Wales’s heritage attractions, parks and
gardens have been closed since November 2020, but Cadw, National
Trust Cymru and Amgueddfa
Cymru — National Museum Wales re-opened some of their outdoor sites and
open-air spaces ahead of the Easter holidays.
Among the local attractions now welcoming
back visitors are Cadw’s Valle Crucis Abbey in Llangollen and the National
Trust Cymru’s properties at Erddig and Chirk Castle.
While no advance booking is required at the
abbey it is needed for Erddig and Chirk.
The re-opening of the sites follows the First
Minister’s recent announcement that the outdoor areas of some historic sites,
parks and gardens are now able to welcome back visitors following an easement
of the Welsh Government’s coronavirus regulations.
In line
with the messaging of Visit Wales’s new Addo campaign — the
three heritage bodies have urged the people of Wales to make a promise to care
for each other and the wider communities of Wales as they begin to return to
their favourite outdoor heritage attractions and historic gardens.
It’s hoped that this approach
will encourage visitors to behave safely and responsibly on visits to sites
across the country.
Cadw says visitors to its sites must adhere to
Welsh Government social distancing guidelines and coronavirus restrictions at
all times.
From yesterday (Thursday), the historic
environment service has re-opened outdoor areas at a selection of its most
iconic staffed monuments.
To gain
entry to re-opening staffed monuments, general visitors and Cadw members alike
will need to reserve time-allotted tickets at least 24 hours in advance of
their visit on cadwmembership.service.gov.wales/events. This will allow for a safe and socially distanced
on-site experience for all ticket holders.
Sites partially
re-opening from April 1 include three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Beaumaris and Conwy Castles
and the world renowned industrial hub, Blaenavon Ironworks. Other
re-opening sites include Criccieth, Kidwelly and Laugharne castles.
Tintern Abbey, Harlech, Chepstow and Raglan castles
will re-open outdoor areas to Wales residents from Tuesday April 6.
Meanwhile, Denbigh and Rhuddlan Castle in
Denbighshire will re-open on Thursday April 8. In line with Welsh Government
guidance, all indoor areas at re-opening Cadw sites will remain closed until
further notice.
Due to essential conservation works or
coronavirus safety precautions, other heritage attractions under Cadw’s care,
including Caerphilly Castle and Castell Coch in
south Wales and Plas Mawr and Caernarfon Castle in
north Wales, will remain closed at this time.
Site entry tickets were released on Monday March
29 for visits up to and including Sunday April 11.
Cadw
recommends that visitors check its website to find out whether or not a
particular site is open before travelling. The website will also provide
further detail on ticket bookings and the re-opening plans for Cadw’s
collection of heritage sites.
National Trust Cymru began re-opening
open-air spaces to people living in Wales only, from March 29. From Penrhyn Castle in Gwynedd to Tredegar House in
Newport, visitors can return to their favourite parks and gardens across Wales
under Welsh Government guidelines to enjoy nature, fresh air and open spaces.
Other outdoor
spaces set to re-open under the care of National Trust Cymru include: Plas Newydd, Bodnant
Garden, Powis Castle
& Garden, Dyffryn
Gardens, and Dinefwr Park.
National Trust Cymru says it is looking forward
to welcoming visitors back, and visits will need to be pre-booked on the
National Trust website.
Opening
dates and times will vary across National Trust Cymru attractions, and visitors
are asked to check property websites for details. Indoor spaces at castles and
mansion houses remain closed in line with Welsh Government restrictions.
More information on purchasing tickets and the
re-opening of National Trust Cymru sites can be found on individual property webpages at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/days-out/wales.
Other Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales
visitor attractions will remain closed under Welsh Government regulations until
further notice.
Indoor spaces across the three Wales heritage
bodies will remain closed until further advice is issued from the Welsh
Government.
For the time being, outdoor attractions in Wales
can open only to visitors who reside in Wales, with residents able to travel
without restrictions in-Wales.
Different restrictions currently apply in
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with visitors from these locations
unable to travel into Wales or visit Wales’s outdoor attractions at this time.
* The
visitor notice on the website of Valle Crucis Abbey says: “From
Friday April 2 this monument is open and free to visit for residents within
Wales with no pre-booking required.
“Check our opening
times and facilities below; please act responsibly and be respectful of the
local area during your visit.
“Please adhere to
Welsh Government social distancing guidelines and coronavirus restrictions at
all times and do not attempt to access enclosed spaces.
“Access is to outer grounds only and all visitor centres will be closed; there will be no access to refreshments, toilets or other facilities during this time.”
For more information, go to: https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/valle-crucis-abbey
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