A NORTH Pembrokeshire attraction rolled out the red carpet on Thursday, May 14 to receive a special visitor.

Castell Henllys welcomed the Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates for its official reopening.

The Iron Age village, which boasts replica Iron Age roundhouses built exactly where they would have stood 2,400 years ago, has benefited from a modern makeover.

Improvements include an upgraded visitor centre with café, interactive displays and an app for smartphones and tablets.

Mr Skates said: “This excellent project is enhancing visitors’ experience of Castell Henllys by using modern technology to bring the past to life, giving visitors a clearer idea of what it was really like to live during the Iron Age.

“Over and over again visitors cite heritage as a key reason to visit Wales and research has found that sites which have benefited from our Heritage Tourism Project bring up to £19m to our economy annually.

“It’s important that we keep our offer fresh and inviting.”

Castell Henllys is owned and run by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and received funding for the project from Cadw’s Heritage Tourism Project (part funded by the European Regional Development Fund); the Visit Wales Digital Tourism Business Framework and the Welsh Government’s Targeted Match Fund.

Park Authority chairman, Cllr Mike James added: “Castell Henllys is a unique site, set deep in the world-class National Park landscape. We hope these new developments will encourage even more people to visit the site and strengthen its reputation as a fun family day out.”