On Thursday, Lamphey Bishop's Palace held an Open Doors Day as part of the Civic Trust's 'Open Doors' programme.

The palace staff and members of St. John's Church (Pembroke Dock) collaborated to organise a fantastic event, bringing the community together for a fun-filled day packed with a wide variety of activities.

Nearly 200 people attended throughout the day, many of whom were locals who had never previously visited the palace.

Numerous stalls were set up offering a wide variety of products for visitors, including a Plant Dewi stall to raise funds for disadvantaged children, and a herb stall selling potted herbs grown in the palace's very own herb garden. The palace's volunteer gardener also gave fascinating talks throughout the day about herbs and their uses.

Pembroke Dock Raptors, an organisation promoting education about birds of prey through a 'hands on' approach, provided a stunning display of birds, gave informal talks and provided opportunities for the public to get hands on with the raptors.

There was also ample time to explore and learn about the history of the medieval gem Lamphey Bishop's Palace, and visitors enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and beauty of the surroundings.

Throughout the day, St. John's Church provided tasty homemade soups and delicious cakes to sample, along with teas and coffees, and the warm and sunny day culminated in a beautiful and atmospheric Songs of Praise held on the site of the palace chapel.

Lamphey Bishop's Palace is one of the 128 historic sites under the care of Cadw. Cadw, the Welsh for to keep, is the Welsh Government's historic environment service working for an accessible and well-protected historic environment. For more information, go to Cadw's website http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk">www.cadw.wales.gov.uk

Organised by the Civic Trust for Wales and supported by Cadw, Open Doors offers both local people and visitors the chance to explore new aspects of Wales's culture and history. The programme is part of European Heritage Days which this year took place throughout September across 50 countries in a celebration of architecture and heritage.

Open Doors is the largest volunteering programme in the heritage sector with over 700 events organised by community members, including guided walks, heritage trails, lectures, exhibitions and concerts.