A historic country estate once home to the creator of the Mr Men and Little Miss children’s book series has been listed for sale with an asking price of nearly £4 million. Sussex House Farm, a 16th-century Grade II-listed Tudor property set within 30 acres on the Kent-Sussex border, is located in Cowden near Edenbridge.

The home was purchased in 1982 by Roger Hargreaves, the author behind the beloved children’s books, following their early success. Hargreaves lived at Sussex House Farm until his death from a stroke at age 53 in 1988. His wife Christine and their four children, including Adam Hargreaves who has continued his father’s literary legacy, remained at the property until 1992.

Before the Hargreaves family, the estate was inhabited by well-known British actors John Mills and his daughter Hayley Mills. John Mills, who appeared in over 120 films including the Oscar-winning “Ryan’s Daughter” (1971), resided at the property in the 1950s and 1960s. Hayley Mills, known for “Whistle Down the Wind,” spent much of her childhood there.

The estate has been comprehensively renovated over the years and now features nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms, as well as a swimming pool, tennis court, and converted stables. The combination of historic architecture and modern amenities offers a blend of privacy and tranquility. Benji Weinberger, representing the estate, highlighted the property’s "complete serenity, peace and privacy" as key attributes.

Roger Hargreaves began his career in advertising during the 1950s but later pursued his interest in creating children’s stories and illustrations. The idea for the Mr Men series originated from a question his young son asked about what a tickle might look like, inspiring the creation of Mr Tickle, the first character published in 1971. Despite initial difficulty finding a publisher, an acquaintance eventually established a publishing company that brought the books to market. The first title sold a million copies within three weeks, and Hargreaves subsequently created several additional characters during his lunch breaks.

The Mr Men books, followed by the Little Miss series starting in 1981 with Little Miss Bossy, have sold some 250 million copies globally. The stories were adapted for television by the BBC and featured as comic strips in various newspapers. Since taking over the brand at age 25, Adam Hargreaves has expanded the series with new characters such as Mr Cool, Mr Rude, and Little Miss Scary.

Offers for Sussex House Farm are invited in excess of £3.95 million, presenting an opportunity to acquire a property with a rich creative and cultural heritage.