A HISTORIC farmhouse where a nostalgic 70s TV classic was created and filmed is up for sale.
The iconic location is set in more than 6 acres of beautiful countryside where the beloved children’s series was brought to life.
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Hillside Farm in Kent has gone on the market Credit: Cover Images
The beautiful old farmhouse with oak beams was the birthplace of an iconic character Credit: Cover Images
Hillside Farm in Blean, near Canterbury, was the place where Bagpuss, the classic children’s series, was created and filmed.
It was the family home of the late illustrator, artist and puppeteer Peter Firmin, who co-created the iconic pink-and-white cloth cat with writer Oliver Postgate.
The four-bedroom farmhouse, which sits in roughly 6 acres of gardens and grounds on Blean Hill, has gone on the market for £1.2million.
It is described as a “truly special and historic country estate”.
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Bagpuss creators Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate with Bagpuss and Emily Credit: Cover Images
The iconic cloth cat peering out of the windows of the farmhouse Credit: Cover Images
The estate also includes a detached Kentish barn, traditional stables and a brick-built workshop, surrounded by mature gardens, woodland, paddocks and a large pond.
Peter and Oliver created Bagpuss in a disused cow shed on the estate, filming the show’s short run of 13 episodes there.
The whole family was drawn into the production, with Peter’s wife Joan helping to create some of the props and daughter Emily playing the Victorian child in the show.
Despite the small number of episodes, the sepia-toned and animated series was regularly repeated after it first aired in 1974.
It became one of Britain’s best-loved children’s TV series, remembered fondly by many.
In 1999, a BBC poll named it the most popular children’s show of all time.
The pair’s production company, Smallfilms, also created other iconic children’s shows including The Clangers, Ivor the Engine, and Noggin the Nog.
Estate agents Finn’s said the farmhouse retains original features including fireplaces, tiled floors, picture rails and original internal doors.
Its large oak-framed, vaulted first-floor sitting room is described as a “wonderful area for entertaining and family living”.
Finn’s suggest the barn could offer conversion potential, subject to planning permission, while parts of the land may present future development opportunities.
The property listing adds: “Prospective purchasers should note that part of the land is subject to an overage.”
Overage is an extra payment, usually triggered by actions related to property development.
Despite its rural setting, the property is less than two miles from Canterbury city centre and close to Blean Primary School, Canterbury’s grammar schools and the University of Kent.
The sale comes at a time of renewed interest in the “most magical, saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world”.
A new feature film starring Bagpuss and friends in modern-day Britain, blending live-action and animation, is currently in development for a 2027 release.
Meanwhile, the original 50-year-old puppet continues to draw visitors to Canterbury’s Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, where he is proudly displayed.
Hillside Farm is being offered for sale with no onward chain.
