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Fairytale Cottage Where 'Goldilocks And The Three Bears' Was Born Is Up For Sale

Lauren Bell

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Fairytale Cottage Where 'Goldilocks And The Three Bears' Was Born Is Up For Sale

Featured Image Credit: Caters

You can now buy a real life fairy-tale cottage - the home where the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story was reportedly born - for £1,000,000.

The cottage is where 'The Tale of the Three Bears' author, Robert Southey lived (Credit: Caters)
The cottage is where 'The Tale of the Three Bears' author, Robert Southey lived (Credit: Caters)

The thatched roof, under-the-eaves bedroom and secluded garden - once belonged to the author Robert Southey whose story was originally called The Tale of the Three Bears.

According to Fine and Country where the property is listed, the story was born there, despite it being published later in 1837, after Robert had moved out of the home.

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According to reports, he first heard the tale in the cottage from his uncle William Tyler, which Robert was later heard telling his friends with a new spin, well before publication date, but it involved an old woman who broke in, rather than Goldilocks.

The tale has taken on different forms over the years (Credit: PA)
The tale has taken on different forms over the years (Credit: PA)

It was Joseph Cundall, twelve years later in 1851 who changed the old woman into a pretty young girl - and eventually the name Goldilocks many years later was settled upon.

Looking at the beautiful Grade II listed cottage in Christchurch, Dorset, it's easy to see how an author could have been inspired by the New Forest on his doorstep - no doubt the forest from the story where the old woman had been walking when she found the cottage.

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The inside is modernised throughout but retains its original features (Credit: Caters)
The inside is modernised throughout but retains its original features (Credit: Caters)

The cottage now having been around for three centuries, still retains its original features with exposed timber beams, wood burners, cottage windows and wooden floors - all character features still in tact.

However, it has also been beautifully modernised otherwise and boasts spacious rooms, which combined with its old features brings the price up to £1million, so living there will cost you a pretty penny. It is currently on the market here.

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The four-bedroom cottage is the ideal home for families who love a fairytale - just imagine how much more exciting telling your children the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears would be inside the place where it was reportedly first thought up.

The ground floor has a a stunning triple aspect living room with a cosy log burner, a snug and dining area which isn't too big and isn't too small - it is just right for 10 people to eat together. You can have serious family feasts there - perhaps porridge would be the appropriate family breakfast?

Fireplaces, wooden floors and beams help retain the old cottage charm (Credit: Caters)
Fireplaces, wooden floors and beams help retain the old cottage charm (Credit: Caters)

Whilst upstairs boasts four bedrooms, some with luxurious en-suites and underfloor heating, and the space to put beds in that aren't too hard or too soft.

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It's not just the cottage that is like living in a fairytale, it's the grounds too - with the property being set on half an acre of land.

We feel inspired just looking at it.

Topics: Books, Home

Lauren Bell
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