Gregynog fairy trail opens for bank holiday

Gregynog Hall, one of Wales’ leading country houses, is preparing to welcome visitors to a Forest Fairy Trail on August Bank Holiday weekend.

The 750 acres of grounds at Tregynon, near Newtown, are filled with undiscovered treasures and the Fairy Trail is an ideal way to explore the woodland walks around the Grade 1 listed gardens and historic landscape.

Last year’s fairy trail was a fabulous success, attracting more than 400 visitors, with the forest filled with face painted fairies over four days.

The trail opens on Friday, August 23 and runs until Monday. August 26 from 10am to 4pm. Trail sheets cost £6 which includes a strawberry milkshake and a fairy cake in the Courtyard Café.

Lydia Bassett, Gregynog’s head of business development, said: “We can’t wait to welcome all the fairy fans to our wonderful woods. Last year’s event was great fun and this year we’ve had help from the amazing artists’ group who meet in our café each Wednesday, so it will look even more incredible.

“The fairies’ front doors are being decorated with letters and numbers, and our visitors will need to collect all the numbers and letters and then unscramble them to find the magic words and claim their milkshake and fairy cake prize.

“Everyone is welcome to come along and join in. You’ll need solid shoes for wandering in the woods but dressing up is positively encouraged and some of our staff might well be dressing up as well.

“There’s no need to book, just come along and join in the fairy fun between 10am and 4pm over the Bank Holiday weekend.”

Gregynog Hall is now run by an independent charitable trust and the trail is part of its fundraising efforts to ensure the property and its grounds are preserved for future generations.

The grounds are a National Nature Reserve and there are miles of marked paths through the woods. The Courtyard café is open daily from 10am to 4pm and trail sheets will be available from there.

Gregynog Hall is a member of MWT Cymru, which represents around 550 tourism and hospitality businesses and organisations across Powys, Ceredigion and Southern Eryri (Snowdonia).