'Britain's wonkiest cottage' in Ironbridge to go under the hammer

And now the Grade II listed Lloyd's Cottage is going under the hammer, starting from £100,000.

The house boasts a rear garden, off-street parking and a gorgeous view over the Gorge, down to the River Severn. But that's not the only angle estate agents are using to make the sale.

Lloyd's Cottage, in The Lloyds, has been dubbed Britain's wonkiest cottage because of its distinct lean backwards.

It has been empty for the best part of 15 years, despite plans to reopen the historic cottage back in 2008.

Its famous tilt is due to the cottage being built on an area heavily affected by a landslide.

Earthquakes and landslides hit the Ironbridge Gorge for generations, and has led to emergency work needing to be carried out on the world famous Iron Bridge.

But the cottage itself has benefitted from the slant, becoming a popular landmark in its own right because of its unusual look.

The slant was caused by crags of sandstone crashing down the hill to the back of the house, causing the land it was built on to move.

Landslides in 1952 and 1984 caused problems for the village as a whole, including destroying several houses and major road disruption.

Stresses

But it was far from unusual in the Gorge. The Iron Bridge itself was under wraps for more than a year while repair work was carried out.

The £3.6 million investment by English Heritage included meticulous repairs to the bridge including bespoke replacements for hundreds of iron wedges that hold the structure together.

A spokesman for English Heritage said: "The bridge remained in full use by road traffic and pedestrians for more than 150 years, but it was closed to vehicles in 1934 when it was designated an Ancient Monument. The whole area of Iron Bridge Gorge became a World Heritage Site in 1986.

"However, 21st century investigations showed that the Iron Bridge was under threat from cracking due to stresses in the ironwork dating from the original construction, as well as ground movement over the centuries, and an earthquake in the 19th century."

Lloyd's Cottage was going to be reopened as an office space in 2008.

The site, which was boarded up at the time, would have been used to highlight future and past works to stabilise the Gorge.

Land surrounding the cottage had already been stabilised.

The property will be open for viewing every Wednesday and Saturday before the auction, which is being held by Allsop.

It will be open to those interested in buying it between 12.30pm and 1.00pm.

Those wishing to bid on the property may need to travel. It will take place at the Intercontinental in Park Lane, London, on February 13.