The stunning home of a family toy maker who made classic family games such as croquet and ping pong is on the market for £1.75m.
Grade II Listed Misbrooks Farm is the home of the Jaques family, of Jaques of London which is located in Dorking, Surrey.
The famous family business was established eight generations ago in 1795 and is responsible for inventing games such as croquet, ping pong, Happy Families and Snap.
Misbrooks Farm, which dates back to about 1500, has been the family's home since 1974 and Joe Jaques remembers his father John trying out new toys on him and his siblings there before Jaques of London launched them.
The six-bedroom farmhouse, which has over ten acres of land with an orchard, woodland, tennis court and croquet lawn, is on the market with Jackson-Stops.
The farmhouse was originally constructed as a four-bay open hall house and has many interesting period features including exposed beams and a handsome oak staircase.
It also has a unique enclosed central courtyard, former old granary and cart shed with a 15th century bread oven.
The property is on the market for the first time in nearly half a century and would now benefit from some refurbishment.
It has 3,875 sq ft of accommodation with an entrance hall, dining hall, drawing room, family room, kitchen/breakfast room and bake room on the ground floor. Upstairs there is six bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The outbuildings provide another 3,400 sq ft with garages, barns, store rooms and a workshop.
The grounds include a partly-walled garden, a large grazing field with a stream and mature woodland, an established orchard and an all-weather tennis court.
Misbrooks Farm is in an unspoilt rural area near the village of Capel, near Dorking, Surrey.
Joe Jaques said: 'Every pocket of the house revealed a new level of excitement, we were able to be completely free-spirited.
'One of my favourite rooms in the house, where I have some of the strongest memories, is the old hallway where we kept our snooker, ping pong and pool table.
'My family invented ping pong in 1901 and we always used to play ping pong when my dad got home from work.
'As you can imagine, Christmas was always about family games. We're a big gamily and mum always filled the house with toys and people at Christmas.
'I remember us all gathering around the inglenook fireplace and playing chess and backgammon.
'We invented croquet in 1862 and it has always been a favourite family past time, we'd play on the croquet lawn all year round.
'I learnt to ride my bike around croquet hoops and the front pond.
'My dad would trial the toys on me and my siblings on the lawn. Some went on to be hugely successful and others were more haphazard. We were all hugely competitive.
'It was an amazing place to grow up. Our lungs were always full of fresh air and our shoes muddy. The house facilitated all our weird and wonderful things.
'My childhood definitely influenced my creativity now; we think of 50 new toys a year at Jaques. The wooden toys we make are a by-product of where I grew up amongst the exposed timbers and woodland.
'Games are so important in facilitating your ability to learn, having space to let your creativity grow and run free is so important.'
Jaques of London won Family Business of the Year 2022 and the business has grown by 50 per cent in the last eight years.
It has a long and interesting history. John Jaques II introduced croquet to the world in 1862. He was close friends with Sir John Tenniel, the original illustrator of Alice in Wonderland, which led to the inclusion of croquet in the tale.
Tenniel also helped design Jaques games like Happy Families and Snap.
During the Second World War, the company helped MI9 aid British and American POWs escape by hiding supplies in chess pieces.
The business moved from London to Surrey during the Blitz.
Darrell Hughes from Jackson-Stops said: 'Misbrooks Farm has been in the Jaques family for almost half a century and presents a rare opportunity for a buyer to purchase a magnificent Grade II listed farmhouse with over 500 years of history.
The property has evolved over the centuries offering both extensive and versatile accommodation, ideal for a growing family.
'Misbrooks Farm displays many charming period characteristics, including exposed timbers, part Horsham stone roof, an oak staircase and grand fireplace.
Grounds extend to over 10 acres in the style of a classic English country garden, combining farmland, woodland, and an all-weather tennis-court.
'Whilst it's in need of modernisation, Misbrooks Farm presents a unique opportunity to restore and conserve this important and historic farmhouse, providing a clean slate for the next family to make lifelong memories.'
In 1795 Thomas Jaques established himself as 'Thomas Jaques: Manufacturer of Ivory, Hardwoods, Bone, and Tunbridge Ware.'
Thomas took on his 15-year-old son, John Jaques, as an apprentice. Together, they expanded their toy product portfolio until John Jaques had a son himself.
John Jaques II. He helped his father and in 1838 they established a new headquarters at Number 102 Hatton Garden, London.
It was John Jaques II that introduced Croquet to the world in 1862, a game that went on to win us 2 medals at The Great International Exhibition.
During World War II, Jaques helped MI9 aid over 36,000 British and American prisoners of war escape by hiding supplies in chess pieces!
The wooden chessmen were hollowed out and filled with maps, compasses, and secret messages along with other useful tools.
During The Blitz Jaques of London had to leave London. The family packed up and moved over to Surrey, which is where they stayed until 2000. After which, they moved to Kent - where the Head Office remains today.
As of today, Jaques of London is still owned and run by cousins Emmett and Joe Jaques - now 8th Generation Jaques.
To date, they have launched over 100 of new toys and games to continue empowering the next generation.
Source: Jaques of London
