Escape to the Country With Me

“My favourite road I’ve ever been on ain’t paved.”
― Viktor Tatarczuk

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9:08 pm CST
Sunday, January 18th, 2026

It was a cold, winter day here in central Alabama. Somehow, the folks both north and south of us even got snow this morning, but we didn’t see a single flake here on the farmette. 😒 Kevin and I packed up another batch of Warm Hug Mail Club envelopes this afternoon, and now I’m snuggled underneath two kitties, watching an episode of Escape to the Country. Have you ever seen it? It’s a British show and there are hundreds of full episodes on YouTube, so I usually just throw a hypothetical dart at the TV and go with whichever one tickles my fancy.

In my last post, I told you I’m doing my best to slow down a bit this year. I meditated before I sat down to write this post, and now I’m watching Season 24, Episode 28 because the title contained one of my favorite words — Cornwall! I still plan on getting there in person one day.

Escape to the Country films all over the UK and has many different hosts. Nicki Chapman, Jules Hudson, and the late Jonnie Irwin are my favorites. (Gosh, I miss Jonnie’s charismatic personality!)

Jules is hosting the episode I’m watching now, and he’s hoping to help Phil (6′-4″) and Charlotte (4′-11″) leave their current home (which sits almost directly beneath a busy train line 😮) in Bagshot, Surrey, and move to rural Cornwall. There, they’ll continue their work in recruitment and IT and, fingers crossed, start a glamping business on the side. They’re hoping to find a home close to the coast, with enough space for them and their two large Vizslas, as well as enough land for a couple of holiday lets. (Shepherd’s huts? Yurts? We’ll see!)

Their budget is 1.2 million pounds. (About $1.6 million USD)

The first property they’re visiting is in Newquay. According to Jules, it’s one of the nation’s favorite seaside towns, boasts stunning sandy beaches, has an international airport and good rail connections to London. Sounds good to me!

photo: Trip Advisor

The home they’ve come to see in Newquay is a former watermill, and it is a BEAUT. 😍 I couldn’t find a photo of it online, but Phil and Charlotte love the large, airy, triple-aspect family room — complete with a double-sided fireplace right in its center. The family room is a new addition though, and Charlotte seems far less enthusiastic about the rest of the house. She’s especially put off by the mill’s original wood ceiling beams, which soar high above the vaulted, farmhouse-style kitchen. (GASP!)

Charlotte just said something about renovating it to make the style more modern. 😳

Jules is concerned she may not be on the right show. 🤭

Now they’re walking around outside, and while it’s clear they love the gorgeous property, I don’t think House #1 is the one.

So they’re off to see House #2 in St. Mawgan!

The property is just three miles from the Cornish coast. I found some photos of it online!

The setting is a rural idyll, with extensive views across miles of countryside. The house is a four-bedroom period residence, called ‘Trevenna House’. It’s nestled amongst two acres of beautifully mature gardens, grounds, and paddock, and dates back to circa 1753. Yum!

Jules agrees. He just looked right into the camera and said, “If they don’t buy it, I might!” 😄

Now Jules is telling Phil and Charlotte that it’s no longer one, single house. He’s saying the current owner divided the building into two to create a long-term rental called “Cup Cake Cottage”, which sits on the right-hand side. A quick camera pan of the interior, however, suggests the long-term renter’s style doesn’t quite live up to the cottage’s sugary sweet name. 😉

The property is also home to a couple of fully-functional Shepherd’s huts, and Jules says there’s room for a yurt at the far edge of the paddock too. It seems like Phil and Charlotte like this place (maybe partly because Jules does?), but we’ll have to wait and see what they really think at the end of the episode. 🤞

Now they’re back in the car and off to Ladock!

House #3 is always known as the “mystery house” on Escape to the Country. Chosen by the show’s producers for its unique or quirky appeal, it’s meant to surprise the house-hunters by gently nudging them outside their carefully defined criteria and wish lists. The mystery house often offers something unexpected or truly special — and its distinctive features tend to spark strong reactions. Participants usually either fall completely in love with it or quickly rule it out, making for a satisfying (and sometimes dramatic) reveal. It’s my favorite part of the show! 😊

Jules just shared that the residents of Ladock are a forward-thinking bunch who recently introduced beavers to the local waterways to manage them naturally. I love that. ☺️

I’m doing a little e-digging while Phil and Charlotte tour the mystery house, and with the click of a button, Google Maps has taken me straight to its front door. The sign out front says it’s called ‘Boswiddle Barn’  and Jules has just confirmed that it is, in fact, a historic structure that was converted at some point along the way. I don’t want to spoil what it looks like for you if you’re thinking about watching the episode, but you can click here if you are curious. Just spin the camera to the left and follow that first road to the right.

Then, after you’ve had a look-see at the mystery house via Google Maps or watched the full episode on YouTube, come back and make sure you click your way down some of those little country roads, too. The scenery is quite calming, and if you concentrate real hard, it almost feels like you’re actually there.

Gosh, I love a country lane. There’s no rush built into roads like that; they just invite you to notice whatever’s along the way. And what’s that they say? A paved road leads you somewhere; a dirt road leads you everywhere.

I love that too. ❤️

Layla