Needing more space for books, as well as an impressive collection of rocks, today's couple from Edinburgh have Alistair Appleton to help them with their rural relocation to Northumberland.
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00:00To downsize or to upsize, that is the question.
00:07There are a lot of bedrooms.
00:09There are so many rooms, I'm kind of a bit perplexed about what room you would use for what.
00:15And, as our escapees know, it can be a tricky one to answer.
00:20The size of it is smaller, but that's something to think about, really.
00:27There's a balance to be struck.
00:29This could be your big library reading room.
00:33Do you have to have all this?
00:36What does he have to do?
00:37This would make a very nice space for that.
00:41But trust us here on escape to hit the sweet spot.
00:45I feel very comfortable in this house.
00:47Yes, already, absolutely.
00:50No, that's great.
00:57MUSIC
01:14Northumberland, England's most sparsely populated county.
01:20Its coastline largely untouched
01:23and nearly a quarter of its rural landscape protected by the Northumberland National Park.
01:29This is a county that can soothe the soul.
01:33You can't get further north in England than Northumberland.
01:36In fact, it's so north that it's more north than some of the most southerly points of Scotland.
01:42And it's a county that sells itself with beautiful, rugged landscape,
01:46beaches as far as the eye can see,
01:48and some of the best dark skies in the UK.
01:52Perfect for an escape to the country.
01:58Northumberland sits in north-east England and shares its northern border with Scotland.
02:04Its turbulent history is evident everywhere.
02:08There are more castles here than any other English county,
02:12more than 70 still standing.
02:16And the 1900-year-old Hadrian's Wall is a World Heritage site,
02:21putting it on a par with the likes of Egypt's pyramids and the Taj Mahal.
02:26Northumberland has everything that you could possibly want,
02:30whether it's endless miles of beautiful sandy beaches
02:34or endless miles of empty hills up in the Cheviots.
02:39There's brilliant places to walk the dogs, there's great restaurants,
02:43the people are really friendly, and it's just the best place to live on earth.
02:50High praise indeed.
02:52The coastal town of Amble, as the very name of the place conjures up relaxation,
02:57is home to some 6,000 residents
03:00and has a small fishing fleet that operates out of the harbour.
03:04Their daily catch includes gurnard, pollock and ling,
03:07which are plentiful around the coast here.
03:10The locals enjoy a leisurely meander down the beach,
03:13morning constitutionals along the pier,
03:16or strolling amongst the sand dunes,
03:18on which you'll find brightly coloured beach huts.
03:26If you're wondering what the complete opposite of city life looks like,
03:30then the countryside of this amazing county is pretty much a perfect example,
03:35and it's exactly what our buyers are looking for today.
03:40Doric and Claire live in Leith,
03:42two miles from the centre of the Scottish capital Edinburgh.
03:45We've walked about 15 minutes from our house to Leith Links,
03:49and this is the nearest and the only green close to us.
03:53It's lovely, it's a big space.
03:55But countryside it is not.
03:57This four-bed modern townhouse overlooking the docks
04:00has been their home for the past nine years.
04:03Here we are, out on our terrace, but as you can see, it's really not big enough.
04:10We need a garden, we need somewhere to spread out,
04:13and we need somewhere to breathe in the country.
04:20More space is also required inside their new home,
04:24as Doric, an emeritus professor of geology and oceanography,
04:28needs enough room to house his huge collection of rocks and books,
04:33as well as somewhere to write.
04:36To be able to look out over the countryside, to look out over the sea,
04:39would really be an inspiration for that sort of writing.
04:45Claire, too, is after a dedicated space for her passion.
04:49What I really love and what I enjoy is photography,
04:53and landscapes particularly, being out in the great outdoors.
04:59Doric and Claire are after a detached property
05:02with a large kitchen, at least three bedrooms, and a good-sized garden.
05:07In addition, Doric wants a library-slash-study, and Claire a photography space.
05:13Their budget? £650,000.
05:26I'm so glad that Claire and Doric chose to move to Northumberland.
05:30It's such a beautiful county, and of course fantastic for geology.
05:36And amazing photo opportunities for Claire's photography.
05:40So, win-win.
05:43We've got a jam-packed itinerary over the next few days
05:47as we explore the east of the county, near to the Northumberland coast.
05:51The very first item on our schedule? Introductions, of course.
05:56Claire and Doric, thanks for choosing Northumberland.
05:59I'm very grateful, because I love Northumberland and I'm always happy to come here.
06:02What are you looking for in the house?
06:04Because you are sort of up-sizing, aren't you?
06:06I know, it's crazy.
06:07Most people are down-sizing.
06:09You want more rooms and more garden.
06:12Yes, it would be nice.
06:14So, yes, it's to accommodate more than just us, isn't it?
06:18Yeah, we need somewhere to accommodate lots of books, lots of rocks,
06:23and a place to sit and be able to write and to think.
06:27So are we talking two or three rooms' worth of books and rocks?
06:30Probably.
06:31It depends on the size of the rooms, but a couple of rooms, yes.
06:35We've got lots lined up, so shall we crack on?
06:38Sounds perfect.
06:39Follow me.
06:43Our first stop is the village of West Thurston,
06:46about ten miles north of the county town of Morpeth.
06:49Perched on the western bank of the river Coquit,
06:52West Thurston's 450 or so residents use the amenities in neighbouring Felton,
06:58on the opposite side of the river.
07:01Felton has a village hall, a post office, a general store,
07:05a bakery and tea room, and a highly regarded pub.
07:10Back across the river, in the heart of West Thurston,
07:13is this property, which we've lined up for Doric and Claire to view.
07:19Here we have our first offering for you.
07:22Oh, yes.
07:23Northumberland's finest.
07:25That is...
07:27I like it, yeah.
07:28It's nothing like the house we live in.
07:30Exactly, it's definitely upsizing this one.
07:33If you wanted to upsize, this is a big property.
07:36Yes.
07:37It was, unbelievably, a two-bedroom bungalow,
07:40and they have laboured it with love into...
07:44Well, it's a five-bedroom house.
07:46Yeah, it's five!
07:47It's not a two-bedroom bungalow any more.
07:50You'll be able to house some books and rocks and more.
07:53Shall we have a look?
07:54Yes, brilliant.
07:56The original bungalow was built in the 1930s.
08:00It was extended in the 1990s and again in the early noughties.
08:05In the past 12 months, the present owners have replaced
08:08all the interior doors and laid engineered oak flooring
08:12throughout the ground floor.
08:16Come on in.
08:18It's a lovely big hall.
08:20Yes.
08:21We're going to start in the kitchen diner.
08:23OK.
08:25It's a beautiful space.
08:27It's large.
08:29No, this is very...
08:31Look at the size of that kitchen.
08:33Aesthetically, it's beautiful in terms of the light
08:35that you've got coming in.
08:37I'm just slightly concerned there is so much more here as well.
08:40Well, there's a little dining room.
08:42It may be even bigger than we were expecting.
08:44You only need a little tray of breadcrumbs.
08:49Claire's eagle eyes have already spotted the separate dining room,
08:53and next door to that is a games room.
08:56Both of these lie to the front of the house.
08:59We're checking out the two further reception rooms
09:02at the rear of the property.
09:05So, a library here. A bit too small, maybe, for you, Doric.
09:09But it could be mine.
09:11This is... Well, currently, this is their main living space.
09:17This is a very nice proportioned room.
09:20Yeah, this is a space I can feel that we would enjoy.
09:24I just like the way that everything is quite...
09:27It's not over-fussy.
09:29The other thing I like are the wooden floors throughout.
09:34Upstairs, the vendors have replaced all the carpets
09:37with plush new wool ones.
09:39Gosh, this feels quite grandiose with that huge window.
09:44I'm taking them to the largest of five bedrooms.
09:49Come in, tell me what you think.
09:51Because, for one thing, this has the best view, I think,
09:54of the whole house.
09:56This is very lovely.
09:59The light, the bright, those windows and that view.
10:03It's gorgeous.
10:06And there's a nice en suite behind me.
10:08There's a huge en suite behind me.
10:11And, yeah, just so expansive.
10:16The four remaining bedrooms all look over the front of the house
10:20and include another roomy double.
10:23Wow. Another very large bedroom with an en suite,
10:28which I, of course, would think any guests that we had arriving
10:32would say, thank you very much for this beautiful bedroom.
10:37A newly fitted family bathroom is shared by three further bedrooms.
10:42Another bedroom.
10:44There are a lot of bedrooms.
10:46There are so many rooms, I'm kind of a bit perplexed
10:49about what room you would use for what.
10:53Well, we're only going to add to that confusion
10:56because, back downstairs, a former outbuilding
10:59houses a further four interlocking rooms,
11:02currently used as a craft room, a gym, an office and a garden room.
11:08I've actually lost track of them because there's a whole other wind
11:11along that side of the gardens.
11:13And I wonder whether there's a problem in that.
11:15It's almost like there are too many options,
11:17too many rooms to make decisions.
11:20It's a nice luxury to have, I guess.
11:24And more.
11:26I would say that this one probably would be where I'd want to put my albums.
11:30I think it's a really nice proportioned room.
11:35All in all, there are 3,500 square feet of living space here,
11:40with a suitably generous but, I think, manageable rear garden.
11:47What do you think the price tag is on this property?
11:49I'd go £625,000.
11:54I'll be optimistic and say £615,000.
11:59So, £615,000.
12:01Well, you are being quite optimistic
12:03because it's actually right at the top of your budget, £650,000.
12:08That's not unreasonable for that house.
12:10It makes sense, absolutely.
12:13This substantial link-detached home has a contemporary kitchen-diner,
12:18four reception rooms and five bedrooms, two of which are en suite.
12:23An outbuilding has been converted into four further multi-purpose rooms
12:28and it has generous front and back gardens.
12:31It's on the market for £650,000.
12:35This is the first house that we've seen
12:38and, yes, my first reaction was, wow.
12:42But I think, overall, I then think,
12:45is that actually too big for what we want?
12:48It's a very good start.
12:50Very impressed and it's definitely a contender.
12:55I found the sun. It's on this side of the house.
12:58That's wonderful. Nice and warm.
13:01Well, it's shining on the rest of our day,
13:03so shall we get back in the car
13:05and see what else Northumberland has to offer?
13:08Yes, please. Come with me.
13:22Morpeth, Northumberland's county town,
13:25regularly tops lists of the best places to live in the UK
13:29and, as the locals will tell you, for good reason.
13:36The people are very friendly, very outgoing,
13:39everybody chats to everybody, everybody's really helpful.
13:43The High Street in Morpeth is thriving.
13:45It's got loads of young business owners
13:47and it's a really attractive place to have a business
13:50because there's a lot of good community
13:53and everyone still likes to shop local and support local.
13:57One of the newer arrivals in town is this zero-waste store and café,
14:02which moved into a retail space vacated by a major High Street brand.
14:07Owner Imogen Roth has kindly agreed to fill Doric and Claire in
14:12on what makes Morpeth so special.
14:15There's a lot going on in Morpeth.
14:17We do have regular farmers' markets,
14:20which are on in the town centre, every Wednesday,
14:24but on every first Saturday of the month we have a big farmers' market
14:28just on the town square over there.
14:30There's also a lot of bars and restaurants that have popped up,
14:34so it's very vibrant in terms of daytime and nighttime activity.
14:38You're very close to the beach,
14:40you're very close to the mountains just up the road.
14:45In fact, it's one well-connected town.
14:48The A1, less than two miles away,
14:50means the city of Newcastle is half an hour drive south
14:54and the town of Annick a half hour drive north.
14:57Morpeth's train station is on the east coast mainline service
15:01between London and Edinburgh.
15:03Morpeth's a really vibrant market town
15:06and it's a really great base for exploring everything the county has to offer,
15:10from Hadrian's Wall to Adgeffron to Annick Castle.
15:14It's a fantastic starting point
15:17to visit all of these wonderful places on offer here.
15:23After a day of getting to know some of the property,
15:26places and people of Northumberland,
15:28we're rounding off our day with a stroll
15:31along some of the county's magnificent coastline.
15:34A chance for Clare to take some photographs
15:37and for Doric to regale me with the stories
15:40that these astounding rock formations tell.
15:44When I think of Northumberland, I think of spots like this.
15:47What makes this so interesting for you?
15:49This is an absolutely fascinating period of time.
15:52The rocks are about 320 million years old,
15:55so these rocks are probably from an ancient delta.
15:59And when you say ancient... Sorry, it's so exciting.
16:02But when you say ancient delta,
16:04are you talking about this being like a different tropical,
16:08with palm trees and...?
16:10Exactly.
16:11And this part of the world was around about the equator at that time.
16:16Huge forests came after this,
16:19and to tread where the equator was all those years ago
16:24is a fascinating tale.
16:25That's amazing.
16:26So are you feeling inspired?
16:28Are you feeling this is going to be a good step
16:30from the middle of Edinburgh?
16:32Very much so.
16:33Northumberland is definitely somewhere where my soul feels easy.
16:39That's very important, your soul feeling easy.
16:42That's beautiful.
16:43So thumbs up for Northumberland.
16:45Let's take a break, because it's been a long day,
16:48and let's, yeah, nourish ourselves ready for tomorrow.
16:51Good.
16:52Don't forget your hammer.
16:54He might.
16:55HE CHUCKLES
17:06Our day begins in the popular coastal village of Longhorton,
17:10just a half-hour walk from the delightfully named Sugar Sands Beach.
17:15This small but active community is well served by a supermarket,
17:20a church, two tea shops,
17:22plus regular buses to Annick and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
17:26In the centre of the village, down a quiet lane,
17:29shared with a couple of other neighbours,
17:31we find our next property.
17:34It's a beautiful stone-built house.
17:36Well...
17:37What a lovely stone, which you'll tell us all about.
17:39Yeah, exactly.
17:40Yes, what kind of stone is that?
17:42This is the local stone, carboniferous sandstone,
17:45a calciferous sandstone, absolutely fabulous.
17:48I do like it very much,
17:50and, of course, very much appreciate the solar panels on the top.
17:54Oh, and the electric car.
17:56And the electric car point, yes.
17:58Lots of solar panels.
17:59Solar panels, these rake in £1,400 a year.
18:03Do they?
18:04Yeah.
18:05So, shall we have a look inside?
18:07Yes, please.
18:08Absolutely, follow me.
18:11Built in 2006,
18:13this substantial detached home has been fully refurbished by the owners.
18:18Come into the kitchen, dining, snug room.
18:22It's a beautiful L-shaped space.
18:25Oh, this is fabulous.
18:27Absolutely.
18:29And the wood-burning stove in the corner.
18:33I like the mica sparkling in the stonework.
18:38I'm so enjoying the geological house tours.
18:41It's so wonderful.
18:43But how does it feel in terms of size?
18:46This space is more than ample,
18:49and you've got windows on almost every aspect, haven't you?
18:53So that's rather lovely too.
18:55So this is probably where you'd spend most of your time,
18:58but there is a lovely sitting room at the front.
19:03Come on in.
19:04This is a huge room.
19:06Wow.
19:07Again, very light.
19:08Yes.
19:10And my thinking was that next door you've got a sitting room.
19:14This could be your big library reading room.
19:18Do you have to have all this?
19:20What does he have to...?
19:22This would make a very nice space for that.
19:25Absolutely.
19:26A bay window.
19:27The books, the light, and able to sit down and talk.
19:30For both of us.
19:32You'd have a little corner.
19:34That little...
19:35The lovely snug through there.
19:37You'd have your own snug, yes, exactly.
19:39So why don't you go and explore upstairs
19:41and I'll find you out in the garden.
19:43Perfect.
19:46This is an interesting property because it is, in some sense,
19:51not massive, doesn't have lots of alternative rooms,
19:55but this room, I think, would make a beautiful study
19:59if the two of them can decide which room belongs to whom.
20:06Upstairs there are five bedrooms and this one is the largest.
20:11Wow.
20:12Wow.
20:13This is big too.
20:15Yeah, it's beautiful.
20:16Nice and bright and light.
20:19And then it goes round to...
20:20En suite.
20:21Yeah.
20:22This works well.
20:24A family bathroom serves another double,
20:27a single room in use as a study,
20:30and a slightly larger single.
20:33At the opposite end of the house is another generous room
20:36which could be perfect for guests.
20:38Another en suite.
20:41Another really good-sized bedroom.
20:44We wouldn't even need to paint or change the colours.
20:47Really, really attractive.
20:51I feel very comfortable in this house.
20:53Yes.
20:54Already, absolutely.
20:56No, that's great.
20:59The outside space here has also had a spruce up.
21:03The owners added this timber summer house as an entertaining space
21:07with a fully working bar, a covered seating area and a pizza oven.
21:12So what about the garden?
21:14They've got a bar area and it's like a whole pub, in fact,
21:17out in their garden, which you could convert into a study, I suppose.
21:20Definitely a rock cabinet, rock room.
21:24Museum.
21:25Museum.
21:26And what do you think this all costs?
21:28I would go for the top end of our budget, say £640,000.
21:34Interesting, OK.
21:35I don't think it is the top end of our budget for some reason.
21:39£605,000.
21:41Actually, Claire, you're closer.
21:43This is actually on the market for £595,000.
21:47OK. Right.
21:49That's an attractive price. It's appealing. It's very appealing.
21:52One thing to bear in mind is that there is actually already an offer on the table,
21:55so if you did love this house, then you'd probably need to move quite quickly.
21:59Right, OK.
22:01That's fair enough and I'm not surprised.
22:05In the heart of a popular village,
22:07this superbly refurbished modern detached home
22:10boasts an open-plan kitchen, dining, living space,
22:14two reception rooms and five bedrooms, two of which are en suite.
22:19There's an enclosed rear garden with a summer house and pizza oven.
22:24Just half an hour walk from the beach,
22:26it's on the market for offers over £595,000.
22:32It's a real, real house that I can see us living in.
22:36The only compromise is you are situated amongst other dwellings,
22:43so you're not looking directly out onto the countryside.
22:47But I'm very interested to see this 30-minute walk to the coastline,
22:51which might well compensate for that.
22:53Absolutely.
23:02If you're considering a new home in Northumberland,
23:05then here's the lowdown on house prices.
23:08The average cost of a detached property here is just under £339,000.
23:14That's more than £118,000 below the UK figure.
23:19But prices do rise in the county's coastal hotspots.
23:25Let's take a look at what else is currently on the market.
23:28This semi-detached stone character cottage has a kitchen,
23:32a good-sized living room and two double bedrooms.
23:35Outside, there's a beautifully maintained garden to the front and side,
23:40with lovely views of the farmland and the sea beyond.
23:44It's on the market for offers over £325,000.
23:51In the same village, this recently refurbished bungalow has four bedrooms,
23:55four bathrooms, a kitchen, family room, a spacious reception and a garden room.
24:02It's priced at offers over £500,000.
24:07If you're in need of some R&R,
24:09this wooden shepherd's hut with wood-fired hot tub could be just the tonic.
24:15Overlooking a wildflower meadow on a 360-acre farm,
24:20it boasts a king-size bed, a kitchenette, as well as dining and seating areas.
24:26Sleeping up to four people, prices start at £175 per night for a minimum two-night stay.
24:43It's Mystery House time, and we're making our way to the coastal town of Amble,
24:48on the estuary of the River Coquit.
24:51The town prides itself on being the friendliest port in England,
24:56with the working harbour the heart of the community.
24:59In the wooden retail pods of Amble Harbour Village,
25:03you'll find independent food, drink, gift and homeware sellers.
25:08But the high street is crammed with all the everyday essentials
25:13Amble's 5,000 or so residents need.
25:17And the biggest draw?
25:19Oh, the sun is trying to break through.
25:23Some of Northumberland's finest beaches are on its doorstep.
25:31I thought we'd stop here on the way to the Mystery House
25:33because it's not too far away from these beautiful beaches.
25:36Do you know this?
25:37We do know this area.
25:39Coquit Island is familiar in terms of...
25:42You see it from various aspects along this coastline.
25:45We've not actually been to this particular part of this beach.
25:48Certainly this part of the coastline we love very much.
25:51Well, all of this could be on your doorstep, quite literally in fact,
25:54because the Mystery House that we're going to see is...
25:58there.
25:59Oh, wow.
26:01No.
26:04That's a sea view.
26:05Yeah, that is a sea view.
26:06But you're going to have to be a little bit more patient.
26:08I'm going to just whizz round and get it all ready for you.
26:10Why don't you stroll down onto your beach
26:14and then I'll whistle when I'm ready.
26:16OK.
26:19With this Mystery House, all bets are off.
26:22This spectacular and dramatic location is the setting
26:25for this quite unique property.
26:30It's modern, it's bright, it's got incredible views down the coast.
26:35But the great thing about this Mystery House is behind this door...
26:41..is something very special.
26:43We'll just have to wait to find out what it is.
26:47It's certainly going to challenge Doric and Claire's wish list.
26:51For one thing, it's attached,
26:53and for another, it's not the upsized property they're after.
26:57However, it's definitely not a downsize either,
27:00so let's drag our couple away from the beach
27:03and see what kind of a storm our Mystery House can whip up.
27:11Welcome. Welcome to your potential new home.
27:16This is a special offering. Wow.
27:19Stunning.
27:21And it's this one at the corner, looking down the coast here,
27:25that is yours.
27:26The coast, that's the dream.
27:28And it is a beautiful spot,
27:30and it's kind of very surprising and unexpected.
27:35I was beginning to think, actually, I like to overlook the sea.
27:40Well, here you are. You might be able to.
27:42Shall we go in and have a look? Yes. Follow me.
27:47This small complex was designed and built by the present owners
27:51who live in one of the three properties here.
27:54Since its completion three years ago,
27:56they've rented this house out as a luxury holiday let
28:00and have now decided to sell it.
28:02Come on in.
28:05It's an upside-down property.
28:07The entrance hall leads to the bedrooms,
28:09with all the main living areas on the first floor.
28:13To make the most of the breathtaking panorama,
28:16which includes a view over to Coquit Island,
28:19home to a colony of some 30,000 puffins.
28:25Take a look at the view.
28:28All the way down the coast that way.
28:31My goodness. That's fantastic.
28:33And lots of light.
28:35You would really be watching the tides coming and going.
28:39Fantastic.
28:41From this end of the living room,
28:43those views can be enjoyed al fresco on the south-facing balcony,
28:48ideal for sundowners.
28:51This open-plan living, dining, kitchen space is filled with light
28:56and houses an exquisite contemporary shaker-style kitchen,
29:00complete with wooden units, stone worktops
29:03and integrated appliances.
29:05I'm sort of speechless by the difference of this property from the others
29:11and the fact that it has those views and it's right on the coast
29:16and all those things are superb.
29:18The size of it is smaller, but that's something to think about, really.
29:25There is one special feature about this house,
29:28which I think is rather great.
29:30More special?
29:32I think it's pretty special. Come and have a look.
29:40So... Oh, yes.
29:42One of the things we haven't talked about
29:45is that we are in a dark-sky reserve here.
29:49So not only the sea, but also the sky is yours to enjoy.
29:54I don't think I've ever been in a house with a coupler like that.
30:00Yeah, exactly.
30:02Absolutely fantastic.
30:04There isn't an obvious pre-made candidate for your study,
30:08but you could line this whole wall with circular bookcases.
30:13That would be quite a feat.
30:15That is a very intriguing, attractive option, I must admit.
30:21Directly below this distinctive circular room, down on the ground floor,
30:26is an identical space used as a bedroom.
30:29It's even got a circular bed, complete with its own toilet and basin.
30:35Next door is a second double bedroom with an ensuite shower
30:39and doors out into the garden.
30:42It might be the smallest we've seen this week,
30:45but it is still far more outside space than they currently have.
30:50That's quite a large outside space, really, overall.
30:54You could easily fill that with colour.
30:57That would be a challenge that's an enjoyable challenge, definitely.
31:01Yes, it is certainly intriguing,
31:04and always you've got this curved central space
31:08giving the rooms a different dimension, a different feel.
31:13There's a third and final double bedroom,
31:16again with its own ensuite, at the front of the property.
31:20So there it is, our mystery house.
31:23And just one mystery remains.
31:26Come, I couldn't resist the sea air, it's so fresh and bracing.
31:31It also gives you a chance to see the whole complex,
31:34your beautiful little house nestled at the back there,
31:37protected from the elements.
31:39What do you think the financial aspect of this is?
31:41How much would you have to pay to live here?
31:43It's got to be at least £650,000.
31:48OK, Doric, what do you think?
31:50Well, I was going to go with a similar sort of figure.
31:53I think this has to be the £650,000.
31:56Well, in this instance, you're both correct.
31:59It offers in excess of £650,000.
32:05This contemporary beachside property
32:08boasts an open-plan kitchen, dining, living space,
32:11the south-facing balcony,
32:13a unique circular reception room
32:16and three ensuite bedrooms,
32:18one with access to the private courtyard garden.
32:21In a stunning coastal location, looking out to Coquit Island,
32:25it's on the market for offers in excess of £650,000.
32:31I think the overall issues with this house
32:35is nothing to do with the area
32:38or the wonderful, spectacular architecture,
32:41but it's the accommodation space is a bit smaller than we probably need.
32:48I think if we're really honest, we love it,
32:52but that space compromise is a step too far.
32:57It's not the place that we can move us to permanently.
33:11I think the house hunt here in Northumberland is going pretty well,
33:14but I'm going to meet another couple, Claire and David,
33:17who have already settled in this magical part of the country,
33:20but they've had a seven-year head start,
33:23so let's find out how it's been going for them.
33:29Goal!
33:36In 2016, David, who was working as a personal trainer,
33:39and Claire, a creative consultant,
33:42moved from Newcastle city centre to the old mining village of Shillbottle,
33:46four miles south of Annick and just a 15-minute drive from the beach.
33:51We lived in the city on the riverside.
33:54It was beautiful where we lived,
33:56but as soon as you left your front door,
33:59there were floods of people going about their daily business.
34:02Up here, it just feels different to that.
34:06It just feels like you can carve out the life that you want.
34:13Claire was always like, you can design your own life,
34:15and that was a phrase that stuck with me.
34:17You can design your own life, and I hadn't really given that a thought.
34:22Like, we do actually have more freedom than we think.
34:27We can consciously choose to do those things,
34:31take our lives in different directions.
34:36David, who served in the Royal Marines for 12 years, has PTSD.
34:42So the couple were seeking a more soothing and calming environment
34:46to help David better manage his symptoms
34:49and in which to raise their growing family.
34:52Yeah, I think the fabric of nature is just such a gift.
34:55Like, both of our children are kind of growing up with that as a backdrop,
34:58which feels really idyllic.
34:59That sort of circling back to times gone by
35:02and that kind of bit of nostalgic way of just being sort of exploring,
35:07out exploring all day and kind of finding fascination in the small stuff
35:11and you don't need much in the way of entertainment
35:14when you've got green space and a local beach.
35:16So yeah, that's a real gift and something that we adore.
35:23It seems like the Northumberland countryside
35:25has really worked its magic on Claire, David and the family,
35:29and it's so glorious to see how joyful it's made them.
35:32So I've come here to sample their joy face to face.
35:42Hey, guys.
35:43Hello.
35:44Thanks for meeting me and letting me see your beautiful garden and home.
35:48Oh, this must be a wonderful place to grow up as a little folk.
35:51Must love it here.
35:52Oh, it's magical. It's amazing.
35:54First thing we noticed, actually, we obviously come up and visit it
35:57and you just notice how little traffic there was
36:00and just the kids playing around on the streets.
36:04We didn't know anyone here.
36:05We didn't know what the lifestyle would be like, if we would like it.
36:08We just didn't know, but we knew
36:10we wanted to bring our little boy up somewhere like this.
36:13And that's what brought us here, wasn't it? That was it.
36:16This feels like it was more of a spiritual or had a spiritual component.
36:19Is that true?
36:20A feeling, I think, you know,
36:22the way the light was shining when we first visited the house.
36:25It just felt easy, didn't it? It felt easy.
36:27Yeah, it all just felt so easy
36:29and it felt like a dream come true to be so close to the beach.
36:33We were like, really, we can be this close to the beach?
36:36We can have sea views like that can exist?
36:39So it just felt otherworldly, didn't it?
36:44This move has been particularly restorative for David,
36:48who now works as a yoga teacher
36:50and runs retreat days for both ex-military personnel
36:54and anyone seeking a contemplative space.
36:57To accommodate this new venture,
36:59the couple extended the cottage to incorporate a yoga studio.
37:04This was, I know for you, David, like a healing experience
37:08in terms of, you know, you worked as a soldier,
37:11now you teach yoga, and in between that,
37:13there was a lot of kind of personal journeying.
37:16Was the landscape important, the beach and the sea and the hills?
37:20I think I've always liked the outdoors.
37:22I think part of being, like, as a soldier,
37:25actually some of my best memories
37:27is just seeing, you know, shooting stars across Jordan and stuff
37:30and just being in some really remote places.
37:32I'm quite open about my mental health challenges,
37:35and one thing I used to do is wake up,
37:37I couldn't sleep on a night time, so 2 o'clock in the morning,
37:40say I'd get up and I had a big boulder,
37:42I'd go out and I'd go and pick this thing up
37:44and I'd be able to move it maybe 200 yards in the middle of the night.
37:48I didn't want anybody seeing me, but it represented my,
37:51what was going on inside, what I felt I was carrying the world and stuff.
37:54This had this physical object that I could at least move,
37:57felt like I was making progress with,
37:59and then one day Claire said, you know, you can just sit on that rock,
38:02you don't have to carry it,
38:04and that was probably the start of my meditation journey,
38:07where I was like, and it was just as healing, just as therapeutic,
38:10just being in the space, not climbing a mountain,
38:13trying to get to the summit, not going for a sea swim
38:16and testing myself with a cold,
38:18just being there, just being there was enough.
38:21That's such a beautiful image, that rather than carrying
38:24all that sort of heavy psychic material,
38:26you can just rest on it.
38:28You've also got to a place now that you can help other ex-scientists.
38:32Yeah, that's what I'm keen on, just sort of being open about it,
38:35because I want to know, guys can rock up here,
38:38or, you know, that certainly happens,
38:40friends tell friends to come up and see me,
38:42and we'll just go for a walk,
38:44and whether it looks like yoga or meditation
38:47or whether it just looks like a stroll,
38:49two friends going for a stroll, and it can be very healing.
38:52Often people just need to be heard and just need a space
38:55to know that actually it's all right, they're doing OK.
38:59That's been, yeah, really amazing to, as you've gone on your journey,
39:03just kind of being really open and sharing all of that
39:06with the clients that come up and ex-military guys, yeah.
39:09And what about for you, Claire?
39:11What role has the countryside played for you?
39:14For me, there was just that...
39:16I think I was quite addicted to the buzz of culture,
39:19because I think when we first moved,
39:21I still had one eye and one foot
39:24in all of the kind of busy, buzzy festivals, culture, heritage,
39:28like all of that going on.
39:30I really felt that that's what I needed to thrive,
39:33and actually the opposite is true.
39:35The countryside is a great teacher of that, isn't it?
39:38Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, try this one, yeah.
39:41You guys are the best.
39:43I could sit in your yoga studio for hours
39:47looking at this beautiful view.
39:49Thank you so much for taking the time out to show me round.
39:57After two lovely days in Northumberland
40:00and a lot of properties and a lot of discussion,
40:03I'm still pretty much in the dark
40:05whether Claire and Doric are going to buy one of our houses.
40:08So let's find out.
40:11Ah!
40:13It's fitting we should end the show in your happy place,
40:16on the beach, on some rocks.
40:18Absolutely. This is exactly what I was thinking.
40:21Sitting on sandstone, Northumbrian sandstone,
40:23you couldn't do better.
40:25I was going to do a stab and guessing what it is,
40:28but I would have said Northumbrian sandstone, almost certainly.
40:31So let's talk about the next steps.
40:34We've shown you some lovely properties,
40:38but have we found a house for you both to live in?
40:41Oh, Alistair, you've kind of taken all the things
40:44that we said we would love to have
40:48and each of them has aspects of what we want.
40:52The house that, if you like,
40:55that we really are very interested in
40:58and would like to go back and see
41:01is the house with the bar.
41:04Not that we want it for a bar!
41:07But that was a beautiful house.
41:10It had the space, it had the garden
41:13and you also had the coast so close down a walk.
41:16Oh, it was fantastic.
41:18The wood-burning stoves,
41:20the light brightness from all sides and so on,
41:23it was very good and we definitely want to go back and see that one.
41:26Brilliant. Well, do keep us in the loop.
41:28We'd love to know what happens.
41:30Absolutely.
41:32Well, Alistair, we've got the house on the table,
41:35so let us know what the next steps of that is.
41:38And I hope that you move here,
41:40but it's been great showing you around these houses.
41:42Well, thank you. Thank you very much.
41:44For showing us so many lovely places.
41:46Our pleasure. Northumberland rocks!
41:48Yes!
41:54I always learn a lot on my adventures with Escape,
41:57having been down the country,
41:59and learning a lot about Northumberland rocks this week with Doric.
42:02So I'm hoping there's going to be a book on geology of this place
42:05coming into your bookshop very soon.
42:08And I hope that they move here
42:10because those two really need a change of scenery
42:13from the lovely city of Edinburgh
42:15to the beautiful coastline here.
42:17Having done that myself,
42:19being blessed to live by the coastline,
42:21I can vouch for it being a very, very good move.
42:23So I hope that they make it.
42:25I hope they find the right house, even if it's not one of ours.
42:28I hope you join us next time for more Escape to the Country.
42:33Unfortunately for Doric and Claire,
42:35the house near Sugar Sands Beach sold
42:38before they had a chance to return for a second viewing.
42:41However, they loved the village of Longhorton
42:44and the surrounding countryside,
42:46so they're now focusing their search firmly in that area.
42:50And if you would like to escape to the country in England,
42:53Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, and need our help,
42:57why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash takepart.