The iconic TV set burned down by its owner after 276 episodes

Children's TV show Tots TV was a huge hit in the 90s with the vibrant characters Tilly, Tom and Tiny occupying a quaint bright cottage - but now all that remains of the once iconic set is an eerie building, left to rot.

Urban explorer, Simon Stokes, from Wolverhampton, stumbled across the famous cottage in 2020, before it was burned down and destroyed by its owner. The adventurer tracked down the location, in Stratford-upon-Avon, after researching the property and using his drone to help him find it. He explained: "The cottage is quite hidden, so I sent my drone up to help me find it and I then discovered the roof of the property poking through the trees. Since the lockdowns, I have become really interested in photography and exploring abandoned locations. With nothing open, it made sense to get out and explore."

He added how he felt about finding the house in a rundown state, saying: "I was excited to have found the location, but it was disappointing to see it had been left to rot and had been vandalised because I had grown up watching the program in the 90s.

"There wasn’t much left but you can see the iconic blue stairs which stand out and also the unique windows.

"I was there for around 30 minutes to capture pictures and wondering how it got in such a state. Although, since I was there, I have read that it has been destroyed by the owner."

Images showed that the thatched roof on the house was gone, while its walls were coated with muck and its tiles covered in moss.

The cottage was purpose-built for the series in the early 1990s. It's destruction was shared in a social media post, which read: "The Tots Cottage is no more. The owners have dismantled it and burnt the rest down..."

Tots TV - which was written by two of the show's puppeteers - first aired in January 1993 and continued until April 1998 when production stopped. A total of 276 episodes were made before the show was eventually taken off air.