South Devon Escape to the Country

This brooding landscape was once described

by a famous fictional doctor with these words,

"The longer one stays here,

"the more does the spirit of the moor descend on one's soul,

"its vastness and its grim charm."

I'll solve the mystery of who he was and where I am in just a moment.

On today's show, our enticing selection of homes gets our buyers

increasingly excited.

-Stunning.

-Incredible.

I love it.

Brilliant.

Everything's brilliant.

That is amazing.

We're putting an offer in, and that's it.

Today I'm in south Devon, and this is the Dartmoor National Park,

whose barren beauty was immortalised by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his

story The Hound Of The Baskervilles,

in a telegram that Dr Watson sent to Sherlock Holmes.

Conan Doyle came here in 1901,

and wove local legends of demonic dogs and malevolent men

into his work, as well as several famous local landmarks.

And it's said that he walked for hours every day to find chilling

locations for his story.

And as you can see, the place still has lots of drama.

One of the largest counties in England,

Devon stretches coast-to-coast across the southwestern peninsula.

Spanning 368 square miles,

the wild terrain of Dartmoor National Park

is home to a native pony breed and many discrete settlements.

The hamlet of Dartmeet features an ancient stone bridge called a clapper at the

confluence of the East and West Dart rivers.

One river that winds its way down from Dartmoor to the sea is the Teign.

At some 30 miles long,

it becomes an estuary before reaching the historic port of Teignmouth.

And when it comes to water quality,

the South Hams Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is renowned for its

clean sea water and beaches.

Coastal towns include the uber-fashionable Salcombe,

with eye-watering property prices,

and the attractive naval base of Dartmouth,

where a colourful array of merchants' houses

and cottages line the harbour.

Devon is a land of contrasts,

whose variety not only fuels its ever-popular tourist trade,

but also satisfies those lucky enough to call the county home.

Buying property in Devon is an expensive affair.

The average price for a detached house here in the county

is just a tad over £350,000, which is £25,000 more

than the national figure.

And if you want a seaside residence in towns

like Croyde on the north coast, or Salcombe down south,

then you're going to pay 70% more

than for a similar property just one mile inland.

That's a good tip worth knowing as we meet our house-buyers today.

After notching up nearly four decades of married life,

teacher Denise and mechanical engineer Vince are after a change.

Not from one another,

but from their home in Staffordshire on the outskirts of Burton-on-Trent.

So, having recently retired on the very same day,

they're now focused on a brand-new chapter in the West Country.

We've been married for 37 years, 38 years in November.

So the time's just flown.

Ups and downs, obviously, as with any marriage,

but a sense of humour sees us through, and we like to be together.

It's our time now when we thought, "Well, we'll bite the bullet."

We want to go down Devon.

We want to get settled for the rest of our autumnal years, if you like.

Vince and Denise have lived in their detached redbrick home for 27 years,

working locally and raising two children.

But Jack and Hannah are both adults now,

and it's the distance from Hannah that's spurring the idea of moving.

Where we'd like to go is in South Devon.

Our daughter's already down there.

She's been down there for eight years.

We've toured the area quite a bit.

I love Dartmoor. The different seasons suit me a lot.

I'm an autumn person. Denise is a spring person.

-I think you'd...

-Summer.

-Summer, sorry.

They're both hopeful that a different location,

and the change of scenery,

will spark new opportunities to get out and about.

It'd be nice to go for cycle rides or even a motorbike ride

across Dartmoor, and be in striking distance of the beaches.

We'll enjoy the countryside more.

We both like walking. We like cycling.

So we'll do more outdoor activities.

I like being in the garden.

I like having the time now since we've finished work,

so I have my garden projects.

Vince will do the labouring,

and he'll move all the slabs and dig the area,

and then I just do all the pretty bits.

And Vince has plenty of projects of his own,

so an outbuilding or garage will be essential.

I love repairing things.

Even if they don't need repairing, I want to know how they work.

I've always done that. It's just in your blood.

And I started buying odd motorbikes and restoring them.

There's nothing more an enjoyable than getting something to work again.

He hoards so much stuff.

It's collectable! They're investments.

That's his domain.

That's his environment.

I don't like to go in there.

He can...

He can keep his garage.

Despite some small differences in opinion,

both Denise and Vince are very much united

by the expectations for their future in Devon.

I've always wanted to be in charge of my own destiny a bit,

and you get into a bit of a rut going to the same sort of jobs every day.

It's like a new chapter in our lives.

New house, new location.

A complete life change.

Mindful that property prices in Devon are significantly cheaper

away from the coast, we're going to concentrate our search inland,

near to Dartmoor National Park and within easy access of Exeter for

visiting family and friends.

Time for me to meet up with Vince and Denise

to finalise all the details of this South Devon escape.

Welcome, guys. Welcome to a beautiful, sunny South Devon.

And so it's been a long time since you moved.

Are you good at moving? Are you good at spotting a house and going,

-"This is the one", or...?

-It'll be a bit of a shock, a bit of a challenge.

-We like a challenge.

-Yeah.

We're ready for a challenge.

And what sort of property are you looking for, what style?

-Old or new?

-We've looked at a mixture.

We've looked at cottages.

We've looked at properties very modern.

So we're quite open, really, in the design, you know,

and then we can sort of put our own stamp on it, really.

And in terms of very basic things, I mean,

how many bedrooms are you looking for?

Maximum four, ideally three, so, you know,

people can come and stay with us.

But if it's a cosy cottage with two, then that would be fine.

-Pretty flexible, to be honest.

-You're so flexible.

-Yeah, we are.

-What else are you looking for in the property in Devon?

The view. That's probably the main thing.

And some space around that, you know,

we haven't got immediate neighbours that we've got to consider,

and our own space.

So you want views like this?

That would be absolutely beautiful.

Remind us again of your budget.

How much are we playing with this week?

Don't look at me!

Um... Well, being realistic,

between £450,000 to £540,000

should, you know, get something that ticks all the boxes for us.

Well, we've got three lovely properties lined up.

-OK.

-So, no time like the present.

-Shall we go and see them?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Right.

-Come with me.

For a top budget of £540,000,

we are on the hunt for a detached country home

with at least two bedrooms, two reception rooms,

a garage for Vince, and a lovely wraparound garden for Denise.

They'd like the property to have views in a quiet village location.

And we've got some great options to present our couple,

but I won't be revealing the prices until the end of each tour.

Our final choice is the mystery house,

which will throw an unexpected element of sharing into the mix.

So, without further ado, let's get the house search under way.

We're starting our property hunt in the village of Bridford,

on the eastern edge of Dartmoor.

Twinned with a French village in Normandy,

Bridford is the perfect destination for peace and quiet.

Enveloped by countryside, there are less than 500 residents,

who benefit from a church and a traditional 17th-century pub.

Stone and whitewashed homes are found throughout the village,

and a mixture of both was used in the construction of the first house

we're seeing, which sits high above the valley.

Wow.

Look at that view.

-Here we are.

-Amazing.

Now, you wanted a view.

Well, this is a view.

Absolutely incredible.

So, this is the Teign Valley, so it goes all the way down to Teignmouth.

-Yes.

-And this is the property, and it goes back to the 1600s,

a stone-built Devon cottage.

But then also the modern solar panels,

that brings in about £2,000 worth of income.

-Really?

-That's put a smile on my face.

What are your first impressions of the outside of the property?

Um...

Not quite sure yet.

Seems a bit...

Higgledy-piggledy.

So this is a house that you're going to want to kind of make your own.

It's old bones but new body.

Let's have a look inside.

There are clearly some reservations from Denise

about the property's mix of styles.

And indeed, it's believed that the home started life

as a pair of miners' cottages.

There are even two front doors,

and we're taking the one that leads directly

into the main reception room.

So, straight into the cottage.

-Oh, this is lovely.

-Wow.

I like the fireplace, it's massive, isn't it? I like that.

So, here we're in the old heart of the house.

You've got this fantastic stone staircase.

-Oh, wow.

-And then you've got a proper inglenook fireplace.

A little bread oven at the back.

And the beams as well, so quite low beams, but...

Well, I don't have any problem with that!

-What you think?

-Yeah, very nice.

-It is, yeah.

-Very in keeping with the age of the property.

It's really quaint.

Coming straight into the living room from outside

is something we're not used to, so that's different for us.

I don't know whether I can get used to that or not.

The sitting room lies on the right side of the cottage.

But the left side could be used as a separate self-contained wing,

as it benefits from its own external access.

Over here, there are two bedrooms,

one of which has an en-suite shower room,

so it could make a private wing for visiting guests.

Back on the other side, we're making our way to the heart of the home.

Let's poke our head in the kitchen.

So, country house kitchen, quite sort of compact.

Wooden tops and Belfast sink.

And the range cooker.

-Very nice.

-Nice to have a range cooker.

-Yeah.

-I like the features of these two windows here.

And you're going to get the sunlight through, as well.

You can imagine having breakfast there.

It's a great big thick wall, as you can see, so it keeps it nice and snug.

But it is a kind of cottage, so I suppose it brings the question of,

are you planning on downsizing?

It's counterintuitive, but we want to do more, and upsize,

as opposed to the common view that we'd downsize and do less.

So this is perhaps a little bit too compact for you?

I think so. Yeah.

-But let's look upstairs, because there's a lot of space upstairs.

-OK.

Vince and Denise would be wise not to write off this historic cottage

just yet, as there's lots of space to be found

up the flagstone staircase in the master suite.

It's really like climbing up history.

-And then you come into this giant bedroom.

-Wow.

-This is lovely.

-It's a nice high ceiling, as well.

-It's a big size, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

-And it goes right the way through?

-Oh, my goodness.

-Yeah, so there's another bedroom,

and that would probably be a sort of study, sort of snug area, I imagine.

-It's good, that is, I like that.

-Really nice.

And then you've got a gigantic ensuite bathroom,

which is really huge.

Lovely wooden floorboards.

And this wonderful kind of balcony.

-It's beautiful.

-Back to the view again, isn't it?

-So you can have your morning coffee.

-Looking out over the valley.

-That's perfect, yeah.

There's... There's a lot of features I really like.

If you really wanted somewhere rustic with lots of character, this is it.

It might be a step too far for me.

It's a different style of living, for sure.

-It certainly is. It certainly is.

-Yeah.

We will give you time to explore again,

but I do want to show you the garden, particularly for a gardener,

because I got quite excited by the garden.

-Lots of potential.

-OK, lovely.

A cottage it may be,

but this property isn't lacking when it comes to the outside space,

as overall it has just under two acres to offer,

one and a half of which is woodland.

A stone outbuilding could be ideal for Vince's projects,

and beyond the lawned front garden,

a gate leads to a further parcel of land.

So, the garden's in two halves,

and it's actually bisected by a footpath.

-Oh, I see.

-OK.

-It's got this lovely sort of terrace area up here and a

barbecue, greenhouse,

and then a layered garden that goes with fruit trees.

I keep being drawn to the view. All the time, I'm looking at the view.

-Yes.

-I guess the missing part of the puzzle is the price of the property.

I think probably about

410.

It's got to be 400 and...

I don't know. £70,000, perhaps?

Well, if you split the difference, you're spot on. It's on at 450.

-Oh, right.

-Right, OK.

-£450,000.

We weren't too far out, then.

-Something to think about.

-Yes, it is.

So, why do to go and have a look,

look at the top of the garden, look inside, and I'll come and find

-you and we'll go on to the next one.

-OK.

-Brilliant, thanks a lot.

-Thanks.

-Shall we go down this way first?

-Yeah.

-OK, then.

You see, there's nothing like actually seeing a property

to focus your mind on what it is you do like, and what you don't like.

And that is a case in point.

With a guide price of £450,000,

the first of our line-up is a detached

17th-century cottage that comes

with four bedrooms, a country-style kitchen,

beautiful rural views, and all in a 1.7 acre plot.

The property's really well presented.

Makes excellent use of the features that are in the building.

Reservations... I'm not used to having

the door entering into your living space, if you like.

It's a bit alien to me.

I don't know whether I'd be able to cope with that over a while.

The view is stunning. Absolutely stunning.

And the house, although, you know, a character cottage,

we'd like a bigger kitchen.

But I do like the different features, love the windows in the kitchen.

But I would definitely need more living space downstairs.

Such a lovely, sunny garden.

I'm itching to get my secateurs out.

-All done inside?

-Yes.

Wonderful. Well, we're all done here,

and we can move on and continue our search.

Right, OK.

Alongside their respective pursuits of gardening and motorbike restoration,

Denise and Vince are looking forward to spending more time together,

particularly now that they are retired.

With glorious countryside and coasts to hand,

they'll be spoiled for choice when they make their move to Devon.

And there is a brand-new activity taking the county by storm,

one that was the brainchild of local resident Robbie Richardson,

who wanted to create a game that could be played

on rougher terrain like Dartmoor.

Vince and Denise have come to the beautiful grounds of an

18th-century stately home in Chudleigh to meet him.

-Hello.

-How are you doing?

-Good to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

-This is Ugbrooke,

which is the home of crolf,

which is a game I invented many years ago, 16 years ago.

So what's crolf?

What is crolf? Good question.

It's a cross between croquet and golf.

It's cross-country croquet, and the gardens here,

designed by Capability Brown, are just right for it.

-So are you a golfer?

-No, no.

No. One go once.

-I'm liking you more and more.

-I wasn't very good at it.

-I won't do it again.

-And croquet is an evil game.

People hit the other balls.

There's none of that. This is a nice, fun game.

We've got some crolfers here practising for the Open,

-so shall we go and watch them?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Are up for it? Come on then.

-Brilliant.

Ugbrooke House is home to the Crolf British Open,

a championship that draws over 100 players

and has been an annual fixture

for more than ten years but, nationwide,

Robbie estimates that 4,500 players have taken up his game.

The equipment involves wooden balls

and hammers rather than mallets,

and the couple are joining the pros.

So, we're going to get Denise hitting a 'hool' in one.

-Really?

-Yeah.

But, before that, a top tip from Robbie.

Watch my head. When I hit it...

See how my head's still looking at the ground?

-Right?

-OK.

-Most people...

I say most people. This rabble.

Will raise their head, so watch what happens, as I raise my head,

I hit the ball higher up and then it starts to go all over the place.

So, as long as you're looking at the ball,

once you've decided where it's going to go, OK,

just keep your head down and hit straight through.

Denise is first to have a go.

Just keep watching that ball.

-Yes.

-Good.

-Straight line.

And then Vince tests his aim.

Oh, yes!

Scoring is rather like golf,

and the winner is the player who makes minimum shots

through a course of six 'hools', which are three-way metal goals,

a cross between a hoop and a hole.

Though Vince may need a little more practice,

no doubt he'll fare better in the construction of a crolf set.

For just like Vince, Robbie spends considerable time

in his workshop on Dartmoor.

He's actually a farrier by trade,

but makes all the kits himself by hand.

It takes a day to craft one whole set,

and he's already created over 1,000.

-Did you enjoy it?

-Yeah, I really enjoyed it.

-You were good!

-Yeah, really enjoyed it.

Went where you said, because you watched the ball.

I think you should help to build your set.

-OK.

-I'm going to show you what to do.

So grab the glue, I'll hold this.

-Thank you.

-Screw some glue in there.

OK. Grab the handle.

And the taper then goes in the hole.

-Wonderful.

-Right.

Then we're going to take that down, put that on the ground,

-and you're going to knock seven bells out of it.

-Right, any...? Does it matter...?

Yes, don't hit your hand.

-Keep hitting.

-Harder, Denise, harder.

Yeah.

That's a hammer fit for Denise,

leaving Vince to put the finishing touches to his own one.

Then they're both set to take up this new activity together.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thank you so much.

-Good luck.

-Really good, thank you.

But first, we need to find them their own

perfect country playground, so it's back to the house hunt.

Our next destination is Kennford,

within the parish of Kenn and a shade closer to the coast.

Just a mile away, the village of Kenn lies in the shadow of Holden Hills,

with countryside and woodland walks right on the doorstep.

There's a beautiful Grade I listed church here,

and the country lanes are lined with attractive thatched buildings,

including a welcoming pub.

But, on the outskirts of the village,

the property we're looking at is a more contemporary affair.

-It's nice.

-Different, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's very different.

This is from the 20th century.

It was built in the '80s,

so the couple who live here are the same couple who had it built.

It's actually an architect and his wife.

He designed it and they built it,

and they've lived here for as long as you've lived in Staffordshire.

-Blimey.

-So a lovely view, looking out over the hills,

and then that's just the fringes of Exeter over there.

And you can actually, on a clear day,

-you can see the River Dart and you can also see a little glimpse of the sea.

-Wow.

So what do you think of the exterior of the property, and the feel of this one?

Very nice. Very different.

It is different. It's all facing this way again,

onto the magnificent views.

-Yeah.

-So it'll be interesting to see, you know...

Well, the great thing about the inside of this house is that it makes the

most of those views in a very special way.

-OK.

-Very exciting.

-Let's look!

I think it's fair to say that the surprising exterior of this modern

architect-designed home has definitely got Vince and Denise intrigued,

so it's an encouraging start.

Out here, there are two timber garages Vince could make his own.

But I can't wait to see their reactions to the style inside.

Come on in to this lovely space.

-Beautiful.

-This is lovely.

-Yeah.

-This is more like it.

-Yeah.

Where do you look first?

-Amazing.

-So, everywhere you look, as I mentioned,

it's all about the views. It's green everywhere.

-360.

-It's lovely.

I love all the light and the space.

Yeah. It's very nice, very nice.

Clean, spacious.

-Yeah.

-Is it the sort of space you can imagine living in?

Yes, definitely.

I can, yeah, definitely.

This home is certainly not your typical Devonshire cottage.

The layout centres on a staircase,

around which the reception rooms flow,

and include the open-plan areas of the main sitting room,

as well as separate areas offering more privacy.

So the house just winds around the central staircase.

-Let's go and explore.

-OK.

Beyond the sitting room,

a formal dining area utilises the full height of the property,

with a glazed roof that fills the room with light,

and also features patio doors to the garden.

The kitchen is not open-plan.

It's sort of tucked away at the other end of the house, designed, really,

so it has the views.

Again, it's beautifully finished.

It's just...

Oozes quality, doesn't it?

It's really beautifully done.

I can imagine standing there and looking out at the wonderful view there.

-Beautiful.

-And then tucked on this little floor you've also got

a little shower room and downstairs bathroom and then, across the way,

a sort of separate sort of... It could be a bedroom,

but they use it as a snug or a separate TV room.

-Mmm.

-So essentially you've got three reception rooms down here.

Mmm. Yeah.

Brilliant. I said brilliant again.

I keep saying it, don't I?

It's... Yeah, I really love it.

-Let's look at the master bedroom, because that's rather special, too.

-OK.

The wooden staircase takes us up to a galleried landing,

off which fan the bedrooms and a family bathroom.

There are three bedrooms up here.

A large double is presented with twin beds,

and a slightly smaller double benefits from windows on two sides.

This is the master.

Wow. This is fantastic!

-Look at this!

-That is incredible.

I'd say that's... That's perfect, I would say.

-Yes.

-You could stand in the shower, Vince, and look out on the views.

-And storage.

-Tonnes of storage, yeah.

-You're smiling.

-I am...

-Big smile.

-Big smile on my face.

Light and spacious.

You can feel the calm.

Mmm.

The clever and minimal design seems to have brought

a kind of zen to this house search.

Outside, this one doesn't have acreage to offer,

but it should be an adequate space

for green-fingered Denise, with a lawn,

mature trees and flowerbeds, all surrounded by open countryside.

There is a little gateway that goes into this woods.

These woods kind of wind all the way up the hill to the top of the hill,

where there's a nice cafe.

-Mmm.

-So, even though that's not yours,

it's kind of a nice extension of your garden, if you wanted to go for a stroll.

I think the size as well,

even though it's smaller than we probably wanted,

with all the views and the woodland and as we get older,

then we can manage to maintain it.

So, it's coming up trumps, but can you afford it?

What you think the price tag is on this one?

I think this is probably

570.

You're going pay a premium for this.

Say 550.

Well, you're spot on. It is actually on the market for £550,000.

-Right, OK.

-Yeah.

-Goody good.

-I really like it.

-That's a mark up from there.

We're going in the right direction. Or we've even got there.

-I don't know yet.

-Well, I'd love you to kind of just sit around,

maybe do a little meditation, strike some gongs.

And I will see you at the front.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

£10,000 over budget,

this one-of-a-kind rural property comes with three receptions,

three bedrooms, two garages.

A pretty but manageable garden.

And stunning views all round.

When we first came to the property and I saw it for the first time I

thought, "Oh, this doesn't look too promising, but then again,

"I'm not sure". After a while I got used to it.

I thought, "I'll go and have a look inside." When we get inside, wow.

Absolutely blown away by it.

The spaciousness, the light, just what we'd been looking for.

It doesn't matter that it's not traditional property,

it's not traditional Devon.

It's unique, there's not gonna be another one like it.

And that appeals.

It is a very impressive property.

From all angles.

I think we're both in agreement that this is a potential.

Well, I had to drag you out of this one.

-Yes, you did.

-Absolutely, yes.

Going to come back and have a viewing, perhaps?

-I think that's a definite possibility.

-Yes.

-Definite possibility.

-Well, right now, let's press on.

-OK.

-OK.

Recent retirees Vince and Denise have a maximum budget of £540,000,

to swap suburban Staffordshire for rural Devon.

So far, they've seen two potential country retreats,

but still to come is an overwhelming mystery house.

At the moment, I've got palpitations

because I'm feeling so excited about it.

I'm in awe of the whole property.

And I'll be taking an unscientific approach to harvesting Devonshire

specimens for a highly scientific conservation project.

Day two of our property search in the shadow of Haytor,

which is looking much clearer this morning.

And we're hoping that Denise and Vince's minds are clearer, too.

We showed them a quaint property yesterday which they weren't so keen on.

And a very modern one which they loved.

So the mystery house is going to really test

how many neighbours they want.

And in terms of the mystery house, what do you think we might show you for that?

I think it might be nearer the coast.

It could be anything.

-We could be off at a tangent, it could be...

-A lighthouse.

-Could be something completely unusual.

I'm trying to get my bearings at the moment and I'm not sure which way

-we're heading.

-No, I don't know where we're going.

-It's away from Dartmoor.

Well, no time like the present.

Let's go and have a look.

Vince and Denise's suspicions are correct,

as we are travelling further south,

skirting round the national park and heading to Moorhaven Village.

Just over three miles away on the fringes of Dartmoor,

the large village of South Brent has a whole host of everyday amenities.

There's a grocers, a bank, a pharmacy, cafes and pubs to name a few.

And there's lots going on in Moorhaven, too,

which is where we find our last property.

-Ah-ha!

-Wow.

This is a mystery house and a half.

-Yeah.

-Just a bit.

-And some.

-So, can you guess what this was?

It looks like a hospital.

-It was indeed.

-Was it?

-Top marks.

-Oh!

Built in 1890s, hospital, it's not all of the building, obviously.

So, back when the Victorians built these things in splendid style,

it's a huge sprawling clump. It used to have a thousand people in it.

-Wow.

-With the staff and everything.

So it was like a village.

Perched on top of the hill, looking out over the views.

The sea there. It's, like, a ten-minute drive to the sea.

-Fantastic.

-And you get the plum apartment.

-Oh, right.

-It's these five windows.

You see the three there and the two next to it.

-Oh, I see.

-Well, that's a surprise.

-It is a mystery.

-Yeah, it certainly is a mystery.

-Mystery place.

-What are your thoughts about living in an old Victorian asylum?

I think we'd be well suited.

I'd agree with that, definitely.

-Yeah. This is something to think about, isn't it?

-It is.

Well, there's lots more inspiration inside

-because that's where you get the views.

-Yeah. Brilliant.

Fantastic. Everything's brilliant.

The asylum closed in 1992 and then the numerous buildings,

along with 65 acres of grounds, were sold privately.

By the late '90s the site had been developed

and converted into 120 different dwellings.

The one we're here to see is set in a quiet courtyard,

and our first stop is the kitchen.

I can't believe this place, it's unbelievable.

It's very grand, isn't it?

-Isn't it?

-Stunning. Incredible.

-Can't get over this.

-Where do you look first?

It's like a visit to a stately home, this is, isn't it?

-Could be your stately home.

-Yeah.

-Can we afford this?

Surely not.

So, obviously, this is the kitchen.

I mean, there's great big sort of floor-to-ceiling windows looking out

over the terrace. It's a very simple ground plan.

You've got the hallway, this big kitchen and then this giant reception room.

And it really is very impressive.

It's very nice.

-I love it.

-Yeah.

-I didn't expect it to be this good.

I really did not.

Obviously, a bit of a gamble, bringing you to a property like this.

-But...

-No, I thought it was going to be really obscure.

Which it is in some ways, I suppose.

But not this good, not this good.

Well, wait til you see the views from your bedroom.

Despite being a mid-terraced home,

our mystery house delivers super-sized proportions,

with over 2,000 square feet of living space across two floors.

The staircase sweeps up through a generous hallway,

and takes us to the bedrooms.

There are three in total that lie off a large landing.

The smallest one is set up as a study,

next to which is a double bedroom

with a very tasteful ensuite bathroom.

And then we come to the biggest room up here.

Come in and feast your eyes on this.

-What!

-Oh!

-I thought that was the master bedroom.

No, this is the master.

This is a beautiful ensuite through here.

-I'm blown away with this.

-Yeah.

It's... We wouldn't have put this on our wish list because we wouldn't

have thought of this. It's just incredible.

It's a very palatial bit of property.

-Certainly is.

-I know you're speechless but can you put it into words,

what you feel about this property?

At the moment, I've got palpitations

because I'm feeling so excited about it.

I'm in awe of the whole property.

I need to know how much it is.

With such gushing reactions,

the mystery house is clearly working its magic inside.

And what's not to like outside, with 65 acres of parkland to discover.

Residents have exclusive use of the grounds,

and pay an annual maintenance fee of around £1,200.

However, this mystery house also has its own private garden,

three parking spaces, and the all-important garage for Vince.

Come out onto your terrace where you can have

a regal cup of morning coffee.

So, it's quite a unique package.

-It is.

-A lot of history.

So, how much do you think it is?

This is my big concern.

I like this so much, I'm thinking it's going to be above our budget.

I don't know.

-570.

-Yeah, I agree, that it's going to be probably above our budget.

-565.

-565.

OK, I'm afraid you're wrong.

This is on the market for...

Hold your horses.

£450,000.

-You're joking.

-No.

-You are joking.

-I want it now.

-Good grief.

-So you could have all of this, and quite a lot of spending

money for your retirement years.

Oh, wow. That is amazing.

We're putting an offer in. And that's it.

Well, I'm so pleased that you like it so much.

I'm going to give you another chance to wander round,

-and I'll see you at the side.

-Thank you.

You see? You should just always bring people

to renovated Victorian asylums, that's the answer.

£90,000 under budget,

the mystery property is a wonderful terraced home

in a former Victorian hospital.

It has a grand drawing room, kitchen diner, three bedrooms,

a garage and acres of parkland.

-Oh, really?

-You're going to be impressed with this, Vince.

This is included, as well?

Well, I can't believe that.

-I can't believe it.

-I thought we were having to compromise,

-seeing as there wasn't a garage.

-I could live in here.

-Yeah, you can.

-Oh, thanks.

This would never be on our list.

We'd have looked at the photographs,

we'd have looked at the details and thought,

"No, there's going to be a catch. It's going to be small inside,

"it's going to be something wrong with it," you know.

We wouldn't have even looked at it, to be honest.

We really wouldn't.

The view, the size of the rooms, the...

It's opulent, it's the colours.

It's everything I would want in a house.

When I went inside the first thing that hit me...

This is like a really nice, big, grand,

luxury hotel that we've stayed in before.

But we could own this,

we could live here and we could have this every day.

Now, I know you're itching to get to

the estate agent and put in an offer,

but let's just take a moment to have a cup of tea and talk things over.

OK.

Back in 2014, whilst helping a couple to escape to the West Sussex

countryside, I paid a visit to Wakehurst Place,

to find out about the pioneering Millennium Seed Bank project,

managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.

The project conserves an international bank of seeds,

in a bid to safeguard the future of

the world's most vulnerable plants and trees.

To help this enormous global collection grow,

the project has also partnered with various organisations nationwide.

Devon Wildlife Trust is playing a key part in the initiative,

and at a farm in Doddiscombsleigh,

Andrew Warren and his team are out in the field gathering samples.

What's this lovely specimen?

This particular tree is a witch elm, it's a fine example.

Elms, we don't have many of those in the country.

Elms are generally susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease.

It's unusual to see any of this sort of size, certainly around this area.

Now, I know you're working with the Kew to collect seeds,

-tell me a little bit about that project.

-We are, yes.

We're involved in the UK National Tree Seed Project,

which is gathering of tree seeds and native trees around the country.

I've been to the seed bank, it was quite impressive,

it's real James Bond stuff down in the kind of cellars.

What actually constitutes native?

Because presumably lots of things have come in over the years.

Yeah, generally on, sort of,

the classification of ancient woodlands,

we're talking about stuff that's been here for around about 400 years.

So, we've been collecting Ash, Hawthorne, Rowan...

So, I understand you're... We're not collecting from this Wych Elm,

but it's a lovely autumn day,

are there other places we could collect from?

At this time of year there will be some that will be

-ready and viable, yes, certainly.

-Great, lead the way.

-OK.

Across Devon, 49 nature reserves are involved in this five-year project.

Staff are helped by a team of volunteers

who scour the county for suitable specimens.

This is my colleague, Adam.

-Hi, Adam.

-He's going to be helping us collect some crab apples from this tree here.

And this is the shake-the-tree method.

Ah! Can I give it a shake?

-Please do.

-Yeah. Just mind your head.

Is there some scientific structure here?

-Or just give it a bit of a...

-There's nothing scientific,

just don't poke yourself in the face too much.

How many do you actually need to collect for Kew?

Collect a couple of hundred, I think, of these.

Couple of hundred? Are you counting the seeds or the fruit?

It's the seeds inside. And normally with crab apples,

it's about four or five from ones we've done in the past.

Oh, you've got 500 there! So, should I give you a hand bagging these up?

-Yes, let's do that.

-Quite like my name on the bag, because I did most of the work.

In fact, all of the work.

This team have been tasked with collecting

from 20 different tree species.

And although timings vary,

between late summer and late autumn

is generally the prime time for picking.

Which one are we harvesting here?

This one is field maple.

Field Maple, ah.

It's got tiny leaves.

So, these are like... Almost like acers or those sort of family?

-Yes.

-Sycamores.

-Same family - sycamore, acers, yes.

-Do they do the...

-The should helicopter.

-Oh!

-Disperse, how they disperse naturally.

-Yes.

-So, from each species how many speeds are you looking to collect?

We're looking to get 10,000 seeds, ideally.

-10,000?

-Yes, it's a lot.

We need to collect from over the entire canopy,

so we've got a long-handled Lauper pruner.

The tree seeds will form part of the UK's first national collection.

Oh! That's the one.

-That's got a few.

-Yup.

It's hoped the seeds could be used in scientific

botanical studies to help protect trees against diseases and pests.

I'm glad that all our native trees are safe from doomsday Armageddon.

It's good to know, isn't it? Yes.

Thanks to you. It's very nice to meet you.

-Thank you.

-And good luck with the project.

I got the distinct impression this morning that Vince and Denise,

despite having loved the second house, were a bit downcast.

And worried that the mystery house wasn't going to come up trumps -

and it did!

And so, I'm really hoping that when I go and speak to them now they're

going to tell me some good news.

Guys, well, I think we did something with the mystery house.

You seem very excited.

Is that the one that you're...

-You've plumped for?

-Definitely, yes.

-Yes, and I agree.

-Yeah.

And the second one we, you know,

did like, but then when we saw the mystery house that was...

That was it. A lot of the things in the house aren't on our wish list,

but it was just so beautiful, and absolutely gorgeous.

Really loved it.

Very spacious, palatial.

But it's still got the homely feel.

You could feel a sense of wellbeing within it.

-Yeah, we fell in love with it.

-I think there are things that are on the wish list that we haven't even

put on the wish list because we didn't expect to find them, to be honest.

Very pleasant surprise.

-Yes.

-More than we envisaged.

Well, we love it, of course, we love that you go for the mystery house.

But what happens next? What's the next few steps for you guys?

We'll definitely be going to look again at the house,

probably in the next 24 hours.

-Yeah, we are.

-We want to take our daughter down to have a look.

-Ah, of course.

-And yeah...

Wheels are in motion.

-Yes.

-Just get that estate agent to sell up!

-Yeah, we're on the way.

-And all the best, and I hope it goes really well.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you. And it's been a fantastic experience.

It is, of course, a very risky strategy

to show someone, as a mystery house,

a property that was once a psychiatric hospital.

But, in our case, it was the perfect trump card, because Denise and Vince

came with a sort of slightly out of focus idea

of a Devon cottage somewhere.

But it was the stately splendour of that mystery house that

pulled everything into focus.

Now, all we have to do is make sure that

they get all their ducks lined up, and that the sale proceeds.

And all you have to do is tune in next time

for more Escape to the Country.

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

Scotland or Northern Ireland,

and need our help, why not apply online at...