Llanerchaeron

Step back to the past on a lovely day out with the children at Llanerchaeron in Ceredigion. Located near Aberaeron, in a wooded valley, this 18th-century self-sufficient estate offers a fascinating glimpse of life in a bygone age.

Discovering the elegant Georgian villa, walled gardens and farm will bring history alive for youngsters. Start your visit in the villa, an early commission for great Regency architect John Nash, who went on to design Buckingham Palace and the Brighton Pavilion.

Admire the interiors including the plasterwork friezes and note the contrast offered by the servants’ area at the rear of the house. Imagine what life must have been like for the hard-working staff. Visitors today may be treated to homemade Welsh cakes if the Edwardian range is lit for baking on the day of their visit.

In the service courtyard are the dairy, dairy scullery, cheese press room, bake-house and other important parts of the house. Children can step into the shoes of Llanerchaeron servants and have a go at activities such as washing clothes and beating rugs. A chance to find out what housework was like before the days of modern gadgets!

Then wander through the walled gardens to find kitchen gardens, old fruit trees and features such as hypocausts and fire pits used to heat beds and cold frames.

A highlight of this family day out in Ceredigion is likely to be the working farm, home to traditional breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs. Depending on the season you visit, you may be able to be involved in lambing, shearing, the harvest or another event from the farming calendar.

Allow time for a woodland walk or hire bikes and head off along the traffic-free route to Aberaeron.

Admission charges vary during the year.

Please see the National Trust’s website to find out more before visiting.