House where The Snowman was written for sale - complete with secret door

House where The Snowman was written for sale - complete with secret door The home where Raymond Briggs created The Snowman has a hidden room The home where Raymond Briggs created The Snowman has gone on sale for £775,000, complete with a mysterious door that hides a secret room. The celebrated English author and illustrator lived and worked at the detached property in Westmeston, East Sussex, for decades. Called Weston, the house sits beneath the South Downs countryside, which featured in Briggs’ much-loved 1978 book. D espite its remarkable literary history, the three-bedroom home is now in need of significant modernisation. However, the next owner will inherit a unique layout packed with character – including a bedroom hidden behind a bookcase. The unusual entrance is described by estate agents, Chatt Estates, as a “mysterious secret door”. Another feature is the sculptural fireplace which dominates the middle of the ground floor and separates two large reception rooms. 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 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. Outside, Weston sits in approximately 0.4 acres of private grounds. A winding path leads through the greenery 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 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 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. Briggs lived and worked at the house for nearly half a century. His original book has since sold more than 5.5 million copies and inspired the famous animated adaptation first broadcast in 1982. The film became a fixture of British Christmas television and was nominated for an Academy Award as well as winning a BAFTA. It also introduced audiences to Walking in the Air. The version heard in the original film was performed by choirboy Peter Auty – not Aled Jones, who released his successful cover later. Briggs’ other famous creations included the grumpy Father Christmas, first published in 1973, and Fungus the Bogeyman, released in 1977. Briggs died in 2022 at the age of 88. Weston is located close to the historic village of Ditchling, while Hassocks railway station offers services to London. It is on the market with a guide price of £775,000.