Tretower Court and Castle . . . Part I

Last Thursday we had to go beyond Brecon to take our son and eldest daughter to the Green Man Festival. K and I gave ourselves the afternoon off and had a wonderful time exploring nearby Tretower Court and Castle, which we've wanted to visit for several years now. It was worth the wait, as it was given a wonderful makeover a couple of years ago, and now it has some SUPERB reproduction oak vernacular furniture. It had my husband getting me to take photographs whilst he took measurements of a couple of pieces he really wanted to recreate for our home. We fell in love with the Manor House, and could easily have just shut out the world and lived in the past as it was shown there. It just felt so familiar. He will be going round again on tomorrow when he picks up our offspring, and I dare say T will go round with him too (if she can stay awake!

If you ever get the opportunity to visit, I can guarantee it will be the best £4 you've ever spent.

A wicker chicken cage to keep your next meal from under your feet until you're ready to deal with it!


A fabulous big fireplace - what we would call an inglenook these days - with a variety of small cauldrons and similar cooking pans, and earthenware dishes etc.

Above and below, a grain bin, newly-made in the vernacular style, from solid oak. My husband fell in love with this and was jotting down measurements, whilst I had to take photos from various angles! I think we may well have one in the future for storage.



A collection of rush- and candle-holders on top of a cupboard.

A dole cupboard which looks even better for having the scarlet fabric behind the pierced designs.

Summer in a jug . . .

Above and below - shades of late summer and the autumn to come with apples and pears and herbs from the garden against a backdrop of plank and munting screening. The recreated fish was most convincing.


Another of the lovely hand-made commissioned period storage cupboards in the kitchen.

The table top was made from a single plank, and the legs were set into the top and roughly hewn.
It had a lot of character.

Two dried eels hang beside various spoons, skimmers, ladles and herbs. I really have no idea what the metal "branding iron" tools are for - cooking small pieces of meat/birds? Suggestions? Modified to add that each one is a fork hung on top of a three-pronged "side-fork" for turning over meat or something in a pan, as each prong is slightly-bent.

A newly-made earthenware steen - the forerunner of the beige mixing bowl I use for breadmaking and baking.

The gallery running beside the rooms on the first floor.