Dry stone champion at the third try

Mr Coggins, 55, had entered the biennial competition run by the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) twice before and came a close second two years ago. However he went one better this time after impressing judges with 10 metres of dry stone wall he built at a farm near Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

He said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have finally won this competition. I’ve been a waller for 27 years and this has been the only competition that I’ve ever really been interested in winning.”

His award winning wall was built for farmer Mark Wilson at Gill Garth Farm, Selside. Standing on a precarious rock-edge and measuring over seven feet high, the wall took Michael five days to complete.