MAJOR repairs to Wellington Monument, which will eventually cost £4 million, are set to start in summer next year, the National Trust says.

Detailed design work for repairs to the 175 feet high obelisk is being done this year and the trust expects to go out to tender for companies to carry out the repairs by the end of the year.

Work would then start on site in early summer 2019 and continue for most of 2020.

 But the trust expects to only be able to repair the most badly damaged areas of the monument, because so far it has only been able to raise half of the nearly £4 million needed to do a full repair.

Wellington Monument project manager Helen Sharp said: “We have raised half the money so far and we will shortly recruit a community fundraiser but the remaining £2 million needed is an ambitious target.

“We are hugely grateful for all the help and support we’ve already received, including from our volunteers and Wellington Town Council. We’re going to need to keep working together if we are to hit this target.

 “The monument is deteriorating. Our intention is to start work on the most damaged parts and repair the top third as well as correct the bulging north face and continue to work down while we fundraise.

“If we can raise enough money, the repairs will reach ground level and we will be able to safely reopen the monument to visitors once more.”

 The money the trust has raised so far includes a £1million grant from fines levied on the banking industry for manipulating the LIBOR rate but the trust recently had an application to Heritage Lottery Fund turned down.

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For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.