Dylan Thomas's clifftop eyrie moved for repairs

A decaying potting shed where the poet Dylan Thomas wrote some of his most acclaimed works was removed from its clifftop site in the west Wales village of Laugharne yesterday for a £20,000 facelift.

Thomas used the shed as a retreat from his stormy relationship with his wife, Caitlin. In recognition of its cultural importance, it was listed Grade II and is now part of a £100,000 renovation project that includes an adjacent boathouse.

Because of its precarious position, the shed has had to be dismantled and moved by road to a workshop 10 miles away in Llangain.

Surrounded by the chaos of discarded papers and cigarette packets, the writer found inspiration in the shed for characters from his best-known play Under Milk Wood.

It has since proved a popular attraction, drawing 25,000 tourists a year, including such famous admirers as Sir Mick Jagger and the former US president Jimmy Carter.