Escape to the Country host shares 'pressure' confession over unusual house hunt

BBC star Nicki Chapman opened up about the unique pressure she faced in Monday's installment of Escape to the Country, as she tried to help a couple settled in Herefordshire find their forever home.

Jayne and David, already having traded Basingstoke for Herefordshire on a rental basis, were testing the waters before diving into property ownership in the scenic county.

The twist in their tale is their current living arrangement in a charming rented cottage near the Welsh/English border, after deciding to up sticks from Hampshire over a year ago, seeking to create a new chapter in their lives in Herefordshire.

Within the episode, Nicki shared that David was diagnosed with Parkinson's two years ago, which he added had spurred them to seek out a house with enough land for a holiday let, fuelled by his newfound perspective on life.

Starting their property hunt with a hearty budget of £575,000, Nicki greeted Jayne and David, commenting: "At this point, I normally say, 'Welcome to Herefordshire'. But, it's slightly different because this is already your home isn't it?"

To which, Jayne warmly responded: "We've been here for just over a year now and have fallen in love with the place."

Inquiring if they pined for their previous abode, David remarked, "It's the people that you miss, not so much the area. But, it's time for a change and obviously, with your help and assistance, we need the experts to come in to show us some lovely properties."

The BBC star admitted with a chuckle: "Yeah, I am feeling slightly pressured on this one!"

Amid their house-hunting adventure, Jayne and David shared their experience of viewing 10 potential homes and the disappointment of having an offer on one fall through right before the festive season, reports Gloucestershire Live.

As they started their property search with Nicki, both were completely taken aback by the array of stunning homes presented to them.

Coming to the end of the show, the host divulged her uncertainty, confessing to them both: "Every house that we've seen, we've left on a high so you've got to put us out of our misery! I honestly, genuinely don't know."

Jayne excitedly disclosed their fondness for the mystery house, an extraordinary train station conversion expanded underground.

David enthused: "It's a lovely property, it's got everything that we need. Obviously, with planning permission with reference to that, f we can do what we want to do with it, I think that'll be the one for us."

Gushing over the idea, Jayne said, "I just love the idea of putting a carriage on the station platform!"

The house hunter praised that the home didn't need anything more done to it and complimented how it had been renovated.

In the final moments of the episode, viewers learnt that the couple were arranging a second visit to the enigmatic train station home.

Escape to the Country is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.