Herefordshire Escape to the Country

Today, I'm in a county that boasts

one of the oldest British breeds of sheep,

that owes its popularity to monks and royalty,

and has a fleece so valuable, it was once referred to as "ore".

Where am I? Find out in just a moment.

Today's quest to help a couple find some countryside calm

is one met with some very encouraging feedback.

-Wow.

-Oh, I love a wow.

Well, you got a wow.

And it's not long before we uncover a potential home,

where things become overwhelming.

-You all right?

-Yeah, I'm fine. It's just so lovely.

It's just what we're looking for, really, isn't it?

It is.

Today, I'm in Herefordshire, and these are Ryeland sheep.

The earliest records show that the monks of Leominster

developed the breed more than 800 years ago,

making them one of the earliest breeds recorded in England.

Leominster became the main wool market, and their fleeces

were so valuable they were referred to as "Leominster ore".

The popularity of the breed increased in the 16th century,

when it was said that Queen Elizabeth I

was gifted a pair of socks made from Ryeland wool.

She liked them so much that she said she would only wear

clothes made from the wool in the future.

But sheep like these aren't the only thing

that's highly prized here in Herefordshire.

Let's see more of what this beautiful county has to offer.

Nestled up against Wales, landlocked Herefordshire

shares borders with the Welsh counties of Powys and Monmouthshire,

as well as three other English counties.

A deeply rural and sparsely populated region,

Herefordshire has a long history of farming and food production,

is home to over 3,000 orchards and 5,000 farms.

Scatterings of native Hereford cattle also help

to mould the landscape and are believed to be one

of the UK's oldest pedigree beef breeds.

The county's only city is Hereford, whose foundations were laid

by the Saxons in the 7th century AD on the banks of the River Wye,

England's fifth-longest river.

And just a stone's throw from the water is the 11th-century cathedral,

an ancient site of worship that's also home to the Mappa Mundi -

the largest medieval map of the world.

When it comes to other architectural gems,

highlights also include a significant number

of striking monochrome timbered buildings,

with black-painted beams and panels of white plaster.

A particularly notable example can be found in

the market town of Ledbury, whose centrepiece is a 17th-century

Grade I listed market house

that sits suspended on 16 oak stilts.

So, with a fascinating supply of properties

that echo with history, set against a striking backdrop

of lush grazing land, there's every reason to choose

Herefordshire as a perfect place to get away from it all.

Herefordshire offers country living at a good price.

The average cost of a detached property here is

around £270,000. That's £20,000 below the national average.

Now, the east of the county is more expensive

because it's close to the central Midlands and the motorway network.

If you want more for your money, head towards the Welsh borders.

Now, this is one of the least populated counties in England,

so rural life is almost guaranteed.

But what are today's buyers looking for?

Let's meet them and find out.

It's a three-bedroom bungalow in a suburban cul-de-sac

just on the outskirts of the coastal city of Brighton

that our couple, Ian and Les, currently call home.

We met seven-and-a-half years ago.

We met through mutual friends and we've been living together

-for five years.

-Yes.

We've been civil partners for three.

Ian is a nursing assistant at a local hospice

and Les is involved in the finance sector for a leisure company.

But both parties feel their lives are dominated by work,

so they want to semi-retire, cut back their working hours

and reduce the travelling.

My commute is excruciating. I mean, on an ideal day,

I could do it maybe within an hour.

But on an average day, it's nearer two.

We want to do something completely different, not quite sure what yet.

We may do something together, may do something separately,

we're not quite sure. So the world's our oyster.

And we think moving to the country will just be a nice,

simpler lifestyle. Less frenetic, I would say, probably.

And top of the list for that more straightforward way of life

is a joint property purchase.

I think we're very excited about buying a house together

for the first time.

We're really looking forward to it, aren't we?

I think it's going to be easy because we've got very

similar tastes.

We kind of know pretty comprehensively what we're

looking for and, probably more importantly,

what we don't like.

Yeah, I think we're both singing from the same hymn sheet,

as they say.

So they've put their 1950s bungalow on the market

and have plans in place to head inland

to find some serenity and solitude in the countryside.

We're looking at Herefordshire but we don't really mind

hopping over borders.

Because Les's family live in Scotland and mine live

in Guildford, it's a good midway place between the two.

Yeah. Herefordshire, to me, represents everything

we're kind of looking for in the country.

You know, it's very underpopulated.

It's very quiet, lovely properties, lovely little villages,

little towns, very relaxed.

-It just seems ideal for me.

-Yes.

And with their new-found freedom, they're both looking forward

to focusing more on their hobbies, both at home

and out in the open air.

We are looking at joining a rock choir.

Ian's very much into his amateur dramatics,

so he's going to be looking to do more of that.

I love cooking, so I want to expand on that

and that will also involve growing a lot of food as well,

which everyone says they do, I know, but we will.

We certainly love walking and we feel we've exhausted

this area now. That's another reason why we want to move,

because we can explore new areas and there's plenty of

walking opportunities where we're planning to move to.

With a fresh rural location, a change of pace

and, hopefully, their first home found together,

the couple are wholeheartedly embracing this next chapter

in their lives.

It's a very exciting adventure.

I think sometimes, as people approach retirement,

they don't necessarily plan it.

We've got the opportunity to plan a whole new beginning

and that, to me, is very exciting.

Ian and Les are very open-minded about location

and would even consider crossing the border.

So to find their perfect property, we'll be focusing

our house search in the western portion of the county, near Wales.

I'm catching up with the buyers to discover

a little bit more about the details of their move.

-Welcome to Herefordshire.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

This is quite a change for the two of you.

Why now, why this particular time for this move?

Well, we've reached the stage now

where we wanted to slow down, really, in our work.

And we hope to work part time.

-One of us has reached a special birthday.

-That would be me.

Oh, I was expecting to press you on that, but you volunteered!

-Yeah, I turned 60 this year. Ian's not far behind.

-Thank you!

So we decided that, really, now would be the time to do it,

before, you know, we get too old to enjoy it.

OK, let's talk about the property.

When you envisage in your mind's eye the home

that you're going to live in here, what does it look like?

Somewhere detached, with two to three bedrooms, study,

a big kitchen-diner, half an acre of garden...

Half an acre is quite a hefty garden size.

I'm guessing that one of you has got green fingers?

We both enjoy gardening, actually, yeah.

We've got quite a big garden at the moment,

so we're quite happy to develop that.

Perhaps grow a bit of our own veg as well, that sort of thing.

Fruit trees, if there's some - that would be lovely, too.

-We're in the right county for fruit trees, that's for sure.

-We are.

But what are the things you aren't prepared to compromise on?

We don't want a modern house, do we, particularly.

We don't want modern, no. We don't want semidetached either.

-I think it's got to be detached.

-Mm.

So if the property was right,

you wouldn't be averse to a bit of border-hopping?

-Nope.

-No, not at all.

-Not at all.

So, what's the budget that we're working with?

-300,000.

-That's it.

Well, it's a good budget for Herefordshire and we've got some

fantastic properties to show you, so are you excited, ready to get going?

-Absolutely.

-Very excited, yes. Really looking forward to this.

-Let's get started.

-OK.

-Good.

For a top budget of £300,000, Les and Ian are looking for...

Then, outside, they're after half an acre of grounds

to fulfil their ambitions of gardening and self-sufficiency.

We have a variety of wonderful homes lined up,

but I'll keep our buyers guessing as to the price of each one

until the end of the tour.

And to finish off our property hunt,

we'll be presenting the mystery house,

where they may have to scale back their grand garden plans outside,

but which promises grandiose character inside.

It's quite exciting, I guess, because am I right that this is

the first home that the two of you have chosen together?

-It is.

-How does that feel for both of you?

It feels great. It feels a real natural thing to do.

Because the house we're in at the moment,

I bought that originally and then Ian moved on.

So, yeah, it feels great.

We can really put our roots down, that's the exciting thing.

-So this is the for ever house, is it?

-It is.

-It is.

-It is.

For the first property on our tour,

we're driving up to the north of the county

and heading for the quiet hamlet of Ivington Green,

just a ten-minute drive from Leominster.

Known as the Town in the Marches,

the black-and-white-timbered market town of Leominster

has a fine selection of facilities both essential and luxury,

including a butcher's, a grocer's, cafes and boutiques.

So Ian and Les wouldn't be too far from civilisation,

but far enough to really escape the hustle and bustle

and find some serious peace and tranquillity back in Ivington Green.

And it's here that we find our first house,

with a lovely outlook across agricultural fields

and walking trails right on the doorstep.

-So, this is our property.

-Oh! It's very nice.

-Yeah.

-It sits quite nicely. Nice location.

-Yeah, beautiful views.

Fantastic views.

It's quiet, but not too far away from anywhere,

so, no, I think it looks really good.

-Nice extension.

-Yeah, what about the style of the property?

What do you think of that?

I'm not too enamoured on conservatories,

to be perfectly honest, but, you know,

-we'll wait till we get in and see it.

-Of course, yeah.

-Let's take a look.

-OK, I'm looking forward to this.

Originally a two-up, two-down Victorian cottage,

this detached home is a much-evolved property

that still retains its traditional charm.

It was considerably extended in the late 1980s,

with a further addition of a conservatory just four years ago.

Our first stop inside is the main reception room.

So, we come through the little porch

and straight into this cosy, snug living room.

You can see the original Victorian fireplace

and it's got the old bread oven in the corner.

-Oh, wow!

-It's lovely. That is lovely.

It's a real feature of the room, isn't it?

I love the fireplace.

-That's really nice.

-I love the tiles.

-And how about this for size?

-What do you think of the size of this room?

-It's quite small.

-Would this be your main living room?

-This is the main living area, yeah.

Right, OK. It is a bit on the snug side.

It's a character property, it's an old Victorian property,

-it's a cottage.

-Yeah.

-And with all of those things often comes smaller-sized rooms.

-Yes.

Let's go through, cos I think the kitchen is a really good size.

-So let's wander through and take a look at that.

-Yes.

-OK.

Follow me through here

-into the modern part of the house.

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

Yeah, this was the extension that was added on in the '80s.

-Right.

-This is a big room. This is good. Yeah, I like this.

-Again, a nice floor.

-Nice tiles again.

Yeah, it's a modern take on what you've got in the other room.

Yeah, yeah.

You've got a utility room just off it, with the back door

that leads out into the garden, so you can use that as a boot room,

washing machines, everything in there,

-keep it all out of sight, which is good.

-Yes.

What about the space and the style of this room?

Yes, I love the kitchen units. I think they're really nice.

No, I like this. I like this room a lot.

Let's just wander through to the conservatory,

-cos I've got an idea to run by you both.

-OK.

-OK.

-Amazing views!

-Yes.

-Oh, wow!

You could turn this into something more substantial.

So you could effectively turn this into an extension that could

become your main living area and I think it really could give you

-the opportunity to put your stamp on it.

-Yes, yes.

I think it would, or maybe something slightly bigger,

but it's certainly an improvement on the other room, I would say.

What do you think of the prospect of taking on an extension

and a bigger project? Does that faze either of you?

No, not really, does it? We already expected to have to do some work.

-Yeah.

-So, that wouldn't faze us at all.

That completes all there is to see on the ground floor

of this cottage, and although open to the possibility of a project,

it seems that space is a real issue.

But upstairs, there are the three bedrooms they requested,

all of which are served by a four-piece family bathroom.

A double bedroom, presented as a single,

has an exposed brick feature wall.

The smallest room upstairs is being used as a study

and that just leaves the final dual-aspect bedroom.

-And into the master bedroom, the largest of the three.

-Right.

Again, in the new part of the house.

And fitted wardrobes, I notice, which is...

Oh, yeah, that's always handy.

It's not a big room, but it's big enough for our purposes.

-It is, yeah, it is.

-It's just not grabbing me completely yet.

OK, well, I know the outside - the garden, the views -

matter to you, and that's definitely a very strong point about this house

so shall we go and explore outside?

-Absolutely.

-Thanks.

Fortunately, the home really opens up

when it comes to the grounds outside and so should provide Ian and Les

with plenty of options for growing fruit and veg.

Spread over about a quarter of an acre,

the garden has been zoned and partitioned,

with low box hedging and shrubs.

There's also paved seating areas.

And then, of course, there's the pizza oven

that the current owner built, which is fantastic.

Yes, unusual, isn't it?

-Are you pizza fans, the pair of you?

-Very much so, yes.

We will be more now.

So, the garden - is it the kind of size you had in mind?

For me, yes, it is. I think it's really manageable.

I would definitely redesign part of it,

but, yeah, I think this is great.

This is just the sort of size I was kind of thinking of, really.

Yeah, I agree with that, really. It's not too big, not overwhelming.

So, what do you think this house is on the market for?

-Who would like to go first?

-I'll go first.

-OK.

Erm, I would say about 275.

-And Ian?

-I'll go a little lower, I think.

-265, I'm going to say.

-OK.

Well, Ian, Les...

-you're both wrong, I'm afraid.

-How unusual!

It's under budget, and it's under budget quite substantially.

-It's on the market for £250,000.

-Is it?

-Really?

-It is.

-Oh, right.

-Gosh!

Well, that's a surprise.

-It's certainly something to think about, I think.

-Yeah, definitely.

Well, why don't you go back inside,

take another look around? Now you've got the price in mind,

see where perhaps you might spend what you'd have left in the budget

and come and find me when you're ready.

-OK.

-Thank you very much.

Under budget by £50,000, our first property...

The house is set in a peaceful location -

neighbouring farmland at the edge of a pretty hamlet.

-This is quite a nice space.

-This is the guest room, then, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yeah. That's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah, that wall is good.

Yeah, that's unusual.

-And that window's quirky, isn't it?

-Oh, yeah. Yeah.

-I like that.

I certainly think we would have to spend a bit of time

thinking about the house, whether it would be the right one for us.

I'm really glad we've seen it. Obviously, the views are fabulous.

But not quite sure whether it's what we're looking for at the moment.

I feel this house might not be for us.

I think it's a bit on the small side. Everything else is fine.

Location, everything else is good.

I just think it's a bit too small for us.

-Time, gentlemen, please! Come on, now!

-Hello!

-Seen enough?

-Yes, thank you. It's been good.

-And thoughts?

-Yeah, I think it's definitely food for thought.

-Yeah, definitely.

Yeah, a little more time to think about it.

-Food for thought's good, cos we've got more to see.

-Lovely.

Those views, though, hey?

-Those views...

-Beautiful views.

When they make their move to Herefordshire,

Les and Ian want to make the most of their new surroundings,

exploring the great outdoors,

which is something that Paul Morton embraced

when he and his wife bought 38 acres of woodland

in the village of Ullingswick six years ago.

They try to live a low-impact lifestyle within the woods

and also use the land to make a living.

We arranged for our buyers to visit their coppice woodland

to find out more.

What is coppicing and how did you get into it?

Well, coppicing, simply, is to cut a tree down and allow it to grow.

Once we've cut them,

a coppice worker will then add value to that produce by turning it

into various products like bean rods, pea sticks, hurdles.

Me getting into it was a need for a change of lifestyle

and career, really. I love working outdoors.

I love working with hand tools. Every day is different.

So, conservation and wildlife is also part of why I do this job.

For me, it's the perfect job.

We're trying to have a sort of zero-waste policy,

so that means trying to add value to all the brush as well.

We also found this product, pimps.

Instead of burning it and letting it rot,

this product is ideal for adding value.

So, Paul, what are pimps? I've never heard of them before.

Well, pimps is a traditional handmade form of kindling.

-And if you follow me, we'll harvest them today.

-OK.

This time of year is perfect for harvesting kindling,

and Paul usually starts coppicing,

which provides him with his raw material,

from October through to the end of February.

How do you know when it's ready for coppicing, Paul?

For pimps, the younger the better.

But pimps are just a minor product that we make.

It's the hazel which takes charge of when we cut it.

So when we cut the hazel and a few other products,

we also harvest the birch at the same time.

But the younger the better.

The side branches are trimmed away

using an edged tool called a billhook.

This will make a nice hedge stake.

And after the lengths for the principal products

have been selected, the smaller excess branches

and shoots are then collected.

These will provide the kindling,

but only once they've been seasoned for the best part of a year

to dry out can they be turned into pimps.

And the pimp-making is done in Paul's timber-framed workshop.

This is the birch harvested last year.

It's been down about ten months.

But the longer the better you can season it, the drier it will be.

A couple of handfuls of kindling are cut to size - about ten inches -

with a small axe and then put into a woodman's vice to clamp the birch,

which frees up the hands to securely fasten the bundle with string.

And what's the wood, this wood that you've got on the base?

Well, that's what you put in first with the string,

so the string goes in first and these bits of hazel are slightly

larger pieces of wood and that'll just help the fire get going.

-Oh, right.

-OK.

It takes 25 small bundles to make a pimp, so Ian and Les have got

-a lot of chopping and prepping to do.

-That's it.

Pimps were traditionally transported to London during the Victorian era

and it's thought that the name came from the essential role

the kindling plays as a kind of agent between the coal and the fire.

Ease it down.

It typically takes Paul about an hour to make 25 bundles,

so Paul and Les need to pick up the pace.

-Once the last one has been tied...

-That's it.

..the next step is to fasten all 25 together with string

to create a complete pimp.

-That's your finished bundle.

-Wow!

And how many fires could this light, this bundle?

Well, there's 25 bundles within that.

Erm, each one can be broken up.

You can get two out of each so there's 50, 60,

-70 fires easily, really.

-Right.

That should be enough kindling to keep our couple going

through the winter, but with the amount of fireplaces on offer

in our next property, they might need to head back here

for another pimp before the season is over.

We're on the road, travelling down to the south of the county

to the small village of Pontrilas.

Local amenities include a post office

and a 400-year-old pub, and neighbouring properties

include a Grade I listed estate at Kentchurch Court,

a stately home situated in 5,000 acres

of prime Herefordshire countryside.

Now, Ian and Les were both concerned about the apparent lack of space

in our first house so we've really upped the ante and are giving them

an extra 700 square feet of property with this one.

So, this is the property I wanted to show you.

-Ooh, it looks big.

-Substantial.

It is big and that's one of the reasons I wanted to show it to you

because I know you've got a lot of friends

who will be coming to stay,

you'll be entertaining, and it gives you the space to be able to do that.

-Yeah, very interesting.

-Excited.

-OK.

-Yeah, it's very attractive.

It's an Edwardian property, built turn of the 19th century

and it's got a lot of character going on inside,

so I think we should head straight inside

cos my only worry, really, about this property is -

is it going to be too big for you?

-Oh, OK, good.

-Good.

First impressions are extremely encouraging

and they'll be even more excited to learn

that this property has not one but three reception rooms.

Through a porch is a large entrance hall,

off which there are the two front reception rooms,

one a more snug sitting room and, on the other side, a dining room.

Then the main living room lies at the back,

with patio doors onto the garden.

You may have two good-sized rooms at the front,

-but you've also got them... Ah! Here!

-I didn't expect that.

-This is very nice, isn't it?

-That's fantastic. That's such a surprise.

-It is.

-I didn't expect that at all. That fireplace is amazing.

That's really good.

So, Ian, what do you think of the proportions of the room?

Yes, I really like it.

The high ceilings, the spaciousness of it all. And it's very light.

So, this is your big living room.

You've also got a cosy sitting room there at the front

-and a dining space as well down here with a good-sized dining room.

-Yes.

So, how does that feel for rooms?

Well, that's a lot more than we expected

and a lot more than you would think from looking at the house.

I didn't expect to find this at the back, so this is a real bonus,

and it's a big room.

The final room down here is the kitchen/breakfast room

that lies just next door.

-Oh, wow!

-My goodness!

-Oh, I love a wow!

-Well, you got a wow.

-My God, it's huge!

-It is.

Again, you've got original cupboards over there.

You've got a range and it's a real country kitchen,

-with room for a table.

-It's fantastic.

We can sit and eat in here and entertain in the formal dining room.

-There's plenty of space for everything, isn't there?

-There is.

-This is great.

-I love the original cupboards.

-Beautiful.

-Yeah!

Just behind us there,

you've got a utility room and also a downstairs bathroom, which is handy.

-Perfect.

-Yes, very nice.

-And it all flows just really well, doesn't it?

I love the style of it. This is very much the stuff we like, isn't it?

-Victorian, Edwardian, that type of thing, you know.

-You're smiling.

-I am!

-And you're smiling!

-He's smiling.

-That's great.

-Two smiles.

A joint seal of approval for the ground floor, and there's more

to keep those smiles on their faces as we head upstairs.

There are four bedrooms on offer, one more than they asked for,

and they all make use of a contemporary family bathroom.

Each of the bedrooms is a good-sized double and every one comes

with an original feature fireplace.

A pale-blue room is presented with a single bed,

while another is made up as a home office.

And this is the master bedroom.

-Oh, very nice!

-Oh, wow!

-Another wow!

-Another wow!

-Yes, and another fireplace.

-Yeah.

-Lovely.

Again, typical of the era, aren't they?

Very big rooms, nicely proportioned rooms.

Yeah, I'm very excited about it, really.

Very impressive, very impressive. Very big.

-Yeah.

-But you know, guys, you might not want this

to be the master bedroom

and you definitely have options in this house. Just follow me.

Because this one is definitely big enough.

-Oh, yes, this is a nice room.

-OK?

-Double aspect as well.

Yeah, definitely.

Although the large internal footprint gives great options

within the walls, the possibilities are more limited outside.

And when it comes to the plot size, well, it's not so spacious.

Set just off the road, there's no front garden to speak of,

but at the back, there's a secluded gravelled area with enough room

for a table and chairs as well as an ornamental pond.

So, guys, the house has more space than you imagined,

the garden isn't quite as large as you probably hoped.

This is what you get.

The garden is small, isn't it?

It is, it is. But I think you can do things with it.

Yeah, there's potential.

I think there's things you could change to make it

a more sort of cottagey-style garden,

so I don't think it's a deal-breaker.

So, potentially, this would be OK?

Yes, cos we do realise we've got to compromise somewhere

-and we're happy to do that.

-Yep.

So, let's guess the price, my favourite bit.

-Who wants to go first this time?

-Ian, do you want to go first?

OK, I'll go first this time.

Well, it's a beautiful house so I think it's going to be

near the top of our budget, so I'm going to say 295.

So, just under your £300,000 budget. Les?

I think it's even closer.

-Do you?

-Yeah, I do, so I'm going to say 299,950.

-299,950, OK.

It's on the market for £240,000.

-Really?

-Really.

-What?!

-Goodness!

-I love that reaction!

-240?

We can tell the vendor to put it on for a bit more, if you like.

-No, no, no, please.

-You're fine, you're fine.

-You have read that right?

-Yeah, it's £240,000.

-OK.

It's not been on the market long.

-Right.

-It's only been on the market for a short time.

-Right.

-It's a good house.

-Right.

-Um...

-And offers you a lot of space.

-Right!

-It certainly does that.

And it gives you money left over in your budget as well, which is

always a good thing, that doesn't happen often, let's face it,

-when we're buying houses.

-Yeah! Wow.

Now, with that in mind, go back in, take a look around,

take your time and I'll come and find you.

-I think you might be some time.

-I think we will!

-Thank you.

-See you later.

-Brilliant.

Well, that was a really positive reaction.

And the reaction they've had to this house proves one thing that

I always believed to be true - the things that you think matter

in a house go completely out of the window

when it just feels right inside.

Hugely under budget by some £60,000,

this traditional Edwardian property comes with...

It's absolutely chock-full of period features

and has a compact gravelled garden.

This house, yeah, it's very much my sort of taste, really.

Large rooms, there's a lot of original features, high ceilings,

lots of space and the fireplaces in every room is an absolute bonus.

I love that. It really gives it character.

I really like this house. I think it'd be a great house.

I can see us living in it quite comfortably.

There's not much I would change.

The garden is smaller than we would have perhaps liked,

but we can work with that, really.

I think it looks the part and it looks like a proper Edwardian house.

So, yeah, I really like it. I like it a lot.

You took your time!

Well, no surprise, it's so huge - lots to see.

There's a lot to see there

-and we've still got more to see, so come on.

-OK.

It's the second day of our property search

and with semi-retirement on the cards,

our buyers Ian and Les have a £300,000 budget

to spend on their move away from the busy suburbs

of Brighton, West Sussex, into the wonderful Herefordshire countryside.

Still to come, we have the mystery house to unveil,

which might be a perfect match for our couple.

This is exactly what we were thinking about

when we were talking about moving -

something a bit unusual, something a bit different.

And I'll be finding out how small-scale drinks production

is being brought to the masses with some age-old hard graft.

Just give them a shake.

You need muscles, don't you?

It's the start of our second day's house-hunting here in Herefordshire,

and one thing became clear yesterday -

our couple are prepared to compromise,

particularly when it comes to outside space,

which is just as well, because the mystery house offers them

all the space and character they're after in the heart of a village,

but you don't need green fingers to live there.

But first, we're off to take Les and Ian for a spot of border-hopping.

Our first port of call this morning takes us just out of

Herefordshire and into the Welsh county of Powys.

The property we're driving to is in the village of Norton,

which is located just a couple of miles from Presteigne.

Surrounded by beautiful, unspoiled border countryside,

Presteigne is a small town, but with a large range of independent shops,

restaurants and pubs, many housed in attractive historic architecture.

And we're stepping back in time with our next property -

back to the 18th century, when it's believed that this rendered

stone cottage in Norton was built.

Our couple, Les and Ian, may be prepared to make concessions

on their initial vision for the outdoor space, but we're about

to find out if they share that same vision when it comes to the inside.

So, here we have an 18th-century,

three-bedroom detached property and it has a lot of potential

for the two of you to really put your stamp on it.

-We're always up for a project, aren't we?

-Yes, we like a challenge.

-Yes. That sounds good.

-OK.

I do like the fact that there seems, from here, to be

-plenty of space either side of the property.

-Yes.

Now, I need you to let your imaginations run wild,

I need you to be visionary, cos we're going to go

and take a look inside, cos I think

this is quite an exciting property, that offers a lot of scope

to do something really interesting with it.

-That'd be good.

-I look forward to it.

The charming exterior is drawing our buyers in

and a Victorian iron gate leads up to the front door.

So, let's come straight in.

I'm going to move you right through quickly into the living room,

because I think this is where the wow factor of the house is.

How about that for a fireplace?

-That's a lovely fireplace.

-That's a big fireplace.

Considering that takes up so much room, I think

-there's still a fair bit of room left.

-Yeah, I agree.

It's a...nice-shaped room, yeah. I like it.

Can you see potential in here?

I mean, can you imagine what you could do to put your own mark on it?

-I can. Yeah.

-Yes.

Now, I think the real potential here in the house lies in the kitchen,

cos that's where you could create something quite interesting,

so let's go and investigate. Come on, follow me.

To the far end of this main living room is a light, bright area,

which could make a good study, with storage and a window seat.

This then flows into a long conservatory, spanning

the entire width of the property

and overlooking the back garden.

In the front entrance hall lies the staircase, which rises to the

first floor, and also a doorway, which takes us into a dining room.

And what I would do, if you could get the planning permission,

is open all of this up.

Take the walls out, really create a big space, and then through here,

in the kitchen at the back,

I'd put an extension on.

Lovely skylights, so you'd have views out over onto the garden.

-Yes.

-So you'd create one really big kitchen/dining space.

-Yeah.

Can you see the potential?

Do you know where I'm coming from on this one?

Oh, yeah, I can see it. It's too many rooms.

-It needs it to be knocked into one.

-Yeah.

-Big project.

-Yes, huge project, but...

-But, yeah.

I can definitely see it.

It's fair to say that this cottage needs modernising.

A little TLC and a lot of vision will bring it

into the 21st century,

but it has good bones, with lots of historic features

and fairly generous dimensions downstairs.

It is smaller on the first floor,

but there are still the three desired bedrooms -

one is a single room and the other two are cosy doubles.

-Again, lots of character up here.

-Right.

It'll need your own stamp putting on it,

-it all needs a little bit of updating.

-Yes.

-Quite high ceilings for a cottage, though.

-They are, yes. That is true.

-It is a bit small for us.

-It is, yeah.

-And overlooks the road, so...

This would probably be the occasional one, I'd say.

It strikes me that you don't see the potential upstairs in the same

way that you did downstairs.

No, I think downstairs you can play around with,

-up here, it's a bit more difficult to configure.

-I agree, yes.

Well, let's head out to the garden and see

if a look at the garden and the price may convince you that,

-actually, this could be worth considering.

-OK.

-Come on.

The cottage sits comfortably in its plot, surrounded by private,

well-tended gardens.

At the end of a long driveway is a garage

and there are a number of outbuildings. With great views

over the beautiful countryside and neighbouring fields,

the gardens quite literally give a taste of country living, as the

last of the harvest is still hanging temptingly on the fruit bushes.

Rolling hills, sheep,

-you've got countryside walks right on the doorstep.

-Beautiful.

I still struggle with the amount of work involved, I think

that's going to be a bit beyond us, I think.

OK, well, let's see if the price can sway you.

I'm going to go in pretty low. I'm going to say 225.

-Ian?

-That's an interesting price.

-Thanks!

I think I will go...

-215.

-Oof!

-215? OK.

So you're both going low today.

Going very low.

It IS under budget, but not by as much as either of you have said,

-cos it's on the market for £240,000.

-OK.

Even with that price reduction, it still wouldn't work for us,

-I'm afraid.

-Of course, I can tell that this house isn't grabbing

both of you, but still, go inside, take another look around,

-and come and find me when you've seen enough.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Yet again under budget,

this stone cottage has bags of character

and could present a potential project for our buyers,

but in its present state comes with

two separate reception rooms,

including a large living room,

a conservatory, three bedrooms

and a large, mature garden.

The style of the house is very cottage-y,

which is something we like.

Love the fireplace. I could see the potential of opening that up

and having a wood-burning stove there, or something like that.

In the cottage, there's a lot of nice features,

a lot of things you would keep.

It's got a great garden, great views, great features,

but I don't think it's for us.

I think this would be a bit too much of a project for Les

and I, to be honest.

So we can see the potential, there's a lot of work to do,

but I think a bit too much for us.

-Hello, you two.

-Hiya.

-Hello, Ginny.

Time for us to move on, because it's time to see the mystery house.

-Looking forward to that.

-Great.

A defining characteristic of the Herefordshire landscape

has to be its orchards.

Once described as a forest of fruit trees,

this region has a proud history of cider

and perry production that dates back to the 17th century.

Today, over 1 billion Herefordshire apples are needed to meet

demand for the cider industry on a commercial level.

But at the domestic end, many of our home-grown apples are wasted

and left to rot, so local resident Deborah Davies

has come up with a way of using up all the fruit

you may have cultivated in your back garden.

I've come to her home in the village of Putley to find out more.

-Hi, Deborah!

-Hello, Ginny, nice to meet you.

-Good to meet you, too.

Now, I've brought you some apples.

My apple tree at home has had so many this year

-and I've run out of ideas for what to do with them.

-Excellent.

-I think you might have a solution for me?

-I do.

Lots of people have one or two trees in their garden

and the same thing as you explain, they just fall on the ground

and rot, so what we have set up is a little pressing service

for small volumes of fruit,

where we can turn your apples into cider and apple juice.

So people like me, who are just fed up of making chutney

-and apple pies, have an alternative.

-You certainly do!

So can any kind of apple be brought along here to you, anything at all?

Traditionally, cider is made with cider apples, it has

the tannins, you tend to not be able to eat those apples on their own.

But you can make cider from dessert apples as well.

Well, here's a selection of some of mine.

Some of them are windfall, some I picked.

Are the windfalls OK as well?

Windfalls are fine to use,

-but you need good fruit to make a good cider.

-OK.

So we would reject any apples like this one that has got mould

and the reason is, that could give taint to the actual cider you make,

so we would reject those.

But the other apples you have, they would be fine to use.

On their own, my batch isn't enough to make a sufficient pressing,

so we're going to pick a few more from Deborah's orchard to bulk

up my basket. So, how are we looking, Deborah?

I think we have enough apples here. Let's get them over to the press.

Lovely.

The prime motivation for starting the press was to encourage

locals to safeguard the original Herefordshire species,

now mostly found in residential gardens,

the feeling being that by helping people to maximise

the yield of the apple crop,

the more likely they'll be to tend,

prune and graft their trees,

which should in turn preserve them for the future

and so protect the heritage varieties.

Deborah's partner Nigel is already sorting

and cleaning apples for the next pressing batch.

-What, mix all the different varieties in?

-Yes.

OK, so that's unusual. I would have thought you'd have used

one variety of apple to produce cider from, but that's not the case?

It makes a much more full, rounded juice and cider

if you use different varieties.

It takes about 50kg to make 25 litres of juice.

OK, so the apples are washed, they're ready to go.

How many buckets of these are we going to need?

Probably another five or ten.

Let's do this one. Fill this one up, lovely.

Shake...

Gosh, you need muscles, don't you?

Next up, we slowly and steadily transfer the apples to the scratter,

which mashes the fruit into a pulp.

The next stage is to shovel these scratted apples, the pulp,

into the press and we're then going to put a number of shovelfuls

-in each cloth, fold the cloths over to create cheeses...

-OK.

Cheeses, as per cheese-making, you squeeze the juice

out of the cheese, it's the same principle with cider.

You make a cheese and squeeze the juice out of it.

With gloves on,

we then place shovels of apple pulp into the cloth cheeses.

You can see it's coming through quickly already, isn't it?

Just from the weight of the fruit.

The cheeses are stacked neatly on top of each other and then

they're topped with a heavy, sturdy block,

which will evenly distribute the weight across the press.

-Would you like to come up and have a go on the press?

-I'd love to.

Right, if you come in here, where I am...

Simply pull the handle towards you.

Now lift very gently and push back

and watch the peg drop into the next hole and pull again.

How do you know when it's done?

Because you can't squeeze it any further.

-We've got a long way to go yet!

-OK!

Once all the juice has been extracted,

the pulp scraps are given to

a local farmer who feeds it to his rare-breed pigs

and that leaves the fresh apple liquid, which is bottled

and left to ferment for six months before it becomes cider.

But I can't wait that long and after all that work, I've

definitely built up a thirst,

so Deborah has a glass for me to sample.

Wow, that's not what I was expecting at all.

It's not as sweet as a lot of the commercial varieties,

that's what I like about it.

It tastes really like apples.

All of the sugar will be fermented to alcohol,

so it's completely dry, but it is bottle conditioned,

so we've got a little bit of yeast giving it a fizz.

-Just got to wait six months to try mine!

-You do!

-Can't wait!

What a treat on a sunny autumn day,

to make and taste the local nectar in a county where

fruit production is woven into the fabric of its economy and culture.

-So, you two, we're off to see the

-mystery house. Very exciting.

It is very exciting.

What do you think I've got lined up for you,

what are you expecting to see?

I think it's probably something that's going to be

a conversion of a pub or chapel or something unusual.

Yes. Semirural, maybe not semirural.

Bring it on now, really. I don't want to wait much longer.

We'd better get off to the mystery house, then, hadn't we?

-Absolutely!

-Be very quick!

Our last property stop is again down south in Ewyas Harold,

right near the border of England and Wales.

Before we get to the mystery house, I want to show Les and Ian

all that's on offer in this pretty local village that serves it.

Well, we're in the village of Ewyas Harold,

in south-west Herefordshire. Do you know the area?

Yes, we're pretty familiar with it.

Oh, how do you know it? Do tell all, come on.

Well, we've got friends that live very close by,

-so we definitely know it.

-And do you like it?

Oh, very much. It's a lovely little village, yes.

It's a really popular village, not least because it's so pretty,

but also, it's got just about everything you need,

which is why I really wanted to show it to you.

There's a fantastic butcher's, they cure their own bacon in there.

-Great!

-Lovely.

-There's a village shop and post office that

has everything you need and then some. A couple of really good pubs.

There's also an amazing fish and chip shop.

-That sounds good!

-Are you ready to go and see the mystery house?

-We are!

-We are.

-Come on, then, follow me. Right this way.

-OK.

Because the mystery house is literally on your doorstep.

-Oh, right!

-Good heavens! Good grief.

-That was a long walk!

-Goodness me.

-Oh, right. Wow.

So, if you need your bacon from the butcher's, it's just over there.

When you run out of anything else, the shop's there.

-I love the look of it.

-I do.

-I think it looks great.

It's a detached stone property, dates back to the early 1800s,

-and it's a barn conversion.

-Ah!

And the mystery isn't just the location here in the village.

-There isn't a garden with this property.

-Right.

-No garden at all?

No. That's your compromise.

-There's a tiny little courtyard garden, that's all.

-OK.

-OK?

-Yes.

-I'm excited about this one.

-So am I.

-It looks great.

-I can't wait to see it now.

-Yes, definitely.

Right in the heart of the community

of this classic Herefordshire village,

our early-19th-century detached mystery property

has great appeal and presence from the road,

and I'm keen to find out whether our buyers will like what lies beyond.

Formed from the conversion of two stone barns, it has double gables,

an integral garage, and a robust wooden front door.

So, we're straight into this fantastic,

-cosy kitchen-dining space.

-Oh, wow!

-You can really see the history of the barn, can't you?

-Wow.

-Wow, this is great.

-Do you like it?

-I do.

-Very much.

-Very much.

-This is exactly what you like as well, isn't it?

-Yes.

Excuse me, guys. Sorry.

-No!

-It's just really nice.

-Is it?

-Has it just got you somewhere?

-Yeah.

-You all right?

-Yes, I'm fine, but it's just so lovely.

It's just what we're looking for, really, isn't it?

It is, this is exactly what we wanted.

I love the stone walls and the beams. The thickness of the walls.

-The feel of it.

-It's a real country thing, isn't it,

-coming into the kitchen?

-Yes.

-I like that.

-It's great.

-This is lovely.

-Well, we're off to a good start.

-Absolutely.

-Let's carry on.

-OK.

-Well, if it's character and space you're after, how about this?

-Wow.

-Crikey, this is lovely.

-Oh, my God, this is great.

-This is really beautiful.

-A minstrel's gallery!

-Isn't it lovely?

-Wow.

-This is fantastic.

-It's really lovely.

-And so bright.

-I was going to say how light it is.

-Isn't it?

-I love those windows.

-Yes.

-Beautiful.

-You can really see in here that it was two barns.

-You can see the high ceilings, all the detailing.

-Yes.

It is all there, isn't it?

Les, no tears from you,

but you do seem quite emotional in your reaction to it.

Yes, I'll cry in private, don't worry!

Provoking high and hidden emotions, there's no doubt

that the mystery property is having a positive impact.

And the proportions are certainly impressive, too.

As well as the kitchen-breakfast room and large living room, the

ground floor also features a study,

which is accessed via a dining room.

This separate dining area could be a great space for formal occasions,

when hosting all the guests our couple plan on entertaining.

The study behind it has original exposed brickwork,

and offers privacy and quiet.

When it comes to storage solutions,

there's also a utility room to hide away the white goods,

as well as the large garage with double timber doors to the front.

This is exactly what we were thinking about

when we were talking about moving.

-Something a bit unusual, something a bit different.

-Yeah.

-It's great.

-Yes, and even the colours are just so lovely.

-Yes.

It's bright, it's really bright.

What I haven't told you is that upstairs you've got plenty of space

-as well - you've got four bedrooms.

-Four bedrooms?!

-Yes.

-Let's go and decide which one could be the master suite.

-OK.

Upstairs, off a grand galleried landing,

there are two bedrooms at the rear of the property.

Then the other two have aspects to the front and include the largest

double, as well as a smaller room, currently used for craft and sewing.

Then at the back, a third bedroom is presented as a dressing room,

next to which is another pleasantly decorated double.

I'm bringing you into this one.

It's not currently used as the master bedroom.

It's not the largest,

-but I just think there's something really pretty about it.

-It is.

-It's really sweet, isn't it?

-It's very light.

-If you just take a look behind you, I love that.

-Oh, yes.

-Yes, the beams.

-Beautiful.

-Yes.

There's a smaller bedroom being used as a dressing room

right next door, and you've got a shower room next door,

so you've almost got a little self-contained suite here.

-You have.

-Yes.

There's the other bathroom,

-for when you've got visitors that come to stay.

-Right.

This is great.

This is a lovely room, and it's a good size.

Let's explore the other bedrooms,

-and you can decide which one you fancy.

-OK.

There's options with four.

So, everywhere you look up here is just another beautiful feature.

-It's gorgeous.

-Yes, I love this, Les.

This is the room currently used as the master bedroom.

Again, it's got the beautiful features, the original beams.

-Yes, lovely.

-It's a nice atmosphere.

-Yes?

-Are you smiling?

-I am.

-Oh, absolutely.

-OK.

Both Ian and Les are quite clearly bowled over

by everything within the chunky, historic walls

of this striking mystery property.

And this is normally the point where I would say, "Let's explore

"the garden outside," but there really isn't that much to consider.

What we do have, however, is a pretty,

intimate and sunny south-facing courtyard.

So, here we are.

Straight out into a compact little courtyard.

I did say there was the mystery, and this is the mystery.

It's very private, though. It feels very private.

It is, yes. It is.

And it's small.

You know, we saw a small one yesterday as well,

-and we were prepared to comprise on that.

-Yes.

I think we could live with it.

So, how are you both feeling at this point? Les?

I'm feeling fearful that it's going to be over our budget.

But I'm hoping it won't be.

What do you think this is on the market for?

I think it's going to be very near the top of our budget,

so I'm going to say £295,000.

-OK.

-OK. I'm going to say a very hopeful £285,000.

-Ian, you are bang-on. It's on the market for £295,000.

-Is it?

-Yes.

-My goodness. Look at that, I got it right!

-Well done!

But, more importantly, it is within your budget.

How do you feel now?

-That's great. I was convinced it would be over.

-Yes, I was too.

-Definitely.

-Very excited.

-That's fantastic.

-Would you like to go and look around again?

-We'd love to.

-I think we should.

-Go on, then, take your time.

-Thank you.

Come and find me when you're ready.

This is fantastic.

They've gone from hoping for half an acre

to being happy with a pretty little patio.

It just shows, if the house is right, that's all that matters.

On the market for offers around £295,000, the mystery property

is a detached stone barn conversion

with roots in the early 1800s.

As such, it's laden with

historic gems and character.

It comes with four bedrooms, a kitchen-diner and three reception

rooms, and although limited

on outdoor space, the property is very well connected for local

amenities, being smack bang in the middle of a desirable village.

-A dressing room.

-It's something we've never had before.

Exactly, no. And something worth keeping, I think.

And you've still got three bedrooms.

-Yeah.

-So, you know, you could afford to lose one.

-Absolutely.

I'm very excited by this house,

and it's certainly a very strong contender.

I know we didn't ask for a dining room, Les,

but this is a lovely room, isn't it?

Yes, you wouldn't change this. It just lends itself to it.

-It does. Can you imagine formal dinner parties in here?

-Yes.

-The best thing is the study.

-I know, isn't that lovely?

That's fantastic. We're definitely excited about this house, yes.

There's no doubt about that.

As I say, it really got us thinking from when we saw it first,

this is the unique, ideal kind of house for us,

so we're definitely going to give it some serious thought.

-Big smiles.

-Yes.

-And lots for you to take in.

-Absolutely.

-Lots.

-That's all the houses seen.

-OK.

-Now it's time to do some thinking and then some talking.

-OK.

Two properties have really struck a chord with Les and Ian.

Now they've had time to reflect,

I wonder if they'll still feel the same about them.

Hello, you two.

-Hi!

-Hello, Ginny.

Wow. Sadly, the end of our house-hunt here in Herefordshire.

And I think that two properties have stood out for the two of you.

-Would that be fair to say?

-I think that's very fair to say, yes.

So, come on, talk me through them.

Well, the Edwardian house we saw, we really liked that,

which compromised on the garden, obviously.

But the house itself really fulfilled

everything we were looking for, didn't it?

Yes, it had lovely spacious rooms,

plenty of them. We did like that.

-And then there was the mystery house.

-And then the mystery house.

The mystery house. Well, it was a mystery.

A real surprise, actually.

Lovely village, lovely location,

and we were taken aback with the size of the house

when we walked into it.

I really loved the rooms, lots of original features.

Yes, we were very taken by that, weren't we?

Yeah, and really surprised to hear it was a barn conversion,

as it didn't look like a barn conversion,

and that, to me, is an advantage. I really liked it, it was great,

it gave us more than we'd asked for again.

Again, a compromise on the garden,

but that wouldn't be the end of the world for us.

So, is there a "what next?" with either of those two properties?

I think the one that stands out, really, is the mystery house.

Yes, definitely.

Definitely, so that'd be the more likely one that we'd see again.

That had a really strong reaction, particularly with you, Ian.

-It did, yes.

-And actually, Les,

you commented as well on how atmospheric it felt...

Absolutely, yes. It just struck you when you walked in.

-It was great.

-And there was a great warmth about it,

not just because the heating was on, there was a genuine warmth.

-It was a much-loved house. That's what came across.

-Yes, definitely.

And beautifully furnished, beautifully decorated.

-So that's more likely.

-So, would you say after our house-hunting

here in Herefordshire that you're drawn more

to remote, country properties,

or properties that are a bit closer to a village,

a bit more in the thick of it all?

-I think it's more in the villages, isn't it?

-Yes.

We like to have facilities quite nearby.

So I think that's been more sort of reinforced by

this whole exercise really, hasn't it?

Yes, I think that's true. We didn't want to be too remote,

but being on the edge of the village gives you

the chance to go out in the country if you want to, but you've also got

-the amenities, as you say, on your doorstep.

-Yes, on hand.

You want to escape to the country, but you're not ready to

leave all the bright lights behind yet. You want a few glowing there!

Not in the MIDDLE of the country.

But is Herefordshire the county for you, is this where you want to be?

-Definitely. For me.

-Yes, and I think,

certainly in the few days we've been here,

travelling through the countryside, we've covered a few miles

and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the countryside. It's been so beautiful

this time of the year, with the leaves changing colour,

so it's really reinforced for us both, really, hasn't it,

-how much we want to move here.

-Yep, definitely.

-And the sooner, the better.

-Yep.

-You'll have to make sure you tell us.

-Oh, of course we will.

We definitely will.

Well, I love Herefordshire, I think it's a beautiful county,

and I can completely see the two of you making it home.

I hope it's in the mystery house, but wherever it is,

be very happy here.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you very much, Ginny.

It's the end of our house search here in Herefordshire,

and it's wonderful that Les and Ian have found two properties

that they can imagine living in.

Whilst they definitely do want to be rural, I think our search

has shown them that they also want to be in the heart

of a village, and the mystery house in particular would give them that.

With a second viewing on the cards, I hope we've helped them find

their home together in this beautiful county.

Join me next time on Escape To The Country.

Well, after that second viewing at the mystery house,

I'm delighted to report

that Les and Ian were still enamoured with the property.

So much so, they put in an offer, which was accepted,

and they're now enjoying life living in Herefordshire

in that beautiful historic home.

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