Izaak Walton

Location: On the banks of the River Sow in Victoria Park, Stafford

Unveiled: September 2000

Isaac Walton’s definitive book, The Compleat Angler, was first published in 1653.  Walton was born in Stafford in 1593, and later moved to London where he ran a drapery business.

Walton’s literary career began with a biography of the famous poet John Donne in 1640. Izaak’s aptitude for writing led to four more highly acclaimed biographies.

It was The Compleat Angler, though, which secured Walton’s place in history, becoming one of the most reprinted books in the world, viewed not just as a guide to fishing but also as a window into life of 17th century Britain, and the English Civil War in particular.

His legacy is celebrated all around Stafford, with the cottage he lived at in later life now a museum. The Izaak Walton League, an American environmental group, was set up in 1922.

Click on an image below for larger version: