Tretower Castle and Court: A Journey Through Medieval and Tudor Wales

Note: This is a show notes page accompanying my on-location podcast, recorded in summer 2026.

In this episode of The Tudor History & Travel Show, I visit Tretower Court and Castle.

Tucked away in the beautiful landscape of the Black Mountains, in the heart of the Welsh Marches, lie Tretower Castle and Court. The story of Tretower stretches back to the medieval period, but it is during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries that the site takes on particular significance. Its history is closely connected with the Vaughan family, one of the powerful Welsh families who rose to prominence in the turbulent world of the Marches.

Today, its ruins and neighbouring fortified court are an incredible place to explore, but this was once a landscape of power, ambition and conflict, where Welsh lords and English Marcher families vied for control.

In this episode, I explore the remains of the castle and court. Together, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the changing world of late medieval and Tudor Wales – a world in which old medieval traditions were beginning to give way to a new Tudor order.

Tretower Castle and Court: The Tower

It was the great tower that gave the castle, and eventually the settlement around it, its name. Tretower means ‘the place of the tower’. The great circular tower was built around 1230 by Roger Picard II, replacing or developing an earlier medieval stronghold on the site. It is a substantial four-storey cylindrical tower, with walls around nine feet thick. Its scale is striking even today. Not just a defensive structure, the tower was an expression of status as much as a fortress.

The tower was designed as a keep or shell keep, providing both protection and accommodation. There were several floors, combining domestic and defensive functions. Today, visitors can enter at ground level and climb a stone spiral staircase towards the first floor. The castle is now open to the sky, but you can still appreciate the enormous thickness of the masonry and the way the tower was constructed.

In this episode, I’m joined by Ian Roberts, Head Custodian of Tretower Court and Castle. Ian shows me around this fascinating historic site, sharing his incredible knowledge and bringing Tretower’s story to life as we explore its remarkable history.

Tretower Castle and Court: Image Gallery

Sarah with Ian.
Image © The Tudor Travel Guide.

Sarah and Ian explore the ruins of Tretower Castle
Image © The Tudor Travel Guide.

Upper hall (top left); Looking out into the courtyard from the gallery (top right);
The service area adjacent to the kitchen (bottom left); The medieval kitchen (bottom right).
Images © The Tudor Travel Guide.

Useful Links

Visiting information for Tretower Castle and Court is here.

If you’re looking to stay nearby, Tretower Court Cottage is close by. You can find out more about its history here.

If you’re in the area for a while, you may also enjoy visiting the following places:

• Abergavenny Museum (10 miles) and St Mary’s Priory, Abergavenny to visit the tomb of Sir William ap Thomas – found out more here
• Raglan Castle – (12 miles) – discover the castle’s Tudor history here
• Llanvihangel Court – (15 miles) – (open on limited days only)
• If you have more time in Wales, you may enjoy some locations in my itinerary: A Tudor Weekend in Monmouthshire or A Long Weekend In The Tudor Welsh Marches