Gladstone’s Library is taking part in the National Trust’s summertime quest to find and celebrate the most special places in Wales, a country fit to burst with natural and architectural treasures.
The aim of the campaign is to get people talking about their favourite Welsh places, kindling a national conversation about what makes Wales exceptional and unique.
The competition comprises five different categories: Glorious Coast, Parks and Gardens, Wild Open Spaces, Historic Buildings, and Quirky and Urban. Each category is headed by a different celebrity team leader, who will be enthusiastically encouraging the general public to choose a winner to represent their category. The five category winners will then go head to head in a bid to be crowned Wales’ ultimate Special Place of 2015.
We are entering the battle with hopes of heading up the Historic Buildings contingent, the team leader for which is TV personality and weather presenter Siân Lloyd. As Britain’s only prime ministerial library and a major research centre, we hope to be recognised as a much-loved historical treasure, nestled in the beautiful North Wales countryside.
To vote for us, members of the public can visit the Special Places 2015 section of the National Trust Love Wales Facebook page, entering ‘Gladstone’s Library’ into the ‘Other’ box in the Historic Buildings section, or vote for the Library on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #lleoeddarbennig/#specialplaces @NTWales.
Not only is Gladstone’s Library keeping its fingers crossed for success, but it is also one of the campaign’s official partners. This means that members of the public can also vote for us using the voting slips and ballot box which will be kept in Reception.
This year’s campaign was launched on May 14 at the site of last year’s Special Places winner, Penarth Pier. The category voting is open until July 14, with the winners being announced on July 20.
The vote for the champion will then run until August 4, with online voting closing at midnight. The Special Places 2015 winner will be revealed on August 7.