THE sale of a remote Eden farmhouse made famous by the cult 1980s film Withnail and I has "fallen through".

Sleddale Hall, near Shap, was bought from water company United Utilities for £265,000 at an auction in February.

Eden pub boss, Sebastion Hindley, vowed to restore the building for fans and use it to showcase the beauty of the Lake District’s Eastern Fells.

But United Utilities said the sale has “fallen through” and it was now “considering its options.”

However, Mr Hindley, who runs The Mardale Inn just six miles from Sleddale Hall, said that he hoped the deal was still ongoing.

He said the current economic climate and the banking situation had caused problems with funding, which meant he had missed his deadline.

“My intention is to complete the deal. My word was good at the auction, I just need a little bit more time,” said the 41-year-old.

Known as Uncle Monty’s Cottage, the derelict eighteenth century farmhouse still contains many original features and has remained largely untouched since it featured in the film, except for some enthusiastic graffiti from Withnail fans.

The film, which starred Richard E Grant and Paul McGann, follows two out-of-work actors as they venture to the Lake District to escape London.

The property attracted interest from film fans across the world, including the likes of supermodel Kate Moss and Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans who were rumoured to have wanted to buy Sleddale Hall.