A medieval barn on the site of a Crickhowell court and castle has been upgraded, following 13 months of essential conservation and development work.

Last week, Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government announced the that the Grade II listed barn on the site of Tretower Court and Castle has been brought back into public use.

Since breaking ground in November 2021, Tretower Court has undergone extensive conservation work with a focus on repairing the site’s barn — thereby safeguarding the monument for future generations.

Having stood since 1100, the Court and Castle also now features audio-visual interpretation techniques to tell the story of all who treaded its floors before Cadw restored them. The site has a wealth of history within its walls, ranging from Norman invaders and Welsh princes, to dignitaries of the Wars of the Roses and the Vaughan family, right through to 20th century campaigners who helped to save the buildings from ruin and decay.

Including an 18-stop audio tour detailing the site’s tumultuous past and new panels explaining the history of the restored barn, the site’s new interpretation invites visitors to experience the monument as they never have before.

The 60-minute audio tour, covering the rich history of both the castle and the court, is delivered by Lead Custodian at Tretower, Ian Andrews. The brand-new tour gives visitors the chance to step back in time and transport themselves through the 900-year history of the medieval manor house.

Coming in summer 2022, experiential interpretation inside the Steward’s Apartment in Tretower Court will give further voice to the monument’s history, using audio, visual, and physical techniques to immerse visitors in the site’s rich stories.

Works have also transformed part of the restored barn into a charming new restaurant, Y Bwyty Bach, headed by chef, Connor Turner.

With 30 covers and a small kitchen-garden in place, visitors can sample modern British cuisine which celebrates seasonal, local produce, from the chef previously awarded two rosettes and Pub of the Year.

Further visitor experience improvements include a new visitor reception; accessible public toilets; an event space for local businesses to rent as pop-up stalls; and facilities for custodians.

Led by John Weaver Contractors, the site is now fit for public use and is even home to local wildlife. The site offers a ‘penthouse’ for a wide variety of bats, including the greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, brown long ear and the common and soprano pipistrell.

Last Thursday, June 23, saw an official celebration and tour take place on site, in recognition of the work that’s been completed over the last 13 months.

Architects, archeologists, builders, Cadw representatives, historians, politicians and local people came together to take a look around the new visitor facilities. Ian Andrews provided an informative in-person tour around the site.

Dawn Bowden MS, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, who was present on the day, said: “I hope the development and conservation work at Tretower Court — particularly the new, interpretation works — will encourage more visitors to discover the local history and culture on offer here in Crickhowell.

“Conservation works such as this are vital for the protection of our monuments across Wales, ensuring these historically significant sites are protected for the benefit of future generations.”

Cadw Interpretations Manager, David Rees said: “This project is the culmination of two years of hard work to create a modern and vibrant visitor centre with a new retail area

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that gives a warm welcome to Tretower Court.

“It was important to save a historic asset and create space for visitors to relax and enjoy experience. We have done this by providing more modern facilities and services at a historic site, and focusing a lot of our work on conservation and preservation where we can, preserving much of the Castle’s original features and special qualities.”

Gwilym Hughes, Head of Cadw, said: “Tretower Court and Castle welcomed dignitaries and poets throughout the medieval period, and now that the conservation and development works are complete at the monument, we look forward to welcoming visitors from near and far to discover the site’s remarkable history.

“We hope the visitor experience enhancements encourage more visitors and Cadw members to explore the site, and we look forward to working with Connor at Y Bwyty Bach to provide top-quality dining for our visitors — within a truly fascinating and beautiful setting.”

Speaking about the development, Mr Hughes said: “As the work was being completed, there were extensive ecological and archaeological challenges to overcome. We learnt more about the building throughout the development and found ourselves revealing more and more about the history of the barn.

“Due to the nature of the project it needed to be done perfectly. Preserving the history and heritage of the site here in Tretower was at the forefront of every decision.

“We’ve brought an ancient building up to modern day standards, safeguarding it for generations. It is wonderful to see all the hard work come to fruition and we would like to thank everyone involved with the project for their outstanding work. We’re very excited for people to come and see what’s been done here - it’s a real hidden gem.”

For information and to book a visit to Tretower Court and Castle, visit https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/tretower-court-and-castle