Driving down into the Vale of Ffestiniog last year I could not fail to notice the bright orange wrapper on the hill, enveloping Plas Tan y Bwlch - the former stately home and since 1975 the study centre for the national park.

Today the wraps are off and the £1.25m refurbishment is ready to be appreciated. The main building has been repaired and renovated, access to rooms has been improved with the installation of lifts, a new interpretation centre has been created, along with sensory gardens with wheelchair access and, last but not least, a residents' bar in the vaulted cellars.

TV presenter Iolo Williams came to officially open the new facilities and, with the help of Edmund Prys School choir (Gellilydan), cut the ribbon to the new bedroom block.

The purpose of the study centre is to assist the nationalpPark in conservation, promotion of understanding and enjoyment of Snowdonia and the fostering of economic and social wellbeing of local communities. This includes running courses for professionals in the fields of environmental study, supporting schools and universities and providing a venue for conferences.

My first experience of the Plas was a Hallowe'en event ... not a run-of-the-mill trick or treat, but an informative presentation on bats and owls with plenty of hands-on activities to keep the attention of young children: dissecting owl pellets, holding a Noctule bat, building a bat box and listening to bats on echo locators.

I also recently took part in a course entitled "Old Roads & Ancient Trackways of Snowdonia". Over the four days we did sections of a Bronze Age trackway, a Roman Road, a drovers (and smugglers) track and the London to Caernarfon coach route.

Along the way we looked at and discussed hundreds of ancient landmarks and the stories that went with them, like the graves of the Ardudwy Men (Beddau Gwyr Ardudwy) from the 5th century. The story goes that the men of Ardudwy needed to increase their population so they stole the women from Clwyd. The men of Clwyd were upset about this and attacked and killed the Ardudwy men on the moors above Llan Ffestiniog. The kidnapped women did not rejoice, but instead drowned themselves in the nearby lake, Llyn Morwynion, the Maidens' Lake.

Parts of the Plas and its grounds are open to the public. It was home to the Oakley family, local slate magnates with a touch of class, boasting polo ponies and a team playing on the local beach. At its heyday the gardens were tended by a team of 12 gardeners producing the fruit and vegetables fit for banquets at the Plas and at the family's Grosvenor Street residence in London. It's good to see the gardens being maintained and also being made accessible so that everyone can enjoy them.

Huw Jenkins