A WREXHAM town centre landmark is up for sale on the internet auction site eBay.
Dr John Marek, owner of the Soames Brewery chimney in Tuttle Street, is giving bidders just eight days to snap up a piece of Wrexham’s industrial heritage.
Dr Marek, who served as Wrexham’s Labour MP and AM before switching his party allegiance to the Conservatives last year, has owned the Grade II listed building behind the Nag’s Head pub for more than 20 years.
The 120ft Ruabon brick structure, which dates from 1894, was given to him free of charge by the chairman of Marston’s Brewery when they took over the site and he halted a plan to tear it down at the time he was MP.
Now he wants to dispose of it and has chosen to do it on the internet after a plan to hand it over to a local mountaineering group as a climbing training area fell through.
Dr Marek, 70, said: “I am getting on and no longer feel like keeping it.
“I was going to let the mountaineering group have it but they couldn’t get the right kind of insurance for it, so I put it up for auction on eBay on Sunday.
“People have until October 26 to put in a bid, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that somebody will want it.
“There can’t be too many chimneys on the site, so It was difficult trying to decide which category to put it in.
“I thought about ‘property’ and then ‘collectables’ but they weren’t right, so I eventually chose the ‘other’ section.
“The chimney really is an important part of the town’s brewing heritage so I would like to see it preserved but it is becoming a bit of a responsibility for me.
“It’s in quite good structural condition because I have spent a bit on maintaining it over the years.
“It has also cost me about £700 a year to insure.
“I am hoping it goes to somebody in Wrexham but if it has to go to someone in say Russia or Argentina I would like them to keep it on site.
“If they wanted to move it elsewhere people would have to make their own arrangements to do that.”
Wrexham Civic Society put up a plaque on the chimney to mark the fact it was saved from demolition by Dr Marek.
Society secretary Chris Edwards said: “I did know Dr Marek was trying to get rid of the chimney.
“It is a very important part of Wrexham’s history and especially its proud brewing tradition. I hope that whoever takes it over is prepared to keep it as it is because it would be a crying shame if it was lost.”