Rowling’s childhood home goes on sale

The childhood home, which inspired Harry Potter author JK Rowling has gone on the market complete with trap door, cupboard under the stairs and even a secret scrawl penned by the author as a teenager

Rowling's childhood home goes on sale

The childhood home, which inspired Harry Potter author JK Rowling has gone on the market complete with trap door, cupboard under the stairs and even a secret scrawl penned by the author as a teenager.

Rowling, now 45, scribed her name into paintwork by her bedroom window alongside the words: 'Joanne Rowling slept here circa 1982 when she was 17.

The home has a secret scrawl written by Rowling saying:
'Joanne Rowling slept here circa 1982 when she was 17.'

She lived in the Grade-II listed Church Cottage in the picturesque village of Tutshill the name of a Quidditch team in the novels with mum Anne, dad Peter and sister Diane from the age of nine to 18.

The detached stone cottage is thought to have provided much of the inspiration behind the multi-million selling Harry Potter series.

Parallels include a dusty dingy cupboard under the stairs where Harry is forced to live by his evil aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon Dursley in the books.

There is also a trapdoor leading to an eerie cellar, which is seen when Harry searches for the Philosopher's Stone in the first novel.

The gothic architecture seen on the house is "straight out of Hogwarts" and has a pretty cottage garden, including a herb patch like that seen in Professor Sprout's Herbology lessons.

Current owner Julian Mercer bought the three-bedroomed house near Chepstow, Gwent, from the Rowling family in 1995 and is now selling it for ufffd3,99,950 (Rs 2.85 crore).

He has preserved Rowling's windowsill graffiti by painting around it whenever he has decorated the bedroom.
Mercer said, "It is a truly lovely cottage. It is quite small but has wonderful architecture and a gorgeous garden surrounding it.
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JK Rowling would have been here in her formative years and could have taken inspiration from the cottage.
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It has a cupboard under the stairs and the architecture is very Hogwarts-like. It has vaulted ceilings, stone windows and oozes gothic spirit."

Rowling is believed to have lived in Church Cottage between 1974 and 1983. A spokesman for JK Rowling declined to comment on the sale.

Rs 2.85 cr
Current asking price for J K Rowling's childhood home