Tots TV House: From TV Set to Abandoned Ruins and Fire

The Tots TV cottage wasn’t a studio prop—it was a real house built on farmland in Warwickshire. After the show ended, it was left to rot, became a target for urban explorers, and in 2021 the landowner burned it down.

Built: 1990s (likely 1992) · Show run: 1993–1999 · Location: Warwickshire, England (near Stratford-upon-Avon) · Current status: Site cleared (demolished 2021) · Cause of destruction: Fire set by owner (2021)

The facts table below captures the essential details known about the cottage’s life cycle.

What happened to Tots TV House?

The Tots TV house was a purpose-built cottage erected in the early 1990s on private farmland near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire (Nostalgia Central). It served as the main set for the British children’s show Tots TV, which aired from 1993 to 1999.

“The cottage was built as a real, functioning house—it had a waterwheel and working fireplace—but it was never intended to be lived in long-term.”

— Nostalgia Central, TV nostalgia archive

After the show ended production in 1998, the house was left abandoned. For over two decades it stood empty, slowly decaying. In the 2010s, urban explorers began trespassing onto the private land to photograph the ruins (The Sun, British newspaper). Simon Stokes, an urban explorer from Wolverhampton, located the cottage in November 2020 using research and a drone. He posted photos online, which reignited public interest.

The implication: the cottage became a victim of its own popularity. What was once a cheerful set for millions of children ended as a burnt shell, demolished shortly after.

Why was the Tots TV house burned down?

The landowner destroyed the house in 2021 because of persistent trespassing and vandalism by urban explorers (Nostalgia Central). A YouTube video uploaded on April 30, 2021 shows the house dismantled with only part of the structure left after the fire (YouTube).

Is the Tots TV house still standing?

No. The site was cleared after the fire, and as of 2024 no trace of the cottage remains.

Where is the Tots TV set on Google Maps?

The house was located on farmland near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire—not Shropshire as often misreported (Nostalgia Central). Exact coordinates are not publicly available because the land is private and the site has been cleared.

• Nearest town: Stratford-upon-Avon
• County: Warwickshire
• Access: Private farmland; trespassing is not permitted

The catch: because the house no longer exists, Google Maps satellite imagery no longer shows any recognizable structure. Fans looking for the spot will find only empty fields.

What is the exact location of the Tots TV house?

The exact location was never officially revealed, but explorers have suggested it was near the village of Loxley, outside Stratford-upon-Avon (The Sun).

Can I find the Tots TV house on Google Maps?

No. The cottage has been demolished and the site cleared. No official coordinates have been published.

Why did Tots TV stop?

Tots TV ran for six series between 1993 and 1999 before ending production (Nostalgia Central). Like many children’s TV shows of that era, it simply came to a natural end after a successful run. The show was produced by Ragdoll Productions, the same company behind Teletubbies and Rosie and Jim. No single event caused cancelation—rather, the series concluded its planned episode count.

• First episode: 1993
• Last episode: 1999
• Total episodes: 200 (across 6 series)

What this means: the show’s end wasn’t a failure—it was a planned conclusion. The cottage, however, had no further use.

When did Tots TV end?

1999.

Why was Tots TV cancelled?

The show was not cancelled abruptly; it simply stopped after six series when the production agreement ended.

Why was the Tots TV house burned down?

The landowner reportedly set fire to the house in 2021 as a way to stop trespassers (Nostalgia Central). The cottage had become a magnet for urban explorers after photos surfaced online, and the owner, who had not permitted public access, saw the fire as a final solution.

“The owner was fed up with people coming onto his land. He burned it down to get rid of it once and for all.”

— Facebook group member, via Nostalgia Central

According to urban explorer Simon Stokes, the house was in relatively good condition before the fire (The Sun). The remains were demolished shortly after.

Who burned the Tots TV house?

The landowner. His identity has not been publicly confirmed.

What was the owner’s motive?

To reclaim the land from trespassers and stop vandalism.

When was the Tots TV house built?

The cottage was built in the early 1990s, reportedly in 1992, as a dedicated set for Tots TV (Nostalgia Central). Unlike many TV sets, it was a fully-fledged cottage with a waterwheel, a garden, and interior rooms—not just a facade.

• Construction began: 1992 (approx)
• Materials: Timber frame, brick, plaster
• Features: Waterwheel, working fireplace, two floors

How it was constructed: the show’s production team built the house on land rented from a local farmer. It was designed to look like a storybook cottage, with a thatched roof and ivy-covered walls.

The implication: because it was a set, not a permanent home, it was always vulnerable to demolition once filming ended.

Who built the Tots TV house?

Ragdoll Productions, the show’s creator, built the house with the help of set designers and contractors.

How was the Tots TV house constructed?

Using traditional building techniques, the cottage was designed to appear lived-in both inside and out. It was built to last—but not forever.

Timeline: rise and fall of the Tots TV house

• 1992 (approx) – Tots TV house built for production
• 1993 – Tots TV begins airing
• 1999 – Tots TV ends
• 2000s – House abandoned and left to decay
• 2018 – Photos of abandoned house surface online
• 2020 – Urban explorer Simon Stokes visits and documents the house (The Sun)
• 2021 – House set on fire by owner, later demolished
• 2024 – Site cleared, no trace remains

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Voices from those who saw it

“I found the cottage by researching old episodes and using Google Earth. It was surreal seeing it in person—the waterwheel was still there, the windows were broken, but you could tell it was the same house from the show.”

— Simon Stokes, urban explorer (The Sun)

“The house was left abandoned after filming and pulled down in 2021. It’s sad that such a piece of childhood was just erased.”

— Facebook group member, Tots TV fan community

What’s next for the site?

The land has been cleared, and no plans exist to rebuild the cottage. For fans of Tots TV, the house now exists only in memory, in old episodes, and in the handful of photos and videos taken by explorers before the fire. For the landowner, the privacy is restored—but at the cost of a tangible link to 1990s British television. The choice was clear: reclaim the land, or let the childhood landmark slowly rot in the public eye.

For the urban explorers and nostalgic fans who made the cottage famous, the lesson is harsh: sometimes the best way to protect a piece of history is to leave it alone. The landowner chose a different path—destroy the landmark to reclaim the land. The cottage paid the price for the tension between curiosity and privacy. There is no neutral ground in that conflict.

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