Cornwall Escape to the Country

For nearly 300 years, and despite having a perfectly good front door,

the only way into this beautiful 15th-century chapel was through a

hole in the roof. I'll tell you why in just a moment, and where I am.

SWEEPING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS

Today I'm with a South London couple

who have big business plans for their move to the country.

But are their property expectations realistic when it comes to budget?

At the moment, £50 change.

-Yeah?

-That's all I could give you.

-Enough for lunch.

-LAUGHTER

-A nice lunch.

-Yeah, a good lunch for 50, yeah.

However, our houses definitely give them a new perspective.

Each one is a snapshot into the garden.

-Yes.

-Yes, yeah.

-It's like having big pictures on the wall.

Today, I'm in Cornwall,

and this is the chapel of Saint Enodoc, which,

from the 16th century through to the mid-1800s,

was almost completely buried in sand that had blown in from the

nearby dunes. Now, to maintain its status,

the chapel had to host at least one service every year.

So the vicar and congregation would have been lowered in through a hole

in the roof. Happily, in 1864,

Saint Enodoc's was finally dug out of its sandy tomb,

and visitors have been able to use the front door ever since.

Lying in the extreme southwestern sleeve of England,

the county of Cornwall shares an eastern land border with Devon,

but is otherwise surrounded by the sea,

with the Atlantic Ocean to its north,

and the English Channel to the south.

Almost a third of the county is designated as an Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty.

Historically, Cornwall was famed for its tin mines, but these fell into

decline in the mid-19th century.

Today, the imposing ruins of this once-booming industry lie scattered

across the county.

Cornwall's only city is Truro.

Its Gothic revival cathedral took 30 years to build, and opened in 1910.

During mining's heyday, the city prospered,

and the industry's legacy is still evident in its elegant architecture

and monuments. Cornwall's rugged north coast faces the Atlantic,

making it a paradise for surfers.

Polzeath Beach is popular both with those hoping to catch a wave,

and more sedate holiday-makers.

The tiny fishing village of Mousehole, three miles west of

Penzance, has a charming harbour,

surrounded by twisting streets and lichen-covered houses.

For those who want to appreciate the local crafts and produce,

walk along the wild coastal paths or simply soak up the unspoiled beauty

of one of England's most distinctive counties,

Cornwall offers an appealing escape option for both holiday-makers and

those seeking a permanent move.

There's no denying that Cornwall is one of the most popular counties in

the country to own a second home or holiday let.

In some coastal and rural areas,

as much as 42% of the homes aren't lived in by what's called

"usual residents".

That means they're not permanently occupied by the same person.

So, as you can imagine, that can push property prices up.

But don't worry,

because the average cost of a detached Cornish home here

at the moment is £309,000.

That's £22,000 below the national figure.

So, great value homes in a super county.

All we need to do now is find a couple

who want to permanently move here.

Hannah and her IT consultant husband Robin

tied the knot over 20 years ago and have two adult children.

Yeah, we met in about '93, '94.

We met through mutual friends

and we've been together ever since, really.

-Yes. After about three or four years.. "We have to get married!"

-SHE LAUGHS

-Yeah.

-She was very good with the children, a very good cook.

Very creative at making the garden look nice, which,

-unfortunately, gives me a lot of work, but never mind.

-SHE LAUGHS

Though Britain has been Hannah's home for decades,

her early roots lie elsewhere.

I was born in Vietnam and came here in 1983.

So now we are nearly retirement time.

So I think this is the time we need to change.

They currently live in Robin's birthplace, Croydon,

a town in the South London suburbs.

The area's changed massively since I was born.

Every time you turn round, there's another building gone up,

and the traffic just seems to get worse day by day.

Cornwall has previously been a holiday retreat for

Robin and Hannah, and their move to the country gives them a chance to

get outdoors and let their dogs off the leash.

Yeah, we enjoy walking.

We'd like to be able to do that in the countryside.

Here, we just really walk round the block to take the dogs out.

-Yes, yeah.

-It's not quite the same thing.

Our dog and our cat are very important to us.

Hannah hopes to rekindle a lifelong passion for painting, while Robin

will be refocusing on his past love of photography.

I'd like to take up photography again.

Being based in Cornwall would be ideal, because I do primarily

landscape or flower photography.

So that would be perfect.

Although they'll be leaving their busy London life behind them,

they hope a move to the country will kick-start a new business venture.

Ideally, the house should have an annexe.

It would be useful for two aspects.

Running as a holiday let during the warmer months, and obviously,

if family want to come down, they've got somewhere to stay.

We hope that in a couple of years we have a lovely house

and nice, big garden,

so grandchildren will come back to visit us

and have more room for them to run around.

Robin and Hannah won't be travelling back to London frequently,

but their family will be visiting,

so North Cornwall is their ideal location.

They have other requirements for their property,

so I want to meet them and find out the finer details

of their wish list.

Well, Hannah and Robin, welcome to Cornwall.

So, tell me, what are you looking for with this move?

What type of property?

Well, we like the sort of stone-built properties.

Interior, perhaps a little bit modernised, opened up.

Edge of a village would be ideal, so it's not too many neighbours.

This annexe, you want to rent it out as a holiday let, I believe?

Yes, yeah. Because we move away from the city, so we're looking,

you know, a little bit for income when we live out there,

-when we retire.

-And, Hannah,

let's talk about this garden, because you're a passionate

gardener, aren't you? A little bit like me. Is an acre going to be enough for you?

It's quite a lot to look after.

-Not enough!

-Is it not?

-No, not enough.

-LAUGHTER

Yeah. I have a lot in mind.

Who is going to make the final decision, do you think?

SHE LAUGHS Robin didn't even have to open his lips!

-I put my hand first.

-Did you?

No, we compromise.

Yeah, you compromise, do you?

But you're going to make the final decision. Fair enough.

Now, remind us how much we've got to spend with this move.

The maximum is £450,000.

-That's if we find the perfect home.

-Yes.

-£450,000.

-If it ticks all the boxes, yes.

-How many bedrooms? We didn't discuss this.

-About three bedrooms.

-2-3, yeah.

-Yeah.

-Do you think we're being realistic with that budget, in your opinion?

If we're on the edge of a village,

I think you've got more chance of that sort of budget.

-And we trust you, you do well.

-You trust me?

-Yeah.

I'm feeling the pressure, Hannah, I'm feeling the pressure. LAUGHTER

Well, we do have some other wonderful homes already lined up

-to show you. If you want to follow me, let's get started.

-Yeah.

-OK.

With a maximum budget of £450,000,

Hannah and Robin would like a 2-3 bedroom property, so that family can

visit. The house should be on the edge of a village,

be light and airy inside,

but have a character exterior and ideally be built of stone.

Hannah wants the garden to be an acre or more, and preferably

come with an annexe that can be used for holiday lets.

I've got a wide range of attractive houses to show them both,

and I'll be asking them to guess the price of each one before I reveal it

to them. The final proposition will be the Mystery House,

which offers an unpredictable twist on their requirements.

It's a conversion that I hope will make their spirits soar.

What do your children think about you moving to the country?

They're a little bit worried, too far away,

but they know that Devon and Cornwall is, you know,

-a lovely place for retirement.

-Yeah.

And do you manage to go back to Vietnam much?

-Yes, yeah. Not every year because it's really far away...

-It is, yeah.

..but every time we go back to Vietnam,

I always pack some English tea.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-LAUGHTER

-You miss your brew, do you?

-Yes, yeah.

We're starting our house-hunting journey in the village of

North Petherwin, in the north-east of the county.

Originally in Devon, North Petherwin became part of Cornwall in 1966.

It's home to a beautiful stone church dating back to Norman times,

along with a primary school,

and a local pub, situated around a mile away.

It's also the base for the Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre,

which helps conserve the Cornish otter population.

Set in beautiful natural surroundings of its own

is house number one.

See, I brought you through the scenic route to our first property,

because this garden is so beautiful, and here it is.

-Colourful, yeah.

-Hopefully our first home.

-Lovely. Certainly stone.

-Unusual?

-Yeah.

-Yes, yeah.

First impressions?

-Yeah, lovely, yeah.

-It's certainly got some character.

-I love the garden.

-Shall we start?

-Why not?

-Yeah.

The house was converted in 1993 from what is thought to be have been an

18th-century granary.

Once inside, a left turn leads to the open-plan kitchen dining area.

So you've got a really long hallway here,

and at the end of it is the kitchen.

-Lovely kitchen.

-It's got the dining area as well.

Yeah. Has, I think, enough space for us.

-Yeah.

-They've opened it up.

-You can see you've got your range there.

-Which is what we like, yes.

So, you know, would you change anything?

We'd probably decorate it, to lighten it up a bit.

It's perhaps a little dark for our tastes, but that's just cosmetic.

-Yes.

-It's minor.

That's a rather strong start to this house tour. That's very good.

To the right of the kitchen,

a utility room provides more convenient storage space,

and possibly a room Hannah and Robin could give over to the dogs.

Next we're moving into the charming sitting room,

where light streams in from every angle.

This is where the granary part of the process would have happened.

The beams are nice as well, they're not too dominant.

-Not low.

-Yeah. It's quite a high ceiling as well.

Do you like the idea, though, having all these doors and windows?

-I love it, yeah.

-Each one is a snapshot into the garden.

-It is.

-Yes, yeah.

-It's like having big pictures on the wall.

-Very true!

It's an interesting property, because from the outside it looks

like it's all one level, but there is an upstairs. So, two bedrooms.

-Mm-hm.

-I'm going to show you the one that's down here, the master.

Thank you.

We're retracing our steps down the long hallway to see if this ground

floor master bedroom measures up.

I would say this is probably the largest, in a way, of the three

bedrooms, because it takes a double bed.

Got some built-in storage, by the looks of things.

Built-in storage, and a little cloakroom in there as well,

with a family bathroom next door.

-I see.

-So how do we feel about what you've seen in this part of the

-property so far?

-Yeah. So far, so good, and very solidly built.

In addition to the master,

the house has two cosy bedrooms tucked away upstairs in the eaves,

as well as an ample attic for storage.

There's also the business arrangement to consider.

-Yeah.

-So, Robin, if you wouldn't mind popping back out through the

front door, let's have a look at next door and see what's there.

A dividing wall ensures complete privacy from the adjoining annexe,

which Hannah and Robin could rent out.

So, next-door you have your holiday let.

-Right. Oh, that...

-That's a good-sized room.

-Yeah, good size.

-At the moment, they make about £8,000 a year,

but that's only really for the spring and summer months.

-Yes, yeah.

-That's reasonable, yeah.

-Have you ever done anything like this before?

-No.

O-o-o-oh! LAUGHTER

The hospitality, it's big business in Cornwall, isn't it?

And with a well-appointed kitchen,

two bedrooms and a generous-sized bathroom,

this annexe can comfortably accommodate a family of four.

Shall we head out into the garden?

Still more to show you, and then of course we're going to have to

discuss how much you think this property is on the market for.

-All right.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

A fenced-off garden for the annexe means that Robin and Hannah

will be undisturbed by guests,

while an ample driveway allows parking for several cars.

The beautifully designed garden covers a third of an acre

and features acers, providing that oriental feel,

along with landscaped rockeries.

Keen cook Hannah could also make use of the greenhouse on the rear patio.

This really is the most delightful garden.

I see the garden is beautiful, but

-I need more...

-A bit more space?

-I need more space

for my grandchildren in the future, to play football.

Ah, OK. LAUGHTER

What do you think our converted barn is on the market for?

Could be about...

£380,000.

£380,000? OK.

Because of the size of the annexe, I'm going to say £415,000.

Well, we've taken you right to the top of your budget with this

property. The asking price is £449,950.

So, at the moment, £50 change.

-Yeah.

-That's all I could give you.

-Enough for lunch.

-LAUGHTER

-A nice lunch!

-Be a good one for 50, yeah.

I like your attitude. That's good! LAUGHTER

I'd love you two to go and have a wander around on your own this time.

-OK.

-I'll catch up with you when you're ready.

-OK.

-Be my guest.

Priced at the top of their budget,

this granary conversion has perhaps been a reality check for

Robin and Hannah's wish list.

That said, it provides a generous stone-built period home,

along with an up-and-running holiday let, and a third of an acre of

landscaped gardens.

-Careful.

-It's quite different up here, isn't it?

-A little bit more cramped.

-I could be hitting my head every day.

Perhaps we wouldn't use this bit so much, because it'd be quite a lot of

room downstairs, so this could be more for family

and visitors in general.

I think this is a very good start-off,

just for the first property,

-but not quite there.

-I agree, yeah.

I think the house is very lovely,

but I don't think that is suitable for me

and Robin and grandchildren

in the future.

All right? Well, I think a very good beginning to our house-hunt.

-Let's see how we get on with our next property.

-Indeed.

Cornwall's coastline stretches for over 400 miles, and is a key

attraction for nearly 20 million visitors to the county each year.

Artist Kirsty Elson uses reclaimed driftwood found on beaches

to create miniatures that reflect the beauty of the Cornish coast.

Hannah is keen to renew her artistic interest when she moves to Cornwall,

so we've sent her and Robin to meet with Kirsty on a beach which

inspires her work, just outside the small coastal town of Looe.

So, Kirsty, how long have you been doing your work for?

I went to art college a long time ago,

and I didn't really do anything with it.

I started a family, moved down to Cornwall,

and I started collecting things from the beach.

I was inspired, and it all went from there.

So, all of your materials are reclaimed.

What's the reason behind that?

I think it's quite authentic when you take materials from the beach

and then use it to create something coastal from it.

So what are you looking for when you walk along the beach?

I tend to go with an open mind.

I'm not looking for anything specific.

I think when you're working with driftwood, each piece is unique,

so you never make the same thing twice, and it keeps you creative,

definitely.

Once she's collected her driftwood, Kirsty takes it home to dry.

It's then cut and shaped before being painted.

She's invited Hannah and Robin back to her studio to see how her work

has come together.

We've got some, sort of, blocks, and then some roof-shaped ones,

and I thought we might have a go at making a house together.

All right. So where did that idea come from?

The first one I made, I found a block and it was house-shaped.

It had a slanting roof, and it just came to me.

I came home and put a bit of slate on for the roof and secured it with

a couple of nails that served as chimneys as well.

So, do you work from memory, from photographs, or how does it work?

They're not really based on anywhere specific,

although I might take inspiration from several places.

I don't work from photographs at all.

So we've been to the beach, hopefully you've been inspired.

I've got some treasure here for you.

Have a play. I'm going to go and put the kettle on.

-See what you can come up with.

-OK.

-OK, thank you.

After hearing how Kirsty makes her charming coastal artworks,

it's time for Hannah and Robin to see if Cornwall will stimulate their

inner creativity.

So, Robin, what do you want to make?

Well, the blocks lend themselves to house shapes.

The roof piece doesn't need painting.

-It's also a nice texture already.

-Would you like this colour?

-Yeah. That's a sort of stone colour.

-That's right, yeah.

This wood is really, really lovely.

It reminded me about, you know,

Japanese, Vietnamese or Chinese art.

They very often use natural material, yes.

I'd love if I move to the country in Cornwall, I could be

trying to create something like this.

-What do you think, Robin?

-Yes.

Looks like a house, kind of a cottage.

-How have you guys got on? Did you have fun?

-Yes.

-Yes, yeah.

-Look, you've got your own little village.

Hopefully you'll find something bigger than that when you move to

-Cornwall.

-Thank you.

-LAUGHTER

Our property search continues in the village of Ashwater, just over

the Cornish County border into Devon.

The village of the Halwill Junction is 3.5 miles away,

and offers a shop along with other local amenities.

It developed around an important railway interchange.

Though the station and the rail routes that served it closed in 1963,

its memory endures in the name of the local pub.

Back in Ashwater, I've got high hopes for this attractive stone

property, an exterior look I know they will love.

I don't know whether you noticed, but we've actually crossed the border.

But we've brought you here to show you this next property.

Lovely!

You can probably spot it is a converted barn.

-Oh, really?

-But if I can just bring your eye to this building here,

because this is the holiday let.

-Looks lovely.

-Fine.

-Yeah.

So, shall we start with the main house or the holiday let?

-What do you think, Robin?

-Why don't we get started with the holiday let?

-Yeah.

-Excellent. Come on.

An income stream is clearly a priority, so I hope it delivers.

Right, well, here is the holiday let accommodation.

-It looks lovely. Very cosy.

-Lovely character.

Yes, and a lot of character.

-No need to change anything in here.

-So you've got your wood burner.

-Yeah.

-It's a big kitchen, actually. It's not huge, but it's big enough.

-Yeah.

-Courtyard leading outside,

so they have their own private space, and so do you.

Mezzanine floor upstairs,

which would easily get a double bed.

In actual fact, you've got a bedroom down there and a family bathroom.

-Oh.

-So we like this?

-Yeah.

-Yes.

Let's see what you make of your property.

Hannah and Robin seem happy with the substantial holiday let,

and I'm hoping they feel the same way about the barn conversion.

It dates from the early 1820s, and was converted around 25 years ago.

So let's start off in our sitting room.

It's small, but it's nice.

-Yeah.

-Nice fireplace.

-I like the fireplace.

-So, you're right, it isn't huge.

-Hmm.

From the outside, the house looks rather large, doesn't it?

-Yes, yeah.

-So I think I'm going to have to manage your expectations

downstairs, perhaps. Right, let's try the kitchen.

Slightly muted responses, so I hope the kitchen-diner

on the other side of the hall gets better reactions.

Let's continue through into our kitchen/dining room.

More of an L-shape, actually, than a square,

because you've actually got a utility room there,

with a downstairs cloakroom and access outside.

-Right. I like the window.

-You like the leaded glass, do you?

Yes, yeah.

-It's slightly small for us, isn't it?

-Possibly, yeah.

-Yeah, small for us, yeah.

-It could certainly do with

-a little bit of brightening up.

-Yeah.

-It's not blowing you away, is it?

-Come on, I know you're being polite.

-Not so far.

OK. Let's see how we get on upstairs.

On the first floor, there are a total of three spacious bedrooms,

one of which is currently used for storage,

as well as a family bathroom,

but we're heading to the third one for them to consider.

I'm going to call this the master bedroom,

really mainly because of the views.

So again we've got the beams over the windows.

-Yeah.

-I think it looks cosy, it looks nice.

-Yeah.

We have a really big bed.

-Oh, do you?

-Yeah.

-Super king, yeah.

Som super king in here, really not much room for anything else.

-Yeah.

-This is only a personal thought, but I would transform one

of those bedrooms into a dressing room and then

-have another one as the guest at the end.

-Right.

-But, you know, it does,

I think, need a little bit of tweaking.

And, well, we'll head outside, take a look at some of those views,

and then obviously we're going to talk money, too.

-Yeah.

-Robin, if you wouldn't mind leading us back out? Thank you.

The house is set in generous gardens and has a secluded rear patio.

If they wanted more, there's the option of buying 2.5 extra acres,

with stables just a short walk from the property.

Are we going to be under, on or over your budget?

I'm thinking it might have sneaked slightly over.

460?

I think it could be...

435,000.

The asking price for everything is £475,000.

Right! Yeah. OK.

Now, the owner is aware of your budget,

and is happy to have a conversation for anything over £450,000.

Oh, right. Yeah.

So, can I add something into the mix here?

-Yeah.

-If you wanted to buy

the acreage separately, it would be sold for £40,000.

Oh!

So if you do want it,

you could actually buy the house for £435,000.

-I see.

-So it does...

-Makes a difference.

-Yeah.

It does add an awful lot on.

It makes you think, what actually is it you want with this move?

Have another look around.

-OK.

-And yeah, if you've got any questions, ask me at the end.

-All right.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

It is really interesting, because, you know, that land isn't attached

to the house, but having a price tag of £40,000,

it really puts things into perspective for me, that...

Do they really need three acres of land?

Or is it what they want is a large garden,

a beautiful home with a holiday let on the side?

Priced at £15,000 under their budget,

this five-bedroom stone barn conversion delivers generously,

and leaves the money to add their decorative mark

to the kitchen/diner.

The impressive self-contained annexe fulfils the brief on their holiday

let aspirations. It also comes with extensive gardens.

However, if they wanted an extra 2.5 acres,

it's possible to purchase for a further £40,000.

The house is... It's nice when you come inside.

It's quite a homely feeling. Perhaps a bit more compact than you'd think

from looking outside the house.

I don't see myself come live in big property.

However, I have big family in the future,

and I see that's why it's a little bit small for us.

Yeah, I think today has taught us a lot about the market in this

particular area. It's perhaps higher than we anticipated when we started

our search.

I'm not sure if we've entirely cracked this house-hunt yet,

but I think we're getting close.

And of course I've got something else lined up to show you tomorrow.

-Yeah.

-Sounds interesting.

-Shall we hit the road?

-Yes.

-Why not?

It's the second day of our house search in Cornwall,

with Croydon couple Robin and Hannah.

So far it's been quite a challenge to meet their property expectations

on their £450,000 budget.

Coming up, our Mystery House is stylish and functional...

-Practical.

-Yeah.

-For our dogs?

-Yeah, we can bring them in this way. This is easy to clean, the old muddy paw prints.

Definitely.

..and my heart is stolen by some new arrivals.

Aww! They are so adorable.

Although Robin and Hannah have a good budget for this move

to Cornwall, they're also asking a lot from it, too.

In theory, not one but two homes,

if you include the holiday let, and a few acres of land.

Now, we managed to show them exactly that yesterday,

but, sadly, neither house really hit the spot.

Today we're going to show them a property with additional income.

We've got the land, but it is lacking in space.

However, it has two magic words attached to it:

Planning permission.

So let's see if the Mystery House can really deliver.

Our mystery property takes us to the village of Lawhitton,

two miles away from the market town of Launceston.

The parish church features various periods

of English Gothic architecture.

It dates from the 13th century, but was restored in the 19th.

The village lies just across the border from Devon,

and the Mystery House can be seen from the River Tamar,

tucked away in a glorious woodland setting.

Right, our final property. Can I reveal...the Mystery House?

-Yeah.

-It's certainly got some character, yeah.

Really nice, in a beautiful setting.

Well, this actually is a converted chapel, so not a barn today.

The chapel was built around 1850, for the local tin miners,

converted in the 1980s,

but to me it looks like a proper Cornish home.

Yeah, it looks more like a house.

Now, as it is the Mystery House, there's always a curve ball around,

-isn't there?

-Yeah.

-At the moment, you could live in it.

It's absolutely fine.

But it might not necessarily have the space that you're seeking.

Next-door you've got a garage, as you can see.

Planning permission has already been granted,

so you've got three years left on that, to extend, to go up.

So you could actually build and have a double bedroom up there,

should you want it.

-Quite substantial then, if you did all that.

-Absolutely.

-So shall we start our final tour?

-Yes, why not?

-CHUCKLING

Although the Mystery House has a traditional stone exterior,

the interior has been tastefully reconfigured for

modern country living.

-So, from the front door, you've got a hallway...

-Yeah.

..which leads us into the sitting room.

I like the floor.

-That's probably original, I would say.

-Yes, yeah.

What about it being open-plan? How do you feel about that?

-Perfect.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. Little dining area.

Can you see the unusual door there?

That would have been the back door to the chapel.

-We believe that's the original.

-Oh, that... Oh, lovely!

Yeah. Leads out into a courtyard.

My thinking would be, if you were going to extend into the garage

-next-door, rather than going through the kitchen...

-Right.

-..you could actually use that as the access point.

-Oh!

For the link tunnel across, yeah, into the...

It looks really a very good kitchen.

It's such an important room in the house, I feel.

It's certainly light and bright.

It's nice to see the white units, instead of dark wood again.

-I'm so with you on that.

-The colour, I like it.

The colour of the unit and the floor colour, it goes together.

-Practical?

-Yeah. For our dogs.

-Yeah, we could bring them in this way.

This is easy to clean. The old muddy paw prints.

Definitely. So you wouldn't change anything, Robin, in this kitchen?

-Not in this kitchen, no. No need to.

-Good. That's always a great start.

Right, let's see what you make of upstairs.

A doorway leads from the sitting room to a downstairs

family bathroom.

Then stairs give access to two guest bedrooms up on the first floor,

as well as the master bedroom.

Just mind your head as you come in.

-Yeah.

-The good news is, when you get to the bedroom,

-you can stand up straight.

-Yes. Looks lovely.

-Yeah.

-I normally don't

like, you know, the beam in the bedroom, but this looks really,

-really nice.

-Next door to this is a good-sized single.

However... Robin, just give that a knock.

-Stud wall.

-Absolutely.

Take that down, and I think it would transform the upstairs.

-You like that idea?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Very good.

Because there's one thing we haven't discussed as yet.

-What could that be?

-The holiday let, perhaps?

-The holiday let, yes.

There is a lodge. It's hidden, actually, amongst the trees.

-Oh!

-I guess you'd like to take a look?

-Yes indeed.

-Oh, yeah!

-Let's head outside. Thank you.

-Thank you.

That would be a surprise!

I'm hoping the potential to develop the Mystery House means Hannah and

Robin won't be put off by its smaller size.

Its detached timber holiday let lies up a private pathway.

It has a sitting room with a wood-burning stove,

a contemporary kitchen-dining area overlooking the garden,

along with two cosy double bedrooms and a stylish modern bathroom.

It would provide them with an up-and-running income stream.

So, this is the final part of the jigsaw - the business side.

The holiday lodge.

Currently, it earns around £7,000 a year.

-OK.

-Now, if you follow this path around...

-Yeah..

..there is a second lodge.

The current owners use it as a dog-grooming business.

It's got water, it's got electricity, so it could be a workshop, it could be an office.

Very good.

And then we have...the grounds.

-This obsession you've got with wanting...

-Yes.

-LAUGHTER

I don't think Robin's ever asked me for lots of garden, but Hannah,

-you definitely have.

-Yeah.

-Now, it's landscaped at the moment, and it's terraced.

-Right.

You've got over an acre here.

I mean, it is incredible woodland.

-But it's in an orchard...

-Yeah, OK.

-..and it's not a football pitch.

-All right.

-But you could do something very creative, couldn't you, with that area?

-Yeah.

Yeah, I can see that, yeah.

We've now got to try and put a price on everything.

Why do we think this house is on the market for?

I would think slightly over budget at 470,000?

I would like to go to 450.

£450,000, which is the top of your budget.

-Yeah.

-The asking price is for offers over £450,000.

Right!

What does that say to you, that price?

-Does it make it appealing?

-It does, for what you get.

-Yes, yes.

-Yeah.

-Why don't you have a wander round, starting with that lodge?

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Although the mystery chapel conversion is on the market for

offers above £450,000, it is a substantial proposition.

The main house features a cosy living room,

adjoining a well-equipped modern kitchen,

and there is existing planning permission in place

to extend the house. What's more, there's one holiday cabin,

giving them a ready-made income, and another with potential,

and it's all wrapped up in an acre of gardens and woodlands.

-Wow. This is a good size, isn't it?

-Yes, yeah.

-Lovely living room.

-Great kitchen.

-Big kitchen.

Yes, yeah. And they have a dining room over there as well.

-That is really good for renting.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Yeah, I think this house is a strong contender.

There's a few things we need to talk through, to discuss,

but it's a strong possibility, I believe.

The downstairs...I love it.

Upstairs, we need to see how we can make it work for us.

Yeah. I think the budget that we set you for the requirements that we had

was a tough one. I think trying to get all of those elements that we

required was perhaps impossible at that price point,

but this is an excellent try at that.

What do you think of the grounds?

I think it is quite a big land for us.

What about the slope? Bit of a problem, or...

-just careful planting?

-Yeah, could be careful planting.

Hello. I'm eavesdropping.

I can hear you discussing the grounds, which I think could be a

good sign, what you could do with this garden, but I am going to have to drag you away.

-OK.

-Our final property.

Decisions need to be made.

So, shall we hit the road and then we can have a proper chat?

-OK.

-Sounds like a plan.

-All right, yeah.

More and more of us are concerned about the provenance of our food,

where it comes from, and how it's produced.

Across the country, the Government has established

Food Enterprise Zones, making it easier for food-focused

entrepreneurs to fulfil their farming ambitions.

Richard and Fiona Harding left financial careers in London to give

their children a rural quality of life,

and to convert their passion for food into farming traditional

breeds, raised ethically and sustainably.

At Norton Barton Farm, they've established an artisan food village,

and I've come to meet them,

to learn more about the village and the Food Enterprise Zones.

So, here we are on your farm,

and you're part of this exciting new project, this Food Enterprise Zone.

What does that mean, exactly?

Well, for us, it means an artisan food village.

For other people in other areas, it could mean new dairies or

diversifications on their farm that allow them

to have greater sustainability.

Food Enterprise Zones provide grants of up to £50,000 to develop

high-quality regional produce,

and they make it easier for businesses to expand.

So, what's the story? How did you get involved?

We wanted to make a better life for our children.

We've got four children, and the first one was quite poorly,

and it just made us reassess our lives as bankers.

Do I take it you were living in London, then?

-Islington, at the time.

-Ah!

-OK.

-So, we decided we would move to Cornwall.

And did you have any experience at all in farming?

-No.

-Yes, we listened to The Archers.

-HE CHUCKLES

-And that was it?

-That's it.

-So, what happened in those early days?

Well, I'd come in from the office, and I'd listen to The Archers,

and they'd be saying, "Oh, you should be silaging."

So I'd ring up a local farmer and say, "Philip, should we be silaging?"

And he'd go, "No, boy, leave it a couple of weeks."

Sort of, Philip, "What is silaging?" And so we learned.

Richard and Fiona produce charcuterie,

but they hope that their status as a Food Enterprise Zone will make

Norton Barton a magnet for other small farmers.

We're hoping to build a collection of artisan producers,

bring them all together in one area so that we can share expertise,

we can share our experience, we can, we can share highs and lows.

So, tell me, how do you share the responsibilities?

Well, I handle the business aspects.

And I do the livestock. In fact, we've just had some piglets.

-Would you like to come and see them?

-I would love to!

I'm looking forward to this.

Richard and Fiona farm a variety of animals, including ducks and cattle,

but they focus on breeds of pig that are local to Cornwall.

Who do we have here? Aww, look at them!

They are so adorable.

So, what breed are these pigs?

This particular one is a Berkshire-Cornish Lop cross,

but the one in here is actually a purebred Cornish Lop.

I can tell, Fiona, that you are really hands-on with this farm.

It is a labour of love. I mean, you're still running it as a business,

but what difference does that mean?

We want to make sure that the life they live is a good life.

So we have an organic farm, we rear them to organic principles.

They should have access to the outdoors.

We have an open house policy.

If people come here and they want to see the pigs, they're very welcome.

We always let people see that we do what we say we do.

-Yeah.

-Because I think that's really important.

But why don't you go and have a look at Richard in the farm shop?

Thank you.

The shop is where I'll get a taste of other local delicacies from

Richard's expanding artisan food village.

Well, it looks impressive. Is this all locally produced?

Yes, everything here we produce on the farm,

and that's the salami you're trying.

So that's a quintessential Cornish salami.

It's made with seaweed that's harvested off the Falmouth coast,

and cider that we have on the farm here.

Mmm. That's really good. How many local producers do you have here?

At the moment, there are five of us producing.

There's the cheese, the salamis, the chorizos,

the biscuits are made here,

cider will be made here, and we've got a still,

so we're going to start making rum and apple brandy.

For you, what is the vision? What does the future hold?

We're going to have a chocolatier here.

We're going to have a bakery here.

We'll have a butchery here.

We would like a producer that's making cakes to come and join us.

Coffee roasting, educational centre.

-Let's toast that, then. To the future.

-Thank you.

And I hope I'm invited back to see all this good work happening.

Oh, yes. Please come and visit us again.

-Well done to you.

-Thank you.

-And the team.

-Mmm. That's definitely worth coming back for.

-Brilliant.

-LAUGHTER

Well, today's Mystery House certainly got a better reaction than

the previous two we showed them yesterday, but has it done enough?

I'm not so sure. Time to have a chat with Hannah and Robin and see what

they've got to say.

Well, Hannah and Robin, I wonder,

how have we got on these last few days?

Yeah, you've shown us some wonderful properties.

It been an education as well, I think, for us.

What have you learned?

Perhaps that our...we need to revisit the budget, and perhaps

reduce the parameters on the size of land, so we don't have to compromise

on the other bits that we wanted.

Now, there was one house that I think you liked more than the others.

Yeah, for me, my favourite was the Mystery House.

It could have been made better with some work on our behalf.

Yeah, I think that house is close to what we want,

but again, the land, it just sits there, it does nothing for us,

because it's on the slope.

-Quite a steep slope.

-Yeah, I can't change that.

You know, I hope all the properties that we showed you have helped

inspire you with this move and given you a taste of perhaps what you can

get when you finally move to this beautiful part of the world.

So, all the best. I take it you're going to keep looking?

-Oh, indeed. Indeed.

-Yeah.

-Get the old calculator out,

-rework the sums.

-Crunch some numbers.

-Have a word about the garden.

-Yeah.

-LAUGHTER

And, well, I hope it all goes well,

and fingers crossed you do find what you're looking for.

Thank you very much, Nicki.

I think you'll agree,

this has been a rather ambitious house hunt over the last few days in

Cornwall, but I feel that Robin and Hannah now realise that,

in order to achieve their dream,

they're going to either have to compromise on the land,

something that Hannah wants so desperately,

or to crunch the numbers and up their budget.

Whatever they decide,

we wish them all the very best with their continued search,

and I'll see you again soon on Escape To The Country.

If you would like to escape to the country in England, Wales,

Northern Ireland or Scotland,

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