Original subtitles

When searching for an exceptional country home...

- As soon as we walked through the gates,

we kind of knew it was going to be special.

- ..on Escape to the Country, we love a big reveal.

You now have permission to turn and face...

- Wow! Oh, my gosh, it's amazing!

- Ha-ha!

Our properties have all manner of treats, whether at ground level...

Did you expect us, Georgina,

to be showing you a driveway with a roundabout on it?

- No, not at all, but it's a welcome surprise.

- ..or up high.

Feast your eyes on this.

- Wow! - Wow!

- Kent. Take it from me,

this county has a hell of a lot going for it.

From its coasts to its countryside,

I'd say everything about it is pretty gorgeous.

Known as the Garden of England,

Kent is famous for producing some of the finer things in life.

Great wine, fabulous fresh produce,

oysters, even.

But the finest of all... Well, watch this space.

Bottom right hand corner is where you'll find Kent,

covering more than 1,300 square miles

and stretching along 350 miles of sand and shingle coastline.

- Kent is quite beautiful.

You have the seaside. You have the countryside, and the people...

The people are really nice and friendly,

so it's kind of a mixture of everything.

So, yeah, I would say it's really nice.

- The county enjoys more hours of sun than anywhere else in the UK,

shining down on its many pretty coastal towns.

One of its most popular,

Margate, is home to pastel-coloured buildings,

a long stretch of sandy beach and a busy harbour.

And its claim to fame?

Both its mid-century lighthouse and contemporary art gallery

feature on the £20 note.

But the Kentish sun isn't just enjoyed by beachgoers.

- Our winter starts later, our spring starts earlier,

and the perfect soil conditions to grow a variety of crops,

things like hops, cherries, apples and pears.

But we're starting to grow a lot more grapes here in Kent,

as the summers are getting hotter,

and the perfect soil conditions for them, too.

- That'll be music to the ears of wine-loving locals.

With over 350 acres of vineyards,

Kent is the largest wine-producing county in the country.

And the other great thing from Kent...

Well, modesty forbids me from telling you

I was born and raised here, but that's enough about me.

Today's about a young couple who are looking to leave London

and find a home for themselves and their international family.

- Hi, I'm Georgina. - And I'm Bryan.

- I'm from Chicago originally, and Bryan's from South Africa.

I have a lot of family still in Chicago,

and Bryan has family all over.

And so we really want to make sure we have a place where people

can come and stay with us for weeks at a time.

We can have quality time together, which we don't often get

with everyone living so far away.

- Georgina, an account manager, came to London five years ago

on a work placement.

She met Bryan, a sales manager, and six months later

moved into his three-bed terrace in Wimbledon.

- We got married in November,

so we kind of started to think about next steps

and realising we're going to outgrow this place very quickly,

especially with these two,

and if we're having kids down the line,

we always loved the idea of moving to the country,

having a huge backyard, so we can watch dogs be dogs.

We do live on a main road,

so it would be nice to just live somewhere a bit quieter.

We love being outdoors.

- I'd like to go for a longer walk with the dogs.

They love to stretch their legs, as you can see.

Definitely one of our favourite things to do on the weekends.

- Yeah, and we love to have this right on our doorstep.

- We love the greenery of Kent.

We've spent a few weekends there recently

and just think the dogs would be absolutely in their element.

- To buy a family and dog-friendly home,

they have a great budget of £1.35 million.

For that, they'd like a detached period property

with a modern open plan interior,

at least four bedrooms, one to two acres of land

and an annexe for visiting family.

All of this should be in a semi-rural location

within an hour's commute of London.

Look, I know how lucky I am, travelling up and down the country,

helping people find their dream home on Escape,

but there's nothing like helping a couple move to my county of Kent.

But it does put a little bit more pressure on me to deliver.

But I've got faith in Kent,

and it's a great place to raise a family, too.

Well, I hope so, because very soon

I'm going to become a father for the first time.

Before I put on my tour guide hat,

we're catching up so I can hear more about their plans.

Georgina, Bryan, welcome to Kent.

I mean, it's not a bad part of England, is it? Look at it.

- Absolutely stunning.

- I mean, not that it needs any real explaining,

I'm from Kent, I love Kent, but what made you choose it?

- So, I think when we were looking at locations to move

outside of London, we wanted something that wasn't too far away.

We have to commute in occasionally for work,

but we really just wanted open countryside, beautiful views.

- Seaside towns, maybe, as well, so we can spend some days at the beach.

And I feel like, yeah, Kent just had everything we wanted.

- And we're thinking about the next phase of our life.

I think we'd love to, if we're lucky enough, to have children.

Um, we'd like to start that outside of London,

where hopefully our kids can have some space to run around

and, um, some nice schools in the local area and so on.

- It's fair to say you have got a healthy budget.

What are you hoping to be able to get with it?

- I think the big thing that we're looking for from the house

is more land, really. I like period properties.

Georgina's probably a little less of a fan of those.

- So I do appreciate the period property features,

but I also do like a more modern living style,

so I would love a mix of both.

- Well, it is my home turf, so how about I show you around a bit?

- Yeah. - Lovely. Let's do it. - Love that, thank you. - Come with me.

Our Kentish house hunt is kicking off in the hamlet of Naccolt,

on the edge of the Kent Downs National Landscape.

It's a mile and a half from the popular village of Wye,

which in turn is just a 50-minute train ride from the capital.

Wye sits in the hills of the Kent Downs

and is well served by both independent shops and pubs,

including a local favourite which overlooks the River Stour.

A three-minute drive from Wye takes us to our first property.

And what a sight to behold.

Right, and you now have permission to turn and face...

- Wow! - Wow!

- Oh, my gosh, it's amazing! - Ha-ha! - I love that!

I was not expecting that. - It's very different. - Yeah. Wow!

- Unbelievable. It's like a tale of two halves, I'd say.

- You can see it's trying to make use of the amazing view over there.

So, yeah, I'm very curious to see what it looks like from the inside,

but yeah, really cool. - Shall we have a look inside?

- Let's do it. - Yeah, that sounds good. - Follow me.

We're catering for Bryan's love of old here

and Georgina's love of new.

The original house was built in the early 1800s,

but the fantastic extension where we're starting our tour

is only five years old.

- Wow! - Look at this!

- It's quite a lot of character. Yeah, not what I was expecting,

I think, maybe from the outside, it's really cool.

It feels really homely.

- The balance in this property, as you go through it,

you will feel those changes.

Not just the age, but almost like the mood

and the feel of the property as well.

- It's just something we don't have now.

And to have it be indoor, outdoor I think, is like the ultimate dream.

- Got the nice modern living on the left

and then country kitchen on the right. - Yeah. - Like it.

The dogs running in and out of the house as well.

It's, like, a very practical space as well.

- Well, let me tell you, the marriage of old and new doesn't stop here.

- Oh, here we go. - Come through.

So through here, maybe a little bit of a snug area.

The front door, cloakroom, downstairs bathroom.

And into a space with a very different feel.

- Love the character. - Definite contradiction. - Yeah.

- I don't think the ceilings feel too low either.

I think it's part of the character and the charm

of having a snug room, a proper snug room.

I really like it. - Dogs lying in front of the fire as well.

It's very cute and cosy.

- The mix of character and contemporary features

continues upstairs...

..with vaulted ceilings alongside modern fittings.

There's a family bathroom with a roll-top bath,

an additional shower room and five bedrooms.

The most compact is used as a study

and there are two neighbouring rooms of similar size.

- Wow, this is nice.

Good size for a kid's room or a nursery or something.

- A larger room sits to the front.

- A good guest room.

You feel that you're kind of in the older section a little bit more.

- Yeah, definitely. Little, old period features in the corners.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- And finally, there's the principal suite

with multiple aspects to the garden and beyond.

- Wow.

- Look at those views. - So cool.

Pretty amazing waking up to that. - That is stunning.

It's got, like, a maritime or, like, a seaside feel

to all the side walls.

- The room also has a pretty swanky en suite.

- Big old bathroom. - Amazing. Yeah. - Yeah.

Nice views out in the bath. His and hers sinks.

- Back outside, the grounds are just as impressive as the house.

Covering around a third of an acre,

there's a large wraparound garden with a raised deck

and a seating area perfectly placed to enjoy the spectacular views

across the Kent Downs national landscape.

It's wonderful, isn't it? - Absolutely stunning.

- Yeah. - Blown away. - And what about the garden?

How green-fingered are you?

- We would like to be green-fingered,

so I would like to see what we can do with the garden.

Plant some flowers, do some vegetable beds.

- OK. But it all comes at a cost.

What do you think this property is on the market for?

- I would say £1.2 million.

- OK.

- Yeah, I would say somewhere between 1.15 million

and £1.2 million.

- Well, you're in the right kind of area,

but it's actually on the market for £1.3 million.

- OK.

- I think we need to readjust our expectations a bit

because, yeah, I think I'm just thinking we might be, for our money,

would have been able to get a bit more acreage or a bit more land.

But I think the trade-off is,

you're so close to Wye and so close to London.

- And then you have the views, right, which is special,

and you can't really put a price on that.

- This period property, with its modern extension,

has an open-plan kitchen-diner and living space, five bedrooms

and a fantastic garden of over a third of an acre

with far-reaching views.

It's in a rural spot within commuting distance of London.

- In this house, every room is different,

but I think it is what we're looking for, really,

with the mix of both sides, which I like.

It's just trying to figure out how to, you know,

use it in your own way.

- It's exactly why we wanted to move out of London,

because when we come home from a busy day in the city,

you want to just sit down on a couch or start cooking in a kitchen

where you can look out on views like this.

They are probably better than we were expecting.

- Georgina and Bryan are used to being in the thick of it in London

and along with offering them the rural escape they're after,

Kent also has some smashing towns where they can get their urban fix.

- Quaint English town.

But with a bit of buzz. - Yeah. - It's really pretty.

- We've brought them to Faversham, a medieval market town

with over 300 listed buildings and a spring in its step.

- I've lived in and around Faversham for nearly 40 years

and I would never live anywhere else.

I'm local. I paint local scenes.

It's a beautiful place to live.

I mean, just look at the architecture.

The atmosphere at the market is fantastic.

I don't think there's another market like it, actually.

We just celebrated 1,000 years of the market last Sunday.

It was fantastic.

- The town is also proud

to have its own copy of the Magna Carta in the town hall.

Dating back over 700 years,

it's one of the best preserved in existence.

- I love it. I feel like it has everything you need.

It's quite a big-sized town, but it feels small and local

and really cute little boutique shops.

- I was brought up in Faversham.

It's a quirky, slightly eccentric town.

There's always something going on.

There's always some kind of festival or weekend event.

And, yeah, it's a great place to live.

I like it and there is a great sense of community,

unlike any other town I've lived in.

- Community does seem to be at the heart of Faversham.

Georgina and Bryan have come

to one of the town's popular community centres,

an important resource for many locals.

Becky Duffy is the centre manager.

- Becky, lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you, too.

- Thanks for welcoming us to your community centre.

I would love to know a little bit more about it and what you do here.

- So Faversham Umbrella is here for everybody

within the local community to support them,

grow independence, self-esteem by holding free activities

that people can join and get to know others

and get integrated into the community, really.

- And how long have you been living in Faversham?

- I've been here for about 14 or 15 years.

We were in the Midlands, came down via London

and then wanted a commutable distance into London.

So then we decided to settle in Faversham.

- And how did you adapt to the commute to London? - It's really commutable.

You know, you've got the high speed here to London in an hour.

So it's really, really easy to get to London.

- We just got married recently,

so we're thinking about starting a family soon.

We were just wondering, is there a lot of people with young kids around

that we could get involved in?

- So it's brilliant for young families around here.

We started a family here.

There's lots of baby groups where you can meet new people

and there's always something going on in town as well.

- We're really looking forward to it, like embracing a community,

getting to know people, saying hi on the street.

So it's nice that people get involved.

- And in terms of pubs and restaurants in the area,

is there a lot on offer?

- Yes, you've got a huge selection of pubs and restaurants in the area.

There's a pub on nearly every street corner.

I don't think you'd cover all of the ones in Faversham on a pub crawl.

- OK. Well, I'll give it a go! - Challenge accepted! - Yeah!

- Not so quickly, you two!

We need to get back on the road and find that country home

for your current and future family.

I wonder whether it could be the next home in our selection.

We're heading to Harrietsham, ten miles from Maidstone

and an hour and ten minutes' train ride to London,

leaving from the local station.

The attractive village boasts a number of listed buildings

and one of its claims to fame

is that the Olympic torch passed through in 2012.

The local gastropub is family-friendly,

hosting live music and quiz nights.

And I'm sure our couple will be pleased to know

it's just a short walk from our next property.

I really can't wait to show them this.

It's a real find, surrounded by stunning Kent countryside.

Feast your eyes on this.

- Wow. - Wow.

Quite the entrance! - Yeah.

- It's amazing. - This is beautiful.

- Did you expect us, Georgina,

to be showing you a driveway with a roundabout on it?

- No, not at all. But it's a welcome surprise.

- Yeah! - I love it, though.

It's nice to have that feeling of just space.

- This is a really, really nice start.

It is a grand entrance. - Yeah. - It's really, really special.

- This country home is thought to have been built in the '60s or '70s

and space is the name of the game inside, too,

entering via a huge hallway.

We're heading straight through the dining room into the kitchen,

which is sandwiched between a garden room and a snug.

- Wow. - Wow. - Big space.

Really nice. - That is a beautiful kitchen. Wow.

Dogs running in from outside. They could come straight in here.

- Definitely. - Hosting parties straight away. - Yeah, for sure.

- And I think that one of the things that really helps it

is how open it is either end into the next room and the next room.

- You've got these beautiful views out there.

And I think we would want to expand that as much as you could. - Yeah.

- Well, come and look at this.

- Wow.

So nice. - Yeah, look at that.

- Super bright and airy. - That's a proper garden and a proper view.

Wow. - Yeah. You can see why they did the glass here.

So, yeah. Pretty special.

- What a result.

This house is getting an even better reaction than our first

and there's not a period feature in sight.

Completing the ground floor is a more formal reception room

opening to the garden...

..a reception hall-cum-dining room...

..a utility and a study.

Next stop for Georgina and Bryan is the first floor.

Up here, there's a monochrome family bathroom and five bedrooms,

so more than enough room for guests,

plus any new additions to the family.

There's a double either side of the landing.

- Oh, this is really nice, too.

- Great size. - Yeah.

- Built in... - Built in wardrobes.

- Of the two smaller rooms, one is in use as a second home office,

but the showstopper has got to be the principal bedroom.

- Whoa! - This is amazing.

- That is a proper size. - Quite grand.

The chandelier, the vaulted ceilings.

- Love it.

- Oh, nice bathroom. - Ha! His and hers.

- Oh, I love this.

Oh, my gosh, it keeps going. - Oh, really?

OK. Right.

This is amazing. And then look at this balcony.

- It's like a proper...

Coffee out here in the mornings. - Yeah. Incredible.

- I haven't heard from them for a while.

Georgina, Bryan, are you up there?

- Hello! - There they are! - Hello.

- Like royalty on the balcony! How are you getting on?

- Yeah, we're loving it. I think the rooms are amazing.

We found a very good sized walk-in wardrobe, so I'm very happy!

- That's inside done.

Now for a closer look at the glorious grounds,

which cover around an acre.

Accessed from both the kitchen and the snug

is a raised terrace overlooking the manicured lawn

which surrounds the house.

There's also a games room with a studio above

and a covered terrace

so those stunning views can be enjoyed all year round.

I'll tell you what, this house has got party written all over it.

There's a lot going on there, isn't there? - It's unreal.

As soon as we came through the gates,

we weren't really knowing what to expect,

but we kind of knew it was going to be special.

But it has just got better and better.

- Bryan, you've previously mentioned how important it is

to maybe have a bit of age

or, you know, some features to the property.

Now, I've got to be honest, this hasn't really got many of them.

- No. That's true.

I have to say, like, as we walked around,

I've certainly dropped the need, I think, for a period property.

Everything else we were looking for is here.

- But of course, things come at a cost.

There's a price tag attached to the property.

Who's going to go for it? - It's your turn to go first.

- I think it's got to be at our asking at least.

So 1.35 million.

- I would say, just hopeful maybe it's a little under.

So £1,325,000.

- OK. This property is on the market...

..for £1.25 million.

- Wow. - Wow.

Wow.

- Can definitely do something with that extra! - Yeah.

That's amazing. - It's a lot to think about.

- This outstanding country house has a huge open-plan kitchen-diner,

a glazed garden room, five bedrooms

and a games room ripe for conversion.

It's set in an acre of land and is commutable to London.

- It's massive.

This is a huge space. - This is a crazy space.

- Oh, my God, you could do so much with this as...

- A gym maybe, or an annexe. - Yeah. - Everything. - A lot of flexibility.

- I think, in terms of what we've been looking for as a family,

entertaining, welcoming space, it has everything.

I could definitely see myself living here.

- I see ourselves living here,

having our nieces and nephews over, the dogs running around.

It can do all of that.

And it's really delivering on space inside and outside.

- It's super-warming to know that we can have something like this

and be able to move into it, you know, straight away.

- After what I would call a pretty successful first leg

of our house-hunt and before we call it a day,

I want to introduce Georgina and Bryan

to one of my absolute favourite spots in Kent.

It's this 16th century inn on the Isle of Sheppey,

off Kent's north coast, where we're stopping for a sundowner.

- It's absolutely beautiful.

Like, super special and we've been blown away.

- Yeah, definitely.

- You've spent a bit of time in Kent now.

How has it gone from this idea in your head

of what could be and how you imagined it,

to how you're visualising it now?

You know, there's a big difference.

- The more we see, the more we love it

and the more cemented the idea is that we do want to move to Kent

and have this lifestyle.

- And I think the contrast between our London life to this life

is just chalk and cheese.

We, erm...

We've wanted fresh air, beautiful spaces, green grass.

It just doesn't get any greener than this.

- I've got to be honest, it makes me proud

that there's people that live in London

that want to live where I live.

What I've realised, getting to know you both,

is it's not just about you finding a home.

This is generational. You want to have children here.

You want to invite your family here.

- I think it's exactly what we're looking for.

We're really looking forward

to showing the family everything we've seen.

- I think they'll be blown away by it as well.

I don't think we were fully expecting

to be able to get as much and as much space.

So, yeah, I think we've been pleasantly surprised. - Yeah.

- You know, I've had a great day with you

and I'm so excited for tomorrow.

- Yeah. Me too. - Yeah, us too.

- Kent has so much going for it that it won't surprise you to learn

that at just over £583,000,

the average price of a detached house in the county

is some £143,000 higher than the average price for the UK.

But that doesn't put off those dreaming of the good life.

Georgina and Bryan have chosen Kent

as the place in which they want to raise a family

and they're not the only ones.

- Kent's a fantastic area for young families to move into

based on its location.

We're within 45 minutes' journey to central London

and equally the same distance down to Dover

and across the Channel to France.

We find that this really encourages young families

that are looking to move to the area,

that they can still have that daily commute if need be,

but also on the weekends venture out to kind of local beaches

and history sites and so forth.

That is particularly appealing

for those that are looking to relocate to Kent.

- The welcome news is that the local market

has gems on offer to suit all pockets.

How about this beauty?

Priced at offers over £370,000,

the three-bed cottage is Grade II listed.

Inside is bursting with original features

in contrast to its high-spec kitchen and bathroom.

But if your budget can stretch to £600,000,

you might want to consider this property.

Built in the 1820s,

it was once two homes that were joined to create one,

laid out over three floors.

There's a cosy country kitchen, a large reception room,

four bedrooms and a cottage garden.

If it's a weekend escape you're after,

then there's this vintage cabin kitted out 1940s-style.

It comes with a kitchenette, a separate double bedroom,

a sofa-cum-bunk bed and a shower room.

Out the front is a terrace to enjoy the view.

Prices start at £240 for a two-night stay.

I'm pleased to say that Kent

is working its magic on Georgina and Bryan

and we may have already found them their dream home.

But we're not done yet.

There's still plenty more of this county to see

and I've got a classic Kentish Mystery House to show them.

We're making our way to Headcorn, located in the Low Weald of Kent.

Here, attractive old buildings in the historic village

house a vast mix of independent shops, pubs and restaurants.

So residents need go no further than the high street

for everyday essentials.

But to venture further afield, there's a great bus service

to destinations including Ashford and Maidstone,

and a direct train to London in a little over an hour.

I've left Georgina and Bryan to explore

while I've come ahead to open up for the final offering.

On the outskirts of the village,

it's this magnificent example of local architecture

set in a peaceful, rural spot.

So here we are, the Mystery House.

It's clear to see that Georgina and Bryan

have fallen in love with the county.

But how Kent are they willing to go?

Because nothing is more Kentish than an oasthouse.

Once used to dry hops for the beer brewing industry,

oasthouses are a key feature of the Kent and Sussex landscape.

And I'm trying my best to keep

the towering dimensions of this one a surprise.

All right, you two, stay facing that way just for the moment.

You're not looking at the house just yet. Nice garden, though, isn't it?

- This is unbelievable. - Yeah. Amazing. - Unbelievable.

- All right, come on. Feast your eyes on this.

- Wow. - Wow!

- Wow. Yeah. - That is an oast.

- I couldn't come here and not show you this.

- Yeah. - It's absolutely beautiful.

- Definitely going in with an open mind.

I think it definitely has to be looked at when you're in Kent.

- The truth is, although there's a lot of converted oasthouses

across Kent, you know, it's famous for it,

but they're not very often on the market.

- I mean, I'm amazed and I love it.

And to see a square one, I've only ever seen the circular ones.

So this is... This is exciting for me.

- This Victorian oasthouse, with its square kiln,

is an ideal candidate for conversion.

No curved walls to fit furniture around

and it's full of period features.

We're starting in the living room.

Decked in terracotta tiles,

the triple aspect room even has a garland of dry hops.

- It's really nice. Yeah. - Cosy. - Yeah.

Very cool in here as well. - Yeah.

I like it. - Yeah? - Yeah.

- Look at the old beams.

- Head height? - Good. Yeah.

- Yeah? We're all right with that?

- Yeah. There's plenty of head height for you to... Yeah. - Good.

- It feels quite, you know, modern, but with period features.

So I like it. - Yeah.

- Right, after you, you go through that archway. - Sounds good.

- Oh, look at this arch.

- Wow.

A little glimpse of the kitchen in that old hatch as well.

I like it. - It's so cute.

Nice little dining room, isn't it? - Yeah.

- Wow. - This is very nice.

- I know that the kitchen size is maybe a little smaller,

and it hasn't got that open plan feel to it... - Yeah.

- ..but you've got to remember what sort of property we're in.

- I think the kitchen size is a good size.

It's just that it's not open to something else.

But I think with these windows looking out,

you can picture yourself here.

It's just, yeah, it's too closed in for what we're looking for.

I don't know.

But keeping an open mind, I think, is the key.

- To have blended, like, modern living into something like this,

I'm quite amazed by it, to be honest.

- It's a stunning house. Definitely.

- The family bathroom is also on the ground floor,

with the sleeping quarters laid out over two floors above.

On the first floor are two doubles, both featuring timber beams

and one with an en suite shower room.

A smaller room is being used for storage.

Georgina and Bryan are on their way up to the second floor,

where this property's historic past takes centre stage.

- Definitely in the oast. - Wow!

- This is so cool.

- So pretty.

- Amazing. It actually feels like quite a spacious room

because of all the high ceiling.

- And it's not circular, so you know, it's usable.

- Yeah, it feels special. And really good view out there of the garden.

- What's hidden from view outside is this extra special bonus,

a self-contained two-storey annexe.

- Wow.

It's beautiful. I love it. Amazing space.

- It's ready for people to move straight into.

- You don't have to do anything. I love it.

- The annexe has a bedroom on both floors, each with an en suite.

And if that's not enough, there's a third bathroom, too.

Now, as we've already seen,

the garden is something to write home about.

There's an acre of beautiful grounds here,

ready to welcome a growing family, plus two energetic dogs.

There's also a timber workshop and a fantastic garden room,

with a feature pond completing the package.

Hey, look, we've got to soak up this sun, eh? - It's amazing.

- It's pretty idyllic and peaceful.

I think this garden is what we had envisioned

and what we're looking for.

Big size, it has an amazing pond,

room for different buildings and things.

- Well, it's a great garden, no doubt about that.

I know you love the annexe.

What do you think it's all on the market for?

- I think it's probably top end of our budget and £1.35 million.

- OK. - I completely agree.

I think it's right at the top, if not more than our budget.

So in excess of 1.35 million.

- OK.

Well, it might surprise you to know this is on the market

for exactly £1 million.

- What? - Yeah.

Yeah. - Wow.

- I think for the space that it's on alone,

and then it's a historical piece of architecture,

you would expect it to go for more.

And it's all done up. There isn't much to do.

- Yeah. Really pleasantly surprised by that.

- Priced way under budget,

this converted Victorian oasthouse comes with a contemporary kitchen,

four bedrooms and a two-bed self-contained annexe,

all set within an acre of land.

- The Mystery House has definitely

delivered something different for us.

We haven't seen an oasthouse before,

but yeah, we're pleasantly surprised

and I think it's been really interesting to see it.

- On reflection, looking at the house itself and living in an oast,

I think it's fair to say that I know

what Georgina and I are now looking for

in terms of that open kitchen-diner living space.

- This one just doesn't have that entertaining flow

that we're looking for

from, you know, kitchen to having people outside.

- So I think we've realised that that kind of a space

is probably not practical for us.

- Bryan and Georgina are totally sold on Kent,

but if they did need any more inspiration,

they can take it from Beth and Martin,

who made a similar move from London back in 2016.

- Hi, there. I'm Beth Bayliss. This is my husband, Martin. - Hello.

- And somewhere in the garden are our two cats, Deedee and Bibit.

Good morning, Deedee.

- CAT MEOWS - Is that your good morning meow?

- This is Bibit.

Hello. You want some treats?

I thought so.

- The couple set up home in Staplehurst,

nine miles from Maidstone.

- We swapped a one-bedroom garden flat in Richmond

for a two and a half bedroom cottage that is 1850s.

It's got quite a large garden, which is one of the challenges

because you have to stay on top of it all the time.

- Yeah, but it's brilliant, though. Got to love a bit of gardening,

growing veg and everything. It's fab.

Best thing about it is, we've got lots of space, lots of legroom.

We've got chickens and a swing on a willow tree, which is pretty cool.

- While Beth loves pottering in the garden,

Martin likes to get out on his bike.

- As you can see, this is one of my favourite reasons

that we escaped to the country.

I absolutely love it here.

How cool is this?

- In my book, anybody that's got so many nice things to say about Kent

is worth meeting, so I thought I'd pop in and do just that.

Beth, Martin, you've carved yourselves out

a nice little piece of Kent here.

- Yeah, it's all right, isn't it? Not bad.

- So what was the catalyst? What drove the move?

- For one of my birthdays, Beth bought me a taster course,

which was a fine furniture-making course.

- And you loved it, didn't you? - Yeah, and I wasn't loving my job.

- And that led to a career change.

- We just sort of decided that a bit more space,

in this case a lot more space,

would be applicable for going forward in my career.

- Somewhere where he can be noisy,

somewhere he can be like, you know, messy and there's nobody to upset.

- I understand you had to get out,

but why was here the place you went to?

- We needed gardens and space and stuff.

And what better place than Kent to find all of that sort of legroom?

And when we came across the border the houses were a bit cheaper,

so we were able to get a slightly bigger house

and a much, much bigger garden with a workshop as well.

- So how has life changed for you both since London?

- So having worked in media,

I've now got a shop down here and I've got my own business

and that's not something I would ever have had,

had I not moved out to the countryside.

It's like a complete lifestyle change.

We just have more time and that means more time in the garden,

it means more time with friends,

more time, you know, just enjoying life together.

- Their move here has given them a different lifestyle,

both outside and in.

When they arrived here,

Martin put what he had learned on his course to good use.

- Welcome to the kitchen. - And you put all this together yourself?

- Yeah, all of it. - Yeah, handmade.

I said to Martin, "Right, I just want a U-shaped kitchen,

"amazing stove at the end, nice sort of dining area,

"and that's what I would like, please."

And that's what I got.

- I started off after I did my furniture-making course.

Making this kitchen, that was the first thing that I did.

- You don't just build for yourself, though, do you, Martin? - No.

I make furniture, basically.

- So you make the stuff, you flog the stuff? - I flog the stuff, exactly!

- Martin's handcrafted goods are sold in Beth's shop

in the town of Tenterden, known as the Jewel of the Weald.

So they're taking me to their Tudor shop front,

which sits amongst a cluster of businesses

housed in a lively mix of Georgian and Victorian architecture.

- And this is an Aladdin's cave of local makers

that Beth has sort of curated herself.

- Yeah. So we've got 27 local makers and artists,

all from the from the sort of Kent area.

And they all produce really fabulously beautiful,

quirky and individual things.

Had we not moved to the countryside, I would not in a million years

have been stood in a shop in a town that I didn't know about,

doing a job that I hadn't even considered.

So, yeah, it's been... It's been brilliant, actually.

Now, being a shopkeeper, when you get your morning coffee

and you're walking down the street and people are like, "Hello, hello."

You know, that was probably missing from my life in London.

So actually, you know, to have a nice community of people,

yeah, very lucky, very lucky.

I am absolutely, 100% better here than I was in London.

And, yeah, happy girl down here. Very much so.

- Well, I've certainly had a good week

and I'm pretty sure that Bryan and Georgina have, too.

Let's find out what they're going to do next.

Hello, you two. - Hello. - Hello.

- What a nice spot, eh?

So, come on, then. How have you both found Kent?

- I think we've absolutely loved it.

It's completely reaffirmed everything that we thought it would.

- Yeah. Everywhere we've been,

it's just brought something new that we hadn't seen before.

And, yeah, we've loved everything this week.

- What about the houses?

- I think each property had something very special about it,

but I think there's a clear favourite in our heads,

which is number two.

I think we can see a life there, a future there.

Our future kids there, our dogs there,

family there, nieces and nephews.

I think the second we walked in, we were like, wow, this is cool.

- We've actually inquired to go and have a second viewing.

- Already? - Yeah.

- It just really opened our eyes to the potential of a family life

and we could see ourselves there for a very long time.

- Yeah. I think you could move in straight away,

but there's so much opportunity to put our own stamp on it.

So it's exciting. - Yeah. We're very excited. - Yeah, definitely.

- People travel a long way to come and see us.

There's a nice, inviting home that's waiting for them there.

So, yeah, it was awesome.

- I'm so excited for you both. I wish you all the best.

I've had a fantastic time with you both

and just let me know what goes on.

- We will and thank you so much for showing us around.

We've loved it. - Yeah, teaching us about Kent,

and we see your passion and we're so excited.

So we'll be inviting you over for a barbecue very soon, hopefully.

- Yeah. - It would be a pleasure. Thank you. Good luck.

Georgina and Bryan fell in love with Kent

and, well, come on, let's face it, I always knew they would.

And I can see how excited they are to share my home county

with their friends and family.

I wish them all the very best for that second viewing.

And if everything goes to plan,

you can add that to the long list of things

that the Garden of England has provided.

Join us again next time for another Escape To The Country.

Georgina and Bryan didn't end up going for our second property,

but they have had an offer accepted on a house with an annexe

and two acres of land in Staplehurst.

Welcome to my turf, guys. I look forward to seeing you around.

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