This Cottage for Sale Belonged to ‘Goldilocks’ Author, and It’s Just Right

On the market for a property that’s not too big, not too small? This charming cottage in the English countryside might be “just right.”

Burton Cottage in Christchurch, England is a lovely home currently on sale for £1 million (approximately $1.3 million). If it looks like something straight out of a fairytale, perhaps because it was once the residence of Robert Southey, the author of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

Southey and his wife Edith lived in the half an acre property between 1799 and 1805, and it’s believed that it’s where the former Poet Laureate penned the timeless tale. After the couple had moved out, many more of the author’s unsent letters were found in its cellar.

Aside from its storied past, the unusually-large cottage features modern amenities and contemporary details. Downstairs, it has an airy entrance hall (which doubles as a study), a living room, a dining area that can seat up to 10 people, a remodeled kitchen, and a reception room. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms with luxurious en-suites (various-sized beds for bears not included).

Although the current owners had the place fully renovated, they retained its character by keeping the exposed timber beams, wood burners, cottage windows, wooden floors, and a thatched roof that wouldn’t look out of place in the middle of an enchanted forest. Adding to its charm is a raised deck area and garden with neatly-trimmed hedges.

A spokesperson for Fine & Country, the company marketing the property, put it perfectly: “The Poet Laureate who wrote the story and once lived at Burton Cottage must have taken some inspiration from this magical home.”

You can learn more about Burton Cottage over at the Fine & Country website.