Will Trust
fund succeed in acquiring Withnail and I setting?
The remote Cumbrian farmhouse - made famous in the cult 1986 film Withnail
& I -was sold at auctionFeb 16 2009 by United Utilities.
In a busy auction in London, it was sold to Cumbrian
publican Seb Hindley, 40, from Mardale by telephone bid for £265,000.
He said he wanted to restore the ramshackle building
for fans to visit and to boost tourism in the Eastern Fells area of the
Lake District. The cottage, dating back to 1802, does not have planning
permission for residential use.
But Mr Hindley revealed he wanted to restore it for fans
to visit and create a reception area with a "roaring fire".
Sleddale
Hall, which has been unoccupied for many years, sits on the north side
of Wet Sleddale valley and is accessible only via a dirt track. It is
almost two miles from the nearest public road and a mile from the nearest
inhabited house.
It has long
been an interest for fans of the film Withnail & I, starring Richard
E Grant and Paul McGann. The film tells the story of two out of work actors
in the 1960s who venture to the Lakes to escape London only to find themselves
hilariously ill-equipped for the bleak conditions they encounter.
And a group
have started a Trust to try and acquire the hall for enthusiasts of the
Movie...Find out more at http://www.savesleddalehall.com/#
As "Uncle
Monty's cottage", Sleddale Hall was used for many exterior shots
but the interior was little used for filming. It contains many original
features and the structure has been recently stabilised and the roof repaired
to keep it wind and water-tight.
Built from
stone and Lake District slate, Sleddale Hall and its associated outbuildings
form a picturesque quadrangle and were probably built in the mid 18th
century.
It was originally
acquired by the Manchester Corporation in the 1920s as part of the land
required to meet Manchester's growing need for drinking water. The Manchester
Corporation eventually became part of North West Water and then United
Utilities.
United Utilities
senior land agent on its Thirlmere Estate, Edward Holt said: "Sleddale
Hall is in one of the quietest parts of the Lake District. I hope it is
bought by someone who can restore it. It would make a lovely family home."
A residential
use of the property would be subject to the necessary planning consents
being obtained. Savills director Paul Mooney said he had experience of
selling homes that had been film locations - including the Dursleys' suburban
home from the Harry Potter films.
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