I'll only leave in a COFFIN: Defiant owner of ticking-timebomb home on landslip ... trends now
Built in the 18th century, pretty Cliff Farm was named after the spectacular views over the coast several hundred feet away.
Now, Cliffhanger would be more accurate - after dramatic landslides left the former farmhouse teetering over a 150ft precipice.
Owner Steve McCormack, who only bought the property five years ago, had to evacuate the historic property after the latest cliff fall.
The three-bedroom house in Trimingham, Norfolk, will be demolished by the local council in the next few weeks to prevent it collapsing onto the beach below.
Approached by the Mail, he was still in shock at the loss of his £132,000 investment, which he bought in an auction.
‘I can’t think straight. I can’t talk now. I need to try to sort this out,’ he said, even though there is no solution to his desperate predicament.
The homes of neighbours Steve McCormack (white house, right) and Martin Collingwood (black house, left) are at the mercy of the eroding cliffs at Trimingham on the Norfolk coast
Mr McCormack has been forced to abandon his home and it will be demolished by the council
The properties are perilously close to the cliff edge that recently had a landslip
A few feet away, Windy Ridge – a pristine chalet with a classic Triumph car outside belonging to Martin Collingwood, the former owner of Cliff Farm - faces a similar fate in the not-so-distant future.
The retired carpenter, who previously served in the Parachute Regiment, vowed only death would part him from his sanctuary – despite its limited lifespan.
‘This is my home. I won’t go anywhere unless I leave in an old box, a coffin,’ said the 69-year-old, who is still recovering from sepsis that left him partially sighted after a knee operation three years ago.
The rapid disappearance of the coastline in parts of Norfolk is a well-known phenomenon, with locals accusing councils or the government of failing to provide adequate defences against the force of the sea.
The reason for the loss of land in this part of Trimingham is different, however, according to Mr McCormack and Mr Collingwood, who claim water drains towards them because the water authority has failed to take action to prevent it.
‘It’s not the sea. The sea doesn’t even hit the bottom of the cliff. The problem is caused by the water from above – it’s the drains up the road,’ said Mr Collingwood, who lives alone with the help of carers.
‘Sometimes on the road you see water running down from above. The water has to go somewhere.
An aerial shot shows Mr McCormack's home teetering over the cliff edge and Mr Collingwood's property just feet away
Mr Collingwood has refused to leave his home (left) despite it being close to the eroding cliff edge
‘It’s Anglian Water [who are responsible] but they’re ignoring me.’
He added: ‘The ground is soaking wet. It’s been bad for three years.
‘Obviously, I’d like them to do a few repairs to the cliff’s edge but they cannot do that because they don’t have enough money.’
His neighbour agreed, adding: ‘It’s not erosion, it’s land slip. It’s come from above.’
A charming 1937 photo of Cliff Farm shows it sitting a good distance away from the cliff edge.
A local history site records there was still at least 160ft between the building and oblivion in the 1970s.
But by last year, this had shrunk to around 30ft. This buffer has since disappeared altogether, with a major cliff fall on February 17 and another last month.
Mr Collingwood, who has two grown-up children living in the north-east, said: ‘I haven’t told them what’s happened. I don’t want to worry them. There’s nothing they can do.’
He pointed out he has house insurance but added, ominously: ‘I haven’t had a survey and didn’t have a survey when I bought it.’
Neighbour Patrick Carpmael, 75, whose home is set well away from the danger zone, said much of Trimingham is protected by a concrete plinth with wooden revetments – sloping structures that take the sting out of the savage sea.
