Couple scared to fall asleep in case rockfall crushes their home

A couple say they are afraid to go to sleep in case the hillside behind their cottage collapses onto them.

Ross and Jill Darbyshire from Rhewl, near Llangollen in Denbighshire, said on 28 January they heard a huge noise at the back of the property and later noticed cracks in the sheer slate bedrock.

They believe a small earthquake which hit Gwynedd earlier that night may have been responsible, and fear hundreds of tonnes of rock could fall at any time.

Ross, 75, said: "It's not a question of if it comes down - it's coming down."

The couple say they have been advised that as the issue is on their own land, it is not something the council can help them with.

The couple bought the 600-year-old former drover's cottage near the remains of a corn mill 10 years ago and carried out major renovation work to the two-room building and surrounding land.

But they fear they may have to give up the property as it has become unsafe.

They have consulted local builders about trying to shore up the bank, but the gap between the house and the rock face is less than 2ft (0.6m) wide at most, making repairs difficult.

Sharp pieces of slate jut out threateningly against the wall of the house, which Ross described as being "like dragon's teeth".

The couple said small rocks frequently cascade down into the void after banging on the roof.

Jill, 68, said the situation had made sleeping difficult.

"Ross stayed awake one night listening to the 'ping ping ping' of the smaller stones coming down but the bigger ones - you really hear them thud," she said.

A 0.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded by the British Geological Survey in the Nantlle Valley, Gwynedd, on 28 January, with reports of rumbling as far away as Llangollen.

After hearing the large bang outside, Jill said: "We sat up till about 02:30 GMT just wondering whether it was safe to go back to bed."

The couple believe the quake caused the bank to shift and crack violently and fear it is only a matter of time before it moves again.

They are concerned that further heavy rain or a lanslide could spell disaster.

Ross said: "The walls are the only thing stopping it going any further. After that it'll just come right over and come through the roof."

Ross said he had wanted to live in the area since cycling to Llangollen with friends as a young man from his home in Staffordshire.

He described it as "love at first sight" when he saw the cottage after it came up for sale.

But he now fears for the future.

"I've accepted that we can't live in this anymore but I don't like it," he said.

The couple said they were "lucky" to have a property abroad if they were forced to move out suddenly.

They said the Rhewl cottage was currently "unsellable" until both the wall and an unstable former dam nearby are strengthened.