The new owner of Fred Dibnah’s historic home has been ordered to carry out urgent repair work to the site’s 40ft-high chimney.

Celebrity steeplejack Fred spent eight years building the brick chimney for his main boiler house in the back yard of the Grade II listed property on Radcliffe Road, Bolton.

The yard’s collection of oil-stained machinery and 70ft-deep working mineshaft featured in many of his TV shows.

New owner Leon Powsney has opened the property up to the public as the Fred Dibnah Heritage Centre and hundreds of guided tours telling Fred’s story have been held since it launched in June.

But the chimney, which hasn’t been used since Fred’s death in 2004, has now suffered serious frost damage.

A number of cracks have appeared and there are also concerns about its foundations as it perches on top of a steep banking leading down to the River Tonge.

A council surveyor attended and ordered the chimney to be assessed by a structural engineer. The chimney is now wrapped in scaffolding as engineers continue to assess the full damage.

Mr Powsney is appealing to Fred fans to suggest a way forward. He said: “We hope to save the chimney and we want to get the public involved. Should we repair it or demolish it and rebuild it?

“Our preferred option would be to repair it because it is Fred’s chimney but we would like some suggestions.

“The chimney was started by Fred in 1991 and completed in 1999.”

He added: “It is stable and safe and the tours are continuing but we are not sure about our next move.”

Engineers have quoted him £10,000 for repair work.

Bolton council said a notice was served requiring the chimney to be checked by a structural engineer.

A spokesman added: “The engineer has inspected the chimney and confirmed that there are some concerns in respect of the structural stability of the
chimney.”

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