Hampshire Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country. Today, we're in a county that was

the birthplace of this, what was once one of the most revolutionary

British aircraft ever built, and which in 1931 was crowned as the

fastest in the world.

Find out where we've come to find this feat of aero engineering,

in just a moment.

On today's show, I'm helping a couple find a country retreat

that also accommodates a large dog and a sizeable motorhome.

It takes us a while to get going...

I haven't seen you this excited all week, so this is all good.

..but then at last, we gather some momentum.

I'm feeling the love with you two here.

-I've got loads of ideas bouncing around.

-Yeah, I think it's...

Yeah, yeah, it's growing on me.

Look at this, look! Cheeky smile.

-It's growing on me.

-I think this is working its own magic, isn't it?

Good.

Well, today we are in Hampshire, or to be precise,

at the Solent Sky Museum in the heart of Southampton,

and this is the Supermarine S6,

the grandfather of the legendary Spitfire.

It was the brainchild of aircraft designer RJ Mitchell,

who, during the first quarter of the 20th century, designed some of the

fastest and most successful British aircraft of all time,

as he pursued the dream of winning what was then the most famous

air race of its day, the Schneider Trophy,

which this design helped to win back in 1931.

Now, later on in the show, I'll be back here finding out

how the skies above Hampshire became a hub of British aviation,

and a little more about the man behind these rather beautiful

flying machines.

Hampshire is one of England's southernmost counties,

bounded by the English Channel on its coastline

and sharing land borders with Dorset and Wiltshire.

It encompasses areas of special scientific interest

and the New Forest National Park.

Once a royal hunting ground of William the Conqueror,

it's now home to some 6,000 wild ponies, who roam

its 220 square miles of protected heathland and woodland.

Situated on the southern edge of the forest is the Georgian market town

of Lymington. In the 18th century, it was a huge producer of sea salt,

a highly prized commodity at the time.

Today, the pretty quayside is home to marinas and leisure yachts.

With a rich mix of small ports and villages, along with its unique,

natural landscape, it's easy to see why Hampshire is hailed as a

great escape for those relocating to the country.

Well, I'm afraid there is no getting away from it.

Property shopping here in Hampshire is an expensive business

and that's because of its close proximity not just to London

but also to the tantalising south coast.

Currently, the average price of a detached home here

is some £480,000,

that's a whopping £160,000 above the national figure.

And if you want to live within the bounds of the

New Forest National Park, well, there you could expect to pay double

the price of a similar property located elsewhere.

And as for today's buyers, well, within the park is where

they want to be.

So, let's hope they've got pockets and resolve to match.

Partners Vanessa and Jane live in Flackwell Heath,

close to the town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

And Jane clearly remembers how they got together.

We met, we both played sport,

and we sort of drifted apart through our own individual sports,

and then later on, a few years later, we met again.

I think Vanessa was watching cricket and I was actually playing,

so we came together through that.

Flackwell Heath has served them well, but they're now looking

for a fresh start, and for that they've chosen Hampshire,

a coastal county that lends itself to their range of active hobbies.

We like Hampshire purely because of the space it has

and it has everything,

because we like to do a lot of outdoor pursuits.

I like golf.

I belong to the local golf club, and so I hope to join a golf club

wherever we decide to live, and hopefully get Jane involved again,

because she had played many years ago.

And Jane and Vanessa aren't the only ones looking forward

to more outdoor space.

So, we've got Louis, who's our boxer dog.

He's only a puppy, but he's a big dog.

But he's such a laugh and he's a real character,

and he's going to be part of our life in Hampshire.

So we're looking for a big rear garden because of him.

Hampshire is also well placed for accommodating their

future holiday plans on four wheels.

We've got a motorhome...

-Called Molly.

-..called Molly, that we love dearly

and we really go out to quite a few...

Well, we've been out nearly all summer in the motorhome.

Hopefully, we're looking forward to getting over to France in it.

So we would like a property that can store it, basically.

Although they'll be sad to leave,

particularly for Jane who's lived here for 16 years,

the next chapter of their life is exciting,

as this will be their first shared house purchase together.

I'm really looking forward to our move to Hampshire,

because obviously Ness has been retired for a few years,

but I'm retiring and I'm going to have

loads of time to actually have time for myself and time for us

-to do things together.

-And be happy.

-Yeah.

-And be very happy, yeah.

Vanessa and Jane would like to be in or as close to

the New Forest National Park as possible and are happy to consider

the neighbouring counties of Dorset and Wiltshire, too.

I'm meeting up with them in the New Forest to go over their wish list.

Well, Jane, Vanessa, welcome to Escape To The Country,

welcome to Hampshire and in particular,

welcome to the New Forest.

-Beautiful.

-Beautiful. It's really good, isn't it?

-Lovely.

Why have you picked this particular spot?

We just love the open space and we're both outdoor people.

-You are.

-It's an ideal place to come and do the outdoor stuff.

So, give us an idea of the sort of property you're looking for.

Well, we're looking for a detached property with a large garden,

because of our boxer dog, Louis.

We need somewhere to park the motorhome.

Now, your motorhome has a personality all of its own,

-hasn't it?

-It does.

-What do you call it?

-We call it Molly...

-We call it Molly!

..because we've got some friends that have also got a motorhome

and they call theirs Tommy!

And we go away, Molly and Tommy, to the New Forest, so...

So, lots of outside space would be ideal, but what about inside?

I think inside, we obviously need a utility area for muddy paws

coming in from a walk. Also, I think it'd be nice to have a nice,

light property, if possible,

-open-plan.

-How many bedrooms are you after?

We said initially two, but obviously it would be nice to have more.

But we wouldn't like to say more bedrooms

and then we have to sacrifice the location or the outside space.

But location is key to you,

it's got to be either within or at least within striking distance

-of the New Forest?

-Yes.

How much are you planning on spending?

The budget we've got is £650,000.

There are many parts of the country to which I could take you

where that would get you all manner of things,

but I suspect you know it's going to struggle a bit here.

-It is.

-It is going to struggle, yeah.

We might have to compromise in certain areas, but, yeah,

we're willing to do that.

So, we'll have to have a look and see how we get on.

-Ready?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Let's go.

-OK.

Armed with a budget of £650,000,

Vanessa and Jane would like a detached property

with an open-plan layout inside.

It should have at least two bedrooms,

so family and friends can come and stay.

The outside space is important.

They need a large garden for Louis and ample parking for Molly,

the motorhome, and, ideally, they want to be within striking distance

of the New Forest.

We've lined up a fine selection of New Forest homes

for Jane and Vanessa to consider, but I won't be revealing

the all-important price tag until the end of our house tours.

Our mystery property puts them right at the heart of things,

but they might have to compromise on space.

So, what prompted you to get a camper van then?

The idea of the camper van is for us to sort of go away for weekends

or during the week, and just go around to different areas

looking for properties.

So, you've bought a camper van to go house-hunting?

We have.

Brilliant!

Our first house is on the northern edge of the New Forest

in the small village of Lover, in Wiltshire.

One of the closest places for amenities is Downton,

about three miles away.

A classically English village, nestled in a valley,

and with a population of 3,000, it's home to a range of amenities,

including a post office and a number of pubs.

Back in the smaller village of Lover,

house one is set back from a quiet country lane.

There we are. What do you think of this one then?

Yeah, it's quite a nice-sized drive.

I'm just not sure where we'd put the camper van.

Well, you have got this space here.

They've obviously got it set up as some rather attractive seating

and what have you, but there is, behind it, a bit more garaging

with quite a short parking area.

-Right.

-You could potentially remodel that and have Molly

kind of out the back.

Yeah, so what do you think?

First impression, I like the look of it.

Good. Let's see what you think.

Our first option is a handsome brick property,

built in the 1930s, but it's been extended over the years

and modernised, including new windows throughout.

Oh, this is a nice-sized room.

It's quite a nice bright room, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-Quite a good size.

It's sweet, isn't it? You can see how they've extended it that way.

-Yeah.

-Remember when we looked at the outside?

-Oh, yes!

-Because you've got... Is that a wood burner?

-It is, yeah.

-Oh, brilliant.

-You've got a multi-fuel wood burner.

-We like our wood burners, don't we?

-We do.

-So it's quite...

-It looks quite contemporary, although it's an old property.

-Yeah.

You don't have to rely on this as somewhere to relax because,

through here, we've got a really charming snug,

and that leads on...

-Oh, brilliant.

-..to the kitchen-diner.

Come on, have a look.

-So, this is the snug.

-Again, another nice room.

You think a snug is small, but it's not small at all.

-No, it's lovely.

-It's a nice size.

-It's cosy.

This, I think, is...

..the new extension that really makes this place work.

-You've got a lovely dining-conservatory there..

-Wow.

-..utility room through there.

-Yeah.

And then in here, well, as you can see...

-Lovely. This is very nice.

-Very, very nice. Yeah.

And actually, there's a stable door that gets you outside

through the utility room as well,

-so you could have boot room, dog room etc.

-Yeah.

-But I think Louis would love this.

-Yeah, he would.

Well, as you can see, they have massively extended it downstairs,

and the same is true upstairs...

-Great.

-..to give you your four bedrooms.

-Come and have a look at these.

-Wow.

Vanessa and Jane seem happy with the well presented ground floor layout,

which also gives them options for entertaining.

Upstairs, the four bedrooms include a sunny double guest room...

..plus two smaller doubles in the extension at the back.

There's also a family bath and shower room.

And finally, of course, the main bedroom.

And this would be yours.

-OK.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-It's... Sorry, go on.

It's quite small.

Whether it's because the units there might bring it in a little bit.

Yeah, they're quite a size,

but it also incorporates a really nice shower en suite

through that doorway there. So, that's obviously taking up a bit

of space, and a little sort of dressing area ahead of you there

that leads you into the en suite.

So, I take your point, it's not acres of room.

-No.

-But given that you wanted two bedrooms and we've got four...

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-You know, I think that's where you...

-You have to compromise, maybe.

-Yeah, I would say so.

-And it's a light room again, it's quite a nice, light room.

-It is.

It is spacious, actually.

-It is spacious.

-It's a good-sized house.

That's what I'm hoping you'll think.

Yeah.

-But let's deal with the garden.

-OK.

-That's the last bit.

-All right.

-After you, madam.

-Thank you.

I'm detecting a difference of opinion over the size of the master,

but I'm hoping the land will keep them both on side,

as there's certainly enough space for Louis to run around in

and plenty of room for Molly, the motorhome.

So, this is your immediate garden, private garden.

It goes all the way round the house.

You've got a bit of seating over there.

You also get this building here, which I think is rather nice.

They've given over half of it to a sort of craft studio at this end,

-and this end is garaging.

-Yeah.

Just behind that hedge there is this little sort of pull-in.

I'm not sure that's really big enough for Molly,

but you could extend it, maybe rethink this, knock it down,

start again, or even chop a bit off of it, potentially,

to give you somewhere dedicated for Molly.

Vanessa, what's this one on the market for?

I think it's going to be nearer the top end of our budget,

so I'm going to say £625,000.

625.

I'd go for 630.

630.

Both optimistic.

-Both not right.

-OK.

Bearing in mind where we are, this is the sort of challenge

we are going to have to really get to grips with.

This is on the market for £655,000.

-Oh.

-Yeah.

-Within reach, OK.

They know where your budget is, all right?

I think it does offer you many reasons to celebrate it.

-Yes.

-Yes, definitely.

-Which is what I'm going to let you do now.

-Go and explore it.

-Thank you.

-At your leisure.

-OK, thank you.

See what you get for your money.

Nudging slightly over budget by £5,000,

the vendors of this extended 1930s house are open to offers.

Modernised throughout, the ground floor includes a light,

spacious kitchen and conservatory.

Upstairs, there are four good-sized bedrooms, and outside,

the secure garden is dog friendly,

and there's space for Jane and Vanessa's motorhome.

I think Jane and I could see ourselves in here.

Probably have a few discussions on what to do with certain rooms.

But, yeah, I could see us working well in the house.

It's got nice, good space, good, airy, light space,

which for me is a bonus.

The downside of the property for me is not enough outside space.

The house inside is spot-on.

I've just been wondering whether there is any money left

in your budget for coffee?

-I'm sure there is.

-Come on, let's go.

Though the New Forest's vast and unspoiled national park

is what Hampshire is most commonly known for,

the area's winding coastline of creeks and inlets

make it the perfect location to enjoy water activities,

while also taking in the impressive local sites.

One such place is Hurst Castle.

Sitting on the end of a shingle spit,

it was built by Henry VIII to defend the coastline,

and later modernised in the 19th century.

From here, instructor Sean Scott runs a course

in stand-up paddle boarding.

Given our sporty couple are keen to get out on water when they move,

we arrange for them to meet him to find out more.

Because of its remote location,

Hurst Castle is only accessible by foot or by boat,

which is how Vanessa and Jane have arrived to meet Sean.

-Hi, Sean.

-Hi, Sean.

-Hi, welcome to Hurst Castle.

-Yeah, beautiful day.

-Oh, it's stunning, isn't it?

Looking forward to the paddle boarding?

-Really looking forward to it.

-Yes.

-Brilliant.

First, though, the historic highlights.

So, the castle has a really varied history.

So, obviously we have the Tudor castle in the middle,

one of Henry VIII's coastal forts.

One of the main things people like to know about is King Charles I.

He was kept here before he was obviously then taken off

-to be executed.

-Wow.

So why is Hurst particularly good for paddle boarding?

So, we're really lucky round here.

The castle itself creates shelter.

We've got a lovely bay right in front of us, obviously a nice, calm,

safe environment. You're effectively penned in by three sides.

So for anyone who's a bit nervous, not sure about balance, it's a flat,

calm area, nice and safe.

There's no boats to really worry about.

Perfect location to begin.

-Great. Shall we give it a go?

-Brilliant, yeah, when you're ready,

-let's give it a go.

-Let's give it a go.

Paddle boarding has grown in popularity.

It started in Hawaii and evolved from other watersports,

including outrigger canoeing and windsurfing.

In terms of equipment, it's pretty straightforward.

You need a board and a paddle, and a wetsuit's a really good idea.

Lovely, great. So if you'd like to grab your paddle.

Fantastic, brilliant.

OK, so, if we're paddling along, we're going to be on our knees.

We place the paddle in the water and we pull it down

the side of the board, starting in at the front

as far as you can reach,

coming down along the side of the board.

If you're paddling on your left,

your board will slowly start turning to the right.

Paddling on the right, your board will start slowly turning

to the left. Make sure you're looking up and forwards,

don't look at your feet. OK?

If at any point you do feel unstable though,

bend your knees as though you're squatting on the board, OK?

That will allow the boards to move around underneath you

and should help you relax, not fall forwards.

Well, time to put the theory into practice.

So, it's life jackets on.

Now, Vanessa's not as confident in the water as Jane,

so she's going first.

Keeping her legs as relaxed as possible,

she sets off in somewhat breezy conditions.

That's it, paddle on the left.

Stroke on the left, yeah?

That's it.

Then it's Jane's turn.

And after a few minutes on the water,

she's keen to get adventurous.

I think it's good fun.

It's quite challenging today because it's quite breezy.

I'm looking forward to standing up.

I'm not so sure about that!

But with a little instruction from Sean, Jane's soon on her feet.

That's it. You're a paddle boarder.

It's not going to topple over, is it?

-No, no, no, it's not going to topple over on you.

-OK.

Gently scoop the water down the side.

Nice and relaxed. Nice and gently.

Even Vanessa eventually has a go.

Rounding off a successful day on the Solent.

-I really enjoyed that.

-Thanks, Sean.

-Yeah, that was great.

-Well done, brilliant.

-Quite breezy, but we'll come back again.

-Fantastic.

-When it's calmer.

Well done. You should be both really proud of what you've done there.

-To get standing in this wind, well done.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I'm rural property shopping in the New Forest with Jane and Vanessa,

who currently live near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

With their £650,000 budget, they're looking for somewhere large enough

to accommodate them, their much-loved dog and their motorhome.

Coming up, we'll be seeing two more possibilities.

At the mystery property, we meet the neighbours.

Oh, look, here they are. This is where they've been hiding all along.

Yeah, they've been waiting for us.

And I discover the remarkable role Hampshire played

in the story of British aviation.

Well, as we get ready for our final day of property hunting here in the

New Forest with Jane and Vanessa,

once again we have to face the task of trying to pitch

their otherwise very generous budget into what is, without a doubt,

a very challenging property market.

Coming up, we've got two more properties to show them,

including, of course, our Mystery House,

which I think offers them a very real slice of New Forest life.

But first, something that's located just outside the park, but which

should, I hope, cater for their interest in watersports,

whilst giving them ready access to all that the New Forest

has to offer.

For our next option, we're travelling to Milford on Sea

on the Hampshire coast.

Lying between the New Forest on one side

and Christchurch Harbour on the other, the popular seaside village

has a wide range of shops and restaurants surrounding

a well-kept village green.

The next house is located on the edge of this coastal village.

Right, guys, well, I thought today we'd start with this one.

What do you think?

It looks interesting. It's not something I would have

perhaps looked at. But, yeah...

It has a nice-sized drive.

Just looking at it, it might need a bit of updating.

Yes, I think, to be fair, it could do with a bit of refreshing.

-Yeah.

-As you might expect with a property that's

been in the same family for the last 30 years or so.

But the building itself was put up in 1955.

Plenty of room in here, I think, for the pair of you,

and, of course, for Louis as well.

He's got a massive utility room all to himself.

-Come and have a look.

-OK.

This detached property built back in the 1950s

is situated in an excellent location close to the sea.

The house itself is neutrally decorated

and offers Vanessa and Jane a blank canvas.

Right, there we are.

This is what greets us and what is going to greet your visitors.

They've got it set up as a sort of dining hallway.

First impressions?

I'm not sure about walking into a room.

-Yeah?

-I find that different.

-Yeah.

-I've never experienced that.

So, I find that quite...

Is it a waste of a room?

It's a good question. I mean, effectively, it's a corridor.

That's what all of these dining hallways are, essentially.

But it does lead you to the rest of the property.

Off one side of the hallway, there's a ground floor guest double

and a decent-sized study, which could become another bedroom.

But we're heading to the kitchen at the back of the house.

Here you go. Kitchen-diner.

-It's quite a big room, actually, for a kitchen, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I mean, it's quite compact.

-There's quite a lot of floor space.

There's loads of floor space.

Again, I think this is one of the areas that you might refresh,

shall we say.

A nice bit of furniture here, too.

And, of course, that lovely light area, which has obviously been

added on with the glazing over the kitchen table itself.

I think it's got potential to put your own stamp on it.

Definitely.

It also has the addition of an enormous utility room.

Access through that door there.

Bags of room for Louis and all your clobber and outdoor gear.

-Yes, that's handy to have.

-Sounds good.

I'm feeling the love with you two here.

-I've got lots of ideas bouncing around.

-Yeah, I think it's...

Yeah, yeah, it's growing on me.

-Look at that cheeky smile.

-It's growing on me.

I think this is working its own magic, isn't it? Good.

One room you won't want to do an awful lot to is the

living room. That's next door. Come and have a look of this.

-You'd forgotten all about this, hadn't you?

-We did.

There.

That's quite modern in comparison to the other rooms.

Yeah. Quite contemporary, isn't it?

Yes, very square.

Again it's light.

Would you say it's double aspect, is that what you say?

Why not? Double aspect with some French doors

out to the veranda, actually.

-A genuine veranda, which is rather interesting.

-That's nice, isn't it?

Which we'll see a bit later.

-We'll go out that way when we go out in the garden.

-OK.

Well, let's have a look upstairs, because the master is all of that.

-Wow.

-You get the whole floor. Yeah.

With two of the three bedrooms located on the ground floor,

the main bedroom upstairs benefits from a skylight

and some useful storage cupboards set into the eaves.

Again, it's got a lot of character.

And it's also got, behind here,

a really nice en suite shower over the bath, kind of arrangement.

-Oh, yes, that's nice.

-But nice and fresh.

-Looks nice.

-Yeah.

And the skylight as well.

So you've got your own master suite, effectively, up here.

Yeah. Very nice.

It's got potential, this property, to put our own mark on it.

I've got lots of ideas bouncing around.

I haven't seen you this excited all week, so this is all good.

But there is one more bit to show you, and that of course

is the garden, and from there I think you get the prettiest view

-of the house as well.

-OK.

Let's see what you think of this.

Down the stairs with that door.

The garden is perfectly maintained,

with a raised timber veranda overlooking the whole plot.

Most of it is laid to lawn with tree and shrub borders,

creating a beautifully secluded haven to relax in.

Do you see what I mean?

I think the view from down here looking up is really attractive.

-It is.

-It's the veranda.

-Yeah.

-I think it's beautiful, that.

It's very Mediterranean, isn't it?

It is. It's nice just to come out of the living area straight onto it.

I like that.

So, let's have a think then about the price of this one, shall we?

Oh...

I think the price of this property would be 585.

585.

£640,000.

£640,000 is closer to the mark.

But, it does pain me to tell you this,

it is an eyewatering £669,950.

My goodness.

However, that said, they know what your budget is, the current owners,

and would be keen to entertain a conversation if this property

is for you.

But of course it's all about location, isn't it?

Close to the coast, close to the New Forest.

Again, it's the gardens, the location.

It's a real learning curve on this visit to the country.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yeah, definitely.

Go and have a wander around

and talk amongst yourselves, and I will come and find you

-a little bit later on.

-OK.

-Go on. Off you go.

Although over budget by £20,000,

the owner of this attractive property is open to offers.

There's a generous living space,

including a practical kitchen with large utility room

for Louis, the dog.

There are two bedrooms, with the master occupying

the whole first floor.

The beautiful gardens can be enjoyed from the veranda,

and there's ample parking at the front for the motor home.

Let's not forget, too, that it's located just a few miles

from the south coast.

My overall thoughts of the house and the price,

it gives you a lot to think about.

I thought it was a lot of money for what we would like to do to it.

Yeah. It could work,

but we'd have to knock a few pounds off the asking price.

Well, that was a bit of a roller-coaster.

-How are we doing?

-Yeah, good, thank you.

-Seen enough?

-Yes.

-Yep.

I was thinking, if you say £669,950

really quickly, it doesn't sound as much.

-It does!

-It does! Yeah, definitely!

-Come on then.

For our final offering, we're heading to the village of Beaulieu

in the heart of the New Forest.

Set in a conservation area, it dates back to the 13th century,

and grew up around an abbey founded by Cistercian monks,

on land given to them by King John, who had a royal hunting lodge

at Beaulieu itself.

Our Mystery House is situated just on the outskirts,

on New Forest common land.

It presents Vanessa and Jane with an option slap-bang

in the national park.

But they will have to give up some outside and inside space

if they want such a sought-after location.

Now, when you have pictured the New Forest in the past,

presumably this is the sort of thing that you've had in mind?

-Yes.

-Definitely, yeah.

-Well, if you lived in that house over there,

the white one...

it would all come together, wouldn't it, beautifully?

-Yes.

-It would.

-It would.

-Good, because that's the Mystery House.

-Oh, OK!

Yeah, that's a good position.

That's idyllic, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's what we wanted.

And what it lacks in garden, it makes up for in

all of this outside the front door.

Right, OK.

-Brilliant.

-Exciting.

-Happy?

-Very.

Well, let's hope it works, guys, because this is the last throw

-of the dice, isn't it?

-It is.

We've got it all to play for. Right, come on.

Built in the Edwardian era, this detached cottage comes with

the benefit of commoners' rights over the land in front.

Oh, look, here they are.

This is where they've been hiding all along.

-Almost outside the front door.

-Yeah, they've been waiting for us.

It's the oldest property I've shown Jane and Vanessa,

and it's packed with character inside.

Right, so, come on in.

What do you think?

It's quite small.

Quite dark.

Not what I expected, really.

Again, for me, when you come in through the door,

you're straight into a room, and I'm not so sure about that.

Yes. I mean, I do take your point. It isn't for everybody.

I mean, in terms of size, it is quite compact.

It has had an extension that way.

That's where that door leads to, what is now an extended snug,

which is a two-storey affair,

-so it does make more room upstairs as well.

-OK.

The selling point really, of course, is...

-What's outside.

-The view.

-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-That is the thing.

So, come through to the kitchen.

Now...

..I know what you're going to say.

You're going to say it's not big enough.

-It's not big enough!

-No.

I am psychic, I must be!

However, it is dominated by this island affair,

a sort of breakfast bar,

which, to be perfectly frank, I would probably remove

and rethink the whole thing.

-Yeah.

-Definitely, yeah.

It just sort of restricts you as you come in. It's sort of...

-You walk straight into it.

-It is quite a restricting room.

I think there's not an awful lot you could do with it.

But, you know, not to say you couldn't work your magic.

Yeah, we could...

A lot of magic, I think, for me!

-Well, you know I want you to be honest, that's the key thing.

-Sorry.

I don't think Jane and Vanessa are convinced.

There's no doubt it's a cosier option than our previous properties,

but let's not forget that bit of common kerb appeal outside.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, including a guest double

at the back...

..and a single overlooking the heathland at the front.

But let's see what they think of the final bedroom,

which I think they'd have for themselves.

No surprise that this is...

..the master.

Great outlook, isn't it?

-It is.

-I mean, yeah, wake up to a view of the common.

Come over here, look. Can you see?

-Cattle. I told you.

-Oh, yeah. Great, great outlook out there.

-A bit more wildlife to see.

-Straight onto the common.

Again, it's a nice light room.

Good-sized bedroom.

-And it has quite a big en suite through there, too.

-Oh, OK.

-Now, we've talked a lot about Molly.

-Yeah.

-We've actually got somewhere for Molly.

-Oh!

-Yeah. Come and have a look at this.

-OK.

I think it's the best Molly base we've found yet.

Outside, there's a wraparound secluded garden,

which is largely laid to lawn.

It's suitably secure for a dog as well,

and there is a designated parking space for their sizeable motorhome.

So, this is where I think Molly would be quite at home, actually.

-Yeah, I can see...

-So, it's a good enough space for her.

-Yeah.

Look, you've got access there through the gate.

You might need to trim the holly a bit, but...

And you can keep an eye on her through the kitchen window there.

-Yeah.

-And it's all pretty much enclosed, in terms of Louis.

I think you could open the back door and he could potter about here.

It's not a massive garden, of course,

because you've got the common,

-you know, to play with in front of you.

-In front of you, yeah.

Now comes the very difficult bit where you have to estimate

the price, which I'm sort of dreading a bit today.

So, for the last time of asking, Jane,

how much do you think this is on the market for?

A difficult one, but with the common outside, I say...

-£700,000.

-£700,000?

So you've clearly learned this week, and added on a bit.

Yeah, I have. Yeah, definitely.

OK, Vanessa?

Erm... I agree, it's over budget,

and I think it's going to be higher than Jane's price,

-so I'm going to say 735.

-Wow!

This is in fact bang-on your budget at £650,000.

-Really?

-Wow. I'm really shocked at that.

-Yeah.

-I'm surprised.

-There you go.

-There you go.

So, you get the common, you get the Mystery House for £650,000.

Well, not the common. You get access to it,

-along with everybody else.

-Yeah.

-It's a shared thing.

Yeah, it is shared thing with the horses.

But the house, you don't have to share.

This would be all yours.

So, go and have a quick whizz round and I'll come and find you later,

and then we'll head off and get you somewhere you can sit down

-and think about it all. Go on, off you go.

-Thank you.

Bang on budget, our Mystery House is an Edwardian cottage

situated in the middle of the New Forest National Park.

The accommodation is cosy, but perfectly adequate for a couple.

There are three bedrooms upstairs,

and outside there's plenty of space for their motorhome

and for Louis to play around in.

But the real selling point is having the New Forest

right on their doorstep.

I don't think this age of property is for me.

I like more conventional, more light in the room,

-bigger rooms.

-The rooms are on the small side, for me.

And the garden is a lot smaller than I wanted, we both wanted.

So, on the whole, it's a no from me.

Our house tours are now over.

You're got quite a lot to make some sort of sense of, haven't you?

-We have.

-It's been an interesting week.

Absolutely. But it's not over just yet.

Go on, off you go. I'll find you a coffee somewhere.

With its 34 miles of coastline and major ports, such as Southampton,

Hampshire has a distinguished nautical heritage.

But the county has also played a big part in the aviation history

of Britain.

In the 20th-century, the Solent region was home

to 26 plane companies, including Supermarine -

manufacturer of the first commercial flying boat,

and, of course, the legendary Spitfire.

The region's aircraft heritage is preserved at the Solent Sky Museum,

and I've come to meet director Alan Jones to find out more

about the collection and the key people involved

in Hampshire's aeronautical history.

You know, Alan, I never tire of coming to see this museum.

It is an astonishing collection.

Now, many people will be aware of Southampton's shipping legacy,

but maybe unaware of the crucial role it played in the story

of aviation and the development of the flying boat.

It was the shipping heritage that made the flying boat, of course,

because when Pemberton Billing came to Southampton,

he was an eccentric millionaire,

became a Member of Parliament, actually.

He and Scott-Paine formed a company called Supermarine.

And the idea was to build boats that fly.

We in Southampton were quite famous for producing things

like J Class yachts and...

So, they came here and they had the workforce available,

and that's how they started.

But to put it in context,

this is all happening at the beginning of the 20th century,

when aviation itself was in its infancy.

The idea of combining this emerging science with water

was a pretty bold one?

Well, it's very bold, but it was obvious, if you think about it,

because there were no railways.

I mean, the water's all over the world, isn't it?

So, you can fly from anywhere,

and therefore the idea of producing an aeroplane

that would take off of water and land back onto water was,

at the time, incredibly sensible.

Hampshire had the water and the local expertise

to attract companies like Supermarine to the area.

In 1917, a young apprentice from Stoke-on-Trent joined the firm.

RJ Mitchell quickly rose through the ranks to become chief designer,

helping to produce the fastest flying boats known to man.

Alan, this is a fascinating aircraft.

-What are we looking at here?

-Well, this is the S.6B,

designed by RJ Mitchell, and was designed for the

1931 Schneider Trophy race.

And up until then, of course,

Mitchell had designed a large number of flying boats,

-in fact 24 different types of aeroplane up to then.

-Wow.

When the Schneider Trophy was first conceived,

it was by Jacques Schneider, a Frenchman,

and the idea was a competition to see how safe and fast

you could make an aeroplane. The competition started in 1913,

and by 1931, when this country won it outright, the speed had gone

from something like 45mph to nearly 400.

And that was as a result of Mitchell's design.

Mitchell's S.6B was revolutionary.

To reduce external drag, he put the radiator coolant in the wings

and the fuel in the floats, streamlining the whole thing.

The S.6B had given Mitchell the experience and the team

to move forward and design Britain's most celebrated

wartime flying machine - the Spitfire.

How much of that early Schneider technology finally made it into this

particular aircraft?

Well, a lot of the technology, but it wasn't a development

from the S6 aircraft, because it was a totally different concept,

in its own way.

But what is important is that Mitchell learnt a great deal about

high-speed flight.

And that's why the Spitfire became such a successful aircraft,

because the design was such that it was smooth, it was clean,

and it was a thoroughbred from day one.

When it first flew in 1936, Mutt Summers, who flew the aircraft,

got out of it and said, "Don't change anything."

So, famously, Mitchell designs the Spitfire here in Southampton.

-Was it built here?

-Oh, yes.

There were all Spitfires built here up until 1940,

and then there were two daylight raids on the factory.

110 people were killed.

And after the second raid,

the whole of the Spitfire production was brought to a halt.

After the bombing of the factory,

Spitfire production was dispersed around the town

and to the West Midlands. But of the 22,000 Spitfires built,

8,000 were made here in Southampton.

It goes to show the impact Hampshire's

designers and engineers had, not only on British aviation,

but also on the course of the Second World War itself.

But now it's time to return to the present day

and our house-hunting mission.

Well, sadly, there is no getting away from it,

this has been a frustrating week,

and it certainly challenged both Jane and Vanessa's preconceptions

about what their new life in the New Forest might eventually

look like and, importantly, what it may cost them.

So, the burning question, as ever, is what happens next?

Well, let's go and ask them.

-Hello, you two.

-Hi.

-Hiya.

-How are you doing?

-Yes, good.

Now, I think, in fairness, we did show you an interesting range

of properties.

-Yeah.

-You did, yeah.

But is there is favourite?

I think, if we had to pick a favourite...

It would be the first house.

-The first one?

-Yes.

-We like that because it had quite a lot of floor space...

-Yeah.

And it's a property we could see ourselves walking straight into

without having to do a lot of alterations.

-It certainly set the bar in terms of the budget, didn't it?

-Yeah.

It was slightly over budget, but...

..we could understand why that was well placed.

I think we can cut to the chase, really.

It has been difficult, as we will all recognise.

-My guess is that we haven't quite found it yet.

-No.

-No.

But what about the New Forest itself?

Are you still certain that this is an area where you want to

put down roots and invest your money?

We'd like to continue looking in the New Forest.

The first property you showed us,

we don't really know that particular area,

so we've had a chat about it, and we said that we would, you know,

pursue that area and have a look and see what that area has to offer.

Are you feeling optimistic about the New Forest?

I was going to say, "However..."

I was waiting for that, yeah. OK.

However, obviously, this week has really shown what we can afford

-within our budget.

-Yep.

-And I think for value for money aspect,

we might need to look in different areas.

-Different areas, yeah.

-Yeah.

With having Molly, the camper van,

we can certainly still carry on exploring.

Well, this brings us nicely back to Molly,

who has featured in this week's conversation.

So, maybe Molly's work is not yet done?

No, I think we could be keeping her for another year or so.

It has been an absolute pleasure meeting you this week.

-Best of luck.

-Yeah, thank you very much.

It really has opened our eyes, and...

-We've had a good week, we've enjoyed it.

-We've had a good week,

-and thank you very much.

-Absolute pleasure.

I think it's opened all our eyes, really, hasn't it?

-Here's to you, and to Molly.

-Cheers.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

You know, to many people, the idea of living in the New Forest is the

epitome of English country life.

Its ancient commons and woodlands steeped in history and tradition

do create a very real sense that you are exploring another world here.

But as we have all learnt, to our cost,

entering its property market can be prohibitive.

As for Vanessa and for Jane, well, their search, clearly,

will continue, now refocused, hopefully,

in an area where their otherwise handsome budget will at last

give them the country life they're looking for.

I'll see you next time.

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