FluxVlog

Do you fancy owning a property that appears in one of the most scandalous novels of the 20th century?

Teversal Manor in Nottinghamshire was the inspiration for Wragby Hall, the setting for Lady Chatterley’s Lover, DH Lawrence’s famously banned book.

The stone-built manor house, in Teversal Old Village, is now on the market for £1m.

"It certainly is a handsome property, with parts of the manor house dating back to the 16th century," says Patrick Williamson from Savills, the agency handling the sale. "Even without its literary heritage it would appeal to buyers, but this connection will no doubt stir additional interest."

Jonathan Cunliffe, the director of Savills Truro office, has had experience selling homes with both literary and historical connections. He adds, "We certainly find that the historical aspect of a property has significant appeal. People love to know they are buying a piece of history as well as just bricks and mortar, so historical connections most definitely add interest as well as value."

Teversal Manor isn’t the only property on the market at present that appears in print.

The British author Daphne du Maurier is most closely associated with Cornwall. But a Grade II listed Welsh farmhouse on sale in Carmarthenshire appears in one of her books.

Sadly this property wasn’t the blueprint for Manderley – one of the most famous of all fictional properties, which has a starring role in du Maurier’s Rebecca. But Llethr Llestri House, a 17th-century "gentleman’s residence", does appear in her novel Hungry Hill and is on the market for £595,000 – again through Savills.

Llethr Llestri House, which features in Daphne du Maurier's 'Hungry Hill'

If this doesn’t quite hit the literary A-list, then how about the grandeur of Tangier Park, another Grade II listed country house, which boasts a Jane Austen connection.

It was in this 17th-century Hampshire home that Jane Austen was briefly engaged – for all of a day – to the delightfully named Harris Bigg-Wither. She is known to have enjoyed visiting Tangier Park – she was good friends with his sisters – and it is documented that she enjoyed walking in the countryside surrounding the house.

If you fancy similar leisurely strolls, then the house, which still has grounds of 100 acres, is on the market for £6m and is listed with Knight Frank.

Jane Austen briefly became engaged to a young man at Tangier Park

But how much will a connection like this add to the asking price? Nigel Mitchell, a partner at Knight Frank’s Guildford office, says this can be difficult to gauge. Not least because many of these are very individual properties, where it is hard to find direct comparisons. Much will also depend on the fame of the writer, and how solid the connection is.

Mitchell makes a distinction between homes that are said to have inspired famous literary landmarks, and those that have a more definite link with an author. If it was their primary home, or the place where they wrote their most significant work, then this is more likely to add to its asking price.

But, he says, while this can pique interest from buyers, it doesn’t necessarily push up its value.

"There is no doubt that having such a connection raises more initial interest in a property, and that has to be a good thing," adds Mitchell. But will a buyer pay more? "Probably not, unless they are a true fan of that writer. But we have seen this happen on occasion."

Most agents did not want to put a figure on how much value such a connection could add, as it would depend on the property, location and its literary merits. But in a buoyant market some sellers might be tempted to put an extra five per cent on the asking the price.

There was certainly a flurry of excitement last month, as Roald Dahl’s childhood home was put up for sale. The house, in Llandaff, Cardiff, is on the market for £1.45m. It is built in the Arts and Crafts style of the early 20th century, and is set in secluded grounds. But it is its link to one of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors has helped it command a £1.45m price tag. The property is being sold through Cardiff estate agents Michael Graham Young.

But there is one downside. These links can create interest, but expect a lot of enquiries from those who don’t have the means, or the inclination to buy.

"A good agent should help screen out viewing from those who just want to see what the house looks like, or where their favourite author lived," adds Mitchell. You want to make sure that those looking round are potential buyers, not just those who are being nosey."

Former homes of the famous are often marked by a blue plaque, and these can be sought after by buyers.

"These plaques add terrifically to the history of a house, helping attract buyers and driving up the price," says Jonathan Haward of Country Homesearch. He believes that these plaques are only going to become more valued, following the news that English Heritage is suspending this scheme as a result of budget cuts.

A blue plaque marks a property with historical interest, but it doesn’t mean there are any additional planning restrictions, so buyers are free to alter, improve and modernise as they wish.

This won’t be the case with a listed property, nor with one that is owned by the National Trust or English Heritage.

Flint Cottage in Mickleham, Surrey, certainly has impeccable literary credentials, but buyers should note this is on a relatively short National Trust lease, through Knight Frank.

The Victorian writer George Meredith lived in this pretty cottage

This £1.3m Georgian four-bedroom cottage was the home to the Victorian novelist and poet laureate George Meredith, who lived here for more than 40 years. While he may be a less familiar name than Dahl to the wider public, he was part of the literary set of his time, and regularly wined and dined with some of the best-known authors of his day, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling and JM Barrie. As well as this dinner-party conversation piece, the property also has a Victorian garden chalet and tennis courts, and is set in extensive National Trust land.

Even more recent authors can lend a property a little literary cache. Bradley Court, in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, has just been put on the market with Strutt & Parker. The size and location of this Cotswolds residence give it a price tag of £2.75m. But it also the place where Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney wrote "Peacock’s Feather" for his "English niece". Although the peacocks are long gone, the lawns and topiary mentioned in the lines are still in evidence.

Not all homes linked to famous writers sell for so much. Castle Goring, the former home of Mary Shelley, recently sold for £700,000 through Strutt & Parker. This may seem cheap for an 18th-century Sussex castle. But the estimated repair bill of close to £2m suggests its maintenance may present another tale of Gothic horror.

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