Escape to the Country Season 20, Episode 15: North Wessex Downs

1

Devon

Jules Hudson meets a calligrapher from east London who wants to write a new chapter of her life in the West Country. Away from the property hunt, Jules also gets in tune with the region’s nautical traditions and attends a sea shanty festival on the southern coast.

45 min

2

Hampshire & New Forest

Sonali Shah welcomes back two returning expats after 20 years living abroad in America. They have a healthy £950k budget for a spacious country home in Hampshire’s New Forest, near to their children’s new school. What’s more, Sonali’s visit to the county is ideally timed to get behind the scenes during the preparations for a hugely popular traditional country show.

45 min

3

Cornwall

Alistair Appleton helps a couple from Worcestershire find the perfect home in Cornwall for their £650k budget. Away from the property hunt, Alistair also discovers a pioneering project that prescribes the therapeutic benefits of nature to improve well-being.

45 min

4

Oxfordshire

Jonnie Irwin is on a property hunting mission in Oxfordshire with a young couple who are both medical professionals and have a fantastic £1.5 million budget to find a country home for their growing family. Away from potential houses, Jonnie braves the Oxfordshire waters during an exhilarating attempt at punt racing.

45 min

5

South Wales

Jules Hudson heads to south Wales with a husband and wife who, after three decades of military housing, are looking for their very own country home and have a budget of £430,000 to spend. Away from the property search, Jules dons his own army fatigues to discover how the beautiful Welsh wilderness prepares soldiers for battle.

45 min

6

Somerset

Jules Hudson is house hunting in Somerset with a couple who have a £675,000 budget to find a rural home that must have annexe potential for their parents. During his time in the county, Jules visits the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm Museum where he gets up close and personal with an ambitious project to rebuild a Second World War aircraft using reclaimed parts.

45 min

7

Lancashire

On today’s house hunt Jonnie Irwin is helping a pair of teachers with a £600,000 budget who want to upsize and find the ideal country home for them and their four young children. Away from property, Jonnie turns the heat up on his Lancastrian tour when he visits one of the last working forges in the county.

45 min

8

Surrey

Alistair Appleton helps recent newlyweds to quit London in search of a perfect country home. They have a budget of £1.5 million and have chosen Surrey as the location for their future family life. Taking time out of the property hunt, Alistair stops by the British Wildlife Centre, where he learns about the ongoing conservation work to protect the country’s most important native species.

45 min

9

Norfolk

Margherita Taylor helps a retired couple escape to the tranquillity of Norfolk after 30 years in a busy Essex town. Now that their children have flown the nest, the pair are hoping to find a country home that’s full of character for their £350,000 budget. Elsewhere, Margherita discovers Norfolk’s answer to the Great Barrier Reef.

45 min

10

Wiltshire

Today's property hunters are preparing for a triumphant homecoming after a quarter of a century living in Sweden. Nicki Chapman will be leading the pair in their search for a perfect rural Wiltshire home for their £450,000 budget. Away from the house hunt, Nicki takes the reigns on a ride with a professional carriage driver.

45 min

11

Cambridgeshire

Jules Hudson is on a mission to find the ideal Cambridgeshire home for a young couple with a £570,000 budget who want to escape suburban Kent. Keen to explore more of the country’s wildlife, Jules also visits the Fens and finds out about the UK’s first nature reserves.

45 min

12

South Yorkshire

It's the call of home that’s luring today’s couple to head to the beautiful landscape of south Yorkshire, and Alistair Appleton is supporting them on their house hunt. With a £450,000 budget, they want a home with enough room to welcome family and future grandchildren. Aside from property, Alistair meets a national sled dog champion and takes the reins on a high-octane race through the Yorkshire woodland.

45 min

13

East Devon

Jules Hudson joins a couple who hope to realise their dream of escaping to Devon. They have a generous budget of £1.4 million, and hope to find a property with land, a self-contained annex and lots of room for guests. Away from country homes, Jules visits a sustainable family farm producing food in harmony with nature.

45 min

14

Hampshire

Sonali Shah scours Hampshire's property market to find somewhere for a couple who are temporarily relying on the goodwill of family. They have a £600,000 budget and want a country home close to the coast. Sticking with a maritime theme, Sonali also gets behind the scenes at the Mary Rose Museum with the treasures uncovered when King Henry VIII's warship was raised after four centuries on the seabed.

45 min

15

North Wessex Downs

Jules Hudson brings his enthusiasm and rural property expertise to the North Wessex Downs as he helps a couple who have £775,000 to find a characterful country house. Whilst in the area, Jules also pays a visit to Highclere Castle to learn about the fascinating foreign finds within the walls of the impressive Wiltshire home.

45 min

16

The High Weald

A south London couple have high hopes of escaping the rat race and finding their dream home in the High Weald with the help of Alistair Appleton. The pair have a hearty budget of £1.1 million to find a property suitable for multiple generations of the family. Alistair also discovers an exotic side to the region when he visits a wildlife reserve in the Kent countryside.

45 min

17

Devon

Ginny Buckley meets a couple who are looking to lay down roots in Devon after decades serving in the army. They have a £400,000 budget to find their ideal home near the English Riviera. Away from the property hunt, Ginny capitalises on being in Devon at the same time as the County Show to find out what it takes to win Pig of the Year.

45 min

18

Staffordshire & Derbyshire

Alistair Appleton leads a couple with a budget of £320,000 in their search for a countryside home on the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border. Alistair also puts his tailoring skills to the test when he visits the factory of heritage knitwear brand John Smedley.

45 min

19

Cornwall

Jules Hudson joins a couple with a budget of £400,000 in their search for the perfect retirement retreat in the Cornish countryside. Taking some time out from house-hunting, Jules visits the National Lobster Hatchery to lend a hand to their conservation work.

45 min

20

Somerset

Today’s house-hunting couple are looking to relocate to the Somerset countryside. They have a budget of £700,000 to find a rural home for their young family with enough land for animals and a glamping site. Away from the house hunt, presenter Alistair Appleton gets stuck in to some cheddar cheesemaking, in the county where it originated!

45 min

21

Welsh Borders

Sonali Shah helps a couple from a Surrey town who want to escape to the Welsh Borders for a quieter pace of life. They are hoping to use their £620,000 budget to purchase a characterful country home. Away from the property search, Sonali visits the Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire and goes behind the scenes with the conservation team preserving Britain’s natural wetlands and its wildlife.

45 min

22

Hampshire

Alistair Appleton joins forces with a spiritual businesswoman and her best friend to help find a calming Hampshire home on a budget of £950,000. Taking a breather from the property search, Alistair takes a very deep breath when he experiences the giddy heights of Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.

45 min

23

West Sussex

Ginny Buckley meets a couple hoping to swap the busy city of Oxford for the peaceful Sussex coast on a budget of £600,000. Making the most of her time in the South Downs area, Ginny also gets kitted out in protective gear when she gets stuck in with a conservation project to protect nature’s most productive workers.

45 min

24

Wye Valley

Alistair Appleton guides a couple who want to switch their lives from the bustle of Bristol to the fresh country air of the Wye Valley on a budget of £300,000. While exploring the River Wye, Alistair also discovers the slippery challenges of sustainably sourcing and restocking the European eel.

45 min

25

Norfolk

Jules Hudson helps a vivacious mother and daughter double act hunt for a country home in Norfolk with a budget of £335,000 budget. There are tears plus lots of laughter as they tour a selection of beautiful East Anglian properties. Away from the house hunt, Jules follows a paper trail to uncover an endangered decorative heritage craft.

45 min