Northumberland

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0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to Escape To The Country.

0:00:03 > 0:00:06This magnificent castle behind me has, over the centuries,

0:00:06 > 0:00:08played host to both medieval and Stuart kings,

0:00:08 > 0:00:11but when its current owner bought it less than 40 years ago,

0:00:11 > 0:00:14it was, in his words, a total wreck.

0:00:14 > 0:00:18So, who might be persuaded to take on such an ambitious project

0:00:18 > 0:00:20of restoration - and where?

0:00:20 > 0:00:22Well, join me in just a moment and I'll tell you.

0:00:40 > 0:00:42On today's show, two friends partner up

0:00:42 > 0:00:45to help one of them fulfil a long-held country dream -

0:00:45 > 0:00:49but bonding with the locals could prove tricky.

0:00:49 > 0:00:52Somewhere to sit out and enjoy looking at those cows.

0:00:52 > 0:00:54We've laid them on especially, Chris,

0:00:54 > 0:00:57to help you try and overcome your cow phobia.

0:00:57 > 0:00:59'And if the figures stack up,

0:00:59 > 0:01:02'our properties are right on the money.'

0:01:02 > 0:01:03I love it.

0:01:03 > 0:01:05Can I have it?

0:01:05 > 0:01:06Course you can! SHE LAUGHS

0:01:06 > 0:01:07- If you can afford it!- How much?

0:01:07 > 0:01:09How much is the question, isn't it?

0:01:11 > 0:01:13Well, today we are in Northumberland,

0:01:13 > 0:01:17and this is the very splendid backdrop of Chillingham Castle,

0:01:17 > 0:01:20home to the Grey family since the 13th century -

0:01:20 > 0:01:22a family, who, amongst other things,

0:01:22 > 0:01:25gave us a very popular blend of tea.

0:01:25 > 0:01:28Now, over the last 800 years or so, it's been lived in, fought over

0:01:28 > 0:01:31and then finally left to rack and ruin

0:01:31 > 0:01:34until its current owner, the very colourful Sir Humphry Wakefield,

0:01:34 > 0:01:37bought it back in the early 1980s.

0:01:37 > 0:01:38Now, later on in the show,

0:01:38 > 0:01:41I'll be getting my own, very special guided tour

0:01:41 > 0:01:43in the company of Sir Humphry himself,

0:01:43 > 0:01:46finding out just what it takes to restore a building like this,

0:01:46 > 0:01:49but also getting a little insight into what life is really like

0:01:49 > 0:01:51in a very Englishman's castle.

0:01:53 > 0:01:55Right at the head of England,

0:01:55 > 0:01:57Northumberland is the country's crowning glory,

0:01:57 > 0:02:00sharing County Durham and Cumbria's county borders,

0:02:00 > 0:02:04with Scotland just the other side of its northern boundary.

0:02:04 > 0:02:06And Northumberland's prime position,

0:02:06 > 0:02:08sitting shoulder to shoulder with Scotland,

0:02:08 > 0:02:12has greatly influenced the county's heritage and architecture.

0:02:12 > 0:02:14At the mouth of the River Tweed,

0:02:14 > 0:02:17the definitive border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed has changed hands

0:02:17 > 0:02:22between the English and Scottish at least 13 times.

0:02:22 > 0:02:24And the border wars which raged through the Middle Ages

0:02:24 > 0:02:27have left the landscape with a rich assortment

0:02:27 > 0:02:31of medieval fortifications, both ruinous and preserved.

0:02:31 > 0:02:32Among the many castles

0:02:32 > 0:02:35that litter Northumberland's beautiful coastline,

0:02:35 > 0:02:39Bamburgh was a key stronghold in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria,

0:02:39 > 0:02:41and the epic 1,900-year-old Hadrian's Wall

0:02:41 > 0:02:46charges over 70 miles from the North to the Irish Sea,

0:02:46 > 0:02:50cutting through the region's wild, dramatic and remote countryside.

0:02:51 > 0:02:53With swathes of secluded beaches

0:02:53 > 0:02:56and the UK's least-populated National Park,

0:02:56 > 0:02:58it's small wonder that Northumberland

0:02:58 > 0:03:01has been voted the most tranquil county in the country.

0:03:05 > 0:03:07Well, for a county with some beautiful

0:03:07 > 0:03:09rural and coastal locations,

0:03:09 > 0:03:12Northumberland also represents pretty good value for money.

0:03:12 > 0:03:15Currently, the average price of a detached property

0:03:15 > 0:03:17is £223,000 here.

0:03:17 > 0:03:21That's some 60,000 below the national figure.

0:03:21 > 0:03:23But, for all of its celebrated coastline,

0:03:23 > 0:03:26coastal properties are hard to find.

0:03:26 > 0:03:28However, step inland and you are blessed with

0:03:28 > 0:03:31not only beautiful countryside,

0:03:31 > 0:03:33but also exceptional value for money.

0:03:33 > 0:03:37But before we continue exploring this wonderful county,

0:03:37 > 0:03:39we're heading a little further south in the country,

0:03:39 > 0:03:43to the town of Conisbrough near Doncaster in South Yorkshire,

0:03:43 > 0:03:46home to today's buyer, Chris, a retired lecturer,

0:03:46 > 0:03:49and her best friend and neighbour, Linda, who works as a nurse.

0:03:49 > 0:03:52I used to have the pub at the bottom of the road, The Castle Inn -

0:03:52 > 0:03:54I was the landlady there -

0:03:54 > 0:03:57and Linda used to come in.

0:03:57 > 0:03:58I didn't really know her then,

0:03:58 > 0:04:01but I heard that when I thought about moving here,

0:04:01 > 0:04:05she was a bit worried, because she thought I was a bit stuck-up.

0:04:05 > 0:04:08But, anyway, I moved in and we became good friends

0:04:08 > 0:04:10- almost immediately, didn't we?- Yeah.

0:04:10 > 0:04:13I realised she wasn't stuck-up after all.

0:04:13 > 0:04:15And their friendship has seen them

0:04:15 > 0:04:17through the good times as well as the bad.

0:04:17 > 0:04:20My husband was alive when she first moved in,

0:04:20 > 0:04:24and then my husband sadly passed away five years ago,

0:04:24 > 0:04:26and Chris has been a real help to me,

0:04:26 > 0:04:29she's really got me through it, been a really good friend. Haven't you?

0:04:29 > 0:04:31Yeah, we've taken her out!

0:04:34 > 0:04:36Living next-door to one another for 12 years,

0:04:36 > 0:04:39Chris and Linda have developed a close bond,

0:04:39 > 0:04:41and have even put a gate up between their gardens

0:04:41 > 0:04:45so they can wander freely in and out of one another's properties.

0:04:45 > 0:04:47Boundary-hopping may soon cease,

0:04:47 > 0:04:50as Chris has recently put her three-bedroom detached home

0:04:50 > 0:04:51on the market.

0:04:52 > 0:04:55I've been very happy in this house, here,

0:04:55 > 0:04:58but it's getting a bit big for me now,

0:04:58 > 0:05:04so I'd like to move somewhere that's not so high-maintenance,

0:05:04 > 0:05:09and is warmer, and so I wouldn't have to spend so much time

0:05:09 > 0:05:11and so much money looking after it...

0:05:11 > 0:05:13and also the traffic.

0:05:13 > 0:05:16Although it's an unadopted road that I live on,

0:05:16 > 0:05:18they use it as a short cut.

0:05:18 > 0:05:20It does get very busy on that road at the top,

0:05:20 > 0:05:23and we both...you do some part-time work, don't you?

0:05:23 > 0:05:24And I walk up to work.

0:05:24 > 0:05:27You know, the traffic, sometimes, the fumes and the dust,

0:05:27 > 0:05:29you know, and you think, oh...

0:05:29 > 0:05:31It does get you down a little bit.

0:05:32 > 0:05:33A creative at heart,

0:05:33 > 0:05:37Chris now wants to downsize and escape her urban surroundings

0:05:37 > 0:05:41to find inspiration from the sea and countryside of the North East.

0:05:43 > 0:05:46The area that I'd like to move to is the Northumberland coast,

0:05:46 > 0:05:50because I had a friend who sadly died this year,

0:05:50 > 0:05:52and I used to spend time with her.

0:05:52 > 0:05:54She lived in a caravan on the beach

0:05:54 > 0:05:56and we used to walk on these empty beaches.

0:05:56 > 0:06:00It's so unspoilt and wild up there.

0:06:00 > 0:06:03She found her artistic side up there -

0:06:03 > 0:06:06and she's sort of inspiring me to want to go up there

0:06:06 > 0:06:09and find my creative side, as well.

0:06:10 > 0:06:12I WILL write that novel.

0:06:13 > 0:06:17But at the moment, Chris's creativity isn't entirely passive,

0:06:17 > 0:06:20as she turned her hand to an ambitious garden seat

0:06:20 > 0:06:23dedicated to the memory of Linda's late husband.

0:06:23 > 0:06:25I made a bench outside,

0:06:25 > 0:06:29and I wanted it to be one like Gaudi did in Barcelona.

0:06:29 > 0:06:33And I taught myself how to render, did all the tiling,

0:06:33 > 0:06:35and we got it finished...

0:06:35 > 0:06:37Well, that must have taken at least a year to do it.

0:06:37 > 0:06:39Yeah, but I think it sort of...

0:06:39 > 0:06:42It's the strongest bench in creativity,

0:06:42 > 0:06:44that it has got foundations, we dug foundations,

0:06:44 > 0:06:47it will never go anywhere.

0:06:47 > 0:06:49- Everybody comments on it when they see it.- Yeah.

0:06:49 > 0:06:51So, it's really unusual.

0:06:51 > 0:06:53Another thing that I'd like to do,

0:06:53 > 0:06:56if I got a place that had got a bit of a workshop, or a shed, even,

0:06:56 > 0:06:59is to make things out of found objects,

0:06:59 > 0:07:02like the driftwood and things that you find in abundance up there.

0:07:02 > 0:07:06So, making things as well as writing.

0:07:06 > 0:07:08And aside from artistic aspirations,

0:07:08 > 0:07:13proximity to her family is also fuelling the decision to relocate.

0:07:13 > 0:07:15I've got two sons.

0:07:15 > 0:07:19The elder one lives in Austria and he's married an Austrian woman.

0:07:19 > 0:07:22My younger son has married a Scottish girl,

0:07:22 > 0:07:25and they've just moved up to Edinburgh,

0:07:25 > 0:07:27so that's one of the reasons I'd like to move,

0:07:27 > 0:07:30because I'd like to move somewhere closer to them.

0:07:30 > 0:07:33So, with family to visit, things to make and books to write,

0:07:33 > 0:07:37this Northumbrian move heralds not only a change of location,

0:07:37 > 0:07:41but a complete change of lifestyle for both ladies.

0:07:43 > 0:07:45I think this is an important move for me,

0:07:45 > 0:07:48because it will probably be the last move that I make -

0:07:48 > 0:07:51and yet I feel now, at the age of 64,

0:07:51 > 0:07:53I'm still young enough and still active enough

0:07:53 > 0:07:58to make that move and make new friends and find new interests.

0:07:58 > 0:08:00You know, I'm going to miss her when she goes,

0:08:00 > 0:08:01and we've got such a good friendship,

0:08:01 > 0:08:04it's a shame, really, not to still be near her,

0:08:04 > 0:08:07so, possibly, when I'm... I mean, I'm almost ready

0:08:07 > 0:08:10for retiring myself, I might actually go and join her.

0:08:17 > 0:08:21For the best chance of what Chris - or, indeed, Linda - is after,

0:08:21 > 0:08:23our Northumberland property search will be focused

0:08:23 > 0:08:27in attractive villages within the northern portion of the county,

0:08:27 > 0:08:29pushing right up to the Scottish border

0:08:29 > 0:08:32and out towards the eastern coast.

0:08:32 > 0:08:34So, I'm meeting up with them in the county

0:08:34 > 0:08:37to glean a better understanding of this impending move.

0:08:38 > 0:08:41Well, Chris, Linda, welcome to Escape To The Country,

0:08:41 > 0:08:42and welcome to Northumberland.

0:08:42 > 0:08:45- Thank you.- So, you now think the time is right to make this move,

0:08:45 > 0:08:46and you've brought Linda along

0:08:46 > 0:08:50- as some sensible counsel in this move.- Yeah!

0:08:50 > 0:08:52I think I just need to keep a check on her, really,

0:08:52 > 0:08:54and make sure she makes the right choices.

0:08:54 > 0:08:57This is a very jolly, very warm set up, isn't it?

0:08:57 > 0:09:01Two old friends and neighbours escaping to the country,

0:09:01 > 0:09:04- or helping you to escape, Chris. - Yeah, I'm going first!

0:09:04 > 0:09:06I may follow very soon.

0:09:06 > 0:09:08Linda, you are also keen on moving,

0:09:08 > 0:09:10and this might also be a part of the world

0:09:10 > 0:09:12that could appeal to you in the future?

0:09:12 > 0:09:14Yeah, I'd love to live near the coast.

0:09:14 > 0:09:17It's a bit quieter up here and the beaches are nice and quiet,

0:09:17 > 0:09:20and it's just so lovely, so I might be tempted.

0:09:20 > 0:09:22So, there may be some competition for these houses, Chris,

0:09:22 > 0:09:24you may get gazumped by your neighbour!

0:09:24 > 0:09:26And that will be the end of that friendship, won't it?

0:09:26 > 0:09:27THEY LAUGH

0:09:27 > 0:09:32So, give us a sense, Chris, of the kind of property that you are after.

0:09:32 > 0:09:35Well, I like somewhere with character,

0:09:35 > 0:09:36that's probably been something else,

0:09:36 > 0:09:39you know, like an old schoolhouse or something.

0:09:39 > 0:09:41How many bedrooms? Because obviously you're going to want

0:09:41 > 0:09:43- friends and family to come and stay. - Two or three.- Mm-hm.

0:09:43 > 0:09:46Because I've got two sons - and one lives in Edinburgh,

0:09:46 > 0:09:48that's one of the reasons I want to move up, to be closer to him.

0:09:48 > 0:09:51So, I need at least a spare room.

0:09:51 > 0:09:52I'd like to have a view.

0:09:52 > 0:09:55It doesn't have to be sea, but not far from the sea,

0:09:55 > 0:09:58and I'd like somewhere with a kitchen I can sit in,

0:09:58 > 0:10:00because I've not had that before.

0:10:00 > 0:10:03A garden that I can sit in and hang the washing out,

0:10:03 > 0:10:04that's important, as well.

0:10:04 > 0:10:06Now, Linda, you know Chris better than I do.

0:10:06 > 0:10:10How easy is it going to be to satisfy her needs, do you think?

0:10:10 > 0:10:13I think it has to be something quirky for Chris.

0:10:13 > 0:10:16She won't make do with just boring or mundane.

0:10:16 > 0:10:18It has to have something unusual about it,

0:10:18 > 0:10:20because she's a very quirky person, aren't you?

0:10:20 > 0:10:22And in terms of the budget, then, Chris,

0:10:22 > 0:10:24how much do think you're going to have to spend?

0:10:24 > 0:10:28Well, I've only got 200,000, so that really is the maximum.

0:10:28 > 0:10:30Well, this is a beautiful part of the world.

0:10:30 > 0:10:33Why more people don't escape to the North East, I simply don't know.

0:10:33 > 0:10:34- Don't tell them, though.- No!

0:10:34 > 0:10:38It's a really hidden gem that offers you brilliant value for money

0:10:38 > 0:10:40- and beautiful landscape.- Yeah.

0:10:40 > 0:10:43We've got a really interesting range of properties to show you.

0:10:43 > 0:10:45- We've got some beautiful weather. - Yeah!

0:10:45 > 0:10:47- Shall we go?- Yep.- Come on, then. Follow me this way.- OK.

0:10:50 > 0:10:53For a top budget of £200,000,

0:10:53 > 0:10:55Chris is after a characterful property

0:10:55 > 0:10:59with a kitchen/breakfast room and at least two bedrooms.

0:10:59 > 0:11:01Ideally, she'd like a garden with a workshop

0:11:01 > 0:11:03in which to get creative

0:11:03 > 0:11:05and somewhere with an inspiring outlook...

0:11:05 > 0:11:09and we've got a wonderful mix of homes to serve up -

0:11:09 > 0:11:12but I won't be revealing the attached price tags

0:11:12 > 0:11:14until they've had a good look around each one first.

0:11:14 > 0:11:18Then, last on the property agenda is our Mystery House,

0:11:18 > 0:11:20which could bring the coast, and my companions,

0:11:20 > 0:11:23closer than they ever imagined.

0:11:30 > 0:11:33Now, I gather you have a rather unique phobia, Chris,

0:11:33 > 0:11:35of all things, about cows, is that right?

0:11:35 > 0:11:36It's not a unique phobia.

0:11:36 > 0:11:38They're actually very dangerous animals,

0:11:38 > 0:11:41- and they trample people to death. - LINDA CHUCKLES

0:11:41 > 0:11:44How many people do you think are killed a year by cows?

0:11:44 > 0:11:45About 7,000.

0:11:45 > 0:11:46THEY LAUGH

0:11:46 > 0:11:48Did you just make that up?!

0:11:48 > 0:11:51You did make it up, because I can tell you, it's five.

0:11:51 > 0:11:53Five a year.

0:11:53 > 0:11:54I was close, then(!)

0:11:54 > 0:11:56Actually, double the number killed by horses -

0:11:56 > 0:11:59- so, maybe there is something in your phobia.- Yeah.

0:11:59 > 0:12:01I hope we see some cows today. I want to see what happens!

0:12:01 > 0:12:03I've seen loads up here, actually.

0:12:03 > 0:12:06It's a bit of a hazard when you're a rambler.

0:12:06 > 0:12:09It is indeed. I mean, you certainly have to be careful,

0:12:09 > 0:12:12particularly with dogs and young children, if you're walking through.

0:12:12 > 0:12:16But again, it's one of those little elements of the Country Code,

0:12:16 > 0:12:19I think, you just... Yeah, be sensible.

0:12:19 > 0:12:22But, um, you do admire them, don't you?

0:12:22 > 0:12:24They are lovely creatures.

0:12:24 > 0:12:26From afar.

0:12:29 > 0:12:32Our first destination is the village of Mindrum,

0:12:32 > 0:12:34just 15 miles from the coast,

0:12:34 > 0:12:36lying in the shadow of the Cheviot Hills,

0:12:36 > 0:12:39at the northern fringes of the Northumberland National Park.

0:12:39 > 0:12:43The village is just a 15-minute drive from Wooler,

0:12:43 > 0:12:46which is a small town made of striking stone architecture,

0:12:46 > 0:12:50that sits seamlessly against a scenic country backdrop.

0:12:50 > 0:12:54Here, a variety of specialist shops and cafes can be found,

0:12:54 > 0:12:58including a delicatessen, post office and even an art gallery,

0:12:58 > 0:13:01which could be an outlet for creative Chris to explore.

0:13:01 > 0:13:05So, although a pint of milk is some eight miles away

0:13:05 > 0:13:06from the property back in Mindrum,

0:13:06 > 0:13:10the remoteness might just be the ticket, as it couldn't be further

0:13:10 > 0:13:13from the fumes and traffic our buyer wants to escape.

0:13:13 > 0:13:15With just ten neighbouring houses,

0:13:15 > 0:13:19this location is more cosy hamlet than busy village.

0:13:19 > 0:13:22This is what I want you to look at, Chris.

0:13:22 > 0:13:26- This one? Is it the whole row? - It's not the whole row,

0:13:26 > 0:13:28- it is effectively half of it, though.- Wow!

0:13:28 > 0:13:31What we've got for you is half a range

0:13:31 > 0:13:33of former farm workers' cottages.

0:13:33 > 0:13:35There were probably numerous cottages here,

0:13:35 > 0:13:38but, effectively, they've combined several to give you...

0:13:38 > 0:13:40well, as I say, half of that range,

0:13:40 > 0:13:43so you've got one, two, three, four, five of those windows

0:13:43 > 0:13:46and two chimney stacks.

0:13:46 > 0:13:48- When were they built?- 1830.

0:13:48 > 0:13:531830, so it's sort of long and thin, it's single-storey living, this.

0:13:53 > 0:13:55Yeah, I think it's lovely so far.

0:13:55 > 0:13:57Is this the sort of thing that you would go for?

0:13:57 > 0:13:59Yeah, yeah, it's fantastic.

0:13:59 > 0:14:01- Let's see what you think of the inside.- OK.- Can't wait.

0:14:03 > 0:14:05With roots in the early 19th century,

0:14:05 > 0:14:09this semidetached former estate cottage is built of sandstone

0:14:09 > 0:14:12and painted white at the front, but left natural at the back,

0:14:12 > 0:14:14which is where we find the entrance.

0:14:14 > 0:14:18- A nice little area to sit outside. - Yes!

0:14:18 > 0:14:20Come on in.

0:14:21 > 0:14:23As a former farm worker's cottage,

0:14:23 > 0:14:25this modest property is just one room deep,

0:14:25 > 0:14:26but that does mean some rooms

0:14:26 > 0:14:29benefit from aspects to the front and rear.

0:14:29 > 0:14:33Running from left to right, there are four rooms in total,

0:14:33 > 0:14:37plus a bathroom and our first stop inside is the kitchen.

0:14:37 > 0:14:39Well, let's start in here, then, Chris.

0:14:39 > 0:14:41That's lovely.

0:14:41 > 0:14:44I said I wanted a kitchen that I could sit and eat in and here it is!

0:14:44 > 0:14:49- Here it is!- With a lovely view.- Oh, the view is fabulous from there!

0:14:49 > 0:14:51- Yeah, I like it.- Yeah, it's lovely.

0:14:51 > 0:14:53The nature of a long, thin building

0:14:53 > 0:14:56means the geography isn't traditional.

0:14:56 > 0:14:58The family bathroom is right next to the kitchen,

0:14:58 > 0:15:02but next we're taking a peek at the master bedroom to the far left.

0:15:04 > 0:15:05It's a nice size -

0:15:05 > 0:15:08just get out of bed, make a cup of tea, come back!

0:15:08 > 0:15:09THEY LAUGH

0:15:09 > 0:15:12This is a light, bright, dual-aspect room,

0:15:12 > 0:15:14but bedroom two isn't bad either.

0:15:14 > 0:15:19This is the other bedroom. It's quite a sweet little twin/double.

0:15:19 > 0:15:21And then it leads on into here.

0:15:21 > 0:15:24I think this has to be my favourite room here, actually.

0:15:24 > 0:15:27- Oh, yeah, it's lovely. - It's gorgeous!

0:15:27 > 0:15:29It's got such a nice, quirky feel to it as well.

0:15:29 > 0:15:31Good, I'm glad you like it.

0:15:31 > 0:15:35Well, that wraps up all the internal accommodation.

0:15:35 > 0:15:39Outside at the back there's a gravel courtyard with a large timber store

0:15:39 > 0:15:41but the rest of the lawned gardens

0:15:41 > 0:15:43lie entirely to the front of the property,

0:15:43 > 0:15:45which is where we're heading

0:15:45 > 0:15:48to have a stab at how much it all might cost.

0:15:50 > 0:15:51Look at that!

0:15:53 > 0:15:56You know, we do get to see some fabulous landscapes

0:15:56 > 0:15:58on Escape To The Country,

0:15:58 > 0:16:02but these do take some beating. Look, the Cheviots up there,

0:16:02 > 0:16:05- the most amazing light today. - It's wonderful.

0:16:05 > 0:16:07And, of course, all of it surrounding

0:16:07 > 0:16:10- a quite interesting first proposition.- Mm.

0:16:10 > 0:16:13So, Linda, can you help Chris out

0:16:13 > 0:16:17on estimating the value of this one?

0:16:17 > 0:16:20Em...about 185?

0:16:20 > 0:16:22185, yeah? Chris?

0:16:22 > 0:16:26Well, I think because it's on the edge of the National Park,

0:16:26 > 0:16:27that might put the price up a bit,

0:16:27 > 0:16:30but it is only two bedrooms, so I'll say 180.

0:16:30 > 0:16:33Well done. Absolutely spot-on.

0:16:33 > 0:16:36180, offers in the region of.

0:16:36 > 0:16:39So your £200,000 affords it comfortably,

0:16:39 > 0:16:42with plenty left over to make any little adjustments inside,

0:16:42 > 0:16:44but also in particular, I think,

0:16:44 > 0:16:47for the addition of some sort of workshop space out the back.

0:16:47 > 0:16:49Go and have a wander round. This is our first one.

0:16:49 > 0:16:51See what you get for 180

0:16:51 > 0:16:55- and I will find you a little bit later.- OK.- Off you go.

0:17:00 > 0:17:04£20,000 below budget, property number one...

0:17:12 > 0:17:15The property is set in a tranquil, rural location

0:17:15 > 0:17:18with views over the National Park.

0:17:18 > 0:17:21When I walked into the house, the house had a lovely feeling to it,

0:17:21 > 0:17:23I felt that I could live here,

0:17:23 > 0:17:26it had a nice warm feeling to it in every room.

0:17:26 > 0:17:30I think it's a good start. It is a lovely little house.

0:17:30 > 0:17:33I just worry it's a little bit small and she has a lot of books

0:17:33 > 0:17:36and I don't think she'd want to part with those,

0:17:36 > 0:17:39so I think she might struggle to get the storage space here

0:17:39 > 0:17:41that she needs for things like that.

0:17:41 > 0:17:44I've got to think about the remoteness of the location.

0:17:44 > 0:17:47Is it exactly what I want?

0:17:47 > 0:17:50So it's given me a lot of food for thought.

0:17:50 > 0:17:52You know, I've explored Northumberland

0:17:52 > 0:17:54on many occasions throughout my life

0:17:54 > 0:17:57and I have to confess the weather isn't always like this,

0:17:57 > 0:18:00but when it is, where else would you want to be?

0:18:00 > 0:18:02- It's glorious, isn't it?- Fantastic.

0:18:02 > 0:18:05And I think it's showed off our first offering in a brilliant light,

0:18:05 > 0:18:08in more ways than one, but we have got plenty more to show you.

0:18:08 > 0:18:10- All set?- Yep.

0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Might go over the border. How about that?- OK.- Wow.

0:18:22 > 0:18:25The incentive for Christine's move to Northumberland

0:18:25 > 0:18:28is the desire to get more artistic, drawing inspiration

0:18:28 > 0:18:31from her new-found coast and country environment.

0:18:31 > 0:18:34So we've arranged for Chris and Linda to meet Gerard van der Veen,

0:18:34 > 0:18:36an artist originally from Holland

0:18:36 > 0:18:39who takes reclaimed and salvaged natural materials from the county

0:18:39 > 0:18:42and transforms them into home and garden features

0:18:42 > 0:18:44to attract local wildlife.

0:18:45 > 0:18:48- Hello! I'm Linda.- Hi, I'm Gerard.

0:18:48 > 0:18:49- Hello, I'm Chris.- Hi.

0:18:49 > 0:18:51Gerard, what do you do here?

0:18:51 > 0:18:54I make all kinds of things for the environment.

0:18:54 > 0:18:56I try to use old reclaimed slate

0:18:56 > 0:18:59and make all kinds of products to enhance life in nature.

0:18:59 > 0:19:00So, why slate?

0:19:00 > 0:19:03It's a beautiful construction material to work with.

0:19:03 > 0:19:06A lot of people think, you know, slate is slate.

0:19:06 > 0:19:09No, it's not. You have from rock hard to butter soft.

0:19:09 > 0:19:11So you really have to pick and choose the right piece of slate,

0:19:11 > 0:19:14because from, say, ten pieces, I only use about two.

0:19:14 > 0:19:16Oh, wow - what sort of things do you make?

0:19:16 > 0:19:17I make a whole variety.

0:19:17 > 0:19:22I make bird feeders, to bird tables, to birdhouses, nesting boxes.

0:19:22 > 0:19:23I really want to enhance nature.

0:19:26 > 0:19:28After a career in product design,

0:19:28 > 0:19:31Gerard left the corporate world to set up his own enterprise,

0:19:31 > 0:19:34creating products that are environmentally friendly.

0:19:35 > 0:19:38Taking advantage of his proximity to the River Rede,

0:19:38 > 0:19:41which meanders through the village of West Woodburn, where he lives,

0:19:41 > 0:19:45he uses the water to clean, soak and cut the slate.

0:19:45 > 0:19:47- Like this, yeah?- Yes, yes.

0:19:47 > 0:19:51- Just top and bottom. That's it.- OK.

0:19:51 > 0:19:52Just another hundred to go.

0:19:52 > 0:19:53THEY LAUGH

0:19:54 > 0:19:56Would you go back to city life, Gerard?

0:19:56 > 0:19:58Um, not really, to be honest.

0:19:58 > 0:20:02I fell in love with nature here, especially in Northumberland.

0:20:02 > 0:20:03Its ruralness.

0:20:03 > 0:20:06The main reason why I live very rural

0:20:06 > 0:20:08is because you can shape your own life.

0:20:08 > 0:20:11When you go back to the city, the city will shape your life,

0:20:11 > 0:20:14and that's the reason why I'm here in Northumberland.

0:20:14 > 0:20:17I'm into making things from found objects,

0:20:17 > 0:20:18particularly driftwood I'm interested in,

0:20:18 > 0:20:20and there's lots of it, isn't there, around here

0:20:20 > 0:20:23- on the beaches of Northumberland? - Yes, yes.

0:20:23 > 0:20:28Now that you mention wood, I use slate, but I also use wood.

0:20:28 > 0:20:30I'm using that also in the studio.

0:20:30 > 0:20:33If Linda is ready, we could go to the studio

0:20:33 > 0:20:37and have a look at what I make from wood and slate.

0:20:37 > 0:20:38OK, lovely.

0:20:38 > 0:20:41All of Gerard's products are handmade in his workshop,

0:20:41 > 0:20:44and he's showing Chris and Linda how to make one of his bestsellers

0:20:44 > 0:20:47using reclaimed offcuts of slate from across the county -

0:20:47 > 0:20:49mostly found or donated.

0:20:49 > 0:20:51What are we making today?

0:20:51 > 0:20:53Well, I was thinking of showing you my window feeder -

0:20:53 > 0:20:55it's my most popular product.

0:20:55 > 0:20:57The birds love it, but also people who buy it love it,

0:20:57 > 0:21:00because you can see birds in very close proximity.

0:21:00 > 0:21:03This is the bottom. You put it in position there, under a slope.

0:21:03 > 0:21:06- The reason why I use a slope is the water will drain out.- Yeah.

0:21:06 > 0:21:09So, when you put the food on, the food will never get mouldy,

0:21:09 > 0:21:12and therefore they will eat everything you put there,

0:21:12 > 0:21:14and so you won't attract vermin.

0:21:16 > 0:21:20Using eco-friendly glue, two pre-cut angled slates are hinged together...

0:21:20 > 0:21:22That doesn't seem a lot.

0:21:22 > 0:21:25You don't really need very much.

0:21:25 > 0:21:27..then joined to the base and left to set.

0:21:29 > 0:21:31A bracket is then fashioned using salvaged copper wire...

0:21:32 > 0:21:34..onto which a sucker is attached

0:21:34 > 0:21:36so the feeder can be hung from a window.

0:21:38 > 0:21:40Where do you get all the rest of your materials from?

0:21:40 > 0:21:44Well, the slate is coming from all kinds of directions, to be honest.

0:21:44 > 0:21:47A lot is donated, and I try to give it an extra life.

0:21:47 > 0:21:50So after hanging 100 years on the roof,

0:21:50 > 0:21:54I'm now trying to extend it by another, say, 25, even more, years.

0:21:55 > 0:21:58Slate is a dark-grey metamorphic rock.

0:21:58 > 0:22:00Essentially, it's compressed mud

0:22:00 > 0:22:03that's been compacted and heated under extreme pressure

0:22:03 > 0:22:05over millions of years.

0:22:05 > 0:22:06- Finished?- Yeah.

0:22:06 > 0:22:08So another three window feeders.

0:22:08 > 0:22:11I would say take the window feeder with you,

0:22:11 > 0:22:12- and that's a token from me. - Oh, thank you.

0:22:12 > 0:22:15- Thank you, it's very kind of you. - Lovely memory of today.

0:22:15 > 0:22:17- It's been brilliant.- Thank you. - You've been inspirational.

0:22:17 > 0:22:21So, as we turn our attention back to the house hunt,

0:22:21 > 0:22:24let's trust that the inspiring vision continues.

0:22:28 > 0:22:30Now, your son in Edinburgh must be delighted

0:22:30 > 0:22:32that you're going to move so much closer to him?

0:22:32 > 0:22:33- LAUGHING:- Must be!

0:22:33 > 0:22:36LAUGHING: Have you not told him yet?!

0:22:36 > 0:22:38When I initially told them... When they moved to Edinburgh,

0:22:38 > 0:22:41I said, "Oh, I could come up and live there!"

0:22:41 > 0:22:44And my daughter-in-law laughed, which was not the response I wanted.

0:22:44 > 0:22:47But since they've got used to the idea, they're quite keen,

0:22:47 > 0:22:50- I think they'll like it. - I think it would be great,

0:22:50 > 0:22:53and you've got so much to explore up here!

0:22:53 > 0:22:57So many things to go and see and to inspire you

0:22:57 > 0:23:01and help you realise your creative ambitions,

0:23:01 > 0:23:03from the coastline, the castles,

0:23:03 > 0:23:07Hadrian's Wall, Kielder, the National Park,

0:23:07 > 0:23:09you know, there are so many things, I think,

0:23:09 > 0:23:12that can really fulfil that ambition.

0:23:12 > 0:23:16And we're not far from Edinburgh and Newcastle as well,

0:23:16 > 0:23:18- if we want a bit of culture. - Absolutely.

0:23:20 > 0:23:24Our property search is heading right up north and just out of the county

0:23:24 > 0:23:26to the border village of Sprouston.

0:23:26 > 0:23:29From here, the Scottish market town of Kelso

0:23:29 > 0:23:31is the nearest place to pick up essentials and luxuries.

0:23:33 > 0:23:35Situated on the banks of the River Tweed,

0:23:35 > 0:23:37Kelso lies in a fertile valley

0:23:37 > 0:23:40within ten miles of the English border.

0:23:40 > 0:23:43At its centre is a cobbled square which is the largest in Scotland,

0:23:43 > 0:23:45and whose Georgian town hall

0:23:45 > 0:23:49is topped by a clock tower that chimes every quarter.

0:23:49 > 0:23:50Another notable landmark

0:23:50 > 0:23:54are the elegant remains of the Romanesque Kelso Abbey,

0:23:54 > 0:23:56which was originally built in the 12th century.

0:23:56 > 0:24:00It was once the largest and wealthiest abbey in the country.

0:24:00 > 0:24:04The winding streets of the town host a vast range of shops and amenities,

0:24:04 > 0:24:06eateries and accommodation.

0:24:07 > 0:24:10These are all just a ten-minute drive

0:24:10 > 0:24:13from the property I want to show Chris and Linda,

0:24:13 > 0:24:16back in the rural outskirts of Sprouston.

0:24:16 > 0:24:19Right then, Chris and Linda. Come over here.

0:24:21 > 0:24:24- There we are.- That is beautiful. - Oh, that is really nice.

0:24:24 > 0:24:27It's the end terrace, really,

0:24:27 > 0:24:30in this interesting complex of former farm workers' cottages.

0:24:30 > 0:24:33The look of the house with the porch and...

0:24:33 > 0:24:36even those tiles on the roof, it just looks so welcoming.

0:24:36 > 0:24:37It's just lovely.

0:24:37 > 0:24:39The nice thing is, of course,

0:24:39 > 0:24:43it being on the end, it does feel more like it is completely detached,

0:24:43 > 0:24:45because your garden goes that way

0:24:45 > 0:24:48and you've got those amazing views beyond

0:24:48 > 0:24:52over towards England - because we have stepped over the border,

0:24:52 > 0:24:53as you know. Only just.

0:24:53 > 0:24:55About a mile or so.

0:24:55 > 0:24:59You've also got access to a communal garden out here.

0:24:59 > 0:25:01The garden, that sort of drew me in straightaway.

0:25:01 > 0:25:03You can see already from here

0:25:03 > 0:25:06there's all little nooks and crannies where you could sit,

0:25:06 > 0:25:07and a summerhouse.

0:25:07 > 0:25:10- Is this the sort of thing that might appeal?- Yes. This looks gorgeous.

0:25:10 > 0:25:11Let's have a look. Come on!

0:25:11 > 0:25:14Let's stop talking about it. Let's see what you think.

0:25:14 > 0:25:17Built between 1890 and 1900,

0:25:17 > 0:25:19at first sight this pretty end terrace seems

0:25:19 > 0:25:22to deliver on the character Chris was after.

0:25:23 > 0:25:25Recently refurbished inside,

0:25:25 > 0:25:30I'm confident the interior design will also match up to expectations.

0:25:30 > 0:25:33To the right of the entrance hall we find the main reception room.

0:25:33 > 0:25:35All right, Linda. You're in charge of the door.

0:25:35 > 0:25:37Come this way, Chris.

0:25:37 > 0:25:39Let's start with the living room.

0:25:39 > 0:25:43This delightful space features a wood-burning stove in the fireplace

0:25:43 > 0:25:45and double doors out onto the garden.

0:25:47 > 0:25:49- This is nice.- Yeah.

0:25:49 > 0:25:51I feel like somebody like me lives here.

0:25:52 > 0:25:54This first room is hitting the right mark for Chris,

0:25:54 > 0:25:57so it's all very good so far.

0:25:57 > 0:26:00What's more, we've also got a charming country kitchen.

0:26:02 > 0:26:03- I love it.- Do you?

0:26:03 > 0:26:05Yeah.

0:26:05 > 0:26:08It looks like solid beech, is it?

0:26:08 > 0:26:10Yeah, it is solid beech, yeah.

0:26:10 > 0:26:12As well as rustic wooden worktops,

0:26:12 > 0:26:15the kitchen also has enough space for a small table

0:26:15 > 0:26:17and a great utility room beyond.

0:26:17 > 0:26:20Also on the ground floor is the family bathroom,

0:26:20 > 0:26:23fitted with a classic heritage three-piece suite.

0:26:24 > 0:26:27Then the staircase winds up to the first floor,

0:26:27 > 0:26:28where there are three bedrooms.

0:26:28 > 0:26:32One is part-furnished and comes with a WC en suite.

0:26:32 > 0:26:36Another is being used as an office/music room.

0:26:36 > 0:26:37And this is the master.

0:26:39 > 0:26:41It's absolutely gorgeous.

0:26:43 > 0:26:45The master also comes with its own en-suite shower room

0:26:45 > 0:26:48and a decorative cast-iron fireplace,

0:26:48 > 0:26:50but the real highlight of the master,

0:26:50 > 0:26:51and indeed the whole property,

0:26:51 > 0:26:55has to be the large wooden balcony through the French doors.

0:26:56 > 0:26:58Wow, look at this.

0:26:58 > 0:27:00- Wow.- Amazing view, isn't it?

0:27:00 > 0:27:02Yeah. I can see a little river.

0:27:02 > 0:27:04Now, then. Here's the story.

0:27:04 > 0:27:06That little bit of river you can see

0:27:06 > 0:27:09is actually just a tiny part of the River Tweed,

0:27:09 > 0:27:11and that's the border between England and Scotland.

0:27:11 > 0:27:13So those houses you can see beyond it,

0:27:13 > 0:27:16they're in England, and we're in Scotland.

0:27:16 > 0:27:17- Right.- You couldn't be closer.

0:27:17 > 0:27:19And I love this time of year.

0:27:19 > 0:27:21I love seeing the harvest in and done

0:27:21 > 0:27:24and these round bales strewn across the landscape.

0:27:24 > 0:27:29- It's just a lovely entree into autumn.- Mm.

0:27:29 > 0:27:32- And you wanted a view, didn't you? - Yeah.

0:27:32 > 0:27:33This is a lovely view.

0:27:33 > 0:27:36It's not a sea view, but it's not bad.

0:27:36 > 0:27:39Somehow appropriate that my English son's married a Scottish girl.

0:27:39 > 0:27:41- There you are.- And here I am. - Yeah, exactly -

0:27:41 > 0:27:43the whole family's now in Scotland.

0:27:43 > 0:27:46Potentially. Not to pre-empt anything, of course, Chris.

0:27:46 > 0:27:48SHE LAUGHS

0:27:48 > 0:27:49I love it.

0:27:49 > 0:27:50Can I have it?

0:27:50 > 0:27:52Course you can! SHE LAUGHS

0:27:52 > 0:27:54- If you can afford it!- How much?

0:27:54 > 0:27:56How much, is the question, isn't it?

0:27:56 > 0:27:57- Mm.- Come on. Let's go down there.

0:27:57 > 0:27:59Give you a closer look at the garden,

0:27:59 > 0:28:01and talk about the price.

0:28:01 > 0:28:03So, as well as those stunning panoramic views,

0:28:03 > 0:28:07which the owner tells me deliver amazing sunrises,

0:28:07 > 0:28:10the cottage also benefits from a large communal lawned area

0:28:10 > 0:28:12and a landscaped private garden.

0:28:12 > 0:28:15With al fresco seating areas,

0:28:15 > 0:28:17a sheltered barbecue,

0:28:17 > 0:28:21a water feature, mature trees

0:28:21 > 0:28:24and colourful shrubs, the garden is a real oasis

0:28:24 > 0:28:29and the tools to tend it can be stored in a useful brick outhouse.

0:28:29 > 0:28:32What's more, there's even the requested workshop

0:28:32 > 0:28:34in the form of a sage-green timber summerhouse.

0:28:35 > 0:28:38Now, this, I'm thinking, would make a great writer's retreat.

0:28:38 > 0:28:42Yeah, it's great. Writing and reading in there, it's wonderful.

0:28:42 > 0:28:44Is this inspiring to you?

0:28:44 > 0:28:46I just love it. The whole... Everything about it.

0:28:46 > 0:28:50- Yeah?- Yeah, it's very you, this house, I think.- Yeah.

0:28:50 > 0:28:52Let's get to the nitty-gritty, then,

0:28:52 > 0:28:56because we haven't dealt with the price yet, Linda.

0:28:56 > 0:28:59- Mm.- Go on, then.- I would say...

0:28:59 > 0:29:02- 195.- 195.

0:29:02 > 0:29:04- Just under budget.- Mm.

0:29:04 > 0:29:05I think it's above my budget.

0:29:05 > 0:29:07- Go on.- 225.

0:29:07 > 0:29:09225.

0:29:09 > 0:29:13This is on the market for offers in excess...

0:29:13 > 0:29:18of £192,500.

0:29:18 > 0:29:21- So you weren't far off, Linda.- No!

0:29:21 > 0:29:23It's certainly under budget.

0:29:23 > 0:29:26It's a great property in a great, great spot.

0:29:26 > 0:29:29I will seriously consider it.

0:29:29 > 0:29:31Go on, then. Discuss it amongst yourselves,

0:29:31 > 0:29:34- and I will come and find you a bit later on.- OK.

0:29:39 > 0:29:41Comfortably under budget,

0:29:41 > 0:29:45this Victorian cottage is packed full of charm and character.

0:29:45 > 0:29:48It has three bedrooms that include a most impressive master suite

0:29:48 > 0:29:51with commanding views from a private balcony.

0:29:51 > 0:29:54Outside, the gardens offer plenty of scope

0:29:54 > 0:29:57for Chris's creative ambitions.

0:29:58 > 0:30:02Ah! Here you are. Enjoying your garden?

0:30:02 > 0:30:04- I am.- Ah!- Just mind out, there.

0:30:04 > 0:30:06- I can't see the view.- Pardon me!

0:30:06 > 0:30:09Pardon me. Well, you haven't bought it yet.

0:30:09 > 0:30:11- No.- Our search will continue tomorrow, but in the meantime

0:30:11 > 0:30:14- I think we should go and enjoy a well-earned glass of wine.- Let's.

0:30:14 > 0:30:17- Come on.- Sounds good.- Mine's red. - Oh, is it?!

0:30:26 > 0:30:28We're in Northumberland, which is where Chris,

0:30:28 > 0:30:31from a town near Doncaster in South Yorkshire,

0:30:31 > 0:30:34wants to establish a new life in the country.

0:30:34 > 0:30:36She's got £200,000 to spend

0:30:36 > 0:30:40and has brought along her best friend and neighbour Linda to help.

0:30:40 > 0:30:43We've still got two more property options to put forward,

0:30:43 > 0:30:45and our ladies are lost for words

0:30:45 > 0:30:47when it comes to the Mystery House.

0:30:47 > 0:30:49How do we feel about this...notion?

0:30:49 > 0:30:50This idea?

0:30:54 > 0:30:57- There is a deathly silence! - I know!

0:30:57 > 0:31:00And I visit one of the county's many fascinating castles...

0:31:00 > 0:31:01Wow!

0:31:01 > 0:31:04..to learn about its ancestors past and present

0:31:04 > 0:31:05both inside and out.

0:31:05 > 0:31:08I never thought I'd see prehistoric cattle in this number.

0:31:08 > 0:31:10Not least in Northumberland.

0:31:13 > 0:31:16I am loving this house search in Northumberland,

0:31:16 > 0:31:19and the unique dynamic between Chris and Linda

0:31:19 > 0:31:21is, if I'm honest, really intriguing -

0:31:21 > 0:31:24because on the one hand we are trying to fulfil Chris's ambitions

0:31:24 > 0:31:27to make a move to Northumberland,

0:31:27 > 0:31:30but if Linda's hopes for the future are to be realised, too, well,

0:31:30 > 0:31:33chances are she may not be far behind her -

0:31:33 > 0:31:35and that is where our Mystery House comes in.

0:31:35 > 0:31:38Now, on the one hand, of course, I would love to sell it to Chris,

0:31:38 > 0:31:41but it's also got an interesting option for Linda, as well,

0:31:41 > 0:31:44so could we be on the brink of pulling off a first

0:31:44 > 0:31:48for Escape To The Country - selling not just one, but two properties?

0:31:48 > 0:31:51However, before we get to the mystery proposition,

0:31:51 > 0:31:52we have another house to see.

0:31:54 > 0:31:56To get to it, we're going to hop back over the border

0:31:56 > 0:31:58between England and Scotland

0:31:58 > 0:32:01to the small rural Scottish village of Whitsome.

0:32:02 > 0:32:04Just over three miles away from the house,

0:32:04 > 0:32:07the English village of Norham is the closest place

0:32:07 > 0:32:08to find a good selection of facilities,

0:32:08 > 0:32:12from pubs and a convenience store to a baker's and a butcher's.

0:32:13 > 0:32:16Featuring a green surrounded by terraced stone cottages,

0:32:16 > 0:32:19Norham is one of the most northerly villages in England.

0:32:19 > 0:32:22So much so that one end actually lies in Scotland.

0:32:23 > 0:32:25The village sits in the shadow

0:32:25 > 0:32:27of the towering 12th-century Norham Castle,

0:32:27 > 0:32:31whose ruins were first captured on canvas by the painter JMW Turner

0:32:31 > 0:32:35in 1797 and came to feature in many of his works.

0:32:37 > 0:32:41So, following in the footsteps of one of the country's great masters,

0:32:41 > 0:32:43the landscape here could provide the perfect backdrop

0:32:43 > 0:32:46for our creative house hunter Chris.

0:32:46 > 0:32:49If she can see past the bovine neighbours.

0:32:51 > 0:32:54We talk about the peace and quiet of the countryside, but not here today.

0:32:54 > 0:32:57As you can hear, the farmers around about

0:32:57 > 0:33:00are busy sorting out their planting for winter crops and so on.

0:33:00 > 0:33:02There's a bit of farming activity going on,

0:33:02 > 0:33:04but of course, the countryside is a busy place.

0:33:04 > 0:33:07All of this activity surrounds... that.

0:33:07 > 0:33:10It's a lovely-looking house. Stone-built.

0:33:10 > 0:33:12Here we are again in farm worker's cottage territory.

0:33:12 > 0:33:16You can see this lovely Victorian terrace.

0:33:16 > 0:33:18End property, again, so you've got lovely views.

0:33:18 > 0:33:22Somewhere to sit out and enjoy looking at those cows.

0:33:22 > 0:33:25Yes, now, the cows, we've laid them on especially, Chris,

0:33:25 > 0:33:28to help you try and overcome your cow phobia.

0:33:28 > 0:33:31- Thank you. - They're enjoying the sunshine,

0:33:31 > 0:33:32they're not bothered by us,

0:33:32 > 0:33:34so I'm hoping that in time you won't be bothered by them.

0:33:34 > 0:33:36They're very close to the house, though.

0:33:36 > 0:33:39The fence is all right, though, I've checked it.

0:33:39 > 0:33:40Don't worry about it.

0:33:40 > 0:33:44It also comes with this garden and that summerhouse.

0:33:44 > 0:33:46I didn't notice that at first.

0:33:46 > 0:33:49- That's nice.- Yeah.- That would be quite a useful studio for you.

0:33:49 > 0:33:51- It would. - Linda, what's your first impression?

0:33:51 > 0:33:55I don't think it's as pretty as the last house we saw,

0:33:55 > 0:33:58but it is nice, yeah. Let's see what it looks like inside.

0:33:58 > 0:34:00Right then, let's see what you think.

0:34:00 > 0:34:03Although sensing a bit of trepidation outside,

0:34:03 > 0:34:05this stone-built semidetached home

0:34:05 > 0:34:08is definitely worth a closer inspection.

0:34:08 > 0:34:10It's got a rather unusual layout,

0:34:10 > 0:34:12so could deliver that quirky character

0:34:12 > 0:34:13Chris was hoping for.

0:34:15 > 0:34:16Down on the ground floor

0:34:16 > 0:34:19is a double bedroom, a bathroom and an open-plan

0:34:19 > 0:34:21kitchen, dining and living room

0:34:21 > 0:34:23with a stone feature fireplace.

0:34:24 > 0:34:26- That's lovely.- Oh, that is nice.

0:34:26 > 0:34:28I've never had a kitchen this big before.

0:34:28 > 0:34:30But what makes this one slightly curious

0:34:30 > 0:34:34is that the main living room is not here, it's upstairs.

0:34:34 > 0:34:37Just beyond the kitchen/living area, through a small hall,

0:34:37 > 0:34:40lies the double bedroom and the main four-piece family bathroom,

0:34:40 > 0:34:42which has two entrances...

0:34:43 > 0:34:47..but in many ways this is a property of twos.

0:34:47 > 0:34:49It's got two bedrooms, two bathrooms

0:34:49 > 0:34:50and two living rooms,

0:34:50 > 0:34:52the second one being up the stairs

0:34:52 > 0:34:53on the first floor.

0:34:54 > 0:34:58Have you ever tried upside-down living, as it were?

0:34:58 > 0:35:01No. But somebody who lives at the bottom of my garden

0:35:01 > 0:35:02has got an upside-down house.

0:35:02 > 0:35:04And I've been to New Zealand.

0:35:04 > 0:35:06There you are, then!

0:35:06 > 0:35:09- What do you think? - That's really unusual, isn't it?

0:35:09 > 0:35:12I was just expecting a landing, but it's the whole floor,

0:35:12 > 0:35:13and I love the windows.

0:35:13 > 0:35:16I'm already thinking that I'd have the bigger kitchen

0:35:16 > 0:35:17and come and sit up here,

0:35:17 > 0:35:20or maybe I'd have one room for music, one room for the TV.

0:35:20 > 0:35:22- Nice idea.- Quirky.

0:35:22 > 0:35:25It is quirky. Well, you said that Chris would like quirky.

0:35:25 > 0:35:26Is this quirky enough, Chris?

0:35:26 > 0:35:27It's quirky, yeah.

0:35:29 > 0:35:31Up here, what could be Chris's master

0:35:31 > 0:35:34is another spacious double bedroom.

0:35:34 > 0:35:37Fitted wardrobes. I like the shape of it, again.

0:35:38 > 0:35:41And finally for the internal tour is the shower room -

0:35:41 > 0:35:43again, Jack and Jill in style,

0:35:43 > 0:35:45so also acts as an en-suite to the master.

0:35:45 > 0:35:47There you are.

0:35:47 > 0:35:49Jack and Jill, what a great idea.

0:35:49 > 0:35:50THEY CHUCKLE

0:35:52 > 0:35:56I think it's fair to say that both ladies are suitably impressed

0:35:56 > 0:35:58up to now - and the final piece of the puzzle

0:35:58 > 0:36:00is what's on offer in terms of garden space.

0:36:00 > 0:36:02That, and the all-important price.

0:36:05 > 0:36:08This is the thing to consider now, of course, the garden.

0:36:08 > 0:36:10We glimpsed it on our way in.

0:36:10 > 0:36:11The main event here, really,

0:36:11 > 0:36:14is that studio summerhouse, which I'm sure you'd make good use of.

0:36:14 > 0:36:16Insulated, it's got power in it -

0:36:16 > 0:36:19and, of course, behind it, those lovely views of the Cheviots.

0:36:19 > 0:36:20Yeah, it's gorgeous.

0:36:20 > 0:36:22I think it's a really simple proposition,

0:36:22 > 0:36:25but I think it could work for you, that's what I really like about it -

0:36:25 > 0:36:26and I think Linda's coming round to it, too.

0:36:26 > 0:36:29- Yeah, I agree. I do think it would work for her, actually.- Yeah.

0:36:29 > 0:36:32Well, let's get down to the numbers, shall we?

0:36:32 > 0:36:35You've got £200,000 to spend.

0:36:36 > 0:36:39We're just over the border in Scotland, so...

0:36:39 > 0:36:40make me an offer on this one.

0:36:40 > 0:36:42I think it's near the top of the budget.

0:36:42 > 0:36:44I would say 195.

0:36:44 > 0:36:46195. Linda?

0:36:46 > 0:36:49I don't agree, actually. I think it's the lower end.

0:36:49 > 0:36:51I think maybe even 175.

0:36:51 > 0:36:53- Oh, do you?- Mm.

0:36:53 > 0:36:55Well, I'm afraid you're both wrong -

0:36:55 > 0:36:56but it's good news,

0:36:56 > 0:37:00because this is on the market for offers in the region of...

0:37:00 > 0:37:03£165,000.

0:37:03 > 0:37:05Wow, I like it even more now!

0:37:05 > 0:37:06I thought you might!

0:37:07 > 0:37:10Right. It's not a big place, but we will give you a little more time

0:37:10 > 0:37:13to have a run around and see what you think of it, get a feel of it,

0:37:13 > 0:37:16because it is different, that whole upside-down thing.

0:37:16 > 0:37:17Go and enjoy yourselves.

0:37:17 > 0:37:21- OK.- OK.- And I will find you somewhere a little bit later on.

0:37:21 > 0:37:22Brilliant.

0:37:22 > 0:37:25You know, there's an old phrase which I rely upon every day -

0:37:25 > 0:37:26less is more.

0:37:26 > 0:37:29That's the way to get something simple, to get something efficient,

0:37:29 > 0:37:32and to get something which ultimately just works,

0:37:32 > 0:37:34and that's what I love about this property.

0:37:34 > 0:37:35Less is more.

0:37:38 > 0:37:40£35,000 below budget,

0:37:40 > 0:37:44this Victorian semidetached upside-down cottage has a modern,

0:37:44 > 0:37:47open-plan kitchen, living and dining room.

0:37:47 > 0:37:50Two double bedrooms, two bathrooms,

0:37:50 > 0:37:53as well as a substantial, fully-powered summerhouse -

0:37:53 > 0:37:56and the property is situated in a peaceful, rural pocket

0:37:56 > 0:37:58surrounded by farmland.

0:38:00 > 0:38:04This house is probably more the sort of house that I was imagining

0:38:04 > 0:38:06I would want to have.

0:38:06 > 0:38:11Because of that old exterior, some history to it,

0:38:11 > 0:38:13but all the mod cons inside.

0:38:13 > 0:38:17I wouldn't have to do anything to it, and yet it would be so peaceful

0:38:17 > 0:38:20and I've got extra space outside,

0:38:20 > 0:38:24a small garden but also a summerhouse and somewhere to sit.

0:38:24 > 0:38:27- Wow, it's big in here, isn't it? - It's lovely.

0:38:27 > 0:38:30I can imagine actually not having the settee in here

0:38:30 > 0:38:34- and have this as like a workshop. - Yeah, it's a lovely space.

0:38:34 > 0:38:36This one is a good contender, I think,

0:38:36 > 0:38:40because it's got the space she needs, the quirkiness she likes,

0:38:40 > 0:38:42it's nice and quiet, lovely views.

0:38:42 > 0:38:47I'm not sure about the cows. She didn't seem too worried today,

0:38:47 > 0:38:49so it may cure her phobia, you never know!

0:38:49 > 0:38:53Ah, I thought I might find you out here!

0:38:53 > 0:38:55Very useful thing, isn't it?

0:38:55 > 0:38:57- It's lovely.- Yeah.- It's perfect.

0:38:57 > 0:39:00Already I'm having my studio workshop in here

0:39:00 > 0:39:02to do my driftwood sculptures.

0:39:02 > 0:39:03I thought you might.

0:39:03 > 0:39:06- You see, it's all coming together beautifully.- Mm!

0:39:06 > 0:39:09So, we have potentially another property

0:39:09 > 0:39:11on your list of possibles, do we?

0:39:11 > 0:39:15- Definitely.- But there is one more to see - our Mystery House -

0:39:15 > 0:39:19and for that we're going to take a bit of a drive back over the border.

0:39:19 > 0:39:21- Come on.- OK.

0:39:34 > 0:39:38With miles of prime coast and acres of beautiful countryside,

0:39:38 > 0:39:42control of Northumberland has been a source of conflict for centuries.

0:39:42 > 0:39:44A legacy of this turbulent past

0:39:44 > 0:39:48is found within the now peaceful walls of the county's castles.

0:39:50 > 0:39:52I've come to visit Chillingham Castle,

0:39:52 > 0:39:54home to Sir Humphry Wakefield.

0:39:54 > 0:39:58The castle had lain derelict for some 50 years,

0:39:58 > 0:40:00but Sir Humphry poured his heart and soul

0:40:00 > 0:40:02into a formidable restoration project,

0:40:02 > 0:40:05and now proudly opens the castle to the public.

0:40:08 > 0:40:11- Sir Humphry.- Jules. - Very nice to see you, sir.

0:40:11 > 0:40:14- Very good to see you. - And what a wonderful home you have.

0:40:14 > 0:40:15I love it very much indeed.

0:40:15 > 0:40:16It's a wonderful border castle

0:40:16 > 0:40:18with all the strengths that you would expect,

0:40:18 > 0:40:20and all the history's still here.

0:40:20 > 0:40:22It's interesting to stand here and imagine

0:40:22 > 0:40:25what this would have looked like when great retinues arrived

0:40:25 > 0:40:27to use the castle and host events over the centuries.

0:40:27 > 0:40:32Oh, many kings, and forces - assault forces - as well.

0:40:32 > 0:40:35- It's seen a lot.- But it's been your home since the early 1980s,

0:40:35 > 0:40:39when you set about, let's face it, a pretty ambitious project.

0:40:39 > 0:40:42I'm fascinated to see just what you've done

0:40:42 > 0:40:43and how you've gone about it.

0:40:43 > 0:40:45Can you give me a very personal tour?

0:40:45 > 0:40:47I will show it to you.

0:40:47 > 0:40:49It's wonderful.

0:40:49 > 0:40:52Chillingham became fully fortified in 1344,

0:40:52 > 0:40:55and there have been very few structural additions since then,

0:40:55 > 0:40:58apart from the elaborate galleries built in the Tudor period

0:40:58 > 0:41:00which surround the central courtyard.

0:41:02 > 0:41:03This is fabulous.

0:41:03 > 0:41:06Wow. What was it like when you first discovered it?

0:41:06 > 0:41:10When I came here it was a forest of trees.

0:41:10 > 0:41:12Wherever you see a stone cracked,

0:41:12 > 0:41:13there was a tree growing up.

0:41:13 > 0:41:15It was just crying out for action.

0:41:15 > 0:41:18The stones here, the paving stones here,

0:41:18 > 0:41:22they were put in for the King's visit in 1603.

0:41:22 > 0:41:26- Which king?- King James I of England, VI of Scotland.

0:41:26 > 0:41:29But the family's ancestors must have been a bit downhearted

0:41:29 > 0:41:31when they thought the King was coming,

0:41:31 > 0:41:34because the amount of expense they'd have to go to to accommodate him.

0:41:34 > 0:41:36They had cash.

0:41:36 > 0:41:37They wanted him to stay.

0:41:37 > 0:41:40They were on the up, and that was just the ticket.

0:41:40 > 0:41:42- So it was a nice political move? - Very nice.

0:41:42 > 0:41:45A very good, strong political move, yes.

0:41:45 > 0:41:49- Come on, show me what you've done. - Come and have a look.

0:41:49 > 0:41:53Many rooms have been returned to their opulent regal splendour

0:41:53 > 0:41:55and are chock-full of curios

0:41:55 > 0:41:59that present a wonderful mosaic of history and periods.

0:41:59 > 0:42:02Sir Humphry has tackled dry rot, collapsed roofs, burst pipes,

0:42:02 > 0:42:06birds and bats to bring the castle back to its former glory,

0:42:06 > 0:42:10which really shines through in the King James I drawing room.

0:42:12 > 0:42:16Wow. Well, this is another moment in time completely, isn't it?

0:42:16 > 0:42:20It is. It's the same moment in time put in for the King.

0:42:20 > 0:42:22Is that an Elizabethan ceiling?

0:42:22 > 0:42:23Yes. 1500.

0:42:23 > 0:42:26But for all the challenges of restoring the castle

0:42:26 > 0:42:31and the responsibility of being the guardian of this building,

0:42:31 > 0:42:35what is day-to-day life like for you in a castle like this?

0:42:35 > 0:42:37Day-to-day life is absolutely wonderful,

0:42:37 > 0:42:40and I love living here,

0:42:40 > 0:42:42and feel very happy living here,

0:42:42 > 0:42:45and feel the ghosts are happy with me.

0:42:45 > 0:42:47Well, Sir Humphry, it's been a real treat.

0:42:47 > 0:42:50I'm going to leave you in peace. Thank you very much indeed.

0:42:50 > 0:42:52But there's so much more to see.

0:42:52 > 0:42:53Come back many times and see all the other rooms,

0:42:53 > 0:42:57because we've got lots of other rooms to show you.

0:42:57 > 0:42:59There is so much more to see,

0:42:59 > 0:43:01and I couldn't leave without exploring

0:43:01 > 0:43:03some of the 360 acres here,

0:43:03 > 0:43:06and, exclusively on the grounds of this estate,

0:43:06 > 0:43:10another descendant, this time of potentially prehistoric pedigree,

0:43:10 > 0:43:13is free to roam the grounds outside.

0:43:13 > 0:43:15Park warden Ellie Crossley is taking me to see

0:43:15 > 0:43:19the Chillingham wild cattle... from a very safe distance.

0:43:19 > 0:43:22Ellie, I've come across many animals that are termed wild,

0:43:22 > 0:43:25- but yours are the real thing, aren't they?- Yeah, absolutely.

0:43:25 > 0:43:28They've been here for, potentially, 800 years

0:43:28 > 0:43:31- and they've never been handled by humans.- And how careful

0:43:31 > 0:43:34do we need to be in getting close to them to get a real understanding

0:43:34 > 0:43:37of how they've managed to survive for so many centuries?

0:43:37 > 0:43:40Each and every day, when I take people into the park,

0:43:40 > 0:43:43I make my decision based on their mood and what sort of day it is.

0:43:43 > 0:43:44Today it is quite warm and sunny,

0:43:44 > 0:43:47so they're quite relaxed, so we can probably get a bit closer today.

0:43:47 > 0:43:50I can see one just poking his head up through there. Is it a he?

0:43:50 > 0:43:53- Yes, that is a bull. You see the horns that point forward?- Yes.

0:43:53 > 0:43:56The cows have horns that go upwards and backwards slightly.

0:43:56 > 0:43:59- How much closer can we get? - We can get a bit closer, yes.

0:43:59 > 0:44:01Come on, let's have a look.

0:44:01 > 0:44:04BULL MOOS

0:44:04 > 0:44:07This rare-breed herd currently stands at just over 100

0:44:07 > 0:44:10and are believed to be the only survivors of the wild herds

0:44:10 > 0:44:13that once roamed Britain's forests.

0:44:13 > 0:44:16The cattle were held sacred by pre-Christian pagans,

0:44:16 > 0:44:18who sacrificed them to their gods

0:44:18 > 0:44:21and later in their history the wild cattle were used

0:44:21 > 0:44:24both to defend the castle, as well as to feed its inhabitants.

0:44:26 > 0:44:29The bull, there, looks absolutely beautiful,

0:44:29 > 0:44:32and there is certainly something very prehistoric

0:44:32 > 0:44:34about the outline of the head and the shoulders.

0:44:34 > 0:44:36Yeah, and the way the dappled effect

0:44:36 > 0:44:38makes him blend perfectly in with the woodland, as well.

0:44:38 > 0:44:40But in terms of the way you manage them,

0:44:40 > 0:44:43as I understand it, you don't interfere with them at all.

0:44:43 > 0:44:45No vets, no calving.

0:44:45 > 0:44:46You don't really even have to feed them.

0:44:46 > 0:44:49No, I mean, it's literally just survival of the fittest out here.

0:44:49 > 0:44:50That's how it's always been.

0:44:50 > 0:44:53That's resulted in extremely strong, hardy animals

0:44:53 > 0:44:55that can do very well without our help.

0:44:55 > 0:44:58It's quite a thought to think that this small number of animals

0:44:58 > 0:45:02that we're looking at now represents such a huge leap back in time.

0:45:02 > 0:45:05And that's why it's really important to keep them here,

0:45:05 > 0:45:08cos this shows such a vast difference between these animals

0:45:08 > 0:45:10and what we've now created on our farms,

0:45:10 > 0:45:13which are so incredibly different to these guys.

0:45:13 > 0:45:16A dairy cow wouldn't survive five seconds out here.

0:45:16 > 0:45:19On a farm, you have one bull who never has to compete for his females

0:45:19 > 0:45:21a day in his life, basically.

0:45:21 > 0:45:22Whereas here we have 50 bulls,

0:45:22 > 0:45:24and they're all competing for the top spot

0:45:24 > 0:45:26to be able to mate with the females.

0:45:26 > 0:45:28It's absolutely amazing watching that.

0:45:28 > 0:45:29Well, it's a wonderful sight, Ellie.

0:45:29 > 0:45:32I never thought I'd see prehistoric cattle in this number.

0:45:32 > 0:45:35Not least in Northumberland. But it's a real joy.

0:45:35 > 0:45:37- Thank you very much. - You're very welcome.

0:45:38 > 0:45:40What history these ancient cattle,

0:45:40 > 0:45:44the castle walls and its reputed ghosts have experienced

0:45:44 > 0:45:46over the centuries.

0:45:46 > 0:45:49In an unbroken cycle since the 13th century,

0:45:49 > 0:45:52the majestic Chillingham has proudly stood the test of time.

0:45:57 > 0:46:00I'm back on the road with our house-hunter Chris,

0:46:00 > 0:46:02along with her best mate Linda,

0:46:02 > 0:46:05and we're all travelling to our final property destination.

0:46:05 > 0:46:09The mystery proposition is in the hamlet of Guyzance,

0:46:09 > 0:46:11in the heart of Northumberland proper -

0:46:11 > 0:46:14and also our closest location to the coast.

0:46:14 > 0:46:19Well, Linda and Chris, our property tour is nearly over,

0:46:19 > 0:46:23we've just got one more to come, our Mystery House.

0:46:23 > 0:46:26Any thoughts, Linda, as to what it might be?

0:46:26 > 0:46:30I have no idea at all what you're going to get for her this time,

0:46:30 > 0:46:33I just can't think what it might be at all.

0:46:33 > 0:46:36Well, it might not just be for Chris.

0:46:36 > 0:46:39- Ah!- It might involve something for you, Linda...- OK.

0:46:39 > 0:46:40..as well,

0:46:40 > 0:46:43and you may not have to fight over it.

0:46:43 > 0:46:46- There's a riddle for you, Chris.- Mm.

0:46:47 > 0:46:50Our ladies should be encouraged to know

0:46:50 > 0:46:52that the Mystery House is just five miles from Warkworth,

0:46:52 > 0:46:55a place they both know and love.

0:46:55 > 0:46:58Just a mile from the beaches, and surrounded by the River Coquet,

0:46:58 > 0:47:00Warkworth is an ancient village

0:47:00 > 0:47:03whose steep roads are lined with attractive traditional buildings

0:47:03 > 0:47:08housing an assortment of artisan shops, pubs, cafes and hotels.

0:47:10 > 0:47:14Then, at the summit, stand the medieval ruins of Warkworth Castle,

0:47:14 > 0:47:18which is where William Shakespeare set scenes from his play Henry IV.

0:47:18 > 0:47:22A ten-minute drive away from the action, in the quiet of Guyzance,

0:47:22 > 0:47:23is a 35-acre woodland

0:47:23 > 0:47:27where, within a private development of 12 holiday cottages,

0:47:27 > 0:47:29we find the last in our selection.

0:47:32 > 0:47:34Right, then.

0:47:34 > 0:47:35Mystery House time.

0:47:35 > 0:47:37- Or Mystery Houses.- Mm!

0:47:37 > 0:47:41Because within this complex of holiday cottages,

0:47:41 > 0:47:45a good number of them are being sold off into private home ownership,

0:47:45 > 0:47:47as it were, as more domestic homes.

0:47:47 > 0:47:50- So we have a choice of properties to show you...- Oh!

0:47:50 > 0:47:54..and we have two in particular that we'd like you to look at.

0:47:54 > 0:47:55Which would mean, of course, Linda,

0:47:55 > 0:47:58that you and Chris could continue to be neighbours.

0:47:58 > 0:48:01How do we feel about this...notion, this idea?

0:48:06 > 0:48:08- There is a deathly silence! - I know!

0:48:10 > 0:48:13Well, initially, I don't like it.

0:48:13 > 0:48:15It looks like a holiday cottage.

0:48:15 > 0:48:17Exactly what it is.

0:48:17 > 0:48:19However, as I say, many of them are now being sold off

0:48:19 > 0:48:21- to become individual homes.- Mm.

0:48:21 > 0:48:24I have the keys, here, to this one,

0:48:24 > 0:48:26- which I'd like you to look at in particular...- Mm-hm.

0:48:26 > 0:48:30..but I think, Chris, we'll show you one down here.

0:48:30 > 0:48:31OK.

0:48:33 > 0:48:37Although it appears that Chris has made up her mind already,

0:48:37 > 0:48:38I've still got my fingers crossed

0:48:38 > 0:48:42that she might like the exterior of the cottage we've chosen for her.

0:48:42 > 0:48:44What do you think?

0:48:44 > 0:48:47It sort of looks like a... glorified caravan site.

0:48:48 > 0:48:51Given the robust but enchanting stone architecture

0:48:51 > 0:48:54and the history that goes with it, to be fair,

0:48:54 > 0:48:58I definitely wouldn't describe this development as a caravan park.

0:48:58 > 0:49:00Come on, let's see what you think.

0:49:00 > 0:49:02What we have to show Chris

0:49:02 > 0:49:04is an end-of-terrace old farmer's cottage

0:49:04 > 0:49:07with a neat garden that wraps around the back.

0:49:07 > 0:49:11Recently renovated to a high-spec contemporary finish,

0:49:11 > 0:49:13on the ground floor there's a kitchen,

0:49:13 > 0:49:14a WC and a sitting room -

0:49:14 > 0:49:16which is our first port of call.

0:49:18 > 0:49:21It's a bit small and a bit modern-looking, I think.

0:49:21 > 0:49:22Not much character inside.

0:49:24 > 0:49:26Sadly, they haven't been persuaded.

0:49:26 > 0:49:28Perhaps the kitchen might fare better.

0:49:28 > 0:49:32It still feels modern and a bit plain.

0:49:32 > 0:49:33Oh, dear. Chris?

0:49:33 > 0:49:35I agree. It's just not working for me.

0:49:37 > 0:49:40Still no takers from either of our ladies.

0:49:40 > 0:49:43So this will be a whistle-stop tour.

0:49:43 > 0:49:46Upstairs, a family bathroom serves two bedrooms -

0:49:46 > 0:49:49one a double with exposed beams, the other slightly smaller.

0:49:50 > 0:49:52On paper, the mystery property

0:49:52 > 0:49:55seemed like an obvious plan to present -

0:49:55 > 0:49:57two great friends, two great neighbours,

0:49:57 > 0:50:01and here's the chance to continue living close by to one another -

0:50:01 > 0:50:03but it's not to be.

0:50:03 > 0:50:05So, next, we need to talk about the price,

0:50:05 > 0:50:07which is normally the moment I look forward to -

0:50:07 > 0:50:09but on this occasion I'm dreading it.

0:50:11 > 0:50:14It does open up right around here.

0:50:14 > 0:50:16Yes, it's a fair-sized garden, isn't it?

0:50:16 > 0:50:18I can certainly see this bursting with life

0:50:18 > 0:50:20with some clever planting and what have you.

0:50:20 > 0:50:22I mean, yeah, you've got the neighbours around,

0:50:22 > 0:50:25but it is what it is, it's an old farm complex.

0:50:25 > 0:50:27But, again, this lovely architecture coming through.

0:50:27 > 0:50:29Yes, a nice outside space.

0:50:30 > 0:50:32Hurrah. We got a good thing.

0:50:32 > 0:50:35We got one thing right with this one for you.

0:50:35 > 0:50:38Humour me and make us an offer on our Mystery House.

0:50:38 > 0:50:43I think, given the proximity to the sea, I'll say 150.

0:50:43 > 0:50:45150. Linda?

0:50:45 > 0:50:46I was thinking the same, actually.

0:50:46 > 0:50:48I thought about 150,000.

0:50:48 > 0:50:51So let's say you both agree on 150.

0:50:51 > 0:50:53This is on at £175,000 -

0:50:53 > 0:50:55because of its proximity to the sea

0:50:55 > 0:50:58and all the things that you've identified, Chris, really.

0:50:58 > 0:51:00Yeah.

0:51:00 > 0:51:03Now, to be fair, I don't think you need to have another look inside

0:51:03 > 0:51:06this one. However, I would appreciate it

0:51:06 > 0:51:10if you would go and have a look at the first property we saw, Linda,

0:51:10 > 0:51:12which I think might be of interest to you.

0:51:12 > 0:51:14I'm still hoping!

0:51:14 > 0:51:16You know where it is, it's round the corner,

0:51:16 > 0:51:17and I will come and find you later on.

0:51:17 > 0:51:19- We'll guess the price on that one, too.- OK.

0:51:19 > 0:51:22Be interesting to see what you think. Off you go.

0:51:23 > 0:51:25Well, there you have it.

0:51:25 > 0:51:31Sometimes it goes really well, and sometimes it goes really badly.

0:51:32 > 0:51:36And sometimes it feels like a real disaster.

0:51:38 > 0:51:40Comfortably under budget,

0:51:40 > 0:51:42the two-bedroom Mystery Home for Chris

0:51:42 > 0:51:44is a stone cottage in a small private complex

0:51:44 > 0:51:48of both residential and commercial properties.

0:51:48 > 0:51:51Set within a 35-acre site and close to the coast,

0:51:51 > 0:51:53the development has another lot for sale,

0:51:53 > 0:51:57so could enable the two friends to stay as neighbours.

0:51:57 > 0:52:00And the other property that we had earmarked for Linda

0:52:00 > 0:52:02is just around the corner.

0:52:02 > 0:52:06This is another semidetached two-bedroom potential home,

0:52:06 > 0:52:09but with a slightly smaller internal footprint

0:52:09 > 0:52:11and an open-plan kitchen and living area

0:52:11 > 0:52:14that spreads throughout the entire ground floor.

0:52:14 > 0:52:16Oh, to have been a fly on the wall

0:52:16 > 0:52:18during their house tour of this one!

0:52:18 > 0:52:20HE KNOCKS But we've got to go.

0:52:20 > 0:52:22- How are we doing?- OK.

0:52:22 > 0:52:24Out you come. Come on, Linda.

0:52:26 > 0:52:28Now, I know what Chris thinks of next door

0:52:28 > 0:52:29and what you thought of it.

0:52:29 > 0:52:33This one is cheaper, but what do you think it's worth?

0:52:33 > 0:52:35Hm, 145?

0:52:35 > 0:52:39Try 165. Yeah, there's only ten grand in it.

0:52:39 > 0:52:41- Has it sold itself? - No, it's too small.

0:52:41 > 0:52:44It just feels the same as the other one.

0:52:44 > 0:52:47However, ordinarily I might be crestfallen

0:52:47 > 0:52:49and desperately disappointed -

0:52:49 > 0:52:51but I think we've shown you some really good properties

0:52:51 > 0:52:54this week, Chris, and maybe one or two of them

0:52:54 > 0:52:56may provide an option for the future.

0:52:56 > 0:52:58- Maybe.- Maybe.

0:52:58 > 0:53:00Right, come on. Let's go and think about it.

0:53:09 > 0:53:10When I last saw Linda and Chris,

0:53:10 > 0:53:14I certainly got the sense that perhaps not all of our efforts

0:53:14 > 0:53:15this week had been in vain.

0:53:15 > 0:53:19There certainly seemed to be a little twinkle in Chris's eye -

0:53:19 > 0:53:22but have we managed to find her a home for the future?

0:53:22 > 0:53:23Well, let's go and ask her.

0:53:30 > 0:53:32Well, how are we doing, then?

0:53:32 > 0:53:35- Great, thank you. - Are you feeling refreshed?

0:53:35 > 0:53:37- Yes.- Relaxed?

0:53:37 > 0:53:38- Yes.- Relieved?

0:53:38 > 0:53:40- Yes.- I thought you might be!

0:53:40 > 0:53:43Hopefully it wasn't that bad, Chris.

0:53:43 > 0:53:46- Goodness me, we've done some miles this week, haven't we?- We have!

0:53:46 > 0:53:48And we've seen some fabulous scenery

0:53:48 > 0:53:50and we've also been able to offer you, I think,

0:53:50 > 0:53:55a really nice package of properties to tempt you with.

0:53:55 > 0:53:57Are you still sure that this is the part of the world for you?

0:53:57 > 0:53:58Definitely.

0:53:58 > 0:54:03- So, where are we?- I like the property with the balcony...- Yeah.

0:54:03 > 0:54:06..and the upside-down house.

0:54:06 > 0:54:08Both of which happen to be...

0:54:08 > 0:54:12in Scotland, albeit only just,

0:54:12 > 0:54:16- but let's face it, the border is pretty porous really.- Yep.

0:54:16 > 0:54:20Right, then. Two properties to choose from.

0:54:20 > 0:54:22A property with a balcony near Kelso.

0:54:22 > 0:54:25- What did you think of that, then? - It was beautiful.

0:54:25 > 0:54:28I felt like somebody like me had lived in it.

0:54:28 > 0:54:30- You said that when we got there. - I know.

0:54:30 > 0:54:32And then I found out that it was an artist's house.

0:54:32 > 0:54:34It was just beautiful.

0:54:34 > 0:54:36It's obviously made quite an impression.

0:54:36 > 0:54:39- Linda, what did you make of it? - It was just so stunning,

0:54:39 > 0:54:42I just didn't imagine she could get anything like that for her money.

0:54:42 > 0:54:45But then we took you to what we're now calling

0:54:45 > 0:54:47the upside-down house, Chris -

0:54:47 > 0:54:49and clearly that works for you as well.

0:54:49 > 0:54:51At first when I saw it...

0:54:51 > 0:54:54I mean, there was a field full of cows next to it to start with,

0:54:54 > 0:54:55which put me off a little bit.

0:54:55 > 0:54:57But, again, it was a beautiful house,

0:54:57 > 0:55:00beautifully built, an old farmer's house,

0:55:00 > 0:55:03but once you went inside, it was so modern,

0:55:03 > 0:55:07and it would be a lovely house for people to come and stay, as well.

0:55:07 > 0:55:10What have you concocted between you to try and resolve this dilemma?

0:55:10 > 0:55:16The price of the upside-down house is appealing,

0:55:16 > 0:55:19but I'm trying not to let that sway me absolutely

0:55:19 > 0:55:22if I wanted the other one more,

0:55:22 > 0:55:25and it is difficult to decide between the two,

0:55:25 > 0:55:29so I'd have to come up and see them both again.

0:55:29 > 0:55:31Probably bring my son and his wife with me.

0:55:31 > 0:55:34I mean, we know you wanted to be nearer to your son.

0:55:34 > 0:55:35He, of course, lives in Edinburgh.

0:55:35 > 0:55:37So actually it might work out quite well.

0:55:37 > 0:55:40Yeah - and I've always wanted to be Scottish as well.

0:55:40 > 0:55:41So, I would be!

0:55:43 > 0:55:45But for both of those properties you can look out and see England.

0:55:45 > 0:55:48I mean, you couldn't be closer to the border.

0:55:48 > 0:55:51- No.- So, Linda, you also have said throughout

0:55:51 > 0:55:55that you also were considering following your neighbour

0:55:55 > 0:55:57and moving up here.

0:55:57 > 0:55:59- Would you do it?- I would, actually -

0:55:59 > 0:56:02but I think I would have something nearer to the coast,

0:56:02 > 0:56:05but I'd still be near enough to Chris to see her regularly.

0:56:05 > 0:56:07So you won't be near neighbours.

0:56:07 > 0:56:11You may indeed end up on either side of the border -

0:56:11 > 0:56:14but clearly remaining the greatest of friends.

0:56:14 > 0:56:17That is, I think, very obvious for anyone watching this.

0:56:17 > 0:56:19So I wish you all the best, Chris,

0:56:19 > 0:56:22in making what could be quite a difficult decision,

0:56:22 > 0:56:26but one which I hope will give you everything you've been looking for.

0:56:26 > 0:56:28- Thank you.- Thank you.

0:56:33 > 0:56:35Well, Northumberland and its border with Scotland

0:56:35 > 0:56:38has been hotly contested for centuries,

0:56:38 > 0:56:42but it would seem we've left Chris with a contest all of her own -

0:56:42 > 0:56:44to try and choose between two, I think,

0:56:44 > 0:56:46pretty exceptional properties.

0:56:46 > 0:56:48But unlike so many of the fierce battles

0:56:48 > 0:56:51that have been fought up here over the years,

0:56:51 > 0:56:53I do hope hers has a happy ending.

0:56:53 > 0:56:54I'll see you next time.

0:56:56 > 0:56:57A week after our visit,

0:56:57 > 0:57:00Chris tried to make plans for a second viewing

0:57:00 > 0:57:01at the upside-down house,

0:57:01 > 0:57:04but, alas, someone else had already snapped it up.

0:57:04 > 0:57:06So her search continues.

0:57:06 > 0:57:08If you'd like to escape to the country

0:57:08 > 0:57:11in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales

0:57:11 > 0:57:14and would like our help, then please apply online at...