19c Mostly Cloudy
Barmouth Viaduct at Sunset 
Llanberis from Penllyn 
Morfa Bychan beach near Porthmadog 
WALES' favourite historic house and its gardens becomes a magical make-believe world of bright lights as the festive frolics kick off with a bang. Erddig, the stately home two miles south of Wrexham that was the base of the Yorke dynasty for more than two centuries, invites visitors to warm their bottoms in front of a roaring fire before setting off on a fascinating out-of-season tour of the house.
You'll view the historic kitchens, dairy, bakery and laundry, and discover the secret of Mrs Yorke's once infamous Christmas pud.
Meanwhile, Tom - Erddig's dappled grey horse - will be waiting impatiently outside to provide carriage rides around the grounds, just as the squire and his family would've enjoyed in Victorian times as the staff in the kitchens toiled over the Christmas dinner.
The original house was designed by Thomas Webb for Joshua Edisbury, the High Sheriff of Denbighshire, and construction work finished in 1687.
It was sold to John Mellor in 1718, who enlarged it, and the estate passed to his nephew Simon Yorke in 1733. It remained in the hands of the Yorke family until it was handed to the National Trust in 1973 by Philip Yorke, the last squire of Erddig.
The gardens, outbuildings, shop and tearoom will be open every Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 4pm until December 16.
Look out for the Scandinavian-style wooden chalet in the garden where Mr S Claus has temporarily taken up residence. For a donation of £2 towards his elves' upkeep, he'll be handing out gifts between noon and 3pm.
This Friday at 6pm you're invited along for a festive singalong in the 18th century courtyard, where the Salvation Army band will be setting the scene, and where you can partake of mince pies and mulled wine. Santa will have vacated his chalet for the warmth of the old dairy, where he'll be greeting visitors in front of a log fire.
But the magic doesn't stop there. If you're looking for an enchanted evening, the formal walled gardens will be turned into a magical setting of beautiful lighting as Yuletide Glow returns to Erddig this coming weekend and that following (December 8/9 and December 15/16) from 5pm.
Over 2.5km of cable, hundreds of bulbs, dimmers and spotlights have been installed to turn the hall, gardens, trees and architectural features into a firmament of stunning colour and lights.
The Yuletide Glow adds another dimension to the way visitors can enjoy the formal avenues of trees and other garden features, with lighting experts transforming trees such as the limes, the Portuguese laurel, the Irish yew avenue and the stunning swamp cypress into mystical festive decorations.
The kids will walk in a daze along a pathway flanked by illuminated yew trees to meet Father Christmas in his woodland grotto, as their parents tuck into yet more mulled wine and mince pies.
Meanwhile the gift shop and tearooms will also be open should you need more substantial refreshments.
The 17th century Erddig estate is a National Trust property, admission to which costs £3 for non-members, and earlier this year was voted one of the UK's top 10 favourite historic sites by viewers of UKTV's Britain's Best programme.
With 12,000 votes, it reached eighth spot, behind places such as Stonehenge, Hadrian's Wall and York Minster, but was placed first in the Historic House category.
