Shropshire Escape to the Country

The escarpment beneath my feet is so important it even has its own geological era named after it.

Find out what it is and which county is home to these stunning views in

just a moment.

On today's show, a couple return to their roots after 14 years abroad.

They might be novice house-hunters,

but they've a clear vision of what they're looking for...

Well, it's kind of exactly what I described.

Good. Good, good, good.

..and it seems like the houses deliver.

-Perfect.

-Sorry, I keep saying that, don't I?

Well, you know, if you keep saying perfect,

-I'm going to make you buy a house!

-I know, I've got that feeling.

Today, I'm in Shropshire, right on top of Wenlock Edge,

which is one of the most important geological sites in the world.

Now, the limestone bedrock beneath my feet lends its name to a period

of time known as the Wenlock era, which occurred some 430 million years ago.

Now, way back then, of course, the world took on a different shape.

Shropshire itself would have been below the equator,

so we may have had slightly better weather,

but unfortunately you would also be stood underwater,

which explains that if you're lucky enough to go walking around here,

you can uncover all kinds of fossils and even bits of coral.

Landlocked Shropshire is one of England's largest counties and sits

between the West Midlands and Wales.

It's also one of the most rural,

covering an area of roughly 1,300 square miles of rolling countryside

and wooded valleys, offering countless opportunities for visiting walkers

and hikers. There's the 177 mile Offa's Dyke Trail,

which rises and falls across the Shropshire Hills on its route up the

Wye Valley, along with circular walks around Shropshire's charming historic

villages and market towns such as Much Wenlock.

This was the birthplace of William Penny Brookes, who, in 1850,

founded the Wenlock Olympian Games

and after going on to campaign for the revival of the ancient Greek games,

was dubbed the inspiration for the modern Olympic movement.

The historic architecture in the beautifully preserved market town of

Ludlow spans the centuries.

It's home to over 500 listed buildings,

as well as the former Royal castle,

which fell into ruin after being abandoned in 1689.

The town also has a reputation as a gastronomic hub,

making it the perfect place to hang up your walking boots and refuel with

some local fare before continuing to explore

this magnificent varied county.

As well as a rich industrial past and spectacular countryside,

Shropshire gives you good transport links to the rest of the UK.

But it also offers great value for money when you consider the average

price of a detached house in this county comes in at around £280,000,

which is around 15% below the national figure.

And if you keep travelling further west towards the Welsh borders,

you'll get even more for your money.

And today's buyers, well,

they certainly think it's worth going the distance in order to get

the right kind of home in this beautiful part of the world.

Let's meet them.

Paddy and Phaedra met nine years ago on a French language course whilst

working for the British Army.

They dated long-distance between their bases in Belgium and Holland before

getting married four years later.

Since then, their careers have kept them on the move,

living in Germany before their current base in Holland.

I'm in the military, I'm a Royal Engineer.

To be honest, it's fantastic,

the Netherlands is a great country to live in,

very easy, the Dutch all speak very good English.

It is absolutely idyllic, lovely.

The only thing that is missing is the family and our friends.

Phaedra retired from the Army two years ago and is now full-time

parenting their four-year-old daughter, Lilith.

Lilith's life is great at the moment, for a four-year-old,

she has me staying at home with her,

and she goes to a fantastic preschool set in an international school.

She can recognise four different languages,

Holland is incredibly child-friendly, so, you know, push-biking,

trips to the country,

it's all pretty good, I think.

Although they've loved the Dutch way of life, as Lilith nears school-age,

their thoughts have turned to settling somewhere more permanently.

For Paddy and Phaedra, it's an opportunity

to move home after 14 years abroad.

We really want to move to Shropshire,

and the reason we've chosen Shropshire is because most of our relatives

live in the radius of Shropshire, so my dad lives in North Wales,

my auntie and cousins live in Mid Wales,

and we've got friends in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury,

and that's why we've chosen that area.

They're drawn to Shropshire's accessible countryside and proximity to the

Welsh mountains,

where they could continue to adopt the outdoors lifestyle they're

-accustomed to.

-We love to be outside, don't we?

And walking, mountain biking, road biking.

We think Lilith enjoys the outdoors, she clearly has up to now, I mean,

as she gets older, she might have an opinion...

She doesn't have a lot of choice at this point.

But at the moment, if we can instil a love of the countryside in her as

well, then perhaps she can carry that on into later life.

This next home will be their first property purchased together -

a long-awaited family home for the future.

Moving to Shropshire will also give them the chance to re-establish

relationships with family and build friendships old and new.

I enjoy the community life, village community life, you know, bake sales,

getting involved with the school.

I think it will be lovely for Lilith to build her ties with her family

and our friends and just kind of plant roots in so many different ways,

roots for Lilith, roots of a tree,

we can plant an apple tree and watch it grow, you know?

With Phaedra's father in Newtown, just across the Welsh border,

and friends in Shrewsbury,

they would like to focus their search on the area between the two,

and with good road links for Paddy.

The village of Church Stretton would be their ideal location.

All I need now is their property wish list.

So here we are, the big move - welcome to Shropshire.

-Good to be here?

-Yeah, good.

-Very good.

-Good to be back in the UK?

-Lovely.

-Marvellous.

You go away, you work away quite a lot, you're back and forth,

back and forth, but also I'm sure you're sick of living on bases and

moving around. You probably want to build a home as part of a community.

Yes, that's right, and in the military we have a really tight-knit community,

we all support each other, and that's going to be a hard loss for us.

-Yeah.

-Now I'm looking to be able to replace that in a small village or town

where people know us and we know them.

So let's talk about what you need from the house.

Well, critical for Paddy is a garage and workshop.

-Why so, Paddy?

-Uh...

Well, I ride motorcycles, and I like working with my hands,

so I'd love to have a workshop where we could tinker with motorbikes,

push bikes, you know, just stuff, lawn mowers!

Yeah. What about gardening?

-What about a bit of outside space? I mean, your daughter...

-That's my bag.

-Is it?

-That's my bag.

For me, the garden is the critical space.

I need my place to escape,

where I can plant my nature pond and have a few trees and watch my apples

grow, maybe have some chickens.

Lilith wants a goat, happy with that.

All right, that's a decent sized garden, then.

-All right?

-Yeah.

-Let's talk about the house.

We're looking at, you know, no less than three bedrooms.

I've really got my heart set on a kitchen that can be multifunctional.

When Lilith comes home from school,

I want us all to be able to go in the kitchen,

I want there to be a two-seater sofa, somewhere that we can sit to eat,

and a decent kitchen where I can cook - all in the same room.

-Right.

-So that's kind of the dream that I've got in my mind.

One of the drawbacks of military accommodation is that you cannot put your

mark on it, so we would like a property where we can, you know,

we can make it ours.

Style of house?

Kerb-side appeal is important to us, but we've got lots of different...

We like lots of different styles of houses.

Character doesn't have to be 200 years old,

it just has to offer something to the eye and provide the home with a bit

-of atmosphere.

-Yeah.

-Correct.

OK.

Let's talk turkey - how much money have you got to spend on this home of yours?

The upper limit is £475,000.

OK, the upper limit, that means ready to move into, nothing to do to it.

-Yep.

-Correct.

-We've got three great houses for you.

This way.

For their £475,000 budget,

Paddy and Phaedra are looking for a detached property

with at least three bedrooms and a large family kitchen.

They'd like a garden with space for a vegetable plot and some chickens,

as well as a workshop for Paddy.

They also want to be in a community, so are after a village location with

good schools nearby.

We've lined up three characterful properties ready for them to view.

Before they find out the price of each one,

I'll be asking them to take a guess at the end of the tour.

Our final property is the Mystery House,

which has some unconventional space but with plenty of room to grow.

Now, Paddy, you like your bicycles, you like your motorbikes -

this is heaven for you, isn't it?

It is, it's fantastic, isn't it?

I'm looking forward to taking Lilith over some of these hills.

There is, genuinely, when the sun is shining,

there's nothing like being back in the UK.

It is the most beautiful country that we've ever lived in, isn't it?

Yeah, definitely.

And that says something, cos you guys have lived everywhere, haven't you?

-Yeah, we have.

-We have, yeah.

We're starting our Shropshire house-hunt in Church Stretton,

Paddy and Phaedra's favourite area, and it's easy to see why.

Declared a market town by King John in 1214,

it still hosts a weekly market and offers a range of small independent

shops and eateries housed in a mix of black-and-white Tudor buildings

and Georgian town houses.

There is a well-regarded primary school,

and it's perfectly positioned within the Shropshire Hills,

just a stone's throw from the English-Welsh border.

It makes an excellent starting point for outdoor activities like hiking

or mountain biking. All right, then, house number one

is this fella here.

-Wow.

-"Wow", that sounds good!

I mean, it looks in good order.

-Mm-hm.

-I like the windows, I like the doors.

-No, it looks tidy.

-It's got a bit of character.

Any question marks?

Yeah, I'd quite like a front garden.

You've got a bit of slate!

-Uh-huh, yeah.

-Right, you like a front garden.

-Yeah, it's Welsh slate as well, which is great.

-Off-street car parking...

-I'm not finding the garage.

Because I've not showed it to you yet.

OK, good.

Ye of little faith, come inside, come with me!

These two certainly know what they're looking for,

and I think this detached property,

originally a pair of workers' cottages, has a lot to offer them.

Parts of it date back 400 years,

but others have been extended and reconfigured in the last 50.

Let's start with this living room.

You can see it's an empty house, it's been a rental.

This is where you plan to come after your daughter Lilith has done her

homework, you've had your evening meal, you do like to sort of repair to your living room.

So you tell me!

It's lovely. And I love the dual aspect as well, it's really nice.

Look at that view. Unbelievable!

-Super, isn't it?

-We picked the right time of year to look at the view, to be fair.

It's beautiful. And I really like the sort of split fireplace as well,

that is nice. Wood burner. You want a wood burner, don't you?

I do, and it goes all the way through, which is cool.

-Yeah, it's clever.

-I've just noticed that. I thought it was a mirror at the back,

but it actually goes all the way through.

Now, obviously, you're going to want to redecorate anywhere.

Yeah, but to be honest it's neutral, so it's an easy palette to change,

-isn't it?

-Great, OK.

Kitchen, though, is the most important room inside the house.

-Fingers crossed, come with me.

-Roger.

It's kind of good to see a property sometimes without any furniture in it,

because you'll know just

how you can make it work.

It's not huge.

No, it's not, but we have a small kitchen right now,

and we can work with a small kitchen

as long as you've got counter surface,

which there is enough counter surface, I think,

and you can have a sofa down here.

And yeah, it's fantastic.

Now, upstairs, a few bedrooms to choose from, let me show you.

Positive reactions to the space on offer so far.

Just off the kitchen is a handy utility room with built-in units,

and there's also a modern downstairs shower room.

An oak staircase leads past a bright half landing with floor-to-ceiling

windows to the upstairs, where the theme continues.

At the back of the house is a spacious dual-aspect bedroom,

which could be theirs,

followed by two other bright doubles and a separate shower room.

We're exploring another option for a master bedroom at the front of the

house. And you get a family sized bathroom as part of the master suite,

separate bath and shower and loo, so it's big.

It's nice and light, isn't it?

-Great for Lilith.

-It's suck it and see, isn't it?

-No, absolutely.

-Just cos it's en suite doesn't mean

-you have to use it as your master bedroom, does it?

-No.

Yeah, when she's older, that's a very good point,

she can have her own space, her own bathroom.

Teenage girl - mess!

Let's go and have a look at the garden,

cos I imagine that's kind of make or break now, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

Moving every couple of years,

this couple are used to making a house work for them,

which bodes well for our search.

Outside, Paddy would have his garage or workshop space alongside the house,

where the steps lead up to the tiered garden.

There's a paved terrace with raised beds and a second level with a small

pond and entertaining area.

It's up here that we really see the benefit of this property's hillside

setting, as the garden's elevated position

makes the most of the fantastic views.

Look at that!

-Wow, it's lovely up here, isn't it?

-Isn't it?!

But it's where these views are as well,

you seem to be getting the best of both worlds, aren't you?

-Well, it's perfect, isn't it?

-Because it's what,

a mile and half outside of Church Stretton?

-You couldn't wish for a better location.

-So how much would you pay...

-Oh, gosh.

-For this perfect location and this house?

I reckon it's about 425.

I don't think it's as much as that.

I would say £380,000?

This home is on the market for £475,000.

-Wow. OK.

-Right at the top of your budget.

It doesn't need any work doing to it. It's only cosmetic.

I think you should have a bit of time here,

start to think about what life would be like here as a family.

Go and have a look around and I will catch you later on. See you in a mo.

-Lovely.

-After you, sweetheart.

Bang on budget, these converted workers cottages make a characterful

four-bedroom home with a large kitchen,

a workshop for Paddy and a garden with ready-made

raised beds and a pond.

A big plus is that it's just a mile and a half from Church Stretton.

The fact that we've got raised beds already is great but I think I would

probably put all of this to turf and then have a nice, big lawned area.

And you do like mowing the lawn, don't you?

It's square, which means the lines would be good,

I've got no worries about mowing this lawn.

I really like the kitchen area and that it opens into the little snug,

I think that would be a really warm family environment.

The garden, it's not my perfect garden but with a little bit of change

-it could work.

-I like the fact it's quirky, it's set into the hill,

it's on a number of levels,

but those levels have been really well thought out and you also get the

benefits of the view across the valley.

Ultimately there might need to be a compromise because we need to live in

the location that's important to us and this is the perfect location.

There is a lot of positives here but it would be a lovely place to live.

How did you get on?

Great, really good.

Thank you. I think it's a good first start,

hopefully something to think about.

-Onto the next one?

-Let's go.

As Phaedra and Paddy want to adopt a more self-sufficient lifestyle when they

move to Shropshire, it seemed fitting for them to visit the Sunnycroft Estate,

a rare example of a late 19th-century suburban villa and mini estate on

the outskirts of Wellington.

Approached via an avenue of Wellingtonia trees, this former family home has

been preserved and managed by the National Trust since 1997.

Phaedra and Paddy are meeting conservation manager Catherine Turnbull.

It's a beautiful house you've got here, isn't it?

Sunnycroft is an amazing little property. The house was a late Victorian,

early Edwardian house that really copies what the landed gentry would have,

so it's a complete mini estate.

If you think about it, in the industrial time when there was more wealth

and people were becoming brewers, lawyers, doctors and so on in the town,

they wanted to live in the countryside so they would kind of edge out onto

the suburban edges.

So they built themselves a manor house.

-They certainly have.

-That's great, isn't it?

Many of the Victorian and Edwardian middle classes aspired to be a class

above themselves.

By taking elements of a stately home,

replicating them on a smaller suburban plot,

they created their own country landscape.

It's a beautiful looking house.

Was it built in one go or has it been developed over time?

The first family actually built the house in the 1880s and then about 20

years later there was a significant extension mainly to do with

entertaining and rising status within the community.

When the house was extended Sunnycroft's gardens were also developed, creating

defined areas mimicking that of a self-sufficient estate.

From the front veranda and croquet lawn for entertaining, to the essential

potting shed out the back with an extensive vegetable plot and

smallholding. Paddy and Phaedra are helping volunteer Glennis Quilliam tidy the beds in the

rose garden.

Glennis, the gardens look very original, are they authentic to the actual building?

Absolutely, that's part of the policy,

that it retains its initial layout and the feeling of it.

It's important to sort of preserve that level of history.

What's one of the biggest challenges then in maintaining these gardens?

This time of the year are the leaves.

You can see how many trees we've got.

The whole of the pathways are covered and over the last year there is

quite a lot of hedges and growth that has got out of sync with what it was like.

-Bringing it back to how it used to be?

-Yeah, so there were photographs we found of the heights

of hedges etc, so those were cut back so again it's gone back to how it was.

-It's quite precise, then.

-Yes, it's important.

Very authentic. Original height hedges.

It's really important to do that.

With a total plot of five and a half acres,

maintaining the gardens is down to the hard work of a team of around ten

volunteers, led by head gardener Joel Richards who is currently collecting

apples in the orchard.

Traditionally, Sunnycroft's apples would be pressed on site and the juice served to

guests sitting under the veranda overlooking the games on the lawn.

Today, visitors are actively encouraged to partake and enjoy the produce

-from the estate.

-Right, turn the handle, yes?

-Yeah.

There you go.

Any apples surplus to house requirements would have been sold locally at the

-market.

-Just tighten this down.

And see if we can get a...

-Cup of juice.

-Press.

-Yeah.

-Wow, fresh apple juice.

-I was going to say, looking forward to this.

Look at that.

There you go.

-Wow, that is really good.

-Thanks.

-It is nice.

-Oh, that's lovely.

Mm.

It looks like Phaedra and Paddy definitely have a taste for the

self-sufficient way of life,

hopefully their visit to Sunnycroft has provided inspiration for when they start

growing their own in their new garden here in Shropshire.

Mindful that outdoor space is a priority, our next property takes

Paddy and Phaedra a little out of their comfort zone.

Ditton Priors is 14 miles away from Church Stretton.

The village has a remote feel but is well served with a local shop,

butchers and a pub housed in a former vicarage dating back to the 18th century.

At its heart the 1100-year-old church retains architectural

features from the Norman period through to the Victorian era along with

14th century roof timbers.

Just two miles away, Brown Clee Hill is Shropshire's highest point and overlooks Ditton Priors from

a height of 540 metres.

The house we are seeing is right on the edge of the village.

-Right, now then, property number two, good-looking, right?

-Very pretty.

-Very pretty, yeah.

According to the owner, they thought... She thinks it dates back to around 1850, it looks that way.

Off-street car parking is here.

No garage for you as yet.

-Plenty of room, though.

-Plenty of room to build one.

-What do you think?

-Lovely.

-It looks beautiful.

-Let's see what you think of it inside, shall we?

-Of course, yeah.

This traditional detached stone cottage has been added to and altered over

the years to bring it into the 21st century

but has retained its character and charm.

We are starting our tour at the back of the property in the newest part

where we find what I would imagine would be the hub of the house.

OK. So a different kind of kitchen,

but I think perhaps more suitable maybe than the first place.

It's kind of exactly what I described.

-Good, good, good.

-Sofa, dining room, lovely kitchen.

-Perfect.

-A day room, isn't it?

-Perfect.

-Yes.

-Perfect.

-Nice and simple.

-Spot-on.

-Keeping in character, it's nice.

-Wouldn't even change the knobs on the cupboards.

OK, well, this bit of the house is sorted.

Let's see what you think of the rest of it. Thank you, sir.

Knowing that kitchen space is top of her list, I'm glad it's to Phaedra's taste.

Also at the back of the property is a useful boot room leading to the

garden. But we'll head to the original part of the property to explore the

main sitting room.

Right, then. Well, you said to me you wanted a bit more of a snug.

Wow, yeah, that's snug, isn't it?

That's lovely. Look at that.

That really is lovely. Even the beams painted white,

is exactly what I would do with them.

I'm not into dark beams at all, that's beautiful, really lovely.

-Do you actually live here already?

-Yes. How did you know?

Designed it all myself.

Now, one particular element of this property where it has an advantage maybe

over the first house, is bedroom four is on the ground floor.

-Across that hallway.

-Right.

And it also has a door going through to its very own en suite,

loo and shower and basin.

-That's nice.

-That would be a nice touch.

I mean, we've already talked about parents staying.

-Yeah.

-Struggling with stairs.

So far on the ground floor, pretty good.

Let me take you up one of the two staircases.

-Oh, lovely.

-Right.

-Thank you, sir.

The staircase at the front of the house leads to an upstairs landing with

access to two of the bedrooms.

Both are bright doubles,

one with a feature fire place,

as well as a recently re-fitted family bathroom.

But we're heading up a second set of stairs to the rear of the property

to take a look at the largest of the bedrooms.

Now, this set of stairs leads to the master suite.

Good size en suite there.

A bit of storage. And then this bedroom, it's an absolute treat.

-Twin aspect.

-That's lovely and bright, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Goodness!

Although I'm not sure you're going to get to use this,

are you?

Because you're separated from the other bedrooms here and you've got a

-four-year-old daughter.

-Right.

-OK.

-So,

would you want to be more accessible to your daughter at the moment?

Yeah. You can't knock through or anything?

-If you knock through, you'd knock through that way...

-To the second staircase.

..and then you'd lose the other set of stairs, which isn't a problem,

it would just be a bit more engineering, that's all.

-Something to think about, isn't it?

-No. Absolutely.

-OK.

Let's keep looking round. Maybe start thinking about price.

OK.

Outside, the property sits on a substantial quarter acre plot.

There's a large level lawn for Lilith to run around and plenty of space

for chickens to roam.

For entertaining, there's a patio area just off the kitchen

and a brand-new summer house, complete with built-in bar,

which also doubles as a games room.

-Perfect.

-Perfect.

-Sorry, I keep saying that, don't I?

-You know, you keep saying "perfect," I'm going to make you buy a house.

-I know! I've got quite a feeling.

-What do you think, Paddy?

-Well, clearly no garage at the moment.

-Correct.

-But there is enough space, I think,

certainly to build a single garage.

If not, you'll be wheeling your bikes in there.

I was going to say, otherwise I just put a ramp up that step.

Now, you've got to try and put a price on this particular property.

Who's going first?

You can go first this time.

Go on, then.

Clearly, I was rubbish the first time.

-So, we'll go for £425,000.

-OK.

£445,000.

Right.

Good. This house is on the market for offers in excess of £425,000.

-Right.

-Have a whistle around here first, though.

All right? See you in a bit.

Comfortably within budget,

this stone cottage has been sympathetically converted

to create a balance

of bright, modern living spaces, and attractive character features.

It has four bedrooms,

the kitchen of Phaedra's dreams and a large garden.

It's in a village they're not familiar with,

but offers them more space for their money.

Oh, wow! Look at that, triple aspect.

That's fantastic, isn't it?

Gosh! I walked into the kitchen and looked around and I was like, yes,

this is my kitchen. This is the kitchen I would build if I was to build a

kitchen. The living room's lovely and snug.

It's me and Paddy to a T, it's exactly what we were looking for.

I do like the styling. I mean it has got character in spades, without a doubt.

I think Phaedra and Lilith will be very happy living here.

It's very hard to find any fault with it,

apart from the fact that it's not in Church Stretton,

but that may not be quite so important to me as it is to Phaedra.

What we need to decide, and to be honest it's what I need to decide,

because Paddy's away such a lot of the time, is where I'm going to

compromise, whether it will be the location or the property.

-So, all done inside?

-Yes.

-Yes, thank you.

-Brilliant.

Not tempted to just have a couple in that bar?

-If you're offering?

-No.

-I think I'll find a pub for that. Let's go.

-OK.

It's the second day of our Shropshire property search with Phaedra and Paddy,

who, after more than a decade abroad, are returning to their roots to be

near family. So far they've seen two great properties for their £475,000 budget.

But still to come,

our Mystery House throws a spanner in the works...

I can feel the wheels grinding to a slight halt here.

For me, I wouldn't say that is the case.

Good. I've always liked you, Paddy.

..and it's out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Goodness me, it melts quick, doesn't it?

Yes. Come back a bit.

Keep your rod in.

As I found out how these bespoke bicycles are built to last.

Now, today we're off to see the Mystery House, which is always fun,

but often represents a challenge to our buyers and today is no different.

They'll have to think laterally,

not only about the location of the property, but also the lay of the land.

Let's see how we go.

The furthest north of all of our properties, our Mystery House

takes us to the village of Grinshill,

seven miles from the county town of Shrewsbury.

Set beneath the wooded slopes of Grinshill,

the conservation village by the same name is home to a highly-regarded

Grade II listed family-run inn, with an acclaimed restaurant.

Scattered across the village are a number of distinctive red brick

buildings, constructed from local Grinshill sandstone.

Known for its durability,

it's been used to build a number of notable buildings across Britain,

including Chequers, the Prime Minister's residence in Buckinghamshire,

as well as our Mystery House, just around the corner.

Right, then. Our Mystery House.

This is something a bit different for you.

-Isn't it?

-It's semidetached, which is kind of part of the mystery.

-First impressions?

-Beautiful, isn't it? It's proper chocolate box.

Yeah, I think it is, isn't it?

Really lovely. A beautiful location.

The properties that you see are all built out of this local stone.

There's still an active quarry nearby.

-Sandstone.

-Oddly enough,

it's actually a barn conversion it looks nothing like a converted barn

because they levelled it and used the stones,

they refurbished the stones and spun them around to face out this way and

then rebuilt them as houses.

Right. They've done a fantastic job.

-It looks in good order again.

-Do you want to go inside?

-Yes.

-We'd love to.

Good, good. Come with me.

Converted 35 years ago,

our Mystery House is the only attached property I've shown Paddy and Phaedra

and it's effectively a brand-new old property,

delivering some impressive living spaces.

OK, small vestibule, straight into our kitchen-diner.

-Wow.

-Mm!

-That's huge.

That is more cupboards than you'd ever need in your lifetime, isn't it?

-Yeah, I think so.

-I'm sure we'll fill them, honey.

I'd probably lose that little bit of sticky out breakfast counter.

Would you not be tempted to lose all that kitchen stuff?

You've got loads of cupboard here, loads of cupboard there.

Yeah, yeah. That was the first thing I thought, actually.

You don't need any of that.

Then you could have a nice corner sofa or something there.

-Yeah.

-Let's keep looking through.

Come with me.

The use of reclaimed materials has given this property masses of

character, but with all the practicalities of a modern home.

Also on the ground floor is a study, or possible playroom for Lilith,

a well presented double bedroom and bathroom,

and a large family sitting room,

complete with exposed brick fireplace and wood-burning stove.

That really is amazing.

-That's really special.

-Puts out some heat, that big burner, doesn't it?

-Yeah. I know you like wood burners as well.

-I do, yeah.

-I love the space.

The floor, I do like solid floors downstairs.

When people have already done a house in the same style you think

you would do it, it makes it an awful lot easier to see how you would live in it.

Yeah. Shall I show you something upstairs?

Yes, please.

Although properties can always be adapted,

the fact that Phaedra openly likes the interior decor of this one is an

extremely positive sign.

Upstairs, there are two further large double bedrooms and one smaller but

perfectly formed, sharing the use of a separate shower room.

Up on this level we've got three double bedrooms.

Decent sizes as well.

-Yeah?

-No wardrobes?

Well, that's because you've got a wardrobe there, a walk-in wardrobe.

I know you like the idea of a project, but this is bang, it's done.

Is that attractive to you or do you want to put your own stamp on somewhere?

No, it's lovely, isn't it?

It's clean and tidy.

I think we could always put our mark on it eventually.

But to not have to do it straightaway is always a bonus.

So, could you live in this house so far?

Yes, definitely.

Granted, it's attached, but there is space in abundance inside.

But as we head outside,

one of the challenges of our Mystery House comes into play.

There's a double garage for Paddy and a lawned garden to the front.

A gravel path leads from the back door to a plot at the rear,

where there's an enclosed vegetable garden.

I was worried that this chat about you wanting to grow vegetables,

it was going to turn into some sort of fluffy garden.

So I've managed to find you something that is just a work area.

Yeah, see that.

In true Mystery House style, it's unconventional space.

Yeah. It's just not a very big space.

I can feel the wheels grinding to a slight halt here.

For me, I wouldn't say that is the case.

Good. I've always liked you, Paddy.

Because there is clearly some space here which hasn't been utilised for

a long time.

If we are in a position to do a deal for that space as well,

then all of a sudden this is magnificent.

-Now we are thinking laterally, aren't we?

-Yep.

Taking stock of the internal proportions of this Mystery House,

we are heading round to the front to take a view on what the price could

be. Well, how much do you think this Mystery House is on the market for?

I think it's probably around top budget.

But I'm going to be a little bit optimistic.

About 455.

-Paddy?

-I would say £430,000.

The asking price for this house is offers in the region

of £375,000.

Well, we'll have to get the estate agent's number.

-Really?

-And I need to knock on the door of a neighbour.

-Good. Interesting.

-That is a result.

£100,000 under budget,

this Mystery House is the cheapest of our three properties,

but has four double bedrooms and a large family kitchen and workshop space

that Paddy and Phaedra asked for.

It's in a quiet village with a good primary school nearby.

The unconventional garden space could be an issue,

but the fact that they are willing to explore options to extend the

plot means it might still be in the running.

-That's pretty, isn't it?

-It is.

Plenty of wardrobes in this one.

These are mine. You can have the other.

Well, clearly. I'll have a drawer somewhere, that's fine.

It's absolutely the perfect sized home for us as a family.

It envelops itself around us and it feels exactly where we would want to be.

We could move in tomorrow and the house would be fine.

It's got the large kitchen,

we also have enough rooms downstairs so Lilith can have her own playroom.

The main doubt is the garden.

For me, it's kind of essential we have a patch of grass at the back of the

house where I can see Lilith playing and that the garden is attached to

-the house.

-How are you getting on?

Are you starting to muddle things through in your mind?

-Definitely. Yep.

-OK, let's find you somewhere to sit down and chat things through,

and then we'll meet up and have a discussion after that, yeah?

-Great.

-Fantastic.

Shropshire is historically renowned for its iron production.

It was in the village of Coalbrookdale,

within the world-renowned Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site,

along the Severn Valley, where in the early 18th century,

Abraham Derby perfected the technique of using coal to smelt iron.

This began the tradition of iron making in the area,

dubbing it the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.

It was his grandson who built the world's first arch bridge,

constructed of cast iron, across the River Severn in 1779.

I've come to the area to find out about an altogether more modern industry

and one of particular interest to me.

Peter Bird and his business partner, Robert Wade,

have been handbuilding bespoke steel bicycle frames from their workshop

in Coalport for over 30 years.

Peter. Great to meet you.

Thank you so much for meeting me today.

Boy in a sweet shop?

Indeed.

One of the best sweet shops.

These are all handmade, all bespoke made?

All handmade in the Ironbridge Gorge.

They are bespoke in the true sense of the word here, aren't they,

I mean, everything you can change, you can alter by the looks of it?

Yeah, 60% of your bike should be a fit.

We are building the frame to you,

rather than you playing with bits to get you to fit the bike.

You're placed on this sizer.

And this sizer means everything moves.

We have crank change lengths here, we have angles of change on the seats.

That would be proportionate to where the pedals are, reach and height.

You'll see the handle at the end which allows us to balance you on the

bike at the end. By winding you in and out,

we're actually moving your body weight.

Very fine tuning.

But that fine tuning can be as small as five millimetres,

but it's enough for you to feel it.

Over 100 or so miles, though,

those couple of millimetres feel like metres in the end, don't they?

This is artisan level craftsmanship.

Unlike the mass-produced bicycle market,

so much work goes into each handmade frame, they make only 10-12 a year.

Peter's invited me into the workshop to show me the brazing process used

to join the steel frame.

We're going to get you to braze a fork up.

There's a fork blade.

-It's already shaped.

-Yes.

-And we're going to attach the road end

into there.

And we're going to braze that together.

-I imagine I'll put these on, shall I?

-We need to put those on.

-First,

Peter adds a flux solution to cleanse and to aid the flow of brass during

-heating.

-We'll tap that.

It has to be an interference fit, so that's what we're doing here.

Then we're actually going to

put it into the vice, in that position.

So, I'll light up the torch.

Unlike welding, which is a faster,

cheaper and therefore more commonly used technique,

brazing involves melting a bronze or silver rod into the metal,

acting as a filler to join the two pieces.

It's a more labour-intensive process,

but creates a neater joint that's just as strong.

You can see it's like fluid.

It's like water. What's happening is the brass is going inside,

-into the plug.

-It's leaking in there, and then

as it gets into the part of the steel that's cold, like candle wax,

-it'll solidify.

-That's exactly it.

That's exactly the process.

There we go. So we just move round to the other side,

just to finish off this.

Then I'll give you the torch to hold.

Thank you, sir.

By choosing to use steel,

Peter's frames deliver a balance of efficient ride output and shock

absorption, making them perfect for Britain's bumpy roads.

Goodness me, it melts quick, doesn't it?

Come back a bit. Keep your rod in.

For those wanting to learn the process,

Peter runs five-day courses where enthusiasts can build their own bespoke

-frame.

-You are done, sir.

Am I done? Right, OK.

Unfortunately, I don't have five days,

but I do have five minutes for a test run.

Wheel out the beauty.

Take it for a spin, Jonnie

and enjoy that ride.

They might have been building bikes for 30 odd years,

but these guys are up-to-date with modern technology.

One of their most recent bikes has built-in Wi-Fi,

meaning you can change gear at the touch of a button without the need for

any cables. I'll tell you one thing, my bike has got a gel seat

and this feels infinitely more comfortable.

That is obviously down to the frame. Yeah. I've got to say,

it's been fascinating learning more about what you do here,

just seeing how a bespoke bike is made,

but also seeing just how you utilise this fantastic metal.

Before I go, can I have another try? Do you mind?

-Yeah, of course you can.

-Thank you very much.

-No problem.

Might take it on a bit of a longer route, if you don't mind.

Deserves a better ride, doesn't it?

It's fantastic to see that within the bones of these old industrial

buildings local trades continue to manufacture long-lasting products,

preserving the region's rich industrial heritage,

whilst moving with the times.

Time to get myself in gear and meet up with our buyers at the end of their

property finding journey.

I think we saw great reactions from Phaedra and Paddy in all three houses.

But for them, at least,

each one of those properties had its own compromise.

So, as it is, I'm not really sure where we stand.

So let's find out.

Now then, how we doing?

-Good.

-Good?

-Thank you, yeah.

You've had good reactions in all three of the houses, you really have.

There have been facets that I think have challenged you.

First house, with the terraced garden, but near...

well, as close to Church Stretton as you can get without being

in Church Stretton. The second house, well,

it was a great house and garden but you felt it was maybe a challenge with the

location. The Mystery House, I suppose the layout of the property.

-Have you got a favourite house?

-We have definitely, the Mystery House.

Definitely Mystery House? Why?

Because it was perfect.

And even the location is...

You took us out of our comfort zone and you brought us to the other side

of Shrewsbury.

But we're still by a main trunk road, we're by a train station,

we're in a lovely little village with a nice pub,

near another village with a good school.

So, you know, you still tick the boxes even though we are away from

-Church Stretton.

-It's clearly been made by very talented artisans.

It has all the benefits, all the character of an old house,

but it is bang up-to-date.

Everything is level and upright.

It had everything that we needed.

If we can get that bit of garden, then we will definitely make an offer.

If you get to approach the neighbour and try and buy that part of the land

-and they say no...

-What do we do?

The Mystery House is then out of the game.

-Then what?

-Well, we will keep looking in Church Stretton.

Yeah, I think that's your fallback plan.

-Definitely.

-Well, I wish you the best of luck.

You found your favourite area, which is Church Stretton. But you've also, through the Mystery House,

you've found another area you can compare and contrast with.

Keep your eye on the market and see where it goes.

-Thank you for your help.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, we came pretty close with that Mystery House.

Although I do think it's a bit of a long shot to try and buy a bit of that

neighbour's garden.

I think it's much more likely that we see Phaedra and Paddy buying a house

either in or very close to Church Stretton.

That's clearly a town they both know and love.

But, either way, I wish them both the very best of luck and look forward

to finding out what happens next.

See you next time.

Paddy and Phaedra have made inquiries into purchasing extra neighbouring

land. In the meantime, their search continues.

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