Lewis Carroll lived in the house until he was 11 years old

The Daresbury Parsonage, south-east of Daresbury village near Halton, Cheshire, was destroyed by fire more than 100 years ago but visitors can still see the remains of the building laid out in bricks.

Carroll, famous for writing Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass, lived in the parsonage from his birth in 1832 until he was 11 years old.

The site was previously owned by the Lewis Carroll Birthplace Trust, which was formed to safeguard the site in 1992.

An island farm mid seas of corn, Swayed by the wandering breath of morn, The happy spot where I was born Lewis Carroll talks about the parsonage in 'Faces In The Fire'

The trust's secretary, John Wilcox-Baker, said: 'The trust feels that such a site of international importance should now be looked after in perpuity, which is why we decided to approach the National Trust.'

Sula Rayska of The National Trust said it was "delighted" to acquire a site of such historic interest.

She said: "The trustees and members of the Lewis Carroll Trust have done a wonderful job in preserving the birthplace of such a literary legend."

The parsonage, which was bult in 1820, was a large, double-fronted house with a schoolroom, parlour, cellars and seven upstairs rooms.