Why new TV series Dales for Sale set in Yorkshire and starring Marcus Alderson estate agents looks set to be a huge hit

TV series featuring rural Yorkshire have always been a huge hit with viewers in the UK and far beyond thanks to the breathtaking scenery in God’s Own County and its down to earth folk with their wry sense of humour.

The love affair began in 1973 with Too Long a Winter, the Yorkshire TV documentary on the life of farmer Hannah Hauxwell. Hannah lived alone and survived quite happily on £240 a year in her remote, tumbledown farmhouse in Baldersdale with no electricity and no running water. She felt blessed with her livestock, magnificent scenery and her battery operated radio permanently turned to Radio 4.

Fast forward to 2015 and Channel 5 found success with The Yorkshire Vet and then came The Yorkshire Steam Railway, The Yorkshire Auction House and the big hitters: Our Yorkshire Farm, featuring the lives of farmers Amanda and Clive Owen and their nine children, and a remake of All Creatures Great and Small. The result was an exponential rise in the number of people dreaming of escaping to the Yorkshire countryside with the Dales a prime target.

This was compounded by the pandemic which saw a huge boost in the number of home hunters from all over Britain turning to Yorkshire to find a better life. Now, a new TV series set to air on the Really channel looks set to put rocket fuel under an already red hot property market.

Dales for Sale follows the team from the Richmond-based Marcus Alderson estate agency and would-be buyers who are looking to find their dream home in the area, which covers the historic town of Richmond and the surrounding villages and hamlets in the Dales. It is wonderfully watchable with the hardworking and helpful Marcus, Richard, Carla, Rosie and Sue from Marcus Alderson proving that many estate agents do a great job, have a well-honed sense of humour and do not deserve a place amongst the UK’s most hated professions.

The series showcases Richmond’s many charms and the breathtaking countryside around it. It also reveals just how tough it is to find a property and secure it in a market where supply and demand is a major issue. Going above asking price is a must and booking the first viewing is an advantage.

Those who watch the programmes, which start on March 14, will see buyers come from far and wide, including from London and, in the case of life partners William Griffin and Michael Forde, from Mexico via North Carolina. After selling their home and their interiors business in the US, they travelled around America in a motorhome on an extended road trip, spending winters in their holiday property in Mexico and planning vacations further afield.

A visit to London and Cornwall sparked a plan to make a permanent move to Michael’s native Britain. They bought a car and a caravan and together with their pet dog, Maisie, began a three month tour taking in places they thought might tick the boxes on their wish list. These included a place with community spirit, a gym, restaurants, a theatre, a market, independent retailers, great views and walking distance of countryside.

They looked at Bath, Cheltenham, Cornwall, the Cotswolds, The Lake District and Harrogate but it was Richmond, on the edge of Swaledale, that unexpectedly stole their hearts.

William says: “Richmond wasn’t on our shortlist but we were looking for day trips we could do while staying in Harrogate and I read about Richmond and thought it looked interesting.”

Michael adds: “Within a few hours of arriving in Richmond, we looked at each other and said: ‘this feels right’.”

They are filmed viewing a quirky, beautifully modernised three storey, two-bedroom cottage in Richmond with exceptional views over the river and beyond.

They managed to secure it thanks to their natural charm, ability to proceed, flexibility on moving dates and an offer £5,000 over the £395,000 asking price, which saw the eight other viewings that had been lined up cancelled.

They moved there in July last year and could not be happier. “Richmond has exceeded our expectations in so many ways. Most important is the friendliness of the place and the way we have been welcomed in such a genuine way, our amazing neighbours, the beauty of the area and the incredible walks from the doorstep,” says Michael.

The move has been a huge success and will surely encourage TV viewers to hit the property portals in search of what they could buy in what is an idyllic area. The unintended consequences of Richmondshire’s popularity with buyers near and far is discussed in the Dales for Sale as affordability dwindles for local people and those who have moved to the area for work.

House prices rose by an average 29 per cent last year when the Land Registry saw Richmondshire regularly record Yorkshire’s highest monthly house price increase.

Richard Thompson of Marcus Alderson estate agents says: “The market here is still busy with buyers from all over the country and abroad and places that were once seen as remote are now becoming popular.”

He adds that a lack of homes for sale is pushing prices even higher: “Homeowners are happy to see the price of their home rising but the worry is in retaining the younger generation because the average price of a terrace house is about £200,000. We need more affordable housing and that needs to be addressed.”

Dales For Sale airs weekly from 9pm Monday, March 14, on Really, and available to stream on discovery.

*Richmondshire as a district authority area covers a large part of the Northern Dales, including Swaledale, Arkengarthdale, Wensleydale and Coverdale.

Its towns and villages include Richmond, Leyburn, Middleham, Reeth, Hawes, Askrigg, Catterick and Middleton Tyas.

The council offices are based in Richmond, which is a favourite with tourists and home hunters alike thanks to its historic centre, wealth of amenities and proximity to the A1 and to countryside.

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