Escape To The Country Season 26 Episode 13 makes history as Jules Hudson visits the beautiful Isle of Man for the first time. He helps a retired nurse from Lincolnshire, who has been holidaying on the island for more than 70 years, search for the perfect countryside home within a £275,000 budget. With plenty of local knowledge, the journey becomes a unique tour of one of the British Isles’ most captivating destinations.
From the picturesque harbour town of Peel to the iconic Great Laxey Wheel and a scenic ride on the Snaefell Mountain Railway, this episode is filled with breathtaking landscapes and charming properties. Jules also meets a passionate gardener who relocated from the USA to embrace island life, proving the Isle of Man offers a truly inspiring countryside escape.
#EscapeToTheCountry #IsleOfMan #CountryLiving #RuralLife #BritishTV
From the picturesque harbour town of Peel to the iconic Great Laxey Wheel and a scenic ride on the Snaefell Mountain Railway, this episode is filled with breathtaking landscapes and charming properties. Jules also meets a passionate gardener who relocated from the USA to embrace island life, proving the Isle of Man offers a truly inspiring countryside escape.
#EscapeToTheCountry #IsleOfMan #CountryLiving #RuralLife #BritishTV
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00:01Occasionally on Escapes of the Country,
00:03our house hunters are more familiar with the region than we are.
00:06You know what they say about the three legs of man?
00:09Go on.
00:10Whichever way you throw me, I stand.
00:12Ah!
00:13And it can seem like there's nothing they haven't seen before.
00:17I've actually climbed to the top of it three times.
00:20Have you?
00:20Yes.
00:22But we have a good idea what should make them happy.
00:25It's your home from home, but now we need to make it your permanent home, don't we?
00:29Please.
00:29Yes, please.
00:30And we'll search to the ends of the earth to find it.
00:34Oh, what a lovely little area.
00:36Yeah.
00:36So sunny and warm, isn't it?
00:59The Isle of Man is clearly a land of beauty.
01:03But what else?
01:07Often overlooked by many, which we're equally guilty of, we're about to find out.
01:14Well, there is an old Manx saying that from here on top of Snaefell Mountain in the middle
01:20of the Isle of Man, you can see seven kingdoms.
01:24Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales down there on the horizon.
01:30I am stood, of course, on the kingdom of man itself and out there at sea, Neptune's kingdom
01:36and above me, that of heaven.
01:39It is a view, frankly, we have never ever seen before because escape to the country has never
01:43been here before.
01:44But it is a visit we are going to relish.
01:49The Isle of Man is located in the Irish Sea and is a self-governing British crown dependency
01:55with its own parliament, laws and language.
01:58Felcia Eregus, Ellen Vannan.
02:02Welcome to the Isle of Man.
02:04It's everywhere, Manx.
02:06It's in the house names, it's on the street names, it's the names of the mountains, it's
02:10the names of the hills.
02:11It's everywhere and it gives you a really, really beautiful understanding of where you
02:15are.
02:16I am not Manx by birth.
02:18I've adopted the island as my home and I absolutely love it here.
02:22I found the people here to be very welcoming and very supportive and that's worked really
02:27well for me with my hearing loss.
02:29My stress levels were too high and I found the much slower pace of life actually really
02:34suited me.
02:35I don't know if you're familiar with the term trader lure which is Manx for time and off
02:40so things get done as and when.
02:43But island life isn't all about slowing down.
02:47If you're into bikes it helps the Isle of Antete here, that's probably one of the biggest
02:50things or the biggest event of the island of the year.
02:53And while some of the locals are capable of swimming from the mainland, for the rest of
02:59us the island can be reached by ferry for under £50 return for foot passengers.
03:05Well it may be escape to the country's first visit here but it's also mine.
03:11But as for today's buyer, well she's been coming here for nearly 70 years so I dare say
03:16on this occasion she'll be showing me a thing or two.
03:24Retired nurse Pat has been living in a former chapel in Lincolnshire for 30 years.
03:29I love this place and it belongs to my parents and so I know it very well but I'd like
03:35to
03:36pick it up and put it on the Isle of Man because I know that I can be happy there.
03:40She'll be assisted on her search by her friend Sue.
03:44I have never been to the Isle of Man and I really am looking forward to exploring it.
03:49Pat enjoys being creative and her main passion is painting.
03:53My children were in bed fast asleep, my husband was at work and I got the kids paint box and
04:01decided to paint an egg.
04:03And from humble beginnings she's honed her talents over 50 years and now runs an art group.
04:10I really enjoy my art because you get lost in art.
04:13You have such a beautiful me time with art.
04:19But she won't be getting lost on the Isle of Man.
04:22I've worked there for a little while and also I've known it from childhood.
04:27Many, many happy holidays there.
04:31I know her heart really is there and it would calm her down.
04:36It will make her feel healthier in herself and I'm sure it will actually help prolong her life.
04:44Well that beats the usual motivation of just wanting a bigger garden.
04:49For a maximum budget of £275,000, Pat is after a detached home,
04:55ideally on one level or with a stair lift.
04:58She needs two bedrooms for friends and family to visit in a semi-rural location or on the edge of
05:04a village
05:05and wants attractive views to paint, of which I think we might be spoiled for choice.
05:17I've often tried to picture what the Isle of Man might look like.
05:22In truth, I think it's a bit of almost every region I've seen.
05:27There's a sense of the Cairngorms here, the Yorkshire Dales, Devon, Somerset, there really is something for everybody.
05:34And as for Pat, well this is obviously a long-held ambition to finally make this island her permanent home.
05:43And I suspect what she doesn't know about this place isn't worth knowing.
05:50We're starting our house search on the south-west tip of the island in the pretty seaside village of Port
05:56Erin.
05:57It's a spot familiar to Pat and I'm meeting her and Sue by the water.
06:05How are you?
06:06We're fine, thank you.
06:07Very nice to see you.
06:09Yes, pleased to meet you.
06:10Hello Pat, hello Sue.
06:11Very pleased to see you.
06:13Well, what can I say?
06:14But welcome to Escapes of the Country.
06:16I can't really welcome you to the Isle of Man because I've never been here before.
06:20You've never been here before, Sue.
06:22But Pat, you know it better than all of us.
06:24Yes, I do.
06:25Yes.
06:26So how does it feel to be back thinking that this is going to be home for the future?
06:29I absolutely love the island.
06:32I've known it since I was about 13.
06:35But it's always been there, like an itch, that I wanted to scratch and couldn't, you know.
06:41And so I decided, yes, let's go for it.
06:44And I just rang the programme and said, do you ever go to the Isle of Man?
06:48Yes, we'd love to go.
06:50Well, it is our first time here on the Isle of Man, you know.
06:54I mean, there's a risk here, Sue, that you might also fall in love with it and want to move
06:57as well.
06:59Quite possibly, but Pat's got it in her blood.
07:02And I think now she's thinking, well, where do I retire to, despite the fact that she may be nearly
07:0982?
07:11And this is it.
07:12But if you love all of this, and this is a place I know you know well, you'll be pleased
07:16to know that our first property is but a walk up the hill.
07:19Oh, lovely.
07:20How about that?
07:21Beautiful.
07:22Come on then, shall we scratch your itch?
07:24Yes, certainly.
07:26Port Erin looks out to the Irish Sea.
07:29And the name Erin means Ireland.
07:34Around the sandy beach is a flat promenade that Pat could stroll along.
07:38And in addition to ubiquitous seaside amenities like beach huts, boat tours and ice cream huts, there are modern conveniences
07:46like electric vehicle charging points.
07:50The village is well stocked with shops and restaurants and in the centre is a steam railway station, the western
07:57terminus of a 15 mile line linking it to the capital city, Douglas.
08:02Around a 10 minute walk from it is our first property.
08:06Right, well, come and have a look at this.
08:08Do you like that?
08:09The little Manx design in the gate welded in.
08:13Oh, that's lovely.
08:13Come on in.
08:14Lovely.
08:15Oh, isn't this lovely?
08:17Look at the flowers.
08:18Gorgeous.
08:19Yes.
08:19What do you think?
08:20Lovely geraniums, aren't they?
08:21Beautiful.
08:22Really gorgeous.
08:24Yes.
08:24Lovely little Manx cottage.
08:26Very similar to the one that I rented when I lived here when I worked.
08:30Back in the 2000s.
08:32Interesting.
08:34Yeah, this one was originally thatched.
08:35Uh-huh.
08:36It is technically a semi, but it certainly feels detached and you've got this little area of sort of front
08:40garden and then a really pretty, very private rear garden.
08:43Right.
08:44Lovely.
08:45Do you like a potter in the garden?
08:46I do.
08:46And you can see the sea.
08:48You can see the sea.
08:49Yes.
08:49How about that?
08:50And you get that lovely sea air.
08:51Yes, you do.
08:53I can't wait to see inside it.
08:54Let's have a look, right.
08:55Beautiful.
08:56Yeah.
09:00This 100-year-old traditional Manx stone bungalow was used by the owners as a holiday home, so is offered
09:07fully furnished.
09:09While it's been extended, there's only one bedroom, which is at the front of the house.
09:16Isn't this lovely?
09:18Absolutely gorgeous.
09:20Yeah?
09:20Yes.
09:21Oh, a lovely sized room too.
09:23It is.
09:24Yes.
09:25Beautiful.
09:26It's not going to bang your head.
09:27No, no, no.
09:29And the light, you don't expect it to be so bright and light, but it is.
09:34Well, originally when it was thatched, obviously you wouldn't have had the opportunity really for any skylights there.
09:38Because that's right.
09:39But I think in terms of footprint, this is a very generous.
09:41It is.
09:42It is.
09:42It is.
09:43It is.
09:43Yes.
09:43Yes.
09:44Yes.
09:45Also at the front is the sitting room.
09:47Yes, just the right size.
09:49It's sort of not too big and cosy, isn't it?
09:52You could see yourself in here in the wintertime with the fire going.
09:57Yes.
09:57Yes.
09:58Technically, you know, that is your main bedroom next door.
10:01Yes.
10:01So here you would probably need a sofa bed.
10:04Yes.
10:04Yes.
10:05Yes.
10:05Yes.
10:06Or even, I mean, it's quite long.
10:10Would you fit on there?
10:12Yes.
10:13Yes.
10:13Maybe something that folds out.
10:14A bit more salubrious.
10:16But that's the...
10:17I don't want to stay too long, you know.
10:20You saw the skylight in the bedroom.
10:22Yes.
10:22Well, that one, like this one, is remote control.
10:25Oh, right.
10:26There we go.
10:27Oh.
10:27Ah, yes.
10:28So that saves you a job, doesn't it?
10:30Yes, it does.
10:31Yes, because no way I could get up there to do anything.
10:34Exactly.
10:34So you've got some mod cons back.
10:36Yes, yes.
10:37That would be lovely.
10:38Yes.
10:40And there are more mod cons at the rear of the house.
10:44So just a couple of little steps here.
10:46They're the only steps there are, but they lead on to the downstairs shower room.
10:50Right.
10:51Which is your main bathroom, as it were.
10:53Yes.
10:54And then through the little corridor into here.
10:57Lovely.
10:58Yes.
10:58Nice little kitchen.
11:00Very nice.
11:01Yes.
11:01Very compact.
11:02The white goods in here.
11:04Everything.
11:04Yes.
11:05Lovely.
11:05Lovely.
11:05This is a later extension to the original thatched cottage as was, as you can probably
11:10tell, hence you sort of stepped down into it.
11:12Yes.
11:12And if you wanted a, I suppose you wanted a gas cooker or something bigger, you could
11:15rearrange that.
11:16Yes.
11:16So I don't have a cooker at all at the moment.
11:20What I have is an air fryer, a multi cooker and a convection microwave.
11:25You've joined the revolution.
11:26I have.
11:28And the work surfaces are the right height.
11:30Yes.
11:31Because sometimes they're too low.
11:32Yes.
11:32Sometimes they're much higher.
11:34Yes.
11:35And, but this is, is perfect.
11:36They're virtually the same height as your own one.
11:38Yes.
11:39Yes.
11:39I don't think I could have wished for much more.
11:43Well then, the secluded rear garden might be the cherry on the cake.
11:49Ooh.
11:50Nice.
11:53Nice, nice, nice.
11:54Oh, what a lovely little area.
11:56Yeah.
11:56So sunny and warm, isn't it?
11:58Nice little spot.
11:59It is.
12:00Beautiful.
12:00It's a real sun trap.
12:02Yes.
12:03And look at this, isn't it lovely?
12:04The, er, the Isle of Man logo there on the floor.
12:08Yes.
12:08Yes.
12:08Absolutely lovely.
12:08And you know what they say about the three legs of man?
12:11Go on.
12:12Whichever way you throw me, I stunned.
12:14Ah.
12:15Yes, I can't.
12:16You do know your manx, don't you?
12:18I do.
12:19So, let's have a think then about what this might be on the market for.
12:23Shall we say 265?
12:27Sue?
12:30I'd go a tad lower and say 250.
12:33I love your optimism.
12:34Yes.
12:35Yeah.
12:36Yeah.
12:37Yeah.
12:37But this is currently on the market for 279 and a half thousand pounds.
12:44Yes.
12:45However, certainly if you went to the asking price, it would come fully furnished.
12:50Yes.
12:51Yes.
12:51Which is a huge headache.
12:53It is.
12:53Out of the way.
12:54It is.
12:54Yes.
12:55I mean, it is worth that money.
12:56Yes.
12:57Very much so.
12:58Although this traditional manx stone cottage is slightly over budget, the fact it's fully
13:04furnished could save Pat thousands.
13:06It has one large bedroom for her and space in the lounge for guests, while outside the
13:12garden is manageable and offers a sea view.
13:15I think it's absolutely lovely.
13:18I really feel at home and I would really love to live in this cottage.
13:22It's so like her own house in Lincolnshire that I was almost expecting to see her paintings
13:30on the walls.
13:31She can literally just walk into it with maybe a few personal bits and she's home.
13:38It's, it's perfect.
13:52This is Sue's first visit to the Isle of Man.
13:55So we're sending her with the island's most enthusiastic guide, Pat, to explore one of
14:01the largest towns and the former capital, Peel, near the middle of the west coast.
14:07Oh, it's gorgeous.
14:08It really is.
14:09And look how clean it is, that sand.
14:11I could do without the seagulls.
14:14In the 11th century, the island was ruled by a Viking king who built a wooden castle here.
14:19And over time, it was strengthened with sandstone.
14:23There's supposed to be a ghost there of a black dog.
14:26And my little brother, when we went round it, was scared because he was frightened.
14:31He was going to see the black dog.
14:33Oh, right.
14:35The House of Manannan is a museum telling the story of the island's Celtic and Viking
14:40past, through to modern history, such as its busy fishing port, which continues today,
14:45just one of its many draws.
14:50My favourite thing about Peel, other than the smell of fish, I think Peel's got such
14:55a wide variety of exciting things that go on throughout the year.
14:58It's always got a bit of a different vibe.
15:01Sometimes along the prom, there's different types of events which are on,
15:04which bring all sorts of diversity to Peel.
15:06The gem of the place, the Peel area, is beautiful purple walks.
15:09And I think that Peel is the best side of the island.
15:12Up to the island, we think about land.
15:16The management things together.
15:17Some fish, arbeiten a little jo plan, who's at hour and a little talk,
15:24but instead ofards the island, we think they're going to have care for the island's front,
15:28places.
15:29as to just ball in the sack from alone one thing Pat might not be aware of is
15:38the extensive art resources available to residents so she and sue are meeting
15:43Colette and Kate who run art reach studios which offers art supplies and
15:47workshops for all ages so can you tell me Kate and collect how long have you
15:55been in the studio so we moved in just after Covid but the company itself has
16:02been running for over 12 years now and we work in lots of different mediums and
16:08we love to share that with everybody who comes along and so we work in ceramics
16:13watercolors oils so what is your favorite part of the island so far well
16:22this is my first visit and as far as I'm concerned all of it mm-hmm not only
16:26just in the the scenery but that everybody's so friendly so can you tell
16:32me is Peel the main hub of the art scene I'd say in terms of Peel we'd probably be
16:40the main main hub really but I think you'll find every time on the island
16:46actually yes there's plenty of creatives and things to do so yes and with such
16:53captivating scenery it's hardly surprising that people far and wide are inspired to
16:59try and capture it for our next property we're heading to the village of Laxey on
17:12the East Coast like so many coastal locations on the island it has a
17:18beautiful sandy beach and all the essential shops and for a village with
17:23only 1,500 people it has two world-class claims to fame it has the oldest
17:29working electric tram line with original rolling stock in the world but it might
17:35be best known for this
17:39well this is a bit of a treat isn't it just certainly for me you've probably
17:43seen this great wheel at Laxey many times I have yes yes I've actually climbed to
17:50the top of it three times have you yes in my younger days a wee bit younger
17:55anyway quite a weird feeling when you are on the platform looking at the wheel
17:59coming towards you yes yes you don't expect that do you because it's no because
18:03it's being fed from underneath that's right yeah yes Robert Casement was the man
18:08who built it who invented it and you know wonderful Victorian engineering I love the
18:15fact that you know all this stuff it's wonderful I expected to know but I don't
18:19have to worry because you're my guide it's perfect Pat it's perfect but built to
18:24pump water out of yes the lead mines that were here yes and silver they used to
18:28get silver out of it as well and copper and zinc yes you see I read the notice
18:35we've all been burning out of everything yeah yeah but I'm told now though the world's largest
18:42water wheel working water wheel yes and it'll never stop while there's water coming off the
18:47mountain well we are in Laxey is it a place you would consider worth living in very much so it's
18:54very pretty yes that's the answer I was hoping for because I am priming you for the fact that our
19:00second property it's here in Laxey with ready access to the beach and of course this amazing
19:05piece of history yes yeah should we leave the wheel turning yes and get on with our house search
19:10yes come on let's walk back down the hill around 700 meters or just 32 revolutions of the wheel is
19:19our
19:19next property okay so here we are then come on Pat lovely this is a big property and this one
19:29has
19:29two dedicated bedrooms right yes I mean a much more traditional layout compared to our first
19:35one because you've got two floors yes I think originally a classic sort of two up yeah two down
19:41yeah I think I think it looks a very substantial property certainly bigger than what you've got now
19:48yes is it yes yes but until we get inside we don't know really but it does look bigger than
19:55what I've got
20:00this detached stone cottage dates back to the 1900s it's not listed but is within a conservation area so
20:08changes to things like doors and windows require approval come on in Pat thank you yes it's darker
20:18darker than the other property it is darker I mean with this one you would want to perhaps give some
20:23thoughts to how you lit it and there's some quite big bits of furniture in here yeah but if you
20:29can see
20:29beyond that yeah which I I I'm looking at beyond it yeah it's it's more or less the same size
20:36as the
20:36sitting room in the first property yes but it hasn't got the same feel but what it does have is
20:45a second
20:46reception room here then you've got a classic sort of central yeah staircase there yeah which is the
20:52divider between that living room and this which they've got set up as a sort of dining room at the
20:56moment yes yes but it does access the downstairs bathroom or the bathroom right I should say which
21:02yes to there which is a bathroom bathroom so things I would have to do to alter this you might
21:08want to
21:08put in the walk-in shower that we saw in property one definitely I guess the main advantage is that
21:13it
21:13does offer you a second bedroom a dedicated second bedroom yes Pat could potentially use one reception
21:19room as her bedroom and just live on the ground floor as the bathroom and kitchen are both of the
21:25dining room there we go similar kind of size I suppose yes yes but yes it's got all the things
21:33that you need but it's just not doing it for me I can I can I can see that I
21:40can see that but you
21:42know it's functional it's practical yes in theory it's in the right sort of place yes but it's it's
21:48not wrapping its arms around you no no no no upstairs there are two bedrooms and if Pat wanted to
21:56add a
21:56stair lift they start at around two thousand pounds outside there's a manageable front garden but if
22:04changes need to be made the deciding factor will be the price so I asked this question with some
22:12trepidation as to what you think this might be on the market for go on Sue bearing in mind the
22:20limited
22:22properties there are on the market I would say it's still around about 240,000 so I think it's more
22:30likely to be 278 278,000 pounds very very precise okay this is on the market for two hundred and
22:43ninety-five
22:44thousand nine hundred and ninety-five pounds it's been on the market a fair while might I would hope it
22:52would entertain sensible offers yes I just feel it needs it needs too many things doing for it to suit
23:02me
23:02yeah just under two hundred and ninety-six thousand pounds for this attractive early 20th century
23:10cottage with two upstairs bedrooms plus two reception rooms and a bathroom on the ground floor meaning it
23:16could be adapted to single level living it has a well-maintained garden and sits on the edge of the
23:35village as we're only here for a short while one of the best ways to take in the scenery is
23:41on the
23:41Snaefell Mountain Railway so I'm taking Pat you know the way what she did or maybe she's taking me
23:48I'm surprised um the sea has behind you hasn't got your name on it to enjoy the sights and sounds
23:55of
23:55the island the journey runs for around five miles and has been operating since 1895 is that lovely the
24:10sea view beyond beautiful beautiful view I can quite see how you fell in love with this place yes
24:17yes I can't understand why anyone wouldn't yeah you can really see now how the kind of interior of the
24:25island opens up now the wheel yes it's fantastic but I don't think I've ever met a buyer who feels
24:32so
24:33much at home in their chosen region as you this is my second home it is yes it's your home
24:40from home but
24:40now we need to make it your permanent home the mountain stands over 2,000 feet above sea level and
24:53offers
24:54stunning views in every direction look at that it's beautiful isn't it gorgeous beautiful view absolutely
25:03sensational yes well thank you for wanting to come back to the Isle of Man because if you hadn't wanted
25:09to come I wouldn't have been able to come either and I would have missed out on this amazing view
25:15yes
25:15you're very welcome and I just wish more people actually knew how beautiful it is well Sue it's a
25:23revelation isn't it absolutely you're never lost for something to do here you can get on the tram and
25:29you can be here on a nice day if it's cold windy day there's there's museums there's all sorts of
25:36things I tell you what Pat I know you've technically retired but you could have a job with the tourist
25:40board
25:40really what do you think I'd employ you I'd employ you well should we commemorate it with a little
25:48selfie come on we can't come all the way up here and not record it all right yes there we
25:53are lovely
26:15given its obvious beauty homes are in high demand across the Isle of Man but there's a limited supply
26:22as there are only around 40,000 dwellings on the whole island in comparison to England that's around
26:28half the number of homes per square kilometer and they're priced almost 20 percent higher with the
26:35average price of a home in England being 287,000 pounds compared to local property market reports
26:41which put the average Isle of Man price at 341,000 but that's just part of the story as local
26:50estate
26:50agent Victoria Cook knows only too well there are obvious financial incentives to living here on the
27:01Isle of Man which is unique in that it's a crown dependency isn't it so we have we have no
27:06stamp duty
27:06although for property transactions you do have a register a registration fee yeah but no inheritance tax
27:14so and yeah anybody can can buy here and no restrictions at all no wonder it's popular yeah while there's
27:23no
27:23immigration restrictions for UK residents to get a job may require a work permit so if you fancy your
27:32own slice of island life how about this converted former chapel that offers a spectacular living room
27:38featuring a high ceiling the spiral staircase leads to two good sized bedrooms and a stylish bathroom with
27:46an exposed stone wall and roll-top bath on the market for four hundred and twenty five thousand
27:52pounds or if your property shopping with just over a million pounds then this exquisite period home is
28:02arranged over three floors and boasts five bedrooms knockout features include floor-to-ceiling oak frame glazing
28:09in the kitchen plus extras like a luxury cabin with state-of-the-art home gym and office
28:19and if you're planning a shorter stay this cute cottage has one bedroom with panoramic uninterrupted
28:26views shared by the bathroom the kitchen diner is compact but packed with character and available from
28:34139 pounds per night in low season to 195 in high season and a little extra during the TT weekend
28:48nch
28:49okay one more day one more property to come it is of course mystery house time and i am crossing
28:55everything
28:55that our final offering is really going to resonate with pat i think it gives her ease of living but
29:01perhaps most importantly it puts her in the heart of a community i know she loves
29:09having fared so well in port erin with the first house we're returning for our last throw of the
29:15dice just up the street from the sea in a quiet and sought after location is our mystery house
29:22or mystery property
29:27it's unusual for us on escape to the country it's a broker an apartment but this one is on the
29:32ground
29:32floor and crucially it's just had a very welcome makeover this luxury apartment was built in the
29:411970s and sits within a complex of four as you can see it's light it's bright and it's ready to
29:50go
29:52being a flat the property is leasehold but the term is just under a thousand years
29:58we're going to peer around this great big ice ranger hello did you enjoy your perambulation
30:05oh yeah oh yes thank you and the best coffee in the world ah so you are nicely primed then
30:12to
30:12get amongst our mystery apartment okay so with this one we've gone down a very sort of practical route
30:20thinking ahead again to the future keeping it all on one level yes i i have looked at these kind
30:26of
30:27properties anyway have you and so yes it's not sort of something that's out of the question not a
30:33shock no looking very good so far definitely want to have a look inside yes excellent so do i come
30:40on
30:40let's have a look there in terms of footprint this offers the largest ground floor accommodation of all
30:49our options so if pat does want to be on one level this is the most generous there we go
30:56oh nice airy
30:58room nice big room isn't it yes certainly the most sort of open plan option we've offered you uh this
31:05week yes and the views are lovely aren't they i can see you sitting there not looking at the
31:10television just looking at the sea and the flag yes i think it would be quite a cozy um place
31:19to be
31:19even in the winter i think it's very nice yes and i don't dislike open plan well i think it's
31:25very
31:25very practical and then over here you've got dining area yes and then brand new kitchen lovely yes very
31:32nice oh with your own dance floor yes i could fit most of my things in here it would be
31:40easy to keep
31:41clean it doesn't need lots of maintenance um so yes it would be ideal to the rear of the property
31:49are
31:49two well-proportioned bedrooms you can take your pick between which one of these bedrooms you'd have for
31:55you yes and again light yes and it's plenty big enough storage as well the other thing you know
32:05going forward in terms of guests coming to stay yes whether you need two double beds whether a sofa
32:11bed that would allow you to have one of these rooms as a craft room art room you put an
32:17easel up and
32:18you know yeah yeah yeah yeah lovely the other bedroom is slightly larger good views i just try
32:25them to see which i liked sleeping and best really and then decide which was going to be the spare
32:32room
32:32which you know for the art as well you'll be doing a bit of bed hopping will you possibly
32:39well hopefully our mystery house is working its traditional magic and with any luck they're really
32:47picking up on the obvious ease that this property would offer pat in her life here going forward
32:55oh that's another walking shower yes oh look you've got a rain forest one as well lovely yes yes
33:04if pat really wants to get a feel for living here next door is available as a holiday let
33:10and shares the gardens to the front and rear i mean the one thing this doesn't come with
33:16is a dedicated sort of garden space you've got these communal areas here but of course you've got
33:21yes this all of this to walk across and uh up and down into town and so forth yes as
33:26long as i
33:27dodge the golf balls exactly well maybe get out on the putting green i don't know what about that yeah
33:32why not well let's have a think then about what our mystery house might be on the market for um
33:36sue
33:43285 000. okay i'm going to be really cheeky and say 275. well here's the thing it's currently on the
33:51market for 269 000 pounds right oh so it's the cheapest of the lot it is but in talking to
33:59the
33:59agent i'm assured that it is very much open to offers right interesting this 1970s apartment comes
34:10with a new kitchen and bathroom and the most spacious open plan living area that we've seen
34:16at the rear are two generous double bedrooms and communal gardens mean even less maintenance for pat
34:22it's on the market for 269 000 pounds i'm pleasantly surprised because i did wonder whether i would
34:32actually like living in an apartment it's not something i've ever done before she could very easily make
34:39this her home her place the views are terrific the whole area is so clean and uplifting and the light
34:50the air the sea it's a beautiful place i'm not surprised she she really loves it this much
35:02pat won't be the first person to make the leap across the pond here and some of her predecessors
35:08have left even bigger ponds a transatlantic move a thriving garden and a whole new way of life
35:16this is tanya's escape story i'm tanya anderson and i moved to the isle of man from the city in
35:252010
35:27having been raised on another us island near seattle tanya moved over and lived in london
35:33but city life wasn't working i rediscovered my love of gardening and so i wanted to move someplace where
35:40i could have that space and time to grow a garden after hearing about the isle of man on an
35:48advert i
35:49had never heard of it before tanya was persuaded to take the plunge so the first time i ever saw
35:57the
35:57isle of man was on the ferry coming into douglas one wintry foggy morning and our possessions the first
36:06load of our possessions were in the hold and seeing the coastline come into view was just so exciting
36:14four years ago she moved to her current home which she's renovating she's also turned her gardening
36:20interest into a gardening empire posting horticultural tips online i share how to do gardening
36:27how to make things how to grow things and how to use plants to make handmade soap and skin care
36:32all sorts of
36:33things so tanya swapped her city life for a sustainable one here in the countryside on the isle of man
36:42and
36:43i'm here to find out how she turned that dream into reality hey tanya hi jules nice to see you
36:57welcome to my garden well a famous garden i think i mean your exploits are known to many
37:02well a fair few know but it's looking gorgeous isn't it is there a particular climate here then
37:08on the isle of man that really lends itself to your style of well it's very temperate it's a bit
37:14of a
37:14goldilocks zone it never really gets too hot or too cold barely goes below freezing barely gets above about
37:2129 celsius yeah so it's it's great for a lot of different leafy greens and everything basically
37:28it's surprising considering you're surrounded by the irish sea i guess and sort of regularly battered
37:33by some of the most infamous storms oh yeah i mean this year i've really focused on growing veg that
37:39doesn't really get that tall at least outdoors because we do get summer storms here and they will
37:44thrash plants that are climbing up anything so dwarf green beans are out there i've got dwarf jerusalem
37:52artichokes i've got lots and lots of veg that will stay about waist height or lower tanya's plot covers
37:59half an acre and she's transformed it from a lawn into an abundant kitchen garden it's picture perfect
38:06isn't it roses around the arch riot of color a nice mix of sort of cottage garden and obviously very
38:13productive garden i love supporting the bees pollinators yeah there's bees all over this is
38:18borage tons of other wildflowers in here this is a a perennial wildflower mix that has some annuals
38:25to get it started so these are onions these have gone crazy haven't they only lovely the architectural
38:30nature of the onion gone mad well the thing is is that vegetable gardens don't have to be just
38:36practical they can be absolutely beautiful these look fabulous what's this these are kohlrabi kohlrabi
38:43is related to all the other brassicas like broccoli and cabbage so can you actually eat the the
38:50bowl then is that what you'd aim for well it's it's mainly this swelled swollen stem here you could
38:56potentially eat the rest of it but it could be quite tough here let me show you so if you
39:00just harvest it
39:01here snip it off at the grounds that's amazing it's like a big sort of radish isn't it kind of
39:08looks
39:08like that but it doesn't have that spiciness it's very tender and sweet inside and you can eat it raw
39:13can you or you can cook it i mean it's just so wholesome isn't it and to think you know
39:18just a few
39:19years ago it was unproductive lawn and now look what's coming out of it yeah so much it is so
39:26bountiful
39:26so what would your advice be to anybody who's perhaps moved into a property where there is no
39:33established garden choose the place that gets the best sun yeah and if you have a walkway to say like
39:40a shed or something account for that but put your plants in the middle put them in the best place
39:45possible when you're designing a vegetable garden or a more ornamental it's the same principle i think
39:50you want to be able to spend time in it not just come out here and use it as a
39:54grocery store
39:56well i'm delighted i've had the chance to catch up with you today tanya you know your life and
40:01everything you're achieving here is available for all to see but clearly you have made it your own
40:06and this island has in its own way helped shape your future and your career now absolutely i love it
40:14wouldn't have it any other way
40:21well in my experience every house search has an emotional component to it but few
40:27have had as much emotion running through them as this one because i think we all know just how much
40:32this move to the isle of man will mean to pat but have we managed to do it and find
40:39her somewhere
40:39she can now call home let's go and ask her
40:47hello you two how are you hello fine having the chance to have you with us guiding us around
40:54has been amazing pat i can sell it i can sell it all day long because it's beautiful you absolutely
41:01can but have we managed to sell you a property for your future i absolutely love property one
41:10the only downside there would be the two steps which are not insurmountable down into the kitchen
41:17yes and the bathroom yes i like the mystery house and there's a lot of scope there but the thing
41:23that
41:24is a drawback for me um is probably the fact that there's going to be change of people all the
41:31time
41:32because of the holiday let's next door yes yeah yes so then what happens next the next thing i have
41:41to consider is how much i can actually get for my own property yeah if i can get sufficiently
41:47funds for from my house then i probably will come back and sort out the finances for property one
41:56well we would love the opportunity pat to come back and see you in your new island life
42:02whenever and wherever that happens we'd be very welcome yes and i am more than likely going to
42:08i'll already be here saying oh look they're back again
42:17well what a treat this week has been having the opportunity to explore and appreciate this island in
42:25the company of a woman who is clearly such a passionate advocate for all that it has to offer
42:31and also it's been a privilege i think to play i hope a small role in helping her make at
42:37long last
42:38a permanent move here a move which in every respect feels like it's long overdue and clearly if pat's
42:47experiences anything to go by whilst this may have been my first visit here i am pretty certain it won't
42:53be my last i'll see you next time if you would like to escape to the country on the isle
43:01of man the isle of
43:02white the channel islands the isles of scilly or anywhere in britain for that matter and need our help
43:07why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part
43:13so
43:37you
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