Lake District Bowder Stone ladder set to be replaced

Image source, National Trust

Image caption, The proposed ladder at the Bowder Stone would replace one installed in the 1980s

A huge rock dubbed "one of the strangest" Lake District attractions is getting an upgrade.

Visitors to , near Keswick, can climb atop the boulder via a wooden ladder installed in the 1980s.

But the set of steps has "reached the end of its lifespan", said the National Trust, which has applied for permission to install a metal replacement.

The rock is said to be the height of six people and is thought to weigh 1,253 tonnes.

It found popularity as a tourist attraction during the Victorian era, when people flocked to marvel at the geological wonder.

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The proposed 30.5ft (9.3m) ladder would be made by Cumbrian architectural and sculptural metalworker Chris Brammel.

Curator Harvey Wilkinson said: "We're restoring the excitement of a visit to one of the strangest and once most famous Lake District attractions.

"If approved, we expect the new ladder to be in place next spring so there's now a rare opportunity to take a photo of the stone without its ladder."

The National Trust bought the stone in 1910 through public subscription.

Image source, National Trust

Image caption, The stone became popular with tourists during the Victorian era