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Search the Public Notice PortalFootpaths around one of England's most-visited tourist attractions will be improved under plans unveiled this week.
The National Trust wants to make the improvements around the Grade I listed Stourhead House and its world-famous landscape garden near Warminster.
The property attracts half a million visitors annually - putting it in the top twenty attractions in the country.
The gardens feature classical temples, mystical grottoes, pretty bridges, and rare and exotic trees set around a huge lake.
But in recent years the Georgian Circuit Path has been degrading due to natural and physical factors.
The National Trust says the garden’s "pronounced topography" and the "effects of climate change" make it "increasingly vulnerable to flash flooding and severe weather, which has contributed to significant wear and tear on the pathways."
Blocked gullies and drains have contributed to poor drainage throughout the garden, leading to excessive erosion on sloped sections and pooling in flatter areas of the path where water cannot shed, according to a new report.
Excessive foot traffic and erosion, meanwhile, has reduced the overall level of the pathway, causing the path edges to become higher than the centre, consultants say.
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The National Trust wants permission to repair the paths, using materials "respectful of Stourhead’s unique spirit of place." One area of focus will be around the Pantheon Temple - the most popular stopping point on the lake circuit - where the National Trust wants to widen the path by creating an apron.
The Trust also wants to place more benches around the park.
"The proposal will sensitively enhance the existing tourist facilities at Stourhead, which will enhance the enjoyment of the attraction for visitors."
It adds: "The proposal will enhance the appearance of the lake and will therefore not result in any harmful impacts upon the landscape."
The 1,000 hectare Stourhead estate was home to the Stourton family for 500 years, before being acquired by the Hoare banking family in 1717. The original house was demolished and a new house was built.
The gardens were laid out between 1741 and 1780 in a classical 18th-century design set around a large lake. Architectural features based on fashionable ancient Greek designs - including The Palladian Bridge, The Pantheon, and The Temple of Apollo - were erected around the lake.
Sir Henry Hoare gave the house and gardens to the National Trust in 1946, one year before his death. His sole son and heir had died of wounds received during the Great War.
A decision by Wiltshire Council is expected by December 18.
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