The Escape to the Country Handbook

Inspiration and advice about finding your dream home in the countryside from Jules Hudson, presenter of the BBC's Escape to the Country.


Dreaming of an escape from the rat race? This is an inspirational and practical book perfect for anyone looking to make the move – or even armchair travellers and fans of property porn.


This book offers advice on what to look for in a rural property, renovation and building, as well as transport and heating, running a rural business and the pros and cons of life in the countryside. The second half of the book is organised regionally, looking at the typical kinds of home you find in each place, the sort of landscape, local landmarks and days out. Features sprinkled through the book cover everything from dealing with listed building consent and public footpaths to how grow your own food and discourage deer from eating it first. It is beautifully illustrated throughout with the beautiful vistas to be enjoyed from the homes in the countryside, and gorgeous homes – from thatched cottages to stone farmhouses, restored mills and barn conversions.


Jules Hudson is well placed to talk about conservation and renovation issues too, having trained as an archaeologist and renovated his own historic house. He has been a presenter on BBC’s Escape to the Country since 2007. The programme has run on daytime BBC1 since 2002, and is now in its eighteenth series. Each week it helps urban buyers find their dream home in rural Britain by showing them three specially selected properties. Along the way the programme tells us about the landscape and history of each area.