La cabaña del creador de Tarka La Nutria (Tarka The Otter)

Henry William Williamson passed away in 1977. He won the Hawthornden Prize for literature in 1928 for his novel Tarka The Otter

A labour of love: The remote moorland cabin was built by Williamson in 1929 in a village in North Devon, with the profits from his most famous book, Tarka The Otter

A tiny wooden hut where one of Britain's best-loved nature authors penned some of his greatest works is today up for sale - after lying untouched for nearly 40 years. 

Henry William Williamson built the remote moorland cabin in 1929 with the profits from his most famous book, Tarka the Otter.

Williamson, a naturalist, farmer and prolific writer, spent up to 15 hours a day inside the one-room hideaway working on his acclaimed natural history and social history novels.

Oxford Cross (Grade II), Georgeham, Devon

For many writers, the ambiance in which they work matters. Recently listed, this writing hut was built by Henry Williamson in 1929 from the proceeds of Tarka the Otter, and he went on to write more than 50 novels in this simple yet characterful writing sanctuary.

Henry William Williamson, a naturalist, farmer and prolific writer, spent up to 15 hours a day inside the one-room hideaway working on his acclaimed natural history and social history novels. The hut has been left almost exactly as Williamson left it around four decades ago.

Since his death in 1977 it has been left virtually untouched with books, clothes, reading glasses and a gramophone record all remaining just as the reclusive wordsmith left them.

The remote hut is close to the pretty village of Georgeham near Woolacombe in North Devon and is made from oak and elm with slate roof tiles with a brick fireplace.

Pictured above is Williamson inside the hut. The sale includes his writing desk, spectacles and blotter. Pictured below is how it looks today.

AN AWARD-WINNING NOVEL TRACING THE LIFE OF TARKA THE OTTER AND HIS LIFE ON THE RIVER TORRIDGE

The novel traces the life of Tarka an otter,
living on the River Torridge

Tarka the Otter was written by Henry William Williamson and was first published in 1927.

A year later the novel won the Hawthornden Prize for literature.

The book, which remains Williamson's best-known and most popular work, has never been out of print since first publication.

It tells the tale of an otter, Tarka, and his life on the River Torridge. 

Divided into two parts - The First Year and The Last Year - the novel follows Tarka learning to swim and hunt, deal with losing a sibling in a trap and surviving after he is separated from his mother. 

In his second year Tarka fathers a litter of cubs with his mate White-tip.

Throughout the novel Tarka is pitched against his main enemy, another local otter Deadlock.

The book ends with a climatic nine-hour hunt of Tarka by the pack, and a confrontation between Tarka and Deadlock.

Williamson was born in London and moved to Georgeham in Devon in 1921.

He began making notes for Tarka the Otter two years later, while the book took four years to complete.

The author often claimed he was inspired to write the novel after rescuing and raising an otter cub, but the truth of the story remains shrouded in mystery.

The original edition feature illustrations by Charles Tinnicliffe.

While popular with children, the novel was not intended for a young audience. 

The novel was adapted into a film, which was released in 1979 - two years after Williamson passed away. One of his sons, Richard, and his daughter-in-law, star in the film.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2590707/Moorland-hut-Tarka-Otter-author-penned-greatest-works-sale-lying-nearly-40-years.html