National Trust Cymru is offering free days out this September as part of Open Doors, Cadw's annual celebration of Welsh heritage.

From remarkable stories of Welsh history and culture to beautiful gardens and breathtaking countryside, visitors can enjoy unforgettable days out while learning more about the places that have shaped Wales.

In Gwynedd visit Penrhyn Castle and Garden in Bangor for free on Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 September from 10am-5pm.

Penrhyn Castle’s vast rooms, rich neo-Norman architecture and opulent furnishings are steeped in colonial histories. Set on the Menai Straits, with a backdrop of the Eryri (Snowdonia) summits, Penrhyn Castle commands views to its quarry. It is surrounded by wooded and open parkland and a walled garden.

The quarrymen from the Slate Museum will be putting on slate slitting demonstrations throughout the weekend, and there will be a baking demonstration in the Victorian Kitchen for everyone to enjoy on the Sunday.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penrhyn-castle-and-garden

Standing on a hillside overlooking Cardigan Bay, Plas yn Rhiw is a 17th century manor house with the Georgian editions, with ornamental garden and wonderful views.

Set in front of Plas yn Rhiw is Sarn y Plas, once the home of poet R S Thomas and his wife Elsie Elderidge. On Saturday and Sunday, 26 and 27 September, the garden at Plas yn Rhiw and Sarn y Plas will be free to access.

On the 26 and 27 September at 1.30pm there will also be a free guided walk, leaving from Sarn y Plas and finishing at Plas yn Rhiw tearoom, passing by Fron Deg, a traditional Tyddyn or crofters cottage dating back to the 1870s (booking essential).

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/plas-yn-rhiw

Ceredigion’s Llanerchaeron is an elegant Georgian villa, designed by architect John Nash in 1790, complete with a walled garden, farmyard lake and wild parkland. Remarkably unaltered for over 200 years.

Enjoy a day out exploring a traditional Welsh estate on Saturday and Sunday, 12 and 13 September, for free (car parking charges still apply, £4 for non-NT members). Explore the villa, visit the animals in the farmyard, take a stroll around the redbrick walled garden and take a moment to pause by the ornamental lake.

From 11am-4pm enjoy a re-enactment display on the front lawn. Step back in time to 1485 where soldiers have set up camp on the way to the Battle of Bosworth. Chat to the archers and knights as they prepare for battle and watch them demonstrate the art of the longbow, sword and Welsh spear and sling.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/llanerchaeron

Pontbrenmydyr Cottage, Ceredigion is one of the last surviving Welsh Cloms, a 17th-century mud constructed cottage. It has been carefully restored with a modern twist, and is now a one-bedroom cottage brimming with character. Its preserved vernacular details include original cow stalls, cobbled stone floors and smoke-blackened oak trusses.

Usually only accessible as a holiday cottage, this historic property will open its doors to visitors as part of Open Doors Wales on Saturday and Sunday, 12 and 13 September.

https://cadw.gov.wales/open-doors-pontbrenmydyr-national-trust-cottage-aberaeron