- 6/4/2025
#ShowFilm98
#Escape to the Country
#Escape to the Country
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Short filmTranscript
00:00On Escape to the Country, we scour the whole countryside to uncover rare gems.
00:08How's that for an epic view?
00:11Look at those views.
00:13You can instantly feel at home in some properties.
00:16The way I feel at the moment is I could sort of lay on there and go to sleep, you know.
00:20Don't do that, we'll get in trouble, Barry.
00:22And when it's the right one...
00:25Are you feeling a bit more or are you okay?
00:28You need to strike fast.
00:31Oh! Oh, my God! Oh, wait!
00:33Oh, it is the agent. Yes, it is the agent.
00:36Come on, Barry.
00:58With its verdant landscapes, thriving orchards and abundance of gardening riches, for anyone with green fingers or looking for a greener outlook, Herefordshire is paradise on a plate.
01:13To become a top Escape to the Country destination, you need to start off with something that I know a little bit about.
01:21The right ingredients.
01:23Lashings of spectacular countryside, heaps of beautiful houses, plenty of peace and quiet, large amounts of community spirit and stacks of elbow room.
01:34Mix it all together and what have you got? Herefordshire, that's what.
01:39Herefordshire is located on England's border with Wales and is one of the least densely populated counties.
01:4695% of the land is rural and it's been shaped by centuries of agriculture.
01:53Today, it's recognised for its cattle and is said to produce over half the cider consumed in the UK.
02:00We've got the Cider Museum as well, so if you want to go and find out how cider is actually made, this is the place to cut.
02:10Around a quarter of all businesses in the county stem from the agricultural, forestry or fishing sectors and towns such as Kington once prospered due to the wool trade.
02:21It's full of essential shops and eateries, all surrounded by beautiful walks.
02:26We go out a lot walking into the Y Valley, the Forest of Dean, which is just over the border in Gloucestershire.
02:33We're also very close to the big mountains and hills around Abergavenny and the Brecon Beacons.
02:40It's an amazing place to lose yourself.
02:44With boxes already packed, this couple are ready and raring to put down roots in this lovely county in more ways than one.
02:55My name's Barry, this is Pauline, my partner.
02:58Hi.
02:59We've lived in, I have lived in his property for the last 52 years.
03:04Pauline was raised in a village in Malta and met Barry at a dance 13 years ago.
03:10We think that it's going to be a new start for both of us.
03:13You know, although we've lived together, it's not the same as having our own house.
03:18They're looking to escape from Romford in Essex.
03:21This is the road that we live in and this is what we have to put up with.
03:26Traffic, congestion, pollution all the time. No stop.
03:32They want to lay down their own roots in Herefordshire, which is about to become even greener.
03:38We've got over 400 pots in our garden. I just can't resist buying plants.
03:45And I can't wait to put these plants in the ground.
03:51Because it's getting a bit ridiculous having all these pots around.
03:55Time is of the essence so that Pauline can finally unpack all the boxes she's brought to Barry's.
04:03We call it the warehouse now because there's so many boxes. I'm living out of suitcases.
04:08So it is time. It is time to move now.
04:11For a maximum budget of £500,000, Barry and Pauline would prefer a detached property that must have visual appeal.
04:19And they're not keen on barn conversions. They need three bedrooms to accommodate visiting family.
04:25At least a quarter of an acre for all their plants and a location within a village.
04:40What I love about this escape is that it's the first time that Pauline and Barry are going to be buying somewhere together.
04:45This is a really exciting new chapter for them both.
04:49Now, they have been looking for a while and one thing is for certain, they need a decent garden to make all of their potted plants, well, planted plants.
05:02I'm meeting them somewhere appropriately green to hear more about the obsession with plants.
05:09So, how are you feeling? You okay?
05:11Yeah, great.
05:12Oh, wonderful.
05:13I'm not quite sure what we're going to see, you know.
05:15Well, we'll see some lovely things, I can promise you that.
05:18Now, I've got to ask you, you've got 400 potted plants, is that right?
05:21Yes.
05:22Yes.
05:23Plus.
05:24Plus.
05:25Plus.
05:26Yes.
05:27Oh my goodness me.
05:28The plants are our main hobby, you know, they're like children to us, if you know what I mean, and they're coming with us, you know.
05:32That's a lot of kids, guys.
05:33It is a lot of kids.
05:34A lot of kids.
05:35We would like to be, how can I say it, have more quality time for ourselves.
05:44Because how long does it take to water, 400 potted plants?
05:46Sometimes four hours, five hours, you know.
05:48Four hours.
05:49We take it in turns.
05:51That's a really long time.
05:52It is.
05:53Gosh, no wonder you want to cut that down a little bit.
05:55Yes.
05:56Brilliant.
05:57So what is it about Herefordshire that took your fancy?
06:00We've been through Hereford a few times, and it always appealed to us, and then we watched the shows.
06:05And then, you know, we thought, well, that's the place, you know, that is the place.
06:08That's the place we like to be.
06:09It just looked as if it's the place we've been searching for, and that was it.
06:13So you've watched Escape to the Country, you filmed in Herefordshire.
06:16Yes.
06:17And you thought, I want to live there.
06:18Yes.
06:19I love that.
06:20That's a full circle moment right there, isn't it?
06:22Well, we've got loads to see and loads to do, and I can't wait to get started.
06:25We can have a great time.
06:26We can't wait.
06:27Are you ready?
06:28Oh, yes.
06:29Let's go.
06:34In the west of Herefordshire lies the village of Erdsley.
06:39Barry and Pauline want a property with curb appeal, so we've come to a village stacked full of it,
06:45where recent timber dating has found that some of the buildings are over 700 years old.
06:51There are less than 1,000 residents who benefit from a post office, a convenience store and a village hall.
06:58Just don't tell Pauline there's a flower show every August or the garden might burst.
07:04The house we've come to see is located just 100 metres from the heart of the village.
07:09And here we are at our first property.
07:15Very cottage up.
07:16That looks lovely.
07:17Yeah, I like the front garden.
07:18And the garden.
07:19It's what I think of England is like.
07:22Yes, it's old England, isn't it?
07:24It is.
07:25It is old England.
07:26That's what I was hoping for.
07:28Just keep looking at the different features and thinking, yes, I like that.
07:31And the black and white.
07:32And the black and white.
07:33The black and white gives you the old world look.
07:35That's right.
07:36That's the ideal thing.
07:37Getting good vibes from you there.
07:38I feel like this is very positive.
07:39Shall we go and have a look?
07:40Yes.
07:41Go on, mate.
07:42This gorgeous cottage is a 15th century crock house, which means it's built around timbers that go all the way from the floor to the roof apex.
07:53We're starting in the largest room.
07:55Oh, no, this is old.
07:58Oh, look at the fireplace.
07:59Oh, look at that.
08:00Is that an inglenook?
08:01It is an inglenook, which I've heard might be something that you'd quite like.
08:05Yes, yes.
08:06Is that a bread oven?
08:08It was a bread oven.
08:09Oh, I love that.
08:10Oh, I love that.
08:11This is a nice size.
08:12It is a nice size as well.
08:13It's cosy.
08:14For the winter.
08:15And the ceiling is not that low.
08:16No, that's the thing that used to worry me.
08:18Very cosy.
08:19Yes, I love it.
08:21Seriously, standing here at the moment, I could just settle now, you know, like here.
08:25And listen.
08:26Nothing.
08:27Birds.
08:28Just birds.
08:29Birds.
08:30That's all I can hear, just birds.
08:31Uh-huh.
08:32Now, this is what I like to call a higgledy-piggledy house, in that it does go a bit up and down.
08:36Quirky.
08:37Right.
08:38Quirky.
08:39So, just, you know, aware of that as we walk through.
08:41I always like the house, it's got its own character, you know.
08:44Well, we need the house to match the couple, don't we?
08:46We need to have got bundles of character, so...
08:49There you are.
08:50So, there you are.
08:51I thought she was going to say uneven.
08:54Uneven.
08:55Unbalanced.
08:56Moving swiftly on, the dining room is in the back corner of the house.
09:05Watch the step.
09:06Oh, dining room.
09:07Oh, dining room.
09:08How are we doing on head tight here?
09:09Um...
09:10Yes.
09:11Just about, I think.
09:12We're all right.
09:13Oh, yeah, we're okay.
09:14We're passing.
09:15Now, I know you don't want open plan, do you?
09:17No.
09:18Which is quite unusual these days.
09:19We like a separate dining room.
09:21No, I hate open plan.
09:22Okay.
09:23All right.
09:24Wonderful.
09:25And then you come through here.
09:26Oh, that looks so cosy.
09:27Into the kitchen.
09:28Ah.
09:29I do like this.
09:30I think you're going to have to do the cooking.
09:35Oh, nice excuse.
09:37Nice excuse.
09:38I've been looking for the excuse for a long time and I found one.
09:40There you go, you've got one.
09:41Yes.
09:42And you've even got an island.
09:43What's more?
09:44It's a movable island.
09:45It is.
09:46Yeah, a little butcher's block, but I like to think of it as a tiny island.
09:48Remind you of Malta, a tiny island.
09:50Tiny island.
09:51That's true.
09:52Just like home.
09:53That's true.
09:54And I like the window overlooking the garden.
09:56Yeah.
09:57And just through there you've got a conservatory and a utility.
09:59Oh, conservatory as well.
10:00Conservatory and a utility.
10:01And a utility.
10:02Oh.
10:03Because we forgot to mention, you know, you were your indoor plants as well, you know.
10:06Yes.
10:07We've also got a lot of plants indoors.
10:08So, wait a minute.
10:09The 400 plants doesn't include the indoor plants?
10:10No.
10:11No, no, no, no.
10:12No.
10:13Crumbs.
10:14I'm going to need to lie down.
10:16The family bathroom is on the ground floor and upstairs are three bedrooms that, in the
10:21past, were reached by ladder.
10:23But today, it's boring old stairs.
10:28And this would be your main bedroom.
10:31Okay.
10:32And it's got a little toilet sink en suite.
10:35Oh, wonderful.
10:36The only thing is there's no wardrobe space in this room.
10:41For the past two years, I've been living out of suitcases.
10:44Oh, no.
10:45I mean, you've got half of my wardrobe and I'm living out of a suitcase as well, you know.
10:49Well, quite right.
10:50That's both of us.
10:51Equality, you know.
10:52Yeah, it started with half and ended up with three quarters, you know.
10:55Well, I've got more dresses than you.
10:57But any dresses.
10:59I like it.
11:00It's one of these places that sort of grows on you as you walk around it, doesn't it?
11:04It does.
11:05The way I feel at the moment is I could sort of lay on there and go to sleep, you know.
11:08Don't do that.
11:09We'll get in trouble, Barry.
11:12Before Barry gets too comfortable, I'm showing them the all-important garden with patio seating.
11:18An outbuilding used as a home office and, I think, just about enough space for all the plants.
11:25Oh, this is a lovely garden.
11:28Oh, look at this, Barry.
11:30It's never-ending.
11:31It's a good size, isn't it?
11:33It's lovely.
11:34Greenhouse.
11:35I mean, look at the tomatoes in the greenhouse.
11:37Greenhouse.
11:38Greenhouse as well.
11:39This is someone who knows what they're doing with a garden.
11:41Yes.
11:42Yeah.
11:43Yeah.
11:44And then...
11:45Is this...
11:46This is a fruit cage.
11:47That's what I told you we'd build.
11:48Oh, yes, that's soft fruit.
11:49Yeah, I was going to build one.
11:50Were you?
11:51Yes.
11:52Oh, come on.
11:53It's absolutely lovely, isn't it?
11:54You've got your own orchard.
11:55You've got your own orchard.
11:56Pears, apples.
11:57Unbelievable.
11:58And then look over to the right.
11:59Look at all the veg you've got.
12:00This is lovely.
12:01Terrific, isn't it?
12:02Oh, wow.
12:03Terrific.
12:04And the lawn.
12:05And you've got a little lawn, but not little.
12:06And it goes on.
12:07I just can't believe this garden.
12:09And if you trim this hedge down here, you've got a lovely view.
12:12Yeah.
12:13And over that way.
12:14Remember, we're going to take that off.
12:15Yeah.
12:16Because there's no way I'm going to push you on it.
12:18And it is, you know, what's the word about that?
12:19Yeah.
12:20So that can come off.
12:21And that is more space.
12:22Yeah.
12:23She spoils all my fun.
12:24Stunchy, though, Barry.
12:25I'll push her on the swing.
12:26It's all right.
12:28So, let's talk about price.
12:30Oh, price.
12:31I know.
12:32I know.
12:33I got serious then, didn't I?
12:34This is going to be difficult because of the garden.
12:364.30.
12:37What about you, Pauline?
12:38Because of the garden, I think it's 4.50.
12:40Yes.
12:41Well, you're bang on, Pauline.
12:44It's on the market for £450,000.
12:47It is inside the budget.
12:49The garden is perfectly spot on, you know.
12:53Pauline is right on the money, guessing £450,000 for this 15th century crock house,
13:00which has three bedrooms and stacks of character.
13:04They love the cosy lounge with Inglenook fireplace, and they're just potty about the established garden.
13:11On first glance at the cottage, I wasn't expecting to find this massive garden at the back.
13:19The room that I like most of all in this house is the sitting room with that Inglenook fireplace.
13:25I think it's somewhere that I would just disappear into another world, you know.
13:28My family will be absolutely delighted.
13:31They've been waiting for me and Barry to buy a house in the country so they can visit,
13:36and this will be like heaven to them.
13:53As Barry and Pauline haven't spent much time in Herefordshire before,
13:56we're sending them to explore one of its prettiest spots, Ross-on-Wye,
14:00which was voted the UK's best-loved market town by a national travel company.
14:05Fine cottage.
14:06Aren't they lovely, these cottages?
14:08Oh, yeah.
14:11It's packed with remarkable buildings, such as the 17th century Market House
14:15and the 19th century Gazebo Tower, which today is a one-bedroom house.
14:20The town is full of restaurants, cafes and independent shops.
14:25Look at the flowers here.
14:27Mmm.
14:28More plants to buy.
14:30Yes.
14:31Yeah.
14:32Quick, Barry, keep going.
14:33People come here all the time and they say,
14:34it feels like going back in time, we've still got a butcher's,
14:36we've still got a bookshop, and we've still got these sorts of things
14:38that they don't see on a high street anymore.
14:40And it's just a beautiful area set in beautiful countryside,
14:43so, yeah, we just love it around here.
14:44Yeah, we just love it around here.
14:45We have our own theatre.
14:47We have the Corn Exchange, which has great bands,
14:50really, really good bands on.
14:52There is so much creativity here.
14:54There are people who've come from far and wide,
14:57from all over the country and live here and offer so,
15:00so much to the town.
15:03Back in 2010, Jo Ward Ellison made her own escape
15:06to the nearby village of Goodrich,
15:08and she shares Barry and Pauline's love of plants.
15:11For the past ten years, she's taken part in the National Garden Scheme,
15:15which sees over 3,500 sites open to the public for charity.
15:20Last year, the organisation raised £3.4 million,
15:24as Jo and many others welcomed guests to their beautiful gardens.
15:31The garden that we have created is two acres,
15:34but the whole plot is three acres,
15:36but we enclosed two acres with deer fencing.
15:39And it was a blank canvas?
15:41Complete blank canvas.
15:42You've done really well with it.
15:43Yeah.
15:44So I came up with an overall plan.
15:46The idea was to create a garden
15:49that was a sort of modern naturalistic garden
15:52in keeping with the local landscape.
15:54That's how you would describe it?
15:55Yeah.
15:56We opened last weekend on Sunday
15:57and had nearly 200 visitors
16:00who came and looked round the garden
16:02and ate an awful lot of cake.
16:04Having missed looking after their own pots,
16:07Barry and Pauline have leapt at the chance
16:09to help harvest the moj too.
16:16It's a lovely crop, isn't it?
16:18Oh, yes, I love the garden.
16:19It's absolutely brilliant.
16:21There's loads and loads of them.
16:23I think Joe will hire us from now on.
16:27Yeah.
16:28Look at the size of that.
16:30We've got all this for you.
16:32Brilliant.
16:33Thank you very much.
16:34That's been a great job.
16:35We've got enough for your tea.
16:36And when you move to Herefordshire,
16:37if you want to help us,
16:38then you know where we are.
16:40We'll certainly come and look you up again.
16:42Given the chance,
16:44I'm sure they'd spend all day in this gorgeous garden,
16:47but we need to find them their next home.
16:55In the north of the county sits the hamlet of Deerfold
16:58in the parish of Lingon.
17:00The village hall hosts bands, cinema nights,
17:03fitness classes and more.
17:05When it's time for a refreshment break,
17:07the pub also offers food and quizzes
17:10and it's currently on the market as well
17:13for just under £400,000.
17:16There was once an 11th century nunnery here
17:19and a 13th century church survives.
17:22Around 500 metres from it is a house
17:24that should have Barry and Pauline
17:26feeling on top of the world.
17:31How's that for an epic view?
17:34Look at those views.
17:36You said you wanted to be high up, Barry.
17:39Look at this.
17:40You've got the Shropshire hills that way
17:42and Wales that way.
17:43That's absolutely beautiful.
17:45Imagine sitting here looking at that.
17:47That is lovely.
17:48But look at the house.
17:49Look at the house too.
17:52Yeah, it looks big.
17:54I like the look of it.
17:55Comes with plenty of land,
17:56nearly an acre of land,
17:57which is plenty of...
17:59loads of room for your plants.
18:00Oh yes.
18:01Plants for days.
18:02Yes.
18:03There's also...
18:04I've spotted a zip line in the garden.
18:06As well.
18:07And you know how we wanted to get Barry on the swing.
18:08Oh yes.
18:09We've got a new challenge now.
18:10We're going to get Barry on a zip line.
18:12Oh, who will go for it?
18:14He'll go for anything, don't you?
18:16Yes.
18:17Well, I'll still go for it.
18:18Well, before we get to that,
18:20shall we go in?
18:21Yes, thanks.
18:24This cottage was built in the 1800s.
18:26It's certainly rural
18:28and the water supply is from a borehole.
18:30We're turning right into the sitting room
18:32which takes in the mega views.
18:37Oh, lovely big room.
18:39So this could be your living room.
18:41I wasn't expecting this.
18:44No?
18:45No, not with beams.
18:46I thought it would be more modern.
18:48It's a surprise, isn't it?
18:49Yeah.
18:50It doesn't feel as homily as the other one.
18:53I mean, I walked into that one
18:54I was ready to sit down and watch the television.
18:56See, but this one,
18:57I've got to use my brain to think, you know,
19:00where would I put this
19:01and where would I put that?
19:02Okay.
19:03But look, you come in, sit down.
19:04Oh, that was sitting down
19:05like I thought it was going to be.
19:06Look at the view.
19:07Oh, the view.
19:08Come on.
19:09The view is to die for.
19:11Look at that.
19:12Come on.
19:13The view is...
19:14Look at that.
19:15That would sell anything, I think, yeah.
19:17I mean, I'm pretty comfy here.
19:18I don't know about you guys.
19:19I am.
19:20I am very comfy.
19:21I can stay here if you want to.
19:23It's a comfortable room,
19:24but I don't find it as welcoming as the other one, you know.
19:27Do you know what it needs?
19:28It needs more plants.
19:29It does.
19:30It does, yeah.
19:31It does, yeah.
19:32It's easy to get lost in those views, but there's a whole house to see, so it's on to the kitchen.
19:40And now.
19:41Now.
19:42Now.
19:43Yes.
19:44It's this combined kitchen.
19:46It is a combined kitchen diner, which I know isn't your favourite.
19:49But again, just, you know.
19:51Yes.
19:52Imagine you're doing your cooking and you're washing up.
19:54Underwashing up.
19:55Yes.
19:56Yes.
19:57And looking at that view.
19:58You've got underfloor heating in here.
19:59In the floor.
20:00Mmm.
20:01Okay.
20:02So in the winter we can come and lay on the floor.
20:04To me it's a canvas, you know, you can do a lot with it.
20:10You know.
20:11For a start I'd put the table the other way.
20:13The other way to give us more space.
20:14Give us that more space.
20:15Yeah.
20:16And, you know, possibly make a nook here by putting a table this way.
20:20Yeah.
20:21To keep us, if you like, just a bit separate.
20:23If I have visitors, I'd rather, if they're in a separate room from the kitchen, to eat.
20:30Our first stumbling block, but it's onwards and upwards, where there are the requested three bedrooms.
20:36I found my place, Pauline.
20:38Your window seat.
20:39Yeah.
20:40Just room for the tea there as well.
20:42You can bring me up the tea.
20:43That's right.
20:44Look at that.
20:45It's lovely there.
20:46Yeah.
20:47This must be the main bedroom.
20:48Is it nice?
20:49Oh.
20:50Nice and big.
20:51The one thing it lacks, though, is your storage space.
20:55That might be a bit of storage.
20:56I don't know.
20:57We'll have a quick peek.
20:58Yes, it is.
20:59Yes.
21:00They're saying it's a blank canvas, or it could be for them, but I just don't feel like their
21:08heart's in it.
21:09They're comparing it a lot to the property this morning.
21:12So, oh, I'm just not sure.
21:13But they haven't seen the garden yet, and that is pretty awesome.
21:18Storage-wise, I think it is too small.
21:21Too small for us.
21:22It looks more like a holiday home to me.
21:26Well, hopefully this might sway them.
21:29Out here there's the epic views, a stable block for storage, a summer house with electricity
21:37and a pond, and almost an acre of garden for Pauline's pots.
21:42Not to mention Barry's zip line.
21:45It's quite steep.
21:46It's quite steep.
21:47I'll catch you.
21:48I'll catch you.
21:49What about this garden, though?
21:51The garden is absolutely lovely, but the thing that worries me about this is I'm not
21:56getting younger, and up and down these slopes and trying to mow grass and things like that.
22:01You know, I think it would probably, two years, I'd have to think about moving again,
22:05which I wouldn't want to do, you know.
22:07Well, let's talk price.
22:08Price?
22:09What do we think?
22:10My estimate, if I was to buy, I think the maximum I would pay for it is about £320,000.
22:17£320,000?
22:18Sorry, £420,000.
22:19Steady on.
22:20I see you're lowballing a bit there.
22:21Pauline?
22:22I would say a bit more.
22:27£435,000.
22:29£435,000.
22:30Pauline, you are very good at this.
22:33Really?
22:34It's on with a guide price of £435,000.
22:37I win again.
22:39Give the girl the coconuts.
22:42Knowing Pauline, she'd prefer the palm tree.
22:45This 19th century barn on a hillside location offers spectacular views of the countryside.
22:51It has the required three bedrooms, but it's outside that over delivers with almost an acre of land and numerous outbuildings.
23:00I like the view.
23:01I like the view.
23:02The views are absolutely to die for.
23:05We would prefer to have a separate dining area, but the kitchen itself is lovely.
23:12Lovely flooring, underfloor heating.
23:14Oh, yeah.
23:15Yeah.
23:16There's everything in it.
23:17We could do things with it, but I don't think that we would be 100% happy with what we do, whatever happens.
23:23That's right, because we would prefer for the dining room table not to be in there.
23:28I think it's just a little bit out of our reach, you know, dream.
23:37Barry and Pauline have driven through Herefordshire many times.
23:41But one of the best ways to soak in the atmosphere is to take a stroll.
23:45So that's exactly what we're going to do.
23:48So how are you feeling after today?
23:50I enjoyed it.
23:51I thoroughly enjoyed it.
23:52You know, especially the views around and it more or less fell into what we was expecting to see.
23:58Yeah.
23:59And really pleased.
24:00Some lovely villages.
24:01Yeah.
24:02Today.
24:03Barry, you're moving from a house that you've lived in for over 50 years.
24:07Uh-huh.
24:08It's going to take somewhere pretty special, isn't it, to take you away from there?
24:11It is.
24:12It is.
24:13Are you apprehensive about moving away or has being here really kind of confirmed that this is where you want to be?
24:18I think that, you know, to say I wasn't being at all apprehensive would be a lie, you know.
24:22But, of course, I'm a bit apprehensive.
24:24But in my own mind, I think that I've made several other changes over these past few years.
24:30And this is going to be another one.
24:32You know, it's going to be a change.
24:34And I'm pretty sure, though I gave you the others, I will quickly adjust to it.
24:38Okay.
24:39Yeah, I most probably will say we should have done it before.
24:42That's right.
24:43Because I've done that several times.
24:44Should have done this sooner.
24:46Yeah.
24:47Well, we've got lots more to see tomorrow.
24:48Got the mystery house.
24:49Wonderful.
24:50Can't wait.
24:51Exciting.
24:52But for now, I want you to go and have a good rest.
24:53Okay.
24:54Good night's sleep.
24:55Will do.
24:56And we'll get going again in the morning.
24:58All right.
24:59will do.
25:00Okay.
25:01How about you?
25:02How about you?
25:03How about you?
25:04How about you?
25:05How about you?
25:06I know, how about you?
25:07Every single day.
25:08How about you?
25:09I know.
25:10I know.
25:11I know.
25:12A lot about you.
25:13Oh, I know.
25:14It's very clear to me.
25:15So, when you're going to visit me.
25:16How about you?
25:17What's viene-up?
25:18regularly and in the last five years the average price for a detached house in
25:22the county has varied from £28,000 cheaper than the national figure to £7,000
25:28more expensive. It's currently £7,000 below at £433,000.
25:38Across the region there are stunning properties like this three-bedroom barn
25:43conversion that's been renovated from top to bottom. With high vaulted ceilings
25:48and underfloor heating throughout it's available for offers over £600,000.
25:53For less than half that amount this two-bedroom cottage was originally part
26:00of a 16th century rectory. It has a gorgeous living room, a courtyard garden
26:05and is priced at £285,000.
26:09Or if you're looking for a rental this imposing five-bedroom family house has
26:16spacious living areas and a low-maintenance garden available for £1,650 a month.
26:26Yesterday Pauline and Barry saw Herefordshire in all its glory. House number one set the bar pretty high
26:34and I think that's the one that we're gonna have to beat. Later on today I'm going to be meeting a
26:38couple who have already up sticks and moved here but before that we've got the mystery house
26:43and I hope it's up to the challenge.
26:47Lying close to the north east county border is the hamlet of Wolfalo,
26:51just outside the historic market town of Bromyard.
26:56The town dates back to at least the 9th century and has a number of half-timbered buildings.
27:01There's a leisure centre and the town claims to have 120 sports clubs and organisations
27:08for keeping active. As well as a library, the public hall hosts events and celebrations
27:13for over 100 attendees.
27:18Six miles north of it is our mystery house surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery.
27:23Now after our glorious view at that house yesterday, I just wanted to show you that
27:33you get views like this all over Herefordshire.
27:35It is.
27:35Really. I thought that was all of Herefordshire.
27:40There's a splendid.
27:41I've never been able to see so far.
27:43It's a bit of all right, isn't it?
27:44Oh, yes.
27:44We did pick the right county, didn't we?
27:46Definitely.
27:47There's a public footpath that goes through this field.
27:50Okay.
27:50So this is a wonderful walk and it would be your local walk if you chose the mystery house.
27:56Okay.
27:57Because we're not far.
27:58Sounds good.
27:58Yeah.
27:59Sounds good.
27:59I'm going to leave you to enjoy this stunning view and I'm going to go and unlock the mystery
28:03house and you can come find me in a little bit, okay?
28:04Okay.
28:05Can't wait to see it.
28:06Enjoy.
28:09Look at this sign.
28:11Isn't this wonderful?
28:12Today's mystery house, as with all our mystery houses, isn't exactly what Pauline and Barry have
28:19asked for.
28:20It's semi-detached, but it's a conversion.
28:23So it means it's got stacks of character, but it's also got that all-important storage space.
28:30Dating back to the 1800s, this barn was converted 30 years ago.
28:35Now, one thing I think they might notice is this.
28:39It's a little bit open plan, but I've got some ideas.
28:43I just hope they like them.
28:46So semi-detached barn conversion and open plan.
28:50Wish me luck.
28:52Hello.
28:53Hello again.
28:54Welcome to our mystery house.
28:56Okay.
28:58All right.
28:59I've converted barn.
29:00Is it?
29:00It's done well though.
29:02I mean, normally they'd have the big glass and I don't like that, you know, but that's done well.
29:06Yeah, it's not what I expected.
29:08I quite like it.
29:09Yeah.
29:09So it is semi-detached.
29:11I like it.
29:11So you don't get the whole building, but you're, you know, you've got so much open space.
29:17Now I've spoken to the current owners who have said that the community here within the Hambler
29:21is really special.
29:23And they said the hardest thing about leaving this property is leaving the neighbors, leaving
29:28the community.
29:29So, you know, you've got a ready-built community to move into.
29:31That's good.
29:32That's good because we're not isolated.
29:34No.
29:35And it's nice and quiet.
29:36It's very quiet.
29:37It's so tranquil.
29:38It is quiet.
29:39Shall we go in?
29:39Yes, please.
29:42You can always rely on the mystery house to flip preconceptions.
29:46And now it's on to the open plan kitchen diner.
29:53Oh, yes.
29:55Look at that.
29:58What a lovely kitchen.
29:59Isn't it gorgeous?
30:01Look at the outlook.
30:02Yeah.
30:02And the floor.
30:04And I know you're not keen on.
30:06I'm not keen on islands.
30:07I can live with that one.
30:09Come on, Barry.
30:10That's a lovely island, isn't it?
30:11It's not enormous and you can get under it.
30:13I've got to live with that.
30:13That's very nice.
30:14Yeah.
30:14Are you feeling a bit more?
30:16Are you okay?
30:17Yeah.
30:18I can't believe all this light and overlooking the car.
30:32Everywhere you look from every window, it's what we've been dreaming of.
30:39And then around here, it's not completely open plan, I would say,
30:43but you've got a dining area here.
30:45If you desperately wanted to, you could put some kind of doorway here, a barrier.
30:50A screen.
30:50Having this arch here, it is separate.
30:53But, you know, again, I'm changing my...
30:56This is not open plan, you know, where you've got the whole front room in with you as well.
31:01This is fine.
31:02We don't like happy days.
31:04And then through there, you've got a little boot room, utility area, storage space.
31:11Everything we wanted.
31:12Oh, yeah.
31:14The rest of the ground floor is taken up by the sitting room.
31:17And then this.
31:18I love these doors.
31:19Aren't they stunning?
31:20They are stunning.
31:20Absolutely gorgeous living area.
31:25I never thought we'd find an inglenock in here.
31:28No, I didn't.
31:29I thought that is going to be the thing that is missing.
31:32That is lovely.
31:33It's got an inglenock.
31:34It's a lovely feature.
31:36Oh, yes.
31:37This is an original wall.
31:39Yeah.
31:39Dates back to the 1800s.
31:40Oh, right.
31:41Okay.
31:42I love the flooring as well.
31:44Yeah, I like it.
31:45I really like it.
31:47Drinks cabinet ain't big enough, though, you know.
31:50Sorry, you can work on that.
31:51But there is room to make a bigger one.
31:55Would you like to go and have a look upstairs?
31:56Oh, definitely.
32:00They love it.
32:01The mystery house strikes again.
32:06There are three bedrooms that share a bathroom and additional shower room.
32:10The main bedroom solves the storage dilemma.
32:16Oh, this is a large room and we have got storage space.
32:23I love all the beams.
32:24It's a loveless little space.
32:26Wake up.
32:27Look at the views.
32:28Plants as well in here.
32:29Look at the views.
32:30Yes, and the views.
32:32Oh, another bedroom.
32:33I can't believe this.
32:34Another bedroom.
32:35Another double bedroom.
32:36And storage.
32:38Yes.
32:38There's no room for storage.
32:39Plenty of room.
32:41Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
32:43Oh, sorry, guys.
32:46Now, have your escape bingo cards at the ready,
32:49as this garden is twice the requested size and features a patio area, raised beds, trees,
32:56more trees, a pond, a wildflower bank and a chicken coop.
33:03What else can we ask for?
33:04Well, I mean, there literally isn't anything else, is there?
33:07No, there isn't.
33:07It's got it all.
33:08Just look at the wildflowers.
33:10Yeah, we always wanted to have a meadow.
33:12I like the different areas.
33:14Everything has got its place.
33:17Not just to pick these.
33:19We'll come back down to earth for a minute and talk about price.
33:22Yeah, now is the crunch time.
33:23Crunch time, indeed.
33:24I've got a feeling it's over our budget, but I'm hoping it's not.
33:28So I'm going to say it's bang on, which is £500,000.
33:33Okey dokey.
33:34Barry?
33:34I think it's over.
33:35I think it's £525,000.
33:38Over budget?
33:39I wouldn't do that to you, Barry.
33:42It's actually under.
33:43It's on for a guide price of £475,000.
33:47No.
33:47Mm-hm.
33:49I don't believe that.
33:51As you can imagine, there's a lot of interest in this house.
33:54Mm-hm.
33:54And offers have started coming in already.
33:56OK.
33:57So just be aware of that, that if you wanted this house,
34:00you'd have to move quite quickly.
34:02Right.
34:03For once, Pauline's guess is out, but I don't think she minds.
34:07They love this 19th century barn conversion enough
34:10to work around the open-plan kitchen diner.
34:13And they're surprised to find an Inglenock fireplace in the sitting room.
34:18The three bedrooms come with storage, and the garden has everything.
34:22This house does feel like home.
34:26It's what we have been looking for, both inside and outside.
34:32I don't think I could have done anything better if I built it from scratch.
34:37I'm in the present house I'm living in at the moment.
34:39I've been in for 52 years.
34:41To pull away from it is not easy.
34:45So I think this one is a huge wrench, and I'm going to do it.
34:49And I don't think I'm going to regret it.
34:59It doesn't matter if you want a big or a small garden.
35:02With either, it's natural to want to spend as much time in them as possible.
35:06Which is exactly what Tom and Lydia set out to do
35:09when they moved to Herefordshire seven years ago.
35:11The couple wanted to make their London lives more sustainable.
35:17So when Tom came second in a cider-making competition,
35:20they found it was the perfect solution.
35:24Cider is one of the lowest carbon drinks you can make.
35:28There's nothing you do to it.
35:29You just take your raw apple juice and allow it to ferment.
35:32Delicious.
35:33Yeah, we know we're super, super proud of our low-intervention cider,
35:36which is made entirely with fruit hand-picked by the two of us.
35:40So, yeah, one of our busiest times of the year is harvest,
35:43when we spend three months basically crawling around our hands and knees
35:46and picking up and selecting the absolute best fruit
35:49from some of the ancient orchards that we're lucky enough to have
35:51in our surrounding area.
35:52We've also planted our own orchard here,
35:54which has involved just learning all sorts of new skills.
35:57So Tom learnt grafting.
35:59And, of course, we approach everything with a kind of,
36:02how can we reduce our impact approach.
36:03And so we even do mad things like scything.
36:06We do scythe the orchard, yeah, and that really reduces the amount
36:09of heavy machinery we have to have up there.
36:11And we've put in a no-dig permaculture garden where we grow all of our vegetables
36:16so we don't buy anything in anymore.
36:18We keep chickens.
36:19We've got a lovely perennial fruit garden.
36:22We've got just a wonderful place to live, really.
36:26Living off the land is quite the challenge,
36:29but it's one that Tom and Lydia have obviously stepped up to.
36:33So I thought, while I'm here, I'll come and meet them in person
36:36and dig a little deeper into their escape to the country.
36:41I just really hope it's tasting day and not scything day.
36:44Hi, Tom and Lydia. How are you? Nice to see you.
36:52Talk to me about what you've got growing here, because there's a lot going on.
36:55Everything we want to eat, basically.
36:56So we grow beetroots, we grow squash, we grow sweet corn,
37:00we grow sort of lots of herbs as well.
37:02I've even got melons growing in the polytunnel.
37:04Yeah, sort of anything we love to eat, we grow here.
37:08Lots of staples as well, onions and garlic and potatoes,
37:12but lots of unusual stuff.
37:14Yeah, asparagus.
37:14Cardoons.
37:16Wow, I don't even know what a cardoon is!
37:18It's like an artichoke,
37:20and you can blanch the stems and eat them at Christmas.
37:22Oh, fantastic.
37:23One of the most valuable things we bought, I always say,
37:25is the massive manure heap,
37:26because a donkey had lived here for 35 years previous to our buying it.
37:30So there was a huge pile of well-rotted manure,
37:32and that was actually very useful in setting off the garden.
37:37It's not what most people look for when buying a property,
37:39but, I mean, if that works for you, then absolutely.
37:42We were delighted.
37:45So if you, like me, I'm not very green-fingered, I've got to admit,
37:48if I wanted to start with a vegetable, which vegetable would I start with?
37:51Grow your favourite expensive vegetables.
37:53Yeah.
37:54That's a really good tip, that is.
37:56People always think lettuce is going to be quite difficult,
37:58but it's actually really hardy,
37:59so you can have lettuce growing throughout the winter.
38:00It's frost-tolerant.
38:02Beetroot as well, we grow loads of beetroot,
38:03because it doesn't take up very much space, and it's very easy.
38:07The veg they grow is for their personal consumption,
38:10and for the cider business, they need a huge amount of apples,
38:13so have planted over two acres of trees for the future.
38:18Gosh, so this is an impressive orchard you've got here.
38:20What kind of apple tree is this one?
38:22So this is an apple variety called Newland sack.
38:24It's incredibly rare.
38:27Wow.
38:28It was found as a single ancient veteran tree.
38:31I think that we're one of maybe four or five people in the country that have a Newland sack tree.
38:35Wow.
38:36Said to be a very prolific bearer, and this one's only a very young tree,
38:39but you can already see it's willing to put quite a bit of fruit on.
38:42It is. There's a lot of apples on there.
38:44This orchard here, your baby orchard, I'm assuming you don't get all of your apples for your cider from here yet.
38:49No, so this we've been gradually planting when we find interesting varieties that we want to put in here.
38:56So this has been sort of a work in progress since 2017.
38:58At the moment, our fruit comes from these beautiful heritage orchards that we're rescuing,
39:03or bringing back into full production, and they've got trees which are 88, 90 years old.
39:09Stunning, stunning places to be as well. Beautiful, biodiverse, rich habitats.
39:13I didn't know you could rescue an orchard.
39:15Stunning old fruit.
39:15Yeah.
39:16And of course, like old vines, old apple trees give the best fruit.
39:18Oh.
39:19A lot of orchards get abandoned.
39:20So modern orchards are planted on dwarfing rootstocks, basically.
39:24So you get very small trees that are easy to pick from.
39:26The orchards we're picking from were planted 100 years ago, as Tom says, on these huge rootstocks.
39:31So these trees that sort of can be 40 foot tall.
39:33So these trees here, we hope, will grow to be 100 years old, maybe older,
39:38and be there for the next generation of cider makers who come and take this plot on.
39:44What a fantastic legacy.
39:46In 100 years time, people could well be enjoying Tom and Lydia's cider as much as they do now.
39:52Oh.
39:53Oh, I didn't try it.
39:55Guys, guys.
40:02This morning, we weren't sure that we could top house number one.
40:05But now, I get the feeling that two contenders are in the running.
40:09Let's go see if we've got a winner.
40:13Hello.
40:14Hello.
40:14Hello.
40:15How are you doing?
40:16Hello.
40:16Enjoying the sunshine?
40:17We're doing fine.
40:18Yes.
40:19Lovely day.
40:19It's nice, isn't it?
40:20The brain is working in circles at the moment, you know.
40:23And unfortunately, what's holding us up a bit is we are intended to make an offer.
40:27What?
40:28Wait, slow down.
40:29But the agent is unavailable right at the moment.
40:32Okay, right.
40:32Let's just roll this to the back a minute.
40:34So, yesterday, we saw two houses.
40:37You really liked the first one.
40:38We know the Mystery House likes to come in and just shake things up.
40:42And I think it's really done that for you, hasn't it?
40:44Yeah, it sort of scrambled us, you know, because as we walked through, it was there.
40:50This is what we wanted, that's what we wanted.
40:51I never thought I would go for a barn conversion.
40:57Have we converted you to a barn conversion?
40:58Yes.
40:59Yeah, it's the last thing I thought that I would fall in love with.
41:02It is the one.
41:04Oh, my goodness.
41:04So, you're putting in an offer on the Mystery House?
41:06Uh-huh.
41:07Definitely.
41:08This is so exciting.
41:09We are so excited.
41:10We can't wait.
41:11Oh, oh, my God.
41:13Oh, wait.
41:14Is it done?
41:15Oh, it is the agent.
41:16Yes, it is the agent.
41:17Excuse us.
41:18Come on, Barry.
41:19Hello.
41:20Hello.
41:21No.
41:21Can you still hear me?
41:23We are wanting to make an offer on the barn.
41:26If we win in at 450,000, how do you feel?
41:32I can't believe they're actually on the phone to the agent now.
41:34This is so exciting.
41:35I want to know what's going to happen.
41:40Oh, that was very exciting.
41:43Come and sit down and tell me what happened.
41:45I can't believe that she called as soon as we were talking about it.
41:49That's amazing.
41:49That's never happened to me before.
41:51She has informed us that there's a lot of other people interested.
41:54Okay.
41:54And, you know, we're going to go to the maximum we can, but hopefully we get there.
42:00We need to put it in an email.
42:02Right.
42:02Okay, so you've got to put your best offer in an email, send it to them, keep everything
42:07grasped.
42:08By tomorrow, yeah.
42:09Well, I'm so excited for you.
42:11Will you keep in touch?
42:12We will keep in touch.
42:13I think you'll hear a big yippee message, you know?
42:15I'll listen out for it.
42:17Oh, yeah, there's Barry and Pauline.
42:19Well, cheers to you.
42:21Exciting times ahead.
42:26Sunshine and open spaces, two conditions that plants thrive in, and also two components that
42:33help make for a very successful property search.
42:36And luckily for us, we've had plenty of both this week in stunning Herefordshire.
42:41Pauline and Barry have really seen the very best that this county has to offer.
42:46And talking of offers, that was a first.
42:49I'm absolutely delighted that they managed to get through to the agent of the mystery house.
42:53And all being well, I'll be back here to visit them and all their plants very soon.
42:59Join us next time on Escape to the Country.
43:01If you would like to escape to the country in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales,
43:06and need our help, why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part.
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