you here.

-Come have a look.

-Another reason?!

This impressive garden is a veritable garden of green,

seeming to stretch on for miles.

There are plenty of secluded spots for outdoor entertaining as well.

And, at the far end, there's two outbuildings, one used for

storage and the other, well, Chris and Aileen are about to find out.

-Now, this is...

-Oh!

-..quite something.

AILEEN LAUGHS

-Look at the piano!

-Looks like the orchestra room.

SHE GASPS

This is a building with underfloor heating,

electrics all installed, plumbing.

-You've got a loo next-door.

-Yeah.

-Holiday lets?

-Oh.

-Yeah, I was going along your line of thinking there.

-In the future?

-OK.

Obviously, all subject to obtaining the relative planning consent,

-but you've got a footprint of buildings here...

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-You just need to carve it up.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-I'd start thinking about price, then.

-Oh.

-OK?

Let's go out to the garden,

-cos it is quite spectacular, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

It certainly seems like I've given our couple lots to think about.

It's time to see if they can put a figure on it all.

I think it's going to be way above our budget.

Do you want to make a guess?

£930,000?

OK. And Chris?

I'm going to go, actually, for the same as yesterday. £850,000.

-Well, bad news, because you are both way out.

-Oops.

This place is on the market for offers around £700,000.

-You're joking!

-SHE GASPS

For an acre and a half?

An acre and a half of land, all those outbuildings.

OK, they need converting,

-but with £200,000 left from your budget...

-Yeah, yeah.

CHRIS EXHALES

-Wow.

-That takes a different slant on things, doesn't it?

You've got a lot of time now.

Lots of gardens and property to walk around and discuss things.

-OK.

-All right? Catch you later on.

-Thank you.

-All right.

-Enjoy it!

Thank you!

With a guide price of £700,000,

this thatched cottage comes with five possible bedrooms,

two reception rooms,

one and a half acres and two outbuildings ripe for conversion

if Chris and Aileen decide they do want that additional revenue.

This house has an amazing package of land with it, really.

You've got the open lawns here, the workshop.

You've got the building which can be used for something in the future.

Thatch is something I've never looked at, to be honest.

But it has been beautifully decorated and renovated inside.

It's stunning, and there's so much to it.

I'm blown away by it.

For the price it is, I'm definitely considering it so much more now.

So I think Chris will be very happy to hear that,

but don't tell him just yet.

Well...

-Is that the doorway to a new life?

-I tell you!

-Who knows?

I think you two need to find somewhere to sit down and have

-a chat.

-I think so.

-For sure. Yeah.

-I'll take you there.

For thousands of years,

woodlands have been used in the production of charcoal.

It is estimated that over the summer months,

the UK buys around 60,000 tonnes of the stuff each year.

And yet, 98% of all charcoal burned on our barbecues has clocked up

some serious air miles,

imported from as far afield as Indonesia

and the Amazon rainforest,

with much of it coming from unsustainable sources

or deforestation.

One response to this is coming from Matt Williams

at the Oxford Charcoal Company,

who is using Forestry Commission-approved wood

combined with modern, efficient production techniques that have

a substantially less harmful impact on the environment.

-Matt.

-Hi, Jonnie, how are you doing?

-Good, mate. This looks incredible.

-So, you make charcoal right here, in Oxford.

-Sure.

-Why?

We haven't really had a charcoal industry in the UK of any size for,

-I don't know, a couple of hundred years, really.

-Wow, as long as that?

We wanted to have a go at a project and see if we could find a viable

way to make a nice, sustainable English charcoal product.

You are not burning the wood...

-No.

-That has got to be the key element to this.

-That's it.

Well, do you know, in traditional charcoal making, you would set fire to it.

Let the thing rage for a couple of hours and then you start to

cut the oxygen supply down, so it is just a smoulder.

But you are actually burning your stock in order to make the heat

to make that happen.

It is estimated about 15% of global deforestation every year

is down to people making charcoal in unsustainable ways.

Matt believes that if you think about where your wood comes from

and think about how you're going to handle the conversion process,

then you end up with an efficiently made, really sustainable fuel.

Every batch of wood he uses is given a number,

meaning the finished product can be traced back to source.

So, this container has come out of your kiln now.

-So we've got charcoal?

-Yeah.

-What's next, then?

Jonnie, I'm going to get you just to pull this chain, just pull that.

It is just going to tip this out,

-and it will pour into the bag on the other side.

-I can do that.

Now, look, you've told me that your process of making charcoal

here, in Oxford, is far more efficient.

What are you doing different here?

What we've done is separated the burning of the wood

from the heating of the wood, so we just heat it up indirectly,

so every bit of wood in there becomes charcoal,

and really that's the secret to having it as efficient as you can.

These principles have been around for a long time,

and Matt freely admits they are not reinventing the wheel,

merely trying to refine it for the modern age.

This is pure sweet chestnut charcoal.

And there area couple of things that make it really obvious

that it's sweet chestnut.

Chestnut breaks radially, so you've quite a lot of airflow

through this. When you're cooking with it,

-it really wants to burn hot.

-Right.

It's incredible for grilling, you know,

steaks or burgers or whatever, things like that.

The final stage in the process is the curing,

which takes about eight days,

which leads us neatly onto the part I've been looking forward to the

most, as Matt has agreed to show me some of his charcoal in action.

-This is wild cherry charcoal.

-Right, OK.

And one of my favourite ways to get the flavour of the coal

straight into the food is to literally put it

straight on the coal.

-Oh!

-Yeah.

-Really?

And cos it's so hot, you can take them off,

and you get all that flavour, but you can still leave yourself with

a nice medium rare centre to the steak.

Now, I wouldn't dream of putting my steaks on the charcoal I've used

at home. It stinks of paraffin,

-I don't know where it's been...

-Yeah.

-This is different, then, I take it?

-You really would not want that,

because you'd be absorbing all of those kind of additives,

added chemicals straight into your food, but with a really lovely,

pure charcoal, I don't think there's a better way of cooking a steak -

put it straight onto the coals, flip it over after two minutes,

you know, and you are pretty much done.

-Where do we start?

-Well, I guess we should slice up some of the steaks.

We've got some nice bread,

and we'll make ourselves a little banquet.

Thank you very much.

Mm!

That barbecue taste that hits the meat is quite sensational.

Well, I think with a fruit wood, like wild cherry,

you get those kind of sweet notes coming through.

-Yeah, you really feel it, don't you?

-Well, Matt,

I'm hugely impressed by this, by something I never

gave any thought about - where my fuel comes from

and how much of an impact it can have on food.

It tastes absolutely delicious.

-Excellent.

-I'm going to scoff on, if you don't mind.

-You crack on!

It really is remarkable to think that by choosing sustainably

produced fuel, we are not only improving the flavour but

also helping the fight against deforestation, too.

Well, I'm pretty confident that after today's house tour,

the mystery property will be coming out on top,

but has it done enough to prize Aileen away from her London life?

Let's find out.

You've had a bit of time to think things through.

Now, for my mind, your favourite property, Chris,

was the Mystery House.

Aileen, I'm finding you a little harder to read.

SHE CHUCKLES

What is your favourite as a couple?

I think the third one, for sure.

I mean, we both, I think, were aligned in liking together.

So, yeah, a thatched house, ever thought about buying one of them?

All of the buildings that have been build like that that I've visited,

they've had wonky walls,

lots of open brickwork and they're very low as well, you know.

They're old. They're old and they're made for smaller people.

Yeah. So going into that building and finding that that wasn't

the case was quite nice, actually.

I think that's the benefit of letting someone else choose

a property for you.

You might have seen that on an estate agent's brochure

or internet and thought,

"No, small thatched cottage, we're not going in."

The proportions, actually, are quite ideal for us as a couple,

just two of us in the house.

We went ahead and had a look afterwards as well,

sort of sussing the areas out and thinking,

"Oh, yeah, that will work for this, that for that,"

and, "It's only two of us, why do we need a mansion?"

So as we started to walk towards the back of the Mystery House,

it started to reveal itself as to why we had chosen that

as a property for you guys.

It's unbelievable, really,

to find all those things for the budget.

There are several options that we could do with that space,

with that studio space.

I think what you should do is go back to the property,

make some inquiries with the local planning authority just to

get an idea of their plan and what you can do with those outbuildings,

that will give you an idea what you can earn from that as well.

That's true. That's what we were hoping to do, was to,

you know, the potential to actually build on that

and then have something really spectacularly,

you know, not just for ourselves,

-as maybe a business or something, anyway...

-Yeah.

..that we can both, you know, learn to grow together as well.

I think you've come a long way from not wanting to leave London.

You've found a great house. Your reactions were fantastic in the Mystery Property.

What I'd really like you to do is just keep this momentum,

-keep this going forward. Yeah?

-Yeah, good advice.

-Will do, yeah.

-Please let us know what you decide, won't you?

-We will do.

-Definitely.

-We will do.

-Thank you.

Well, Chris and Aileen, in particular, have come

a long way in these past couple of days,

but I do hope they heed my advice and maintain this momentum.

Let's face it, having a favourite property is a huge step towards

a more rural existence.

Whether that new life begins in our Mystery Property,

well, that remains to be seen.

I wish them the very best of luck.

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