🏠💔 Living on the Edge: Ross and Jill Darbyshire’s Story
Imagine living every day wondering if your home will be hit by falling rocks! That’s the reality for Ross and Jill Darbyshire, whose charming 600-year-old cottage in Denbighshire is at risk due to a shifting hillside.
Once a peaceful retreat, their home now echoes with the unsettling sound of rocks tumbling down and striking the walls. The steep slope behind their quaint residence has given way, causing anxiety and sleepless nights.
Ross and Jill, originally from Stoke-on-Trent, made this off-grid haven their own 10 years ago. Building a kitchen from a tool shed roof and navigating challenging footpaths, they embraced the tranquillity of their serene woodland location. But recent events have left them on tenterhooks.
On a fateful night, cracks appeared in the nearby bedrock, just two feet from their backdoor. As the hillside groaned and shifted, they faced the real fear of boulders crashing through their roof. “It’s frightening living here, never knowing when or if we’re going to have a catastrophic rockfall,” Ross confessed.
To add to their woes, their historic dam, a relic from the property’s industrial past, urgently requires repair. At risk of collapse, it threatens to isolate them completely. Although offers have come in to buy their property, the Darbyshires can’t sell until the dam is fixed – an endeavour costing upwards of £100,000.
But what truly keeps them up at night isn’t just the cost. It’s the imminent danger they feel every time they hear a bump on their walls, wondering if the next big storm will be the one that changes everything. The Darbyshires aren’t just worried about damage; they’re worried about survival.
With storms seemingly becoming more frequent, the couple cling to what they love about their home, despite its growing challenges. Will they find a way to secure their slice of heaven, or are they fighting a losing battle against nature’s course? 🌧️⛰️