Relief as ugly wall demolished at historic Staffordshire cottage
An 'eyesore' wall which was built outside a historic Staffordshire cottage has been knocked down after council bosses admitted they had made a 'mistake'.
The wall at the front of the Izaak Walton Cottage in Shallowford, which is between Stafford and Eccleshall, was labelled 'inappropriate, offensive and downright ugly' by a local resident last week.
Stafford Borough Council, which owns the 16th century half-timbered building, demolished the wall which cost £3,660 to build yesterday.
Council bosses had previously said the wall formed part of a sensory flower bed. But they have now admitted it was ' not appropriate' for the site. Stafford Borough Council spokesman William Connaghan said: "We made a mistake.
"The wall is not appropriate to the setting of the listed building and is being taken down.
"The hedge at the front had to be removed as it was diseased but we will now look at a more appropriate boundary treatment."
Michelle Gilchrist, from Eccleshall, who spotted workmen dismantling the bricks from the wall yesterday morning, said: "Personally I believed it was an eyesore; an error of judgement in using that brick."
The building was originally owned by the angling author Mr Walton who wrote the Compleat Angler' in 1653. It is now used as a museum which showcases the history of fishing and the Stafford man's illustrious life.
