The knitted house, which helped put the village of Hilmarton on the map, has been sent to its final resting place.

Created by the village’s knitting group Knitti Natters, the house is entirely created from wool and has been constantly updated since it was first brought to public attention in 2010.

It has toured around the county, with thousands of visitors flocking to marvel at it, and has been housed at Calne Heritage Centre over the winter.

But the group has decided it is time to move on and the house has been donated to a couple in Calne.

Val Proctor, from Knitti Natters, said: “The house has been a big part of our lives over the past year or so but the responsibility of having to move it all the time has been a big concern for a while.

“Because so many people want to see it, it has been moved so many times and it is starting to take its toll on the house.

“Every time we move it now it gets more and more damaged. It needs to go to a permanent home.

“The people who are taking it absolutely love the house. It is going to a private house where it will be much loved and I think there is a chance the couple will be using it for different things in the future.”

The group will be looking to future projects, including making novelty tea cosies for a Mad Hatter’s tea party it intends to hold later this year.

Mrs Proctor said she had been surprised by the attention the house had drawn. It has featured in a number of newspapers and knitting magazines.

She said: “It started just as a project to raise money for the church in the village and we needed it for the Hilmarton arts , crafts and music festival.

“But you have a vision of something and it often surpasses your expectation and that has certainly happened here. It has captured people’s imaginations.”