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Ross and Jill Darbyshire, a couple living near Llangollen in Denbighshire, have found themselves in a distressing situation, fearing that the hillside behind their cottage might collapse onto their home at any moment. On the night of January 28, they heard a loud crashing noise from the rear of their property and later noticed significant cracks appearing in the exposed slate bedrock. They suspect a small earthquake that struck the Nantlle Valley in Gwynedd earlier that night could have triggered the instability. The British Geological Survey recorded the quake as magnitude 0.9, with reports of rumbling heard as far as Llangollen itself.
The Darbyshires’ home is a 600-year-old former drover’s cottage, which they purchased a decade ago and renovated extensively. However, the couple now worries that the property may no longer be safe to inhabit. Structural repairs are complicated by the narrow space between the house and the rock face, which is less than two feet wide. Ross described the dangerous slate shards protruding from the hillside as “like dragon’s teeth,” threatening to cause substantial damage. Small stones occasionally drop after they knock on the roof, prompting a constant state of unease and disrupted sleep. Jill explained how the noise of falling smaller stones can be heard as “ping ping ping,” contrasted with the louder thuds of bigger rocks.
Although the couple has explored the possibility of shoring up the hillside with local builders, they have been told there is little help available because the risk occurs on their own land. Ross expressed a grim acceptance of the situation, saying, “It’s not a question of if it comes down – it’s coming down.” They also fear that further heavy rain or a landslide could exacerbate the danger, with Ross adding, “The walls are the only thing stopping it going any further. After that it’ll just come right over and come through the roof.” The property is currently considered “unsellable” until essential repair work is done to both the rock face and a nearby unstable former dam.
Despite the hardships, the Darbyshires feel fortunate to have another home abroad should they need to move quickly. Ross recollected his long-standing affection for the area, recalling, “I wanted to live in the area since cycling to Llangollen with friends as a young man from my home in Staffordshire.” Yet now, with the future of their cherished cottage uncertain, he admits, “I’ve accepted that we can’t live in this anymore but I don’t like it.” Their fears highlight the challenges faced by homeowners dealing with natural hazards while navigating limited support for privately-owned land issues
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