Originally the home of the Vaughan family, Tretower gives you two historic buildings for the price of one: the sturdy circular Norman keep, now roofless and commanding only a sheep-nibbled bailey, and a 15th-century manor house with a fine garden and orchard (now furnished with picnic tables). Together they illustrate the transition from military stronghold to country house that took place in late-medieval times. It's situated 3 miles northwest of Crickhowell on the A479.
Some domestic clutter has been added to bring the kitchens and banqueting hall to vivid and surprisingly colourful life, but otherwise the rugged authenticity of the place has been left intact. It's so unspoilt that it's been used in numerous historical films, and a local dramatic company occasionally roams the property in period dress, animating 'Life with the Tretower Household' and demonstrating archery, Elizabethan cooking and musketry – see the Cadw website for dates.
