Ceredigion Escape to the Country

Back in the 1780s, a young, bankrupt architect turned his fortunes around

by designing impressive villas like this.

He then went on to create some of the most famous palaces and mansions

in the country. Find out who he was and where I am in just a moment.

On today's show, a couple who are spiritually uplifted by the

properties we show them.

At first, it's all about the feeling of the place.

Oh, here we are.

-Oh, wow.

-You had a pretty strong reaction as you came through the

-door even.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-And we may have found them a slice of Eden.

-Nine acres.

-Nine acres?

-Nine acres!

So your dogs will be exhausted by the time they get to the end.

Oh, nine acres. My goodness!

Today, I'm in the Welsh county of Ceredigion

and this is Llanerchaeron,

a house built by John Nash at the beginning of his career,

when he lived in Wales.

Architecture fans amongst you will know that he went on to design

Brighton Pavilion, Buckingham Palace and Regent Street in London.

The symmetry and setting of this house really sets it off for the

eye, and it's also a great spot to enjoy the surrounding countryside.

The county of Ceredigion in the west of Wales

is bordered by counties including Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

Ceredigion's coastline stretches some 60 miles around the magnificent

crescent of Cardigan Bay.

At the top of the bay, Aberystwyth is a lively university town and holiday resort.

The seafront is home to rows of attractive houses,

with a wide promenade protecting them from the Irish Sea.

Further down the coast, New Quay was home to Welsh poet Dylan Thomas

for a brief time during the Second World War.

But the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding landscape inspired one

of the most productive periods of his life.

Inland, the Ceredigion countryside is dominated by sheep and cattle farms.

Traditional villages such as Cenarth

have changed little for centuries, with buildings dating back

as far as the 1300s.

Whether it's stunning coastline,

attractive seaside towns or remote countryside,

Ceredigion has a unique beauty that makes it one of the most inspiring

of counties to move to.

Like many parts of Wales,

Ceredigion offers great value for money for property shoppers.

The average price for a detached house here in the county is £223,000,

which is more than £100,000 less than the figure for the UK.

And your money goes even further inland away from the more expensive,

sought-after holiday homes on the coast.

But as well as good value,

this countryside has a spiritual quality, and that is what has

attracted our buyers today. So let's meet them.

Jill and Andy from the town of Poole in Dorset were best friends

for 16 years before tying the knot.

They took a chance on each other after a trip to the cinema.

We went to see a romantic comedy, the film Mamma Mia!.

And we laughed and cried at the same moments,

and when we came outside the cinema,

I looked at Andy and I had a light-bulb moment.

I just absolutely knew I loved him and was going to marry him.

-So we did.

-I had to wait 16 years for the woman I love,

but it was well worth it in the end.

They married eight years ago,

and live on the outskirts of Poole in a five-bedroom detached house.

Although they've both lived in the area for a long time,

they are ready for a change of scenery.

When I first moved here 26 years ago, Poole was...

It had a lot of charm and was much quieter.

But now I'm finding it's much busier and things have changed quite a lot.

So we're very much looking forward to move to Ceredigion to have the

tranquil, peaceful way of life and a whole new adventure.

The couple run a dog boarding company

and have two dogs of their own.

They are also spiritual mediums,

practising reiki and Indian head massage.

And it's the spiritual beauty of Wales that's attracting them to

Ceredigion as a place to live and to continue their work.

I love that area of Wales.

It's absolutely breathtaking scenery, the mountains,

and the streams. It just feels so...

..peaceful and inspiring.

But they're not the only ones moving.

Jill's father also lives with them in Poole,

and he'll be joining them in the new property.

My father is 89 now, it was his birthday yesterday.

And he is struggling with the stairs, and with his mobility.

So it's very much the move is for him first and foremost,

to find a property with accommodation downstairs for him

so that he can go out into the garden,

enjoy the sunshine and watch the birds.

But although they're moving to another country and will miss their

friends and clients, Andy and Jill are excited for the whole family.

We very much feel that this is a new chapter.

It's time to move on.

We very much feel it, for all of us, especially my dad.

And we want to give him a quality of life in his twilight years,

cos we love him dearly.

Andy and Jill would like to be close to the coast and no more than

one hour's drive from the town of Aberystwyth.

I'm meeting up with them in the Ceredigion countryside

to run through their wish list.

-Good morning, guys.

-Good morning.

Thank you for bringing us to lovely Ceredigion.

So what is your connection to the place?

My aunt and uncle used to own a very small cottage in the seaside village

-of Borth.

-Oh, nice.

We have very fond memories of going to stay there,

both me and my father.

And Andy's been to Wales a few times, and loved the area.

So you are a later arrival, Andy.

I am indeed. It's a beautiful part of the world,

so I'm very glad to be here.

And tell me about the house.

When you picture the house, how do you see it in your mind's eye?

We're picturing a detached period property,

something a little bit different, a little bit quirky,

a bit like us, with lots of character, lots of charm,

something a bit unusual.

-Just careful what you wish for.

-Yes.

And in terms of spec, in terms of bedrooms,

how many bedrooms are you looking for?

We are looking for a minimum of three bedrooms,

and one on the downstairs level, en suite for my father.

And the outside space - are you looking for a big garden?

Yes, we would like at least a minimum of half an acre to an acre

for the dogs so they can roam free and enjoy the outside space as much

as we're going to.

What about location? Are you looking to be out in the sticks,

or in the town, or a village?

We're looking for more rural, remote.

The biggest thing about this move is the peace and quiet it will bring

-and the tranquillity.

-So remind us again of your budget.

The budget for this move is £355,000.

Good, OK, so that's a nice big budget in Wales.

We've got some lovely properties lined up I'm excited to show you.

-Great, wonderful.

-We can't wait.

-You can see you look excited.

-Yes, very much.

-So let's put your waiting to an end, let's get in the

-car and go and see them.

-Superb.

-OK, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

With a budget of £355,000,

Andy and Jill would like a detached period property with lots of

character. It should have a minimum of three bedrooms,

with a generous one on the ground floor for Jill's father.

They'd like some outside space for their dog boarding business,

and for their spiritual healing practice.

And they'd prefer a peaceful, rural setting for the new home.

We've lined up a selection of charming properties to inspire our couple,

but I will not be furnishing them with the all-important price tag

until the end of our viewings.

Our last house, the Mystery Property,

will give them something a little different to contemplate.

Our first property is in the small village of Llanarth.

The nearest town for a range of amenities

is the Georgian fishing port of Aberaeron.

Perched on the Cardigan Bay coastline,

the harbour is lined by pastel-painted Regency-style houses.

Built in the 1880s,

it was laid out as one of Wales' first planned towns.

House number one is situated a half a mile from the village of Llanarth,

at the end of a private track.

Here you have it, house number one.

-Oh, lovely.

-Looks very nice.

Wow.

It looks very, very pretty.

It looks like a classic cottage.

-Yes.

-White walls and the slate roof looks charming.

-Yes.

-Really nice.

-Lovely.

-Let's look inside.

-OK, thank you.

-Lovely.

Sitting on the edge of a gently sloping hillside,

this cottage dates back over 300 years

and has been considerably extended.

We're starting our tour in the oldest part.

Come on in.

Straight into the kitchen. Nice, sunny kitchen.

That's very bright. Oh, the exposed wall.

-Yeah.

-Lovely.

-Oh, lovely, yeah.

So it's got all the mod-cons. You've got a nice, big range.

-Oh, lovely.

-Dishwasher and everything.

But the exposed brickwork kind of makes it feel a little bit more rustic.

Yes, that's lovely.

-It's one of the features we were looking for.

-Yes, definitely.

Now I know other rooms in the house are more important for you.

-So let's press on.

-OK.

The kitchen leads on to a formal dining room with a striking

stone fireplace.

There's also a generous utility for the white goods next to the kitchen.

At the more modern end of the house there's a garden room that would be

a pleasant space for Jill's father

as well as the main living room.

So we have effectively just walked 150 years.

So that was the original house and that was the back wall,

and this was an extension.

-Oh, wow.

-See, this is now the sitting room.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-It's lovely.

I like the little alcoves.

-That's gorgeous.

-One of the reasons we've brought you to this house is

that through there, you've got a bedroom, shower room

and a toilet all in its own separate wing for your dad.

-Oh, great.

-Superb.

It's lovely, it's got a very nice feel. It's really nice.

-It's very homey.

-Yes, very homey.

-Yeah, lovely.

-Now, you were saying your intuition would let you know

whether it was going to be a contender.

-Is this...?

-This is feeling very good at the moment.

-Yeah.

-Very good.

-Very...

-It feels like... It feels homely.

-Yeah, very strong start.

-Very much. A very good start. Very good.

Great reactions to the ground-floor layout,

and with Jill's father accommodated downstairs,

we're heading upstairs to explore Andy and Jill's quarters.

There are two bedrooms, both in the roof space,

including one that looks straight out onto the tiered garden,

as well as the master.

Come in. So, this would be your bedroom.

-Oh, wow.

-It's on two levels.

Oh, goodness, wow.

So you've got lots of storage up there.

You've got sort of a bathroom suite right at the other end of the hall.

-OK.

-And then just off the back, there's a very nice room that sort

of, cos of the slope of the garden, is level with the garden,

-which could be a nice meditation room.

-Oh, brilliant.

-Sounds lovely. This is different.

This is what we were saying about being quirky.

We like the beams and we like the character and the different levels.

This is not your standard room, which is really great.

-It's lovely.

-Maybe we can tie it all with a bow by looking in the garden.

Yes, wonderful.

With the tour inside wrapped up,

I'm hoping the outside space is suitable for the dogs.

The gardens are extensive and well looked after...

..with various seating areas taking advantage of the views over

open countryside.

The garden is quite big, it's around three quarters of an acre.

So it stretches over and touches into the woodland,

the woodland doesn't belong to you.

And it goes right up to the top,

you can see there a chair up the top with lovely views.

So it's quite sort of angled.

Would that work for the dogs?

Yes, I think it could, if we could make it secure for them.

Have to make sure that it is properly fenced.

So we can make it safe for them.

-Certainly a beautiful spot.

-It's lovely.

Now, of course, the key factor is how much it costs.

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

I'd value this house at £325,000.

I'm going a bit higher. I'd say 335,000.

OK, well, in this instance, Andy, you are closer.

It's actually on at £339,000.

Oh, OK.

It does have most of the elements we're looking for, to be honest.

It's a very strong contender for the first house, I would have to say.

Very impressed at this point.

Well, do go and explore. Maybe you can get your hiking boots and go

to the top there. Go and have a look around the house.

-Yes, OK.

-And I will catch up later on.

-OK, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Under budget by £16,000,

our first house is a characterful period cottage,

which has been modernised in recent years.

It comes with three bedrooms, one downstairs for Jill's father,

and options for the spiritual healing business.

The house sits in a plot of three quarters of an acre,

which could be fenced off for the dogs.

I love the feel of this house.

I'm already feeling that this could be a home

for all of us. I could actually see us all living here.

And I am feeling quite emotional, which is a good barometer for us.

It does cover a lot of the elements that we're looking for.

Particularly, my father-in-law,

which is fantastic.

Just need to check out a few elements like security for the dogs,

and whether it's large enough to cope with our spiritual events,

but it's a very strong contender. I'm very impressed.

-Are you all done?

-Yes, thank you very much.

I don't know if I pointed out, but this is a working well.

Oh, wow. Wonderful.

-We can make a wish.

-You can make a wish.

But not before you've seen all the other properties, so come on.

OK, thank you.

Ceredigion's 60 miles of coastline forms the sweep of Cardigan Bay

and is some of the most varied in Wales.

The ancient town of Cardigan sits at the base of the bay,

where the River Teifi meets the sea.

The longest river in Wales,

it played an important role in the country's history.

Andy and Jill expressed an interest in outdoor activities,

so we sent them to meet Richard,

who runs a guided canoe trip along the river,

starting off in the town,

and ending up in the Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-You must be Rich.

-Yeah, welcome.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi.

Welcome to Cardigan.

So, what's so special about this part of the river?

Well, in fact, the whole river is designated a special area of

conservation, due in part to the fact there's no industry on there,

just some agriculture, so you've got very low levels of pollution,

and very high levels of otters, deer,

salmon and sewin.

So why canoes, Rich?

Well, canoes don't need much water at all.

We wouldn't be able to get up into the marshes with a boat that needs

a large draught of water, a large depth of water.

And also, if we took a larger boat with an engine,

then we'd disturb the wildlife that we are hoping to go and see today.

-That's great.

-Fabulous.

Back in the early 19th century, Cardigan was the largest port

in Wales, a centre of industry and international trade,

and the River Teifi was instrumental in getting commodities in and out

of the country. Today,

the Teifi Marshes just outside the town is a unique environment where

fresh and salt waters meet.

Stretching over 247 acres,

the wetland is home to mammals such as otters and aquatic birds.

You see there, guys. That's a cormorant.

-Oh.

-And round here, they used to eat cormorant.

-Oh, really?

-It's quite a meaty bird.

-Right.

-It spends its life just eating fish.

Lots of sea birds use marshes like this when the sea is rough.

This is like a secondary shelter for them.

-Because it is calm.

-Yeah, because it's calmer.

So we are on high tide at the moment.

And at low tide, then, this will be like mudflats.

-Oh.

-Really? Look, skimming, that's lovely.

Further upstream, the reed-beds give way to the Teifi Gorge,

the banks become more steep and wooded, and the river deepens.

The gorge is known for the quality of its slate,

which was quarried here up until the early 20th century

and exported downstream.

So, this is all the spoil from the slate quarrying

that went on here about 150 years ago.

Cilgerran slate, named after the village closest to the quarrying site,

was sent all over the world

and fragments can still be found along the river banks today.

I'll just grab some to show you.

This is the Cilgerran slate or the Pembrokeshire green slate,

as it's known. It's actually quite brittle, OK?

But at that time, it was the only building material we had round here.

It would be quarried from the side of the gorge,

sorted on dry land,

and then barges would come up from the port,

load up with slate and then take it back down for it to be sorted

and shipped all over the world.

So O'Connell Street in Dublin has some Cilgerran slate paving

and even some buildings in New York.

-Oh, wow!

-But slate quarrying had a side-effect -

it produced a lot of wastage,

and rather than take this away from the gorge,

they simply threw it in the water.

It eventually clogged up the river,

making it unnavigable to large ships,

and the industry died.

The canoe trip has provided Andy and Jill with an insight into their new

natural surroundings and how best to explore it.

The difficult part is avoiding going round in circles.

But I'm finding the steering manageable now.

I'm enjoying being the captain at the back.

-I'm enjoying the paddling.

-Yes.

-It's good exercise.

Very peaceful as well.

All the better for being out in nature, though.

-It's lovely.

-I'd rather be here than down the gym.

-Any day.

-Oh, yeah.

For the next property, we are staying in the Llanarth area but

heading a little bit closer to the coast.

Llanarth is a small village, one of the oldest in Ceredigion,

and it's centred on a crossroads and has amenities including

a post office, pub and convenience store.

Just three miles from some of the finest coastline in Wales,

it's a great base for Andy and Jill, given their love of outdoor sports.

House two is located at the end of an unmade farm track a mile away

from the main road, and is as remote as it gets.

This is an extraordinary property.

-Wow!

-We couldn't wait to show you this because, in many ways,

it's the opposite of what we've just seen.

-Yes.

-This is so much space for spirit and so much space for dogs.

Wow!

It is going to involve some imagination about bringing it into

-the world of reality.

-Well...

We walked past... You see this field here?

-Yes.

-That's yours.

-Really?

-More importantly, you see this vast field here...

-Yes.

-..most of which you can't see cos it wraps behind this building and

all around that property, that's yours, too.

-Really?

-That's a big size.

-Nine acres.

-Nine acres?!

-Wow!

-So your dogs will be exhausted by the time you get to the end.

Oh, nine acres! My goodness!

-Oh, wow!

-So it's a very big property but the great thing about the

property, it has so much potential for your business.

-Yes.

-Superb.

This nine-acre secluded smallholding includes numerous outbuildings which

we will explore later but at its centre is a wonderful 16th-century

farmhouse which is in need of updating.

It's currently vacant, as the owners have already moved out.

The front porch leads onto a characterful sitting room with an

inglenook fireplace.

There is also a further reception room in this,

the older part of the house...

..along with a family bathroom.

But we are heading to the kitchen,

accessed via a corridor at the back of the house.

-Here we are.

-Oh, wow!

Oh, wow!

Oh, goodness me! Look.

Yes. You've got some very old touches in this property.

-Wow!

-It's an old property, it's about from the 16th century.

-Wow!

You had a pretty strong reaction as we came through the door even.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

-Wow!

-What's the feeling?

It is... It is everything we're sort of dreaming and visualising of,

with the character but also the potential to take it forward.

You'd have to put some labour of love in here to make it sort of...

-Yes. TLC.

-..snug.

-Wow!

Basically, we'd be buying some history and some character but then

if you put some time and effort into it and refurbish it,

-you'd be making something quite extraordinary, wouldn't you?

-Yes.

And then we've got a little addition

which we thought might work for your dad.

-Oh, brilliant.

-Superb.

Wow!

So, coming through here, we've got a much more modern extension.

-Oh, wow!

-Got a shower and a toilet.

-Oh!

-And then you've got doors out into the back garden and doors out

into a lovely terrace.

-Oh, wow!

-So we thought this might be nice for your dad's bedroom.

Ah, yes.

-Right next to the kitchen.

-Yes.

-Brilliant.

-Lots of light.

-Yeah, wow!

-Yeah, superb.

Didn't expect this at the end of the property.

-I know.

-Yeah, that's a revelation.

-Yeah.

-Wow!

Andy and Jill seemed to be buying into the idea of putting their own

stamp on this property. With the ground-floor tour completed,

I'm sending Andy and Jill upstairs to explore the bedrooms.

There are three in total, a double guest room, a small single

and a master bedroom, set in the eaves with exposed beams.

-Wow!

-Oh, wow!

Nice. I love the beams.

-Oh, wow!

-Thick walls, as well.

Wow!

-That's lovely.

-Yeah.

-So much potential.

-It's amazing.

That's definitely the word.

Outside, it's hard to know where to begin.

There are nine acres of land here, much of it potential grazing land.

The immediate garden wraps around the house and includes a decking area,

but because the property was once a smallholding,

there are also outbuildings and barns with lots of possibilities

of developing a spiritual healing practice.

Right. Now, this is super exciting.

-Wow!

-Here we have not one but three barns.

-No!

-So you've got one big building here and all three parts of it have

got planning permission to convert for holiday lets.

Oh, wow!

-Wow!

-Superb.

-That's excellent.

-However I was thinking this space on either end

you could have holiday lets and this space in the centre would be a

fantastic practice room for you.

Yes. Yes, wow!

A spiritual retreat.

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-It's incredible.

-It is amazing.

-Absolutely incredible.

-Absolutely.

Obviously, it's a lot of work.

-Yes.

-Yeah. It would be a worthwhile project.

-Worthwhile.

-Oh, yes.

-If you can visualise the end result.

And the journey. That makes it all the fun.

Yeah. Wow! OK.

-Love it.

-Let's go.

Thank you.

There's a lot to take in with this vast proposition but what would Jill

and Andy have to pay if they want to secure it?

Where better to guess than overlooking the fields they could own?

So you can see your land goes down here, the field,

the clean fields down to the tree-line below there.

What do you think the price tag on this one is?

£300,000.

I'm going to go with £335,000.

OK, so it's on the market

for £349,950.

But...

..the owners and a little bird have been speaking and the little bird

tells me that they would accept offers considerably under that.

-OK.

-You'd have to spend a lot of money to do it up.

-Yes.

-It's quite a project.

-Which we would have to take into account.

-Yeah.

-So, go explore.

I can see you are chomping at the bit.

-Go and look at the other places.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

That's probably the most intense house tour I think I've ever done

in terms of the feedback from Jill and Andy.

Almost like a religious experience.

Marvellous.

Under budget by £15,000,

this spacious smallholding has potential with a capital P.

At its heart is a characterful 16th-century farmhouse

in need of updating with three upstairs bedrooms and options

for Jill's father downstairs.

The nine acres of land provides more than enough room for the dogs to run

around in and the numerous barns and outbuildings could be developed

over time.

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, wow!

-Superb.

-Oh, another barn.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow!

That's just...

Amazing. Goodness me.

It's quite a unique and extraordinary property.

I mean, the history there and the character...

It really is quite remarkable, the inside and the outside space.

I've never actually seen anything like it in my life.

You know, I'm very glad that we've had a look around.

Superb.

It's an amazing position.

The peace, the quiet, the rural aspect we were looking for.

It would just be the cost of the renovation and the work that needed

to be doing. But this would be the ideal spiritual retreat for us

and also for the dogs.

This is a real labour of love and I will take my hat off to these two

when they pull it off. You will pull this off, won't you?

I think so. Think so.

-Yes.

-We don't look quite as sure...

-Good. Well, the journey is not over yet.

-OK.

I'm in Ceredigion in West Wales with Jill and Andy from Poole in Dorset,

who have £355,000 and a rather extensive wish list.

Coming up, will the Mystery House possess the right spiritual qualities?

-It's amazing.

-Huge.

-Quite some entrance.

-Yes.

This is sort of cathedral-like, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Very much so.

And I meet the business-minded farming brothers who are moving on

-to pastures new.

-Just flick your finger through the stream of alcohol

and you'll be able to taste the herbs and spices.

Ooh!

It's a beautiful morning here in Ceredigion,

ready for Andy and Jill's house-hunt.

In no particular order, they are looking for a house for themselves,

for her dad, for the dogs and for their spiritual work,

so will our Mystery House today live up to expectations?

It's quite different in terms of style

but will it match their wish list?

For our final Mystery Property,

we're heading inland to the small village of Penbontrhydybeddau.

The most rural setting of all our properties,

the village sits in a quiet valley, seven miles inland from the coast,

within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Mystery House is a five-minute drive away in a remote

and magical setting.

The location should really appeal to Andy and Jill - I just hope

the house, a more modern offering than we've seen so far,

gives off the right vibes.

So...

..here's the Mystery House.

A 2009, A-frame, architect-designed

modern Welsh dwelling.

-Wow! Wow!

-OK.

-Wow!

-OK.

-It's very striking.

-What do you think about the energy of the place? What do you think of the house?

-It's...huge.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-It's enormous.

-Enormous.

-I love the river and everything.

-Yes.

-Beautiful.

-And the location.

-Beautiful.

-And the ducks.

-Beautiful scenery.

-It's drawing me in.

-Yes.

Keen to see what lies inside.

-Wow!

-Well, you wanted some big spaces.

Yes, that would be great.

-OK.

-Built just seven years ago,

I don't think our period-property- loving couple would have considered

this unique stylish house which has an open-plan layout inside.

But I'm keen to see if I can convince them of its ultramodern merits.

We are starting off in the sitting room.

-This is amazing.

-Huge.

-Quite some entrance.

-Yes.

It is sort of cathedral-like, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yeah, very much so.

-Isn't it great?

-Very impressive.

That window and the door and the light...

-You can see the trees. Wow!

-That is lovely.

-Goodness.

-The balcony...

-Wow!

Well, we thought that you wanted something a bit grand and sort of

-uplifting...

-Yeah.

And the trouble is with a lot of Welsh period properties,

-they are quite dark.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Does it have good energy?

-Very much so.

-Looking forward to seeing the rest of it.

-Yeah.

-Well, let's look at the kitchen.

-OK.

The important room.

Our modern Mystery Property is well insulated and has been finished to a

high standard with engineered oak flooring and underfloor

heating throughout.

As well as this main sitting room, there's a light, bright snug...

..and a cinema room, which might be a bedroom option for Jill's father,

although they'd have to put an en-suite bathroom in.

But we are exploring the kitchen.

So, come on in here. This is a sort of kitchen-diner.

They've got space for a dining-room table.

And then a very modern kitchen.

-Oh, wow!

-OK.

-OK. Wow!

-Blacks and reds.

-Yes.

Different. Like it. Yeah.

So you go through there, you've got your utility, your white goods,

and then you step down into a very nice big garage.

-OK.

-Excellent. Super.

-Plenty of space.

-Yes.

The question is, is it something you could imagine living in?

Well, what do you think?

We will have a look at more and then see.

-Let's look at your bedroom.

-OK.

They are reserving judgment for now but I'm feeling as though Andy and

Jill are giving this house some consideration, as we head upstairs.

There are five bedrooms spread across two storeys.

Off the first-floor galleried landing are four of the bedrooms,

all light and spacious doubles,

including two with single beds in them.

There's also a family bath and shower room.

On the top floor, there's a further bedroom which could make

an excellent treatment room, as it has an en-suite bathroom.

But we are staying on the first floor to look at where they could sleep.

It's a master suite...

Nice walk-in dressing room.

-Down the steps.

-Good grief.

-Wow!

To your own rather lovely...

..master suite. Nice en suite with a shower room.

-Wow!

-It's very tasteful.

Very modern. And lots of space.

You can see it would work very, very well for a family.

I don't know possibly whether it's too much space for just, like,

the three of us.

Possibly. But it's awfully nice.

Really, really nice.

-Yeah, very, very tastefully done.

-Yeah, absolutely.

Well, let's go outside cos obviously that's very important for you two.

-Thank you.

-Superb. Thank you.

Like the house, the tidy garden is easy to maintain.

It is walled in, so suitable for the dogs.

It's not as big as some of the others I've shown Andy and Jill,

but it's more than compensated for

by the wraparound views of the forest.

So, that's the whole package, really.

It's quite a substantial house and then slightly smaller land.

-Yeah.

-But, you know,

on the basis that you are in the middle of this fantastic

dog-walking countryside.

What's the price tag on this Mystery House, do you think?

I would say...

..right on the top end of our budget.

£355,000.

I think it might be slightly over budget.

I'm going to go at £359,000.

Well, in this instance, you're both a bit pessimistic because it's just

under your budget. It's actually on at £349,950.

Ah, OK.

So, armed with that fact, why don't you have a stroll around?

There's quite a lot to take in.

-OK.

-Plenty to see.

-OK.

-Definitely. Thank you.

-I'll see you out the front.

-Superb.

Under budget by £5,000,

our architect-designed Mystery House is modern and stylish

with an open-plan layout.

There are five upstairs bedrooms with an option to convert a

downstairs reception room into a bedroom for Jill's father.

Outside, the garden is manageable and secure for the dogs and it is

located in a magical valley.

Really nice house. Really large, really modern.

Lots of room inside.

I'm not sure it entirely works for the flow

and for my father-in-law.

The light in here is amazing, and the views,

and the surrounding countryside is just awesome.

But we were really looking for somewhere with the charm of

something old and period that we could do up

and see ourselves living in.

OK. Mystery House done.

I hope that was enough of a curveball for you.

Plenty to think about. There's just so much room in there.

Good. Well, we are going to find somewhere where we can think about

-all the houses we've seen.

-OK.

-And come to some conclusions.

-OK.

The lifeblood of the Ceredigion economy is agriculture.

Once the mining industries around Cardigan declined,

the focus shifted to dairy farming.

But today, those farms are facing their own challenge.

With falling incomes, many have had to diversify in order to survive.

On one such family-run farm, just outside Llandysul,

they've gone from producing a world-renowned organic cheese

to something altogether more potent.

I'm meeting farmer Rob Savage to find out more.

Now, tell me about your history cos you've got quite an interesting

history cos you're not from Welsh stock, are you?

I consider myself Welsh.

But my parents were both born in Rotterdam.

So they moved from the Netherlands back in 1981.

So they moved from a very flat Holland

to quite a hilly bit of Wales.

Absolutely, yeah. And they are not from farming stock either.

They are not from a farming background but they very much...

They're involved in the organic movement and this is what they wanted to do.

So, yeah, we've been making cheese since 1982.

My mother was a trainee artisan cheese maker in the Netherlands.

She made a Gouda-style cheese and she brought her skills over and now,

using good-quality Welsh milk, we're producing Teifi cheese.

Using raw milk, local ingredients and traditional methods,

the farm produces three types of unpasteurised artisanal cheese

strongly influenced by Dutch Gouda.

But cheese isn't the only string in their bow -

two years ago, they diversified into alcohol, specifically gin.

That's quite a curveball in the Welsh farming market, isn't it?

It is, it's the only way, really, to survive in south-west Wales,

is cheese and alcohol.

The distillery was opened in 2012 and the man in charge of the drinks

is Rob's brother, John.

But this isn't gin as we know it -

this is seaweed gin.

Now, I have been to a gin distillery before.

I don't remember quite how it works, which probably meant that I tried too much gin afterwards.

But you start off with raw ethanol, isn't it? That's the thing?

Pretty much. First of all, we have to produce a base spirit which is technically ethanol,

but just with a bit more flavour in it.

We then put it back into the still and then this is where the herbs

and spices are added to it.

This is what we can see bubbling around?

You can see some in there at the moment.

What's coming out here, then, is this the finished product?

This is the gin that comes out.

It's 90% alcohol, so it's far too strong to be drinking.

-OK.

-This will obviously be watered down with our own water.

But you are able to sample it if you fancy.

Just flick your finger through the stream of alcohol and you'll be able

to taste the herbs and spices.

-Whoo!

-This particular recipe is a seaweed gin.

-Seaweed?

-It's a very different type of gin.

It will now go into a holding tank, where it will be infused with

seaweed for a week. And then after this process,

it'll be filtered and then it will be bottled and then it's ready

for sale.

I'm not entirely convinced by John's Welsh spirit,

but there's only one way to find out whether it works

and that's to taste it.

-So, this is the normal one?

-That's the botanical gin.

To compare flavours, I'm trying their traditional gin first.

Still quite strong! Ooh, that's nice, though. Tasty.

And this is the seaweed one, this is the one I'm keen to taste.

Slightly more salty in flavour.

Mouth-wash it a little bit, and get the full flavour,

coat your mouth with it.

You're looking...you're both looking at me very intensely!

And then...

After you swallow, give it a couple of seconds and then breathe in.

You get the saltiness coming through.

Then shut your eyes, tell me where you are.

I'm going to say I'm on a Welsh coastline...

-Nailed it.

-..with the seaweed floating around my feet.

You do taste, that's true...

You do taste a little bit, it's quite delicate.

They say the seaweed gin pairs well with seafood, oysters and shellfish.

But I'm skipping the main course and heading straight for

-the cheese board.

-And this is our Teifi recipe,

which is loosely based on a Gouda style.

Very good, thank you.

That's nice. That's not very Welsh at all.

You don't usually get that sort of nice, chewy, Dutch...

That's why!

Good stuff, guys. It's really nice to meet you guys.

-Thank you.

-Good luck with it all.

-Very good, thank you.

That's delicious, that one.

-Good, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's awesome.

Our property hunting has come to a close here in Ceredigion

so let's find out which of our properties, if any,

have stolen Andy and Jill's hearts.

-Hi, guys!

-Hi.

It's nice to sit down, isn't it,

after striding up and down the Welsh valleys?

So, how have we done?

It's been an amazing week, it's been absolutely life-changing for us.

And it's absolutely cemented the fact that we are definitely moving

-to Wales.

-Well, that's good.

How have we done on the houses?

Which, if any, of the houses have stood out for you?

I think we both feel the same.

-Yeah, we do.

-Yeah, I think the farmhouse that needs the work.

The conversion. But that is where our hearts lie

and that will make our dreams come true.

That was like a religious experience for you two.

Right from the very beginning, from when you foresaw it.

Yes, yes, it was. Yes.

It's a huge challenge, the farmhouse property.

Massive potential, I mean, really streets ahead of the others.

-Yes.

-Massive amounts of money needed to be spent, and time.

-Yes.

-How are you going to do that?

That's a very good question!

I think we'll just send our thoughts out again,

that's what we've done for the whole of this week,

and we'll see where it takes us. We're going to research more

and find out costings of conversion etc

and the potential that lies within that land as well.

And we're definitely going to go back for a second viewing.

And after the research and investigations on costs,

then we're very likely to put in an offer.

-Really?

-Yes.

-That would be so tremendous.

One of the great figures of this search has been your dad, of course...

-Yes, yes.

-..who wasn't there when we saw the farmhouse,

but what do you think he'll think of it?

He'll run with us for the dream

of our spiritual retreat by the sea, very much.

But the nitty-gritty of it, he may think,

"Jill, you've gone slightly mad!"

Because it's such a big project.

But bless him, he's always behind us 110% and he really supports our work

and our dream.

Well, I really hope that it comes to fruition and you'll let us know how

-it goes.

-Definitely.

-It's been a real joy, and thank you

for bringing us to this county, it's a really lovely place to come.

Yeah, it's a wonderful part of the world and it's been an absolute joy.

And we can't thank you highly enough, thank you so much.

Yes, very much. It's been wonderful.

-It's our pleasure.

-Life-changing, thank you.

That was a great week here in Ceredigion.

It's so nice to be challenged by a house hunt like Andy and Jill's,

cos it's not every day that we get asked to find a home for a couple,

dad, dogs and a spiritual practice.

But if one place is going to supply all that,

then this beautiful county is it.

And I really hope that they bite the bullet and make something of that

dream property in the farmhouse.

And I hope that you join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

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