JCB machines demolish “haunted house”

News Story
- 19 May 2011 ( #514 ) - Rocester, United Kingdom
1 min read
A JCB 540-170 Loadall telehandler and a 22T JCB JS220 tracked excavator completed the demolition of this house.
A JCB 540-170 Loadall telehandler and a 22T JCB JS220 tracked excavator completed the demolition of this house.
Two JCB machines have been commissioned to demolish a "haunted house" built in 1887 as a winter retreat for a local businessman and his wife.

The house, which JCB bought in 1969, is close to the company's Rocester headquarters and earned the "haunted house" nickname from locals because of the eerie outline it cast against the sky. Built mainly of Swedish pine for Charles Hartley and his wife, Mary, the house was not expected to last as long as it has. Builders then forecast the Swedish pine to have a lifespan of 25 years.

Now, 124 years later, a JCB 540-170 Loadall telehandler, complete with a man basket attachment, enabled the brick-by-brick demolition of the chimney stacks before a 22T JCB JS220 tracked excavator with selector grab attachment completed the demolition.

A JCB spokesman says despite regular security patrols and a fence around the property, there has increasingly been a problem of youngsters entering the dangerous structure, which had seen better days.

"[It] was in such an unsafe condition that the only option was to demolish it before anyone was seriously injured. The 540-170 Loadall and the JCB JS220 excavator are more used to operating in much more arduous conditions and made light work of this particular project, with [the] demolition completed in two days," he says.
Previously about:
Hydrogen engine receives EU approval News Story - 29 May 2025 - Staffordshire, United Kingdom - 1 min read
JCB to double size of US plant after tariff announcement News Story - 10 Apr 2025 - San Antonio, TX, United States - 1 min read
India’s armed forces orders 1,868 forklifts News Story - 27 Feb 2025 - New Delhi, India - 1 min read
Do you have materials handling news? Submit your news here

Showcased in the Virtual Expo

Since July 2000, Forkliftaction News has been your guide to the developments that are shaping your industry.

Starting today we are also looking back on some of the key news stories from our extensive news archive.

In the news email and on the website, you'll see links to stories that were 'leading our news' multiple years ago, with topics spanning world-first products, big acquisitions, and major industry shifts.
We hope you enjoy this unique insight into the materials handling industry!

Words of support …

After advertising with Forkliftaction.com, we got many enquiries regarding interest to be our distributor. Mostly from Europe and USA but including a few in ASEAN. We feel that the advertisement was useful and good for market expansion.

Lawrence Xu, Assistant Sales Manager

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

It’s the year 2000. You’re in front of a boxy beige desktop waiting for the screeching ramblings of your dial-up to reach its finale. You go to Yahoo!, MSN, or maybe AOL, and start the mind-numbing process of finding your very specific needle in the digital haystack. And with web pages loading one image at a time, patience isn’t just a virtue – it’s a requirement!

As clumsy as this early iteration seems now, this technology was the great enabler that allowed Forkliftaction to connect to the industry across the globe.  

To everyone who has connected with Forkliftaction in the past 25 years, thank you for your contribution to our success! We feel deeply touched by your words of encouragement.

What has Forkliftaction meant to you? Drop us a line.

Showcased in the Virtual Expo

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

It’s the year 2000. You’re in front of a boxy beige desktop waiting for the screeching ramblings of your dial-up to reach its finale. You go to Yahoo!, MSN, or maybe AOL, and start the mind-numbing process of finding your very specific needle in the digital haystack. And with web pages loading one image at a time, patience isn’t just a virtue – it’s a requirement!

As clumsy as this early iteration seems now, this technology was the great enabler that allowed Forkliftaction to connect to the industry across the globe.  

To everyone who has connected with Forkliftaction in the past 25 years, thank you for your contribution to our success! We feel deeply touched by your words of encouragement.

What has Forkliftaction meant to you? Drop us a line.