Forest of Dean Escape to the Country

Back in the 1950s, a local baker bought this castle for just £3,000.

Fast forward a couple of decades,

and rock bands like Black Sabbath were rehearsing and recording here.

Today, though, well, it's a picture of serenity,

but it has had a rocky history, and I'll tell you more about that

and, of course, where I am, in just a couple of moments.

On today's show, I'm presented with a downsizing dilemma.

-It looks quite big.

-Yes. Well, it needs to be.

-Yeah, I know that.

-I know you said you're downsizing,

but you've mentioned half an ark full of animals, and five humans.

Yeah, that's very true.

But with some property gems up my sleeve,

I'm confident we can find them a home with some added extras.

That is Aladdin's cave in there.

Maybe something to even play around with in the future.

-Yeah.

-I'm already thinking that way.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Don't worry, I'm there.

-I thought you might be!

Come with me.

Today, I'm in the Forest of Dean,

and this is Clearwell Castle in Gloucestershire.

Built in the Gothic style, it dates back to the 1700s.

but it hasn't always looked this immaculate.

During the 20th century, it was gutted by fire, and only saved from

demolition by the son of a former gardener who actually worked here,

who then spent the rest of his life restoring it until his death

in the 1970s.

It was then that a recording studio built here in the basement of the

building attracted such rock royalty as Queen and Led Zeppelin,

who recorded their music here.

Today, it's Grade II-listed, and is one of many intriguing landmarks

that you'll find across the region.

Lying in the west of Gloucestershire,

the Royal Forest of Dean sits in a prime position

just west of the Cotswolds and the River Severn,

and sitting shoulder to shoulder with the Wye Valley.

Covering around 20% of the county's landscape,

the Royal Forest was originally a hunting reserve,

and became the first park in England to be designated

as a national forest in 1939.

At its heart, the striking magical dense woodland of Puzzlewood

is said to have been the inspiration behind JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth

in The Lord Of The Rings.

From meandering pathways and mazes to caves and river cruises,

the forest offers up a natural playground for outdoor activities.

Take a trip along the Wye from Symonds Yat, or ride on the

4.5 mile heritage railway from Park End down to Lydney Harbour.

Built in the 1800s, it was once one of the UK's principal sea links

for transporting iron and coal mined in the forest,

and today is a rare example of an unspoiled 19th-century harbour,

and the perfect place to soak up the surrounding scenery.

Sandwiched between the Cotswolds and the Wye Valley, you might expect

high property prices here in the Forest of Dean,

but this area actually offers really good value for money.

The average price of a detached home here

comes in at around £275,000,

a most welcome £50,000 below the figure for the whole of the UK.

Which is just as well, as today's buyers are looking to

move three generations of the family to their new country home.

Part-time health care assistant Sandra and recently retired

IT consultant Mike have been married nearly 24 years.

It was their work that first brought them together.

I was working on a contract in Purley,

and they decided I needed an admin assistant,

-so I came in one morning...

-He was late.

I'll never forget that!

And there, sat by the side of my desk,

was this lovely young lady called Sandra.

Much of their early married life was spent on the move

due to Mike's contract work,

but once their three children were settled in school,

they decided to base themselves around East Grinstead near Gatwick,

to ease his commute.

With his work and travelling, it made we've travelled a lot,

which has been lovely. Children have sort of seen a lot of places.

You might think it's a wonderful thing working away all the time,

but after a while, it's like you miss home.

Sitting on a plane every Monday morning and then sitting on a plane

every Thursday or Friday night to come home,

it's a way of commuting, but it gets tiresome.

Their current home is a five bedroom three-storey house they had built

for them nine years ago. Opting for a self-build meant they could

achieve the space the family needed in a convenient location.

But now that Mike's work life no longer dictates their home life,

they've decided to swap runways for byways in a move to the countryside.

The West Country to me is...

Yeah, it's where I was brought up, it's where I spent my teenage years.

It's different. I suppose I've always had this pull

to go back there, and there's my opportunity.

And I hope my wife will be happy up there as well.

Although the move will be a downsize for Mike and Sandra,

they'll need room for their youngest daughter,

who's about to start university,

and space to create a more permanent base for eldest daughter

Rachel, and grandson Alfie.

My eldest, obviously with the grandson, is really wanting to move.

It's going to be her opportunity to basically,

hopefully, if we get what we want, have her own place, you know,

to be able to kind of move on in her life and have her independence.

I want to show my grandchild where I was a child so that he can say,

"Oh, grandad used to do this, grandad used to do that".

They hope this next house will be somewhere to enjoy some

all-important family time that in the past has been so rare,

and somewhere their pets will feel equally at home.

Well, I've got six dogs.

Anything could just be positive for them in a move,

cos they're going to have hopefully more space, and the chickens...

-well, they're yours.

-Chickens don't care where they are

as long as they get fed.

And then it's just all the fish that we've got to take, isn't it?

Yeah, that's going to be a bit more of a move.

I think that all we've got to move, isn't it?

It'll take a bit of planning, but I think they'll be OK.

Well, this'll be our fifth move. We've lived in four houses

since we've been together, and each house, we've modified somewhat.

All the experience we've got, we can put all together and achieve

to get the house we've always wanted, and live the life.

-Hopefully.

-Yeah.

For the first time in their married lives, Mike and Sandra are free

to live in a location not dictated by Mike's work,

so they're following their hearts to be Forest of Dean.

Time to find out how this next house will work for the three generations.

Welcome to the Forest of Dean.

Not a million miles away from where you're from, Mike.

True. Cheltenham is where I was brought up.

So that is what's pulling you back here, is it?

-It is, yes.

-This is only half the journey, isn't it?

You've got to convince Sandra that this is a place where you're

going to find the right kind of house,

and you're looking for something quite different, aren't you, Sandra?

Yeah, quite unique, cos I suppose, not only do we want to downsize...

-Yeah.

-...but we're bringing...

Well, we're still bringing all our children with us,

but specifically my eldest daughter and grandson,

to give them their independence,

so we're looking for something separate for them as well, so...

I mean, annexes, they've never been in more demand than they are now.

-Oh, right.

-People looking after parents,

people in your position wanting... graduate children that can't afford

-to get on the ladder...

-Yeah, yeah.

But there's less of them around.

So, it's a tricky time to be looking for a property of this ilk.

-Yeah.

-Can you do...? Are you prepared to take on work

to maybe adapt a property towards your own specifications?

-Oh, definitely.

-Very willing.

I mean, the house we're in at the moment, we had built.

Right. OK, so you're used to living on a building site. That's good.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-What's your ideal house?

Open spaces. A large open kitchen diner.

-OK.

-Bungalow.

-What about outside space?

Yes, I need some. I mean, I like the garden.

-Yeah, we do have a few dogs.

-Yeah, we have a few dogs.

-A few dogs?

-Yeah.

-All right. Anything else?

-Chickens.

-Here we go. Come on.

-And some fish.

-Roll call for Noah's Ark!

Dogs, chickens, fish.

-Yes.

-OK, so maybe an ability to dig out a pond or something like that.

I'd have to do that. I have a few koi carp.

-Will you?

-They'd have to move with us.

Well, let's talk price, then.

What's the budget you've got set up for this?

We started off with...

All right, let's throw out 300,000, and then we could spend 150 to 175

to do it up to exactly what we want.

Should you therefore find us the perfect property that we can

move into tomorrow, £475,000.

There's a lot of things to consider here. A lot of people.

But I'm going to focus on you and your daughter and grandson initially.

-Yeah, definitely.

-And everybody else will just have to muck in.

-Yeah, they will.

-That's what we've decided.

Good. All right. Let's get going, shall we?

-OK.

-Yeah.

With a top budget of £475,000,

Sandra and Mike want a country property that can provide them

with two separate dwellings,

but are open-minded about style, and would consider a project.

All in all, they need at least four bedrooms,

and would like a large garden for their many pets,

ideally within a village that has a good primary school.

We've lined up three great properties for them to see,

all with the potential to suit each of the three generations.

They'll have to guess the price of each one before I reveal it,

and for our final property,

we've found a Mystery House that's certain to bring the family

even closer together.

But aside from the family focus,

I'm keen to find out what retirement has in store for Mike and Sandra.

What about things to do for yourselves?

New hobbies, new pastimes?

Well, new hobby, my father, when he retired, took up wood turning.

-Oh, really?

-And he got the lathe and he's got all the chisels

and things like that, so I've inherited that.

Have you done much physical work like that before?

Nope. Never done any wood turning before at all.

You're less practical than your dad was.

No, my dad was very good with his hands.

-Your dad was a perfectionist.

-Oh, that is absolutely brutal.

You just said that to a man!

I have to admit it, I have to admit that.

-Oh, do you?

-I'm used to it, don't worry.

We're heading to Viney Hill,

a rural hamlet on the eastern fringes of the Forest of Dean,

just a five-minute drive from the banks of the River Severn.

Before seeing the house, we're stopping off in the village

to soak up the atmosphere.

I wanted to show you the fact that you are IN a village,

so you can see you've got chimney pots around you,

but also you've got a pub. You've got a church.

For the schooling, the next village along, Yorkley,

has a primary school and a pub, and a couple of shops as well.

-OK.

-Let's have a bit of a mooch around, then we'll go to the house.

-How's that?

-OK, great.

-Yeah.

-Lovely.

Despite being right in the heart of Viney Hill,

the house we're seeing enjoys a surprisingly secluded setting.

Well, the first property is an old quarryman's cottage.

-This place here.

-Wow.

-Ooh, actually, I like that.

-Yeah. That's unusual.

-Oh, there's a fish pond I can see over there.

-There is indeed.

The sound of running water as you walk in, rather nice.

It looks amazing. I love that old pump as well.

Yeah. I like it. Got a lot of character.

Well, these are great first impressions.

-Should we go have a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Come with me.

-OK.

Inside, this property has a flexible layout, which I hope will appeal

to Mike and Sandra. The main entrance leads us into the kitchen.

Now, Sandra, you said you wanted a decent sized kitchen diner.

-Yeah.

-You tell me.

-This is a decent size.

-And it's very light.

-I like the way it goes

-into the conservatory there. That's really nice.

-Plenty big enough.

Now, this isn't really a kitchen diner as much as it's

a kitchen living room sort of thing, isn't it?

-Yeah. It is.

-Would you keep it as that?

I probably would be tempted still to...

-Put a table down in there.

-Casual dining space up the end, yeah.

-So far?

-Lovely.

-Very nice.

-Yeah. Really nice.

-Let's look at the living room next.

-OK.

-Mind your head.

Just off the kitchen is a hallway leading to three reception rooms,

including a large bright living room, with French doors opening

onto the garden, and a wood burning stove.

OK, so the living room's a quirky shape.

Oh, wow. It's nice, though.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yeah. It's a nice size, actually.

-Oh, is that a log fire?

-Yep.

-Oh, I like that.

-Wow.

-A great bit of space here as well, though.

-Yeah.

-It's getting better.

-Good. Well, it started off pretty well.

-Yeah.

-Now, I've got a couple of things you need to consider

whilst we're here, just so you know.

-OK.

-Next door, there's a small...

They've got it laid out as a bedroom at the moment, a spare bedroom.

-OK.

-And then to the other side of the staircase, this other hall

that we just walk through, there's another reception room...

-OK.

-..with a door going to a shower room, and a back door

-and sort of vestibule area.

-OK.

You could get a really nice one bedroom,

one kitchen accommodation there, if you wanted to.

-Yeah, OK.

-Maybe your daughter could have her own living room,

her own bedroom and bathroom, and the grandson kips upstairs.

-I understand what you're saying.

-OK. Yeah, this is nice.

-So far.

-Excellent.

Well, let's go and take a look at the master bedroom.

-Just come with me here.

-OK.

With a bit of reconfiguration, this house could make a great home

for Mike and Sandra, and give daughter Rachel

the separate space she needs. Upstairs are two further bedrooms,

including one for Alfie, and a family bathroom.

-OK. This is a good size.

-This is yours, essentially.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's big enough.

Quite nice. Got a bit of character and that.

I get a bit nervous when you walk into a room, Mike,

because you're talking, Sandra, you're talking about what

you're seeing, and I think, "Great, great, this all sounds good,"

and Mike'll take a big breath, and I'm thinking,

"Oh, no, what's coming?" Then he says, "This is fine".

This is the difference between us.

Sandra is reactive, I think about it.

-Right, OK.

-Then talk about it.

-Quite a good team.

-We get there in the end.

OK, now outside, this house sits in an acre of a plot.

So there might be ways in which to find other areas to break out to,

or something that you might be able to construct in time.

-Should we go and take a peek?

-Yeah.

-Yes, please.

-Great.

Outside, the attractive gardens are divided into a number of

different areas, and like inside, offer plenty of potential.

There's a patio area to the front with a pond for the fish,

and a number of outbuildings, including a sizeable stone workshop

that could be converted into living accommodation.

That's a double garage with power in it.

-Uh-huh.

-This is the owner's workshop.

That is Aladdin's cave in there.

-Good, good, good.

-These are buildings to bear in mind,

maybe something to even play around with in the future.

-Yeah.

-I'm already thinking that way.

-Don't worry, I'm there.

-I thought you might be!

Come with me.

What's not to love about this garden, eh?

-Lovely.

-It's lovely. It's really lovely, isn't it?

-So many bits to it, it's great.

-Yeah.

And we're getting a lot of sun here, which is good.

-Yeah.

-You're not overlooked at all.

-I like that.

-How much do you think this property is on the market for?

£395,000.

I'd go a bit higher.

£410,000.

This place is on the market for offers around £429,950.

-OK.

-Yeah, OK. That's all right.

Yeah. Lots of character and potential here.

-Definitely.

-It's a beautiful day.

Have a good look around, go back into the house,

start to configure the NEW home that your family might have here.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And then I'll meet you...

Well, hopefully I'll have found some sunny spot to sit down and relax.

There's a lot of sun around.

Don't worry, I'll find it. I'm good at that.

-See you in a mo.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Comfortably within budget, this quarryman's cottage

has three double bedrooms and three reception rooms

with a flexible layout, meaning daughter Rachel and grandson Alfie

could move straight in,

with the option of converting the outbuildings in the future.

There's plenty of outdoor space for the animals,

and it's in the centre of a village, with a primary school just nearby.

Oh, mind the step.

See, if we can get through there to where the garage is,

to somehow join it all together...

It would work as a separate annexe, wouldn't it?

A separate annexe, yeah.

I think this house is lovely.

I love the way it's in the village, but it's actually isolated.

You almost feel as though you're in the middle of nowhere,

but you're not.

The space and the plot, I absolutely love.

Kitchen - brilliant.

Just don't know whether we can jig it around enough to work for us.

Upstairs is smaller than what we're used to,

but I know I have to get used to that.

It's potential. I'm keeping my mind open at the moment.

So what do you think of the house?

-Yes.

-Lovely.

-Quirky, but nice.

-Excellent.

-I like it.

-Good start, then.

-Yeah.

-Good start.

-Yeah, it was a good start.

-Onward and upward. Come with me.

-OK.

Growing up in the Forest of Dean,

Mike has fond memories of days spent canoeing,

camping, and exploring the vast woodlands.

By returning to his roots and bringing his family with him,

he hopes his grandson will be able to enjoy the kind of

carefree childhood he had.

But, now retired, he and Sandra also look forward to taking up

new pursuits. After being left a set of tools by his father,

Mike is keen to take up the ancient craft of wood turning.

So, whilst taking some time out to show Sandra the beauty of the

forest, we've arranged for them to meet Keith Fenton,

chairman of the Forest of Dean Woodturners,

who's lived in the area for 23 years.

What would you say is special about the Forest of Dean?

The whole area, I think, together.

It's partly the scenery, the wildlife.

You know, we've got wild boar roaming around,

which are a bit contentious. We've got sheep.

You know, I love the woodland anyway,

partly because of the wood for wood turning.

-How long have you been a wood turner?

-Just over 50 years.

I started at school, and I've not really stopped since.

-Let me show you around the Forest of Dean.

-Lovely.

-Thank you, lovely.

-Follow me.

-Thanks.

The Forest of Dean is home to around 20 million trees,

including oak, beech, ash, and holly.

Timber sourced from the forest has historically been used in the

building of Britain's Navy warships, including the Mary Rose,

Henry VIII's flagship which famously sank in 1545.

The practice of turning wood is thought to be

thousands of years old, with evidence of the technique

being used as far back as the sixth century BC.

The skill begins in selecting the right piece of wood.

These are pieces of work I've made.

So when you're looking at wood or a tree,

what are you looking at to give yourself some inspiration?

I'm looking for something unusual in the grain.

Something like a burr in that elm bowl there,

which is the grain pattern.

Keith, these are beautiful. What's the inspiration behind these?

It's the wood. They're made from spalted beech.

When you walk through the woods and you see a tree that's actually

come down, and it's got a bracket fungus growing out of it,

that's what's happening inside, so it's the onset of the rot.

If it continued, then you'd just end up with no wood at all.

But if you take it at that stage and try it, then the spalting stops,

the rot stops, and you're left with that effect in the wood.

-That's beautiful.

-Beautiful.

-When my father retired, he actually took up

wood turning. Now he's left me some chisels, and we've got a lathe,

and I'm very keen to actually take up wood turning myself.

-That's good.

-Would you mind showing me?

Yeah. If we go from here to my workshop,

and I can talk you through the tools.

Great. Thank you.

Keith retired from his job in finance three years ago,

and now spends most of his time in his workshop

at his home in Longhope.

Today, he's in the process of turning a garden dibber

for planting bulbs and seeds.

We made this earlier,

and what we're going to do now is just cut some grooves in it.

For that, I'm going to use the corner of the skew,

so that when you're planting things with the dibber,

you can tell what depth you've got.

So if I do the first couple of cuts, and then you can carry on

and do the rest. And all you're doing is pushing it gently forward

like that, and the same with that one,

so that you're getting a bevel cut into the line.

-OK.

-And 's it.

A skilled turner needs a set of just five or six simple tools to craft

a wide variety of objects, from furniture legs and spindles

to tool handles, knobs, or bowls.

After cutting the grooves for their depth markings,

the lines are burnt into the dibber with a copper wire

for extra definition.

And you'll see a little bit of smoke. That's it. There we are.

Keith works with naturally felled local hardwood like yew, oak,

and beech, which would otherwise be used as firewood.

Before removing the piece from the lathe,

he adds a coat of sanding sealer as base for waxing.

He then cuts the ends off the finished piece.

Now Mike's had a chance to try his hand at turning,

it looks like he might be following in his dad's footsteps,

and picking up those tools very soon.

Well, thank you, Keith. There was very kind of you.

-Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

-That's really nice, thank you.

Which means I'd better get my skates on and find him and Sandra a house

with space for a new hobby, as well as the dogs, chickens, and the fish.

Our second property is in the village of Longhope,

in the northern part of the forest, near the Herefordshire border.

Its name, meaning long enclosed valley,

perfectly describes the village's aspect.

It's a mix of timber framed and stone character cottages,

a number of which are listed and are nestled in the valley, served by

a couple of shops, a village pub, and award-winning artisan bakery,

as well as an Ofsted-rated "good" primary school.

There's a lively community brought together once a year

by a popular village fete.

I'm hoping Mike and Sandra will feel right at home in house number two.

OK. So, in a lot of ways,

we're looking at the back of our second property,

because what lies beyond are sensational views.

It seems that way, doesn't it?

You can see through the trees there, yeah.

It's an old cottage, that's for sure.

-What's going through your mind, Sandra?

-It looks quite big.

Yes. Well, it needs to be.

-Yeah, I know that.

-I know you said you're downsizing,

but you've mentioned half an ark full of animals, and five humans.

Yeah, that's very true, OK.

I suppose it depends how it's configured inside,

so we'll reserve judgement.

-So, happy to go inside?

-Yes, please.

-Yeah, very.

-Mind your steps on the way down.

-OK. Thank you.

Parts of the property date back to the late 1700s.

More recent additions have created a sizeable home, with a range of

reception areas that might offer the flexibility our couple are after.

Although it retains some cottage-like proportions,

I think it offers scope for reconfiguration and modernisation.

OK, let's start in the oldest part of the house.

Oh, that's good. Very cottage-y with the old beams, but still high enough

that I'm not banging my head, which is a good thing.

Now, as regards to the living room,

are you going to spend time as a family?

As, you know, four or five of you at one time,

or are you going to want your separate space?

-Both, I suppose.

-Yeah, we tend to go off into one room, and Alfie

and Rachel will go off into another room until it's his bedtime,

-and then we mingle together a little bit.

-Yeah.

Now, one thing this house does, and I think one thing you'd want to

make the most of if you moved here, is these amazing views.

-Well, you can see it through the window there, can't you?

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-I mean, that's just a picture, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It is.

-The views are stunning.

-Let's keep looking through. Come with me.

-Yeah.

-Yep.

-Lovely.

Also off the entrance hall is a study and good sized dining room,

leading onto a useful utility area and a separate kitchen

breakfast room in the newest part of the house.

That's not a bad size, actually.

I'm surprised you said that. I thought you'd want it a bit bigger.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Well, no. It's not a bad size.

-You see these beams?

-Yes.

-I love it.

Some of these that you see underneath are stud petitions,

-not brick walls.

-Oh, OK.

-Oh.

-Ah!

So there's opportunity to take...

-All right.

-..the wall down from the living room,

go through the small office, and have a bigger room there.

Or through to here. This one is obviously brick.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's a modern extension.

-Oh, OK.

-So you can open it up a bit.

You used to have an older kitchen. That is now a utility.

-So you have two kitchens.

-Oh, OK.

-You have two living rooms.

-Yeah.

-You've got the conservatory there.

-Yeah, OK.

-It's not completely separated.

-But it could be.

-You at the moment are having to use your imagination.

-Yes.

-Yes. See the options.

-Come with me.

-OK.

Having built their current home from scratch,

I know Mike and Sandra have good vision when it comes to a property,

and this house would definitely give them lots to think about.

The upstairs adopts a more traditional layout,

with the four bedrooms leading off a central landing.

There's a double bedroom in the older part of the house,

followed by two smaller rooms,

one of which could work for grandson Alfie.

As well as a large family bathroom, the master also comes with its own

en suite, and a seating area to take in the views.

Now, the creaky floorboards stop when you come back into the new part

over the kitchen.

OK. Wow! OK.

-That's a lovely view.

-And look at that view.

-Yeah.

-En suite.

-Oh, and an en suite.

Would you want the en suite,

or would you think your daughter would want it, Rachel?

-She might want it, but...

-Oh, right!

Exactly. It's a decent-size en suite.

It's not a pokey en suite there.

It's just the thought of how we'd separate it to work for us,

-isn't it?

-Separate it.

Will, that's where I think I'd stop you.

-All right.

-I think this house works for you in the short term.

This property used to have planning consent for a completely separate

-two-bedroom dwelling in the garden.

-Oh, OK.

-Oh!

-Since lapsed. So let's go outside to be garden

and talk about that, shall we?

-Oh, yeah, definitely.

-That's the long-term aim.

-Yep.

-That's that what's going to keep him really busy.

-Yep!

Outside, the house sits in a plot of just under a third of an acre.

There's a patio with existing feature pond for the fish,

a vegetable plot, and a lawned area,

the perfect spot to appreciate the property's elevated position.

Well, the views are spectacular.

-Yeah, they are stunning.

-That is an amazing view.

Long, long way you can see, can't you?

As we came in, you saw a small part of land with a garage.

-Yes.

-That is where planning permission was previously granted

-to build a two-bedroom house.

-OK.

-That's promising.

-That planning consent lapsed in 2014.

OK, but it was there, which is a plus point.

I think whatever you build there will always be an annexe

-to this house.

-OK.

-Which is what we want anyway.

-Which is...

-Yeah, OK.

-Exactly.

-It's the imagination with this place,

isn't it? You've really got to think about it.

OK, then, time to guess the price, if you dare.

£385,000.

All right, then. Sandra?

415.

Not a bad guess, Mike.

-Oh, Mr Optimistic!

-This place is on the market for offers

around £395,000.

-OK.

-OK.

-That gives us scope.

Mm. So have a look around the place,

inside and out, and I'll meet you whenever you're done.

-OK.

-All right.

-Thank you.

-See you in a mo.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

Coming in £80,000 under budget,

this extended four-bedroom character property has ample space to house

Mike and Sandra's family in the short term,

with the potential to create an annexe for Rachel and Alfie

further down the line.

Its elevated position means both the house and the garden

offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside,

but still within just a mile of the village amenities.

This house is interesting.

There's lots of potential.

I'm not sure it's as favourable as the first,

but definitely lots to think about.

I mean, the view is spectacular.

The price is good, and it's well within our budget.

But even if we spent all that money,

I don't think we'd end up with what we wanted at the end.

-So, time to call it a day.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-New day tomorrow.

Maybe a little drink on the way home. Shall we?

-Lovely.

-Sure. Thank you.

It's day two in the Forest of Dean with Sandra and Mike,

who, with fond memories of his childhood spent in Gloucestershire,

is keen to move back, and bring his growing family with him.

With a budget of £475,000,

they're looking for a property with space for their daughter

and grandson, who'll be coming with them,

not to mention their menagerie of animals.

Still to come, I'm fishing for compliments at our Mystery House.

-I like it.

-That's really nice, actually.

It looks REALLY nice, yeah.

I love the surprise in your voice. Thanks for the confidence, Mike!

-Sorry!

-Unbelievable!

And I dig deep into the county's colourful past.

Oh, that's good, that's nice and soft.

I've got a little pot of gold.

Well, for me, I think it is house number one that is the property

to beat, which is exactly the task for today's Mystery House.

Now, the compromise with this property is that Mike and Sandra

will really need to get their heads around how they divvy up their

family accommodation. But if they're able to do that,

they'll be rewarded with a house that's pretty much brand-new,

with some features that I think Sandra in particular will enjoy.

Let's see how we go.

Our Mystery House takes us to Ruardean Woodside,

a mile from the main village of Ruardean.

Historically, the village was known for its iron and coal mining,

and was the birthplace of brothers James and William Horlick,

who created their famous hot malt drink here in the 1860s.

Today it's home to a primary school,

post office, and a shop where locals can pick up all their essentials.

Standing proud in a cluster of character properties,

I'm confident our Mystery House will make quite an impression.

Right, then. At the end of this drive is our mystery offering.

-Oh, wow.

-I like it.

-That's really nice, actually.

It looks REALLY nice, yeah.

I love the surprise in your voice.

Thanks for the confidence, Mike!

-Sorry!

-Unbelievable!

Parts of this date back to the 1800s.

Now, as regards to attractive houses,

I think this could be the most attractive of all three.

-Oh, definitely.

-It is.

-Shall we take a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Yes, please.

-Yeah.

-Come on.

Although beautifully finished on the outside, the renovations to the

interior of our Mystery House are yet to be fully completed

by the current owner.

But, with plenty of renovation experience under their belts,

I'm sure Sandra and Mike will be able to see past

any works in progress.

Right, then.

Your first room in the old part of the house, late-19th-century part.

-Yeah.

-Now, I think this is just your room.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-This is our "escape to" room.

-Another wood fire.

-Yeah.

-Lovely. That's very nice. It's cosy.

Do you have rooms like that at home?

A small room, because your house is big, isn't it?

-It is big.

-So how do you adapt to this?

-No, we do have one room like this.

-We do have a small room.

We've been kind of banished to it, while the bigger room is taken over.

To the toys and everything.

So, yeah, we have got used to a smaller room.

Good. Now, looking around, you can see there is a flow to this house.

Yeah. Let's walk through the dining room.

Now, when you pictured in your mind this big sort of day kitchen,

I think you were drawing this kitchen, weren't you?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-This is really nice.

Open. Spacious. And if you wanted to extend it even further,

you could put a little conservatory there. But...

You just feel the need to keep building, don't you?

I do feel the need, don't I?

The reason why we've brought you here,

the mystery to this house is you get this amazing house,

to my mind, the sort of property I thought you were after...

-Yeah.

-..but the compromise is you're all living together.

-I understand.

-Right, OK.

-Got that.

I think the positive attributes of this house continue upstairs,

because of the privacy you'll all be able to have.

-Come with me and I'll show you.

-Will do.

-OK.

Mike and Sandra are clearly impressed by the modern style

and high-spec finish of this house, though the lack of a separate space

for Rachel and Alfie may be a sticking point.

However, upstairs, they would have four bedrooms,

all doubles, as well as four bathrooms,

so there wouldn't be any arguments here about who gets the en suite.

This is, I think, the biggest, and en suite.

-Oh.

-Yeah.

-There's the en suite there, OK.

You've got three en suites for the bedrooms.

-Wow.

-Wow, OK.

-So that's a lot of privacy here.

-Yes.

-That is.

-Yeah, that is.

-It's enough.

-It's a good size.

-I like it.

Could you get your head around all living under one roof?

Yeah, we thought that might have to happen anyway,

-so we're ready to think about that.

-Yeah, yeah.

People make those big compromises only when they find the right house.

-Yes.

-It's about the package, isn't it?

-It is.

-Oh, yeah. Definitely.

Not just about an annexe in the garden.

-No.

-No.

-But I did see you looking at a pile of bricks in the garden.

-Shall we have a look?

-I think we'd better.

Come on. Start thinking about price, though.

-Yes.

-Oh, yeah.

Mystery Houses often present our buyers with a challenge,

and this one is no exception.

Outside, the garden isn't the largest,

but it's a blank canvas ready to be transformed,

and there's ample space for a pond, and for the dogs to run around.

There's no annexe, but there is a little outhouse,

which I suspect Mike already has designs on.

I'm not even going to talk about the lawn yet,

cos I imagine you want to talk about that.

-Yes!

-There's not a whole lot of accommodation on offer there.

-Well...

-There is a bit of power running up to that.

-I'll just put some water in, and a window.

-Done! Tick!

Go on, then. Have a go at guessing the price.

-Who wants to go first?

-I'm going to go for 445.

I'm going to go higher, 450.

The asking price for this Mystery House is...

..£425,000.

-Oh, OK.

-Oh, OK.

-Wow.

Something to consider, then, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-Yeah!

-It is.

-Go and have a look around.

-OK.

-Just work out whether or not...

..the benefits outweigh the cons.

-Sure.

-I'll catch up with you whenever you're done.

-OK.

-All right?

-Thank you.

-See you in a mo.

Renovated to a high standard and coming in well under budget,

our detached mystery cottage will give Mike and Sandra four bedrooms,

each with their own bathroom, as well as options for a separate

living area for Rachel and Alfie.

But whether they'd be happy all under the same roof,

and whether the generous interior makes up for the more limited space

outside is for them to decide.

I like the Mystery House.

It's modern, which, actually, I'm now realising I like more.

Just the size, I suppose, of the plot, is a compromise.

I'm not sure there's the space here to be able to put an annexe here.

I know my daughter. She wants her independence.

She wants to leave the house as messy as Alfie makes it

without having to worry about us.

If it was me and Sandra on our own, I'd be tempted.

But it's not.

You've got a slightly perturbed, confused look on your face.

That's cos I am perturbed and confused.

Yeah, sometimes Mystery Houses pose more questions than answers,

but are you glad that you came here?

-Oh, yes, very glad.

-Oh, yeah, definitely.

-Right.

-Yeah, for sure.

Well, let's find you somewhere to have a bit of a natter,

-and then we'll catch up later on, yeah?

-Yeah, great. Thanks.

Deep beneath the surface of the National Forest Park lie coal,

iron ore, and minerals, which have been mined for over 4,000 years.

Although the last of the major ore mines closed in 1945,

there are still just over 100 remaining free miners

who have centuries-old birthright in the Royal Forest,

30 of whom are still actively mining today.

I'm visiting Clearwell Caves near Coleford

to explore the ancient cabins known for their iron ore and ochre,

a high-value natural pigment in a rainbow of colours.

In 1968, Ray Wright bought the caves and reopened them to be public as a

mining museum, which now attracts around 50,000 visitors a year.

His son Jonathan has offered to take me underground.

-Jonathan.

-Oh, hi.

I'm glad you're not further deeper. I was getting a bit lost there.

Thanks for seeing me today. Now, this mine itself -

how big is it?

Well, the mine covers 600 acres.

-That's massive.

-And it's like a Swiss cheese.

It's just holes everywhere.

I understand this is an environment where free miners

have been involved. Explain to me what that is.

Yeah, if you're born locally and you're male, over 21,

and you've worked a year and a day in a mine,

then you can register as a free miner.

You can mine for coal, iron, or stone in the forest,

anywhere you like.

If you buy a house in the area, I'm afraid that it says on the deeds

that that's subject to the right to be undermined.

Really? Goodness me.

The ochre mined here is over 20 times more valuable than the

iron ore it's intermingled with, and much softer.

It almost looks like we're surrounded by parts of clay,

-and then you've got the rocky parts.

-Yeah.

The best ochre is a mixture that is almost like butter.

-You can see it there.

-Oh, that is, yeah!

-It's just lovely, yeah.

-Can I have a go?

Yeah, if you'd like to give it a go.

Now, for 4,000 years, people have been mining this ochre.

How far and wide would this have travelled through trade

-and what have you?

-Because it's something that can be traded

-almost like spices, really...

-Yeah.

-..they're high-value products.

They were taken all over Europe. And we have actually had

a researcher that said that this was used possibly by Michelangelo

in the Sistine Chapel.

-Really?

-Yeah. Because there is a distinct red that's known as

terra rossa dingleterra, which is English Red Earth.

There are receipts in the Vatican that actually show that he bought it

from Bristol. And the only ochre mines working at the time that would

have produced that colour would have been the Forest of Dean iron mines.

That's not a leap of faith, you can draw pretty much a straight line

-from that, then, can't you, from those records?

-Yeah.

Once mined, the yellow ochre needs to be washed or milled to

separate from the particles of iron ore.

You've got a little pot of gold.

From his workshop within the museum, Jonathan's going to show me

the basic process of transforming our findings into pure pigment

that has been used for paint and colouring for thousands of years.

So, our prized ochre.

What do we do with it?

Right. Do you want to pour it into the bucket?

-All of it?

-Yep.

-OK.

And then I stir it up.

-OK.

-Like this. So that the colour rises away from the grit.

In a process known as flotation, Jonathan mixes the ochre

with the water until most of the colour has been absorbed

and floats in suspension.

The heavier lumps of limestone and iron ore drop to the bottom

of the bucket, and are discarded.

The mixture is left overnight,

gradually separating further to leave clean water

and a sludge of colours, which is then dried in trays.

It's absolutely...

It really is... It's almost chalky, isn't it?

Yeah, if you rub it on your skin now, you'll see the colour.

Oh, look at that. Oh, it's like a heavy make-up, isn't it?

Yeah, the ancient Britons used to use it as a war paint.

-Did they?

-Yeah, and it's been used ever since, really,

as a pigment for make-ups and so on.

The spectrum of pigments comes from different areas or pockets of the

mine, ranging from yellow and brown to a rarer purple found much deeper,

and the distinctive red that the Forest of Dean mines are known for.

It's been absolutely fascinating.

Have you got somewhere I can wash my hands?

-Yes. Through here.

-OK, lead the way.

With the mines producing around a tonne of ochre pigment a year,

hopefully it will continue to be used by great artists and adorn

the walls of some of the world's most iconic buildings and landmarks

for years to come.

Well, I think it's fair to say that the three properties we showed to

Mike and Sandra gave them some, but not all, of their requirements.

So after a bit of time to reflect, let's find out their thoughts,

but most importantly, where their priorities now lie.

-Well, you've got the cake.

-Yeah.

-Good.

Right, then. Three houses, done and dusted.

-How are you feeling?

-Exhausted.

Well, you probably have a lot going through your minds, actually,

-haven't you? It's been tumultuous.

-It has, actually.

-And educational, but, yes.

-What have you learned, then?

We know it's more difficult to find now what we want

within our price range.

So which of the three properties is coming out on top, then?

I'm torn one between one and three.

-Right. That's interesting.

-My favourite was the first house.

Just because of the size of the garden.

I could hide me chickens away, I could hide me fish away.

-YOU could hide away.

-And I could hide away!

When we first saw it, we thought, "Wow, this could be good."

And I think if it was me and Sandra on our own...

-..I'd be really interested.

-Mm.

-Yeah, definitely.

-But that's not the object of the game.

No. It's not you two on your own.

And that is what has made this search so challenging.

-Yeah.

-But I think you'll make it easier if you amend your criteria.

-Yeah.

-So perhaps look for the smaller property.

I mean, initially we know we don't have to have all those requirements

to start with. That will probably be something to build towards...

The end must-haves, no, that stays the same.

The end goal is the same.

You're in a good place, I think. You've got the cash to spend.

-Yeah.

-Estate agents like that.

And you know the villages and the towns that you like.

-Yes.

-Definitely. Yeah.

I wish you the best of luck. I'd really love to find out

where and when you settle, so do please let us know.

-Yes, we will.

-We certainly will.

-Thank you.

-All right. Good luck.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

It's not that the type of property that Mike and Sondra are after

is entirely unique, it's more that there are far less of them

on the market at any one moment of time,

and they're becoming increasingly popular.

What they need to do now is make sure they're able to act swiftly

as soon as the right kind of property comes on the market,

which will happen over the coming months -

they just need to be a bit patient.

I wish them and their family the very best of luck.

See you next time.

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