Coast & castles

We originally planned this trip as a shakedown adventure for our new (to us) motorhome, which replaced the one we had stolen at the end of last year. This ‘new’ motorhome had been neglected by its previous owners and we needed to check that all our efforts to get what needed repairing or replacing had been successful. South Wales was not too far to go, so we set off full of hope and a sense of adventure – neither of us had been to south Wales for over 50 years!

Raglan Castle was spotted almost immediately after crossing the ‘border’ into Wales and, despite meeting the dustbin lorry on the narrow approach road, we were soon safely parked and ready to explore the picturesque ruins.

The helpful staff at this Cadw site persuaded us to part with more cash than we had been expecting, but a year’s membership of Cadw proved to be a smart decision for us. We planned to visit many castles during our time in Wales and so this membership should surely prove a good investment.

Raglan’s imposing gateway led us into one of the finest Late Middle Ages buildings that we had explored for some time. We marvelled at the smallest of details still visible in the impressive ruins – the stones could tell us tales of feasting and grandeur on a massive scale in the Great Hall where the Tudor oriel window, which lit the high table, still survives.

We wandered in awe through room after room, even exploring the cellars beneath. It was here that we stumbled across intriguing gadgets – a snack heating machine and a drink dispensing machine, even a ‘capturing’ chair.

On viewing this last item our imagination ran wild. What ingenuity these gadgets demonstrated, but we couldn’t help wondering if they really did work.

Finally, we explored the great tower that is still linked by a bridge across the moat to the main house. We quickly realised that this grand castle had been very much a fortress as well as a home.

From Raglan we headed into the Brecon Beacons National Park, but on a sunny weekend day this was not a wise choice. There were no parking spots where even our small motorhome could squeeze into so that we could go for a walk.

A change of plan was called for. Out came the recently acquired Cadw map showing the location of its sites. Tretower Court was close by so off we headed. We were certainly going to get good use out of our recently acquired membership.

Tretower is a hidden gem. It nestles in a lush valley and is surrounded by me