A pensioner and his wife were left devastated in their own home after the idyllic bedroom view where he used to sit and paint was replaced with a brick wall.
Harry and Jill Amson-Orth, both 80, are furious the beautiful scene has been destroyed with a new housing development.
The couple, who have lived in the leafy village of Wistaston, Cheshire for 40 years, claim the houses infringe their privacy.
Before the development Harry, who suffered a stroke in the early 90's, would sit and paint while using views of the fields and parish as inspiration.
He said: "It was always nice. I used to paint and it would give me inspiration.
"But there's no inspiration in a wall. We have to keep our blinds down now, just so we don't see the houses. They're so high up."
She said: "I used to potter in the garden, but I don't anymore. I used to love the garden and sit in it.
"Now, I only go out when I have to. The houses make me anxious.
"We were so happy here. I loved being in the garden."
Harry used to find inspiration from the scenery and the devastated couple even have photos of their favourite view.
Harry said: "It's not relaxing at all. I wish the development was gone and I'm just disappointed about the whole thing.
"I'm more concerned about Jill really. She tries not to look at it."
Harry and Jill could also watch the annual fete from the comfort of their bedroom window before a developer was granted planning permission to build 11 homes on the community area.
Jill said: "We used to love the village fete.
"I just wish [the development] was gone."
The imposing development looms over the gardens of 15 surrounding houses by around 1.5metres.
Numerous complaints from local residents prompted 124 objections to the planning proposal despite them not attending the meeting in July 2014 after claiming they were not aware it was going ahead.
Jill and Harry's daughter, therapist Karyn Amson-Orth, 47, said: "It's had a huge emotional effect. My mum used to love gardening but now she doesn't want to go into the garden with the new developments there.
"Dad would sit and paint in the upstairs room and look at the scenery through the window, and now he sits and looks at a wall."
The developer responded in a statement: "The building was built according to the approved plans."
Karyn claims the family were 'not opposed to development' in the village.
She said: "If they'd been more sympathetic or more willing to compromise we wouldn't have taken it this far.
"Lots of the residents feel closed in as the houses are so imposing; people have had to pay hundreds of pounds on blinds for privacy so they're living in darkness.
"It's had a huge effect on their lives."
A spokesman for Cheshire East Council said: "The application was automatically dealt with by a committee.
"A number of written objections were received and considered at the time the application went before committee for consideration.
"Planning enforcement officers from this Council have inspected the development and have concluded that the development has been built in accordance with the approved plans."