Somerset Escape to the Country

The walls of this impressive red sandstone castle

hold a thousand years of history

and stand on a tor

overlooking a beautifully preserved medieval village,

once renowned for its wool production.

So, have I managed to pull the wool over your eyes?

Or have you guessed exactly where I am?

All will be revealed in just a moment.

On today's show, we're helping a couple plan for the future

by finding their very first home together.

But, they're not the only ones thinking ahead...

I was down here on holiday last year, with my daughter.

She said to me, "Mum, that's where I'm going to get married."

-So...

-No!

-So, it must be an omen.

Today, we're in Somerset

and this is Dunster Castle,

with its breathtaking views over Exmoor,

and across the Bristol Channel.

Originally built as a Norman fort

back in the 11th century,

the castle's dramatic hilltop position

gave it strategic advantages in terms of defence

and also horticulture

as a variety of subtropical plants

flourish in the grounds here.

And this evocative and fruitful stronghold

is just one of the many highlights

this beautiful county has to offer.

Nestled in the south-west of England,

Somerset is bounded to the north

by the Bristol Channel.

And it's no surprise that the breathtaking views

from the county's very own unsung Jurassic coast

have fuelled the imaginations

of some of our greatest creative minds.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's epic

Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

was conceived on a walk through the port town of Watchet.

And since 2003,

a seven-foot bronze statue of the mariner

holding the slain albatross

has stood overlooking the marina.

Travel further south into the county,

and the countryside is dissected

with tracks, hedgerows and canals

that pass through Somerset's stunning landscapes,

world-renowned for fruit and dairy production.

The varied topography,

from low-lying wetlands

to high hills and ridges,

brings with it a vast range of scenic vistas.

And the far-reaching outlook from Dunster Castle

is just as impressive

a little closer to its fortified walls.

The medieval Dunster village itself

is chock full of historic intrigue,

with over 200 listed buildings

that include the 17th-century yarn market

at its centrepiece.

So, if you're lusting after

the assorted delights of West Country life,

in a county with a population density

well below the country's average,

there's every reason to choose Somerset.

When it comes to shopping for property in Somerset,

you'll find the average price of a detached home

is nearly £324,000,

which is just a couple of thousand pounds

below the national figure.

And as one of the top ten most rural counties in the country,

Somerset offers potential buyers

a huge variety of ways to enjoy the great outdoors,

both inland and on the coast.

Factors that have prompted

our active house-hunters today

to make the move here.

Romance blossomed for Karen and Mike

after first meeting one another at a dance class.

They've now been together for over three years

but it's fair to say

that it wasn't love at first sight.

My ideal guy would be very tall, very dark.

As you can see, Mike is quite short and...

HE MOUTHS

I think he was dark, but obviously he has no hair now, so...

You can't actually...

It's a relationship that's quite effortless.

Our values are very similar.

We're different personalities

but our values are very similar.

Mike is certainly much more extroverted than I am.

Nothing phases Mike at all.

He takes everything in his stride.

The couple currently live in their own separate properties.

Mike's home is a four-bedroom semi in a Leicestershire village,

while Karen lives with her 15-year-old daughter

in a Leicester suburb.

We live approximately 15, 20 minutes apart

and we spend every weekend together,

sometimes one or two nights in the week.

I've lived in this area for just over 13 years.

In fact, the whole area probably about 25 years.

I've always lived in the Midlands.

The approximation of this house is

it's close to the M69 motorway,

which is quite noisy,

and the road in front of the house

is a bit of a rat run, really.

This house would be Mike's house, my house is my house

and what we're looking for really is

something we could call OUR house.

Ours. It's an exciting adventure, isn't it?

It is. It's a new chapter in our life.

-It's what we want to do.

-Yeah.

Mike's son has flown the nest

and Karen's daughter, Ella,

is due to finish her GCSEs shortly,

so the timing seems right to start putting down new roots together

and they've set their sights on the West Country.

I would really like to go to Somerset.

It's an area that we've visited many times before

and really enjoyed our times down there.

It's the tranquillity, and I think it's the contrast from living in the

Midlands all our lives.

It's such a contrast and a new start,

and a new adventure.

At the moment,

Karen is a self-employed marketing consultant,

and Mike runs his own business.

But they have high hopes of redressing

the work life balance when they move.

Karen works in a very stressful profession

and I would like Karen, if she wanted to,

is to reduce her hours

and both of us work part-time.

Karen's stress levels will reduce

and we'll spend more quality time together.

Hopefully when I move to Somerset,

I'll set up my private practice as a physiotherapist,

which I've done for 30 years

and I also work as a psychotherapist.

Therefore I'm looking at setting up a new practice,

new environment, new clientele.

It will be different.

It will be a challenge.

It will be refreshing.

They are an energetic couple

with a love of the great outdoors,

and have plenty of plans to keep them occupied

in their new coast and countryside location.

I like DIY. I'm very sporty.

I swim, I cycle, I run,

I play tennis with my son on Saturdays normally.

But I'm happy to try out anything, really.

I'd like to get into sailing. It's something I've not tried.

It's something both of us would like to try.

Yes. I'm coming around to the idea more!

Both of us would like to try it.

Actually, I think it could be really quite interesting

and it's something we could do together as a hobby.

With a buyer already lined up to purchase Mike's property,

they are just about ready to go

and full of optimism for their Somerset future.

All I can see is positives, no negatives,

cos every time we down there we don't want to come back, do we?

No. No.

Somerset is the chosen destination,

and ideally Mike and Karen would like us to

concentrate our property search

within a 20 mile radius of Taunton.

I'm meeting up with both of our buyers on Somerset soil

to get better acquainted.

Well, Karen and Mike,

welcome to Somerset.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Hope you're looking forward to the next few days.

Absolutely. We're delighted to be here.

Let's talk about the finer detail of this new home.

What is if you're after?

I think a character property would be nice,

although we would like it fairly modern inside.

Three bedrooms. We're not really looking for

a very, very large property.

I would really love a big kitchen.

I know it sounds very cliched,

but I would like the kitchen to be very much the heart of the home.

-Wonderful.

-We both work from home,

so either a study

or a space to create a study.

I think Mike would like a treatment room.

Yeah, I need the availability of a treatment room,

or we can produce that from the property itself

within the budget we have.

-Perhaps a holiday let to bring some income in.

-Holiday lets.

Have you ever done anything like this before?

No, we are looking at a new adventure, really, aren't we?

A new source of income that we can bring in.

Now you're making me nervous, Karen,

because at the start you said,

we don't want a big house...

We don't NEED a big house.

That list kept going, didn't it?!

The three bedrooms, yeah, I'll accept.

Will we get Karen's bed in the bedroom?

Now, tell me about this bed.

Ah, I'm rather attached to my bed.

It's a super king.

It's very large

but it's also a sleigh bed,

so the frame is also large,

so if the bed doesn't fit in the bedroom, we're not buying the house!

Are you prepared to compromise?

There will be an element of compromise,

and I think it's probably fair to say that

we may need to take on a project to get the wish list,

so we're quite happy to do that.

-We are.

-We've done quite a bit of renovation ourselves in the past...

-Mm-hmm.

-..so if it is a project then we'd be more than happy.

Well, let's remind ourselves of your budget,

and also how quickly you want to make this move.

About £425,000 is our ceiling.

-Right.

-We can accommodate that with selling the one property,

which I have a potential buyer for.

If we fall in love with something that's well over that budget,

then we may need to sell both properties.

The idea is I move down in advance, and then they'll follow.

So in an ideal world,

you'd like to spend £425,000

on this new home.

However, you do have

a little bit of flexibility, don't you?

I'm sure if we fall in love with a property

and it meets all our needs

that we could probably stretch to £450,000.

Splendid. Well, we do have

some wonderful properties

lined up to show you,

so I think we should get started.

Lovely. Thank you.

-If you'd like to follow me?

-Thank you.

For an absolute maximum budget

of £450,000,

our buyers are looking for

a character property

with a modern interior,

a spacious kitchen

and three bedrooms.

Both Karen and Mike

need a study and treatment room

for their respective businesses,

and they are also after a holiday let

for extra income.

It may be quite a tall order,

but we do have a choice range

of beautiful Somerset homes

that I hope will meet the mark.

And, as always,

the attached prices will be a guessing game.

Then, to top it off,

I'll reveal the mystery house,

where Mike and Karen could really cash in

on their country dream.

We are taking our house-hunters to

the country village of Wadeford,

which lies within the parish and

larger village of Combe Saint Nicholas,

and not too far from the amenities

in the county town of Taunton.

There is a local village shop,

as well as a pub nearby,

and right in the heart of Wadeford

is the house that I want to present.

Right, let me introduce you...

..to our first property here in Somerset.

It looks gorgeous.

Lovely.

Very, very attractive property.

I'm calling it a house.

I probably should actually say

-it's more of a cottage.

-Right. Yeah.

Just so that you're prepared as you walk through the door.

It's got a very cottage feel.

Just from the outside, it looks quite cottagey.

So, as first impressions go...?

-Very good.

-Very good.

-Yeah, very good.

-Lovely.

Shall we take a look inside?

-Please do.

-Oh, yeah. Can't wait.

Built in the middle of the 19th century,

this was originally a home for a working mill,

which itself dates to the 1600s

and makes up part of this cottage complex.

Right, let's start off with...

Well, shall we call it a sitting room

or shall we call it a snug?

I think it's more of a snug.

-Yeah?

-It's lovely, yeah.

Very, very cosy.

A nice wood burner there.

I can imagine cosy winter evenings. That would be lovely.

-It's just what we're looking for, isn't it?

-It is.

And it's a big bay, and gives lots of light,

which is important, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-And we like light, light...

Yes, I do like light rooms.

Well, actually, the house is south facing

so you're going to get it all day.

-Yeah.

-Wonderful. This is nice.

-Good. Great.

A really good start,

and back on the other side of the entrance hall,

we find a dining room which opens out onto the kitchen.

-So, other side of the staircase...

-Oh, it's lovely.

-Wow.

..here is your dining room...

Fantastic. Yeah.

..integrated into the kitchen.

Exactly what you want, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

-It's just lovely.

It's got options. It's got character.

-You'll have fun here, won't you?

-I would, yeah. I'd be happy here.

The heart of the home, really.

Again, very light, very airy

and I think they've utilised this space beautifully.

Now, Karen,

how are you with a range?

I think I'd be fine with it.

I've never actually used one, I have to be honest.

I think my daughter might struggle a little bit with it.

Country living.

The good news is you've actually got a hob here.

-Ah, wonderful.

-So far it's...

-So far so good.

-..super, yeah.

-Yeah.

It's just what we imagined, really, isn't it?

-Mmm. Yeah.

-Oh, my goodness.

I'm getting a bit excited, Mike.

I'm amazed you found something so lovely.

Well, very promising downstairs.

-Let's hope we feel the same upstairs.

-Yes.

Mike and Karen seem very taken

with this former mill cottage so far,

and at the other end of the property

is an attached scullery used as a utility room.

Back in the entrance hall,

stairs take us to the sleeping quarters,

where a double bedroom,

presented as a single,

could be used by Karen's daughter.

There's also a smaller guest room

and both bedrooms are served by a family bathroom.

All hitting their wish list so far,

but there is that all-important issue

of Karen's super king-size bed.

This is the master bedroom.

It's very small.

I'm not entirely sure my bed would actually go in here.

-It would fill the entire wall there...

-Yeah.

..and probably there would be very little room to even walk.

Yeah. Mike, help me.

-Or we could even knock through, couldn't we?

-Potentially.

We could knock that through. That could be a dressing room.

-Could be.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Then we just juggle and adjust and adapt.

-Yeah.

-Good.

And you like the idea of having an en-suite?

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-Definitely,

-we're both used to having an en-suite at the moment.

-Mm-hmm.

And with a 15-year-old daughter in the house,

we don't tend to get a look-in in the bathroom.

So the compromise could be to take the bedroom next door,

make this into a wonderful master.

Daughter's at the end of the corridor...

-Yeah.

-..and guests stay down the road.

It's heartening that Mike and Karen are clearly able to see through

the need to compromise

to what could be a fantastic home for them.

Outside to the front,

a gated gravel driveway leads to the former stone mill.

It's now used as a garage,

but could potentially be converted into

a holiday let or therapy room,

subject to the right permissions.

At the side of the property

is a raised area of lawn,

and to the rear a further level

enjoys elevated village views.

I'll get you just to turn around and look behind us.

-Wow. The Blackdown Hills.

-Stunning, isn't it?

-Beautiful, beautiful.

-That's some view, isn't it?

-Mmm, that's lovely.

And it gets the sun all day up here.

-Right.

-That's the great thing.

-So in the summer...

-Suntrap, yeah.

Exactly, suntrap. Right.

Well, we've got to see if you could

actually afford to make the changes to that mill,

because we've got to try and put a price

on our very first property.

What are you thinking?

I think it's below our budget.

I'd say 395.

Karen?

And I would say slightly lower.

I'd say for about 385.

OK.

And we're looking around £425,000 as your top budget, aren't we?

-Mm-hmm.

-With that...

-Yes.

-..room to manoeuvre if we need to.

-Absolutely.

-Right.

This first home is...

..under your budget.

It's only been on the market for about three weeks.

The asking price is...

..£355,000.

-Interesting.

-Surprising.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Very interesting.

It certainly gives it a bit more scope, doesn't it?

-It does. It's got potential, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

So, now you know the price,

I think you can look at things with fresh eyes, can't you?

Do you fancy having another look on your own this time?

-Yeah. Please.

-Yes, please. Yeah.

-Be my guest.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Leaving plenty in their budget to play with,

this former mill cottage

has an open-plan kitchen and dining room,

the three bedrooms they requested,

including a master en suite,

plus a potential project

in the former stone mill.

It needs a lot of work.

It is a massive project to do.

It's a huge, huge project.

-It will cost quite a bit of money, I would have thought.

-Yeah.

The inside is beautifully done.

The current owners have done the property very, very well.

Upstairs, unfortunately, I think the bedrooms

are probably just a little bit too small for us.

It's a bit like a reverse TARDIS, really.

It was gorgeous and big on the outside,

but it shrunk as you went on the inside.

Right, are we happy?

-Have we seen enough?

-Yes. Seen enough.

It's a really nice property and certainly a great start

I think for property number one.

And the fact you've got a little bit

of spare change in your back pocket is always very pleasant, isn't it?

-It is.

-But we have more to show you.

So, shall we make a move?

Definitely. Thank you.

Keen to explore different activities

when they make their move to Somerset,

Mike and Karen have expressed an interest in sailing,

so we've arranged a dinghy taster session at Wimbleball Lake.

It's beautiful over there.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

Instructor Andy Clear is welcoming our couple

and he's been coming to this lake since he was eight.

Hi. Welcome to Wimbleball Sailing Club.

Thank you very much. Nice to meet you.

So have you ever done any sailing?

No. None whatsoever.

We're total novices.

OK. Have you brought your wet suits?

-Yes.

-We certainly have. Yes.

So if we go and get changed

and then I'll meet you down by the training boats in a little bit.

Mike and Karen will be joining Andy to sail a Comet Trio,

a dinghy which is typically crewed by three people.

But before getting afloat,

Andy's running through some basic controls.

So, this is the boat we're going to be using.

At the back for steering is the rudder,

which is the blade in the water,

and then attached to that is this stick that comes up here and that's

called a tiller and that's what you hold on to

and then the sources of power on the boat,

the sails, of course.

So this one is the largest one and it's in the middle and it's called

the main sail and up the front of the boat

you have another sail called a jib sail.

The ropes used to raise the sails are named halyards

and the ropes that control the sail out on the water

are called sheets.

-When we're ready, we can start pulling in on the sails.

-OK.

So one way of pulling it in,

how we want to hold it

and it's called a dagger-dagger grip.

Right? So you've got this hand and it's stabbing down

-towards the pulley here.

-Right.

-Yeah.

-That way. And we've got this hand

and it's stabbing towards the back.

Demonstration over,

Karen is first at the helm.

-OK, have you got it?

-Mm-hmm.

So, I just want you to try and go in a straight line that way.

OK, so get a feel for the steering,

so pull it towards you. OK.

Do you sort of feel what it's doing?

-Yeah.

-So you say...

-Ready about.

-..and then we go ready...

-Ready.

-..and then you push it away.

So the other way. Push.

All the way over.

OK? And then Mike's undone the rope.

And then when you're facing over this way, straighten up.

So straighten back up.

OK? And you're tacked.

Next, it's Mike's turn to really

get the wind in their sails.

So if you start leaning over.

All you've got to do is just let the rope out.

Oh, God!

Turn it round a bit. If I can just grab that...

Oh, Mike!

Don't worry, it's fine.

So what's happened there is it's just cleated in in this,

so that's the problem with locking it in the cleat.

You just need it... You can't ease it out too easily.

To reduce the angle of the boat,

body weight can be redistributed

with a technique called hiking.

You've just got to pop your feet under the strap.

Under there.

Sit up on the edge, OK?

And then using that to support you,

-you just sort of lean out a little bit.

-Well done!

And then you keep the ropes nice and flat

and we're actually moving quite quickly now

because the wind's come up a little bit.

-It's nice and fast.

-It's quite exhilarating, really.

It is. Yeah.

It's just having that confidence.

I thought we were going to go in at that point.

-Now I know why we've got wet suits.

-Yeah.

The tiller back in Andy's expert hands

and the fear of an impromptu dip

has not put Karen off.

So how much experience do you have to have

before you can go out on the water on your own?

So we usually are happy if the weather's good

and if you've done a RYA Level 1 taster course,

which is just like a weekend with one of our instructors.

I've really enjoyed this. It's been a great experience,

so thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Yeah, thank you,

and we'll look forward to having lessons in future.

Yes, I hope to see you again soon.

It's been a great introduction to how Karen and Mike

might set sail in Somerset.

And we'll be getting back on course with our search

for their new country home

first thing in the morning.

With a top budget of £450,000,

we're helping Mike and Karen

to quit Leicestershire town life

and create a whole new life and business together

in the Somerset countryside.

Still to come,

I reveal a mystery house that takes our buyers aback...

Wasn't expecting this.

No.

..and I'll be on a mission

to control carnivorous crustaceans

in Exmoor National Park.

They get their calcium from eating each other.

Do they?

Oh.

Well, today we still have two more properties

to show Mike and Karen.

One of course is our mystery house,

which may make our couple

have to revisit their finances.

But first, well,

it would be a shame to come all the way to Somerset

and not see the sea

and our next property offers them

that very luxury.

Our Somerset property search is heading to

the village of West Quantoxhead.

Overlooking the coast and the western edges of the Quantock Hills,

facilities include a bar and restaurant,

a shop and a village hall.

The local manor took its name

from the 19th century church,

which is dedicated to St Audrey.

And just a short stroll from here

is the house we've come to see.

Location is fabulous here.

It's exactly where we wanted to be, wasn't it?

-We love the village.

-We love the village.

I was down here on holiday with my daughter

and the church that is just in the village down there.

She said to me, "Mum, that's where I'm going to get married."

-So...

-No!

..must be an omen!

Is this going to be where she has her honeymoon?

It's a pretty house, isn't it?

-It is.

-Very pretty.

Love the front door. The front door's really rustic.

To live here would be wonderful.

Let's see if we can make it a reality.

-Let's go.

-Thank you.

It seems this one is spot on

in terms of location.

The house was built on a sloped plot in the 1960s

and we're starting our tour

in the kitchen-breakfast room.

Very nice. Yes.

I think it's big enough.

-Lovely range cooker again.

-Lovely.

It's big enough for the table or we could put an island there

maybe if we wanted to in the future.

-Yeah.

-Super, a good start.

Let's continue.

To one side of the kitchen there's also

a utility and boot room,

with direct access to the garden.

So you've got a downstairs cloakroom,

leading us through...

..into our sitting room.

It's a nice size. Nice views out the window.

They've really made the most of

the views that they've got.

That's what you call a view.

It's beautiful. I really like it.

-Yes.

-So much potential for us, hasn't it?

-Yes.

You've got the fire there.

And then from here leading us into your conservatory.

-Very nice.

-Fantastic.

-Another bonus.

Makes the most of that vista,

but also your garden.

It's amazing.

Perfect location.

With a house, you can always develop, you can always change.

You can always make it to your own taste,

but you can't ever change the location.

We've got lovely houses now, haven't we?

But they're really in the wrong location.

There's nothing I can do about that other than move down here.

You're sold on the area

and you're really liking my house as well, aren't you?

-Absolutely.

-We certainly are.

You've got a good one here.

-Shall we head upstairs?

-Yes. Lovely.

No less than four double bedrooms

give Mike and Karen good options for their business,

as one room, currently used as a study,

has its own separate entrance.

There's also a family bathroom

and two more good-sized guest rooms,

one of which has its own en-suite.

Lastly, we come to the largest bedroom,

which offers some incredible views.

Oh, my God, you can see the sea!

-Yes!

-Wow! That's great.

You've actually got a sea view.

I didn't think we'd be that high up.

You can see right over to the sea.

-Stunning.

-Sold on the view.

-Yeah, big tick.

So, I'd better bring you back to the bedroom.

Now, at the moment, they taken out the en-suite

and they've used it as a little dressing room area.

-Yeah.

-Right.

-But all the plumbing is already in there.

-Yep.

-But it does have en-suite facilities

if you want to reinstate that.

-Perfect.

-And you will get your bed in here.

-The bed will go in here.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Sea views and space for Karen's enormous bed

are making this option

more and more attractive.

Outside, there's a powered workshop as well as a garage,

which give further scope for Mike's therapy business.

The garden, plus a well-placed summerhouse,

also benefit from those captivating views

of the coast and countryside.

I think this garden

is just so beautiful.

And then you have the most incredible vista as well.

It's absolutely stunning,

it's a really pretty garden.

-So lovely.

-Just the right size as well, isn't it?

It's not too big, not too small.

-No, that's right.

-It's perfect.

It's got lovely character.

So, you love our property,

you adore this area.

What do we think the asking price is?

I think it's going to be way over our budget.

I would say 460?

OK. Mike?

Wow. Our comfortable budget is 425...

-Yeah.

-I've got my fingers and toes crossed,

but I think it may well be above that.

OK. Well, the asking price is, with everything crossed...

..£425,000.

Right on your comfortable budget.

Fantastic. Great.

-Wow.

-It has only just gone on the market, though.

-Yep.

But, yeah, we're not stretching you on this one, are we?

-No.

-Absolutely not.

-Bang on budget.

That's really surprising.

Be my guests, go and have another look around.

Off you go. Take another look.

Thank you. Thank you.

The potential of this detached home

is hitting just about everything,

including the budget.

There is a large kitchen,

four double bedrooms,

pretty gardens

with a selection of outbuildings

and far-reaching sea views.

The interior really works for us,

because it's got the extra bedroom, which is a bonus.

It's got a study here already,

which is great for working from home.

With the panoramic views, I mean,

what more could we ask for?

I feel like I'm the king and queen sat up here.

-Wow.

-It's stunning.

Absolutely stunning.

Karen is happy, I'm happy.

Well, I have to say,

that went extraordinarily well.

You both love it, don't you?

It's gorgeous. It's such a beautiful property.

Am I allowed to drag you away?

I think you will need a rope for Karen.

Well, the day isn't over yet,

we've got more to see, so let's make tracks.

-Great.

-Thank you.

Stretching across Somerset's northern reaches

and west into Devon,

Exmoor's 270 square miles of open moorland

was designated as a National Park in 1954.

Wildlife conversation is a priority for the park authority,

but invasive, non-native species are posing a serious threat,

so conservation officers are waging war on one particular intruder.

I've come to meet ecologist Nicky Green,

who is heading up the project to reduce the numbers of

signal crayfish in the River Barle.

We're here today to talk about quite

-a serious subject, aren't we?

-That's right.

This introduction of signal crayfish.

Yes. We've got them here.

They're an invasive species of crayfish

which were introduced into the UK in the 1970s from America

to grow for food for the restaurant trade.

And they are responsible for probably a loss

of 70-80% of our native crayfish populations in the UK.

My goodness. And do they actually affect anything else,

the countryside, other wildlife?

Yeah, they eat a wide variety of things in the rivers.

They burrow into the bank,

which can cause siltation of

gravel beds that salmon spawn on,

so they have lots of different levels of impact.

Well, I've never seen crayfish up close and personal.

Let me take a look, I can help you with some of these traps.

Yeah, we'll go and empty some traps,

-and you can meet some volunteers and look at some crayfish.

-Great.

Tackling the signal crayfish involves donning our waders,

scrambling down the river bank and getting into the water.

I can see we've got one of the traps here.

Yes, this is a funnel trap,

or a baited trap, they're called.

You can see, there's a couple of crayfish in there.

I can see the bait.

What actually is it? What are you using?

That's tinned sardines.

We also use cat food.

And on an average day,

how many crayfish would you get?

Or does it vary season to season?

Erm, it does vary.

It's probably around 100 a day.

-100, 150 a day.

-My goodness.

-Yeah.

That's a lot of crayfish.

We've caught about 6,000 animals so far.

Nicky and her team have planted a variety of baited traps

along a 1,500-metre stretch of the river to catch the critters,

which can grow up to six inches long.

Is there a way that you have to hold them?

Yeah. Avoid the claws.

So, just try and hold it fairly low down.

That's it.

Look at that blue underbelly.

Those claws are ferocious!

Only half a claw.

Would that be in a fight?

Yeah, probably. They're aggressive and they basically,

they get their calcium from eating each other.

Do they? Oh.

So, what's going to happen to these crayfish?

The large males, like this one,

will be sterilised and put back in the river,

because they dominate the breeding activity,

so putting them back means that

they'll do all the mating but they won't produce any young.

And the females?

Yeah, the females have to be killed humanely,

and the smaller males as well.

There are strict rules for catching crayfish,

and the process requires a licence from the Environment Agency.

Nicky works with a team of 40 volunteers,

including park intern, April

and retired fisherman, Steve.

-And it looks like there could be success here. Hi, guys.

-Oh, yes.

There's quite a few of you have

been working on this stretch of the river today.

Is that something you would encourage people

-to do in their areas?

-Oh, yeah, absolutely.

I mean, I think it's a great way to

become familiar with your surrounding environment.

You also have to sort of educate yourself to the area where you live,

don't you, from county to county, the importance of...?

You meet like-minded people and you talk.

I know, Nicky, this is early days for the trial.

In your opinion, as an expert,

how's it going?

Initial signs are looking pretty good.

Well, it is the most beautiful setting, I think we'll all agree

and making a difference to the countryside.

Nicky, April, Steve,

-thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I'll leave you to monitor and log your catch.

Thank you.

This initiative is the first of its kind in the UK,

and in the last year or so,

Nicky and her dedicated team have seen the

numbers of river-raiding signal crayfish reduce by some 20%,

a noble effort which could offer

real hope for the native species.

Our mystery house is located in Bishops Lydeard.

This small Somerset village,

nestles in the Vale of Taunton Deane,

once the location of two working mills.

One of these is now a museum of rural life,

and heritage buffs can also enjoy the steam railway,

the longest of its kind in the country.

The village is served by a shop and store,

plus a Grade I listed church

that dates to the 14th century,

and right in the heart of this village is the mystery property,

which has a centuries-old history of its own.

-Very different, isn't it?

-It's thatched.

It is. It's thatched,

it's attached,

and it's listed.

-Yeah?

-It does look lovely.

It's very chocolate box.

And it's very beautiful.

Let's step inside and see what you make of it.

Great. Thank you.

Trust our mystery house to throw a curveball.

This thatched, Grade II listed home

is thought to have started life as two separate cottages,

and dates to the 1500s.

Over the centuries,

the cottage has been added to,

and now presents a large family home.

And, as we come through the front door,

the historic period features are immediately apparent.

There is so much to explore with this house.

Oh, this is really sweet.

And, when it comes to fireplaces, how is that for a wood burner?

-Yeah.

-That is huge. That will be so warm.

That is some fireplace.

Very, very cosy room.

So far, so good, with our mystery house?

-Definitely.

-Lovely.

-Yeah?

If I can squeeze past you, let's see the kitchen...

..which I think is quite interesting,

because it's been divided up.

-But does it work for you?

-Yeah, I think so.

The fact that you've got all that space over there, actually,

it doesn't feel like the kitchen is very, very small.

I think it's in character for the property.

So, you've got your kitchen here, your country kitchen,

beautifully appointed,

and then, you know, this is a huge supporting wall,

but they've been quite clever, because through here...

You've actually got a dining room with access outside.

-Amazing.

-Yeah. Incredible standard,

-and so much in character with the property.

-Beautiful.

-You can see it's been loved as a home.

-Yes.

We've seen a little bit of the downstairs. It's huge.

There's another sitting room and a study on the other side.

But one of the reasons we really wanted to show you this property

was the business side.

So, let's walk through. Quite a few bedrooms in total. Follow me.

There are no fewer than five bedrooms

in this mystery cottage,

which currently achieves a significant income

from bed and breakfast guests.

Upstairs, we find four of them.

One to the rear is currently offered as a twin guest room

with doors down to the garden

as well as an en-suite.

Then, running across the front of the cottage,

are three further rooms.

One is a large double featuring

a freestanding bath,

then there's another smart twin room,

and a further double.

These last two rooms are both served

by a Jack and Jill family bathroom.

But the final bedroom, number five,

is found back on the ground floor

and reached via a snug.

So, you've got an additional

reception stroke sitting room there...

Lovely, isn't it, in there? Yeah.

This is what I wanted to show you.

Oh. I wasn't expecting this.

No, not at all.

So, you've got private access here

off this beautiful courtyard garden,

-with an en-suite.

-Wow.

We're thinking, as a treatment room,

or as a B&B. It can be stand-alone.

This would make a fabulous treatment room, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's got its own private access. Perfect.

-Lots of light in here.

-It would.

-It's a big property.

-Amazing. It is really deceiving.

It's totally not what we expected at all.

That's our mystery house for you.

So, let's head outside

and see what you make of it,

and also what you think it's on the market for.

Lovely. Great, thank you.

Thanks.

This pretty, but extensive thatched cottage

has really given them lots to consider.

And outside, there are mature gardens packed with features

including a carp pond,

courtyard and a patio.

To the rear, there's also off-street parking for guests,

whether paying or otherwise.

So, a unique thatched property with B&B potential,

already up and running.

I mean, they have a successful business

bringing in quite a lot of money every year.

That got you thinking, Mike?

Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

-Ticking over.

-Yes.

But it's a beautiful home,

and that's the sort of home that people want to come and stay in.

It's really beautiful.

It's gorgeous inside, and you can understand the attraction.

Now, for the final time,

can we put a finger on how much it's on the market for?

I think it's got to be 500,000.

-OK.

-I've got to go slightly lower than that.

475.

The asking price is...

..£499,500.

500 out.

You're giving us a dilemma.

-Yes.

-A real dilemma, because it covers all the aspects of our needs,

of our wish list.

I can practice, Karen's got her study,

and we've got an income coming in immediately.

And on that note,

why don't you take the time,

think of how it might work for you,

the revenue that would come in,

which is all-important,

and you're going to find me out here when you're ready.

-Lovely. Thank you.

-Thanks.

Thank you.

This Grade II listed thatched cottage

may require Mike and Karen

to release more equity,

but it does offer a

home and business potential.

There's a characterful kitchen

and dining room,

three further receptions,

plus five large bedrooms

and pretty gardens

to the front and back.

It's a very beautiful building

with a lot of character.

It's got plenty of space.

It means that Ella can have her own en-suite bedroom,

we've got our own en-suite bedroom,

and there's numerous opportunities to either do

a self-contained holiday let or

as a B&B letting room, as it's used already.

It's really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

We really thought we knew exactly what we wanted

and what we didn't want.

However, it's quite surprised us,

and it's a real dilemma for us.

That's a very nice spot.

A little bit of a suntrap there.

Having a snooze.

So, have you seen enough?

-Yes.

-Certainly, yes.

-Good.

-Lovely.

-Excellent, well,

we've finished on a high with our mystery house.

I'm going to whisk you away

-and find out what you're going to do next.

-Great.

Well, it's been an incredible few days

showing Mike and Karen around Somerset,

and I have to say,

they are the most positive couple.

But I think that last property,

our mystery house,

I think we may have confused them...

..in a good way.

Let's hear what they've got to say.

Well, Mike and Karen, I hope you've managed to catch your breath,

because we've certainly seen a lot of this county, haven't we?

We certainly have.

So, now, talking about the properties.

Out of everything we've shown you,

have we got close?

I think there's two in particular

that we are really toying with,

and it is a real dilemma for us.

The house with the sea views completely blew us away,

and everything we asked for in terms of location, but of course,

it didn't have any business opportunity there.

Whereas, the mystery house, well...

That was something else.

You gave us everything that we didn't want...

..but it's beautiful.

Beautiful property, and of course

it's got the business opportunities.

I think there may well be a second viewing,

um, potentially on the properties.

-Which one? Both?

-Both, possibly.

-Possibly both.

I think we need to sleep on it.

We need to go and explore more.

We need to look at the pros and cons of both properties,

and then we'll be clearer.

Well, can I just thank you both?

We have loved, and I really mean this,

loved showing you around this beautiful county.

Please keep in touch.

Exciting times,

buying your first home together

-and all the very best for the future.

-It's been wonderful.

Well, we might not have found

Mike and Karen their dream house,

but what we can confirm is

that Somerset will

definitely be their new home

and I think the last few days

has helped them really clarify in their minds what it is

they want from this move.

I'm glad we've played a small part of it,

and we wish them all the very best

for their future together.

I'll see you again soon on

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