Escape to the Country
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escape to the country ESCAPEPlan your TO THE COUNTRY After fi ve years presenting Escape to the Country, Jules Hudson o ers his hard-won advice on moving to the countryside – including where to buy and common pitfalls to avoid bought a view, and a I also count myself extremely with which to build a home. wealth of places up and down house came with it” was fortunate to have helped many As creatures that evolved in the the UK, but while each more or less how who have shared that dream. natural landscape, we feel combination of buyers and I Winston Churchill But while the lure of fresh air deeply at home in the outdoors, properties is unique, there are described Chartwell, his own and open spaces is tangible, is even if it’s buried in our traits and features that are escape in Kent, when he there something more intuitive subconscious. The countryside common to us all. acquired it back in the early in our relationship with the was, and in many ways Understanding these pointers 1920s. Whether we can afford a countryside that continues to remains, the great provider. can prove invaluable in setting country estate or a terraced attract, beguile and inspire us? The growth of towns and out to fi nd your ideal escape. cottage, or we want to be Throughout a lifetime both cities has meant that many of Over the next few pages, we surrounded by glorious isolation living and working in the us need to go back many explore some of the things I or enjoy the delights of a village country, I have often wondered. generations to fi nd our rural have learnt and shared over community, the sliding scale of My suspicion is that it’s all roots but, rest assured, we all many years, and that I hope what the countryside can offer is down to history. Up until the have them. My own will help you to turn your hopes unrivalled. I have yet to meet 18th century and the Industrial experience while working on and aspirations into reality. If anyone who hasn’t, at some Revolution, most of us would Escape to the Country has you have been thinking about point in their lives, dreamt of have lived in the countryside; it provided a fascinating insight it, why not make 2013 your year fi nding a different, and afforded us space, land upon into the aspirations that many of change? The countryside imagined to be simpler, lifestyle which to produce food and rear have to ‘live the dream’. I have may not be as unfamiliar as away from busy urban life. livestock, and raw materials met a myriad of people in a you think. could this be you? There are many things to consider to ensure Getty that a move to the countryside, such as here at Photo: Buttermere, Cumbria, turns into the rural dream January 2013 COUNTRYFILE 29 escape to the country 2. The Cotswolds – and Northamptonshire Where to look? The Cotswolds are perhaps the destination of choice for many, particularly if you live in I’m often asked where the best places to live or around central England. Hugely popular with weekenders and locals alike, the are. The truth of course is that it’s such a region’s seemingly endless picture-postcard villages such as Burford, Bourton-on-the- subjective decision; it’s impossible to Water and Broadway, built of warm, golden limestone, have defi ned country life for answer defi nitively. However, there are many who now eulogise the area. But it is expensive, and you may feel like you are areas that, while ever popular, can have living in a goldfi sh bowl when besieged with tourists. For a good alternative that’s more their drawbacks; what’s more there are affordable, check out Northamptonshire; it too is blessed with an historic supply of other much less well known that are a limestone and a gentle landscape to match. Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough and delight and can deliver much more value Oundle are good starting points. Lee Bay, near Ilfracombe, Devon Detached cottage, £350,000 for money. Here are my top 10 destinations A three-double bedroomed 19th-century cottage. and a few suggested alternatives. We’ve also Estate agent: John Smale & Co, Barnstaple taken a look at how far your money might go in each area… Stanion, Northamptonshire Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire Detached cottage, £249,950 Cottage, £300,000 This Grade-II listed, two/three bedroom cottage This well presented three/four bedroom cottage, Shillingstone, Dorset o ers original features, such as an inglenook in the centre of the town, is currently used as a The wild expanse of Exmoor is just a Thatched cottage, £349,950 fi replace, exposed stonework and beams. holiday let. short trip away from north Devon This Grade-II listed cottage has three bedrooms. Estate agent: Simpson West, Corby Estate agent: Mark Annett & Co, Chipping Campden 1. Forgotten Northumberland Estate agent: Abbot and Slater, Blandford Forum The north-east is an area I fell in love with more than 20 years ago. Since then, every 3. Dorset – and its alternative, north Devon visit has been a treat. As an archaeologist, Dorset is one of my favorite counties. If, like me, you love rolling landscapes full of I recall my fi rst trip to Hadrian’s Wall. picturesque villages and timeless views, it’s hard to beat. It is also home to a wonderful Jules says... Look for bargains but be cautious This extraordinary feature of the coastline full of history, dating back millions of years to the Jurassic period. Pretty seaside The countryside is cheaper, but not always! landscape stretches out between two seas, towns and villages such as Lyme Regis and Bere Regis are popular almost all year round, Yes you will often fi nd greater value for cutting the country in half. The landscape while ancient market towns such as Blandford Forum and Shaftesbury, with its Golden money, but the idea that everything is going either side of it is littered with pretty towns Hill made famous in the Hovis adverts, seem quintessentially English. However, Dorset’s for song simply isn’t the case. Negotiate and villages, such as Hexham and popularity comes at a price; when it comes to alternatives, north Devon will allow you to sensibly and respectfully. It may be a buyer’s market in some areas, but don’t Corbridge, which owe their origins to the stay in the West Country, and offer plenty of dramatic coastline to boot, with the added think turning up with a pocket full of cash Roman Legionaries that fi rst ventured bonus of the Exmoor National Park on your doorstep. will simply seal the deal. Vendors enjoy northward and then stopped to consolidate selling to people they like; if you the edge of the Empire. The uplands are as want a sensible answer, make a dramatic as any in the Peak District or Escape stories... sensible o er. North Yorkshire, but you have the benefi t Alison Howells, of Foot Trails, uses every step Her business, Alison Howell’s Foot Trails of Newcastle with it’s bright lights and of her local countryside to make a living. A keen (www.foottrails.co.uk), began on a small scale, with airport to hand, as well as the wild beauty walker, she was desperate to fi nd a way to make guided day walks in small groups. These were of the coastline and Kielder Forest just a ends meet and avoid having to leave her home on followed by weekend and longer guided holidays, short drive away. the Somerset/Wiltshire border to fi nd work. She and then by self guided walking trips. Planned with assessed her strengths – she had a degree in Alison’s knowledge of the local area, walks bypass business and also knew every footpath for miles national pathways and instead follow unique rural around. The countryside was very beautiful and trails, with lunch at a pub, followed by afternoon tea. she wondered whether others might enjoy the The idea gradually took o , so Alison entered same sort of landscapes, but with her or her into partnerships with other small rural businesses. husband as expert guides. She was frustrated by Inn to inn style walking holidays followed, where the image of country walking as being an walkers’ luggage is ferried between hotels and experience that only the super fi t could enjoy. country inns. She expanded beyond Wiltshire to “At the start, the most important thing was Somerset, Dorset, Devon and the Cotswolds, and sorting out a business plan. Even if you feel you’re now employs a small team. plucking numbers out of the sky, it’s important to Alison says that her walking company stands put your thoughts on paper. It gives you something out because of its attention to detail – o ering Lowgate, Hexham, Northumberland to work towards. Of course, you can amend it at bespoke experiences to match the customers’ The Old Chapel, o ers in region of £165,000 any time.” And she did a lot of research, needs. And the biggest challenge she faces now? A detached, two-bedroom stone property. Features Burford in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds is a sought after, considering questions such as: was there a market Slow rural broadband speeds and patchy mobile gas central heating and double glazing. picture-postcard location with property prices to match Robert Harding, Alamy for what she was planning, was there anyone else phone reception. These can make or break a rural Alison Howell’s walking business now employs a Estate agent: Northumbria & Cumbria, Hexham Photos: doing the same thing, and what could she charge? business, she says.