Cambridgeshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape to the Country.

The airfield that stretches out behind me played

a key role during the Battle of Britain,

and was also once home to one of

Britain's most famous fighter pilots,

but who was he, and where are we?

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

On today's show, we meet a couple of newlyweds after a home

with space and quirks, but one property could be a step too far.

Erm, it's unusual.

Erm, it's not my favourite.

But, luckily, we've got more that seems to be a perfect fit.

-Wow.

-This is very impressive.

This is stylish, sophisticated, just like me.

THEY LAUGH

If you say so yourself!

Well, today we are in Cambridgeshire,

and this was once RAF Duxford.

It is now the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, and houses

one of the finest collections of aircraft and militaria in Europe.

But during 1940 and the Battle of Britain,

the pilots and aircraft that flew from here were tasked with

the job of protecting the Midlands,

the south-east and London from the might of the German air force.

They were led at that time by Group Captain Douglas Bader,

a man credited with having shot down 20 German aircraft.

Later on in the show, I'll be back here exploring Duxford's history,

its collections and revealing why, for me, it is my favourite museum.

Covering some 1,300 square miles,

Cambridgeshire lies in the heart of East Anglia,

and shares seven county boundaries, including Norfolk and Suffolk.

Primarily an agricultural county,

ancient footpaths and chalk streams crisscross the fields,

and lead to attractive settlements, the largest of which is Cambridge.

Granted city status in 1951,

it's world-renowned for the university,

impressive alumni and outstanding landmarks,

particularly the late Gothic King's College Chapel,

founded in 1441 by Henry VI.

Away from the city,

Grantchester is a place which typifies village life in the county.

With picturesque cottages and watering holes,

it was once home to war poet Rupert Brooke, and today claims

to have the world's highest concentration

of Nobel Prize winners.

Fine stately homes are also a feature in Cambridgeshire's

rural scenery, including the 18th-century Wimpole Hall...

..and the 16th century Madingley Hall.

So, with this fascinating medley of architecture,

countryside and academia,

it's no wonder people flock to Cambridgeshire to set up home.

Now, when it comes to property prices, the average cost

of a detached home here in Cambridgeshire

is currently £317,000.

That is some 10% above the national figure. And the reason is simple.

Cambridgeshire's close proximity to London,

and excellent transport links into the capital,

mean that large swathes of this county are now commuter belt.

In the south, you will have to pay more than you will in the north,

so my advice is to head that way, towards the Fenland.

Your budget will go considerably further.

But what about today's buyers?

Well, let's meet them and find out why they think Cambridgeshire

is for them.

When management consultant Zubin and theatre manager Louisa first

laid eyes on one another, they soon found they'd each met their match.

I went to join a badminton club, cos I was trying to get fit,

and went along and Zubin was already there,

and we just hit it off and became friends, started dating.

Things progressed quickly. I moved in!

THEY LAUGH

Next thing we know is she's been round here

for the last two and a half years.

Married for just six months,

they've decided to leave their current two-bedroom flat

in The Big Smoke, and start a new country life together.

At the moment, we're living in London. We do have a beautiful flat.

-It's very noisy.

-SHE LAUGHS

There's always a lot of people shouting and screaming.

It's Waterloo station.

We live next door to it, a stone's throw away.

We have trains going past, buses.

We've got a bus stop literally just outside the window,

so it's very noisy.

And it's constant, even at night.

We've got the roundabout behind us, which is... It never stops.

Louisa's no stranger to the countryside.

She was born in Norfolk, and raised in Norwich.

But for Zubin, this is a big move.

He's spent his whole life in a metropolis.

Growing up in Mumbai and living in London is very, very busy.

It will be a big change for me, but, at the same time,

I like, when I come home, to unwind and relax.

I like the ability to kind of sit down and...

And be in quiet.

It will be nice and relaxing to move somewhere that doesn't have

that hustle and bustle around it all the time.

So, they've set their sights on a more peaceful pace of life

by moving to Cambridgeshire.

Zubin's family's in London, my family's still in Norfolk,

so we're looking for somewhere that was in between both of them.

It's also a very beautiful place.

I've been a few times, and really enjoyed the lifestyle there.

It would be lovely to be able to go see some greenery,

go for a little walk where you don't have to be worried about

getting run over by an angry cyclist.

LOUISA LAUGHS

They both enjoy hunting for antiques,

and look forward to discovering more collectables in the country.

Zubin and I absolutely love going to different, sort of, markets,

finding bits of old jewellery, and different types of furniture.

It's really, it's a great time to spend together, but also to find

a treasure or something to bring home, and have a story behind it.

The relocation will also involve exploring different pastimes,

particularly Zubin's new-found passion for cooking.

We love our food. We do eat out a lot, and I have tried to cook.

I've started learning how to cook a lot.

Louisa kindly got me some lovely cookbooks

to try and follow a recipe.

We'd love to have a larger kitchen.

-You'd love to have a larger entertaining space.

-Yes.

Whilst this move is about more space, and a more tranquil location,

it will also mark the beginning

of a brand-new chapter for our newlyweds.

We're looking to start a family.

We want to just have that time to be able to create a home,

and have a bit more space.

We've done a lot in three years,

and we're just looking to the future.

Yeah, the next step.

Zubin and Louisa have chosen Cambridgeshire,

as it's midway between both sets of their parents,

who live in Norfolk and North London.

And they're happy to consider properties anywhere within

a reasonable commute of the city.

We're all meeting up to find out more about the specifics

of their ideal country home.

Well, Louisa, Zubin, welcome to Cambridgeshire.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you for having us.

Well, what's brought you to this part of the world? Why here?

Well, we think it's a pretty part of the world.

Growing up in the city, a big city,

we're going to escape some of the noise,

and our parents are...

It's kind of equidistant from both our parents as well.

Surely the bright lights of London are still attractive?

I mean, you're young groovers, aren't you?

I mean, you know, are you really sure you want to give it all up

and move out to the countryside?

London is fantastic, and we love living there.

It's very enjoyable, but the space that we have isn't enough for us.

We're looking to start a family, so we want to find a family home.

Having said that, we are both still working in London...

-Yeah.

-..so we do need to be able to commute

in a reasonable amount of time.

So hopefully a family in the future, but you've got to pay for all this,

Zubin, so you're going to keep commuting into London?

I don't mind commuting between 60 minutes to 90 minutes.

Now, Louisa, give us a picture of the kind of property

that you've been imagining.

I think we're looking for about four bedrooms.

We do have friends who live all over the world,

so when they do come and stay, it's not overnight.

It tends to be for a few weeks at a time.

-Zubin adores cooking, I don't, so that's a great mix for us.

-Hey!

So, definitely for Zubin, he would love a big kitchen.

I think that would be a definite must for you.

Yeah, um, for Louisa, it would be really nice if she had a nice...

a closet room or a walk-in closet of some sort

that she can have handbags and shoes sprawled around,

-and I'd get some closet space back.

-JULES LAUGHS

But that would be really nice. And, oh, something quirky.

-We both are big fans of something quirky.

-I think we both like character in the building.

And what about outside space?

Well, so far we haven't had the best of luck with plants. Louisa...

I'm attempting to keep them alive, let's say.

So minimal plants.

A little bit of outside space would be really lovely,

because we don't have that now, being in the heart of the city.

So, on the face of it, a nice four-bedroom family home with

a great big farmhouse kitchen, a manageable garden.

Is there a catch? Am I missing something?

We'd love a little annexe or a room downstairs with, you know,

an en suite and maybe a little sitting area for our parents.

-So, let's talk about the budget, then.

-The top budget is 800,000.

Erm... But if...

That would be with no work needed at all, because we're not very handy with a hammer and nails,

and things like that.

We're in a really interesting county.

There's some lovely property here to look at.

And you've brought £800,000 for us to play with. How exciting!

-Absolutely!

-Right, then. Let's go hunting, come on.

-Let's go.

So, with a budget of £800,000,

our buyers are looking for a characterful, quirky home

that has four bedrooms as well as the potential for a self-contained

annexe, and a large kitchen/diner is a must for Zubin.

They're after a modest, manageable garden

to suit a family in the future, and the location

should be no more than an hour and a half's commute to London.

We've got some fantastic houses lined up to present to them,

but I won't be revealing the attached price tags until

right at the end of each tour.

Our final property is the Mystery House, which I think might

put to the test their desire for something out of the ordinary.

We're kicking off our house tour in the south-east of the county

in the village of West Wratting,

and the nearest train station to London is just four miles away.

West Wratting is a picturesque place, perched on

a ridge that lays claim to being the highest village in Cambridgeshire.

In the neighbouring village of Balsham,

there's a local shop and butcher,

but in West Wratting itself, there's a popular pub which is just

a short stroll away from our first house.

-Now...

-Oh, wow.

-Wow.

-What about this one?

-Wow.

-Come in.

-That's quite amazing.

-That's beautiful, yeah.

-It's pretty, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Now that we are looking, as well, I love even the driveway,

-and the little house on the side.

-Oh, I can see that.

Yeah, you've got a very, very luxurious workshop/double-garage

over there, with a studio above it.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, wow.

-Yeah.

But that's the main proposition -

originally three little cottages,

brought together with an extension at this end.

What do you think, Zubin?

It's very picturesque. It's like out of a postcard.

-It was on a village postcard.

-Oh.

-No?

-Yeah.

-Oh, that's brilliant.

I can't wait to go inside.

Let's get in. We've got three doors to choose from.

To avoid confusion, they've got a little sign here

-that says "entrance".

-It's very helpful.

We're going to go around the back and into the kitchen.

-Brilliant.

-Brilliant.

With roots in the 17th century,

this impressive Grade II listed cottage is packed to the brim

with period features.

It was sympathetically extended in the 1980s,

and now offers a flexible layout that could appeal to our

couple's need to cater for family and friends.

The garden wraps around the property,

and takes us to the kitchen door.

-Nice to get out of the rain.

-Yes, it is.

-And what a greeting - look at this!

-Oh, wow.

It has very much a farmhouse kitchen feel to it, doesn't it?

It is, it is, and it's quite nice and homely.

-What's curious is that this is the newer extension.

-Oh, OK.

-OK.

Yeah, the space is great.

It's big enough, though, I think,

for your creative talents in the kitchen.

Definitely enough room for pots and pans and decoration space.

I'd need a little bit more modernising,

with some gadgets for me to cook around with,

-but it's a great space.

-Yeah. LAUGHTER

But, bizarrely, with this one, we've also got another kitchen

at the far end of the property, so you've got two to choose from.

-We've got options.

-Come this way.

-OK.

The modern kitchen extension also benefits from a utility room,

as well as a boot room, and flows straight into the original

part of the house.

Passing through a breakfast area that houses the main staircase,

you come to the first of two sitting-rooms.

-Oh, wow.

-Wow.

-Look at that place.

The ceilings are low,

which obviously you get with a cottage of this age.

It's a lovely little old fireplace back there as well.

This is a classic bit of East Anglian 17th-century architecture -

this great big central chimney stack,

which gives you an inglenook on this side,

and on the other side as well.

-It's very different from our flat in London.

-Yes.

-It is, slightly.

-I'll bet it is. LAUGHTER

This is what I envisaged moving to the country would be like -

-quite picturesque and postcardy.

-Yeah. It feels very homely.

'Just off this cosy sitting-room,

'a small study fits neatly under a second staircase.

'Then, continuing further into the cottage,

'we pass through a large formal dining room,

'before we arrive at the largest of the reception rooms.

'This adjoins a second kitchen and downstairs bathroom,

'so could be utilised as a separate wing or annexe.'

So, this would be the guest end.

This feels lovely. It's a lot lighter than the other two rooms,

-I suppose because the ceiling is higher.

-Yes.

-Oh, and I love this door.

-Yeah.

-It's ever so sweet.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-That's like a little hobbit door.

It's unusual, this, because it's got two kitchens.

If you took this one out, you'd have living room,

bedroom, and then downstairs bathroom, beyond.

-And if the folks are getting, you know, a little bit...

-Advanced.

..advanced, shall we say,

everything on one level may not be such a bad thing.

-That does help a lot.

-And they've got that door, too, if they need it.

Yes.

I think the only parent that could fit through that would be my mother.

'With the potential of a separate wing for visiting parents sorted,

'it's time to take a look at the main sleeping quarters upstairs.

'Back along the cottage and up the central staircase,

'we find a compact shower room and three double bedrooms,

'all oozing with authentic vintage charm,

'featuring exposed raw timbers and sloped ceilings.

'One of these bedrooms has its own separate staircase,

'accessed from the downstairs dining room,

'but the room designated as the master lies in the newer wing.'

-And then, finally, this is your bit.

-Oh, OK.

So, this is certainly bigger than the other rooms that we've seen.

Well, this is above the modern kitchen extension.

-En suite round the corner.

-OK.

-OK?

It's nice. It's definitely got space and...

It's got space. Erm, our existing bed might not fit in there.

Really? How big is that?

-Wow!

-Well, we've got a four-poster. That's the problem.

Ah, I see the problem, yeah. The roof may not...

The roof coming in a bit, but that's fine, we can change the bed.

Chainsaw it off.

-Yeah.

-I think you get the idea this is a place you could expand in...

-Yes.

-..from your current lovely- but-confined flat in London.

-Yes.

It definitely has potential.

'Seeing the possibilities of this property is a positive sign,

'and I just hope the garden will also deliver

'on suitability and size.

'At just over half an acre, it's a lovely, unfussy space,

'mostly laid to lawn and bordered by box hedges,

'with some mature trees and a large pond.'

Now, I'm not suggesting that we spend any more time out here

than we need to...

-No.

-..but just long enough to give you an idea of what is on offer.

This, obviously, is the main family garden.

-Bags of room for kids to run around in.

-I think it's a great space.

It's not too big to worry about maintaining it, erm,

to pristine condition, but it's enough space to,

like you say, have kids running around,

or just enough space to be outside for a bit.

It gives me my outside space and it's a lovely space as well.

The other thing to point out is the current owners, not surprisingly,

use a ride-on mower, and that's all chucked in with the price.

Brilliant.

Let's have your best estimates as to what this property

is on the market for.

I'm going to go 695.

-Ooh.

-Ooh.

-Ooh!

-Yeah, ooh, that's a bit low, I thought.

-Oh.

-OK.

-I was actually going to go slightly lower than that.

I'd say 685.

685 plays 695. HE INHALES

-Not done too well.

-We've not done well - I can tell by your face!

LAUGHTER You haven't done brilliantly,

-but all is not lost.

-OK.

This is on the market for offers in excess of £750,000.

-Oh, OK.

-Oh, wow.

I think because the inside, erm, potentially,

-we'd want to look to update it slightly...

-Yeah.

..that's probably where, maybe, a bit of our budget would go.

Well, go and have a think about what you'd get for offers over 750,

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

-Perfect. Thank you.

-Off you go.

£50,000 under budget, this classic,

historic, thatched cottage

could give our buyers all the options they're looking for.

It has three double bedrooms upstairs, with the potential for

a fourth in a separate self-catered wing down on the ground floor.

There's also a generous country kitchen,

alongside a range of reception rooms,

and the whole lot lies in a large, easy-to-maintain garden,

within a popular and pretty village.

The house could fit perfectly on a postcard.

It's beautiful to look at from outside.

It's got so many quirky features - the stable door,

the small little door for my mother to enter through.

It's got a large kitchen. It's got a lot of different sitting rooms.

The fireplace is absolutely stunning.

What works is definitely the lawn outside,

not too big and not too small, but it's an outside space

that is something that we don't have at all at the moment.

The size of the rooms are quite generous.

The kitchen is a great size for Zubin,

to be creative in the kitchen,

and I think it has a lot of potential.

Well, that's it - property number one is done.

I think a really good start,

and an interesting option that I wouldn't dismiss just yet.

Not at all. It's definitely given us food for thought,

and it definitely has potential.

All right. Come on, let's go.

Running through the heart of Cambridge is the stretch

of the River Cam now commonly associated with punts,

and with Zubin and Louisa keen to explore different activities

when they move, we've arranged for them to learn more about

the river's history and its punting pioneer.

They're meeting customer experience manager Grace Williams.

-Hello.

-Hello, how are you doing?

-Nice to meet you.

-How are you?

-Good. So, tell me a bit about punting.

-OK.

Leisure punting was first introduced to Cambridge

in the very early 19th century by a gentleman called Jack Scudamore.

To begin with, the river was predominantly used for cargo,

because it was a very, sort of, strong merchant town,

and the river was a big trade link.

And around the mid 1800s, railways were introduced,

and it meant that transport by the river was less popular,

and this gentleman Jack Scudamore took the opportunity

to purchase these two stations -

so, here at Mill Lane, and at Quayside at the other end -

and turned the river into more of a leisure facility than,

sort of, a functional area.

So, I've arranged for you to go on a tour with one of my colleagues

if you'd like to, just along the Backs here.

What are the Backs?

OK, so the Backs is a term that describes

the stretch of the river that the company operates on,

and it's called the Backs because it's the backs of the colleges.

They're not as ornate as the front, so I recommend you go

and look at the fronts later, and if you'd like to head

to the office there, we'll get you on a boat.

-Brilliant. Thank you so much, Grace.

-Thank you so much.

You're welcome. Have a good day.

Punts were originally made and used in the shallow waters of the county

for catching fowl and fish.

Flat-bottomed and without a keel,

they were crafted from wood and moved using a long pole.

Perfect for use on the river,

they're now predominantly used for pleasure,

and make an excellent vessel for a guided tour

with assistant station manager Cameron Miller.

Now, we do have eight colleges on the river here,

and it's just past the King's Bridge

which provides us with probably the most famous sight in Cambridge,

which is King's College Chapel.

King's College.

This would be a perfect time to take out my phone and take a picture.

Oh, it's beautiful.

It is absolutely stunning.

King's College was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI.

The chapel itself was not actually completed until 1536.

If you go inside of the chapel,

it has one of the most impressive fan vault ceilings in the world.

-This is the Wren Library.

-Oh, this is the Wren Library.

This is the Wren Library, designed...

So when Sir Christopher Wren designed it in 1695,

-the bottom windows...

-Yes.

-There was no glass in them.

This is because the river did used to flood high enough

that it would reach the building.

All the water would go straight through without damaging

any of the books, which were all kept on the top floor.

That's a genius idea.

With over 150 punts heading out on the river every day,

this 45-minute tour continues along the Backs,

taking in 8 of the 31 colleges, and many other historic landmarks.

One of the most famous sights here in Cambridge

besides King's College Chapel,

-and that is this bridge - the Bridge of Sighs.

-Oh, wow.

The Bridge of Sighs was built in 1831 by Henry Hutchinson.

It's not actually called the Bridge of Sighs, though.

Its real name is the New Bridge.

The Bridge of Sighs is a nickname given to it

by a lady called Queen Victoria.

She visited the city many, many times.

She stated this was her favourite bridge,

and it looked just like the original, which is in Venice.

In Venice, yes - the Bridge of Sighs in Venice.

Winding its way past further colleges of repute,

the tour comes to an end, and Cameron leaves our couple

to make their own way back on the return journey.

Oh, I like this. Keep going.

-Do you need to push off?

-SHE LAUGHS

It's all right. I've got it. I've got it.

Mind your head...!

All part and parcel of the fun!

It may not be the most direct route,

but Zubin does seem to be getting to grips with punting.

You're doing really well.

Really well.

Oh, this is amazing.

Beautiful.

Duck.

LOUISA LAUGHS

But that's enough messing about on the river.

We've still got the pressing matter of property to get back to.

Our property search is heading south, and popping just over

the border into Essex, to the village of Clavering.

White wooden cladding

and timber beam cottages are the order of the day

in this village, once home to the chef Jamie Oliver, who grew up here.

His parents still own the pub that remains the hub of the village,

and residents are also served by a shop and school.

Just an hour from London by train, the property sits

just a few minutes' walk from the village centre.

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, gosh.

-I love this.

-Do you?

From the outside, this is really, really lovely.

Knowing Louisa, from the outside,

this would be what she would have asked for.

-It's got lovely, lovely character.

-She loves the greys and whites...

And I love greys and whites and...

For her, just from the outside, I'd say this would be her property.

You've got, at its core, an 18th-century building, but it's

had an historic extension there, and then a more recent extension there.

There are a few tweaks to be made,

but one thing I don't think you would want to change is the kitchen.

OK.

-Come and have a look at this.

-All right.

-Come and have a look.

What a great start to this property tour -

a striking weatherboarded cottage built around 1750

with instant visual appeal,

offering them just the feel they're looking for.

Originally two cottages,

it was transformed into a single home 25 years ago.

A wide hallway leads to a study, beyond which we find the kitchen.

Oh, gosh.

I thought we'd come through the property and start with this.

I love it even though I don't cook, so for me,

aesthetically, it's great.

Practically, for cooking...?

It's got a lot of space, a lot of functionality.

-Yeah.

-It would be great for me to be able to cook

and not have Louisa out of the kitchen. I can yell out to her...

-Well, you can be lounging around the...

-I could be, yes.

-..the island there.

-Absolutely. No, it feels very modern, but, um...

But, yeah, very contemporary...

It's very, very nice,

-and there's a lot of space for me to create a lot of mess in.

-Yeah.

It's brilliant. Even the small details,

-like the little knobs on the cupboards.

-Yeah.

They're all quite quirky. It's like a country... French country house.

-Yeah.

-Good early signs.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

-Good.

-Good early signs.

Now, yeah, let's go back through this sort of central lobby area,

and into the family living room,

and I think this is where we might tweak things a bit.

Retracing our steps out of the kitchen and back through

the study, we're making our way to the first of two sitting rooms.

-This is the main family living room...

-OK.

-..which is snug.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Cosy.

-Cosy.

-But, yes.

-I know we do need a big reception space.

My thought was that that wall behind the TV

is just a simple partition wall. I'd remove that,

-so you'd see the front door through there.

-Yeah.

And then this wall, too, is just a stud partition,

so it would combine the hallway and this central area here,

and then the whole lot would be a huge family space.

I think that's a very good point.

Coming in from the main entrance, it leads its way into the living area.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-See, I think we're whetting his DIY appetite.

-We are.

Give me a sledgehammer.

Subject to the right approval,

opening up the current sitting room, study and hallway

could create one large living area, perfect for a young family,

particularly as there's another separate reception space

where they could get away from one another.

And with a downstairs WC and utility,

it could also become an annexe.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and the main family bathroom.

Two bedrooms are currently decorated for children,

then there's a guest room with twin beds.

And then this is your bit,

complete with en suite shower with glittery loo seat.

Speckled loo seat. Brilliant.

Plenty of storage there, and then this,

-obviously the main, sort of, bedroom area.

-Wow.

I like it. I definitely like it. There's more space in this room.

-Yep.

-But, yeah.

-What do you think?

-It's really nice.

It continues the theme from downstairs, the colour palette,

and it's very nicely done.

Whether your famous four-poster bed would fit in here, I doubt somehow.

-The height might be an issue.

-Yes.

From the house, the only criticism would be the size of the rooms,

-but there's enough room for people to cram into.

-Yeah.

-It's...

They just don't have to bring a lot of stuff with them.

On the whole, I'd say there's been pretty positive feedback

to this property so far.

All that remains is to check out the garden,

and, of course, that all-important price.

Now this is one where, famously, what you see is what you get

when it comes to the garden,

with the addition of that timber studio.

Yeah, I love the garden. This is a perfect size for me.

Not too much to maintain.

And I love the house, even though it's a bit like a patchwork.

I think that's a good way of describing it.

It really is, yeah.

So let's have a think about the price, then, Zubin.

Considering the transport links to London and the location,

I would say it's 78,249.

78,249? Where does that come from?

-Come on.

-I'm going to go 790.

-790. Thank you very much.

Round numbers I can understand. That's great.

-790. OK. Um, you're both wrong.

-OK.

But in a very good way.

This is on the market, wait for it, for 700,000.

BOTH: Wow.

-OK.

-"They said together." Great.

Well, I'm going to give you the chance

to have a second viewing right now.

-Off you go. Take it all in.

-Thank you.

Make sense of it, before someone else buys it.

It's not often that I get to present a property which not only

meets the criteria, but is also an incredible £100,000 below budget.

This 18th-century timber-clad home has the type of character

they were after, along with a large kitchen/diner.

There's also the potential for a decent-sized open-plan

living room as well as an annexe,

and, outside, benefits from a modest low-maintenance garden.

Oh, this is a great space.

This is a nice little space.

In fact, actually, you could maybe marry those two together.

Make it a little annexe or a studio for the elderly.

Yeah, and there's also a bathroom through there as well,

so that might actually work really, really well.

I really love this house.

From the outside, it's very simple, very elegant.

It's got a wonderful entrance,

and as you walk in, it feels incredibly homely already.

The kitchen and dining area was a wow factor.

It's beautifully finished.

There's potential for a bigger reception area,

which is great, and a little sort of playroom annexe.

We could maybe work on that for an area, to change it into a bedroom

and a sitting area for maybe our parents to come and stay.

Upstairs, I have to say the room sizes were a little bit cosy.

Apart from the room sizes, I think

the house ticked pretty much all our criteria.

-Hello!

-Hi!

-All done?

-All done.

-All done.

-Have we sold it?

-Maybe.

-Close.

-Have we redesigned it?

-Slighty.

-Slightly.

-Slightly.

I thought so. Good. Well, I'm quite happy with what we've seen so far.

-Yes.

-Lots for you to think about.

-Plenty I think, yeah.

-But lots more to see. Come on.

-OK.

-OK.

'It's the start of our second day here in Cambridgeshire,

'with newlyweds Zubin and Louisa from central London.

'Armed with an £800,000 budget,

'they're looking for character, space and flexibility

'in a calm, rural location,

'away from the crowds and commotion of the city.

'Still to come, our much-anticipated and unique Mystery House

'proves that silence is golden.'

It is so quiet.

Just, you can't hear a thing.

It's idyllic, and the space...

'And I revisit a favourite old haunt,

'where I get up close and personal with some military legends.'

Here we are surrounded by, you know, a Spitfire and a Lancaster -

two of the most iconic aircraft that the RAF have ever flown.

Now, an issue common to many house searches is the need to

try and find the space demanded by modern living,

yet set within an old and characterful property.

Regardless of your budget,

it's more an architectural dilemma than it is a financial one.

That is certainly what I think Zubin and Louisa have found this week

so far, so what can we do today,

our final day of house-hunting, to try and resolve it?

Well, we have two more properties to come,

including of course our Mystery House.

It is a day of something old and something new,

but space is top of the agenda.

We are continuing our Cambridgeshire house search

and our destination is the village of Gamlingay.

Steeped in history, the village is full of period properties,

many of which are listed, including the church,

which is made from locally-quarried stone,

and dates back to the 12th century.

Once an ancient coaching route from London, Gamlingay was home

to many inns, some of which still exist today.

In addition, there are also a number of local shops and a primary school.

The nearest train station for Zubin is about four miles away,

with a service to London which takes just over 45 minutes.

And right on the edge of the village,

we come to our next property.

Well, guys, this is perhaps the most bizarre start to a house tour I have

ever done, because you can't really see what I'm about to describe.

It is one of eight brand-new conversions on this

redevelopment of an old farm complex.

What I'm going to show you is a property which

is completely detached from the rest.

It's at the end of the development,

-but on the inside, it's completely empty.

-Wow.

It's super efficient, it's got all mod cons, as you will see,

and it's got bags of space.

I think we're both intrigued, aren't we?

-We're both intrigued. We love conversions.

-Yeah.

It sounds like it might be right for us.

Well, let's see if we're right. Come on, then.

Eight barns have been converted in total,

and have been given Grade II listed status,

as the buildings were originally built in the early 1700s.

The one we're showing was completed just three months ago,

and comes with no less than three of the dedicated parking spaces

within the carport.

Well, this is the obvious place to start.

-This amazing central hallway.

-Wow.

-Wow.

This is very impressive.

It's light, it's airy,

-it's fantastic.

-This is me.

-It's you, it's very you.

This is brilliant. This is stylish, sophisticated, just like me!

If you say so yourself!

THEY LAUGH

I do think it's you. I think it's you two to a T.

Come on, let's have a look at the kitchen/diner.

I mean, this is an enormous space.

Very echoey, because there's nothing in it to absorb the sound.

There's the kitchen. Brand-new.

Everything's built in. It's even got a wine fridge.

-THEY LAUGH

-They knew I was coming.

-There's nothing in it.

-Drat.

I love it. It's perfect.

It's got everything that you say we need,

and it's got a wonderful island for your creations that you make.

-It's perfect.

-And they've wired it to within an inch of its life.

There are TV points over there, internet points,

so you could have a telly over here with a bit of a sofa as well,

the dining table, and of course access out to the garden

through two double doors.

It sells itself, this one, really.

It's a lovely space. I can see myself hosting family.

Well, talking about family,

because one of the issues we have struggled with

is living room space to accommodate these big family gatherings.

This, I think, will work. Come and have a look at the living room.

-There you go.

-Wow.

-Wow.

Oh, gosh, that's great. What a fantastic size.

-The old beam adds a little bit of character.

-Yes.

-It does.

Open. Two doors to look out into the garden.

-It's brilliant. You've done well.

-Hurrah.

Well, we've got four bedrooms for you to look at,

but let's deal with the main event, the master.

That's through here.

So some very encouraging responses to this sleek,

contemporary conversion so far.

Also down here, there's a separate study,

a handy utility room and finally a ground floor bedroom suite.

Again, this is a great-sized room.

So, this would be the master bedroom?

This is the master bedroom,

because it's the only one with the en suite. Have a look in there.

That's what it is, over the bath.

Again, all brand-new, which is rather nice.

So, I'm thinking that, day to day, this is probably you,

but when your family come over from India, say,

you could relocate upstairs and use the family bathroom

for as long as they're here for, and then it's all on one level.

-And finally, a bedroom that can hold my four-poster bed.

-Yes. Exactly.

-Exactly, yeah.

-I really like it. I really like it,

and there are cupboards for all my clothes as well so, yeah.

-You've done really, really well.

-Good. Let's see if it keeps going.

Come on.

Upstairs, there are three further bedrooms,

all of which are large enough to fit double beds,

and there's also a fully-tiled high-spec bathroom.

Heading outside, I'm keen to see what they make of the garden.

-Well, at last you can see it.

-Yes, you can.

Because you couldn't when we arrived, of course.

You know what's on the inside.

-That's what it looks like from the outside.

-It's lovely.

It really, really is lovely.

I'm finding it hard to find fault in it right now.

Well, the garden is pretty plain. Obviously, it's brand-new.

You've also got this paddock, which you could potentially

introduce some apple trees or something, turn it into an orchard.

It's lovely. The garden as well, it's the perfect size.

So, let's think about the price, then. Louisa?

-I'm going to go 750.

-750? Zubin?

I think this has ticked off everything we've asked for.

I think it would be 815.

So, it would be worth it to you for £815,000?

It might just be.

It would be worth it to me if it was £725,000.

-Wow.

-Wow.

That's... That's great.

Often, people's estimates are a real reflection of how much they want it.

And I think you've just given the game away, mate.

This clearly works a treat, as I thought it would.

Right, then, go and have a wander round and I will come

-and find you a little bit later on.

-OK.

-Off you go. Brilliant.

Well, that was an easy sell.

Considerably below budget at £725,000, it's been a delight

to present our buyers with this Grade II listed barn conversion.

It has four bedrooms, one of which is a ground-floor en suite,

with plenty of wardrobe space for Louisa.

It also comes of course with a large kitchen/diner for Zubin,

and an open, level garden, as well as a paddock,

all surrounded by wonderful countryside views.

I love this house.

It's got everything that we've been looking for.

It has the character of an older property,

but it has the modern-day space that we really are looking for.

I really love the outside of the property.

It's got some history to it, whereas inside, it's very modern,

very well-finished, neutral for us to be able to put our stamp on it.

It's given us enough space for us to play around with.

It's given us the downstairs living area for the parents.

It's got a lovely large kitchen,

and ticked off everything we've asked for.

-After you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

One thing I forgot to tell you is that the whole thing comes

-with a two-year guarantee as well.

-That's not bad.

-That's not bad at all, is it?

-It's not too bad at all.

Well, we have one more to see, of course, our Mystery House.

Will that change your minds, I wonder? Come on.

A little over 70 years ago, the level landscape of Cambridgeshire

found itself on the front line of the fight against Germany.

One of the county's airfields, RAF Duxford,

played a key rule in defending Britain in the Second World War,

and the actions of its pilots were decisive in helping to win

the Battle of Britain.

Now a leading aviation museum,

Duxford is one of my favourite museums of all time,

and I've been coming here since I was seven years old.

For today's visit,

information manager Carl Warner is showing me around.

For anybody not familiar with Duxford's history,

just give as a quick run through.

The actual historic site goes back to the First World War.

It was used in the Second World War,

both during the Battle of Britain

and the great air offensive against Germany,

and it was even used in the Cold War,

so it's got that history running right the way

from 1918 all the way through to the 1960s.

Well, let's fast-forward to the Second World War and 1940,

when Duxford really comes into its own.

So, in 1940, what you would have seen here are squadrons of

Hurricanes, with Spitfires just down the road at our satellite airfield.

And what the pilots were doing was essentially,

they were responsible for defending the Midlands

but also helping out with defence of London,

so in that great defensive air battle, Duxford is playing its role.

Churchill famously describes the pilots that took part

in the Battle of Britain as "the few", but chief amongst them

was Group Captain Douglas Bader, who made Duxford his own.

He did, and the story is just incredible.

He was involved in a flying accident in the early 1930s,

he had to have his legs amputated, left the Royal Air Force,

but of course, with war coming along,

fought desperately hard to get back into the Royal Air Force.

To give a sense of what that struggle was like,

few people thought he would survive when he had his accident,

let alone walk again, let alone fly again, but he did,

and he flew again, and ended up very quickly becoming

an extraordinarily proficient fighter pilot.

The sense of history here, Carl, is palpable.

You can virtually touch it. You can almost taste it.

I've always felt that, for anybody coming here for the first time,

the best place to start is up there, in the AirSpace Hangar.

-Shall we go and take another look?

-Let's go.

Within the hangar, over 200 aircraft are on display,

at least 30 of which tell the story of British

and Commonwealth aviation and aircraft development.

It also houses some of the most memorable planes to hit the skies,

such as Concorde, alongside earlier 20th-century examples.

You know, Carl, I never, ever tire of coming in here.

-There is just so much to see.

-What would your favourite be?

I don't know. The Sunderland is an old favourite, you know?

I would have loved to have travelled the world in one of those.

But here we are, surrounded by a Spitfire and a Lancaster,

two of the most iconic aircraft the RAF have ever flown.

I don't know. What's your favourite?

Something else that's really interesting is the TSR-2.

Absolutely, yeah, there it is.

Sadly, an aircraft that never was a commercial success.

It's also one of the rarest. There are only two in existence.

Where do you get them all from?

Well, they come from a variety of places.

Obviously, when the armed services are looking

to move on from a type, there is a requirement to put them in museums.

Some of them come from private sources.

The Sunderland, for example, was...

Its last use, it was a bar on a French beach.

But of course, once we get them, they need to be looked after,

they need to be conserved, and that's also what we do here.

The Conservation in Action hangar is where a team of expert conservators

work on preserving the museum's most significant exhibits.

I'm heading there next to meet conservation assistant Rob Claydon.

-Hello, Rob.

-Hello, Jules.

-Nice to see you again.

-Nice to see you again.

-What have you been tinkering with here?

Jules, this is a Pucara, which is from the Falklands War.

It was captured back down there in 1982, and is back here.

Now we are just in the process of doing some conservation work.

And as you're taking these aircraft apart, though,

are you getting into the mind of the people who built them,

-I mean, some of them, 70, 80 years ago?

-Very much so.

You often think, especially working on equipment or objects from

World War II, you think,

"I may be the only person that's ever touched that

"since that was built."

-So, in a way, you're opening a time capsule, aren't you?

-You are.

But your work here at Duxford covers the entire range of the

Imperial War Museum's collection, doesn't it? Not just aircraft.

No, we cover tanks, guns, vehicles, anything.

And what is the latest arrival, then?

-Ah, well, would you like to come and see this, Jules?

-After you.

Well, what have we got here, then?

This is a Husky from Afghan, 2012.

-And what happened to it?

-Well, unfortunately,

it hit an IED and completely destroyed the front of the vehicle.

-Do we know what happened to the crew?

-The crew were safe.

-So, it did its job?

-It did its job.

And I presume this is something you are simply going to conserve

-and keep it as it is?

-Very much so.

Kept as it is, in conservation. This shows what war is all about.

-It tells the story, doesn't it?

-It certainly does.

Fortunately, aviation enthusiasts like Rob,

with the dedication and mechanical know-how,

are passionately safeguarding these machines along with their legacy

as a captivating and poignant reminder for future generations.

Well, guys, from one successful house tour to, I hope, another.

What do you think we've got for our mystery offering?

Well, it could be anything, couldn't it?

I think I like character in a building, so I think it might be

something weird and wonderful, maybe, with character.

That's what we've tried to do so far.

Wow, the pressure to come up with something new!

-Zubin?

-I'm hoping for something completely quirky and out-there.

Something that probably we've not even thought of.

I'd be really intrigued to see if you can top the last one.

Yeah. Our final property has its work cut out,

but it's the Mystery House, so anything can happen.

I'm looking forward to it.

Our final property stop takes us north of Cambridge to the

village of Holywell, six miles from the nearest train station to London.

Taking its name from a water well in the local churchyard, the village

is full of thick-thatch cottages, and sits beside the River Ouse.

There's a local shop, a primary school and a pub.

Tucked away in the centre, we find our Mystery House,

which should deliver on Zubin and Louisa's quirky request

but with a modern twist.

Right, then, here it is.

-Our Mystery House. What you think of that?

-Wow.

-Wow.

-Um...

-It's very different.

It's very different to anything we've shown you so far this week.

It's by far the youngest property we've shown you, in many respects.

It is a house with a basement, really,

but the basement is chock-a-block with rooms, a games room...

There's a bit of fun to be had with it. What do you think?

It's unusual.

It's not my favourite.

So I'm intrigued to see what's inside.

This house will have to sell itself from the inside out.

-Yeah.

-And it might, because it's just enormous. Come and have a look.

First impressions for this unusual 1970s Mystery House have

garnered a rather lukewarm response.

As we head inside, I'm optimistic that the layout and generous

proportions will change their minds.

We're starting off on the top level, where we find a key room for Zubin.

Well, it has space!

-Which is a good thing.

-It's not what I was envisaging.

THEY LAUGH

Yeah, it's definitely not what I thought it would be.

But I could find myself working in this kitchen, definitely.

What would you change?

I think just to make it a bit more uniform, do you think?

I think I'd make it more uniform, yes.

There is a bit of mix and match,

the colour is a little bit brighter than I would like, but...

-Cosmetic.

-Yes. Absolutely.

-There is nothing that's not cosmetic.

What's nice about it, it does sort of flow through to those doors

out there, which get you out to a little veranda arrangement.

To be honest, even if it had nothing else, this is a great space.

But the living area is enormous. Come and look.

There, look at all this.

-Yeah.

-Yes, definitely a lot of space. Wow.

-Wood-burner there.

-Oh, gosh.

-Oh.

-That's lovely.

This is a lovely space.

And it is so quiet.

You can't hear a thing. It's idyllic.

And the space.

It definitely has the space, but it feels very snug as well.

Can you see yourself living here?

Starting to.

I wasn't sure from outside, but now you're inside,

it definitely feels very homely.

-So...

-I'd say, "yes."

THEY LAUGH

It's very quirky.

'Leaving the kitchen and living rooms behind,

'and heading out into a corridor,

'this top floor also has a bathroom and four of the property's

'five bedrooms, arranged off the central hallway.

'The first comes with its own en suite,

'next to which is a family bathroom.

'The second and third bedrooms are both big enough to fit double beds.

'At the end is the master.'

This is yours with en suite and dressing room through there.

-Our new dressing room.

-Mmm. And look at all that built-in storage.

-And all that storage.

-Somehow I think you've got her attention now.

I like the sound of that.

Again, it's a nice space room and feels quite light and airy, as well.

There's a bit more to see in the basement.

And what's in the basement?

It's good fun, it's really good fun.

JULES CHUCKLES Come and have a look.

'As I hoped, the upper level of the Mystery House has made

'a great impression on our newlyweds and there's even more to take

'in downstairs on the lower ground floor.'

There...

LAUGHTER

It's home from home.

-Yeah?

-Well, you wondered where you were going to put your pool table.

-Now we've found a spot.

-It's there.

I might have to make room for two now, though.

-It's great, isn't it?

-It's great fun.

To describe this as a basement is to undersell it, really,

because you've got, not only this area, there's a room through

here which they've currently got set up as a music studio.

That door goes into what is currently

a sort of book store-cum-libary. It could be a study, whatever.

And then in the corner, another en suite bedroom.

So I'm thinking for your guests, that would work a treat.

-Gosh, I just didn't expect this.

-It's a very deceptive property.

It has an abundance of space.

'This house by far the biggest footprint of our property

'line-up at just under 3,000 square feet.

'Back upstairs and through double doors out to a raised balcony,

'we arrive at the perfect vantage point to take in the acre of

'mature garden.'

You can see where we started down there with that lovely

weeping willow and you've got a nice mixture of apple trees here.

I like it, I like the space outside and, again,

we don't have to do very much to it!

The space, up, down, everywhere you look around, there's plenty to see.

Let's get down to the numbers, shall we? Off you go, sir.

I would say this is top end of our budget...

-795.

-795, yeah.

I think it's private, it's secluded and it has a lot of space,

I'm going to go on the nose, 800.

You have learnt well this week.

-It is 795.

-Oh!

THEY LAUGH

Sorry.

-795.

-Wow! On the nose.

Your instincts were absolutely spot-on.

I think we should give you plenty of time on this one to wander around,

immerse yourself in it and see if it would actually work.

-Go on, off you go.

-Thank you.

-We'll find you a little bit later on.

'£5,000 under budget, this Mystery House has definitely hit the spot.

'And whilst it may not boast historic character,

'the modern style and proportions certainly make up for it.

'Featuring generous living areas, there's lots of storage space

'for Louisa, plus a large kitchen/diner for Zubin.

'And a whole separate floor could be ideal for

'a number of visiting friends and relatives with plenty to

'entertain them in the form of a games' room.'

Um, the Mystery House was really interesting.

It was a right curveball and it had abundance of space,

nooks and crannies that you had to go digging through.

It was a project house.

I can see us having lots of work to do over a long, long period of time.

I have to say when I first saw it, um, I think I wasn't very enamoured.

Having come inside the house, I have changed my mind.

I think it's a great space and it has a lot of potential for us

to make into a family home.

I can see myself living here,

but it means that I would have to hone my DIY and handyman skills.

Well, I think this has all gone quite well this week.

-Thank you very much.

-That's all right.

-Thank you.

-My pleasure.

-Well, that's it, I'm afraid. The house tours are now over.

-Gosh.

-It flies by, doesn't it?

-It does. There's a lot to think about.

-I think there is a lot to think about. Off you go.

-Thank you.

Let's go think.

Well, I'm satisfied that we have done our job this week, but have our

properties done theirs in reassuring Zubin and Louisa that

Cambridgeshire is for them?

Well, let's go and ask them.

-Ahh, look at this, relaxing after a busy week.

-Absolutely!

Er, well guys, it's been good fun, hasn't it?

-It has, it's been great fun.

-It's been fantastic.

And having spent a bit more time out of London, are you still sure

-that Cambridgeshire is where you want to be?

-Yes, definitely.

It's lovely to have fresh air, see greenery!

And just to see the properties and the space that they have,

it really has been an eye-opener.

Are there any that may be contenders?

We think we've narrowed it down to two.

And which two would they be, Louisa? As if we didn't know!

-The barn conversion and also the mystery property.

-Yes, now then...

You can buy only one despite your £800,000 budget!

So which one might it be?

Having talked about it, I think for now

the barn conversion is definitely winning over the mystery property.

The mystery property is probably a project and the right project,

but probably at the wrong time.

But I do think that barn conversion just lit you up like

a Christmas tree. I mean, it's such an interesting building.

You can make the move without any real stress, or hassle,

and move straight in.

I think that's where we are now with our lives,

still commuting to London at the moment.

Um, we don't want to be thinking about projects in the future.

I think just to move straight in and start living our lives there

is what we want and the barn conversion offers us that.

So what are you going to do next?

We need to view the property again with family to come and have

a look at it and once they've seen it and we've garnered their opinion,

then potentially we'll be putting an offer in.

It might be as early as tomorrow.

Wow!

Well, I shall keep my phone on because if you are able to do it,

guys, it would be just terrific to see you make this move.

-We can certainly put our mark on it, I think.

-Definitely.

So that's a very exciting prospect.

And it's the only one that could host my four-poster bed.

There you go, there you go. Reason enough to want to buy it.

Well, guys, it's been an absolute treat, an awful lot of fun.

-So thank you very much, indeed, and best of luck.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Well, Cambridgeshire is, of course,

an ancient county with a famous seat of learning at its centre,

but I think it's fair to say we've all learnt something this week,

not least Zubin and Louisa.

They still, of course, have much left to discuss and agree upon,

but they might do well to bear in mind Cambridgeshire's county motto,

"With one heart, let us be wise."

Now there's some advice, I'll see you next time.

'Louisa and Zubin revisited the modern barn conversion a few

'more times and even put in an offer,

'but have since decided against it.

'So their search for their perfect home continues.

'If you'd like to escape to the country in

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

'then please apply online at...'