{"id":174445,"date":"2025-10-02T05:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T05:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/174445\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T05:00:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T05:00:11","slug":"for-sale-a-260ft-chimney-that-was-once-scaled-by-fred-dibnah-as-part-of-a-10-shilling-bet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/174445\/","title":{"rendered":"For sale: A 260ft chimney that was once scaled by Fred Dibnah as part of a 10-shilling bet"},"content":{"rendered":"

By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 20:19 EDT, 1 October 2025 | Updated: 22:55 EDT, 1 October 2025 <\/p>\n

A towering 280ft Victorian chimney in Bolton could soon be transformed into one of Britain’s most unusual family homes \u2013 complete with a rooftop garden, glass lift and sweeping views across the Pennines.<\/p>\n

The Grade II-listed Barrow Bridge Chimney, once part of the town’s Halliwell Bleach Works, is up for auction with a guide price of \u00a3300,000 and planning permission already in place for a spectacular conversion.<\/p>\n

The landmark, built in 1863, is one of Bolton’s best-known sights and even has a brush with TV history \u2013 steeplejack legend Fred Dibnah famously scaled it as a teenager after accepting a 10-shilling bet.<\/p>\n

Designs show how the enormous brick structure could be wrapped in a futuristic, glass-walled octagonal home perched 60ft above the ground.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Plans include a three or four-bedroom residence with sloping glazed walls, steel frames and nearly 4,000 sq ft of living space.<\/p>\n

There would even be a ‘rooftop garden’, solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system to make the property as eco-friendly as it is eye-catching.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A towering 280ft Victorian chimney in Bolton could soon be transformed into one of Britain’s most unusual family homes<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Grade II-listed Barrow Bridge Chimney, once part of the town’s Halliwell Bleach Works, is up for auction with a guide price of \u00a3300,000<\/p>\n

\"Fred <\/p>\n

Fred Dibnah (above), who became a household name for demolishing and repairing chimneys across the North West, first came to fame after climbing this very structure as a boy<\/p>\n

Estate agents Miller Metcalfe are marketing the chimney as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, saying: ‘This is your chance to own more than bricks and mortar \u2013 it’s a chance to live inside a landmark, to shape its story for future generations, and to call a piece of Bolton’s proud industrial heritage your own.’<\/p>\n

Developers say new owners could take things even further \u2013 applying to add extra rooms, gyms or even a sauna spiralling skywards to create one of the most extraordinary homes in Britain.<\/p>\n

The chimney was last used in the 1970s as part of an aluminium casting plant before falling into disrepair.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was listed in 1974, and while extensive repairs were carried out in the 1990s, planning documents say it now requires fresh investment to stop further deterioration.<\/p>\n

Work first began on converting the site in 2014 but stalled due to lack of funds.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The landmark, built in 1863, is one of Bolton’s best-known sights and even has a brush with TV history<\/p>\n

\"Plans <\/p>\n

Plans include a three or four-bedroom residence with sloping glazed walls, steel frames and nearly 4,000 sq ft of living space<\/p>\n

\"Developers <\/p>\n

Developers say new owners could take things even further \u2013 applying to add extra rooms, gyms or even a sauna spiralling skywards to create one of the most extraordinary homes in Britain<\/p>\n

\"Steeplejack <\/p>\n

Steeplejack legend Fred Dibnah famously scaled it as a teenager after accepting a 10-shilling bet<\/p>\n

Repairs to the top 15ft of the stack, as well as the inside brickwork, are among the immediate jobs needed.<\/p>\n

Fred Dibnah, who became a household name for demolishing and repairing chimneys across the North West, first came to fame after climbing this very structure as a boy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His daredevil exploits and old-fashioned methods later turned him into a national treasure.<\/p>\n

Fred passed away aged 66 on November 6, 2004, and a statue and memorial tile were since installed in his home town of Bolton.<\/p>\n

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