September marks 75 years since Enid Blyton’s first Famous Five book, Five On A Treasure Island, was published.

Blyton wrote more than 700 books in 40 years, with many of her best known-works inspired by the places she visited and the people she met there. She was particularly fond of holidaying in Dorset, especially Purbeck, which she visited three times a year for more than 20 years. Corfe Castle was the inspiration for Kirrin Castle in the Famous Five adventure series, while the character of PC Plod in the Noddy books was based on a real policeman from Studland.

Having grown up in Wareham, I am very fond of the Purbecks. It is one of the most magical areas of Dorset, with the market town of Wareham and seaside resort of Swanage as its two main centres. The coast and countryside are breathtaking and there are wonderful beaches at Studland and Swanage. With pretty villages such as Corfe Castle, Church Knowle and West Lulworth, too, it’s no wonder that Blyton set her Famous Five books here, as it is a treat for any family to explore.

The Isle of Purbeck covers just 60 square miles and is bordered by water on three sides. New residential development cannot be built within 400m of the protected heathlands, so there is strong competition in the housing market.

Average sale prices in the Isle of Purbeck local authority area have increased 29.9 per cent over the last 10 years. The biggest increase of 60.9 per cent over the same period was in the ward of Castle, which includes Corfe Castle and Studland.

The average sale price in the Purbeck local authority area was £324,677 in the two years to May 2017, while Castle saw an average sale price of £623,233 over the same period.

Source: Savills Research using Land Registry