If you like mountains, lakes or castles, wildlife or wildflowers, the National Trust might still have a holiday for you in 2002.

For 35 years, the National Trust has been offering great value holidays in the most beautiful parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

From as little as £29 for four days next month (including food and accommodation), you could not find a better way to discover the countryside, learn new skills, make new friends and have fun.

Over the years thousands of people between 17 and 70 have tackled undergrowth, counted rare breeds and built pathways and walls while staying in picturesque remote cottages and historic farm buildings.

Bronte fans might choose to go up on the peculiar Bridestones Moor in North Yorkshire where holiday volunteers will work among the 150 million-year-old rock formations and ice age woodland to clear scrub and timber just as the Bronze Age settlers did before them. At night they stay in a beautifully refurbished watermill set in a secluded dale. (£65)

Those with strong calf muscles could do no better than travel to North Wales and the Carneddau estate. In return for some dry stone walling, path and fence building, volunteers get to spend a week among the spectacular scenery of Snowdonia, surrounded by ten peaks over 3,000 feet, hilltop forts and stone circles. (£54)

A more gentle style of nature conservation may appeal in Northumberland on the Wallington estate. This is the National Trust's largest estate of over 5,200 hectares with 16 tenant farms, a mansion, a village and miles of important wildlife habitats. Volunteers will help build otter holts on the riverbank and restore hay meadows before retiring to the granary in the courtyard of the 17th Century Wallington Hall. (£65)

A beach holiday with a difference is on offer in County Down on the Murlough National Nature Reserve. Between the village of Dundrum and the resort of Newcastle stretch 280 hectares of dune heathland. Volunteers will help clear sea buckthorn and gorse and replace some of the boardwalks that allow access to this are of Special Scientific Interest. The sand can be washed away each evening at the former gamekeeper's cottage in a quiet wooded area of the beautiful Castle Ward estate on Strangford Lough. (£65)

There is even something for those with little time or very little money. Bransdale in the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors offers a four-day break clearing vegetation and helping to preserve the outstanding landscape for just £29.

It is Land Rover's support for Working Holidays as part of their long association with outdoor activities and the environment that helps the Trust to keep prices so low.

Other holiday locations with some availability include the rich bird habitat of Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, the stunning High Peak Estate in Derbyshire, the lower Plym Valley in Devon, the dramatic purple slopes of Langdale in the Lake District and Croft Castle's ancient woodlands on the Welsh borders.

No experience of special skills are necessary for any of the holidays and all tasks are managed by friendly, fully-trained staff.

The public can pick up a copy of the 2002 National Trust Working Holidays brochure from their local Land Rover dealer or telephone 0870 4 29 24 28. Alternatively, write to the National Trust Working Holidays Brochure, Wroxham, Norwich NR12 8DH. You can also view the brochure at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteers.

A ticket to the past

JORVIK, the Viking themed attraction in York, has launched a Pastport to offer tourists savings when visiting places of interest in the city over the summer.

In one purchase, the Pastport gives visitors entry to Jorvik, its sister attraction, The Archaeological Resource Centre and Archaeology Live! a archaeological dig taking place in the city over the summer. In addition, the Pastport includes reduced admission to a host of other tourist venues, such as Clifford's Tower, YorkBoat and St Williams College.

Janet Burrows, Jorvik's marketing manager says: "One of the benefits of the Jorvik Pastport is that the vouchers are valid until September 1 so you can enjoy the best sites in the city at a discounted rate, and at your leisure without having to pack everything into one day."

The Pastport costs £9.50 for adults, £7 for children and £30 for a family (two adults and two children) from the Jorvik admissions desk or by telephone from the Jorvik reservations line on (01904) 543403. The Pastport is available to buy until the end of August. For more information, telephone the Jorvik information line on (01904) 643211 or log onto the website at www.vikingjorvik.com

Pets come too

British visitors travelling to France with their dogs or cats under the PETS scheme will find more than 50 pet-friendly hotels in Normandy's Hotels de Charme brochure.

With a choice ranging from two-star charm and convenience to four-star luxury, the hotels allow well-behaved pets to share their owners' rooms and to remain with them in other areas.

The Hotels de Charme brochure covers the whole of Normanby and features 76 hotels, all independently owned. The properties are vetted for authenticity and service on a regular basis and they often have a good restaurant. Published in full colour, the brochure is available free of charge from the Normandy Tourist Board either in the UK or locally.

For further details on what to see and do in the area, or for a free copy of the 2002 Hotels de Charme brochure and a list of those hotels which welcome pets, contact the Normandy Tourist Board in Bristol on 0117 986 0386.

For more information on taking pets on holiday to France call the PETS helpline on 0870 241 1710 or visit the DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk/animals/quarantine.