Aberglasney Mansion is to play an important role in this year’s national Open Doors event by offering special tours of the upper floors of the Grade II* listed building, which has never previously been opened to the public.

The fully restored ground floor was opened in 2013 by award-winning actor Damian Lewis and is open daily. The unrestored upstairs rooms are not usually accessible.

However, on the weekend of Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, and the public is being invited to join expert guides on a series of special tours.

The tours will give a unique insight into the history of what was once one of Carmarthenshire’s most important houses.

Operations Manager, Simon Campbell-Davies said: “I’m delighted that we’re going to be able to open the upper floors of the mansion for this one weekend.

“This is a unique opportunity to see parts of the building that people are very inquisitive about out but never get to see for themselves.”

Uninhabited, neglected and vandalised, Aberglasney was on the brink of collapse when it was rescued from oblivion by the Aberglasney Restoration Trust in 1995.

Extensive restoration of the Gardens and House has been carried out over the last 20 years and Aberglasney is now regarded as one of Wales’ finest attractions.

The mansion itself has, during its 600-year history, been home to poets and artists, a Bishop, a High Sheriff, architects and solicitors, drinkers and those who abstained – all of whom have played their part in what has on occasions been a troubled but none the less engaging history.

The Open Doors event at Aberglasney offers the opportunity to learn more about these characters and their contributions to Aberglasney, both architecturally and historically.

Normal garden admission prices will apply across the weekend, but guided tours of the upstairs rooms are free.

Visitors are however requested to book a place on a tour by calling 01558 668998. Unfortunately there is no disabled access to the upper floors and visitors will be required to climb several staircases during the course of the tour.

It must also be remembered that the areas visited are unrestored and special care will need to be taken when navigating the rooms – visitors take the tour at their own risk.

Open Doors is part of European Heritage Days, which take place in 50 countries across Europe every September. It is Wales’s largest celebration of buildings and architecture, and the largest volunteer event in the heritage sector in Wales, with over 1,800 volunteers participating.

The event will be led by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, in conjunction with partners across Wales. For more information visit the Cadw website.

Aberglasney covers an area of more than 10 acres, which includes three walled gardens, and at its heart a fully restored Elizabethan cloister garden and parapet walk. It is recognised as one of Wales’ finest attractions. The Gardens contain a magnificent collection of unusual plants, including a wide variety of woodland plants. An award winning indoor garden has also been created within the ruins of the mansion’s courtyard, where rare sub-tropical plants are cultivated. Restoration of the ground floor of Aberglasney’s Grade II* listed mansion house was completed in Spring 2013.

For further information about Open Doors in Wales visit cadw.wales.gov.uk/opendoors or aberglasney.org