Shropshire Escape to the Country

Whoa, look at this! How delicious.

Pork pies, cider, cheese, ketchup, all locally produced within a mile of this very spot, and where am I?

Well, it's a gastronomic capital but right in the middle of the most beautiful English countryside.

Find out in just a moment.

In today's show, I'll be helping a couple

leave commuter-belt living behind for a quiet life in the country.

But finding a house to suit them both proves a challenge.

-That is amazing.

-I'm not sure I like it.

They'll have the chance to view some stunning properties,

including our mystery house, but there's trouble ahead.

When I get that look, I know we're in trouble.

Could be in for a serious argument.

A long discussion.

But will they fight it out and pick any of our choices as their new home?

Today, I'm in Shropshire and I couldn't have found a better place to have a picnic.

Behind me is Ludlow, which is the foodie capital around here.

Everybody is mad keen on local produce,

which is great for the local community,

and also great for my belly.

Shropshire lies on the border of England and Wales.

Set on a back cloth of patchwork fields,

it has a long history of wild border conflicts

which have left a legacy of hill forts,

one of the most spectacular being in Oswestry.

Shropshire is one of England's most sparsely populated and rural counties.

Fertile soil encourages fine crops,

and the animals reared on its plains produce quality meat and dairy products

which are sold locally in abundance and are celebrated in food festivals throughout the county.

To the south lie the Shropshire Hills.

Covering over 300 square miles, the hill ranges and river valleys

offer unspoilt countryside enjoyed by the residents and tourists alike.

In terms of its architecture, Shropshire is triply blessed.

It wasn't industrialised in the Victorian period,

it wasn't bombed in the Second World War,

and it wasn't redeveloped in the 1960s,

which means that a lot of these half-timbered buildings are intact and reasonably priced,

because the average price of a detached house

here in Shropshire is £267,000,

which is 2% less than the national average,

which is all good news for today's buyers.

And they are Reg and Lesley, who live in a modern four-bedroom house

in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

After 40 years of marriage where Reg spent many years in the RAF and Lesley worked as a civil servant,

they're looking forward to a change of pace.

We want a better quality of life, less pollution,

a healthier lifestyle, and hopefully we'll be able to slow down a bit

because we have quite a manic life at the moment, don't we, darling?

Yes, I agree with Lesley. I think we're ready to go somewhere

where the quality of life could be a little bit better,

more rural, and to do it before we become too old

to really appreciate living in the country.

And they're looking forward to their leisure time.

I'd like to get on the golf course more often.

He'd be on that golf course every day if I let him, I'm sure.

I'd like to do yoga and maybe join the WI,

and participate in the village activities.

And possibly bowls,

which is something that we did in Spain on holiday recently.

Their present house has been their home for the past 13 years,

and all in all, it wasn't a bad buy.

One of the reasons that attracted us to this property originally was the size of the master bedroom.

When we do find another property,

we would like it to have a similar master bedroom.

But there are a couple of niggles.

As you can see, this kitchen is quite small,

and I do want a bigger living kitchen, because it is the centre focal point of the house.

This is a fairly recent property.

However, what it lacks is features.

What we would really like in the next property is to have

an inglenook fireplace where we could put a wood-burning stove.

So to sum up, what sort of property are they looking for?

-Three bedrooms.

-A large kitchen because Lesley is a wonderful cook.

Not on a main road.

And a nice, large-ish garden, secluded, with country views.

Before we can set the wheels in motion, we need to get their property valued.

This is a really nice, four-bedroom detached house, well presented throughout,

quite close to the train station, so ideal for the commuter.

I would like to value this property at £475,000.

We bought the house 13 years ago and only paid £140,000, so it's a reasonable return on our investment.

We have done very well.

So how much money are they looking to spend now?

Our budget would be £400,000.

They might be able to agree on the budget, but are they searching for the same property?

I suspect that we're probably not.

I'm looking perhaps at a period property, thatched cottage,

old-fashioned features there.

And I want somewhere more modern and airy and spacious.

In that case, it sounds like there could be conflict ahead.

Our home-buyers' requirements are quite straightforward.

They want a country property with a big kitchen, three bedrooms, lovely garden.

But...Reg wants lots of period details,

Lesley wants clean, modern lines, so there could be fireworks yet.

Reg and Lesley have friends and family in Shropshire

and want to be within easy reach of them,

so they've specified the countryside in the south of Shropshire Hills

as the main area of our search.

We'll be viewing a selection of fantastic properties,

but I won't be revealing the prices until after each viewing.

And of course, there's the mystery house,

which may just put a spanner in the works.

We've done well finding houses that fit Reg and Lesley's requirements,

but if YOU fancy Shropshire as your new home, then take a look.

There are plenty of properties.

At the top end of the market sits this mansion in Bridgnorth, up for grabs for £1,650,000.

From the moment you step into the entrance hall, the house never fails to impress.

It's been beautifully renovated, but you might need a gardener to look after the 16-acre plot.

Or 30 miles down the road in Stoke-on-Tern,

this six-bedroom Victorian house may part you from your cash.

For £875,000, it's an elegant property, with an enormous kitchen,

and it all sits on two-and-a-half acres of beautiful grounds.

Or, for the more affordable end of the market, you might be tempted by

this former Victorian school house, for sale at £275,000.

It's sleek and modern, yet retains its period features.

Shropshire the Beautiful salutes you.

-And welcome back to you, cos you're a Shropshire lass.

-I am indeed.

I lived here in Shrewsbury for 20 years, before I escaped to London.

Now you're escaping back to the countryside!

Yeah, that's so true!

Not into Shrewsbury, but the beautiful countryside around.

-I hope so!

-What about you, Reg?

Well, all those years ago, I fell in love with Lesley when she came to London,

and then when she took me up to Shropshire, I fell in love with Shropshire as well,

so a twin-edged sword as it were.

A double whammy, a double delight?

-Sort of!

-Remind me again of your budget.

-£400,000.

-Yeah.

-Very top?

-Pretty much.

Pretty much, yeah.

Well, we've found some great properties to show you,

and we've got a mystery house as well to keep you on your toes.

-I'd forgotten about that.

-Sounds exciting.

Let's get cracking and find some.

Reg and Lesley have a budget of £400,000 and are looking for a three-bedroom property.

Lesley is a keen cook and dreams of a large kitchen, while Reg hankers for period features.

One thing they both agree on

is a large private garden with views of the countryside.

Do you have any specific...?

I know that you're looking around Ludlow, but do you have any specific leanings?

We don't want to be too, too isolated,

so that you can nip into the nearest village or town,

or even get on the train and pop into Hereford or Shrewsbury, which would be nice.

Even though we've lived in the south-east now for quite a while,

we've always lived in houses that have had their own space

and nice gardens, and not particularly overlooked,

so obviously we're looking to replicate that at the very least.

Great. In that case, I think we have some real corkers lined up.

Our first property is in Clun in the south Shropshire hills

and very close to the Welsh border.

The village lies in countryside that has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

and one of the dominating features is the ruin of Clun castle.

With a local WI group and also a bowling club,

this place could be perfect for Reg and Lesley.

It's a great little village. I wanted to show you the village option.

-This is the house I want to show you.

-Looks interesting!

Interesting... That's a code word for, "I'm not sure."

It's a nice looking house from the front.

It's not a listed building. Parts of it are about 300 years old.

This part is about 100. 50 years ago, they took out the windows and put these big

bay windows in, which brings in a lot of light.

-Lots of history, let's have a look inside.

-Great!

-Yeah!

So, this is one of the two reception rooms. They've got it as their sitting room.

Actually, this part of the house is the Victorian part.

This was the part that was put in 100, 120 years ago.

-It's nice. I like the beam. It's an original beam.

-I like the windows.

The fireplace and the wood-burning stove - that's nice.

The windows at the front give a nice aspect of light.

-This is south-facing, so you get the afternoon sun.

-It's a little bit small.

A little bit small, but there's probably too much furniture in here.

We are quite minimalistic.

-I would describe it as cosy and snug.

-Yeah!

Well, Lesley didn't baulk at the beams, so that's a good start, at least.

Across the hallway is the dining room, which is a similar size.

But next up for us is the study.

Mind the step coming down here.

This takes us into the oldest part of the house.

These beams are not too much character for you, Lesley?

Um, I quite like them here! SHE LAUGHS

Is it more the Victorian period you don't like? Older's all right?

I just don't know... Sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't!

-SHE LAUGHS

-You know how it is with these things. You instantly like it

-or you instantly dislike it.

-That's very true of houses.

-Yeah.

-You just get a feel.

-Let's take a look at the kitchen.

The kitchen really is the biggest room in this house by a long chalk.

It's a lovely size, nice and light. Windows there and there.

It was extended in the '70s, so all of this is new space.

The nice thing is it's so large, you could have it as a live-in kitchen

-with a table and chair in the centre, there.

-Mmmm, you could.

And then this new conservatory, which really does extend your space

-out into the garden.

-Yes.

-This is west-facing, so you get the afternoon and evening sun.

-Let's take a look upstairs.

-OK.

This is the master bedroom, but it could be any of the bedrooms.

-It's a five-bedroom house.

-Five bedrooms?

-Wow! Five bedrooms?

What do you think of the size?

The size is very good...

One of the most interesting features about this room is...

Ha! Mind the steps.

-Wow!

-This is probably the oldest en suite I've ever shown anybody.

-Amazing! We thought it was another bedroom.

-Yeah. It's fantastic!

This is the top of the one-up, one-down 300-year-old cottage.

It's 200 years older than the bedroom.

-Mmmm!

-Lovely feature.

Those steps would be a little bit dodgy, I think.

-In the middle of the night.

-They might be, in the middle of the night.

If you've been to the pub at some stage.

If that's the case, it might be safer sticking with the family bathroom, also on the same floor.

But next on our tour is the second bedroom.

Another very big room.

-Oh, gosh! Yes.

-With an en suite.

What a lovely guest room! Yes.

-And a corking view of Clun Castle.

-Beautiful.

-Absolutely. A castle in your back garden, almost.

That is fantastic. I think I'd have this room as the master bedroom.

-Couldn't agree more.

-Yes, absolutely.

-No period features.

-Absolutely. THEY LAUGH

-Lesley's talking a lot, now.

-Did my face light up when I walked in here?

Good, that was a success! Upstairs, there are two bedrooms of pretty good size.

But I think it's high time to show green-fingered Lesley the garden,

which is laid out in a series of rooms.

-These are your formal gardens, here...

-Oh, wow!

..with the borders and the little gazebo over there.

-It's beautiful.

-It is, and there's lots more of it.

Wonderful orchard. Lots of apple trees,

-plum trees...

-Crikey, look at this vegetable patch.

-..and a fully-functioning kitchen garden.

-Beetroot, broadbeans...

Strawberries, radishes, raspberries...

-The archetypical country garden.

-It's just fantastic.

And there's more!

Oh, and a pond as well!

-Gosh! Another feature.

-Yes, I like a garden that has rooms.

-Definitely. So many features to this one.

It's a wonderful garden. It really is fantastic.

This house also comes with a double garage and plenty of space for visitor's cars.

But, as ever, it comes at a price.

I know you're still thinking, but what do you think it's on the market for?

Um, I would say...390?

-I think...400?

-Right at the top of your budget?

-I think so.

Well, you'll be pleased to know the house is on the market at £330,000.

-Wow!

-£330,000. That's amazing. The number of bedrooms and the size of the plot.

To put our stamp on the house, we would want to make changes and spend some money.

-It's definitely in your budget.

-Oh, definitely.

Why don't you have a walk around and mull over. I know the interior didn't blow you away

as much as the exterior. But maybe there's things you could do.

-Have a think and I'll see you out the front.

-We'll have a look. OK.

It's funny, cos obviously Lesley doesn't want anything period-ish, she wants it all brand new.

Reg is really liking all the period features, so there's gotta be some compromise along the way!

But they did love the garden. That's one thing to remember.

This property is on the market for £330,000.

It has a large kitchen, five bedrooms,

plenty of period features and extensive gardens.

-So, here we are, back in the lounge. Or the snug, as I called it.

-Yes, the snug.

It's quite cosy. I actually quite like this little room.

I like it... I don't know how we would put our mark.

It's a question of where you would start and what would you do.

I must admit, when we pulled up first of all outside, the house looked very nice externally.

I was a little bit concerned about the fact that it was very close on the road.

And that is an aspect that still concerns me.

I think the frontage is lovely. I think the garden is probably

one of the prettiest and picturesque gardens I have ever seen.

But I still have this query of how could I put my own stamp on the inside of the house.

I thought I'd find you in the garden! Come on, Shropshire is waiting. We've got more to see.

Excellent, thank you.

Reg and Lesley are no strangers to Shropshire and have, over the years,

squeezed in many visits to their favourite haunts.

Ranked at the top of their list is Ludlow. So they were keen to fit in a revisit.

Afternoon tea in De Greys?

The market town radiates history, evident at every turn, from the narrow cobbled streets

to the wonderful black and white architecture and it boasts over 500 listed buildings.

Brilliant.

Surprisingly, one place that Reg and Lesley have never explored is Ludlow Castle,

which sits proud at the heart of the town

and is considered to be one of the finest medieval castles in England.

The first stone was placed in the 11th century, from archer, Lord Robert de Lacey.

The view from the top is worth the climb.

-Wow. Look at that fantastic view.

-Oh, my goodness! Isn't that fantastic?

-Look at that.

-Wow. I wonder if our future house is anywhere around?

You never know, do you? With a bit of luck! Yep!

At the foot of the castle lies the River Teme and it's a great place

for whiling away a few hours in a boat.

-The view of the castle is fantastic.

-Yeah.

Just a gorgeous, tranquil afternoon.

-How's that?

-Brilliant.

-Ah, that was just such an amazing trip. A touch of old England there, I think.

-Definitely.

-A touch of old England along the river, there. Very good.

-Gorgeous.

The next house on our tour is in the small village of Lingen,

which sits in a conservation area.

It's quiet with few amenities, but Presteigne,

with its many shops and pubs, is just five miles away.

This small town dates back to the 14th century,

and its historic buildings offer plenty of colour.

Back in Lingen, I think the position of this house

could offer Reg and Lesley the tranquillity they're looking for.

So, Lingen. I'm very excited about this place.

This is a very quiet little hamlet.

Right.

Fascinating.

-Quiet!

-Quiet.

-And this is the property I wanted to show you.

-Very pretty, isn't it?

There's a lot of wonderful features about this property which I think are great,

but you'll be pleased to know it's been very sympathetically and contemporarily done up inside.

-Right.

-So it's the best of both worlds. Shall we have a look inside?

-Absolutely.

-Love to.

Come on in. This is the... Again, one of the smaller reception rooms at the front of the house.

-A sort of snug.

-Yes, it is a snug.

Yeah, very cosy.

One of the really striking features about this property,

and the reason the owners bought it, is those windows that you see.

They look like Crittall windows from the 1950s,

but actually they're original to the 18th-century building.

They're made of wood, not metal.

Yeah, Lesley noticed them from the outside.

They're lovely windows, and you would never think that the frames were wooden.

Nice little room.

And a lovely fireplace.

It's got a lot of character.

So first impressions of the inside?

-Good. Very good.

-Mmm.

Let's move across the hallway.

-OK.

-OK.

-Lead on.

-Thank you very much.

Come on in. This is the... I guess this is their real living space.

-Mmm.

-You've got a great multi-fuel burner there.

-Yeah.

-Mmm.

-Lovely story about this fireplace is that, originally, when they started to renovate it,

there was a fireplace, and they took it out and there was another fireplace behind that.

They took that out, and there was another.

-They had to remove three fireplaces to get that hearth.

-The original.

And the soot at the back there is original 18th-century soot.

Good grief. A piece of history.

The doors are really lovely.

They're great. These are pearwood doors, and you've got this lovely Suffolk latch here.

Throughout the house, actually, you'll see these.

So, obviously they've knocked through and brought a lot of light into this space,

and made the whole of this feel connected to the kitchen,

which is through here.

It's not massive.

-No.

-No. But it's got a nice feel to it.

-It's adequate, I think.

I think, because it's knocked through, you don't feel...

It's not boxed in. You could have a conversation with someone.

Yeah, it gives a feeling of space.

And you've got a big country range, and you've got this lovely space through here.

This is the utility room.

And you've got a little electric stove if you don't want to have the range on at all.

There's a great story attached to these doors.

You've got two doors the same next to each other.

The tradition is in this rural area...

There's a superstition about pigs.

You'd have your pig, and when it was ready to be eaten, you'd bring it in, but you can't, apparently...

It's bad luck to bring the pig in through the door that it's going to come out.

So you have to have two doors for the pig - one to go in,

-it gets killed, slaughtered, cut up, and its bits come out through the other door.

-Never heard that story.

No. That is amazing.

You can see actually there's still the hooks.

Oh, gosh! Yeah.

So that's pretty much the downstairs. It's not massive.

-No.

-No, it isn't, but at the end of the day, there's only two of us.

-How many bedrooms does it have?

-Well, that's a very good point.

There are three, maybe a ghost of a fourth. Let's have a look.

Oh!

There's certainly no shortage of history in this place, and it continues upstairs.

If you step up here, and through here, this WAS a bedroom.

That was a bedroom?

This is the ghost of the fourth bedroom.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Must've been a very small bed.

Oh, how sweet.

The owners removed all the wattle and daub and left the supporting beams.

You have this, I think, really nice little study area.

A little reading area.

You've hit it on the nail there. It's a perfect little study.

Yeah. This is not a real bedroom, but next door is.

That is so sweet!

This is one of the two front bedrooms.

There are three bedrooms all told in the property.

All a similar size?

-Yeah, pretty much.

-Look at the teeny-weeny fireplace.

Beautiful fireplace...

-Isn't that sweet?

-..which they found for a fiver in Devon.

I think this place is appealing to them both.

Next door is the family bathroom with views out to the garden,

and next to that is another double bedroom with a small en-suite.

But I want to show them the largest room up here.

This is a bedroom but they've turned it into a study.

Got a single bed here, good for your guests.

Mmm, yes, they've made good use of the space.

Do you need a study? Do you work from home?

No, we don't, but Lesley's a big user of the internet.

We have got a study. I think that would work very well.

Well, you like indoors. Wait till you see the garden.

-Can't wait.

-Can't wait!

This house does have that cosy, country feel,

and I think the garden is the icing on the cake.

I think the garden is just beautiful.

Oh, gosh, it's fantastic.

Very nice, isn't it?

What a country garden.

And look at this massive double garage which is yours.

Loads and loads of storage.

-Yeah.

-And not overlooked either.

-Crikey.

-Fantastic.

-Beautiful, yeah.

What a garden.

-You've got a big quince tree here.

-And on and on.

-Wow!

-Don't see many of those.

-No.

So let's turn around and take a look at this lovely property.

Mmm.

It's fantastic.

How much do you think it is?

£420,000?

I would say a bit lower than that.

395.

It's a beautiful spot and it's a lovely building with quite a lot of land and no overlooking neighbours.

Mmm.

But...this property is on the market for 375.

-And it's been on the market for a year.

-I find that amazing.

Well, I find that amazing.

-Because it is such a beautiful place.

-It's such a perfect cottage.

You've gone silent. That's usually a bad sign, Lesley.

That's a good sign. We go from vociferous to speechless.

My only reservation, looking at it both from the front and the back,

is the condition of the roof.

There's a question mark over the roof, but you'd do a survey.

-Yes, exactly.

-Why don't you have a roam around the garden and the property, scratch your heads,

-see whether the sums add up.

-OK. Thanks very much.

Thank you.

This is a beautiful property.

I have to say the garden's super-stunning but the property's so unique with those windows,

and even though there might be question marks about the roof,

I'd buy it.

This house is comfortably under-budget at £375,000,

and has the period features they're looking for.

There are three to four bedrooms, beautiful private garden,

and a double garage.

I think they've been bowled over,

but will they be getting out the chequebook?

I think it's... I think it's an amazing cottage.

It is an amazing cottage.

I didn't think there were such perfect cottage-garden houses existing, to be honest,

and this must be almost perfect.

When we arrived outside, I thought, what a beautiful-looking house.

Picture postcard stuff, really.

I was a little bit unsure about the roof, looking from the front,

but certainly the interior of the house is a really nice space,

so overall a very positive feel about it, yeah.

You look deep in thought!

That's a good sign. Let's go out this way.

Reg and Lesley are both keen to spend many hours of their retirement

exploring the South Shropshire Hills, but in the 21st century,

there's a new high-tech method of discovering the land, called geocaching.

It's all new stuff to us, so we're meeting up with Zoe Griffin

from the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre to get the lowdown.

Such lovely views.

-They get better at the top.

-Do they?

Geocaching is the latest craze.

It's a sort of treasure hunt but with the help of a hand-held satellite navigation system.

So you go for a walk and this leads you to one of these?

Yes, we've put some out at various locations round the Shropshire Hills

that have got interesting stories.

You don't need any map-reading skills or anything,

so it's a great way to go out into the countryside with confidence,

and it's also a great way to blackmail kids to go on a walk.

They're tricked into the hiking, cos they think they're doing computer games!

-My compass is telling me to go up there.

-Yeah.

-Let's do it.

Well, let's go, then.

Now it's telling me to go down here.

I'm only joking! Geocaching isn't just a UK phenomenon.

Geocaches have been planted at various locations all around the world, even in Antarctica,

but it is a long way to go in the extreme cold just to look for a box.

That bit that's sort of coming up behind the hill is all the Clun Valley.

But this is fantastic.

It's a good way to discover the countryside, and the promise of treasure adds to the excitement.

-Yeah, got it!

-Hooray!

There it is.

-Excellent. Well done.

-Wow!

-Well done, Lesley. Well done.

Alistair's got it.

A treasure trove.

-There's a little log-book.

-Some little trinkets.

And then that tells you why on earth I made you come down here!

Shall I read it? "Look across the valley.

"The still-formidable ramparts of Burrows Hill fort were built to be both impressive and defensive."

And that's the hill you're looking at.

I'm not sure I can really make it out, but nevertheless, I quite enjoyed that.

-Brilliant.

-That was great.

-Thank you very much, Zoe.

Hopefully, your orientation skills are now so honed,

-you'll be able to find a house, no problem.

-There may be some over there!

As the sun's final rays are cast over Shropshire,

Reg and Lesley take the weight off their feet and mull over the properties so far.

What did you think of the house in Clun?

It was a very attractive house when we walked up.

On the road, though.

And the kitchen - such potential.

The garden was amazing. I just think it was the two living rooms.

-What would we do with those two living rooms?

-Good question.

-Although the price is good, how you would address and make the house how you wanted to have it.

-Mmm.

But what about the 18th century house in Lingen?

-Well, that was...

-That blew you away, I think.

-I think it did.

-And the actual accommodation it offered...

-It was perfect.

-..both upstairs and downstairs...

-Sitting room, dining room...

Kitchen may be a little small.

-Amazing garden.

-I mean, that garden was... It almost brought tears to my eyes.

-Overall, it is the kind of place that we could live in.

-We could. So that's the end of day one.

-It was good. Exciting. Interesting.

-What will day two bring?

-Let's drink to day two.

Let's hope it's just as exciting.

Reg and Lesley from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire

are looking to escape their urban surroundings for a new life in rural Shropshire.

They have a budget of £400,000 and so far have viewed two properties.

But the camp is divided as to what exactly they're looking for.

And coming up, a feature from yesteryear rears its head.

I don't care whether we had 20 of those.

-I'm going to stay out of it, Alistair!

-It's in the past!

I'm not revisiting it. I'm traumatising her. I'm so sorry.

I'm not going there again!

It was interesting yesterday. I think Clun is the right sort of village.

It's busy, but they didn't like the house or the location of it.

Whereas Lingen, although the property was beautiful, they weren't really keen on it being so remote.

Today is a bit of a balancing act, where we try and find the right location and then the right house.

Our first house this morning is in the village of Lydbury North.

Its peaceful location offers enviable views over the South Shropshire Hills.

The house we've lined up used to be two cottages, but now it's one detached home, and it's a real gem.

-Wow. Oh, yes.

-That's very pretty.

-Oh, I like that.

-It's gorgeous.

First impression, fantastic.

-Thumbs up from the outside?

-Absolutely. Yes, wonderful.

-Shall we take a look?

-Let's have a look.

Yes. Yes.

It's beautiful.

Come on in.

Very nice. Yes, I like this.

-What do you think of this?

-Oh, wow!

-It's very good, isn't it?

-Yes, it's fantastic.

Lovely and spacious.

-Mmm, well-proportioned.

-I love the flagstones.

-Beautiful floor.

-And the double wood-burning stove.

-Bread oven there. You see the original feature?

-Oh, gosh!

-Look at that, Lesley.

-Oh, that's amazing.

It's beautiful, isn't it? I'm not to mention beams too much, but you've got to admire them, haven't you?

Look at this lovely little window here. That is amazing.

They've kept a lot of the original features from the original farmers' cottages.

In terms of the style, Lesley, cos it is quite period,

there's an awful lot of dark wood,

-is it good for you?

-But it's spacious.

-I find this isn't sort of crowded.

-No.

Lots of nice windows which let the light in, so it's not too oppressive.

This is the main space, and then, at the back,

there's a few smaller places, lean-tos, add-ons.

This would have been an addition, a lean-to if you like.

This is the outside wall.

They've turned it into a little study.

Perfect.

-And then it leads on to this lovely little conservatory.

-Oh, wow, yes.

This was put on more recently.

-Hardwood.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-Nice little size.

-Lovely feature.

-It brings the garden in.

-It does.

-On colder days.

It's lovely to have that wall that's still exposed there.

-You can see the local stone.

-Yes, I saw the exposed wall there.

-This is a thumbs-up?

-Oh, it's a definite plus.

-It's nice.

This place really has it all. It's packed with character but it's light and spacious.

Back off the hall is the dining room.

It's not a bad size for a cottage, and from there is a door to the kitchen.

Ah.

-Hmm...

-Fairly small.

It's a small kitchen. This is the down-side of this property.

Everywhere else is so big and spacious, and this is a little bit disappointing.

I can't understand what's happened here, really.

You've got a utility room for all your white goods here.

But the kitchen is small.

Well, you're the cook, darling.

I'm just wondering what you could do or knock through or...

There's a possibility that you could just combine these two rooms to make a kitchen-diner.

Or the other solution is this. Just mind yourself.

You could just eat on this table.

Lesley's face is a picture!

"I would rather eat my own head!"

We had one of these.

But, darling, that was 20 years ago!

Weren't they a German design?

I don't know what design they were.

They were a German design originally. We had one of those in...

I don't care whether we had 20 of those.

Thumbs down, Alistair!

It's in the past. I'm not revisiting it.

I'm traumatising her. I'm so sorry.

I'm not going there again!

-Why don't we take a look upstairs? That is quite spacious.

-Oh, right.

The house has three bedrooms. There are two doubles which are light and airy,

and would be ideal for guests, and just next door is the family bathroom.

But I can't wait to show them what would be their room.

Oh, yes!

Oh, I like that.

-Oh, my word.

-Oh, that is fantastic.

-This is a grand master bedroom, isn't it?

-Isn't it just?

Oh, what a lovely bedroom.

Absolutely brilliant.

All the other properties I've showed you, it's been unclear which is the master bedroom.

-This is definitely it.

-It certainly is.

-No doubt about that.

And you've got a wonderful dressing room and en-suite.

Creaky floorboards!

Oh, this is a bonus.

Yes, that's lovely.

-Nicely done, isn't it?

-Hand-made fitted units, all in sycamore wood.

And you've got the... bathroom in there.

-En-suite.

-This has been put in very recently.

-Yes, you can tell.

You can tell, in relation to certainly the other bathroom.

That's perfect.

And lots of light and space to get ready in the morning.

Lovely.

I can see you're transfixed by the garden. Shall we go and have a look?

Oh, Lesley's the gardener, yep.

And the garden certainly is magnificent, but they might have to invest in a ride-on mower.

-There's a great large space here.

-Goodness!

-Wow, yeah.

-You could have a tennis court here!

You could do, actually, or a putting green. I can practise my putting.

-You can hear the stream.

-Yes, you've got a little stream down there.

You've got two thirds of an acre to play with here.

-Two thirds of an acre?

-It wraps around the whole house.

Walk up here and see the veggie garden.

You get a nice view of the house, actually, from the back.

Oh, yes, it's lovely.

The whole house is just lovely to look at, how it's been done.

And the pond is a lovely feature.

The gardens are magnificent.

-It's really good.

-How much do you think it's on the market for?

Shall I go first this time?

-Yes, you go first this time.

-420.

I'll go 440.

It's on the market for 435,

and it's only been on the market for a few weeks.

So, in the current climate, that's an untested price.

With the vagaries of the current market, you might be able to put in an offer.

That is if things like the kitchen...you can make that work for you.

But I think there are options there.

You could either knock through into the dining room, or maybe extend back here.

It's just a question of whether you can do the maths.

Yes, that's so true.

-Wander round. Have a think.

-Thanks a lot.

It's strange, because the house actually looks much, much bigger from the outside

than it is inside, particularly downstairs, and the kitchen is quite small,

but where there's a will, there's a way, and there's definitely scope for extending.

It's whether they can afford it.

This house is over-budget, at £435,000,

but it has much of what they're looking for, so it was worth a visit.

And they might be able to negotiate on the price.

There's a lounge with an inglenook fireplace,

a study, which I'm sure they'll make good use of,

three bedrooms, including a fantastic master suite,

and a large garden.

Well, what do you think?

Well, it's an amazing house, isn't it?

It's a fantastic house.

-You couldn't really want for anything else but with one exception.

-The kitchen.

Beautiful character property.

Disappointing kitchen, but I think it has potential,

and you could do something and knock it into the utility room.

And the garden and the lawns are absolutely fantastic. Just perfect.

It's a beautiful house to look at, with a lovely drive up to it.

I think it looks really good from the outside.

The gardens are absolutely magnificent.

I think you could see on Lesley's face how she felt in all the different rooms,

the feeling of excitement,

but then the disappointment that she felt when she went into the kitchen.

The house as a whole, she feels very positive about.

It is a lovely house.

I'm going to tear you away.

-Yes.

-OK.

Reg and Lesley want to get involved in the local community when they move,

but as Reg has dabbled with lawn bowling, he's keen to give it another go.

Lesley, however, is an absolute beginner, so they're meeting up with Bill Moody,

the Shropshire bowls champion, to pick up a few tips.

-Good morning, folks.

-Good morning!

-My name's Bill.

It's a game of skill that boils down to the grip.

There's two methods of holding the bowl. The cradle grip -

when the green's rolling very fast, you need the bowl just sat in your hand.

So on delivery, the ball will virtually fall off your hand.

That sounds easy enough.

When the greens are heavy, you've got to get a long distance.

You've got to use what we call the claw grip,

making sure your finger and thumb is wrapped well round the bowl.

When you pull your arm back, that bowl will go a long way. Excellent.

Having taken that on board, it's time for Lesley to put it into action.

Right foot on the mat, step forward with your left foot

and quietly, quietly down. That's very good.

In fact, you're... That's an excellent start.

-My goodness, gracious me!

-That's excellent.

-That's a great ball!

-How did you manage that?!

-Bill, that's got to be a fluke!

-That's absolutely fantastic!

-I shan't match that!

-Reg, you've got to beat that!

Left foot stepping forward and quietly... Yes. Probably too much and too hard and all over the place.

Oh, dear, a little off course. But Lesley was a real cracker.

I wonder if she really is a novice?

-I'm very, very impressed with your first delivery.

-Thank you!

OK, thank you very much for coing this morning, Reg.

-Thank you Lesley. All the very best to you.

-See you again some time.

-Look forward to seeing you again. Bye for now!

-Cheerio!

I think that we've been neglecting poor Lesley a little bit,

because all the properties we've shown them have been quite characterful.

I know that she likes a modernist clean line, so the mystery house is going to be Lesley's house,

and I think it might also fulfil her kitchen dreams.

We're about to go to the mystery house. What are you expecting?

THEY LAUGH

-That's a really good question.

-I really don't know!

-I don't know.

-What are you going to throw at us this time?

Something slightly out of the ordinary, possibly?

Barn conversion?

We've seen wonderful gardens, we've seen lovely houses.

I'm going to show you a horrible house with no garden.

I can now reveal that the mystery house is just a ten-minute stroll

outside Bishops Castle.

It's a quaint town where most of the shops are privately owned.

It's certainly a far cry from the urban high street they're used to.

The location of this house would afford Reg and Lesley

oodles of privacy while being just a short distance from a thriving community with much to offer.

I'm excited to show you this property, particularly you, Lesley.

Come, come, come, come. Stay with me.

Hurry along, hurry along!

Oh, my goodness!

Gosh!

-That is...

-It's a change of gear.

That is amazing.

How interesting.

I've been indulging Reg's love of period for too long.

This is, er...

I thought I'd show you something a little bit more modern.

-That is really different.

-Modern on the end, isn't it?

-Yes.

-This house, which is about 150 years old,

was extended quite radically four years ago.

-Really?

-Gosh.

What do you think, Reg?

I'm not sure I like it!

It's too modern for you.

Shall we take a peek inside?

-Oh, I'd love to, love to.

-It's certainly different.

Come on in.

Wow!

Oh, it's fantastic!

-It is amazing, isn't it?

-This is for you, Lesley.

Oh, thank you!

This is the modern, big kitchen-diner you were looking for.

Let me talk you through the features. You've got Mexican floor tiles throughout,

-under-floor heating...

-Oh, wow!

And pretty much all the building materials are sourced locally. So the outside was larch.

Inside, you've got birch-fronted kitchen units and then beechwood worktop here.

And lots and lots and lots of light.

-Yes.

-Incredible views. When you're cooking, you've got these lovely picture windows,

and when you're washing up, and if you look to your right,

you've got an incredible view down the fields, down the valley.

-But it's very open-plan, very contemporary.

-It's beautiful.

-"It's beautiful."

-I knew Lesley would like it.

This ticks the boxes for you.

Mmm, absolutely. You don't have to do anything in here.

Well, Reg, it's not all modern, so let's look at the older part of the house.

-Excellent.

-Mind your heads.

Here's the old part of the house, but you can see that they've kept the contemporary feel.

They have. Kept the old window.

And they've got this huge log-burner, which actually powers the whole house.

They throw out so much heat.

That will throw out so much heat.

What's interesting here is that they've really gone down the Scandinavian route

in the sense that they've made all the beams visible but light.

They've taken out all the tar and all the darkness,

and sand-blasted them to make them light throughout the house.

Mmm, lovely.

And down here you've got the downstairs bathroom.

Oh, that's big!

Gosh, yes. Very big and bright.

-Beautifully done.

-It was a lean-to and they've built it out.

I love the window.

This part is 40 years old, but they've put down this lovely floor throughout.

-Reg, you're starting to look a bit worried.

-Well, I got the look outside there, Alistair.

When I get that look, I know we're in trouble!

We could be in for a serious argument.

A long discussion.

Let's take a look at the last reception room.

OK.

This room is a bit more traditional, Reg.

-Bit more.

-Bit more.

Yes, I can see the features there.

Another wood-burning stove.

Yeah, this is their sort of sitting room, recreation room.

-A pretty room.

-The ceilings seem a little bit lower.

But you'll notice that they've got the original beams,

but they've decided to paint them white, which I think is not a bad idea.

No, to brighten it up, I think.

The floor is beautiful.

It's original floorboards that they retrieved.

-Yes.

-Nice and cosy.

This house certainly has a good balance between the old and the new.

Upstairs, the house is split into two halves.

In the old part, there are three bedrooms,

all of which have superb views out over the Shropshire countryside.

But we're heading up the staircase in the new part of the building,

which leads up to what I think is one of the best rooms in the property.

Now this is what I call a master bedroom.

Wow!

My goodness me!

Yes, I said it might be quite stunning, I suspected it might be quite stunning.

Gosh, I didn't think it would be quite this big.

-Did you?

-And quite this open.

Gosh!

You've got these incredible views over the fields there.

-These windows!

-And this...

Sit yourself with a book,

put a big comfy armchair here.

-I've got one of those.

-Glass of Scotch.

Watch the world.

It's very nice. And it's very quirky. Isn't it?

-It is indeed.

-It's very modern.

-Modern.

Is that the word?!

You've got the modern with the old.

The clever thing about this house is that everything's engineered around the views.

-Wherever you are, there's a framed view of the incredible countryside.

-Stunning.

-Mmmm.

-Do you want to have a look at the en-suite?

-Could we, please? Thank you.

Great views. Jolly good.

Nice little bit of privacy there with the shutters.

When you're lying in the bath.

-Lovely.

-And of course we've still got a garden to look at.

Yes, we caught a glimpse of it.

-I'd completely forgotten about the garden!

-Lesley's overwhelmed!

You've had good luck with the gardens. Let's see if it continues.

Yes. It's just amazing.

I just can't get over this.

This house has really blown Lesley away.

I'm not so convinced that Reg has lost his heart to it.

Lesley may have to twist his arm.

Out at the back, there's no shortage of lawn, and there's the odd extra feature too.

A summer house.

A garden house.

A proper little garden house. This is really nice, with the veranda as well.

It is. It's very American, with a rocking chair.

Oh, yes, yes!

The garden is a very long, thin strip.

-It's quite wild at the moment. It could do with a tending hand, Lesley.

-Mmm, it could.

You've got your vegetable garden.

It used to be a small-holding so the ground is very good.

-Yes, absolutely.

-And, of course, your ubiquitous apple trees,

which no property around here seems to be without.

That's right. Compulsory.

No, you could do a lot, I think, with the borders.

I'm getting different levels of enthusiasm from the two of you.

You're amazed, it's fantastic, you're almost in tears.

Reg is totally taciturn, won't say a word.

I've gone quiet, I've gone quiet because,

you can probably guess, I'm not as keen on the house as Lesley is.

What about the price, though? That might be the deciding feature.

Oh, gosh, yes. I'd forgotten about the price.

I think it's your turn.

OK, OK. Um... I'll go for...

..400, I think. On the dot.

Funnily enough, that was exactly what I was going to say, but I'll go slightly higher at 405.

Well, you're both very close.

It's actually just come on the market at £410,000.

Ah, right. Yes.

So it's slightly over your budget, but you know...

-It's not been on for very long.

-No.

So I think it COULD be in your budget

if it was the thing that you were really, really wanting to buy, Reg.

Alistair, we'll have to talk about that one.

There are some boxing gloves just outside, so if you two want to slug it out, that's fine.

-Have a look, have a wander round. I know you want to.

-Thank you.

-We will. Absolutely.

-No Chinese burns, Lesley!

It's fantastic. There's been the biggest hard sell as we've been walking around.

Lesley's been going, "The most important thing about a house is the kitchen and the garden,"

and Reg is going, "No, no, the most important thing about a house

"is the period features and the sitting room."

I don't know how they'll square that, but it's really good watching.

This unusual property is on the market for slightly over their budget at £410,000.

There's a huge kitchen that Lesley has totally fallen in love with,

four bedrooms, one with an en-suite,

plenty of character features to keep Reg happy,

and again, a large garden.

It might be over-budget, but, with such a huge divide in the camp,

that could be the least of their worries.

This is absolutely fantastic.

The kitchen and the upstairs...

Yeah, yeah.

But it doesn't wow me as much as it wows you, I think.

Because you're not a kitchen person.

Well, no, I'm not a kitchen person, no.

So I don't know what we're going to do!

Just breathtaking.

Um, it's everything I ever dreamed of.

I have to say, for me, it doesn't work, really.

The two just don't blend together.

And the garden is a big garden, but it's a bit wild and woolly for me.

I prefer my garden to be a little bit more organised,

so I think there could be some heated discussions ahead!

All right, guys? Still talking?

-Just about.

-Just about.

Just about! Ohh!

Right, let's go and find a space where we can thrash it out.

OK.

It's been quite a journey around Shropshire for Reg and Lesley.

While they respect each other's views, there's a huge

difference in what they're looking for, so there's lots to think about.

Who'd have thought? At the beginning, Reg and Lesley seemed like such a sweet, nice couple.

Now they're really at loggerheads! Time for a decision.

Well, let's try and thaw the ice a little bit by talking about the properties that we've seen.

Let's reflect over the whole journey.

We started off looking at the old house in Clun. Didn't get thumbs up all the way round.

I think it had some plus points. We both felt that there was probably too much to do to it.

Then we went out to Lingen and we showed you that lovely cottage.

I thought it was really beautiful.

It was a nice house. A really, really nice house.

-Yes, it was. I loved it.

-With some lovely features. We felt that Lingen

was perhaps a tad isolated, but the garden - another wow factor.

-The garden was fantastic.

-But all that was yesterday.

Today, whole new battle lines got drawn.

We've got Lydbury North.

What did you think of that? That was a nice village.

It was. Lovely village.

Lovely village, lovely house.

For me, the archetypal house that I think I was looking for, and hoping to get.

I was disappointed with the dining room and the kitchen.

The gardens, for me...

-Oh, the gardens were wonderful.

-Drop-dead gorgeous, weren't they?

They were fantastic.

You can stop listing all the good points of that house now, Reg,

cos we're going to move onto your favourite, which was the modern house just outside Bishops Castle.

I know. I was so surprised by that house.

I really thought you were just taking me to a little small cottage,

and I walked into the modern wing and it was breathtaking.

That's all I can say.

Lesley's been blown away.

I think what they've done is wonderful.

The kitchen and the upstairs in the new bit, it's lovely.

But, for me, the new and the old just don't click together.

What about the garden? The garden wasn't quite as up to scratch.

No, but I could put my stamp on that garden.

It's obviously a very big, what I would call a wild country garden.

Not manicured. Reg doesn't realise the hard work that has to go into a manicured garden.

No, but I'm prepared to be the labourer, darling!

But you're on the golf course all the time!

Ah, here we're getting to the nitty-gritty!

OK, so it's obviously, you know, it's a massive decision. It's going to be a big new stage in your lives,

so obviously there's going to have to be some changes, so what do you think is going to happen next?

I think what we will do is, undoubtedly, we'd want to go back

and certainly look at those two properties.

Two today. And I think we'd take somebody with us.

Might give us some support, maybe.

Do a little bribe...which family member you bring along.

No, I'm not letting Lesley's sister come along!

You can't pre-select the members of family to vote.

-It's been wonderful showing you round.

-It really has.

-We've had a tremendous time.

-A fantastic time, we really have.

-Thank you so much.

-Not at all. It's been our delight.

For an awful moment there, I thought Escape To The Country had broken up

Reg and Lesley's long and happy marriage.

But, you know what, by the time I think they go home and sell their house and come back to Shropshire,

some things may have decided themselves.

Personally, I hope they buy the mystery house.

See you next time.

If you'd like to escape to the country and need our help,

please contact us through our website at...

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]