The former childhood home of JK Rowling in Tutshill has been sold to an unidentified buyer.

The Grade II-listed property, Church Cottage, was home to multi-millionaire Harry Potter author, J K Rowling, between the age of nine and 18. It is believed that the quirky cottage inspired much of her creativeness when devising Potter and the magical world of Quiditch - even naming one of the Quiditch teams in the novel, Tutshill.

The cottage was recently put on the market by Chepstow based Estate Agents and Solicitors, Properts, for £399,950 complete with spooky trapdoor, a cupboard under the stairs and even a secret scrawl etched by the author herself as a teenager.

Rowling, now 45, scribed her name into paintwork by her bedroom window alongside the words: "Joanne Rowling slept here circa 1982" when she was 17.

Properts were unable to disclose the figure the property sold for or who bought the property.

Jane Propert said: "People buy houses for a number of reasons, budget, location and lifestyle to name but a few. But being able to live in a home that has historical interest can appeal to many potential buyers.

"The past ownership by a famous person can not only assist in a sale but may potentially enable the property to be sold at a premium. We have experienced such interest following the marketing of Church Cottage, where J K Rowling spent part of her childhood.

"The property also lends itself to the interest emanating from its famous resident because it looks as if it came out of one of the author's books. However, the fact it has historical links and is a listed property may have also helped it to sell so quickly."