Countryfile presenter Matt Baker has spoken about a "new chapter" with his wife, Nicola, as the couple return to screens in a new Channel 4 series. The show, titled Our Barn in the Dales, follows the pair as they renovate a barn on his parents' farm in the Durham Dales.
At the start of the first episode, Matt and Nicola discussed the "next phase" of their lives now that their children have left home. Reflecting on his attachment to the farm, Matt said, "I am never happier than when I'm here." Nicola replied, "This is your happy place," to which Matt added, "Yeah, I feel really kind of privileged to have grown up here. I've been all over the world, the stuff I've done with my job, but I just keep getting pulled back."
The family farm's transformation
Matt explained the significance of the farm to his upbringing, saying, "This place has been a massive part of my life. My mum and dad bought our farm when I was a lad, and completely renovated the farmhouse into our family home." He noted that over the years, the 100 acres of barren land were transformed into an organic sheep farm, which is now "teeming with wildlife."
Reflecting on the farm's evolution, Matt said, "It's a farm that's seen a lot of changes, especially with the breeds of sheep. The latest venture was converting the flock to hardy hill breeds to make things easier for my mum."
Planning the barn conversion
Later in the episode, Matt and Nicola looked ahead to their future as a family. Matt said, "It's interesting because we're in this fascinating chapter now, where the kids are growing up. They're going to go off and do whatever they decide to do in their lives." Nicola chimed in, "And we're in the next phase of ours," with Matt adding, "Yeah, we are, and it's a really exciting phase because we're going to start something epic."
He outlined their plans: "We're doing a barn conversion, and we aim to turn the old barn and granary at the end of the courtyard that's along from Mum and Dad's farmhouse into a traditional farm cottage, a home that fits with the heritage of the Durham Dales." He added that they would keep "as many original features as we can, salvaging materials on the farm, and using the expertise of local builders, stonemasons, and friends."
Supporting ageing parents
Matt also explained his motivation for moving back to his parents' farm, including building his 82-year-old dad, Mike, a special handrail after a fall. Matt said, "As well as being able to help out on our family farm, as Dad's now 82, just being around more for my parents is one of the main reasons that we want to build our barn conversion."
He added, "So while we get on with all of the work, we'll be doing our best to make life easier for my mum and dad around the farm." Matt's dad, Mike, recounted his fall: "I fell twice out there. I'd gone outside at night time and fell into the roses. I just lay there, and the only reason that Janice came down was that she could hear the wind blowing upstairs."
Matt Baker: Our Barn in the Dales is available to watch on All4.
