Hobbit hideaway with links to James Bond and artist Augustus John goes on the ...

A Hobbit-style house that has links to James Bond creator Ian Fleming has gone on the market for £400,000.

The rustic property sits in woods of an estate in East Stoke, Dorset, that belonged to the family whose ancestor inspired the character 007.

The Grade II listed Stockford Lodge was also the venue for romantic liaisons by the English artist Augustus John.

The enchanting Stockford Lodge in East Stoke, Dorset, could be yours after Domvs estate agents put it on the market for £400,000

The enchanting Stockford Lodge in East Stoke, Dorset, could be yours after Domvs estate agents put it on the market for £400,000

The kitchen still has a space for a dishwasher and large fridge/freezer and the breakfast room even has underfloor heating

The kitchen still has a space for a dishwasher and large fridge/freezer and the breakfast room even has underfloor heating

The quirky Grade II listed home, which sits in an acre of grounds, has plastered cob walls and a thatched roof which looks very similar to the old fashioned hobbit houses from the Lord of the Rings

The quirky Grade II listed home, which sits in an acre of grounds, has plastered cob walls and a thatched roof which looks very similar to the old fashioned hobbit houses from the Lord of the Rings

In history of art circles rumour has is that Augustus John and three fellow artists - Charles Conder, John Everett and Arthur Meade, painted murals of naked women on the walls of the house, only for them to be whitewashed by Meade's wife. 

So the inhabitants of the lodge might be sitting near murals that could be worth thousands of pounds.  

The petite lodge has plastered cob walls and a thatched roof.

It is believed to date from the late 18th century or early 19th century and has a cosy 722 square feet of space.

The enchanting one-bedroom cottage was originally built as the lodge house to a grand property that was owned by the descendants of John Bond, an Elizabethan spy said to have inspired Fleming's famous MI5 agent.

Bond was renowned for his work for Queen Elizabeth I in the late 1500s, assisting Sir Francis Drake on many escapades, including the 1586 raid on the Azores, which Spain had just bought from Portugal. 

It was during the raid that Bond first saw the Latin phrase 'non sufficit orbis', which directly translates to 'the world is not enough'.

It is thought the spy adopted it as his family motto as a jokey pun at the expense of the Spanish king.

Fleming was aware of the Bond family from his days at Durnford School, a prep school in Langton Matravers, Dorset.

After being sold by the Bonds, Stockford Lodge was later used regularly by Augustus John as a site for his countless romantic conquests from about the turn of the century. 

It has a history of romantic liasons and city getaways with its cozy rooms and open fireplace. Rumour has is that Augustus John murals still exist under the whitewashed walls

It has a history of romantic liasons and city getaways with its cozy rooms and open fireplace. Rumour has is that Augustus John murals still exist under the whitewashed walls

There is one octagonal-shaped bedroom but it has two doorways - on the left is a double bed and to the right are cupboards with cleverly designed double and single beds built in for extra accommodation

There is one octagonal-shaped bedroom but it has two doorways - on the left is a double bed and to the right are cupboards with cleverly designed double and single beds built in for extra accommodation

The bathroom has a roll top bath which only just fits into the room - causing the tiles to bulge outwards as they accommodate it. There is a toilet adjoining the bedroom upstairs

The bathroom has a roll top bath which only just fits into the room - causing the tiles to bulge outwards as they accommodate it. There is a

read more from dailymail.....

PREV Alex Murdaugh's elderly mother Libby dies at home aged 85 - three years after ... trends now
NEXT In news vacuum, rumours and concern swirl over Catherine mogaznewsen