TO VIEWERS of a certain age, broadcaster Jack Hargreaves WAS the face of local ITV.

He was famous for shows such as Out of Town, Old Country and children's fun facts show How? on which he appeared with current news anchor, Fred Dinenage.

Now Mr Hargreaves' former country cottage has gone on sale for £850,000, complete with his famous shed which, estate agents say, still contains some of his personal possessions.

Raven Cottage in the village of Belchalwell near Blandford was built in 1860, said Ian Mudford, who is handling the sale for Connells in Blandford.

"It's a historic building in itself but the Jack Hargreaves connection will interest a lot of people because he was so watched and so popular," said Mr Mudford. "We believe he moved here around 15 years ago after living in the New Forest and the current owner bought it from his wife after Jack passed away."

Mr Hargreaves' distinctive broadcasting style, walking and talking in the Wessex countryside and broadcasting from what appeared to be his own garden shed or workshop without the use of a teleprompter, won him many fans and instant recognition in Hampshire and Dorset.

It is not known if he broadcast from the shed at Raven Cottage but, says mr Mudford: "There are still artefacts which belonged to him there, including one of his old bags and a few other bits and pieces, it's amazing, really." He said that Mr Hargreaves' book, The Old Country, contained pictures of his shed.

In his last broadcast Mr Hargreaves acknowledged the importance of his shed, saying: "Things are still as they used to be. I still spend about half my life in the shed, particularly in wintertime. I still can't resist mending things that were busted 50 or 60 years ago and I still can't throw anything away."

The house has three bedrooms with the possibility of a fourth, as well as a traditional Aga, inglenook and a log-burner.

The whole plot is 3.5 acres which includes a 2.5 acre paddock. The gardens at Raven Cottage include a home grown veg patch which was cared for by Jack Hargreaves himself.

"It would be perfect for anyone who wanted to keep a horse," said Mr Mudford. "As for the house itself, it has many original features and a lovely family atmosphere with amazing views over the North Dorset countryside."