Homes that inspired some of the world’s best-loved books
The literary locations behind world-famous books

Bleak House, Broadstairs, England

Originally known as Fort House, this striking coastal home in Broadstairs, Kent, was once the summer retreat of literary giant Charles Dickens. The celebrated author holidayed here from the 1830s to 50s, finding inspiration in the property's unique aesthetic...
READ MORE: 12 incredible homes by the sea
Bleak House, Broadstairs, England

Bleak House, Broadstairs, England

Bleak House, Broadstairs, England

Following a fire in 2006, the home is now a bed and breakfast, where you can walk the very hallways that Dickens himself once meandered. In 1853, Fort House was renamed Bleak House in honour of one of the best-loved novels of the 19th century.
The Secret Garden, Kent, England

The Secret Garden, Kent, England

The property’s pretty kitchen garden ignited an idea in Burnett’s mind. While exploring the grounds one day, the author stumbled upon a wrought-iron gate hidden behind some vines. The entrance led to a secluded walled garden, thus planting the seed for one of the writer's most celebrated works.
The Secret Garden, Kent, England

The Secret Garden, Kent, England

To this day, the property remains home to numerous residents, offering private luxury apartments in a quiet oasis in the heart of the Garden of England.
Nineteen Eighty-Four, Jura, Scotland

Nineteen Eighty-Four, Jura, Scotland
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_451643.jpg)
Nineteen Eighty-Four, Jura, Scotland
.jpg)
Set in the Inner Hebrides, Barnhill was, and still is, almost entirely off-grid. From his desk by the window, Orwell looked out over the deserted landscape and imagined a world with no privacy or freedom. Here, he penned the entirety of his dystopian classic.
Nineteen Eighty-Four, Jura, Scotland

Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Little House on the Prairie, Pepin, Wisconsin, De Smet, South Dakota

The Little House on the Prairie epitomises rural American life in the late 19th century and was inspired by the pioneer lifestyle of its author, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Constantly on the move, a whole host of Midwest homes influenced the iconic series. This is a replica of Wilder's birth place in Wisconsin, as described in Little House in the Big Woods.
READ MORE: 11 amazing wooden homes that go against the grain
Little House on the Prairie, De Smet, South Dakota

Little House on the Prairie, Mansfield, Missouri

Jane Eyre, Peak District National Park, England

Jane Eyre, Peak District National Park, England

Jane Eyre, Peak District National Park, England

Jane Eyre, North Yorkshire, England

Jane Eyre, North Yorkshire, England

Norton Conyers was visited numerous times by Charlotte Brontë in 1839, some eight years before the book was published. Brontë had heard stories about a mad woman confined to the building’s eerie attic, a tale that is said to have inspired her infamous character, Bertha Mason.
Jane Eyre, North Yorkshire, England

In 2004, a hidden stairway was discovered at Norton Conyers, further linking the historic property to Thornfield Hall. The attic remains intact to this day, where you can see for yourself the room that helped create one of the greatest literary twists of all time.
Jane Eyre, North Yorkshire, England

The stunning manor is open to the public 28 days each year, so you can explore the rooms and gardens that inspired one of history's most classic novels.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the Lake District, England

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the Lake District, England

That's right, the beautiful gardens and surrounding landscape of Beatrix Potter's former home were the main inspiration for the adventures of mischievous Peter Rabbit.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the Lake District, England

It's easy to imagine Peter hopping around this quaint English garden, and you can almost see Beatrix Potter herself, sat by her window watching the animals outside play.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the Lake District, England

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Edinburgh, Scotland

Located in historic Edinburgh, it's easy to see how this dramatic castle-like property ignited an idea in the mind of J. K. Rowling...
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Edinburgh, Scotland

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Edinburgh, Scotland

J. K. Rowling is rumoured to have taken inspiration from the property's dominant turrets and towers for her famed fictional institution, Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: "A huge, rambling, quite scary-looking castle, with a jumble of towers and battlements."
READ MORE: Harry Potter superfans who've turned their homes into Hogwarts
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Edinburgh, Scotland

Howards End, Stevenage, England

Howards End, Stevenage, England

Forster adored the rolling countryside that surrounded the home, taking inspiration for his work from the idyllic landscape of his childhood.
Howards End, Stevenage, England

Howards End, Stevenage, England

Dating back to the Tudor period, the property still boasts lovely formal gardens and idyllic landscape vistas, still intact from when Forster lived there almost 140 years ago.
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature