ABSEILING stonemasons have started repairs to the historic tower near Stourhead.

A team of specialist stonemasons have started work hanging from ropes 160 feet up to repair the historic King Alfred’s Tower.

Rather than have the entire building covered in scaffolding during the work, the specialist team will be using climbing gear to work on the tower, repairing the stonework and doing some repointing of the brick faces of the tower.

The National Trust has raised enough money to start work on the tower, part of a £640,000 project to repair the 14 buildings features and structures around the grounds at Stourhead.

Last year the trust was given £96,000 by Viridor Credits Environmental Company after they were shown the huge public support for the building on the Stourhead Facebook page. There has been much other support locally, including a very generous donation from the Mackintosh Foundation which was championed by local resident Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

The work includes replacing the roofs of two of the towers on the corners of the triangular section tower. The walkway around the top of the tower will be repaired, some of the brickwork needs repointing and the statue of King Alfred above the doorway will also have some minor repairs and conservation work.

King Alfred’s Tower is a triangular 49 metre (160ft) folly about two miles from Stourhead’s Palladian house and famous 18th century landscape garden and was built on the site where it was believed King Alfred had rallied his troops before a battle against Danish invaders in AD 879. The tower was designed by Henry Flitcroft in about 1772 for Henry Hoare II who laid out the landscape gardens at Stourhead.

Details of the fund raising appeal are on the Stourhead website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead/donate-now