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00:01On Escape to the Country, we're pros at sniffing out dream homes for humans and their canine companions.
00:08We'll worry about where the dog beds go and then we'll fit the sofas and the tables and chairs around
00:13them.
00:13Yeah, absolutely. That is what it is like with whippets.
00:17Today's house hunters are after something positively perfect.
00:21The garden is brilliant for the whippets. We'll get into that. What about the house?
00:24Yes, yes, yes.
00:26And even if we occasionally bark up the wrong tree...
00:30It's not quite the kitchen diner that we had hoped for.
00:34The aim is to find somewhere truly unforgettable.
00:39That's totally different to anything we've seen.
00:41Totally different.
01:05Windmills.
01:06Wall towns.
01:09Wide open skies.
01:11It can only be Suffolk.
01:14A county made for exploring.
01:19If you're going round in circles wondering if escaping to the country is for you, then do it here in
01:26Suffolk on this, the newly created Wharf Way.
01:29Take it in some of the best sites.
01:31It's a 248-mile cycle loop around this stunning region.
01:37Or to put it another way, 248 reasons why Suffolk could be the county for you.
01:44You'll find Suffolk in the east of England, sandwiched between Norfolk to the north and Essex to the south.
01:51In terms of countryside, it's mostly an arable farming area and there's quite an extensive range of public footpaths.
01:58We've got plenty of pubs. We've got the beach. Yeah, it's a great place to be.
02:02The town of Bury St Edmunds, with its grand cathedral, lures homebuyers chasing its blend of medieval charm and Georgian
02:11grace.
02:13In the village of Kersey, famed for its crooked timber-framed houses, you'll need to don your wellies, to wade
02:20through the main street's ford, affectionately known as the Splash.
02:27I came to Suffolk from Windsor and from the London area and everything here was in slow motion and really
02:34calm and quiet and peaceful.
02:37Yes, I do love Suffolk and I'm so glad I decided to settle here.
02:53So what's not to like about Suffolk? Our couple think it's the ideal setting to swap for suburbia, but they're
02:59not coming alone.
03:03So this is one of our three whippets. This is Winnie. Harry! He's the baby. And George! Here he comes.
03:15And obviously we're obsessed with them, if we're honest.
03:22After fifteen years running a whippet clothing business, husband and wife duo David and Debbie are hanging up their tape
03:29measures, but not their love of dogs.
03:32We've always had a bit of a dream about having a little minor glamping site. Somewhere where whippet owners can
03:42come, wake up to a beautiful view and it can be completely relaxed.
03:47Because lots of our customers from our old business live in London and the South East and we want it
03:53to be a wonderful little haven for them to come year after year.
03:57For the past five years, Debbie and David have lived just outside the East Sussex town of Rye in this
04:041970s property.
04:06So this is our house. Well, bungalow. And that is the reason why we want to move because we want
04:13a house now.
04:16And there's one particular aspect of their new country home that absolutely must be upgraded.
04:22The kitchen. That's the bugbear of your life, isn't it?
04:26I hate this kitchen. I really hate this kitchen.
04:29If there's two of you in here and one person's trying to get in the drawer and one person's trying
04:34to empty the dishwasher, you're getting in each other's way the whole time.
04:38It's an absolute nightmare. I hate it.
04:42What they love more than anything is taking their whippets to their static caravan in the town of Aldborough on
04:49the Suffolk coast.
04:51And as soon as we see that Suffolk, welcome to Suffolk sign, I just breathe a sigh of relief.
04:56You give it a little wave.
04:57Oh, I always give it a little wave.
04:58Hello, Suffolk.
04:59Yes.
05:01For their new Suffolk residents, David and Debbie want a detached property with at least three bedrooms, a craft room
05:08and a kitchen diner that opens into the garden.
05:11Plot wise, they're after half to three quarters of an acre with space for a holiday rental shepherd's hut.
05:18For all this, they've a budget of £700,000.
05:30So how many of you have thought about moving to your favourite holiday destination?
05:34I know I certainly have.
05:36But is it really where you want to live?
05:38Is it going to live up to expectations?
05:41Or are we all just looking at it through rose tinted glasses?
05:46Of course, here in Suffolk, you don't need those.
05:49The houses already boast a rosy hue, with many of them painted the perfect shade of Suffolk pink.
05:56Like this one in the village of Kenton, where I'm meeting our house buyers to find out more about the
06:02move.
06:04Well, Debbie, David, it's lovely to see you here.
06:07You're no strangers to the area. Holiday in here for how long now?
06:11Well, at least 20 years. 20 years, yeah. We've been married nearly 21, so yeah, about 20 years.
06:16We're just drawn to Suffolk. We just really love the lifestyle up here.
06:20So tell me a little bit about your house now and what you're looking for from this move.
06:25We want the stairs back. Yeah.
06:28We would consider single storey living if it wasn't a 1970s bungalow.
06:33It's just something about our bungalow that makes us feel 20 years older than we are.
06:39We are detached now, but we do live in a little cul-de-sac.
06:41Yeah. All the houses are the same.
06:44Then we haven't got a view. I would dearly love a view.
06:47So what I'm gleaning from this conversation is no bungalows, no cul-de-sacs and a beautiful view.
06:55Yes, please. That's it.
06:55OK, let's go and do that, all keeping it dog friendly.
06:58Let's go. Follow me. Yes.
07:05Our first stop is the village of Monk Soham in mid-Suffolk.
07:09The 150 or so residents use facilities in neighbouring Bedfield with its sports field and pavilion,
07:16a dog grooming parlour, handy for the whippets,
07:18and where honesty boxes offer up local eggs, fruit and honey.
07:24On a quiet country lane, a mile from Bedfield centre,
07:28sits this detached Victorian cottage, significantly extended in the 1980s
07:33to create a spacious family home.
07:37How exciting.
07:40Wow.
07:42So come through.
07:43Look at that, honey.
07:46And this is the first of the properties I wanted to show you in Suffolk.
07:52Wow.
07:54I love the space at the front.
07:56Yeah.
07:57It's inviting.
07:58Yeah.
07:58And it looks to me like the garden is secure at the back for the whippets.
08:02The garden is brilliant for the whippets.
08:04We'll get into that.
08:04What about the house?
08:06No, it's lovely.
08:06Yes, yes.
08:07It looks really well maintained.
08:09It has been a post office.
08:11Oh.
08:12It has been a Sunday school.
08:14Nice.
08:15But at no time has it ever been a bungalow.
08:17All right.
08:18So we're getting off to a good start here.
08:21That is a good start.
08:22Oh, it's got a bit of history to it.
08:23Yes.
08:24Shall we go in?
08:25Shall we go?
08:25Let's go.
08:26Come on.
08:31The front door opens into an entrance hall, off which is this 20 foot long sitting room.
08:38That's lovely.
08:39Double aspect.
08:40Yeah, I like being able to see out into the back garden.
08:43My only concern is it's long and thin.
08:46Yeah.
08:47We've got a long and thin lounge at the moment.
08:50Right.
08:51We sort of, I don't know.
08:52Anyway, I want to see the rest of the house, but...
08:54But I like the fact it's double aspect.
08:56Yeah, I like that too.
08:57I like the fact that you've got the doors out onto the...
08:59And you can see out into the garden, you can have those open.
09:01Into the garden.
09:01That's right.
09:02When the weather's good, you can just open those and you can let the dogs trot in and out as
09:06they want.
09:07On the other side of the entrance hall lies a dining room.
09:11Through here, lovely separate dining area.
09:16Room there for another fire and plenty of light coming through.
09:20Yeah.
09:21Into the kitchen.
09:24And here we are, come in.
09:26So, first impressions.
09:28It's not quite the kitchen diner that we had hoped for in terms of sort of a bigger rectangle.
09:35Yeah.
09:35So, you've got more room and then you can put a sofa in.
09:38Slightly bigger table maybe with a bench, that kind of thing.
09:41Okay.
09:41This feels still a little bit galley-like.
09:43We had envisaged a much sort of bigger space perhaps across the back of the house looking out the garden.
09:49This just feels a little bit still to the front and long and thin.
09:55The roomier kitchen that Debbie and David desire could be created subject to the relevant planning consents.
10:02By knocking through the summer room at the end of the kitchen and the utility room at the side.
10:09Oh, crikey.
10:10This is huge, honey.
10:11Look at that.
10:12It's good with the skylights as well, isn't it?
10:14Yeah.
10:14That is great.
10:15So, you've got a freezer, microwave, got a washing machine presumably, yes.
10:20And a big fridge which is what we've got.
10:22Everything you'd need.
10:23At the moment, haven't we, in the conservatory.
10:25That you don't want in the kitchen.
10:26Exactly.
10:27Yes.
10:27Good space.
10:28Very good.
10:29Come back.
10:29Come back.
10:30There.
10:31Yeah?
10:31Yeah.
10:31I thought you got lost.
10:33Well, I almost did.
10:34Well, it's such a big space.
10:38Also on the ground floor is a room presently used as an office.
10:43It's quite a nice little space, isn't it?
10:45Yeah.
10:45Could be a craft room.
10:46Could be a craft room.
10:47Yeah.
10:47Out onto the garden.
10:48And then you've got the doors that you can go out here onto the patio.
10:51In and out.
10:51It'd be quite nice, wouldn't it?
10:52It should be good.
10:54Now, drum roll please, for I present David and Debbie with Stairs.
11:01The old staircase.
11:02Oh, my head.
11:04Okay.
11:04They lead up to the bedrooms, of which I reckon this one's the largest.
11:09Oh, yeah.
11:10Look at this.
11:11Wow.
11:11Isn't expecting...
11:12I wasn't expecting that.
11:14No.
11:14It's a good-sized bedroom.
11:16There we are.
11:16And then you're through here to our...
11:17Is that an en suite?
11:18A big en suite.
11:19A big roll-top bath.
11:20A roll-top bath and a...
11:22Oh, a lovely shower.
11:23A big walk-in shower.
11:24Yeah, that is nice.
11:27On your step.
11:28Oh, this is a sweet.
11:29Great little room, isn't it?
11:31This feels a lot lighter.
11:33Yeah.
11:34Because it's got the white walls.
11:35I don't know whether it's just...
11:37Because it's all white and the ceiling's white as well.
11:39Anyway, yeah, it's a lovely room.
11:41Good guest bedroom.
11:42Great guest bedroom, yeah.
11:44The guest bedroom shares this family shower room with a good-sized single.
11:49Long corridor.
11:51Ooh.
11:52What's down here?
11:54I can answer that, Debbie.
11:56The fourth and final bedroom.
11:58Well, there's a shower.
11:59Oh!
11:59It's a little bedroom suite.
12:01Oh!
12:02Oh, that's unexpected.
12:03I wasn't thinking that was going to be here.
12:04No.
12:04So we've got a little shower there.
12:06These must be wardrobes.
12:07Wardrobe space there.
12:09Oh, gosh, yeah, loads of storage.
12:11Can you come into the sleeping area?
12:12Could this be a craft room?
12:14Well, it could be.
12:15Sacrifice the bed.
12:16And I could use all these cupboards for all my bits and bobs.
12:19Put all the cupboards in there for your bits and bobs.
12:21You can have your desk and everything in here.
12:23Yeah.
12:25Now to turn our attention to the all-important outside space.
12:30How about this for a back garden?
12:32Well...
12:32It's...
12:32Yeah, it's pretty impressive, isn't it?
12:34It is, isn't it?
12:35Lovely trees.
12:36Gosh, trees are gorgeous.
12:38In total, it's about 0.7 acres here.
12:40Yeah.
12:40From the front to the back.
12:42Good to know.
12:43And then you've also got the outbuildings there as well,
12:45all with electricity.
12:47Yeah.
12:47So you've got plenty of land in.
12:48You can see it's all enclosed all the way around.
12:51Great for the whippets.
12:51Perfect for the dogs there.
12:53Yeah.
12:53The whippets are going to love it here.
12:54Yeah.
12:54They would have a fantastic time running around here.
12:57Harry would love it.
12:57They're chasing each other.
12:59In addition, several footpaths lead straight from the house, ensuring excellent walks for David, Debbie, Harry, George and Winnie.
13:08There's just one final piece of info to deliver.
13:13What do you think is on the market?
13:14I've got to guess the price.
13:16OK.
13:17I'm going to guess it's top end of budget, so I'm going to say £700,000.
13:20£700,000?
13:22I...
13:23I really don't know.
13:25I'm not very good at this.
13:26I'm going to go slightly less.
13:27I think £675,000.
13:31OK.
13:32£675,000.
13:33It's on the market for offers over £695,000.
13:37OK.
13:38And do you know what?
13:39It's been on the market a week.
13:40Only a week.
13:41Wow.
13:41And it's already got people coming back for second viewing.
13:44I'm not...
13:44I'm really not surprised.
13:47This detached Victorian cottage, formerly the village post office, has two receptions.
13:53A kitchen breakfast room with a separate utility and a sunroom, plus four bedrooms.
13:59It sits on a plot of just under three quarters of an acre and is on the market for offers
14:03over £695,000.
14:07I'm not feeling it in the house.
14:10OK.
14:10And I think the main reason is the flow.
14:13I think there'd be a lot of space we just wouldn't use.
14:16Because that dining room would be a lovely room, we would probably just walk straight
14:19through it and never use it.
14:20I think the main thing for me is the kitchen.
14:22It still feels a little bit galley-like.
14:25Yep.
14:25Although there's more space in there than we've got now.
14:27Well, all is not lost.
14:29It's the first property.
14:31We've got plenty more to see, loads more exploring to do.
14:33With everything in mind, is it worth having another look around or have you seen enough
14:38and we move on?
14:39I think we've probably seen enough.
14:40Let's move on.
14:41Yeah.
14:42Lead the way.
14:55Debbie and David already know Suffolk seaside spots like old friends, so we're taking them
15:01inland to introduce them to a real hidden gem, the town of Halesworth.
15:06There's a lot to love.
15:07There's a close-knit community here.
15:10You'll find that, you know, Halesworth in itself has got lovely people that like to
15:15do nice things for other people.
15:17I've been here my whole life and for me it's just heaven.
15:21This is the perfect place to be.
15:23Just ten miles from the coast, this friendly little town of around 5,000 residents has
15:29plenty to boast about.
15:30Not least a train station on the Ipswich to Lowest Offline and an impressive arts centre
15:36housed inside a restored malthouse.
15:39The cut in Halesworth is a community arts centre with a theatre, a cafe, large dance studio
15:46and two exhibition spaces and it's really a hub for the community.
15:52I think it's got quite a special community feel to it because the space is used by so
15:57many different people and so many different groups.
16:01The heart of Halesworth is the thoroughfare, a semi-pedestrianised street lined with buildings
16:07from the 16th century to the present day and the site of the Wiggly Market.
16:12The Wednesday Market we get fresh fruit and veg, we have a fishmonger, we have cheese and
16:17pie, we have fresh flowers and we have the most brilliant cafes down the thoroughfare, lots
16:23of shops, everyone's independent, owned, so it just really is a lovely, lovely place to
16:28live.
16:29The old Marketplace building houses this gifts and homeware store.
16:35It's a Whippet!
16:39Have you got Whippets?
16:40Yeah.
16:41I've got a Greyhound.
16:43Oh, have you?
16:44How fantastic.
16:45It probably is meant to be a Greyhound, I think.
16:46I mean, they're all site handles, aren't they?
16:49Gorgeous.
16:50The store stocks items made by local artists, plus food and drink producers.
16:55Do you know Stoke by Nail It?
16:57Yes.
16:57Yes, we do.
16:58That's very pretty village.
17:00Wow.
17:01But my absolute favourite is the rum.
17:03It's real good.
17:04Ooh.
17:05You might want it with some Coke.
17:08Oh, that's really good.
17:09It's really good.
17:10If you like rum, you'd have it on its own.
17:12Yeah.
17:13I'm not a massive rum fan.
17:16I drink it very rarely, but that is really nice.
17:19It's really nice.
17:20Yeah.
17:20To soak up their cheeky tipple, what better than a sausage roll from the town's legendary
17:26deli?
17:27Yeah.
17:28The reward-winning red onion marmalade sausage rolls just made over the road, including
17:32the bread as well.
17:33And that includes the other black dog delis.
17:35It does.
17:35Warbleswick, Oxford and Saxmandam.
17:37Yeah.
17:37We're going to the Warbleswick.
17:38We know Warbleswick very well.
17:40Yeah.
17:41Yeah, that is great.
17:43The deli delights aren't the only thing guaranteed to get tails wagging.
17:47A seven-minute stroll from the town centre lies the 55-acre Millennium Green.
17:53It's a little oasis.
17:55It's great for walking the dogs in the winter, especially if they wouldn't get muddy feet.
17:58Oh, they won't get muddy.
17:59And Harry will have an absolutely lovely time bouncing up and down here.
18:02Yeah, you absolutely love it.
18:03This looks like a sausage roll spot, doesn't it, honey?
18:05This is going to be where the magic happens.
18:09Okay.
18:14It is as good as I thought it was going to be.
18:19Absolutely delightful.
18:20I'm not jealous at all.
18:21Well, it should be, because it's brilliant.
18:24I think it's funny.
18:25Uh-huh.
18:27Having given Debbie and David a taste of a part of Suffolk they don't know so well,
18:32it's back to our house hunt.
18:41We're heading closer to the coast now as we aim for the Hamlet of Blackheath,
18:46a 20-minute drive from the Suffolk hotspots of South Ward and Warbleswick.
18:52The closest village to Blackheath is Wennerston, where the village hall hosts regular cinema nights and a pop-up cafe.
19:00There are also numerous footpaths for exploring the surrounding countryside, and a pub, a 10-minute walk from which sits
19:08our next property.
19:12Hey!
19:13Well!
19:15Okay.
19:16That's pretty, isn't it?
19:18Yeah, very pretty.
19:19Yeah, pretty house.
19:20That's a classic sort of Suffolk cottage-style house.
19:24Yeah.
19:24The front garden's gorgeous with the borders.
19:27Yeah.
19:27Quite liking the fact that there are other houses not too close, but it does make it feel less isolated.
19:32Yeah.
19:32And I can see there are gates, so we can shut off there with the gate, which is good for
19:37the whippets.
19:37Well, let's get ourselves inside, and I think we're going to start in the kitchen.
19:41Okay.
19:41Because I've realised just how important that is to you.
19:44You've got that message.
19:45Absolutely.
19:45Come on, then.
19:52The age of this property is unknown, but it blends traditional character with modern comfort.
19:59Ah.
20:01Ooh.
20:02Ah.
20:04Who's and ours.
20:05Yeah, who's and ours indeed.
20:07Yeah.
20:08Is this a little more along the lines of what you was thinking?
20:12Yes.
20:13Yes, it is.
20:14Yeah.
20:14You could probably get a small sofa there.
20:16You've got that lovely little garden space out there as well.
20:19This is a hosting area.
20:21Yeah.
20:22Isn't it?
20:22That brings the outside in, which is what we really wanted.
20:24Yeah.
20:24And your barbecues and your wines in the afternoon and the evening go into that direction.
20:29Yeah.
20:29Exactly.
20:29And when it comes to the winter, you close them.
20:32Yeah.
20:32And it's this direction.
20:33Yeah.
20:34Yes.
20:35So you've kind of got your summer living and your coating.
20:38Yes.
20:39Can you feel it?
20:39Can you see what I'm saying?
20:40Yeah, definitely see what you're saying, yeah.
20:42Yeah.
20:42And it's quite nice.
20:43The ceilings are higher.
20:45Brighter?
20:45Yeah, and brighter.
20:47It is a little bit more of a rectangular space.
20:48Yeah.
20:48It feels more usable.
20:49It's not a galley.
20:51It feels sociable, doesn't it?
20:52Yeah, it definitely feels more sociable, yeah.
20:54Tick, tick.
20:54We're on the right track.
20:56Yeah, we're on the up.
20:56Well, but there's much more to show you.
20:58Come through this way.
20:59First of two reception rooms.
21:01Okay.
21:02Follow me.
21:02Sighting.
21:05Nice and bright and you can get straight outside there.
21:08Nice perfect floor, isn't it?
21:10Yeah.
21:10Oh, lovely floor.
21:11Okay.
21:11So another staircase.
21:13Oh, we'll come to that.
21:14Okay.
21:15Follow me.
21:17Oh.
21:18Okay.
21:19This is a bit unexpected.
21:21Oh, I like this.
21:23This is a lovely room, isn't it?
21:25There's plenty of floor space for dog beds.
21:27Very important to us.
21:28That's right.
21:29We'll worry about where the dog beds go and then we'll fit the sofas and the tables and chairs around.
21:34Yeah, absolutely.
21:35That is what it is like with Whippets.
21:37How's it feeling?
21:38It's feeling good.
21:39Yeah.
21:39Bit more us.
21:40Bit more cosy.
21:41I think it feels, you know, there's a bit of a warmer feel to the house if that kind of
21:46makes sense.
21:46Oh, of course it makes sense.
21:48I understand that.
21:49Yeah.
21:50Yeah.
21:51I think it feels more like it would work for us and the Whippets.
21:55Yeah.
21:55They live like little humans with us basically.
21:58This part of the house can be separated to create a self-contained annex comprising a downstairs shower room next
22:06to the lounge.
22:07And up this staircase, a double bedroom.
22:11Oh, look.
22:13Staircase.
22:14That's a cute little room, isn't it?
22:17Oh, yeah.
22:18Like a guest room.
22:19That would be good, wouldn't it?
22:20That would be great for when we have people to stay.
22:23Quite a big cupboard in there as well, honey.
22:27The staircase in the entrance hall leads to a family bathroom, a bedroom used as an office.
22:33They've got shelves there as well, so that's a decent size.
22:37Well, it's everything you'd need for an office.
22:38Yeah.
22:39A good-sized single and this fourth and final bedroom.
22:44What's this?
22:45The master bedroom?
22:47Yeah, well, that's a decent size, isn't it?
22:49Yeah, it looks like it.
22:50You've got that lovely view.
22:50You've got that nice view out of the front again.
22:52You're definitely getting views.
22:54That's quite a nice place to sit and drink my tea in the morning.
22:56I might get on with the chores.
23:00You're funny.
23:10Yeah.
23:13Yeah.
23:13Yeah.
23:13Yeah.
23:17Yeah.
23:18You're not expecting this.
23:20Oh, blimey.
23:20Look at that.
23:21It's like a little windy house.
23:23It's definitely German, barbarian, Austrian.
23:27It's got that sort of vibe going on, hasn't it?
23:30I'm wondering about, could it be converted?
23:32It's bigger than a shepherd's hut.
23:36Yeah.
23:36The large garden features a veggie plot, outdoor seating and views across open countryside.
23:44The garden is absolutely delightful.
23:47Yeah.
23:47Yeah, it really is.
23:48Is it big enough?
23:49Yeah.
23:49I think it feels more manageable, doesn't it?
23:51Yeah, I think it does.
23:52It says it's a non-gardener.
23:55But yeah, it is big enough.
23:57So what do you think it's on the market for?
23:58Right.
23:59Well, I'm going to be bold, because I'm hopeful, and I'm going to say £625,000.
24:06£625,000.
24:07I said it was bold.
24:08I said it was bold.
24:09I said it was bold.
24:10Sucking in the teeth there.
24:11Yeah.
24:11Yeah.
24:11I was going to go more around £650,000, Mark.
24:17Okay, £650,000.
24:19Well, it is my pleasure to tell you it's on the market for offers in excess of £600,000.
24:26I nearly said £595,000.
24:28Oh, well.
24:30Next time.
24:32Next time.
24:33So that does give a bit of wiggle room.
24:34Exactly.
24:36Yeah, yeah.
24:38This detached period home blends traditional character with modern comfort, offering a
24:44sociable kitchen diner, two generous receptions, and four bedrooms.
24:49Outside, the large garden houses a workshop and a studio, and it's on the market for offers
24:55in excess of £600,000.
24:57the rest to wrap and bounce.
24:58This house definitely feels like it's got more potential.
25:04Yes.
25:04but there's certainly work to be done to make it to make it more us more how we want it
25:10to be
25:10yeah by going through this process the kitchen diner that seems to be now in terms of the house
25:16itself the overriding the most important thing for me an upstairs space i think this one hasn't
25:24gotten on sweet yeah i'm surprised at that how thinking all that actually that's really quite
25:30important for us yeah as our marriage works because we have separate bathrooms it does it's quite crucial
25:35so
25:56suffolk welcomed just over 8 000 newcomers last year
25:59bargain hunting think again detached homes here now hover at just shy of four hundred and thirty
26:07nine thousand pounds right in step with the uk average of course there are properties to suit
26:15all budgets take a look at what else is currently on the market three hundred and twenty five thousand
26:24pounds could get you this three-bed semi-detached cottage it has a lounge a separate dining room
26:31and a cute country kitchen as well as a courtyard garden
26:38this grade two listed detached thatch cottage has recently been renovated and boasts two receptions
26:45a contemporary kitchen and five bedrooms set across two upper floors on a plot of nearly a third of an
26:54acre it's on the market for offers in excess of six hundred thousand pounds
27:01for a suffolk short break this cozy handcrafted woodland pod sleeps two in a king-size bed with a
27:09stylishly furnished living area prices start from 749 pounds for a week stay in low season
27:21it's almost time to unveil our mystery house and i don't think it's a property david and debbie are
27:28going to be expected not because of what it is but because of where it is
27:34it's mystery house time and we're hopping just over the border into norfolk destined for the village
27:40of reddenhall on the banks of the river waveney the locals pop across the river to the neighbouring
27:46suffolk village of mendham where the village hall and pub are at the heart of community life
27:53a seven-minute walk away back across the river sits this impressive barn conversion
28:01so here we are then the mystery house and this place has got remnants of the past a touch
28:07of the present and designed for the future
28:14it's also in norfolk beyond debbie and david's preferred search area but when we clap tires on this
28:21we simply had to show it to them the oldest parts of this barn are thought to date back to
28:27the 16th
28:28century but the prison owners and architect and artist husband and wife duo have added lots of
28:34contemporary touches
28:38with a heat pump and solar panels it's future proof
28:43i cannot wait to see what debbie and david make of it
28:51here we are then the mystery house yeah i like it i like it probably more modern and it's a
28:58barn
28:58conversion it looks amazing it's lovely low maintenance yeah and it looks beautifully done
29:03i'm not seeing loads of work i'm not seeing pulling up concrete that's totally different to
29:08anything we've seen totally different is it come and look at this excellent
29:15the front door leads into an entrance hall of which lies the sitting room
29:21oh wow
29:24oh yeah yeah i don't think i've got an oh well yet this week
29:34yeah there's still some nods to the old bar and you've got the uprights here yeah yeah but
29:40as you say it still feels like a modern modern feel to it in terms of modernization it's got solar
29:47panels oh that will even out your electricity bill yeah yes and it's got a heat pump oh oh ground
29:53source heat ground source heat it's not relying on any oil so no oil so actually not an expensive
29:59house to run not at all i love the old radiators oh and that one look at that one yeah
30:04yeah there's
30:04another one oh my goodness aren't they lovely great we are really getting somewhere and if the rest
30:09of the house is along these lines we're going to be going in the right direction i think very much
30:14so yeah well let's go in that direction okay find out
30:19so this is a little dining room for you lovely very light lots of windows lots of windows coming
30:26straight through to the kitchen space oh oh that's the space isn't it is a little bit more like it
30:38yeah yeah this is more like it yeah yeah definitely and you get a sofa along there easily good level
30:44good amount of work surface yeah this is the most positive response yet and i'm confident it will
30:51continue as they explore the rest of the house on the opposite side of the entrance hall is a suite
30:57of rooms that includes an office a shower room and a bedroom and in a hall with doors out to
31:05a small
31:05courtyard leads to another wing ah okay this is a bedroom oh my word it goes on wow let's go
31:13down here
31:13yeah oh wow it's lovely that's very ah look at this this is a studio this is a craft studio
31:21the magic happens oh wow what a great space that is what i've had in my mind
31:30whilst most of the accommodation is on the ground floor there are stairs
31:35should we go upstairs then let's and they lead to two further bedrooms
31:40i want some light in here what is through this door oh
31:48a lovely bedroom that's a decent size as well isn't it and what's in there that's the door to
31:56oh yeah we just come in oh no here look oh wow oh that's not expected at all that's nice
32:05isn't it yeah that's really good just across the landing is the largest of the five bedrooms
32:12okay oh oh it's a studio that could be a big bedroom yeah it's a lovely room isn't it
32:20light up here is amazing which is why i can see you why an artist would love to be up
32:25here the house
32:26feels like it's much more manageable space for us doesn't it it definitely does yeah i don't feel
32:31overwhelmed here no that's kind of at the optimum level isn't it gives us enough space to do what
32:36we want do what we want i don't feel like there's there's rooms we wouldn't use we'd use everything
32:41here i think i think so yeah i think you're right very good absolutely
32:50outside in addition to the central courtyard the private garden wraps around all sides of the property
32:58come through and let me introduce you to the ace i've been keeping up my sleeve this looks like a
33:06paddock a paddock a meadow um i actually thought it's a nice space for there to be maybe eight shepherd's
33:14huts eight shepherd's hut why not hey you start with one see how business goes but you've got room for
33:20it
33:20yeah yeah yeah so this all comes with the house does it this is all part of the property over
33:27there
33:27are your solar panels oh yeah so they're not on the roof they're not on the roof they're not
33:31interrupted where they were because i haven't seen them up there veggie patch veggie patch yeah you've
33:36got all of that around the corner and you've got an acre and the magic is there's a gate in
33:41the bottom
33:41corner i was just gonna ask if could we put a gate in there's a gate here sort of everything
33:46so it's got its own
33:48entrance if you was to be put in rentable accommodation out here whether it's cabins
33:53or whether it's shepherd's huts there'd be so many options so much to think about
33:59the most pressing thing to consider is of course the price definitely top end
34:07do you want to go first yeah no you see i don't think it is because we've come across the
34:11border
34:11and i do know you get more for your money up here so i'm going to do a sneaky
34:18six three five six hundred and thirty five thousand pounds that is brave six eight five six hundred and
34:26eighty five thousand pounds right it's on the market for six hundred and seventy five oh wow
34:33that's hopeful this beautiful barn conversion offers a flexible layout of five bedrooms three
34:41receptions and a lovely kitchen breakfast room with wrap around gardens and a one acre paddock the price
34:48tag six hundred and seventy five thousand pounds can you imagine what the whippets would do when they
34:57first arrive they would have a complete mad bomb around here wouldn't they absolutely nutters
35:02here's a great house it's our favorite it's the first of the ones that we've seen that gave me we
35:10could live here feeling yeah and that's what we were hoping for but obviously the biggest part of it for
35:18us is the paddock yeah i'd agree and i don't feel in this house like there's surplus space or room
35:26that
35:26we're buying and would never use and it's eco credentials that's something that's yeah that's a big class
35:33for us on this house yeah
35:44the wolf way is a 250 mile cycle route that takes in the best of suffolk's coast and countryside
35:52nice nice tailwind the brainchild of bikepacking duo chris bauer and his wife sharon hi
36:01i'm meeting chris on a section of the route that runs through the millennium green in howardsworth
36:06to learn how this pedal powered adventure came to life chris you must have had a lot of planning
36:13spoken to a lot of people you know that's a lot of dots to join there there was and we
36:19we had a lot
36:20of help too so we had some help from cycling uk we had some help from suffolk council we were
36:26very
36:26particular that you know we don't go on footpaths it's all cycle paths bridleways byways and quiet
36:32roads and it probably took us about a year to get the route finalized with lots of recce rides you
36:42know we'd be out every weekend testing this bit testing that bit how can we make that bit better
36:46so what makes suffolk the place to cycle suffolk's great for cycling i mean first of all it doesn't have
36:53any massive hill so there's no great elevation so it's excellent from that point of view it's undulated
37:00but it also has a huge network of bridleways there's about a thousand kilometers of traffic-free
37:07roads we've got a network of quiet lanes so it's it's an ideal place
37:14if 250 miles sounds like a stretch don't fret the route includes a series of shorter
37:21loops that can be tackled in a day plus there's a family-friendly 10-mile circuit perfect for younger
37:27riders and those easing into the saddle most people do sort of you know over several days you
37:34know three or four days it depends really how much you want to stop and see you know the more
37:39you want
37:40to stop and see then the longer it takes you we had uh one one chap did it in about
37:45five or six days
37:47but on a penny farthing oh wow so as a sort of charity uh fundraiser what a great idea yeah
37:53and
37:53what would you say your highlights what are the must-sees on the route yeah i mean the east coast
38:00is
38:00is spectacular there is some amazing bridleways through there particularly there's a nice one
38:06through minnsmere so through the nature reserve there it also goes to lower stuff where there's the uk's
38:13most easterly point so nest point so it's a great little uh place to visit there can we have a
38:20go
38:20ourselves yeah let's go lower stuff here we come
38:35cycling uk reckon the average spend on people doing bike packing trips is about 84 quid a day
38:43really so you you know you multiply that money coming through into the area yeah so you know
38:48that's that's like your food and your accommodation i guess so you multiply that up by a you know a
38:54few
38:54hundred people and you've soon got tens of thousands of pounds to the economy and it's not just the local
39:00economy that's benefiting for riders the wolf way offers a chance to slow down and take in the views
39:08oh this is the way to see suffolk yeah it's pretty awesome hat the wolf way 248 miles
39:19of fun torture enjoyment are you getting a glow on yeah
39:31chris and sharon's dedication is giving residents and visitors alike
39:36a new route to ride explore and enjoy long may the wheels keep turning
39:48i've got an inkling our week in suffolk has finished on a high let's go and find out if i'm
39:53right
39:58to see you and it's very good to see you both and i for one have had a real good
40:04time this week
40:05and it's been a pleasure exploring suffolk with you and then of course we jumped over into
40:09to Norfolk you didn't see that coming very cheeky but what's the mystery house yeah I mean it's
40:15definitely the best of the bunch yeah I agree with that and I think what we're going to do we
40:20have
40:20some spare time now that we can use and I think we will go back to that area yeah explore
40:28it a
40:28little bit more check out how close the other amenities are yeah and then kind of make a
40:33decision about whether we want to then maybe do a second viewing and yeah it was surprising in a
40:41way because it's more of a modern property than I think we expected to like but it feels like it
40:45fits in with the sort of way we want to live so maybe what that's taught us is that if
40:52the house
40:53is more right for us then going out of our comfort zone area won't be such an issue yes perhaps
41:01that's
41:01what we've really come away with this week so it's that now weighing up the geography and the
41:09potential for what we said we wanted to do yeah and the thing about the mystery house also which
41:13we haven't really felt with the other houses is that the mystery house will work so well for the
41:18whippets let's be honest it has been about the whippets all week every decision that you've been
41:23making everything you've been talking about this whole move as much as it's about you two has had
41:29the whippets at the front of your mind yeah hasn't it yeah obviously yeah because if they're not
41:34happy then they'll make us unhappy ah the last thing we want is three unhappy dogs and two unhappy
41:40people in a new house is it yeah well i'm very pleased to have been part of that journey with
41:46you
41:47both yeah well watch this been an absolute pleasure good luck thank you
42:01debbie and david came into this with their hearts set on moving to their favorite holiday county of
42:07suffolk and after a week of exploring their next step is to go and research norfolk isn't it amazing
42:14what can happen when you go into a situation with your eyes wide open whichever county they
42:19end up moving to i wish them and their three whippets all the very best join us again next time
42:26for
42:26another escape to the country debbie and david ruled out the mystery house but having tested out the
42:34town of howsworth with us they searched for homes there and found the georgian property a former pub
42:40that they are returning to for a second viewing with the hope of putting in an offer fingers crossed
42:46things will work out for them if you would like to escape to the country in england northern ireland
42:53scotland or wales and need our help why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part
43:31we'll see you next time
43:31You
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