Grandmother Christine Holden has voiced her concerns over ivy threatening an historic wall at the back of her garden - and called on the landowner to cut it back.
Ms Holden, whose house backs onto fields between Tonedale and the Longforth Farm estate, is concerned that her garden wall is under threat from weeds on the neighbouring land.
The wall is thought to date back to medieval times, and is said to have been named in the Domesday Book of 1086. Ms Holden said: "This is an ancient wall. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book. It was stated in the deeds to the property when we first bought it."
Ms Holden has attempted to identify the landowner to ask them to cut the foliage back, but has of yet failed to identify them. She is now calling on the landowner to 'own up' and cut the weeds away:
“All these weeds are damaging the wall. The person I have to mow my lawns does what he can to keep my side clear but I can’t ask him to go over the wall and cut it all back because that is not my property.
“But nobody will admit whose land it is. I have asked the town council, all they’ve said is there’s planning permission on it but won’t say any more. “I have phoned different housebuilders but just blank, when I explain about this and they act as if I don’t know what I’m talking about. “All I want is these weeds cut right down to the ground, and I can’t send anyone over there because it’s not my land."
According to Ms Holden, parts of the wall have already began to crumble, and she blames the damage on the weeds which tower above it: "I fear the wall could collapse. There are bits which are coming off it. If that happens who is going to pay for the repair? Not me, I’ve done everything I can to keep my side clear.“There’s ivy, that’s notorious for killing brickwork, and there's stinging nettles and other weeds. It was last cut back in September.
Ms Holden had a message for the landowner: "Come and cut all of this down and get it away from the wall. Own up and come and do it. I don’t want my grandsons to be had up for trespassing."