Escape To The Country Season 26 Episode 16 takes us to stunning Powys in Wales, where Jules Hudson helps a couple leave town life in Oxfordshire behind in search of a peaceful rural lifestyle. Their dream home must offer plenty of space for two dogs, three cats, and a garage for a motorbike — and a brand-new mystery eco-house could be the perfect match.
Alongside exploring beautiful countryside properties, Jules visits an inspiring local farming initiative supporting young people to enter agriculture and produce sustainable food for the future. This episode showcases the charm of Powys living and the appeal of eco-friendly country homes surrounded by nature.
#EscapeToTheCountry #Powys #CountryLiving #EcoHome #RuralLife
Alongside exploring beautiful countryside properties, Jules visits an inspiring local farming initiative supporting young people to enter agriculture and produce sustainable food for the future. This episode showcases the charm of Powys living and the appeal of eco-friendly country homes surrounded by nature.
#EscapeToTheCountry #Powys #CountryLiving #EcoHome #RuralLife
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FunTranscript
00:02There are many theories about what makes a house hunter choose their dream country home.
00:07Some say it's all about the curb appeal.
00:10There you are then. Let's have a look. What do you think?
00:12Absolutely amazing.
00:14Others put it down to kitchens and bathrooms.
00:17Well, this is a kitchen and a half, isn't it?
00:21That's a huge en suite.
00:23And some swear by location.
00:26You get all of that?
00:27Look at that!
00:28But here on Escape to the Country, we like to deliver all of that within budget.
00:34I'm speechless. He's genuinely speechless.
01:00If you like your counties big on square miles but small on population, join us as we head for the
01:06largest and most sparsely inhabited county in Wales, named after an ancient kingdom.
01:14Now, here's a little geography lesson for you.
01:17If I were to head 30 miles straight down that valley, I would find myself in the Banai Brikeniog, aka
01:23the Brecon Beacons.
01:24A similar distance over that hill would land me on top of the Black Mountains.
01:29And behind me, here, I am surrounded by just part of the brooding mass of the Cambrian Mountains, which means
01:36only one thing.
01:37Today, I'm in Powys.
01:41Located in mid-Wales and bordering England, the vast Welsh county of Powys has just 70 inhabitants per square mile.
01:49But those who live here enjoy seclusion without compromising connectivity or culture offered by border towns like Welshpool, Montgomery and
01:58Newtown.
02:00My Powys has a vast landscape with amazing greenery where we've got the River 7 right on our doorstep.
02:23Being a musician, it's important for me to be connected to the cities
02:28while at the same time having the escape to the countryside.
02:31There is a lot of connected facilities that we do have here,
02:34even though it is so wild and free.
02:46Well, for today's couple, their move isn't just about finding bricks and mortar.
02:51They're after peace and serenity, a new life and a new start here in Wales.
02:58Hi, I'm Debbie and this is my husband Neil.
03:01We've been together 17 years and for 15 of those years we've been serial renters.
03:08Married couple Debbie, who works in intellectual property development,
03:12and Neil, who works for a multinational communications company,
03:16along with their fur family of two dogs and three cats,
03:19were finally helped onto the property ladder two years ago,
03:23with a new build scheme on the edge of the large and growing Oxfordshire village of Benson.
03:28For us, we were really happy to be able to get on the ladder,
03:31but we always knew that this wasn't our forever home.
03:33We really do want to go and retreat into the country.
03:36Apologies for Jokey, we'll always try and steal the show.
03:41Debbie needs to be able to commute to work in London one day a week,
03:44but they can work from home the rest of the time,
03:47meaning peace and space for some life-enhancing hobbies is the priority.
03:53I'd love to live somewhere where the roads are a little bit quieter,
03:57great scenery to go and explore on the roads,
04:00and that's because of what you see in the background here.
04:03This is my bike, it's my plied and joy.
04:06I've thrown my helmet on, everything else goes away,
04:08and I can just focus on enjoying myself out on the bike.
04:12I discovered a few years ago that I was neurodivergent,
04:15and as I've gotten older,
04:17I really can't cope with things like lots of noise, lots of people.
04:21I also absolutely love vegetables, so I really want to grow my own.
04:25I'd love a greenhouse and some raised beds,
04:27which I think we'll have when we move to Wales.
04:29I'd also really love chickens.
04:32I would really love a lawn, something with a bit more space,
04:36maybe a ride-on mower, that'd be lovely.
04:39Debbie and Neil are after a detached three- to four-bedroom home
04:42with a large dog-friendly garden, garage and peaceful surroundings.
04:47Neil prefers modern whilst Debbie doesn't mind a project,
04:50and their ideal budget is £550,000,
04:54but they could stretch to £600,000 for the right property.
05:05You know, I never tire of driving through the Welsh landscape wherever I happen to be,
05:11but here in Paris, well,
05:14I've got the biggest county Wales has to offer to explore.
05:18Now, clearly, access to a rail line to get Debbie back to London
05:22is going to, in some ways, define where we can search.
05:28And I'm also a little bit concerned as to whether or not they both really want the same thing.
05:33However, I am sure that the magic of Wales, the romance of this country,
05:39may just iron out any wrinkles there may be.
05:47Powis landscapes don't get much more magical than the Elan Valley,
05:52so that's where I'm meeting Debbie and Neil before the first of our viewings.
05:56Well, Neil Demps, welcome to Escape to the Country,
05:59and welcome to Powis.
06:01How does it feel to finally be here, getting your search underway?
06:04Wonderful and very exciting.
06:06But how well do you know this part of the world?
06:08Not very well.
06:09We literally just kind of woke up one morning,
06:11didn't want to go take the dogs for a normal walk,
06:13so we said, let's just have a little jaunt to Wales,
06:15so we just did a day trip there and back.
06:17Been here, what, six times since January?
06:19Yes, made a few trips, and it's overwhelmed us with its beauty,
06:24and we feel that sadness as we're leaving the area,
06:28and we know that it's going to be a while before we come back.
06:31I always think one of the most important elements to any house search
06:34is for buyers to have an emotional relationship with the region.
06:39But when it comes to the property choices that we are going to make
06:44to try and satisfy both of you, that is quite challenging,
06:46because I think there is this kind of split down the middle
06:49as to what you both want.
06:50For me, I'm looking for more of a contemporary place,
06:54something that's finished, complete, we can move into, settle.
06:58We don't have to move any time soon.
07:01And for you, Debs?
07:02I'm after a lambing shed, acres of land,
07:06not so bothered about a house, just a place to have lots of, you know,
07:09animals, I want bees, I want chickens, I'd like some dexter cows.
07:12I mean, just to be absolutely clear,
07:14I'm a property finder, not a marriage counsellor.
07:17All right?
07:17Rest assured, I will try and, you know, bridge this gap between you
07:21in terms of what we find you.
07:23Brilliant. Fantastic. Let's go.
07:26The first spot for our house tour is the small village of Llandrinio.
07:31Located close to the border of England,
07:33it's just a mile to the village of Four Crosses.
07:36The vet serves both pet owners and the farming community,
07:40whilst human ailments are catered for by a GP's and medical centre.
07:45Five bus routes take in the towns of Welshpool and Oswestry.
07:50And national rail links can be accessed at Shoesbury, 19 miles away.
07:56Our first property is located down a quiet country lane,
08:00around a 20-minute walk from the main village facilities.
08:08There are little noises there. Is that a good squeal?
08:10It is a good squeal. A very happy squeal.
08:12Good. There you are, then. Let's have a look. What do you think?
08:15Absolutely amazing. Yeah?
08:16Massive.
08:17There's views everywhere.
08:19Got your garage? Garage.
08:21I'm thinking bungalow, so we're very open to a bungalow.
08:24Yeah. I think Neil could probably get away with a ride-on mower here as well.
08:27If I was being super technical, I'd say you probably don't need bungalow.
08:29But why not? Why not, if you can?
08:31Well, yeah. Why wouldn't you?
08:33Let's check out inside.
08:34Yes. Yes.
08:38This detached, late 20th-century brick-and-tile bungalow
08:41has been refurbished and updated by the current owners.
08:44And first impressions are, it has my buyers written all over it.
08:49Oh, Neil, look. I've got a sign here for us already.
08:51Perfect for us.
08:52Lovely lady and a grumpy old man.
08:55There we are.
08:57Wow.
08:59Look at this space.
09:00Oh, my Lord.
09:01I love the contrast in chimney colour to the rest of the world.
09:04Oh, Christmas trees.
09:05I can see at least two in here.
09:07Probably one in the hallway.
09:09We judge a place for how many Christmas trees we can get in there.
09:11Well, many people do.
09:12You can imagine our sofa's in that corner, eh, Connie?
09:14Yeah.
09:15The excitement is palpable.
09:16And there is agreement, I think.
09:18Yeah, there is.
09:18There is, there is.
09:19Yes, yes, it is possible.
09:21Yeah.
09:21Your marriage counselling skills are definitely coming out of yours now.
09:25Come on, let's continue through here. You'll like this.
09:28Returning to the L-shaped hall, we head to the back of the home where a dining room is divided
09:33from the kitchen by a half wall.
09:37So, here you go, then.
09:38Kitchen diner.
09:41Wowzers.
09:42Amazing space.
09:43Yeah?
09:43It is absolutely huge.
09:45Look at this.
09:46The view through the doors is pretty spectacular.
09:49That is amazing.
09:50Look, it's not an old property, this, but when it was originally built, this was two rooms, and they realised
09:55that they were missing out on the kind of social aspects of cooking and preparing, so they took them all
09:59out, left this dwarf wall, giving you this separate sort of kitchen zone.
10:02Through there you've got utility area boot room.
10:06That's perfect for the dogs.
10:07Yeah, really perfect.
10:08And, of course, the joy is all of it is on one level, so I imagine for your dogs, actually,
10:12they probably prefer that.
10:13It's much better for them, health-wise, because we've got a Great Dane.
10:16They can't go up and down the stairs a lot, so, you know, it's actually much better for him as
10:19he ages.
10:20Aren't we all?
10:20And you.
10:24The hallway leads to the other side of the home, where there are four bedrooms to check out.
10:29To the front are two good-sized guest doubles with generous windows and built-in storage.
10:36Sitting between these is the family bathroom, which offers a bath and separate shower cubicle.
10:42Then, to the back of the home, a third bedroom is in use as a study.
10:48And, finally, bedroom four could be for Debbie and Neil, and possibly some of their fur family, too.
10:55So, this, we're thinking, would be yours, because it's got the shower en suite through there.
11:01Wow, this is great.
11:02Yeah, it's massive.
11:03Massive wardrobe.
11:04Yeah, not built in, so there's a big void in there.
11:06Dog bed.
11:07Cat tree.
11:09Cat tree, dog bed, dog bed.
11:12Everyone's in here.
11:13We've got to have a home for the cats as well in our bedroom.
11:15Yeah, we've got three cats, yeah.
11:17They need their...
11:18Ooh, like a big sleep pile.
11:19Yeah.
11:22Fine.
11:23Anyway, so maybe you could squeeze into this bed space here.
11:27Proportionally, though, I'm guessing, is this bigger than what you've got now?
11:30Much bigger.
11:31Much bigger.
11:31Much bigger.
11:32Basically, I have a dog bed wedged in by the bedside table, and I can't use my bottom drawer,
11:37because there's a dog in the dog bed.
11:38Yeah.
11:39And I shuffle, like, down.
11:39These are concerns of the past from now on, my friend.
11:43We have nailed it.
11:46All species catered for on the accommodation front, I'm sending them to check out where
11:50Neil's mechanical baby, his beloved motorbike, might find its home.
11:57Oh, yes.
11:59Oh, wow.
11:59Look at that.
12:00There's a secret room back there.
12:01Loads of storage space.
12:03An integral garage leading to a workshop.
12:07Oh, my Lord.
12:09Big chest freezer for the dog food.
12:10Yeah, chest freezer for the dog food.
12:11Yeah, for the dog food.
12:12Perfect.
12:12Yeah.
12:14The house sits on a plot of around half an acre, which has been fully dog-proofed by the
12:19current owners.
12:20There are raised beds for growing produce, as well as a separate orchard and several mature
12:25trees providing shade.
12:29Do you know, I'm just thinking for the cats and dogs out here, I feel how cool that is.
12:33Yeah.
12:33And you've also got a little tool shed there and the greenhouse too, so, you know, it sort
12:38of works, doesn't it?
12:39Yeah.
12:40I love the fact that you've got that area there.
12:42Yeah.
12:43It's like an outdoor living space.
12:45Beehives.
12:45Beehives.
12:46I'm spotting some beehives over there, maybe.
12:48Yes.
12:48And this would be a lovely little bank for them.
12:50So, let's think about how much this is currently on the market for, then.
12:55585,000.
12:57585,000 pounds, yeah, yeah.
12:59I'm going to go slightly lower at 570.
13:02Both of those doable within the framework of your budget.
13:06Here's the rub, though.
13:09This is currently on the market for.
13:14550,000 pounds.
13:18Okay.
13:20You're a bit stunned, I think.
13:21Yeah.
13:22Maybe you need to go and consider this further.
13:24Would you like to see more?
13:25Yes.
13:25Absolutely.
13:26Yes, please.
13:26I thought you might.
13:27Go and explore.
13:28Go where you like.
13:31Coming in at their ideal budget and comfortably below their maximum of 600,000 pounds,
13:37this detached, late 20th century bungalow offers large reception rooms and four bedrooms.
13:43There's an integral garage and workshop for the motorbike and a half-acre plot, all in
13:48a rural location, but not far from a choice of towns and a rail link to London.
13:53Oh, yeah.
13:53Look at all these fruit trees.
13:55Look.
13:55You've got cherries, plums, apples, and then, I think, having the chickens over here somewhere.
14:01In terms of space, outdoor space, especially for our dogs, we could be working from home
14:06and throw the doors open and the boys can just be out, so that's absolutely fantastic.
14:11I would like to update some of the internals, whether they'll be a liquor, paint, or a bathroom
14:16suite, but when you consider the price, it makes it all the more achievable.
14:21The property itself is huge, really big rooms.
14:25The garden is better than I could have dreamed of.
14:28I think it's just absolutely excellent.
14:30For me, it's a really big contender.
14:41To say Debbie and Neil's dogs are key players in the move is something of an understatement.
14:47These buyers are very much after dog-friendly destinations with good walking options.
14:53We're sending them to explore Newtown with Great Dane Duke and Red Foxlab Copper to see
14:59if it gets the paws up.
15:00Oh, look, there's some nice cycling and walking routes up there.
15:03Here's the station.
15:04So that's where I'll be going into London.
15:07As well as rail and bus links, the population of 11,500 is served by a good choice of places
15:14to eat and drink, many run by other escapees.
15:18We actually came from Saudi Arabia.
15:21It's a completely changing lifestyle for us.
15:24We've had a lovely time here and plan to stay.
15:29Everyone's warm, friendly, welcoming, beautiful river.
15:32It's a nice town to come and visit.
15:35Lovely pub.
15:36That does look like a lovely pub, doesn't it?
15:38Yeah.
15:38I think if there's a beer garden in the back of that dev, we could...
15:41Take them in there?
15:42Yeah.
15:43Every Tuesday, there's a street market where, among the variety of food vans, you can find
15:48lifelong resident and self-confessed food fairy, Heidi.
15:52Hiya.
15:52Can we order a couple of burgers just for our dogs?
15:55Where's the best places to take dogs for walks?
15:57Well, there's the Haverin boardwalks, which are absolutely fantastic.
16:00You've got to take the dogs up there.
16:02We will?
16:02Yeah, definitely.
16:03Definitely take them up there.
16:04Good boys.
16:05Well done.
16:06Good boys.
16:07That's it.
16:07On the bank of the River Severn, which runs through the town, is a cultural and community
16:12hub with a cafe, where owners of Canine Companions can treat them to doggy ice cream.
16:17What better way to follow a burger?
16:20What's this one?
16:20What flavour is this one?
16:21I think that one's just vanilla and this one's peanut butter.
16:24Newtown certainly seems a perfect choice for Debbie, Neil, Duke and Copper.
16:30Now to see if we can track down the home that will really get the tails wagging.
16:37The next property option is taking us further into the heart of the village of our previous
16:42viewing, Llandrinio.
16:44The community hall has a playing field which, like much of the area, enjoys views towards
16:49the Brydon Hills, located between Powys and Shropshire.
16:54Funds are raised for the facilities by a charity shop and other community-minded events include
16:59a weekly soup club.
17:01There's a dog-friendly pub with beer garden that serves food, including Sunday lunch.
17:06And it's just a five-minute walk from that to my next house, which is shielded from the
17:11main village road by tall, dense hedging.
17:15Well, you may have noticed that we are not a million miles away from our first property.
17:19No.
17:20But this is option number two.
17:22That's fairly magnificent.
17:24Wow.
17:25It's packed, and I mean packed, full of all mod cons.
17:32Yes!
17:34If you like your gadgets, this is the place for you.
17:38The only drawback is the noise from the road.
17:41Yeah.
17:41Which we have to acknowledge, it is what it is.
17:44But I think what you'll find when you get inside, it's a gadget man's dream.
17:49Oh.
17:50Nice dance, Neil.
17:52Stop the dancing, stop dancing, come on.
17:54That's your gadget man dance.
17:57Built in 2011, but with nods to Georgian architecture, this brick home has an L-shaped layout on the
18:04ground floor and a smaller central second floor.
18:07Our tour starts through the porticoat entrance, which leads into the kitchen diner immediately
18:12to our right.
18:14Okay, then.
18:15Well, this is a kitchen and a half, isn't it?
18:19Wow.
18:20Wow, indeed.
18:21This is a beautiful kitchen.
18:22Yeah, I'm blown away.
18:23Absolutely beautiful.
18:25I'm blown away by this, just this one room, the interior.
18:27Finished.
18:28Look at the floor.
18:29Look at the floor.
18:29That's gorgeous.
18:30The sort of travertine that flows through the entrance hall, which is, again, wide, generous,
18:34great for a Christmas tree.
18:35Yeah, Christmas tree.
18:37Every corner of this building is wired to allow you to effectively use your smart speaker
18:42to control the lights, the music, the whole thing.
18:45It is gadget-tastic.
18:47Come have a look through here.
18:50This is a gorgeous kitchen.
18:52And right off the kitchen, you've got this purpose-built vaulted garden room.
18:56How about that?
18:56Oh, my goodness, sewing room, bag seed.
19:00Yeah, exactly.
19:00When you're doing your sewing or anything, you need all that light, natural light coming
19:04in, and you've got it, ceilings on three sides.
19:08It's lovely, isn't it?
19:09Yeah.
19:09It flows through this great big doorway into here.
19:13It's an impressive room.
19:15You don't know what to be more impressed by.
19:16The TV.
19:17The fireplace.
19:19The fireplace.
19:19The finishings in the room.
19:21It is lovely.
19:22It is perfect, isn't it?
19:23There's literally nothing, nothing would have to do.
19:25I'd be really proud to invite our family over, for instance.
19:28Yes.
19:29You mentioned the TV.
19:30It is perhaps one of the biggest I've ever seen.
19:34You're going to get one of those just to watch yourself now on super high def.
19:39I actually wouldn't get one of those.
19:43I'd get the one that's next door.
19:44Come and look at this.
19:46No way.
19:47No way.
19:49Across the hall in the other wing is something they didn't ask for, but I think they're going
19:55to love.
19:55So, how about this then?
19:57Your own home movie theatre.
20:00Wow.
20:02This is Leo's dream room.
20:04This is, yes.
20:04Isn't it?
20:05Yes.
20:06This is a room I could quite happily spend many, many hours in.
20:11It was built originally as an annex for an elderly relative.
20:16That circumstance has changed and hence now it's become this movie room.
20:20But it does mean that upstairs you've really got two main bedrooms.
20:23Yeah.
20:24I'm going to let you two explore it on your own.
20:25You are loving this and I'm not going to interrupt you.
20:28Open the door, go up the stairs and I will find you a little bit later.
20:34Next to the cinema room is a ground floor shower room, whilst upstairs a roomy guest double
20:40provides countryside views and comes with its own en-suite shower.
20:46A smaller room is in use as a study.
20:49And then the largest of the bedrooms for Debbie and Neil to see is the principal en-suite.
20:56Wow, that's a lovely en-suite.
20:58Look at that.
20:59That's gorgeous.
21:00That's a huge en-suite.
21:02Neil, this is massive.
21:04I don't think we'd have a problem with the super king in here, would we?
21:07Enough room for dog beds.
21:09And look at these views, Neil.
21:11Look.
21:12That's lovely, isn't it?
21:13Gorgeous.
21:16But of course, we couldn't forget the motorbike.
21:19So back on the ground floor, accessed internally from the kitchen, is some rather luxurious vehicular accommodation.
21:30Whoa!
21:33Whoa!
21:39Whoa!
21:39Oh, Debbie, you're never going to see me.
21:41Tea-making facilities?
21:43You're sorted.
21:44Yeah, it's also got a toilet.
21:46Whoa!
21:46What do we think, then?
21:49The only thing that's disappointed me is I know that all the lighting isn't on yet.
21:55Ah, here we go.
21:56Ready?
21:57Turn on hex lighting.
22:00Bang!
22:04It's like daylight in here.
22:07That is amazing.
22:11Outside, the private driveway and hard standing offers lots of room for vehicles.
22:15And there's an electric charging point, as well as exterior lighting, further power points and taps throughout the garden,
22:22which includes paved and graveled seating spots as well as lawn not huge as you can see but it
22:29does go all the way around the property but it is nicely dog-proof so all of that's very secured
22:34i just think the house is stunning i'm not sure about the garden yeah being big enough yeah the
22:40garden is less important to me personally but there's two of us moving in we do have to think
22:46about the road noise for you yeah as well well let's think about the price then of this one this
22:53is right at the top of our budget of 600 000 pounds because it's a smaller plot i think i'd
23:00probably
23:00say it's 590. okay here's the thing this is currently on the market for 535 000 pounds
23:18this 21st century detached house is turnkey ready with smart technology throughout and offers a
23:26contemporary kitchen diner vaulted garden room home cinema and two ensuite double bedrooms
23:33there's a luxurious integral garage a dog-proof garden and countryside views
23:38the whole of the inside of the house is perfect it's really spacious and also the garage for
23:44neil wonderful seeing neil's face when he walked in there was perfection it's very important for
23:50debbie to get some space grow around vegetables have chickens in general it's a much smaller plot
23:57but the biggest elephant in the room is the road noise that noise will be intrusive for her
24:06we have to try to see if we can find common ground interior finish versus outdoor and tranquility
24:17wow what a day we've had what a day indeed that is a pickle
24:24a pickle we are in a bit of a pickle a pickle but hopefully a sweet pickle come on
24:32to round off our first day i've brought my buyers to a tranquil spot on the elan river to see
24:39if
24:39their infatuation with this part of wales is turning into a full-blown love affair have a seat
24:48i really want to sort of tap into the fact that you've only recently discovered wales but now you've
24:55had a chance to see a bit more of it how does it feel now if anything it's sealed the
25:01bill it's just
25:02so peaceful here i i love it i think i think i've fallen in love with it even more i
25:06know i have i think
25:07the people are connected to the land here in a different way as well i mean one one trip we
25:11had in
25:13a tractor stopped dead in front of us he hopped out picked up some litter and went on his way
25:18one thing that really stands out is the the pride you see in people a lot of people mention things
25:24like national pride and being very proud of where they come from and the difference here is people
25:29seem to live it and breathe it it seems to be less of a slogan more of an act so
25:36we have one more
25:38property to come yeah we're looking forward to it yeah good but before then supper and a beer
25:44why not let's go definitely feeling quite thirsty now me too me too
26:02the average sold price of a detached house in wales currently sits at 330 000 pounds with the figure
26:09for powers just slightly below this at 326 000 but for those looking for a home in such a sparsely
26:18populated area it's worth widening the net to include options a few miles over the border into
26:23shropshire too for example this two-bedroom detached cottage located in the shropshire hills offers seclusion
26:34in an area of outstanding natural beauty just four miles from the powers border it's on the market for
26:40offers over 240 000 pounds
26:45on the welsh side of the border this detached four-bedroom two-bathroom home offers a modern finish
26:51and an energy efficiency rating of b in a rural community setting this one is priced at offers over
26:58400 000 pounds and renters have the option of this very rurally located stone farmhouse which has been
27:08recently renovated to offer internal insulation and an air source heat pump coming with four bedrooms
27:14it's unfurnished and costs 1500 pounds per calendar month
27:23well with one more day of house hunting left on this search it can mean of course only one thing
27:28it's mystery house time but what do we offer a couple who are so keen to find something which needs
27:34no work at all the answer is very simple a mystery house which is brand new
27:42my mystery pick is in the village of middletown close to the border of england and to demonstrate
27:48just how close i'm taking my buyers on a short stroll well today is all about the mystery house
27:56but before we get there i thought i would show you a bit of the landscape around it because you
28:01are
28:01making this transition from a life in england to wales and this little wall illustrates it rather nicely
28:07i think because this is england this is the border no and now we are in wales
28:19did not expect that yeah so this lovely landscape is absolutely on your doorstep
28:24if you like a mystery house which is but a stone's throw that way we skipped you later it had
28:29to be in
28:29wales it is in wales and we are just yeah just that does look like wales doesn't it that does
28:36look
28:37like english so i'm going to go ahead and open up the mystery house get it ready for you okay
28:43and i
28:44will see you there lovely on this side of the stream i would yeah located on the other side of
28:52the
28:52bryden hills from yesterday's viewings the village of the final house middletown lies on the main route
28:58between the towns of welshpool and shoesbury and there's several buses a day running to those
29:04destinations the village hall is available for private hire and there's an inn serving food
29:12so as debbie and neil get a feel for all that i'm at the mystery house to give you a
29:18sneak preview
29:20so here then is our mystery house brand spanking new it's also super efficient it has an epc
29:28rating of a very hard to find in rural property plus it also has a very generous double garage with
29:35an electric door that i hope will satisfy neil's ambitions when it comes to looking after his
29:41beloved motorbike new properties have so far proved popular with my buyers but will showing them a total
29:48new build complete the winning streak that is it brand new oh golly gumdrops debbie
29:59we're in a brand new build at the moment not like this though a bulk buy one yeah we do
30:06love a new
30:06build yes i think it looks amazing brick wood yeah i really like that it's a nice mix want to
30:13see yes
30:13yes please come on one of a development of two houses and built with today's climate sensibilities
30:21in mind using low carbon construction materials there are solar panels an air source heat pump
30:28plus it all comes with a 10-year builder's guarantee smell the newness our tour begins through the bifold
30:36doors of the first reception room oh yes it's so warm very warm really tasty well you're getting
30:43all the soul again from this being south facing through these double glazed bifold doors but it's
30:49all underfloor heating and it's ready for a floor covering of your choice coming up a wonder though
30:54because the space here is what's so lovely i mean we've come in through effectively the sort of living
30:58room door yes that's where it's technically your main front door yeah great big open
31:02hallway for boots and things yeah you've got a little study in there yeah generous boot room
31:07utility room and then here you go kitchen diner that is lovely isn't it look at this i like the
31:13fact that you can cook in the center we've always said that's really nice yes but also just look at
31:17the views yeah lovely i think you can make it really lovely in here you could dress it beautifully it's
31:23an amazing space yeah it's actually just buying things you know that's fun shopping yeah come on let's go upstairs
31:31completing this floor is a handy cloakroom and on the floor above my mystery pick provides four
31:37well-proportioned bedrooms i'm leaving debbie and neil to decide what they might do with the guest rooms
31:43on their own starting with the smallest partly set into the eaves at the rear of the property these
31:49rooms are all really good size huge rooms yeah but this would be a perfect office yeah really nice
31:53office and again views we'll be walking up there every morning yeah next to this is a family bathroom
32:01with a shower cubicle and a tub wherever we move we have to have this bathtub that is absolutely love
32:09that gorgeous oh it could sink into there right now at the front of the home is a guest double
32:16with an
32:16ensuite shower room and a further double bedroom with a dormer window that just leaves bedroom four
32:24the principal suite with bifold doors set into the cross gable where we're catching up shower ensuite
32:33that's huge isn't it and then next door to it you've got walking wardrobe lovely yeah yeah and then you've
32:43got the views out that way that's lovely that's an amazing view yeah well let's have a look let's
32:47open it up yeah there you go five folds again oh that's amazing that's great isn't it you get all
32:55of that look at that this view holy moly staring out over england from your castle in wales yeah lovely
33:06the mystery compromise is that the outside space is rather more modest than the jesting
33:11it includes a gravel drive with shared access for the other home in the development as well as a
33:17front garden laid to lawn but whilst there may be no room for livestock there is stabling for neil's
33:24prized steed in the form of a double width garage here is your lair that is the garage i need
33:31more than
33:32one bike no you don't to fill that i need more than one nice your bike and your personality will
33:38fill
33:38that alone thanks oh lordy the price the price the price
33:48okay notwithstanding the garden issue then let's think about how much our mystery house is going to
33:52be on the market for okay five eight five five hundred and eighty five thousand pounds yep i would go
34:01that high so i'm gonna go 570. this has been priced to sell at
34:10four hundred and ninety five thousand pounds you are introducing
34:18the pickle again where you're introducing lots of pickles go on debate
34:27this brand new detached house with builder's guarantee offers incredible energy efficiency
34:34including solar panels and a heat pump there's an open plan kitchen diner four bedrooms two of
34:41which are ensuite and a large garage there are glorious views of both the welsh and english countryside
34:47as well as good road links to nearby towns when i first approached the property i whispered in neil's
34:54ear no because i saw the garden and i was like no the prices yet again scuppered us when we
35:03were
35:03walking through it and walking around it we thought we need the answer debbie greenhouse chickens vegetable
35:10patches we were struggling to see where it was all going to fit in here but for under 500 000
35:15i could
35:15squeeze a lot on this land a lot right well that's it house tours are now over i could show
35:26you no
35:27more but hopefully i don't need to no i don't think you do no you can't confuse me anymore than
35:33you already
35:35we'd like to help
35:40you've probably heard of the magic five-a-day fruit and veg we need to eat to stay healthy but
35:46did you
35:46know that the uk only grows a fifth of the fruit and half of the vegetables we consume as a
35:52nation
35:53well an initiative in 35 acres of fertile land a few miles from the town of newtown is trying to
36:00change
36:00that i'm meeting gary mitchell from the future farm partnership to hear all about it gary it's
36:07notoriously difficult to get in to farming from any first-time entrance now i know you've got just
36:13able what 30 odd acres here in this lovely valley what have you put in and how is this plot
36:20evolving
36:20there's lots of issues in trying to get more fresh food produced in mid-wales and wales in general
36:25we've only got 0.2 percent of our land under horticulture in wales so we're a massive net
36:31importer for fresh produce and that doesn't have to be the way and what we've done is managed to access
36:36a bare land plot here in partnership with the local authority and obtain a 95 year lease on it and
36:43this
36:43initiative is specifically putting new younger growers onto smaller plots that are affordable for them
36:51in return for fresh food production so we worked with the local authority and we have changed planning
36:56guidance for the whole of powess county council and what it basically says is if you're willing
37:02to work on the land to produce sustainably produced fresh fruit and vegetables you should afford the right
37:09to live on it the new planning guidance means a home has been built for each of the small farms
37:17removing
37:17the economic and practical barriers growers face when it comes to running a business
37:23so how many new young farmers have you got on this site so we've got three new growers in terms
37:30of lead
37:31growers and each of them have got between seven and twelve acres well i'm looking forward to meeting
37:38them i can see some of them out here busy on their plots growers from powess and bordering areas have
37:46been chosen for their horticultural experience and include lydia with her partner charlie
37:52so lydia as i understand it you've got seven acres here yeah just over seven acres of beautiful
37:58ex-sheet pasture and you've not been here that long have you yeah three not even three months yet
38:04i've been running a market garden for the last three years down in south powess which was great and
38:08gave me an incredible amount of experience of doing this sort of thing but i would never have been
38:14able to even think about getting seven acres of my own if i had to sort of fund it all
38:19myself if you
38:20want to live on site as we are yeah it's unbelievably expensive so yeah having this opportunity is yeah
38:26i feel very blessed as well as providing land with a home the scheme shares resources such as a processing
38:34and storage barn and also helps growers navigate agricultural form filling and accessing markets
38:44tilly is another grower who has taken on just over 12 acres
38:50were you a farmer grower before i didn't grow up on farms but i've been a grower on different
38:55farms for the last five years or so okay from a few different people but this is a whole new
39:01venture learning to do it for myself and it's great to be able to share skills with the the
39:05other growers here so everything within the these boundaries is is yours is it and beyond yeah on the
39:11other side of the field there wow i mean do you picture all of this under cultivation um most of
39:18it
39:19there's areas that i want to leave for wildlife so i'm going to create orchard and meadow and um create
39:25stronger like hedge throws and barriers around the river like buffer zones and yeah have a seven year
39:31rotation across it so some of it will just be in fertility building um look after the soil the
39:38ambition's obvious really i mean do you pinch yourself a bit when you come out here and think
39:42oh i'm doing it yeah it does feel unreal still a lot of hard work and a lot of risk
39:48but i'm willing to
39:49take it i'm passionate enough well i for one wish these budding growers all the best and i'm sure
39:56the people of powis will be enjoying the fruits of their labors too in the very near future
40:04well this has been quite a week for both debbie and for neil they are absolutely committed to making
40:11this move because they have already fallen in love with this wonderful part of the world but have we
40:15managed to find them a property to go with it well guys what could i say it has been a
40:25lot of fun but
40:26the million dollar question is have we managed to find you a home for your future all three were
40:31absolutely lovely we loved them in three very different ways but we felt like one kind of um
40:37won over all of them because it was just a better space for us to occupy i think wasn't it
40:42it is genuinely hard for me to tell which one is your favorite put me out of my misery which
40:48one
40:49might it be on our journey back after mystery house we had a conversation we made a decision
40:59and we rang the estate agents for house number two and put in an offer done it already yeah
41:07yeah that's that's incredible have you heard back they're speaking to the vendors to see
41:14if the offer was accepted and uh we'll plan from there both of us instantly could imagine ourselves
41:19living there and to your credit you did say as much at the time and the look on your faces
41:24when
41:25we walked into that kitchen diner for the first time it was priceless actually and that's before
41:31you'd seen all the all the gizmos you know the the cinema room the garage and all the rest of
41:36it
41:36but there was the issue of the road yes also there was an issue over the outside garden space but
41:42you've overcome that clearly with great agreement i'm going to knock down the shed and we're also
41:47looking at um like sound blocking fencing to just go along that and just deaden that sound a little bit
41:53but you've offered and we're waiting to hear i mean look it was on the market for 535 000
41:57pounds what did you dare offer the asking price that also speaks to how much you like the property
42:04yeah yeah yes we thought it was worth it yes definitely well guys i'm really really excited
42:09and i'll be honest with you in my nearly 20 years of hosting on escapes of the country i could
42:14count
42:14probably on one hand the times when an offer has been put in so quickly during a search i can't
42:22wait
42:22for that phone to win here's to you cheers cheers wow in my experience house searches do not get any
42:35better than the one we have just enjoyed we came we sought we found and now i can tell you
42:42the good
42:42news that neil and debbie have bought their offer has been accepted and they are about to embark on their
42:50very own welsh adventure in this glorious countryside i wish them all the very best of luck i'll see you
42:58next time if you would like to escape to the country in wales northern ireland scotland or england and need
43:05our help why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part
43:12so
43:36you
43:38you
43:39you
43:41you
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