The house that Mr Tickle bought: Sprawling country estate purchased by Mr Men creator when his children's books became smash hit could be yours for £4million

A sprawling country estate formerly owned by the author of the world renowned Mr Men children's books series is on sale for £4million.

Sussex House Farm in Cowden, Kent boasts nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms.  The house sits on 30 acres of land which includes a swimming pool, tennis court and stables.

The Grade II-listed farmhouse dates back to 1580 and was once lived in by Oscar-winning actor Sir John Mills and Roger Hargreaves.

The author bought the property in 1982 and moved in with his wife Christine and their children Adam, Giles and twin daughters Sophie and Amelia after his books became an instant smash hit.

Adam, 62, previously told Kent Online: 'During the 1970s my dad became a wealthy man. And he enjoyed his success. One of those perks was a very nice house.' 

Real Estate agent Benji Weinberger, representing the company selling the house, said: 'What makes this estate so special is its sense of complete serenity, peace and privacy.

'Standing in the garden or beside the pool, looking across the surrounding acreage, the only sound you hear is birdsong.

'Yet, with London Bridge under an hour away, it works equally well as a family home or a weekend escape. For its price, location and historical significance, it is an almost impossible offering to replicate, particularly for equestrian or tennis enthusiasts.'

A sprawling country estate formerly owned by the author of the infamous Mr Men children's books series is on sale for £4million

Sussex House Farm in Cowden, Kent boasts nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms. The house sits on 30 acres of land which includes a swimming pool, tennis court and stables 

The Grade II-listed farmhouse dates back to 1580 and was once lived in by Oscar-winning actor Sir John Mills and Roger Hargreaves

Offers for the property are invited in excess of £3.95 million.

Mr Hargreaves worked in advertising in the late 1950s, but always dreamed to write and illustrate for children, which is when he came up with the ideas for the books. 

The birth of Mr Tickle, the first Mr Men book published in 1971 was inspired by his son, aged eight at the time, who asked what a tickle looked like.

Forced to get creative, the father sketched a round orange man with a blue bowler hat and exceptionally long bendy arms - which went on to sell one million copies in the first three weeks.

But it wasn't easy for the first book to hit the shelves, as Adam told BBC World Service that no one wanted to publish it at first until his father met with an old friend that had just started a publishing company.

Mr Hargreaves then started illustrating during his lunch breaks at work when the first six characters were launched which also included Mr Greedy, Mr Happy, Mr Nosey, Mr Sneeze and Mr Bump.

A decade later in 1981 the character Little Miss Bossy was launched in the first of the Little Miss series, along with Little Miss Naughty and Little Miss Sunshine.

His books went on to become a global success and sold more than 250million copies worldwide. They were adapted into a BBC TV series, songs and his comic strips were published by the Daily Mail and The Mirror.

His books went on to become a global success and sold more than 250million copies worldwide

The author bought the property in 1982 and moved in with his wife Christine and their four children Adam, Giles and twin daughters Sophie and Amelia (pictured) after his books became an instant smash hit

The Mr Men creator died suddenly after a stroke aged just 53 in 1988 after which Adam (pictured) took over the family business and began writing the books

But he died suddenly after a stroke aged just 53 in 1988 after which Adam took over the family business aged 25 and began writing the books.

He began creating new Mr Men and Little Miss stories, including Mr Cool, Mr Rude and Mr Good, Little Miss Scary, Little Miss Bad and Little Miss Whoops. 

But when the books took off around his teenage years, he recalled finding them 'embarrassing'.

He said: 'I was very shy, so I shied away with having any connection with the Mr Men. I didn't like anything which drew attention to myself so I tended to try and ignore it. It did embarrass me rather.' 

He added: 'I regret the way I felt now as, because my dad died so young, I didn't get to tell him how I felt about Mr Men and what a brilliant idea I think it is.'

In a testament to the series' enduring popularity, a Mr Men Little Miss book is still sold every two-and-a-half seconds worldwide. 

Fans became so hooked on the with the Mr Men franchise, including one woman who was so obsessed she has a memorabilia collection insured for £35,000 and drags her groaning children along to fan events.

Her love of Mr Men has infiltrated every part of their lives and their semi-detached home in Waterlooville, Hampshire, contains toys, books and collectibles.

They even went on a family holiday to Butlins especially so Ms Martinez could have her photo taken with Mr Bump.