House-hunter's £500,000 Shropshire dreams dashed after she's pipped at the property post

The county around Ironbridge, Claverley, and Craven Arms was featured on a recent episode of the BBC TV series Escape to the Country when insurance professional Natalie, aged 30 from Quarry Bank, in Dudley, was looking for her first home of her own away from mum Ruth.

Mum Ruth had insisted on keeping a drawing of a lion on a radiator in her bedroom, which was one of the reasons home working Natalie gave for needing space of her own.

The show, presented by Nicki Chapman, took Natalie and her mum on visits to three properties in the county, starting in Ironbridge, to a three-bedroom £345,000 19th century cottage with a secret garden and 180 degree views of the Gorge.

The show featured several local attractions including Severn Valley Steam Railway and the Cliff Railway.

Nicki spoke to several local people during the course of the show, including Becky Calder of Platform 10 Coffee Shop in Bridgnorth. Becky's family have been in business in the town for 60 years.

Becky told the programme that the town is a friendly and welcoming place.

Food blogger Adam Purnell, who is known as the Shropshire Lad, praised the county of his birth as being full of "cool, quirky towns". He also gave a plug to Ludlow Food Festival as the first of its type in the country.

Estate agent Nick Tart said even though the average price (in June 2021) of a detached property in the county had risen 14 per cent to £350,000 they were still very well priced compared to other parts of the country. And he said there is a shortage of such properties on the market.

House-hunter Natalie fell in love with the second property they saw, a three-bed Victorian semi-detached house with stunning views of Long Mynd. With a £495,000 asking price it was well within her budget and even presenter Nicki was blown away.

"If the view does not sell it, I don't know what will," she said, adding that it would appeal to her, too.

The show also visited Hill End, near Claverley, to visit an 1861-built converted chapel with an asking price of £450,000 which was the "mystery house". But too much work would have been needed on it for Natalie's liking.

The show also took the chance to interview customers who had saved the nearby Pheasant at Neenton. It was closed for almost nine years before being saved by the local community.

Neenton Community Society purchased the pub, then derelict, just before Christmas 2013. The show heard from customers and staff at the Pheasant how it is now thriving, adding £750,000 to the local economy, and employing 15 people.

It was the second property, near Church Stretton, which won Natalie's vote and she went for a second viewing.

But her dreams were dashed as another buyer got in first with an offer in a sign of how fast Shropshire's property market is moving.

The show, the eighth show in series 22, ended with the presenter saying that Natalie was determined to "act faster next time."