A unique visitor attraction in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has won a prestigious award for education for the third time.

Castell Henllys Iron Age Fort, which is owned and managed by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, has scooped a Sandford Award for Heritage Education. The award is given to heritage sites which offer a high standard of educational services, ranging from Key Stage 1 to university level.

Castell Henllys also won the award in 1999 and 2004. After the initial award is won, sites can reapply every five years. Judges look for progression and development within the educational services offered in the interim years.

This year’s judge, Gareth Fitzpatrick, who until recently was Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust, stated that: "Castell Henllys is unique in the way it demonstrates and interprets the Iron Age. Interesting learning programmes engage visiting children with hands on experiences of what life could have been like in prehistoric Celtic Wales in ways that satisfy and enhance the demands of the contemporary curriculum."

His report adds: "The best resource that any site can have is the human one and Castell Henllys is blessed in this respect. There is cohesion, experience and professionalism, which combined with their friendly approach make a visit to Castell Henllys worthwhile. That the Site Supervisor is an integral part of the Education team and often takes part in the delivery sessions shows the place of learning at Castell Henllys."

Around 7,000 schoolchildren visit Castell Henllys every year as part of the National Park Authority’s Schools Programme. Site Supervisor Rhonwen Owen added: "I am so pleased, not only for the site, but also for the staff who work so hard to deliver an enjoyable as well as educational visit to school parties. We use this prestigious award as a benchmark for our Schools Programme and we are immensely proud to have won it once again."

The award will be presented later in the year at a ceremony hosted by one of the winning venues.