Great art meets the mysteries of Pembrokeshire after dark at Oriel y Parc
As summer draws to a close, visitors to Oriel y Parc: National Park Discovery Centre will be invited to see Pembrokeshire through fresh eyes, with a special celebration inspired by the changing light and hidden life of the National Park.
Taking place on Thursday 27 August, Dark Skies Day will see Oriel y Parc turn its attention skyward for a full day – and evening – dedicated to the wonders of the Pembrokeshire night sky.
Daytime events begin with a talk on The Hidden World of Moths led by a National Park Authority Conservation Officer (10–11am, £5, booking essential), followed by drop-in solar viewing with Preseli Astronomy, who’ll help visitors safely observe the sun through a smart telescope from 11am. Storyteller Bron Jones brings the islands’ seabirds to life in Phantoms of the Sea, a free family storytelling session about the Manx shearwaters that nest along the Pembrokeshire coast, while a talk on Bats – the Superstars of the Night explores some of the rarest bat species in Europe found on the doorstep.
Preseli Astronomy Society return through the afternoon with two more talks: an introduction to the night sky for curious beginners at 2pm, and a look at the search for life beyond Earth at 3.30pm (£5 each, booking essential).
As dusk falls, the event shifts into its after-dark programme. A Ranger-led Biofluorescent Night Walk (from 7.30pm, £15) uses UV torches to reveal the hidden glow of lichens, plants and insects around St Davids, while the Ranger-led Brilliant Bats, St Davids walk (7.45–9.45pm, £10) gives visitors the chance to use bat detectors and discover what’s active around the Cathedral after dark. The day closes, weather permitting, with a free, drop-in stargazing session with Preseli Astronomy Society from 10–11pm, offering the chance to explore galaxies, nebulae and the Milky Way through a range of telescopes.
The centre’s major exhibition, Helen Chadwick: Body and Landscape, continues to run, exploring the connection between body, identity and landscape that inspired Chadwick’s work in Pembrokeshire. Elsewhere in the galleries, visitors can also discover Anita Woods’ symbolic wildlife paintings, Alice Tennant’s watercolours of the coast and countryside, Pippa Cunningham’s bold plein air work painted directly from the coastline she grew up beside, and locally made jewellery and sea-inspired ceramics in the Discovery Room.
Rachel Perkins, Manager of Oriel y Parc, said: “We wanted every visit to Oriel y Parc to feel different this summer and Dark Skies Day felt like the perfect way of drawing the season to a close – by turning attention to a side of Pembrokeshire people rarely get to experience, from moths and bats to the Milky Way over St Davids.”
Most Dark Skies Day events require booking in advance, and some are weather dependent. Full details, prices and booking information for all summer events are available at www.orielyparc.co.uk.