WITHNAIL AND I MONTY'S COTTAGE "CROW CRAG"

THE COTTAGE IS ONLY WHAT CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A COMPLETE SHRINE TO THE FILM. IT IS COMPLETELY UNTOUCHED AND SEEMS TO OF NOT BEEN USED OR LIVED IN SINCE THE MAKING OF THE FILM. THE REAL NAME OF THE COTTAGE IS SLEDDALE HALL AND IS NEAR SHAP IN CUMBRIA. TO FIND THIS LOCATION I AGAIN HAD TO PHONE MY LOCAL POST OFFICE BACK HOME AND GIVE THEM THE BUILDING NAME IN ORDER TO GET THE POSTCODE I THEN ENTERED THIS POST CODE INTO MY GPS SYSTEM AND AGAIN IT TOOK ME TO THE MIDDLE OF THE POST CODE AREA. FROM WHERE MY GPS SYSTEM TOLD ME TO STOP WE HAD A LOOK AROUND BUT COULDN’T FIND ANY BUILDING THAT RESEMBLED THE COTTAGE. LUCKILY A FRIENDLY FARMER TOLD ME WHERE TO PARK THE CAR AND HOW TO REACH SLEDDALE HALL. WE WALKED QUITE A LONG WAY DOWN A PUBLIC FOOTPATH GOING THROUGH 4 FIELDS AND THERE WE SAW IT ON THE HILLTOP. UPON ARRIVAL WE FOUND A FENCE HAD BEEN PUT AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE BUILDING AND DANGER NOTICES PUT UP DUE TO THE CONDITION ITS NOW IN. I CLIMBED OVER THE FENCE AND WALKED INTO THE COURTYARD AND FOUND JUST ABOUT EVERY QUOTE FROM THE FILM PENNED AND ENGRAVED ONTO THE BOARDED UP FRONT DOOR I TRIED TAKING A PHOTO OF THE DOOR BUT WAS UNABLE TO ZOOM IN ENOUGH TO FOCUS ON THE WRITING. I THEN CALLED THE WIFE TO CLIMB OVER THE FENCE AND TAKE A LOOK AND WE WERE BOTH AMAZED AT HOW UNTOUCHED THE PLACE WAS. WHAT STRUCK ME ALSO WAS SEEING THE GATE MARWOOD WALKS THROUGH LYING ON THE FLOOR UNDER THE OVERGROWN BRAMBLES I DESPERATELY WANTED TO TAKE THIS HOME, RESTORE IT AND USE IT AS A GATE FOR MY OWN HOUSE BUT DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR ON OTHER PEOPLE VISITING. AFTER WE VISITED CROW CRAG WE STARTED WALKING BACK AND I SAW THE FARMER NEXT TO THE FOOTPATH AND I ASKED HIM HOW LONG THE BUILDINGS BEEN IN THAT CONDITION HE SAID ITS HAD A FENCE AROUND IT FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS AND THE COUNCIL HAD PUT IT UP FOR SALE 6 OR SO YEARS AGO BUT NOBODY WANTED IT. I THINK HE ALSO SAID THAT HE NOW OWNS IT AFTER BUYING THE FARM SURROUNDING IT 5 YEARS AGO BUT THE COUNCIL WONT LET HIM KNOCK IT DOWN AND BUILD ON IT BUT I BELIEVE IT ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT EITHER GETS DEMOLISHED OR IT FALLS DOWN. I ALSO ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHERE THERE WAS A BRIDGE WITH A WATERFALL TO ONE SIDE OF IT AS THIS IS THE SHOOTING FISH SCENE OF WHICH I KNEW TO BE NEAR BY HE TOLD US WE WERE WALKING AWAY FROM IT AND ITS PAST SLEDDALE HALL ON THE SAME FOOTPATH. BY THIS POINT IT HAD STARTED RAINING AND MY WIFE DECIDED TO WALK BACK TO THE CAR I THEN STARTED WALKING ALL THE WAY BACK TO FIND THE SHOOTING FISH SCENE. I WOULD RECOMMEND ANYONE WHOS A TRUE FAN OF THE FILM TO VISIT CROW CRAG (SLEDDALE HALL) AND CAN GUARANTEE YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED.