RAILINGS could soon be installed atop a landmark Somerset tower “for visitor protection”.

The National Trust has applied to Somerset Council for permission to install horizontal railings to masonry on the top of the listed Alfred’s Tower, at Brewham, near Bruton.

Plans said the railings would be added to the “masonry on the top platform of the tower”.

“The openings are quite low,” it said. “This can encourage visitors to lean over the cills, increasing the risk of falling.”

Visitors to the folly, which dates from 1766, can walk around the top of the tower, thanks to a visitor platform, with railings already in place in the centre of the area.

Railings would be installed on the top floor of Alfred’s Tower, near Bruton. Pictures: National Trust/Somerset Council

“The proposed design provides a greater level of protection for users of the tower,” the application went on.

“Positioning the new bars on the inner edge of the wall prevents visitors leaning on the cills and reduces the chance of children climbing the cills.

“This positioning on the inner edge also reduces the visibility of the bars from below. Any visibility from ground level would be from at least 65 metres from the base of the tower, at which distance the bars would appear very small.

“There would be a visual impact from the viewing platform but is not considered a significant aesthetic difference due to similarity to the existing railings.

“The bars are proposed to be grey, matching the colour of the railings already in place on the inner shaft.

“The installation approach with minimal fixings allows for the installation to be reversible with minimal repairs.”

For more details on the plans, visit somerset.gov.uk and search application reference 26/00354/LBC.

READ MORE: Planning news from your Somerset Leveller

Railings are already in place in the centre of the viewing platform. Picture: National Trust/Somerset Council