-Hunting for houses in Europe has long been a British passion.

-We're building our dream, and it's looking pretty good.

-But some of us dream of more than just a holiday home.

-What this gives us is an opportunity to build something fantastic.

♪♪ -In this series, we're following the village saviors... -We definitely feel like we're custodians.

-...intent on resurrecting Europe's long-lost communities.

[ Metal detector beeping ] -The metal detector's going off right now.

-We've discovered that the original Art Deco floor is still underneath.

-They're breathing new life into borgos, quinta, and hamlets... [ Goose honking ] -Aah!

-Aah!

[ Laughs ] -[ Laughing ] Look at her.

[ Clatters ] -That's how we open the door.

-...and walking in the footsteps of history.

-There are three skeletons in there.

-But will they be scaling new heights?

-No, I've had enough.

I want to get down now.

[ Laughter ] -Or will they crash and burn?

Will it end in tears?

-[ Sighs ] I want to sell.

I just don't know what to do.

-I knocked that all down.

Never done this before.

-Or will they triumph against the odds... -Yeah!

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

...as they restore the past to build their future?

-Oh!

-Oh!

-We bought a village, and all your dreams are coming true.

-[ Chuckles ] ♪♪ -Today there are testing times for our village saviors.

-Aah!

Ooh-la-la.

-In midwest France, the medieval walls of a manoir look to be on shaky ground.

-The cracks are a worry, and they were a worry when we first looked at the property.

But well, it's been here for up to 600 years, and there are no foundations underneath, so everything will move.

-At a hamlet in the Limousin... -Another hand.

-...repairing a roof could be a step too far.

-No, I've had enough.

I want to get down now.

[ Laughter ] Yeah, I don't think roofing will be for me.

-And as renovations start at a castello in Italy... -Hopefully by the end of today, it will look fantastic.

-...could it be a story with a sting in the tail?

-It's huge.

So, yeah, we do have quite a lot of scorpions here.

♪♪ -France may be one of Europe's great industrial powers, but over half its land is still agricultural.

Farms, fields, and forests cover as many square miles as the whole of the United Kingdom.

Yet less than 3% of the workforce have jobs in agriculture.

It means the countryside is dotted with abandoned reminders of old farming communities, places like La Galiserie, that was on the verge of dereliction until Sean and Lolly, from Sussex, bought it for just over £120,000.

-We've got to literally project-manage the whole of the groundworks, which will be interesting, to say the least.

-From the ground up.

-Yeah, yeah.

Lighting, windows.

We have no windows.

We have no doors as such.

-Haven't got many floors.

-Not many floors that are good.

So, it is the whole, yeah, the whole project.

-When the couple moved in, it was winter, and they lived a Spartan existence without even a working bathroom.

-...this door because it doesn't...

It's just hanging on by its last limb.

And then... -This is my little creation, our beautiful throne room.

This we found in one of the sheds.

-Yes.

-Cut it apart.

It's an old cattle grid.

Pulled it out, made a towel rail.

-Hmm.

-And this is our beautiful toilet.

Um, it's not as fabulous as we we'd like it, but it's very functional.

And when you've got to go, you've got to go.

And you're going to go in here.

[ Both laugh ] -Four-hundred years ago, this traditional manoir would have supported a noble family in the main farmhouse, servants in the outbuildings, and dozens of laborers in cottages nearby.

Lolly and Sean want to turn it into a home, a B&B, and two gîtes.

But Sean is also a former Olympian, and he hopes to use it as a base to coach athletes.

-Yeah, it'd be great for, um, people to come out to do warm-weather training, just live the life of kind of being an athlete instead of being busy and then trying to train.

And if we can promote that as much as we can do, that would be amazing.

♪♪ -It's May.

And as Lolly and Sean wait for contractors to help them with the bigger jobs, they're cracking on with what they can do themselves.

Today, they're focusing on one of the outbuildings that would once have been an animal shelter.

They've turned it into a cocktail lounge.

But today, work starts on a new concrete floor.

-All right.

Another one's on its way.

-While Sean is doing the donkey work, his stepson Charlie is at the business end.

He's a builder who's over from the U.K. for a few weeks, and his expertise is definitely making a huge difference.

-I'm in awe of him, how easy he makes things look, and, actually, how confident he is just to chuck himself into it, as well.

Maybe it's an age thing, where I always worry a little bit more, and I think, yeah, I could mess it up quite easily.

-The plan is to put a boiler in here so they can bring central heating and hot water to the hamlet for the first time in its history.

But it means the floor needs to be perfectly level.

♪♪ -Great match there.

-Meanwhile, Lolly has her hands full dealing with an uninvited guest in the room where Charlie's been sleeping.

-So, this is the room here, which is going to be our B&B, a downstairs guest bedroom with an en suite.

It's a bit dark.

We've got a few curtains up because we've got birds in here flying around.

They used to nest in here.

Come on!

Out you come.

So, we're trying to keep them out.

-Before Lolly and Sean moved in, La Galiserie had been empty for years.

-I don't want to hurt you.

-So, the local wildlife is still getting used to sharing it with people again.

[ Bird chirping ] -Go on.

Out you go.

Out you go.

You might have to open up there.

Come on.

Oh, it's gone.

[ Laughs ] -Back in the cocktail lounge, Sean and Charlie have just about finished the floor.

-I'll just basically let it all settle.

Let the water rise to the top.

And then take the water off and just get a nice, even nicer finish on it.

-But there's more to do outside in the sunken terrace... -Oh, see, that's not me.

-...where it's all hands to a bucket.

[ Both laugh ] -Oh, no, that's silly!

[ Laughs ] -Considering the sunken terrace started life as a hole in the ground, they've made great progress in just a few weeks.

-So, hopefully might only be one more mix after this, we're hoping.

Well, I'm hoping.

♪♪ -Lolly and Sean are gradually learning new skills and ticking off the jobs, and the sunken terrace should be the first they complete.

It's been a long day, but the benefit of owning your own rural hamlet means there's no better place to unwind.

♪♪ -Awesome day.

Accomplished a lot.

Um... -It's now 9:00.

-I know.

Sun setting.

-Sun setting.

Barbecue's on.

-Barbecue's on.

Sean and Charlie have just been absolute superstars.

-It's been a good day's work.

-Cheers, Charlie.

You did a great job today.

Thank you very much.

[ Bottles clink ] -In medieval times, the villages of central Italy were often under siege from the Saracens, the French, the Spanish, and even the Holy Roman Empire.

One solution was to build castellos, or fortified communes, like San Benedetto, which is now proudly owned by Andrew and Katja, who moved here from Brighton.

They bought it for around £100,000 and hope to turn its 50-plus rooms into a home, holiday lets, and an event space.

-It used to be a place of, like, multiple occupancy, and that's what we want to encourage again.

It would just be nice to have a bit of a buzz, this bit of a vibe around it, knowing that people are using it and enjoying it.

-The history of San Benedetto dates back to the eighth century, when an order of monks built an abbey on the hills here.

But in its heyday, the castello would have been a self-sufficient community with a population running into the hundreds.

-They would have had pigs, donkeys, sheep all over the place.

They had wine, and then they've got a well full of water so they can get water out.

-The original well still exists, and Andrew and Katja intend to repurpose it during their renovations.

-All the rainwater from this huge building was funneled into here, and they'd collect it.

So, they always had a supply of water if they were being attacked under siege, and they were locked in.

-We plan, if budget allows, to turn this ancient well into a whirlpool Jacuzzi.

-Which sounds hideous because you might think, "Well, they're ruining a piece of history."

-At least it's being used.

-But we're saving a piece of history because it's always had water in it.

And what we want to do is just put it back to have water in, but to use it.

-Renovation work has been slow, though.

After being hit by an earthquake ten years ago, the government made the building safe and rebuilt the watchtower from rubble.

But Andrew and Katja are still waiting for their own plans to be approved.

-For me, it feels like we're so, so far away from finishing.

-It's now September 2022, and Andrew and Katja have been allowed to do some basic repairs, and that does feel like progress.

-You see, it looks quite yellow, doesn't it?

But when it's dry... -It looks really yellow.

-When it's dry, it won't be.

It'll be white.

-Okay.

-The walls of this room are about 500 years old, and Andrew and Katja want to preserve them in keeping with their original construction.

So, after a bit of research, Andrew has decided to use a traditional Italian mortar.

-It's called calcia.

It's very fine stone, ground down and mixed with white, natural, not man-made cement, which is God knows what.

I have absolutely no idea what it is.

I'm just doing a bit of brushing to make sure that you can see the stones.

Our architect said, "Oh, you've got to plasterboard them."

You know, it's the last thing in the world I'm going to do.

I'm never going to plasterboard these walls, ever.

I don't want any plasterboard in the entire building.

I think I'll just do it like that and then work it down a bit and then clean it off.

I'm trying to leave this lovely stone here visible.

Look at that.

It's an odd one that's sticking out, but I thought I'd try and leave that.

I like that stone.

It's really nice.

-Yeah.

-So, I'm really trying hard to leave that visible.

-I like it.

-Happy wife, happy life.

She likes it.

Then maybe I'll do it like that.

-As well as the walls, Andrew and Katja are also getting on with the floors.

In this room, It's made from beautiful and original terra-cotta tiles.

-One of the things we've got to do is seal the floors properly.

They've had a coat, maybe two, but they need at least three, and they definitely haven't had three coats of sealant.

And so hopefully by the end of today it will look fantastic.

-But cleaning them risks more than just a spot of housemaid's knee.

-It's huge.

Uh, I did have a pet scorpion here for a while.

Yeah, we do have quite a lot of scorpions here.

It's never worried me too much, because as long as you're not stupid and you stick your hand under something.

I always look first.

Because they're so thin, they go under the most incredible little gaps and slots and things and hide.

-Andrew and Katja know that once their designs for the castello are approved, the renovation work itself won't take too long.

So, for now, they're doing what they can and trying to wait patiently for news.

-We've got a lot of this to do.

We got about a thousand square meters of flooring to do.

♪♪ [ Birds chirping ] -Coming up... -It's prickly.

-...Lolly starts insulating a ceiling, but it gets her into trouble.

-All the little bits that fall off, it's quite prickly.

-All the PPE you're meant to wear with it?

-Oh, yeah.

-Masks and glasses?

-I think I might actually -- -I think If you look back, I did say to you.

-And there's a problem up on the roof at a hamlet in France.

-We are about, I reckon, a good hundred tiles short.

♪♪ -In central France, there are two village saviors who are now 18 months into their mission to breathe life back into their own forgotten hamlet.

Not far from Limoges stands the beautiful Montmagner, a settlement with an incredible story that's now bouncing back.

-So, the history goes back 700 years.

What we do know is that originally Montmagner was a village.

It had four towers and many other buildings.

It's most famously known for its relais de postes in the 1700s, when it was rented to the postmaster, and that was when this place was really thriving, not just the people that actually worked for the relais de poste, but then you've got the people who worked with the horses, then you've got the farmers that grew the vegetables, you've got the chefs that cooked for the gentry that turned up.

There's so many people that was involved in this place, and that's where we want to take it back to.

-Ted and Lesa have already transformed three apartments, landscaped the grounds, and opened a tearoom.

But now their savings have run out, and they can only pay for more renovations as they generate more income.

-We're in a bit of a catch-22.

You know, we have to do things quickly to earn the money, but we don't have the money to do the things quickly.

♪♪ -It's October, and Ted and Lesa's latest plan is to renovate an old piggery and turn it into a gîte.

From about the 18th century, when potatoes became cheap fodder for swine, even the poorest farmers in France were able to keep a pig or two.

So, when Montmagner was a farming community, the piggery would have been a vital resource.

They were hoping to finish the roof today, but the heavens have opened.

-This looks like the sort of rain that's in all day, like we had the other day.

So, I don't know how far we'll get today.

-Lesa can't help because she'd be busy getting the guest apartments ready and serving in the tearoom.

So, it's a good job Ted's friend Steve is here to muck in.

-Still a lot of work to do on it.

But this is one of -- obviously the main job.

And it's where it looks good in this respect.

-The rain is definitely making the job a lot riskier.

And although Steve has plenty of experience, it's still a long way down if he falls from the apex.

-It's slippery.

And let's face it.

What are you falling on?

It's not grass, right?

Come on.

That's it.

It's properly raining now.

-Over in the chateau, Lesa's well on schedule to welcome guests, but she can't help wishing she could be in two places at once.

-We've got guests arriving tonight, so it's, uh, changeovers, cleaning, washing and, uh, prepping the rooms.

But without the day-to-day activities, we can't do the renovation because there'll be no money.

-Down at the piggeries, Ted and Steve have been making good progress, but Ted has made a disappointing discovery that means they won't be able to quite finish today.

-We are about, I reckon, a good hundred tiles short.

-After Lesa serves the last customers in the tearoom, she pops over to the piggery, where she's even tempted to brave the ladders herself.

-It's looking good.

-Are you coming up?

-Look at her face.

-Should I try?

-Go on there.

Put another hand.

All right.

See where the nails are?

-Yeah?

-That's where joists are.

So, only put your feet where the joists are.

-No, I've had enough.

I want to get down now.

[ Laughter ] Okay.

That's enough.

[ Laughs ] Yeah.

I don't think roofing will be for me.

-All right, grab the ladder.

-But when you think, this time last year, I wouldn't have even got up this ladder.

-As Steve lays the last tile of the day... -Oh.

Dropped it.

-[ Laughs ] -Well-done.

-...the roof might not be quite finished, but it'll only need a quick trip to the builders merchants tomorrow before it is.

-There's still a lot of work to be done, but the tiles are on the roof, and that's the best thing.

-Back in La Galiserie, It's June and a busy start to the morning as a delivery of insulating material and steel frames arrives.

[ Clattering ] -Ah!

Ooh-la-la.

♪♪ -Is that heavy?

-Heavy-ish.

-Once it's stacked, Lolly and her builder son Charlie get to work in the sunken terrace.

-Right now, I am just pointing all the gaps between all the coping stones.

Yeah, it's just kind of sort of finishing touches and can get the last couple of coats of paint on and then, um, yeah, pretty much job's a good one.

-I find it quite therapeutic.

Um, and then all I do is I think of the next job that we need to do, and there's plenty.

So, it's quite a good time brainstorming myself.

-Eventually, the surrounding area will be grassed, and there are plans to add lighting and more plants.

But they've made great progress.

And it just goes to show how hard work, determination, and having a builder in the family can really pay off.

-[ Chuckles ] Thank you, darling.

-[ Barking ] -[ Chuckles ] It's amazing.

-Today, Sean is working on a wall in what will be their en-suite bathroom, but since they still don't have a staircase in the watchtower, there's no easy access to the upper floors.

It means Sean has to transport the stones up a ladder and through three bedrooms before he gets where he needs to be.

It's a challenge, even for a former Olympic athlete.

♪♪ -It's a completely long-winded, um, route I have, but it's the only way that I can do it.

And it doesn't help because Lolly's dressed loads of the rooms.

So, it's getting past curtains and baths and all that sort of things.

-While Sean cracks on with the wall, Lolly and Charlie are insulating a roof on the other side of the property.

This will eventually be Lolly's utility room, and when the gîtes and B&B are up and running, it will supply constant bundles of fresh linen.

-That is good.

The existing roof.

-It's gonna be easier to take it out than put it in.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

-Squeezing the fiberglass insulation between the ancient beams isn't easy, though.

-[ Sneezes ] -Yeah, it's sneezy, dirty, dusty work, whatever you want to do.

Everything's dropping from the beams, all the dust that's been there for years, although I have hoovered it.

-And the insulating material is irritating Lolly's skin.

-It's prickly, all the little bits that fall off.

It's quite prickly.

-All the PPE you're meant to wear with it?

-Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

-Masks and glasses.

-I think I might, actually -- -I think, if you look back, I did say to you.

-[ Coughs ] -I think I might go and change because this is really itchy.

-So, after digging out some new overalls, Lolly is ready for another go.

-But I've changed.

I've had to put PPE on because, uh, yeah, this stuff is just really itchy.

It's like fiberglass, and I've been told now that it actually is made of fiberglass.

Ugh, glasses at the ready.

Can't see a thing through those.

Gloves, scalpel.

♪♪ -It might not be the most fashionable outfit in her wardrobe, but it's definitely what she needs for this job.

♪♪ A few hours later, most of the roof has been insulated and boarded, and it's ready for Sean to take a look.

-Oh, wow.

♪♪ -It's okay, isn't it?

-It's more than okay.

It's awesome.

Yeah, it's really good.

-It might be another day before it's finished.

But by learning new skills, they've managed to tick off another job without having to rely on contractors.

-This was our tester, the utility.

I feel very confident about doing the house now.

-Good.

-And all the other outbuildings.

And there are plenty.

-There are plenty.

-Shower time and barbecue... -Time.

-And watch the sunset.

-Time.

-Coming up... [ All exclaim ] Andrew and Katja are raising funds for renovations at one of Italy's great wonders.

-I still get impressed myself.

-And can Ted hit the target with his nail gun?

-I don't know whether I can get enough angle so I don't shoot this through the glass pane and break the glass.

♪♪ -It's November, and in Montmagner, Ted and Lesa have finished the piggery roof and erected a gazebo in the courtyard so they can now work in the dry.

The next step is to put in windows.

Ted is making them from old timber and some double-glazing units he's picked up in a reclamation yard.

Meanwhile, Lesa is learning new skills as she builds up the doorways to match Ted's frames.

-It is very difficult because your jigsawing bits of stone.

So, you're then trying to go and find a piece of stone that will fit in amongst all of this stone we've got.

♪♪ You know, I've never built a stone wall before, so I don't know.

-Lesa may be relying on an electric mixer, but her raw materials, stone and mortar made from lime, water, and sand, are just what the original craftsmen would have used.

This part of Montmagner is over 500 years old, so she really is following in ancient footsteps.

-The main thing is, although you want big pieces so that the stability of it is really good, you also need the little stones in between to make sure that there's no movement, and it's packed out nicely.

-A few days later, the walls are dry and ready for the first of Ted's frames.

-Come on, you two.

♪♪ Good job right now glassing, isn't it?

-Not only is it the right size, but it sits straight on Lesa's wall, as well.

-Oh!

Oh!

♪♪ -The following week, the couple had the chance to finish the job.

-It's just awkward to put it on the bench at the moment.

-First, Ted needs to take the glass out of the old double-glazing unit.

♪♪ -Look at that!

♪♪ -Then it's the big moment.

And Ted meets Lesa on the other side to make sure the windowpane doesn't fall all the way through.

-Does it fit?

-It fits.

Is that in?

-Yeah.

Nice.

-It's a glass window.

-A few days later, Ted's doing the last two windows in the piggery, but this time he's on his own, and it's making him nervous.

-The big windows I did with Lesa.

So, I'm worried about a window falling out, because if I put it in, run round to get something else, maybe a bit of trim, and then try and nail that in, I'll come here, and the window's on the floor.

Have you got this?

Let's do it.

♪♪ -With the glass safely in the frame, Ted now needs to fix some wooden trim around the glass to help stop drafts.

-This is what secures it.

It's the nail gun.

However, on the other trim that I used, it was a lot smaller than this, and I don't know whether I can get enough angle so I don't shoot this through the glass pane and break the glass.

♪♪ Ah!

I can't believe it.

It's a tiny, little crack in the pane.

I was too gung ho.

Silly boy.

-Not only is Ted angry with himself, he now has to tell Lesa.

-Are the windows in?

What's the matter?

-Cracked pane.

-No!

-Last nail that went in.

I'm so annoyed.

It's just... -Oh, well, one of these things, baby.

One of these things.

-[ Groans ] -Despite his disappointment, Ted has to pick himself up and have a go at the other window.

-Yeah.

That's in.

-And this time he needs to be extra careful with the nail gun.

♪♪ Job done.

-I think we've got it.

I think we've put the top and bottom trim in, and we were slightly more calculated with our positioning of our nails.

-Things could have gone a little smoother today, but by doing it all themselves, the couple have saved about 4,000 euros.

And with a new pane of glass, Ted should be finished in the next couple of days.

All he needs to do then is start making some doors.

-I feel slightly more elevated.

♪♪ -Back in Abruzzo, Andrew and Katja's architect Paola is on site, meeting engineers to help move their plans forward.

While she's here, though, the couple also take the chance to show her something fascinating in their garden wall built when San Benedetto was a fortified commune.

-She's tough, this girl.

Look.

That's our architect that just went down, multitasking on the phone and abseiling at the same time.

I mean, you don't get many architects like that.

-There's a brick in the wall with a date stamp of when it was built.

-[ Speaking Italian ] 1580.

-1580.

-The wall's starting to lean, so will need strengthening.

But Andrew wants to make sure that the brick isn't lost amongst the rubble.

-This garden didn't always exist.

This wall went up, and then they filled it with soil from down in the valley, In the river valley.

So, it is a sort of important part of history.

-Bringing a settlement back to life needs hard work and sacrifices, but it also needs funds.

So, unable to house people in San Benedetto, Andrew is running a walking-tour business for tourists.

-We've got a small group today, a mix of Europeans and Americans, because I didn't want to take a large group on the first one of these to see, because it's easier to talk to people, engage how it's going with a smaller group.

-Andrews tour takes in the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, and there's a traditional lunch in the mountains.

-Yeah, there's three bits left miraculously.

I don't know how that happened.

-But the highlight is a World Heritage Site that was built in the 13th century, 200 years after the watchtower in Andrew and Katja's castello was being constructed.

-Come in and just congregate under here.

It's nice and cool.

And, uh, thank you, everyone, for coming.

If you're in there, and it's quiet, I think that's similar to how the monks would have experienced it when they were here, because obviously they had silent orders, as well.

Come in.

-The oratory of San Pellegrino in the village of Bominaco... [ Crowd exclaims ] ♪♪ ...has been called the Sistine Chapel of Abruzzo.

Its interior walls are covered from floor to ceiling in beautifully preserved frescoes that are truly breathtaking.

-I've been here countless times.

I've lost track now, but I still get impressed myself.

-Oh, it's not just "nice."

It was nice to hear that "Wow."

-Yeah.

The reason they've survived so well, of course, is the tiny windows and the tiny amount of light that ever got in here.

-I don't think I ever would have found this place if it wasn't for Andrew and Katja because I didn't know about it.

-I like that this history has been very, very well kept for even us and other people to come in the future.

-Today's tour has been a huge success.

With Andrew and Katja's funds running perilously close to rock bottom, it's a welcome boost to their coffers, but it's also reignited Andrew's passion for history and his desire to preserve his own slice of medieval Italy.

And when his and Katja's dreams have been stuck in limbo for so long, it was exactly what he needed.

-It gives me a great thrill to be knowledgeable, to know my way around, and be able to share that with other people.

And I love it if I get a wow or a gasp or a, you know, just a stare like, "Wow, I've never seen anything like that."

Yeah, absolutely adore Abruzzo, and I love showing people around.

♪♪ -Coming up... an unexpected guest is claiming squatter's rights at Lolly and Sean's manoir.

-We got the pigeon back, so he's staring at me at the moment, so hopefully I don't upset him.

Hopefully by the time I get a bit closer to him, he's a bit more confident that I'm not going to do any damage to him.

-And the crowds are heading home early at Ted and Lesa's Christmas fair.

-I didn't realize the World Cup was on today.

Obviously, I wouldn't have known that when I picked this date.

♪♪ -It's summertime in midwest France, where there are busy bees amongst the sunflowers, and in La Galiserie, there's plenty of work going on, too.

After finishing the utility room, Lolly and Charlie are now insulating the high ceilings of the main house.

-Oh, droopy baby.

-But even with their newly acquired skills, there are still lessons to be learned.

-Well, that's just dropped out, isn't it?

[ Laughs ] It keeps dropping down.

I could probably come back in here in the morning, it will be on the floor.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ Oh, God, it's hilarious.

-On the other side of the property, Sean's getting ready to do some more pointing.

There's still no stairs in the watchtower, though, so he has to carry buckets again through a maze of bedrooms.

This time it's lime mortar for the wall in the en-suite bathroom, and the long trek isn't his only problem.

Yet again, after years of being empty, The wildlife still believes this is their patch.

-We got the pigeon back, so he's staring at me at the moment, so hopefully I don't upset him.

Yeah, I don't really want to disturb him because he's definitely got eggs in there.

So, I'm going to start this side, anyway, and then work my way across.

So, hopefully, by the time I get a bit closer to him, he's a bit more confident that I'm not going to do any damage to him.

-As well as adding some more layers to the wall, Sean also needs to fill in any cracks in the stonework.

-So, I've got a little bit left of lime.

So, I'm going to just chuck some in this hole and then hopefully a few more stones from up here to go in there, as well, just to hold it.

♪♪ The cracks are a worry, and they were a worry when we first looked at the property.

But because of all of these walls are a meter thick near enough, most people look at them and go, "Well, it's been here for up to 600 years, and there are no foundations underneath, so everything will move."

And then the other bit that kind of makes you feel a little bit better with it is it's got all the straps on it.

So, it is holding it together, even though they do need a little bit of tightening, because they shouldn't wobble like this.

-But rescuing ghost villages is hard work, and even couples as motivated as Sean and Lolly need a break.

Luckily, one of the benefits of living in such a stunning area... -Oh, my... [ Mumbling ] -...is lunchtimes can be magical.

-Mm!

That's good!

-Mm.

Yeah, excellent.

-When they come back, though, there's a surprise in store.

-We've seen, um... We've seen someone has turned up with a digger.

It's Saturday, and they were turning up on Monday, so we'll find out what's going on.

-It turns out to be their neighbor, Hervé, who's here to dig some trenches.

He's just a few days early.

-Mondays is Monday.

-Yeah.

-But this morning, it's possible I go La Galiserie.

-It's okay.

♪♪ -Would you believe he's a lord?

He is a lord, and he has the most amazing château five minutes down the road, and he's always inviting us there.

He's got the most amazing swimming pool, and he's just the loveliest guy.

He is really funny.

-Although Lolly and Sean have power and water in some of the buildings, they need it throughout.

So, Hervé is saving them a small fortune by preparing the ground for cables and pipes.

-We need Internet fiber everywhere.

We need electricity going into the gîte, once it's up and running.

-Despite the temperatures now creeping towards 30 degrees Celsius, Sean gets his shovel out to help, but Lolly wants a closer look at the digger because she's got a feeling it could be the coolest place in the manoir.

-Oh, it is!

-You can to sit.

-It's free.

-Well, it's free.

It's free!

I'm not going to touch anything, though.

-It's fresh.

-Oh, shut the door.

Bye!

It's lovely in here.

Ha ha!

Ah!

[ Laughs ] You have air conditioning in your digger.

It's crazy.

-All diggers.

-In France?

-But a small digger, no air conditioning.

-The smaller diggers?

-With Hervé's help, it doesn't take long to finish the trenches.

And the day ends on a very happy note.

-He's going, "Come to my swimming pool."

-"Come and have a swim.

It's hot."

-It's hot.

So, that's where we're going.

-Yeah.

-We're going swimming.

-We're gonna go for a swim.

-In his château.

-In a lord's château.

-In a lord's château.

-Sean and Lolly have been welcomed with open arms by the locals.

They may have only been at La Galiserie for six months, but their neighbors clearly appreciate what they're doing and how hard they're trying to breathe new life into an abandoned corner of France.

-Oh, it's fresh.

♪♪ -It's December in Montmagner, where Ted and Lesa are keeping alive a tradition that goes back centuries in France by hosting a Christmas market.

-Yep.

-That's it?

-Yeah.

In the past, I would imagine that probably Montmagner had Christmas markets going on for centuries, I guess.

Back In the day they would have been selling their livestock and their turkeys, wouldn't they?

-Selling everything.

-Through the years, because it was such a integral part of the local community, Montmagner itself, I'm sure, would have had numerous affairs, and this would have been the focal point of this area.

-Lesa has her own stall of handmade decorations, and 20 other keen artisans are coming to sell their wares.

-Hello, my love.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Um, right.

Are you parked out -- -I've just parked -- -Yeah.

Okay.

-Yeah.

-If you bring the car in, if you want to set up, um, in one of these spaces here.

-Yeah.

-Um, how big is the stall?

-I just brought just an angle.

-Okay.

All right.

Cheers.

-Lovely.

Thank you.

-We're open.

♪♪ -Yeah.

It's lovely.

-Yeah.

It's brilliant.

Mum's got a nice ring.

I got some spices.

-Very good -Some nice stalls around.

Have a nice hot chocolate.

-It's a nice idea.

-Yeah, it's nice to get the community in.

-Yeah.

-The more people get to know about it... -Yeah, more people will come.

-Exactly.

-It will grow.

-Hopefully.

-Aah!

-Yes.

-[ Laughs ] -The wind is causing the odd mishap.

But there are plenty of helping hands and... -Ted!

-...lots of old stones around the village for Ted to find a quick solution.

-Right.

If that don't hold it... -By lunchtime, the stallholders in the tearoom are doing a roaring trade, and Montmagner is buzzing with life again.

♪♪ Lesa even finds a few spare minutes to finish off some more Christmas decorations she's been selling.

-I'm kind of halfway through these decorations, and I didn't get a chance to finish them, so now I've got a few moments.

I've got my glue gun out, and I'm just going to finish these decorations so I can put a few more bits on my stall and hopefully sell them.

[ Chuckles ] If I don't sell them, then I will use them in the tearoom.

So, um, it's not a waste.

♪♪ Et voilà.

There's my table decoration.

-Just after lunch, though, trade dropped off, and the tents suddenly empty.

At first it's a mystery... until the penny drops.

It's the World Cup final, and France are kicking off against Argentina.

It's an issue that definitely wouldn't have cropped up 500 years ago.

-I didn't realize the World Cup was on today.

Obviously, I wouldn't have known that when I picked this date.

-If the French weren't in the final, they'd probably be here.

-Yeah.

-But this is the only time... You know, it's probably the whole of France are now supporting, so... -Yeah.

-And good on them, you know.

Let's hope they win.

-Ted and Lesa decide to make an executive decision.

They're going to close early.

And it's Lesa's job to let the stallholders know.

-I know we said 7:00 finish, but there's nobody here.

And I didn't know that the World Cup was starting at 4:00.

-We've had a lovely time.

-Voilà.

-I can't get out of this chair.

-Yes, I do.

I'm here.

And I'm not watching it.

So, my husband's going to text me and tell me who won.

-As Lesa brings the market to a close, it's clear the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Montmagner.

-Thank you all so much.

Have a lovely Christmas.

Mulled wine, mince pies, sausage rolls, if you want any, come inside.

Let's go and get warm.

Or you could just pack up and go home.

[ Laughter ] Merci beaucoup pour Papa Noel.

-Père Noel.

-Merci, Papa Noel!

[ Laughs ] -It may have ended in a whimper rather than a bang, but the market was still a great success, and there's plenty to cheer.

As the last few revelers enjoy Ted and Lesa's hospitality, the couple can reflect on a job well-done.

They've worked tirelessly to bring the spirit of Christmas past, present, and future back to Montmagner, and they're looking forward to a well-earned rest.

-Finish for a few days, where we're not going to do an awful lot.

We will end up doing stuff, but we're just -- I am -- yeah, we're pretty, both of us are exhausted.

And you get tired too quickly at the moment.

-So, we're going to take a couple of days off over Christmas... -Couple of days off for Christmas.

-...before we get back into it.

-Yeah.

-Next time in La Galiserie, Lolly and Sean make some fascinating discoveries.

-Oh, what is that?

-[ Laughing ] I don't know!

-Ted and Lesa battle modern machinery at Montmagner.

-It just keeps going.

-You can't stop it.

You have to drag it back.

Rubbish.

It's all lumpy and horrible.

-And in San Benedetto, there's finally something to celebrate.

-Trust me.

The biggest stress you're ever going to have in your life is buying a ridiculously big, massive property... -Cultural heritage in Italy.

-Cultural heritage in Italy.

...you want to do up and live in.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪