Somerset Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Now, to be fair, it's probably hard to imagine today,

but some 2,000 years ago, this rather dramatic landscape around me

was once a hive of industry as thousands of people mined the ground

beneath my feet.

But where do you suppose in Britain this ancient industrial

revolution took place?

Well, join me in just a moment and I'll tell you.

Today, I'm helping a couple who dream of a rural retirement.

To start with, it looks like the reality might not measure up...

You nearly said the word small.

I did, I'm afraid.

It does feel small.

..but later, our country property rates very highly.

-Wow.

-Out of ten?

-Yeah.

-THEY LAUGH

I'll take that as a ten, then!

Well, today we're in Somerset on the Mendip Hills near the small

settlement of Charterhouse,

and these rocks are known locally as the rakes

and it's thought their surface contains the last surviving evidence

of the lead mining industry that once thrived here

some 2,000 years ago.

Now, we think that there was some limited mining back in the Iron Age,

but it was the entrepreneurial

Romans who really saw and exploited its potential.

It's thought they were here just six years after they landed in

Britain, halfway through the first century AD,

and yet more archaeological evidence suggests they also built a fort and

an amphitheatre to go with it.

Now, these days Charterhouse is just a tiny and sleepy hamlet,

but it is sobering to think that, well,

two millennia ago this was once a thriving industrial hub on the edge

of the Roman Empire.

Situated in the south-west of England,

Somerset shares the wilds of Exmoor National Park

with neighbouring Devon.

Home to a diverse topography, the undulating plateaux roll north

and lead to the spectacular sight of Cheddar Gorge,

whilst the neighbouring Mendip Hills overlook 160,000 acres of low-lying

wetlands. The heart of Wells, England's smallest city,

is home to England's first Gothic cathedral.

Started in 1175 and adorned with some 300 figures

of saints and kings, it's hailed as an architectural masterpiece.

Towards the south of the county,

the landscape becomes a patchwork of tracks and green fields,

with a lush array of over 190 conservation areas.

Traverse the lanes,

and green hedgerows soon give way to historic villages such as the

tranquil hamstone parish of Hinton St George.

So, from the geologically rich rural landscape to some 12,000 listed

buildings, there are compelling reasons to consider Somerset as a

countryside escape.

Now, when it comes to property shopping here in Somerset,

on the face of it the figures would seem to suggest that you can get a

pretty favourable deal.

Currently the average price of a detached house is around about

£338,000 here. That's just a smidge above the national figure.

But do beware.

Prices can vary hugely within the county.

If you head up towards the north, towards Bath, well,

there you can pay a hefty premium,

as indeed you can down towards the south

in those beautiful hamstone villages near the Dorset border.

But for all that, you are blessed with some beautiful landscapes

and, importantly, some favourable weather,

which is exactly why today's buyers want to move here.

Peter and Jackie met online 18 years ago at the dawn of internet dating,

despite Jackie living in Leeds and Peter over 350 miles away in

Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

A long-distance romance gradually blossomed.

We'd been talking on the phone for about three months

before we finally met.

I plucked up the courage to invite Jackie up for a weekend.

And then once we met we kind of hit it off, and the rest is history.

Well, it wasn't long before Jackie joined Peter and his two young

children in Aberdeenshire.

Here, they spent the next 20 years raising a family.

They are currently renting a two-bedroom apartment in Edinburgh,

after recently returning from a period working in the United States.

We lived in Houston in Texas for just over a year while I was working

there, which was very different to the lifestyle that we had led for

the previous 20 years or so, and had a whale of a time.

And that's really what precipitated us to move into central Edinburgh

for a year. We wanted more of that kind of lifestyle before settling

down longer term.

Since returning from the US, Peter has retired as a petroleum engineer.

And while they've enjoyed a cultural renaissance in a busy cosmopolitan

hub, they're now looking to embrace a more rural pace of life

in temperate Somerset and are busy planning their move.

The reason I want to live in Somerset is that the climate is much

more amenable to one of my hobbies, gardening.

The growing season is much longer for the south.

As far as I'm concerned,

we're basically moving south for the vegetables.

Having said that, I think it will give us the kind of lifestyle that

enables us to live outdoors a great deal more than we're able to in

the north-east of Scotland

and that's something that we both think is very important.

They might both be keen to leave the energetic pace of Edinburgh life

behind, but they're also determined to keep busy and indulge hobbies

both new and old.

When we get settled,

there are a great many things that I'd like to go back to that

I already do, which are preserving, baking,

I love making jams and chutneys.

But one of the things I really want to do is learn to bake bread

properly and that's one of the reasons we want a big kitchen.

After a hectic few years hopping back and forth across the pond,

Peter and Jackie now have high hopes that Somerset can offer everything

they're looking for.

Peter's easing into retirement.

I know that the lifestyle that he wants is something that we can't

achieve in a city. And whilst I enjoy living here,

I'm looking forward to the move.

Jackie's personality, I think,

will fit in well with living a rural lifestyle.

We've already had a taste of that in north-east Scotland,

so living in a small community with lots going on I think will suit her

down to the ground.

So, armed with the knowledge that property prices creep up the closer

you edge towards Bath in the north-east,

we're going to focus our property search south of the Mendip Hills.

The countryside here should offer fertile terrain for Peter

and village communities. Time now then to catch up with them

and discover more about the specifics of their move.

Well, I think this is as good a place as any to start your escape to

the country. Welcome to Somerset, guys.

-Nice to see you here.

-Thank you.

So what's brought you to Somerset?

It's always been our intention to move south when Peter retires,

so now's the time to start exploring a new chapter in our lives.

What about location?

Do you want to be super rural

or within walking distance of a community?

We think it's really important that we're within walking distance of

somewhere that is social.

Whether that's a pub, somewhere we can have coffee.

Now I'm retired, I think we need more

amenities for me to utilise in the daytime,

-otherwise I'll be getting under Jackie's feet.

-Mm.

It's interesting that you've already got one foot very much in the kind

of rural camp as it were, with your other property in Aberdeenshire.

But give us an idea of the sort of property that you're looking at,

-stylistically.

-We're quite sociable people,

so we want an entertaining space.

So a large kitchen, living, dining area.

But we don't want to be in each other's pockets 24/7,

so a quiet space would be good as well.

So a separation of interests within this property?

-Yeah.

-OK, so the picture is kind of building to something which is big,

spacious downstairs.

How many bedrooms specifically, though, do you think you need?

We reckon at least three.

Now, how big a plot are you after?

Cos I'm imagining something quite big covered in polytunnels.

Well, we currently have about a third of an acre and we wouldn't

want any less than that.

Are you wedded to new or old or don't care?

No, we're actually very open.

What we really care about is the fact that it has quite high

ceilings, so that it gives that sense of space,

and also the fact that it's light and airy.

How much is the budget for this move?

The budget for this move is £700,000.

So we've got three properties to show you,

one of which is our Mystery House.

-Of course.

-Shall we go and spend some money?

-Yes.

-Come on, follow me.

So for a top budget of £700,000, Peter and Jackie would like a light,

airy home with at least three bedrooms, two reception rooms,

a large kitchen,

space for hobbies and, of course, a garden with growing potential

for Peter,

and they'd also like to be within striking distance of a community.

We've found some fantastic properties to tempt them with,

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

And then finally, of course,

our Mystery House is chosen to challenge our buyers' thinking

and hopefully thrill them at the same time.

We're starting our Somerset property hunt

in the charming hamlet of Knole.

A small community of just 45 houses,

Knole is that the southerly tip of the larger parish of Long Sutton,

a conservation area belted by rolling countryside,

with a local pub just a mile away.

The nearby market town of Somerton offers an array of local amenities

from coffee shops, delicatessens and boutiques.

Beyond the ensemble of stone-built properties is the house I want to

show them. I'm really hoping this 19th-century barn conversion,

reimagined in the early 1990s,

can fulfil Peter and Jackie's extensive wish list

both outside and in.

Right then, well, this is property number one.

-Looks lovely.

-Yeah.

All these windows, it's going to be light and airy, which is fantastic.

Now, as well as all of that, this separate workshop is also available,

but by a slightly separate negotiation.

Would that be of interest to you, Peter?

Yes, it would, yeah.

I think we need a lot of space outside for tools and mowers.

Right, first things first,

let's get inside here and see if it does offer you all that light and

space that you think it does.

Come on. Well, an encouraging start,

and the front door opens directly into a large entrance hall

and a garden room beyond. Look at these lovely beams.

-Oh, wow.

-And look at this lovely lias stone.

So that's the old external wall of the barn.

But really, for me, the main event is through this door.

Come and have a look at this.

See, this space for me is what really makes this building work.

A little bit of a sort of dining area,

again with the light coming through.

And then it all opens up...

-..into this.

-Oh, wow, yeah.

This is a really nice space.

We asked for light and airy, you have given us light and airy.

Yeah. I mean, you can zone this space, that's what I like about it.

Obviously quite a formal area, focused on the wood burner.

They've got an occasional dining area here.

-Where's the kitchen?

-It's through here.

There we go.

Bit cosier in here,

which I think works quite nicely for the kitchen space, actually.

It's definitely a good country kitchen.

A very good size.

-Yeah.

-I think I could see you, from your reaction,

enjoying this space day-to-day quite nicely,

but having space for yourselves.

It definitely feels homely and that is what we want.

It's really heartening that Peter and Jackie are feeling this property

delivers on all fronts - so far.

This characterful home has four bedrooms arranged over the ground

floor and converted loft space upstairs.

The wing contains two generous guest rooms that flank a handy bathroom.

The smaller one has dual aspect windows

and the large its own en suite shower.

Upstairs is a spacious master suite that benefits from its own bathroom.

Beyond there is a study and snug escape,

ideal for when a little time-out is needed.

And back downstairs is a bedroom I'm keen to show them,

which I think would be perfect for accommodating visiting family

and friends. There we go.

So I've picked this one because it's also got a really nice wet room and

bathroom next door as well.

-Fantastic.

-And potentially, quite a lot of space for storage.

It's got a nice big bed in it, so it will fit ours.

OK. Happy so far?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Mm-hm.

-Right then. We'll be starting to think about what it might cost.

-Mm.

-Yeah.

-Mmm, I wonder. Come on.

The generous interior had everything they had asked for,

but the near acre of outside space would be Peter's domain.

And he really would be spoilt, with a huge lawned area,

the opportunity to have a workshop

and raised planting beds offering growing potential.

And I imagine this area here would lend itself to being your kind of

productive area.

So, let's have a think about the price then.

Who's going to go first?

-You are.

-Bearing in mind at this stage it doesn't include

the workshop, OK, so just the barn and the garden.

650, 675, something like that.

-Yeah?

-I'd go for the 650 mark.

650.

-Mm.

-OK, really that's interesting, actually.

This is currently on the market for £600,000.

-Oh, wow.

-Now, if we were to throw in the workshop...

..it would be about the 650 mark.

That would make sense to me.

-We would definitely want to make an offer for the...

-The whole lot.

-..the whole lot.

-So, there we are.

It's doable for your £700,000 budget, with some change.

-How about that?

-That's fantastic.

-Happy?

-Very happy.

Right then, off you go, the barn is yours.

-Thank you.

-Go and have a look around and I'll come and find you later.

£100,000 under budget,

our first house is a converted barn with exposed beams.

It has a huge open-plan living area, four bedrooms,

close to an acre of outside space

and the option to purchase a workshop

ideal for storing Peter's tools.

And it's all situated in a quiet,

rural location close to an active community.

I like it and I like it a lot.

I love the space of the main room.

The kitchen is warm and cosy.

There's plenty of space for us and our guests.

The garden is probably my ideal.

There's plenty of opportunity to develop it further.

If we were to make it an offer,

I think we'd also include the workshop in there.

I think we would regret it further down the line if we were to let that

opportunity slip away from us.

-After you, madam.

-Thank you.

-There you are, Peter.

-Thank you.

Good. Well, I'm rather pleased about that.

That's a pretty strong start, I would say.

-Happy?

-Absolutely.

I think you've definitely got a contender there.

-Really?

-Yeah, a real contender.

I might hold you to that.

But there are two more to see.

Come on, let's go.

Somerset's temperate coastal climate brings warm summers,

cool winters and an average annual rainfall of 16 inches -

all elements which help create one of the longest bountiful growing

seasons in the UK.

Peter and Jackie are keen to put down their own roots

and get a few tips on how best to achieve

the garden-to-table lifestyle they're hoping to cultivate here.

They've come to Shepton Mallet to meet innovative organic grower

Charles Dowding, who's been successfully pioneering

the technique of no dig to grow

fruit and vegetables for over three decades.

So, Charles, what is your philosophy in gardening?

And what is no dig?

No dig is about leaving the soil alone as much as possible,

cos that way you're allowing all the life that's in the soil to flourish

and do the digging for you.

Soil needs to be open and aerated

and no dig allows that because you're feeding the top.

That encourages the earthworms, say, to come up for the compost,

and then in moving around, they create drainage channels and ensures

-abundant harvest.

-So, what happens to your produce?

Do you sell it locally?

Everything grown here sells within four or five miles.

This garden is a third of an acre, almost, of cropped area.

It sells over £20,000 worth of produce in a year,

so it's really productive.

Charles has prepared working examples to give an insight

into just how effective the no dig method can be.

So, I dig this in a traditional way, really,

so I'm taking out a trench, putting compost in the bottom of the

trench. The same amount of compost I also put simply on top of that bed

there. And then we sow and plant the same vegetables in each

and you've got a side-by-side comparison - no dig and dug.

It's quite striking, I think.

So, how long did you spend on preparing each of the beds?

Here, three hours digging and filling in the compost.

There, one hour. So, already a saving of two hours,

and then the other big difference has been quite a lot more weeds on

this one. I've already had to hoe this bed twice.

It had quite a carpet of small weed seedlings.

So, the time saved is not just in the preparation of the bed at

the start of the season, but also the ongoing operation of the bed

as well.

Charles' no-dig method can be successful almost anywhere,

from the silt-rich, fertile lands of Somerset, to the seemingly hostile,

high-pH soils.

Peter and Jackie are now keen to try out this principle at ground level.

So, Charles, is there anything that you can share with us that will help

us when we're preparing to plant our own fruit and veg?

Yeah, the key thing is when you start out, get the ground weed-free,

and then feed the soil on the surface,

and that'll just make everything you plant grow abundantly.

Is there anything we could actually pick today with you?

Well, yeah, as it happens, there's some purple sprouting broccoli.

-Fantastic.

-Let's go and have a look.

Charles' method,

combined with the optimal growing conditions of Somerset,

can produce a steady and bountiful yield all year round.

This is a great one here because purple sprouting broccoli,

it comes so early in the year, when not many other things are giving you

-fresh harvest, and the broccolis are all just ready now to pick.

-Mm.

Oh, it comes away really easily, doesn't it?

That's always a good sign, you know, if it snaps like that when you're

picking it, it's much nicer to eat.

Cos eat it raw and...

So do you eat the stalk and the head?

Actually, that has incredible flavour, a sweetness,

a bit like asparagus, almost.

-Mm.

-It's delicious. I'm not normally a broccoli eater.

-No.

You might have converted me.

-At long last.

-Oh, that's nice to hear.

I think it's been inspirational for Peter and Jackie to see how the

growing efficiency of no dig, along with Somerset's oceanic climate,

could help them achieve the garden they've always longed for.

Next, our house-hunt moves to the unspoiled village

of Stoke St Michael,

set between the Mendip Hills of Somerset and Cranborne Chase

in neighbouring Dorset.

This former quarry village has breathtaking walks

a stone's throw away.

Alternatively, they could take a five-minute stroll to the local pub,

rumoured to be the secret meeting place for the early planning phase

of Operation Overlord, or D-Day, during the Second World War.

There's also a post office and stores, as well as a church,

anchoring this close-knit community.

And at the heart of the village is our next house.

There you are. That's the second one.

Oh, that's a very different proposition.

-Very different.

-It's upside-down living.

Absolutely. They've taken what was a fairly simple single-storey number,

which had garaging underneath it,

and developed it further to create a now modern two-storey property,

and it's got views out across the rest of the village to the landscape

-beyond.

-I think it looks very interesting.

It's definitely different.

-Shall we have a look?

-Yes, please.

Let's get up those stairs, come on.

It was built back in 1990 but extended 15 years later.

Our tour begins on the first floor,

which leads straight into the Scandinavian-inspired kitchen.

Right, come on in to our upside-down world.

-What do you think?

-Well, that's different.

It's modern, but it's not clinical.

Yeah, it's a nice, big, open area, I like it.

There is a bit more, too.

Come this way. So this was a new extension that they added on.

You've got this option, they've got a bit of a dining table in here,

as well, of course, and some seating.

So is there another seating area somewhere?

Yes, there is, right through there.

It also has a wood burner for that nice country feel.

Good.

And...there we go.

-Cosy.

-You nearly said the word small.

I did, I'm afraid.

-JULES LAUGHS

-Yes, it does feel small,

-I'm sorry, but it does.

-Yeah.

It certainly ticks the box of open-plan kitchen, living and diner,

and a separate, quieter room, that's exactly what we wanted, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-If we'd taken you here first, what would you be thinking?

Not too differently from the way I think now, I'm sorry, but...

-Just thought I'd ask.

-Yeah.

On paper, the living space should've pleased,

but some of the room sizes fell short.

However, with solid oak floors and a contemporary finish,

this home does offer modern styling in an attractive setting.

The first floor also benefits from a practical utility room and a large

conservatory. But our tour continues downstairs, where,

on the ground floor, we've got the bedrooms.

Now, the master bedroom is there, but before we get to it,

have a look at this. This is the family bathroom.

-Ooh.

-Ooh! Slick, isn't it?

-Ooh.

-Very slick.

-This home does deliver more bedrooms than they asked for,

a total of four, all located on the lower level.

This large guest room is complete with its own en suite

and neighboured by a single and a potential double.

That just leaves the one for them.

So this, I think, really is the master.

It's certainly the lightest

and it's got another really nicely appointed shower room, yeah.

-Wow.

-Yeah. It's plenty big enough, it's got plenty of storage.

It somehow seems a little bit more spacious

and the bathrooms are just fantastic.

-Yeah.

-So that's the house, I know, you know, pros and cons,

you've already made those clear. However, one of the great praise

about this place is the amount of space

you get outside.

Let's have a look at that, come on.

Wrapping around the house is a generous 1.6 acres of land,

giving a variety of sloped lawns,

patios and easily maintained gardens,

while a 1.2 acre paddock fills the bulk of the plot.

So there you go, there's the view over the village from this very

elevated position and, looking down, you can see top of the cart lodge

garage, really useful space, that. Beyond it, the stables

and then another little access point through into the field

and another field shelter, as you can see.

So, that's the package,

but we now need to tackle the thorny issue of the price.

Jackie, make us an offer.

I'm thinking it's probably quite considerably more than the last one,

so I'm going to say 680.

£680,000, OK.

-Peter?

-For me, it's about 650.

Well, here's the thing, it is affordable,

at an asking price of £625,000.

Oh, OK. It's a beautiful house but I think we need another look around

because I'm not sure it's for us.

It's a lot to weigh up.

Go on, off you go, go look around, and I will catch up with you later.

Considerably below budget by £75,000, this detached

modern property once again delivers four bedrooms, has a sleek,

modern kitchen and a generous open-plan living space.

What's more, it has 1.6 acres of land

and is centrally located in a thriving rural community.

House two, on the face of it, ticks quite a few of our boxes.

However, my concerns are really more to do with the outside,

in the garden, it's on a very steep slope,

and whilst I think I could cope with the slope now, in a few years,

maybe five, ten years,

I think that will become quite a challenge to garden

on a plot like this.

This house is immaculately finished and I really like that.

There just aren't enough large rooms, I'm afraid.

Whilst I think it's a beautiful house for someone,

I'm really not convinced that it's for us.

Oh, you've caught me, relaxing.

-How are you?

-Fine, good, yes.

Upside-down living, then?

Yes, it was interesting to see it.

I don't think it's for us, though, in this particular set-up.

Well, we've certainly seen one very viable property today

and there is one more to come tomorrow, our Mystery House,

so best we go get fed and watered and ready for our final offering.

-Come on.

-OK, thank you.

It's day two of our property search here in Somerset

and we're helping Peter and Jackie,

who have a maximum budget of £700,000

and want to leave the metropolitan city of Edinburgh behind to shape a

new life and escape in the countryside.

Still to come, our Mystery House makes a strong impression...

You love that one, don't you?

I do, I'm very taken with it.

..and I attempt to turn my hand to ceramic art

in the Somerset tradition.

Don't be scared, just do it.

Very hard to get it that wrong, yeah!

When it comes to selecting our Mystery Houses, we do, on occasion,

like to challenge our buyers, but we always, if possible,

love to try and spoil them,

to find a property with that little something extra,

sprinkled with a bit of property magic.

And you'd think, with their budget of £700,000,

that's exactly what we'd be able to find Peter and Jackie.

Well, you're right, we have.

I just hope they think so, too.

Well, we've certainly got you a property that has a really good

sense of community around it.

The garden may be a little smaller.

Sounds intriguing but, erm, we do need a house to go with the garden.

Don't you worry, there is something for each of you.

Our mystery property brings us back to the enchanting hamlet of Knole

and its outer fringes.

This location gives instant access to scenic countryside and footpaths,

where you might even find traces of Roman occupation.

The local stores,

post office and eateries of Long Sutton are still less than two miles

away, accessible via a regular bus service,

but we're heading to the east of Knole

to view our mystery proposition.

-There.

-Oh, wow!

-What do you think?

-It's a bit bigger than we expected!

THEY LAUGH Come on in!

Sadly, I can't sell you all of it,

but I can offer you the prospect of buying a part of it.

This is the main courtyard on what was the Duke of Devonshire's model

-farm estate.

-Oh, wow. OK.

Now, there are 11 properties in this development.

It was done in about 2000, dates from the 19th century,

but how do we feel about this sort of communal set-up?

It's certainly very peaceful here,

so I can't see any problems with that at the moment.

From here, you get absolutely no idea of just what it offers you.

Ah, so there's a big reveal inside, is there?

There is a massive reveal!

When we get inside, you can tell me on a scale of one to ten

just how good the reveal is.

All 11 barn conversions are built from blue lias stone

and arranged around a quadrangle.

The front entrance leads straight into an awe-inspiring

open-plan area.

Right, in you go.

Wow!

That is a big reveal, Jules, it's really beautiful.

-Out of ten?

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

-I'll take that as a ten, then!

-Yeah.

-Wow.

-It's pretty special.

This is a bigger wow than yesterday, yep.

-Yep, definitely.

-Where do you want to go first?

Do you want to go there, do you want to go there?

-That way, I think.

-Yeah, go on, then, after you. Yeah.

Jackie has opted for the largest of three reception rooms,

which all boast maple-wood floors and solid oak beams.

To be able to sit there, dine, look out into that,

that's just fantastic.

-Peter?

-Wood burner, yeah, plenty of space to store your wood.

-I love it.

-Right, shall we have a look at the kitchen?

-Let's do that.

-Please.

-Yeah.

The lofty, open-plan layout, with its high vaulted ceilings,

seems to have captivated them.

It's smaller, but it doesn't appear so, simply because of the glass.

-Yeah.

-And there's a great breakfast table, fantastic.

Yeah, it's got that lovely farmhousey feel.

It's lovely.

I really like this space.

It looks really quaint from outside, but inside it's very contemporary,

so I think it'll be right up our street.

There's also a pantry off the kitchen

and a bright garden room with a shower.

Above, there's a mezzanine level, which would make a great hobby den

or occasional bedroom.

In addition, the mystery property has three bedrooms,

which all lead off a large landing, with garden views.

There's one with a vaulted beamed ceiling and en suite,

as well as a compact single,

which has access to a mezzanine loft area.

There is also a good-sized bathroom,

which is next to the room we've come to look at,

which I think they'll love.

Now, of the two bigger bedrooms, this one doesn't have en suite,

but I think this is the lighter of lot.

They're a similar size, they've got a similar sort of aspect

and they've all got these lovely views out of these, I think,

rather clever windows that overlook the walled garden

and the views beyond.

Yep, it's a lovely prospect, even beyond the garden.

Isn't it? Yeah, it really is, actually.

It's a very light, spacious room, love the vaulted ceiling.

Yeah, it's plenty spacious and the bathroom's just next door.

OK, mate, shall we go out to the garden?

-Oh, yes, please.

-Please.

-Come on, I think you're itching, aren't you,

-to get down there?

-Yeah.

And he might well be, as a Victorian walled kitchen garden

awaits, which was once dedicated to the production of the estate's fruit

and vegetables.

Level land, plus access to space for a community allotment,

makes this a gardener's dream.

Residents of this unique complex do pay an annual maintenance fee of

£600, however, this Mystery House also has three parking spaces

and a double garage perfect for Peter's gardening tools.

Originally, the walled garden itself was not subdivided

but it does give you everything you can see,

which is about a quarter of an acre.

Yes, and it's all usable garden.

To me, that's more important than the acreage of it.

It is lovely, it is.

So, final price guess of the week.

You've got your £700,000, of course, so, Peter,

how much did you think you're going to have to spend

on our Mystery House?

-Er...I'd go 650.

-Mm-hm.

I think I might even go a tad lower, say, 625?

-You're both wrong, I'm afraid.

-Oh.

In a good way?

You will have to pay, for this property...

..£600,000.

Oh, wow.

-Happy?

-Yeah, that... That is... Yeah.

Same price as house number one.

-Yeah.

-Mm.

Guys, I'm going to leave you to enjoy this place, both inside

and out, and I will come and find you a little bit later on.

-Go on, off you go!

-Thank you.

There you are.

I really want both of them to soak up the amazing atmosphere

and the fabulous finish that this property offers them.

As a Mystery House, it's an absolute dream.

£100,000 under budget,

the mystery property is a characterful terraced barn

conversion offering tranquillity and community on the doorstep.

It has a vast open-plan living space, a kitchen-diner,

a private walled garden and three bedrooms.

I love the open-plan, so that's a plus.

I think a downside of all the glass, though,

is that it's probably going to mean there's not so much capacity for

storage. I suspect my wife has not been constrained by that,

I just sense that she is going to be more positive than I am.

It's a fantastic house.

The living space is absolutely amazing.

I think Peter would see the glass as being possibly a bit of a problem,

so I think he would need some persuading.

We'll have to have a long chat about that.

Well, chaps.

You love that one, don't you?

I do, I'm very taken with it.

Well, we have given you some really good options this week.

The difficult part now is for you two to decide which, if any of them,

are going to be for you. My job is kind of almost done, really.

We've got a lot to discuss, a lot.

I bet you have, come on, off you go, let's find a cup of tea somewhere.

Now, Somerset is probably most famous for its cheese and cider

production, but is perhaps lesser-known for ceramics,

but many artists have settled here,

creating a haven for pottery designers.

Enticed by its landscape and access to raw materials,

the county is home to a flourishing cottage industry.

35 years ago, pop-art inspired fashion designer Sally Tuffin

and her husband, Richard Dennis,

moved from London to the village of Shepton Beauchamp,

and in 1993 established a pottery studio, Dennis China Works.

I've come to the studio to find out how Sally made the creative leap

from cutting-edge fashion to acclaimed ceramic artist.

-Sally!

-Hello!

-Hello, I'm Jules.

-Hi.

Very nice to see you.

What a glorious spot you've found for yourselves,

in the middle of Somerset.

-It's beautiful here.

-Gorgeous.

Now, take me back, if you can, to the 1960s

and those heady days when you had a shop in Carnaby Street.

-What was it like?

-It was absolutely magic,

but we probably didn't realise.

We were straight out of art school and one day the phone rang

and he said, "It's Paul McCartney, are you open on the weekend?"

and I said, "Pull the other leg,"

and he said, "No, it really is Paul McCartney,"

so I said, "Well, then we're open at the weekends!"

So he walked into the room at the weekend, larger-than-life,

ordered stuff for his girlfriend, and then he said,

"Well, you go first,"

so we went out of the front door, and he ran, and he got about, oh,

ten yards, into his car, and it was completely covered with girls.

Poor man. Must have been terrible.

Must have been terrible!

But, I mean, you know, what a world you lived in.

I know, I know, it was nuts.

So let's just fast-forward, then, to the 1980s,

when you leave London and you come down to Somerset.

What prompted the move?

The IRA blew up the cancer specialist, nearly next door,

and it rocked the house and I'd just had my first child

and we thought we had better get out of here.

And so we went to Bath

and every day we went out a different direction until we found

a house we liked. Then we just bought it and moved to Somerset.

Moving to the country is one thing,

transferring your talents from a very successful life

as a dress designer to ceramics...

It was hard leaving London, leaving the buzz of London

and the creativity,

but when needs must...

Sally quickly turned her creative focus to ceramics,

spending over five years at the Moorcroft pottery factory

as the art director.

Her distinct patterns helped turn the fortunes of the then-failing

business around and it was here where Sally not only honed her

skills, but also developed her own style.

We were very influenced by Arts and Crafts and by Chinese pottery.

This is a sort of play on '20s design,

with Chinese fish.

But it's fascinating, cos the design itself is incised, isn't it,

-into the clay?

-This one is incised, we slip trail.

It's the same system as icing a cake with icing,

only you're icing the pot with liquid clay.

Well, I'd love to go and see the studio

and perhaps get my hands dirty in the process.

Fine, let's go.

Sally's son, Buchan, has followed in his mother's footsteps,

and sculpted his own identity as a ceramic artist.

His contemporary expressions ensure the family business will continue

for another generation.

I'm having a crack at the traditional decorating technique

of slip trailing, under the watchful eye of Sally

and fellow artist of 24 years, Vanessa Thompson.

And this design that we're going to have a go at now, this sunflower,

is this something that you're particularly well-known for?

It's a very Somerset thing, we grow them in the garden,

and it's very popular.

Now, you only get one go at this, don't you?

Yeah, you have to do it once and that's it.

Here we go, this is a recipe for disaster.

Just go for it.

Oh, look at it, there's a big blob...

Oh, perfect!

-Then just lift it off.

-It's called thick and thin.

Thick and thin!

It's very hard to do.

It's very hard to get it that wrong, yeah!

Gosh, I don't think my hand is...

Don't be scared, just do it.

..honestly, steady enough. Oh, that's a bit rubbish, wasn't it?

-HE SIGHS

-Very good.

-How am I doing, Ness?

You're doing very well. I'm pretty impressed.

-I'm impressed.

-Yep.

-You're just saying that.

No, we're not saying that, actually!

There's potential.

Well, I won't be giving up the day job just yet,

but it's been a real treat meeting Sally

and seeing her creative vision thriving right here in Somerset.

Well, this week we've managed to give Peter and Jackie three really

good options. I suspect, however, that it's now down to a choice

of just two, so which one might they go for?

Well, let's go and ask them.

Well, guys, this is it.

It has come down to a choice between two, I think it's fair to say,

our Mystery House and the first one.

So, is there a clear winner, Jackie?

-There is.

-OK, what is it, Peter?

If it had to be one, it would be the Mystery House.

That's interesting because I wasn't entirely sure that you were as

swayed as we were.

The reveal into the open-plan living space, kitchen area, that was a wow.

I think the reveal on both the living spaces in house number one

and house number three tends to be a little bit overwhelming at first,

and you think, "Fantastic."

But I think location is possibly even creeping up above the actual

-house itself.

-Yeah, I think we really must be in a village.

We don't want to be a mile down the road.

Now, I'm a bit confused, if I'm honest.

Our second property was right at the heart of a village,

five minutes walk from the pub, a downhill walk at that.

Maybe we should have had an uphill walk to the pub

and a downhill roll home.

So, have we alivened you to different parts of Somerset that

-you were not familiar with?

-Looking at this area of south

Somerset has really opened

our eyes to the fact there are some beautiful villages around here

and surely there must be one that has our dream house in it.

I have absolutely no doubt you're on

-the way to finding out what you do want.

-Yep.

-Cheers.

Cheers, Jules, thanks very much for a very interesting couple of days.

Best of luck.

Well, to be honest, this week has been a little bit frustrating.

We've had a great budget and as a result, of course,

we've had some great houses, yet none of them have proved to be

exactly what Peter and Jackie are

looking for. Now, they say it's all about location,

their search will continue,

but my worry is that maybe having gotten used to cosmopolitan and cafe

society in the heart of Edinburgh, well,

they're trying to find exactly that, but in the countryside,

and does it exist?

I'm not so sure.

But when you think about what the countryside does have,

well, I wouldn't miss that for anything.

I'll see you next time.

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