If you are looking for a great spot to see the shooting stars of the Perseids  away from bright lights and light pollution, there are some very good National Trust sites you can go to in the UK.

These sites are ideal for all kinds of stargazing any time of the year and are set in some of the most beautiful locations in the country

The seven best National Trust sites for star gazing and see the wonders of the night sky are:

• Black Down in Sussex – Get closer to the stars on the highest point in the South Downs, just over a mile from the town of Haslemere.

Download the guide for Black Down

• Teign Valley in Devon – Discover the stars at this Trust property within Dartmoor National Park and close to Castle Drogo.

 Download the guide for Teign Valley

• Penbryn Beach in Wales – Beautiful, unspoilt mile-long beach on the Ceredigion coast in west Wales, great for a bit of star gazing and a late night paddle.

 Download the guide for Penbryn Beach

• Stonehenge Landscape in Wiltshire – Step back in time and discover the ancient skies of Salisbury Plain’s chalk downlands, home to the impressive prehistoric stone monument.

 Download the guide for Stonehenge Landscape

• Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire – Close to historic Ely, the wild landscape of the National Trust’s oldest nature reserve offers dark skies and a wealth of nocturnal wildlife to listen out for.

 Download the guide for Wicken Fen

• Mam Tor in Derbyshire – Escape the bright city lights of Sheffield and experience the peace and tranquillity of Mam Tor’s dark skies in the Peak District.

Download the guide for Mam Tor

• Friar’s Crag in Cumbria – Surrounded by the breathtakingly beautiful scenery of the Lake District, Friar’s Crag in Keswick juts out into the spectacular lake of Derwentwater; a restful place to contemplate the world above us.

 Download the guide for Friar’s Crag

More information about all of these sites is available by visiting: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/darkskies and enjoy stargazing and meteorwatch at these fabulous locations.