Work begins on Belton House indoor play area
Work has started on a new, £800,000 indoor play area at a Lincolnshire tourist attraction.
Belton House, near Grantham, is the first National Trust property in England to have commissioned such a facility, property managers said.
Alec Gordon, the Trust's general manager in Lincolnshire, said the indoor play area would give children something to do in bad weather.
The play area is expected to be open by Easter.
"One of the things we've noticed is that when the weather's bad, there is very little for families to do," said Mr Gordon.
"As always, Belton is pioneering here. I'm not sure how many others will copy it because Belton, in many senses, is a different property.
"It's far more family-orientated than other properties."
The Trust said it would spend about £6.5m on the property over the next few years.
A new visitor reception building has already been built and the existing outdoor adventure playground, which was built in the 1970s, will be upgraded.
The new indoor play area is being built at Belton's former riding school.
A new cafe and terrace, toilets and shops will also be created as part of the project.