GOLDILOCKS HOUSE LOOKS JUST RIGHT

E ver wondered what inspired the author of Goldilocks and The Three Bears to write his intriguing story of a hungry girl who steps into a mysterious house in the woods to try the beds, and porridge?

One candidate is Burton Cottage, an idyllic rural thatched property. Author Robert Southey lived there between 1799 and 1805 and it is where he wrote the story, based on an earlier fairytale.

His version wasn’t published until 1837, but it’s easy to see why Southey’s time at Burton Cottage was influential.

The pretty thatched property lies in a secluded, wooded garden in the village of Burton, two miles north of Christchurch in Dorset.

It’s just the place where three bears eating their differently-sized bowls of steaming porridge would enjoy sitting down in the cottage’s spacious interior, or tucking themselves into its comfy beds at night.

Mind you, much has changed since Southey penned his enduring children’s tale at the property.

Although traditionallooking from the outside, the 2,800 sq ft interior of Burton Cottage has been reconfigured recently to include three reception rooms, two bathrooms complete with chandeliers, a bespoke fitted kitchen, luxurious cinema room and five individually designed double bedrooms.

The question is: who will be sleeping in these beds? Only time will tell when the new owner of the Goldilocks author’s former home is revealed. Burton Cottage is for sale at £1.15 million via Lovett International (01202 303044).