Dibnah house to be auctioned off

Fred Dibnah died in 2004

The home of Bolton's famous steeplejack, Fred Dibnah, is to be sold - complete with its own mine shaft.

The three-bedroom house is to be auctioned on 12 November with a guide price of £300,000 to £350,000.

Mr Dibnah MBE, who became well-known after featuring in a BBC documentary, died from cancer in 2004, aged 66.

His house in Radcliffe Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester, was built in 1851 and featured in numerous documentaries about him.

Open viewings

Its gardens include Mr Dibnah's engine shed, workshops and a recently-developed mine shaft - complete with winding gear - which was only given planning permission after Mr Dibnah's death.

Eight open viewings are being held before the auction.

Many fans of Mr Dibnah are expected to view the property, partly in pilgrimage to the Boltonian who championed the area's industrial heritage.

Alan McNaughton, from Miller Metcalfe estate agents, said there had been a lot of interest.

Fred Dibnah bought the house more than 40 years ago

"We've had lots of enquiries from people who are genuinely interested in buying the property," he said.

"But Fred being Fred, he had lots of friends and admirers and people are just curious - so we will have lots of people here."

The father-of-six started work as a joiner but, after completing his National Service, fulfilled his dream to be a steeplejack to service the hundreds of chimneys that once crowded the skies of Bolton.

His first appearance, on a local news programme in the North West of England, led to his discovery in 1979 as he hung 240ft (73m) off the ground, repairing Bolton's town hall clock.

Mr Dibnah was a great admirer of the Industrial Revolution and the Victorians - steam engines were his greatest passion.

He was appointed MBE in 2003, a year after he demolished his last chimney stack.