The home where celebrated author and illustrator Raymond Briggs created The Snowman is up for sale and it’s complete with a mysterious bookcase door.
Mr Briggs lived and worked at the three-bed detached property in Westmeston, East Sussex, for decades and was even inspired by the picturesque scenery to write the famous tale.
Called Weston, the house sits beneath the South Downs countryside, which featured in Briggs’ much-loved 1978 picture book.
The property has gone on sale for £775,000 and the next owners will inherit a unique layout packed with character – including a bedroom hidden behind a bookcase.
Estate agents, Chatt Estates, described the unique feature as a “mysterious secret door”.
But the home is now in need of significant modernisation, as reported by Luxury Property News.
The property has been altered and extended over the years, with additions including a kitchen, garden room, store and integral garage.
Stairs lead to a large first-floor reception area which provides access to the bedrooms.
One bedroom has a dramatically high vaulted ceiling, while another is reached through the concealed bookcase entrance.
Downstairs, the kitchen is currently fitted with basic units, a stainless-steel sink and space for an electric cooker.
The tiled bathroom contains a panelled bath, toilet and pedestal sink, while the house has electric heating.
Another striking feature is the sculptural fireplace which dominates the middle of the ground floor and separates two large reception rooms.
The property sits on 0.4 acres of private grounds, with a pounding path that leads to a timber garden room containing its own log burner.
The rural location appears to have provided more than just a peaceful place for Briggs to work.
The Snowman was published in 1978 as a wordless picture book telling the story of a young boy whose snowman comes to life.
Briggs later confirmed that the landscape seen during the boy and snowman’s magical flight was the South Downs behind his home.
The fun facts emerged in handwritten notes Briggs added to a Finnish edition of the book decades later.
The rare annotated copy was discovered during a clearance of Weston following Briggs’ death in 2022.
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