Easter is just around the corner, so if you’re looking ahead to the brighter, warmer days of spring, there is plenty of fun to be had in gardens across Wales with National Trust Cymru’s adventure-packed Easter trails.
Keep your little explorers entertained throughout the Easter holidays with a range of different trails that celebrate nature, history, and beauty. Wherever you choose to visit for an Easter adventure, every trail ends with a chocolate egg.
North Wales
Bodnant Garden, Conwy
Little explorers can join the Easter adventure trail at Bodnant Garden from 7-10 April. Make your way along the trail to discover nature-inspired activities in the garden and stop off at the willow ‘worm’. Bodnant Garden is the perfect place to run off excess energy with 80 acres of sweeping lawns, grand terraces and champion tree filled woodlands to explore.
Dogs are welcome in the garden on short leads Thursday-Sunday from 1 April to September. Dogs are not permitted in the garden on Bank Holiday Easter Monday.
Chirk Castle, Wrexham
Follow the unicorn on an Easter adventure trail from 5-10 April to discover what makes Chirk Castle special. Weave in and out of an obstacle course, build the tallest tower and create your own Easter decoration as you join the quest to find the medieval golden eggs.
Find the activity stations dotted around Home Farm, the medieval Adam Tower, gardens, and Pleasure Ground Wood, which is famous for its carpet of spring daffodils. Tick off some ’50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ activities as you go and run wild in the natural play area.
Erddig, Wrexham
Help a lost rabbit find its way through the garden and back to the house in time for the Easter tea party. From 5-10 April, follow the Easter adventure trail and complete all the activities to guide the rabbit safely home and earn your chocolate or Free From* egg.
Little explorers will love the Wolf’s Den natural play area complete with a rope swing, stepping logs and den-building area, or take a family walk around the estate and follow one of the many waymarked paths through woodlands, meadows, past rivers, and ponds.
Penrhyn Castle and Garden, Bangor
From 1-10 April, treat the whole family to a world of adventure at Penrhyn Castle. Discover some of the wildlife that live in the grounds and celebrate the arrival of spring with a game of hide and seek with a stoat and a mouse or follow the rabbits through the maze to earn your Easter egg. Complete ten nature-inspired activities that are hiding along the way.
Climb trees, make dens, and run wild in the natural woodland play area created by the Penrhyn Castle ranger team. Spot wildlife from the wooden hide by the river, or head into the woodlands awash with colour and blossom and a perfect spot for a picnic on a family day out.
Plas Newydd House and Garden, Anglesey
From 1-10 April, join the Easter adventure trail to explore the garden as it blossoms. From tulips to bees, celebrate the arrival of spring at Plas Newydd on the activity trail.
Explore the Old Dairy wood to find the adventure play area, have a go at a game of Frisbee Golf or take a trip to the Treehouse and enjoy some time as a family in the Arboretum with far reaching views of the mountains of Snowdonia.
Dogs are allowed on short leads in the gardens, except for the Italianate Terraces.
Plas yn Rhiw, Llŷn Peninsula
This Easter, head to the hillside garden overlooking Cardigan Bay to explore the enchanted maze of grassy paths amongst flowering trees and shrubs.
Join the Easter adventure trail on 1-2 and 5-10 April to find ten nature-inspired Easter activities hiding in the garden. The Georgian spring garden is blooming with beautiful camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, and magnolias and over 130 fruit trees that will also be coming into blossom. Keep your eyes peeled for primroses by the mill pond and spotted orchids in the orchard.
Due to the nature of the garden, the Easter trail does include some steps, uneven ground, and narrow paths so unsuitable for prams and pushchairs.
MID WALES
Dolaucothi, Carmarthenshire
Pull on your walking boots this Easter and treat the whole family to a world of adventure at Dolaucothi, the UK’s only known Roman Gold Mine.
Follow the Easter adventure trail to explore the 1930’s Mine Yard from 5-9 April. Discover ten activities which will encourage you and your little ones to get exploring outdoors.
Gather up the family and find the best spot for a picnic and a walk, following one of the many trails and network of winding footpaths along the riverside, and through meadows and woodland.
Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
Hop, skip, and jump along the Easter adventure trail at Llanerchaeron from 5-10 April and enjoy an Easter day out exploring a traditional Welsh estate.
The Easter adventure trail winds its way through the estate, passing the red brick walled garden, lake, and traditional Welsh farmyard.
Stop at the traditional farmyard to meet the animals, including Welsh cobs, Welsh pigs, poultry, and geese. Find out more about the rare breed sheep called Llanwenog and see how many spring lambs you can count in the sheep pens.
Powis Castle and Garden, Welshpool
From roosting on one leg and measuring your wingspan, to dodging your predators and finding feathers, the bird-themed Easter adventure trail from 1-16 April is both exciting and educational for all the family.
See swathes of spring bulbs in the terraces and formal garden, yellow primroses spotted along the grassy banks and pink and white magnolia coming into blossom is a picture against a clear blue sky.
SOUTH WALES
Colby Woodland Gardens, Pembrokeshire
Discover a hidden wooded valley full of surprises at Colby Woodland Garden this Easter. From 7-10 April, join in with the Easter adventure trail and complete the ten activities around the garden.
Clamber across stepping-stones scattered across the streams and delve into pond dipping to look for dippers and grey wagtails on the wing around the water’s edge. Spot wildlife of all kinds, from birds to bugs and even the occasional otter.
Dinefwr, Carmarthenshire
Enjoy a day out exploring the historical Newton House and ancient Welsh parkland this spring. Join the Easter adventure trail from 1-10 April that loops around the ancient parkland estate. Discover ten family friendly activities along the way.
The White Park Cattle return to graze the parkland in front of Newton House in April and are calving throughout spring and summer, so come along and meet the new arrivals. Dinefwr is the only parkland in Wales with National Nature Reserve status and is bursting with blossom trees and primroses. Spot the deer which have called Dinefwr home for hundreds of years.
Dyffryn Gardens, Cardiff
Exploring the gardens on the Easter adventure trail will bring all the family together. From 1-11 April, follow family-friendly trail to complete ten activities and earn your Easter egg. Who will win the egg and spoon race? Who will look cutest dressed up as baby animals at our dress-up station? Who will build the best house in our construction zone?
With two log stack play areas, there is plenty of space for youngsters to run, jump, explore and play. Balance along enormous trees, jump from log to log along the stepping-stones and have a picnic on hand carved picnic stumps.
Tredegar House, Newport
Vibrant colours fill the garden borders, the scent of flowers and blossom is in the air, and birdsong can be heard across the grounds as you follow Easter adventure trail from 3-10 April.
The gardens at Tredegar House are the ideal setting for a fantastic Easter family day out, but don’t forget to head into the house too to create your own stories with ready-made puppets and spot the weird and wonderful faces carved into the oak panels in the Brown Room.
Normal admission applies plus £3 per trail, includes a chocolate egg, or vegan and Free From chocolate egg, made in the UK from cocoa that’s responsibly sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms: www.rainforest-alliance.org, an Easter trail sheet, pencil, and bunny ears.
