A huge landslip means that a home featured on Grand Designs is at risk of falling into the ocean.
Named Cefn Castell, the award-winning £1.3 million home featured on the Channel 4 show in 2014, when it was constructed by former owners Rob and Kay Hodgson.
They used the stone from the previous 400-year-old cottage on the land to create their modern clifftop home, which featured in I’m A Celebrity in 2021.
At the time, they were warned that the home would eventually fall into the sea by erosion specialists.
The owners of the Criccieth property have submitted a planning application for cliff stabilisation works after their home came close to collapsing.
The plans state that following ‘a significant landslip’ that occurred in February 2024, erosion poses an ‘immediate threat’ to the stability of the home’s entryway.
‘This was caused by a land drain on land beyond the curtilage of Cefn Castell that had been draining water directly onto the cliff face over a long period,’ they continue.
The documents also state that a boundary wall is now overhanging the cliff.
Plans say the cliff face is ‘prone to erosion and rockfalls,’ which poses ‘potential risk to the property, the coastline, and public safety.’
The plans go on to propose that rock nailing, gabions, and rock revetment will ensure the property’s safety as well as that of a nearby coastal path, which is now at risk.
The property’s owners argue that the home has contributed ‘significantly’ to the local economy, becoming a tourist destination as a rental property and a landmark due to its starry past.
Previously, large boulders had been installed in a bid to prevent coastal erosion near the home.
Speaking about the cliff in 2019, Rob said: ‘I understand the focus on the cliff, it was an aspect of the project and of course the production company needed to bring that aspect to the forefront of the story.
‘People who pass by on the coastal path always want to chat, and most of them ask about the cliff issue, but it hasn’t moved. Props have been in place for years now, and we’ve not lost any more than about 10cm of it.’
He went on to say that experts predicted the lifespan of their home to be around 140 years at the time.
Rob continued to Wales Online: ‘As time passes, you don’t really appreciate it as much as when you start living here, and I really should.
‘Sometimes I just stop what I’m doing and am struck by the view, but on a day-to-day basis, you start to become accustomed to it. I know I am so lucky to live in such a lovely spot.’
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