Escape to the Country Season 14, Episode 71: Somerset

1

Somerset

Jules Hudson helps a recently retired Baptist minister and his charity-worker wife find peace and tranquillity in Somerset, with a budget of £500,000. While in the county Jules goes on the hunt for the elusive bittern, a type of heron that nests in the Somerset levels.

45 min

2

West Sussex

Nicki Chapman joins a couple from London, with a generous £900,000 budget, in search of a rural retreat in West Sussex. Whilst there, Nicki visits a local wetlands centre to see some of the world's most rare wildfowl.

45 min

3

Dumfries and Galloway

Alistair Appleton goes property shopping in Dumfries and Galloway with a couple who have £300,000 to spend in the Celtic countryside. Away from the house search, Alistair visits Drumlanrig Castle to learn how working dogs have played an important role in the history of the Buccleuch estates.

45 min

4

North Devon

Nicki Chapman navigates her way around Exmoor with a husband and wife who are returning expats, having lived in Florida for the last 25 years. With a budget of £475,000, they want a home with business potential. Along the way, Nicki explores the national park, discovering places that are hard to access on foot.

45 min

5

Nottinghamshire

Jules Hudson heads to Nottinghamshire to help a retired teacher with a £330,000 budget find a rural home where she will be able to entertain friends. The presenter also learns about the harsh realities of life in a 19th-century workhouse on his travels through the county.

45 min

6

Shropshire

Alistair Appleton rises to the challenge in Shropshire, as he helps a husband and wife with a unique house-hunting technique. For their generous budget of £700,000, they are looking for a dream home and space for a chocolate business. While in the county, Alistair pays a visit to an historic film set.

45 min

7

Herefordshire

Jonnie Irwin comes to the aid of a couple who are desperate to relocate and be near their daughter in rural Herefordshire. With a budget of £400,000 to spend, can he help them find what they're after? While in the county, Jonnie also meets a family of dairy farmers with some innovative methods.

45 min

8

Highland

Jules Hudson takes on a property-hunting mission with a husband and wife who are fed up with life in their southern England commuter belt. On a budget of £375,000, they are looking to 'semi-retire' to the Highlands of Scotland and pursue new ventures. During his journey, Jules comes face to face with Scotland's very own native wild cat.

45 min

9

Worcestershire

Nicki Chapman hopes to get top property marks in Worcestershire as she helps a pair of soon-to-be grandparents with a budget of £310,000 to find their country retreat close to their daughters. Away from the house hunt, Nicki visits a house that is for sale which has also hosted royalty.

45 min

10

Norfolk

Alistair Appleton goes on a property-hunting journey with a couple who want to improve their work-life balance with a complete life change in Norfolk. They have £350,000 to spend on their rural retreat. Away from the house hunt, Alistair braves the elements to visit a seaside favourite.

45 min

11

Northumberland

Jonnie Irwin travels to Northumberland with a young couple who want to escape their cramped London lifestyle and move back to the north east, where they first met. And with a top budget of £650,000 it is not just a home they want; they also have serious business ambitions. While in the county, Jonnie visits the impressive gardens at Alnwick Castle.

45 min

12

Somerset

Jules Hudson heads to Somerset to help a couple with a budget of £400,000 find a perfect countryside retreat. Away from the property hunt, Jules visits Castle House in Taunton to get hands-on with some unusual medieval restoration work.

45 min

13

Hampshire

Jonnie Irwin is travelling through Hampshire with a retired couple who are on the hunt for a property that will allow them to really crank up their music. With £525,000 to spend, can Jonnie find them what they're after? We also visit an unusual Hampshire plantation where a Japanese superfood is being grown; one of the rarest and most expensive vegetables in the world.

45 min

14

Perth and Kinross

Alistair Appleton meets a couple who are keen to move their family from Glasgow to the charms of rural Perthshire to give their toddler twins a slice of country life. They have £500,000 to spend on their dream home. Whilst there, Alistair visits a favourite retreat of Queen Victoria.

45 min

15

South Wales

Jonnie Irwin takes up the challenge of helping a London couple with a big business idea find a rural home and enough land to live off in South Wales. Jonnie also lends a hand helping to save one of Wales's rarest species. (N.B. Due to one of the house hunters being a convicted sex offender, a fact he hid from the programme's production team and that only came to light once it had aired, this episode has never been broadcast again)

45 min

16

Kent

Nicki Chapman is in Kent, property shopping with a young family who are desperate to break free from the capital to find their perfect rural home in Kent, with a generous £900,000 budget. While in the county, Nicki visits historic Hever Castle, where Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII did their courting.

45 min

17

Leicester

Alistair Appleton goes back to nature in Leicestershire, property hunting with a couple who plan to give their young family a more rural lifestyle. They have budgeted £380,000 for their country escape. Away from the house search, Alistair discovers how Melton Mowbray's residents are protecting their food-producing legacy.

45 min

18

Berkshire

Jules Hudson is property shopping in Berkshire with a pair of new parents who are desperate to find a new, rural family home. With a budget of £475,000, there is a spot of border hopping as the team seek out the best properties on the market. And Jules takes a boat trip down the River Thames to discover the colourful history of Mapledurham, an Elizabethan stately home.

45 min

19

Dorset

Alistair Appleton helps a couple who are keen to leave behind their family home to start a new chapter of their lives in rural Dorset. Whilst there, Alistair discovers how some of Britain's most famous buildings came to be built from Dorset's Portland stone.

45 min

20

Cornwall

Jules Hudson helps a London couple find a perfect rural escape in Cornwall that would enable them to live the 'good life'. On a budget of £400,000, can Jules deliver? Away from the property hunt, Jules explores Cornwall's most southerly tip.

45 min

21

Suffolk

Nicki Chapman is in Suffolk, property shopping with a couple who have £425,000 to spend. But with one liking new builds and the other wanting character, can Nicki find a home that will suit them both? Away from the house hunt, Nicki learns about the county's silk-weaving tradition.

45 min

22

Malvern Hills

Jules Hudson helps a couple escape the sounds of suburbia for a more peaceful life in the Malvern Hills. With a budget of £650,000 to spend on a rural property, Jules leaves them lost for words. While in Worcestershire, Jules discovers a hidden underground facility with a fascinating wartime history.

45 min

23

Nottinghamshire

Jonnie Irwin rises to the challenge of helping two returning expats find a rural idyll in Nottinghamshire after 18 years in Australia. With a budget of £350,000 can Jonnie find them the light, open space they are after? Away from the property hunt, Jonnie takes a look at the remarkable architectural heritage beneath the city of Nottingham.

45 min

24

Snowdonia

Jules Hudson heads to Wales to help a couple of keen walkers find a dream rural home in Snowdonia. Away from the property hunt, Jules gets a unique insight into one of the country's largest power stations.

45 min

25

North Yorkshire

Nicki Chapman helps a couple of retirees find a perfect rural home in North Yorkshire so they can embrace a more active lifestyle. While in the county, Nicki meets an entrepreneur who has turned the area's rich heritage of wool production into a thriving business.

45 min

26

Devon

Alistair Appleton is in Devon helping a couple who want to find a spacious property with the potential for a B&B. They have a maximum budget of £850,000 to spend on their dream countryside home.

45 min

27

Gloucestershire

Jules Hudson travels through Gloucestershire on a house hunt with two sisters who are hoping to set up home together. On a budget of £750,000, they have a very specific wish list. While in the county, Jonnie takes a ride on the restored Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

45 min

28

Shropshire

Jules Hudson is hoping he can find the perfect rural home for a young couple wanting to relocate to Shropshire on a budget of £210,000. Away from the house hunting, Jules releases his inner blacksmith.

45 min

29

Buckinghamshire

Nicki Chapman is property hunting with a London couple in search of a perfect country retreat in Buckinghamshire. With a generous budget of £950,000 can we pull it off? Nicki also meets the four-legged public servants who have dedicated their lives to the country.

45 min

30

Northumberland

Alistair Appleton helps a couple find their forever rural home in Northumberland with a budget of £320,000. Away from the property hunt, Alistair tries his hand at the Northumberland smallpipes.

45 min

31

Worcestershire

Jules Hudson is helping an Anglo-French couple find a creative space in the Worcestershire countryside on a budget of £700,000. Away from the property hunt, Jules takes a ride on the historic Severn Valley Railway.

45 min

32

Dorset

Alistair Appleton is on a property hunt with a couple who want to downsize in rural Dorset after years of urban living. While in the county, Alistair meets up with another couple who appeared on the show over ten years ago, and discovers how their lives have changed.

45 min

33

Ceredigion

Jules Hudson joins a couple who aspire to live the good life in Ceredigion, Wales. With a budget of £300,000, can he help find them their perfect rural property? Away from the house hunt, Jules gets up close with one of the busiest bee colonies in the county.

45 min

34

Suffolk

Jonnie Irwin is on the property hunt with a recently retired couple who plan to make the move from the urban north east to rural Suffolk on a budget of £500,000. Away from the house search, Jonnie learns about the historic legacy of the Hawker Hurricane.

45 min

35

Devon

Alistair Appleton takes on a property hunting mission with a couple who want to escape their housing estate in Coventry to find a new rural life in Devon with a budget of £530,000. Away from the property hunt, Alistair learns about the county's maritime tradition by meeting a group of sea shanty singers.

45 min

36

Somerset

Jules Hudson is on a rural property hunt in Somerset, where he helps a family of six with a budget of £360,000 to find their dream rural home. Away from the house search, Jules visits a historic ship, SS Great Britain in Bristol.

45 min

37

Herefordshire

Alistair Appleton is hoping to find the perfect rural retreat in Herefordshire for a couple on the cusp of retirement, with a budget of £400,000. While in the county, Alistair visits a farm that makes a special blackcurrant liquor.

45 min

38

South Devon

Nicki Chapman is in Devon, helping a couple in search of a quieter life. They have a healthy budget of £400,000 to spend on a new rural home. Away from the house hunt, Nicki discovers a Devonian shoemaker who shows her the art of crafting hand-made boots.

45 min

39

Hampshire

Jules Hudson helps a family with a £700,000 budget seek out a country retreat in Hampshire where three generations can live together. While in the county, Jules visits England's oldest almshouses.

45 min

40

Wiltshire

Alistair Appleton introduces a couple of city dwellers to the rural charms of Wiltshire, hoping to find them a perfect country home. While in the county, Alistair gets the lowdown on an epic canal restoration project.

45 min

41

North Yorkshire

Jonnie Irwin is in North Yorkshire with a young family who have a budget of £350,000 to spend on a dream rural home. While in the county, Jonnie learns about the 'Mouseman', a legend in the world of handcrafted furniture.

45 min

42

Somerset

Nicki Chapman embarks on an emotional house hunt with a couple armed with a £420,000 budget, who are chasing a country dream in Somerset. Away from the property search, Nicki visits the historic Haynes Motor Museum.

45 min

43

Sussex

Alistair Appleton attempts to find a couple their perfect rural retreat in Sussex for a budget of £800,000. While in the area, Alistair learns more about the county's defining architectural feature.

45 min

44

Staffordshire

Jules Hudson travels through Staffordshire to find the perfect rural home for a recently retired couple for a budget of £400,000. They may need to downsize to get what they want, which could prove a challenge. Away from the house hunt, Jules gets up close to the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found.

45 min

45

North Yorkshire

Jonnie Irwin attempts to find a rural home and a business for a couple wanting to relocate their family to North Yorkshire on a budget of £650,000. While in the county, Jonnie tries his hand at some traditional farming methods.

45 min

46

Suffolk

Alistair Appleton goes property shopping with a couple from Essex who want to escape to rural Suffolk with a budget of £400,000. Away from the house hunt, Alistair gets to grips with some unusual heritage vegetables.

45 min

47

North Devon

Nicki Chapman journeys through Devon, helping a couple find a new life and possible business in the Devon countryside with a budget of £550,000. While in the county, Nicki gets carried away with the fun of the fair.

45 min

48

West Sussex

Jonnie Irwin goes house hunting in West Sussex with a couple looking for their dream home with a generous budget of £850,000. Elsewhere in the county, Jonnie saddles up for a rather challenging sport.

45 min

49

Dorset

Jules Hudson hopes to find a spiritual healer his rural idyll in Dorset with a budget of £350,000. Away from the houses, Jules goes in search of some very slippery local residents.

45 min

50

Cornwall

Jonnie Irwin travels through Cornwall looking for a peaceful Cornish home with holiday let potential for a couple with a budget of £500,000. Away from the property hunt, Jonnie joins an elite crew of oarsmen at one of the county's top regattas.

45 min

51

Cumbria

Nicki Chapman rises to the challenge to find a home for a couple in Cumbria, with enough space for their mother on a budget of £500,000. While in the area, Nicki meets a hardy breed of Cumbrian locals.

45 min

52

Cotswolds

Jonnie Irwin helps a couple of returning ex-pats with a budget of £750,000 find a Cotswolds rural retreat. While in the Cotswolds, Jonnie visits one of Britain's miniature villages.

45 min

53

Herefordshire

Jules Hudson is hoping to find a couple the peace and quiet they crave in rural Herefordshire with a budget of £750,000. Away from the property hunt, Jules finds out what it means to own a piece of English history.

45 min

54

Cheshire

Jonnie Irwin is helping an entrepreneurial couple flee city life and find a new dream home and a new business in the Cheshire countryside, on a budget of £650,000. Away from the house hunt, Jonnie visits one of Cheshire's most iconic structures that dominates the local landscape.

45 min

55

Worcestershire

Alistair Appleton is in Worcestershire, seeking a home for a couple and their horse.

45 min

56

South Devon

Jonnie Irwin helps a couple of lifelong suburbanites move to the south Devon countryside with a budget of £600,000. During his visit, Jonnie learns about the wildlife wonder under threat from Mother Nature.

45 min

57

Gloucestershire

Nicki Shields journeys through Gloucestershire, hoping to find an idyllic home on a budget of £750,000. And Nicki takes a break from houses to visit some of the county's more unusual residents.

45 min

58

Kent

Jonnie Irwin helps a couple of new parents find a rural retreat in Kent so they can experience country living in the UK for the first time. With a budget of £650,000, can he deliver? Away from the house hunt, Jonnie takes to the cliffs to learn the art of traffic control on a very busy stretch of water.

45 min

59

Dorset

Alistair Appleton helps a couple who have been married for 35 years find their very first home together in Dorset, on a budget of £650,000. While in the area, Alistair meets a cantankerous character who has been a familiar face on Weymouth beach for well over a hundred years.

45 min

60

Somerset

Jules Hudson faces one of his trickiest house hunts yet, with a couple searching for their perfect home in Somerset on a budget of £500,000. Aside from the houses, Jules discovers an unusual way to brush a horse's tail.

45 min

61

Cumbria

Jonnie Irwin helps a couple find a rural home in Cumbria where they can expand their business and surround themselves and their family with nature, all on a budget of £500,000. Away from the house hunt, Jonnie tackles one of the highest and steepest mountain passes in the county.

45 min

62

Monmouthshire

Alistair Appleton is offering a couple of committed country lovers the chance to escape the city for good and set up home in Monmouthshire on a budget of £450,000. While in the county, Alistair metamorphoses into a butterfly catcher.

45 min

63

Dorset

Jules Hudson helps a couple who are taking a break from their busy careers find a new home and a whole new business venture in the Dorset countryside with a generous budget of £1.5 million. Away from the houses, Jules discovers a brand new scheme where fishermen are protecting the sea and their livelihoods on the Dorset coast.

45 min

64

West Sussex

Jonnie Irwin hopes to find a home in the West Sussex countryside for three generations of one family, on a generous budget of £850,000. Away from the house hunt, Jonnie finds out about one of our country's great aviation triumphs.

45 min

65

South Devon

Jules Hudson travels through south Devon, trying to find a rural home for a couple who want to pursue a life with land on a budget of £600,000. While in the county, Jules meets the monks of Buckfast Abbey.

45 min

66

Cornwall

Nicki Shields goes property shopping in Cornwall, hoping to find the perfect home for a couple wanting to relocate their whole family on a budget of £450,000. While in the area, Nicki turns her hand to the county's favourite dish and gets a lesson in crimping.

45 min

67

Norfolk

Jules Hudson helps a couple realise their dream of a long-awaited rural retirement in Norfolk, with a budget of £425,000. Away from the property search, Jules discovers some of the county's dark secrets.

45 min

68

Oxfordshire

Sonali Shah helps a returning ex-pat who has been out of the country for nearly 30 years find her idyllic Oxfordshire home with up to £700,000 to spend. Away from the property search, Sonali visits the house that inspired one of Britain's greatest designers.

45 min

69

Kent

Jules Hudson tries to help a young family relocate to the Kent countryside with a budget of £600,000. While in the county, Jules checks out an accidental, unintentional wartime asset.

45 min

70

Shropshire

Sonali Shah searches for a home for a couple and their assortment of animals in the Shropshire countryside on a budget of £360,000. Away from the properties, Sonali comes face to face with some very prickly characters.

45 min

71

Somerset

Nicki Chapman is on an emotional property shop in Somerset with a couple who have £400,000 to spend. While in the county, Nicki investigates some unusual excavations.

45 min

72

Devon

Jules Hudson journeys through Devon, hoping to find a couple their perfect rural home on a budget of £575,000. Away from the house hunt, Jules takes a sip of the local tipple.

45 min

73

South Hampshire

Sonali Shah is house-hunting in Hampshire with a couple wanting to escape the commuter belt and head for the peace of the countryside on a budget of £850,000. While in the area, Sonali helps to rein in some of the county's much-loved locals.

45 min

74

Wiltshire

Jules Hudson searches for a home in Wiltshire for a couple of returning ex-pats.

45 min

75

Sussex

Special episode featuring highlights from Alistair Appleton and Jonnie Irwin's property hunts in Sussex, with two couples looking for rural homes, plus a showcase of a dream Sussex property and offering hints and tips on buying in the area.

45 min

76

Cumbria

Nicki Chapman and Jonnie Irwin are in Cumbria for a special edition of Escape to the Country, following two couples searching for dream rural homes in one county. While showcasing Worcestershire's property gems, they offer hints and tips on buying in the county.

45 min

77

Suffolk

Jonnie Irwin and Alistair Appleton showcase Suffolk in a special edition of Escape to the Country, which follows two couples who were searching for dream rural homes in one county.

45 min

78

Kent

Prospective buyers are helped to find their dream home in the country. Jonnie Irwin and Jules Hudson showcase Kent in a special edition of Escape to the Country.

45 min

79

Wiltshire

Alistair Appleton and Jules Hudson showcase Wiltshire in a special edition of Escape to the Country, where we follow two couples who were searching for dream rural homes in one county.

45 min

80

Somerset

Highlights from Nicki Chapman and Jules Hudson's property hunt in Somerset with two couples who were searching for rural homes in one county.

45 min

81

Dorset

Highlights from Alistair Appleton and Jules Hudson's property hunt in Dorset with two couples who were searching for dream rural homes in one county.

45 min

82

Devon

Alistair Appleton and Nicki Chapman are showcasing Devon in a special edition of Escape to the Country, where we follow two couples who were searching for dream rural homes in one county.

45 min

83

Devon

Nicki Chapman is on a property hunt in Devon helping a couple who are in search of a quieter life. They've got a healthy budget of £400,000 to spend on a new rural home. Away from the house hunt, Nicki discovers a Devonian shoemaker who shows her the art of crafting handmade boots.

45 min

84

Herefordshire

Jonnie Irwin and Jules Hudson are showcasing Herefordshire in a special edition of Escape to the Country, following two couples searching for dream rural homes in one county. While highlighting Herefordshire's property gems, there are also hints and tips on buying in the county.

45 min