So you have a million quid or so to spare and you’re looking for somewhere nice and peaceful to ponder the inequalities of the world. How about the former home of one of the world’s most famous socialists?
Rose Lawn is in the village of Lower Shiplake in Henley-on-Thames and was the childhood abode of writer George Orwell. And now it has just come on the market for £1.4 million.
The ‘Animal Farm’ author lived in the detached house between the ages of nine and 12, when he was known by his birth name Eric Arthur Blair. Some say this stunning Edwardian property is where Orwell first started to fall in love with writing.
Legend also has it that while living here, Orwell made pals with poet Jacintha Buddicom, then aged 13. She apparently caught him standing on his head in a field near both their homes and he told her: ‘You are noticed more if you stand on your head than if you are the right way up.’ Little Orwell was clearly already wise beyond his years.
The lucky new owner will have three bedrooms, plus another room that could function as a fourth or as a study or television room. Other standout features of the house include a marble fireplace, a bay window, a larder and wood-panelled walls.
The guide price for Rose Lawn is £1,395,000. You can take a look at the property for yourself here.
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