The surviving family of the late Syd Barrett have decided to sell the house occupied by the troubled musician for more than 20 years.
Barrett lived at No. 6 St Margarets Square from 1981 to 2006, moving back from London after shunning the music industry and turning his back on a solo career, over a decade after leaving the band he founded with Roger Waters.
Occupying a prime position less than a mile from the historic city centre of Cambridge, the house is located close to live music venue The Junction. Barrett's sister Rosemary has written an account of her family's time at the 1930's property to accompany its sale.
"In 1981 Roger returned to Cambridge from London and settled into the smaller back bedroom. After a while it was clear that Roger needed more space and my mother cam to stay with us, initially on a temporary basis that ultimately became permanent," she writes.
"Roger loved the peace and quiet of St Margarets Square, hearing the children in the road playing and enjoying cycling to the local shops. He put his stamp on the house with frequent redecoration, building his own furniture, changing doors etc. In the front room he did his drawing and painting and wrote at length about art history. In the back room he relaxed and enjoyed listening to jazz. Upstairs he slept in all the bedrooms deciding which one as the mood took him. He had plans to use the loft as an art studio but never quite got round to it."
"The only intrusion to his peace being the occasional visits from fans. He could never understand why strangers wanted his time as the reason for his fame was always a mystery to him. His neighbours were very protective regarding his fan base and would sometimes deny all knowledge of him or even say he lived in the next road. He lived contently like this for 23 years until his death in July 2006."
The house is being sold by auctioneers Cheffins, who are also selling many of his final possessions.
Syd Barrett died in July aged 60.
