Escape To The Country Season 26 Episode 25 visits the peaceful Cambridgeshire Borders, where Sonali Shah helps a young couple move out of their parents’ home and find their very first forever home together. With a selection of beautiful properties, including two stunning thatched cottages and a charming modern new build, this episode is full of exciting countryside possibilities.
Beyond the property search, Sonali discovers an inspiring local conservation initiative creating pollinator corridors to support bees and wildlife across the Cambridgeshire countryside. This heartwarming episode highlights the appeal of rural living and the journey to finding the perfect first home in the country.
#EscapeToTheCountry #Cambridgeshire #CountryLiving #ThatchedCottage #BritishTV
Beyond the property search, Sonali discovers an inspiring local conservation initiative creating pollinator corridors to support bees and wildlife across the Cambridgeshire countryside. This heartwarming episode highlights the appeal of rural living and the journey to finding the perfect first home in the country.
#EscapeToTheCountry #Cambridgeshire #CountryLiving #ThatchedCottage #BritishTV
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00:02Today's escape to the country is positively blooming.
00:06Yeah, the flower archway.
00:08It is the Rose Arch of Dreams.
00:11Yes.
00:11That is straight out of my vision book.
00:14We have properties through the ages.
00:16I think it looks really, really neat.
00:18Really, really tidy.
00:19He just loves the fact it was built five years ago.
00:21Yes.
00:22No, that's true.
00:24And gardens that go on for miles.
00:27I know you didn't want a lot of lawn.
00:31And I am going to hold my hands up.
00:34And I'm giving you a lot of lawn.
00:36For a young couple itching to set up home together.
00:40I can see the grin on your face.
00:41You're just, yes.
00:42Is the tear in your eye hay fever or tears, real tears?
00:45It's a pleasant mixture of mine.
01:12This East Anglian county is famed for its low-lying Fenlands...
01:18..that give rise to big skies.
01:21It is, of course, Cambridgeshire.
01:25There's a term in the property business called the Goldilocks Zone.
01:29Somewhere not too far from a city or a town.
01:32Commutable territory.
01:33Not too expensive.
01:35In other words, somewhere you will find the perfect porridge.
01:39Unbreakable chairs and really comfy beds.
01:42Somewhere just right.
01:44Just like Cambridgeshire.
01:48Today we're exploring the countryside along Cambridgeshire's borders...
01:52..with Hertfordshire and Suffolk.
01:56The pretty villages of Great Shelford and Little Shelford...
02:00..were recently named as some of the country's most desirable commuter hotspots.
02:06I've lived here all my life.
02:08I love that it's such a strong community.
02:09I love that it's all really accessible.
02:11I don't drive myself, so I get the train everywhere.
02:14And I love that you can go to London, you can go to Cambridge...
02:16..and whatever you want to do, you can be able to find it.
02:21The town of St Ives, not to be confused with its Cornish namesake...
02:26..sits on the banks of the River Great Ouse.
02:29Its lively market town atmosphere and waterside location draw many a home buyer.
02:35There's lots of green areas, lots of wildlife is all around here as well.
02:39And it's great.
02:40Very nice atmosphere.
02:41Everyone's so lovely too and such a happy place to be.
02:48Right, time to get this show on the road.
02:50Before we do that, we need to meet today's young couple...
02:52..who've asked us to help them escape to the country.
02:57Hi, I'm Lauren.
02:59Hi, I'm Lewis.
02:59We're currently living in Stevenage with my parents...
03:02..and we're looking to buy our first forever home together.
03:06We've been sort of going between each other's parents' houses for a little while now...
03:10..and I think we're both kind of ready to sort of have our own space...
03:13..start making our own lives together.
03:20Lauren works in marketing and Lewis is an actuary.
03:23Both commute to London several days a week.
03:27It's really important for us to have greenery around for health reasons.
03:31We've both had some horrible things happen in our lives.
03:34So, for us, we find the countryside really healing and calming.
03:39Lauren has a clear vision regarding the colour scheme for the couple's new rural sanctuary.
03:45As you can see, I really like the colour pink.
03:47So, when we have our future house, I am hoping to have a pink front door...
03:52..if Lewis will let me.
03:54Thoughts, Lewis?
03:55Uh, I think...
03:57..it wouldn't be my first choice, I have to admit.
04:00A few little touches I'm not too opposed to, OK?
04:02That would be fine.
04:06Lauren and Lewis want a detached property, but they will consider a semi.
04:11It must blend character with a contemporary interior...
04:15..and have four bedrooms, a decent-sized garden...
04:18..and close to a station with links into London.
04:21Their budget? £750,000.
04:32What's exciting is that this is Lauren and Lewis's first house together...
04:37..and they're so sure about wanting to escape to the country...
04:41..wanting that peace and tranquillity...
04:43..and only dipping into the busyness of London when they have to work.
04:51Before our canter around Cambridgeshire commences...
04:54..I'm meeting Lauren and Lewis on the banks of the River Great Ouse.
05:02Well, Lauren and Lewis, this is exciting.
05:04We're all buying our first house together.
05:06Because I'm that involved already.
05:09We'll have a spare room for you, if you like.
05:11Listen, you called me.
05:12You called me.
05:13But you've known quite early on, right?
05:15This is what you want to do, this is the plan.
05:16Yeah. Yes.
05:17Yeah.
05:18I've always wanted a cottage, and I've always wanted to live in a village...
05:21..and have a characterful home.
05:22So that's something we talked about quite early on, didn't we?
05:25And we just wanted, like, a calm, concerted life for our future...
05:28..and future children as well, hopefully.
05:30I've got a Pinterest board of literally my dream house.
05:33So, yeah, I have in my mind the sort of house that I want...
05:36..and everything on our kind of wish list we agree on as well, which is great.
05:40That was going to be my next question.
05:42So far, it's been known.
05:43Because it is your first house together.
05:45I think we're sort of looking for similar things.
05:48Yeah.
05:48There's nothing on there that screams,
05:49oh, I'm definitely not okay with that.
05:51I feel like we're very much opposites attract.
05:53He's the analytical mindset, I'm the fashion marketing girly,
05:57a bit more creative.
05:58It sounds like the perfect combo to me, actually.
06:01Let's go house hunt.
06:04We start in the Cambridgeshire village of Yelling,
06:07four and a half miles from the town of St Neots,
06:10on the main train line to London.
06:12Despite the shouty-sounding name, Yelling is a peaceful village,
06:16home to just over 300 people.
06:18The focal point is the village hall that also serves as the local pub,
06:24with the nearest shop a six-minute drive away in Papworth.
06:31The first property we're showing Lauren and Lewis
06:34is this quintessential thatched cottage built in the early 19th century.
06:39Originally a row of six farm workers' cottages,
06:43today it's a stylish, semi-detached family home.
06:48So you've got this lovely driveway with the double garage.
06:51Yes.
06:51Perfect.
06:53And then...
06:53Oh, look at that.
06:54Wow.
06:55It has a thatch, so I'm happy.
06:57I was trying to win you over with the double garage.
07:00Before we got to the thatch room.
07:01That's it, yeah.
07:02No, it's lovely.
07:03It looks very pretty from the outside.
07:05I like the archway, the flower archway.
07:06Yeah, the flower archway.
07:07It is the Rose Arch of Dreams.
07:10Yes.
07:11That is straight out of my vision board.
07:13It's picture perfect.
07:14Mm-hmm, yeah.
07:15And so we thought we'd start there.
07:16Yes.
07:17Yeah.
07:17Ideal, ideal.
07:18And then see how it goes.
07:19Yeah, it's stunning.
07:21Let's have a look inside.
07:21Let's head in.
07:25I happen to know that Lewis, whilst not against thatched roofs,
07:30is not quite as in love with them as Lauren.
07:33But I'm hopeful that the interior of this cottage
07:36will appeal to his more modern aesthetic
07:39and also provide Lauren with all the period charm she's after.
07:44So you come through the beamed hallway.
07:46There's an office there.
07:47Mm-hmm.
07:49Look at this gorgeous parlour room.
07:51That's what I would call it.
07:52Oh, nice.
07:52Nice and bright at night.
07:53Yeah, it's lovely.
07:54And then look at this space.
07:56Oh, that's very nice, isn't it?
07:57It's really bright as well, isn't it?
07:59It's really bright as well.
07:59The triple aspect, which is rare, especially in a cottage.
08:03I kind of like this cottage.
08:04Yeah, it's so light.
08:05Yeah, it's beautiful.
08:06It's lovely and bright, isn't it?
08:07Absolutely stunning.
08:08And the ceiling's amazing.
08:10Excellent.
08:11It really feels very homely in here, which is lovely, doesn't it?
08:14Yeah, it does.
08:15So we've got these two reception rooms
08:17and then you have this gorgeous bonus space, really.
08:22Wow.
08:22Which can be anything leading into the kitchen.
08:25There's so much you can do.
08:26Yeah.
08:28You know, you don't have to have a table.
08:29You could have sofas in there
08:31and it becomes your summer reading room with a bar.
08:34A little snub or something.
08:34Yeah, with a bar, absolutely.
08:35Yeah, exactly.
08:36Yeah, it's your summer space, I think.
08:37Mm-hmm.
08:38And then you're into this really light kitchen again.
08:41And all of this is underfloor heating, by the way, on the ground floor.
08:45Oh, wow.
08:45It looks lovely.
08:46It feels nice.
08:47Nicely modernised, isn't it?
08:48And that's kind of the thing I wanted.
08:50If it was going for character, like a little bit of modernisation in there.
08:52And that does seem to have done that really nicely here.
08:57The contemporary cottage vibe continues upstairs.
09:02So you've got three bedrooms there, the bathroom, a loo,
09:07and then this would be your room.
09:10Wow.
09:11Again, it's just so bright.
09:12There's just so much light in here.
09:14A bit of a wardrobe.
09:15Yeah.
09:15So I can have that, you can have all that.
09:17Yeah.
09:18Perfect.
09:21There's really no need for arguments over space up here.
09:24In addition to the family bathroom, with its roll-top bath,
09:28there's a single bedroom, another single used as a study,
09:32and the fourth and final bedroom.
09:35Oh, nice.
09:36Another really decent side bedroom.
09:37Yeah, this is lovely.
09:39Really nice.
09:39Nice windows.
09:40Yeah.
09:41Nice natural light.
09:42It's just so bright and airy in here, isn't it?
09:43It feels like a good size as well.
09:45It's a good space, for sure.
09:47Yeah.
09:49Outside, above the detached double garage, there's a bonus bedroom.
09:55Wow.
09:57And an annex as well.
09:58There you go.
09:59This is great.
10:00Bathroom as well, yeah.
10:00This could be our third bedroom.
10:02Imagine guests staying here.
10:03I think they'd love that one.
10:04They'd love it, yeah.
10:05This is great.
10:06A very little space, we want our own bathrooms.
10:07Yeah.
10:08Brilliant.
10:08Perfect.
10:12The south-westerly facing garden features a large paved patio,
10:17perfect for al fresco dining, and a generous expanse of lawn to the front,
10:22which extends to the side and includes a small orchard of apple plum and cherry trees,
10:28as well as some veg plots.
10:32Fancy growing your own veg?
10:34Absolutely.
10:34You want to, don't you?
10:35Yes.
10:35Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:36Absolutely.
10:36You're all green-thumbed, aren't you?
10:37Yes, it'd be great.
10:38It's lovely.
10:39A wildflower field at the back as well.
10:40It's just stunning.
10:42Yours to look at, to even walk through, because there's a gate.
10:45Yes.
10:46It belongs to the farmer, and yeah, they've sort of just let it grow into a wild meadow.
10:52Let it be, would it?
10:52Which is just gorgeous, isn't it?
10:54Yeah.
10:54It's beautiful.
10:55I've mentally moved in already.
10:57Oh.
10:57I can imagine every room.
10:58I love it.
10:59It's stunning.
11:00I can see the grin on your face.
11:01You're just, yes.
11:02Is the tear in your eye hay fever or tears, real tears?
11:05It's a, it's a pleasant mixture of mine.
11:09It is time for us to talk about the price of the property.
11:13I'll let you go first.
11:14I have a rough idea.
11:16I think it will be right at the top of our budget, maybe £750,000.
11:21Okay.
11:22I'm going to, I'm going to match it, yeah, it's about £750,000.
11:27I like how you both said about.
11:28Yeah.
11:29About, give or take, plus or minus.
11:31Yeah.
11:31Well, it is now on the market for £675,000.
11:39Wow.
11:39Okay.
11:40Yeah, wow.
11:41It's been reduced in price to account for the fact that the roof probably has about another
11:48five years.
11:49Okay.
11:49And then you get that done, so they've sort of accounted for that in the price.
11:53Okay, fine.
11:54Yeah, okay.
11:54That makes sense, yeah.
11:56Alright, that's good.
11:57That's, that's doable.
11:59This semi-detached thatched cottage has three receptions, a family kitchen breakfast room,
12:06four bedrooms, a separate study and a detached double garage with guest annex above.
12:12Blessed with a generous garden, it's on the market for £675,000.
12:22My first impression of the house is it's lovely and well-kept.
12:24It's a beautiful setting.
12:25There's the, the, the, the garden space in the area around is absolutely lovely.
12:28The house itself is, is really pretty.
12:32It's more, certainly more on the cottagey side than the sort of like the monty side that
12:36I'm, that I personally like.
12:38And yeah, I think Lauren is definitely more leaning towards it than I am a little bit.
12:41I'm still a little bit hesitant, I think, but there's certainly stuff about it that I
12:45really, really like.
12:48Yes, it's, it's just beautiful.
12:50I can envision myself in this house, I can see my future and kind of see all the rooms
12:55and, and what they would be and how our life would be here.
13:01Well, here you are leaving the picture perfect house, but I must take you away because we
13:07have more to see.
13:08Exciting.
13:09Have we won him over?
13:10I think so.
13:11I think so.
13:12Have we won you over?
13:13We're almost.
13:15Oh, that was the most I was going to get, right?
13:16We'll get there.
13:30Teetering on the Cambridgeshire Hertfordshire border, but officially in Hertfordshire,
13:35just, lies the market town of Royston.
13:39I've lived here for 12 years and I've lived and worked all over Hertfordshire.
13:44I wouldn't be anywhere else.
13:46Although we're a small market town, there is loads going on all the time.
13:50The community spirit is amazing.
13:53I think we've got more events going on than most other little towns in the area.
13:57Royston is home to nearly 17 and a half thousand people and serves several more thousand folk
14:04living in the popular outlying villages such as Melbourne, Littlington and Bassingbourne.
14:09There's so many amazing walks nearby.
14:12There's the Heath, there's little country lanes, country walks, which are so, so beautiful.
14:17Like I couldn't pick a better place to want to live.
14:20It's very well connected, equidistant between the A1M and the M11, both less than a 15 minute drive away.
14:28I think we are so well positioned. We're between two airports, Luton and Stansted.
14:35We've got great train lines into London, 40 minutes you can be in London, 15 minutes you're in Cambridge.
14:42Many of the buildings in the centre of Royston date back to the early 1600s when King James I chose
14:49to build a country retreat here.
14:51King James pub, the vase of excellent wine, spears and spirits.
14:55Looks nice to glass wine on a sunny day.
14:58Excellent.
14:59His hunting lodge, the Old Palace, still stands on Kneesworth Street.
15:03Just a few doors up is one of the newest arrivals to Royston, Mitre, a restaurant serving up world cuisine.
15:11We've been here six months and it's been wonderful six months and people are very, very nice and very welcoming.
15:18Royston is a wonderful place. It's a beautiful small town, very secure, safe place for kids and families.
15:26A lovely place to live in.
15:30There's a plethora of eateries and watering holes in the town, with everything from your morning latte to your post
15:37work pint covered.
15:39Hiya, how are you?
15:40Hi, nice to meet you.
15:42Nice to meet you.
15:42Nice to meet you, I'm Lewis.
15:43Cookie Nomad is a cafe, co-working and event space that was set up by Emma Nankivel and a couple
15:50of her old school friends in 2022.
15:53And Emma's kindly agreed to fill Lauren and Lewis in on Royston life.
15:58It's a really lovely community feel around here actually.
16:01It's a market town so it does get a lot of kind of traction from outside the area as well.
16:06I've actually been born and raised in Royston, moved away for a few years but came back.
16:11Really good schools as well, if ever you're looking at that sort of further down the line.
16:15It's got really nice kind of family community as well.
16:18Yeah.
16:18I find it offers a real good like work-life balance, offers a real nice kind of relaxed atmosphere.
16:24It's not too like busy, you're not kind of expected to kind of be constantly going.
16:28It's very chilled, very nice where I live in.
16:30Sounds idyllic.
16:31Yeah.
16:32Great.
16:36Sounds dreamy but we have work to do finding Lauren and Lewis their perfect family home.
16:50We're heading to the village of Kirtling now, right on the Cambridgeshire border with Suffolk.
16:56The nearest station with direct links to London is in Cambridge, a 30 minute drive away.
17:02And the 300 or so residents have access to several footpaths from which to enjoy rural walks, a village hall
17:09and a pub.
17:11A few minutes walk from which sits our second property, a modern, spacious, detached family home.
17:21Well, here we are.
17:23Earlier on, it was a house for you, Lauren.
17:27This is the house for Lewis.
17:28Not that you're not moving in together.
17:30But this, I've gone for the other side now.
17:33I do like that.
17:34It looks lovely.
17:35I like the porch.
17:37Yes.
17:37It's a house with character but it was only built in 2020.
17:42Wow, okay.
17:43Fine, fine.
17:43If you have any worries about a thatched roof, I'm feeling like a newly built roof five years ago.
17:50Yeah.
17:50Should be all right.
17:51Should be all right.
17:51Clay tiles, oak porch, oak windows.
17:55Yeah, I think you're all right.
17:56You are saying all the right things to do.
17:57Yeah.
17:58Yeah.
17:58Absolutely.
17:59I do like it, yeah.
18:00I feel like it's still got plenty of character and it still looks from the outskirts very homely,
18:04doesn't it?
18:05Yeah, I really like the look of it to be honest.
18:07I think it looks really, really neat, really, really tidy.
18:09He just loves the fact it was built five years ago.
18:11No, that's true.
18:13Yeah, that's it.
18:15Shall we head in?
18:16Yeah.
18:17Let's do it.
18:17Let's go.
18:20The house was built by the present owner who used highly effective floor, wall and roof
18:27insulation, high performance double glazing plus low energy lighting throughout to result
18:33in a B rating for the property's environmental impact.
18:36The average rating in the UK is D.
18:40Similarly, high standards were also applied to the interior, which just oozes contemporary
18:46country living.
18:48And here we are.
18:50Wow.
18:51You get a feel for the house as soon as you come in.
18:55Not what I expected.
18:57Really?
18:57No, it was great though, but yeah, I don't know.
19:00It's much bigger and more open planned straight away than I expected.
19:03I love the space.
19:04The fireplace there is exceptional, isn't it?
19:06Yeah.
19:06I really like that.
19:06That's really cool.
19:07Beautiful.
19:08Lovely open staircase as well.
19:10Yeah, I love that.
19:11Oak?
19:11Yeah.
19:12I love that.
19:13Love a bit of oak.
19:14That is gorgeous.
19:15Family room here.
19:16Just everybody's in.
19:17Like, adults around the outside, kids messing around in the middle.
19:20Yeah.
19:20No, it's lovely.
19:21Spot on.
19:21Onto the kitchen.
19:22Let's go.
19:23Can't wait.
19:23Let's have a look.
19:26So this is the utility with the downstairs loo door to the garage.
19:31Excellent.
19:33Into this huge space.
19:35Oh, look at that.
19:35This kitchen is amazing.
19:37I approve.
19:38That island is spectacular.
19:40Yeah.
19:40Yeah, that's lovely.
19:42That's really, really nice.
19:42Yeah.
19:42It's really well done.
19:43So much space.
19:44This is the perfect size to be honest.
19:46If I'm cooking, if we've got people over, I feel like I like the open plan a bit as well
19:50because we do love hosting, especially you with your big family as well.
19:54Yeah, this is, yeah, really high up on my list.
19:57Yeah, this is, this is really good for me.
19:58You prefer this one already, I think, a bit more, I think.
20:01I think so.
20:02Yeah.
20:02I don't know if it's obvious.
20:03Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm about to, I'm about to ask you for a game of cards.
20:08Exactly.
20:12But, go upstairs, go and discover that, see if the space works for you and then meet me outside.
20:17Cool.
20:18Sounds good.
20:18We'll see you soon.
20:23Looks like Lewis is totally on board.
20:25I don't know why I'm whispering.
20:26It's been obvious to all of us.
20:29The space on offer downstairs is replicated upstairs with four generous double bedrooms.
20:36This one being the largest.
20:38Oh, wow.
20:39Very spacious in here.
20:41It's lovely.
20:41This bedroom is massive, isn't it?
20:43And the views are stunning.
20:44The fields.
20:45Yeah, it's beautiful.
20:48Let's have a look at the en suite.
20:50That's really nicely done as well.
20:51It's nice to have an en suite as well.
20:53Mm.
20:53That was something that was missing in the last house and it's quite nice to have.
20:58There's another double, also with an en suite, at the rear of the property and a third double next door.
21:05This shares a luxury family bathroom with a separate bath and shower with the fourth and final double set up
21:12as a twin.
21:13Oh, wow.
21:14This room's a really nice size as well.
21:16Nice and bright and airy again.
21:17It's enormous, isn't it?
21:18Yeah.
21:18How are they so big?
21:19It doesn't look like there'd be this much space in here, but it's fantastic, isn't it?
21:23No.
21:26That's 2,800 square feet of living accommodation dealt with.
21:31Time to tackle the garden, which might be more modest in size, but is just as exquisitely designed.
21:41This is a lovely, lovely space and that's barbecue.
21:44That little... I don't know what to call it, but it's just...
21:47It's not little.
21:48Yeah.
21:48Yeah, it's not little.
21:50It's the centrepiece of the garden that is made for entertaining this garden.
21:54Yes.
21:55Yeah, definitely.
21:55We could do that.
21:56There's a nice little area for vegetables there and, yeah, I feel like it's the perfect size, to be honest.
22:02Right.
22:02Let's talk money.
22:03Yeah.
22:04Okay.
22:04How much do you think this property is on the market for?
22:09I am going to guess £725,000.
22:16I'm going to go £630,000.
22:19Oh, my gosh!
22:20Oh, wow.
22:20I overwent on the last one, so now I'm unsure.
22:25Yeah.
22:26And maybe a bit low, but, yeah.
22:29It is on the market for exactly the price that Lewis guessed.
22:34Oh, wow.
22:34Okay.
22:36£725,000.
22:38That doesn't surprise me.
22:38Okay.
22:38And only been on for two weeks.
22:40Oh, wow.
22:41Okay.
22:41Yes.
22:42Yes.
22:44This modern detached family home offers a huge living room, a sleek, stylish open-plan kitchen
22:51diner, four roomy double bedrooms, two of which are ensuite, and a beautifully landscaped
22:58rear garden.
22:58It's on the market for £725,000.
23:04I feel like it still has a lot of nice character in there.
23:07The staircase itself is beautiful.
23:09I would say it's maybe a little bit too modern for me.
23:12That being said, I'm not against it by any means.
23:15It's beautiful.
23:15It's high spec.
23:19It's so well done, I think.
23:21There's so much attention to detail in there as well.
23:23The kitchen space is amazing.
23:25There's loads of open space.
23:26The bedrooms are huge.
23:27It's just so bright and airy.
23:28The views are amazing.
23:32The view from the master bedroom of just rolling fields and horses and sheep, it's stunning.
23:38Waking up to that view every morning, it's just amazing.
23:53We're winding up our day just a couple of miles from our second house at Branches Park,
23:59a 1,500-acre estate that's been restored to its former glory and is now run as a private
24:06events venue.
24:09I'm being very Aunty Sonali and bringing you to a wedding venue.
24:14What for?
24:15It's just nice to know where they are, just in case.
24:21Wedding venue aside, let's talk about the living venues that we have seen today.
24:26In the houses we were viewing, we said how peaceful and quiet it was and how calm and serene we
24:31felt.
24:31It's exactly what we want really, isn't it?
24:33Yeah.
24:34You're not buying a flat together, which is probably what most couples, and maybe that's
24:39my own experience because I was the same age, buying my first property with my partner.
24:43Yeah.
24:43You're not doing a stepping stone property.
24:45You're not going, oh, let's get an apartment or something.
24:47No.
24:48You're going all in.
24:48You're already buying the family home.
24:51Yeah.
24:52And possibly a home that you could be in for decades, really, it sounds like.
24:55Yeah.
24:56And growing into the house, like growing as a family in the future as well, that's really
25:00important for us.
25:01Do we need to go see a mystery house?
25:04Yeah, because I think we're sort of split in the middle a little bit.
25:07Yeah, it is.
25:08Leaning more towards one for each of us.
25:10So I think maybe that third one might sort of stick us together in the middle somewhere.
25:15I'm very excited to see the mystery house.
25:17Let's see what we can do.
25:32If you're thinking about buying in and around the Cambridgeshire borders, here's the lowdown
25:37on property prices.
25:39Presently, the average cost of a detached home in the UK is just over £437,000.
25:46In Cambridgeshire, that figure rises to just over £485,000.
25:53And in neighbouring Hertfordshire to the south, however, it doubles to more than £950,000.
26:03Of course, there are properties to suit all budgets.
26:07We've cherry picked a few more that are also on the market now.
26:11This characterful 18th century Grade II listed cottage features a cosy reception,
26:18a newly fitted kitchen, two bedrooms, a modern shower room and a courtyard garden.
26:25It's on the market with a guide price of £289,000.
26:29For offers over £475,000, you could own this handsome detached Victorian property with a bright sitting room,
26:40a second larger reception, a vaulted kitchen breakfast room and four bedrooms.
26:45Outside, enjoy a paved patio and a manicured lawn with a summer house, ideal for hobbies or a teen retreat.
26:55Just over the eastern county border in Suffolk, renters can find this Victorian terraced cottage with an open plan living
27:04dining room,
27:05modern shaker style kitchen, two double bedrooms and a courtyard garden.
27:10Available for £1,390 per calendar month.
27:17Yesterday was a day of two halves, a home for Lauren, a home for Lewis, both almost right for both
27:25of them.
27:25It is time to properly test them with the mystery house.
27:29This is a couple who know what they want.
27:30However, if a property doesn't fit their personal picture-perfect vision down to a tee,
27:37but has the potential to, are they willing to come together and put the work in?
27:45Our mystery house lies in the village of Wentworth, four and a half miles west of the Cambridgeshire Cathedral city
27:52of Ely.
27:53As well as having a direct train link to London, Ely has all the amenities Lauren and Lewis could need,
27:59including twice monthly farmers markets, vintage markets and the popular Foodie Fridays held through the spring and summer months.
28:11Wentworth Village is a ten minute drive from Ely, in the middle of the East Cambridgeshire countryside.
28:18The mystery house is only a hundred metres away.
28:22Cool.
28:22But isn't this what you're after, this?
28:26Every morning, in the evenings, whenever you want, it's this piece that you're after.
28:30Absolutely.
28:31Yeah.
28:31This tranquility is just, it's lovely.
28:37Whilst Lauren and Lewis explore the village with its Bookshare bus shelter,
28:41I'm taking you for a sneak preview of the mystery house, an idyllic, detached, thatched cottage.
28:51So far, it's been a house apiece.
28:54They're both happy with two different houses.
28:57This is a property for both of them, the mystery house, because it is a house for the future.
29:06This might be their first home together, but this search has never been about finding them a starter home.
29:13No, no.
29:14From the off, it's been about finding their forever home.
29:18And this property, whilst just perfect for the two of them now, has the potential to expand.
29:24It can adapt with them as a family.
29:27This property dates back to the 1500s, but it's not listed, which means they have freedom to create any extra
29:35space that they need.
29:40In short, it's a property that can grow along with them.
29:46Well, welcome, welcome to the mystery house.
29:49Wow.
29:50That is beautiful, isn't it?
29:51Your own little haven in Cambridgeshire.
29:54It's beautiful.
29:55It's stunning.
29:56It's newly roofed and ridged, like that thatches brand, brand new.
30:01Okay, nice.
30:02So you don't even have to think about it.
30:04Yeah, it's so beautiful, isn't it?
30:05So it feels very private and very secluded already, which I really like as well.
30:10It's like our space.
30:11Yeah.
30:11Our own space.
30:13I like that.
30:14Yeah.
30:14It's really keen to get stuck in and have a look inside.
30:16Same, me too.
30:17I will not make you wait any longer.
30:19Let's go.
30:22This cottage has been beautifully maintained by the vendors and still leaves scope for Lauren
30:28and Lewis to make their mark.
30:30So you've got the hallway, the cupboard under the stairs.
30:33Oh, lovely.
30:34Oh, it's so nice in here.
30:35This is pretty, isn't it?
30:36Yeah, it's very pretty.
30:37Imagine just snuggling up here with the fireplace on.
30:39It's so cosy.
30:43Through this dinky door.
30:45Oh, wow.
30:47There's a second reception used as a shared office.
30:51It's lovely in here.
30:52Oh, this is plenty of space, isn't it?
30:54Look at this.
30:54Look at that oak window sills as well.
30:56Oh, I really like that.
30:58Nice beam as well.
30:59I like the size of the door as well.
31:01Yeah.
31:01It's very cute.
31:02It's like a hidden secret.
31:04It's quite different to the space of the second house yesterday.
31:07Yeah.
31:07Do you see yourself in here?
31:09Yeah, I do, to be fair.
31:10Yeah, it's a slightly different vision, but that's not necessarily a bad thing at all, I don't
31:14think.
31:16We're heading back through the main entrance hall to the rear.
31:20So, with this house, you've got the kitchen.
31:23Wow.
31:25Through to a utility room.
31:28Okay.
31:28That's nice.
31:29I would ask for that coffee machine.
31:31Wow, that looks great.
31:32As part of the deal.
31:33That is proper.
31:34I like the kitchen surfaces and the worktop.
31:36That's good.
31:37Oh, wow.
31:37Into this space.
31:39This is beautiful.
31:40It's so nice and light.
31:41Wow.
31:41It's a really nice space, isn't it?
31:43Really big.
31:43Oh, perfect.
31:44There's loads of people around it.
31:45Yeah, and great because it looks out onto the garden.
31:48Yes.
31:49The current owners, before they decided to move, were planning a huge extension.
31:54Okay.
31:55A sort of double-sized living room and an extra bedroom on top at the back.
32:00Okay.
32:00They were then thinking about an orangery that goes further into the garden.
32:05Mm-hmm.
32:05But you could really add to the house if and when you needed it.
32:09Okay.
32:10Fine.
32:10Okay.
32:10Mm-hmm.
32:11That's good to know.
32:12Yeah, really good to know.
32:12The point is, it's adaptable to what you need.
32:15Mm-hmm.
32:16It doesn't have to change at all in the first few years, does it?
32:18No.
32:19No.
32:19I mean, we could definitely move in as is.
32:21Yes.
32:26Upstairs, a family bathroom serves a bedroom with exposed beams that's used as a reading
32:32room.
32:32A second roomier double in a newer part of the house.
32:36And a third and final double.
32:40Oh, wow.
32:41This is the master bedroom.
32:43Ah, loads of space.
32:44This is stunning.
32:46Again, nice beams in the backdrop.
32:48Yeah, this is beautiful.
32:49Plenty of wardrobe space as well.
32:50Mm-hmm.
32:51Yeah.
32:51Yeah, I really like this.
32:52This is good.
32:53Mm-hmm.
32:53This is really nice.
32:54Yeah.
32:55Love it.
32:58Outside, the garden is the stuff rural moves are made of.
33:03Measuring just over two thirds of an acre, it comprises a formal lawn which leads to an
33:09orchard, an impressive kitchen garden, a chicken coop, and a 30-foot teepee frame.
33:18Wow.
33:19Look at all that space.
33:20The garden space is absolutely massive.
33:22This is amazing.
33:24Fruit trees there.
33:26Lovely flowers everywhere.
33:27You see all the bricks as well.
33:29It's gorgeous.
33:30And look, what's that down the bottom there?
33:32A chicken coop.
33:33It's our chicken coop.
33:39Hi.
33:41Hi.
33:42Oh, yeah.
33:43Do you speak chicken?
33:44No.
33:45That's a shame.
33:48In addition, there's a large, detached workshop and store, presently set up as a games room
33:54and a detached, thatched garage.
34:01I know you didn't want a lot of lawn and I am going to hold my hands up and I'm
34:08giving you a
34:09lot of lawn. Everything's just enormous. There's so much space everywhere. It's brilliant. Like
34:13they've done it so well. Everything's laid out with purpose and I really like it. It's done so
34:17good. Let's talk about the price. Okay. Yeah, I'm definitely going to go higher. I'm not sure if
34:22it's in our budget, maybe right at the top range. I want to say like 780 maybe. Yeah,
34:29I think with the extra bit of land as well, I think £750,000 I reckon. In a way, you're
34:38both right. Okay. Which is strange to say, but they have asked for offers in excess of
34:44£750,000. Okay. So I would leave the negotiations if there are any to be had to you. Yeah, okay.
34:52That's what they've asked for. Okay. Fine. Okay. Okay. That's not bad. Yeah.
34:58This detached, thatched cottage boasts three receptions and three double bedrooms. The
35:04two-thirds of an acre plot includes a detached workshop with store and a separate garage. Subject
35:11to the relevant planning consents, there's potential to extend the house in the future. It's being
35:16marketed for offers in excess of £750,000. I love it. I think it's so beautiful inside. I just think
35:27this is the countryside life that I would just absolutely adore.
35:35Yeah, there's so much going for this house and the aesthetic is absolutely spotter and I think
35:39it's so nice and bright inside. Yeah, it's delivered.
35:58The decline of the British bee population has become a pressing issue in recent years, largely
36:05due to urban development destroying natural habitats. In 2023, plans to establish beehives
36:12in the North Hertfordshire town of Letchworth Garden City were scrapped due to a lack of food
36:18sources. In response, Gareth Towson, a contractor with the council's ground maintenance team,
36:25created a bee corridor, a connected route of foraging spaces to support bees and other pollinators.
36:32Hi, Gareth. Hello, how are you? I'm really well, how are you? Yeah, good, thank you.
36:37Together with a colleague, Gareth launched the Bee Part of It initiative, urging the community
36:43to transform available areas into bee-friendly habitats.
36:49There's so many people on board with it. Schools are doing wildlife areas, friends of groups that look
36:57after parks, volunteers, look after parks and residents, planting up their gardens, shopkeepers
37:04with planters and hanging baskets. It's been fantastic, it really is. It sounds like you really
37:10got the word out there. Yeah, people's enthusiasm for it was great.
37:16The overarching message is that everyone can do something.
37:21If you've got a small garden and you can dedicate an area of it to naturalise with wildflowers,
37:26if you've only got a small patio, maybe some of your planters, you can put wildflower seed in
37:31and grow that. If you're in a flat, a window box, anything really, you know, anything that the pollinators
37:39can come and visit and be on their merry way.
37:45The Bee Corridor offers resting points with nectar-rich food, allowing pollinator populations to thrive.
37:52The other thing we can do is don't forget to give them a drink as well, a saucer or something
37:56like that.
37:56Put stones in it, so the bees have got something to sit on, so they're not actually in the water
38:01and drown.
38:02But, you know... A little chair for the bees.
38:04A little chair for the bees, yeah. Such a nice idea.
38:09Its success has inspired similar initiatives in nearby Royston, with hopes for bulldock and hitching to follow suit.
38:17Wind Community Garden in the centre of Letchworth is one of many groups
38:22involved, and Richard, the town's Business Improvement Manager, can share more about the project's impact.
38:32When Gareth approached me, it was just something that we couldn't say no to,
38:37because we're the first Garden City, we've got rich history of looking after our gardens.
38:40You can't say no, can you? Absolutely.
38:42You can't say no. Imagine the headline.
38:43Else it'd go down to Welling Garden City at that point, wouldn't it?
38:45Oh yeah, big rival. Big rival.
38:47Yeah, you've got to show them how it's done.
38:48Absolutely. So when Gareth approached us, yeah, we just came on board completely.
38:51So the first thing was getting the businesses on board.
38:54And so if you walk around the town now, you'll see the B Corridor posters in the windows.
38:58Most of the businesses in the town supported it.
39:01Secondly, then we advertised through our social media and our website in relation to getting residents of
39:06Letchworth on board as well, because it needed them to change in relation to what plants they
39:11were growing in their gardens, how often they cut the verges, how often they cut the grasses.
39:15And to be honest,
39:16we were talking to people who just wanted to listen. We were not pushing against a closed
39:19door. It was all very positive.
39:21And Letchworth is looking great. The only problem is it looks so good out here.
39:26You come out here on your lunch break. You don't want to go back.
39:28No, not at all. You don't.
39:32The B Corridor has enhanced biodiversity and also encouraged the whole community's engagement
39:39with nature, beneficial for both bees and the soul.
39:51Decisions, decisions, decisions. Let's see if Lewis and Lauren have been able to make any
39:56or whether they are totally tall.
40:04Hello. Hi. How are you? How are you, I should ask, after seeing three amazing houses?
40:11They're okay. Too much choice? Too much choice. Slightly confused.
40:15Are all three houses still on the table?
40:18Yes. I think we could see ourselves in different capacities, at least anyway,
40:23in all three of those houses. Each one has their own merits.
40:26Yeah, exactly. I agree with that. I would say, of course, naturally the first and third one I love
40:31the most because for me, a thatched cottage is just my dream. We did like the second one as well.
40:37However, it was a little bit more on the modern side than perhaps I would have liked.
40:41But I think we will definitely book our second viewings and we're not ruling it off the table
40:46by any means. So at the moment, three second viewings?
40:50Yes. Yeah, I would. I would go see each three of them again. Are you going to though?
40:55Yes. I think it's worth sort of getting another look in and taking more in as much more as possible
41:00and yeah, going from there. I think practically the first house worked the best for us in terms
41:05of location to work. It's a train line that I get every day at the minute anyway to work.
41:09It's close to family. So things to discuss, things to think about.
41:14The first house, after having seen all three, feels like the one in between.
41:20It does. Yeah, it does. And you could be in a house by the end of the year. There's no
41:24reason
41:25you're ready to move. Yeah. If vendors are ready to go. Yeah. Could work out quite nicely.
41:31This could be a big year. Yeah. Big year. Very big year.
41:34We're ready to move whenever, so we're excited and raring to go.
41:38Well, you better book in those second viewings then. Yes.
41:41We'll get the phone number. We'll get on the phone to him in a bit.
41:45Yeah. And then let me know what you decide. I'd love to come and see how you're getting on.
41:50Yes. We look forward to welcoming you in whichever house we choose.
41:53Well, cheers to your future, the three houses that you've seen and the hard work you're putting
41:59in now because I'm done.
42:06So Lauren and Lewis are torn between all three houses we showed them. And it's easy to see why
42:12Cambridgeshire has delivered on the property front. So have we. Seriously, though, it has been lovely
42:19to spend time with a young couple excited about their future. I think they're going to end up going
42:25with house number one. That feels like the sweet spot house. And with both of them very keen to move
42:31in together, I don't think it's going to be long before they're setting up house here. See you next
42:36time on Escape to the Country. Lauren and Lewis opted not to revisit house two and had second viewings
42:44of the first house plus the mystery house, but ultimately ruled them out. They continue to search
42:50for their dream forever home and we hope they find it soon. If you would like to escape to the
42:57country
42:58in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales and need our help, why not apply online at bbc.co.uk
43:06forward slash take part.
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