Escape to the Country: Series 23
Series 23 saw the last appearance of Jonnie Irwin, one of the longest serving members of the 'Escape To The Country' presenting team, having joined in 2009 alongside Nicki Chapman for the programme's 10th series. Irwin's untimely departure was due to him developing lung cancer, which he ultimately died from just a few months after his final episode aired. This series also saw the return of Denise Nurse, who had last
Season 23 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Escape to the Country Season 22.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Season overview
Series 23 saw the last appearance of Jonnie Irwin, one of the longest serving members of the 'Escape To The Country' presenting team, having joined in 2009 alongside Nicki Chapman for the programme's 10th series. Irwin's untimely departure was due to him developing lung cancer, which he ultimately died from just a few months after his final episode aired.
This series also saw the return of Denise Nurse, who had last appeared as a presenter back in 2014 for the programme's 15th series.
Episode Guide
Season 23 Progress Shield
Herefordshire Borders
Aug 22, 2022
Alistair Appleton border-hops between Herefordshire and its neighbouring counties today as he helps a buyer from Guernsey to find her perfect party property in the countryside for
Somerset
Aug 23, 2022
With their current house bursting at the seams, a couple with two young sons enlist Sonali Shah to help them spend their £450,000 budget on a new home in the Somerset countryside.
Buckinghamshire
Aug 30, 2022
Three generations of the same family ask Jules Hudson to help them move from London to Buckinghamshire, a county famous for its chair-making heritage.
Cornwall
Sep 6, 2022
Cornwall, the call of the sea and Steve Brown beckon a young, water-loving couple who are looking to escape to the coastal county with their young daughter. They have £620,000 to s
North Yorkshire
Sep 8, 2022
Sonali Shah helps a young couple wanting to swap town life in Halifax for country life in the wonderful surroundings of North Yorkshire. Taking a break from the properties, Sonali
Powys
Sep 13, 2022
Jules Hudson is in the Welsh county of Powys with a couple whose property wish list includes an annexe for their parents, along with at least half an acre of land for their budget
Devon
Sep 15, 2022
Devon is today’s destination, where Nicki Chapman helps a couple from south London with a £500,000 budget to search for their dream home in the countryside. Wanting to help out in
Somerset
Sep 20, 2022
Two sisters want to combine their resources in Somerset to find a secluded house that has enough land to start their own music festival, though on a slightly smaller scale than the
North Yorkshire
Sep 22, 2022
Having spent 30 years living and working in Hong Kong, today’s escapee teams up with Jonnie Irwin in North Yorkshire with a house-hunting budget of £350,000. Away from the property
Cornwall
Oct 3, 2022
Wanting to be close to the coast, a couple from Birmingham have decided that Cornwall is the perfect destination for their escape, and Sonali Shah is on hand to make their dream co
Anglesey
Oct 4, 2022
Feeling an affinity for Wales and in particular the island of Anglesey, a Canadian couple ask Briony May Williams to find them the stone cottage they’ve always dreamed of owning fo
Guernsey
Oct 10, 2022
It’s a first for Nicki Chapman and the Escape to the Country team today as they head to glorious Guernsey in the Channel Islands. They’re there to help find a fabulous family home
Ayrshire
Oct 11, 2022
In Ayrshire, Jonnie Irwin helps a retired couple who want to reconnect with their Scottish roots. They have a budget of £500,000 and a view over water is a property priority. Whils
West Yorkshire
Oct 17, 2022
In West Yorkshire, Steve Brown supports an artist who is looking to leave London to realise her ambition of living life in the countryside. Steve also visits the town of Todmorden
Gloucestershire
Oct 18, 2022
A soon-to-be retired vicar and her husband need Sonali Shah’s help to find a new home in the beautiful countryside of Gloucestershire. Sonali also visits Adam Henson, who, as well
Derbyshire
Nov 7, 2022
Looking to leave London for Derbyshire, a couple with four children need some expert guidance from Denise Nurse, as she helps them navigate the county's rural housing market in sea
Anglesey
Nov 8, 2022
It's an island escape today, as Jules Hudson helps a couple from a town in Cheshire to find their dream home on Anglesey. During the busy week of house-hunting,
Devon
Nov 14, 2022
After 23 years living in Canada, today's buyer is returning to the UK for good. With a budget of £400,000, she is looking to make her rural escape to Devon, but there's a catch - s
Oxfordshire and Wiltshire
Nov 15, 2022
Briony May Williams meets a couple from London who are in the market for a new home in the countryside of Oxfordshire or Wiltshire, as long as it has enough space for them and thei
Argyll and Bute
Nov 22, 2022
An adventurous young couple from Nottinghamshire are looking to move county and country to Argyll and Bute, where Sonali Shah has some splendid Scottish properties waiting to show
Cornwall
Nov 23, 2022
Denise Nurse is in the coastal county of Cornwall today, helping a couple to turn their favourite holiday destination into their permanent home on a budget of £475,000. Away from t
West Sussex
Dec 7, 2022
Today, we have a marvellous multi-generational move to consider as Alistair Appleton guides one family, spread over four generations, to find two houses in one village. It’s a tall
Oxfordshire
Dec 8, 2022
Nicki Chapman teams up with an author from west London who wants to pen an exciting new chapter for herself in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. Away from the property hunt, N
Cumbria
Dec 12, 2022
Steve Brown is on hand to help a couple of newlyweds who are looking to escape south London and set down roots in the stunning countryside of Cumbria. They have already discounted
Cambridgeshire
Dec 15, 2022
A keen singer from south east London, accompanied by her good friend, needs help to find a new home in Cambridgeshire with her budget of £360,000. Sonali Shah is only too happy to
Somerset
Jan 3, 2023
A couple from urban Hertfordshire with a £550,000 budget have their sights set on moving to the Somerset countryside, and Jules Hudson has some splendid properties lined up to temp
Wiltshire
Jan 4, 2023
The pressure is on Nicki Chapman to find today’s couple their perfect property in wonderful Wiltshire, as they have already sold their London home. Away from house hunting, and bei
Argyll and Bute
Jan 23, 2023
It’s destination Argyll and Bute today. Sonali Shah tours this region of Scotland in search of a new home for a couple from a Warwickshire town who have a budget of £340,000. Sonal
Powys
Jan 24, 2023
Space for holiday lets or glamping is the priority for a couple today who are chasing a complete change of lifestyle in Wales. Steve Brown kick-starts their Powys property journey
Dorset
Jan 30, 2023
In true Escape to the Country style, today’s couple (both former international rugby players) want to leave London in search of a rural idyll in Dorset, and Alistair Appleton is th
Suffolk
Jan 31, 2023
The devoted owners of no fewer than six Irish wolfhounds are in desperate need of more space for them and those countless muddy paws, so have set their sights on Suffolk for a bit
South West Wales
Feb 6, 2023
With the help of her mother and Jules Hudson, a buyer from suburban Surrey is looking for a new family home with enough land to start a dog-training school in south west Wales.
Herefordshire
Feb 14, 2023
With the recent arrival of grandchildren, today's globetrotting escapees are returning home for good from Malaysia and want to put down permanent roots in the Herefordshire country
Isle of Wight
Mar 20, 2023
With a budget of £440,000, today’s couple are looking forward to retiring from the Buckinghamshire commuter belt to a new home on the majestic Isle of Wight. Steve Brown helps them
Cheshire
Mar 21, 2023
Cheshire may be a world away from Miami, where today’s couple are moving from, but to them, it’s a county that feels like home, and Alistair Appleton is on hand to help them settle
Devon
Mar 29, 2023
A couple from the largest town in Dorset want to escape the urban sprawl to establish a new country life in Devon, and Sonali Shah is on hand to help them kick-start their property
Wiltshire
Mar 28, 2023
Nicki Chapman helps a buyer with a budget of £450,000 who wants to escape her ex-council flat in south London and create a new life in the Wiltshire countryside. She’s after somewh
Peak District
Apr 3, 2023
Steve Brown meets a pair of cycling enthusiasts on the hunt for the perfect rural idyll in the Peak District. They have a budget of £450,000 to swap city life in Essex for the wood
Cumbria
Apr 4, 2023
Alistair Appleton meets a couple who are looking for a complete change of lifestyle in the Cumbrian countryside. Their relocation is driven by a desire to be closer to their daught
Devon and Dorset
Apr 11, 2023
Now that her sons have fledged the nest, today’s buyer wants a new lease of life in a rural home that has business potential. She’s set her sights on either Devon or Dorset, where
Wiltshire
Apr 12, 2023
It’s an emotional journey today as Alistair Appleton helps a buyer with a £260,00 budget to escape her small flat near Heathrow airport. She is desperate for some peace and quiet,
Devon and Dorset
Apr 17, 2023
Today's escapees want to raise their children near the sea, so Jules Hudson takes them to view a selection of wonderful homes in the Devon and Dorset countryside.
Surrey
Apr 18, 2023
Steve Brown is on a property-hunting mission in Surrey today, with a buyer who has a budget of £500,000 to find the space she needs for her and her dog.
NorFolk
May 15, 2023
Sonali Shah is house-hunting in Norfolk with a buyer who has holidayed there throughout her life and now wants to make the county her home and business address. She wants to establ
Cornwall
May 16, 2023
Nicki Chapman is in captivating Cornwall, where she has some wonderful Cornish homes lined up to tempt a buyer from suburban Surrey who is looking for a fresh start for him and his
Northumberland
May 22, 2023
Finally able to search for their forever home and a more settled way of life, a former royal marine and a retired civil servant have £375,000 to spend and the expert guidance of Ju
Suffolk
May 23, 2023
Ginny Buckley is in Suffolk, helping a retired couple from Essex find a new home in a thriving village as close to the county’s coast as their £475,000 budget will allow. Ginny als
West Sussex
May 29, 2023
Alistair Appleton relishes being in his home county of West Sussex today as he shows off some of its many delights, including a selection of beautiful properties. He’s with a marri
Norfolk
May 30, 2023
Having fallen in love with Norfolk a little more with each visit, today’s couple have decided to make the county their home. Denise Nurse is there to help them find their forever h
Lancashire
Jun 5, 2023
After 16 years down under, Jules Hudson helps a couple to relocate back to Blighty. Their £450,000 budget might not stretch quite as far in Lancashire as it did in Oz, but Jules st
Dorset
Jun 6, 2023
Having outgrown their town flat, two newlyweds with a budget of £400,000 need Ginny Buckley’s help to find a new home in the Dorset countryside that has enough space to keep bicycl
Fife
Jun 12, 2023
A couple of Brighton seek a complete change of scenery with a move to the beautiful countryside of Fife.
Somerset and Devon
Jun 13, 2023
Alistair Appleton helps a couple escape their land-locked life in Leicestershire with a move to Somerset or Devon.
Yorkshire
Jun 19, 2023
Jules Hudson is in his element as he explores the glorious countryside of North and West Yorkshire with a couple from a market town in West Sussex. Jules has a superb selection of