IT’S been years since Summer Wine battleaxe Nora Batty last swept the steps of her Holmfirth home.

But number 28, Huddersfield Road, is still kept meticulously – enjoying a new “life” as a holiday home.

The terraced house, which has appeared countless times on the BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, was bought for £80,000 by Holmfirth businessman Neil Worthington in 2004.

Waterloo-born Worthington, who runs Worthington Brown Design next door, had considered various options, including knocking the wall through and using it as part of the company’s studio.

Renting it as an ordinary tenancy was also mooted but Neil soon spotted a tourist opportunity.

The house, formerly occupied by two tenants for over 20 years, opened as a self-catering holiday home in 2006.

The late Kathy Staff, who played Nora, officially opened the cottage in January 2006.

And since then the house has enjoyed back-to-back visits from Summer Wine fans from as far as New Zealand and Canada.

Up to six visitors can stay for between £270 and £660 a week at the house, which has rooms reproducing the studio sets, which were used for the series’ indoor scenes.

The house was again under the lens in August, as the 31st series of the world’s longest running sitcom was filmed.

Mr Worthington, who runs the business with wife Nicola, said: “We were going to let it out as a normal tenancy but thought it was a unique opportunity.

“If you’re fan of Coronation Street you can’t stay in the Rovers Return, nor can you stay in the Queen Vic in Eastenders. I don’t know anywhere else where you can stay on a live film set.”

“Since it opened it’s been chock-a-block all the time. It’s been back-to-back bookings from July until December. We’ve got bookings running through until 2011.

“We get quite a lot of guests from the USA and Canada; generally English-speaking countries.

“I’ve seen it on Chinese TV dubbed into Chinese so that will be my new market!

“It got busier after Kathy Staff died.

“A lot of people are still 10 years behind in other countries and they don’t realise she’s dead – or Compo’s even dead!

“It surprised me that no-one had bought the house before. But maybe, like all good ideas, it’s always afterwards you think: ‘I wish I would have thought of that!’

For more information on Nora Batty’s house visit: www.nora-battys.co.uk .