Oxfordshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country. Now, this beautiful Jacobean house behind me has several claims

to fame, but perhaps chief amongst them,

it was home to Britain's first-ever croquet champion

and founder of the All England Club.

In fact, the rules of the game were created on its very lawns.

But where have we come to for today's little knock-about?

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

Today, family ties are the driving force

pushing a couple to take the plunge

and leave the city behind in search of a new country life...

-Ooh.

-Oh, it's fabulous.

I'm just already getting really excited.

..and our properties provoke some strong emotional reactions.

You've got the wow.

Oh, it's lovely.

-I just shed a tear there.

-Oh, good.

Well, today we are in Oxfordshire and this is Chastleton House,

the home of croquet fanatic Walter Jones-Whitmore.

Now, the origins of croquet itself...oh...are hotly debated.

Some say that it may have come over from Ireland about 1840,

others that it might've come over from India,

where, of course, we had a passion for polo.

However, one thing does remain absolutely undisputed -

it was on this very lawn back in 1855

that Jones-Whitmore created and then published

the very first set of croquet rules.

Rules which are still very much in use today.

Now, later on in the programme, I'll be back here,

exploring this fabulous Jacobean mansion.

I'm also learning a little more about the very unique family

that lived here.

Situated in the south-east of England,

landlocked Oxfordshire is bordered by six counties,

including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire.

This scenic county encompasses the rolling Cotswold Hills,

as well as the Chiltern Hills,

and covers 1,000 square miles.

The Chilterns, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

straddles four counties and is one of the most wooded parts of England.

Over a fifth of the area is blanketed by dense woodland.

These trees supported a thriving chair-making industry

in the 19th and early 20th century

and are still harvested for timber today.

Oxfordshire's architecture is as awe-inspiring

as its natural beauty,

with the world-famous university city of Oxford

the shining star of the county.

Here, striking buildings spanning many centuries stand tall,

with decorative Gothic spires that rise high above the city.

The 14th-century New College is one of the most significant

medieval buildings of its kind in Europe.

The county is located almost entirely within

the River Thames basin.

The river provides pleasure-boaters with stunning vistas

and also passes pretty villages such as Northmoor and Kingston Bagpuize,

both of which display a real mix of country charm.

So, for escapees looking for a rural paradise,

yet still within reach of culture and history,

Oxfordshire is the perfect place to enjoy a piece of it all.

Well, when it comes to the cost of housing, Oxfordshire has long been a hotspot.

Here, the average price of a detached property

is currently £446,000.

That's a massive £160,000 above the national figure.

Why? Well, the reason is simple.

Its location means it offers great commuter links into London

and the cities of the Midlands,

and, of course, those beautiful Cotswold villages

have long made it popular with tourists, second-homers

and locals, alike.

All the reasons, in fact,

that have attracted today's buyers to want to move here.

Retired civil servant Jane and partner John, a bespoke tailor,

live in a three-bedroom terrace in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

We've known one another for a good eight years, is it now?

-Seven.

-Seven, see, that's a good start, isn't it?

SHE LAUGHS

It's been so enjoyable, I've added a year on.

They first met when a mutual friend set them up.

I kind of felt really funny when I saw you.

-It was sort of love at first sight, I guess.

-It was, it was really nice

for both of us cos that's what happened, we went, "Oh...hello!"

They've lived together in Jane's Hertfordshire house for five years.

Well, St Albans is a lovely old town.

It's got a lovely centre, it's got loads of nice, interesting shops,

it's got a market, it's got loads of pubs, I think.

Probably the more pubs, I think, than practically any other place.

-Why did you look at me when you said pubs?

-Sorry.

The only problem with it is the parking

when it gets a bit busy.

They love their home, but with a large family,

they feel it's the right time to head for pastures green.

Jane has two daughters and a son from a previous relationship

and John has a son and a daughter.

I've actually outgrown this house.

-It's not big enough.

-SHE LAUGHS

Because all my family, my children keep it coming and going

and staying with us and we just can't all get into this room.

I'd just like some more space.

We've got two dogs, so we'd like to be able to spread out

and have a bit of space, a bigger garden and a view of something.

I particularly like the countryside, having grown up in Ireland.

I feel it gives me a bit more freedom of open spaces.

When they move, John will still be working,

so his job in west London and an expanding family

are dictating their relocation.

Well, we're looking to move basically round the Oxford area.

It'll still be handy for me for work, for travelling in

cos I still have to commute for another five to six years.

Well, my family is very important to me

I'd want to be nearer my daughter who lives in the Cotswolds

and she's got a little boy, my first grandchild,

and I just want to be nearer them.

I won't be too far from my son either, who...

Well, he's in south-east London.

And if we had the space they could come and stay.

I'm retired anyway, so I'll have more time to see everyone.

Jane's other daughter Rachel, a textile designer,

will also be joining them temporarily.

And when they move,

Jane and John want to make the most of their new surroundings

as well as a good slice of quality downtime.

-We love walking, don't we?

-Yeah, we do.

-We do a lot of walking.

Walking with the dogs is one of the best things you can do, isn't it?

It's good exercise and it's out in the fresh air,

and I also really like doing up houses.

I like painting and doing furniture up, making cushions,

so I'm looking forward to having the time to do that

and enjoying the garden,

doing the nice things that I haven't had time to do.

I really enjoy motorcycle-riding,

it's been one of my favourite things since I've been 16

and I got my first bike. It's just the freedom of having a bike,

being somewhere in the open fresh air

and I suppose if it is in Oxfordshire,

we're hoping that there won't be that much traffic around.

So, with their house on the market and a real desire to head west,

they're looking forward to leaving the city

and getting stuck into a more rural way of life.

We do look at our life, in a way, as a bit of an adventure.

We like to think that way, that we're young enough to do things

and enjoy things and not sort of think, "Oh, we're getting on a bit,

"perhaps we should slow down and think about things."

We're still young enough to be out there doing things and enjoying it.

I'm just looking forward to starting something new and exciting.

I don't want to wait any longer.

Live the dream, that's what I want to do.

The ideal Oxfordshire location

would be somewhere not too far from Jane's daughter in Gloucestershire

and within an hour and a half's commute from John's work

in Notting Hill, west London.

So, we're concentrating our search to the west of the county.

And before we get off the starting blocks, we're all meeting up

to make sure I'm up to speed on the finer details

of their property wish-list.

Well, what a spot, eh?

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Isn't it?

-Oh, it's gorgeous.

Now, John, you're a tailor in London.

Look, I've spruced up for you today.

I know, and look at me and how I'm dressed, if I'd have known...

-THEY LAUGH

-You've shown me up here, I tell you.

Finely cut, I'll have you know.

Give us an idea of the sort of property, then,

that you've been dreaming about, Jane.

Right, I'd like something with character, obviously,

I like old houses.

Farmhouse kitchen with room to eat in the kitchen.

A utility room, maybe, for the dogs.

-Yeah.

-Three beds.

Bit of space around.

I just want to stretch my wings a bit.

Now, you mentioned your daughter in Stroud, Sian,

and your other daughter, Rachel,

is, for the time being, going to come with you

so we do need to find her some space in this property,

-as well, don't we?

-Yes, we do, we need a room for her

and possibly a work room or an office that she could use.

And what about a sense of community, John,

have you thought about position for this new property?

Well, we don't want to be isolated. We would like something

on the edge of a village, something like that would be ideal.

What about the budget, then, for all of this?

-Because, you know, Oxfordshire, famously, is not the cheapest.

-No.

But we've got 500,000 maximum.

The property market here is incredibly buoyant.

It's clear that you want something with character

and that lovely sort of country-feel,

-farmhouse kitchen, you've described and so on.

-Yeah.

Would you consider a semi, for example?

Yes, I would consider a semi.

Yes.

Cos I know that 500 might not go as far as we'd like.

Well, we're going to try and make it go as far as possible,

don't worry about it, but, yeah, I think that's fairly doable.

You know, we do like a challenge.

Let's go and spend some of your money.

All right, come on, then.

For their top budget of £500,000,

Jane and John want a character property that has plenty of space.

They'd like a country kitchen-diner

and a utility room for their two dogs.

Upstairs, they're hoping for three bedrooms,

and outside, they want a garden

with enough room for the dogs to run around.

Location-wise, somewhere on the edge of a village would be ideal.

We've hand-picked a selection of wonderful properties

for Jane and John to consider.

And it will only be after they've viewed each one

that the price will be revealed.

Our final visit will be to our Mystery House,

which will deliver their requirements in bucket-loads

but with one small catch.

Jane, given that one of your daughters is in Stroud,

you must know Oxfordshire reasonably well, driving through it to see her.

Yes, I'm getting to know it quite well now.

I do know quite a bit about where we want to be, yes.

And, John, you were born in Ireland

but you haven't lived there for how many years?

-Let's say, a lot.

-THEY LAUGH

Let's not pin it down to actual years.

How well do you know Oxfordshire?

I've had quite a lot of experience of round Oxfordshire.

My brother was in the RAF

and there's a lot of airfields around here,

so I've got to know pretty much a lot of Oxfordshire,

and the Cotswold stone is something that really appeals to both of us,

-Oh, yeah.

-So, it's always given us something we really liked.

With location in mind, we're kicking off our search

in the village of Kelmscott,

close to the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border.

The village is around a one-and-three-quarter hour commute

from London and boasts many properties, including the local pub,

that are all built from attractive ochre-coloured Cotswold stone.

The church, St George's, has barely changed

since the end of the 15th century

because of one notable local resident.

The renowned 19th-century designer William Morris

described this village as heaven on Earth

and he founded a society to preserve ancient buildings

like those found here.

His 400-year-old summer retreat, Kelmscott Manor,

is built of sandstone

and is now a treasure trove of his possessions, open to the public.

Amenities are a short drive away in the small town of Lechlade,

which has a good selection of shops on offer.

But back in the heart of rural Kelmscott is our first property.

Right, then. Here we are.

-Very nice.

-Yeah?

-Very pretty.

-Yeah?

-Very nice.

This village, Kelmscott, is absolutely gorgeous.

-Mmm.

-And this one is sold not just on what it offers you

but also on its location.

The pub is within staggering distance, just down there.

What makes you think we'd be interested in the pub?

THEY LAUGH Well, you know...

But in terms of community, you know, it's a great place to start.

What we've got for you here is a semi,

-formerly farm workers' cottages.

-Oh, right.

This one has been completely renovated and doubled in size,

-with an extension to the rear.

-OK.

What do you reckon? John?

I think it looks very nice.

I love the layout, the gardens and everything else like that.

It looks like, from my point of view, you're not having to do much.

It ticks all the boxes.

There is nothing to do. I mean, there really is nothing to do.

Come on, let's have a look.

The original part of this house was built over 100 years ago,

but the extension is just five years old

and has been beautifully finished.

We're heading down the side of the property

and straight into the kitchen-diner.

Come in.

So, this is the new extension.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Really beautiful.

I love the cupboards.

-It's got that lovely, crisp, new feel to it.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-There's a big utility room through there.

-Oh, yes.

-They've got dogs.

-Yeah.

And obviously, they appreciate having that

kind of boot room, as well, for them.

-So far so good?

-Yes.

-Mmm, yeah.

And it all drifts rather nicely into here, which is the main living room.

Oh. This is a lovely room.

-Yes.

-It is, isn't it?

Yeah, it's really light and I love the wood burner.

Yeah. Lit today just for us. THEY LAUGH

I was hoping there would be one.

The nice thing about this, because they added the extension,

they've been able to knock through what would have been two rooms here

to create this great big family room.

So, I'm just trying to picture the scene, John,

-you know, hard day tailoring in London...

-Yes.

I'm here with my brandy in front of the fire.

Brilliant.

-That's what I was going to say!

-My dogs at my feet.

-Yeah.

I mean, the nice thing about this property is it has those secrets.

I mean, it reveals itself very immediately.

But one thing a lot of older characterful properties

struggle with is storage space...

-Yeah.

-..in terms of bedrooms and that sort of thing.

But I think this might work. Come and have a look.

Above us are three bedrooms.

There's a double at the front of the house with its own shower room.

Next to that is a single with space for a desk and at the back,

there's another double.

This is what is currently used as the master bedroom

-by the owners at the moment.

-Yeah.

You may think they should have gone for the en-suite

down there, but they prefer the views over the fields that way.

Oh, yeah, that's a lovely view, isn't it? Nice room.

You've got the family bathroom right next door.

-I mean, you could actually put a door in that corridor...

-Yeah.

-..and it would create effectively an en-suite master suite for you.

-Yeah.

It is beautifully finished, we love all the details on it,

but I don't think there's quite enough room for us.

I think it's a little bit small, to be honest.

I think when we get to the prize...

-..it will rather...

-Hmm?

-Oh, OK.

-..set out the landscape that we are battling with here in terms of...

-Space?

-..Oxfordshire's property market and what you get for your money.

-Yeah.

-Oh, OK.

-Let's go outside and talk about the numbers.

-OK.

The garden here sits mainly to the side of the house and is

accessed from the kitchen.

There's a well-maintained lawn bordered by trees and flowerbeds

as well as a garden shed, a greenhouse and a patio

with wonderful views across the fields beyond.

And there are also some unexpected feathered friends.

-Listen to that!

-Oh, chickens, John!

-It's the sound of the country!

-Sound of the country!

-You said you wanted chickens.

-I did.

Not sure if I'm ready for them now, though!

THEY LAUGH

-And there we have our nicely extended former farm worker's cottage.

-Yeah.

Now, the house does look lovely and it's that thing, whether

-you're buying with your head or your heart.

-Hmm.

Visually, the house is beautiful, so we think that we like it and

-everything, as you said, from the chickens, the grounds and all that.

-Yeah.

It's just that thing of space and maybe we'll have to adjust our minds to that.

It's charming, actually.

They've done it beautifully, haven't they?

-I sort of feel that Jules is leading us on to something here.

-Yes.

-He's going to say, "And what about the price?"

-THEY LAUGH

-And then we're going to say...

-HE GROANS

Right, go on, then, John. Make us an offer.

Well, I think it's bang on the money, Jules.

-I think it is about the 500,000.

-Oh, yeah?

-I'm going to go a bit less, I think.

-Uh-huh?

-475?

-You're not far, mate.

It's on at 495,000.

-So it is pretty much everything.

-Bang on the line.

Well, I can understand that, because it's a lovely house, the setting and

-everything, you were saying...

-I was just being a bit hopeful, I think.

But the good news is, it's under budget and you can afford it!

-You see?

-Yeah! So it's not a total loss. That's the key thing.

Well, look, go and have a wander round, the house is yours.

Go and enjoy it, see what you get for your budget and I will come

-and find you a little bit later on.

-OK.

-Thanks very much, Jules.

-Take your time.

-Yeah.

This extended semidetached house

has come in just under Jane and John's budget,

leaving them with £5,000 to play with.

It's got loads of character,

a kitchen-diner and just the right number of bedrooms.

Now, it may not be as roomy as they'd like,

which is something that comes with the pricey territory they're

searching in, but there's a pretty garden with views and it's well

located in the heart of a quiet village.

Bwak-bwak-bwak!

-They're lovely.

-Aw! They're lovely.

-So we could have fresh eggs.

-We could.

-Yeah. And what's that there, are those strawberries?

-Oh, that's a strawberry box.

-Yeah, that's lovely, isn't it?

Our first impression, I've got to be honest, I really like the look of the house.

It's still got the elements which I really like, of still having

a bit of old, but inside, very modern and very new,

done in this very sympathetic way,

so it didn't look like it was overdone or anything like that.

Very clean lines which, being what I do, really appealed to me.

It's gorgeous. And looking inside, it's absolutely stunningly done out.

There's not a thing to do, it was lovely.

I couldn't find fault with it.

The only thing I would say, I'm just not sure that it's big enough.

We've got quite a big house now and I'm wondering if we can fit in.

We've got a lot to do. We've got more properties to see. So shall we?

-Yeah!

-Yes.

-Let's go.

-Lead on.

Oxfordshire's countryside is the perfect setting for

a number of stately homes and grounds, including the

striking Waterperry House and Gardens to the east of Oxford.

Parts of the house date back to the 17th century,

when it was a private home

and it sits in an 83-acre oasis of vibrant flowers,

manicured lawns and shapely hedges.

In the 1930s, the site was a school of horticulture for ladies.

And when it closed in the '70s,

the house and gardens that had been nurtured

so carefully by the students were taken over by a charity.

Today, Waterperry Gardens welcomes around 35,000 visitors a year,

and Jane and John have come to meet horticultural manager

Robert Jacobs to learn more about these resplendent gardens.

So, how big are the gardens?

It's about eight acres, it might be nine acres now.

It's a nice walk round, it's a nice place to visit.

So what's the thinking behind the design and layout of the gardens?

It's education, every time. We're always trying to teach.

For example, we have a fantastic herbaceous border.

You want to have colour all the time,

so you have a lupin season early in the year.

You have a delphinium season in high summer and then you finish

the season with the Michaelmas daisies.

What's the best thing on show this time of year?

Well, we're high into the early autumn now at the moment,

so the Michaelmas daisies are looking great and the

big thing is the fruit, the top fruits.

So you'll see pears and lots of lovely apples.

As well as the eight to nine acres of ornamental gardens here,

there are also five acres of orchards.

But when it comes to the fruit trees,

not everything is as it first seems.

So, here we are, a piece of horticultural magic.

This is our family tree.

We grow approximately 60 different varieties of apples.

We've managed to get 50 apples on one tree.

That's 50 different varieties growing on the family tree,

which sounds pretty amazing.

It was an epic experiment and achieved by grafting cuttings

from various apple trees onto the one tree.

And from the juicy array of fruit now hanging from the branches,

it's clearly been a success.

Can you use any type of apple?

The apples that we eat and we cook with are

an apple called Malus domesticus.

So, so long as it's Malus domesticus,

originally from Kazakhstan, you can use it.

Which are the best eaters and cookers?

Well, really, as far as cookers are concerned,

um, it doesn't matter too much.

England's a place where we have a tradition of having cookers.

In France and on the Continent,

they tend to just cook whatever apples are available to cook with.

And they tend to be the sharper and the sourer apples that we pick.

As far as eating, it's down to your taste and also the season,

because it's really important.

Apples come on in the seasons,

so that is why you have your early, your mids and your lates.

And the tastes are different. They've all got their own characteristics in that time.

Surrounded by so much ripe fruit,

Jane and John are going to get the chance to harvest some themselves.

Apple crops are ready to pick between August and November.

We've got some picking bags here.

-OK.

-Head through there, arms through these two holes. That's it.

First time.

When you're picking, pick with the palm of the hand and roll up.

You don't want to crush the apple.

-So if you can fill the bag, I'll get the box ready.

-OK.

-Right.

-Let's do it!

Ripening under the sun, coupled with low night-time temperatures,

helps the sugars to develop, which makes them sweet to eat

and produces a rosy-red glow on the skin.

Once the bags are full, they're emptied into apple crates,

-ready to be pressed.

-If you bend down... That's it.

-And just gently... Gently!

-Oh, sorry!

-That's all right!

And now, John.

That's it.

Ahh! A man that's done it before.

The next stop for these apples today is the hand press.

Each year, over 40,000 kilos of Waterperry apples

produce 25,000-30,000 bottles of apple juice,

which is sold here on-site, but also in local shops and restaurants.

Jane and John are going to have a go at transforming the fruit

into delicious juice.

But they're not using the industrial site's press in the pressing room,

rather, they're using a handpress similar to the method

used before mechanisation.

-We're looking to produce something like that if you can.

-Oh.

So, these are the apples that you picked earlier.

John, I'll need you to turn the handle.

If you could feed the apples in, Jane?

And then once we've filled up enough,

we're going to swing this over. This is the press.

And from there on, you will be producing apple juice.

Keep adding it in.

I'm afraid we've got a long way to go, Jane!

-Oh! I'm doing it as fast as I can.

-THEY LAUGH

-You can see why these days they have mechanical.

-Mmm, yeah.

Instead, we have John.

-You definitely get that real smell of apples, can't you?

-Yeah.

Going to be looking forward to this juice.

THEY LAUGH

The juice is starting to come through.

Is there anything else that we'll ever add into it?

-We only ever add a bit of vitamin C, because as you will see, it's started to go brown already.

-Yeah.

That's it, just when you cut into any apple or eat into any apple,

-its oxidising.

-Yeah.

-So as you're cooking, you add a little bit of lemon juice.

-Yeah.

It clears it all up.

Actually, it does make you appreciate what you drink, doesn't it?

When you think of what goes into making a glass of apple juice.

-Yeah.

-You know?

-There we go.

-ALL: Yay!

Right, now, this comes off. And there's our pulp.

-Can you see how it's going brown already?

-Yeah.

So that's it oxidising, and the juice is going to have to go brown.

The lid of the press is closed and secured.

Then, as the handle is turned,

the pulp is squeezed and the juice extracted.

Here it comes.

Well, here we are. Looks like cappuccino, doesn't it?

Yeah, well, basically, that's the product.

-Just a bit of filtration, and vitamin C to clear it up.

-Yeah.

Well, I'm going to try it now. Cheers!

That is absolutely lovely. Really. John, you try some.

I'd love to, thank you very much.

Mmm. That is lovely, Rob. That is excellent.

Well, thank you very much for all your knowledge and help there and we've really enjoyed it.

You're both very welcome,

I'm glad you enjoyed the day and good luck with the house-hunt.

Oh, thank you.

Our house search continues as we journey to the village of

Chadlington in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This archetypal Cotswolds village is renowned not least because

the constituency address of Prime Minister David Cameron is nearby.

It also has a range of stone cottages

and the 12th-century St Nicholas Church.

Surrounded by beautiful countryside,

locals are served by a handful of essential shops and a village pub.

Just a few minutes' drive away is the town of Charlbury,

where there's a wider section of amenities and also a useful train station,

which would get John into London in under an hour and a half.

Back in Chadlington, we find ourselves at our second property

in the heart of the village.

-Oh!

-Oh, it's fabulous.

-Yes?

I'm really excited. It's really gorgeous.

CHURCH BELLS TOLL

-Oh!

-A church!

-And a working church! THEY LAUGH

There you are then, there we are.

-That is the sound of the country, isn't it?

-Yep.

I'm just already getting really...excited.

-Now, this one absolutely is packed full of character features.

-Mmm.

It's about 1750, it's been in the same family since 1920,

-it does need a bit of updating.

-Mmm.

And this is one you can really put your stamp on, I think, in terms

of making it your home without feeling that it's all produced for you.

-Exciting.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

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

-Come on then.

-Great!

This end-of-terrace cottage is grade II listed

and is built of Cotswolds stone.

But its facade hides a rather special home within.

To the right of the front door, off the hallway, is a cosy sitting room.

Now then, Jane.

-Wow.

-A bit of period charm for you.

Oh, you've definitely done that for me. It's very, very nice.

-What do you think, John?

-I like it. I know Jane will, because this is

-everything she loves about the house...

-It's just the sort of thing I like.

..the wood burner, the whole look of the place and everything else, I think that's her.

-My only concern is low ceilings.

-Yeah.

-But I think I can just about scrape through, can't I?

It does ramble a bit, this one. The kitchen area at the moment is here.

-Oh, all right, yeah.

-You've got a cellar down there.

-Quite a decent size, about the size of that room.

-Right.

-And there's a thought that it might have been a pub, once upon a time.

-OK.

-Yeah.

Because it's the only property in this street with a cellar.

There's a utility area through here,

which goes out to a very traditional-looking scullery.

Well, it's got lots of character, Jules,

and that's really what I think Jane's into.

I wanted the character and something a bit different.

I mean, it's not all perfect, it's not all done.

Yeah, that's what I mean, I don't want a perfect house.

Well, this could be the one, then. I mean, some would say it's quirky.

-Yeah.

-Um, I think it's got a lot of scope...

-Mmm.

..for you to turn it into something that you really want without

taking anything away from what's already here.

You'd have this space, reception area, but also,

we've got a separate living room for you next door.

-Oh, right.

-Come and have a look at this.

So we leave the sort of higgledy-piggledy bits behind

and step into a little more elegance.

-Oh, this is lovely as well, isn't it?

-Very cosy.

-It's gorgeous.

-Yeah. Is this what you expected from the outside?

-Well, no.

It's funny, I don't know what I expected.

The house is just like... Just has so much character, it's fantastic.

The beams, the fireplace, everything about it.

It's just... It's quite special.

And the character continues on the first floor, where there's

a beamed family bathroom that serves four double bedrooms.

There's a spacious room with a feature fireplace,

and up again on the floor above,

there are two bedrooms in the eaves, each with its own charm.

Then back down on the first floor is the master.

Oh! Isn't it lovely?

John! Gorgeous.

-It's kind of like a boudoir thing.

-Yes.

-My kind of room.

-I think this is certainly the one that oozes character to me.

-Yes.

I really want to get you outside into the garden,

-because there is one more little treat to show you out there.

-Ooh!

And the garden itself is probably a lot bigger than you're expecting, too.

-So...

-OK.

-Follow me through here.

-OK.

Outside, a patio leads to a neat lawn bordered by flowerbeds, hedges and trees.

-Oh, this is amazing.

-Isn't that lovely?

-Now, this studio...

-I've spotted it!

-Yes, keep that in your minds!

-Oh, wow.

But the garden is long and thin and it comes up here

and you've got all of this as well.

Wow! This is fantastic. It's so beautiful.

And it goes up just beyond those tall conifers at the end,

typical to have long, thin gardens running off of properties of this age.

-Mmm.

-You've got the studio there,

-which I'm sure Rachel will really enjoy.

-Oh, yes.

-So, it is price time.

-It's that time again.

It's that time, Jane, so...

-give us your best guess.

-I'm going to say 495.

-495. Yeah, John?

I'm going to go a bit lower on this one,

I'm feeling a bit cooler about it. So I'll go 475.

Well, I'm afraid it's not 495 or indeed 475,

but it is several fives, I'm afraid, it's 525.

-OK.

-Oh, is it?

-Mmm.

-But open to sensible offers.

-OK.

In a certain way, I'm not surprised because the house is lovely

and it's got such garden, and where it is situated like that.

It's just what, sometimes... What the value of the house is and

-what you would think it was worth to you.

-Take as long as you want.

Understand it, see if you can find a solution.

-And I'll come and find you a little bit later.

-OK.

-Thanks very much.

-Off you go.

-OK, see you in a while.

And I think they will have to take their time because, as with

many historic properties, trying to upgrade them to what we

regard as modern living does require a bit of imagination,

but I am confident that those two have got it.

This delightful period cottage may be on the market

for £25,000 over Jane and John's budget,

but the owners may be open to a sensible offer.

The country kitchen is certainly full of quirky character,

and there's also room for the dogs.

The cottage comes with one more bedroom than they'd asked for,

and outside provides a rather lovely garden with

a studio that could be ideal for daughter Rachel.

-Oh, look at this.

-It's lovely and warm, isn't it?

-Fantastic.

-I know somebody that would like this.

-So do I.

Coming in, it's just a beautiful house.

Lovely features, just the sort of thing I'm looking for.

Lovely, cosy feel. It's just the one thing is the kitchen.

It's not really workable for us at the moment,

but if we could do something, have an extension at the back,

then I think it would be the perfect house.

We really love the garden, it's got so much going on there,

it's almost like two gardens in one, because the first part

you've got, which is a lovely manicured garden,

and then when you go past that,

it's got this lovely open garden with a little gazebo there, which

is really good. And I can see Jane sitting there having a

gin and tonic, flicking through her books.

Yeah, I think that will work really well.

We're getting there, aren't we?

I think so, I've a quite good feeling about it.

-You've just got to be able to afford it.

-It's the money.

-I know, it's the money.

-Always the money.

-It's always the money.

But this isn't the only property, of course, we are showing this week,

but it's worth thinking about and putting it on the list maybe.

-Definitely.

-Right, come on.

It's the second day of our Oxfordshire adventure,

searching out a characterful country house for Jane and John from

St Albans in Hertfordshire.

And with a top budget of £500,000 in their pocket, they're ready

to wave goodbye to the city to be closer to loved ones.

And we've got a knockout Mystery House to come.

Mind your head, John.

THEY LAUGH

-Come over here a minute.

-Nothing like a bit of slapstick.

And I'll be stepping back in time when I visit one of Britain's

most impressive manor houses.

Oh, wow. This is incredible.

Well, with our house search now well underway, our task of trying to find

Jane and John a home has been further complicated by the need to help

them reassess their expectations as to just how far their budget can

go here in one of the most expensive property markets in the country.

So, with two more properties to come, including our Mystery House,

can we strike that magic balance between aspiration and reality?

Well, we'll give it a go.

Next, we're travelling to the village of West Adderbury,

in the north of Oxfordshire.

Here, thatched cottages are a theme, along with iron stone buildings,

whose colour is darker than its paler limestone contemporaries.

There's a traditional pub and a great choice of shops in the

village.

Nearby is the spectacular 13th century St Mary's,

said to be one of the finest churches in Oxfordshire.

There's also a great expanse of recreational fields,

perfect dog walking territory.

And all within walking distance of our next property.

-Right, then. There we are. What do we think of that?

-Oh, looks lovely.

-I think it's really pretty. It's lovely.

-It's a new-build.

-No!

-Yes.

It doesn't look a new house, does it?

They've used the local stone here, which is lovely, this

iron-rich stone, which is a darker colour to much of the Cotswolds.

One thing we've established is this business of your expectation

-as to how much space you're going to get.

-Yes.

I can't tell you it's any bigger than anything we've seen so far, but it's in a great village,

there's lots going on here in Adderbury, great connections out to the M40,

rail links from Banbury into London and so on.

-So, yeah, that's the proposition.

-It looks really interesting.

I'm amazed it's a new-build, I wouldn't have realised that.

The house also benefits from a garage, and once inside,

it's obvious there's nothing that needs doing here.

We're heading straight for the sitting room,

which runs from the front to the back of the house.

-Let's start with here.

-Oh, this is a nice room, isn't it?

-Yeah, nice room, nice shape. Lovely long room.

-It's lovely.

-Easy.

I think that's the trick, it's an easy one in many respects.

And, of course, it's not listed.

-So you can do what you like with it, really.

-Yeah.

-Within...

-Well, within reason.

Well, first room gets a tick. Next, the kitchen.

-So, there you are...

-Oh, this is a lovely kitchen, isn't it?

Nice and big.

-Little utility room in here.

-Oh.

Not really a boot room, but washers, all that sort of stuff.

-But it does mean the kitchen itself is unencumbered with white goods.

-Yeah.

I think it's a good-size kitchen.

-I'm not disappointed with the kitchen.

-Right, that's good to hear.

You're going to be here most of the time on your own until you retire.

So it's a case of whether it's going to work for you.

-And of course, you'll have Rachel with you initially as well.

-Yeah.

Let's have a look upstairs and see what you think of this.

Also on this floor, there's a cloakroom.

Then moving upstairs, a bright stairway and landing that

leads to four bedrooms laid out over two floors.

On the top floor, there are two rooms in the eaves,

a double bedroom and a study, which both share a cloakroom.

Then one floor below, there's a bedroom overlooking the back

garden, with a family bathroom next-door.

And on the other side of the house is the master.

-This is a nice room, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-Lots of space.

And it really, I think, cleverly incorporates not only an

en-suite shower through that central doorway, but because of the way they've

positioned the doorway, you've got his and hers storage either side.

Oh, that's great, because we do need that, don't we?

-We do need a certain amount of space.

-We do.

LAUGHTER He's a tailor, he's a tailor.

I think this works really well.

-It's nice.

-And with the top floor, is that for Rachel?

I mean, would she be able to accommodate herself up there?

I'm sure she would, easily. Upstairs is pretty good, actually. For space.

So it's whether or not you can again really imagine yourself in

a property like this, because they're all the same sort of

size, because that's where we are with the budget.

-Can you manage that, honey?

-I'll try.

THEY LAUGH

Let's go out to the garden.

Come on.

Outside, the pretty walled garden is private and sheltered.

And there, of course, the back of our lovely house.

It does look really nice from the back, doesn't it?

It's been cleverly thought through in trying to maximise the space,

-but again, space is the thing.

-That old one again.

-What about the garden?

-I think it's a bit small.

If you don't mind me saying.

I don't mind you saying it, Jane, because you've said it,

-you've said it a lot this week. John?

-Manageable.

I love the idea of this size of garden, obviously Jane's not so sure about it.

You see, it's just how you use words, Jane.

You're saying "small", John is saying "manageable". And I'm saying "easy".

-Which it is, all of those things.

-Yes.

But let's get to that difficult bit, shall we?

I'm going to go slightly above our budget, I'm going to go for 510.

510, yeah.

It's got to be at the top of our budget,

so I'm going to go 499,999.

Just for kicks. THEY LAUGH

-You're closer to it.

-Oh!

-Yeah. It's 5...

-35.

-Oh.

However, however, I have spoken to the owner and they are aware

of your budget, and so there is a conversation to be had if

this one was for you. So it's attainable, is the bottom line.

Go on, go and have a chat.

And I'll catch up with you a little bit later on.

Reflective of the area it's in,

this stone-built detached house has rung in at £35,000 over Jane

and John's budget, but it looks like there's room for negotiation.

The property may be young, but it still possesses character, plus it's

got just the kitchen-diner they're after, along with a utility room.

Here, there are enough bedrooms to accommodate their daughter as

well as guests, and outside there's an easy, manageable garden.

-So here's the little office.

-Oh, this is nice as well.

-Could be used as a little workroom.

-Yeah, sewing room, which is good.

-Something you quite like the idea of.

-Yeah.

-Your arts and crafts room.

Oh, yes, you know.

When I walked up to the front, I thought it was really a pretty house.

And when Jules said it was a new-build, I couldn't believe it.

It does look very nice from the outside.

When we entered the house,

I was really surprised by the finish, it's really lovely,

and I love that idea. I'm not into doing the home decorating as

much as Jane is, or changing the house around, so I thought the inside,

the finish on it was really good, I love the whole look of it like that.

It's the same situation we seem to have come up with before

where it's the actual space of downstairs.

And I must say, upstairs is terrific.

I don't know what to do, I like the house very much.

Upstairs, actually, was very nice. And I could work with that.

But I'm not sure if I could work with the downstairs,

and I didn't get that feeling that I want.

I'm waiting for the feeling to come,

that this is it, and I just didn't feel it.

-After you, Jane.

-OK, thanks.

-There we are, John.

-Thank you.

Right, then, well...

-Clearly, the search goes on, doesn't it?

-Certainly does.

Come on.

As we've seen, the Oxfordshire landscape lends itself to

fabulous architectural delights.

And Chastleton House near Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds is one of the rarest.

It was built at the beginning of the 17th century for Walter Jones,

a wool merchant and one of the nouveau riche who was climbing

the social ladder and wanted to show off his fortune through his home.

Over 200 years later, it was one of his descendants, Walter James Whitmore,

who made his name through his passion for croquet.

The house is thought to be one of the finest examples of a

complete Jacobean building still surviving in England.

The family sold it in the 1990s and it was then gifted to the

National Trust and the nation.

I've come to meet conservation assistant Julie Davis to learn more.

We're heading straight to the Great Hall, where an 18-foot table

has been standing since it was built in situ 400 years ago.

-Oh, wow. This is wonderful.

-Amazing space, isn't it?

I mean, it's been described as a 17th-century time capsule,

but when you get inside it, you absolutely get that, don't you?

-Oh, definitely, yes.

-And dare I say it, I can't help but notice all the dust.

SHE LAUGHS

And the slightly shabby feel. Is that something I'm allowed to mention?

-Yes, it's a Chastleton trademark.

-HE LAUGHS

It certainly has that sense that the family literally just got up

-and left, almost yesterday.

-Well, it was quite recently when the family left,

it was only 1991 when the last lady of the house left.

And do you think the scale of the property had just overwhelmed

-her at that point?

-Oh, yes, I mean, the upkeep on a place like this,

as you can imagine, is enormous, the roof space alone, the roof,

keeping that watertight, etc.

But in a way, I suppose, that tells part of the story as to how

it survived, this wonderful Jacobean example.

Oh, yes, the family didn't have the funds to sort of update it and

put your Georgian facade on the front and make it look more modern.

They never had those funds, so it remains a time capsule, as you say.

So, do you think they were slightly eccentric to set about building this at the time?

Well, the idea was they would enter the gentry and become part of

the aristocracy and live that life, and of course to do that,

you need a large house and lots of land.

And you're buying, I suppose, a sense of pedigree, aren't you?

In terms of the way you furnish it,

the way you decorate it and the way you design it.

That's right, yes.

The house was in the same family for almost four centuries.

And fortuitously, it was their make do and mend philosophy which

has meant Chastleton has remained preserved in time.

When it acquired the property and all that comes with it,

the National Trust decided to continue this philosophy and

has employed a keep-as-found approach.

And nowhere is it more evident than below stairs,

which had lain untouched for over half a century.

So we're heading down into the kitchen. Oh!

-Yes, the temperature drops considerably when you get down here.

-Doesn't it?

Oh, look at that, all the bells.

I mean, this would have been the kind of operations room, I suppose, for a house like this.

Oh, yes, it would have been a hive of activity in its day.

-Look at that. "Nursery." Is that "Doctor's chamber"?

-Yes.

They had a doctor here. "Master bedroom." "The best bedroom."

-I wonder what the difference was.

-I've no idea.

-THEY LAUGH

I love that rather medieval looking serving hatch as well.

-Yes, that's amazing. It leads us through to the kitchen.

-After you.

Oh, wow.

This is incredible. This is astonishing.

Nothing's changed in here.

When the door was closed on this room in the early 1930s,

this was all left in this condition and that's how we found it.

The ceiling looks like it needs a little bit of work,

but I imagine that's all part of the conservation ethic here.

There's a story behind the ceiling, that's why we've left it as it is.

Family legend says that if you disturb the ceiling,

ill will befall the family.

So hence it was always left like this,

so it's got 400 years of smoke and fat on there.

And we've retained that because it tells the story of the house.

And that story continues upstairs in the Great Chamber.

Look at that. What would have happened in here?

This is where all the important visitors would have come and

been entertained.

I know it seems odd it being on the first floor,

but they would have brought them up here because it's such

a grand room, and it would have shown off their wealth.

An even more impressive room is up on the second floor,

and it may look familiar.

All 72 feet of it recently featured in the television adaptation

of the novel Wolf Hall,

telling the 16th century story of Thomas Cromwell's life.

-Nearly there.

-HE LAUGHS

-Wow.

-Welcome to the Long Gallery.

-This is amazing.

Yes, let's go for a stroll, this is what this was used for.

In wet weather, they used to exercise in here.

And when we did some work under the floorboards,

we found some shuttlecocks, table tennis balls, etc.

So they obviously played games in here as well.

No surprise it's sited at the top of the building because the

landscape out there is absolutely wonderful.

So whatever the weather is doing, I guess you feel connected to

-the outside, even though you're nice and dry.

-Yes.

It's really, really fascinating, Julie.

Thank you very much indeed, and I have to confess,

I do rather like the fact you've left the dust and cobwebs alone.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

Well, now, I'm going to dust myself down and get back to our

search for an equally fabulous Oxfordshire abode.

Well, we have one more roll of the dice, Jane. Our Mystery House.

Any ideas what it might be? What should it be in your mind's eye now?

Well, I've been thinking about this.

It's because you've given us several options.

And filled the brief we've asked for, really.

Apart from, it's the space, so either

it'll be a project that we'd have to do up, maybe...

a barn conversion, maybe.

Well, it's certainly an interesting property.

-It's got spades of character.

-Right.

And it may give you a little more space.

But not everywhere.

-There's the riddle.

-Oh.

-JULES LAUGHS

Not everywhere...

For our last visit, we're nipping just over Oxfordshire's

western border into Gloucestershire, and closer to Jane's daughter, Sian.

Our destination is the Cotswold village of Little Rissington.

Pretty stone houses are a feature here, lining the narrow

streets, and the village hall is the centre of the local community.

Just two miles away is Bourton-on-the-Water,

which is one of the most famous and quaint of Cotswold towns.

Here, lots of shops and restaurants can be found sitting either

side of the River Windrush.

A few minutes' drive away,

back in the heart of Little Rissington, is our final offering.

Right then, there we are.

-The riddle is over.

-Wow.

-This is our Mystery House.

It is, technically, a semi, but what a semi.

It's fabulous, I can't...

I don't know what to say!

We have shown you, I think, some really good examples of

Cotswolds property this week, but, to me,

we have saved the best till last.

-This is classic.

-Yeah.

We think it's about 17th century.

The oldest of the lot that we've been able to show you.

And knowing that space is the key ingredient,

as far as you're concerned, Jane. I think we've all understood that now.

This one takes away in that it doesn't have a garden, particularly.

It's more of a small courtyard, but it does give you that

all-important extra reception room and it's all brand-new.

All right.

Let's see what you think.

Our mystery farmhouse couldn't be more appealing

on the outside, with its facade of Cotswold stone,

mullioned windows and roll-moulded stone steps.

It was extended to the rear late last century

and has been recently renovated on the inside.

The property is currently vacant and just awaiting its new owners.

We are heading straight into the largest reception room.

I'm very, very excited to see what you think of this.

You've got the wow.

It's got the beams.

They're not too low, are they?

No, no, it's a lovely space, isn't it?

Oh, God, it's gorgeous.

Love the fireplace.

You're giggling!

I shed a tear.

Good.

Just cos you heard Jane for the first time, "This space..."

It's got all those classic hallmarks of a beautiful Cotswold property.

I know. I can see.

It's got character and space and just looks so...

I don't know, just big and lovely. It's incredible.

This would have been, like, the main reception room.

It clearly will fulfil that function as probably your main, sort of,

living space, but we've got the addition of this

other reception room or dining room or whatever you want it to be.

-Again, another really lovely space.

-Oh, yes.

-It's had a lot of thought put into it...

-Yeah.

..to give it that modern twist to make it amenable to modern life.

Not least, kitchen.

Check this out.

Can't wait.

All crisp, all new.

Oh, it's lovely.

I love the colour it's done.

Everything is integrated, fridge, washing machine, etc.

Oh, is it?

Downstairs loo here, the new boiler is in there.

-I love this idea here.

-Yeah.

-I think that really works there.

You could imagine the table there,

with that little, sort of, little nook there.

It sounds like Jane and John's furniture has already moved into our

Mystery House and there's also lots to capture their

imagination upstairs.

On the first floor, two bedrooms provide just as much period charm

as downstairs.

There's a double with a feature window seat and aspects to

both front and rear.

A smaller but equally well finished room sits opposite

a beautifully tiled family bathroom.

But we're heading up to the second floor,

where there's what can only be described as a master suite.

So, here we are right at the top of the building,

in amongst the roof timbers.

-Come over here.

-Mind your head, John.

-Come over here, mate.

-Nothing like a bit of slapstick.

We love the finish on it, it really is interesting.

-The beams and everything.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

It gives you the entire top floor and you've got this

en suite through here. This is very different.

It's got this lovely ceramic floor.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Underfloor heating.

-Look at that.

-There's a bath, eh?

-Yeah.

-Can you see yourself in there?

I definitely can.

The shower is lovely, kind of waterfall shower.

It's lovely, I love it.

-Do you love it?

-I do, I do.

I'm not going to be, "Yes, I love it, I love it."

I do. There's certain things cos it's got that smallness about it,

-to me, I feel like I'm going to be...

-Yes.

-..around about.

But the style and finish is unbelievable.

Smallness in terms of the access up the stairs

-to get to this master bedroom?

-Yeah.

-Right.

But the house as a whole, I think we do agree...

-It's just unbelievable.

-It's absolutely stunning.

..a step forward in size and space.

Yeah, definitely.

There's no two ways about it - this house is stunning.

But because the old farmhouse and outbuildings here were

converted into five homes,

it means the outside space that comes with our Mystery House

is rather compact, consisting of just a small courtyard.

It does, however, encompass two parking spaces there.

-OK.

-That is the downside.

-But...

-I know, I know.

-..all of that.

Have a seat. Come on, let's give this one a bit of consideration.

It's a lovely house, beautiful.

It moved you, I think.

It did.

I got it there.

I mean, it isn't the garden I wanted but I think you could

overcome it, actually.

Just looking at this hedge here.

You could actually extend that and that would actually make

a big difference.

OK, well, look, let's finish it all off, shall we?

Final guess of the week.

-Shall I go first on this one?

-Go on, then, John.

-You go.

-OK.

I would say it's right at the top end of our budget

and I'm thinking...

Hoping, hoping of 525.

I think I'll go 510.

510?

You're hoping at 525.

Here's hoping then.

495.

Wow.

That's a shock.

A good one!

-A good shock.

-Yeah.

Go and wander round, be inspired, soak it up.

And I will come and find you a little bit later on.

-OK.

-Off you go.

-OK.

In the meantime, the house tour's over, I'm going to relax.

This beautiful 17th-century farmhouse would leave our buyers

£5,000 spare from their budget if they made it their home.

It's full of character and has the space they want,

with two reception rooms plus a spacious kitchen-diner.

There are enough bedrooms for their daughter and guests

and, throughout the house, everything has been finished

to a really high standard.

The only compromise that I can see is the lack of

a meaningful garden for the dogs.

I just want to see what it's like when we're lying in bed here.

I know it's a bit crazy. Let's just lie down.

What, you want us to lie down on the floor? OK.

This is a bit different, isn't it?

I think our bed would fit in this space.

Definitely, yeah.

As we're lying here on the floor, I think it would.

Yeah.

I'm a bit blown away with this house.

It's stunning.

When I saw it from the outside, I thought,

"This is going to be it, this is going to be it"

and when I came in, I nearly cried actually,

it was so gorgeous and it's just the sort of thing we are looking for.

When we came inside and the house opened up,

it was so beautifully finished, we were just, like, quite

knocked out by it and, looking round, the house was really interesting.

All the way they've done all the features to it,

the way the fireplace looked and all that, it was just incredible.

We're going to go away and seriously think what we could to with that

back patio.

But it's a lovely house.

You have challenged me this week, but I think we've got there.

I think we might have.

Possibly. But we've certainly given you lots to think about,

so I think that's what you need to do.

Go and mull it all over and then we'll see what happens next, shall we?

-OK.

-Yeah.

-After you.

-OK.

Well, it has been a challenging search this week,

not least for Jane and for John, in more ways than one.

But, of course, has it been worthwhile?

Well, let's go and catch up with them and find out.

Well, Jane and John. How are we doing?

-Yeah, fine.

-Great, thanks.

-Yeah?

-Thank you.

It's been a really interesting week and I don't just mean in

terms of the properties we've been able to show you, but I'm

particularly intrigued by your journey.

It sounds like a bit of a cliche but I think you've gone through

a bit of a roller coaster in terms of how you've had to redefine what it is you're looking for.

-Is that fair?

-Yes, I think it is.

-Yeah.

I think the properties that we've looked at have been

really interesting, particularly the Mystery House.

We loved every part of the house.

The only stumbling block was the garden, unfortunately,

but it's given us the realisation of what we do want,

what we're expecting for our budget and what we'll need to get for it.

So, we might have to think of a broader area that we

look in for that. It might mean me travelling a little more,

but that's what's been really helpful.

It's given us those sort of ideas now which we can move forward with.

How do you see your future property search going?

There's two houses, as far as I can see.

The Mystery House was gorgeous and I did get the feeling for that.

And the other house with the long garden,

with the higgledy-piggledy kitchen, I loved that house and

I would be prepared to think, maybe, doing something at the back

with the kitchen.

If only they were rolled into one.

It is frustrating.

You know, there's no two ways about it -

in anybody's book, your budget is not small.

Exactly.

-£500,000, we'd all love to have to spend.

-You'd think...

But I'm afraid, we are in a very, very pricey part of the world.

But it's not the only part of the country which you could consider.

I think we'll find it, though.

-Oh, I'm sure we will.

-I think we will.

I'm sure you will.

But you've helped us so much to make us realise what it is we want.

I am absolutely certain you will get there in the end.

I hope so.

We've had such a good time, anyway, at trying.

Well, exactly, and let's face it, trying is half the battle.

-Yeah.

-Yes, it is.

Brilliant, guys, well done. Best of luck.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

Well, the business of managing expectations is one that's common

to many a house-hunt.

But to be honest, it is easier said than done.

On the one hand, you want to harness the obvious passion that your

buyers have for property and their ambitions that go with it,

but, of course, on the other, you don't want to dent their enthusiasm

in the face of whatever challenges you may come across.

It is a tricky balance but I think we've managed it this week.

Of course, for Jane and John, their house-hunt will continue.

But I think one thing is for sure - they'll go about it

with a great sense of fun.

I'll see you next time.

Well, I'm pleased to say that having expanded their search area,

Jane and John have had an offer accepted

on a thatched cottage in Wiltshire.

We wish them all the best of luck.

If you would like to escape to the country in

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England and would like our help,

then please apply online at...