It has stood proudly among the treetops of the Blickling Estate for almost 230 years.

But now the Grade-II* listed pyramid mausoleum is in desperate need of some love and care.

The National Trust is planning fundraising drives this year and in 2023 to bolster its repair fund for the mausoleum.

The plaster, vaulted ceiling of the 45ft tall pyramid is crumbling and its huge doors - which weigh 500kg each - have slipped on their hinges.

A spokesperson said: "The pyramid structure seen from the outside is a far cry from the curved ceiling inside which is finished with plaster.

"Sadly, over the centuries since its construction, the pyramid has suffered due to its position and is now in need of significant work to restore it.

"Not only have the doors slipped on their hinges, but the inside also needs a lot of work to stabilise and repair the plaster that is falling from the vaulted ceiling.

"We are currently raising the funds needed to make these repairs, with some big drives planned in 2022 and 2023."

The pyramid is in woodland about a mile north-west of Blickling Hall, and dates from an important time in the estate’s development.

Lady Caroline Suffield had the mausoleum built for her father, Blickling's owner and the second Earl of Buckinghamshire, John Hobart, after he died in 1793.

His remains, along with those of his wives, Mary Anne and Caroline, are entombed inside.

North Norfolk News: Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of John Hobart, the second Earl of Buckinghamshire, whose remains are interred in the Blickling Mausoleum.Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of John Hobart, the second Earl of Buckinghamshire, whose remains are interred in the Blickling Mausoleum. (Image: Public Domain)

Five facts about the Blickling Mausoleum

1. The pyramid is made of 190,000 Portland stone blocks which originally gleamed white.

2. Above the front entrance is a sculpture of the Hobart coat of arms, flanked by a stag and a hound.

2. The bull sculpture above the inscription at the back of the pyramid is a nod to the Boleyns - Anne Boleyn and her siblings were born at the hall and their family symbol was the bull.

North Norfolk News: The sculpture of the bull at the back of the Blickling mausoleum pyramid was added to play up the Hobart family's connections to the Boleyns.The sculpture of the bull at the back of the Blickling mausoleum pyramid was added to play up the Hobart family's connections to the Boleyns. (Image: Stuart Anderson)

3. The mausoleum is based on the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome, which was built around 18BC and is also still standing.

4. A building survey has recommended the pyramid be repaired as a single project, rather than having the doors fixed separately.

5. Grade II* listed structures are judged to be of particular national importance or special interest. There are more than 800 in Norfolk alone, the majority being rural churches.