Tucked away in this small village in Buckinghamshire County is the former Elizabethan coaching inn where William Shakespeare is said to have penned part of "A Midsummer Night&39;s Dream."
Dating from 1534, the inn, now called Shakespeare House, is thought to have been built as a Tudor hunting lodge. Later it became a stop for travelers between London and Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born and buried.
It was "Brief Lives," a 17th-century collection of biographies by John Aubrey, that linked Shakespeare to the inn, saying that he had stayed there and drawn inspiration for the comedy while in the village.
One of the current owners, Nick Underwood, said the local lore goes even further: "It is also said he appears at the oriel window on the top floor of the house on April 23 every year -- the date he is said to have been born and to have died."
"In later years, the house later became a farmhouse, with 150 acres of land, but, over time, pieces were sold off," Mr. Underwood said. "In the 20th century, it was owned by two American families." Now, he and his co-owner, Roy Elsbury, have put the seven-bedroom property on the market at ￡1.375 million, or $2.13 million.
Despite its varied uses and renovations over the years, the 4,250-square-foot, or 395-square-meter, inn has retained so much of its original character that the organization English Heritage lists it as a Grade II* property, indicating that it is particularly important and of "more than special interest." Only 27 percent of the 1,600 buildings on the organization&39;s register have this designation.
We knew of the house before we bought it and were very excited when it came up for sale. It is so unusual to find an Elizabethan property of this size, in this area, and when we saw it, we absolutely fell in love with it," Mr. Underwood said. "We have taken great pleasure in working on it and living here. This house is all about the history."
In addition to being the owners&39; home, the property currently is run as a luxury guest house, with rooms rented for ￡99 to ￡250 a night.
"Shakespeare House is a wonderful example of Elizabethan architecture," said Dean Heaviside, the national sales director of Fine real estate agency, which is representing the owners. "It has been beautifully restored and offers a unique lifestyle, which brings a taste of the past together with modern-day comfort. It is rare to find a home like this on the market."