Escape To The Country Season 26 Episode 18 sees Alistair Appleton exploring the beautiful countryside of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, helping a couple relocate from Germany to begin a new life in rural Britain. Among the highlights is a charming mystery house smallholding that already includes four friendly goats – Tom, Barbara, Margo and Jerry – living the idyllic country lifestyle.
Alistair also meets a writer who swapped busy London for the peaceful green landscapes of Herefordshire, where she now enjoys a creative life surrounded by animals. This episode perfectly captures the appeal of countryside living, combining character homes, inspiring lifestyles, and the charm of rural England.
#EscapeToTheCountry #Herefordshire #Gloucestershire #CountryLiving #BritishTV
Alistair also meets a writer who swapped busy London for the peaceful green landscapes of Herefordshire, where she now enjoys a creative life surrounded by animals. This episode perfectly captures the appeal of countryside living, combining character homes, inspiring lifestyles, and the charm of rural England.
#EscapeToTheCountry #Herefordshire #Gloucestershire #CountryLiving #BritishTV
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FunTranscript
00:03When looking for the right spot to set down roots in the countryside, it pays not to rush things.
00:10Can you go inside? No, no, you just have to decide right now.
00:16There are big choices to be made.
00:19The size of the land is quite shocking really. I'm thinking I was going to do all the work.
00:25And decisions that could lead to a whole new way of life.
00:29Suddenly it's become very real that everything changes.
00:57Which do you prefer? Woodland, river or perhaps a quaint Cotswold stone town or village?
01:04Decisions, decisions.
01:06Well, why not join us on a Gloucestershire and Herefordshire escape, a captivating region that has them all.
01:13And it's positively blossoming.
01:19It's a gorgeous time here in Gloucestershire because all the trees are putting out their lovely little leaves
01:24and the lovely little birds are making little baby birds.
01:28And there's a palpable sense of excitement in the air.
01:31Although there is a little rain forecast.
01:33But I'm not worried, partly because I have this.
01:37And also because it's said I am the sunshine presenter and it never rains on my shows.
01:42Just saying.
01:45Our escape adventure will take us to Herefordshire as well as neighbouring Gloucestershire,
01:49a county so famous for downpours it inspired a nursery rhyme.
01:53You know, the one about Dr Foster and the puddle?
01:56But clouds in this county come with silver linings.
01:59From the glistening River Wye to the verdant Forest of Dean.
02:03And you're never far away from a sunny outlook.
02:09Well, I've lived here 37 years.
02:11I think it's a lovely community.
02:13It's very easy to get out to all sorts of exciting places.
02:17The River Wye is quite near.
02:19Cheltenham's not far.
02:20Joukesbury.
02:21We're on the edge of the Forest of Dean.
02:23It's a beautiful place to visit.
02:24And the lakes.
02:25Lovely walks.
02:26Places to take the children like Beach and Hurst.
02:30And with substantial village homes and peaceful riverside retreats on offer,
02:35it's no wonder escapees come from far and wide to seek their own property pot of gold
02:40at the end of this region's rainbow.
02:42Our show is available for viewing all around the world, including the country where our buyers
02:50today are living, Germany.
02:52And I was thinking about how to translate escape to the country into German, which would be
02:57Flucht aufs Land.
02:58But my preference would be mein Traumhaus auf dem Land.
03:02My dream house in the countryside.
03:07Hello.
03:08I'm Andrew.
03:09And I'm Beate.
03:10And we currently live in Heroldsburg, which is close to Nuremberg in southern Germany.
03:17After living in a rented home near Nuremberg, Germany, for the last four years, Andrew,
03:22Beate and her 11-year-old son, Johan, are ready to return to the UK to be closer to friends
03:28and family.
03:29Well, of course I'll miss my friends in Germany, but I have got friends in the UK.
03:33My dad also lives there, so it'll be nice to spend more time with him.
03:36I can also go to some Leicester City football matches.
03:39Leicester City are my foop.
03:43However, it's not Leicestershire, but in and around Gloucestershire where they've set their
03:48sights.
03:49The Gloucestershire area is very pragmatic for us because I've got a new role in Birmingham
03:54and it's a hybrid job, so I need to go up a few days a week.
03:56So, pretty close to the M5.
03:59And I quite like the way it looks, the landscape.
04:02It reminds me of Germany, where we're from now.
04:04We're undulating scenery, a mix of rivers, meadows, forests.
04:08It's very much like what home leaves.
04:11It's home for me.
04:12I miss the pub culture.
04:14And I think what you're also looking forward to is the crisps, salt and vinegar,
04:18which aren't available in Germany.
04:20Yeah.
04:22So they're his favourite.
04:25Andrew and Beata have up to £600,000 to buy their Gloucestershire home.
04:31They're after three to four bedrooms, an office and a room for Andrew's large record collection.
04:38They'd like a manageable garden, a location with a nearby pub, and are open to viewing
04:44addresses in both Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
04:52I love the fact that Andrew and Beata are coming to this part of the countryside because, as she says,
04:57it reminds her of the German countryside down in the south.
05:01And I'll have to take that on her word because, although I lived in Germany for six years,
05:06to my shame, I barely left the city limits of Berlin.
05:08I was in my twenties, so it's understandable.
05:11But it's such a big move, having done that, to move from Germany back to England.
05:16So if you can find a landscape that reminds you of home, all the better.
05:24Before heading to the first house option, I'm making my way to meet Beata and Andrew for introductions
05:30in a pretty rural spot, which I hope compares favourably to the German countryside.
05:38I'm so excited to be here with you guys, largely because I can practise my German.
05:43Herzlich willkommen zurück nach England.
05:46Vielen Dank.
05:47Oh, I got it right. That's very good.
05:49You don't speak German, do you, Andrew? I don't speak German, no. I'm sorry.
05:52I always welcome you very warmly back to England.
05:54It's wonderful, isn't it, to be back?
05:57Back in Britain, back in the communities, back in the countryside.
06:00I'm excited about that.
06:02And a bit of, therefore, also smaller community living, where I can get involved,
06:06whether it's a parent governor or being at the local church council
06:11or just helping out at the local cafe or play group, because I'm working remotely.
06:15So I want to get out outside of work to be, to have some social interaction, really.
06:21What about you, Andrew? What are you looking forward to being back in England?
06:24Seeing friends and family, being able to go to live football again, rather than just watching it on television.
06:29I mean, there is good football in Germany, I hear.
06:31There is, but Rotherham's my team. There's my father's team, my grandfather's team, and my eldest son comes with me
06:39to the game.
06:39So I go into the football with my son. It's quite important as well.
06:42Ah, well, you've come at a beautiful time of the year, spring sunshine, blessing our house hunt.
06:47Shall we get going and see some houses?
06:49Yes, please.
06:50Yeah, come follow me.
06:56Our first appointment of you is in the Gloucestershire hamlet of Aylford.
07:04Around a mile and a half down the road, the village of Blakeney has post office services and a convenience
07:10store.
07:11There's restaurant dining at the King's Head and a takeaway fish and chip shop too.
07:17Buses include a route to the town of Chepstow, which stops not far from the rural property proposition I'm putting
07:24to Beata and Andrew.
07:29Here we are, house number one. What a lovely setting.
07:32It is.
07:33I know that you wanted a countryside location. Does it have a little German feel to it?
07:37It does. Trees, little stream at the bottom of the valley.
07:41And I love that you can see it's been extended and changed, so it doesn't look just like one long
07:45house, but it's quirky.
07:47I love the fact that when you look from the house, you see trees and you feel it in the
07:52country.
07:52Can we go inside?
07:53No, no, you just have to decide right now.
08:00Set high on the bank of a river valley, this stone cottage has been in the same family since the
08:0519th century when it was built.
08:08The current occupant has added an extension and a conservatory, and the main door takes us via a utility-cumbut
08:15room into the kitchen.
08:21I like that you can sit in the kitchen already. It's a good start.
08:24Yeah.
08:24You can have your breakfast straight away. But it's got workspace, which is great.
08:28And you've got a lovely view when you're washing the pots, which is the...
08:31You do the washing, don't you?
08:32I do now, apparently.
08:35Well, the great thing about this property is it's all facing the view, so it's all windows this way.
08:40Ideally a bigger kitchen, but you can always extend it that way and make the utility room smaller.
08:45Anyway, let's continue the tour. This is the living space. So there's a conservatory here. You can look at that
08:50later.
08:51But this is the historic part of the house. Basically, this is the width of the house. It's quite simple,
08:56the layout.
08:56Even though it's long, you still see two parts of the room to it.
08:59Oh, you've got a dining area and a living area.
09:02I think it's a little smaller than what we expected or what we were looking for.
09:08I think ideally you would want some space where you could put your hi-fi up, couldn't we?
09:11You still have a hi-fi. That's very retro.
09:14Oh, it's very retro. I've got a massive collection of vinyl.
09:16Really? It's good.
09:18Yeah.
09:21Completing the ground floor and back off the entrance is a small shower room.
09:25Then stairs from the reception room lead us up to the home's three bedrooms.
09:31At one end is a good-sized double, which like all the bedrooms has an aspect to the front overlooking
09:37the valley.
09:38There's a smaller guest bedroom and a family bathroom tiled in a neutral pallet.
09:45Then at the other end is the principal ensuite.
09:51This whole end of the property is the main bedroom.
09:55And then through there you've got an ensuite toilet and shower.
09:58And then a sort of dressing room.
10:00I like the two windows. It makes it really light in here.
10:03Yeah.
10:04And the big wardrobe space.
10:05And I like the fact it's ensuite.
10:07I actually quite like that room.
10:08Hmm.
10:09I do like that room.
10:10Good.
10:11Yeah.
10:13So we can go out into the garden and also we can talk about the price.
10:16Mm-hmm.
10:16You lead the way.
10:22The garden comprises two-thirds of an acre with wooden and stone outbuildings that have electricity.
10:29There's also a paddock.
10:32The property backs onto Forestry Commission land where they'd be free to explore with their dog.
10:42The owners who grew up here, they used to just get sent out in the morning in the holidays and
10:47they'd go all the way down the valley and the mum would blow a whistle.
10:51But it was time for him to come back.
10:52Excellent.
10:53And it's a good-sized garden.
10:54It's manageable but it's big enough.
10:56And you've got your greenhouse which you want to grow your tomatoes and such like.
10:59Maybe some courgette or something.
11:01So yes, that's me.
11:02And Johan, is he kind of your assistant or does he...?
11:05His is to actually do the lawn mowing.
11:07So he earns his pocket money by mowing the lawn.
11:10Yeah, he likes that.
11:12And talking about money, what do you think it's on the market for?
11:17Five to five.
11:19Okay.
11:20And I've got £550.
11:22So £550,000.
11:25This is on the market for £575,000.
11:28Oh, interesting.
11:29You can see the price is probably slightly higher than you thought because of the location.
11:33Yeah.
11:33And the land, it's got a good plot size.
11:35Yeah.
11:36Yeah.
11:39Comfortably within Beata and Andrew's £600,000 budget, this extended stone house has a kitchen breakfast room,
11:45a multifunctional reception room and three bedrooms.
11:49There's a large garden without buildings and valley views.
11:57This is the conservatory.
11:59Oh, that's nice and airy, isn't it?
12:00I mean, you can see yourself sat here at your coffee or whatever.
12:03Yeah.
12:04Reading on a Sunday morning and relaxing.
12:09Fantastic location.
12:11It really gave you that wow feeling because you can take the dog, you can just go out.
12:17I see the potential in the house, happy to do a bit of renovations, a bit of changing.
12:23The location is more important.
12:25You have that great combination of living peacefully, but if you want to, you can enjoy community.
12:43Beata and Andrew are looking for options to get stuck into local life when they return to the UK.
12:49The small Gloucestershire market town of Newent could help them get back into the saddle.
12:55Local horse hero and two times Olympic gold medal winner Valegro is celebrated in sculpture in the historic timber framed
13:03market hall.
13:05Look what's on in Newent. Let's have a look. Food and drink in July.
13:10And with over 50 groups to get involved with, there's even more worth championing.
13:15Newent is a fantastic place. It's got such a great community feel to it.
13:20We've got the Newent chill out, which is for people of all ages and runs as a youth session in
13:24the evenings.
13:25We've got some fantastic cafes within the town, really fantastic places to go and grab a bite to eat.
13:32It's very small here. It's very compact, but it's community.
13:38I've just started a supper club. We did a curry club and then it's going to be a tapas night.
13:43And it's very, very important community get together.
13:48Cyclists can take in the beautiful surrounding countryside on the 19 to 28 mile Newent loop.
13:55And walkers can enjoy the landscaped lake park.
13:59Well, we found Newent really by mistake some 35 years ago.
14:04Stopped off one evening on the way back home and thought what a wonderful little market town it was.
14:10People were very friendly, easy going and stayed ever since.
14:16One place our buyers can expect a warm Newent welcome is micropub The Cobblers.
14:22I think I could give me a drink.
14:24Let's go and get one.
14:25Where landlord Graham Rushton is a refreshing source of local knowledge.
14:32This is a lovely pub. How did you get to run that?
14:35Well, what happened was when myself and my partner Nicky moved to Newent ten years ago.
14:40We stumbled across this pub, started drinking here and we drank here for many, many years.
14:45When the landlord decided she wanted to retire, I came up with this crazy idea of buying a pub, running
14:50a pub, something that I'd never done before.
14:52And I suppose it brings you right into the art of the community, doesn't it?
14:55It does. We've got some real good regulars and various groups like Royal British Legion and the Rotary Club.
15:01Use the back room for meetings and band practices and stuff like that.
15:05Why Newent? What do you like about this area so much?
15:08It's a fantastic place. Good location to get round many places.
15:12You're not that far away from South Wales. You've got Gloucester, you've got Hereford nearby if you want a bigger
15:17city.
15:18There's a fantastic bus service called the Daffodil Line where you can go from Newent as far down as Ross
15:24on White and all the way up to Lidbury and all points in between.
15:29And we get a lot of people coming in to visit the pub from, you know, from Herefordshire, other parts
15:35of Gloucestershire.
15:36It's in a cracking part of the country. Yeah, and we love it here.
15:42The couple seem to have enjoyed their pint-sized taste of Gloucestershire life here in Newent.
15:47Now to find a home in the area they can raise a glass to.
15:56For our next viewing, we're making our way to the Wye Valley village of Brockweer.
16:03Set on the eastern and English bank of the River Wye, facing the nation of Wales on the opposite side,
16:09one incoming church minister remonstrated that 19th century village life here revolved around beer houses and gambling.
16:19Thanks to the present-day locals rallying to buy the last remaining pub, it's still an ongoing concern.
16:26And given there's also a community-owned shop and cafe staffed by volunteers,
16:31Beata and Andrew's respective desires could potentially be well met.
16:40So we thought this would be perfect for you.
16:42You can help out in the pub, I can help out in the shop.
16:45And this is the property, so it's not the whole thing, half.
16:48I mean, the location is just wonderful, isn't it?
16:51Uncomparable really, it seems idyllic.
16:53This is the River Wye down here.
16:55Okay. Yes.
16:57We've got this incredible landscape.
17:00That is Wales, this is England, and then beyond that is the Forest of Dean.
17:04Amazing.
17:05Beautiful setting.
17:07Do you fancy looking in?
17:08Yes, please.
17:08Come on then.
17:12This semi-detached character property, dating to the 1700s,
17:17has been given a sustainable modern twist with solar panels,
17:20which feed into the national grid and can even generate money from excess electricity produced.
17:27They also power the underfloor heating in the kitchen slash breakfast room,
17:32where our tour of the currently unoccupied home begins.
17:36It's a great size.
17:38A nice kitchen, lots of work surface.
17:40Open space, sitting to eat here.
17:43Yeah, you've got plenty of room here for a lovely, nice big dining table.
17:48Yeah.
17:48Our dining table would fit perfectly.
17:50Fits perfectly.
17:50Well, hold your horses, because actually you've got two reception rooms.
17:54Let's continue the tour.
17:56Excellent.
17:59There's an additional utility, and as well as the spacious kitchen and breakfast room,
18:04there are two further reception rooms, one of which is in an adjacent wing,
18:09with French doors and period features.
18:12I love it.
18:14Going out again towards the nice sunny spot, because it's a good size to feel cosy in.
18:20And then you've got that other reception room there, which could be a diner,
18:23or it could be another TV room.
18:25Yeah.
18:25Exactly.
18:25Or your Hi-Fi.
18:27Yeah.
18:27Good vibes.
18:28So why don't you two go and explore the rest of the house,
18:30and then when you're done, find me in the garden.
18:32Go explore.
18:38Andrew could certainly find a fitting home for his entire record collection in the final reception room.
18:44You can have your Hi-Fi here.
18:46That would be good, you'd fit nicely there.
18:47It would.
18:48And you can close the doors, so you've got your own space.
18:53A ground floor cloakroom is tucked away by the foot of the stairs,
18:57which leads to the four bedroom accommodation above.
19:01At the back of the house is a double, partly set into the eaves.
19:05Good size again.
19:06Yeah.
19:07Nice size.
19:08Good to be Johann's room.
19:11And this leads directly into a second, smaller bedroom with a built-in wardrobe.
19:16It can be for them to play his Xbox and his games and such like.
19:20Yeah.
19:20So it gives them their separate space.
19:22It does.
19:23Yeah, that could work.
19:24Good room.
19:25Yeah.
19:26Like that one.
19:28To the front, bedroom three also has a built-in wardrobe.
19:33Good storage, so guest room.
19:36Yeah.
19:37Or office.
19:37Because you've got the light coming through.
19:39Yeah, so I can put my desk here and work from here.
19:43Next to this is the family bathroom, fitted with contemporary sanitary wear and a skylight window.
19:52The final bedroom for them to peruse, again with an aspect to the front, is the principal.
20:00Lovely beams.
20:01I like the space at the top and I like the windows, you see the garden.
20:06And this one is ensuite.
20:09Oh, nice big shower.
20:11And light.
20:12Yeah, that's well done.
20:13I like that.
20:13That's the feature room, isn't it?
20:15Where do you want to put our bed?
20:16That way.
20:18Oh, that.
20:18Oh, it could go that way, couldn't it?
20:19Because you want to see outside, don't you?
20:23Look, if we are here.
20:24I'm on the wrong side of the bed, so you need to come over here.
20:27No.
20:28That'd be better.
20:29Why?
20:30You are there.
20:31You are by the door to save me if anything happens.
20:40Like the bed, I'm feeling this tour could go either way.
20:44Perhaps what's on offer outside will clinch things.
20:48Despite the slope of the valley, there is a level area of lawn.
20:53Across the lane up from the house is a further plot, planted with fruit trees.
20:57And below there's parking, plus a valley vista that's enough to have anyone waxing lyrical.
21:06And just around the bend there is Tintin Abbey, which is a very famous ruin that Wordsworth wrote his ode
21:12to Tintin Abbey.
21:13Ah.
21:13So it's a very historic place around here.
21:15I like the fact that you've got the nice flat area, which is good for your arm for his football
21:20goal and his trampoline.
21:21How much do you think it costs, this one?
21:23I knew you'd ask that.
21:26Considering where we are and what you said, I'd definitely go higher now.
21:30Let's say 585?
21:33Ah.
21:35575.
21:37575,000.
21:38Yeah, yeah.
21:38So this is actually on the market for 600,000.
21:41Ah.
21:42It's a location here that counts really, isn't it?
21:44And I mean, the property itself is beautiful because it's got its four bedrooms.
21:48It's got the potential.
21:49You can do in there.
21:51Yeah.
21:54The price is a guide on this semi-detached 18th century cottage.
21:59So if interested, Beata and Andrew could certainly chance an offer.
22:03There's a kitchen breakfast room and two further reception rooms as well as four bedrooms.
22:08A good-sized garden with valley views and an edge of village location offering a community-run pub, shop and
22:15cafe.
22:16That completes the package.
22:18A bit of quirkiness is what Beata likes.
22:21Yeah.
22:21So I know that that will have gone right up there in a flagpole, gone, yep, quirky.
22:26I like quirky.
22:27So it got you in.
22:28Very romantic, wasn't it?
22:30Very romantic, yes dear.
22:36But then you're going to look at it pragmatically.
22:38This house is at the top of our budget and we mean there's quite a bit of work that we'd
22:42have to do just to make it how we want it.
22:44And I think that bit requires a lot of thought.
23:00The bridge of Brockweir makes it just a short trip between England and Wales, but after two viewings, how's our
23:07search doing with bridging the gap between Germany and the UK for my buyers?
23:27Yes.
23:41Oh, it's so lovely by the river.
23:42Johanna, how's he feeling about it?
23:43We can ask him directly.
23:44Ah, yes, the wonders of technology.
23:46Can we call him on the phone?
23:47Shall we give him a call?
23:48Yeah, do.
23:49Let's see whether we can dial him in.
23:53Ah, there he is.
23:55Hello.
23:56Hi, I'm Alistair.
23:58Nice to meet you.
23:58I've heard a lot about you.
23:59Are you looking forward to moving back?
24:02Definitely.
24:03England feels like home.
24:05We've been thinking about you, Johanna.
24:07You've not been left out of the discussion.
24:09All good things that you gave me on the list that I had to look for.
24:13I haven't seen Johanna's list.
24:15Where have you been keeping that?
24:16Yeah.
24:17In my head.
24:18What about you, things you don't want?
24:20I mean, I don't like it in packed areas, so villages and countryside are the best areas.
24:29Rather close to a city, but definitely not in a city.
24:32Well, luckily your mum and Andrew chose to come on escape to the country, so we won't be sending you
24:38to a city.
24:38Very good news.
24:40Oh, it's lovely to meet you.
24:42Thanks very much.
24:43Thank you very much.
24:44What an incredibly eloquent son you have.
24:47He's better than me, I guess.
24:49He's so charming.
24:50I think he would have done better on the shore than more folks, definitely.
24:53Next time, you bring him along.
24:55Yeah.
24:57Also, it's Auf Wiedersehen to house tours for now.
25:01We'll be heading into mystery territory for my final property tomorrow.
25:04But it's not in a city.
25:18The average cost of a detached house in the UK is a little over £440,000.
25:24But choose Gloucestershire and you may need to pay significantly more, as that figure rises to over £516,000.
25:34If you want your budget to go further, consider neighbouring Herefordshire, where the average sale price for detached properties is
25:41£441,000.
25:45And here's a taster of what's available in the area at the moment.
25:50This towering home was built in the 19th century as part of a scheme to beautify the Herefordshire town of
25:56Ross-on-Wye.
25:58And the striking Grade II listed one-bedroom property appears to have achieved its ambitions.
26:05There's also a very fetching view from the roof terrace.
26:08The guide price is £350,000.
26:12This four-bedroom detached home in a Herefordshire hamlet has the region's classic black and white exterior with timber-clad
26:20extensions.
26:21It's recently renovated and offered at a guide price of £450,000.
26:28Back in Gloucestershire, would-be tenants might consider this detached three-bedroom farmhouse that comes with a large carport.
26:36It has contemporary interiors surrounded by fields and panoramic views for rent at £1,850 per calendar month.
26:50Ah, wunderschönes Frühlingswetter, that's beautiful spring weather,
26:54greeting our second day of house hunting for Andrew and Beate's big return to the UK.
27:00And we are staying in the Wye Valley for our mystery house, but this property really pulls out all the
27:06bells and whistles on the land front.
27:12We're nipping over the county border to Herefordshire for a mystery property in the Wye Valley village of Walford.
27:20Set on a strategic crossing point of the river, once guarded on the opposite bank by a medieval castle,
27:26we're just a couple of miles from all the facilities in the town of Ross-on-Wye.
27:31The village itself has an active working community that includes a family-run timber yard founded in 1945.
27:39And while this Walford doesn't have a Queen Vic, it does have a pub serving chef-devised meals packed with
27:46local produce.
27:50So we've come a little further north, we're closer to Ross-on-Wye, and this is a little village called
27:54Walford.
27:55Do you know the show EastEnders? Did you ever come to England?
27:58I've heard of it, but I haven't watched it.
28:00That's all set in Walford, but not this Walford.
28:03I know that pub culture is very important to you, Andrews, right?
28:06It is, because when you move away from the UK, you miss it and you realise that it's different and
28:13it's quite important, I think.
28:15Well, it's got a great pub.
28:16Yep, it's good.
28:17And, most importantly for you two, the mystery house.
28:20Why don't you explore the village a bit and I'll meet you there.
28:23Great.
28:26As well as the pub, there's a village hall.
28:29Buses run to Ross-on-Wye from stops on the main road, from where it's just a short walk,
28:34or drive up a hillside track to my mystery offering, where I've gone ahead.
28:40This one is just perfect for kids, and even a nanny.
28:45Meet Tom, Jerry, Barbara and Margo.
28:48This is a good place to be a goat.
28:50I mean, great views, great food, nice sunshine.
28:54And the good thing is that if Andrew and Beata buy this place, then they might be able to have
29:00the goats as part of the deal.
29:02Ready-made lawnmowers.
29:07This property is a registered smallholding, giving permission to keep livestock.
29:12So as well as a substantial house, the mystery here is the four acres of land, half of which is
29:18wooded.
29:19And with part of the long-distance Y-Valley walk running through the plots...
29:26No, you shouldn't worry, I'm not lost.
29:29I'm keeping up the element of surprise for that little bit longer.
29:37Now, that walk was not all in vain.
29:40No.
29:40The reason I brought you through that woodland is because it will belong to you.
29:45Oh, wow.
29:46If you choose to buy our mystery house, which is here.
29:51Oh.
29:52Look at that view.
29:54Yes.
29:55The mystery is really because of the land.
29:57Yes.
29:58And it's much more of a kind of farmstead sort of idea.
30:02Two acres of woodland, two acres of fields.
30:05The size of the land is quite shocking, really.
30:10I'm thinking who's going to do all the work.
30:11I quite like chickens and animals, so I wouldn't mind, especially working from home,
30:16I would have time to look after them, wouldn't I?
30:18Can we go and look at the house?
30:19Yes, please.
30:23The home on offer is a stone cottage built in 1760 and remodelled in the 1930s
30:29to add a front veranda as well as brick extensions, all of which has been rendered and painted.
30:38Approaching down the hill, we enter at the back and into the country kitchen diner.
30:44With view out over the valley.
30:46Oh, that's very different, isn't it?
30:48It is.
30:48That's so much different.
30:49That's why I'm looking at the view rather than the kitchen at the moment.
30:51Yeah.
30:52So this is much more a country cottage.
30:54But you do got a big sort of washing room, boot room, utility room through there.
30:58You've got this seating area, plus the country feel.
31:02I love it.
31:02It's cosy.
31:03It's really cosy.
31:04But really practical too.
31:06I want to see more.
31:07Ask and you shall receive.
31:11Exiting through the dining area, we cross an entrance hall.
31:15So this is the original front door, but as in most country properties, nobody uses the front door.
31:21To check out the sitting room.
31:23I like that it's squarer.
31:25Yes.
31:25Because I like squarer over than long and thin.
31:27Right, yeah.
31:28It's got that cosy feel to it.
31:29Yes.
31:30And the view.
31:31And again, it's all about the view.
31:33Yes.
31:33Yes.
31:34So you go and explore upstairs, and when you're done, I'll meet you out front.
31:37Great.
31:37Let's do that.
31:42There are three bedrooms upstairs, starting with the one that could be Andrew and Beata's.
31:48I think that is the master bedroom, with the exposed stone.
31:53And you've got good use of the bits outside of the fireplace to put your storage in.
31:57I think you might bring me coffee in the morning.
31:59I think I might.
32:00Yes.
32:01Then I can sit in the bed and just enjoy my coffee.
32:03Looking at the river.
32:04Look, you can see the river from here.
32:08There's also a box room used for storage, a fellow vinyl collector by the looks of it.
32:13And next to this is the family bathroom, which is fully tiled.
32:18Then completing the upstairs is bedroom number three.
32:23It's a decent size.
32:25Look at the view again.
32:26Having that view to the front, it's lovely.
32:28Yes.
32:29And yeah.
32:29It's a big, big positive for the house, isn't it?
32:32It is.
32:33It is.
32:36That's the cottage, but it's also ready to go for a self-sufficient good life.
32:41Complete with hencoops and workshops, or perhaps an idyllically located work-from-home office.
32:48Or two.
32:50You've got this big space out the front.
32:53Lovely views.
32:54You feel really nestled in the trees and the landscape here.
32:57Obviously, it's a challenge, the big land.
32:59The house is quite different from the other ones we've shown.
33:02And I think they could really put their mark on this one.
33:08Whether or not my buyers are ready to take on this small holding may well come down to what they
33:13have to pay for it.
33:15Yes.
33:16You found me in the great acreage of the mystery house.
33:19Well done.
33:19I can see why it was picked as a mystery house.
33:22Because it has done its job of going, oh.
33:26It's just then it's the lifestyle what you're looking for and what you want.
33:29And you've got to think about that.
33:30How much do you think this costs?
33:32Well, because of the land, I'm going to go higher up towards our budget.
33:37So I'm going to go around 585.
33:41I'm going 600 because of the land close to the village due to the river.
33:46Well, I'm sad to say, Andrew, that your wife is spot on.
33:50Oh.
33:51This is on the market for 600,000 pounds.
33:55And one thing I think is worth flagging up is this is quite a sluggish market.
33:59So there's a chance that you could put in an offer.
34:02Yeah.
34:02Yeah.
34:03You can always try it.
34:07Yeah.
34:07This registered small holding offers a three-bedroom cottage,
34:11four acres of land and an elevated position giving far-reaching views of the Wai Valley.
34:17It's on the edge of a village with a pub and just a couple of miles from the country town
34:22of Ross-on-Wai.
34:26There was the house in the valley with goats and greens and all the romantic ideas you have flowing through
34:33your mind
34:34when you see something like this.
34:36So, yes.
34:37My heart says, I want to live here.
34:42I need to put my pragmatic head on here.
34:45How is this actually going to work?
34:46Do we really want to look after animals?
34:48I've not even thought about what it would mean to have so much land and the work that would be
34:52involved.
34:55It sounds kind of weird in German, the mystery house.
35:00It does.
35:01It does.
35:02It sounds a bit more sinister.
35:05Anyway, that's all done.
35:07Let's have a little rest and then you can chew things over and then we can talk about where we
35:11go next.
35:11Come with me.
35:26The countryside can be very empowering and it certainly is for Claire who made her escape to Herefordshire six years
35:34ago.
35:37My name is Claire and I moved here to rural Herefordshire from North London.
35:43And I live here with my dog Fred and a variety of other animals including four sheep.
35:49Here come the sheep, four chickens and a cat called Mr Shanks.
35:59This is the exciting moment every morning when I go and see if I've got any eggs.
36:07Yes, this one.
36:09Fantastic.
36:11Something for breakfast.
36:14Previously a journalist living in the capital, Claire's home now is a registered small holding with an orchard, livestock and
36:22vegetable garden.
36:24When I was in London, this was my dream where I needed to have somewhere I could grow plants.
36:31She continues to write from her rambling four bedroom Victorian brick house where I've come to find out how the
36:38move has influenced her and her work.
36:43Hello.
36:44Hi Claire, lovely to meet you. Thanks for having me.
36:46Do come in, do come in.
36:48What a beautiful home.
36:49Well, thank you so much.
36:50Oh, I love all these floor tiles in there.
36:54A lot of this was here when I came, the floor and the units and everything, but I've done quite
36:59a lot of work decoratively.
37:00Yes, very tasteful.
37:02All these old beams were salvaged and put in by the previous owner.
37:06Oh, so they're not original.
37:07They're not original, but they look really authentic, I think.
37:09Yeah, they do, yeah.
37:10So I know you moved from quite a kind of glamorous job in London.
37:13You were in magazines, is that right?
37:14Well, that's right.
37:15Well, yes, I worked for most of my career as a magazine journalist and then I've always meant to move
37:21to the country and then I thought the time has come.
37:24I grew up around here in Malvern, which is about a 50 minute drive away.
37:29And my family originally from Wales, which is quite close.
37:33And it just makes me feel more rooted.
37:35Do you find that being here is more conducive to writing?
37:38Do you get more writing done?
37:39Yes.
37:39Well, I find what I'm writing about has changed rather because these days it's more kind of mythical, folkloric, witchy
37:45type books.
37:46And which I think is informed quite a lot by the surroundings because Hertfordshire is a land rich in folklore
37:51and, you know, goings on.
37:54And is your garden a reflection of that?
37:56Yes, it is.
37:57I've made the garden based on the five elements.
37:59There's fire, water, earth and air.
38:00And then in the centre there's a spiral which represents spirit.
38:03Can we have a peek outside?
38:05Yes, of course.
38:05I'd love to show you.
38:06Either way.
38:13This looks amazing.
38:14Well, there's a lot here already.
38:16I've just sort of redesigned it to my own whim.
38:19In the summer that's all fire and yellows and reds and oranges.
38:23And then there's water, earth and air with all the very tall grasses which will come up later.
38:29Oh, beautiful.
38:32Now, a lot of your writing of late has taken a more elemental turn.
38:36How would you describe your practice?
38:38I'm mostly aligned with Druidry.
38:40Oh, yeah.
38:40And the sort of connection with nature and the land and the seasons.
38:45So, which is one of the reasons I've created the garden like I have.
38:48Oh, okay.
38:48And my latest book actually is about one of the elements.
38:51It's about water.
38:51It's called The Water Remedy.
38:53And it's about how we should care for and appreciate water.
38:55It's about searching for holy wells and appreciating spa water and springs
39:00and a little bit about the seaside and coast and estuaries which I love.
39:04I noticed you've got water right in the middle of your garden here.
39:06Yes, I have.
39:08That's a little pool at the centre of my cosmic spiral.
39:11Ah.
39:11But it's a meditation path.
39:12So, you walk into the centre and then you walk out again.
39:16And it takes a surprisingly long time, actually.
39:19Well, I'm a big meditator.
39:20I love meditation.
39:21Can we walk mindfully round your spiral?
39:23Of course.
39:25Claire's path to the countryside certainly seems to have led her to a life
39:29centred on all that nourishes her.
39:32Now to see if any of the houses I've shown my buyers
39:35capture the spirit of what they're looking for.
39:44My presenter's intuition makes me feel that Beata really loved all the land
39:51and the woodland and the kind of country feel of the mystery house.
39:56But Andrew, probably it was an acre or three too far.
40:01But let's find out what they think about all the houses.
40:10How are you doing?
40:11Doing well.
40:12Wie geht's?
40:13Good.
40:13Sehr gut.
40:14Sehr gut.
40:15So, has this focused your mind?
40:17What's this week taught you about your move here?
40:20It's taught us that England is for us.
40:22We are coming back.
40:24Yes.
40:25It's also taught us actually it's a lovely area here.
40:28The Wye Valley, Gloucestershire.
40:30And I think the first house is my favourite out of the three.
40:34The land, the garden, the positioning, the quiet was superb.
40:37You just needed to make the house bigger.
40:39And I thought, I was thinking all the time, what could I do to make it bigger?
40:42How could I do that?
40:42How could I change it?
40:43Beata's the one that stood out for you as a possibility.
40:46I want to love the third house.
40:47My heart says that's mine.
40:49So you love the mystery house?
40:51I do.
40:51The romantic feeling of having your own animals to look after.
40:56And being able to just go out in the morning and walk across your own land.
41:00But the first house had land as well.
41:02When you actually look at the plot size, it's a lot bigger than your first thing.
41:05And I just think it's easy to manage and work that land than it is the other one.
41:10And I think that's a factor.
41:11What's the next step for you guys?
41:14The first house, I want to think about a bit more.
41:17The second and the third don't work for me, but the area does.
41:22The third one in particular because of the village location, isn't it?
41:25The amenities are there on your doorstep, which really help.
41:29Okay, so first and third maybe, but overall you're sold on this Y Valley location.
41:35Yes, absolutely.
41:36And if something comes on that we need to see, we go on a plane and we come back and
41:41we see it.
41:42We have to find somewhere to live.
41:44Work starts for us both over the summer, new jobs.
41:48So things have to happen and we have to make them happen.
41:51Well, keep us in the loop. It's been a real joy.
41:53And if you find somewhere, let us know and we'll come revisit.
41:56Brilliant. You'll be very welcome.
41:58Auf Wiedersehen.
41:59Auf Wiedersehen, exactly.
42:05In the end, I didn't need this because apparently I am the sunshine presenter.
42:10Because there was lots of sunshine on Andrew and Beate's adventures here in Gloucestershire and the Y Valley.
42:16And I think they have fallen in love with this beautiful area of the country, which is great.
42:21Because in my own experience, moving from one country like Germany to the UK is quite a lot of stress.
42:27And it's great to have a wonderful prospect of landscape and livelihood stretching out in front of you.
42:34So I hope they find the place they love.
42:36And I hope you join us next time for more Escape to the Country.
42:42Our couple went back to the first house for a second viewing, but in a huge twist of events decided
42:48to shift their search closer to Andrew's family in Yorkshire.
42:51They're now in the process of buying a barn conversion there.
42:55We wish them all the best with their move.
42:58If you'd like to escape to the country in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, and need our help,
43:04why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part.
43:09We'll see you next time.
43:20Bye.
43:25Bye.
43:27Bye.
43:29Bye.
43:29Bye.
43:31Bye.
43:32Bye.
43:34Bye.
43:39Bye.
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