RESTORATION of Wellington's crumbling iconic Monument, pictured, is not going to happen any time soon.

That was the message this week from the National Trust, which owns the 175-feet high structure over looking the town from its site on highest point of the Blackdown Hills.

A number of surveys have been carried out on the treasured landmark since it was closed in 2005 after cracks were discovered in the stonework.

Andy Mayled, General Manager for the National Trust in Somerset Countryside, said this week: "There are still some unanswered questions we need to deal with before we can agree on a final repair solution. The work needs to be done properly and it will involve raising a lot of money but it is not clear yet what the final costs might be."

The Trust is preparing to open the landmark for the first time in some eight years on Sunday from 11am-3pm. Visitors are getting the chance to go inside the column and see the view from it which, on a clear day, stretches as far as the Bristol Channel, Exmoor, and Glastonbury Tor.

Read the full story in this week's WWN.