National Trust in North Wales: A Complete Guide

North Wales is home to some of the most spectacular National Trust properties in the UK — from medieval castles and grand country houses to world-renowned gardens and wild coastal landscapes. Whether you're staying in a holiday cottage in Snowdonia, on the coast, or on Anglesey, you're never far from a National Trust gem.

Here's your complete guide to the National Trust places to visit in North Wales.

Bodnant Garden

Postcode: LL28 5RE
Entry: Adults £16, Children £8, Family £40 (NT members free)
Opening: Year-round; check website for seasonal hours

Bodnant Garden, near Conwy (North Wales Coast), is one of the finest gardens in Wales and a must-visit in any season. Created over five generations by the McLaren family, the garden dates back to 1874, when Henry Pochin bought the estate and began transforming the hillside into the terraced paradise we see today. His descendants, the McLaren family (Lord Aberconwy), continued developing the garden, introducing plants collected by famous plant hunters from around the world.

The famous Laburnum Arch — a 55-metre golden tunnel that blooms in late May and early June — was planted in 1880 and is one of the longest in the UK. Later in the year, the terraced gardens, the Dell with its waterfall, and the towering trees in the arboretum offer tranquil beauty, while autumn brings spectacular colour.

Don't miss: The Laburnum Arch (late May/early June), the Dell waterfall, the Italianate terraces, and the Giant Sequoia.

Penrhyn Castle

Postcode: LL57 4AS
Entry: Adults £16, Children £8, Family £40 (NT members free; grounds only tickets available)
Opening: Check website — typically open March to October plus selected winter dates

A 19th-century neo-Norman castle on the outskirts of Bangor (North Wales Coast), Penrhyn is an extraordinary fantasy of Norman architecture — all battlements, towered facades, and grand interiors. It was built between 1822 and 1837 for George Hay Dawkins-Pennant, a wealthy slate quarry owner, on the site of a medieval castle. The architect Thomas Hopper designed it in the neo-Norman style, creating one of the most extravagant country houses in Britain.

The castle's wealth was built on the North Wales slate industry, and its history is intertwined with the Penrhyn Quarry disputes — one of the longest and bitterest industrial disputes in British history, lasting from 1900 to 1903. The house contains one of the National Trust's finest art collections, including paintings by Canaletto, and an incredible one-ton slate bed made for Queen Victoria's visit. The grounds include a railway museum (reflecting the castle's connection to the slate railways) and extensive parkland walks.

Don't miss: The grand hall with its incredible stone carving, the one-ton slate bed, the railway museum, and the walled garden.

Plas Newydd

Postcode: LL61 6DQ
Entry: Adults £14, Children £7, Family £35 (NT members free)
Opening: Check website — typically open mid-February to early November

On the Menai Strait on Anglesey (Anglesey), Plas Newydd is an elegant country house with spectacular views across the water to Snowdonia. The house has been home to the Paget family (Marquesses of Anglesey) since the 15th century, though the current building largely dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. The first Marquess of Anglesey famously lost his leg at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 while commanding the cavalry alongside the Duke of Wellington.

The house is famous for Rex Whistler's largest mural — a stunning 58-foot painting that covers an entire dining room wall, creating a trompe-l'oeil view of the Menai Strait. Whistler, a celebrated artist of the interwar years, was killed in action in Normandy in 1944. The gardens stretch down to the sea, and the rhododendron walks are stunning in spring and early summer.

Don't miss: The Rex Whistler mural, the maritime garden, the woodland walks along the strait, and the military museum.

Powis Castle and Garden

Postcode: SY21 8RF
Entry: Adults £17, Children £8.50, Family £42.50 (NT members free)
Opening: Open year-round for gardens; house typically open March to October

Just across the border in Welshpool, Powys (Mid Wales, but easily accessible from North East Wales), Powis Castle is perched dramatically on a rock above terraced gardens. The castle was built around 1200 by Welsh prince Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn and has been home to the Herbert and Clive families for over 400 years. The castle's dramatic position and its French- and Italian-influenced terraced gardens make it one of the most photographed National Trust properties.

In the 18th century, the castle passed to the Clive family through marriage — Sir Edward Clive, son of Robert Clive ("Clive of India"). The family brought back a vast collection of Indian and Far Eastern art and artefacts, now displayed in the Clive Museum — one of the most important collections of Indian and Far Eastern art in the UK. The gardens, with their famous yew trees (some over 300 years old), lead statues, and hanging terraces, are among the most spectacular in Britain.

Don't miss: The hanging terraces, the 300-year-old yew trees, the Clive Museum, and the aviary.

Erddig

Postcode: LL13 8YT
Entry: Adults £15, Children £7.50, Family £37.50 (NT members free)
Opening: Check website — typically open mid-March to early November

Near Wrexham (North East Wales), Erddig is a remarkable 18th-century country house with an unusual twist — it's famous for its focus on the lives of the servants and estate workers who kept the house running. Built in 1687 for Joshua Edisbury and enlarged in the 1720s, Erddig was home to the Yorke family for nearly 200 years. Unlike many country house owners, the Yorkes had an unusually close (and sometimes fraught) relationship with their servants, and the house tells both their stories side by side.

The last squire, Philip Yorke II, had no children and left the estate to the National Trust in 1973 with the house in a state of near-dereliction. The Trust undertook a massive restoration, and today Erddig is celebrated for its authentic servant quarters, photographs of estate workers, and the poems Philip Yorke wrote about his servants. The formal gardens, walled garden, and stable yard are beautifully maintained.

Don't miss: The servant quarters, the estate workers' photographs, the stable yard, and the formal gardens.

Chirk Castle

Postcode: LL14 5AF
Entry: Adults £14.50, Children £7.25, Family £36.25 (NT members free)
Opening: Check website — typically open mid-March to early November

A medieval Marcher fortress near Wrexham (North East Wales), Chirk Castle has been continuously inhabited for nearly 700 years. Built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer as part of King Edward I's ring of iron to subdue the Welsh, the castle guarded the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley. It passed through several noble families, including the powerful de Grey family, before being sold to Sir Thomas Myddelton in 1593 — his descendants still live there today.

The castle saw action during the English Civil War, being besieged and captured by Parliamentarian forces in 1644 and 1646. The state rooms, decorated in the 17th and 18th centuries, tell the story of centuries of border warfare and aristocratic life. The dungeons and tower are atmospheric reminders of its medieval origins, while the gardens — including a topiary garden dating back to the 1870s — and the extensive estate woodland walks offer a more peaceful experience.

Don't miss: The dungeons and tower, the 17th-century state rooms, the topiary garden, and the estate woodland walk.

Plas yn Rhiw

Postcode: LL53 8AB
Entry: Adults £8, Children £4, Family £20 (NT members free)
Opening: Limited opening — typically open late March to early November, Friday–Tuesday

A tiny, romantic Georgian manor on the Llŷn Peninsula, Plas yn Rhiw is a hidden gem. The house was built around 1600 and enlarged in 1820. Abandoned and near-derelict, it was rescued in 1939 by the Keating sisters — Eileen, Lorna, and Honora — who lovingly restored the house and its garden over decades. The sisters bequeathed the property to the National Trust in 1991.

The house is modest but charming, with a warm, intimate atmosphere that larger National Trust properties can't match. The garden, with its wildflowers, restored organic plots, and sea views over Porth Neigwl (Hell's Mouth), is absolutely magical. It's one of the most atmospheric and intimate National Trust properties you'll visit.

Don't miss: The sea views from the garden, the restored organic garden, the woodland walk, and the story of the Keating sisters.

Aberdulyn Tinplate Works

Postcode: LL32 8LD
Entry: Free entry (NT members and non-members); charges may apply for guided tours
Opening: Check website for opening days and tour times

A fascinating industrial heritage site in the Conwy Valley near Dolgarrog (North Wales Coast), this preserved tinplate works tells the story of North Wales's industrial past. The works operated from the early 19th century, producing tinplate — thin sheets of tin-coated steel used for everything from cookware to packaging. Production ceased in the mid-20th century, and the site was rescued and restored by the National Trust.

It's a different side of the National Trust's work — preserving industrial history alongside grand houses and gardens. The site includes the original works building, waterwheel, and interpretive displays about the workers and processes that made tinplate one of Wales's most important industries.

Don't miss: The working waterwheel, the interpretive displays, and the canal-side setting.

The Carneddau

Entry: Free — open access mountain and moorland
Opening: Year-round; take care in winter conditions

The National Trust also cares for vast areas of mountain and moorland in Snowdonia, including parts of the Carneddau range — one of the most remote and spectacular mountain areas in southern Britain. These wild, open landscapes are free to roam and offer some of the most dramatic hiking in Wales, with ancient cairns, standing stones, and panoramic mountain views. The Carneddau are also home to a rare population of wild mountain ponies that have roamed the uplands for centuries, possibly since the Celtic era.

The Trust's upland work includes habitat restoration, archaeological conservation, and supporting the farming communities whose grazing maintains these landscapes.

Ysbyty Ifan

Postcode: LL24 0HF (Dinas, Betws-y-Coed)
Entry: Free (open countryside)
Opening: Year-round access to footpaths

Ysbyty Ifan is the National Trust's largest agricultural estate — over 20,000 acres of hill farms, river valleys, moorland and wildflower meadows near Betws-y-Coed in the heart of Snowdonia (Eryri). The estate centres on the village of Ysbyty Ifan, whose name comes from a medieval hospice (ysbyty = hospital) once run here by the Knights of St John. It's a tranquil spot for walking, birdwatching and exploring traditional Welsh farming landscapes far from the crowds.

Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant

Postcode: LL25 0HJ (Penmachno, near Betws-y-Coed)
Entry: Adults £7, Children £3.50, Family £17.50 (NT members free)
Opening: Check website — typically open spring to autumn

Tucked away in the Wybrnant valley near the village of Penmachno in Snowdonia (Eryri), Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant is a traditional 16th-century stone farmhouse and the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan — the man who first translated the entire Bible into Welsh, published in 1588. This translation was a landmark moment for the Welsh language, helping to preserve it for centuries. The house tells Morgan's story and displays a collection of Bibles in many languages.

Porthdinllaen

Postcode: LL53 6DA (Morfa Nefyn)
Entry: Free (car park charge for non-members)
Opening: Year-round

One of the most picturesque spots on the Llŷn Peninsula, Porthdinllaen is a tiny fishing village accessible only on foot across a National Trust headland. The sandy bay is home to the famous Ty Coch Inn — a pub right on the beach. Fantastic for swimming, snorkelling, and sunset watching.

Pistyll

Postcode: LL53 6LR
Entry: Free
Opening: Year-round

A dramatic stretch of National Trust coastline on the Llŷn Peninsula, Pistyll is named after its striking waterfall that plunges directly onto the beach. Rugged and remote, perfect for coastal walkers seeking solitude and spectacular sea views.

Dinas Dinlle

Postcode: LL54 5TW
Entry: Free
Opening: Year-round

A National Trust hillfort and coastline just west of Caernarfon (North Wales Coast), Dinas Dinlle is an Iron Age fort perched on a low hill with sweeping views across the Menai Strait to Anglesey. The beach below is popular for walking and fossil hunting.

Ogwen Cottage

Postcode: LL57 3LZ
Entry: Free (parking charge; café and facilities)
Opening: Year-round

Set in the dramatic Ogwen Valley beneath Tryfan and the Glyderau, Ogwen Cottage is the National Trust's outdoor centre in the heart of Snowdonia. It's the starting point for some of the most iconic mountain walks in Wales — Tryfan, Glyder Fach, and Glyder Fawr.

Porth Dafarch

Postcode: LL65 2LR (Holy Island, Anglesey)
Entry: Free
Opening: Year-round

A sheltered sandy cove on the west coast of Holy Island (Anglesey), Porth Dafarch is a National Trust beach beloved by families and watersports enthusiasts. The clear waters are ideal for swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, and coasteering, with views towards the Llŷn Peninsula and Snowdonia.

Great Orme

Postcode: LL30 2BW (near Llandudno)
Entry: Free access to Trust-managed land; tramway and mines separately ticketed
Opening: Year-round

The National Trust cares for significant sections of the Great Orme — the dramatic limestone headland rising above Llandudno (North Wales Coast). The land includes wildflower-rich grasslands, ancient copper mines, and dramatic clifftop walks with panoramic views across to Snowdonia and Anglesey. Home to a herd of wild Kashmiri goats.

Planning Your Visit

Membership

If you're planning to visit more than one National Trust property during your stay, membership is likely to save you money. Annual membership is around £84 for an adult or £168 for a family, giving you free entry to over 500 places across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. You can join online or at any property — and your membership supports the ongoing conservation of these special places.

Best Times to Visit

• Spring (April–May): Rhododendrons and azaleas at Plas Newydd and Bodnant; bluebells in woodlands.
• Late May–June: The famous Laburnum Arch at Bodnant Garden.
• Summer (June–August): All properties in full bloom; long days for exploring estates.
• Autumn (September–November): Spectacular autumn colour at Bodnant, Powis, and Chirk; fewer crowds.
• Winter: Check opening times — some properties close or have reduced hours.

Tips for Families

Most National Trust properties in North Wales are family-friendly, with: children's trails and activity packs, natural play areas in gardens, family-friendly cafes, baby-changing facilities, and pushchair-friendly paths at most properties (though some historic interiors have restricted access). Many properties also offer "50 Things to do before you're 11¾" activity lists to keep children engaged.

Accessibility

The National Trust is committed to improving access. Most properties offer: free entry for essential companions, accessible parking close to entrances, mobility scooters or tramper hire at some properties, accessible toilets, and accessible cafes and shops. Historic buildings can have limitations, so check the property's access page before visiting.

Staying Nearby

Many of our holiday cottages are within easy reach of these National Trust properties. Staying in Snowdonia, Conwy, Anglesey, or the Llŷn Peninsula puts you perfectly placed to explore several during your stay. Browse our cottages by area to find your perfect base.

Why the National Trust Matters

The National Trust cares for over 500 historic houses, castles, gardens, parks, and nature reserves across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In North Wales alone, they protect thousands of acres of coastline, mountain, and countryside, as well as some of the region's most important historic buildings.

Every visit, every membership, and every donation helps ensure these special places are protected for future generations. So enjoy your visit — and know that you're helping keep North Wales's heritage alive.

Explore on the Map

Use the interactive map below to plan your National Trust adventure across North Wales. Click a pin for details about each property.

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For the full list of National Trust places to visit across Wales, see the official National Trust Wales page.

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Official Information & Contact Details

For the most up-to-date opening times, entry prices, events and detailed visitor information, please visit the official National Trust website:

🌐 National Trust — Wales

Contact National Trust Cymru (Wales)

| | | |---|---| | General Enquiries (UK) | 0344 800 1895 — Supporter Services Centre, open 9am–5.30pm Mon–Fri, 9am–4pm weekends & bank holidays | | Email (General) | enquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk | | Wales Office | Priest House, Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales, NP10 8YW | | Wales Office Tel | 01633 811659 | | Wales Office Email | wa.customerenquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk | | Website | nationaltrust.org.uk | | Twitter / X | @NationalTrustWales | | Facebook | National Trust Wales | | Write to Us | The National Trust, PO Box 7083, Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV37 1XE |

Tip: Become a National Trust member to enjoy free entry to over 500 places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus free parking at most countryside and coastal sites. Membership supports the Trust's conservation work across Wales.

Source: National Trust — Get in touch