One of the district’s most recognisable landmarks is to be repaired and refurbished to make it safer for visitors.

The 300-year-old How Hill Tower, which is part of Studley Royal Park, is grade II* listed but is currently in a state of disrepair. The National Trust, which owns the estate, submitted a planning application for the works in March, which was approved yesterday.

The conservation work includes repairs to the stonework, roof, doorways, gutters, drainpipes and internal decorative plasterwork.

The works to improve access to the building for visitors include the installation of new shutters to one of the windows, the restoration of the stone balustrade to the west stair of the tower, and the replacement of rotten wood door guards to protect visitors from steep drops.

How Hill Tower is a folly built in the early 18th century by John Aislabie, the owner of Fountains Abbey who created the Studley Royal water gardens.

It was built on the site of the 13th-century Chapel of Saint Michael de Monte, and it has since been used as a farmhouse, cottages and, during the Second World War, a Home Guard observation post.

Studley Royal is one of the few great 18th century gardens to substantially retain its original form. Historic England calls it "arguably the most spectacular water gardens and pleasure grounds in England". Along with Fountains Abbey, it is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Although How Hill Tower is owned by the National Trust and is part of the Studley Royal estate, it does not fall within the bounds of the World Heritage Site, but does come within its ‘buffer zone’, which regulates development there.