‘England’s finest’ cobbled square could go to asphalt

A COBBLED square in a historic mar- ket town could be covered over with Tarmac after the council declared it was too difficult to maintain.

Despite once being described by Sir Walter Scott as “the finest stone town in England”, the Yorkstone cobbles in the centre of Stamford, Lincs, could be replaced by asphalt after controversial proposals were put forward by the county council for a more hard-wearing surface material.

Stamford Civic Society said removing the cobbles would harm the historic beauty of the town, which was used to portray Meryton in the 2004 film of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Jim Mason, society chairman, said: “We think it’s much more appropriate that this is surfaced in something like stone that matches the surroundings.”

David Brailsford, a council member, said it was “considering improvements” but no firm plan was yet in place.

No wonder Stamford in Lincolnshire is always being used as a location for costume dramas. The local stone is particularly lovely, and the town’s old houses and churches set off crinolines and carriages beautifully. But the councillors of Stamford have voted to cover the stony surface of Red Lion Square with asphalt. This square has two medieval churches: All Saints with its spire, and St John the Baptist with its storeyed tower. The setts that pave it complement the historic buildings; asphalt would drag them down with its grubby modernity. Pedestrians are in no danger of turning an ankle on the setts, for they have smoothly paved stone pavements to walk on. Do these dim-witted councillors not realise that in saving costs on surfacing they are destroying the very glory of their electors’ town that visitors come to see?