Couple 'devastated' as £850,000 riverside cottage starts to sink

Pair forced to abandon £850,000 thatched house after it begins to tilt 'overnight'

A “devastated” couple have been forced to abandon their home of 17 years after waking up to find the thatched cottage sinking.

Ken and Gail Pitts found out three months ago that their £850,000 riverside house in the Norfolk Broads had developed a severe tilt.

Neighbours claimed the picturesque 1970s cottage in the village of Horning started sinking shortly after it was re-thatched because wooden pile foundations had broken under the weight.

The couple, aged in their 60s, have now moved out while they wait to learn if it will have to be demolished.

Mr Pitts said there had been no warning that the west side of their home had started to sink and it simply happened overnight, leaving them “devastated”.

He and his wife, who have three children and several grandchildren, are in touch with insurers as they try to find a solution.

Signs reading “Danger: unsafe” have been erected around their cottage.

The site of their reed-thatched property leaning significantly to one side has caused a stir among locals and passers-by.

Some took to Facebook to express their concern for the couple.

Maggie Tuck said: “I heard one end was steel piles the other was old wooden piles. It’s the wood piles that have collapsed.

“They are going to take off the thatch to save it and then demolish. Very sad.”

Sally Blackburn wrote: “We passed this last week and I actually couldn’t bear to look at it, too upsetting!”

Viv Garner added: “I used to dream of living there when I was a child. So sad to see this.”

Homeowners Ken and Gail Pitts fear their £850,000 home may have to be demolished (Mark Bullimore/SWNS)

The three-bedroom house has a large garden alongside the River Bure, along with boat mooring and opportunities for fishing.

Surveyor Tom North, of North and Hawkins Building Consultancy, said: “Looking at it, the chances are there is something going on underground.

“Obviously the area is extremely wet and most of those properties, and certainly the old ones, will have timber pile foundations which will be driven down to the ground.

“One possibility is the house may have timber pile foundations and the timber piles may have broken because the ground below has shifted or has decayed and deteriorated.

“It is similar to a rock on top of a wet sponge.”

A Broads Authority spokesperson said: “It is a huge shame that this lovely cottage appears to be in such a precarious position.

“Unfortunately it is something that can be an ongoing danger for properties built on unstable ground.

“We wish the owners all the best as they assess what can be done.”