The remote Cumbrian farmhouse - made famous in the cult 1986 film Withnail
& I -was sold at around 2009 by United Utilities. 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.
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."
According to
Wikipedia: United Utilities then sold Sleddale Hall to Tim Ellis, an architect
from Canterbury in Kent, whose bid at the auction had originally failed.
He plans to convert Sleddale Hall into a private home, retaining a “Withnail
atmosphere”. Ellis specialises in the restoration of historic buildings
and said "I am delighted to have had a second chance to buy this beautiful
building. I first saw the film about seven years ago and have been a fan
ever since. I would like to restore the building in a way that other fans
of the film could approve of.[
The
film was only made possible thanks to funding from Beatle George Harrison....The
film was shot entirely on location. There was little filming in the real
Penrith, the locations used were actually in and around nearby Shap and
Bampton. Monty's cottage, "Crow Crag", is actually Sleddale Hall,
located near the Wet Sleddale Reservoir just outside Shap.
