Original subtitles

Escaping to the country can provoke all kinds of reactions.

I've got moist eyes, palpitating hearts, oohs and ahs. - Feeling sick!

- Feeling sick.

I mean, that's a winner in my book.

It can be nerve-racking and exhilarating.

- Yikes!

- Thought-provoking and challenging.

- Would our furniture fit?

- I'll let you into a little secret.

If you love a house.

- You make it fit? - You make it fit.

But the response we're always aiming for - to take your breath away.

- Wow!

Oh, my...goodness! - Goodness me, look at that!

- Devon.

Its coastline needs no embellishment.

Its countryside requires no airbrushing.

It's already picture-perfect.

Quote time.

Who said, "I have never before been gifted

"such an abundance of natural beauty."

"Really? There is nothing like Devon."?

Any ideas? Any guesses?

No?

Well, it was Steven Spielberg, and he knows a thing or two

about showing off beautiful places on the big screen.

But we know a thing or two about showing them off

on the one you're watching right now.

Today's search focuses on the countryside and coastline

of East Devon in the south-west of England.

- I love this area because I've grown up down here.

I was born on this farm here

and I love seeing people coming down on holiday.

We've got people that have been coming down to this caravan site

for many, many years.

And, you know, a lot of people who come down here on holiday,

eventually come down here and live

because they just fall in love with it.

- And who can blame them?

Amongst the thatched cob and brick cottages of Otterton,

villagers muck in to run the local shop and monthly cinema club,

as well as the annual summer fete.

In Branscombe, believed to be the longest village in England,

the winding streets are lined with characterful period homes

just a stone's throw from the beach.

- I come from Sweden, myself, and in 2006,

I came here to be here for six months.

And that is 18 years ago in September.

So, yeah, I think it gets you.

The place gets you.

- If ever there was a couple in need of finding their dream rural home,

it's today's buyers.

They've sold their house and everything they own

is packed up in boxes.

Suffice to say, they are itching to make their escape to the country

as soon as possible.

- We are all boxed up and ready to go into storage

and temporary accommodation in, oh, a few days' time actually.

So technically, we're going to be homeless. - Homeless.

- Beverley and Neill, both retired police officers, have lived

in this three-bedroom, 1930s semi in the large town of Bromley,

originally part of Kent, for the past 30 years.

- You know that feeling you get when you're on holiday

and you totally unwind and relax?

I think I want that permanently.

- Oh, so do I, Beverley.

So do I.

- We are great outdoor people.

We love to go hiking.

We like to go camping. Wild camping. I'm a mountain leader.

We love to go to the mountains.

But one of my big passions for me, is sea fishing.

- We've been thinking about this move for quite a long time, really.

- Yeah.

- But the timing has never been right for us.

- That's right, yeah.

- So it's been a long, long time coming,

but now everything's lined up and we're ready to go.

- We're ready to go. Absolutely.

- For £675,000, Beverley and Neill are after a detached character

property with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a manageable garden.

It must have rural views

and be within easy reach of the coast.

With their Bromley home now sold, they are in a very strong position,

being cash buyers and chain free.

So, for Neill and Beverley, this really is crunch time.

They've packed up their possessions and their old life in Bromley

and they've already moved to temporary accommodation.

So, they need us.

They need the Escape To The Country sprinkle of magic

to find them a new home.

Before we kick off this search, I'm meeting the couple

at an idyllic spot in the Otter Valley

to learn more about this move.

Beverley and Neill, so good to meet you.

And what a glorious day!

- Stunning. - Super.

- Have either of you ever lived in the countryside before?

- No. - We haven't.

We've done lots of hiking and DofE over the years,

and we love the countryside.

But we've never had that opportunity of living in the countryside,

which is what we're really, really keen for now.

- It's a dream.

- Why did you select Devon, though? Why the West Country?

- We've been down this part of the world many, many times.

Holidays, childhood holidays, and we love it down here.

So it's just the perfect choice for us, really.

- It's like almost coming home.

- Is it? - Yeah.

That's what it feels like. - It does, yeah.

- Shall we see how we get on, then? Shall we start?

- Yes, please. Let's go. - Yes! - Follow me.

Our first stop is in the East Devon village of Yarcombe,

nestled in the Yarty Valley in the Blackdown Hills,

and a half-hour drive from the coast.

The village boasts a pub, a hotel, a village hall, a church

and a post office that are well supported by the 500-or-so residents

who also run regular events such as the village breakfast,

community lunches, a Saturday market, and an annual flower show.

Half a mile from the village centre, in an elevated and secluded spot,

is this 18th-century, detached stone cottage.

- Oh, that looks lovely, doesn't it?

- Amazing. Amazing.

- I do feel a little bit sick.

- Do you? Is that nerves?

Anticipation?

- I think a bit of a mixture of both, actually.

- My heart is pounding. It really is. - Is it?

- It's just thumping in my chest at the moment.

- Really cute. - Oh!

- Are you choking up? - I am choking up.

My...my heart is pounding in my chest.

It really is. I'm speechless.

It's... - It's absolutely...

It's...

- I could see myself here. - It's beautiful.

- I've got moist eyes, palpitating

hearts, ooh and aahs, feeling sick. - Feeling sick!

- I mean, that's a winner in my book. - Yeah.

- I'm going to put you out of your misery.

I'm going to take you inside. - Yes, please.

- Come on, then. - Thank you.

- The house has been extended over the years.

And this front porch, one of the newer additions,

leads into the oldest part of the cottage.

So, let's see if the reactions inside are as good

as the ones that were outside.

- Oh! - Wow.

- Oh!

- Oh, oh, oh, your face is basically...

..as you came through the door, I love it.

- Wow! - Incredible.

- Um...

- Yeah. - Isn't it gorgeous?

The kitchen's huge. - Yeah.

It's a good size, isn't it?

- We love that style of living

where we can entertain and be in the kitchen

and be a part of the entertainment there as well.

- So it works.

- And we have got a lovely table

that would fit just there, wouldn't it?

- It would work really lovely. - And it would work really well.

- So you've got a study behind you. - Yes.

- You've got a utility room the other side.

- Wow! OK.

- But we've got our sitting room here. Shall we?

- Yes, let's. - Please.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

- This is a really good size.

- What a lovely space, and so much light.

All three sides.

- Access outside.

- Oh, my gosh!

- That lovely chest of drawers that will go there.

- That one, yeah.

- Ours will go there. - Yeah, it would.

- That's always a good sign.

When people start saying where their furniture...

- When you're fitting the furniture in.

- Keen to see a little bit more? - Yes, please. - Yes, please.

- This property is all on one level, with the bedroom accommodation

located off this hallway on the other side of the house.

We're checking out the largest bedroom,

which has an en suite shower room.

- It's lovely. - Beautiful.

- It really is, isn't it?

- Are you still feeling the same vibe as we're walking around?

- There is nothing that you have shown us that has made me think, no.

- You would say, wouldn't you? - Absolutely.

- That was quick. - Oh, sorry.

- Beverley wears her heart on her sleeve.

She can't play poker.

- I've a feeling we might have hit the jackpot with this house.

And they haven't seen what's on offer outside yet.

The grounds extend to just under an acre

and include an area of woodland.

- This is just beautiful.

This is insane, isn't it?

Oh, this just goes on.

- Beverley and Neill, as doting grandparents, are already thinking

about how their five grandchildren might enjoy the grounds here.

- We could get a little treehouse or something.

- A treehouse? Oh, that would be awesome.

- I could build that.

- All the grandchildren would just have a ball.

- Set at the highest point on the plot

is a secluded woodland retreat with a decked area.

- Oh, look at that. - Oh, would you just look at that?

The grandchildren aren't going to want to stay with us.

They will want to stay in here.

- In addition, there's a large expanse of formal lawn at the front

of the house, an orchard at the rear, and a huge patio

to the side, which leads to a separate workshop

used as an art studio.

What do you think of the garden and the orchard?

- It is absolutely amazing.

It just keeps giving and giving.

- What price are you going to put on our very first property?

- I think it's got to be top of our budget.

And I'm going to say £675,000.

- OK.

- I was just below that.

I was going to say £670,000.

- Oh, OK.

- We have been a little bit cheeky with this house. - Oh.

- The asking price is...

..£695,000.

- OK.

- Now... - I can see why.

- You are in a fantastic position.

Let's not forget that.

You are ready to go, but just have that in your mind.

It really does strengthen your hand.

- Absolutely. - It will.

- This detached, 18th-century cottage has an open-plan kitchen

family room, a sitting room and three double bedrooms.

Sitting on a plot of just under an acre

on the edge of a lively village,

it's on the market for £695,000.

- Brilliant start.

Brilliant start.

Really excited, actually.

I think the family would all be squealing with delight

if they saw this property and saying, "Do it!

"Buy it!"

- I am just blown away with this one. It is just stunning.

I can really see myself living here.

It is fantastic.

I could never have dreamt of a property like this.

It's going to take some beating.

- We're pausing the property search now and sending Beverley and Neill

for a trip on the Seaton Tramway,

which runs between the inland town of Colyton

and the seaside resort of Seaton.

- Oh, wow!

- Blow the cobwebs away.

- The three-mile journey takes about half an hour,

passing through the glorious Axe Valley and the Seaton Wetlands.

- Oh, look! - Oh, yeah!

- Little ducklings.

- Little babies, yeah! Little ducklings.

- Oh, they're so cute.

- A fleet of 14 trams operate on the line,

including several modern designs like this one,

built in 2004 to be wheelchair accessible.

- Here we are. Into Seaton.

End of the line.

- Day trippers are greeted

by the town's mile-long pebble beach,

which looks out across Lyme Bay.

- Oh, yeah, lovely. Lovely and calm. Look at that.

- It is calm.

- I might go for a swim. - Well, perhaps not.

- Seaton's 8,000-or-so residents are blessed with a great range

of independent shops, including a butcher, a book shop,

an ironmonger, and a greengrocer.

Sophie Nevitt opened her gift and homeware shop here in 2016.

- We have the loveliest, friendliest community with plenty to do,

including our summer carnival, outdoor cinema,

and our infamous grizzly run.

- That, in case you're wondering,

is a tough 20-mile multi-terrain run.

No, thanks.

Lyka Rowlands who runs an Asian food store,

moved here with her family six years ago.

- The people around here, they're so lovely.

It's a close-knit community.

We set up outside our store

and everybody say, good morning to you.

Everybody say hi.

So, it's such a lovely place.

- Angela Mendham, who owns this plant shop and cafe, agrees.

- Honestly, it's brilliant to live here all year round.

There's plenty going on. Everyone's really friendly.

It is a wonderful place to live. Good quality of life.

People just chat to you in the street and...

..yeah, I love it.

- Fabulous.

Are there any downsides to living here?

- I know it sounds really daft -

I can't really think of any downsides of living here.

- That's a good answer. That's a great answer!

- After taking in the sea air in Seaton,

it's noses back to the grindstone as we continue our search

for Beverley and Neill's new East Devon home.

We're heading to the village of Feniton,

just west of the East Devon National Landscape.

It's home to around 1,500 people who have access

to all the everyday essentials, including a small supermarket,

a pub and a train station on the London Waterloo to Exeter Line.

Just under a mile from the station, on this quiet lane,

sits our next offering.

Now, Beverley and Neill, I'd like to propose this

as a potential next home.

- That is pretty. - OK.

- That is pretty. - It is very pretty.

- Classic chocolate box cottage, isn't it?

And it does ooze charm.

- It looks lovely, but it is literally right on a road.

There's no pavement or anything.

- No.

- And it's not set back.

So just a - that's my first thought.

- Yeah. OK.

Shall we? Are you ready? - We are.

- Built in the 1780s, this detached cottage is thought

to have been the old village shop and smithy.

The main entrance is at the rear of the property and leads

into a hallway, off which is a downstairs cloakroom and utility.

So let's start off with the sitting room cum dining area.

- Oh, look!

- Oh, it's a nice fireplace, isn't it? - Yeah.

- It's beautiful. Beautiful fireplace.

- That is stunning.

- It's got lovely thick walls, hasn't it?

I like the stone. - Yeah, the exposed brickwork.

- The stonework there. That's nice. - Mm.

- And you've got the beams. - And the beams.

I do like the character. I love the fireplace.

I like the fact that I wouldn't need a ladder to paint the ceiling.

That's a bonus. - You wouldn't bump your head, just.

- No.

- Could you see yourselves in here?

- I could, I could.

- Be honest. You're being polite.

You like it?

- I...I think it's lovely.

But it is much smaller.

It's got more cottagey proportions than the one we saw before.

- Would our furniture fit?

- I'll let you into a little secret.

If you love a house... - You'll make it fit.

- ..you make it fit.

Let's see what you make of next door.

- I do like the wooden floors. - I know. They're lovely.

I do like that. That's really nice.

- So this leads us to kitchen-diner.

Utility room through there.

- OK.

- This is nice.

- I think that whereas they've got the dining table in there,

in actual fact, you could have the dining table in here

as a kitchen-diner.

And therefore you make the living room into a bigger living space,

which would make a difference. - Yeah.

Next door to here, is the garage.

And planning permission was given -

it's just recently run out - to convert it into a bigger kitchen.

- Oh!

- So you would have to seek fresh planning permission,

but it's already been granted once.

So, if budget allows, you could open this right out.

- Wow!

- I'm leaving Beverley and Neill

to explore the rest of the house on their own.

- Oh crumbs, these are steep.

- I'll be listening.

You know I will, because I like an eavesdrop.

We like an eavesdrop, don't we?

There are four bedrooms in this property,

and this one overlooks the front.

- Oh, that's lovely. - Oh, yeah.

- Oh, look. - Another little fireplace.

- That's cute. - Very.

- Oh, my gosh, it's got a sink in here.

So, plumbing's here, isn't it? - It is.

It is. - This is a nice-sized bedroom.

This is a good-sized bedroom. - This is a good size.

- This bedroom, which has an en suite shower, is at the rear of the house,

with a third bedroom and the family bathroom opposite.

- Oh, it goes on and on, doesn't it? - What have we got around here?

- Oh.

- In a more recent extension, above the garage,

there's a fourth bedroom, complete with a walk-in wardrobe.

And as we touched on earlier, the garage below could,

subject to planning, be absorbed into the main house

to create a sensational open-plan kitchen-family breakfast room.

- Wow! - It's big.

That's big.

- That's immense. - There's a lot of storage there.

- That would make an enormous space. - Yeah.

That would more than double that size,

I would've said, more than double.

- Probably triple, actually. It's huge. - Yeah.

It is huge.

- If they turn the garage into living space, they wouldn't sacrifice

storage or parking, as there's a stone-built outbuilding

and driveway on the other side of the house.

In the rear garden, there's a large paved patio

and gravelled area.

Steps lead to a second level, with a shed, a summer house,

and a very generous veggie plot.

So the current owners, about 20 years ago - it had been just left -

pulled it all up and started again

and they assure me you can literally grow anything here.

The soil is so good.

- Lovely.

I love this.

I love the fact that you've got the walkway dividing them

into little subsections, and that's really useful for when you rotate.

- Oh, she is good, isn't she? - Oh, yes.

- I do my rotations so that, you know, you keep the goodness in the ground.

I could make very good use of that space.

- So, what are we thinking?

- Down to the nitty-gritty. - Yeah, sorry.

Back to reality.

Asking price?

- I'm probably going to go around about £660-£665,000.

- £665,000? - Yeah.

- And I'm going to say £645,000.

- The asking price for this property is £575,000.

- Oh, my gosh. - Oh, my goodness.

- So, £100,000 under your top budget. - Yeah.

- Oh, wow!

- That would leave scope for... - Yeah.

- ..any improvements.

That's... - That's very interesting.

- That's a lot of food for thought there.

- This detached character cottage has a sitting room, a kitchen-diner,

and four bedrooms, with a generous split-level garden.

On the edge of a popular village,

it's on the market with a guide price of £575,000.

- It's a lovely cottage.

I'm just not entirely sure that it would work for us.

- Yeah, I agree.

- We would have to do some things to make it work

as well as we'd like it to.

I guess we just potentially

just don't want to be the ones to do the work.

- I think perhaps we're...

Our hearts are maybe somewhere else.

- I think they might be!

- We're rounding off our day and making the most

of the evening sun back in the grounds of our hotel.

This is just a taster of what your new life is going to be like.

- And what a very nice taste it has been.

- Isn't it? Isn't it?

- It's just idyllic, isn't it?

End of the day. Blue skies, sunshine.

Look how relaxed we all are. - I know.

- We've been here a couple of days

and I feel so much more relaxed already.

- I suppose in a way, we're not quite there yet.

But we've got you a little bit closer.

- We just feel very, very at home here, don't we?

- We do.

I have had that feeling, I really have,

these last couple of days.

- Do you think you're going to sleep well tonight?

- I don't know. I don't know.

Yeah, that's good and bad, isn't it? - We've got a lot to think about.

- A lot to think about.

- Well, of course it's not over yet, is it?

We've still got to show you our mystery house.

But, I do want you to relax.

Soak in those rays.

Yeah, and just enjoy the Devon countryside.

- We can do that. - We can do that.

- We can absolutely do that.

- If you're sold on living the Devon dream,

here's what you need to know about property prices in the region.

Whilst the average cost of a detached house in the UK

currently stands at just over £429,000,

here in Devon the price rises to more than £480,000.

East Devon prices are even higher, at just over £534,000.

Let's take a peek at some other property options

currently on the market.

This semidetached period cottage has two bedrooms, a sitting room

and a recently refurbished Shaker-style kitchen

which leads to a conservatory.

Outside, a large patio extends to a garden which enjoys

uninterrupted countryside views.

On the market for £330,000.

Offers in the region of £445,000 could secure you

this semidetached stone cottage.

It has two receptions, a kitchen with solid oak worktops

and three double bedrooms.

In the market for a rental?

This attractive home offers a living room with doors

onto a courtyard garden, a kitchen-diner and three bedrooms.

For £1,400 per calendar month.

Another glorious day here in East Devon.

We had such a strong start yesterday with Neill and Beverley, but today,

oh, I've got something very special in store.

An extraordinary mystery house in a very grand location.

Sound good?

We're making our way to the village of Rousdon,

close to the Dorset border.

Destined for an address inside the Rousdon estate.

Right. Here we go.

- Wow, look at that. That's a bit grand.

- This 350-acre estate was completed in 1878.

The seat of a wealthy tea and spice importer.

- This is very country manor, isn't it?

- The original estate consisted of a Tudor-style mansion

with a fine array of cottages and houses.

- Wow! Oh, my goodness.

- Goodness me, look at that.

- NICKI LAUGHS

25 years ago, its transformation into an exclusive community

of 104 homes began.

- It's like its own little village.

Oh, look at that little church.

Oh, this is stunning.

- It's just gorgeous.

- Most of the homes here are conversions

or redesigns of existing structures.

But 38 properties are new builds.

Are you ready for our mystery house?

- Yeah, I'm definitely ready for a mystery house.

- Come on, then.

And our mystery...

..a spacious end-of-terrace, is one of them.

- Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Oh, my goodness.

- Yikes!

- That is beautiful.

- It's really interesting because it's so different

from what we've been looking at. - Yeah.

There's so much to love about our mystery house,

not least the fact that...

..this estate has its own private beach.

- Oh, my gosh!

- Oh, what a dilemma!

- This is really interesting now. - That has...that has...

- This is, um...

I mean, it looks gorgeous.

- Let's get inside and I'll explain it all to you.

Come on. - Oh, wow.

- This house was completed in 2005 and beautifully blends the heritage

and character of the original estate

with modern design and plenty of space.

Quite a lot to explore with this property.

Kitchen down there.

But I want to start off with the sitting room.

Where have you gone?

Were you having a sneaky peek then?

- Sorry, sorry. We were, we were.

Sorry.

- Do you know, it's so funny, I came striding in.

You're very good, Neill.

Striding in to say, "Let's start with the sitting room,"

turn round and I'm on my own.

- I couldn't help myself, sorry. - I know.

I get it.

Our mystery house has grabbed Beverley's attention.

And who can blame her?

- It's lovely.

I think this is a... this is a great room.

- That looks beautiful, the fireplace, yeah.

- I love that you've got the doors there,

doors there, window there.

Everything is saying, oh, wow.

Lovely.

But I need to see more. - Yeah.

- To see where it fits in amongst everything else.

- OK, that's fair enough.

You've already had a cheeky peek.

- I know, sorry!

- Let's go back and have a look at the kitchen.

So, some of us have already had a look inside the kitchen.

But Neill, for you... - Thank you.

- ..I'll give you the proper tour.

- Oh, my!

- It's a nice kitchen. - This is a beautiful kitchen.

- It's a lovely size.

- I mean, just look how many cupboards there are.

It's just fabulous. - Very little to do.

- Very little to do.

- I mean, it's...it's perfect, isn't it?

- You could literally just move right in.

- It's lovely.

- Beautiful.

- Well, I can't wait to hear what they make of upstairs.

- I mean, it's all very, very nicely, newly done, isn't it?

- It is.

- There are four bedrooms in total.

This is one of the smaller ones, but is still a roomy double.

- Look at the shape of this room.

- Oh, yeah, look at that. - That's a great shape.

- Bright and airy. Lovely.

- As is this one.

There's a third double, with an en suite shower.

- Oh, another bright room. - Really lovely.

That's a good size, isn't it?

- They are nice sizes.

- And a very spacious family bathroom.

- Oh!

- SHE LAUGHS

- Wow, this is huge. This is huge.

Look at that. - This is...

This is a huge bathroom. - Isn't it?

Oh, loads of space.

Serves as an en suite for this room.

Look at this. This is a big room.

- I could... I would actually say we would have this one,

because it's bigger than that one.

- Oh, potentially.

- I could do this. - I could do this.

We need words with Nicki.

- I think she's in trouble now. - She's in trouble.

- She's now making us having to think too hard.

- So difficult. She's made it so difficult.

- So yesterday, I could honestly say I thought it was job done.

And then the mystery house rears its very pretty head.

And it only gets prettier outside, because this house was built

in what was once the Victorian walled garden.

At the rear, a large paved terrace spans the width of the house

and leads on to a lawn with

a secluded seating area, which boasts

delightful views across the estate's impressive grounds beyond.

- This is just gorgeous.

- There's one last thing our mystery house offers our home-buyers.

Within this country estate, there's clubs here as well.

There's also a hotel, just further down.

So if you have people wanting to stay, they could do.

You have a coffee shop just at the end of the road.

But they also have a very active social life here.

- And the downside? - Yes.

- Well, there isn't one.

The one place I thought might slightly trip us up

are the service costs. - Right.

- Yeah.

- Because normally when you come into a place like this,

they can be pretty hefty.

And you've got to find that every single year.

The maintenance for looking after the estate

comes out at around £850 a year.

- Oh, wow.

- I was amazed.

- Pleasantly surprised at that.

- I thought the maintenance here was going to run into the thousands.

But it doesn't. - Yeah. - I would have said so.

I would have said so. - So let's do money.

- Ohh!

- What are we thinking?

- £660,000. That's what I'm saying.

- £670,000.

- OK. And the asking price...

The owners are looking for offers around £690,000.

- Oh! Crumbs! Right.

- OK.

I see why.

- You are in a marvellous position.

I would have a really good, healthy conversation.

And on that note, I'm sending you back in. Go on!

Off you go. - Thanks for this.

- You're very welcome. - See you soon.

- Yeah.

You see, they thought life was easy.

Life's never easy.

I don't want to push them,

but I really think they should negotiate on this one.

It's a splendid house in such a marvellous setting.

Don't forget, we're surrounded by an incredible community.

The coast and countryside as well.

Surely that's got to be a win-win.

Our modern end-of-terrace mystery house boasts a kitchen-diner,

a sitting room, four double bedrooms, and a good-sized garden.

In an exclusive development with a private beach,

this property is on the market for offers in excess of £690,000.

- We didn't want to see a new build and this is a relatively new build.

It was not on our wish list at all

and that's not very helpful for us now.

Thank you very much!

Because now we've got to really think.

We have to think about the lifestyle that we want

rather than just the house.

- Yeah.

- For many people, the escape to the country dream

means slowing down, taking it easy and relaxing.

Sounds idyllic, doesn't it?

But for one couple, it meant the exact opposite.

Meet Harry and Emily, who, once they made their escape,

decided it was high time they became farmers.

In 2014, Harry and Emily moved from London

to this corner of East Devon.

Their vision - to turn this 100-acre farm into a viable business

using the traditional farming methods of yesteryear.

- So we've got nine different varieties of heirloom tomatoes

that we kind of send up to restaurants

in London and locally.

Um, so what I'm doing is I'm removing the bottom third

of the foliage, which will allow kind of airflow

and reduce the chances of kind of getting blight.

- As well as growing fruit and veg,

the couple farm sheep, pigs, cows and chickens

and have an on-site butchery, as well as a brewery.

They've adopted a regenerative farming approach

with its focus on soil health, aiming to prove it's possible

to significantly reduce agriculture's environmental

footprint and tackle climate change.

So, this city girl has come equipped with her wellies

and is prepared to get her hands dirty.

Although I might just watch because Harry and Emily seem

to have everything under control - don't they?

Emily and Harry, lovely to meet you.

Who's this? - Truffle.

- Hello, Truffle.

You have a very successful business here.

But did you know, literally from day one,

that you were going to be farmers?

- I've always had it in me.

I've always been very passionate about it.

- But you don't come from farming backgrounds, yourself?

- No, when I told my dad I was becoming a farmer,

he was like, "What are you doing? Are you mad?" - Really?

- "That sounds like really hard work."

Which, he was right.

But, um...

And I met Emily in Australia, and we were living a very holistic

lifestyle and growing all our own veg, keeping chickens and stuff.

So I think... - Yeah...

- We kind of got into it. Got the vibe.

- Yeah, exactly. Caught the bug.

We were very fortunate to find this place,

and, yeah, we made this home.

- We started off working on a few farms,

and then one thing moved on to another and we ended up here.

- We've had to learn the hard way with most things.

Yeah, we've made a lot of mistakes, but we were young

and we had a lot of energy, so that's...

- You're still young! You're still young!

- So that suits us.

We could get our hands dirty.

- Today, I too am prepared to muck in.

Look at the hungry pigs.

I've come in my brand-new boots,

but these piggies didn't get the message.

You can't eat my wellies, I'm telling you now.

Not eating my wellies.

Until two generations ago, organic, sustainable farming was the norm,

with animals an essential part of the farm ecosystem.

- The pigs in our farming system, they're the agitators.

- Agitators. - So they agitate the field.

They kind of root it up.

They create opportunity for kind of birds

to find worms and other insects.

They provide opportunity for all the different plant species

to kind of germinate and seed.

The chickens are doing a bit more fertilising,

and the cows are kind of the lawnmowers

that are creating the different levels of grass and...

- All working together. - All working together.

For us, farming was really about creating

a kind of vibrant, live ecosystem.

Our passion is how do we bring life back into the farm,

wildlife, and kind of make a beautiful place

that's also beautiful to be enjoyed by us, and also highly productive.

- As our forebears well knew, good land management

affects far more than just the food we produce.

- So we are farm to fork, essentially.

We try and create a circular economy.

So we have the microbrewery.

So, with the brewed grain that comes back and feeds the pigs,

the pigs, eventually, you know,

they're raised here on all the different pastures

and the agroforestry system.

They then - we have a butchery on site.

So they go through the butchery

and then we then we have a charcuterie business as well.

So then, yeah, we make delicious pork products there.

- Well, the final step is, it either goes out to restaurants

or it's available for sale on our website.

- Yeah. But it's all done here. No air miles.

- Yeah. No miles.

- And minimal waste. - Yeah.

If I took you back ten years to your lives in London,

I mean, could you have foreseen what you were going to achieve here?

- No. - No. We've had an amazing journey.

It's been up, down, left, right

and kind of, we got here in the end.

And, yeah, it's nice to be here.

- You do look so happy. I'm sure you're exhausted.

But you wouldn't change it for anything, would you?

- Wouldn't change it. - How lovely.

Thank you for just showing a little part

of your lives with us today.

- Thank you very much. - Pleasure.

- Now, I really don't need an excuse to come down to the coast,

but I've got a fantastic one today, because we need to find out

what Beverley and Neill are truly thinking.

And to do that, we're on the beach at Lyme Regis,

just over the border, in Dorset, three miles from that mystery house.

Where are we at, guys? Because I'm now totally confused.

- Join the club. - You're confused?

My goodness me.

Yeah, we're all... my head's all over the place now.

- Is it? - It really is.

- We thought that yesterday it was a done deal.

- It was in the bag.

- I hear our daughter's little voice

saying she'll love the olde worlde one - she'll love that.

- Let's just clarify, the olde worlde one

is the very first property we showed you.

- The very first. - Single living...

- The old property.

- But the mystery house has really made it quite difficult

because we weren't expecting that house

and we weren't expecting it to have the effect it's had on us.

- They're very different.

- Yeah.

- And it's the differences I'm processing in my head.

- So, what do you think you've learned from the last few days?

- I think it's potentially not necessarily just about the property.

It's about the lifestyle that comes with that property.

So, location is really important

because that is the lifestyle that you're buying into.

- If you were a betting couple,

what would you put your money on at the moment?

- I think maybe you're sitting on the modern?

- OK. And I think you're sitting on the character.

- So, what are we going to do, then?

Are we going to go and have a second viewing anywhere?

- I think that probably both of them need, because they are so different.

- I think so.

- I think it's probably one of those two.

- I'd even go as far as to say it's going to be one of those two.

- Would you, Neill? - I think it'll be one of those two.

- It's a small win, but whatever happens,

we wish you all the very best.

You deserve your retirement.

You really, really do.

And I know you're going to be very happy down here.

Thank you both, and love to the family as well.

- Thank you very much. - Thank you, Nicki. - Thank you.

- It's interesting, isn't it?

You think you know what you're doing.

You've decided to sell your home, you've packed up your possessions

and then Escape To The Country, comes along

and certainly puts the cat amongst the pigeons.

Or should that be the chip amongst the seagulls?

For Neill and Beverley, they had it all planned out,

and have now fallen in love with two of the three houses

that we showed them.

Now, we're not going to get an answer today, are we?

But I know, whatever happens, they are going to be truly happy

living here in the West Country.

We wish them all the very best and I'll see you again soon.

But you know what?

In the meantime, I'm going for a paddle.

Oh!

It's freezing!

The following day, once the dust had settled,

Beverley and Neill returned to our first house.

They still loved it and made an offer,

which, I'm thrilled to say, was accepted.

I hope the corks will be popping soon

when they get their keys to their new Devon home.

And if you would like to escape to the country in England,

Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, and need our help,

why not apply online at...?