The 280-foot-tall Victorian chimney for sale. (Miller Metcalfe via SWNS)
By James Connolly
A 280-feet-high Victorian chimney with planning permission to transform it into a unique family home in the sky is going under the hammer.
The Grade II-listed Barrow Bridge Chimney is one of Bolton's best-known sights and was once climbed by steeplejack legend Fred Dibnah for a 10-shilling bet as a teenager.
How the chimney would look if it were turned into a sky-high residence. (Miller Metcalfe via SWNS)
It was originally part of the town's Halliwell Bleach Works and is being auctioned with a guide price of $402,000, with plans in place for a dramatic conversion.
Designs show how the towering landmark could house a two-storey glass-walled pad perched 60ft above the ground, complete with three bedrooms, a rooftop garden and even a glass lift.
The home would keep the original brickwork with steel frames and sloping glazed walls, offering sweeping views across the West Pennine Moors and the Manchester skyline.
Graphic design of proposed property on the chimney. (Miller Metcalfe via SWNS)
Estate agents at Miller Metcalfe are pitching it as a project for buyers, adding: "This is your chance to own more than bricks and mortar - it's a chance to live inside a landmark, to shape its story for future generations, and to call a piece of Bolton's proud industrial heritage your own."
They explained that new owners could also apply to expand even further with extra rooms, gyms or a sauna spiralling up into the sky - making it one of the most unique homes in Britain.