June – a Day at Tretower Court
Some of our guests stay over for a fortnight at Acorn Lodge, and over the weekend of 22/23rd June we had the opportunity to spend a day at Tretower Court with a guest.
Tretower is located in the Black Mountains in Breconshire. On a clear day, fine views of the Black Mountains can be had from the balcony of Acorn Lodge, and we drove across into that view. The Court is a wonderful place to visit. It’s only about 90 minutes leisurely drive from us through the black-and-white villages of Herefordshire and up into the spectacular scenery of the Black Mountains.
We arrived around lunchtime and picnicked at the tables provided before going into Tretower Court itself. There are some 900 years of history to take in during your visit, from the spectacular round Shell Keep of Tretower Castle to the mediaeval splendour of the actual Tretower Court. As things became a little less warlike on the Marches, the owners of Tretower were able to build a fortified manor house of great luxury to live in, rather than the more Spartan accommodation of the original fortress. Cadw, who now own the property, have carefully recreated the interior of the Court to look much as it would have done in the 1400s when it had a reputation for fine dining. There is not only reconstructed furniture, but even a mediaeval banquet laid out for serving. Clive had a fine time presiding over the banquet from the seat of the Lord of the Manor!
We have some leaflets in Acorn Lodge about Tretower Court if you would like to repeat our trip there during your stay with us, or you can look up their website using the free Wi-fi at the Lodge. There are a number of events on at the Court over the summer, including historical re-enactors who demonstrate how life was lived by the Lord and Lady and by their servants and soldiers. The Cadw staff at Tretower are particularly helpful in making the lower part of the Court accessible to less able visitors.
