Welsh Borders Escape to the Country

This intriguing Georgian building behind me was used for rather

extravagant purposes,

and in 1802, welcomed celebrated guest Admiral Nelson.

Find out what it was used for and where I am in just a moment.

Today's search is about trying before you buy, as I help a couple

of house-sitters on the hunt for the perfect property.

But is it a consideration?

-I don't love it enough.

-Do you not?

-No.

'But later, it looks like we might have finally found them a house to call home.'

At the moment, from what we've seen so far, this is...

-Wow!

-It's got the "wow!"

-It has got the "wow".

-Right.

Today I'm looking out over the Welsh borders,

at this superb vantage point, the Round House at Kymin in Monmouth.

Before it was built in the late 1700s,

this was the chosen picnic spot for the local gentry, but of course

the weather would often get in the way of their gastronomic fun.

So, in 1796,

they paid for this castle-like structure which housed a kitchen

and banqueting hall, so that dinner could continue whatever the weather.

Horatio Nelson enjoyed breakfast right here, and I have to say,

even on a slightly cloudy day like today,

it certainly serves up a great view.

Today's search is in the southern Welsh borders,

encompassing the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire

and the Welsh county of Monmouthshire.

Stretching from Hereford in the north to Chepstow in the south,

the Wye Valley takes its name from the river that runs through it

and straddles the border between England and Wales,

covering 126 square miles of limestone gorge scenery and dense woodland.

As it flows south towards the Severn estuary,

the River Wye passes the dramatic ruins of Tintern Abbey,

the best preserved medieval abbey in Wales, and one of the country's

most-visited sites.

It was the inspiration for one of William Wordsworth's most famous poems

in the late 18th century.

For those interested in history,

the Welsh market town of Monmouth is home to an impressive medieval bridge

and has links to a number of historical figures,

including Henry V, who was born here, and Charles Rolls,

of Rolls-Royce fame,

the first man to fly a round trip across the Channel in 1910.

With so much to offer, this region,

rich in history and country charm, is the perfect destination for those

looking for an escape from city life.

Here in the southern part of the Welsh borders region,

along the beautiful Wye Valley in the counties of Herefordshire

and Monmouthshire, the average price of a detached home comes in

at just over £300,000.

Now that's around £20,000 below the national figure.

What's more, if you head north to the equally picturesque Borders county of Shropshire,

you could save a further £30,000 on an equivalent home.

So, let's meet today's buyers and find out what has drawn them to this

stunning part of the country.

Childhood sweethearts Martin and Christine have been married for 36 years.

They met at a holiday camp when they were teenagers, and it was love

at first sight.

I was away with some friends, and he was away with some of his friends

and we met on the first night and I said to my friend, "Wow, look at that guy."

'We are both different, which I think in a marriage is a good thing.

'We both like the same things, but we do different things.'

And we do get on very, very well together.

We do have our ups and downs.

-Now and again.

-Now and again.

They have lived in their four-bedroomed semidetached house

in Harpenden, Hertfordshire for 22 years.

It was perfect for raising their two children,

but it's no longer right for them now they have retired.

'It's a nice village. It is a lovely village, but it's a family village.'

'We've now outgrown it.'

Our children are grown-up now, and it's now time for us and we want another adventure.

'I'd like, and Chris would as well,

'somewhere a lot quieter, to do our own thing.

-'I like people, but I don't like too many people.'

-CHRIS LAUGHS

Thanks to a recent hobby,

they've already had some practice at life in the countryside.

We joined a house-sitting scheme where we have been touring around

the country, looking after people's houses and pets.

The funniest thing we have had to do is put suntan lotion on two pigs,

-in the summer. That was really...

-Well, I didn't. Chris did that.

Yeah, I was brave. I was brave.

The ones we have done so far have been brilliant.

We thought it would be a good way of seeing different locations,

different areas.

After five months of thorough research,

they finally settled on the southern Welsh Borders area.

What I like about the Welsh Borders is the openness, the long walks, the greenery...

It's just... Everything about it is what I like in life.

I like the local butchers and the local shops.

While keen cook Martin looks forward to spending more time in the kitchen,

Christine hopes the move will mean a house with more outside space.

'I like the gardening, although I have to say,'

we differ on opinion on gardening.

Martin likes it a bit more wild and I like a bit more order,

so I tend to clip away a bit when Martin is not looking.

He might not get his way in the garden,

but Martin definitely calls the shots when it comes to DIY.

'I like to do things. I like to use my hands. I always have done.'

If something needs making, especially out of wood... I love wood.

I always think if we were ever marooned on a desert island,

Martin would be your man to have to make you your shelter.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

Martin and Christine are happy to look at houses anywhere in

the southern Welsh Borders, so we're casting the net wide

and searching across the counties of Gloucestershire,

Monmouthshire and Herefordshire.

But first, I need to know more about the property they're after.

Chris and Martin, welcome to the beautiful Welsh Borders.

I love you two.

The fact that you have done your homework with this house-sitting,

I have never met anyone that's done that before. I think it's brilliant.

So far we have done about six house-sits in various parts of the country

but we've done four around this location.

That is a magnificent idea.

I wish more people had done it, actually.

Remind us what it is you're after with this move, the actual house itself.

A detached house.

On our wish list would be four bedrooms or three with a study downstairs

that we can make up, because we have got grandchildren and children

to come and visit us.

A large kitchen. What else?

What about the land? Gardens... Are you after outbuildings?

Outbuildings definitely, because I am into doing things and making things.

What about the location?

Maybe near a village,

maybe on the outskirts of the village, or... Nice and secluded would be lovely,

but maybe within ten minutes to a village.

A couple of miles away.

-Yeah.

-Is there a particular style of property that springs to mind,

-or are you quite open?

-I think we'd quite like an older property,

but since we've been looking around,

we have also seen older-style properties that have had extensions

that have had a nice modern feel to part of the house

and we quite like that as well.

With this home that we find you, this beautiful new home,

if it needs a little bit of work,

how would you feel? Or would you rather everything was done

-and you could just move in tomorrow?

-I think I'd rather have a house where everything has been done,

but Martin is really good at doing things, so I'm sure we could persuade him.

I don't mind doing small projects. Not knocking down walls.

Small tweaks.

Remind us of how much we've got to spend with this property.

It's between 450,000 to 500,000.

500 being the maximum.

You wouldn't need to do any tweaking.

-Hopefully not.

-Shall we get started?

-Yes, please.

-Come on, then.

For a maximum budget of £500,000,

Martin and Christine are looking for a detached period property

with a hint of contemporary thrown in.

They need a minimum of three bedrooms

with potential for a fourth for when the family stay.

Keen cook Martin would like a large kitchen and a good-sized garden

with space for a workshop.

We've cherry-picked three great period properties ready for them to view,

all with character features. At each one, they'll have a chance

to guess the price before I reveal it, and for our final property,

we have found Martin and Christine a Mystery House with a history

that might surprise them.

We are starting our search in the county of Herefordshire, in the hamlet of Little Cowarne.

Five miles away is the pretty market town of Bromyard.

With only one national chain on its high street,

there is a real civic pride in the wide range of independent shops,

cafes and pubs here.

Often referred to as The Town Of Festivals,

it plays host to events, from jazz and folk, to literature and even

a marmalade festival.

A 15-minute drive away back in Little Cowarne

is an award-winning local pub

which is just a short walk from our first property.

I think this is a delightful entrance.

To show off our first property in all its glory,

walking through those flowers, divine.

Here she is. Our cottage.

-Pretty?

-Pretty, yes.

-Not sure yet.

-A little bit small, but we'd like to look inside.

-Yeah.

-OK, do you like the local stone that has been used?

-I like the local stone.

-Yes, that's nice.

I like the wooden frames.

I like the location.

You've got some nice views and things.

All right. Let's take a look inside.

'This detached house dates back to 1860, but the current owners have

'extended and renovated it in the last five years to a very high standard.'

You've got a porch,

which just breaks up that entrance nicely

leading into the reception room.

So we do have the beams.

-I like those.

-I do like that fire.

Nice surround. It's a lovely feature.

The windows have been replaced relatively recently.

as you can see. But they are in keeping.

They look like original, yeah.

How does this feel? This is the main sitting-room.

-Right, OK.

-For me, it's a little small.

If we had all the children here, it would be too small.

Let's keep going. I'll take you through to the kitchen.

This cottage might be a modest size, but I'm hoping its character

and charm might outweigh any negatives for Chris and Martin.

So here is your country cottage kitchen.

-Love the floor.

-Beautiful, these old flags, aren't they?

-Love it.

Hard-wearing.

And the range. We have done some house-sits with ranges in,

-and I love them.

-Are they the way forward?

I think so. You're the chef, aren't you?

I am the chef. This is my domain.

I think the size works.

I would live in this room, personally.

I would as well.

I probably would put a sofa in there and make that, you know,

with a larger table...

If you don't have a dining room, then you couldn't do that, could you?

"If" you don't have a dining room.

What about if I could give you a dining room?

Shall I squeeze past you, Martin? Thank you.

So at the moment, this is the dining room.

Chris, does it have potential?

It does. It's a nice-sized room.

I wouldn't have it as a dining room, though.

Another second sitting-room, maybe, with a put-you-up sofa or something,

-so that when someone does come, you could turn it into a bedroom.

-Great idea.

The great thing, also, is just up those two stairs is the downstairs shower room

-so you're absolute right.

-That works well.

Is it beginning to win you two over?

-It is.

-It's feeling better.

We're going to go upstairs and see what you make of the master bedroom.

On the first floor, there are three well-proportioned double bedrooms...

..and a beautifully-presented family bathroom,

all leading off the central landing.

So you have actually got a really generous landing with the other bedrooms

off there. Let's show you the master.

so, you tell me.

-Fair.

-Yeah.

-Not big?

-Not big.

-You have a big house, you two, don't you?

-I'm getting this vibe.

-I don't think it's big.

It would work. It takes a wardrobe and a chest of drawers.

-Exactly.

-I like the dual aspect.

That's nice.

You also have two other bedrooms of good size.

-Both doubles.

-OK.

You could put a sofa bed on the landing for the children especially,

and then everyone is together.

-Yes.

-Just a thought.

Just a thought.

-OK.

-Let's head outside and look at that beautiful garden.

'Although it is just the two of them now,

'I get the feeling Chris and Martin haven't quite let go of the notion

'of a big family house.'

Outside, there is a double garage and a ready-made workshop for Martin,

as well as a large south-facing garden.

Now, I'm going to put my heart on my sleeve and tell you I adore this garden.

I am hoping you're going to feel the same,

because it has been done beautifully.

I really like the layout, and I agree with you, the planting's lovely,

but it just might be slightly too small.

But it's good. It is a good garden.

Lastly, this shed/studio workshop could be

-a great workshop for you, for your woodwork and making things.

-Exactly. Yeah.

What price are we going to put on our cottage?

I would say 465.

-OK.

-I would say 485.

You are the closest. It is actually on the market for £450,000.

-450?

-Yep.

That leaves you quite a substantial amount of funds, doesn't it?

-It does.

-That does actually give you more food for thought.

Yeah. I'm going to send you two off,

first of all start off with that studio and workshop.

Have a look. I'm going to wander around this garden.

-Come and find me when you're ready.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks a lot.

This detached character cottage has three bedrooms,

with options for a fourth in other parts of the property.

There's also a good-size kitchen for Martin and a large garden

with a workshop.

It's in a countryside setting, but close to village amenities.

-Wow. Look at that.

-It's interesting, isn't it?

We could do something with this, actually.

-I think you could put the kids in here.

-Yeah.

I like the location.

It's quite remote, although you've still got the community around you.

The house is nice in lots of ways.

The only thing I had reservations with is the size.

I love the kitchen, I love the floor, it feels very homely.

Very good start. I'd like it a tad bigger,

but, yeah, love the garden.

Love the house.

Right, all ready?

-Yeah.

-One house done, on to the next.

-Lovely.

-Thank you.

Hereford Cathedral has for years attracted visitors to a treasure

it's housed since the 13th century.

The Hereford Mappa Mundi is thought to be the largest medieval map

of the world still in existence

and has been stored in a purpose-built library

at the cathedral since 1996.

But in recent years,

it's not just the Mappa Mundi drawing in the visitors.

Since 2008,

over 1,000 people a year have come to explore the recently restored

Cathedral gardens.

We sent keen gardeners Christine and Martin to have a look around and meet

volunteer gardener Dr Anthony Evans.

-Hello, Anthony.

-Hello, Christine.

Hello, Martin. Lovely to meet you.

I thought we ought to start here in the chapterhouse garden.

This is the place where we first started doing the garden as volunteers 13 years ago.

And what changes have occurred?

There was really no garden here whatsoever.

So we planted out the bed,

we planted out the troughs, and there's a little bed over there,

but I think I ought to show you around the whole place.

There's more than one garden to see.

Would you like to come and see?

Three of the five gardens here are maintained by volunteers.

Attached to the cathedral since its construction in 1079,

each one would have served a different part.

The volunteers began work in 2003 when the cathedral was due to host

a festival, and it was decided that colours should be introduced

to reinvigorate the gardens.

Welcome to the cloister garden.

Originally, there were people singing seven services a day,

called Vicars Choral, and they all lived in here, one up and one down,

24 of them.

What we have done is to try and change the planting of it

so we get colour all the year around.

When you started the restoration,

-did you uncover any interesting artefacts?

-We did indeed.

That's timber and lath and plaster, and when they opened that up in the '70s,

they were doing a restoration,

they found a little kernel, and they sent it off to Kew, and Kew said

it was the kernel of a greengage,

La Reine Claude.

They even identified which greengage it was.

I think that's amazing.

This place was built in 1475 and they thought that the plant had been

introduced in 1600.

So we planted one over there, and so that plant over there has got

the same DNA as the kernel that came out of that thing, 500 years ago.

Amazing.

Next door in the south-facing college garden,

each resident would have had a plot for growing vegetables.

Traditionally, it was used to feed the Vicars Choral,

but now we use it for our flowers.

What's your vision for this garden?

I thought that we'd plant plants with an ecclesiastical relationship.

So those dahlias are all bishops.

The yellow one is our Bishop of York, and then we planted an apple tree

which is the Reverend Wilks, and the Reverend Wilks was at Shirley,

and he bred poppies called Shirley poppies,

and those red poppies that you see,

red, pink and white over there, are Shirley poppies.

The gardens have clearly been transformed.

Today they are a mass of vibrant shades and varied planting.

Back in the chapterhouse garden,

Anthony's blue, white and yellow vision, designed to represent the cathedral colours,

is almost complete.

As you have noticed, there is plenty of yellow in this bed, and white,

but very little blue.

If you plant this, it will be there forever.

Maintaining these gardens year-round is a big task...

Nice and deep. Lovely.

..but the volunteers' efforts have been rewarded.

They've earned themselves Royal Horticultural Merit awards

two years running.

-All done.

-Well done.

Thank you very much indeed.

I am really grateful to you both.

That will be there forever, and you can always come back

and have a look at it if you want to live round here.

Thank you very much, Anthony.

-Fantastic.

-I do hope that you find a nice home round here.

Now our green-fingered couple have left their mark at Hereford Cathedral,

it's time to find them a place to put down roots here

in the southern Welsh Borders.

Next, we're crossing both county and country borders as we head

to Tintern, a village just within the Welsh county of Monmouthshire.

Lying in the lower Wye Valley,

this historic village was a major hub of British industry

from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

In fact, the first brass in Britain was produced here.

Nowadays, visitors come to explore the ruins of the famous Cistercian Abbey,

or just to soak up the beautiful scenery.

There's also a selection of tearooms and cafes to enjoy.

Half a mile from the village,

the property we're seeing is perched on the banks

of the River Angiddy.

So up a few steps,

so that I can show off

our next property for you.

-Very different proposition from the first.

-Very different. Completely, yeah.

You can hear the river trickling past.

It looks interesting.

This is the main house, detached.

That's quite a modern extension done about 13 years ago,

to connect the main house with what used to be a Sunday school,

a butchers...

In latter years it's been used as a garage but they have been

very creative and used it as further accommodation.

-OK.

-Right.

'Substantially larger than our first property,

'this house has an extra bedroom and more living space,

'which I hope will appeal to Martin and Chris.'

The extension added 13 years ago

links the ground floor of the house to the garage.

There is a large sitting room and kitchen

in the original part of the house

and a second living area and study

where the garage was,

as well as an additional shower room.

We're starting in the main part of the house.

Through this beautiful door.

Look at the size of it.

-It is a big old door.

-Straight into our kitchen.

-Wow.

Now, I haven't got a date for the range, but it still works.

And you've got the grid oven next door.

And it's long. It is a huge kitchen.

It's not a galley kitchen, as you imagine, but it's quite wide.

And you've got a big table.

Might be a few changes I would do. Probably the floor,

-make that a bit more olde worlde.

-Yeah.

'Martin's started spotting potential projects in this house already.

'To one side of the kitchen,

'the new corridor leads past the shower room to the converted garage,

'housing that second sitting room and separate study.

'It also has a large bedroom on the first floor.'

I'm going to call this the family room,

because it's pretty large when it comes to a sitting room.

-Yes.

-Is it large enough?

-It's lovely.

-Definitely.

-Definitely, definitely, definitely. Yeah.

When this house was built, this would have been two rooms,

two reception rooms, and they have opened it up.

They have got a large family, and I think it really works.

I like the size of the room.

-It's a nice size.

-Change anything in here?

Probably the floor. I might put a proper floor down.

-What would you put down?

-I would probably get proper oak floor down.

Would you do that yourself?

-I probably would do, yeah.

-He is good, isn't he?

That's good. I like that. Right.

Let's head upstairs.

'On the first floor of the main house there are three more bedrooms,

'including a double and a generous single,

'both with lovely character features and, of course, the master bedroom.'

-I want to hear big.

-It's big.

-Yes!

-It is a big room.

This is a big room.

OK. Good. Good, good, good.

So this is the master. Now, it's not en suite,

the family bathroom is just across the hallway,

but you do get a dual aspect, higher ceilings...

-It's nice and bright.

-Yeah.

The windows make it nice and bright.

-Quite big windows.

-Where are we now on the love stakes?

Don't tell me. Let's go outside and see if that wins your heart over

and then we can put it all together.

-OK.

-Lovely. Thanks.

'If Martin and Chris want even more space,

'on the second floor there is a huge attic room which runs the width

'of the main house, currently used for storage.

'Outside, there's a quarter of an acre of mature gardens with a number

'of seating areas, and a couple of sheds,

'which Martin could use as a starting point for his workshop.'

We are nestled here, aren't we?

-We are.

-Absolutely nestled.

A few properties around, but it's still quite private, isn't it?

Yeah. Interesting.

So, let's try and put a price on our Welsh home, shall we?

Shall I go first, this time?

I'd say about 465,000.

OK.

I'm going to say 495.

She's very good.

The asking price is £499,950.

-OK.

-So, we've taken you right to the top of your budget.

Personally, I think that's probably slightly more than I'd pay for this house.

OK. But is it a consideration?

-I don't love it enough.

-Do you not?

-No.

-Why don't you go around on your own this time?

I think that's a good thing to do.

Take a second look and see if it's worth it for you.

-OK.

-OK, we'll have a look.

-Thank you very much.

Thank you.

There's elements of this house which I know they both love.

It is right at the top of their budget.

Well, let's see how they get on.

A second viewing, you never know, might change their mind.

'This extended period property has four bedrooms and plenty

'of living space, making it ideal for when Chris and Martin

'have the family to stay.

'There's a large kitchen and plenty of scope

'to build the workshop outside.'

The kitchen was a nice kitchen.

Lovely worktops, granite again,

but a little bit of work needed doing in there.

I.e. the floor probably needed doing again.

There's lots of features in the house that I really loved.

I liked the space, but overall I don't love the house enough,

at the top end of our budget, to put work in.

To be honest, the first property I liked a lot more.

If I could have the first one with this size,

-I think that would have done it.

-So, that's it for today.

We've seen two houses.

So, we'll hit the road, but don't forget, I've got one more up my sleeve.

Of course, it's going to be our Mystery House, isn't it?

-Looking forward to it.

-Good.

Good.

'It's the second day of our search with house-sitters Martin and Christine

'from Hertfordshire. For the last five months,

'they've tried and tested a variety of properties to whittle down

'their wish list.

'Now we're scouring the southern Welsh Borders in search of a period property

'with a modern twist for their budget of £500,000.

'Still to come, our Mystery House serves up a few surprises.'

Intriguing kitchen...?

-Mm.

-I love it.

It mixes well.

'And I try my hand crafting this 2,000-year-old invention.'

-There we go.

-How long did you serve as an apprentice?

-Tell me.

-Three years.

Yesterday, we learned that while Martin and Chris don't want a property

just for the two of them,

they want a home that could accommodate the whole family when they come to stay.

Now I think we got pretty close with our first house,

but space was an issue.

Today, with our mystery property,

we're offering them all the period features and space they crave.

The twist -

there are parts to this home that are far younger than they look.

'Our final property is just two miles away from where our search began,

'in the Herefordshire village of Stoke Lacy.

'This peaceful village has a population of around 400 people.

'There's a local hall and family-run pub,

'and it's also home to the Wye Valley Brewery,

'producer of the county's leading cask ale.

'The nearest shops and amenities are just under four miles away in Bromyard.

'Our Mystery House is on the outskirts of Stoke Lacy, surrounded by farmland

'and accessed by a long, private drive.'

So, our final property is, of course, our Mystery House.

-Looks intriguing.

-Looks all right, yeah. Looks all right.

Unusual layout, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-Started off as a bakery.

-Right.

-1850.

Would have supplied the local community.

And, as you can see, there's been a little bit of work done on it,

but it's got the history there, period features...

-Mm-hm.

-So, as far as mystery houses go...

-It looks actually good.

-It's not shocking, so...

-No?

-No.

-That's good, that's good.

-Pleasing to the eye.

-That's good.

Shall we start our tour?

'Although parts of our mystery property date back to the late 19th century,

'it has some much newer additions too, which,

'thanks to a very sympathetic conversion, are difficult to spot.

'The original part of the property

'houses a large kitchen/breakfast room,

'a bathroom, a snug and a dining room.

'In the extension, there's an additional sitting room,

'a bedroom, and another space used as a playroom.

'The main entrance leads us into the kitchen.'

-So, come on in. It is a lot warmer in here...

-It's warmer in here.

..than it is outside!

-Take this off.

-We'll start off in your kitchen.

Now, you know why we've got warmth in here, don't you?

-Wow. Yes.

-This huge range.

-That's lovely.

-And as you walk in, you've got these wonderful old flags.

-Yeah.

-Parquet flooring.

-Parquet flooring, yeah.

-And this

-intriguing kitchen...?

-Mm.

-I love it.

-It mixes well.

-It's lovely.

-Now, the house dates back to 1850.

What period would you put on the kitchen?

-Old. One of the oldest parts.

-I'd say one of the oldest parts.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's wonderful, isn't it,

how they've left the exposed beams so you can see through,

because it's actually 13 years old.

-13?

-Really?

-This is new?

-Welcome to the Mystery House!

Oh, wow. It's been done really fabulously.

Hasn't it? Doesn't it look old?

-It does.

-I mean, the attention to detail is...

-Fantastic, yeah.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-Really lovely.

-Let's start off down here.

So, this is the second sitting room,

because you've got another one on the other end.

It's lovely.

It's lovely. I love it.

-Yeah.

-I love the floor.

I love the way it's been decorated, as well.

Do you? Is it to your taste?

Yes. Lovely,

what I've seen so far. This is... Wow.

-Yeah.

-It's got the "wow."

-It has got the "wow".

It's got the "wow".

Right. Brilliant.

OK. I'm really enjoying this tour.

Right. Down here...

'A great reaction to the newer part of the property,

'but this really is a house of two halves.

'Time to see if they marry up.'

So, let's step back in time to the original part, the bakery itself.

Oh, yeah, them ceilings.

You can tell, can't you?

And then you've also got a separate dining area, here.

-Do you think they marry up?

-They do.

Can you see the join?

You can't see the join, I don't think.

No, I think it's been done really well.

They match perfectly.

-They do.

-Now, on this floor,

you also have a double bedroom and a single bedroom,

and you have a separate bathroom.

The family bathroom is just there,

because we've also got bedrooms upstairs.

I'll show you and explain more.

'The staircase in the old part of the house leads

'to three further bedrooms.'

So the staircase divides into two.

One side, there's two large singles. The other side is the master.

Step on in, because I really want you to see that view.

Well, lovely, isn't it?

It is lovely.

-Yeah?

-Beautiful view.

It's not the biggest of rooms, but it's lovely.

-It's lovely.

-It does the job.

It does, it does the job.

Now, you can probably hear, it's a little bit squeaky on the floor.

-Expected, yeah.

-The reason being,

they have just put in the plumbing and the extractor fan for a shower, there.

Sink, toilet.

-Ah.

-So, you can have a small en suite...

-So, it's all ready to go?

-Yeah.

Another little project.

The outside I don't think is going to disappoint either.

Let me show you.

'I think the garden is a real selling point.

'There's a large lawned area with space for chickens,

'a great children's play area, a huge garage and a gorgeous garden room,

'perfect for whiling away the summer days.'

So, what we have is about 0.6 of an acre.

-As you can see, it's a proper family garden, isn't it?

-Yes.

Now, see, this is more of a size I was looking for.

-Was it?

-And Chris, I think.

-Yeah.

-And it's got a lot of things going on, which is also nice.

So, now we've got to talk the finances of the Mystery House.

What figure are you going to give me?

Price-wise, I think probably over-budget.

520,000.

Right.

I was thinking similar, so I'll go 525.

The asking price...

..is under your budget.

£495,000.

-Just under.

-Yeah, no. Happy with that.

-That's pleasing.

OK. OK, that is nice.

I'm studying your husband's face.

I can see the cogs.

I'm working things out, yeah.

So, I think you should go explore on your own, now.

Especially because you know the price.

-See you later.

-Thanks.

What can I say? The Mystery House.

We love it when a plan comes together.

'This impeccably presented but deceptive Mystery House

'is packed with charm

'and offers great living space with a harmonious mix of old and new.

'There are four bedrooms,

'a large kitchen, and a huge garage ideal for Martin's workshop.

'It's in an idyllic location with views of surrounding farmland.'

That tree house. I tell you something, Leo would love that.

-Yeah.

-I've always wanted to build one, as you know,

but that is ready to go.

The house was lovely. The kitchen was lovely.

You know, the old...

The way it's been transformed from being new, only 13 years old...

-It's a surprise.

-..into the existing property, which is mid-1800s...

I thought it was fantastic.

That really pulled me in right from the beginning.

It's all been done...

-So well.

-..so, so well.

Question is, have we ended on a high with our house-hunt?

-We have.

-Have we?

-Great.

-And the price was...

Yeah. It was nice.

-Nice price.

-The right direction, wasn't it?

-The right direction.

-Shall we go and have a chat?

-Yes.

-Let's please do, yeah.

'Scattered across the countryside are a wealth of pretty villages,

'their parish churches adorned with a device dating back over 2,000 years,

'the weather vane. Long before satellites, this simple,

'practical invention was used by farmers and villagers to forecast

'the weather. I'm visiting a converted granary in west Herefordshire,

'where weather vane makers Karen and Gordon Green are busy keeping

'the age-old tradition alive.

'Originally handmade from copper, by Victorian times,

'the majority of weather vanes were mass-produced from cast iron,

'forcing the British artisan industry into decline.

'Today, Karen and Gordon are two of just a handful of makers in the world.'

First of all, can we touch on the history of the weather vane?

The first documented weather vane is from 48 BC.

-Really?

-So, yeah, we're talking way back, aren't we?

And when did they reach our shores?

9th century. Well, the oldest weather vane in England is down in, actually,

St Mary, and that's a cockerel.

And that's from 1340.

Yeah. Still functioning.

-Is it really?

-Yeah.

And would they have been mainly on churches up and down the land?

-Yeah.

-Is that so the whole community could see them?

I think it was mostly that it was actually a Christian symbol.

The cockerel was to remind us of Peter's betrayal of Christ.

"The cock shall crow three times."

And that was to sort of promote piety amongst the parishioners.

-To remind them?

-That's right.

-I can't wait to have a look at them.

-Can we have a...?

-That's great. Let me take you in to show

where it starts.

'Although the first examples of weather vanes were cockerels,

'by the 14th century, more adventurous designs emerged,

'from dolphins to dragons.

'As well as on church towers, they became a common feature of manor houses.

'During their 20-year career,

'Karen and Gordon have created a huge range of bespoke vanes.'

So, Karen, is this where the first part of the process starts?

Yeah, this is sort of my drawing room.

Now, I'm taking this to be a stork.

-Would I be right?

-Not quite.

It's a heron.

So, this would have been a free-hand sketch that was probably no more

than two inches long, and then I've enlarged it just using the computer.

And from here, I have to make full-scale patterns then.

'After drawing up a template,

'Karen creates her designs using hammered sheet copper.

'I'm lucky enough to be able to see her work in progress and have a go myself.'

OK, so here we have the rest of the heron patterns.

And this is the finished piece.

-Right.

-This is what we're trying to repeat.

So, what I could use help with, is I want to work on this section.

-We'll start with the neck.

-OK.

-So, these are the two neck pieces.

-I'll put my hair back.

-Good. Yes.

Concentrate on this one.

Exactly. That's your side.

-Thank you.

-This is mine. So, this is where I shape everything,

on this wooden block?

-Right.

-So, you can see there are a number of curves on this piece.

What we're going to try and do with the hammer

is follow the curve to here

and then avoid hammering that section.

-Right.

-And the same thing here where it's a curve.

So, I'll show you.

I'm using the edge of the block, here.

-Yeah.

-By avoiding this section that I've got drawn....

-It's quite a complex piece that I'm going to have you hammer.

-Yeah.

You have a lot of confidence in me, Karen, I have to say.

So you can see that if I just press this down,

that it naturally wants to just start to curve.

Yes. But already it's looking like a wing.

'Although a simple weather vane can be constructed quickly,

'more intricate designs like Karen's heron can take up to five weeks

-'to make.'

-So, if I hold it...

A little harder. OK.

But it's all in you manipulating it round, isn't it?

So, if you hold it now,

and try and hit it a little harder but doing the same thing,

doing the same line, but get a little bit closer to the edge.

-A bit closer?

-There we go.

How long did you serve as an apprentice?

-Tell me.

-Three years.

Gosh.

Well, I have to say, Karen,

next time I'm driving through a town or a village,

I'm going to be looking at the skyline for a weather vane.

Imagine my delight if I see one of yours.

Thank you so much.

I'm just going to finish this bit before I go, if that's all right?

-That's fine.

-But do keep an eye on me.

It's always so satisfying when you finish a house-hunt on a high,

but how committed are Martin and Chris to our Mystery House?

Let's go and ask them.

So, Chris and Martin, I'm wondering,

have we got close to finding you your perfect,

dream home here in the Welsh Borders?

I think we have, yes.

The third property, the Mystery House, was lovely.

We probably will go for a second viewing.

I wasn't sure from the outside, but once you got into the kitchen,

it just stole my heart.

And you looked so at home as we were walking around.

Didn't want to leave, really.

So, how quickly are you two looking to make this move, now?

Now we've found something,

and hopefully you won't need to do any more homework,

although you're not going to give up your house-sitting, are you?

No, no. As quick as we can, really.

Our house is ready to go,

so we've just got to find someone who loves our house, and then we could move.

Well, we are delighted that the Mystery House came up with the goods.

I hope the second viewing goes according to plan,

and that you are in a position where you could be moving very soon indeed

and escaping to the country. Thank you both.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, after a very pleasant few days driving around the Welsh Borders

with Martin and Chris,

it seems like the county of Herefordshire may have provided

the perfect rural idyll.

And our house-sitting couple may be putting down roots sooner than they thought.

We wish them all the best.

And I'll see you again soon on Escape To The Country.

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

'Scotland or Northern Ireland and need our help,

'you can apply online at...'