sleddale hall was offered for sale in january 2009; a trust was created by fans who wished collectively to purchase the building for its preservation as a piece of british film history. it was sold at auction for £265,000 on 16 february 2009. the starting price was £145,000. it was bought by sebastian hindley, who owns the mardale inn in the nearby village of bampton, which did not feature in the film. hindley was unable to raise the necessary finances and in august 2009 the property was resold for an undisclosed sum to tim ellis, an architect from kent, whose original bid failed at the auction.