Outdoor sites and open-air spaces to start reopening from Saturday

Some outdoor sites and open-air spaces, such as heritage attractions, parks and gardens, are to reopen from tomorrow, Saturday 27 March.

Following the First Minister’s announcement of changes to the tourism sector, Cadw, National Trust Cymru, and Amgueddfa Cymru today revealed plans to reopen sites which have been closed since November last year.

The three heritage bodies are urging the people of Wales to care for each other and the wider communities, saying they hope this approach will encourage visitors to ‘behave safely’.

Cadw will reopen their open-air monuments from 27 March – from St Lythan’s Burial Chamber in the Vale of Glamorgan to Haverfordwest Priory in Pembrokeshire.

They say visitors must adhere to the Welsh Government’s social distancing guidelines as well as coronavirus restrictions at all times when on their sites.

From 1 April, they plan to reopen outdoor areas at a selection of its staffed monuments where visitors will need to reserve time-alloted tickets at least 24 hours in advance.

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.

Sites set to partially re-open on 1 April include three UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Beaumaris and Conwy Castles as well as Blaenavon Ironworks – along with other sites including Criccieth, Kidwelly and Laugharne castles.

Tintern Abbey, Harlech, Chepstow and Raglan castles will reopen outdoor areas to Wales residents from 6 April whilst Denbigh and Rhuddlan castles will reopen on 8 April.

Site entry tickets will be released on 29 March for visits up to and including 11 April, with Cadw recommending visitors check its website to find out whether a particular site is open.

National Trust Cymru will begin to reopen their open-air spaces to people living in Wales only, from 29 March including Penrhyn Castle in Gwynedd and Tredegar House in Newport.

Other National Trust Cymru areas reopening include: Plas Newydd, Bodnant Garden, Erddig, Chirk Castle, Powis Castle & Garden, Dyffryn Gardens, and Dinefwr Park.

National Trust Cymru say they are looking forward to welcoming visitors back, but visits will need to be pre-booked on the National Trust website.

St Fagans National Museum of History will welcome visitors from April with Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales, taking care of the outdoor part of the attraction.

Other Amgueddfa Cymru visitor attractions will remain closed under Welsh Government regulations until further notice.

All St Fagans visitors will need to pre-book tickets in advance via Eventbrite by visiting www.museum.wales, tickets for which are available to reserve from 3pm today.

At this time, tickets can only be reserved by Wales residents, with all ticket holders to abide by Welsh Government social distancing guidelines and coronavirus restrictions.

Indoor spaces across the three Wales heritage bodies will remain closed until further advice is issued from the Welsh Government.